The right wall was covered in a dense grid of commendations, all bearing Sophia Huang's name—awards for cracking major cases like 1102, 3340, and others.
Staring at those case numbers, Lily Hopper's mind flooded with memories of the bizarre investigations from back then.
"Captain, isn't this the one where the killer surgically turned people into pigs? And over there—that case with the perp who had those hypnotic fox eyes that killed so many of our people..."
Sophia Huang's name was etched into Lily's memory like gospel. Brave, righteous, and hands-down the most stunning officer Riverside PD had ever seen.
It was during the Piano Phantom Murders that she'd first crossed paths with Alex Song, the enigmatic heir to an ancient forensic lineage. Together, they tore through one impossible case after another at lightning speed, climbing the ranks and building the most legendary task force the country had ever known.
But when Alex requested medical retirement, Sophia stepped down as chief too.
Still, the legend of this power couple lived on in police academies for years...
Countless female cadets dreamed of landing a boyfriend like Alex—using his looks and height as their ideal benchmark. Meanwhile, half the guys in the department secretly idolized Sophia as their dream woman.
Alex and Sophia were basically Riverside PD royalty. Now, standing in her idols' actual home, Lily felt like she was living in a dream.
She pressed a hand to her racing heart, her fingers itching toward the last item: the mysterious forensic case.
She remembered the Lucky Cat case—how Alex had pulled a silver needle from that very box, using the Song family's forbidden revival technique. It triggered postmortem muscle and nerve reflexes, recreating the victim's final pose.
That move had floored the cocky senior cadet Bai Yi-Dao and the sharp-tongued Luo Weiwei—they'd bowed in defeat on the spot.
Lily couldn't believe her luck today: actually seeing the legendary case up close. Inside had to be the Song lineage's secret blades and needles.
"I wonder how many more secrets are hidden in there..."
Just as excitement overtook her and her hand reached for the latch, a sharp voice cut through: "That's not something you get to touch."
At the same instant, a firm hand slapped hers away.
Lily stuck out her tongue, yanking her hand back, then shot Captain Lane a defiant glare: "Hmph. Stingy."
Right then, Sophia stepped out of the kitchen, hearing the commotion. "Everything okay?"
Lily, caught red-handed like a kid raiding the cookie jar, quickly changed the subject: "Where's the great Detective Song? We've been here forever and still no sign of him."
Sophia was stunning—fair skin, a few streaks of soft pink in her short hair, radiating that post-marriage glow of pure contentment.
But even while smiling, her eyes were ice-cold refusal. She spoke gently but firmly, each word a polite wall: "I figured you weren't here for me. He's in the garden watering the flowers. If you want him, you go through me first."
Captain Lane cleared his throat, ready to play the old-friend card, but Lily—never one for subtlety—cut straight to it: "This case is fascinating. I know Detective Song would be hooked. She—"
Before Lily could finish, Sophia raised a hand in a clear stop gesture: "We're retired. Please."
Lily wasn't having it. When she hit a dead end with Sophia, she bolted for the back door—and froze the second she stepped outside.
A man in simple white loungewear stood bathed in sunlight, calmly watering the garden flowers.
His features were strikingly handsome; the soft light haloed him, making his tall frame look even more graceful, gentle, and clear.
Especially surrounded by blooming flowers, the scene was almost too perfect to be real.
Hearing footsteps, he turned slightly. A butterfly landed on his shoulder, wings fluttering gently.
"Who are you?"
His smile was warm and courteous, as if he'd already sensed the visitor wasn't his wife.
Seeing this dreamboat straight out of a first-crush fantasy, Lily nearly dropped her phone. She wiped her mouth, fangirling hard: "Brother, forget who I am—just sign this first."
Snapping back, she tore a page from her backpack, cheeks flaming, and rushed forward with an introduction: "I'm Lily Hopper—your biggest fan! I joined the academy after reading Underworld Detective. Please make a fan's dream come true!"
Alex gave a soft laugh, warm as a summer breeze: "That's just a novel."
Lily shook her head earnestly: "No—it's real. You're forever our god. But Alex, brother..."
"But what?"
Alex leaned in a little, trying to catch her mosquito-whisper.
Lily looked up suddenly and blurted: "You're just... so young! And so insanely handsome!"
Alex's face flushed instantly.
"The book version of you gets embarrassed and blushes easily too." Hearing the girl, Alex nearly stammered.
He turned his head slightly, ears burning red. Captain Lane rushed over to bail him out: "Brother? Crazy girl—call him Uncle."
Then he hauled Lily back inside.
From the kitchen came Sophia's gentle voice: "Honey, dinner's ready!"
A happy smile lit Alex's face. He followed Lane in, washed his hands, and helped Sophia carry dishes.
"You cooked tonight, so I'll wash up later. Tomorrow I cook, you wash."
"Okay, okay."
They murmured sweet nothings in the kitchen while outside, Lily—still riding her celebrity high—kept shaking Lane's arm, repeating over and over: "So handsome, so handsome!"
At dinner, Lane and Lily tried several times to speak up, but Sophia cut them off every time: "Sorry—we don't talk during meals or bed. Bad for digestion."
Alex ate with perfect manners, chewing slowly, the picture of an ancient gentleman.
Lily couldn't find an opening to talk, so she offered to help Alex wash dishes—only for Sophia to shut it down again: "Guests don't do chores."
Once the kitchen was spotless, Lily thought she'd finally get her chance to consult him. But Alex slipped back to the garden to tend his plants.
That was it—Lily threw caution aside and laid it out: "Riverside's got a major case right now. So many young women vanishing. We finally found one victim—only to discover she'd been turned alive into a twisted Lolita doll. The killer's cunning, heartless, completely above the law. You're just going to sit back and let him keep going?"
"Riverside needs you, Detective Song."
Alex didn't flinch, calmly snipping a branch.
Lily jumped in frustration: "Just this morning, another girl disappeared! If we crack it in the golden window, she still has a chance. Please—save her!"
"You're so young—why retire? Don't you know without your task force, Riverside's become a breeding ground for evil again? Have you forgotten why you started?"
At those words, Alex's clenched fist loosened, then tightened again. Every time he almost nodded, flashes hit him: crimson rooms, rows of blood-soaked bodies.
That kind of pain—he couldn't bear it a second time...
His face twisted in anguish; he closed his eyes. When they opened, they were calm and clear again.
He spoke coldly: "These years, I'm tired. The task force is tired."
"I don't believe it! When we first came in, I heard that song looping in the garden—your favorite from the old days, 'Setting Sail' by Shui Mu Nian Hua. You still carry the task force in your heart. You're waiting for the day we all reunite."
"Can you really fool us? Can you fool yourself?"
Lily looked straight at him and extended her hand: "Come back. We need you."
Alex recoiled like she'd stepped on his tail, voice hardening: "What—so without me, Riverside PD stops investigating? I'm not a god. I'm just a man—with attachments, with weaknesses."
The words were final, and the rejection stung. Lily lost her filter: "I can't believe I idolized you. My mistake! Fine—without you, I'll break this case myself, Lily Hopper style."
"Hey! You can't talk to Detective Song like that!"
Lane's face darkened; he immediately started scolding her.
Lily's eyes welled up with angry tears, defiant. Alex looked pained too: "The task force disbanded long ago. Everyone went their separate ways—we barely talk anymore. These days, all I do is tend flowers..."
"Flowers are beautiful, but bugs and diseases still find them. Once you figure out what's attacking them, you treat the problem."
"If you misdiagnose at first, no big deal. Just change direction."
...
Alex launched into a long lecture on plant care and pest control. Lane took it as a gentle way of saying no—he really had retired to a quiet life of gardening.
After saying goodbye to Alex and Sophia, Lane drove Lily back.
On the road, he kept lecturing her for being too impulsive. But Lily stayed lost in thought, replaying Alex's words on a loop—Lane had to call her name several times before she snapped out of it.
When they pulled up to the station and she stepped out, Lily's eyes suddenly widened like she'd been struck by lightning: "I think I know how to find the killer!"
With that, she tore off like a whirlwind, diving into the thick stack of case files.