Villain? No, I'll catch up with the protagonist after passing the civil service exam.

The air seemed to freeze in the special investigation team's office.

Zhao Tiezhu stood frozen in place like an iron tower, cradling a warm, soft, and beautiful woman in his arms. In his many years of military service, he had only ever held rifles and comrades; he had never experienced such treatment. The touch was unbelievably soft, causing all his muscles to tense, and he didn't know where to put his hands.

Liu Ruyan lay on his chest muscles, which were harder than a city wall, feeling dizzy and disoriented, as if her nose was about to break.

But the play must go on.

She struggled to open one eye a crack, weakly reaching out her hand and pointing tremblingly at Lu Jingyan two meters away. Her voice was barely audible, each word carrying a carefully crafted sense of brokenness:

"Officer Lu... I... I'm so cold..."

Those watery eyes were brimming with tears, as if they were about to freeze in the next second.

That sentence, that expression, that posture—it was the most powerful killing move in her strategy system: "White Lotus Sacrifice." According to the system's database analysis, 99% of males would feel a strong protective instinct under such circumstances, and even if they didn't love each other, they would feel pity.

Su Xiaoxiao watched from the side, pouting and muttering to herself, "Did she graduate from a drama school? With acting skills like that, it's a shame she doesn't win an Oscar."

Lu Jingyan watched the farce unfold before him with a blank expression.

He didn't rush forward to take her as Liu Ruyan had expected, nor did he take off his coat and gently cover her with it.

He just frowned very seriously, as if he were analyzing a tricky case.

"cold?"

Lu Jingyan pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, his tone as serious as if he were speaking at an academic conference, "Hypothermia can indeed lead to bodily dysfunction and even shock. Zhao Tiezhu, lay her flat on the ground and keep her airway clear."

Zhao Tiezhu: "Huh? Oh!"

Upon hearing this, he was about to put the person in his arms down like a sandbag.

"No!" Liu Ruyan was startled. If she really lay on the cold floor, what was the point of acting? She quickly used all her strength to grab Zhao Tiezhu's clothes tightly, her voice trembling even more, "No...no...I...I just need some warmth..."

Her misty eyes looked at Lu Jingyan again, her pleading almost overflowing, "Officer, could I borrow your coat...?"

This line finally gets to the point.

As long as he takes off his coat, she can smell his scent, and the system can collect hormone data, completing the first step of the strategy.

Upon hearing this, Lu Jingyan nodded in sudden understanding.

"So it turns out they needed warm clothing."

He turned around and, under Liu Ruyan's expectant gaze, walked straight to the metal cabinet in the corner of the office where duty supplies were stored.

Su Xiaoxiao craned her neck curiously, wondering to herself: Captain Lu isn't really going to take the jacket, is he? That jacket got all dusty yesterday when he caught the thief.

Lu Jingyan opened the cabinet door and rummaged inside for a few seconds.

Instead of taking out his crisp police jacket, he pulled out a... red plastic bag.

He walked back calmly, carrying the plastic bag, then squatted down in front of Liu Ruyan and handed the bag to her.

"Wearing this is more effective than wearing a coat."

Liu Ruyan blinked her wet eyes, and froze when she saw what was in the plastic bag.

It was a pair of bright red fleece-lined thermal underwear, so brightly colored it was almost tacky. It was brand new, still in its plastic packaging, and had a corny slogan printed on it: "Warmth for you and me, keeping warm depends on everyone."

The style, the color, the texture... even her grandma wouldn't wear this!

"What...what is this?" Liu Ruyan's voice trembled, she could hardly believe her eyes.

"The winter supplies distributed by the company are made of pure cotton and are thick, providing excellent warmth."

Lu Jingyan explained earnestly, even wanting to unpack it to show off, "According to the second law of thermodynamics, outerwear can only slow down heat loss, but cannot actively generate heat. Underwear, on the other hand, can directly lock in body temperature. In terms of warmth retention, thermal underwear is far superior to outerwear."

Liu Ruyan: "..."

The system in her mind also sounded a piercing alarm.

[WARNING! The target's mindset is abnormal! Incomprehensible! All strategies and plans are ineffective!]

[Host's emotions have fluctuated drastically, and heart rate has surged... Mission failed! Mission failed!]

"I don't want to!"

Liu Ruyan finally couldn't hold back any longer. She screamed and broke free from Zhao Tiezhu's embrace, pointing at the red thermal underwear, trembling with anger, "I asked you to give me a coat! Who wants to wear something like this! This is an insult to my dignity!"

"insult?"

Lu Jingyan stood up, looking down at her with a cold gaze, as if he were looking at an unreasonable suspect. "Liu Ruyan, let me remind you. First, I have no obligation to lend you any personal belongings. Second, as a suspect, you have the right to remain silent, but you don't have the right to be picky."

He threw the bag of thermal underwear onto the table, the sound not loud, but every word was piercing.

"Do you want to put it on yourself, or wait until you're in detention to change into that warmer orange vest?"

Liu Ruyan was speechless, choked by those words. She looked at the glaring red stain on the table, then at Lu Jingyan's emotionless face, and felt a tremendous sense of humiliation and absurdity rush to her head.

Her beauty, which she was so proud of, and her invincible charm, were completely defeated by this man by a pair of incredibly unfashionable thermal underwear.

[System notification: The host is experiencing an emotional breakdown. It is recommended to evacuate immediately and regroup.]

"Wow--!"

Liu Ruyan could no longer hold back, covered her face and burst into tears, then turned and ran out the door.

She was running so fast that her high heels twisted, and she fell right at the doorway. The thermos in her hand flew out and crashed to the ground with a thud, spilling the thick chicken soup all over the floor.

The entire special investigation team's office was instantly filled with an indescribable, strange fragrance that mixed the scents of Chinese medicine and perfume.

Su Xiaoxiao glanced sympathetically at the disheveled figure, then couldn't help but steal a glance at her captain, her eyes sparkling.

As expected of Captain Lu, he's single by choice and a professional at taking down scheming women. So cool!

"Captain Lu, what about her..." Zhao Tiezhu looked at the door, scratched his head, "Should we still pursue her?"

"No need to chase after them."

Lu Jingyan took off his gloves and threw them into the trash can. "She can't escape. Su Xiaoxiao, send that video and the test results of the soup to the principal of St. Fino Academy. Tell him that their school's 'school beauty' is suspected of poisoning law enforcement officers, and the evidence is conclusive. Let him choose whether the school handles it internally or we intervene to investigate."

"Understood!" Su Xiaoxiao replied immediately, her fingers flying across the keyboard.

This drastic measure is far more ruthless than simply arresting someone. Whether Liu Ruyan can continue to be the school beauty depends on the principal's decision.

After resolving this farce, Lu Jingyan felt somewhat exhausted. He rubbed his temples, just about to announce that he was leaving get off work.

The red emergency phone in the office suddenly rang sharply.

"Ring ring ring—!"

Su Xiaoxiao, who was closest, answered the phone casually: "Hello, Special Investigation Team!"

After listening for a few seconds, her expression changed, and she suddenly stood up and shouted at Lu Jingyan:

"Captain Lu! We've received a tip from the public! At Jinghai Noble Academy, those F4 bastards beat up a classmate so badly he had to be hospitalized, and now they're posting on the school forum threatening to kill anyone who dares to call the police!"

Lu Jingyan's nerves, which had just relaxed, tensed up instantly.

He picked up his police uniform jacket from the back of the chair, strode outside, his eyes colder than the night outside the window.

"Zhao Tiezhu, bring your men and assemble downstairs in five minutes."

He walked to the door, paused, turned back to look at Su Xiaoxiao, and gave the final instruction:

"Turn on the live stream. Tell the entire internet that there's going to be a good show tonight."