Siheyuan came through and sent Jia Zhang to prison

As for Liu Li's death, it became an unsolved mystery. Old Wang from the technical team led a team that investigated for three days and three nights, turning the alley upside down. They found no suspicious fingerprints at the scene, and no fatal wounds on the body. The forensic doctor's final conclusion was "sudden organ failure," but everyone knew that was just a pretext to cover up the cause. The trail seemed to have been abruptly cut off; further investigation would be futile. The team gradually lost heart. Even the usually stubborn Zhao Lei began to focus his energy on minor cases like theft and brawls, his eyes filled with helplessness when he spoke of Liu Li.

He Feng leaned against the windowsill, his fingertips unconsciously tracing a faint watermark across the cold glass. He knew that rushing things at this point was useless; events often didn't go according to plan, like a river during flood season—when it was time to overflow the dam, nothing could stop it; when it was time to recede, nothing could hold it back. He could only wait, wait for some overlooked turning point to suddenly emerge, wait for those hiding in the shadows to lose patience and reveal their true colors. Right now, all he could do was stay put, guard his post, avoid making any mistakes, and prevent anyone from giving him anything to gossip about.

At the desk next to her, Ma Xin was also getting restless. She flipped through the ledgers in her hands, the papers rustling under her fingers, and sorted through several already filed reports, the covers worn and frayed. She simply couldn't find anything to do. Her superiors were like a kite with a broken string; no more instructions came in. After Zhang Jie's line broke, she felt like a cog that had temporarily stopped working, suddenly detached from a sophisticated machine, without direction or motivation.

That's good, she thought to herself with a quiet sense of relief. At least she was safe now. She no longer had to secretly pass messages while getting water, no longer had to rack her brains to make up lies when He Feng questioned her, and no longer had to tremble with fear over the encrypted radio late at night. As long as that big plan hadn't started yet, she could stay put like an ordinary clerk, and even... catch her breath and think about her own things.

In truth, Ma Xin has always felt that she lives like a programmed robot. Growing up in a closed training camp, she learned combat, tracking, and codebreaking. After growing up, she was assigned to carry out missions. Her life was almost devoid of color, except for cold instructions and goals that had to be achieved. She didn't know what shopping was like, had never experienced the joy of chatting with friends for a whole morning at a food stall, let alone the excitement of twirling in front of the mirror for ages like other girls do for a pretty dress with lace trim.

Perhaps, during this free time, I should really enjoy a few days to myself. I could try the newly opened cake shop on the corner; I've heard their cheesecake is especially authentic. Or I could sit in the park, watch the old ladies dancing in the square, or even just soak up the sun.

She picked up the coffee pot on the table, made a steaming cup of coffee, and habitually added two spoonfuls of sugar and some milk—it was He Feng's favorite flavor. Having spent so much time with him these past two years, she had even memorized his preferences. When she walked to the window, she saw He Feng staring blankly out the window, his brows slightly furrowed, the lines of his profile appearing somewhat sharp in the sunlight. He seemed lost in thought, not even noticing her approaching.

Ma Xin gently placed the coffee cup on the windowsill. The bottom of the cup struck the tiles with a crisp "clink," like a pebble thrown into a calm lake. "He Feng," she said softly, breaking the almost stagnant silence in the office, "what are you thinking about? You've been staring outside since this morning, your soul is practically flying away."

He Feng was startled by Ma Xin's sudden approach. Most of the documents in his hand slipped down his side. He hurriedly reached out to stop them, composed himself, and forced a slightly stiff smile: "It's nothing, I was just staring blankly at the case. There are still some parts I haven't figured out, and my mind is a mess."

Looking at the bloodshot eyes under his gaze, as if sprinkled with cinnabar, Ma Xin knew perfectly well—he must have stayed up half the night again working on Jiang Hu and Liu Li's case. But she didn't point it out. Instead, she leaned forward, the legs of her office chair scraping softly on the floor: "What case in the bureau isn't difficult? They're all intricate and tangled, enough to give you a headache. If there's anything you can't figure out, perhaps you can talk to me. Two heads are better than one; maybe we can find a different approach?"

As she spoke, she handed over the freshly brewed cup of coffee. The white bone china cup was still warm, and the rising steam blurred the rim. "It's freshly made. I added two spoonfuls of sugar especially for you. Drink some to perk you up. Judging by your energy, you must have stayed up half the night without sleeping, right?"

He Feng nodded, took the cup with both hands, and felt a warmth creep up his fingertips as they touched the warm cup, bringing a sense of relief. He took a small sip, the rich aroma of coffee mixed with a hint of sweetness spreading across his tongue, followed by a slightly bitter aftertaste. The fatigue that had accumulated over the past few days seemed to have lessened somewhat: "It's really nothing, just some details from an old case. It's been a long time, and the witness testimonies don't match up. Once I figure it out, it'll be fine."

Ma Xin naturally knew he was worried about Jiang Hu and Liu Li's cases—these two cases were like two intertwined venomous snakes, the waters behind them deep enough to drown a person. But she couldn't bring it up right now, so she changed the subject to something lighter: "It's almost the weekend, and constantly focusing on the cases isn't a solution; a string stretched too tight will break. What are you planning to do?"

He Feng leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh. The chair cushion creaked slightly. He had originally planned to stay home and sleep all day to catch up on the sleep he had missed, ideally with the curtains drawn tight and no one in sight. So he said truthfully, "What else can I do? I'll stay home and sleep all day to recharge. Otherwise, I'm afraid I won't be able to hold on next week."

Upon hearing this, Ma Xin's eyes lit up, as if she had suddenly found something fun. She deliberately put on a stern face and spoke with an air of unyielding authority: "You're so young, how can you always stay at home sleeping? The more you sleep, the more confused you become. Come fishing with me by the river tomorrow. Last time at Qing Shi Bridge, you beat me half a bucket of fish, and I'm still holding back. Tomorrow I'll have a good competition with you and I have to win it back."

He Feng was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled at her competitive spirit. He had no plans anyway, and since he was free, fishing was indeed a relaxing way to spend most of the day quietly without having to think about anything. He raised his chin, his tone slightly teasing: "Sure, but it's a deal, the loser has to treat me to dinner. You haven't settled the score for last time, so this is a good opportunity to make up for it all at once."