First, then, love.

It's 5:30 in the evening.

Municipal Special Police Brigade.

The locker room was filled with the strong smells of sweat, medicinal wine for sprains and bruises, and the rubber smell of leather boots.

He Zheng pushed open the door and went inside.

Old Li was changing clothes shirtless, covered in sweat.

Seeing He Zheng come in, Lao Li quickly put on his police uniform.

"Captain, back from your blind date?" Old Li chuckled, his face full of gossip. "How did it go? Was Aunt Zhang reliable this time?"

He Zheng ignored him and walked straight to his metal cabinet, opening the door.

He took off his soaking wet black T-shirt and casually tossed it into the laundry basket at the bottom.

His broad, muscular back was exposed to the air, and with each movement, the muscles bulged. On his left scapula, there was a dark brown, old knife scar that looked menacing.

"Got a cigarette?" He Zheng asked in a deep voice.

Old Li paused for a moment, then pulled out half a pack of Liqun cigarettes from his pocket, took one out and handed it to him, lighting it with his lighter.

"Captain, didn't you quit smoking six months ago? What's going on now?"

He Zheng bit the cigarette holder, took a deep drag, let the smoke swirl in his lungs, and slowly exhaled.

The spicy flavor slightly suppressed the lingering aftertaste of evening jasmine in my mind.

"Old Li." He Zheng, with a cigarette between his fingers, leaned against the metal cabinet, his gaze fixed on the mottled wall of the changing room.

"Yes, Captain."

"Which flower greenhouse is the biggest in our city?"

Old Li was fastening his belt when his hand trembled, and the buckle almost got stuck in his flesh.

"what?"

"Flowers. Roses." He Zheng exhaled a smoke ring, his voice calm, as if issuing a battle order. "They have to be the kind that haven't been pruned, just dug out of the ground. A lot of thorns doesn't matter, the key is that they have to be fresh, and red ones are best."

Old Li stared at him in horror.

It's like watching a fake captain who's been possessed by aliens.

"No... Captain, did you get your head stuck in a door?" Old Li stammered. "Why are you buying flowers? The flowers in the greenhouse are all wholesale; you can just go to a flower shop and buy pre-packaged ones, can't you?"

"The flowers from the flower shop aren't fresh enough." He Zheng stubbed out his cigarette in a discarded aluminum can next to the counter.

Suddenly, an image flashed in my mind: the sparkling rhinestones on the woman's nails, and the coquettish look on her face as she raised her chin and said, "It can't be a daisy, it has to be a rose."

He Zheng looked down at his palm, his thumb unconsciously rubbing his index finger joint.

"Delicate." He uttered two words in a low voice.

"Who's being delicate?" Old Li leaned closer.

"Nobody." He Zheng turned around, took a clean black pullover from the closet and put it on, his movements clean and efficient.

"Then blind dates..."

"Done." He Zheng closed the cabinet door, locked it, and put the key in his pocket.

Old Li's eyes widened, and his mouth opened so wide it could fit an egg.

"It worked?! The iron tree has blossomed? Didn't you scare that girl away? What did she see in you?"

He Zheng picked up the car keys on the table and walked out.

"They like me because I'm honest and can cook."

Old Li watched his tall figure disappear through the doorway.

After a long pause, he finally managed to utter, "Bullshit! If you were an honest man, there would be no bandits in this world."

*

six o'clock.

The sky suddenly darkened.

The weather at the end of summer is like a dog's face, changing in an instant. The wind whips up fallen leaves and plastic bags, and the air is filled with a strong, earthy smell.

Less than five minutes later, a torrential downpour began, with raindrops pounding on the asphalt road and splashing up white sprays.

Shu Yao stood behind the large glass doors of the Starry Sky Art Center, looking at the torrential rain outside, her delicate eyebrows furrowed.

She just took her Porsche in for maintenance today.

It's like when it rains, it pours. Not only did the blind date not go well, but it also started to rain.

A huge, black carbon fiber cello case stood at her feet.

It's incredibly heavy.

The ride-hailing app on my phone has been spinning for ten minutes.

Number of people in the queue: 158.

"What terrible luck," Shu Yao muttered under her breath.

A cold wind, carrying raindrops, blew in through the crack in the door, hitting her bare legs.

So cold.

Suddenly, a black SUV broke through the water curtain and turned from the street corner.

The car is wide and has a very high chassis, like a black armored beast. The tires splash water as high as a person when they roll over puddles.

The car was traveling at a high speed, but as it approached the entrance of the art center, it suddenly braked sharply and came to a steady stop at the bottom of the steps.

Shu Yao was startled and took half a step back.

This car looks familiar; I think I saw it somewhere today.

Just then, the passenger-side window of the car slowly rolled down.

The person in the driver's seat turned their head.

A rugged, cold face was exposed in the dim light.

"..."

It's He Zheng.

He changed into a black casual outfit, which made his shoulders appear broader, making the driver's seat seem completely full.

Shu Yao's breath hitched, and her heart skipped a beat uncontrollably.

What is he doing here?

How did he know he worked here?

He Zheng had one hand on the steering wheel and the other holding an unlit cigarette, his chin slightly tilted towards her.

"Shu Yao," he called her name.

Shu Yao bit her lip, didn't move, and watched him warily.

How did you know I was here?

He Zheng chuckled softly.

"Aunt Zhang gave me your class schedule and work address, telling me to be more proactive."

"..."

Aunt Zhang has such a big mouth!

Shu Yao cursed the matchmaker a thousand times in her heart.

The rain outside was getting heavier and heavier, and the wind was making the big trees shake violently.

He Zheng looked at her shoulders, which were shivering slightly from the cold, and the cello case next to her that was taller than her, and his brows furrowed imperceptibly.

"Get in the car."

He gave the order.

"No need." Shu Yao raised her chin slightly and casually lied, "I've already hailed a taxi, I'll be right there."

He Zheng glanced at the ride-hailing app in her hand, which was still lit up and waiting in line, but didn't expose her.

He casually tossed the cigarette in his hand onto the center console, pushed open the car door, and stepped into the rain without even opening an umbrella. The heavy rain instantly soaked his hair and clothes.

The man took a few steps up the stairs.

Its tall body, damp with moisture, pressed down, blocking the wind and rain outside the door.

"You..." Shu Yao subconsciously stepped back, her back hitting the glass door.

He Zheng didn't look at her. He bent down, picked up the cello case, which weighed at least 20 or 30 kilograms, with one hand, turned around, and grabbed Shu Yao's slender wrist with the other hand.

"He Zheng, what are you doing!" Shu Yao struggled for a moment, but couldn't break free.

He Zheng turned around and looked down at her, raindrops dripping down his sharp brow bone, his eyes deep.

"Not leaving? Planning to spend the night here?"

He curled his lips into a mischievous smile.

The voice was so low that only the two of them could hear it.

"Get in the car, my ancestor."