Roses in Flames

His Adam's apple bobbed, and he looked down at her. "You're really bold."

Ye Yuntang raised her head, looking into the man's dark, deep eyes that seemed to devour her. She pursed her lips, suppressing the panic in her heart, unwilling to show weakness in front of him. "I've always been like this. Otherwise, how could I have slept with you on the day of the divorce?"

Before the man could say anything, she tightened her grip with her slender white fingers, "You don't want to? If you don't want to, I won't force you."

She made a move to leave, but the next second, her hand was held down by the man.

He pulled her into his arms, lowered his head, and bit her lips.

He didn't bite very hard; after a moment of caressing, he used his tongue to pry open her teeth and penetrate her mouth.

Ye Yuntang tilted her head back to respond to his kiss, and their lips intertwined.

In the quiet space, the atmosphere grew increasingly thick.

She realized that she was indeed becoming bolder.

After the kiss ended, she looked up at the man in front of her. He was leaning against the headboard, his handsome, cold face slightly tilted back. Several buttons of his shirt were undone, the hem of his shirt was disheveled, his sharp Adam's apple bobbed up and down, and his usually deep, dark eyes seemed unfocused, filled with a hazy moisture, with a hint of red at the corners, making him look incredibly sexy and wicked.

His brows furrowed slightly, conveying restraint and forbearance. A vein throbbed on his forehead, and his usually tightly pursed lips, which conveyed a serious and sharp demeanor, were now slightly parted, his breathing appearing somewhat heavy.

His appearance made her heart skip several beats.

She couldn't help but raise her head and take the initiative to kiss his Adam's apple.

He lowered his head, his hot breath falling on her head. "You really... are very bad."

Ye Yuntang's beautiful eyes shimmered, and she lightly bit his lip. "Does Captain Xiao like my bad side?"

He gave a hoarse "hmm".

"Hmm, what does that mean?" Her kisses traveled from the corner of his lips to his earlobe.

His whole body was burning up, especially his ears.

He gripped her slender waist with his large hand, lowered his gaze, and a dark turmoil surged within his eyes. "Don't you know?"

Ye Yuntang smiled mischievously, "I don't know."

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her again. "I'll show you with my actions."

……

In the restroom.

The tap was turned on, and the sound of running water filled the air.

Ye Yuntang stood in front of the washbasin, her face, flushed and almost bewitching, reflected in the mirror.

Her long, butterfly-like eyelashes drooped as she carefully washed herself.

A pair of slender fingers reached out from behind, and then her delicate back fell into the man's broad and muscular chest.

Ye Yuntang looked up and saw the man hugging her from behind through the mirror.

Their eyes met.

His dark eyes were intense and deep, like the midnight sky, unfathomable.

He rested his smooth-lined chin on her shoulder and looked down at her slender, white fingers.

Her palms were slightly red.

"Thanks for your hard work."

Ye Yuntang gave him a playful glare, "It's good that you enjoyed it."

After washing her hands, she turned to look at him, her fingertips tracing from his chest to his thin lips. "Once this case is finished, I'll help you in the same way you helped me last time."

Xiao Lin grasped her hand and bit it into his mouth.

Ye Yuntang gasped softly, "Ouch, you bit me!"

"Don't say such bold things." His voice was hoarse.

Ye Yuntang's red lips curved slightly. "Just tell me, do you want to or not?"

The man's lips were tightly pressed together, his facial features taut.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Ye Yuntang pressed the tip of her finger, which he was biting, against his tongue.

The man's body tensed abruptly, his eyes, thick and dark, fixed on her. "You've provoked me like this; don't regret it later."

Ye Yuntang's long eyelashes trembled slightly. "What do you mean? Don't tell me you're going to bully me? You bit me hard just now."

She held up the fingertip he had bitten in front of him, saying, "Look, there are teeth marks."

Actually, there's only a slight mark, and it hasn't hurt for a long time.

The man's eyes darkened further. "This isn't bullying. You'll see what real bullying is later."

Ye Yuntang saw a hint of danger flash in the man's eyes.

She couldn't help but think of the night they had their one-night stand, and her legs went weak.

Did she go too far and offend him?

"I'm just saying it, Captain Xiao, please go easy on me."

The man lowered his head and kissed her hair. The faint fragrance of her hair wafted into his nose. His Adam's apple bobbed, and he spoke in a low, husky voice, "It depends on your performance."

He picked her up and put her on the bed. "It's late, go to sleep."

Ye Yuntang was indeed a little tired. She found a comfortable position in the man's arms, closed her eyes, and went to sleep.

……

The next day.

When Ye Yuntang was half asleep, she heard rustling sounds.

She opened her heavy eyelids and, in the dim light, saw the man get out of bed and button his shirt.

"What time is it?"

Xiao Lin turned to look at Ye Yuntang. "It's five o'clock. Did I wake you up?"

Ye Yuntang rubbed her eyes, looking sleepy and a little dazed but cute. "Did we go so early?"

Xiao Lin gave a soft "hmm," and said, "I'll go to my room first, and then we'll go up the mountain together at six o'clock."

Ye Yuntang propped herself up, trying to sit up, but Xiao Lin reached out and pressed her back onto the bed. "You can sleep a little longer. After Shen Yan brings down the severed limbs and head, you two can go to the forensic room here together."

Ye Yuntang responded with an "oh".

Xiao Lin sat down on the edge of the bed and reached out to touch her forehead. "Is there anything else that's bothering you?"

Ye Yuntang shook her head. "I'm a little thirsty."

Xiao Lin got up to boil water.

A moment later, he brought over a cup of water that was neither too hot nor too cold.

Ye Yuntang sat on the edge of the bed, took the cup he handed her, and drank several mouthfuls.

"What do you want to eat for breakfast? I'll buy it for you."

Ye Yuntang shook her head, "No need, I'll sleep a little longer and then get up and eat by myself."

Xiao Lin nodded. "Okay."

He got up, ready to leave.

But the next second, I felt my sleeve being pulled.

He turned to look at the woman on the bed who seemed not to be fully awake yet, a smile playing on his thin lips. "What's wrong?"

Ye Yuntang stretched out her hands to him, "Kiss."

Xiao Lin's smile deepened.

He bent down and kissed her lips.

But she quickly pushed him away again.

Ye Yuntang: "I forgot I haven't brushed my teeth yet."

Xiao Lin pulled her back into his arms and sealed her lips with his.

……

Nine o'clock in the morning.

After Ye Yuntang finished breakfast, she received a call from Shen Yan.

She and he rode together in the police car to the Cangzhou City Forensic Clinic.

Thinking of what Xiao Lin said last night that Shen Yan already knew about their relationship, Ye Yuntang felt a little awkward when she saw Shen Yan.

She thought Shen Yanhan was going to say something, but he didn't say anything, his attitude remaining as gentle and mild as ever.

The two were also discussing issues related to the case.

Ye Yuntang breathed a sigh of relief, and couldn't help but think to herself, "My senior brother is so good. The woman who marries him in the future will definitely be very happy."

Upon arriving at the dissection room, Ye Yuntang and Shen Yan immediately got to work.

After finishing the morning's work, no useful information was detected.

Ye Yuntang frowned and said, "Everything that could be destroyed has been destroyed. We can't do cranial reconstruction, and the blind DNA comparison in the database didn't yield any results."

Shen Yan also frowned. "Let's go eat first, and then we'll come back and examine and study it carefully."

Ye Yuntang nodded, "Okay."

After finishing their meal, the two did not rest. Looking at the severely damaged skull, they held their powerful flashlights close to eye level and, using the light, meticulously and carefully scanned the skull inch by inch.

Suddenly, Ye Yuntang noticed a tiny object hidden in the fine suture between the temporal and parietal bones.

"Senior brother, come quick!"

Ye Yuntang picked up delicate tweezers and removed a tiny particle that did not belong to the bone from a narrow crevice.