The room was dimly lit and silent. Zhuang Zi didn’t turn on the lights. After closing the door behind her, she dragged her tired steps to the bed and leaned against the cold floor.

She rested the back of her head on the edge of the bed and looked up at the ceiling, lost in thought.

There was an indescribable feeling in her heart.

For so many years, she had hardly ever cared about what others thought of her.

Just now, perhaps due to her pride, she couldn’t control herself and asked him that question—whether he thought she was as disgraceful as Zhuang Hong.

Since childhood, she hadn’t shared a deep father-daughter bond with Zhuang Hong. Later, the events at the Luocheng Stone Factory made her despise him. Even though he was her biological father, she couldn’t help but feel contempt and disgust for the immoral things he had done using dirty means.

She couldn’t escape the fact that she was a criminal’s daughter, but she constantly reminded herself not to become someone disgraceful.

Today she had made a mistake, and she didn’t want to excuse herself. She was willing to accept the punishment for her actions.

But everyone makes mistakes at times, and she was no saint.

At the time, she hadn’t thought it through and casually asked Pei Zheng for help.

The car accident that followed was not what she intended; it was an accident.

Should she be condemned for having the intention to get a fake ID, which led to an unintentional mistake?

Does this make her irredeemable?

Even criminals have a chance to reform; why couldn’t she be forgiven for this one mistake?

Why did he have to look down on her so much?

Not even wanting to speak to her, not listening to her explanation?

Yes, he was a righteous and excellent police officer. But did he need to express his disdain so openly?

She pressed her lips together, exhaling a heavy breath through her nose.

With a suffocating feeling in her chest and not knowing how to alleviate it, her phone suddenly buzzed in her pocket.

She remained in her reclined position for a few seconds before slowly sitting up and taking out her phone.

It was Pei Zheng calling. She took a deep breath, trying to remain calm before answering, “Sorry, I just got back and didn’t have time to return your call.”

“It’s okay,” Pei Zheng said apologetically, “I’m really sorry about today. It’s all my fault for acting on my own.”

Zhuang Zi felt a lump in her throat and couldn’t speak for a moment.

How could she blame him for acting on his own?

If he hadn’t been so considerate of her, he wouldn’t have taken the risk without telling her.

Pei Zheng, noticing her silence, called her name again, “Zhuang Zi?”

She held her aching forehead with her hand and said softly, “I’m fine, don’t worry.”

“As long as you’re okay,” Pei Zheng said, still unaware of her distress. “The police called you over, and I was really worried about your safety.”

A pang of bitterness surged in her chest.

She felt a mix of gratitude and guilt swirling inside her.

“Pei Zheng,” she said, her voice unintentionally carrying a hint of pleading, “Please don’t…”

She wanted to tell him not to be so good to her, feeling she couldn’t repay him, but was too ashamed to say it.

He had done so much for her, always considering her well-being.

This sentiment made her feel both touched and pressured.

Pei Zheng sensed something was wrong. “What’s the matter? Did something really happen?”

“No,” she said, feeling her guilt reach its peak. Too many things had happened today, and she couldn’t handle it all at once, trapped in a swirl of complex emotions.

She didn’t know how to express her gratitude and guilt to Pei Zheng, so after a few seconds of hesitation, she finally said, “Thank you.”

…

Outside the room, Si Hang had just reached her door and was about to knock when he heard faint voices inside. He hesitated.

His hand hovered in the air for a moment before he withdrew it and put it back in his pocket.

He stood at her door for a couple of seconds, then turned back to the living room, picked up the stack of documents, and headed towards the entrance.

As he passed the dining room, he told Aunt Qin, “Don’t wait for me for dinner.”

Aunt Qin rushed out from the kitchen, asking, “It’s already dinner time. Why don’t you stay and eat?”

Without looking back, he replied, “Something came up at the station.”

…

When Si Hang returned to the police station, it was already completely dark.

He walked into the Criminal Investigation Department, where the large office was quiet, with only two officers working overtime at their desks.

They exchanged brief greetings, and Si Hang went straight to his office. He opened the door, and the streetlights mixed with the moonlight outside cast a faint glow, illuminating every corner with a soft sheen.

He walked behind his desk, took a key from the drawer, and immediately turned around and left the room.

The archive room had no night shift, but each department had a spare key.

After completing the registration procedures, he pushed the door open and entered, searching among the rows of shelves for the 2016 file category.

…

At home, Aunt Qin wondered what kind of disagreement had occurred between the two young people.

In the evening, when Aunt Qin went to call Zhuang Zi for dinner, she had already composed herself. Facing Aunt Qin’s concern, she only mentioned a traffic accident. Feeling too depressed to eat, she declined dinner.

Zhuang Zi, usually not much of a talker, seemed to be maintaining her politeness despite her poor mood. Aunt Qin, not wanting to add to her troubles, sensibly refrained from asking more questions.

Returning to the dining room, Aunt Qin speculated that perhaps Si Hang had blamed Zhuang Zi for the trouble she caused today, leading to their tense atmosphere.

In reality, if it were merely a reprimand, Zhuang Zi wouldn’t have felt so distressed.

That night, she tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

After what felt like the umpteenth restless turn, she heard the faint sound of the living room door opening.

He was back.

Had he left without eating dinner and come back so late because he didn’t want to talk to her? Or because he didn’t want to see her?

She quietly listened to the faint rustling sounds outside until silence resumed.

She turned over, staring at the night-shrouded river view outside the window.

Suddenly, she felt frustrated with herself for getting caught up in such pointless worries again.

Where had her previous rationality and calm gone?

As long as she had a clear conscience, why should she care so much about his opinion of her?

If he looked down on her, so be it.

Over the years, hadn’t there been plenty of people who misunderstood her, yet it hadn’t affected her normal life at all?

Why torment herself over this?

It was better to get a good night’s sleep and be ready for more important matters tomorrow.

…