Under the lights, Yuan Hang's eyes were a little red. Of course, it wasn't because he was moved by Shen Zhengning's few words, but because he had been staying up all night. The Ye Tongsheng case wasn't the only one he was handling. While death was a major event in life, people died every day. Just as funeral homes had queues for cremation and Meng Po Soup had queues to be drunk, the world would never revolve around just one person, whether in the mortal realm or the underworld.

"I understand what you mean." Yuan Hang rubbed his face. "But without crucial evidence, it's very difficult to overturn the current conclusion." His brow was habitually slightly furrowed as he looked at Shen Zhengning, seemingly wanting to say something but hesitating.

"What is it?"

"Hmm... Society really forges a person," Yuan Hang lamented. "You've become so steady now, so profound that I almost don't recognize you."

Shen Zhengning let out a laugh. "I'm a layman spouting nonsense in front of an expert. If my attitude wasn't a bit more humble, wouldn't I get beaten up?"

'Just as I thought.' Yuan Hang mused, 'Shen Zhengning in high school was the proactive type who would step in to help when seeing an injustice, but now he has reined in his sharp edges. Every sentence he speaks leaves plenty of room for the other person, as if to say, 'It's okay if you don't listen or accept it'. It's as if he's already used to not being considered, not being chosen, so he puts this conceding attitude at the forefront like a shield.'

He was once so dazzlingly brilliant, so why had he lost confidence in his own deductions?

"If I didn't trust you, I wouldn't be confiding in you. Do we really need such formalities between us?" Yuan Hang intuitively felt that now was not a good time to get to the bottom of it, so he glossed over it vaguely. "The Anti-Fraud Center is following up on your company's information leak case. I'll keep an eye on things over there."

Shen Zhengning: "The last time you asked me about the information leak, was it because you suspected Ye Tongsheng was related to this matter?"

Yuan Hang made a zipping motion over his lips, though he knew that based on the bits and pieces of information they had revealed, Shen Zhengning could probably deduce more than half of it. "The case is still under investigation." He then added, as if joking, "If you find any clues, you're welcome to report them to the police."

The meal lasted from six to eight-thirty, as they caught up on ten years' worth of stories in one go. In truth, after that incident in high school, because Yuan Hang felt a bit inferior and Shen Zhengning didn't want to seem like he was expecting repayment for his favor, the two hadn't suddenly become particularly close friends. Instead, they maintained the distance of ordinary classmates until they graduated and went their separate ways. Perhaps memories came with their own beautifying filter. Only after meeting all sorts of people did Yuan Hang belatedly realize how precious it was that Shen Zhengning had helped him back then.

Therefore, upon meeting again, he was filled with gratitude. And since they were both adults well-versed in the rules of social interaction, the atmosphere of the meal was incredibly harmonious. Sometimes, the twists of fate in the world were wonderfully illogical. They had known each other for over a decade, but it was only tonight that they finally became close friends who could confide in each other.

Shen Zhengning waved for the waiter to get the bill, but Yuan Hang laughingly stopped him. "I said it's my treat. You can't make me violate discipline, can you? Do you still want to be friends in the future?" He turned to the waiter and said, "Another five lamb skewers, five beef, two chicken wings, just a little spicy, packed separately to go."

The waiter smiled. "Alright, taking a late-night snack home for your wife, huh? The total is two hundred and sixty-three, just give me two-sixty."

After Yuan Hang paid, he turned to see Shen Zhengning smiling and said casually, "Xiao Xue has a group meeting at school today. This meal doesn't count. When she's free another day, come to our place, and we'll properly treat you to a meal."

"Sigh, you're really..." Shen Zhengning's smile almost turned into a wry one. "If this keeps up, is your kid going to have to call me godfather and take care of me in my old age?"

Yuan Hang chuckled. "You're their parents' love's protector. It's perfectly reasonable for him to call you godfather. Speaking of which, what about you? Do you have a significant other?"

Shen Zhengning shook his head nonchalantly. "No."

Yuan Hang looked him up and down, suspicious. "With your looks and character, that shouldn't be the case. You don't want to find someone, or are you having difficulties? If you have difficulties, remember to find Uncle Policeman."

Shen Zhengning showed the familiar expression of being rendered speechless by him. "Are you from the Public Security Bureau or the Civil Affairs Bureau?"

Yuan Hang boomed, "What's the difference? We all serve the people! Come, tell me your troubles!"

The steaming hot skewers were packed in a plastic bag and handed to Yuan Hang. Shen Zhengning put on his jacket and walked out of the restaurant with him. The cool night breeze carried the scent of fallen leaves. The night sky was deep and clear, the Milky Way exceptionally distinct, bringing a sense of peace to one's heart.

He gazed at the neon lights near and far, muttering to himself, "Maybe I'm not ready yet..."

Yuan Hang: "Ready for what?"

Shen Zhengning thought for a moment and replied, "Probably... courage like yours?"

Yuan Hang, truly a police comrade who had been through many trials, had his expression change several times before finally settling into the gravity of one facing a great enemy. "I was in a puppy love relationship back then. If we were discovered, our parents would be called to break us up. Don't tell me you—"

Yuan Hang: "Fell in love with a married woman?"

Shen Zhengning: "I'm gay."

Yuan Hang: ?

Shen Zhengning: ?

Yuan Hang's mouth fell open. Shen Zhengning beat him to it, saying, "No stereotyping, don't assume it's about anyone specific, don't let your imagination run wild. None of that, thank you."

"..."

"Are you playing with me?" After a long moment, Yuan Hang closed his jaw that had almost dropped to the floor and let out a long breath. "I thought you were going to say something like 'love is like sand in a machine, it will affect your rational thinking'."

"I'm not that conceited yet. I'm not Sherlock Holmes." Shen Zhengning smiled. "As for orientation, knowing it yourself is one thing, but actually dating is another. I don't want to deceive myself or others, and the 'homosexual' label isn't exactly a good thing, so I'll just stay single."

Yuan Hang curled his lip. "What's the big deal? What's wrong with dating openly? It's not like you're interfering in someone else's family."

"..."

Shen Zhengning: "I don't know whether to say your acceptance threshold is low or your moral standards are high. Do I look like the kind of person who would interfere in someone else's family?!"

Yuan Hang dodged two steps to the side to prevent him from suddenly lashing out, guiltily touching the tip of his nose. "Isn't that a common plot? The female protagonist's marriage is unhappy, the second male lead discovers she's miserable and her husband is cheating, so he gently consoles her and takes advantage of her vulnerability or something..."

Shen Zhengning ground his back molars. "Go home and delete the video apps on your phone. If you have free time, you should read more of the People's Daily."

Yuan Hang chuckled foolishly. His buzz cut still stuck up like a porcupine's quills, yet he had more youthful energy than the thin, dark-skinned youth in his memory. In his hand, he carried a late-night snack for his wife, just like many years ago when Shen Zhengning passed by a breakfast stall and happened to see him finish a plain steamed bun in two bites, carefully wrap a cup of hot soy milk in his school uniform, and run all the way to school against the cold wind.

The two parted ways at the intersection. In the end, Yuan Hang didn't say much more, only patting his shoulder with a heavy hand.

Shen Zhengning walked alone on the small, stone-paved path in the community, which was covered in fallen Wutong leaves. Perhaps it had been too long since he'd had a drink; he was a bit tipsy tonight, which led him to easily reveal his secret. He hoped Yuan Hang wouldn't misunderstand.

For the first time in a long while, he felt that thrill of his mind racing after catching a suspicious point, speculating, analyzing, and reaching a conclusion. The fact that Yuan Hang and Yue Ruxue's marriage was happy took this sense of accomplishment to a higher level, even giving him a fleeting illusion—that he had truly helped someone with his so-called "deductions," rather than being a clumsy "Sherlock Holmes" showing off his petty cleverness and thinking he saw through everything.

The next morning, Shen Zhengning got up to wash, a faint headache lingering from the hangover. Last night, he had gone to bed after blow-drying his hair until it was only half-dry, and now a few strands at the back of his head were sticking up rebelliously. He picked up the hairspray, shook it, and sprayed—

The smell of chemical fragrance filled the narrow space. Shen Zhengning immediately leaned on the sink and dry-heaved.

Stubbornly enduring the nausea, he managed to style his hair into place, then left his apartment as if fleeing, stepping into the fresh October morning breeze.

The ground was covered in fallen Wutong leaves, deep enough to almost cover his ankles. All sorts of small dogs were running around in the piles of leaves. The scene was quite cute, but unfortunately, the one he liked wasn't there—

From around the corner to his left, a ball of white fluff appeared, a perfectly shaped five-pointed leaf perched on its head, wagging its tail as it bounced and swayed in his direction.

The listless Shen Zhengning suddenly froze in the wind.

He had no experience raising dogs, so he couldn't recognize a specific Samoyed at a glance, but the dog's owner happened to have an unforgettable face: medium-length, slightly curled black hair fell softly, revealing downcast eyes and a cold, pale face. His slender neck and straight shoulders formed a beautiful, almost perpendicular angle.

This time, the other party wasn't dressed like a mafia boss. He wore a white shirt under a gray jacket, but he didn't look very domestic either, still exuding a classy air that made him seem unapproachable. However, Shen Zhengning only treated him as the dog's name tag and didn't really care about his coldness that kept people a thousand miles away. When the Samoyed ambled over, he did the same thing as yesterday, petting it from head to tail, feeling his vitality surge. Then, in a pleasant mood, he looked up and met the dog owner's gloomy gaze, which was as dark as if he were suffering from a bout of low blood pressure.

Shen Zhengning: "...Very cute."

The words came out subconsciously, and he immediately realized he sounded too insincere. He quickly tried to make up for it. "Especially cute. You've raised it so well. Uh... What's its name?"

The other person sized him up in silence for a few seconds before speaking, treasuring his words like gold: "Silver."

Hearing its name, the Samoyed turned its head and rubbed against its owner's pant leg, as if taking a moment to coax him, before happily going back to pawing at the fallen leaves at the base of a tree. Shen Zhengning's gaze uncontrollably followed it, his eyes so gentle they could have drowned the entire neighborhood. "Silver? Very fitting. A good name."

Neither the man nor the dog was looking at him. For some unknown reason, the man opposite him added another sentence: "Because its birthday is September 25th."

A flash of static electricity seemed to crackle in the air, jolting Shen Zhengning back to his senses from the fluffy illusion. But after the reflexive shiver, he calmed down and thought about it, realizing it was purely a coincidence. It was just that he was a bit paranoid about this date at the moment.

"Do you work in the fashion or jewelry industry?"

The slender tail of the man's eyebrow twitched slightly. "Why do you say that?"

"S925, sterling silver, is a common setting material. Someone who would make that kind of association is probably very familiar with jewelry." Shen Zhengning wore a 'sorry to offend you' smile, said, 'it's just a random guess of mine,' and bid him farewell, not intending to explain the reasoning behind his deduction in detail.

No one likes the feeling of being seen through at a glance. Shen Zhengning still wanted to play with his dog a few more times, so he was extremely cautious, maxing out his politeness and courtesy. He walked past Wutong Avenue and took out his phone to estimate the time: walking a dog on this road most likely meant they were a resident of this community; but he had never run into them before, so they probably moved in recently; he hadn't seen them the past two mornings, but today he had left five minutes earlier than usual, which meant their dog-walking time was around seven-thirty.

In that case—

Tuesday morning, 7:35.

Shen Zhengning: "Very cute..."

The other person indifferently turned his head and yawned.

Wednesday morning, 7:35.

Shen Zhengning: "..."

Both men were in formal black suits, meeting unexpectedly in front of the funeral home's memorial hall. Shen Zhengning's first reaction was to subconsciously glance down, which made the other person's expression grow even colder. "No one brings a dog to a funeral. Stop looking."

Shen Zhengning awkwardly tilted his head and gave a fake cough to hide his ill intentions. "Are you also here for Ye Tongsheng's funeral?" He proactively extended his hand. "My surname is Shen, Shen Zhengning. I was Ye Tongsheng's colleague. May I have your esteemed surname?"

The sleeve of the other person's right arm moved slightly, as if he were about to reflexively raise his hand, but then it was deliberately pressed back down.

The man didn't take Shen Zhengning's outstretched hand, only lowering his eyes slightly. "You can drop the 'esteemed'. My surname is Zhuang, Zhuang Mingqi."

"I was his... friend."