Zhou Sa didn't realize he was being followed at all. 

He was squatting not far from Ling Shu, playing with a little yellow dog with more enthusiasm than he ever showed when flirting with Ling Yao at home.

He even spoke to the dog in a tender voice, occasionally saying some strange words.

"Little Yellow, you say you're not a cat, then why do you love eating small fish so much?"

"Don't eat so fast, I don't have much left on me. If you eat it all at once, you'll be hungry for the next few days!"

"Wow, you're so smart, you really understand me. That's great! Take your time eating, I'm not in a hurry to leave today. I can play with you for a while after you finish!"

Ling Shu almost thought the dog was a person in disguise. 

He looked up and down, left and right, trying to figure out what was going on. The dog was about the size of two adult men's palms, still not fully grown, with slightly curled and fluffy yellow fur, and a pair of very lively and intelligent black eyes.

It was indeed quite cute.

The dog took a couple of bites of the small fish and then looked up at Zhou Sa with what seemed like fear of him leaving.

As Ling Shu quietly approached a few steps closer, Zhou Sa still hadn't noticed, but the little yellow dog immediately sensed it. 

It stopped eating the small fish and jumped behind Zhou Sa, barking at Ling Shu with a vigilant and threatening manner.

Zhou Sa turned around, revealing a surprised expression.

"Ling Shu?"

...

After the summer arrived, the weather gradually became hot and humid, and people's appetites became sluggish.

No mountain delicacy could compare to a bowl of cold chicken noodles with a cup of sour plum soup. The sour plum soup should not be completely chilled. It's best to keep it warm on the stove and take it out when guests want to drink it. Otherwise, in this weather, drinking cold drinks recklessly can easily cause stomach discomfort.

As for cold noodles, it's no problem.

When Ling Shu was in Sichuan, he often ate cold noodles. They were always spicy, and at first, they made him cry. When he first arrived there, he would get angry from the spiciness and had to ask the chef to make it without spice. But he happened to encounter a hot-tempered chef who refused to make it without spice and told him to make it himself.

In the damp land of Sichuan, Sichuan peppercorns, chili peppers, and star anise are all necessary ingredients. As he ate more, he got used to the spiciness. 

Later, Ling Shu traveled to the northeast and returned to Shanghai, where he found everything tasted bland. Just like this bowl of cold noodles in front of them, it had shredded chicken that had been pan-fried, peanuts, sesame sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, and depending on the customer's preference, either scallions or cilantro, but no chili peppers.

Ling Shu let out a slightly melancholic sigh.

"Come on, why aren't you eating? Doesn't it suit your taste?"

Zhou Sa had already devoured more than half of the bowl of cold noodles, and he picked up the sour plum juice to take a big gulp. Then, with a satisfied exhale, he gave his evaluation.

"Refreshing!"

When you're starving, whether or not there are chili peppers becomes less important.

Although Ling Shu was feeling a bit melancholic, it didn't affect his eating speed. 

After just a few minutes, his bowl of noodles looked almost identical to Zhou Sa's.

Zhou Sa laughed and said, "I didn't lie to you, did I? The cold noodles here are better than your sister's, right?"

Ling Shu responded with two chuckles, "They're definitely much better." 

Zhou Sa: "Sometimes when I argue with your sister or get tired of the food at home, I come here for a bowl of noodles. You wouldn't believe it, but even though the decor is a bit shabby and it looks a bit dirty, the noodles here are just as good as those at Xiaoji Noodles. It's a shame about Boss Xiao, though. He suffered a tragedy and there's no one to take over his business."

Before Yue Dingtang appeared and Ling Shu got involved in all sorts of strange cases, Ling Shu and Zhou Sa had a good relationship. 

The two brothers would go out for a drink every now and then. Zhou Sa was friendly and adaptable, and he was doing well in the municipal government. 

Although he was limited by his humble background and couldn't rise too high, he could still advance further if he had the opportunity. 

However, he was content with his current situation and got along well with Ling Shu's temperament.

"Brother-in-law, what's the deal with that widow?" Ling Shu got straight to the point. 

He had to clear things up today, or he and Ling Yao would end up arguing when they got back. 

Zhou Sa forced a bitter smile, "Your sister's speculations are all made up. You don't believe them, do you?" 

Ling Shu replied, "Well, you have to tell me about that widow. Who is she, and how did you two meet? If my sister asks me, and I don't know what to say, how can I help you?" 

Zhou Sa explained, "One day, I saw a child chasing a dog on the street. The dog was running around, trying to hide. I felt sorry for it, so I followed them and rescued the dog. I even argued with the child for a bit." 

Ling Shu asked, "That dog you just fed, was it the same one?" 

Zhou Sa nodded, feeling a bit embarrassed. 

"Your sister doesn't allow me to keep a dog, so I can't bring it home. If I do, she'll start arguing with me again. So, I can only feed it on my way back home from work. It's strange, but this dog is very smart. It not only recognizes me, but also waits for me on my way back. It doesn't get close to anyone else, only plays with me. Do you think it's fate from a past life?"

Ling thought to himself, 'What kind of past life's fate is this? Were you a dog in your past life too?'

"So, when you come home late every day, it's to see the little yellow dog?" 

Zhou Sa said, "Mostly, yeah. Didn't we meet because of that kid? He got lost and I helped him find his way home. That's how I met the widow, Mrs. Sun. They're just a widow and her child with no one to rely on, and they're not familiar with Shanghai. I just help out when I can, like moving heavy things or changing light bulbs. Mrs. Sun doesn't want to owe me anything, so she often sends me things. At first, I brought them home, but then your sister started asking questions and accused me of having feelings for her. Now I don't dare to take anything from her anymore."

Ling Shu asked, "Did you tell my sister about these things?"

"I did, but she just doesn't believe me!" Zhou Sa replied. 

Ling Shu pondered for a moment before speaking up, "Brother-in-law, I know I shouldn't interfere in your affairs, but lately you and my sister have been arguing about this matter. This can't go on forever. In my opinion, my sister has a knot in her heart that she hasn't been able to untie for years, and that's why she's so hesitant."

"Are you talking about the child?" asked Zhou Sa.

Ling Shu nodded in agreement.

Despite his usual simple and honest demeanor, Zhou Sa was perceptive and understood the situation well. 

"Ling Shu, let me be honest with you. We've already talked about having a child. I know my parents back in my hometown are pressuring us to have a grandchild, and I also want a child, but it's not up to us. It depends on whether fate allows it. I've never blamed your sister, and I've tried to comfort her. When we talked about it before, she agreed, but every time we argue, she brings up the child!"

As he spoke, Zhou Sa sighed bitterly.

"Once or twice is fine, but every time? It's exhausting. Can't we just avoid it if we can't handle it?"

He was only human, and even the best-tempered person can get tired. Zhou Sa couldn't even guarantee that he could stay at home for a minute if Ling Yao started another fight.

To be honest, Ling Shu felt sorry for Zhou Sa. He knew that Ling Yao had a quick temper, a trait she had inherited from birth. It's easy to change a country, but difficult to change one's nature. 

But he couldn't let this loving couple break up, someone had to make a compromise.

"I'll go back and talk to my sister, and you sit down and have a good chat with her. Open up your hearts. You're still young and there's no need to rush into having children. My sister is just worried that she can't leave a legacy for the Zhou family, that's why she's so anxious."

Zhou Sa patted his shoulder.

"Got it. Let's finish our meal and go back. And you, your sister is also worried about your own affairs. If there's any girl you like but can't pass the family background check, I'll talk to my sister." 

Ling Shu wanted to say that he had too many girls he liked, and he was getting picky. 

But just as the words were about to come out of his mouth, he suddenly thought of Yue Dingtang and swallowed them back. 

"Brother-in-law, I'm not in a hurry. Let's solve your problems first." 

With the incident involving Zhou Sa and the dog, Ling Shu completely forgot about Yue Dingtang. He had originally planned to go to Yue Dingtang's house for dinner that night, but ended up eating cold noodles with Zhou Sa and happily went home. 

On the way, he even bought sugar-fried chestnuts for Ling Yao, intending to make her happy before having a heart-to-heart talk.

That night went smoothly. Ling Yao saw them come back early, and Zhou Sa brought her food, so she was in a good mood. 

Ling Shu took the opportunity to suggest that the three of them sit down and have a good chat. He explained the situation to Ling Yao, using his eloquence and patience to persuade her. 

And it worked, Ling Yao was able to listen to him. 

As Ling Shu was about to return to his room, leaving the living room for the young couple to continue their deep conversation, urgent knocking was heard outside.

With the old servant Aunt Hong on leave in the countryside, Ling Shu had to answer the door himself.

It was already late at night, and he couldn't imagine who would come at this hour.

Unless it was Yue Dingtang.

But the person standing outside was not Yue Dingtang.

It was Mrs. Sun.

She looked anxious and as soon as she saw Ling Shu, she knelt down with a thud!

"Officer Ling, please save my child!"

Ling Shu was startled and quickly bent down to help her up.

"Get up and talk, what happened?"

Mrs. Sun said, "My child disappeared after school and hasn't come back yet!"

Ling Shu asked, "How did you know I live here?" 

Mrs. Sun said anxiously, "Mr. Zhou told me before. I never planned to disturb you, but now I'm like a headless fly and have to come to plead with you!" 

Her face was red and her eyes were about to shed tears.

Ling Shu peeked out and saw a yellow cart parked outside, with the driver waiting for her. There was no maid accompanying her. She had traveled alone at night and seemed to be in a hurry.

Ling Yao and Zhou Sa also came out when they heard the commotion. Ling Yao saw Mrs. Sun and heard her explain her situation. 

Her face, which had just cleared up, was now covered in dark clouds.

Ling Shu felt that something was not right and quickly interrupted Mrs. Sun and Zhou Sa, saying, "We should report the missing person to the police station. I'll accompany you to the police station, and brother-in-law, you stay at home with my sister!" 

Ling Yao exclaimed in anger, "Why didn't she go to the police station to report the case herself? Instead, she came straight to our house. Is our house a police station?"

Before she could finish, Ling Shu quickly pushed Mrs. Sun out and closed the door behind them. Behind the door, there was still the faint sound of Zhou Sa pacifying his wife.

Mrs. Sun wiped her eyes and repeatedly apologized, "Officer Ling, I'm sorry. It's not that I refuse to go to the police station, but as a weak woman, if I go alone in the middle of the night, they won't take me seriously. At most, they'll extort some money from me and send me away. When I first arrived in Shanghai, I was already scared by such things. The only capable person I know in this big city is Mr. Zhou. I really have no other choice..."

"Okay, okay, enough talking. Let's go to the police station first and find the child!" 

Ling Shu raised his hand to stop her from continuing. 

To be honest, he didn't have a good impression of the Sun family. 

He had many doubts, but he couldn't ignore the fact that the child was innocent. 

He decided to wait until the child was found before making any further decisions.