After picking up Fang Chong from the hospital, Luo Tian returned to the police station. The department intended to assign a psychologist to Luo Tian, but he used Bai Cheng, who was already a psychologist, as a shield, successfully dodging the arrangement. Initially, it was just an excuse to appease the police department, but Bai Cheng took it seriously. She borrowed many professional books from the library, studied various cases, and tried to find any applicable methods. She even set up a weekly psychological consultation session for Luo Tian.
Luo Tian had always been skeptical about these psychological consultations. He furrowed his brows and told Bai Cheng, “Let’s not do this anymore. Feels pretty useless.”
Bai Cheng replied, “How could it be useless? I’m a professional psychologist. I can cure you.”
“You can’t even cure yourself.”
“One of us getting better is enough. Besides, how would we know if we don’t try?”
After one of their consultation sessions, Luo Tian asked, “What do you feel like eating?”
“I’m fine with anything. I don’t really have a craving for anything in particular,” Bai Cheng said.
“Then hop in the car, we’ll figure it out on the way.”
Luo Tian drove slowly until Bai Cheng told him to stop. Luo Tian pulled over, and they both entered a garden restaurant. Eventually, they settled at a table on the second-floor terrace.
Bai Cheng glanced around. The setting was indeed nice. The terrace was on the second floor, overlooking the street, and decorated in a rustic American countryside style. They sat at the edge of the balcony, with the bustling street just outside. Seated amidst the garden, they gazed down at the busy street filled with cars and people, and above them, a vast sky stretched out.
“This open-air terrace reminds me of those days in Lijiang. We had outdoor barbecue for several days there, and I still love the vibe of eating, drinking, and chatting outdoors. Looking up to a vast sky, the wide view really opens up your mood,” Luo Tian said.
“If you love Lijiang so much, why didn’t you stay there?” Bai Cheng asked.
“Stay there? Why?” Luo Tian didn’t quite catch Bai Cheng’s drift.
“Zheng Xing told me that she once wanted to take you away, but you refused. If you loved it there so much, why didn’t you go with her?”
“Too many things going on at the police station. I couldn’t leave.”
“Do you regret it now? Not going with her and missing out on such a good chance?”
“I don’t regret it. She loves her freedom, doesn’t like being tied down. Every town in the world is like her playground. She’s a great girl, and I wish her well. Isn’t she doing well now? That’s enough.”
“And you? You liked the lifestyle there too, didn’t you? I could tell you were really happy there. During those days in Lijiang, it was the only time I saw you truly laugh. Not just a polite smile or a chuckle, but real, wholehearted laughter. Luo Tian, you still have a choice now. You can still choose to leave.”
“Why would I leave? This is my hometown, my family is here, my comrades are here. Why should I go?” Luo Tian said as he picked up a piece of meat, chewing while speaking. “Besides, the person who killed your fiancé still hasn’t been caught. How could you, as his family, just let me quit like this?”
“This world doesn’t revolve around you, Luo Tian. You don’t have to shoulder every responsibility. You can let go of everything and choose to leave.”
“I can’t. Because I’m a cop, and this is the responsibility I should carry. I can’t run from it or shirk it.”
“Does that include Jiang Shuo’s death?”
At the mention of Jiang Shuo, Luo Tian fell silent.
“Zheng Xing told me that she hopes you can let go of the past, just like the priest says, ‘Old things have passed away; all things have become new.’ You can become a new person and find freedom,” Bai Cheng said.
“Freedom? What is freedom? The vast sky and open seas are freedom, but even within limitations, there’s a kind of freedom too. My best friend died in front of me to save me. Am I supposed to let the murderer roam free while I enjoy so-called freedom? Shouldn’t I avenge him? Some things are more important than freedom, like life and responsibility.”
“That’s why she hoped you’d be a villain… She—”
“I can’t be a villain, Bai Cheng. I’m a cop.”
Bai Cheng didn’t say anything after that. They both quietly continued eating.
After a long silence, Bai Cheng said, “Luo Tian, teach me how to shoot.”
Luo Tian was startled by her words, biting his tongue. The pain made him put down his chopsticks, and he spoke with a slurred tongue, “What did you say?”
“I said, Luo Tian, teach me how to shoot. I want to learn how to use a gun.”
“Why do you want to learn shooting? You’re not a cop, you can’t carry a gun.”
“I just want to pick up a new hobby. It seems fun.”
“What’s fun about guns?”
“Luo Tian, will you teach me? And those grappling techniques and combat skills, I want to learn them too.”
“Why do you suddenly want to learn these things? Do you want to become a cop?”
“No, I don’t want to be a cop. I just want to get stronger, so if I ever face danger again, at least I can hold my own.”
“As long as I’m here, I won’t let you be in danger. You don’t need to learn those things.”
Luo Tian’s tone was casual, but Bai Cheng felt a bit moved. She knew this was something Luo Tian would say to anyone he cared about, like his parents or Fang Chong, but it still warmed her heart. She said, “Thank you. But I still want to become stronger. If something really happens, even if I can’t help you, at least I won’t hold you back.”
Luo Tian thought for a moment and said, “Sure, no problem. We have a colleague’s younger brother, named Ling Xiang. He has a scar on his face from a childhood accident, so he couldn’t apply to the police academy, but he’s always wanted to be a cop. So, he opened a mixed martial arts gym. The coaches there include some retired special forces soldiers and fighters who’ve won international awards. This guy later also opened a shooting range. Sometimes, people from our department go there to work out and practice. I’ll take you there one day.”
“Sounds good,” Bai Cheng replied.
