CHAPTER 592: 230 YOU’RE NOT IN A RELATIONSHIP NOW, ARE YOU?

The first ray of morning sunshine fell into the courtyard, bringing it to life.

In the kitchen, an elderly woman was preparing breakfast.

She was frying sugar-coated rice cakes.

The sweet and fragrant aroma of oil and sugar wafted through the air.

The door to the side room creaked open, and the elderly woman glanced out the window.

A tall and slender girl emerged from inside.

She was dressed in black casual clothing, layered with a short white down jacket—simple colors combined to form the cleanest and brightest scene this morning.

It was winter in Qingzhou, with morning temperatures reaching below zero, water freezing on contact. A thin mist of cold hung in the air, pierced only by a ray of sunlight that fell upon the girl’s face.

It resembled divine light descending from above, gently wrapping around the girl.

"Ah!"

Hot oil splattered onto the back of her hand, and the elderly woman only noticed the pain belatedly, crying out softly.

The girl took a few brisk steps forward. "Aunt Qing, are you alright?"

The elderly woman quickly shook her head. "I’m fine, I’m fine, Miss Shen. Breakfast will be ready soon."

The girl smiled warmly. "Let me help you."

"No, no need, Miss Shen. The kitchen isn’t where you should be."

The girl before her seemed to embody the image of someone untouched by housework, a young lady inherently out of place in the kitchen.

Xiang Chenyu walked out of the side room, yawning. "Morning."

Shen You’an turned back. "Good morning."

The two had stayed up late last night "talking by candlelight," with Xiang Chenyu doing most of the talking and Shen You’an mostly listening.

She still vividly remembered how, under the lamplight, no matter what was said, the girl’s serene and graceful face remained unchanged.

Now, gazing at the girl standing in the morning light, her brows and eyes as familiar as ever, a sudden sense of dreamlike surreality washed over her.

At the breakfast table, Xiang Chenyu idly scrolled through her phone. Usually, she’d read political news at this hour, but today she was reading entertainment news instead.

She knew Shen You’an had appeared on the biggest internet search trends last night—"genius piano girl," wildly sensational.

Suddenly, Xiang Chenyu frowned. "What’s going on?"

At first, she thought it was just a network issue, but she soon realized she had been too naïve.

"An’an, you’ve been banned from the internet."

Xiang Chenyu furrowed her brows deeply, her face serious.

"I know."

Shen You’an took a sip of porridge.

Xiang Chenyu glanced at her. "What you did last night was too risky. What if the other party lashes out out of desperation?"

"They might have before. Now they won’t. Because letting me die too easily isn’t what they want."

Though Shen You’an’s words sounded relaxed, Xiang Chenyu’s heart sank to the bottom.

"You’re putting yourself in dangerous territory. That’s the Yu family."

Shen You’an didn’t want her to stir up trouble, but wasn’t her own move just another form of stirring up trouble?

Shen You’an raised an eyebrow. "Officer Xiang..."

Xiang Chenyu’s face darkened.

Shen You’an lightly coughed. "Aunt Chenyu."

Xiang Chenyu’s expression finally softened.

"You can’t catch the tiger’s cub without entering the tiger’s den."

Xiang Chenyu stared intently at her.

The seemingly fragile girl in front of her was far stronger than she appeared.

But no matter how brave she was, facing a formidable force alone was nothing short of trying to topple a tree as a tiny ant.

"No matter when, I’ll stand by your side."

Shen You’an smiled. "Thank you, Aunt Chenyu."

Just then, Xiang Chenyu received a phone call—an important lead had surfaced in the case she was tracking.

After hanging up, Xiang Chenyu stood up and said, "An’an, I need to return to the team. Call me if anything happens."

With that, she strode off without looking back.

This was the daily life of a criminal investigator; even managing a normal breakfast was a rare occurrence.

After finishing breakfast, Shen You’an bid Aunt Qing farewell and stepped out of the house.

A black business car drove past, then backed up a few seconds later.

The window rolled down halfway, revealing a man’s refined and elegant face. "Miss Shen, what a coincidence."

Shen You’an smiled. "Mr. Ren."

Ren Wenze glanced at the house behind her and raised his eyebrows slightly. "Where are you headed, Miss Shen? Let me give you a ride."

Shen You’an waved her phone slightly. "Thank you for your kind offer, Mr. Ren. I’ve already called a car."

The man nodded and instructed the driver to leave.

At the end of the alley, a black sedan was waiting.

Shen You’an opened the door to the back seat and got in.

A laptop sat beside her, and she picked it up, placing it on her lap.

"Miss," the driver glanced at the rearview mirror, his demeanor respectful.

~

"Strange. Truly strange."

Doctor Yan stared at the latest examination results, utterly baffled.

The surgical plan was already set, and this was meant to be the final pre-surgery checkup. Yet the results that came back were shocking.

The tests showed that Liu Runxi’s wound was healing—it no longer met the requirements for surgery.