Beneath the Thorns

Stone-faced undercover agent x innocent school beauty

1.

"What am I to you?"

Bai Zhixi thought for a moment, searching her limited vocabulary for a suitable description. "Um... like an all-powerful god."

"An all-powerful god?" They happened to hit a red light. The man repeated the words to himself, then smiled faintly. A rare tenderness flickered in his usually placid eyes. "I'm not a god. A god loves all people. I only love you."

2.

A year ago, when Bai Zhixi got separated from her traveling companion on a New York street, she ran into Si Yuheng, who was undercover in a criminal organization.

Criminals often appeared in that neighborhood. The man walked slowly toward her through the rain, an air of menace about him. But as he drew near, he reined in his sharp edge and held out a hand, silently offering to lead her away.

Seeing her unease, he took off his expensive coat and draped it over her shoulders. In flawless Mandarin, he asked, "Are you Chinese?"

The joy of meeting someone from home in a foreign land helped Bai Zhixi calm down. Then she heard him say, "Don't be afraid. I won't let anything happen to you."

After she returned to China, Bai Zhixi soon forgot about their chance encounter. She never imagined she had long been the most important part of the man's meticulous plan.

3.

When they met again, Bai Zhixi mistakenly thought Si Yuheng was just a manager at a business karaoke club.

Later, when she learned he was a "criminal," she hated him to the bone.

Later still, when she received his uniform, decorated with medals, she finally understood: her seemingly peaceful life had been protected by someone who risked his life to create a haven for her.

"Go ahead and enjoy every romance and pleasure life has to offer. I'll bear all the world's cruelty and darkness for you."

*Before I met you, I was barely surviving in a hail of bullets. After meeting you, there were only two things left for me to do: stay true to my duty, and stay alive so I could be with you.

Reader advisory:

1. The ending will probably be happy.

2. The male lead has a special identity: he is an undercover police officer.

3. This story is entirely fictional.

Theme: A tribute to all the anti-drug police officers who put themselves on the front line to keep us safe.