Bai Cheng didn’t pack much—just a few days’ worth of clothes, daily essentials, and some documents, all loosely fitting into one suitcase. Bai’s father was the one to drive her to the airport. As they made their way there, Bai Cheng stared out the window at the familiar streets of An City passing by. This was the place where she had lived and grown up, where she had gone to school, fallen in love, and nearly gotten married. In the winter, An City was still as bustling as ever, but the pedestrians wore thick down jackets and hats of all kinds, looking somewhat hunched and cold. The trees lining the roads had shed many of their leaves—though not completely bare, they still gave off a desolate vibe in the pale winter sunlight.
Bai Cheng didn’t feel any strong attachment or homesickness. She couldn’t even discern if Lu Heng’s death or the fact that she had killed Ni Qiu with her own hands had impacted her more. It felt as though she had just woken from a violent, chaotic dream, with part of her soul still trapped in it.
Expressionless, she watched as the bustling cityscape gradually transitioned into the airport. Once they arrived, she got out of the car with her father and walked to the security checkpoint. Since there was still some time before her flight, she stayed with her father for a while longer near the security gate.
Meanwhile, at the police station, Luo Tian sat in his office. He knew Bai Cheng was flying out today, but he chose not to see her off, using the excuse of being too busy at work. Instead, he simply sent her a message on WeChat, “Safe travels, let me know when you’ve arrived.”
It’s often said that returning home can make one feel timid, but parting seems to stir up even more fear. Reluctant yet forced to say goodbye. Luo Tian sat in his office, flipping through the case files repeatedly, but by the time he realized it, he hadn’t taken in a single word. He didn’t even hear Da Liu call his name several times from the doorway.
Da Liu entered the room, only for Luo Tian to look up blankly, still dazed. Before he could speak, Da Liu cut him off with a teasing grin, “No worries, Captain Luo, I’ll go find Captain Fang. Seems like your heart has already flown off with Miss Bai, no point in trying to drag it back.”
With that, Da Liu quickly left. Luo Tian sighed, running a hand over his head, his brow furrowing deeply. He paced back and forth in his office like an ant on a hot pan for what felt like ten minutes before something seemed to click. He marched out of the office and headed straight to the tech department. Placing his hands on Chu Heng’s desk, he stared at him and said, “Grab your computer and come to my office.”
Without waiting for a reply, Luo Tian turned and walked off, leaving Chu Heng standing there bewildered. He exchanged confused looks with his coworkers, but with no choice, he brought his computer to Luo Tian’s office.
Before Chu Heng could ask anything, Luo Tian told him to sit down. “Your computer skills are the best in the station, right?”
“Well… I guess so,” Chu Heng replied hesitantly, still unsure of what was going on.
“I need you to hack into An City Airport’s surveillance system. I’m looking for someone.”
“Is this for a new case, Captain?” Chu Heng asked, still puzzled.
“No, it has nothing to do with a case. It’s a personal matter. A friend of mine is leaving the country today, and I want to see her.”
“Oh, you mean Miss Bai from last time? You know, if you rush to the airport now, you might still catch her. Or better yet, you could video call her. Hacking into the airport’s surveillance system just for this… you know, that’s technically illegal, right?”
“I know. Just hack in. I’ll deal with any consequences.”
“Alright…” Chu Heng said, reluctantly beginning to work on his computer.
“Do you know her flight number?” Chu Heng asked after a while.
“I don’t, but I know she’s flying to England.”
“There’s only one flight to England today, BA158. Based on the personal info Miss Bai left with us during that case, I can see she’s already checked in, but she hasn’t gone through security yet. She’s probably near the security gate now. I’ll pull up the camera feed.”
A moment later, Chu Heng turned the screen towards Luo Tian and said, “Here you go, Captain.”
Luo Tian saw Bai Cheng sitting beside her father, the two of them chatting.
“Do you want me to call someone who can read lips to figure out what they’re saying?” Chu Heng offered, noticing Luo Tian’s intense focus.
“No, this is fine.”
Luo Tian continued watching the screen. After a while, it seemed that it was almost time for Bai Cheng to board. She stood up to go through security. Her father, seeing her wave goodbye from the other side of the checkpoint, waved back in return.
Bai Cheng turned and walked towards the boarding gate, her figure soon disappearing from the camera view.
“Quick, switch to a view of the boarding gate,” Luo Tian instructed.
Chu Heng silently complied, adjusting the feed before handing the screen back to Luo Tian.
Luo Tian watched the boarding area until he finally saw Bai Cheng appear, lining up with the other passengers. Slowly, she moved closer to the boarding gate until she disappeared into the jet bridge. Luo Tian stared at the screen, watching until her figure was completely gone, then pushed the computer back to Chu Heng.
“Thanks. You can go now,” he said.
Chu Heng nodded and left the office, still carrying his laptop.
Luo Tian leaned back in his chair, his hands covering his head, fingers running through his hair in frustration. After a while, he let out a long sigh, slumping back into his seat, utterly drained.
