The moment the police car drove into the compound, it was swarmed by media reporters who had been waiting eagerly. Lin Hening had barely stepped out when microphones were shoved into his face. Reporters pushed forward, firing sharp and attention-grabbing questions.
While Lin Hening gave his flawless official responses, someone shouted from afar, “Lawyer Ma is here!” A business van pulled into the compound, and the reporters immediately turned their attention to the newcomer, swarming him for interviews.
Ma Huai stepped out and delivered polished, impeccable remarks. Amid the chaotic crowd, he glanced toward Lin Hening and smiled gracefully.
Lin Hening met his gaze coolly and strode confidently up the imposing stairs.
Reporters also faced the cameras with tense, eye-catching openings:
“One is a battle-hardened celebrity prosecutor, the other a seasoned top lawyer. The two have clashed three times before, with Prosecutor Lin undefeated each time. Will he keep his unbeaten record? Can Lawyer Ma redeem his past losses? We await this trial’s outcome with bated breath!”
This highly influential case had already stirred heated online debate, so the trial was open to the public, with the audience seats packed. The victim’s family sat front and center, faces tense and sorrowful.
Lin Hening took his seat as the prosecutor, nodding at the victim’s family to offer some comfort. Their eyes glistened with tears as they tried to hold back grief.
Lin Hening pinched his fingers lightly. Xiao Wei asked what was wrong, but of course, Lin Hening didn’t admit he was a bit nervous—the entire trial was live-streamed online, and Gu Fei would be watching him.
Ma Huai took his place, the suspect was escorted to the defendant’s seat, and Lin Hening took a deep breath. When the judge’s gavel came down, signaling “court is in session,” he was instantly in the zone.
Because the case was complex, witnesses and evidence were presented alternately, with police officer Jian Xiaoxi, the lead detective, testifying.
Both sides fought fiercely, debating skillfully for three full hours.
Finally, the judge delivered the verdict.
The courtroom erupted in noise, and the live-stream chat exploded with comments.
[The prosecutor is so cool, shutting up the rich kid with every question!]
[But hey, Lin is also a rich kid himself, haha.]
[Heartbreaking for the victim’s mom—Zhang’s family is ruthless!]
[So satisfying! Law is mighty, and Prosecutor Lin is awesome!]
Lin Hening visibly exhaled, not because he defended his unbeaten streak, but because he upheld the dignity of the law and successfully brought the guilty to justice.
Directly across from the prosecutor’s bench was the defense table, where Ma Huai slumped back in his seat, utterly drained. In the distance, the murderer’s father, Zhang Wangchun, leaned on his cane and shouted out angrily, “I want to appeal!”
After leaving the courtroom, Xiao Wei hurriedly followed Lin Hening, feeling both pleased and sympathetic. “Ma Huai barely rebuilt his confidence, and you just crushed it mercilessly, Master. I’m pretty sure this time he’s seriously thinking of switching careers.”
Lin Hening stopped walking. Xiao Wei paused and followed his gaze to see the victim’s elderly mother, frail and supported by relatives, approaching.
“Prosecutor Lin.” The old woman suddenly dropped to her knees before Lin Hening, tears streaming down her face.
Lin Hening immediately steadied her, and with Xiao Wei’s help, gently helped her up, soothing her softly.
“You need to take good care of yourself and live well,” Lin Hening said, patting her hand. “Xiao Wei, please see her off.”
Once Xiao Wei and the others walked away, Lin Hening finally felt the exhaustion that comes after a big battle. But this was physical tiredness—his spirit was still highly energized.
He glanced back without thinking, and his excitement soared even higher.
“Gu Fei?!” Lin Hening gasped in surprise.
At the end of the hallway, Gu Fei was walking toward him, clapping his hands loudly.
Lin Hening was overjoyed and rushed over in big strides, completely shedding the cold prosecutor image from moments ago, and gave him a solid bear hug. “How did you get here?”
Gu Fei held Lin Hening’s waist tightly. “I’ve been outside all along. This is your first trial as my boyfriend. Even if I couldn’t get a seat in the courtroom, I had to stand as close to you as possible.”
Lin Hening felt a warm rush in his chest. Their bodies pressed close together, exchanging the fierce, powerful beating of hearts—whether his or Gu Fei’s, he couldn’t tell.
“Uh, well…should we be congratulating Prosecutor Lin or quietly sneaking away so we don’t disturb you two?”
The sudden voice startled Lin Hening. At the far end of the hallway stood two others: the chubby guy and Zhou Zhou, whom Lin Hening, with lover’s eyes, immediately ignored.
Zhou Zhou was unusually sharp. “I think we should do the latter—let’s not bother them and quietly leave.”
Chubby guy: “Great minds think alike.”
[“No wonder he’s the best prosecutor in Yunzhou.”]
Xia Zhile typed the comment into the flood of messages in the chat, but it was quickly drowned out and disappeared within seconds.
Xia Zhile zoned out for a moment and then heard the door open. He quickly locked his phone screen and flipped it face down on the table.
An Nian was changing shoes at the door. Xia Zhile asked if he had eaten lunch. An Nian paused for a few seconds and said yes.
Xia Zhile went to the bathroom.
When he came out, he saw An Nian standing by the couch holding the very phone that was supposed to be face down on the table.
“Xia Zhile, you keep saying we’re done and will never see Lin Hening again, but the moment you turn your head, you’re watching him online?!”
Xia Zhile felt a bit guilty, but not entirely. He argued back that he was watching the Lotus Dismemberment case trial—after all, it was a huge local scandal in Yunzhou. As someone living in the city, what was wrong with following the trial?
“Don’t be so sensitive. Lin Hening just happens to be the prosecutor. What choice do I have? I can’t exactly watch the livestream and automatically blur out his face, can I?”
“Besides, how can you sneak a peek at my phone? Don’t you know that’s private?”
An Nian: “Private? I’m your boyfriend. What privacy is there between us? If you didn’t have any secrets, what would you be afraid of?”
Xia Zhile, both angry and embarrassed, thought An Nian was utterly unreasonable!
When he was with Lin Hening, his phone was always out in the open because he knew Lin Hening wouldn’t look at it. Even when he showed Lin some weird chat records from the office, Lin only looked after getting permission.
Xia Zhile, furious and overwhelmed, tossed out a “You’re crazy!” as he slammed the door behind him.
From inside the room, he heard An Nian crying loudly.
Xia Zhile’s emotions swung back and forth — sometimes annoyed, sometimes feeling softhearted.
He used to enjoy An Nian’s vulnerability; it made him feel needed, a satisfaction he never got from Lin Hening. Not to mention, Lin Hening outshone him in every way, so Xia Zhile never felt “important” or “dominant.” More than that, Lin Hening had a strong-willed personality—he never complained about being sick or hurt. By the time Xia Zhile found out and went to check on him, Lin’s already healed and recovered.
An Nian was totally different. Even a slight headache or fever, he’d want to announce it to the whole world.
At first, Xia Zhile liked An Nian’s delicate “poor me” vibe, but gradually he realized it was just pure, unique drama!
A broken finger meant crying about the pain. Bad dreams meant tears. A bad nail trim meant losing a couple of “gold beans” (like coins). Then An Nian would run around begging Xia Zhile for comfort and attention, no matter how busy he was.
Basically, Xia Zhile had to spoil him like a princess. Otherwise, it was: “You don’t love me anymore, do you? Are you regretting it?”
Xia Zhile didn’t want things to get this way with An Nian.
He spent the whole afternoon out and stopped by the supermarket on the way back. When he got home, An Nian’s shoes were still by the door, but An Nian himself was locked in the bedroom.
Xia Zhile called out twice but got no response, so he went to the kitchen to make soup.
Just as the soup finished cooking, the bedroom door opened. Xia Zhile looked at the pot while teasing with a smile, “Little foodie sniffed out the delicious smell and finally came out to eat?”
An Nian’s voice came from behind, “You’re so good at this—be honest, how many times did you have to practice on Lin Hening to get this good?”
Xia Zhile’s heart sank. “What’s wrong with you again? You know my mom taught me this. I learned it back in middle school. Why do you keep picking on Lin Hening?”
An Nian’s eyes reddened, suddenly looking hurt and ready to cry, “I’m just asking. Why get so worked up? Xia Zhile, are you impatient with me? Do you not love me anymore?”
Xia Zhile turned off the stove and said nothing.
An Nian pressed closer, forcing Xia Zhile around to face him. “Tell me. Do you regret it?”
Xia Zhile couldn’t take it anymore. He snapped.
“Yes, I regret it!!!”
The same night. The same kitchen. The same two people. The same steaming hot soup.
But last time they were tearful and tender; this time, they looked at each other with disgust.
“Xia Zhile, you’re heartless! You actually say you regret it! I, An Nian, am not unwanted! How am I any less than Lin Hening? You’re really a terrible person!”
“Crazy, insane!”
“You’re just as crazy as Wang Tu!”
The months of torment tied up in his heart finally unraveled with those four words: “I regret it.”
Suddenly, Xia Zhile felt enlightened. He realized, yes, he did regret it.
Once that thought settled, memories flooded back like waves—Lin Hening’s every frown and smile, his tenderness and strength, crashing repeatedly in Xia Zhile’s mind.
He remembered a lot from the past.
When he first got together with Lin Hening, he was broke, earning just a few thousand a month. After rent and essentials, he barely made ends meet. Where was the extra money to buy Lin Hening clothes?
Back then, when they went shopping and passed a luxury store, Xia Zhile pretended not to see it out of insecurity. Lin Hening never called him out, instead pulling him into a modest, affordable store and pointing at a shirt under a hundred bucks, saying it looked good and to buy that for him.
The only son of the prestigious Lin Corporation, who owned watches worth hundreds of thousands, humbly wore cheap street stall clothes priced at $8.88, even with an additional 12% discount.
That was the first gift he ever gave Lin Hening. Lin wore it for a very long time—until the shirt was worn out, the collar and cuffs frayed and no longer wearable. But he never threw it away; it was always folded neatly and kept in the wardrobe.
Xia Zhile’s eyes grew warm as he walked, lost in these memories. When he finally snapped back to reality, he realized he was already standing at the entrance of Lin Hening’s apartment complex.
Biting his lip, Xia Zhile steeled himself and tried to reason with the security guard. No matter how politely or insistently he spoke, the guard wouldn’t let him in—he was blacklisted by the homeowners’ association.
Just as Xia Zhile was about to lose his temper and force his way inside, he suddenly remembered he had a patient living in the complex. So he immediately called the patient, pretending to check on their recovery after discharge and said since he was nearby, he’d drop by.
The patient was surprised by such top-notch “aftercare” and eagerly invited him in.
Xia Zhile gave the guard a sharp look and once inside, he didn’t visit the patient’s apartment at all—he headed straight for Lin Hening’s.
Pacing back and forth in the hallway, scratching his head and rehearsing his opening lines to the empty air, Xia Zhile prepared himself thoroughly before ringing the doorbell.
He knew Lin Hening would see him through the security camera. Whether the door opened or not didn’t matter—he wasn’t leaving if Lin didn’t answer.
A few seconds later, the door opened.
Warm light spilled out softly, bathing Xia Zhile in a gentle glow.
Lin Hening stood there.
He wore loose, comfortable loungewear, bathed in the light. His hair looked freshly washed—only half-dried—and the smooth strands clung softly to his temples.
Xia Zhile’s breath caught. He felt like everything since last Winter Solstice had been a hallucination, a dream—that when he woke up, he and Lin Hening would still be inseparable, loving, and Lin would be standing there, waiting for him to come home.
“I really should report the security office for this,” Lin Hening said coldly, his words like icy water, hitting Xia Zhile like a slap and waking him up instantly.
It wasn’t a nightmare ending—it was the end of a beautiful dream.
“I’m here for a follow-up with a discharged patient,” Xia Zhile quickly said, worried Lin wouldn’t believe him. He even considered showing call records.
Lin Hening waved him off, “So you came to the wrong door?”
Xia Zhile said, “No, I came by to see you. Lin Hening, congratulations on your successful verdict.”
“Oh, thanks.” Lin’s face remained expressionless, not even a hint of a frown. The thanks sounded mechanical, like an AI robot’s. He reached to close the door.
Xia Zhile lunged forward a half-step, risking getting his hand caught, but grabbed the doorframe.
Lin Hening was startled. “Let go.”
Xia Zhile ignored him. Lin didn’t want to hurt his fingers but didn’t want to let him in either.
He could be indifferent to an ex-boyfriend’s well-being, but he wasn’t going to ruin a top surgeon’s hands—that would be a loss to the medical community, a loss to the people of Yun City.
“What exactly do you want?” Lin snapped impatiently.
Xia Zhile struggled for words but found nothing.
“Lin, An Nian and I broke up.”
“Ah?” For the first time, Lin’s expression flickered—just for a second, then it was gone. “Oh.”
Xia Zhile seized that brief reaction, even if it was just normal surprise. It filled him with joy. “Lin Hening, you really…”
Lin interrupted, “Wait, you come by at night, rambling on about this stuff—don’t tell me you want to get back together?”
Xia Zhile was struck in a nerve and speechless.
Lin burst out laughing, just about to think up a witty jab when a voice came from inside: “Hening, what’s wrong?”
Xia Zhile froze all over.
“It’s nothing,” Lin Hening replied.
Xia Zhile stared in disbelief, and after a few seconds, his face went pale as he asked, “Is that Gu Fei?”
Well, sharp ears, huh?
Alright then, show yourself!
“Gu Fei!” Lin Hening called out.
Xia Zhile’s heart skipped a beat as a man stepped out of the room. Wearing a soft pink apron, one hand on his hip, the other holding a spatula, the man was tall and imposing—but his voice was gentle and delicate to the extreme.
“Hungry? The sweet and sour pork ribs will be ready soon, but the braised carp and soy-braised pork knuckle will take a few more minutes. Why don’t you have some plum blossom cake to tide you over?”
