When Chen Ziming found Su Yue in the female officers' lounge, she first told him about Chi Yiran.
"You just made a few 'uh-huh' sounds the entire time?" After listening, he asked after a few seconds of silence.
She didn't answer but frowned, "What, you're still unhappy I'm not jealous?"
Seeing her expression, Chen Ziming couldn't help but laugh. He reached out, ruffled her hair, and said leisurely,
"No, I just think my treasure is amazing, able to infuriate without a trace..."
As the word "treasure" left his lips, Su Yue immediately covered his mouth and whispered somewhat flusteredly, "Don't call me that when we're outside."
This scene was precisely what Lin Xiaoman saw as she came on duty. Her face instantly broke into a mischievous smile, and she teased them.
...
The end result was Su Yue, blushing, pulling Chen Ziming away.
As they walked to the lobby, they were still discussing what to call each other outside and didn't notice the other people in the hall.
This was how Chi Yiran saw them.
Looking at their retreating backs, a trace of sadness and grief appeared on her face.
But she quickly put away her emotions, picked up her phone, found the number of Director Su who had contacted her before, and dialed back.
She could consider the cooperation he mentioned.
In Chen Ziming's car.
"Tomorrow is New Year's Day, Grandma wants us to have dinner at her place," Su Yue said, glancing at her phone, informing him.
The man in the driver's seat found it amusing, "Why is it that I feel like you're her granddaughter, and I'm just the grandson-in-law?"
Su Yue: ...
She wondered what the consequences would be if he spoke less nonsense.
Just as she was speechless, he suddenly became a bit more serious, "Tomorrow morning, accompany me somewhere."
"Where?"
"You'll know when we get there."
Su Yue never expected that he would take her to the Martyrs' Cemetery to pay respects to the sacrificed Officer Chi.
No wonder someone had sent flowers to his home early in the morning.
"Why didn't you tell me in advance? I could have prepared a bouquet too." Just standing at the cemetery entrance, she already felt a pang in her heart.
Chen Ziming didn't answer. He reached out, massaged the back of her neck, and led her into the cemetery.
They soon found Officer Chi's tombstone.
The middle-aged man on the tombstone wore a police uniform, his expression stern, his face full of righteousness, as if even the fiercest demons and ghosts would be dispelled by him.
And his name was deeply engraved upon it.
Chi Chengguang.
Thinking of the scene he had described, her eyes welled up.
"Yueyue, this is Uncle Chi," the man's deep voice sounded beside her. He then crouched down and placed the bouquet before his tombstone.
"Hello, Uncle Chi," Su Yue calmed her breathing and softly addressed the person on the tombstone.
"The new year has arrived, but he won't have a new year," Chen Ziming's voice was hoarse and choked with emotion as he reached out to gently caress the tombstone.
She didn't know how to respond for a moment and could only instinctively grip his hand tighter.
They stood there for a while until Su Yue shivered from the cold wind and sneezed, which finally brought him back to his senses.
"You go back to the car first. I want to speak with Uncle Chi alone for a while," he instructed.
She obediently left and, along the way, encountered other visitors, most of whom looked solemn and sad.
They must have been here to see their own relatives.
She sniffled.
After a long time, Chen Ziming finally returned. It was evident his mood had improved considerably.
The car drove out of the cemetery.
"He was an exceptionally outstanding police officer, meticulous and serious. During missions, he taught me many things," he suddenly spoke in a low voice.
Su Yue happened to have a question that had been bothering her, "You mentioned earlier that Chi Yiran didn't seem to react much to Officer Chi's sacrifice."
He was silent for a moment, then replied, "Her mother called me later and said Uncle Chi was devoted to his work and didn't spend much time with Chi Yiran. Even when they met, he always lectured her. Their father-daughter relationship wasn't good, so she asked me not to mind."
She looked puzzled, finding the reason a bit far-fetched, but didn't press further.
After a pause, she began asking what Officer Chi had taught him, gradually shifting the topic to police work.
Her curiosity about Chi Yiran stopped there. She never had the desire to understand her further.
At this moment, Su Yue couldn't have imagined that one day Chi Yiran would threaten the relationship between her and Chen Ziming.
And she, ultimately, would once again.
Choose to escape.