Why hadn't he answered her call? Because it would have been too awkward. Since they had already broken up, why call at all?
He wouldn't ask her to stay, and she wouldn't come back. So going their separate ways and leaving each other alone was a decent enough ending.
Zhou Yi had already made up his mind to forget romance and focus on his career.
Women would only slow down his sword draw!
Why wouldn't he answer my call? Was he afraid it would be too awkward? Just because we've broken up, does that mean I can't call him?
Listening to the busy tone on her phone, Li Qian frowned slightly.
She had asked to break up, and he hadn't tried to stop her. Of course, even if he had, she wouldn't have changed her mind.
Her parents' fierce opposition was certainly one reason, but more importantly, although she loved Zhou Yi, she loved herself more.
She had already decided to go abroad at the end of the year and begin a life with broader horizons and greater excitement. Zhou Yi, meanwhile, still clung to his childhood dream, stubbornly following a path with no future in sight.
So if they were destined not to be together, why keep dragging things out for no reason?
Looking at her beautiful reflection in the mirror, Li Qian felt a tangled rush of emotions.
Five whole years had passed since college. She had given Zhou Yi almost all the best years of her life. Could that serve as a reason to ease her guilt?
But whatever happened, she firmly believed she would never regret the choice she had made today!
Zhou Yi wanted to sleep, but someone seemed determined not to let him.
His phone rang relentlessly, leaving him no choice but to answer. This time, the caller was Jian Shuyue, his friend and classmate from both middle school and high school.
"What is it, big sis? I'm trying to sleep."
Answering the phone, Zhou Yi yawned and grumbled as an incomparably handsome face, with a devilishly rakish air, naturally appeared in his mind.
As the saying went, when a woman decided to be handsome, men didn't stand a chance!
Put it this way: wherever and whenever Jian Shuyue appeared, she was certain to turn every head, captivating men and women alike.
Right. According to how things had played out in his previous life, she was calling now to "comfort" him.
"I heard you and Li Qian broke up! Ha ha ha!" Her clear, pleasant voice made no attempt to hide her delight at his misfortune, and she even threw in three hearty laughs.
"Seriously, I got dumped. What are you so happy about?" Zhou Yi asked, somewhat amused.
"Why wouldn't I be happy? Now that you've broken up with her, don't I have a chance?" Jian Shuyue asked, feigning surprise.
"Hey, don't joke about crossing family boundaries," Zhou Yi reprimanded her solemnly.
On the other end, Jian Shuyue clearly froze for a moment. His response had almost left her at a complete loss.
"I'm serious. Rather than letting someone else have you, why not let your big sis have you? I'm not exactly ugly. I've got the face and the figure. If one woman isn't enough for you, we can throw Tian Tian into the deal too!" Recovering, Jian Shuyue continued teasing him with shameless gusto.
"Please don't. You alone are more than I can handle, never mind adding that temptress." Zhou Yi's refusal couldn't have been more decisive.
Hah. She might sound like anything goes, but only an idiot would take her seriously.
"You used to call me Sweetie. Now we haven't seen each other for two or three years, and suddenly I'm a temptress. Hmph, men really are all rotten." Another sweet, coquettish voice suddenly came through the phone.
"Ladies, have mercy and put away your powers, please. I'm dead tired. If you've got something to tell me, can you just get to the point?" Sleepiness washed over Zhou Yi, and he yawned repeatedly, with no desire whatsoever to keep bantering with the two women.
Neither Jian Shuyue nor Tian Tian was a woman he could keep firmly under his thumb. Joking was one thing, but deep down, he always maintained a careful balance: close, but with boundaries; familiar, but never overstepping.
Zhou Yi knew perfectly well that as people grew older and experienced more, some friends would slowly drift away without anyone noticing, until they eventually lost touch altogether. That was what had happened between him, Jian Shuyue, and Tian Tian in his previous life.
"Tian Tian and I are coming back to Dongji next month. Monkey, Dechao, and the others are coming back too. How about we pick a day and all get together?" As the conversation turned serious, Jian Shuyue's tone automatically followed suit.
Sure enough, it was about a reunion.
Zhou Yi responded enthusiastically without hesitation. "Absolutely! My dear brothers and sisters, it's been almost three years. I've missed you all so much!"
Hearing his exuberant voice, which sounded straight out of the Spring Festival Gala, Jian Shuyue and Tian Tian laughed, then fell into thought.
Had Zhou Yi always been this funny?
Why did it feel like he'd become even more fun after two or three years apart?
The next two weeks passed uneventfully.
At Qinghe Police Station, from top to bottom, those with work to do worked, and those without slacked off. Those who did neither, such as Qian Wenjie, whose jealousy had twisted his expression beyond recognition, simply took sick leave.
Everything seemed no different from before, but everyone knew that someone had changed-
Zhou Yi.
Yes, you. That was exactly who they meant.
The day after apprehending the violent criminal, Zhou Yi had written and submitted a report as required by the county bureau.
A few days later, word spread that Zhou Yi would soon be transferred back to the county bureau.
No one doubted the news.
He had spent nearly three years on the front lines, working diligently and enduring hardship. Not only did he get along well with his colleagues, but he also had a close rapport with the public. More importantly, at a critical moment, he had stepped forward, turned the tide, and courageously apprehended a violent criminal single-handedly.
An outstanding police officer like him naturally deserved a broader stage on which to put his talents to use.
So a transfer back to the county bureau was the logical outcome, nothing out of the ordinary.
Zhou Yi thought so too.
He simply hadn't expected that day to arrive so soon.
On the morning of June 20, Anping City held a celebration and commendation ceremony for the capture of a fugitive whose arrest had been placed under Ministry of Public Security supervision.
Leading officials attending the ceremony included Wang Dongsheng, deputy secretary of the municipal Party committee and secretary of its Political and Legal Affairs Commission; Hao Mingren, a member of the municipal Party committee's standing committee and executive Vice Mayor; Wang Zhongyan, deputy director of the standing committee of the municipal People's Congress; Vice Mayor Liu Fang; and Hu Qingyuan, vice chairman of the municipal Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.
At the ceremony, Wang Dongsheng fully affirmed the achievements of the city's public security agencies in apprehending fugitives and expressed his appreciation to the police officers working on the front lines to maintain stability and security throughout the city.
Wang Dongsheng noted that the successful capture of this Ministry of Public Security Class A fugitive was owed to close cooperation among public security agencies at the provincial, municipal, and county levels, to the excellent caliber and capabilities of the police force, and to the strong support of the public.
It fully demonstrated the city's firm confidence and determination to combat crime and maintain social stability, showcased the tenacity and courage of its police officers, and dealt a powerful blow to the arrogance of criminals.
Next, Vice Mayor Liu Fang read out a congratulatory telegram from the Provincial Public Security Department.
Then Zhao Yue, director of the Municipal Public Security Bureau, delivered a statement of commitment.
Zhou Yi sat in the audience, seemingly listening to the leaders' speeches with complete concentration.
To his left sat Lei Ming, director of the county public security bureau, and to his right sat Station Chief Zhang Liping. Behind him was a dense sea of fellow officers from the municipal bureau's criminal investigation, public order, special police, and other divisions.
As Hao Mingren, a member of the municipal Party committee's standing committee and executive deputy mayor, read out the "Decision on Commendations and Awards for the Anping City Public Security Bureau's Capture of a Fugitive Under Ministry Supervision," Zhou Yi instinctively straightened his already ramrod-straight back.
After waiting so long, it was finally his turn to take the stage!
Before you continue