Liang Yuanze arrived with an urgency that outpaced even the police. He swiftly lifted He Yan out of the car, wrapped her in his suit jacket, and gently carried her to his own vehicle. Her body trembled uncontrollably in his arms. He held her tightly, his lips brushing her ear as he whispered softly, “It’s over now, Yanyan. I’m here. The police will be here soon. Once they arrive, I’ll take you to the hospital.”

The police arrived shortly after, their red-and-blue lights flashing across the dark night. They pulled the blood-soaked body of the dead man from He Yan’s car, zipped him into a body bag, and hauled him away.

A female officer approached, intending to question He Yan further, but Liang Yuanze, his anger barely restrained, interrupted her with a firm voice. “My girlfriend has suffered severe trauma. She needs medical attention immediately.”

The officer understood and quickly arranged for someone to take He Yan to the hospital, granting Liang Yuanze permission to accompany her.

He Yan’s body gradually began to calm, but her voice remained hoarse and broken. She repeated the same desperate plea over and over to Liang Yuanze, “Don’t tell my parents. Don’t let them find out.”

Liang Yuanze’s eyes were redder than hers. He squeezed her hand gently, his voice steady but filled with emotion. “Don’t worry, they won’t know. Yanyan, don’t be afraid. I’m here with you.”

It felt as though her spirit had been completely drained during that life-or-death struggle. What remained was an obedient shell that followed instructions—getting checked, having injuries documented and treated, answering the officer’s questions.

Only when she looked at Liang Yuanze did her eyes show a flicker of life. She whispered to him, “Yuanze, was it all just a nightmare?”

He pulled her close, his voice firm and reassuring. “It was a nightmare. But it’s over now.”

He had never lied to her, and as time passed, things really began to improve. Every visit he made brought more good news. On the fifteenth day, he returned with the best news of all.

“That man—the one who escaped—is caught. They called him ‘Brother Jie.’ He and the others were all dangerous criminals, wanted for multiple murders. If anyone deserves death, it’s them. You’re safe now, Yanyan. Everything will be okay.”

She stared at him in a daze before suddenly breaking down in tears. The fear that had consumed her found a way out, and she sobbed uncontrollably.

“I was so scared, Yuanze. I’m still scared. The way he looked at me… he’ll come back for revenge. He will kill me.”

Liang Yuanze held her close, his voice calm but resolute. “No, he won’t. He will never hurt you again. He’ll be sentenced to death. Our lawyer says there’s no chance he’ll escape it. Don’t be afraid, Yanyan. I’ll always be here. Once this is over, we’ll get married, buy a bigger house, have two kids, maybe even a dog and a cat. It’ll be noisy and full of love.”

He Yan stared blankly into the distance, letting the vision he painted slowly take shape in her mind.

“Don’t be afraid, Yanyan,” Liang Yuanze said softly. “Time will heal everything. One day, you’ll forget that nightmare.”

Four years later, in Nanzhao City.

Nestled among mountains and rivers, Nanzhao had always been famous for its beautiful scenery. He Yan’s parents had never planned to leave their hometown in their later years, but they had fallen in love with the city. And since He Yan had settled there with her husband, they sold their old home and moved to Nanzhao to be closer to their daughter.

Their new home was directly across the street from He Yan’s current residence—a short walk away. Even Liang Yuanze couldn’t help but tease her, “Your mom’s house is right across the street now. It’s convenient, but I bet you’ll be running to me to complain after three days of being nagged.”

He Yan shot him a playful glance, curled up on the sofa and flipping through a magazine. She stretched her voice into a mock whine, “Honey, I’ve spent all my salary again this month. I don’t even have enough to renew my beauty card.”

Liang Yuanze laughed helplessly. “My dear wife, you have all my salary cards. Do you really need to ask me to spend money?”

“It’s the thought that counts!” She grinned, stretching out her legs and nudging him playfully with her toes. “Hey, Yuanze, when are we going to get a full checkup at the hospital? I heard both husband and wife should get checked before trying for a baby. That way the baby will be healthy.”

They’d been married for two years now. After the honeymoon phase, where they were practically glued together, they were finally planning to start a family.

“You still need a checkup to know I’m healthy?” Liang Yuanze grabbed her foot and started massaging it, leaning in suggestively. “Haven’t I already proven it enough?”

She giggled, lightly kicking him. “If you won’t go, then I won’t either!”

He always gave in to her. A few days later, they went to the hospital together. The results were good—both were healthy. The doctor prescribed vitamins for her to take during the preconception period.

By the time they left the hospital, it was close to noon. After a quick lunch, Liang Yuanze went to work while He Yan wandered around a shopping center before leisurely driving back to school.

The school she worked at had only recently been upgraded to university status. They had opened a few new colleges, but the office buildings were still insufficient, so all the faculty had been crammed into one building.

As usual, she parked in the shade behind the administration building. As she got out, a black SUV pulled in beside hers—unfamiliar and clearly not a staff vehicle. Her steps slowed as she glanced at it.

The door opened, and a man wearing sunglasses stepped out. He was dressed in slim-fit jeans and a white shirt, his tall, lean frame standing out. At first glance, he seemed slender, but as someone who frequented the gym, He Yan could tell he was fit, the kind of person who appeared slim in clothes but was muscular underneath.

Not that she cared. She loved Liang Yuanze so much that other men barely registered in her mind. Their faces blurred into the background—whether handsome or not.

But this man looked at her, then calmly asked, “Excuse me, is the Foreign Languages department office in this building?”

His voice was low and pleasant, yet there was something strangely cold about it. It should have felt refreshing in the summer heat, but to He Yan, it was like an icy claw gripping her heart.

Moonlight. A blade-like gaze slicing across her face. A cold voice saying, “Keep it clean. No loose ends.”

That voice… she would never forget it, not for the rest of her life.

She felt like she was seeing a ghost. The words “help me” lodged in her throat. Panic overwhelmed her, and she stumbled backward. Her heel caught in a crack in the pavement, and she collapsed.

The man took off his sunglasses and stepped toward her. “Are you alright?”

She backed away on her hands and knees, crying out, “Don’t come near me! There are people here! They’ll come if you try anything!”

The man stopped, smiling faintly. “I don’t know why you’re reacting this way, but I mean no harm. If I scared you, I apologize. I’ll leave now.”

He began backing away, even bending slightly as he asked, “Will you be okay alone? Should I get someone?”

He Yan remained silent, shrinking into herself, her eyes wide with fear.

“Okay, okay. I’m leaving,” he said gently, then checked his watch and gestured toward his car. “I’ll be back in about thirty minutes to pick up the car.”

Then he walked away.

Though the sun blazed overhead, He Yan felt like she had fallen into an ice cave. Her hands trembled. Her skirt was dusty, her palm scraped and burning, but she barely felt any of it. She fumbled for her phone and dialed Liang Yuanze.

“He’s back! He’s back!” she cried, her voice trembling like a wounded bird.

“Who?” he asked.

“It’s him! I saw him! He’s come back for me!”

Time snapped backward, like a whip. She was once again the girl who woke up from nightmares, whispering that they had found her. There was a long silence on the other end before Liang Yuanze’s calm voice came again, soft and reassuring. “Yanyan, it’s over. All of them are dead. All three are dead. Don’t be afraid. Tell me where you are.”

She wasn’t sure if it was his calm voice or the summer sun warming her frozen heart, but she slowly began to calm down. “I’m at school, behind the admin building.”

“Are there people around you?”

She looked around. Students were walking by in the distance. A few hesitated before starting to approach.

“Yes, students are coming.”

Liang Yuanze chuckled, “Wipe your face, or the students will laugh at you. Maybe the heat’s gotten to you—you’re probably just seeing things.”

It was a plausible explanation. She whispered, “Mm.”

Before she hung up, a male student walked over. “Professor He, are you okay?”

She recognized him—an English major and student council member. “I’m fine,” she said quickly, ending the call. “Just twisted my ankle.”

She laughed awkwardly and tried to stand. He offered to help, but she declined. Her heel wasn’t too high, and the twist wasn’t serious. She limped toward the admin building.

“Professor He, you came at the perfect time,” a colleague called as she walked in. “A student’s parent is looking for you.”

She looked up—and saw him. The man by the window, hands in his pockets, turned to face her. Her first instinct was to flee. But her body froze like prey in a predator’s gaze.

He nodded politely. “Hello, Professor He.”

The colleague didn’t notice anything strange. “This is the older brother of one of your students. He’s here to request a leave of absence for his sister.”

She stared at him, stunned. Two voices clashed in her mind. One screamed, “It’s him! It’s the killer!” The voice, the face—identical.

The other voice urged reason. “He’s dead. Executed. Confirmed by Yuanze. Dead men don’t return. This is someone else—just someone who looks like him.”

He smiled faintly. “I’m not a tiger. I don’t bite. I’m Yu Jia’s cousin—my name is Fu Shenxing. Here, this is my ID.”

He stepped forward and offered his ID. She flinched, and he noticed, stopping halfway. He placed the ID on the desk between them. “You can check it.”

Her colleague was puzzled. “Professor He? What’s wrong?”

She didn’t answer. She picked up the ID cautiously. Name: Fu Shenxing. Male. Twenty-eight years old. Local Nanzhao address. The photo showed a very young man with a modest haircut and gentle features.

She turned it over and checked the issue date—it had been issued when he was twenty.

This man, with his scholarly, warm demeanor, didn’t look like a hardened criminal.

She finally exhaled and forced herself to steady her nerves. She returned the ID and said softly, “I’m sorry, Mr. Fu. I think I may have misunderstood. Please forgive me.”

Fu Shenxing smiled without pressing. “Yu Jia has been on medical leave for a while. Her family decided to send her abroad for treatment, so I came to help with her leave paperwork.”