Prologue

The air in the interrogation room was stale and heavy. Months of confinement had caused a thin layer of white mist to form on the windows, creating a hazy veil. Despite being in the month of May, the weather was unusually cold.

The stark contrast between the frigid outdoors and the sheltered interior provoked a delicate dance of condensation upon the glass, etching delicate trails and fissures upon its surface. Looking out from the inside, the world was shrouded in darkness, devoid of any starlight.

The conditions here were neither good nor bad, but considering it was an interrogation room, leaving the air conditioning on was already a somewhat humane gesture. 

Since her detention, she had been interrogated no less than ten times, yet the outcome was always the same—no one could pry a single substantial answer from her lips. 

Everyone had grown weary of this woman who seemed indifferent to right and wrong, constantly putting on a show. However, they persisted unwaveringly, and she, too, held her ground.

Today, she could still enjoy a cup of coffee, thanks to the presence of this important figure across from her.

Xu Qingyan’s face remained expressionless. The pale and emaciated countenance revealed none of the usual signs of anxiety displayed by suspects. Apart from the weariness accumulated from prolonged pressure, the composure she possessed had advanced to a state of numbness. 

Xu Qingyan silently lowered her gaze, fixating on the disposable cup. Her hands were restrained by handcuffs, but she managed to rotate the paper cup with slight effort. She had already consumed half of the instant coffee in the cup, while the remaining half had long gone cold.

The prolonged silence cast a peculiar atmosphere upon the room. The sound emanating from the air conditioning vent seemed to grow louder, provoking the tiny restless elements lurking in the air.

Faced with Xu Qingyan’s unwavering silence, Cao Jin couldn’t help but feel a twinge of unease. The Xu Qingyan he knew appeared ordinary on the surface, but possessed an unwavering strength within. Extracting information from her mouth was indeed a daunting task, no wonder his colleagues had all been defeated.

However, he believed he was different.

Leaning forward slightly, Cao Jin clenched his fist, attempting to maintain his patience as he said to Xu Qingyan, “You can be honest with me. There’s no need to be afraid. If he threatens you, I can protect you and your family.”

Xu Qingyan didn’t even lift her eyelids, continuing to rotate the paper cup.

“Are you really going to take it upon yourself? Do you know the consequences?” 

Just as Cao Jin was about to reason with her, Xu Qingyan suddenly spoke in a low voice, “I just happened to be there.”

She had already repeated this sentence at least ten times. She wasn’t bothered by it, but they were utterly fed up with hearing it.

Cao Jin took a deep breath and looked at her impassive face as he asked, “Do you think I would believe in such a coincidence? There must be something there that you know, otherwise, with your personality, you wouldn’t have gone.”

Xu Qingyan lowered her head again.

Unable to contain himself, Cao Jin continued, “What you’re doing now not only ruins yourself but also obstructs the fairness of justice. You weren’t like this before. It was those scumbags who dragged Yue Chu down. If it weren’t for them, Yue Chu wouldn’t have left us so early. You and I both hate them, don’t we?”

Xu Qingyan slowly lifted her eyelids, and in her contrasting black and white pupils, Cao Jin’s handsome face was reflected. “Do you really understand me?”

Cao Jin felt that this question was unnecessary. “We’ve known each other for many years.”

Xu Qingyan nodded silently. “I’ve known you for fifteen years.”

Cao Jin stared at her face, hoping to find their bond of fifteen years within it, but her cold demeanor made his heart sink. “How long have you known him? Are you trying to protect him?”

Xu Qingyan smiled faintly and leaned back slightly. “Cao Jin, please don’t ask me anymore. If you want to blame me for everything, I have nothing to say.”

“How could you possibly do something like this?” Cao Jin couldn’t help but feel frustrated.

“Who knows,” Xu Qingyan replied.

She smiled indifferently, leaving Cao Jin feeling somewhat dazed. “I didn’t expect you to be so deeply involved. When did it start? During that dinner, you already knew him, didn’t you? You lied to me, saying you had only met him once.

“No need to say more, Cao,” Xu Qingyan replied, avoiding his questions. “Since you claim to know me well, you should know that if it’s something I don’t want to talk about, I won’t utter a single word.” She then fell silent again, toying with the cup in her hand.

“Xu Qingyan,” Cao Jin’s heart surged, and he couldn’t help but hold her hand. It felt icy cold, leaving him momentarily stunned. “You’re not the kind of woman who would walk this path. He is a whirlpool, and following him will only drag you deeper. It’s not too late yet. I can help you break free.”

Xu Qingyan looked at his hand with a hint of complexity in her eyes, but it quickly cleared. She pulled her hand away, lifted her head, and her lips moved slightly. “Xu Qingyan is no longer the same person as before.”

Just then, a knocking sound came from outside the room.

Cao Jin turned abruptly, realizing that he had overreacted, and quickly composed himself. He said, “Come in.”

He Guan entered with a disgruntled expression and said to them, “Lord Liang has come to bail her out.”

Cao Jin, rare in his disbelief, exclaimed, “How is that possible?”

“The approval has come through,” He Guan replied.

Cao Jin took the application form and carefully examined it. From a procedural standpoint, there were no issues. He never expected this person to have such influential connections to bail out Xu Qingyan.

Cao Jin looked at Xu Qingyan. She didn’t show much of a reaction, but a fleeting glimmer of imperceptible light flashed in her black pupils, calm and gentle.

The door opened, and Xu Qingyan slowly walked out of the police station with two officers restraining her. Cao Jin followed closely behind. Her pace was slow as she calmly walked towards the corridor.

Quietly, He Guan said behind Cao Jin, “She looks somewhat like Lady Liang now.”

His tone was strange, difficult to tell whether it was mocking or pitying. Cao Jin quickly glanced at him and sternly said, “Don’t compare her to those scoundrels.”

The path to the entrance was not long, but everyone along the way held their breath and remained vigilant, their gazes fixed on Xu Qingyan’s composed face as if they wanted to pierce her calm demeanor with a thousand holes.

Capturing someone from the Li family was already difficult enough, let alone someone under Lord Liang’’s protection. They had hoped to dig up some information, but they encountered Xu Qingyan, who was cold and unyielding, refusing to play their cat-and-mouse game.

Tonight, Xu Qingyan’s veil was lifted. Rumors had been circulating about a woman by Liang Jiankong’s side. She seemed to hover on the edge between the underworld and normal society. While some claimed she had gained Liang Jiankong’s trust, others said she was merely a tool for Liang Jiankong to control Cheng Ran. 

There were even rumors of a tense relationship between her and Lord Liang, but no one could confirm her true identity.

As Xu Qingyan crossed the final door frame, behind the large doors awaited a gust of cold wind and rain that sent shivers down one’s spine. Someone stepped forward cautiously and helped her remove the handcuffs.

Despite her calm exterior, Xu Qingyan couldn’t help but feel a mix of emotions. She never expected to end up in this situation, entering the police station and being interrogated by her own friend. The turmoil in her heart was indescribable.

Behind her, Cao Jin couldn’t let go and said, “Qingyan, don’t sink any deeper. Take this chance while I can still help you.”

Xu Qingyan paused for a moment, offering no response, and strode into the depths of the dark night.

Cao Jin gazed out into the darkness from the doorway, where a faint figure could be discerned. His gaze remained fixed on that silhouette, his brow furrowed tightly.