The raw marinated drunken shrimp was delivered to Ji Chenjiao. Although he knew Ling Lie had made this dish for him yesterday, he really hadn’t expected to actually get to eat it. He was surprised for a good while, wanting to take a picture, but his phone had already been collected, and there was nothing around him that could take a photo.

He studied the drunken shrimp as if to commit it completely to memory. Only after completing this strange ritual did he begin to eat.

This Ling Lie person really had some cooking talent.

But the bigger surprise came from Ling Lie himself.

The door opened, and appearing with the special investigation team was, shockingly, Ling Lie.

Ji Chenjiao’s pupils dilated slightly as he stared at Ling Lie in amazement. At this moment, all the guesses that had been swirling in his mind rushed forth—Ling Lie’s background, Ling Lie’s identity, Ling Lie’s extraordinary nose for clues…

Two members of the special investigation team sat down, but Ling Lie’s seat remained empty. He leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, just as he had not long ago when he and Xie Qing were interrogating Ji Nuocheng.

The special investigation team questioned Ji Chenjiao about the process of arresting Dan Jin and his itinerary during non-working hours, every detail meticulously covered. But Ji Chenjiao found it hard to control his distraction, his peripheral vision always drifting towards Ling Lie.

Ling Lie watched him coolly, without saying a word.

The special investigation team completed this round of questioning. The two members got up to leave. One of them, seeing Ling Lie still standing there motionlessly, his gaze fixed on Ji Chenjiao, frowned and reminded him, “Teacher Ling, let’s go.”

Only then did Ling Lie push off the wall and stand up straight, not looking at the team member. “You guys go ahead. I still have something to ask Captain Ji.”

Ji Chenjiao’s breathing hitched slightly as he met Ling Lie’s gaze again.

The special investigation team members exchanged a look and left.

Ling Lie ambled forward, leaving the door behind him half-open, allowing the people coming and going in the hallway to glance inside. He pulled out a chair and sat down casually, his posture a world apart from the two team members just now.

He looked at Ji Chenjiao, and Ji Chenjiao looked back at him. For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Suddenly, Ling Lie let out a soft laugh.

Ji Chenjiao raised an eyebrow, his expression looking somewhat stern.

“Xiao Ji, being distracted during an investigation and ‘coveting’ your superior will get you written up in a little notebook and locked in a little black room.”

Ji Chenjiao said, “Superior?”

Ling Lie said, “You’ve been observing me for so long, don’t you already have an idea in your heart?”

Ji Chenjiao realized that in every instance he had observed Ling Lie in the past, Ling Lie had been fully aware of his observation.

There was a brief clash of gazes. Ling Lie was relaxed, while Ji Chenjiao was taut with aggression. After a moment, Ji Chenjiao leaned back in his chair. “I have no idea, unless you tell me yourself.”

Ling Lie sighed with a smile. “Right now, you’re the one being investigated, and I’m the one conducting the investigation. How is it your turn to question me?”

He looked rather smug, and Ji Chenjiao suddenly felt his teeth begin to itch. For this person to appear at this time, he was clearly on his and the Serious Crimes Unit’s side, yet he had to put on such an infuriating face.

If not for the objective circumstances, Ji Chenjiao would have loved to grab him by the collar and slam him against the wall.

After a moment of confrontation, Ji Chenjiao surrendered. “Fine. Then whatever questions Leader Ling has, feel free to ask.”

Ling Lie cleared his throat and sat up straight.

Seeing him like this, Ji Chenjiao couldn’t help but adjust his own posture.

But though Ling Lie sat so properly, what he said was, “Captain Ji, have you eaten the drunken shrimp?”

Ji Chenjiao was truly stunned.

What?

Ling Lie was surprised. “What? They didn’t give it to you?”

Ji Chenjiao took a deep breath. “They did. I ate it.”

Ling Lie smiled again, patting his chest to catch his breath. “And the taste?”

His eyes were bright, his upper body leaning slightly forward, like a cat that had offered up a dried fish and was seeking feedback from a human.

Ji Chenjiao was half-stuck, half-insincere. “It was average, alright.”

Ling Lie laughed twice, got up, and pushed the chair back.

Seeing that he was about to leave, Ji Chenjiao hurriedly called out, “Hey!”

Ling Lie seemed to know what he wanted to ask, waving his hand with his back to him. “My identity is just as you guessed.”

Ji Chenjiao stared at the neatly arranged chair and the gently closing door. His heartbeat reached a peak, then steadily fell.

It was a long time before he remembered there was another question he had forgotten to ask—

You hid your identity, so why did you suddenly stop hiding it? For whom did you get tired of hiding?

The work of the special investigation team continued.

From the very beginning, Ling Lie didn’t think it was someone from the Serious Crimes Unit who was behind this, so he didn’t ask about the hallucinogen. After seeing Ji Chenjiao, he went to see Xi Wan.

Xi Wan was quite shocked. “Mr. Ling, Mr. Ling!”

“Ms. Xi, I have a few questions for you now.” The recorder was on, so Ling Lie was much more formal than usual. “You conducted an investigation at Biandong Street. What are your thoughts on what happened there?”

Xi Wan knew the situation was serious and quickly calmed down. “The blood on the bricks outside the building was Dan Jin’s. I heard the forensic report showed he had wounds on his back and arms, so it’s very likely he was injured from the fall then. When I saw the blood, I initially thought the one who fell was Jaco, that Jaco lay there for a long time, and only left after Dan Jin was gone. But since the blood belongs to Dan Jin, then the one lying there was Dan Jin. But I don’t understand, why was it Dan Jin? In the fight with Jaco, was he actually not the one in control? Then why would he say he was the one who threw Jaco down and killed him with bricks?”

Ling Lie then went to Liang Wenxuan’s room. Liang Wenxuan was not at all surprised by his status as a member of the special investigation team. “I think the problem lies with the hallucinogen. Part of what Dan Jin told me and Captain Ji was the truth, but his mind became increasingly unclear as he spoke. Is it possible that what he told us was what the person who gave him the hallucinogen wanted him to say to the police?”

Ling Lie said, “Then who do you think this person is?”

Liang Wenxuan had also been thinking alone in his small room for a night. The sense of panic he felt when he first learned of the situation had disappeared, and he had slowly sorted out a possibility close to the truth. “Jaco. According to Dan Jin’s account, Jaco was easily killed by him, but a person like Jaco shouldn’t be so easily controlled. Plus the bloodstains and signs of a struggle. I think after Dan Jin fell, Jaco gave him the drug. Dan Jin fell into a brief coma and couldn’t remember what happened before he passed out. When we interrogated Dan Jin, he admitted to following Jaco but lost him. Maybe he just couldn’t remember.”

Ling Lie shook his head. “Psychoactive drugs aren’t that mysterious.”

Liang Wenxuan: “What if it was supplemented with psychological interference and guidance?”

Ling Lie: “Possible. Indeed, this hallucinogen is the absolute key.”

A day later, the second autopsy report and further toxicological analysis came out. Through comparison, this psychoactive drug was found to be similar in composition to a hallucinogen that had recently appeared in several northern cities. It already had a name: “Snow Child.”

Xiarong City and its surrounding provinces had never seen “Snow Child” before. The Dan Jin case immediately attracted a higher level of attention. After a meeting, the special investigation team decided to report the clues to the Special Operations Team, which specifically handles major national cases.

Upon learning this news, the corner of Ling Lie’s lip twitched. Team Leader Wen still hoped he would contact the Special Operations Team. He demurred, “Didn’t we already discuss this? You’re the coordinator for this case. I’m just assisting from the side.”

Team Leader Wen was taken aback, finding this member of the Special Operations Team quite strange.

Shen Xun received the clues transferred from the special investigation team and had them search for “Snow Child” throughout the city. The Special Operations Team would respond as soon as possible.

The special investigation team had already investigated the Serious Crimes Unit and various branch bureaus. From real-life relationships to network communications, no one had any suspicious behavior. And in the subsequent search, the special investigation team found a very small amount of “Snow Child” residue in the sink of Jaco’s home. Combined with the bloodstains at Biandong Street, this indirectly suggested that it was very likely Xu Jiajia who had injected Dan Jin with “Snow Child.”

As for how he obtained “Snow Child,” that required further investigation.

The involved criminal police officers were cleared of suspicion. Although they regained their freedom, they all felt somewhat wronged. Especially the Serious Crimes Unit. Whenever this city was shrouded in the dark clouds of crime, they were always the ones rushing to the forefront. Countless deranged murderers had revealed their true forms before them, weeping and submitting to the law. This time, however, they had become the ones being investigated and having their movements restricted.

The younger ones, like Shen Qi, started crying aggrievedly as soon as the restrictions were lifted. Ji Chenjiao patted his head without a word. Shen Qi also knew that this investigation was unavoidable, but he just wanted to hear some comfort, or even find someone to curse the special investigation team with him.

He looked up at Ji Chenjiao. “Brother, why aren’t you saying anything?”

Why wasn’t he saying anything? Ji Chenjiao felt very helpless inside. What could he say? They were indeed in a position that was easy to be suspected. Although the police are the discoverers of crime, no one can guarantee that there are no criminals within the ranks. And…

During this period of restricted movement, he repeatedly thought of his missing master, Ning Xiechen. Captain Ning was his and Xie Qing’s guide. For decades, he had been diligent and conscientious in the force, solving numerous bizarre cases, and was a well-deserved legend in the police world.

Before his disappearance, there was not a single stain on Captain Ning’s record.

There had been malicious media and individuals who slandered Captain Ning for torturing confessions, using illegal investigation methods, accepting bribes, and creating wrongful convictions, but all these were cleared up under the supervision of higher authorities and were completely baseless.

Countless people wanted to ruin his reputation by slinging mud, to pull him down from his position as the leader of the Serious Crimes Unit, but he stood firm.

But that was because he stood in the light, and no darkness could truly erode him.

And when he suddenly disappeared, the filthy shadows danced wildly. Taking advantage of his inability to speak, they poured all their long-suppressed grudges onto him, fabricating countless crimes for him.

Even within the Serious Crimes Unit, there were people who believed Captain Ning was not clean.

At first, many people still spoke up for Captain Ning. Later, faced with increasing speculation and slander, many backed down. Ji Chenjiao was also transferred to a special criminal hybrid team and sent to other cities to carry out missions. Only Xie Qing was still secretly investigating Ning Xiechen’s disappearance.

To this day, when people mention Captain Ning, what comes to mind is no longer the legendary captain who solved many bizarre cases, but the “problematic police officer” who disappeared with a strange informant.

Thinking of this, Ji Chenjiao couldn’t help but clench his fists. Just because Ning Xiechen disappeared with an informant of unknown origin, Yan Xi, and no one could explain why he disappeared, he was branded an evil element. His past achievements were written off, and some people in society were even trying to overturn the convictions of proven criminals, believing they were coerced into confessing by Ning Xiechen.

Weren’t they just banking on the fact that Ning Xiechen couldn’t come out and defend himself?

Compared to Ning Xiechen, what was the predicament the Serious Crimes Unit was facing now?

Ji Chenjiao didn’t want to offer words of comfort. He was Ning Xiechen’s “last disciple” and had been close with Yan Xi. He had been greatly affected by the storm of Ning Xiechen’s disappearance. The gazes that swept towards him were full of probing and distrust. No matter what he said, he couldn’t prove his and his master’s innocence. It seemed that silence was the only way to cope.

To protect him, Xie Qing had seemingly exiled him by transferring his job. He was far from the vortex. When he returned with real merits, the gloom over the Serious Crimes Unit had been swept away by Xie Qing, and he was able to repel all doubts and questions with his fearless fighting and the battle honors he had earned in the special criminal hybrid team.

Shen Qi’s batch of team members had not experienced what happened back then. He felt that words were feeble, which was why he chose physical contact.

And Shen Qi obviously couldn’t understand. Seeing his attitude, he happened to see Ling Lie walking over and immediately ran to Ling Lie, sobbing.

Ji Chenjiao had learned from Xie Qing that Ling Lie was a member of the Special Operations Team. This result was not unexpected; after all, Ling Lie had given plenty of hints, both subtle and overt. But meeting at this time, it was suddenly a bit awkward. He opened his mouth to say something, but saw Ling Lie give Shen Qi a loving hug and put an arm around his shoulder. For every curse Shen Qi uttered, Ling Lie would utter two.

Shen Qi wiped his tears. “They can suspect anyone but us! If it weren’t for us, Dan Jin would still be at large! And we even found out Dan Jin’s true motive! Otherwise, the girls would still be getting blamed! Getting hurt!”

Ling Lie: “They’re all doofuses. They’ve never worked on the front line, just picking faults with the front line all day long!”

Shen Qi looked at Ling Lie. “Brother Lie, you dare to scold them?”

Ling Lie: “Why wouldn’t I dare?”

Shen Qi in a super small voice, “My brother doesn’t dare.”

Ji Chenjiao: “…”

Ling Lie also in a super small voice, “Your brother is a doofus too, an iron-clad doofus.”

Shen Qi finally broke into a smile through his tears. “Ji-doofus, hehehe!”

Ji Chenjiao: “…”

Speechless and a little angry, Ji Chenjiao quickly saw the dynamic between the two. Shen Qi wasn’t being unreasonable, but he was young and hadn’t been hit like this before. Suddenly going through this, he really needed someone to vent with. And this person had to be a bit older, more experienced, to provide a sense of security.

Ling Lie had coaxed Shen Qi better with just a few sentences. Shen Qi wiped his tears dry and returned to his proud self, the little internet genius.

Ji Chenjiao swept his tongue over his teeth, reflecting that perhaps he shouldn’t have faced Shen Qi with silence. Providing an appropriate channel for venting was the correct way.

Ling Lie turned around, “Ji-doof…”

Ji Chenjiao’s face instantly darkened.

Ling Lie quickly stopped. “Captain Ji, you’ve been wronged.”

Ji Chenjiao didn’t need anyone’s comfort, let alone acting spoiled like Shen Qi. But at this moment, a strange and active impulse urged him—go on, ask this person for a little comfort. He comforted Shen Qi, why can’t he comfort you?

Ji Chenjiao’s expression of wanting to say something but being unable to caught Ling Lie’s attention. Ling Lie walked closer. “Huh?”

Ji Chenjiao spread his arms slightly, looking into Ling Lie’s eyes. Ling Lie glanced at him and followed suit, spreading his own arms.

Ji Chenjiao thought to himself: Come over here.

Ling Lie didn’t move, looking like he was doing it on purpose.

At this point, whoever put their hands down first would be the embarrassed one. Ji Chenjiao had no choice but to take a step forward and “feed” himself into Ling Lie’s embrace.

He was taller than Ling Lie. To really hug him, the kind where his head could rest on the other’s shoulder, he would have to bend his back. He was clear-headed now and cursed himself internally for being crazy, learning from that primary school student Shen Qi! But since it had come to this, he still bent down slightly and rested his chin on Ling Lie’s shoulder.

A light patting sensation suddenly came from his back, and Ji Chenjiao’s muscles tensed in a conditioned reflex. Ling Lie’s voice sounded in his ear, tinged with a smile, with the same gentleness he used to coax children at Moonlight Flower. “Our little young master has been wronged. Don’t be sad, don’t be sad. I’ll take you to eat chicken legs later.”

That “little young master” seemed to touch the softest part of Ji Chenjiao’s heart. Originally, he thought “little young master” was a nickname Ling Lie used to tease him; he wasn’t some little young master. But at this moment, he seemed to vaguely understand the meaning of this word coming from Ling Lie’s mouth—a little young master is someone worthy of being cherished and doted on.

Unconsciously, he tightened his arms, holding Ling Lie firmly, like a naughty child who had caught a favorite toy and would not let go. And the light patting on his back still continued. The resentment from being restricted and suspected miraculously vanished with each light pat.

The Serious Crimes Unit resumed work. The first thing to investigate was the truth behind Dan Jin’s death. Now that Dan Jin was dead and there was no one to testify, and Xu Jiajia was nowhere to be found, they could only rely on the clues from Biandong Street to reconstruct the truth and give a deduction without logical loopholes.

Xie Qing and Team Leader Wen from the special investigation team presided over the meeting. After Xi Wan and the forensic identification center presented the trace evidence and autopsy reports, Ji Chenjiao stated the conclusion he and Ling Lie had repeatedly deduced.

“With Xu Jiajia’s abilities, he was already aware when Dan Jin noticed him and wanted to use him. He obtained ‘Snow Child’ through some means we don’t yet know. He knew that this new type of drug would affect the nerves and memory in the short term, and had an incubation period for its effect on the internal organs, but once it took effect, it was incurable. He deliberately exposed himself to Dan Jin. To mislead the police, he even made his rental apartment look like he had just stepped out temporarily and would be back.”

“With his familiarity with surveillance, his appearance at the crossroads was most likely also intentional, to let the camera capture him so we could determine the last time and general location he was seen. Dan Jin’s claim of cornering and threatening Xu Jiajia in the alley should be true. But Xu Jiajia was intentionally threatened. It looked like Dan Jin took Xu Jiajia to Biandong Street, but this was all part of Xu Jiajia’s plan.”

“On the second floor of Building Five, Dan Jin wanted to kill Xu Jiajia, but Xu Jiajia was one step ahead and injected him with ‘Snow Child.’ It has been confirmed that ‘Snow Child,’ upon first entering the body, causes limb paralysis, as if frozen by snow. Judging from the traces on the ground, Xu Jiajia took this opportunity to push Dan Jin out of the window.”

“From that height, a fall wouldn’t kill a person, plus the bricks were already piled up to the first-floor window. But Dan Jin’s limbs were paralyzed, and he couldn’t protect himself, so his arms and back were injured, and his blood flowed onto the bricks. Xu Jiajia also jumped out of the window and used ‘Snow Child’ on him again. The first time was an intramuscular injection, the second time was a large dose intravenously.”

“Dan Jin was unable to move, his mind was unclear, he was extremely excited mentally, but his limbs would not obey him. This was the perfect time for psychological suggestion. Xu Jiajia wanted to create the illusion that he had been killed by Dan Jin, so he took the opportunity to instill a non-existent ‘truth’ into Dan Jin—that Dan Jin had pushed him from upstairs, that he had passed out on the spot, and that Dan Jin, to confirm his death, had continuously thrown bricks at him.”

“After Dan Jin fell unconscious, Xu Jiajia left. He should be someone who is very clear about the effects of ‘Snow Child.’ Either he has used ‘Snow Child’ multiple times, or someone he trusts has made him believe ‘Snow Child’ is that magical. In any case, he wasn’t afraid that Dan Jin would remember what happened before he fell unconscious upon waking up. And as long as Dan Jin confessed to the police as he had instructed, he would be ‘dead’ and safe.”

“Dan Jin initially only admitted to killing Wei Xuyan and the other two, and admitted to trying to kill Xu Jiajia but failing. Later, when the illness took effect, his testimony became incoherent, but he insisted he had killed Xu Jiajia. If he could have been saved, perhaps he could have told the truth after his mental state returned to normal, but ‘Snow Child’ didn’t give him the chance.”

The meeting room was silent. After many days of investigation, with Xu Jiajia having vanished, this was indeed the most reasonable deduction. And what the next step was, and how to follow up on the “Snow Child” lead, was no longer something the Xiarong City police alone could decide.

Xie Qing announced a decision that had been discussed with the higher-ups. The special investigation team would form a joint investigation team with several other cities where “Snow Child” had been found. They would investigate the case together under the coordination of the Special Operations Team. The work of the Serious Crimes Unit was complete, and from this day forward, their focus would shift to other cases in the city.

This was the expected result, and everyone in the Serious-Crimes Unit accepted it. But they all looked at Ling Lie with complicated expressions. Ling Lie’s identity was now completely exposed, but human curiosity is strange. The more you know, the more you want to know.

What did Ling Lie do in the Special Operations Team? Why didn’t he seem like a police officer at all? Why did he come to Xiarong City alone and get treated as a suspect? Was there some problem within the Xiarong police circle, and the higher-ups sent Ling Lie to infiltrate? And now, since Ling Lie’s identity was exposed, would he be transferred back?

Shen Qi felt a pang of reluctance.

Xie Qing cleared his throat and spoke on behalf of Ling Lie, “Xiao Ling will be staying with our Serious-Crimes Unit for the time being, to assist Captain Ji with his work.”

Ji Chenjiao raised an eyebrow and retracted his gaze.

The work arrangements were settled, and the meeting was adjourned. Team Leader Wen of the special investigation team came to Ji Chenjiao and explained that the previous restrictions and investigation were all based on procedure, and he personally had no prejudice against the Serious Crimes Unit.

Ji Chenjiao shook hands with Team Leader Wen. “I understand your position and your work.”

The two exchanged a few more pleasantries. Just as Ji Chenjiao was about to see the team leader out, Team Leader Wen suddenly said, “Back then, I always believed that Captain Ning did not betray the organization.”

Ji Chenjiao’s eyes instantly deepened as he looked at this senior who was getting on in years. Team Leader Wen looked unfamiliar; he had not had contact with him before this.

Team Leader Wen smiled. “You don’t remember me, but I’ve known about you for a long time. You are Captain Ning’s prized disciple. Very good. The person he taught has inherited his talent, courage, and resolution. Keep it up, young man. One day, you will be able to clear your master’s name.”

After Team Leader Wen left, Xie Qing came to Ji Chenjiao’s side. “That man was Captain Ning’s arch-rival when he was young. The two of them fought tooth and nail in school. Later, Captain Ning stayed on the front line, while Team Leader Wen went to what you guys call the ‘tea-drinking agency.’ Not many people remember that Team Leader Wen was also a formidable figure in his day. After Captain Ning disappeared, do you know why I was able to withstand the pressure to transfer you away, and later succeed Captain Ning as the captain?”

Ji Chenjiao said, “Could it be…”

Xie Qing nodded. “Because Team Leader Wen always believed that his arch-rival could not have betrayed the organization. He never spoke up, but he did a lot of things behind the scenes. It’s quite emotional to think about it. A person who competed with Captain Ning for so many years, in the end, still stood by his side.”

Sighing, Xie Qing added, “So this time, when I learned that he was leading the special investigation team, I was relieved.”

Ji Chenjiao was silent for a few minutes, then suddenly said, “I have never given up on finding my master, on finding the truth of his disappearance.”

Xie Qing looked ahead. “Me neither. We are not fighting alone.”

The case came to a close, and the Serious Crimes Unit had a few days off. Besides the members on duty, everyone could relax. Shen Qi suddenly said, “Brother Lie’s raw marinated drunken shrimp was eaten by Brother alone!”

Ji Chenjiao: “Wake up, it was made for me alone in the first place.”

Shen Qi’s round eyes stared at Ling Lie. “Brother Lie, is that so?”

Ling Lie: “It’s not impossible to make more.”

Ji Chenjiao quickly tried to stop him: “You’re not thinking of…”

But it was too late, because even the big brother Liang Wenxuan said, “I’ve never had raw marinated drunken shrimp. I’d like to try it.”

A group of people flooded into Ji Chenjiao’s home. Besides shrimp, they also bought oysters, abalone, scallops, and other seafood.

The only one in the Serious-Crimes Unit who could cook a little was Liang Wenxuan. The others crowded into the living room and study to play cards and games. The coffee table was filled with drinks and snacks, lively like a summer party.

Ji Chenjiao was playing a game with Shen Qi. Shen Qi would scream every time he encountered a monster. Ling Lie poked his head out to look, then closed the sliding door between the kitchen and the living room, and the noise immediately lessened.

Liang Wenxuan was worthy of being the big brother. He was very adept at cooking, looking like someone who also cooks at home. Ling Lie shucked the abalone, arranged them neatly, and suddenly said, “Brother Liang, you did it on purpose, didn’t you?”

Liang Wenxuan’s hands were both busy. He smiled. “Help me get the lemon slices.”

“Captain Ji has been under too much pressure lately, especially with the family changes. This gathering today looks like it’s bothering him, but it’s actually to let him vent properly.” Ling Lie dropped the lemon slices into the sauce Liang Wenxuan was making. “No wonder everyone relies on you.”

Liang Wenxuan sighed softly. “I don’t have Captain Ji’s talent; we still have to rely on him for investigating cases. But in some areas that require coordination—communicating with other departments, or emotional regulation—I help where I can. They’re all young, and sometimes they don’t even know how much negative emotion they’ve accumulated. Today isn’t just for Captain Ji either. Being investigated by the special investigation team was hard on everyone. By the way, I haven’t thanked you yet.”

Ling Lie shook his head. “I didn’t do much.”

Liang Wenxuan said, “Sometimes, trust is the best stimulant.”

The two busied themselves for a while longer. Ling Lie suddenly had a strong urge to confide. He had finally understood the source of the unhappiness that had been weighing on his heart for the past year.

Ever since he entered the Special Operations Team, there had always been someone guiding him from the front. That person was so powerful he was invulnerable, and possessed a kind of gentleness of the strong. When that person was around, all his accumulated negative emotions would be easily digested. After that person left the Special Operations Team, he had become increasingly irritable.

He had attributed this to his captain’s irresponsibility, but today he vaguely understood that the problem lay with himself. He was used to having someone help him release his negative emotions. When that person was no longer his captain, he couldn’t adapt.

His hand, holding the pot lid, paused for a long time. He turned to look at Liang Wenxuan. Liang Wenxuan also noticed that he seemed to have something to say. “What’s wrong?”

At this moment, Ling Lie’s urge to confide disappeared again. Liang Wenxuan was not Xiao Yuan, and Xiao Yuan was no longer his captain. So many years had passed since he was eighteen. He should have learned to grow up on his own, to face the storms by himself long ago.

He smiled. “It’s nothing. I’ll take this dish out.”

Liang Wenxuan watched Ling Lie’s back, frowning thoughtfully.