Roses in Flames

The weekend is almost here.

Xiao Lin's transfer procedures have all been completed.

He will officially return to northern Beijing next week.

Before leaving, he chartered a cruise ship and treated all his colleagues to a meal, sea fishing, and other activities.

After the news spread, the team immediately became excited.

Ye Yuntang originally didn't want to go, to avoid an awkward situation between the two of them if they saw Xiao Lin.

But thinking that they might never have the chance to meet again, she felt a little reluctant.

She admitted that she had not yet fully recovered from the pain of heartbreak.

She was still a little reluctant to part with him and wanted to look at him a few more times.

Let her be so disappointing one more time.

Just take one last look at him from afar.

In the past few days, Xia Wan has been coming over to keep Ye Yuntang company.

Upon learning that Ye Yuntang was going to a cruise party, she pulled Ye Yuntang to the dressing room.

"I have to dress up beautifully and make that jerk regret it."

She thought all criminal police officers were very affectionate, but her illusions were shattered.

As a result, she no longer has any good feelings towards Officer Cheng.

Ye Yuntang smiled helplessly, "How could he possibly regret it?"

After all, he already has a new person by his side who can replace her.

They've been through thick and thin together; their bond is much deeper than hers.

"It still has to look good," Xia Wan insisted. "Even if it's not to make that jerk regret it, it has to please myself."

Ye Yuntang did not object further.

Dressing up makes you feel better.

Xia Wan picked out a light champagne halter dress for Ye Yuntang from the wardrobe. The smooth fabric accentuated her slender and delicate figure.

Her shoulders were fair and slender, with clean and delicate lines.

She wore a thin, sheer white cardigan over her shoulders, and her slightly wavy long hair cascaded down her back, exuding a bright yet sexy and charming aura.

Xia Wan is a beauty blogger with top-notch makeup skills.

After finishing Ye Yuntang's makeup, she couldn't help but whistle, "You're so beautiful, my gorgeous lady! If you were in the entertainment industry, you'd be a force to be reckoned with. If men can't be trusted, maybe we should come out of the closet!"

Ye Yuntang smiled, her red lips curving upwards. "Get lost."

Xia Wan burst into laughter, "My embrace is always open to you."

Ye Yuntang raised an eyebrow. "Officer Cheng, you don't want to pursue you anymore?"

Mentioning Cheng Lei, Xia Wan practically rolled her eyes to the heavens.

"That straight guy, I've already laid my cards on the table with him, but he's still unmoved. I feel like he's not interested in me, and I'm thinking of giving up."

Actually, there are quite a few people who like Xia Wan, but she just has those feelings for Cheng Lei.

I don't know if I like him as a person or if I like the way he looks in his uniform.

Anyway, he just really got me all itchy.

But that person just wouldn't get it.

"Wanwan, come with me! You should change into a pretty dress and put on some nice makeup."

Xia Wan blinked. "That's not a good idea, considering it's a gathering of your colleagues."

"It's okay, Lei Zi will go too."

Xia Wan's ears turned red. "I'm not his family member."

Looking at Xia Wan's pretty face, Ye Yuntang couldn't help but chuckle. "You're my family member."

Xia Wan was somewhat tempted by Ye Yuntang's words.

"Okay, I'll put on makeup and change right away."

……

The two wore high heels and took a taxi to the beach instead of driving.

Xiao Wei was waiting at the dock when she saw Ye Yuntang and Xia Wan. She greeted them with a look of amazement.

Wow, these two ladies are so beautiful they're blinding!

Ye Yuntang took Xiao Wei's hand. "Have they all arrived?"

"They've all arrived."

Just then, a luxury supercar drove up.

Lu Yu got out of the car.

After taking off his police uniform, he was wearing a floral shirt and white trousers.

"Yuntang, Sister Xiaowei, I'm here!" Lu Yu waved to the group.

Xia Wan had met Lu Yu before and knew he was Tangtang's suitor. As Lu Yu approached, she couldn't help but jokingly ask, "Why don't you call me 'sister'?"

Hello, Sister Wan.

Xia Wan's smile deepened. "Alright, alright, Xiao Wei and I are both older sisters, but we just won't call Tangtang 'Sister Tangtang,' right?"

Lu Yu looked at Ye Yuntang and said, "I always go straight to the point."

Ye Yuntang rubbed his forehead, feeling a bit of a headache. "Stop making a fuss. I'm six years older than you, but I only see you as a younger brother."

Lu Yu didn't take it to heart. "So what if she's six years older? 'A woman three years older is said to be lucky to marry a gold brick,' and I'm lucky to marry two gold bricks."

Ye Yuntang said, "This is getting more and more outrageous."

She never wants to fall in love again in this lifetime.

As the group walked towards the cruise ship, Lu Yu's gaze remained fixed on Ye Yuntang, almost never leaving her.

Ye Yuntang turned around and glanced at him. He touched his nose, chuckled, and said, "Yuntang, you look really good today."

Ye Yuntang was speechless for a moment. "You're not allowed to call me Yuntang directly anymore. You have to call me Sister Yuntang or Boss."

"No way, I'll call you Yuntang."

Ye Yuntang, "..."

Are all young men these days so rebellious?

The cruise ship's restaurant features a buffet provided by a five-star hotel.

When Ye Yuntang and Xia Wan walked in, they attracted the attention of most people.

Cheng Lei and Xiao Lin sat together. He saw Ye Yuntang and Xia Wan next to Ye Yuntang.

Xia Wan was wearing a dark green fitted long dress with a slit in the hem, which revealed her fair and slender legs as she walked.

Cheng Lei quickly looked away and glanced at Xiao Lin beside him, whose eyes were fixed on the sea. "Boss, Sister Yun Tang is here."

Xiao Lin gave a faint "hmm" and still didn't turn his head.

As Ye Yuntang's best friend, Xia Wan had been observing Ye Yuntang's emotional state recently.

She deeply resented Xiao Lin for hurting her best friend.

After she came in, the way she looked at Xiao Lin seemed like she wanted to kill him.

Ye Yuntang tugged at Xia Wan, "Don't be too obvious. Only Cheng Lei in the workplace knows about my relationship with him."

Xia Wan gritted her teeth. "I'm just angry."

He even started to dislike Officer Cheng.

I don't want to talk to him anymore.

"Tangtang, who is that guy? He's pretty handsome."

Xia Wan pointed at Song Che.

Ye Yuntang patted Xia Wan's hand, "She likes Xiao Wei."

Xia Wan said "Oh," and added, "That one is pretty good too."

Ye Yuntang was speechless. "Which of your suitors isn't handsome? Why did you have to find one in our police station?"

"I'm a uniform fetishist."

Ye Yuntang was amused by Xia Wan's words, "That's a new police officer, five years younger than you."

"I can accept a five-year-old; I just like younger brothers."

Xia Wan pestered Ye Yuntang to introduce her to the new police officer.

Ye Yuntang pulled Xia Wan over to the police officer, and the group greeted each other with smiles and pleasantries.

Seeing Ye Yuntang talking to someone, Lu Yu joined in.

The men were young and handsome, and the women were all beautiful in their own way; almost everyone's eyes were on the four of them.

After glancing at it several times, Cheng Lei looked away and turned to look at the seaside with Xiao Lin.

Once everyone had arrived, the cruise ship slowly began to leave the dock.

After dinner, Lu Yu suggested going sea fishing.

Ye Yuntang and Xia Wan followed them to the second deck.

"Wow, can you really catch fish?" Xia Wan exclaimed.

Lu Yu nodded, "Yeah, Sister Wan, why don't you and Yun Tang give it a try?"

Xia Wan pulled Ye Yuntang over, "Okay, okay."

Xia Wan and Lu Yu are both sunny and cheerful. The two of them surrounded Ye Yuntang, allowing Ye Yuntang to temporarily forget the pain and bitterness of heartbreak.

She had a lot of fun, and a long-lost smile finally appeared on her face.

Third deck.

Xiao Lin stood in front of the railing, looking down at the scene on the second deck.

His large hands gripped the railing, unconsciously tightening.

Cheng Lei stood not far away, quietly observing Xiao Lin.

Although the eldest brother's face showed no emotional fluctuations, his large hands gripping the railing tightly seemed to betray his inner feelings.

Cheng Lei witnessed this entire scene.

After all, they are criminal investigators. They are meticulous and have keen observation skills. They can often deduce the hidden emotions of the other party just from a micro-expression or a small movement.

Cheng Lei took out his phone and quietly snapped a photo.

……

As evening fell, the cruise ship came alive with activity.

Lu Yu has a lively personality and is very good at creating a lively atmosphere. He moved the KTV projection screen onto the deck.

The super-energetic DJ music started, igniting the entire venue.

Ye Yuntang drank several glasses of wine that night, and when Lu Yu came over to ask her to go dancing, she did not refuse.

She started dancing in elementary school. She is agile and has a slender waist. Even a slight twist of her body looks beautiful.

She hadn't been this excited in a long time. Her body swayed rhythmically to the music, and every twist of her waist and flick of her hair created a stunningly beautiful effect.

"Wow, I didn't expect you to be such a good dancer." Lu Yu's eyes were full of admiration for Ye Yuntang; he was completely captivated by her.

Ye Yuntang looked at Lu Yu, "You're quite good at dancing too."

Lu Yu's smile deepened. "I can also breakdance."

Ye Yuntang's eyes lit up immediately. "You can even breakdance?"

"Yes," Lu Yu smiled brightly, "I'll show you what I've got right now."

Before Ye Yuntang could say anything, Lu Yu took a few steps back and found an open space.

The next second, in time with the music, he made the movements crisply and cleanly.

The steps involve crossing the feet, touching the ground, sliding, and swinging the shoulders. At the climax, the player supports themselves with one hand while their legs rapidly circle in the air, finally freezing in a cool pose.

A gasp of surprise rang out from the crowd.

Ye Yuntang couldn't help but clap her hands enthusiastically, "Great job, so cool!"

Panting, Lu Yu returned to Ye Yuntang's side, smiling brightly, "How about it, consider me? I'll dance for you for the rest of my life."

Ye Yuntang, "..."

These days, young men are really aggressive when it comes to pursuing girls.

In the shadows not far away, Xiao Lin stood quietly, his face expressionless, only his long, slender fingers gripping the wine glass were pale and bluish from the force he was using.

Ye Yuntang had a great time that night. After the party, she and Xia Wan took a taxi back to Xia Wan's apartment.

She didn't see Xiao Lin again when she went to work on Monday.

He left his workplace and left Yecheng.

When Ye Yuntang went to the criminal investigation team, he glanced at the office where he used to work.

He will no longer be seen there.

Her heart suddenly felt empty.

But she knew that with time, she would forget him.

Even if we meet again in the future, we will be the most familiar strangers.

She neither hated nor resented.

She knew better than anyone else that if he hadn't gone undercover, the criminal organization wouldn't have been destroyed so quickly, and her sister's revenge wouldn't have been achieved so soon.

He once gave her a sincere and sweet love.

She had experienced the joy of being loved by him.

That's enough.

She should look forward from now on.

"Sister Yuntang, are you free now?" Cheng Lei came over to her.

Ye Yuntang nodded, "I'm free. What's up?"

Cheng Lei took out his phone and opened the photos he had secretly taken that day.

"Sister Yuntang, look."

Ye Yuntang glanced at the photo that Cheng Lei had opened.

The man leaned against the railing alone, his posture upright, his profile cold and unreadable.

But his long, slender hand, gripping the railing, was tightly clenched around the metal bars, and the veins on the back of his hand bulged out.

Ye Yuntang's breath hitched slightly.

Before she could say anything, Cheng Lei analyzed, "That day, you and Lu Yu were fishing, laughing, and dancing together. The eldest brother didn't show any emotion on the surface, but the hand he was holding on the railing betrayed his inner feelings."

"A person can lie, and an expression can be faked, but subconscious actions cannot lie. The way he's clenching his fists, as if he's going to crush the railings into dust, makes me think he still cares about you."

Ye Yuntang stared at the man's large, veiny hand, her lips pressed tightly together, and remained silent.

Cheng Lei continued his analysis, "I don't understand why you two broke up, but I've worked for the boss for many years, and I can assure you that he's definitely not the kind of person who's promiscuous or just plays around. If he didn't care about you anymore, he wouldn't have tolerated it like this. He definitely still has feelings for you."

Cheng Lei's words struck Ye Yuntang's heart like a boulder.

This stirred up ripples in her heart, which she had finally managed to calm down.

She thought it was all over.

She thought he really didn't care about her at all anymore.

But she never expected that the seemingly cold and heartless man would lose control like this when she couldn't see him.

But if he still cares about her, why would he be with another woman?

Why did I apologize to her?

Why didn't he try to stop her after she said the words "let's break up"?

Why, after arriving in Yecheng, did you never take the initiative to communicate with her or say a single extra word?

Too many questions swirled and churned in her mind, making her restless.

My temples started throbbing again, and my head felt like it was going to explode.

"Lei Zi, send me this photo."

Cheng Lei nodded, "Okay."

……

Ye Yuntang looked at that photo over and over again for several days.

The more I looked, the more I felt that Xiao Lin was hiding something unspeakable.

She didn't want to let herself overthink anymore; she wanted to find out for herself.

Even if you might get hurt again, you should find out the truth completely so that you have no regrets.

After get off work on Friday, she flew directly to northern Beijing.

After booking a hotel and dropping off her luggage, she planned to contact Xiao Lin again tomorrow.

After finishing her dinner, she wandered aimlessly toward the street.

She reached the entrance of an old alley, where the dim yellow light cast a long shadow.

Out of the corner of my eye, I suddenly caught a glimpse of a dashing figure.

Ji Shu?

Ye Yuntang immediately stopped and looked into the alley.

Ji Shu was pinned against the wall by a man. Ignoring her struggles, the man grabbed her chin and kissed her forcefully.

Upon seeing the man's face clearly, Ye Yuntang's beautiful eyes revealed a look of utter shock.

Good heavens, how could it be him?