The spring breeze carried a trace of chill, but it was no longer the biting cold of winter.
This was the end of a long battle—and the beginning of a new journey.
The fall of the "Abyss" organization was like a boulder tossed into a lake, stirring countless ripples. Though the core figures had been apprehended and most of the members rounded up, the clearing of remnants, the sorting of evidence, the comfort and rebuilding for victims—all of it was still ongoing.
In the city bureau's archive room, Su Wanqing, wearing gloves, carefully flipped through box after box of materials recovered from the "Abyss" headquarters. Some pages were still stained with blood or burn marks. The heavy truth lurked between the lines—silent as ghosts, yet present everywhere.
"This is the complete route map of their 'Cleansing Plan.' It involves far more than we expected," she said hoarsely, lifting her eyes and handing a stack of documents to Lu Chenzhou.
He took them and began to read, his expression gradually darkening. "Even several trade guilds outside the city were infiltrated… These people had been planning their escape all along."
"But they won't get the chance anymore," Su Wanqing said softly, her gaze firm. "We'll make them pay for every single one."
He looked at her, and in that moment, a wave of tenderness surged within him. She was still the calm, decisive forensic doctor—but after going through life and death time and again, she had grown warmer, more trusting, more reliant on him, as he was on her.
During this period of organizing evidence against "Abyss," neither of them had truly rested. The bureau had formed a special task force to reopen all cold cases related to the organization. Their schedules were packed from dawn till midnight—interrogations, evidence collection, fieldwork—without a moment's break.
Once, during an interrogation, a low-level member broke down in tears, sobbing that he'd never imagined things would turn out this way. Su Wanqing listened silently and returned to her office, sitting in her chair for a long time without speaking.
"Do you think he deserves sympathy?" Lu Chenzhou asked softly behind her.
"I don't know," she replied, staring out the window. "Some people take the wrong path from the start. Some lose their way and can never turn back."
He stepped forward and wrapped her in his arms. "You've already done enough, Su Wanqing."
She leaned against his chest, closed her eyes, and for the first time in days, let her fatigue show.
At night, they often worked late into the hours. Once, Lu Chenzhou saw her asleep at her desk, her shoulders trembling faintly. He gently draped a coat over her and watched her sleep for a long time before returning to his work.
When she awoke, she found a cup of warm milk and a note on the desk:
"The world is bitter, but because of you, I'm willing to see this through to the end."
Something inside her stirred. The pain and confusion buried deep within her memories were slowly being illuminated by him, bit by bit.
The city was gradually returning to order.
In the streets and alleys, people resumed their everyday lives, as if nothing had happened. But behind the walls of the police and justice systems, countless eyes were still fixed on the truths that remained unresolved.
One day, Su Wanqing and Lu Chenzhou attended a gathering for the families of the victims.
A mother burst into tears upon seeing them. "Thank you… It's because of you my son's injustice has finally been redressed. I no longer have nightmares every night."
Su Wanqing gently took her hand, saying nothing—but tears quietly welled in her eyes.
As they exited the venue, the sky had darkened. Under the amber streetlights, their shadows stretched long across the pavement.
"Wanqing," Lu Chenzhou suddenly stopped walking.
"Hmm?" she turned back.
"In the future… when there are no more cases like these… what would you want to do?"
She paused, then smiled. "I think… I'd like to open a bookstore. One that belongs to both of us. Forensic work is exhausting. I want to read other people's stories for once."
"Our bookstore?" Lu Chenzhou raised an eyebrow. "I could be in charge of cleaning and accounting."
"You can clean, sure—but leave the accounting to me. Your math is terrible."
He chuckled. "Then the sign outside will say: 'Operated by Forensic Doctor Su Wanqing and Detective Lu Chenzhou.'"
"Too long," she tilted her head. "Let's call it Aftermath."
"Aftermath?"
"Yeah," she gazed into the distance. "The ripple after the wave has passed. Like us now—still standing side by side after the storm."
Lu Chenzhou looked at her, his eyes as soft as water. "Then I have one condition."
"What is it?"
"Hang a little sign at the door: 'Paparazzi, suspects, and criminal syndicates forbidden inside.'"
Su Wanqing burst out laughing. "Wouldn't that mean you can't come in either?"
They exchanged smiles, finding a place of belonging in the long aftermath of their journey.
The wind stirred the leaves. Night continued to spread—but their story was only just beginning.