The wailing sirens startled countless men and women indulging in pleasure, causing them to hastily cease their activities and flee in disarray, half-dressed, leading to a chaotic scene of panic.
An enraged nightclub owner cursed, "Damn it, Chief Tan said there wouldn't be any crackdowns recently! You dare to trick me? Don't let me see you again, or I'll make sure you're dead!"
These angry bosses and panicked men and women would later discover that it was all a misunderstanding. The sirens weren't aimed at them but rather a murdered gang leader. After learning the truth, the bosses relaxed, and it was fortunate they did, for otherwise, many 'chiefs' might have met untimely deaths—reasons for which, well, you know.
At the sealed-off crime scene, a middle-aged police officer around forty years old frowned upon seeing the gruesome decapitated body. "It's Li Gang from the Iron Fist Gang. This brute possessed immense strength and mastered the Golden Bell Shield technique, yet someone managed to shatter every bone in his body before beheading him. Who could be so ruthless?"
"Chief Liu, we've swept the scene. The murderer left no clues," a police officer reported respectfully.
The middle-aged officer nodded and issued instructions, "Clean up the scene and withdraw!"
"Yes, sir!"
...
"Breaking news: In the early hours of today, a murder case occurred in our city, with the victim being a local private enterprise owner, a 40-year-old man... Recently, our city has seen a surge in homicides. Chief Liu of the Public Security Bureau reminds all citizens to minimize outings at night to avoid danger."
After breakfast, Li Nianlong sat in front of the television, savoring the bamboo leaf green tea prepared by Nalan Ruyue while watching the morning news.
When the news of the murder case came on, a faint smile graced Li Nianlong's lips as he enjoyed the refreshing aroma of the tea.
Nalan Ruyue, seated beside him, watched the news with a hint of worry and concern in her eyes. She signed, "The security in Tianfu has really been poor lately. First, there was the Liu family tragedy, and now many citizens have been killed. Brother, please be careful when going out, especially at night. Okay?"
Li Nianlong smiled gently and put his arm around Nalan Ruyue's shoulders. "Don't worry, those killed were all bad people. Good people like us will be fine."
Nalan Ruyue blinked and signed, "How does brother know they were all bad people?"
"That's simple." Li Nianlong handed over his phone. "I joined a local Tianfu forum where someone compiled the identities of all the victims killed during these late-night incidents. They were either social delinquents or unscrupulous bosses, none with a good reputation. The one killed today also did many selfish deeds, causing much public resentment."
Nalan Ruyue took the phone and browsed through the forum posts, mostly exposing the identities of the victims. After reading, the only thought in Nalan Ruyue's mind was – serves them right.
Returning the phone, she signed, "Brother, if those killed were all bad people, is the one killing them a hero?"
"Not quite a hero," Li Nianlong shook his head, placing the phone on the coffee table. "At most, it's a naive young person with a strong sense of justice and some skills. Although they are doing things that bring satisfaction to the public, they pose an unstable factor to society and the government. If they continue, the government won't tolerate it."
Pausing here, Li Nianlong smiled faintly. "We'll see! Perhaps the police are already planning to apprehend them."
Li Nianlong's analysis was logical, and after a moment's thought, Nalan Ruyue nodded in agreement, her eyes filled with more admiration for him.
Li Nianlong felt no pride, however. His words were not just for Nalan Ruyue but also a reminder to himself. What he was doing was challenging the 'fairness' of society and the government. For law enforcers, problems within the nation and society were their responsibility to resolve. Regardless of who or what, without their approval, no one was allowed to intervene in any form, lest it be seen as a direct provocation to law enforcement, warranting the harshest punishment.
Li Nianlong disregarded the wishes of these law enforcers, but with the increasing difficulty of his midnight hunts, he had to be extra cautious. Fortunately, his innate skill was incredibly potent, warning him of impending dangers and helping him evade numerous crises.
Yet, as his innate skill played a greater role, Li Nianlong felt increasingly conflicted.
If his skill had awakened even a day earlier, he wouldn't have gone to the palace searching for his father, and Uncle Guan wouldn't have died abroad.Every time this thought crossed his mind, Li Nianlong would be overwhelmed with sorrow.
"Um... Big Brother, Sister Ruyue, good morning." Yuexi pushed open the door, rubbing her eyes as she stepped out in a thin nightgown. "Yawn... So sleepy!"
Noticing the outline of Yuexi's undergarments beneath her nightgown, Li Nianlong sighed. "Can't you wear proper clothes before coming out?"
Seeing Li Nianlong's embarrassment, Yuexi giggled, sitting beside him and looping her arm around his. "Big Brother, you have feelings for me, don't you?"
"I'm a man, you're a woman, and you're so beautiful. It'd be strange if I didn't feel anything," Li Nianlong ruffled Yuexi's hair. "It's been a long time since I've been with a woman. I'm quite frustrated, actually. If you're worried about losing your purity, you better be more careful in the future."
"Meow..." Yuexi purred in comfort, half-leaning against Li Nianlong, her cheeks flushing as she murmured, "If it's Big Brother, I don't mind."
"How heartless can you be to say such a thing?" Li Nianlong flicked her forehead lightly.
"It hurts," Yuexi held her forehead, lifting her eyes to give him a pitiful look. "Big Brother, it hurts."
"Don't pretend. I didn't use any force," Li Nianlong shook his head but still leaned in to blow on Yuexi's forehead. The warm breath made her heart race.
"All better now?"
"Mm." Yuexi blushed, hugging Li Nianlong tightly, resting her head on his shoulder, and promptly fell asleep again.
"..."
Realizing Yuexi had indeed fallen asleep, Li Nianlong gently supported her shoulders, extracted his arm, and laid her down on the sofa. Nalan Ruyue, in their unspoken understanding, fetched a blanket and covered Yuexi with it.
Crouching in front of Yuexi, he tenderly brushed aside the strands of hair from her forehead, gazing at her face, which looked rosier than a few days ago. Li Nianlong smiled softly, stood up to take the car keys from Nalan Ruyue, inclined his head slightly as she adjusted his collar, then straightened up and said with a smile, "I'm leaving now."
Nalan Ruyue responded with a warm smile and signed, "Have a safe trip, come back soon."
Their unique rapport had been established, where every day at this hour, Li Nianlong and Nalan Ruyue resembled a married couple. The wife would gently send her husband off and look forward to his return, while the husband ventured out to work hard for the family's livelihood. The happiest moments of the day were coming home from work and seeing his wife's smile.
This feeling... Li Nianlong cherished it, and so did Nalan Ruyue.
After watching Li Nianlong depart, Nalan Ruyue picked up her cleaning tools and began tidying the house.
The villa was indeed spacious and beautiful, something Nalan Ruyue cherished, but its size was excessive, demanding considerable time for daily cleaning and organizing. Despite this, Nalan Ruyue didn't find it laborious; instead, she relished the task. Sometimes, both Li Nianlong and the Yue sisters couldn't comprehend why Nalan Ruyue enjoyed housework so much. Was it more comfortable than leisure?
Starting from the third floor, Nalan Ruyue entered Li Nianlong's bedroom, as usual, beginning with making the bed.
Though Li Nianlong worked tirelessly, he never did any housework, not even making the bed. Nalan Ruyue had been attending to this task for him lately.
After tidying the bed, she wiped the headboard with a cloth, then lifted the photo frame on the bedside table to clean it thoroughly.
Once the nightstand was spotless, she replaced the photo frame. Despite his indifference towards house chores, Li Nianlong always ensured the photo frame was kept clean. If there was one thing in this room that remained consistently pristine, it was this frame.
Nalan Ruyue had looked at the photo inside numerous times, each glimpse evoking a sense of familiarity. Perhaps it was due to the striking resemblance in their auras!
Heading to the balcony, she gathered the dried clothes, neatly folded them, and, opening the wardrobe to put them away, noticed something extra inside.