First, then, love.

To take care of everything.

Shu Yao's pupils dilated slightly.

After a brief moment of surprise, calm settled in.

Unlike the kind of reunion after a long separation described in novels, there was no racing heart or reddened eyes.

She felt nothing; in fact, she thought the rain was really untimely.

"Shu Yao".

The man spoke first, his voice gentle, deep, and carrying a familiarity that seemed to come after many years.

He tilted the umbrella mostly towards her, immediately exposing his right shoulder to the swirling rain.

"have not seen you for a long time."

As Shu Yao looked at the face that had once been all the rage on the university campus, memories flooded back.

During my senior year of college, we had a long-distance relationship and broke up amicably.

There was no infidelity or public arguments between them; it was just that distance and time had worn away the last bit of their feelings.

On the day of the breakup, she didn't shed a single tear; instead, she went to the music room and played the cello for the entire afternoon.

They turn the page faster than anyone else.

"have not seen you for a long time."

Shu Yao replied politely in a flat tone, subtly shifting half a step to the side to increase the distance between them.

The space under the umbrella was already small, and her movement made the boundary very clear.

Gu Jinzhi's eyes flickered, but he didn't say anything.

"Just returned to China?" Shu Yao greeted her politely, as if dealing with an ordinary alumnus.

"Yes, I just got back last month." Gu Jinzhi pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses and looked at the brown paper bag in her hand.

"Do you still prefer this brand's Yirgacheffe?"

He smiled, a smile as warm as a spring breeze.

"I was just passing by and bought it on the way." Shu Yao didn't respond to his comment.

The two stood under the eaves of a building on the street corner, with a black umbrella overhead.

We chatted about trivial topics: work, the weather, and the recent situation of our supervisor.

The dignity of adults was on full display at this moment; no one mentioned the past, and no one crossed the line.

Shu Yao felt a bit sore in her lower back. He Zheng had been too rough with her last night, and she felt exhausted even after standing for a short while.

She changed her stance, shifting her weight to her left leg.

"Didn't you drive?" Gu Jinzhi noticed her unease. "It's raining quite heavily. My car is parked up ahead. Shall I give you a ride?"

"No need, my car is in the parking lot across the street."

Shu Yao pointed to the intersection outside the alley.

"I can walk there myself, thank you for the umbrella."

The refusal was decisive and clean, leaving no room for negotiation.

At this time.

At the intersection a hundred meters away, the red light came on.

Several cars were forced to stop in front of the zebra crossing.

The first vehicle in line was a black SUV with a high chassis and its body covered in mud.

in the driver's seat.

He Zheng was wearing a black hoodie and had an unlit cigarette between his teeth.

He had just come from a lengthy case analysis meeting at the Municipal Public Security Bureau, his mind still filled with the bloody scenes described in the case files.

There was no music playing in the car, and the windshield wipers were on the highest setting.

The rubber scraped against the glass, making a monotonous, grating sound.

He Zheng rested one hand on the steering wheel, casually tilted his head, and looked past the rain to the street corner.

Suddenly, his gaze froze.

My gaze fell on the two figures under the eaves at the alley entrance.

A woman wearing a cream-colored down jacket and a heavy scarf.

Even if he was covered up and only his eyes were visible, he could recognize him at a glance.

Shu Yao.

When he left this morning, the woman was still huddled in bed, refusing to get up, but now she's braving the freezing rain to run out onto the street.

He Zheng frowned, just about to honk his horn to call her over.

His gaze shifted and landed on the man next to Shu Yao.

His movements suddenly froze.

A black long-handled umbrella, a bespoke suit, a cashmere coat, and gold-rimmed glasses.

The man had his head slightly lowered and was talking to Shu Yao, a gentle and refined smile on his lips.

The umbrella was tilted towards Shu Yao, and the man's shoulder was half-wet from the rain.

Like a male protagonist straight out of a movie, clean-cut, respectable, exuding an air of elitism and superiority.

The cigarette that He Zheng had in his mouth was instantly flattened, and the bitter taste of tobacco spread in his mouth.

That man was standing next to Shu Yao.

They seemed like a perfect match, both in terms of looks and social standing.

The art style is so harmonious, it's almost blindingly so.

A strange emotion suddenly surged up from the deepest part of He Zheng's heart.

Like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, it bit into his heart.

His hands, which were resting on the steering wheel, tightened suddenly, and his eyes darkened instantly.

At the entrance of the alley.

"The light's green, I'm going now."

Shu Yao glanced at the traffic lights in the distance, not giving Gu Jinzhi a chance to continue their polite conversation.

She was carrying coffee and had pulled the hood of her down jacket over her head.

He turned around and walked directly into the cold rain.

They walked quickly, splashing mud and water everywhere.

Gu Jinzhi stood there, holding his umbrella, watching her back with a complicated expression.

Shu Yao had just reached the side of the road and was about to wait for the traffic light to cross the street.

Suddenly, a familiar black SUV tore through the rain and changed lanes abruptly.

It came to a sudden stop less than half a meter away from Shu Yao.

Shu Yao was startled and instinctively took a step back, almost stepping into a puddle.

She frowned, about to yell at the driver.

The passenger-side window slowly rolled down.

in the driver's seat.

He Zheng's face was cold, and his voice was even colder than the icy rain falling from the sky.

"Get in the car."