I Want to Walk with You a Little Longer

"Are you the Night Emperor?"

Hearing this accusation, An Yi's heart was thrown into turmoil!

What the hell!

How did this woman find out?

This must be a trick—don't fall for it, absolutely don’t fall for it.

Right now, Yan Zhi was standing face-to-face with him, so close that if he leaned forward just a little, their lips would touch.

At this distance, even the slightest hint of panic would be crystal clear to her!

Stay calm, stay calm—she’s just bluffing!

"What Night Emperor?"

An Yi widened his bright eyes, feigning confusion.

"Oh, nothing. Just some reckless fool who keeps pushing the limits of us Law Enforcers."

Yan Zhi scrutinized every micro-expression on An Yi’s face.

She was skilled in reading people, capable of deciphering emotions through the subtlest facial movements.

But what she didn’t expect was that despite his youth, An Yi was as sly as an old fox—completely unfazed by her tactics!

"Really don’t know him?"

Yan Zhi narrowed her eyes.

An Yi shook his head. "Never heard of him. Is that some online alias? Who even picks a cringy name like that?"

"Alright, let’s drop it for now."

Yan Zhi’s expression returned to its usual indifference.

She suspected that this kid in front of her was the very Night Emperor she had been trying to catch—but she had no proof.

Her suspicion was purely based on intuition.

Intuition could be terrifyingly accurate, but without evidence, it was just baseless speculation.

There were two reasons she linked An Yi to the Night Emperor.

First, there were no records of him before two years ago—as if he had appeared out of thin air!

Second, his skills were unnaturally impressive.

Jiangbei City wasn’t huge, but it wasn’t small either.

A young prodigy like him wasn’t something you’d find on every street corner.

Even the bald-headed robber they’d arrested had mentioned that the Night Emperor might be a young man.

The sudden interrogation had An Yi on edge, his back drenched in cold sweat.

"Then write these words for me."

Yan Zhi pressed on, determined to confirm her suspicions.

An Yi put on a relaxed expression. "What words?"

Yan Zhi crossed her arms, staring at him. "‘The righteous return lost property—Night Emperor! The heroic uphold justice—Night Emperor!’"

"Sure!"

An Yi inwardly cursed her cunning but picked up a pen and began writing.

These were the exact words he had boldly scrawled on the Law Enforcement Bureau’s doorstep a week ago.

"‘The righteous return lost property—Ye Huang…’"

Yan Zhi’s face darkened.

An Yi blinked innocently. "Is there a problem?"

"Nothing. The interrogation’s over. You’re free to go."

Yan Zhi smirked. "You can fulfill your wish and add my contact info. I’ll scan your code."

What damn wish?!

Who the hell wants your contact info?!

"R-really? What an honor!"

An Yi forced an excited expression, then added, "But my hands are cuffed. I can’t reach my phone."

"No problem. I brought your phone here. Just unlock it with Face ID."

Yan Zhi played the considerate role perfectly, pulling out An Yi’s phone and unlocking it with facial recognition.

Then, she took the liberty of browsing through it.

Damn this woman!

An Yi gritted his teeth.

She just wanted to snoop through his phone.

Yan Zhi glanced at his contacts—there were barely any.

Aside from Aunt Zhou, Qin Shan, Bai Xiu, and Liu Dachao, the list was short, totaling fewer than twenty names.

Her fingers flew through his chat logs, but there was nothing substantial.

And his conversations with Liu Dachao were downright filthy!

Of course, as a Law Enforcer, she had the right to inspect a suspect’s phone for evidence.

But more than that, she didn’t want to tip him off.

In just seconds, she had scoured through An Yi’s sparse communication history.

Finding nothing, she grew frustrated and started digging deeper.

Then suddenly—

"Ah… ah… oh… oh, yamete!"

An Yi’s face paled.

What the hell had this woman done?!

He had hidden it in the most obscure corner of his phone, yet she still managed to find it!

Ahem. "We’re connected now. Make sure to keep in touch."

Yan Zhi cleared her throat, gracefully closing the video of the moaning actress.

She pinched An Yi’s cheek and smiled sweetly. "Remember, if you ever need help—as long as you don’t cross the line—I’ve got your back in Jiangbei City."

An Yi put on a grateful face. "Thank you, Officer Yan!"

The interrogation room door swung open.

An Yi was released. Under the starry sky, he rubbed his stiff neck—he’d been locked up for way too long. Time to head home.

He wondered how Shen Muxuan was doing.

She was even more clueless than he had been back then—she probably didn’t even know how to feed herself properly.

But since she was helping Aunt Zhou at the shop, she wouldn’t go hungry.

Just as he was about to leave, he spotted a girl curled up at the entrance of the Law Enforcement Bureau, fast asleep.

Who would sleep out here at this hour?

He moved closer—it was Lan Ruoxi!

She was still in her JK uniform, her delicate, doll-like face framed by long lashes that fluttered like butterfly wings. Her skin was flawless, smooth as jade.

And yet, her figure was undeniably alluring—slender waist, long legs, the epitome of innocent charm.

"Hey, don’t sleep here. The mosquitoes will eat you alive."

An Yi gently nudged her shoulder.

Lan Ruoxi blinked groggily, her eyes lighting up when she saw him. "An Yi… you’re out."

"Were you waiting for me this whole time?"

An Yi was stunned.

Lan Ruoxi nodded softly. "Mm. I wanted to see you, but they wouldn’t let me in."

An Yi’s expression froze. "How long have you been here?"

"Seven hours."

Lan Ruoxi’s voice was barely a whisper.

Seven hours?!

Interrogations weren’t something that wrapped up quickly.

Was this girl out of her mind?!

Seeing the quiet joy in Lan Ruoxi’s eyes as she gazed at him, An Yi opened his mouth but couldn’t find the words.

Truthfully, ever since coming to this world, he had felt alone.

A strange world, a bustling city packed with people and cars—yet everything was foreign.

The loneliness was deeper than that of a traveler in a distant land.

Lan Ruoxi’s kindness weighed heavily on him.

He wasn’t oblivious—he could tell she had feelings for him.

But An Yi knew exactly what kind of person he was.

Dealing with thugs and troublemakers was routine for him.

With the Villain System at his disposal, gaining strength in this seemingly peaceful world would inevitably lead to bloodshed.

And someone like Lan Ruoxi—gentle, kind, seeking a quiet life—was destined to walk a different path.

Their lives would never intersect.

They shouldn’t be connected. They couldn’t be connected.

He couldn’t afford to drag her into his mess.

An Yi scratched his head, sighing. "Let’s go."

"Okay."

Lan Ruoxi nodded, following him timidly.

She could sense his mood but didn’t know the reason, so she simply walked beside him in silence.

After a few steps, An Yi suddenly stopped and turned to her. "Your place isn’t this way."

"I know. But… I wanted to walk with you a little longer."

Lan Ruoxi mustered her courage, lifting her gaze to meet his.