Rong Qian steadied her chaotic thoughts before stepping out of the car with determination.
Upon entering the station, she saw Captain Zhou waving her over. "Rong Qian, where's the photo? I heard from the evidence room that you have it. Let's take a look."
All eyes turned toward her with curiosity, but Rong Qian kept her expression neutral. Instead of answering, she handed a slip of paper with the car's license plate information to Chen Jia, who handled background checks.
"Jiajia, can you look up the owner of this car?"
Chen Jia, sipping on her soy milk, set it down quickly. "What's up with this car?"
Rong Qian's face darkened. Noticing the team's attention fixed on her, she recounted the morning's near-attack but omitted her car accident and her encounter with Shen Yi entirely.
The revelation that she had been tailed and almost ambushed by armed men instantly grabbed Captain Zhou's attention.
"This is serious," he said gravely. "As a detective, it's not uncommon to become a target for criminals, but we can't overlook this. Do you have any suspects in mind, Rong Qian?"
Rong Qian shook her head. "No. I've been on the force for five years and haven't offended anyone to this extent—certainly not an armed criminal group. For now, we can only start with an investigation."
Captain Zhou nodded thoughtfully. "Alright, for the time being, avoid going anywhere alone. We have plenty of brothers on the team who can keep an eye on you. Zhang Hao, you'll accompany Rong Qian until this matter is resolved."
Caught off guard by the sudden assignment, Zhang Hao hesitated for a moment before replying enthusiastically, "Understood!"
"Fine by me," Rong Qian said indifferently.
Zhang Hao grinned as he moved to her side, puffing his chest out. "Don't worry, Sister Rong, I'll protect you!"
Rong Qian shot him a sidelong glance. "You couldn't even beat me in sparring. What makes you think you can protect me?"
Embarrassed, Zhang Hao chuckled nervously. "I was holding back! You're a woman; how could I go all out? And besides, I—" His voice faltered, unable to finish the thought.
"What besides?" Rong Qian raised an eyebrow, prompting him to cough awkwardly and mutter, "Nothing."
Ignoring his flustered demeanor, Rong Qian noticed the team's focus had shifted entirely to the attack. Seizing the moment, she mentioned that the photograph had been lost, fabricating a story about it flying out of her car window during the drive.
Captain Zhou waved it off, clearly preoccupied. "No big deal. If it's gone, it's gone."
Despite the attack, Captain Zhou assigned Rong Qian to lead the case involving the buried car, with Zhang Hao and Chen Jia assisting her.
Though seemingly a simple case of identifying the victim and notifying their family, Zhou's decision inadvertently set Rong Qian on a path that would lead her back in time.
Later, Zhang Hao asked, "Sister Rong, have you seen the photo? Could it help us identify the deceased?"
Rong Qian hesitated, momentarily thrown off by his question. Could the skeleton in the car truly belong to Shen Yi?
Unsure, she didn't answer but pulled up a chair next to Chen Jia. "Can you look up someone named Wei Long?"
Zhang Hao leaned over her shoulder. "Who's Wei Long?"
"An actor. He's the man in the photograph," Rong Qian said absently, her eyes glued to the screen.
"Wei Long? Never heard of him," Zhang Hao remarked, scratching his head.
To Rong Qian's frustration, Chen Jia's search turned up nothing. Undeterred, Rong Qian scribbled another name on a piece of paper.
"Shen Yi? Who's that?" Chen Jia asked.
"I wish I knew. Just search for him," Rong Qian replied, her urgency unmistakable.
Chen Jia began typing. Despite combing through numerous results, none pertained to Shen Yi.
Refusing to accept defeat, Rong Qian's attention was drawn to a social media account named Shen Shuhuai, which mentioned Shen Yi in a post.
"Open it," Rong Qian urged.
Chen Jia tried, but the post was locked behind a privacy setting. For most people, that would be the end of it. But for Chen Jia, it was a minor inconvenience.
Within moments, she bypassed the restriction and accessed the post, revealing an entry from a personal encyclopedia.
The screen displayed a black-and-white portrait, the subject's face unmistakably familiar.
Despite preparing herself, Rong Qian's heart skipped a beat. Memories of Shen Yi's warmth and presence flooded her mind—his gentle touch, the strength and warmth of his hand when he clasped hers.
Even in monochrome, his features were strikingly vivid. Sharp brows framed piercing eyes, and his chiseled jawline lent him an air of refined elegance. His noble demeanor seemed to radiate through the screen.
The photograph depicted him in a tailored suit, seated in a car, his deep gaze fixed outside as if bidding a heartfelt farewell.
"Wow! This guy was incredible. Too bad we'll never see him in person," Chen Jia remarked wistfully.
Her words snapped Rong Qian out of her reverie. She turned her attention to the details accompanying the photo.
Shen Yi, stage name Wei Long. Renowned actor.
Born: July 24, 1956. Disappeared: May 4, 1988. Declared dead after years of being missing. Age at death: 32.
Rong Qian froze at the dates. Born in 1956? But when she met him, what year was it?
Pressing her temples, she recalled the sequence of events: the car accident, the photograph disintegrating in her hand, and her inexplicable meeting with Shen Yi.
Was it possible that the photograph had transported her to the past? And had the moment captured by the camera brought her back, rewinding time by five minutes?
Rong Qian would have dismissed such thoughts as absurd, but now, it seemed like the only plausible explanation.
Unaware of her internal turmoil, Chen Jia read aloud Shen Yi's biography, marveling at his accomplishments.
"Unbelievable! Graduated from Harvard at 18 with dual master's degrees, fluent in seven or eight languages, and a virtuoso in piano and violin. He even won international competitions for both!"
"And on top of that, he managed his family's failing business, turned it around, and brought it to the stock market—all while acting in award-winning films."
Yet despite his success, Shen Yi remained humble, dedicating much of his wealth to philanthropy.
Zhang Hao shook his head in disbelief. "No way this guy was real. If he were, how come no one's ever heard of him?"
Chen Jia nodded in agreement. "Right? It sounds too perfect—like a made-up character."
Rong Qian, however, remained silent, staring at the screen. Her mind swirled with questions. Who exactly was Shen Yi? And how did he connect to her world?