First, then, love.

It's a normal campus romance.

The man's name is Gu Jinzhi.

A musical prodigy, he plays the piano beautifully, is handsome and refined, fair-skinned and tall, and has a gentle temperament.

That relationship lasted for two years.

Their most intimate gestures were simply walking hand in hand around the school's artificial lake, or sitting side by side in the music room, with him playing the piano and her playing the cello.

Platonic love.

Safe, uneventful, and lukewarm.

Later, during his senior year, Gu Jinzhi received a spot to go to Vienna as an exchange student.

Long-distance relationship.

A twelve-hour time difference and distance shatter feelings.

They broke up peacefully on WeChat before the six months were up.

They never even exchanged a harsh word.

From then on, Shu Yao lost all allure for men.

Men are all the same; there's nothing you can't live without.

But He Zheng is different.

He Zheng and Gu Jinzhi are completely different species.

Gu Jinzhi is like lukewarm boiled water.

He Zheng is like a shot of strong liquor that burns your throat, the kind that's laced with gunpowder.

Like a massive wild beast, he ruthlessly smashed through her security gate and barged into her territory.

He had knife scars on his body, calluses on his hands from gunshots, and a murderous look in his eyes.

Marrying this kind of man is like walking a tightrope over a cliff.

Shu Yao rolled over and lay flat on her back, staring at the ceiling, and irritably bit her right thumb nail.

What if he's just looking for something new?

What if he's a control freak at heart?

What if, after marriage, he finds that she is even more demanding and difficult to please than she was when they met on their blind date?

What if he regrets it?

Given his terrifying physique and background, if he wanted to crush her, it would probably be easier for him than crushing an ant.

Shu Jianguo and Lin Shufen have been completely won over by him. If they really fall out, her family will be completely unreliable.

The clock on the wall pointed to one o'clock in the morning.

It was late at night.

Fear was amplified to an extreme.

Shu Yao sat up abruptly and scratched her messy curly hair.

No.

This marriage was arranged too hastily.

She grabbed her phone, unlocked it, opened WeChat, and found He Zheng.

My hand slipped and I accidentally pressed the voice call button.

She regretted it as soon as she pressed the button.

At one o'clock in the morning, a normal person would be fast asleep.

He's a special police officer, and he trains so hard every day, he must be sleeping like a log right now.

If he doesn't answer.

forget about it.

I'll find an excuse to postpone getting the marriage certificate tomorrow morning.

"beep--"

The moment the sound rang out, the image on the screen switched instantly.

The call was connected.

"Feed".

A deep, husky voice, thick with a nasal tone, came from the phone receiver.

Followed by.

It was a rhythmic, heavy breathing sound.

"Huff... puff..."

The sound of breathing traveled through the radio waves, hitting Shu Yao's ears without any obstruction, numbing her all the way to her heart.

There was also a faint, muffled rustling sound in the background, as if something was rubbing together.

Shu Yao froze, her ears instantly burning.

"What...what are you doing?"

"Push-ups." He Zheng's voice was accompanied by a muffled groan as he exerted himself.

I'm a little out of breath.

"Two hundred and sixty. Two hundred and sixty-one."

Doing push-ups in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?

Shu Yao swallowed.

An image of him shirtless, sweat dripping down his muscular physique, uncontrollably flashed into my mind.

"What's wrong with you in the middle of the night?" She tried her best to make her voice sound righteous.

"I can't sleep." He Zheng paused for a moment.

The sound is brought closer.

It seems the phone has been moved to a different position.

"To release pent-up energy."

The breathing sounds in the receiver were heavier; it seemed like he was lying face down on the mat.

"You didn't sleep either," He Zheng said confidently.

"I have insomnia." Shu Yao picked at the embroidered pattern on the bed sheet with her index finger.

Picking and picking at it.

"He Zheng. Let's talk."

"Speak," he said succinctly.

"I think it's too fast."

Shu Yao bit her lower lip, determined to go for it.

"From the time we started dating until now, we've only met three times in total. I don't know what you like to eat, what your quirks are, or how difficult I am in private."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, with only his gradually calming breathing.

"I like to eat meat and I'm not picky about food. I don't have any major flaws, except that I don't like to talk much. I quit smoking for a while, but I smoked one after seeing you the other day. Now I'm starting to quit again slowly. I don't drink alcohol."

He Zheng answered her questions one by one, clearly and logically.

"As for how difficult you are to deal with."

A hint of amusement crept into his voice.

"Having seen it all, I can handle it."

"Don't try to shut me up with your words." Shu Yao's temper flared up, and her voice rose.

"That's for now! You're just looking for something new, because I'm pretty and you find my temper interesting. But if we really get married and live together, it's fine for a day or two, but what about a year or two?"

The more she talked, the more aggrieved she felt, and her nose even started to sting.

"My parents think you're a good person now, but I'll be the one sleeping in the same bed with you every day from now on! What if you get annoyed with me one day and your temper flares up and you slap me? Who will I cry to then?"

Shu Yao poured out all the panic in her heart in one breath.

After she finished speaking, her eyes really reddened, and tears welled up in them.

She felt she was being unreasonable.

Disturbing others' rest at 1 a.m. by spouting these baseless and unfounded assumptions.

There was a deathly silence on the other end of the phone.

I couldn't even hear him breathing.

Shu Yao's heart was in her throat, and her palms were covered in cold sweat.

She was even prepared to face his impatience and sarcastic remarks.

half an hour.

He heard the sound of fabric rubbing in the receiver and sat up.

Then came a crisp metallic clang.

The sound of a lighter cap popping open.

"Click".

He didn't light it; he just played with it.

"Shu Yao, listen."

He Zheng's voice turned completely serious, the casual smile from before vanished.

"I'm 29 years old this year. I've never been in a relationship or been with a woman. In the team, I usually deal with rough old men and criminals."

Shu Yao was stunned.

Tears welled up in my eyes and wouldn't fall.

Never been in a relationship?

With that physique and looks, how could someone who's never been in a relationship?

"I'm bad at sweet-talking, I'm tongue-tied. I don't understand all the romance and intricacies you girls like." He Zheng's voice came through the radio, carrying an undeniable force. "But I'm stubborn."

"We special police officers, once we've locked onto a target, we have no choice but to fight to the bitter end; there's no such thing as regretting it halfway through."

He paused.

The lighter cap was closed.

A crisp "snap" sounded.

"Since I dared to hand over the card and key to you, it means I've decided you're the one for life."

Shu Yao's breathing became labored.

"But what if?"

Her voice trailed off, tinged with a stubbornness tinged with helplessness.

People's hearts change. What if you regret it?

"There's no 'what if'," He Zheng interrupted her without hesitation.

He took a deep breath and spoke with a resounding voice.

"If that day ever comes, the house and all the money will be yours. I'll leave with nothing."

These sixteen characters.

It was like a bombshell, exploding directly in Shu Yao's mind.

Shu Yao opened her mouth, but her throat felt like it was blocked by something.

He couldn't utter a single word.

"Still not reassured?"

He Zheng asked from the other end of the line.

The tone softened slightly, carrying a hint of helplessness.

"I'm relieved," Shu Yao replied in a muffled voice.

"Then close your eyes and go to sleep," He Zheng gave the order, just like a military training instructor.

"I have a photoshoot tomorrow, and I don't look good with dark circles under my eyes."

This man.

She just said she doesn't know how to comfort people.

Now she's incredibly meticulous.

Shu Yao's lips curled up uncontrollably. The panic that had been pressing on her chest just now seemed to have been swept away by a strong wind, disappearing completely.

"Okay," she mumbled.

"Bye, see you tomorrow."

"Beep beep beep—"

The phone hangs up.

Shu Yao tossed her phone onto her pillow and let out a long sigh.

My heartbeat has completely calmed down.

She pulled the blanket over herself and closed her eyes.

The house and money are all yours; you leave with nothing.

The promise was so compelling that it was impossible to refuse.

Whatever, we'll deal with tomorrow's problems tomorrow.

Anyway, she's making a sure profit right now.