Chapter Nineteen: Reunion

The White Tiger Unit had been bustling for over a month. On this day, Lu Xiaoyu was called to the local police station for questioning, while Zhang Mufeng found an excuse to investigate the technical and expert teams alone, freeing Wen Yuxin and Li Mengyang from their usual duet of staged performances for the entire afternoon. Taking advantage of this rare lull, Haifeng gave everyone some time off—it was only right that they take a break after such a long stretch of hard work.

With a precious half-day of leisure, Li Mengyang left the hotel and wandered the streets of Qingdong alone. As he strolled, a graceful female voice floated to his ears, rich and sweet over the mellow strains of jazz—a voice he knew well.

Unconsciously, Li Mengyang sat down, ordered a cappuccino, and quietly soaked in the music. The singer was a young woman in a floral dress, her face fresh and innocent—clearly a student working a part-time gig. Yet her voice was seasoned, confident; in the realm of her song, she reigned as queen.

Li Mengyang recognized the familiar melody—a song by Lisa Ono, brought to life with uncanny fidelity by this young singer. He closed his eyes, imagining the original singer herself performing softly at his side.

He remembered that Lisa Ono had been his ex-girlfriend’s favorite artist. “The Queen of Bossa Nova, a soul singer, the most beautiful voice of jazz”—these were all things she had told him. During their time together, they’d listened to countless songs, that soothing voice becoming the soundtrack of his campus romance.

The sweetness of the song mirrored the sweetness of their love. But Li Mengyang knew that his ex, who adored such ethereal music, also longed for the refined pleasures of an urban life—she refused to settle for mediocrity. The quiet dissolution of their relationship was rooted in this difference. After all, they belonged to different worlds. In the blink of an eye, two years had slipped by. He had since experienced his own share of life’s twists and turns; for him, everything had changed—except for this lilting music, which remained as lovely as ever.

Tang Xin—that was her name. She was as sweet as her name suggested, with delicate features and a gentle beauty. On campus, she drew admiring glances wherever she went: limpid eyes full of innocent appeal, a proud nose, lips like a touch of vermilion, a luminous, fair oval face, and a cascade of silky hair. Even the legendary beauties of ancient times would pale in comparison.

Slowly, Li Mengyang opened his eyes, and for a fleeting moment, he imagined that exquisite face appearing before him.

“It’s been a long time. How have you been?” said that familiar face.

Li Mengyang blinked, realizing this was no dream—his dream girl was truly sitting before him.

“What’s wrong? Don’t you recognize me?” Tang Xin asked with a smile.

“No, it’s just…I didn’t expect to run into you here. What brings you to Qingdong?” Li Mengyang replied.

“Shouldn’t I be the one asking you that? Aren’t you working in Ming City? What are you doing here?” she retorted.

“I’m here on a business trip, that’s all,” Li Mengyang answered.

“How do you like Qingdong? Is it even more beautiful than Ming City?” Tang Xin asked again.

“Yes, the scenery here is indeed better, and the city itself can’t be compared to Ming City. Big cities really are different,” he replied.

“See? My choice back then wasn’t wrong! People ought to seek higher ground, water flows to lower places. When you’re young, you need to experience life in a big city to see a broader sky,” Tang Xin declared, as if summing up her own journey over the years.

“Yes,” Li Mengyang agreed, glancing at the elegantly dressed Tang Xin. “The sea is vast for the fish to leap, the sky high for the birds to fly. This is the stage that those who strive deserve.”

“Then why did you insist on staying in Ming City back then?” she asked.

“Perhaps I just didn’t have your ambition. I also had my younger sister and mother to look after. I couldn’t afford to fail. I couldn’t bring myself to leave my teaching post at Ming City University to take a risk,” Li Mengyang replied.

Tang Xin listened, knowing he wasn’t like her—his burdens were heavier, his considerations more complex. Her own experiences over the past two years had taught her how hard it was to make it alone; big cities were not paved with gold. In a metropolis brimming with talent, success was elusive, and failure came at a greater cost than staying behind ever would.

For every victorious general, countless bones lie buried beneath—the glamour hides endless sacrifices. It takes more than hard work; sometimes the price is your body, even your soul. For someone like Li Mengyang, who lived in the scholarly world, such challenges might be insurmountable.

Tang Xin fell silent, and Li Mengyang also said nothing, quietly taking a sip of his coffee. For a moment, neither spoke; only the faint echo of the distant song lingered in the air.

Tang Xin absentmindedly took Li Mengyang’s coffee and tasted it. Noticing his stunned expression, her cheeks grew warm, a blush rising to her porcelain skin.

She apologized a bit awkwardly, “Sorry, old habits…”

Li Mengyang looked at her—the years had been kind, leaving no trace on her face. She was just as she had been in their student days.

Seeing him staring, Tang Xin’s cheeks reddened again. She mumbled, “Why are you staring at me? There’s nothing on my face.”

Li Mengyang felt a little sheepish and withdrew his gaze with a faint smile.

Tang Xin called the waiter and ordered a juice. As she drank, she asked, “How have you been these past two years? Should I be calling you Associate Professor Li by now? Are you married?”

Li Mengyang gave a wry smile. “I’m not married, and I’m no longer teaching at Ming City University.”

Hearing that he wasn’t married brought a fleeting joy to Tang Xin, but the news that he had left the university quickly turned that joy to surprise. She asked, “You changed jobs? Did you leave Ming City? Which university did you go to?”

He shook his head. “It wasn’t a job change. I spent two years in prison. I lost my job, and obviously couldn’t get married while incarcerated.”

Tang Xin stared in shock, her eyes widening even further. For a long moment, she could not speak. She couldn’t fathom how someone as courteous and kind as Li Mengyang could become a criminal. She knew he used to help the police solve cases with his professor, but how could a crime-fighting expert suddenly become the target of prosecution? She looked at the man before her, unable to reconcile this honest, diligent student with the image of a convict. She wondered if she had misheard.

“You went to prison? What happened? Tell me everything,” Tang Xin demanded, perplexed.

“It’s nothing much. In a moment of impulsiveness, I landed myself behind bars,” Li Mengyang replied calmly.

“You’re not the impulsive type. In fact, you’re extremely calm—even in the wildest storm, you stay composed. What really happened?” she pressed.

Li Mengyang told her everything—the incident with his sister, the events that led to his imprisonment. His tone was even, but each word cut to the quick for Tang Xin, her brows knotted throughout.

When she heard about Li Mengxin’s assault, Tang Xin’s anger flared. She couldn’t comprehend how a teacher, a school administrator, could stoop so low, preying on the innocent. What was wrong with the world? Was there no sanctuary left?

When she heard how Li Mengyang had beaten Jia Zhengdao, she silently cheered for him—such scum deserved worse, nothing less would satisfy public outrage. But knowing Li Mengyang went to prison for it, she felt a pang of sorrow—a man who only wished to protect his family ended up suffering behind bars.

And when she learned how Jia Zhengdao tried to twist the truth through connections, Tang Xin could barely contain her fury. She wondered if the world was truly so dark, where only bad people prosper and the good are bullied and persecuted. Was this really the state of society? Could these corrupt officials really get away with anything?

Yet as she heard how Haifeng defied power to uphold justice, her tightly knit brows finally relaxed. There were still good people in the world, still justice to be found. She silently applauded officers like Haifeng, though her heart ached—how many could hope to meet such a good cop, so fearless and fair, serving the people with all his heart?

Tang Xin’s heart was a jumble of emotions—bittersweet and complex, impossible to describe.

She gazed quietly at Li Mengyang, her eyes full of compassion. She grieved for the hardships endured by the man she once loved. Though she understood that adulthood held no fairy tales, she still burned with indignation—why must the kind suffer so? Was it really true that the good die young while the wicked live forever?

Looking at Li Mengyang’s tranquil expression, as if he were narrating someone else’s story, Tang Xin couldn’t help but ask, “How is Mengxin now? Is she alright?”

A shadow of sorrow crossed Li Mengyang’s face at the mention of his sister. He bowed his head, murmuring, “That’s become a taboo at home—no one speaks of it. But how can you pretend something never happened? Mengxin never mentions it, and acts cheerful as always, but I can see her pain. I know she suffers in silence, not wanting us to worry.”

He sipped his coffee and continued, “Sometimes I see her at home, suddenly freezing in place, unmoving for ages. She even sleeps with the light on now. Sometimes I wonder why I didn’t just kill that bastard when I had the chance.” As he spoke, his voice grew tense with suppressed anger.

Tang Xin felt his pain keenly—a man devoted to fighting crime, yet powerless when his own family became victims. This would be a lifelong wound, one he might never forgive himself for. Seeing his clenched fists and gritted teeth, her own heart ached all the more.

Trying to lighten the mood, Tang Xin said, “At least Haifeng is a truly good policeman—steadfast, unafraid to stand up to power. He brought Jia Zhengdao to justice and gave Mengxin the justice she deserved.”

At the mention of Haifeng, Li Mengyang’s resentful expression softened. “Yes, we owe him so much. Not only did he ensure Jia Zhengdao was punished, but he helped my family enormously. Mengxin was able to recover, go to university—it was all thanks to him. He chose her university for her, sending her to Tanghua University, far from home, away from gossip, so she could start fresh.”

Tang Xin once again felt genuine admiration for Haifeng. There were still good people among the police—he truly lived up to the title of protector of the people.

She asked, “How’s your job now? Are you happy? Why not move to Qingdong? I’ve been doing well here. If you join me, with your abilities, you’d make a comeback in no time.”

Li Mengyang smiled, “Thank you for the offer, but I still have things in Ming City that I must handle myself. I appreciate it, though.”

So the two of them talked, sharing stories of the past two years, reminiscing about their university days. Their initial sorrow and anger gradually gave way to laughter and joy. In that bustling city, on a hot summer day, in a quiet outdoor café with beautiful music, time slipped by unnoticed. By the time they realized how late it had grown, dusk had fallen, and the singing girl was packing her bag to leave.

“It’s late. Let me walk you home?” Li Mengyang offered.

“Yes, time flew while we were talking. It’s rare to meet an old friend in a distant city—I lost track of the hour,” Tang Xin said with a smile. “But I have to meet someone tonight. No need to see me off—let’s catch up another time.” As she spoke, she took a business card from her bag and handed it to him. “Here’s my card—it has my number. Keep in touch!”

Li Mengyang took the card and watched Tang Xin walk away before leaving the café himself.

On the way back, looking at the city’s dazzling lights, Li Mengyang couldn’t help but reflect on the twists of fate. If his sister’s ordeal had never happened, if he’d chosen to move south with Tang Xin back then—what kind of life would he be living now? But life offered no do-overs, and choices could not be undone. All he could do was ensure he lived the rest of his life without regrets, to grow strong enough never to let his family be hurt again.

With renewed resolve in his eyes, Li Mengyang strode briskly toward the hotel.