When Jiang Shihe heard Ruan Qingan's almost murmured call, he stopped in his tracks. They had just arrived in the center of the lake.
Seemingly sensing the affection in the man's eyes, she paused for a moment, then hurriedly turned her head away, as if avoiding it. Ruan Qing'an lowered his eyes and said softly, "Mr. Jiang, there's no need for that."
"I'm fine, there's nothing..."
“A long time ago, after I remembered everything I had experienced in Fengxian Village, Mr. Jiang, I stopped having too much hope a long time ago. Perhaps I am not meant to have too much.”
“Mr. Jiang, do you know? All my life I’ve longed to be cherished, carefully placed, and meticulously preserved. To be spared from fear, from suffering, from wandering aimlessly, from having no branch to cling to. But that person, I know, I’ve always known, will never come.”
She spoke softly, without expectation: "Mr. Jiang, this is what I think. I don't want to have too many delusions or too many expectations. If they are ultimately dashed, I can't bear it."
"Are you politely rejecting me, Miss Ruan?"
Jiang Shihe's gaze remained unmoved; he simply looked down at Ruan Qing'an, who dared not look up at him.
Ruan Qing'an couldn't help but purse her lips: "No."
After a moment of silence, the atmosphere became tense. The girl, having finished speaking, seemed to have a hint of disappointment in her eyes, yet her eyes were also welling up with tears. She turned away and whispered—
"Then I'll be going now, Mr. Jiang."
After saying that, Ruan Qing'an quickly left, but in the next moment, Jiang Shihe pulled her back. The cold, bitter smell of tobacco emanating from him enveloped her, and he chuckled softly, his chest vibrating slightly: "Did you really never expect it, Miss Ruan?"
"I...I'm leaving now, I don't want to—"
"Nguyen Thanh An".
Just then, Jiang Shihe called her name in a low voice.
This was the first time he had called her by her name directly, no longer with the polite and distant "Miss Ruan," nor with a tender and affectionate tone, but solemnly and earnestly calling out her name.
The smile disappeared from Jiang Shihe's eyes. When he looked down at Ruan Qing'an, all that remained was focused attention, as if he were willing to give everything.
I have to apologize to you.
"Wh-what?"
The man paused: "I mean, it's my fault for meeting you so late; it's my fault for meeting you as a detective. If I could, I would have preferred to have met you much earlier, before all that you've been through happened."
"I'm late, it's my fault. I can't change your past, all I can give you is the rest of my life."
He noticed the girl's avoidance, as if she was afraid.
The distortion of Fengxian Village, and the existence of Zhang Wu and Hong Fengyan, made it seem as if she had never been treated kindly by this world, nor had she ever received anything, and even what she possessed was very little.
She was timid and cowardly.
They are afraid of being rejected, but even more afraid of not getting what they want.
Fortunately, he knew her cautiousness, so—like a seasoned hunter—he lurked in the shadows, concealing his excessively twisted, viscous emotions, suppressing them beneath his polite "Miss Ruan."
Like boiling a frog in lukewarm water, without ever revealing his true feelings, he had already quietly brought her under his protection, completely keeping her captive and safely treasuring her.
"Mr. Jiang, I..."
Ruan Qing'an spoke softly, but Jiang Shihe didn't give her a chance to refuse at all. He stroked her cheek with his large hand and looked down into her leaden eyes: "This is my promise."
“I’ve never been a detective with a strong sense of justice, and what I’m pursuing isn’t the so-called truth—it’s just you.”
"I am selfish, greedy, and not a good person."
“There will be no more promises, Miss Ruan. Everything under my name can be given to you. You can make me penniless and homeless at any time. You can also control my life. I will arrange everything. You can kill me and get away with it.”
The man suddenly uttered chilling words.
Ruan Qing'an was stunned. Jiang Shihe made few promises, and each one sounded ridiculous.
but……
When she met Jiang Shihe's gaze, Ruan Qing'an belatedly realized that he hadn't been lying; he truly thought and acted that way.
He entrusted his life and everything to her.
Ruan Qing'an was silent for a moment, his voice a little hoarse: "Mr. Jiang, your promise is too heavy, I don't need it."
"Not heavy."
Jiang Shihe whispered, "I love you, so everything I do is worth it. You are also worth all the love I have to give. In this world, only you are worthy of it."
"Ruan Qingan, I want to be with you."
The wind blew through her hair, blurring her features. Her vision was blurred with tears. The man was serious and resolute, as if he were stating a fact rather than making a promise.
She is the best.
She deserves everything he gives her.
Jiang Shihe said, enunciating each word clearly, "I want to be with you for a lifetime, not even a second less."
"Mr. Jiang..."
Ruan Qing'an murmured softly, still shy and timid, only daring to grasp Jiang Shihe's sleeve. She was so nervous she couldn't even speak, quietly closing her eyes, and then—
The tall man leaned down and kissed the corner of his lips.
He seemed to be kissing a deity, being exceptionally careful, yet not daring to defile her with any filthy desires. Even the surrounding wind stopped blowing, as if it had shyly disappeared.
Actually, no answer is needed.
Their embrace at this moment has already reached eternity.
...
Compared to the sweetness on Lover's Lake at F University, Long Qi and the others were truly busy and overwhelmed. They tried several times to go to Lover's Lake to bring Jiang Shihe back, but considering that this iron tree rarely blooms, Long Qi was too embarrassed to disturb them too much.
Most importantly... when that time really comes, Jiang Shihe will probably be so eager to kill him that Long Qi will be even less likely to go.
As night fell, the police station remained brightly lit.
Just as Long Qi's face had turned pale from staying up all night, the junior detective he had been asked to investigate finally brought back news.
"Captain Long, something's wrong!"
“Hong Fengyan doesn’t fit our previous deductions about the killer. He doesn’t have any of those experiences related to broken families. In other words, either the serial killer changed his target, or it’s the work of a second person!”
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