Wu Yu was upstairs washing up, wearing a plaid shirt and jeans that were the same as mine. I leaned against the door frame and said, "Hey, I've already gone out for a walk and come back. I got up much earlier than you today."

  He wiped his face with a towel and said, "I didn't sleep too well last night."

  I said: "Why."

  He took a glance around and said, "I'll talk to you about it later."

  Although I had my doubts, I could only temporarily hold back and lower my voice to say, "I also have a discovery, in the woods outside." Wu Yu hung up the towel and pulled my arm, and I followed him into the room. He closed the door, and I sat down on his luxurious big bed with a thud. He said, "Speak."

  I told him about the dead animals I found in the woods and my deductions. He listened thoughtfully, then said: "For now, we can only take it one step at a time. If someone really is going to set fires, all we can do is wait for them to make their move."

  "I asked: 'What did you find out last night?'"

  Wu Yu looked at me and was silent for a few seconds before saying, "Nothing, just had a nightmare."

  "Oh..."

  He suddenly changed the subject and said, "Among those who came down from the boat, some have acquired abnormal functions, such as me and Yan Yuan. Some don't, like you and Wu Miao. Now it's unclear what the situation is with Feng Yan and Chen Yue, so be extra cautious around them."

  I didn't expect him to suddenly bring this up: "Oh..."

  I didn't expect it either, but in the afternoon of this day, I received a call from Zhuang Yu again.

  The voice of Zhuang Yu was as steady as ever, but there was a faint sense of restraint, as if suppressing some kind of evil intention, amidst the noisy background.

  "Hey, Da Zhu," she said, "Guess who I ran into at Kunming Station?"

  "Who?"

  She mysteriously announced: "Your blind date, the one you showed me a photo of before. Wearing a police uniform, and his height matches what you said, shouldn't be wrong. By the way, he looks more handsome in person than in the photo."

  I was taken aback for a moment.

  Suddenly, a small spark of firework lit up in his heart.

  Originally... is this... the cycle of fate? Time has flowed backwards, so at this time, Zhuang Yu hasn't met Shen Shiyan yet, and naturally doesn't remember that day's encounter under her nephew Xiao Hua's house, nor does she recall her daze when seeing Shen Shiyan, murmuring: "Looks like it's not wooden after all..."

  Zhuang Yu rushed from his hometown to Lixian County and had to transfer in Kunshan. Shen Shiyan happened to be attending a meeting in Kunshan, although I didn't know if he appeared at the station because of my words. But I truly felt the two words "fate".

  "I said: 'Zhuang Yu, first of all, I want to emphasize that I have nothing to do with Shen Mu Tou. You... have met Wu Ou, you understand.'"

  Zhuang Yu let out a long "oh" and burst into laughter.

  I said, "However, I sought Shen Mu's help in the Chen family case. I don't know if he'll come to Lishui County too. If he does, he'll definitely be a strong reinforcement. You keep an eye on him and take care of him."

  Maybe my words made Zhuang Yu somewhat unexpected, she was quiet for a while and said: "Alright, I understand, I'll take care of it."

  I hung up the phone, and my heart was still occupied by a sweet and exciting feeling. As an online writer, I couldn't help but imagine the scene of my husband Zhang Yu and Detective Shen Shiyan sitting in a train carriage together. She's so cool, and yet she has to keep an eye on him for me, while Shen Shiyan is a nearly ascetic Shaolin monk-like police officer, who just happens to be a 19-year-old girl writer and a 28-year-old virgin (I think there's no need to doubt it, haha).