Shao Mingyin told Liang Zhen that he had to go to the city bureau tomorrow.

“To the city bureau?” Liang Zhen asked. “Did something happen?”

“Nothing major, just giving a report to a student club. After that, I’m done for the day.” Shao Mingyin said. “I was thinking if it finishes early, we could find a restaurant in the city and eat.”

“Sure, let me know when you’re done.” Liang Zhen paused and then asked, “A university club?”

“A high school one,” Shao Mingyin explained. “It’s a new club that organizes occasional activities to give high school students some experience, kind of a way to promote the police academy and encourage applications.”

“Oh…” Liang Zhen nodded, feeling a bit disappointed as it wasn’t what he had imagined. He then ran a hand through his hair and asked, “Can I come and listen too?”

“You?”

“Yeah, my hairstyle now isn’t much different from a high schooler. Do you think I could blend in with the student police group tomorrow?”

By this time, they were both lying in bed. Shao Mingyin glanced at Liang Zhen sideways, “Why do you want to blend in?”

“I want to experience Officer Shao’s ideological enlightenment,” Liang Zhen said seriously. “I’ve never heard you give a report. Tomorrow is Friday, and I don’t have any classes. Take me with you.”

“But you have to consider the practicalities. Those students will definitely be in school uniforms. You’ll stand out immediately among them.”

“Heh, it’s just a school uniform,” Liang Zhen said confidently. “Tomorrow, you’ll see High School Student Liang Zhen.”

The next day, Liang Zhen didn’t ride with Shao Mingyin but went to the city on his own. By the time Shao Mingyin arrived at the city bureau’s conference hall, the students were still on their way, so he chatted with the other police officers there. Besides Shao Mingyin, there were also two interns from the Zhejiang Police Academy. When Shao Mingyin mentioned that he hadn’t entered the system through the civil service exam, they thought he was an alumnus of Zhejiang Police Academy. Shao Mingyin shook his head and said he attended the academy in Henan.

“So, Officer Shao and Deputy Team Leader Ling are both fellow countrymen!”

Shao Mingyin hesitated but nodded without affirming it. At this moment, Ling Junqian walked in, wearing a plain clothes jacket, shaking hands with a colleague while explaining the general situation. He laughed and said, “It’s been a while.”

“Long time no see,” Shao Mingyin extended his hand as well, but they released quickly after a brief shake.

Soon, the students who had come to listen to the report took their seats. The conference hall was quite large, and out of habit, the students didn’t sit at the front, leaving the first four rows empty. With a gooseneck microphone on the podium, they could hear clearly even from the back.

Because they were all in the same uniforms, Shao Mingyin strained his eyes to find Liang Zhen among the sea of white. Finally, he spotted him in the seventh row. Liang Zhen, looking very proper in a borrowed uniform, sat beside a genuine high school student, Xue Meng, who looked disinterested. When Liang Zhen saw Shao Mingyin had noticed him, he straightened his back, placing his arm on the desk. Xue Meng, seeing Liang Zhen’s exaggerated posture, scooted away, looking at him as if he were an idiot. If Xue Meng hadn’t known Liang Zhen was performing for Shao Mingyin, he would have unfollowed him on the spot.

Liang Zhen’s exaggerated sitting posture amused Shao Mingyin, making him smile broadly, not knowing that his smile was being observed by Ling Junqian on the stage, who felt a bit puzzled but proceeded with introducing the day’s speakers.

According to the schedule, the presentation started with the two interns. One was studying traffic management engineering, and the other was in network security and law enforcement. These were common majors in police academies, so after about ten minutes, they opened the floor for questions about applying for these programs. Many of the students were sports specialists interested in police academies but concerned about Zhejiang Police Academy’s high admission scores. They asked about the requirements of other provincial schools.

This question was beyond the interns’ knowledge, so they looked at Ling Junqian, who nodded and let Shao Mingyin explain, seeing he had the most knowledge about this.

When Ling Junqian called out “Mingyin,” it echoed loudly in Liang Zhen’s ears, making him widen his eyes. He had never called Shao Mingyin that intimately. Why did this deputy team leader call him so familiarly?

It seemed Shao Mingyin also didn’t expect Ling Junqian to call him that, glancing sideways at Liang Zhen and smiling gently.

How could they have CP (couple pairing) vibes? Is this how people ship others together? His real CP was right here! Liang Zhen almost wanted to shout this out, but Xue Meng calmed him down, patting his back and stabilizing his jealousy.

“We used to have job assignments, so the cutoff score was for the first tier, but after it changed to a unified exam, the scores came down a bit…” Shao Mingyin explained briefly, ultimately advising the students interested in police academies to consider Zhejiang Police Academy for its geographic advantage.

After the Q&A session, the next speaker was a forensic expert from the criminal police team. This topic grabbed everyone’s attention, even Xue Meng, who had stopped playing with his phone and listened intently. But Liang Zhen couldn’t focus on a single word. He kept his head down, writing and deleting messages on his phone, trying to text Shao Mingyin, but not finding the right words. As he was struggling, Shao Mingyin sent him a message first, asking why he wasn’t listening.

Liang Zhen: I can’t concentrate.

Shao Mingyin: ???

Liang Zhen: All I can hear is that deputy team leader calling you Mingyin. I can’t hear anything else.

Shao Mingyin: …

Shao Mingyin looked at the chat interface, smiling helplessly, not knowing how to explain to Liang Zhen. He hadn’t expected Liang Zhen to come to the presentation, so he hadn’t mentioned his history with Ling Junqian. He didn’t think it was important, considering their relationship had ended years ago. But he knew Liang Zhen might be upset, thinking back to how he and Ling Junqian used to be close.

Liang Zhen: Were you and he in the same class? Same grade?

Shao Mingyin: Yes, he got in through early admission, so he doesn’t know much about the scores.

Liang Zhen: Ah… so you know him well.

Liang Zhen: Did he come to Wenzhou for you?

Shao Mingyin: Kind of.

Liang Zhen: So, is he like, your ex from police academy?

Shao Mingyin could sense some displeasure in the text but when he looked up, he saw Liang Zhen looking a bit dejected. When Shao Mingyin replied with a simple “Yes,” Liang Zhen’s expression turned even more sorrowful, almost on the verge of tears.

Shao Mingyin still smiled, asking Liang Zhen how his “vinegar factory” was doing.

Liang Zhen: Not good, it’s exploded, and there are even fireworks.

Shao Mingyin: How did it even have special effects?

Liang Zhen: “Even the vinegar factory thinks Deputy Team Leader Ling is very manly and responsible.”

Shao Mingyin: “You’re actually looking at other people with admiration now, that’s progress. So why do you still look so upset?”

Liang Zhen: “Am I really your ideal type?”

Shao Mingyin: “???”

Liang Zhen: “Because I feel like Deputy Team Leader Ling’s demeanor is completely different from mine. He’s older and more mature, and you used to like that type.”

Liang Zhen: “Am I far from your ideal type?”

Shao Mingyin covered his mouth, surprised that Liang Zhen was worried about this. But it was understandable, everyone had an ideal type, and everyone hoped their lover was a replica of that ideal.

So Shao Mingyin responded with a sentence that made Liang Zhen immediately sit up straight, adopting an earnest student posture to seriously listen to the forensic report. Ling Junqian stood beside the forensic doctor, his tall and imposing figure adding to the room’s atmosphere. His presence overshadowed the forensic doctor’s explanations, adding pressure to the tense atmosphere. However, he seemed unaffected, focusing instead on the details presented.

This guess was quickly validated during the police dog demonstration after the report. Ling Junqian directed the German Shepherd, showing off its impressive skills.

It’s not unusual for the city police to have police dogs, given their proximity to the police dog training base. But these two police dogs were special; after training, they weren’t assigned to the city bureau but to local police stations.

“Really?” a student asked, “I’ve never seen police dogs at local stations.”

“Of course,” Ling Junqian replied, “this year is a new trial where local patrol teams are equipped with police dogs. It hasn’t even been reported yet.”

As the students formed a circle, the special police performed a few commands with the German Shepherd. After the demonstration, Ling Junqian handed the leash to one of the students, encouraging interaction with the dog. The German Shepherd sat obediently, allowing the student to pet it and even offered a paw.

“Can I choose the tall one?” Shao Mingyin didn’t point, “The one at your two o’clock.”

Ling Junqian knew which student he was referring to and smiled, though he wondered why Shao Mingyin was interested in that particular person. But he complied, not questioning Shao Mingyin’s choice.

He nodded in agreement, although it was clear he preferred the other dog. The chosen dog, a magnificent German Shepherd, approached Liang Zhen, who nervously reached out his hand. The dog, sensing his hesitation, lowered its head and licked his hand, breaking the tension and making everyone laugh. Liang Zhen, feeling more comfortable, hugged the dog, who responded with more licks, causing even more laughter from the crowd, including Shao Mingyin.

After the police dog demonstration, the student police group’s activity ended. Everyone took a group photo before heading home. Liang Zhen asked Xue Meng if he wanted to have dinner together, but Xue Meng checked his phone and said he wasn’t hungry and needed to find a place to do his homework.

Liang Zhen: “???”

“Are you seriously going to study?” Liang Zhen looked at him as if he’d seen a ghost. “Have you turned over a new leaf?”

“I turned over a new leaf ages ago! In my last exams, I even got an A, and I scored over 90 in geography for my elective,” Xue Meng proudly announced, thumping his chest.

Liang Zhen didn’t really understand the new Zhejiang college entrance exam policies: “Does that mean you’ve secured one subject for the exam?”

“For me, that’s already a huge breakthrough. My homeroom teacher gave me extra tutoring for a month, so of course, I need to make an effort,” Xue Meng said with determination. “Anyway, I have to go study.”

After parting ways with Xue Meng, Liang Zhen walked over to Shao Mingyin, overhearing Ling Junqian mentioning they had plans to eat at Grandma’s Kitchen. Shao Mingyin paused, considering whether to say, “I’ll treat you next time,” but Liang Zhen came over, wrapping his arm around Shao Mingyin’s shoulder affectionately.

“Ready to go?” Liang Zhen asked him, realizing Ling Junqian had overheard. He glanced at the deputy captain with a hint of mischief.

Ling Junqian said, smiling. “You two have fun.”

Ling Junqian turned to leave, casually saying, “See you later,” and waved. Shao Mingyin also waved back, making a mental note to stay in touch. Ling Junqian’s presence remained strong, but as he walked away, he seemed less imposing.

Liang Zhen called out, “Deputy Ling, are you off duty now?”

Ling Junqian nodded.

“Then… Can I treat you to a meal?” Liang Zhen asked.

^[1]Author’s Note Haha: Someone asked in the comments if a ten-thousand-yuan commercial performance is a lot. I want to explain that in this story, there is no “Rap of China” or … Continue reading