The Mitsubishi Jeep tore through the streets like a runaway horse. Li Xinjian's eyes widened, steering frantically as the wheels screeched left and right. Ahead, the traffic light was red, but he seemed oblivious as he sped past it.
Li Xinjian's mind churned like boiling magma. She was his first love, a love etched deep into his heart. When Wang Jingfei left without a word, disappearing like steam, he couldn't let go. He applied every investigative skill he had learned to find her, but all efforts were in vain. Confounded, he struggled through his final semester in a haze. Assigned to Haizhou after graduation, hopes dwindled further amidst the busy life of a detective. He couldn't spare the time to search in the vast sea of people. Yet, he never stopped yearning for his "Venus." After solving cases, exhausted, he would take out that lone photo and quietly reminisce about their time together. Friends tried to set him up, and eligible women showed interest, but he politely declined them all. He used to find it puzzling how anyone could choose solitude; now, he understood completely. He believed that if he couldn't find her, he would join the ranks of the single, making his career his sole companion. But today, just as unexpectedly as she had vanished, she reappeared before him, transformed into someone entirely different. It was a shock he had never anticipated. Anger and despair gave way to confusion and bewilderment. His mind echoed with one question over and over: What now? What now? What should I do?!
A full, round moon hung in the sky. Waves crashed against the shore, spraying foam. Zhang Xiaohua's shoulder insignia glimmered in the moonlight as Li Xinjian followed him.
Li Xinjian gazed blankly out at the sea, speaking slowly, "When I was at the police academy, I fell in love with a fellow student. It lasted three years. Today, she suddenly appeared as a Hong Kong businesswoman, all dressed up and caught in the whirlpool of Haizhou Tower."
Zhang Xiaohua asked, "Have you talked to her?"
Li Xinjian nodded.