Agent: Intercepting Yu Manli at the start!

As Zhou Xiao stepped out of Chen Shan's office, he bumped into Zhang Li.

She stepped forward, blocking his path, and said in a very low voice, "Zhou Xiao, wait a moment—there's something I want to ask you."

Zhang Li witnessed Zhou Haichao's distraught state as he was taken away, but she didn't know why; however, she knew in her heart that this matter must be related to Zhou Xiao.

Zhou Xiao had just graduated from the Military Intelligence Academy and entered the Second Division as a trainee agent a few days ago, yet he stirred up a series of upheavals—investigating internal traitors, cracking secret telegrams, and dismantling a Japanese spy den that had been operating for three years. Each and every one of these tasks was fraught with danger, but he managed to execute them with remarkable precision and ruthlessness.

Zhang Li's heart was already filled with unease and uncertainty because of this young man.

As soon as Zhou Xiao entered, Zhang Li greeted him: "I need to talk to you."

"Oh?" Zhou Xiao raised his eyes and smiled. "Team Leader Zhang personally selected them; it must be something important."

"Do you remember Yu Xiaowan from the club?"

"I remember." Zhou Xiao's tone was light, but a glint of light flashed in his eyes. "You had a clear and bright temperament, and your eyes were very lively. How could I forget?"

"She asked me to ask her if she'd like to dance with her tonight?"

Before Zhang Li finished speaking, the corners of her mouth had already subtly curved into a smile. She knew Yu Xiaowan's thoughts all too well: ever since that day she bumped into Zhou Xiao at the club and was led by him to do a clean and crisp waltz turn, Yu Xiaowan had even changed the tune of the little songs she hummed after returning home.

Later, after taking her home, Yu Xiaowan leaned against the edge of the rickshaw, her words carrying a hidden meaning: "Sister Li, do you think... where does he work?"

Zhang Li casually mentioned "the second department," but Yu Xiaowan blinked and said, "But I heard that he was directly assigned from headquarters?"

—It turns out I had already inquired about it secretly.

Right now, she had no phone number and no connections, so she could only bite her lip and entrust the matter to Zhang Li, the person she trusted most.

"How could I refuse such an invitation from a beauty?" Zhou Xiao replied loudly, raising an eyebrow. "Six o'clock tonight, see you there."

Zhang Li smiled and nodded, then suddenly took a half step closer and lowered his voice: "Xiao Wan has fallen for you, don't play dumb." After saying that, he swayed away, leaving behind a series of light footsteps.

Tempted?

Yu Xiaowan is indeed beautiful, but not in a dazzling way. Rather, she is like a magnolia blossom on a branch in early spring—pure and resilient, quiet and bright.

Completely different from Zhang Li's dashing and sharp demeanor.

A dance, a glass of wine, and they can stir your heartstrings?

That's quite interesting.

As he was thinking, a crisp "beep" sounded in his mind: "Ding—Check-in task triggered: Reveal the true identity of 'Camel' to Zhang Li and Yu Xiaowan. Task completed, reward issued immediately."

camel?

Fei Zhengpeng.

That deputy section chief who always lurked in the shadows, smiling excessively.

Zhou Xiao never let him get involved in core operations—his intuition sounded the alarm earlier than any evidence.

A traitor to the underground Communist Party, codenamed Camel; Yu Shunnian's death was the poison bait he personally delivered.

Zhou Xiao himself still wears the badge of the underground party and walks on the edge of a knife.

Since fate has given us a push, let's go with the flow and make a cut.

At six o'clock in the evening, dusk had just begun to paint the tips of the sycamore leaves.

Zhang Li pushed open the second iron gate and immediately saw Yu Xiaowan standing by the gatepost, her fingertips unconsciously twirling her hair, her skirt being gently lifted by the evening breeze.

"Sister Li!" She jumped up and ran over excitedly, grabbing Zhang Li's arm. Her voice was sweet as honey. "I've been waiting for you for so long!"

Zhang Li smiled and turned to the side: "What, did you come here specifically to catch Zhou Xiao?"

"No, that's not it!" Yu Xiaowan shook her arm. "I came to pick you up—you have to come dancing with me tonight!"

"Me?" Zhang Li was taken aback. "You two are on a date, why should I get involved? Like a candle burning myself?"

"I'm nervous!" Yu Xiaowan buried her face in her shoulder, her voice muffled. "You're the only one I can trust. We're sisters who've been through blood transfusions and carried guns together."

She tilted her head back, her eyelashes fluttering: "Last time I was drunk and stepped on someone's foot three times... If I embarrass myself again this time, I'll be too ashamed to show my face."

Zhang Li's heart sank slightly. She dared not approach Zhou Xiao—not because she was afraid of him, but because she was afraid of herself.

The code name "Dandelion" has been circulating in the shadows for five years.

Zhou Xiao had only been there for half a month when he found out about Sakura Qiao Yu—the person even the old head of the archives had vouched for with absolute certainty that there was "absolutely no problem."

She didn't dare to gamble.

But Yu Xiaowan was staring at her with both eyes, which shone like two flames that refused to go out.

"Just once?" Zhang Li finally relented, tapping her nose with his fingertip.

"Just once!" Yu Xiaowan immediately raised her finger, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons with a smile.

The rickshaw rumbled toward the club, its wheels making a clattering sound as they rolled over the cobblestones.

On the way, Yu Xiaowan tilted her head and asked, "Sister Li, is he really not permanently stationed at your second location?"

"Yes, I'm on secondment from headquarters." Zhang Li looked out the window at the fleeting street scene. "Just lending a hand temporarily."

Yu Xiaowan silently memorized the four words "Military Intelligence Bureau Headquarters," like pressing a small nail gently into her heart.

The club was still bustling with noise. Jazz music filled the air, champagne bubbles popped and burst on the glass, and men and women, dressed in elegant clothes, mingled as if the flames of war had never reached inside the carved wooden door.

The two chose a booth by the window, ordered two glasses of gin, and sipped them slowly.

One after another, officers raised their glasses to invite her to dance, but Yu Xiaowan just smiled and shook her head, her fingertips gently circling the rim of the glass.

About half an hour later, the light and shadow at the doorway flickered—

Zhou Xiao stood there, his white shirt sleeves rolled up to his forearms, his tie loosened by half an inch, and a smile playing at the corners of his eyes, like a light that had not yet been sheathed.

"Here!" Yu Xiaowan suddenly stood up, waved vigorously at him, her voice clear and cheerful, "Zhou Xiao, over here!"

Zhou Xiao walked over with steady steps. His gaze swept across the room and he unexpectedly bumped into Zhang Li sitting there. He raised an eyebrow slightly and said, "Miss Yu, I apologize for being late. I was held up by a small matter. I'll punish myself with a drink!" Before he finished speaking, he had already picked up his glass, tilted his head back, and drunk it all in one swift motion. The wine went down his throat silently.

"It's alright!" Yu Xiaowan smiled brightly, her eyes sparkling, and stepped aside to introduce, "This is Sister Li, you should have met her before."

"I've seen it." Zhang Li nodded, his tone indifferent and decisive. "You guys dance your own dances, I'll just sit here and listen to the music."

Yu Xiaowan extended her hand, her fingertips slightly raised, as if inviting a spring breeze: "Zhou Xiao, would you do me the honor of dancing?"

"I couldn't ask for more." He cupped her hand in his palm and gently placed it on the back of her hand. The two of them then slid into the center of the dance floor. Their waists touched, their steps were in sync, and even their breathing was quietly synchronized.

They weren't just dancing; they were performing a tacit understanding of rhythm, a confident exchange of glances, and a natural sense of rhythm in every gesture.

Yu Xiaowan felt that dancing with him was like walking on clouds—light, steady, and just right.

As Zhou Xiao approached her slender waist, he caught a whiff of a delicate gardenia scent, and the tension in his shoulders and neck, which had been building up all day, unconsciously eased by a third.

After being a secret agent for a long time, even relaxation becomes a luxury. Especially when you have multiple identities, playing someone else by day and dismantling yourself by night, you feel like you're walking on thin ice every day.

When the music ended, the two slowly returned to their seats, their foreheads slightly sweaty and their breathing even and long.

Zhang Li rested her chin on her hand and looked them over, then suddenly burst into laughter: "Zhou Xiao, Xiao Wan, your dance is so perfectly synchronized—it's like you've rehearsed it a thousand times."

She intentionally gave him a push. She had long seen through Yu Xiaowan's feelings for Zhou Xiao, and it warmed her heart.

Yu Xiaowan's ears suddenly turned red, and she gently nudged her: "Sister Li, what nonsense are you talking about..."

Zhou Xiao smiled and turned to Zhang Li, changing the subject abruptly: "Zhang Li, did you come to the military club just to sit and drink?" His gaze was intense. "Don't you plan to get moving?"

"Me? Dancing?" Zhang Li waved his hand, laughing heartily. "I only know how to clink glasses, not how to twist my waist—come on, bottoms up!"

"Cheers!" The two glasses clinked together with a crisp sound, and the liquor poured into their throats cleanly and efficiently.

Zhang Li's appearance was indeed somewhat unexpected, but on second thought, it saved him from having to schedule another time—Fei Zhengpeng's trump card had to be revealed tonight.

This is a golden opportunity, don't miss it, it's tonight.

In the following dances, he and Yu Xiaowan took turns dancing, their steps light and their smiles genuine.

When they got tired of dancing, the three of them sat down together, chatting and drinking leisurely in a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere.

Zhang Li quietly pursed her lips—she knew in her heart that at this moment, she was exactly an "outsider" wandering around with a light bulb in her hand.

Yu Xiaowan was overjoyed; the warmth of his palm from their dance still lingered on her fingertips, a comforting and burning sensation.

Two hours later, the date quietly came to an end.

As the three stepped out of the club, their cheeks were slightly flushed, their eyes were clear, and the effects of the alcohol were only superficial, but their minds were calmer than usual.

Yu Xiaowan looked up at Zhou Xiao, her voice gentle: "Want to come to my place for a bit?"

It was just a polite remark, but he nodded in agreement: "Okay."

He had planned it all out long ago—the camel's true identity had to be revealed to him face to face, right now and in this place.

Yu Xiaowan's eyes lit up: "Then I'll call two rickshaws!" She turned around and went to make arrangements.

Zhang Li suddenly leaned closer to Zhou Xiao, lowered her voice, and asked with a hint of wariness, "Zhou Xiao, are you really going to her house?"

He smiled slightly, leaving only the words: "You'll understand in a moment."

The rickshaw came to a stop quickly.

Yu Xiaowan and Zhang Li rode in one car, while Zhou Xiao rode alone in another. The wheels rumbled as they rolled over the bluestone road, and in less than twenty minutes, they arrived at Yu Xiaowan's house.

With a "click," the door lock opened slightly.

Yu Xiaowan pushed open the door and entered, turning aside to greet her, "Come in quickly!"

Zhou Xiao was the first male friend to step into her home.

"Please have a seat for a while," she said as she walked inside. "I'll boil some water and make some tea."

"I'll do it!" Zhang Li immediately followed, rolling up his sleeves. "You rest."

The water on the stove began to boil, and the aroma of tea began to rise.

Zhou Xiao glanced around calmly—it was an old-fashioned courtyard house. In the side hall, an ebony mahjong table was polished to a shine. In a framed mirror on the wall, Yu Shunnian and Zhuang Qiushui stood side by side with warm smiles.

The tea was ready, steam rising gently. The three sat down, and Zhang Li handed a cup to Zhou Xiao: "To sober you up."

"Thanks." He took it, took a small sip, and found the tea to be clear and refreshing, with a slightly bitter taste followed by a sweet aftertaste.

The wine served at the club was low-alcohol red wine, and after the breeze and hot tea along the way, the effects of the alcohol had mostly dissipated.

Zhou Xiao's gaze slowly swept over the photos on the wall, his voice extremely soft: "Xiao Wan, are those your parents?"

"Yes." She nodded, her voice softer. "My father also worked for the Military Intelligence Bureau. He died in an operation. After that, I lived alone." Her voice trailed off slightly, but there were no tears in it, only a quiet gentleness.

Zhang Li reached out and covered the back of her hand, his palm warm: "I'm still here, silly girl."

"Sister Li, you are my own sister!" Yu Xiaowan's eyes crinkled, and her smile returned.

Many years have passed since my parents passed away, and the grief has long since settled into a warm and gentle foundation in my heart; however, it is only occasionally, when I am reminded of certain things, that a slight ripple still stirs within me.

"Zhou Xiao," she looked up, a hint of curiosity in her eyes, "why are you suddenly asking about this?"

Zhang Li also sat up slightly, her gaze sharpening—from the moment he agreed to come, she knew: this trip was definitely not as simple as just having tea.