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“An Qing?” Lin Xian raised his eyebrows in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

They were in a restricted area of the Donghai City Public Security Bureau, dedicated to the Xu Yun case—a place usually off-limits to the public.

Then it clicked for Lin Xian. Chu An Qing was Chu Shan He’s daughter, and he had considerable influence in the bureau. It made sense that she could easily gain entry here. There were likely very few places in Donghai City that could keep her out.

“My dad said you’ve been working late and might have missed dinner, so I brought you guys some food. Eating on time is important!” she declared, stepping into the room. She placed a stack of lunch boxes filled with beautifully prepared dishes in front of Lin Xian.

“Wow, lucky us…” Ji Lin muttered, eyeing the food enviously.

“There’s one for you too!” Chu An Qing announced, handing another meal to Ji Lin and giving them both chopsticks. “Dig in!”

“Thanks a lot,” Ji Lin said, clearly touched. He was surprised she thought of him, especially since they had only met once at a holiday party. Without hesitation, he started eating.

Lin Xian didn’t start eating immediately. Instead, he got up, grabbed a disposable cup, and poured her some hot water. “How did you manage to get here so late?”

“The driver dropped me off,” Chu An Qing replied with a smile. “Eat up before it gets cold!”

Lin Xian nodded, picked up his chopsticks, and joined Ji Lin in eating. The food tasted familiar—it was definitely Su Xiu Ying’s cooking. She had a special touch with rice, making it perfectly textured, neither too dry nor too sticky, and somehow more flavorful than usual.

“This is amazing,” Ji Lin said, swallowing a bite. “Did you cook this? It’s excellent. You’d make a great wife and mom one day.”

“Really? I helped my mom with it!” Chu An Qing beamed with pride.

“What part did you help with?” Ji Lin asked, curious.

“I washed the veggies and set the table!”

“Hmm…” Ji Lin continued eating, then added, “Well, those are important tasks too.”

Lin Xian chuckled softly. He admired Ji Lin’s sharp mind, but even Ji Lin seemed slightly taken aback by Chu An Qing’s straightforward response.

“I’m learning to cook,” Chu An Qing added, blushing a bit. “Next time, come over for dinner. I’ll cook just for you! And, my birthday party is in a few days, on March 28th! I’m inviting some friends. Lin Xian, you should definitely come!”

“Your birthday party…” Lin Xian thought aloud. He hadn’t really celebrated his own birthday in years. It had just passed on March 20th, marked only by automated messages from banks.

“Don’t you celebrate with your family?” Lin Xian asked her.

Chu An Qing shook her head. “Up until I was 18, yes. But then, my dad suggested I start making my own plans. Now I organize my own parties and invite my friends!”

Her eyes sparkled with excitement about her independence in hosting her own birthday bash. “I was going to invite you soon. My parents gave me a villa for the party. It’ll just be us young folks, some classmates of mine too. Everyone’s excited about you coming!”

“Can I join as well?” Ji Lin asked before Lin Xian could respond.

“Absolutely! The more, the merrier!” Chu An Qing grinned, her eyes lighting up.

“Friends…” Ji Lin repeated, glancing at Lin Xian. He only asked because he wanted to look out for Lin Xian. If An Qing was okay with it, he saw no reason to stop Lin Xian from going. Clearly, she liked him. After enjoying her hospitality, refusing her invitation would be rude.

Friends were rare in Ji Lin’s life; his sister and Xu Yun were the only ones he’d ever really considered friends, and they had both disappeared early in his life.

Lin Xian sighed softly and smiled. “If you’re free, let’s go. It’d be rude to ignore such kindness.”

“Alright,” Ji Lin agreed, stacking up the empty boxes. “And we should pick out a birthday gift for you too.”

“Really?” An Qing’s smile grew even brighter. “I can’t wait! But honestly, just having you there is enough. Gifts aren’t important.”

“No, a gift is a must,” Ji Lin insisted earnestly. “When I was younger, Xu Yun always gave me presents. After he was gone, no one else did. It might sound trivial, but I often hoped for just a ‘Happy Birthday’ or a simple gift. It got pretty lonely.”

“Oh…” Chu An Qing’s eyes widened, touched by his sentiment. “Then let’s make a promise. We’ll always exchange gifts on our birthdays, so at least we’ll get two each year!”

“Every birthday…” Lin Xian chuckled. “How long will we keep this up?”

“Forever!” Chu An Qing declared, her dimples showing. “As long as we’re friends, we’ll celebrate together, every single year!”

Ji Lin looked at their clasped hands. “I hope I get to celebrate many more with you.”

He turned to Lin Xian. “When’s your birthday?”

“March 20th,” Lin Xian answered.

“It’s already passed…” Ji Lin shook his head, a bit disappointed.

“And yours, Ji Lin? When is it?” An Qing asked.

“May 3rd.”

“Perfect! We have time to plan. Lin Xian and I will make up for all the missed gifts over the years!”

Ji Lin glanced at the calendar on the desk, noting the upcoming operation with the two rogue scientists and the impostor set for April 12th. If Lin Xian’s skill at foreseeing and altering future events held true, Ji Lin wondered if he’d even make it to his next birthday.

“Will you get me a birthday gift?” Ji Lin asked Lin Xian directly.

Lin Xian glanced at the calendar. Just over a month till May 3rd. How long would their dangerous game last? When would they collect enough evidence to take down their enemies?

He hoped to resolve everything before May 3rd, allowing him to leave sincere gifts at Xu Yun and Tang Xin’s graves.

“Of course,” Lin Xian replied, not wanting to dampen the mood.

“Thanks in advance,” Ji Lin said, looking forward to it.

After chatting for a bit longer, An Qing had to leave. Lin Xian helped her pack up and walked her out to her car. Ji Lin waved goodbye and returned to his desk.

He picked up the black notebook Lin Xian had left behind on his first day, calling it his ‘death note’ jokingly. Opening it, Ji Lin found notes about Lin Xian’s work, a handwritten copy of his university lecture, and details about Xu Yun’s career, including graduation dates.

These notes confirmed Lin Xian was also investigating Xu Yun’s murder. That’s why Ji Lin had previously asked him if he knew the name Ji Xin Shui, Xu Yun’s mentor, during a late-night conversation.

Lin Xian had admitted knowing the name and its significance.

“Lin Xian…” Ji Lin murmured, flipping through the pages. “Have you seen through my trap, or have I misjudged you?”

So far, Ji Lin had found no evidence supporting his suspicions about Lin Xian. Despite probing, Lin Xian had remained open and trustworthy.

Ji Lin eyed the calendar: April 12th and May 3rd were circled.

“Please don’t be the one…” He muttered, pulling out a sketch from the back of the notebook. The drawing showed a girl with dimples and a mole near her left eye—Chu An Qing, who had just invited him to her birthday.

“What gift should I get her?”