Zhou Xiaocheng had been working a homicide case connected to the black market. He was there undercover that night, keeping watch, when he unexpectedly spotted Zhang Wanqing. Thinking about how she made her money, he couldn’t help but frown.

In the past, Zhang Wanqing had managed to scrape by on ration supplies alone. She was sharp—always first in line at the neighborhood office to grab piecework she could do at home, earning a little extra to support herself. She never went hungry or without basic necessities.

Later, when policies loosened a bit and private trade began to flourish underground, she’d slipped into that world too. She knew a few tricks—how to scam and deceive—but she was clever, and she’d never been caught.

Back then, plenty of people had been swept up and sent for “re-education through labor.” But somehow, this girl had always slipped through.

After learning about her upbringing, Zhou Xiaocheng felt a pang of sympathy. She’d been just a child, forced to find ways to survive on her own. It couldn’t have been easy.

He could let the past go. But now she was a college student. Her monthly allowance was more than enough to live on. So what was she doing back in the black market?

Shaking his head, he checked his watch. He still had some time. Worried, he decided to follow her.

Zhang Wanqing hadn’t bothered with a disguise this time, so few of the regulars recognized her.

She wandered through the shadowy market before stopping at a stall cluttered with mud-caked “antiques.” The vendor was a thin, wrinkled old man who looked about as ancient as the items he sold.

His name was Old Fourth You. Once a grave robber, he’d lain low for years and now dealt in fake relics. He raised an eyebrow when he saw her. “Haven’t seen you in a while. Got something new for me to look at?”

Zhang Wanqing didn’t answer. Instead, she picked up a bronze object caked in dirt, turning it under the dim light. Finally, she asked, “Do people actually buy this stuff, You Laosi?”

He didn’t skip a beat. “’Course they do. This was Empress Dowager Cixi’s foot-washing basin. Sold one just like it the other day. Everything here sells eventually.”

She put it down dismissively and pulled a jade piece the size of her palm from her bag. “How much for this?”

Old Fourth You had known her for years. The girl was cunning as a fox, but the things she brought were always genuine—though no one knew where she got them.

He took the jade, examining it carefully before pulling out a magnifying glass. “What’re you asking?”

“It’s a funeral jewel Cixi held in her mouth. Five hundred yuan, plus a hundred jin in national grain tickets.”

He tossed it back as if it were hot. “You’ve got some nerve. Funeral jewels aren’t this big. It’s nice, but not worth more than two hundred.”

“Fine. Two hundred then. Give me the money now.”

He led her into a cramped back room to count the cash. As he did, he warned her, “Be careful out there. You remember Ma San? Got stabbed to death in the park two days ago—guts all over the ground. It’s dangerous right now. A girl like you shouldn’t be out here alone.”

“Ma San is dead?” she asked, startled.

He handed her the money, sighing. “Yeah. Got too cocky. Made himself a target.”

She stuffed the cash into her bag, frowning. “Right. I’ll keep that in mind.”

She’d thought about checking on some of her own hidden items, but after what he said, she changed her mind. If a killer was targeting people with money around here, it was better to lay low.

That meant she couldn’t carve a bracelet for the new child at Lin Xiaoxiao’s house. Maybe she could find something else here instead.

After chatting a bit longer with Old Fourth You, she wandered back into the market. Hearing some commotion in a corner where a gambling scam was underway, she felt a familiar itch to intervene.

But as she moved toward it, a hand suddenly grabbed her left arm and pulled her aside.

Instinctively, she drove her right elbow hard backward—only to have her attacker easily evade it and seize that wrist too.

Without a second’s thought, she stomped down hard with her heel, fast and precise.

Zhou Xiaocheng hadn’t expected her to react so quickly. In the heat of the moment, he scooped her off the ground, causing her to kick empty air. “Zhang Wanqing!” he snapped.

She turned at the sound of his voice. Their faces were inches apart; she could feel his breath. And he was still holding her off the ground, one arm around her waist. Humiliated and furious, she glared. “Zhou Xiaocheng! Put me down!”

He set her down, suddenly aware of how intimate the position had been. He cleared his throat awkwardly. “Were you about to go gamble?”

She glared. “No! Those men are cheating people. I was going to teach them a lesson—call it justice.”

He almost laughed. “Look at you. You think they wouldn’t come after you? This isn’t the place to talk. Come with me.”

She touched her face, suddenly remembering she hadn’t disguised herself tonight. Reluctantly, she followed him out.

Zhou Xiaocheng checked the time. Letting her walk back to campus alone now was out of the question—not with a killer on the loose.

“Stick with me. Don’t wander off and don’t make a sound. I’ll take you back at daybreak.”

She wasn’t ungrateful. Although he’d manhandled her, he’d also saved her. If the gambling crew had spotted her, they might have broken her fingers.

Puffing her cheeks, she nodded obediently—though her heart was beating wildly. She could still feel the solid strength of his arm around her waist, firm as iron, leaving her flustered.

She scratched her head, turning away from him to take a steadying breath.

Zhou Xiaocheng, however, was already moving on. He told her to wait by the entrance while he made one more round through the market.

By the time he returned, the sky was beginning to lighten. Vendors were packing up.

He found Zhang Wanqing still waiting obediently on the roadside. Relieved, he walked over. “Let’s go. We’ll get breakfast first, then I’ll take you back to campus.”