The dim light concealed true emotions as if covered by an easily torn mask.

This was Shu Nian’s first time doing something like this, and her heart was now beating like a drum, fast and loud. She deliberately maintained a straight face, wanting him to think that her action was completely normal.

A very ordinary gesture.

Nothing to overthink.

She just needed to promptly bring up another topic right now.

And successfully divert attention.

Shu Nian licked her lips and said: “I’ll open a window… to let in some fresh air…”

Before she could fully stand up, Xie Ru He instantly grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. His breathing was somewhat heavy, and Shu Nian’s face belatedly turned red. Afraid of pressing on his legs, she instinctively used her hands to brace against the floor.

She pondered whether to say something.

Suddenly, Xie Ru He gripped her chin and said hoarsely and straightforwardly: “Open your mouth.”

The action was faster than thought. Before she could understand why he said this, Shu Nian had already obediently complied. She opened her mouth slightly, like a naive child.

Almost simultaneously, Xie Ru He forcefully covered her lips with his. His lips were soft and moist, his tongue carried heat, mixed with the bitter taste of cigarettes, his force so strong it was as if he wanted to swallow her whole.

It wasn’t an especially beautiful process.

It was the first time for both of them, neither having any experience. There was the collision of teeth, there was pain, and in their inexperience, they even forgot to breathe.

But Shu Nian showed no resistance, and Xie Ru He showed no intention of stopping.

Lips and tongues intertwined, at an extremely intimate distance.

His force didn’t diminish in the slightest, desire completely undisguised. As if at this moment he revealed his true form, bearing sharp teeth, wanting to bite through her thin veins, and suck out the scalding blood within.

Shu Nian clutched the hem of his clothes, passively enduring his kiss.

Who knows how long it lasted?

Xie Ru He finally released her, taking her lower lip between his and licking it. His lips, engorged from the long kiss, were excessively red, like a soul-stealing demon.

Afterward, he brushed the corner of her eye with his fingertip and said softly: “I’ll listen to you.”

Shu Nian’s reaction was somewhat sluggish, nodding a beat late.

“You’re so obedient, I’ll be obedient too.” Xie Ru He’s voice was deep, slightly hoarse. “I won’t smoke anymore from now on.”

Hearing this, Shu Nian sat silently for a few seconds, then suddenly stood up, scurrying to the door to turn on the light, and then busied herself with opening the window, seeking some fresh air.

Xie Ru He watched her quietly.

Shu Nian was a bit afraid to sit back down, fearing she might explode from nervousness.

During their time of dating Xie Ru He, Shu Nian gradually discovered that after those teasing and bantering gestures toward her, he would feel more uncomfortable than she did.

He would deliberately maintain a serious face, showing no emotion, trying to flirt with her nonchalantly. But when she wasn’t paying attention, he would reveal some telltale signs.

Thinking of this, Shu Nian carefully looked toward Xie Ru He.

He was still staring at her. Noticing her gaze, he paused for a few seconds, then calmly looked away.

Shu Nian’s awkwardness instantly dissipated by half.

Xie Ru He’s emotions also no longer seemed as suppressed as before. He stood up as well, clearing his throat lightly: “It must be getting late. I’ll put on a jacket and take you home.”

Shu Nian nodded, going over to pick up the dominoes from the floor and putting them all back in the box.

By the time she finished tidying up, Xie Ru He had returned.

He bent down to pull Shu Nian up and said: “Let’s go.”

Shu Nian asked: “What were you setting these up for?”

Xie Ru He said: “To pass the time.”

Shu Nian responded with an “Oh”: “Next time you want to pass the time, you can find me.”

Hearing this, Xie Ru He stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her.

Shu Nian pressed her lips together and added: “I can keep you company setting these up.”

They had already walked outside. As the door closed, the fingerprint lock made a crisp sound. After saying this, Shu Nian immediately lowered her head, pulling him toward the elevator.

But Xie Ru He stood firmly in place without moving.

Shu Nian asked in confusion: “Did you forget something?”

He shook his head, just pulling her back. His fingertip pressed several buttons on the fingerprint lock, opening the management menu, and selecting the option to add a new fingerprint. Then, Xie Ru He grabbed her thumb, unhurriedly recording her fingerprint.

Shu Nian followed his actions in a daze.

Until the registration was successful.

Xie Ru He murmured: “Never had the chance to do it before.”

After completing this series of operations, Xie Ru He resumed walking forward.

But this time, it was Shu Nian who stopped. Noticing her silence, Xie Ru He slightly lowered his head, asking inquiringly: “What’s wrong?”

“My home doesn’t have a fingerprint lock…”

Shu Nian’s expression was coy as she released his hand, rummaging through her bag, quickly finding a spare key in a small compartment. She licked her lips and stuffed the key into Xie Ru He’s hand.

Seeing that he still hadn’t caught on, Shu Nian could only explain stiffly: “But I can give you a key.”

Night had fully descended, and lights were turning on one after another in the building. The streets were bustling with traffic, cars coming and going, occasionally emitting a honk that startled pedestrians.

The night air was cold and damp. Breathing out under the streetlight would reveal white mist dispersing before one’s eyes.

They walked for some distance.

Shu Nian counted her steps, hesitating whether to ask if he had heard some bad news today. And those were from family members related to him by blood.

She agonized over this for quite some time.

In the end, she gave up.

Instead, it was Xie Ru He who spoke first: “I received a call from my grandfather today.”

“…” Shu Nian asked softly, “What did he say to you?”

“Mm, he said my father died.” Xie Ru He suddenly laughed, “What else he said, I don’t know. I wasn’t listening carefully. I just remember that part.”

Shu Nian wasn’t good at comforting people; she just tightened her grip on his hand a little.

Back then, when Ji Xiang Ning was found dead in that manner, Xie Ru He seemed to become a different person in an instant. Whether this matter was related to Xie Ji or not, it made him hate intensely.

Ji Xiang Ning’s manner of death was very similar to Chen Xiang’s.

Both held the knife handle with both hands, driving the knife into their hearts. As if they had killed themselves.

When Chen Xiang died, the police sealed the information. No one outside the police knew what she looked like at death. Now Ji Xiang Ning’s appearance instantly led them to conclude this was a serial killing.

Xie Ru He also recalled what Chen Han Zheng had said after Chen Xiang went missing. His statement to the police was heavily laden with personal feelings, word by word, clearly structured, with all accusations pointing toward Xie Ji.

But what wasn’t true remained untrue. No matter how dark his emotions, hoping his father would immediately go to prison, or immediately die, he ultimately could not alter the truth.

The result this time was the same as before.

The police investigated for quite some time but could not find any trace of the killer. It was still due to the backward facilities in the small town, making investigation impossible. And this criminal was extremely cunning and careful, leaving no clues whatsoever.

This matter was spread online by some residents of Shi Yan Town, gradually growing larger.

It caused dissatisfaction from multiple parties.

They believed that when the first incident occurred, the Shi Yan Town government should have taken appropriate measures, should have applied for funds to install surveillance cameras, and should have continued investigating the case, rather than allowing the criminal to continue committing crimes in the dark.

Because of Ji Xiang Ning’s death, Xie Ji momentarily came to his senses. He completely disregarded Xie Ru He’s deliberate targeting and took the initiative to call Ji Xing Huai, confessing everything.

He asked Ji Xing Huai to come take Xie Ru He away.

Hoping Xie Ru He would no longer stay with him, living such a life.

Until Xie Ru He left Shi Yan Town, Shu Nian was very clear about how deep his hatred for Xie Ji was.

He probably felt that if that day, Xie Ji hadn’t been drunk, but had arrived at the Civil Affairs Bureau on time to meet Ji Xiang Ning, they might have encountered each other on the way.

The killer would not have had the opportunity to strike.

Or perhaps he felt that if Xie Ji hadn’t been self-destructive, living a depraved life, and beating his wife, Ji Xiang Ning wouldn’t have chosen to leave with him.

Moreover, Xie Ru He believed that the root of everything was because Xie Ji had initially pursued Ji Xiang Ning.

If not for him, Ji Xiang Ning would surely still be a wealthy young lady living a fulfilling life, following life’s trajectory to find a suitable partner.

Even if it meant he wouldn’t exist, it didn’t matter.

As long as his mother was still alive.

Shu Nian’s throat tightened as she asked: “Did they scold you?”

Xie Ru He recalled: “Probably.”

He didn’t say more.

But Shu Nian could roughly guess what they had said.

It was nothing more than saying that even though Xie Ru He’s father was gravely ill, about to pass away, he still clung to something that wasn’t Xie Ji’s fault, showing not an ounce of conscience.

“Xie Ru He,” Shu Nian said softly, “in this matter, you are the victim.”

“…”

“You have the right to choose to forgive, or not to forgive. They are merely bystanders, with no right to make choices for you, nor the position to reproach you.”

Xie Ru He turned to look at her, his eyes showing no emotion: “I know.”

“Next time,” Shu Nian’s other hand unconsciously clenched into a fist as she said casually, “next time, I’ll go with you to visit your aunt.”

After a few seconds of silence.

Xie Ru He’s eyes curved upward as he said: “Okay.”

As usual, they took the subway to near Shu Nian’s home.

Walking in the cold wind, holding hands, watching their shadows stretch long on the ground. They would feel embarrassed by something one of them said, then secretly lower their heads, pretending nothing had happened.

Those bad memories seemed to disappear with the wind.

Entering the building, Shu Nian stamped her feet, triggering the voice-activated lights. She walked to her door and waved vigorously at Xie Ru He, who stood outside the building, smiling as she said: “See you tomorrow.”

He also said: “Okay, see you tomorrow.”

Shu Nian entered her home, habitually locked the door, and turned on the lights. She planned to first heat the food Deng Qing Yu had made for her, eat some, and put the rest in the refrigerator.

With Xie Ru He’s entrance into her life, Shu Nian was no longer as sensitive and easily frightened as before.

She walked into the living room and only noticed something was wrong after several seconds.

A cold breeze was blowing in from the floor-to-ceiling window, with the curtain beside it floating lightly. The interior no longer held just her scent and the smell of stagnant air, as it usually did.

It was as if there was the uncomfortable feeling of a stranger having broken in.

Shu Nian scratched her head, forcibly dismissing those terrifying thoughts from her mind, not wanting to scare herself. She thought perhaps Deng Qing Yu had opened the window before leaving, intending to air out her apartment.

She walked over, wanting to lock the floor-to-ceiling window again.

Shu Nian lived in an old-style apartment. There was a security door on the anti-theft grating of the balcony, with a lock added to it. She stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, her gaze sweeping across, and her breath stopped in an instant.

Now, that lock appeared to have been pried open and had fallen to the ground.

The security door was wide open.

The howling wind seemed to disappear at this moment.

The surroundings instantly fell silent, with no other sounds.

So quiet that, Shu Nian seemed to hear, from behind her, the very light sound of footsteps.