I took a sip of wine, savoring it, and remarked, "That setup was too long, it felt like a romance novel." Zhang Hemei replied, "Don't look at it with such a professional eye; I'm telling an interesting story, not something with the interlocking complexity of a detective novel." Since I was committed to spending the evening with her, I wasn't in a hurry.

I nodded, and she continued: During his university years, the young man didn't enjoy the carefree happiness of his peers.

Instead, he remained under intense pressure, much like the final stretch before the college entrance exams.

As a result, his academic performance was outstanding.

Starting from his second year, he received a full scholarship and no longer needed the woman's financial support, yet his feelings for her only deepened.

By graduation, he had already completed several major projects under his supervisor's guidance, so unlike other students, he didn't worry about employment; numerous companies sought him out, offering the most generous terms to recruit him.

The young man finally fulfilled the promise he had made.

His career path was smooth sailing, and as he wished, he and the woman entered the bonds of matrimony.

After their marriage, they lived very happily, their respective elders were entirely satisfied, and their former high school classmates were incredibly envious.

However, just one year into their marriage, problems arose between them.

Reaching this point, Zhang Hemei paused and then asked me, "What do you suppose the problem was?" I swirled the wine in my glass, thought for a moment, and ventured, "A third party interfering?" Zhang Hemei chuckled slyly, "Men are men; their thought patterns never change." Beer foam dissolved in the glass, and I laughed, "You’re calling You Qiaolin a man too—you’ve dragged him into this by generalizing." The moment the words left my mouth, I regretted them.

You Qiaolin was a sensitive spot for her, and I was hurting her.

Yet, Zhang Hemei didn't react strongly and instead replied, "He wasn't a good man either, but I just liked him." I leaned back, exhaling a puff of alcohol vapor. "Just continue with the story.

Stop making me guess." Zhang Hemei glanced at me, conspiratorially secretive, "Actually, the reason is very simple.

Because they desperately wanted a child after marriage, they hadn't used any protection since their wedding night.

But a year passed, and there was no sign of the wife becoming pregnant." Hearing her state it so plainly made me slightly blush, but she smiled at me as if nothing was amiss. "You men are truly disappointing if you can't even guess such a simple reason." Hearing her repeatedly attack men, as a police officer who had been drinking, this was absolutely intolerable, so I immediately countered, "Men are half the sky..." Zhang Hemei burst into laughter. "Yes, yes, men are half the sky.

A world without men cannot be called a complete world.

If the earth were filled only with women, life would be unbearable." She had twisted every word I said.

Only then did I realize how sharp this woman was; even after drinking so much, she wasn't muddled.

Her tolerance for alcohol seemed exceptional.

A sudden realization struck me: could all this shrewdness mean that everything was deliberately arranged by her, specifically to make me drop my suspicion regarding her and You Qiaolin? Had I unwittingly fallen into her trap, letting go of doubts I shouldn't have abandoned? I carefully reviewed the events of the past few days: first, being abruptly told to take leave by the Chief; then leaving the station, wandering around the streets, boarding a taxi, arriving at Lan Guiren, meeting Zhao Shiya, and finally, meeting Zhang Hemei.

The process was a tight chain, link connected to link.

Which link had the opposition exploited? First, leaving the police station—not many people should know, but certainly not few.

At least the Chief, Fatty Old Demon, Chen Yujia, colleagues from the Special Operations Office, and colleagues from the armory all knew I was on leave.

And in a police department where news travels faster than a four-legged rabbit, it was likely that everyone knew the moment I stepped out the door.

So, nothing could be traced along that line.

Next, wandering the streets—that seemed fine.

Who would know that a handsome young man aimlessly strolling the avenue was a police officer forced into leave due to mental distress? Then, taking the taxi—that was a pure coincidence.

I couldn't just pick a driver at random and suspect him.

Furthermore, Master Liu's performance today gave me absolutely no reason to doubt him.

Once his suspicion was ruled out, the suspicion that he intentionally brought me to Lan Guiren vanished.

If that was the case, then meeting Zhao Shiya and Zhang Hemei afterward were accidents of the highest order, showing not the slightest trace of human manipulation.

Now, I was trapped in profound confusion.

I couldn't figure out how everything I encountered had unfolded.

I knew it was coincidental, yet I constantly suspected deliberate plotting, yet I could find no evidence.

I was still a weakling, lacking Chen Yujia's astute mind, constantly stumbling through the fog of life, frequently getting lost, often being led by the nose, wanting to resist but having no strategy, ultimately messing up both my personal life and my work.

Having been self-assured of my intelligence since childhood, a fierce will to resist suddenly surged from within me.

I desperately forced my brain into high gear, driving the alcohol from my central processing centers, and began linking one seemingly unrelated event to another, meticulously searching for the points of connection.

Suddenly, a flash of lightning illuminated my mind—everything became crystal clear: If Zhang Hemei's actions were intentional, then the root cause lay with the mole inside the police department.

This mole had prior knowledge that I was being forced on leave.

Then, they tracked me, called a specific taxi driver whose number they had kept on file, and arranged for him to find me—perhaps there was more than just Master Liu; perhaps any taxi I hailed would put me into a car arranged by him.

Once inside, whatever I said, as long as it wasn't "take me home," the driver would follow his instructions, guiding me to Lan Guiren, or perhaps some other location.

As soon as I arrived at a pre-arranged spot, I would meet Zhang Hemei, and this woman would perform a mesmerizing play, even resorting to selling her charm and body, ensuring I fell completely into the meticulously woven net, making me believe that she and You Qiaolin were completely innocent.

At this realization, all the alcohol in my body turned into sweat and streamed down, making my face undoubtedly pale.

I quickly grabbed a tissue to wipe my brow, using the action to mask my loss of composure.

Zhang Hemei hadn't noticed my anomaly; she continued telling the story: The couple couldn't have children after marriage.

The husband blamed the wife, and the wife suspected the husband's fertility.

The once harmonious couple began to bicker; slowly, their quiet disagreements escalated into loud arguments, and afterward, things worsened.

They would argue relentlessly even in front of their parents.

Naturally, both sets of parents sided with their own children, and soon the parents started arguing too.

The situation became irreconcilable.

Both the husband and wife felt their marriage had reached its end, the affection built up over time completely eroded by ceaseless quarrels.

Finally, after mediation by the neighborhood committee, the couple decided to undergo medical checks to determine the real reason for their post-marital infertility.

The test results came back: the wife was fine; it was the husband who was infertile.

At this point, both families erupted.

The wife's family insisted on a divorce and demanded a large sum of compensation from the husband for "wasted youth," while the husband refused to divorce, pleading with his wife to trust modern medical technology to cure his condition and give him a chance.

Stopping again here, Zhang Hemei looked at me and asked, "If it were you, what would you do?" My gaze flickered.

I was no longer carefree but carefully chewed over the meaning of her words, trying to analyze her trick to confuse me.

But after thinking it over, this was just a story, a typical modern domestic conflict, miles away from what I suspected—it held no suspicious elements at all. "It’s not about guessing what you'd do; just tell me your feeling.

If you were in that situation, what action would you take?" Zhang Hemei asked impatiently.

I snapped back to attention, smiled, and replied, "I am a robust and healthy man.

This sort of thing would never happen to me in this life, or the next, or the one after that." Zhang Hemei glared, putting on a petulant expression. "I know you're strong as an ox! I asked hypothetically.

Just answer the question directly." Seeing her display this side of a young woman, I momentarily lost focus.

Up to this point, I had seen three versions of Zhang Hemei, each entirely different, with no overlap, yet undeniably her.

How baffling this was—three completely distinct personalities concentrated in one woman.

I didn't know if this qualified as a multiple personality disorder.

When I next see Chen Yujia, I must ask him about it, perhaps find an opportunity to have him meet this woman, and then the truth will be revealed. "Hurry up and tell me, please, I'm begging you." A chill ran down my spine.

I quickly said, "I'll say it, I'll say it.

Like you just described, since the problem lies with the man, he should respect the woman's wishes.

Of course, his request for a chance is valid, and it's his right, but he cannot force the woman to agree.

That, I think, is the key point." After I finished speaking, Zhang Hemei’s expression clearly changed.

She looked at me and murmured, "I’m beginning to realize you might be a genuinely good man, hiding for a long time." In truth, I wasn't as good as she thought.

Those words were borrowed from television.

I remembered a program that specialized in these domestic trifles and conflicts, often sending mediators.

I had watched a few times, and one episode happened to cover post-marital infertility with the fault lying on the man.

So, I was merely quoting what I'd heard to startle Zhang Hemei.

However, I needed to appear humble.

I waved my hand. "This is nothing.

A man should have an open heart and broad sentiment.

If he is wrong, he must dare to admit it, and when responsibility must be taken, he must take it." These words were still borrowed, but they made Zhang Hemei's eyes shine with adoration.

At that moment, if I hadn't already held firm preconceived notions, I might have believed she was utterly captivated by me.

I silently warned myself: You are a strong person; you cannot be careless or deceived by her enchanting exterior.

You must find her true form.

After a moment of admiration, Zhang Hemei said, "It would be better if you were the man in the story." I suddenly countered, "If you were the woman, what would you do?" Zhang Hemei hadn't expected me to turn the question back; she paused, then replied, "If it were me, my first feeling would definitely be not wanting to be with him.

If he hadn't argued with me over these things before, I might have stayed by his side.

But since he's arguing and making a fuss, it means that having children is more important to him than I am.

What's the point of cherishing a man like that?" I was speechless.

A woman is a woman; they can always find a righteous reason for anything.

Men are never a match for them.

It seemed God was fair: He gave men strong bodies and gave women endless reasoning power, creating a balance between the two sides.

Because of this, endless conflict always exists between men and women, and it will continue indefinitely.

Zhang Hemei looked at me and demanded, "What’s wrong? You look dissatisfied with my answer.

Hmph, I knew it—there isn't a single good man in this world." I smiled. "That's all thanks to women like you raising us." Zhang Hemei didn't mind my verbal attack; in fact, she seemed to enjoy the debate.

She shot back casually, "Men grow up because of women; without women, men are always children." The bold Zhang Hemei was already too much for me to handle; now, add a sharp-tongued Zhang Hemei, and I was clearly outmatched.

I didn't want to argue with her further over this ancient and complex issue, so I said, "What happened next? Hurry up and tell me, I'm desperate to know." Zhang Hemei showed a triumphant smile. "I told you this story was interesting," and then she continued.

The woman ultimately decided to break up with the man, and the two families entered a new round of fighting over assets.

The man had already achieved moderate success in his career, and having completed several highly remunerative projects after graduation, he possessed a significant sum of money, which became the focal point of the dispute.

According to the wishes of the woman and her family, if the man hadn't received her active support back then, he would never have gone to university and achieved his current status; therefore, his assets should be divided according to the legal proportion, plus an additional large sum should be paid out.

But the man, seeing the woman's cold-heartedness, wanted to give her not a penny, turning their conflict into something irreconcilable.

Zhang Hemei stopped again, looking at me with profound meaning.

I yawned listlessly. "Are you making me guess again? This is too simple.

Since you mentioned earlier this was a case, surely the two sides ended up exploding in anger, and the man, in a fit of impulse, harmed the woman or her family.

Is that right?" Zhang Hemei praised, "As expected of a police officer, you guessed correctly right away.

But the crucial question isn't that.

Do you know what method the man used for revenge?" I casually replied, "Either with bare hands or using a weapon.

Beyond those two, there shouldn't be any other way." This was a clever answer.

She asked for the method, but I subtly substituted it with weapon.

In this world, the objects that harm people are limited to fists and weapons; therefore, I couldn't possibly be wrong.

Zhang Hemei nodded, but then shook her head immediately. "That's not the way to guess it." Yet, she couldn't articulate why for a moment.

I secretly rejoiced in my heart: You staunch feminist have finally tasted what it's like to be bested by a man.

But I said aloud, "If it's not that way, then what is it?" Zhang Hemei acted spoiled and coy, looking utterly charming and pitiful.

Suddenly, a shock went through me: No, she was clearly a suspect; why was I starting to feel moved? It seemed the purpose of her storytelling wasn't the story itself, but rather to use the story to bridge the distance between her and me, making me develop a favorable impression of her without realizing it, thereby dissolving my suspicions! Gazing at Zhang Hemei's captivating face, I felt a wave of confusion.

Was she acting? If so, her acting skill was too high, and her grasp of the human heart had reached an inconceivable level, rivaling Chen Yujia’s.

But she was just a woman, a seemingly fragile woman—how could she achieve such exquisite finesse? Zhang Hemei continued to act charmingly spoiled, seemingly oblivious to my unease.

Seeing that I ignored her, she pouted and said, "But you only guessed half right." Her statement made me feel challenged again.

I said, "That's impossible.

I don't believe there is anything in this world that can harm someone other than fists or weapons." This was another sophistry.

Weapons already encompass all injurious objects; strictly speaking, once a fist has hurt someone, it can also be termed a weapon.

So my answer couldn't possibly be wrong.

Zhang Hemei revealed a sliver of a triumphant smile, having regained the upper hand.

She then said, "Because the man used both fists and a weapon.

Haha, I caught you not guessing correctly." I blinked, rubbed my nose, and conceded, "You win." Zhang Hemei started to continue the narrative, but her expression suddenly shifted, as if covered by a fine layer of black mist, becoming somewhat gloomy.

It seemed the method the man used in the story was quite extreme, or perhaps quite bloody and terrifying.

I smiled and said, "If you're scared, don't tell it.

No matter how terrifying the event, it won't scare me.

Don't scare yourself into fainting." Zhang Hemei pursed her lips and then began, "The man had completely despaired of the woman, but he truly loved her.

He still remembered how she helped him back then, so he made a terrible decision." Zhang Hemei took a small sip of wine before beginning her account: The man finally agreed to all the conditions set by the woman, but he had one request: that before the divorce, they travel to Huangshan one more time.

That was the first place he took her traveling after achieving some financial stability, and it was also where they first became intimate.

Seeing that the man had agreed to her terms, the woman no longer felt as much hatred toward him.

After all, they had been through so much and lived together for several years, so she agreed to his request.

On the day of departure, the man specifically retrieved the clothes he had worn years ago when they visited Huangshan; he even found the clothes the woman had worn then.

However, the woman chose not to wear hers.

She thought this was their last trip together, and after returning, they would divorce immediately; there was no need for such trivialities.

Yet, the woman never imagined this would be her final journey.