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The wristwatch was a gift she had carefully chosen with Chu Yi at the Friendship Mall just two days ago – a blue base adorned with sparkling diamonds, exuding elegance and serenity, perfectly suiting Zhou Fengxu's demeanor.

She had ordered it at first sight.

"I saw you smile, so I know you like it," Chu Yuening couldn't help but boast proudly. She knew her taste was impeccable.

"Thank you, I really do like it," Zhou Fengxu received it, clenching the box tightly as he felt his breath quicken from excitement.

Ning Ning looked stunning today, so much so that he dared not look at her too long.

Clearing his throat softly, he hastily averted his gaze, "Come on, let me take you to see Ren. There are many people from the major case department, and colleagues from the forensics unit are there too. It's quite lively."

Next to the mansion stood another row of attached villas.

Looking around, Chu Yuening asked, "Is this also part of your family's property?"

"It's my private residence, but I usually rent a place near the police station, so it's been vacant for a while," Zhou Fengxu courteously pushed open the large gate, his nervousness prompting him to instinctively pat his arm after closing it.

They entered the grand hall together.

Chu Yuening realized that in truly affluent households, their villas had expansive halls. As she ventured further in, she discovered a smaller salon transformed into a dance floor.

Upon approaching, the deafening music pierced her eardrums. She pressed her earlobes and noticed the flickering laser lights in the center of the hall, where numerous young men and women were dancing. To her surprise, there were quite a few familiar faces from the police department.

Even Superintendent Leung had shed his coat, swaying his arms to the beat of the music, his ample waist twisting along. He shouted with each sway.

A reputable superintendent, no less.

Unable to hold back, Chu Yuening covered her eyes and sighed, "This is unbearable to watch."

"Superintendent Leung has only two great passions," Zhou Fengxu chuckled, turning to gesture with two fingers, "One, dating. Two, dancing."

Not far from the dance floor was a set of exquisite leather sofas, with a bar counter laden with beer, spirits, and white wine. Most of the Major Crime Unit members were gathered there.

The men were in suits, while the women donned evening gowns.

In concentric circles, they formed a crowd, with Shi Boren at the center, facing off against Guo Xiao from Team C in an animated game of rock-paper-scissors.

"One dragon, brothers in harmony!"

"Three horses, four treasures, the leader, six-six-six..."

Applause followed, as Guo Xiao laughed excitedly.

"Wonderful! You lost again! Drink!"

Shi Boren, having lost the game, had no choice but to comply. He untied his tight necktie, picked up a bottle of imported liquor from the table, and drained it in one go. He then wiped his mouth and declared, "Come on, let's continue!"

As he glanced aside, he caught sight of Chu Yuening, dressed in a black evening gown. The multicolored neon lights illuminated her in the dim light, making Ning Ning seem to glow.

"Ning Ning? Wow, you look so beautiful." Shi Boren chuckled as he continued, "Look, with four men and one woman, you're the most gorgeous flower in Team D."

Luo Qizhong, sipping his milk tea, craned his neck to glance at Shi Yubing, who was chatting merrily with the Chief Inspector of the Public Relations Department in the farthest corner. He then turned back and commented, "Team D has two female Inspectors. Wouldn't it be inappropriate to call one of them 'the flower'?"

"Oh, right," Shi Boren realized, remembering Shi Yubing's formidable presence. He couldn't help but shiver, clapping his arms together to brush off imaginary goosebumps. "I almost forgot that there's also an Inspector in Team D."

Chu Yuening sat down on the sofa, her gaze curious as she looked towards the corner.

Outside, sunlight still shone, but the room was darkened by drawn curtains for ambiance. Officer Shi, with her short hair and red evening dress, exuded confidence as always. She stood by the window, engaged in a lively conversation with a young man in a suit.

Chu Yuening didn't miss the unmistakable tenderness in the young man's gaze as it lingered on Shi Yubing, nor did she overlook the swift and resolute Madam Shi reaching out to caress the side of the man's face.

Startled, she turned swiftly. "Officer Zhou, is Madam dating someone?"

"Um." Zhou Fengxu reached for an icy cola and sat down, his gaze following the scene. "It seems like they've been filming for a week already."

"Thanks to Inspector Liang's connection, what would you like to drink? Would an ice-cold Coke do?" After receiving Ning Ning's approval, Zhou Fengxu grabbed a can opener to pry open the glass bottle of Coke, inserted a straw into it, and presented it to Ning Ning.

Chu Yuening took a sip, savoring it, and couldn't help but commend it.

Cool and refreshing, it was indeed a perfect antidote to the scorching summer heat.

"Brother Xu."

Gan Yizu held a bottle of German beer, his eyes fixed on Shi Yubing as he chuckled. "Do you think Madam will be too occupied with her dating life to bother about us?"

"You wish," Chu Yuening chuckled discreetly. Before she could finish her sentence, Gan Yizu's eyes widened in surprise, causing him to stumble. The entire contents of the beer bottle spilled onto Chu Yuening's skirt.

The atmosphere suddenly turned quiet.

Gan Yizu climbed up from the ground with a dejected look, scanning his surroundings to find the culprit who had caused him to stumble. "I'm sorry, it wasn't intentional."

"No worries," Chu Yuening replied, unfazed. Before she could react, Zhou Fengxu had already grabbed a bunch of tissues and tossed them onto her skirt, helping to absorb the spilled alcohol.

"Come on, it'll be uncomfortable wearing a wet dress. I'll take you to change into something else." Zhou Fengxu stood up and led Chu Yuening into another room in the adjacent hall.

He rummaged through the closet for a while but found no clothes in smaller sizes, causing him to scratch his head in frustration.

"It's fine, this will do," Chu Yuening said, picking out a white T-shirt at random. Looking at the restless man, she was puzzled. "Zhou Fengxu, what's going on with you today? You seem so distracted?"

"I'm okay," Zhou Fengxu replied, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. He rubbed his forehead, still unable to hide his anxiety, and then let his hand fall. "Go ahead and change first."

With that, he considerately closed the door.

As he walked to another room to retrieve a large bouquet of flowers, his nervousness resurfaced. He paced back and forth, rehearsing what he wanted to say.

Worried about whether Ning Ning would accept him, if he were to reveal his feelings and she didn't reciprocate, how would he control his heart that had already stirred? How could he retreat back to just being good friends?