[December 24, 17:24, No. 13 Tingzhou Road, Nanyi City (Provincial Public Security Department)]
The meeting ended, and Sheng Guoning returned to his office. He took off his jacket and hung it on the back of the chair, asking his assistant to make him a cup of tea.
“You’re not going home again today?” the assistant asked with a smile.
Sheng Guoning awkwardly nodded. “My wife went back to Haijing and hasn’t returned yet.”
The assistant had been with Sheng Guoning for five years, managing all of his schedules. Whenever Sheng Guoning was unreachable by phone, Lin Zhizhi would call the assistant to check in, and over time, they became familiar. She had even invited him over for meals a few times. During these five years, Lin Zhizhi had frequently gone back to Haijing, but it was always just for a day or two, never more than a week.
Especially since just two days ago, Sheng Guoning had brought a batch of fresh clothes from home and carried them directly into the unit’s dormitory, seemingly planning for a long stay. This caused the dorm supervisor to inquire if something had happened at home—why would a man so family-oriented suddenly decide to move into the dormitory?
“…It’s the end of the year, and things are busy over there. It’s time for ancestor worship,” Sheng Guoning couldn’t come up with a better excuse and quickly changed the subject. “Didn’t you say someone from Director Bai’s side was coming? What day was that scheduled?”
“It was originally set for today, but it was rescheduled to next Thursday at 6 p.m.”
Sheng Guoning flipped through his desk calendar. Thursday—it was New Year’s Eve. Every year on this day, he and Lin Zhizhi would always go out for dinner and pick out New Year’s gifts for their two children. The assistant knew this well and cautiously asked, “I haven’t replied to Chief Bai yet. It’s just a routine dinner, so should I…?”
Sheng Guoning waved his hand. “There’s probably nothing going on that day. I’ll go.”
“… ” The assistant nervously noted the change in the schedule. Nothing going on? This was clearly a big deal—a family crisis! And it seemed quite serious too.
In his mind, the assistant replayed countless dramatic soap opera scenarios, silently praying that Sheng Guoning wouldn’t commit the same mistakes that many men do. He was only a few years away from retirement—if a major moral issue arose at this critical juncture, it could ruin his reputation.
Sheng Guoning held his thermos cup, intensely focused on reading in his office. When he looked up, it was already past seven. He massaged his shoulders. His body wasn’t what it used to be—even after just over an hour of sitting, he already felt discomfort. He took out his phone and habitually opened his call log. In just a few days, Lin Zhizhi’s number had already been pushed to the second page, and their last call was from seven days ago.
Sheng Guoning removed his reading glasses, feeling the strain in his head, eyes, and heart. But what could he do? Since he couldn’t tell the truth, all he could do was avoid seeing her. The bitterness of having a home he couldn’t return to was something no one else could understand.
With a sigh, Sheng Guoning had a simple dinner outside, then stopped by a supermarket to buy some fruit and nutritional supplements before driving to visit an old colleague. This colleague was none other than the famous “Iron Mouth Lao Yan” from the Nanyi City Bureau’s pretrial team. Unfortunately, Lao Yan had been diagnosed with stomach cancer this year and had undergone surgery. He was now recuperating at home, with a good recovery expected to allow him to return to work after the New Year.
After three rings, the door was opened by Yan Runping’s daughter. She recognized Sheng Guoning and smiled warmly. “Uncle Sheng, why are you here? It’s so late.”
“What, is your father already asleep?”
“It’s still early. How could I sleep this early?” Yan Runping’s voice boomed from the living room, full of energy. He was wearing a jacket and sitting on the sofa. Just as he was about to get up to greet his guest, Sheng Guoning stopped him. “No need to move. You’re the patient—just stay put. We’re old friends, no need for formalities.”
Yan Runping didn’t stand on ceremony. Seeing the items Sheng had brought, he clicked his tongue and shook his head. “You say we’re old friends, yet you still buy things. You’re making me feel bad. And at this hour, you’ve definitely already eaten. If I want to invite you to a meal, it looks like I’ll have to wait for ages.”
“Then it’s a rain check,” Sheng Guoning replied, sitting down on the sofa. “You’re recovering so well; I’m sure we won’t have to wait too long for that meal.”
Both men laughed heartily. The obedient girl poured two cups of water and went back to her room to study. Yan Runping nudged his chin toward the door. “She’s finished her master’s and is now working on her PhD. She’ll be thirty next year, and she still hasn’t found a partner. It’s more worrying than losing half my stomach.”
“Whose family isn’t like that? You think our eldest has settled down?”
“Oh, come on! With Yi Shi’s credentials, he could find someone with just a wave. What’s there to worry about?” Yan Runping lowered his voice. “But I heard… is it true?”
“You’ve still got ears everywhere even at home?”
“Come on now, I’m not in jail here. We’re all from the same bureau, and rumors are flying in all directions. There are dozens of versions of the story. But I don’t believe it. Yi Shi, with his abilities, could he really go missing? Sheng, you must know what’s going on. Where is he? How’s he doing?”
Sheng Guoning, of course, knew the truth. Even if Yu Xue hadn’t spoken to him directly, as someone who had “been there,” he already had peace of mind. But in front of others, he still had to put on a show, sighing repeatedly. “You’re asking the wrong person. He’s still missing. I don’t know where he is or how he’s doing.”
“…What? He’s really missing?” Yan Runping was stunned and quickly took a sip of water to calm himself. Sheng Guoning reassured him, saying there was no need to worry—stressing over it wouldn’t help. The case would eventually close, and Yi Shi would eventually return.
“Oh?” Yan Runping picked up on the subtle implication. “He wasn’t kidnapped? He doesn’t want to come back? Is he on a mission? Going undercover?”
“… ” Sheng Guoning picked up his cup. “You pretrial guys—one word too many and you’re onto everything.”
Hearing this, Yan Runping relaxed. He felt more at ease now. Of course, Yi Shi wouldn’t be in trouble. That kid was the type to go all out when things got tough. If anyone was in trouble, it was probably the people around him.
The conversation eventually drifted to family matters. Yan Runping’s wife had passed away early, and he never remarried, focusing instead on raising his daughter. He often envied Sheng Guoning’s happy family life. Normally, Sheng would respond with pride, never missing a chance to boast, but today he was uncharacteristically quiet, sitting in silence for a long time.
“What’s wrong?” Yan Runping asked tentatively, “Did you guys have a fight? What was it about? The kid or something else?”
Sheng Guoning smiled bitterly. Yan Runping stroked his chin, “It’s not about the kid; it’s between you two. Captain Sheng, you’re not someone who would have moral issues, and you don’t have any bad habits. Lin Zhizhi has always been a virtuous wife and good mother. So, what else could it be? Relatives causing trouble?”
“…” Sheng Guoning picked up an orange from the fruit plate and handed it to him. “Eat something. You interrogation folks are terrifying.”
Yan Runping smiled wryly. Sheng Guoning came over at this hour, alone—it was obvious he just wanted someone to talk to.
He guessed right. Sheng Guoning was indeed feeling upset and needed to talk to someone. Although he worked closely with his colleagues, they were not as deeply connected as the friends he made back in the municipal bureau, especially Yan Runping. They had kept in touch for over twenty years and knew each other’s families well, so there was no need to explain complicated backstories. A few words could convey the problem clearly.
“She has a brother. I’ve mentioned him to you before, remember?”
Yan Runping nodded. “I remember. From Haijing, right? Didn’t he pass away? You guys even went to buy a burial plot.”
Due to unavoidable circumstances in the mirrored world, Lin Heyu only existed in the memories of a few people, and Yan Runping wasn’t one of them. To him, Lin Zhizhi had an older brother who had died young, and that was it.
“Her brother… recently came back.”
“Ah???” Yan Runping was stunned for a few seconds. As a police officer, his first reaction was a faked death. In such cases, the person must have been missing for a long time before the family reported them as deceased. He slapped his thigh, “That’s great news! Zhizhi must be overjoyed! How could this cause a conflict? Did he make any unreasonable requests?”
“No… he and Zhizhi haven’t met yet.” Sheng Guoning pinched the bridge of his nose. “Lao Yan, let me ask you—if it were your brother-in-law, and you found out his existence would harm your wife, from your standpoint, would you let them meet?”
“That depends on how harmful it is. If it’s minor stuff, there’s no reason to stop it. But if it’s life-threatening or involves property, then yeah, you have to block it.” Yan Runping sensed something was up and guessed, “So, because you prevented them from meeting, Zhizhi argued with you? No way. You’re all family, and they haven’t seen each other for years. Are you sure he’d hurt Zhizhi? Could you be mistaken?”
Sheng Guoning sighed helplessly. He wished he were wrong, but unfortunately, he couldn’t take that gamble. Any “what if” could lead to irreversible disaster. There was no turning back now. He didn’t regret his actions, but explaining things to Lin Zhizhi was another matter.
Yan Runping patted him on the shoulder. “I’m telling you, you and your wife have such a great relationship. What’s there that can’t be discussed? Just lay it all out. Explain why you don’t want her brother around. If you present the evidence, Zhizhi, being so understanding, will be moved when she realizes you did it for her. How could she bear to keep fighting with you?”
Sheng Guoning remained silent. It was getting late, so he took the initiative to excuse himself, telling the patient to rest, and promised to visit again. Yan Runping walked him out, advising him to handle things calmly. “It would be such a shame if a model couple like you two were ruined by something like this.”
Once in the car, Sheng Guoning sat with his phone in hand, deep in thought for a long time. Finally, he dialed a number.
The phone was picked up just before the last ring. Sheng Guoning exhaled in relief. Zhizhi was mad, but at least she was still willing to take his call.
He tried to sound relaxed, as if he were just calling after working overtime, asking her what she had for dinner and what she was doing now. Lin Zhizhi’s answers were short: takeout, looking up information online.
“Why are you eating takeout? You know your stomach’s sensitive. Eating takeout could give you a stomachache,” Sheng Guoning said as he started looking for nearby pharmacies. “How are you feeling? Any discomfort? Do we have medicine at home?”
“No, I’m fine. It’s nice, I don’t even have to do the dishes. Ever since we got married, I’ve hardly ordered takeout. It’s kind of refreshing not having to cook these days.” She paused. “If you’re busy, you don’t need to call me. Just take care of yourself.”
“…” Sheng Guoning sighed. “Zhizhi, are you mad at me for not coming home?”
“I’m not mad, just a little disappointed.” Lin Zhizhi chuckled softly. “You won’t explain, so I’ll ask you one question: when you pushed my brother into the water, did you think about me?”
Sheng Guoning was silent. Lin Zhizhi waited for half a minute before continuing, “You didn’t. If you had thought about me, you wouldn’t have done it. Sheng Guoning, I really don’t understand. My brother came to you for help with Nanyi Machinery. If you had helped, maybe that explosion wouldn’t have happened. As a police officer, aren’t you supposed to do everything in your power to maintain social stability?”
“I don’t understand how you’ve changed. The Sheng Guoning I fell in love with was upright, sunny, and brave, always ready to stand up for what’s right. Now, you can just watch as more than a dozen people died at the machinery factory. Has it been you who changed, or have I just never seen through you after twenty years together?”
Lin Zhizhi wiped away the tears she was trying to hold back. “Come home one day, while An’an’s not around. I have more to say, and it’s better said face-to-face.”
The call ended. Sheng Guoning stared blankly ahead, a mix of emotions swirling inside him. The accusations felt all too familiar—those two had questioned him like this before. Sheng Guoning wanted to argue. What did being a police officer mean? Was he some kind of judge, holding a book of life and death in his hand? The case was predestined, fated to happen. Could it really be stopped just because he tried?
The sad part was, those two were trying their hardest to defy fate.
Tragically, in the face of such selfless love, Sheng Guoning could not give up his personal love. He was just an ordinary man, without a broad enough heart to care for the world. All he could do was use his limited strength to protect the ones he loved.
Around ten o’clock, Sheng Guoning finally returned to the provincial bureau dormitory. He had just backed the car into the parking spot and hadn’t even unbuckled his seatbelt when there were two knocks on the car window. Outside was a pale, cold face, standing starkly in the night.
Seeing him, Sheng Guoning unexpectedly felt more at ease.
“You’re here,” he rolled down the window. “You’ve already met Zhizhi, so now it’s time you came to see me.”
Yi Shi stood outside, one hand resting on the car roof, the other in his trench coat pocket, bent over, staring intently at him. “I’ll only ask you one thing. Just tell me ‘yes’ or ‘no.’”
“Go ahead.”
“If Lin Heyu’s and my fate changes, will Zhizhi disappear?”
“…Yes.” Sheng Guoning covered his face, finally touching on the most painful part of his heart. “She’s an extra hostage, always has been, an unnecessary part not belonging to the case.”
