AS May Day approached, Ding Yi decided not to return to Hedong, even though it was a three-day holiday. The 600-kilometer distance between Linghai and Hedong made the trip impractical.

　　The day before the holiday, Tian Mingjhang, knowing that Ding Yi wasn’t returning to Hedong, invited him to dinner at his home. He mentioned that Ling Yueh’s maternity leave was about to end and that they wanted to take advantage of the holiday to invite some close friends and colleagues over to express their gratitude. To avoid affecting everyone’s holiday plans, he scheduled the dinner for that evening.

　　In the past few days, the pain in Ding Yi’s stomach had grown increasingly severe. He had originally planned to go back to his apartment after work to take some medicine and rest.

　　Considering his unique position at the ban—overseeing internal audits and inspections, often putting him at odds with others—Ding Yi had made his share of adversaries. Since his arrival in Linghai, Tian Mingjhang was the only person he could call a friend. So, he accepted Tian’s invitation without hesitation.

　　Just before leaving work, a sharp, intense pain struck Ding Yi’s stomach, causing him to break out in a cold sweat. He quickly swallowed some antacid pills and rested for a while. By the time he was ready to leave, he felt a bit better.

　　Upon arriving at Tian’s home, he noticed Ling Yueh’s two female colleagues busy in the kitchen, while several male colleagues played cards on the balcony.

　　“Am I the only one from the office invited?” puzzled, Ding Yi asked.

　　“The place is small, so we decided to split the guest list. We invited my wife’s friends today. Since you weren’t going back home, I thought you might enjoy some company,” Tian Mingjhang chuckled and replied.

　　This was partly true, but mainly, it was at his wife’s insistence. She hadn’t been satisfied with the answer Ding Yi gave about his personal life and was determined to bring him over to see if sparks might fly with one of her friends.

　　Since Ding Yi was already here, he didn’t mind staying. However, Tian Mingjhang soon noticed Ding Yi’s pale face and lips, realizing his friend was suffering from a bout of gastritis. Feeling a pang of guilt, he quickly fetched some stomach medicine and a glass of warm water for Ding Yi.

　　Ding Yi accepted only the water, saying, “I’ve already taken some medicine, but thanks.”

　　“Boss, I’m really sorry! I just noticed you don’t look well. If the pain is severe, we should go to the hospital. I can take you there,” Tian Mingjhang said.

　　“It’s okay. I’ll be fine after a bit of rest,” Ding Yi said. He couldn’t even remember the last time he had been to a hospital for an illness.

　　“We still have some time before dinner. You could rest in the study. There’s a tatami mat there.”

　　The living room was crowded and noisy with people playing cards. Ling Yueh had already taken their child to the bedroom to avoid the commotion.

　　“Alright,” said Ding Yi.

　　His stomach was hurting again; he needed to lie down. To be honest, in all his years, he had never felt so vulnerable. Not even during that high school fight where he ended up in the hospital with a stab wound to the abdomen.

　　The study was the first room by the entrance. As Ding Yi and Tian Mingjhang approached the door, Tian’s father entered with his granddaughter, Beibei, followed by a man and a woman. They all looked surprised to see Ding Yi.

　　“Chingching’s uncle?”

　　“Ding Yi!”

　　Ding Yi forced a smile despite the pain. What a small world!

　　“Ms. Su! Syudong!”

　　Dear Jiujiu?(In Chinese, the phrases “Chingching’s uncle” and “dear Jiujiu” sound almost identical.) How close had the two become?

　　Ling Yueh came out of the bedroom after putting the child to sleep, just in time to hear her friend’s greeting. Her heart instantly filled with joy.

　　“You know each other?” asked Tian Mingjhang. He was not as imaginative as Ling Yueh. He just found it a coincidence that they all belonged to the same circle of friends.

　　“Ex-army buddy Jhan Syudong, and Ms. Su is my niece Sia Chingching’s teacher,” Ding Yi briefly explained. Noticing Ling Yueh’s delighted expression, he quickly added to Su Manhua, “Ms. Su, please call me Ding Yi. I forgot to introduce myself last time, my apologies.”

　　“Never mind, Mr. Ding,” Su Manhua replied, unaware of her friend’s misunderstanding. She just felt that calling him “Chingching’s uncle” was inconvenient. Now that she knew his name, it was much better to address him directly.

　　Ding Yi nodded without speaking, pressing his hand against his stomach as the pain became almost unbearable.

　　Despite the misunderstanding, Ling Yueh neither felt embarrassed nor annoyed. Instead, she thought the two of them looked even more suited together now.

　　Beibei had just been picked up from kindergarten by Tian’s father. Seeing a group of adults standing around talking, she couldn’t contain her energy and dashed into the living room.

　　“Come on, take a seat! Why are we all just standing here?” Ling Yueh said and invited everyone to sit.

　　“Just go to the living room first, I’ll join you in a bit,” Tian Mingjhang said, noticing Ding Yi’s pained expression. He quickly led him into the study.

　　Jhan Syudong also noticed Ding Yi’s unusually pale face and knew he was unwell, followed them into the study.

　　After Tian Mingjhang left, Jhan Syudong finally spoke up, “Seriously, man, is this job worth wrecking your health over?”

　　Lying on the tatami mat, Ding Yi felt the pain in his stomach easing a bit. He sighed and explained the situation to Jhan Syudong. As Jhan listened, his eyes widened in shock. He had guessed many possibilities, but he had never imagined Ding Yi’s background to be so tragic.

　　“Trying to investigate a loan from over thirty years ago? That’s no easy task. You’re just too impatient,” Jhan said. Old cases like this couldn’t be solved overnight.

　　“Maybe,” Ding Yi said.

　　He had worked so hard all these years just to come back and investigate this case openly. Upon his return, he realized he didn’t like the current work environment at all. He just wanted to find the truth as quickly as possible and then live his life.

　　“What’s going on with you and that teacher, Ms. Su? Did you hit it off?” Jhan Syudong asked, having noticed Ling Yueh’s little expressions earlier.

　　“There’s nothing going on. She’s Chingching’s teacher. We just met once, barely acquaintances,” Ding Yi replied, feeling a bit bewildered. Why is everyone so eager to set him up? Is there some kind of prize for matchmaking?

　　“I really hope something happens between you two,” Jhan Syudong said.

　　His superior already had kids, yet his buddy here was still single. How could he not be anxious? It was frustrating that the person who should be concerned wasn’t.

　　“Enough about me. What brings you here?” Ding Yi asked.

　　“I’m here for dinner. Ling Yueh is my colleague. She joined our criminal investigation team after graduating and passing the civil service exam. It was only after having Beibei that she transferred to the economic crimes unit.”

　　“I never would have guessed,” Ding Yi said and was quite surprised. It was unexpected that Ling Yueh was a police officer.

　　“She’s really good at her job. She might even be able to help you out in the future,” Jhan Syudong said with a teasing smile.

　　“Is there a hidden meaning in what you’re saying? If you’ve got something to say, just say it,” Ding Yi said and changed his position, trying to alleviate the growing pain in his stomach.

　　“Ling Yueh and Ms. Su are very close friends. I believe that you have noticed. She’s trying to set you up with Ms. Su.”

　　“Why are we back to this topic? Just let me rest quietly,” said Ding Yi. He didn’t want to talk anymore as the pain in his stomach intensified.

　　Seeing Ding Yi’s pale face and weak state, Jhan Syudong left the study without further bothering him.

　　As the surroundings quieted down and there were no distractions, the pain in Ding Yi’s stomach became even more intense. He turned onto his side, curling up to resist the pain, but it seemed endless, each wave of pain stronger than the last until his consciousness finally slipped into darkness.