On the surface of the deep green river glittered fine, golden scales. The trees on both banks no longer had the lush greenery of high summer, instead painted in mottled autumn colors of varying shades and depths. A single glance was like stepping into a giant oil painting.

Shen Zhengning stepped on the soft fallen leaves, passed through the overgrown trees and weeds, and stopped in front of the section of drainage pipe that greatly ruined the aesthetic.

The riverbank was open and deserted, with only a freshly painted "No Fishing" sign standing conspicuously by the water. However, after what had happened recently, it was unlikely anyone would be so thoughtless as to insist on coming to such a secluded spot to fish for a while.

He silently gazed at the ceaselessly flowing river. The scenery was quiet and beautiful, yet his mood was strangely complex. His friendship with Ye Tongsheng couldn't be called deep, and for Shen Zhengning, death was not the first parting he had experienced. Logically, he shouldn't be feeling this stagnant sensation of being 'unable to let go'.

After the last inquiry, Yuan Hang hadn't contacted him proactively, nor had he summoned anyone else from the company. A few days ago, news came that the police had closed the case. Ye Tongsheng's death was ruled a suicide, his family had claimed the body, and the farewell ceremony was set for next Wednesday, October tenth.

Shen Zhengning's intuition of abnormality could not possibly stand up to the evidence held by the police. Besides, from the incident to the case's closure, it took no more than fifteen days, which included a seven-day holiday. Behind this result were many people who had given up their well-deserved leisure time to clear away the dust and ashes left behind by the deceased.

Ultimately, he couldn't claim to know Ye Tongsheng that well. After all, in an era where flux and change have become the norm, how much of one's true self can a person reveal to an ordinary colleague?

'Let it go,' he mocked himself lightly in his heart, 'you don't really think you're Sherlock Holmes, do you?'

Suddenly, the dull sound of footsteps reached his ears, accompanied by the fine, crisp rustle of crushed leaves. Immediately after, a large, fluffy, snow-white ball of fur shot out from the woods. Shen Zhengning whipped his head around, his gaze meeting its deep, black, and bright eyes dead on.

In an instant, all was silent, as if an angel had flown overhead, scattering countless flowers and ribbons. Then, the BGM of “you’re my destiny” boomed, the surrounding background dimmed and blurred, and a thousand lights converged into a single bright spotlight, faithfully illuminating its vigorous, running form.

It's... it's a Samoyed...

Before he even realized it, his body had already uncontrollably squatted down. Shen Zhengning didn't even speak; a look of longing was all it took. The large white dog opposite him tilted its head, and with a brilliant smile that could save all living beings, it happily trotted over in a flash, sniffed his hand, and then enthusiastically offered its head under his palm.

Shen Zhengning: Wuwu, it's an angel.

His fingers sank into the soft, thick, snow-white fur. In a light, bubbly, happy dream, he dazedly petted the dog for three minutes, feeling his very soul being smoothed out and unfurled, able to forgive all the suffering in the world, before he finally spared a sliver of attention for the black leather shoes beside him.

His gaze swept up from the slim-fit black trousers, followed by the hem of a naturally draping black trench coat, a small section of a pale wrist between a black cuff and pocket, a black tie, and a snow-white shirt buttoned to the very top, without a single wrinkle.

The man had been looking down at him impassively, but when Shen Zhengning looked up, he coolly averted his gaze.

'Have I wandered onto some TV drama set by mistake?'

This was the first thought that rose in Shen Zhengning's mind.

This person's figure was much leaner than the average male, but his proportions were out of this world. Broad where he should be broad and narrow where he should be narrow, he was a perfect human mannequin. His semi-long, slightly curly hair must have been quite troublesome to manage, something an ordinary person would find hard to pull off. Yet, a stray lock was naturally blown before his eyes by the wind, brushing past his cold, fair side profile to rest on his high, straight nose, adding just the right touch of melancholy. Paired with this all-black ensemble, he could have been pulled straight onto the red carpet.

They say the face completes the fashion, and his face defeated 99% of the humans Shen Zhengning had ever seen.

The Samoyed panted, begging to be petted, but Shen Zhengning was too embarrassed to pretend not to see the owner any longer. He awkwardly retracted his hand, stood up, and complimented the dog's owner in a stiff yet awkward tone, "Very cute."

The man in black didn't reply, only giving an almost imperceptible nod. The hand that wasn't in his pocket tugged the leash, and the snow-white Samoyed immediately abandoned Shen Zhengning, running back to circle happily around his legs.

No one jumped out and yelled "Cut!" nor was there a group of burly men carrying cameras around. It seemed the other person was just an ordinary citizen walking his dog. But would someone who owns a Samoyed normally dress entirely in black?

As Shen Zhengning was pondering this in his mind, he casually pulled out his phone to check the time. But just as he took it out, the phone suddenly buzzed. He jumped reflexively, and the phone shot half a meter into the air on the spot. He fumbled and caught the electronic popping candy. "Yuan Hang?"

"Old classmate, are you in Sheng'an?" Yuan Hang laughed on the other end of the line. "Are you free tonight? Let me treat you to a meal."

Shen Zhengning reluctantly glanced back at the Samoyed. While answering the phone, he turned and walked in the other direction. Behind him, the autumn wind carried a very low, illusion-like chuckle toward the vast, shimmering surface of the river.

Shen Zhengning knew perfectly well what he was laughing at. His departing figure inexplicably had the air of someone fleeing in disarray.

"How could I be so tactless as to say I'm busy in front of Officer Yuan?" Shen Zhengning didn't ask what Yuan Hang's sudden invitation was about and readily agreed. "I'm free tonight. You set the time and place, my treat."

Yuan Hang clicked his tongue as if Shen Zhengning's teasing had set his teeth on edge, but the amusement in his tone became even more obvious. "We have regulations against accepting dinner invitations. Don't bother with that nonsense. I'll send you the location. Just get ready and head out."

On the last day of the National Day holiday, at six in the evening, the sky had not yet completely darkened, but the dai pai dong was already bustling. The air was filled with the white smoke of charcoal fires and the pungent, spicy aroma. Waiters shuttled between tables, carrying small mountains of grilled skewers and crayfish. Shen Zhengning lifted the plastic curtain and quickly located Yuan Hang, who was waving at him. He squeezed through the aisle, pulled out a chair opposite him, and sat down. "You're so early? Do you live nearby?"

"I finally got a day off today, so I came over early since I had nothing else to do." Yuan Hang pushed the menu to him. "Did you drive? Can you drink?"

Shen Zhengning looked down to choose his dishes. "Didn't drive. Let's have beer, but not too much. I have to work tomorrow."

Yuan Hang raised his hand. A waiter came over to confirm the order and greeted him familiarly, "Brother Yuan, you brought a friend today? You want the beer chilled or room temperature?"

Yuan Hang glanced up questioningly, and Shen Zhengning said, "Chilled. Looks like you're a regular here."

"It's close to the office, and besides, the district government is in front of this place, and the Food and Drug Administration is behind it," Yuan Hang gave him an 'if you know, you know' smile. "You can eat here without worry."

Inside the restaurant wasn't as cool as the outdoor seating and was a bit stuffy. Shen Zhengning took off his jacket and casually draped it over the chair next to him. Yuan Hang paused almost imperceptibly. Shen Zhengning subconsciously followed his gaze and looked down. "What's wrong with my clothes?"

Both of them were dressed appropriately for the dai pai dong's dress code: loose jackets and sweatpants, with half-sleeved shirts underneath that were worn enough that they wouldn't mind getting oil splatters on them. If the problem wasn't their outfits, then it must be that the clothes themselves reminded Yuan Hang of something.

"You're still the same as ever." Yuan Hang lifted the pot and poured him some hot tea, half teasing and half sighing. "So perceptive, with such a quick mind. Why didn't you become a cop back then?"

"My family wouldn't allow it." Shen Zhengning took a sip of tea and answered frankly, "I don't think I ever told you, but my dad was a police officer. He died in the line of duty, so my family wanted me to study a technical major and find a safer job."

Yuan Hang nodded in understanding. "We're all the only child of our parents. Although it's much safer now than before, it's still dangerous compared to other professions. The internet industry is good, easy to find a job, and pays well."

"It's just average, I guess. It's not a big tech company, after all," Shen Zhengning said. "But what about you? Why did you choose to become a cop?"

Yuan Hang shot him a teasing glance. "What kind of question is that? Do you really not know, or are you deliberately waiting for me to praise you? Who do you think influenced me to become a cop?"

Shen Zhengning: "..."

He almost did a spit-take on the spot. His expression, a mixture of shock and doubt, was just like a suspect making a confession. "No way... I thought that incident was ancient history? Besides, we didn't even get the police involved that time."

Yuan Hang recalled in a wistful, leisurely tone, "Back then, my family was so poor we were scraping the walls. I was bad at studying, couldn't even solve a single math problem. When I was wrongly accused, I just stood there stupidly waiting to die. Then you made a brilliant entrance like a savior, settled the matter in just a few words, and even convinced the teacher and the dean. You also said that line, pfft, just like something from a TV drama—hey, why the sneak attack!"

Yuan Hang quickly tilted his head to dodge a peanut shell flying through the air and said with a straight face, "Later, I was marveling to Xiao Xue, how can a person be so cool—cough—so awesome? Xiao Xue said that if you hadn't protected us, the two of us might have been done for. She hoped I would carry on your spirit and become someone with the ability to protect others."

"..."

"When all is said and done, wasn't it all for the sake of your love life? Stop dragging me into it, you love-struck fool." Shen Zhengning condemned him righteously. "Besides, I'm still alive. Don't talk as if I'm already gone."

Yuan Hang burst out laughing.

"After I got my acceptance letter from the police academy, I wanted to thank you properly in person again, but I couldn't get in touch with you. I asked some other classmates and only then heard that you moved away right after the exams."

"Yeah." Shen Zhengning's expression didn't change as he said flatly, "My mom only stayed in He City for my studies. After the college entrance exams, she had a work transfer. The move was rather rushed, so I didn't have time to attend the class reunion."

Yuan Hang opened a beer and personally filled Shen Zhengning's glass. "When I got married, I went back to my hometown for the wedding and invited our form teacher and some high school classmates. Zhang Zhengxing from Xiao Xue's class is an alumna of yours. She mentioned you were working at Juquan, and when I first heard it that day, I was wondering why the company's name sounded so familiar..."

This topic made the air stagnate slightly. Before Shen Zhengning could continue the conversation, their food arrived. The meat skewers had just left the charcoal fire and were still covered in sizzling little bubbles. The spicy crab and crayfish each filled a large basin to the brim, plump and bright red, their overpowering savory aroma of the spices was almost enough to knock a person over.

Yuan Hang deliberately avoided topics related to the case. He pulled out two pairs of plastic gloves for him, signaling him not to be polite and to eat while it was hot. And so, the two of them began to dig into the skewers, finishing half a basin of crayfish and half a plate of grilled skewers. They only managed to free their hands to clink glasses during a pause to change gloves.

The ice-cold beer slid down his throat. The alcohol and chili peppers stimulated his nerves to varying degrees. Riding the excitement forcibly stirred up by the food, Shen Zhengning finally asked the question that had been diverted earlier: "So, was there something wrong with my clothes?"