The first time Su Miao came to the clinic, I should have been alert. Her eyes sparkled when she described her savior, and her face turned red when she mentioned Chengnan Restaurant.
But I had too much faith in Huo Xianci. I believed that he took out his mobile phone in the rain of bullets and reported to me that he was safe. I believed that he stayed up late working on the case and still took a detour to buy my favorite croissant.
Until the anniversary day, I saw that candid photo in the gossip group.
Under the warm yellow light, his eyes looked at her intently, as if staring at prey, and the rose gold on her wrist was dazzling.
I was sitting at the restaurant we go to every year, waiting for his text message about the "unexpected case."
I drove around to the opposite side of the internet celebrity restaurant and saw Su Miao leaning on his shoulder and smiling at me through the glass.
That smile is all too familiar to me, a provocation that promises victory.
Huo Xianci always said that the most important thing to avoid when handling a case is to be emotional.
Now it's my turn.
I calmly dialed the number of the medical team entering Tibet and heard my own calm voice:
"Teacher, I want to go to the farthest place."
