In the car returning to the border defense station.

Sun Kai, Zhao Dailin, Chen Rui, and Wu Heping all got into Director Tang’s car.

Tang Mingliang opened the front passenger door, saw the four people sitting properly and neatly in the back seat, was stunned for a moment, then came to his senses, shaking his head with a smile: “You’re all so clever.”

Among the remaining few people, only Wu Heping was somewhat confused about the matter between Lu Huaizheng and Yu Hao. But after seeing how the captain, despite being injured himself, turned around to comfort Dr. Yu, Wu Heping could understand a bit. Before he could fully grasp the meaning behind it, Chen Rui dragged him by the collar and stuffed him into Director Tang’s car without a word.

Halfway through the journey, Wu Heping couldn’t help but ask: “Has Captain Lu really gotten together with Dr. Yu?”

Sun Kai and Chen Rui both knew the inside story. Their expressions were inscrutable as they exchanged glances that could be understood but not explained. Sun Kai then hooked his arm around Wu Heping’s neck, pulling him closer, and said: “Do you know what? It’s only because he was bitten himself. If it had been Dr. Yu who was bitten, your Captain Lu would have gone crazy today.”

“Really?” Wu Heping turned his head incredulously toward Sun Kai. “Who would’ve thought that such a tough guy like Captain Lu would be such a romantic? With his previous fierceness, I thought he’d be the same with women.”

Sun Kai chuckled, with an expression of ‘you don’t know this.’

“He’s only fierce with you guys. You don’t know the way he looks at Dr. Yu. I’ve known him for seven or eight years, and I’ve never seen him look at a woman that way.” Sun Kai withdrew his arm, patted Wu Heping’s shoulder, and said earnestly, “Moreover, what you don’t know is that men are born romantics. It’s just that some seeds aren’t so lucky—they haven’t met good water and haven’t sprouted yet.”

Hearing this, Zhao Dailin, squeezed at the far end, expressed disdain with a slight snort.

Sun Kai heard it and turned his head, raising an eyebrow at her: “You disagree?”

Zhao Dailin rolled her eyes and ignored him.

Sun Kai hissed, drawing in a cold breath. “About today’s incident, I haven’t even settled accounts with you yet, and you’re already starting? What did I tell you before we left?” He paused, his tone mocking: “At first, I thought that since you’re a bit older than Yu Hao, you’d be more sensible. I didn’t expect that you’d only grow in age, not in mind.”

Zhao Dailin knew she had been foolish today and didn’t defend herself. Since childhood, she had always admitted when she was wrong. Everyone makes mistakes; when you’re wrong, you must admit it, and when you’re punished, you must take it.

“I was pretty stupid,” she murmured softly.

She repeated it over and over in her heart.

Gone was her usual quick wit, replaced by genuine remorse as she lowered her head. The self-mocking smile in her eyes truly shocked Sun Kai. Used to their usual banter, he had spoken carelessly, forgetting that she was still a young woman who had probably never seen such a scene in half her lifetime.

Tang Mingliang, however, frowned, looking solemn. He hadn’t spoken a word since getting into the car.

This matter was thorny.

Lu Huaizheng was an Air Force Captain, likely to be promoted to Major by the end of the year, with limitless prospects in the military and political circles. If such an incident occurred under his jurisdiction, he would face endless reports in the future.

As long as Lu Huaizheng was fine, the reports could be dealt with. For a soldier, even dying on the battlefield wasn’t a big deal. If it ended up like this, it would truly be a pity. He knew this man too well—afraid of worrying others, he never said anything and bore everything himself.

Now, facing Yu Hao, he would probably only put on a brave face.

The thought was frustrating.

Tang Mingliang turned to ask Zhao Dailin: “Was he really an AIDS patient?”

Zhao Dailin nodded, her voice getting lower: “This is actually my fault. If I hadn’t been impulsive, there wouldn’t have been all these subsequent troubles.”

Hearing this, Sun Kai couldn’t help but interject: “Have you shown off your strength too much? So you treated all our words as if they went in one ear and out the other. When we told you not to go out, you didn’t listen, did you?”

Zhao Dailin had an earnest expression and apologized sincerely again: “I’m sorry.”

Sun Kai felt that her apology lacked sincerity, as if she was deliberately provoking him, leaving him speechless.

Director Tang couldn’t stand it anymore and glared at Sun Kai, telling Zhao Dailin to continue.

Zhao Dailin narrated fluently: “After you left, Yu Hao and I inadvertently discussed a previous case, and Yu Hao suddenly connected it to today’s case, finding that it actually made sense. Then, when we discovered in past data that the criminal’s target might be the entire town, and none of you had phones, Yu Hao ran out to find you. Yu Hao asked me to stay and contact his mother, as the criminal’s only weakness might be his mother. But during the contact process, I discovered that his mother had died when he was seven, from AIDS. Later, I had someone check the Disease Control Center’s records and found that he was also an AIDS patient.”

Sun Kai asked: “AIDS patients still have children?”

At this, Zhao Dailin’s gaze paused as she looked out the window: “No, he was infected later.”

“What do you mean?” Sun Kai asked.

Zhao Dailin explained: “He wasn’t infected with AIDS at birth. It was when he was four years old that he was sexually assaulted by men in town and became infected with AIDS. The man who sexually assaulted him was Zaza’s father. That’s why he went crazy when he saw Zaza’s father earlier and fired so many shots. Because of this, I recalled the clue Yu Hao had given—his illness had reached the late stage. Afraid of any further accidents and without thinking, I went to find you. Just as I went out, I was ambushed by him.”

At the time, Zhao Dailin didn’t know what had gotten into her. Upon receiving the news, she rushed out without thinking.

She thought,

This fool Sun Kai might get himself hurt when arresting someone.

But Sun Kai felt something was off: “But Yu Hao just mentioned contacting his mother… his reaction didn’t seem like she was already dead…”

Chen Rui agreed: “That’s right.”

Zhao Dailin: “I don’t know about that, but his mother is definitely dead. I received the death certificate from Kunming.” She handed over her phone, showing the death certificate of his mother.

“There’s another possibility,” Zhao Dailin speculated: “PTSD, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.”

Hearing this, Sun Kai instinctively glanced at Zhao Dailin. Their gazes unexpectedly met, and Zhao Dailin was the first to look away, turning to Director Tang to say: “PTSD occurs when patients, after experiencing great suffering, don’t receive timely psychological intervention and remain immersed in past pain. The scenes of past harm continuously replay in their minds. Perhaps he always believed his mother wasn’t dead. When his mother was mentioned, his entire mental state was scattered.”

Sun Kai suddenly realized: “Then Zaza’s father is also an AIDS patient!?”

Zhao Dailin nodded, “According to the data, Zaza’s father was infected later. Ma Zhiming’s mother worked as a prostitute in ‘Red Street’ in earlier years. I suspect he was infected by Ma Zhiming’s mother. Out of revenge, Zaza’s father sexually assaulted her son.”

“Then why is he still alive?” Wu Heping didn’t understand.

“It’s a matter of individual constitution. The incubation period for AIDS can be as long as twenty years, and from what I know, Zaza’s father has been taking regular medication.”

…

Yu Hao and Lu Huaizheng got into the car and drove in silence the whole way, neither breaking the deathly quiet.

Lu Huaizheng was thinking about how to comfort her.

Yu Hao was trying to recall if any of Professor Han’s friends specialized in AIDS research.

But she couldn’t remember if AIDS could be transmitted through this method.

She only knew that saliva wouldn’t transmit it, but what if the other party’s gums had ulcers and bled? Were there cases of infection through this route?

The more she thought, the more her head hurt. What had she studied all these years? Why couldn’t she help when it mattered most?

As soon as the car stopped at the military zone entrance,

Yu Hao sprinted back to the dormitory at the fastest speed of her life.

She was someone who normally gasped for breath after running fifty meters, but strangely, that day she ran up to the fourth floor without even panting. With trembling hands, she picked up her phone from the bedside and scrolled through the contacts looking for Professor Han’s number.

When she reached ‘H’, a tear dropped onto the phone screen, instantly magnifying the text. She didn’t care, hastily wiped it with her hand, and dialed the number, bringing the phone to her ear.

As soon as Professor Han answered, she forcibly suppressed the tremor in her chest and asked through gritted teeth: “An AIDS patient in the late stage, with gum ulcers and bleeding skin—if bitten and bled by such a patient, is there a possibility of infection?”

Professor Han was stunned at first, hearing that her voice was off, and quickly removed his glasses to ask: “Were you bitten?”

“It’s Lu Huaizheng.”

She lowered her head, and as she spoke these three words, her voice choked. She finally couldn’t hold back, her nose bitter with sorrow.

She sat on the edge of the bed, still feeling the warmth from the night before when he kissed her, hoping that after tonight everything would get better. She had so much to tell him, but now it was like this. She couldn’t help but bury her head and sob.

She had been cold-natured since childhood.

After transferring schools and following Professor Han, she gradually learned to accept this world. But reality always hit her when she least expected it, like a wakeup call.

She cried heavily, unlike the coquettish tears of most girls—this was pure release. The tears wouldn’t stop, and she didn’t wipe them. When she tried to wipe with her hand, she found there were even more, so she simply let them flow, choking as she told the person on the other end of the phone about what had just happened, her speech disjointed due to being truly frightened.

Her mind was in chaos.

Toward the end, she couldn’t continue. She held the phone in a daze, then looked up to see Lu Huaizheng leaning against the doorframe.

She was startled and quickly turned her head away, her hand instinctively covering her eyes.

Lu Huaizheng slowly walked over, hitched his trousers, and squatted in front of her. With one hand supporting his knee, he looked up slightly, while his other hand gripped her wrist to remove her hand, revealing her swollen eyes from crying, making him feel deeply guilty.

He asked her to give him the phone.

Yu Hao obediently handed it over.

Lu Huaizheng held it to his ear, while his other hand wiped her tears, his thumb gently brushing across her eyes. Then he spoke to Professor Han on the phone: “Professor Han, this is Lu Huaizheng.”

The other end acknowledged with a sound, “Has the girl been frightened?”

Lu Huaizheng looked up at her, took a tissue from the side, and thoroughly wiped her face clean: “She’s a bit frightened. I’m sorry to have worried you.”

Unexpectedly, when Yu Hao heard him say “I’m sorry to have worried you,”

Tears welled up again without warning.

His gentleness made her feel worse.

Lu Huaizheng found that he couldn’t wipe away all her tears, so he stopped trying. He tossed the tissue aside, knelt on one knee, rested his elbow on his knee, held the phone, and looked up at her, letting her cry to her heart’s content.

Professor Han asked: “Has the wound been treated?”

Lu Huaizheng looked down at the back of his hand: “It’s been treated simply.”

Professor Han briefly instructed a few things, “Don’t worry too much now. I’ll call your leader first. There shouldn’t be any major problem. Your physical condition is good, so you’re not easily infected.”

Lu Huaizheng knew these words were meant to comfort him. Earlier at the military medical center, Shao Feng had already educated him about the seriousness of this matter. The suspect was confirmed to be an AIDS patient. When Ma Zhiming’s body was lifted onto the vehicle, Shao Feng had specifically examined his gums and found extensive ulceration. Moreover, there had been previous cases where police officers were bitten by AIDS-infected criminals during arrests and subsequently became infected.

After Yu Hao left, while he was getting medication, Li Hongwen had called to say that they had contacted the local hospital and would send antiretroviral drugs via the local troops’ helicopter. The drugs were effective if taken within seventy-two hours of exposure to the wound. Shao Feng had said that even with the antiretroviral drugs, there wasn’t a 100% guarantee—they could block 95% of the risk.

The remaining 5% would be left to fate.

In the face of scientific probability, even the strongest physical condition might collapse.

He lowered his head with a smile and told Professor Han: “Don’t worry, the leaders have already made arrangements.” At this point, he glanced at Yu Hao, who was lowering her head like a little girl who had done something wrong, “Calling you from such a distance.”

They chatted for a few more sentences, his attitude remaining humble.

“It’s a small matter, don’t worry.”

“I’ll take good care of her, won’t let her cry anymore.”

Then, the call ended.

Lu Huaizheng placed the phone on the bedside table and remained squatting, looking at her.

Yu Hao kept her head down, her voice muffled as she asked: “What did the teacher say?”

Lu Huaizheng didn’t answer, staring at her steadily, as if admiring a rare object, devout and serious, like a majestic distant mountain.

The curtains were closed, and there wasn’t a ray of light in the room. In the dimness, his penetrating gaze made one dizzy, and his voice even more so: “Scared?”

Yu Hao wanted to stubbornly say no.

But seeing her current state, he wouldn’t believe it.

So she simply kept her head down without answering.

Lu Huaizheng pinched her face.

“Speak, don’t pretend you didn’t hear.”

“A little.”

She admitted frankly.

But Lu Huaizheng suddenly stood up and sat down on her bed.

Yu Hao felt the bed sink slightly beside her, and the next second, she was embraced. The man’s firm chest pressed tightly against her. She was held sideways in his embrace, her ear against his chest, hearing his steady, strong heartbeat.

His breath was at the top of her head, warmly exhaling by her ear, more intense than when they had kissed.

Lu Huaizheng turned his face to gently nuzzle and rub against the top of her head.

Yu Hao found a comfortable position in his arms, and they pressed closer and closer to each other. The temperature on her face gradually rose. She closed her eyes, and tears slowly fell along the contours of her face. He had taken off his outer coat, leaving only a camouflage undershirt. Before long, it was soaked with tears.

His chest was wet with her tears.

His back was damp with his sweat.

The body in between was warm, powerful, with traces of heat.

In their younger years, the two had also been playful, but Lu Huaizheng was mostly proper. He liked to take verbal advantages but rarely got physical. Back then, he had a youthful frame, slender and handsome, more for show than for use.

But now, a mature man was holding her, with impeccable body lines. His chest was so hard that half her face felt numb pressed against it.

The man’s chest vibrated slightly as he gently stroked her shoulder, his palm warm.

“Seeing you cry like this, I think maybe I should let you stay away from me. But I can’t bear to let you go. So, Yu Hao, I’m not a good person. I’m actually very selfish.”

Yu Hao, buried in his embrace, took a light breath, her hand clutching his undershirt, creating several creases in the collar.

“I’m not a good person either. You know what I was thinking in the hall just now.”

He interrupted, looking down at her: “I know, I understand completely.”

“I was thinking that if they all died, would the women in this town be liberated?”

“You only thought that, but I have real lives on my hands. I understand you very well, Yu Hao. I have a dark side too.” Then she heard him say, his chest vibrating, his voice deep: “If I’m really that unlucky, let’s forget about us. If not, let’s get married, okay?”

The room was dim.

In the blur, they could barely make out each other’s faces, seeing only outlines. Only their eyes were clear and bright, shining with light in the darkness. He looked down, she looked up, their gazes entangled, neither willing to look away.

Yu Hao felt that this man’s gaze was always full of deep meaning, making it difficult for her to maintain composure. Whether he was saying “let’s forget about us” or “let’s get married,” in the depths of his eyes, throughout the years, there was a scenery she had never seen before.

Something that would make even gods and Buddhas turn their heads.