44. It’s Him

Zhou Feng tried to block Jiang Yan, but was instead grabbed by the collar and pinned against the wall. Jiang Yan used brutal force; Zhou Feng gasped for air, frowning as he twisted Jiang Yan’s arm, but was immediately subdued again.

He’s young after all, full of strength, Zhou Feng sighed.

If he hadn’t remembered he was his master, Jiang Yan probably would have held a gun to his head.

“Let go! Do you want to be suspended again?”

“Who is he!” Jiang Yan’s eyes were bloodshot, he bit down hard, his voice hoarse with fury, “Tell me, who exactly is he!”

Back then, the police found a body. The deceased was unrecognizable. The forensic examination confirmed it was Jiang Yi.

But who was the person in the cafe just now?

A person’s appearance and voice could change, but their back would never.

Jiang Yan’s original mission was to stake out the pier. Later, there was a sudden change, so he followed Zhou Feng to the cafe. Zhou Feng dared to let him see, meaning he was prepared for it.

It was bound to happen sooner or later.

Consider it his New Year’s gift.

The sky was overcast, and it might snow tonight. Zhou Feng said, “Walk in the direction you believe is right, even if there’s no light.”

Jiang Yan stared at the alley entrance where the man in black disappeared, cold sweat dripping from his forehead, as if all his strength had left him.

Zhou Feng rubbed his arm, limping away. “Damn, why does it hurt so much? Did I break a bone, you brat...”

The mission failed. The two tons of drugs were never transported out; the trucks were full of seafood. Only Ji Qiuchi was apprehended. The wiretapped content consisted of only five or six simple sentences, explaining nothing.

Zhan Tianxiong had received news in advance but did not stop Ji Qiuchi from going to the meeting point, clearly offering her as a sacrifice.

________________________________________

After Ji Qiuchi was brought back to the police station, she remained silent. By evening, she gradually became irritable and prone to anger, even engaging in self-harm.

The police officers responsible for the interrogation had seen such cases many times; it was clearly drug withdrawal.

Jiang Yan watched from the monitor as she grabbed her hair and slammed her head against the table. After enduring it, he still kicked open the chair and went into the interrogation room.

“Captain Jiang...”

“You two, out.”

The two exchanged glances, got up, walked out of the interrogation room, and closed the door.

Jiang Yan unlocked Ji Qiuchi’s handcuffs, twisted open a bottle of mineral water, and forced it into her mouth. Ji Qiuchi temporarily calmed down, leaning against the back of the chair, gasping for air, her face pale from blood loss.

Jiang Yan’s jaw was tight. He held Ji Qiuchi’s hand, bit open a band-aid, and applied it to her.

“How long has it been?”

Ji Qiuchi ruffled her hair, not looking at him, “...Not long. I was just annoyed, curious about how good that stuff really was, that it could make people risk their lives for it, so I tried it a few times.”

“Quit it,” Jiang Yan closed his eyes. His clenched fist pulsed with bulging veins. “And, leave Zhan Tianxiong.”

Ji Qiuchi laughed foolishly, “If I leave him, I won’t have money, how will I live...”

“How much do you want?”

“Who would dislike having too much money? What, are you going to give it to me? Aren’t you afraid Xingzi will be mad at you?”

“She won’t.”

Jiang Yan answered those three words without hesitation. Ji Qiuchi’s gaze was hazy, seeing another person through him.

That’s good.

“Jiang Yan, don’t bother with me anymore. I also have people and things I want to protect. I used to think it was hard, always feeling like I’d give up tomorrow, but now it seems everything is worth it.”

________________________________________

The news that no one from the Haishi Public Security Bureau was injured was brought back by Lin Xudong. The string that had been taut in Lin Xingzi’s mind for a day and a night finally relaxed.

The company’s annual meeting ended late. Li Yao was going to return to the Lin family for the New Year with her. Halfway there, Li Qing called, saying Jiang Yan was still at the police station and asked them to take a detour to pick him up and go home together.

The car stopped outside the police station for over twenty minutes. Even with the heater on, it was still cold. Li Yao looked out the car window; it was snowing.

“Make a call?”

“Wait a bit longer. He might still be busy. Mom is still stewing soup, so dinner is a while away. No rush. Are you cold, Uncle?”

“I’m not cold,” Li Yao was worried about Lin Xingzi, afraid she would catch a cold.

After the annual meeting, she had gotten straight into the car, still in her gown, wrapped in a down jacket, but her feet and legs were exposed.

“Not cold? Then give me your jacket to wear. I’m cold.”

Li Yao: “...”

Lin Sang sent a video of Lin Ke’s daughter peeing all over Lin Ke. Although Lin Xingzi didn’t particularly like children, she found the little girl adorably cute and sweet.

“He’s out,” Li Yao wasn’t wearing his glasses and couldn’t see clearly from a distance. “Xingzi, is that Jiang Yan?”

Before he finished speaking, Lin Xingzi threw her phone down and got out of the car. “It’s him.”

Coming out of the police station, Jiang Yan was physically and mentally exhausted. As he descended the steps, his gaze caught a figure that made him stop.

She stood under the streetlamp, snowflakes swirling in the halo of light. She seemed to be glowing.

In this world, there are still people who can remain forever as pure as they once were.

Jiang Yan watched her from afar like that, all his fatigue and shock seemingly dissipating silently.

He didn’t know what was right, but he was willing to walk towards the light.

Lin Xingzi took off the necklace from her neck, removed the ring, and put it back on him. She turned it; it was a little big. “You’ve lost weight. The ring is too big.”

He smiled, took a half step closer, and embraced her. “The places that shouldn’t lose weight haven’t.”

Lin Xingzi, “...”

His embrace was so warm. She couldn’t help but lean deeper into him.

When Lin Xingzi looked up from Jiang Yan’s embrace, Jiang Yan happened to look down. A snowflake landed on her nose, melting into a droplet of water, which Jiang Yan piously kissed away.

“Uncle is watching from the car.”

Jiang Yan, “...”