"Xu Feng, we were classmates for four years in college, and now we're colleagues. I think you know that I really value this bond—we've known each other for seven years. I don't want to lose you as a friend," Dongfang Qing said gently.
Xu Feng stayed silent. He understood perfectly well what she meant.
"We've been old classmates and friends, and we are now, and will always be in the future. I also know you like me, but feelings can't be forced. I've never talked to you about this before, but I hope you understand—don't waste your time on me. You can find someone better," Dongfang Qing continued.
Hearing this, Xu Feng's mind went into chaos. As for what she said afterward, he didn't even register it. The person he had pursued for seven years was still slipping through his fingers. He was unwilling—truly unwilling. Why had it come to this? Why had she rejected him again and again?
"Xu Feng, Yun Hai and Fang Ya are getting married soon. Invite Zhou Jun, and let's all go together," Dongfang Qing said, trying to use the opportunity to repair their friendship.
"I know," Xu Feng replied, his tone filled with reluctance.
"I'll ask for leave today. Their wedding is in just a few days—let's go early. After all, we're classmates; it'll be nice to get together sooner. I plan to take the train. It'll take two days, but we can relax on the way. Also, I'll bring Aotian with me." Dongfang Qing took a deep breath.
When Xu Feng heard the name "Aotian" come out of her mouth, his expression instantly changed. He wished he could devour this man called Shi Aotian. In his eyes, it was entirely because of him that Dongfang Qing had become like this. But he kept it all hidden, simply answering softly, "I know. I'll ask for leave today as well, and I'll contact Zhou Jun later. You get ready—we'll leave the day after tomorrow."
Dongfang Qing smiled, finally feeling relieved. She thought Xu Feng had untangled the knot in his heart and that things would be easier from now on. But in reality, it was the opposite. Xu Feng was a narrow-minded man, often self-centered, quick to blame others for his misfortunes. He was convinced everything was Shi Aotian's doing, and he was determined to take revenge—just without letting Dongfang Qing know. He believed that one day, he would have her.
After they parted ways, Dongfang Qing applied to the school for a week's leave, starting the next day. She handed all her work over to a teacher from her dorm and gave instructions to her class leaders. In the afternoon, she left the school with peace of mind and returned to her rented apartment.
Shi Aotian hadn't gone out, and Dongfang Qing told him her plans. For Shi Aotian, leaving the city for a while was perfect—it meant leaving the mess for those clueless police to clean up. He fully agreed to attend her classmate's wedding with her.
The next day, Dongfang Qing and Shi Aotian went shopping for all the necessary supplies. Thoughtful as ever, she also bought him a perfectly fitted suit. With his physique, wearing a suit and neatly styled hair, he looked every bit the aristocrat, a presence that left Dongfang Qing utterly enchanted. Of course, she paid for everything herself, unaware that Shi Aotian actually had 100,000 yuan in pocket money. He deliberately kept this a secret to avoid unnecessary trouble.
After a full day of shopping, they finally returned to their place and began packing all kinds of luggage, big and small. Tomorrow would be the day they left the city. That night, Dongfang Qing didn't return to the school but stayed at Shi Aotian's place. It was a small one-bedroom apartment, but more than enough for two people to sleep in.
Dongfang Qing felt conflicted inside. She truly hoped something would happen between her and Shi Aotian that night, but he—who had always treated her like an older sister—insisted on sleeping on the floor, giving her the bed. This left Dongfang Qing feeling a little disappointed. She didn't understand what was on his mind, nor did she want to ask—because she knew that if Shi Aotian wanted to tell her, he naturally would.
That night, Dongfang Qing drifted off to sleep breathing in the faint scent of Shi Aotian in the air, finding it wonderfully pleasant and comforting.
Lying on the floor, Shi Aotian couldn't fall asleep for a long time. He began to miss Shennongjia, and to miss his master. His master was now the only family he had left. Having been away for a while, he wondered if his master's life was still the same as before.
Everything Shi Aotian had today was thanks to his master. Even if, in the future, his master asked him to stay in Shennongjia for the rest of his life, he would gladly do so. What he hoped for even more was that Mo Junyan could find the murderer soon, so he could complete his mission of revenge.
The night was so still and quiet.
The next morning, Dongfang Qing was woken by Xu Feng's phone call. Glancing at her watch, it wasn't even six o'clock yet. She couldn't help but groan in protest.
"Hello? This early? Are you trying to kill me?"
"I've already bought the train tickets—8 o'clock departure. I wanted to remind you so you won't miss it," Xu Feng urged over the phone.
"I know. Let's meet at the station at 7:30," Dongfang Qing replied, yawning, before hanging up. She looked toward the floor, only to find that Shi Aotian was gone.
She jumped up in a panic and ran to the living room, only to see Shi Aotian sitting quietly on a stool, the luggage already packed beside him.
"Morning," Shi Aotian greeted her.
Dongfang Qing let out a sigh of relief. "Morning. Why are you up so early? I thought you'd changed your mind and decided not to come with me—just left on your own."
"I always keep my word," Shi Aotian said as he stood up. "I couldn't sleep, so I got up to check the luggage and see if we'd forgotten anything."
In truth, the real reason he got up so early was to secretly put the money and watch Mo Junyan had given him into the luggage while Dongfang Qing was still asleep. Saying he was checking the luggage was just an excuse.
Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Dongfang Qing smiled. "Didn't expect you to be so meticulous. Wait here for me—I'll go freshen up. The train station isn't that close." With that, she quickly slipped into the bathroom.
When it came to getting ready, women were always the most time-consuming. After washing up, there was still makeup to be done, and by the time she finished, a full hour had passed. Luckily, Shi Aotian was a man of patience; otherwise, he would have been fuming long ago. After all, they had a train to catch, yet she still took her time. But then again, the love of beauty is human nature—especially so for women.
Once everything was ready, the two of them grabbed their luggage and headed out. By the time they reached the train station, it was already 7:40. From a distance, Dongfang Qing spotted Xu Feng and Zhou Jun waiting anxiously at the entrance, and she felt a pang of guilt. She instinctively quickened her pace, pulling Shi Aotian along by the hand.
"Sorry to keep you waiting so long," Dongfang Qing said apologetically when they finally appeared in front of them.
"Oh, we just got here too, it's fine," Xu Feng replied with a forced smile. Anyone could tell it was a lie—one look at the cigarette butts on the ground was enough to know they'd been there for quite a while.
At that moment, Shi Aotian's cold gaze locked on Xu Feng. Xu Feng was well aware of it, but still tried—consciously or not—to avoid eye contact.
Dongfang Qing understood the tension immediately and felt the atmosphere turn awkward. She hadn't told Shi Aotian beforehand that they would be traveling with Xu Feng because she was afraid he might change his mind and refuse to go. To be safe, she had kept it from him, planning to explain later.
"Anyway, let's head in. It's about time," Dongfang Qing said, breaking the awkward silence as she pulled Shi Aotian forward.
Xu Feng and Zhou Jun didn't say anything, simply following behind them. It was Zhou Jun's first time seeing this man Xu Feng often spoke of—Shi Aotian. He found him cold, with an unshakable aura of ruthlessness and intimidation, the kind that radiated from deep within. His eyes alone gave off an icy chill.
For Xu Feng, seeing Shi Aotian again was like a mouse seeing a cat. The marks on his neck from being grabbed two days ago were still there, but inside, he was far from submissive—he was already scheming to find the right moment to get back at him.
By the time the four entered the station, there wasn't much time left, so they hurried inside.
"We're in the sleeper car, Car 18, near the back," Xu Feng called out from behind.
Just then, a flood of passengers surged toward the platform entrance like a crazed tide, catching the four of them completely off guard. In moments, the massive crowd had separated them. Fortunately, Dongfang Qing had been holding Shi Aotian's hand the whole time, so the two of them weren't separated. Xu Feng and Zhou Jun, however, were nowhere to be seen in the chaos. The station was filled with noise and shouting, but at least Xu Feng had told them the carriage number earlier—otherwise, they wouldn't even know where to find him. Especially since all the tickets were in Xu Feng's possession.
Amid the bustle, Dongfang Qing and Shi Aotian finally made it to Car 18, where Xu Feng and Zhou Jun were already waiting at the door. It seemed everything had worked out after all.
Not long after they boarded, the train began to move, and everyone let out a breath of relief. They stowed their luggage and found their bunks.
It had been a long time since any of them had taken a train, and they couldn't help but feel a bit excited. One by one, they made their way to the seats by the window to watch the scenery outside.
"Can't believe how packed the trains are these days. Good thing we're in the sleeper car—otherwise, there wouldn't even be room to stand. Did you see that crowd earlier? That was terrifying," Zhou Jun was the first to start chatting.
Dongfang Qing glanced at him and agreed, "Yeah, there really were a lot of people."
Compared to three years ago, Zhou Jun looked much more worn-out. The cigarette in his hand never seemed to leave his fingers, his appearance was unkempt, and deep dark circles framed his eyes—it was clear these past three years had not been kind to him. He had never been able to move on from the shadow of his breakup. Zhou Jun had loved his former girlfriend so deeply that even after graduation, he couldn't bring himself to leave the city where they had been together. Every day, he threw himself into writing at his computer, trying to recapture fragments of their happier times.
"You still can't let her go?" Dongfang Qing finally spoke, looking at Zhou Jun's haggard face.
Xu Feng gave a bitter smile, took a hard drag on his cigarette, shook his head, and said with a deep breath, "Let's not talk about me. Tell me about you guys instead."
Dongfang Qing didn't want to bring up Zhou Jun's painful past any further. She turned to the man beside her, who was staring blankly out the window, and smiled. "Let me formally introduce him—Shi Aotian. My boyfriend."
Shi Aotian, still lost in thought, hadn't heard a word she said. He was remembering the time ten years ago when he fled by train, as if he had been transported back to that very moment. He could still see himself gazing at the scenery outside, looking so small, so helpless. Everything from his old life had ended on that train journey. From that day on, he was no longer Shi Kai—he was Shi Aotian, a man of vengeance.
"Hello, I'm Zhou Jun," Zhou Jun said, taking the initiative to extend his hand.
Seeing that Shi Aotian was still in a daze, Dongfang Qing nudged him with her shoulder. Shi Aotian snapped back to the present, noticed the extended hand, and replied calmly, "Hello. Shi Aotian."
The moment their hands met, Zhou Jun could tell this was no ordinary man—Shi Aotian's grip was firm and powerful, and his palms were thickly calloused. Even professional athletes rarely had calluses that heavy; in fact, his hands were completely covered with them. What they didn't know was that these were the result of years of grueling training in hand-to-hand combat. With these hands, Shi Aotian could split solid rock as easily as slicing tofu.
After the introductions, Xu Feng still avoided looking directly at Shi Aotian. The incident from last time had frightened him—he knew that in a head-on clash, he wouldn't stand a chance. All he could do was bide his time, waiting for the right moment to deliver a fatal blow.
After glancing at the scenery outside for a while, Xu Feng and the others eventually lost interest and headed back into the carriage. Only Shi Aotian stayed behind, staring blankly at the trees rushing past.
Dongfang Qing assumed he was upset about her not telling him beforehand that Xu Feng would be traveling with them. Feeling guilty, she took his hand gently and asked, "Are you mad at me?"
Shi Aotian wasn't the petty type, and he hadn't given it a second thought. Without turning away from the window, he shook his head and said quietly, "I just want to be alone for a bit. You go inside and rest."
It was obvious to anyone that he had something on his mind. Dongfang Qing didn't press further and quietly left, returning to the carriage. She was sure something was troubling him—maybe it was Xu Feng, maybe not—but she could see clearly that he wasn't happy, and that inside, he was struggling.
On the train, Shi Aotian remained silent, often lost in thought. Several times, tears welled up in his eyes, though no one noticed. His pain was something that words could never express. He had completely severed all ties to his past—no one knew he was Shi Kai's son. Even Li Minjun wouldn't recognize him now. All that remained in his heart was hatred. Ten years ago, he had hated everyone and everything.
While Shi Aotian and Dongfang Qing were leaving Z City to attend Yun Hai's wedding, Yang Zihua arrived in the city with Xiao Wang. Acting on orders from Bureau Chief Qu, they had been sent there specifically to investigate a recent murder case. Due to the brutality of the crime, higher authorities were paying close attention and had ordered them to solve it as quickly as possible.
They were met by Meng Yiping, captain of the Z City Criminal Investigation Division. After a brief introduction, the shared profession quickly broke the ice between them.
Meng Yiping, knowing why they were there, didn't dare to be negligent and immediately brought them to the station for a meeting.
"I've already heard about what happened in your city—it's made national headlines," Yang Zihua said, opening with a pointed remark.
Meng Yiping could only sigh helplessly and say, "Things haven't been peaceful lately. This killer is a real professional — even now, we haven't caught him."
"That's exactly why I came here," Yang Zihua got straight to the point. "About half a month ago, our city had a similar case. The method of operation was shockingly alike, and I suspect it was done by the same person." He took a case file from his folder and handed it to Meng Yiping, continuing, "There were three victims. All of them had their carotid arteries severed by a sharp weapon and died from excessive blood loss. This killer is no ordinary criminal — he's exceptionally brutal."
Meng Yiping furrowed his brow as he carefully examined the files and photos, lit a cigarette unconsciously, and said, "It's very likely the same person. Let's run a technical analysis later. I think we can merge the cases for investigation."
With that, he brought out all the materials on the homicide cases in Z City. Except for the methods used in the cases involving Yue San and Liu Tian, the rest were strikingly similar — especially the photos of Xiao Wu and others under Yue San's command in the abandoned factory, which were extremely gory.
The sight made Xiao Wang's stomach churn; he almost vomited on the spot.
"Is this even human? I've never seen anything so bloody before — the entire floor was stained red with blood, and the walls were splattered all over. Captain Yang, compared to this, the three victims in our city…" Xiao Wang couldn't bear to look any longer. He put down the photos and swallowed hard to fight back the sour taste in his throat.
"Heh, you're not the first to think that way. Look at this young lady here — she just graduated and has been following me on the job. The first time I brought her to a scene, she threw up several times," Meng Yiping said, nudging Xia Ji beside him to lighten the mood.
Hearing that, everyone chuckled. Xia Ji blushed and cast an embarrassed glance at Captain Meng, her eyes full of quiet reproach.
Finally, they discussed the other details of the case and decided to conduct a joint, comprehensive investigation, vowing to catch the killer.
After several long hours on the road, they finally arrived at Yun Hai's hometown. It was a beautiful coastal city — QD City — located in D Province, famous as a tourist destination and known as a land of outstanding people.
As soon as they stepped out of the train station, they saw Yun Hai and Fang Ya, whom they hadn't met in years, anxiously waiting at the exit. From a distance, Dongfang Qing waved and called out, "Fang Ya! Yun Hai!"
Old friends who had been apart for so many years were finally reunited. Everyone was overjoyed and naturally had a lot to say to one another. Poor Shi Aotian was instantly left standing on the sidelines.
They cheerfully got into Yun Hai's "private car." Only then did Yun Hai and Fang Ya realize there was a stranger among them.