AS they exited Linghai Airport, Jhan Syudong’s car was already waiting in the parking lot. He was crouched beside the car, smoking a cigarette. When he saw Ding Yi and the others approaching, he took a couple more drags before throwing the cigarette butt away.

　　Yangyang ran up enthusiastically and clung to him for a moment, while Ding Yi loaded their luggage into the trunk.

　　Jhan Syudong looked haggard, a shadow of his formerly energetic self.

　　“What happened to you recently? How did you end up like this?” asked Ding Yi.

　　Jhan Syudong glanced at Yangyang, indicating with his eyes that they should talk later.

　　“Let’s take Yangyang home first, then we can find a place to chat,” he replied.

　　After dropping off Yangyang, Jhan Syudong drove Ding Yi back to his place. They dropped off the luggage and then headed to a nearby open park.

　　Although it was nearing September, the midday sun was still scorching.

　　“We can talk here. It’s open enough, and no worries about eavesdropping,” Ding Yi said.

　　Since neither of them had brought their phones, Jhan Syudong forced a smile and asked, “Aren’t you being overly cautious?”

　　“The last phone I dropped in the river had a listening device installed.”

　　“Who did it?”

　　“Probably Lee Mu.”

　　“Did you find out who’s behind him?”

　　“I have some clues, but I’m not sure yet. There might be good news in a few days.”

　　“According to your expression, you seem confident. Tell me what did you do!” Jhan Syudong finally showed some spirit and said.

　　“Of course, give someone a taste of their own medicine,” Ding Yi replied. A few days ago, Lee Mu kept calling him to reschedule a time for the Party Committee meeting. Ding Yi sent him a photo of the class schedule with a small program embedded in the image. When Lee Mu opened the picture, the program was installed on his phone.

　　This program was a listening device. As long as Lee Mu’s phone was on, not only could it monitor his calls, but every word he said would be transmitted back to Ding Yi.

　　“It’s better you don’t know the specifics, after all, you’re a cop,” said Ding Yi. “Given the situation now, using legitimate and legal methods to investigate and gather evidence is unrealistic. We have to use drastic measures. What about you? What’s going on? How did you end up like this?”

　　“I suspect my dad is already dead!” Jhan Syudong replied. Three years had passed. If he were still alive, how could he have been replaced? His dark expression was mixed with grief.

　　“When did this happen?” Ding Yi couldn’t believe it and asked.

　　Realizing that Ding Yi misunderstood, Jhan Syudong began to explain.

　　Initially, when he found the watch, he didn’t doubt Jhan Yeh’s identity. He was just angry at his father for deceiving him. If he had just openly admitted the watch was lost, why the need to hide it?

　　If he hadn’t been tied up with several cases in the task force, he would have taken the watch to Jhan Yeh the first chance he got upon returning to Linghai.

　　Later, while investigating the Honglin case, a young colleague jokingly mentioned the possibility of someone undergoing plastic surgery to impersonate Sun Weidong.

　　He remembered Sun Weidong’s wife’s statement that Sun had been acting strangely in the six months before his car accident.

　　Jhan Syudong’s parents never had a good relationship, but he was close to his father. Their strained marriage didn’t affect the bond between father and son.

　　Jhan Yeh was capable and open-minded. When Jhan Syudong graduated from college and wanted to become a civil servant instead of going into business, he didn’t push him but let him follow his own path.

　　Jhan Syudong used two months’ worth of salary to buy his father a pocket watch, which he cherished and wore every day.

　　But in the past three years, Jhan Yeh had changed dramatically. Even Jhan Syudong’s mother, who was always polite and respectful, noticed it, let alone Jhan Syudong himself.

　　They had always attributed the change to the trauma of the fire three years ago, followed by several plastic surgeries, which they believed caused his personality shift.

　　While investigating the Honglin case, his colleague’s comment planted a seed of doubt in Jhan Syudong’s mind.

　　The day he went to see Jhan Yeh, he took a forensic bag from the station driven by inexplicable impulses. Jhan Yeh’s reaction disappointed him. After obtaining hair and fingerprints from Jhan Yeh, he conducted a paternity and fingerprint test.

　　He desperately hoped he was overthinking, but the paternity test results were undeniable.

　　In a fit of rage, he called his mother to question her, only to be scolded and brought to his mother’s tears. He then compared the fingerprints with those on file, and they didn’t match.

　　After analyzing the situation calmly, he concluded that the current Jhan Yeh was an impostor and that the real Jhan Yeh had likely been dead for about three years.

　　He could only grieve silently, unable to alert anyone. Yesterday, when he tried to pull himself together and investigate the case, he found that the fake Jhan Yeh was nowhere to be seen at the villa. No matter where he went in the villa, he was constantly watched, making it impossible to gather any clues.

　　Ding Yi felt a chill. “Fingerprints didn’t match again? Did you find a match?” he asked.

　　“Yes,” Jhan Syudong said with a rare smile. “It matched the fingerprint from the Honglin case.”

　　No wonder Jhan Syudong had mentioned a hermit crab on the phone yesterday. It meant Jhan Yeh and Sun Weidong were just shells for this “crab,” with Zhang Yan likely being the first shell.

　　For over thirty years, this “crab” had borrowed several shells, becoming more skilled and now bold enough to kill, becoming a true hermit crab.

　　“Keep investigating the case. Grieving won’t turn back time or bring back the dead. Only the truth can give the deceased peace,” Ding Yi said. He felt for Jhan Syudong and patted his shoulder in comfort.

　　“Why did they choose my father?”

　　“No idea. Maybe because his company was simple, without family involvement, making it less likely to be discovered. Or maybe he learned something he shouldn’t have and was silenced.”

　　“This case is huge! It’s intricate, with visible threads leading to Gu Wei, Lee Lesi, and the person behind Lee Mu. Do you think the person behind Lee Mu could be Gu Wei or Lee Lesi?”

　　“I don’t think so. Gu Wei targeted me because I found a clue while investigating old cases,” Ding Yi explained. During that time, he had been openly reviewing salary records, looking for someone who fit the criteria. “The person must be from our unit and hold a high position now.”

　　“Wang Chyuansheng isn’t willing to tell the truth, and there’s no concrete evidence against Lee Lesi. The biggest breakthrough is the impostor posing as my father.”

　　“What kind of person is this? Why can’t we find his fingerprints or DNA?”

　　“He could be a ‘black household,’ someone who never registered or was declared dead and had their household registration canceled,” Jhan Syudong squinted and replied. “Regardless, he’s not just a breakthrough; he’s evidence of their large-scale embezzlement. We need to keep him in place, making those behind him believe we haven’t discovered his true identity. If he gets killed, our evidence chain will be incomplete. Can you use your drastic measures again?”

　　“Watch your words. Is this something a police officer suppose to say?” Ding Yi smirked and said.

　　“Fine! Just find out his true identity; I don’t care how you do it,”Jhan Syudong said.

　　Ding Yi checked his watch. It was almost one.

　　“Alright, it’s getting late. Let’s go and have a lunch!” he said.

　　They returned to Ding Yi’s place to get their phones before heading out to find a place to eat.

　　While they were waiting for their food, Ding Yi’s phone rang. Seeing that it was Su Manhua calling, he raised an eyebrow. Could she just be waking up now?

　　“Mr. Ding, have you arrived in Linghai?” asked Su Manhua.

　　“I got here a little while ago,” he said, noticing she really did sound like she had just woken up. “Are you up?”

　　Jhan Syudong, sitting nearby, looked incredulous. It seemed things were progressing quickly between them.

　　On the other end, Su Manhua was still in bed, rolling around with a stuffed bunny.

　　“I just got up. I wanted to see you off, but I overslept,” she said.

　　“Just take care of yourself. And don’t drink when you go out,” Ding Yi said. Her tolerance was so low that she wouldn’t know if she got taken advantage of when drunk.

　　“I-I’m sorry! Last night... I didn’t say anything inappropriate, did I?” Su Manhua asked anxiously.

　　More than just saying, if he hadn’t been self-controlled, they might have ended up in bed. Glancing at Jhan Syudong, who was watching with interest, Ding Yi calmly replied, “No, you didn’t.”

　　After hanging up, Su Manhua felt a bit disappointed. It looked like she’d need to find another chance.

　　Hearing a notification, Su Manhua lazily opened the app.

　　Ding Yi: You said you liked the stuffed bunny and comb I gave you, but you liked me even more.

　　Boom! Su Manhua felt her face flush with embarrassment. She actually said that!

　　After a long while, she mustered the courage to reply: So what’s your answer?

　　If he rejected her, she’d blame it on the alcohol and continue pursuing him shamelessly as a friend.

　　Ding Yi: I gave you my answer last night. Think back.

　　Staring at the phone screen, she tried to decipher his words. So, what was the answer?

　　Frustrated, she called Ling Yueh to vent.

　　Ling Yueh, who was on her lunch break, couldn’t help but scold her after listening.

　　“Oh my, you’re so dumb!” she said.

　　“Why scold me?” asked Su Manhua. She felt a bit wronged.

　　“Just Google what it means when a man gives a woman a comb,” Ling Yueh said, then hung up and continued her nap, chuckling as she closed her eyes.

　　She had always said these two were a perfect match, and it seemed her instincts were spot on.

　　Sitting on her bed, Su Manhua searched the meaning on her phone and giggled at the result. It meant... they were together?

　　From that moment on, they confirmed their feelings for each other, though separated by distance, they could only video chat daily.

　　In mid-September, Su Manhua received a notification from Fonghan Group about a board meeting scheduled for September 30th, allowing independent directors to arrange their schedules.

　　She adjusted her classes and returned to Linghai a day early. This time, she didn’t even tell her parents. Ding Yi picked her up from the airport, and they spent the day eating, watching movies, and strolling around.

　　The right person just fit perfectly; their thoughts were in sync, their values aligned, and their pace matched. Sometimes, just a glance was enough to understand each other.

　　Being together was always comfortable, even sitting quietly without talking didn’t feel awkward.

　　Happy times flew by, and soon it was ten at night. Ding Yi drove Su Manhua home. As she got back into the car, she noticed it wasn’t the same one from Hedong.

　　“Did you change cars?” she asked.

　　“I rented it. From now on, I’ll fly or take the train between Hedong and here. Driving is too slow,” replied Ding Yi.

　　“I see. It’s too dangerous!” Su Manhua nodded and said. After what happened last time, she was wary of long-distance car rides. “But isn’t it inconvenient?”

　　“It’s fine. I won’t be staying here much longer anyway,” Ding Yi smiled and replied.

　　Su Manhua turned to him in surprise.

　　“Are you getting transferred?” she asked. She thought someone young and capable like him would have a smooth promotion path at the bank.

　　“Going back to Hedong is only a matter of time. Don’t you want me to stay here?” Ding Yi asked. Even the best relationships couldn’t withstand long distances. Since he had decided on her, he should plan for their future.

　　“Of course, I want you back in Hedong,” Su Manhua said, her smile was bright. She had suffered through a month of longing.

　　Ding Yi drove into her community and parked below her building. After retrieving her suitcase from the trunk, he walked her to the elevator and handed her the suitcase.

　　“What time does the board meeting end tomorrow?” he asked.

　　“The notice says from 2 PM to 6 PM, but usually there’s a dinner after. Since Lee Lesi is a senior, it wouldn’t be polite not to go.” Su Manhua replied. She actually disliked those drinking parties but not attending seemed rude.

　　“No problem. Just let me know the location of the dinner, and I’ll pick you up.”

　　“Okay, I’m heading up then.”

　　“Good night.”

　　Su Manhua waved at him before stepping into the elevator.

　　Ding Yi responded with a wave, watching until she entered the elevator before turning to leave.

　　He couldn’t help but feel sentimental. Who would have thought he’d ever be so entangled in matters of the heart?