Chapter 126 03

Chapter 126.03

The next day marked the end of their sick leave, and both were due back at the Municipal Bureau.

For the past few days, Li Shang had been drowsy every morning, roused by He Lin, who had already prepared breakfast. Even during meals, he hadn’t fully come to.

But on this particular morning, despite He Lin setting an alarm, it was Li Shang who dragged him out from under the covers.

"Hurry up, time to walk the dog."

Still bleary-eyed, He Lin didn’t immediately recall when they had acquired a dog. He rolled over to check his phone—it was five minutes before the alarm was set to go off.

He Lin gave Li Shang a somewhat resentful look, pulling the covers over his head to avoid facing the day, only for Li Shang to yank them off again.

Under Li Shang’s impatient gaze, He Lin resignedly got up.

While choosing clothes from the wardrobe, He Lin secretly grumbled: *How does this guy muster so much enthusiasm just for going to work?*

By then, Li Shang had already gotten ready and changed into sportswear, looking quite energetic. Since his bangs were too long and bothersome, he wore a headband. The slightly long hair paired with the headband gave him a youthful vibe.

He stood by the bed with his arms crossed, watching He Lin put on his clothes one piece at a time.

Under such a scrutinizing gaze, He Lin felt a sense of pressure and dressed twice as fast as usual.

Although they had a treadmill at home, it always felt somewhat lacking compared to the actual experience of running outdoors.

Li Shang said seriously, "I prefer night runs, but if you like morning runs, I can adapt. After all, running together is more fun than running alone. So, hurry up, don’t keep me waiting."

As he spoke, he did a few stretching exercises.

After He Lin quickly washed up, the two went downstairs and ran laps around the neighborhood.

It was already January. Winters in Yuncheng weren’t particularly cold; only a few trees had shed their leaves, while the shrubs remained lush and green.

The sky was clear with no rain today, and the air was fresh—perfect weather for running.

When they first started, He Lin considered Li Shang’s recent recovery and planned to run slower to accommodate his condition. After all, the point of running together was to be together—what would it look like if he dashed off alone? Moreover, leaving Li Shang too far behind would be impolite.

But as soon as they went downstairs, before He Lin could even feel proud of his considerate thinking, Li Shang zoomed off and disappeared from sight.

He Lin stared in the direction Li Shang had gone, momentarily speechless.

*How great—some people cheer without a car, others walk dogs without the dog… He had never seen anyone sprint ahead while "walking the dog," leaving the dog behind.*

He Lin sighed and resignedly chased after him. After nearly a full lap around the complex, he finally caught up with Li Shang, who was waiting for him while jogging in place.

Seeing He Lin arrive late, Li Shang curled his lips into a slightly smug smile, sly as a mischievous kitten that had just pulled off a prank.

The easily swayed He Lin felt as though his soul had been hooked by that smile. All the words he had meant to say, complaining about being left behind, were completely forgotten.

At the same time, He Lin came to a realization: hard work can’t beat talent, and even less so when talent is paired with hard work. Even while injured, Li Shang’s speed was something few could match.

Finally, He Lin panted, "Dude, slow down. You just got out of the hospital a few days ago—don’t act like nothing happened."

Li Shang touched his chest; his breathing and heartbeat were still normal. "I feel fine, it’s already been half a month." Then he muttered quietly, "I’m already running much slower than before." In his view, he was taking it easy.

He Lin’s recently regulated breathing hitched again. For a moment, he was at a loss for words, unsure whether to feel sorry for Li Shang or for himself first.

Li Shang’s body, though lean, was light. His long legs and agile build made his running posture graceful, with steady breathing and stride rhythm.

He Lin adjusted his pace and rhythm several times before finally keeping up behind him.

After completing a lap, Li Shang looked at He Lin: "You started off a bit slow. Have you been doing your rehab on time lately?"

He Lin replied matter-of-factly: "My leg injury hasn’t fully healed yet."

"You shouldn’t have hidden from me and applied medicine by yourself," Li Shang glanced at him. "We’ll make some bone broth later to nourish it."

He Lin: "…" He quickened his pace to catch up with Li Shang. "If you want pork rib soup, just say so."

"And didn’t we agree to run together?" He Lin ran alongside him, a hint of grievance in his tone. "Weren’t you the one who said running together is more fun than running alone? How could you forget right after saying it? You ran so fast all by yourself, completely ignoring me…"

Li Shang hummed in acknowledgment and slowed his pace. His gaze paused on a community slogan nearby, then he turned to He Lin with a smile. "Next time, I’ll find a rope."

He Lin followed his gaze and saw eight large characters: "Walk dogs civilly, don’t forget the leash."

He Lin: "…"

.

The two returned home, washed off their sweat, ate breakfast, changed clothes, and then went to work.

Their team members were overjoyed to see them back, as if reuniting with family—they were almost at the point of hugging their legs and crying.

There had been some changes in the department. Li Shang’s succulent plants, taken care of by Cheng Xiaoyi, had grown a few more leaves.

Additionally, He Lin found that they could no longer access the missing persons archives.

Lao Wu explained: "The Municipal Bureau’s archives room has upgraded to a higher security system—now it’s the latest facial recognition technology. Last week, a tech company came with equipment to scan everyone’s faces at the bureau. If you missed it, you’ll have to go there later to get scanned."

He Lin took the business card handed to him by Wu Yunsheng and saw it was from a company called Yunwei Tuozhi Technology. He commented, "Now if you have any injuries on your face, you can’t enter the residential complex, can’t access mobile banking, and can’t even do police work." Then he asked, "Whose face is currently used for access?"

Wu Yunsheng pushed Fang Jue forward: "We’re temporarily using Xiao Fang’s."

He Lin said, "Alright, we’ll make do with his for now."

He called Fang Jue over. Fang Jue stood facing the door and shouted, "Open sesame."

The archives room door opened in response.

He Lin whispered quietly to Li Shang, "This really is opening doors with a loudspeaker…"

After resolving this issue, they got to work.

Although Lao Wu had been regularly updating He Lin on recent cases, and He Lin had provided guidance at critical points, having a leader present was different from not having one. Many minor tasks weren’t convenient to ask about online.

Everyone had accumulated some tricky problems, and they all started reporting at once.

He Lin directly gathered the whole team into the conference room.

They worked together, addressing issues one by one.

He Lin came up with ideas, straightened out investigation approaches, supplemented procedures, and moved things forward.

Li Shang, on the other hand, was responsible for proofreading various documents and materials, his expression focused and serious.

Tasks that had been difficult to advance in the department suddenly progressed smoothly.

The morning passed, and work wasn’t finished yet. They went to the cafeteria for lunch, took a short break, and continued.

The afternoon meeting lasted two hours. As they reviewed the remaining work, with about a small portion left, Li Shang was about to continue when He Lin suddenly said, "Everyone has worked hard. Let’s take a break first. We’ll continue in twenty minutes."

Li Shang was about to say something when He Lin took the documents from his hand.

He Lin took the file and closed it for him, saying, "Balance work and rest; the work is never-ending. If you don’t rest, others still need to. Stand up, stretch, and get some sun."

Seeing the others already getting up and stretching as they left their seats, Li Shang held back his words and also stood up to loosen his stiff joints.

Then a thermos cup was pressed into Li Shang’s hand. He unscrewed the lid, and the fragrant sweetness of longan, red dates, and goji berries wafted out. He had no idea when He Lin had brewed it for him.

Li Shang didn’t protest further. His shoulders relaxed as he lowered his head to drink. The goji berry water was sweet and just the right temperature.

After he finished, He Lin took the cup away and took out a throat lozenge from his pocket. He was about to hand it to Li Shang but paused as if remembering something. Then he quickly unwrapped it and, holding it by the wrapper, offered it to Li Shang.

Li Shang reached out to take it, but He Lin suddenly pulled back, not actually letting go. Confused, Li Shang looked up and met He Lin’s smiling eyes.

In that instant, Li Shang understood.

But...

Li Shang quickly scanned the room. Everyone else had already left; only he and He Lin remained, and there were no cameras. He then stepped forward, opened his mouth, and took the candy from He Lin’s hand, swiftly taking it with his tongue before quickly stepping back as if nothing had happened.

He Lin was clearly dissatisfied with this cautious behavior. He stepped forward assertively, cornering Li Shang against the desk, and under the table, he squeezed Li Shang’s hand, finding it a bit cold.

Li Shang was so startled by He Lin’s bold move that goosebumps rose. He gave He Lin a warning glance to behave. Just as Li Shang was about to snap, He Lin somehow produced a warm pack, opened it and folded it into a small square, and placed it in Li Shang’s palm.

He Lin smiled lightly. "They’ve all gone to rest and won’t be back until break is over. You’re always so tense—it makes me seem like I’m some kind of embarrassment."

Li Shang turned away, ignoring him.

Only when he felt the warmth from the warm pack gradually reaching his heart did Li Shang reply teasingly, "Isn’t it because Captain He has such a well-known reputation? So many people have come seeking you out before."

He Lin had almost forgotten about that. At first, he was taken aback by Li Shang’s remark, but he quickly recovered and said smugly, "You have a point. How about I just keep you in my pocket? If any random people come recommending themselves, you can help me scare them off."

Just as Li Shang was about to retort, they heard the others returning from their break. The two quickly separated. He Lin returned to his seat, pretending to be busy, while Li Shang typed busily at his keyboard.

As soon as Fang Jue stepped into the office, he felt the vibe was different from when he left. He asked innocently, "Captain He, Brother Li, what were you two talking about just now?"

Li Shang continued typing without responding. Fang Jue glanced at him for a moment before turning his gaze to He Lin, who only said, "Grown-ups talking—kids shouldn’t ask too many questions..."

This was followed by open laughter from Lao Wu and Cheng Xiaoyi, lightening the mood a little.

Since it wasn’t yet time to resume the meeting, everyone took the opportunity to make small talk.

Lao Wu remarked, "Time flies. I remember Li Shang started working here in the summer, and now it’s almost the New Year in less than a month—a full six months."

Cheng Xiaoyi asked with a smile, "How are you spending the New Year this year? I’ve already bought tickets for a trip." In previous years, she had wanted to travel but could never decide. After this case, she finally learned to live in the moment.

Fang Jue added, "Brother Li, Captain He, you have no idea how much I missed you. While you were away, I couldn’t even eat."

Cheng Xiaoyi called him out: "Come on, wasn’t it because the kitchen got a new cook?"

"Ah? Really? I thought my taste buds were failing," Fang Jue scratched his nose. "Or maybe it’s just been too long since I had a good meal."

Catching the underlying message, He Lin said, "Well, since the New Year is almost here, how about we get together for a meal? But..." He paused, then posed a pointed question, "It’s the end of the year. The holiday is less than a month away. Have you finished your personal summaries? Completed your comprehensive evaluations on ethics, competence, diligence, performance, and integrity? Prepared for the year-end fitness test?"

"Ah..." The meeting room instantly filled with groans.

Fang Jue clutched his head and cried, "Just seeing the words ‘year-end summary’ gives me nightmares already."

Only after speaking did he realize what he’d said. Trying to recover, he added, "I’m even using inverted sentences now—I’m that scared..."

The topic shifted as the others began discussing how to write their year-end summaries.

He Lin turned to Li Shang with a smile. "Compared to them, you have an additional assignment."

Li Shang replied calmly, "I know. I’ll finish the department summary as soon as possible."

He Lin thought to himself: *Huh, how come he acts so differently in front of others versus in private...*

Seeing everyone’s attention elsewhere, He Lin leaned in again, pressing his head close to Li Shang’s ear. In a spot hidden from view, he whispered softly, "I still have annual leave. Let’s take a few extra days off for the New Year. You choose a place—think about where you’d like to travel."

A hint of interest crossed Li Shang’s otherwise calm eyes, as if he was genuinely tempted by the suggestion. He tilted his head and asked, "Do I get to decide?"

He Lin nodded. "Of course." He lowered his voice even further, his breath tickling Li Shang’s neck. "Let’s go on our honeymoon..."

Li Shang’s eyebrow twitched slightly. "Honeymoon"—the word sounded too enticing, as sweet as being dipped in honey.

Should they go to a tropical beach, enjoy the seaside, visit an ancient city’s lantern festival with its red lanterns, or soak in hot springs and admire the snow?

These were all trips He Lin had once held him and planned together—vast worlds to explore freely, the kind of life Rong Qing had once yearned for.

But to Li Shang, those places seemed too beautiful, so beautiful it frightened him. Just imagining them made him hesitate; even if he went, he wouldn’t be able to enjoy them with peace of mind.

After making his suggestion, He Lin straightened up, pleased to see the tips of Li Shang’s ears tinged red.

But soon, the redness faded, replaced by a pale calm.

Li Shang snapped back to reality and replied softly, "Let me think about it."

He was noncommittal.

Before He Lin could figure out what he meant, Li Shang turned away, cleared his throat, and said earnestly, "Time’s up, everyone. Let’s take your seats and continue the meeting."