Zhou Tingzhao didn’t know if all girls shed tears when they felt wronged. The image of Sang Ru with her reddened eyes remained imprinted in his mind, impossible to dismiss. Just as he held her for a moment, the person in his arms pushed him away. Looking at her again, her expression had become much calmer.

Sang Ru didn’t cry, even though he had already prepared himself to catch her tears at any moment.

“Let’s go,” she said calmly.

Zhou Tingzhao followed behind her, several times wanting to reach out and hold her hand, but stopping the tentative gesture when he noticed someone approaching.

Dressed in a black dress, Qin Xia walked toward them. Seeing her, Sang Ru instinctively said, “Sister-in… Sister Qin Xia?”

Hurrying back to the station, Qin Xia was stopped by someone she didn’t recognize—a young girl. She paused, confused, and asked, “Do you know me?”

Sang Ru smiled and blinked, “Now I do.”

Before Qin Xia could question further, Zhao Jin came out of the interrogation room again and walked over saying, “You really came back?”

“I was nearby. Didn’t you say there was a problem? What’s the situation?”

Zhao Jin glanced at the two people standing nearby and said, “A woman reported that someone was soliciting prostitution at that KTV on Chunhe Road, specifying the exact private room number. We went to make the arrest but got the wrong people…”

Qin Xia frowned, “How could you arrest the wrong people?”

“The person who filed the report discovered her husband was having an affair. She found their chat records saying they were meeting there today, so she called the police to get revenge on them.” Zhao Jin paused, then said, “When we arrived, only these two were there, so there was a misunderstanding. We brought them back to the station to take their statements.”

After hearing this, Qin Xia’s frown deepened.

“Sang Ru?”

A sudden voice came from behind Qin Xia. Sang Ru looked toward the sound and saw Luo He, dressed in a suit, walking over.

“Why are you here?” they asked in unison.

Zhou Tingzhao imperceptibly curled his palm.

Sang Ru said casually, “I’m on a police station field trip.”

Everyone present: …

“I’m their team leader. I apologize for today’s work error,” Qin Xia stepped back and suddenly bowed sincerely to her and Zhou Tingzhao.

Sang Ru immediately stepped forward to help her up. “It’s okay.”

She secretly reached behind her back, waving several times to signal Zhou Tingzhao. Understanding, he also spoke up, “It’s fine.”

His voice sounded somewhat cold and hard. Sang Ru turned to look at him and saw that he still had a stern expression.

Luo He had parked and come over, listening with a confused face, “What happened?”

“I’ll tell you later. We’re leaving now,” Sang Ru turned to Qin Xia and said, “Goodbye, Sister Qin Xia.”

Receiving an apologetic nod from the latter, Sang Ru smiled at her one last time, then grabbed the person behind her without looking back.

Zhou Tingzhao was unexpectedly taken by the hand by Sang Ru.

She pulled him toward the exit, and when passing Luo He, she whispered, “You need to hurry up.”

“Hurry up with what?”

Sang Ru gritted her teeth in exasperation, “Sister-in-law.”

Luo He thought she had cleverly guessed it out, suddenly feeling embarrassed about having his romantic situation exposed to a younger person, and quickly replied, “Got it!”

Zhou Tingzhao was close enough that, despite their controlled volume, he could vaguely hear them. The subtle displeasure he felt when Luo He appeared suddenly found an outlet.

Once they left the police station, Sang Ru let go of him and asked, “What are you smiling about?”

Zhou Tingzhao came to his senses and lowered the corners of his lips that had unconsciously turned up, “Nothing.”

Seeing Sang Ru turn to leave, Zhou Tingzhao still spoke up to stop her, asking, “So Luo He… Brother and Captain Qin are just now, they’re in a relationship?”

Brother Luo He? Hadn’t he even greeted Luo He properly when they met before?

Sang Ru looked at him as if he were a ghost. “What did you just call him?”

“…Isn’t he your brother?”

“Even I don’t call him that,” Sang Ru said, then suddenly remembering how he had concealed things from her, added, “You’re a 27-year-old man, how can you bring yourself to call someone who’s only 23 or 24 ‘brother’?”

Zhou Tingzhao was speechless, reaping what he had sown.

Seeing him growing more embarrassed, Sang Ru withdrew her firepower and said, “Let’s go.”

As they walked, they gradually shifted from one walking behind the other to walking side by side. Zhou Tingzhao asked softly, “Does it still hurt?”

Bringing up the wrong topic, but the image of him protecting her and holding her in his arms to comfort her surfaced in her mind. Sang Ru still answered properly, “No, it doesn’t hurt.”

Hearing Zhou Tingzhao’s relieved “mm,” Sang Ru thought for a moment and said, “When all is said and done, it’s still that man’s fault. Who told him he couldn’t control his lower body?”

After saying this, she looked meaningfully at Zhou Tingzhao, who met her gaze steadily and replied, “I can control mine.”

They happened to be walking behind a bus stop sign, with its shadow covering them, while on the other side was the noise of passing traffic.

Sang Ru gave a mocking laugh, her finger barely grazing past his lower body, “I don’t think so.”

Zhou Tingzhao: …

Having played her trick, she had already walked to the other side of the bus stop. Zhou Tingzhao, however, was left in an awkward state by this sudden gesture. There was nothing he could do; she hadn’t said she forgave him yet.

Zhou Tingzhao silently repeated “I can control it” three times, calmed himself for a moment, and then also went to the waiting area ahead.

Sang Ru sat on a chair, warm yellow light shining on her, making her appear warm and radiant. She raised her head, saw him coming, and smiled, saying, “Come here.”

Zhou Tingzhao sat down beside her, and as soon as he was seated, a weight settled on his shoulder.

“Wake me when the bus comes.”

Everything about her actions seemed so natural, yet Zhou Tingzhao felt secretly delighted by her words and movements. Her voice already sounded tired. He remained motionless, not putting his arm around her.

The traffic in front of them came and went. Zhou Tingzhao finally turned his head, his lips brushing against the top of her hair, silently saying, “Good night.”