Mu Dai was in a drowsy state when she heard three light taps behind her head.

It sounded exactly like when Aunt Hong would wake her up when she was oversleeping—that same gentle, quiet manner, tapping three times at her bedside.

Mu Dai retreated deeper into her blanket, one hand impatiently pulling the covers over her head, the other hand reaching out.

Usually, she would grab Aunt Hong’s wrist in a pleading manner and beg from under the covers: “Five minutes, Aunt Hong, just five minutes.”

So…

Through the floor-to-ceiling window glass, Luo Ren watched expressionlessly as her hand groped around on the glass. What was this about? What was she doing?

It feels so… cold…

Mu Dai’s heart tightened, and she instantly became fully awake: she wasn’t in her room—she was sleeping in the bar!

She sat up with a jerk.

The bar was dark, still some time before dawn. A shadow loomed over the table, looking down at her.

Tap, tap, tap. That sound came again. Mu Dai vaguely guessed who it was and, after a moment’s hesitation, turned around.

Luo Ren had one hand against the outside glass, his forehead resting on his arm. His other hand held a phone with the screen facing inward. Two characters were displayed on the screen.

Chat?

Who wants to chat with you? Smiling like nothing had happened, as if he wasn’t the one who had held a knife to her throat last night.

All of Mu Dai’s reactions were within Luo Ren’s expectations. He wasn’t in a hurry and simply held up his phone until the screen light dimmed.

She should open the door, if she was concerned about what he had told her, if she also had doubts about Huo Zihong, if she could see from the fact that he had let her go that night that he had no malicious intent.

She should open the door.

After some time, he saw Mu Dai walking toward the door.

The door opened from inside, just a palm’s width. Mu Dai showed only half her face.

Luo Ren didn’t move forward. He understood the principle that haste makes waste. After the previous night’s confrontation, making amends now was a delicate matter. Both were testing the waters and needed to exercise restraint.

Mu Dai clutched a steel fork in her hand, picked up when passing the dining table. The door was opened at a strategic angle. She had imagined that if Luo Ren tried to force his way in, she could immediately leap up the wall. Before Luo Ren could react, she would drop down with focused energy, using the momentum to stab the fork into his Fengchi acupoint at the back of his neck.

No, that would be too vicious. The Fengchi acupoint was one of the three vital points of the human body. What if she killed or crippled him…

Perhaps just striking to knock him unconscious and then tying him up.

But he wasn’t rushing in. Strictly speaking, he had even spared her life last night.

Many thoughts raced through Mu Dai’s mind before she finally spoke hesitantly: “Then… I’ll decide the time and place.”

The time was set for noon the next day, with the location to be texted to him just half an hour in advance.

And the location she chose was as unimaginative as he had expected.

A noodle shop… diagonally across from the scenic area police station. Street cameras on both sides, and at the height of lunch hour, with people coming and going, including police personnel.

When Luo Ren arrived, Mu Dai was already inside, occupying a table in the prime location. The shop was small, with tables squeezed together, and Luo Ren had to make a considerable effort to squeeze in.

They ordered first, two portions of beef noodles. When the noodles arrived, they added vinegar, chili sauce, unwrapped the disposable chopsticks, and rubbed off the splinters. Each busied themselves with their tasks. To outsiders, they might have appeared to be old acquaintances.

Mu Dai picked up some noodles with her chopsticks first: “What do you want to talk about?”

Luo Ren said, “I have a pretty good impression of you.”

Mu Dai paused with a mouthful of noodles, but Luo Ren didn’t continue: “Let’s eat first.”

Wait, how was she supposed to eat now? That random statement, what did it mean? On what basis did he have a good impression of her?

But Luo Ren truly focused solely on eating his noodles, and he ate quickly. In no time at all, he finished and wiped his mouth with a napkin: “There’s nothing to drink here. What would you like? Green tea? Orange juice? Wait for me.”

He got up to buy drinks.

Mu Dai couldn’t swallow her food, stirring the noodles with her chopsticks, seemingly intent on turning the pulled noodles into lumps.

After a while, Luo Ren returned and handed her a bottle of orange juice: “Don’t misunderstand. What I meant is that you, as a person, have decent basic character.”

This was his honest opinion.

Counting their encounters, he and Mu Dai had genuinely interacted several times. Mu Dai lacked experience and sometimes acted too hastily, but in Luo Ren’s view, these flaws were insignificant. After all, everyone starts as a blank slate; no one is born colorful and accomplished.

He valued two points more.

First, Mu Dai’s martial arts were truly good. Moreover, when sparring with her, he had noticed that she had no vicious or underhanded moves. This was especially important for martial artists—a martial artist’s hands are heavy, and during confrontations, understanding how to be merciful and leave some leeway was admirable.

Second, her personality was quite pure. She was proud when strong, dejected when frustrated. Her likes and dislikes were written on her face, and she would even cry when afraid. Dealing with her wasn’t tiring. He feared those who always wore fake smiles and kept their thoughts hidden, concealing numerous nefarious schemes beneath their façade.

Plus, she was reasonable, at least willing to think things through. Last night had been a test. If she had flown into a rage, jumping out to fight him to the death, there would have been no need for a “chat.”

Mu Dai was somewhat wary. One moment, he held a knife to her and asked for her last words; the next, he praised her character. What was this? A slap followed by a sweet date?

She couldn’t contain herself: “What do you want to talk about?”

“About Huo Zihong.”

Mu Dai pushed the orange juice back to him, with an attitude of refusing to accept anything from others: “No matter what, I won’t betray Aunt Hong.”

“If your Aunt Hong truly has no issues but is being suspected, you should try your best to uncover the truth. If she does have issues, would you aid evil just because of the kindness she showed in raising you?”

Mu Dai was stunned for a moment before replying with less confidence: “My Aunt Hong has no issues.”

Even if Aunt Hong did have problems, it surely wouldn’t be as serious as aiding evil.

It was no longer the lunch rush, and people who had finished their meals were gradually leaving, creating a quiet space for them to talk.

Mu Dai suddenly blurted out, “I know you suspect Aunt Hong is Li Yaqing, but regardless, Aunt Hong’s concern about the Luoma Lake case is reasonable. What about you? Why are you involved? Were you on the Xiaoshang River? Did you meet Li Tan?”

Luo Ren hadn’t expected her to suddenly mention Xiaoshang River and Li Tan. His expression changed several times in an instant.

Mu Dai caught it all: “You know who I am, know that I was adopted by Aunt Hong, know that Aunt Hong has a significant connection to Luoma Lake. But what about you? I don’t even know why you’re so concerned about the Luoma Lake case. If you want to talk with me, that’s fine, but is it fair to expect others to reveal everything while keeping your secrets?”

It seemed she had him cornered. Mu Dai felt her counterattack was well-reasoned: “If you’re not willing to talk…”

Before she could finish, there was a golden flash before her eyes. Luo Ren pulled off the thin gold chain from his neck and tossed it to her. Mu Dai instinctively caught it and noticed the weight—there was a small gold-framed pendant hanging from the chain with a miniature photo inside.

Mu Dai looked at it. It showed a young woman with long hair, her face slightly turned to the side, with a matte finish. The contours were delicate and beautiful. On the back, two characters were engraved: Pin Ting.

“Girlfriend?”

“My uncle’s daughter, Pin Ting, Luo Pin Ting.”

My uncle’s name is Luo Wenmiао. He’s a historian specializing in the history of the Liao, Western Xia, and Song dynasties. A few years ago, he moved his family to Xiaoshang River in Ningxia. Firstly, for the tranquility, which facilitated his academic work; secondly, because the Ningxia region was once the territory of the Western Xia Kingdom. Even now, the Western Xia Imperial Tombs are near Yinchuan, allowing for on-site research anytime.

My aunt passed away early. My uncle raised Pin Ting with only Uncle Zheng helping with miscellaneous matters. I had a good relationship with my uncle and was very concerned about Pin Ting. I would visit them every so often.

About two years ago, one evening, I suddenly received a call from Pin Ting. She was distressed and spoke with a choked voice, telling me that my uncle was acting very strange.

She couldn’t explain clearly over the phone, but I sensed the matter was serious, so I hurried to Xiaoshang River as quickly as possible. But I was still too late. Pin Ting told me that my uncle had been missing for two days.

I comforted Pin Ting, telling her not to worry. I was preparing to file a missing persons report and was thinking of asking some friends to help. Unexpectedly, at that moment, my uncle returned.

When asked where he had been, he answered: Luoma Lake.

That was the first time I heard the name Luoma Lake. I checked the map and found it was in the Hebei region, not particularly famous. But since my uncle frequently visited different places for academic purposes, I didn’t think much of it.

That night, I stayed at my uncle’s house. When I got up in the middle of the night, I saw that the light in the study was still on, so I went in to urge my uncle to rest early.

My uncle didn’t seem very interested in talking to me. He kept examining a Western Xia text, rubbing it with a magnifying glass. When I urged him again, he suddenly jerked his head up.

Mu Dai was gradually becoming engrossed in the story. Upon hearing this part, her heart jumped, and she involuntarily leaned back, causing the stool beneath her to creak.

Luo Ren looked at her: “Can you imagine the scene? Originally hunched over his work almost obsessively, then suddenly raising his head without warning, with a strange expression, as if he had become a different person in an instant.”

Mu Dai didn’t know what to say: “Th-then what?”

“Then, he said something to me.”

Mu Dai felt a chill run down her spine: “What… what did he say?”

“He said, ‘Luo Ren, don’t let me kill people.'”