Chapter 27 Part 3

Firefighter: "That auxiliary cop just now, is he new?"

Police officer: "Yeah."

"His skills are incredible. Doesn't seem like an ordinary person."

"He's from the special forces team. Looks young, right? He's a captain."

"Wow! How did he end up with you guys?"

"He's got a bit of a disability, recuperating from an injury."

"Ai, what a pity. Once you're disabled and take a desk job, there's not much of a future. He'll just have to kill time in the army from now on."

"Yeah, I heard he was in bomb disposal, too. So young and with so many merits." The officer gestured with his fingers. "If he weren't injured, who knows how high he would've been promoted. What a shame..."

Li Zan closed the police car door and walked away, taking a detour.

The snow was still falling, and the sky had already turned dark.

The crowd of onlookers in front of the mall had long since dispersed, leaving behind a ground covered in dark slush and footprints.

Song Ran had already packed her camera and was wearing it on her back. She stood under the eaves of the mall, hands in her pockets, watching the snowflakes dance in the night sky.

In her peripheral vision, a familiar figure approached.

She lowered her gaze. Li Zan trotted over from the police car by the roadside and stopped in front of her. He brushed the snow from his eyelashes and smiled slightly. "Long time no see."

They had clearly just seen each other at the airport not long ago, but she knew what he meant.

She studied him seriously. At the airport that day, she had been too excited and hadn't gotten a good look at him.

After almost five months, he had lost a lot of weight, but his eyes were still clear.

She stared at him, smiling with her lips pressed together.

He returned her gentle smile and asked, "What's wrong?"

She pointed to the roots of his hair and said, "Your hair has grown. It's different from before."

Li Zan smiled and casually ruffled his hair. It was no longer the buzz cut he used to have. He looked at her and said, "You, on the other hand, cut your hair short."

"Does it not look good?"

He was stunned for a moment. A flicker passed through his eyes, and his voice softened. "It looks good."

Song Ran looked at his right ear, and after careful observation, she confirmed it was an in-the-ear hearing aid.

He saw her looking, his expression calm.

"Your ear... what happened?"

"A small injury. It's normal now."

But Song Ran's smile faded. She asked very seriously, "Are you okay?"

Li Zan said, "I'm doing great."

She kept looking at him, so he explained, "It's a dispatch assignment from the team. The work isn't difficult or dangerous. I can go home every day, and I have weekends off. It's pretty good."

Song Ran looked at his gentle expression, unable to tell for a moment if he was telling the truth.

He asked, "And you?"

"I'm doing great too," Song Ran smiled and said. "Everything at home is good, work is going smoothly, and I'm in a good mood every day. In short, everything is great."

His eyes held a faint smile as he quietly looked straight into hers. After listening, he said softly, "You even won an award, right?"

Song Ran's face flushed. She fidgeted with her fingers and nodded. "An unexpected gain. I didn't expect it at all."

"Congratulations, Reporter Song," he said. The sincerity and gentleness in his eyes inexplicably softened her heart.

She gazed at him, wanting to say something.

Just then, a police officer getting off duty came out of the mall. As he passed by, he called out, "Ah Zan, time to fall out."

"Okay," Li Zan replied, looking up. He then looked back at her and said in a low voice, "I'm leaving."

Song Ran didn't say anything, just nodded mechanically. Her heart was reluctant, but she knew she couldn't ask him to stay.

"You..." she hesitated.

Li Zan, who had just turned to leave, stopped and looked back at her. "Yes?"

"Where do you work?" Song Ran smiled and shook the press pass in her hand. "In case I need your help someday."

He smiled and said, "Baixi Road."

The Liang City TV office building was right in the jurisdiction of the Baixi Road Police Station.

"Oh," Song Ran laughed. "What a coincidence."

"You cover social news. If you need to ask anything, find me."

"Okay."

"I'm going," he said goodbye again.

"Mm. Goodbye." She grinned and waved at him.

Li Zan walked quickly into the wind and snow without looking back.

He got into the passenger seat of the police car and glanced at the rearview mirror.

In the vast, white, snowy night, Song Ran stood watching. After a few seconds, she opened a black umbrella and walked into the snow.

He watched that figure disappear. Suddenly, his ear went silent again, and he couldn't hear anything. After a few seconds of blankness, a roaring sound began.

He lowered his head and rubbed his temples hard.

Beside him, Officer Jia reached out and touched the back of his head, asking, "What's wrong? Your head hurting again?"

Li Zan didn't hear him but could guess what he said. He shook his head slightly. "No. Let's go."

Author's Note: A few corrections. According to the background given in the text, Li Zan's military rank should be Captain, not Second Lieutenant.

Li Zan's unit should be the Armed Police Special Forces, not the Public Security Special Police.