"Whew... finally finished tidying up!"

Ningzhou City State Security Bureau, Comprehensive Intelligence Analysis Division.

Chen Zhiyu, dressed in a black professional outfit, was sorting and archiving a thick stack of intelligence reports into the computer.

Just as she lifted the teacup to drink, a short-haired woman with a lot of feminine charm approached. It was Zeng Dan, "Did you finish organizing the files?"

"All done, Dan. When will the ’Paradise’ case end? I’ve been working overtime for over half a month without a break, boo..."

Chen Zhiyu rested her chin on the files, pretending to look pitiful.

But Zeng Dan saw right through her act, pursed her lips, and chuckled, "I think you just want to see Gu Ji!"

"Dan, what are you talking about..."

Chen Zhiyu’s face flushed instantly, the red spreading from her cheeks to her ears, though her words remained firm.

"Look at you, you’re almost about to write ’I miss Gu Ji’ on your face!" Zeng Dan couldn’t help but tease Chen Zhiyu a bit more before withdrawing her emotions and continuing.

"Don’t worry, Gu Ji is quite in the spotlight recently. In the 324 operation, he was one of the key frontline commanders, and just recently he descended from the sky in the city center to save a woman who was about to take her own life. Everyone from the team, the city bureau, to the provincial department is highly impressed with him now!"

"Rescue?"

Chen Zhiyu had been busy with the closure of the ’Paradise’ drug case lately, knowing that Gu Ji was involved in the 324 operation. However, due to the sensitivity of the cases, she had never dared to ask, despite wanting to.

But the city center "aerial rescue"? She really didn’t know about that event.

"Just search on any news or short video platform, and you’ll find it!"

Zeng Dan left this note before turning to enter the director’s office for a report.

Left alone, Chen Zhiyu seized the moment to pull out her phone and, as suggested by Zeng Dan, searched for a few keywords, only to find a lot of videos.

"Can’t believe it happened just last week..."

Watching the footage of Gu Ji, descending alone from a roof like Spider-Man to rescue someone, even knowing the outcome was successful, she couldn’t help but feel tense.

Inside, she felt a bit guilty, questioning if she had been too busy lately to care for him properly.

But as she scrolled through a few more videos, a tall blue figure caught Chen Zhiyu’s eye on the screen.

"Isn’t that Ding Lan!"

Her face flushed red, eyebrows tightened, and stared with wide eyes, wishing to press her eyes against the screen.

As Gu Ji’s number one confidant, she was well aware of the past relationship between Ding Lan and Gu Ji.

Women understand women best.

Last Mid-Autumn Festival at Tianhu Mountain, she happened to bump into Ding Lan, and could tell that Ding Lan still hadn’t gotten over Gu Ji.

She thought their interaction was limited to language studies only.

Unexpectedly.

"Gu Ji!!"

Chen Zhiyu suddenly bit her small canine teeth in anger, her voice tinged with a sob, "You jerk, while we weren’t in contact, you ran off to meet your ex-girlfriend..."

Zeng Dan just finished her report and stepped out of the office.

She happened to witness this scene.

After all, Chen Zhiyu, being such a beautiful and competent person, was the darling of their National Security Bureau, and it was rare to see her so aggrieved and pitiful.

"What’s wrong, who dared to upset our dear Xiaoyu?" Zeng Dan, like a caring big sister, quickly stepped forward, gently patting her back.

"Dan, I’m fine."

Chen Zhiyu shook her head, wiping the corner of her eye with the back of her hand, realizing she might have been too emotional.

She hadn’t really shed many tears; it was just being anxious and angry, driven by emotional stimulation plus the recent high-intensity work pressure, that hit all at once.

Zeng Dan was a veteran intelligence agent.

She glanced at the screen on Chen Zhiyu’s phone and quickly recognized the beautiful woman in the blue knit dress behind Gu Ji in the picture—it was Ding Lan, whom they had encountered by chance at Tianhu Mountain.

She immediately understood.

With a smile, she said, "It’s just meeting an ex; maybe Gu Ji had some work to discuss with her, or perhaps she needed something from him. The real situation may not be what you think it is."

"Dan, really...?"

Chen Zhiyu looked up with tearful eyes, resembling a little kitten.

"You need to ask him yourself; you two have known each other for so many years, there’s nothing you can’t talk about. Whatever you want to ask or do, just boldly say it or do it, don’t end up like me..."

"Dan, what do you mean by like you?"

Mid-sentence, Zeng Dan suddenly paused.

When Chen Zhiyu pressed her, she just shook her head and smiled, "It’s nothing."

Though she said that, Chen Zhiyu distinctly noticed Zeng Dan’s eyes suddenly becoming bleak, staring vacantly ahead, as if she had lost something important, appearing somewhat helpless and desolate.

"Anyway, you’re a police academy graduate; be bold and don’t hold back."

Soon, Zeng Dan regained her composure, exuding her usual mature womanly charm, "I’ve already given you my advice; make sure you don’t do something you’ll regret!"

"Don’t let yourself regret..."

After Zeng Dan left, Chen Zhiyu muttered the last words to herself, then looked down at her phone, opening WeChat, staring at Gu Ji’s avatar absentmindedly.

"Should I send a message or not?"

Dragon and Tiger Assault Team, Gu Ji pondered for a long time and consulted with Gao Bo and others.

Eventually, they decided on a plan: find a female friend to pretend to be a temporary girlfriend as a shield, possibly discouraging Li Huiran.

Female friends, Gu Ji really didn’t know many.

Chen Zhiyu was one, and if he asked, she would definitely help out without hesitation.

However, he knew that lately, Chen Zhiyu had been busy with the Jinyuan Group case, leaving no personal time besides work and sleep. Asking her now would only disrupt her work.

But other women...

Find Ding Lan?

No, no!

Recalling the awkward scene that night, contacting Ding Lan now, without knowing how to handle it when meeting, seemed disrespectful to her.

"If there’s no other way, maybe I should contact Dan!"

Gu Ji suddenly thought of Zeng Dan, one of Chen Zhiyu’s superiors.

Though Zeng Dan was older, she exuded a certain allure and maturity, enough to be considered a beauty. In today’s trendy online lingo, she had a "cool mom vibe."

So, just as he was about to send a message to Zeng Dan via WeChat.

"Buzz~"

A notification vibrated, popping up a WeChat message at the top, surprisingly from Chen Zhiyu?

Chen Zhiyu: "Just finished my work, exhausted. What are you up to?"

Gu Ji thought for a moment and replied, "Waiting to get off work, it’s been tough for you. Is your case closed?"

Chen Zhiyu: "Not yet, but almost. I finished the work early today and saw your rescue video online. Do you have time tonight to grab a bite out as a celebration?"

Hey! What a pleasant surprise.

Gu Ji was worried that Chen Zhiyu wouldn’t have time, so he casually explained the situation, "Can you pretend to be a girlfriend for a bit, help out a friend in need!"

"Haha..."

Ningzhou City State Security Bureau, Chen Zhiyu sat at her workstation, smiling widely before typing, "I’m not worried! Let me freshen up and outshine her!"

Across the office, at the deputy leader’s desk.

Zeng Dan, sitting by the window, watched as Chen Zhiyu’s mood shifted from grievance to joy, and couldn’t help but show an aunt-like smile.

Ah, youth is wonderful!