Pharaoh was well-behaved and clever, so much so that Bai Cheng didn’t need to worry too much. Back in middle school, Bai Cheng had also raised a dog, but unfortunately, that dog died in a car accident. That’s why Bai Cheng was especially attentive with Pharaoh. Since Luo Tian volunteered at the church every Sunday, she took Pharaoh to visit its former owner there every week.
Bai Cheng and Pharaoh often rested in Luo Tian’s room. Bai Cheng would grab a book from Luo Tian’s bookshelf and sit on the carpet, leaning against the bedside. The sound of the priest preaching at the church would occasionally drift through the walls, and Pharaoh would lie at Bai Cheng’s feet, head on the ground, tail sweeping across the floor, its eyes curiously darting around. Sometimes, Bai Cheng would fall asleep while reading, and when she woke up, she would find a blanket or a thick coat draped over her, knowing that Luo Tian had covered her.
After getting Pharaoh, Bai Cheng found that her sleep had improved significantly, probably because of the increased exercise from walking him every day. However, even when she was simply leaning against the bedside in Luo Tian’s room, she always felt a deep sense of peace, as if she had left behind the biting cold of a snowy forest and entered a warm wooden cabin with a roaring fireplace. Inside, there was hot milk tea and food, with people warmly conversing around her.
Luo Tian’s room gave off that kind of warmth and reassurance, and Bai Cheng couldn’t quite explain why.
Time passed peacefully and steadily. One afternoon, while Bai Cheng was walking Pharaoh by the lake, she watched the sunset gradually sink into the skyline, casting a glow of evening light across the sky. As the last sliver of daylight disappeared, a sudden breeze brought a chill, making Bai Cheng realize that the turbulent summer had ended, giving way to a slightly cool autumn.
One day, Luo Tian drove Bai Cheng and Pharaoh to a wetland park more than ten kilometers away. He said that Pharaoh needed more time running in a natural environment, and Bai Cheng could use more fresh air as well. When they arrived at the park, Luo Tian skillfully began setting up the tent and sunshade, and Bai Cheng helped out until everything was ready. They lay on lounge chairs, basking in the sun, while Pharaoh sneakily wandered off to a distant patch of grass, keeping an eye on them.
As Bai Cheng soaked up the sun, she felt incredibly relaxed. The early autumn sunlight was just right—not too scorching, yet not chilly either. The gentle warmth seeped into her body, as if evaporating the long-held sadness and pain buried deep within her.
She felt like a tuna slowly thawing after a long ice age, awakening, with her cells gradually reactivating and warm blood flowing through her veins.
“Phew—” Bai Cheng let out a soft breath, and then she heard Luo Tian’s voice beside her.
“We have news on Niu Jiu.”
The warmth in her blood instantly froze. The tuna that had just thawed was shoved back into the cold currents of the ice age. Bai Cheng rubbed the goosebumps on her arms, trying to calm herself down.
Luo Tian continued, “Based on the confessions from Ji Ge and his associates, we’ve caught a middleman. He confessed that he’s meeting Niu Jiu and E Yu next Wednesday night to discuss a drug deal, at the Leighton Hotel. We’ve already set everything up, and by Wednesday, we should be able to bring Niu Jiu and E Yu to justice. It’s time they pay for their crimes.”
Bai Cheng found it hard to breathe. She clutched her chest, trying to calm herself before exhaling deeply. “Be careful. Don’t get hurt.”
“Mm. Just wait for my good news. Karma will catch up with them—they’ll pay for what they’ve done.”
“Mm.” Bai Cheng exhaled again, trying to steady her emotions that had flared up.
Luo Tian stood up, walked to the car, and took out a large bag from the trunk, placing it beside Bai Cheng. “Are you hungry? Want something to eat?”
Bai Cheng took out a box of sushi and a fruit platter from the bag, while Luo Tian grabbed a dish of fish-flavored shredded pork with rice and a bottle of green tea. The two of them started eating under the sun.
Bai Cheng slowly ate her sushi, enjoying the warm sunlight. She closed her eyes, savoring both the heat on her skin and the food in her mouth.
“Today’s food tastes better than usual,” Bai Cheng remarked.
“Probably because the weather’s so nice. Sunshine adds an extra seasoning,” Luo Tian said.
“Mm. You’re right.”
They continued eating their meal.
Wednesday came quickly. After nightfall, the police quietly surrounded the Leighton Hotel, with officers stationed at every exit. Since Niu Jiu and E Yu had seen Luo Tian before, two other officers disguised as henchmen followed the middleman into the room where Niu Jiu and E Yu were. Meanwhile, Luo Tian and his team were stationed at the hotel’s back door.
Luo Tian stood guard with his gun at the rear exit, listening intently to the radio. In the middle of the negotiation, it seemed like the middleman betrayed the police, and E Yu was the first to open fire, causing chaos in the room. The police stationed on that floor immediately moved in, and a fierce shootout erupted. During the melee, Niu Jiu and E Yu escaped through the emergency stairwell, trying to flee downstairs. They were eventually cornered at the west gate, where they engaged in a wild gunfight with the officers waiting there. Luo Tian received the message over the radio and rushed to provide backup. When he arrived at the west gate, the situation was tense, with both sides exchanging fire. Luo Tian and his team fired several shots, taking down a few of E Yu’s men.
The gunfight continued for a while before E Yu’s side suddenly stopped shooting. There were no sounds or movement from them. Just as Luo Tian was about to move in, a few guns were tossed out from the exit, followed by voices from inside: “Don’t shoot! We surrender.”
Luo Tian raised his hand, signaling the team to hold fire, and spoke into the radio: “Stay alert. It could be a trap.”
Two people slowly emerged from the exit, hands raised high. They inched towards the police, saying, “Don’t shoot! We’re surrendering.”
“Stay where you are! Don’t come any closer,” Luo Tian shouted.
But the two men acted as if they hadn’t heard him and kept moving toward the police.
“This is your final warning! Don’t move, or I’ll shoot,” Luo Tian aimed at one of them.
Still, the two kept moving toward the police. Luo Tian fired, hitting one of them in the leg, causing him to collapse to the ground, clutching his leg in agony. At the same time, the other man screamed and opened his jacket, frantically pulling out grenades hidden inside and tossing them at the police.
“Bombs! Get down!” Luo Tian shouted, simultaneously firing several shots, hitting the man’s head.
Explosions went off amidst the police, injuring several officers. In the chaos, Luo Tian saw Niu Jiu and E Yu slip through the exit. Without thinking, he chased after them. Niu Jiu’s men ran for their lives, while Luo Tian and Deputy Squad Leader Fang chased them relentlessly. Luo Tian fired as he ran, injuring several of Niu Jiu’s men who were covering E Yu’s escape. Just as Luo Tian was about to catch up with E Yu, E Yu suddenly turned around, with his signature sinister smile, and aimed his gun at Luo Tian, ready for a showdown. Behind him, Niu Jiu also stopped, aiming at Fang, who was behind Luo Tian.
The four of them stood still, locked in a standoff.
Luo Tian was known as the best marksman in the squad. In just three short years, he had risen from an officer to become the team’s captain. Fang believed that Luo Tian’s shot would definitely be faster than E Yu’s. As long as Luo Tian fired, Niu Jiu would be momentarily distracted, giving Fang the chance to take him out.
But to Fang’s surprise, Luo Tian seemed frozen in place. He stood there, gun raised, but his hand, which was on the trigger, was trembling, the shaking growing more pronounced until even Fang could see the gun shaking from behind.
Luo Tian just couldn’t pull the trigger.
His eyes were filled with fear as memories of Jiang Shuo’s death three years ago flashed before him.
Suddenly, Niu Jiu shifted his target and fired at the frozen Luo Tian.
“Watch out!” Fang shouted as he tackled Luo Tian to the ground.
It was like everything happened in slow motion. Luo Tian clearly saw the bullet from Niu Jiu’s gun fly towards him and hit Fang in the back as he shielded him.
A small splash of blood bloomed before Luo Tian’s eyes. He snapped out of his daze, pulled the trigger, and fired wildly ahead, but Niu Jiu and E Yu had already taken advantage of the time gap and disappeared into the night.
Luo Tian and the injured Fang tumbled to the ground.
Luo Tian carried Fang on his back and hurried back, eventually handing him over to the medics who arrived for backup.
“Captain, are you okay?”
“Captain, are you hurt?”
“Captain, which way did the criminals go? Should we pursue?”
Luo Tian’s team crowded around him, bombarding him with questions about his well-being.
It was as if Luo Tian’s soul had left his body. His instincts as a police officer kicked in, and he gave the next orders: “The criminals fled towards Yangguan Avenue. Deploy officers to guard the nearby checkpoints and monitor the city’s surveillance for any signs of their movements.”
“Yes, Captain.”
The team was about to disperse when they noticed Luo Tian standing still.
“Captain, why aren’t you… coming with us?”
Luo Tian glanced at the gun in his hand, then slammed it into Da Liu’s chest. Da Liu quickly caught Luo Tian’s service weapon. Luo Tian then took off his police cap, removed his uniform, wrapped it around the cap, and thrust it into his teammate’s arms, saying, “I can’t lead you anymore. I’m withdrawing from this operation. Deputy Captain Fang will take over.”
With that, he pushed past the stunned crowd, walked to his police car, got in, and started the engine. No one knew where he was going.
Luo Tian drove off, but after just a few meters, he saw a thick crowd of onlookers gathered by the roadside. Feeling frustrated, he honked his horn, and the crowd parted down the middle, creating a gap for him to drive through. As he passed, a glance in the rearview mirror accidentally caught sight of a familiar figure in the crowd—Bai Cheng.
Luo Tian slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to a screeching halt just a few meters ahead of the crowd.
He didn’t look out the window to confirm if it was Bai Cheng. He sat there in the car, quietly watching the figure in the rearview mirror that looked so much like Bai Cheng.
Bai Cheng was indeed in the crowd.
After learning that Niu Jiu would be appearing today, she had arrived early at the Leighton Hotel, secretly watching the arrest unfold from the crowd. After hearing the updates being transmitted through the officers’ radios, she rushed to the west gate and witnessed everything that had just happened.
She hid behind a landscaping rock, watching the confrontation between Luo Tian, E Yu, and Niu Jiu, and saw how Deputy Captain Fang had been shot to protect the frozen Luo Tian. She had also seen Luo Tian, with a heart full of despair, handing over his gun, taking off his cap, and removing his uniform.
She followed behind Luo Tian’s car, running and running, but she didn’t have the courage to call out his name. It wasn’t until Luo Tian’s car finally stopped.
She stood in the crowd, looking at the police car parked just a few meters away. She couldn’t see Luo Tian’s expression inside the car, but she felt an overwhelming pain. She clenched her fists, tears streaming down her face, knowing that Luo Tian must be feeling just as hurt and devastated as she was right now.
She took a step forward, just a small step, emerging from the crowd.
Luo Tian saw her. That small figure stepped out from the crowd and started walking towards him.
Luo Tian’s hand slammed heavily onto the steering wheel, and he stomped on the accelerator. The car sped off, and in the rearview mirror, he watched as the figure standing there grew smaller and smaller until she finally cried out.
