BY the time Ding Yi finished giving his statement to the police, it was already dark.

　　Jhan Syudong’s car was parked in the courtyard of the Hedong West District Police Station, but he was nowhere to be seen. In the car were only Su Manhua and Jhan Syudong’s eight-year-old son, Yangyang.

　　In a stroke of luck, Ding Yi and Su Manhua had found their way back. After emerging from the canyon, Ding Yi, with his keen sense of direction, led Su Manhua to the highway. They stood on the shoulder of the road, disheveled and desperate, trying to flag down a car for over an hour, but no one stopped to help. Fortunately, Jhan Syudong arrived just in time.

　　Jhan Syudong had planned to take his son back to Hedong to spend the summer with his mother, but his busy schedule had prevented him from setting a firm date. At 1 a.m., he received a call from Sia Chingching. She told him that Ding Yi was supposed to return the previous night, but his family had waited all night without any word, and his phone was unreachable.

　　Sensing something was wrong, Jhan Syudong became worried. He knew Ding Yi’s investigation had likely ruffled some feathers, possibly putting him in danger. That night, Jhan Syudong contacted the provincial 110 emergency dispatch center and found out that around 7 p.m. the previous evening, a truck driver had reported an SUV losing control and plunging into the river. The local police had already sent a rescue team, but due to the strong current, they hadn’t retrieved the vehicle yet.

　　Jhan Syudong spent a sleepless night tossing and turning, waiting for a call. Finally, at 5 a.m., he received confirmation through the license plate that the vehicle indeed belonged to Ding Yi.

　　After hearing from his colleagues that only the car had been retrieved—with the windows broken, clearly shattered by a sharp object, and no sign of the occupants—Jhan Syudong felt a glimmer of hope.

　　At dawn, Jhan Syudong took a leave of absence from work and rushed towards Hedong with his son. On the way, he visited the scene of the accident and noticed that there were no skid marks on the road. The railing at the crash site was cleanly severed, which gave him a clue about what might have happened.

　　Driving another twenty kilometers, he unexpectedly found Ding Yi and Su Manhua standing on the shoulder of the road, trying to hitch a ride.

　　Inside the car, Su Manhua and Yangyang were playing cards and hadn’t noticed Ding Yi’s return.

　　“Where’s Syudong?” Ding Yi asked, startling Su Manhua, who realized he had been standing by the car door for some time.

　　“He got a call. Someone from your family couldn’t find the way, so he went to pick them up,” Su Manhua replied, putting away the cards and grabbing the lunch box from the front seat. She moved over to make space. “Here! You must be hungry. I just went out to get some food and brought you something.”

　　Ding Yi sat down, took the lunch box, and thanked her before breaking apart the chopsticks and digging in. He was indeed starving. The only food he had consumed all day, apart from the poorly tasting grilled fish at the bottom of the valley, was the snacks and bottled water from Jhan Syudong’s car.

　　“Yangyang, let me out for a moment,” Su Manhua said, squeezing past Yangyang to exit the car. She stretched her legs and then went to the trunk to grab a bottle of water before returning to the car.

　　To her surprise, Ding Yi had already finished the large box of fried rice in just five minutes. She stood there, a bit dumbfounded.

　　“Did I bring too little?” she asked, slightly concerned.

　　Ding Yi got out of the car and threw the empty lunch box into a nearby trash can. Noticing that Su Manhua had a bottle of water, he naturally took it from her hand, opened it, and drank a few gulps.

　　“It’s plenty, I’m full. I eat fast—an old habit from the army,” he replied.

　　“No wonder you have a bad stomach—” Su Manhua said, frowned disapprovingly.

　　As she spoke, a car’s headlights shone on them. She raised her hand to block the light, and soon a Passat that Ding Yi had driven before came into view.

　　The car stopped, and Jhan Syudong, Sia Chingching, Liou Yan, and an older woman stepped out. The three women immediately surrounded Ding Yi, bombarding him with questions and concern, leaving him no chance to respond.

　　“Quite the ladies’ man!” Jhan Syudong teased from the side.

　　“Indeed!” Su Manhua said. She felt a pang of something she couldn’t quite identify, attributing it to the lack of attention she was receiving.

　　Jhan Syudong then remembered that Su Manhua was the woman Ling Yueh had been eager to set up with Ding Yi. Seeing them return together from Linghai to Hedong, he noticed their familiarity and assumed their relationship had progressed significantly.

　　Planning to rib Ding Yi about it later, he introduced Ding Jing and Liou Yan to Su Manhua, “That one you haven’t met is Ding Yi’s elder sister, Ding Jing. And Liou Yan, you’ve met before; she’s Ding Yi’s high school classmate and former business partner. No need for misunderstandings.”

　　Su Manhua looked at Jhan Syudong curiously.

　　“Oh! I see,” she said, wondering why he was explaining this to her. However, she couldn’t deny that she felt relieved.

　　Jhan Syudong noticed her unusual reaction and probed, “So, have you become a couple with Ding Yi?”

　　“No. You misunderstood. Mr. Ding and I are just friends,” she replied and quickly shook her head.

　　Su Manhua then explained the whole situation to Jhan Syudong. He couldn’t help but laugh throughout her explanation. As an outsider, he could clearly see the subtle changes between them.

　　These two were interesting, he thought—one was in denial, and the other was oblivious. If left to their own devices, they might never get anywhere.

　　Having watched Liou Yan chase after Ding Yi for years, Jhan Syudong understood that they were simply not suited for each other. Both were equally excellent, proud, and strong-willed. Even if they managed to get together, they would likely end up clashing violently.

　　As Ding Yi’s friend, Jhan Syudong wanted nothing more than for him to be happy. While the case of Huo Yanjhih needed to be investigated and rectified, it shouldn’t interfere with Ding Yi’s pursuit of personal happiness.

　　Su Manhua offered a glimmer of hope, and it wasn’t in Jhan Syudong’s nature to let such an opportunity pass without giving it a push. Instead of trying to break through Ding Yi’s stubbornness, it seemed more effective to give Su Manhua a nudge. She might be a bit dense in matters of the heart, but someone smart enough to earn a Ph.D. surely had the intelligence to figure this out.

　　“Ms. Su, Ding Yi saved your life. Don’t you want to repay him properly?”

　　“Of course! But it seems he doesn’t lack anything. How can I repay him? Since you’re close to him, can you give me some ideas?”

　　“Well, he’s not exactly lacking in everything—”

　　Jhan Syudong gave a sly smile. He trailed off, deliberately keeping her in suspense.

　　“What does he lack?” asked Su Manhua. She found Jhan Syudong’s smile particularly irritating.

　　“A lovely wife,” Jhan Syudong replied, watching Su Manhua’s stunned reaction.

　　“Don’t listen to his nonsense!” Ding Yi said immediately. Having just finished dealing with the three women, he walked over just in time to catch Jhan Syudong’s last remark.

　　Su Manhua felt awkward for a few seconds, then gave Ding Yi an understanding smile.

　　Seeing Ding Jing and Sia Chingching approaching, Ding Yi took the opportunity to introduce them to Su Manhua.

　　Ding Jing immediately liked the girl in front of her. Unlike many young people today, she didn’t seem restless or superficial; instead, she had a serene and calm demeanor. She was also clear and delicate in appearance. Learning that Su Manhua was Sia Chingching’s teacher only increased Ding Jing’s favorable impression of her.

　　After the introductions and pleasantries were exchanged, Sia Chingching finally had a chance to approach Su Manhua.

　　“Ms. Su, are you okay?” she asked with concern.

　　“I’m fine. Your uncle told me you came back early because a friend had an accident. Who had the accident? Could it be another student from our class?” Su Manhua shook her head and asked.

　　“No, it was Liou Mongchi’s boyfriend, Jhou Sinyan from the International Trade program next door. He had a car accident. He’s fine, just shaken up,” Sia Chingching explained.

　　Su Manhua remembered that Lin Chian, a student from her class, had gone missing after returning to Linghai during the May Day holiday and was still nowhere to be found. She planned to ask Jhan Syudong about Lin Chian’s whereabouts later.

　　“Let’s go, Ms. Su. I’ll give you a ride home,” Jhan Syudong said, pulling his son, who was playing a mobile game, into the car and heading to the driver’s seat.

　　“I still have some things to handle and I’ll have Syudong take you home. Take a good rest and remember to call your parents to let them know you’re safe,” Ding Yi approached Su Manhua and said.

　　Su Manhua nodded and looked at Sia Chingching, who seemed to have more to say.

　　“Ms. Su, just go home and rest first. This matter is complicated and might be related to Lin Chian. I’ll call you later,” Sia Chingching said, furrowing her brows. She didn’t want to think too much about it, but she felt that Jhou Sinyan might really be in trouble.

　　Su Manhua got into the car. Although the International Trade program wasn’t her department, she taught one of their courses and had some impression of Jhou Sinyan, a handsome young man.

　　She interpreted Sia Chingching’s “complicated” remark as referring to the usual romantic entanglements like a love triangle among students.

　　Ding Yi stood by the car, watching them leave. Su Manhua felt a sudden wave of reluctance wash over her as she looked at him.

　　As the car started moving, she leaned out of the window and waved until he was out of sight, then settled back into her seat. What’s happening to me? she wondered, patting her cheeks in an attempt to snap herself out of it.

　　On the other side, Liou Yan watched Ding Yi gently bid farewell to Su Manhua. It felt like a knife was twisting in her heart. She had never seen Ding Yi be so tender with a woman, not even with his college girlfriend. Back then, he was dazzling, and having a girlfriend seemed like just another expected role in his life.

　　Ding Yi used to live a proud and carefree life. He came from a distinguished family, excelled academically, and while most students worried about their career prospects, he already had a clear plan for his future and was taking steps towards success. Liou Yan knew that if she hadn’t been exceptionally capable, she wouldn't have had the chance to be his partner.

　　When the police called Ding Yi back inside to sign some documents, Liou Yan hid in the back seat to conceal her emotions. Maybe she shouldn’t be so persistent, but how could she just let go?

　　As he drove, Jhan Syudong glanced at Su Manhua in the rearview mirror and couldn’t help but smile at her ridiculous reaction.

　　After his silent chuckle, he remembered Sia Chingching mentioning Lin Chian earlier.

　　“Did Chingching mention Lin Chian just now?” he asked.

　　Su Manhua snapped out of her thoughts.

　　“Yes, a student from the International Trade department had a car accident. Sia Chingching mentioned Lin Chian, but she didn’t finish explaining. I assume it’s a relationship issue.”

　　“Ask her for more details when you can. If anything unusual comes up, call me immediately.”

　　“Have there been any updates on Lin Chian? It’s been over three months.”

　　Although the incident happened during a holiday and Su Manhua wasn’t responsible as the class advisor, she felt sympathy for Lin Chian’s situation.

　　Lin Chian’s parents were divorced, her mother lived abroad, and her father, Lin Haichao, had passed away. Her stepmother was reportedly just a figurehead, so who really cared about Lin Chian’s fate now?

　　“There aren’t any useful leads. The perpetrator is very adept at counter-surveillance. She’s been missing for so long, and we haven’t found her body nor received any ransom demands. I suspect she has something valuable that the captors want. Because they haven’t obtained it, they can’t afford to act rashly.”

　　“You mean there’s still a chance she’s alive?” asked Su Manhua, her eyes lit up.

　　“It’s just a theory,” seeing her disappointed expression in the rearview mirror, Jhan Syudong added, “I’ll let you know as soon as we have any news.”

　　“Okay.”

　　The car fell into silence. Before long, Yangyang fell asleep, and Su Manhua draped the coat Jhan Syudong handed her over the boy.

　　When they reached her apartment complex, she was about to get out when Jhan Syudong stopped her.

　　“What I said at the West District police station wasn’t a joke. You and Ding Yi are a good match, and it’s clear you have feelings for him, don’t you?” he asked.

　　“But what does it matter? It seems like he doesn’t see me that way,” Su Manhua said and sighed.

　　Hearing her admit to having feelings for Ding Yi, Jhan Syudong grinned broadly.

　　“Oh, he definitely sees you that way! Trust me, I’ve known him for over twenty years. I know him inside out. If you just take a tiny step forward, he’ll be helpless.”

　　“I’ll think about it.”

　　“Ms. Su,” Jhan Syudong called after her again. “Ding Yi is very guarded. If you approach him as a friend, you’ll get much further.”

　　Without much experience in relationships, Su Manhua blushed at Jhan Syudong’s words. She opened the car door, got out of the car, and hurried into her apartment complex.

　　Despite being utterly exhausted, Su Manhua couldn’t sleep that night. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw scenes from the past two days with Ding Yi.

　　She suddenly remembered the awkward incident when they climbed the rock face, and her body felt like it was on fire.

　　“Oh my god, I’m such an idiot!” she murmured.

　　This realization only made it harder for her to sleep. Even yoga, which usually calmed her instantly, didn’t work.

　　Jhan Syudong’s words kept echoing in her mind like a mantra.

　　She tossed and turned in bed until dawn. With dark circles under her eyes, she went to the electronics market to buy a new phone and replace her SIM card. Then she called her parents.

　　Before the incident the other night, Su Manhua had called her mother from a service area, worrying that calling too late might disturb her parents. To avoid causing them unnecessary worry, she didn’t mention anything about the past two days when she called home this time.

　　After the call, she didn’t even bother with lunch and collapsed on the sofa, falling into a deep sleep. She slept soundly until the afternoon, when the ringing of her phone jolted her awake. Groggily, she squinted at the screen—it was Jhan Syudong calling.

　　“Hello, this is Su Manhua. What’s the matter, Captain Jhan—” she mumbled, still half-asleep, her head heavy and her phone weakly held to her ear.

　　Jhan Syudong’s voice came through faintly, but the words were clear.

　　“Lin Chian is dead. Her body was found in a river on the outskirts of Linghai,” he said.