Chapter 4 Her Identity_1

"Shen Xian, I know that for the past three years, you've been giving money and life necessities to Xiaobai's parents. They told me to say 'thank you' on their behalf."

The mention of Xiaobai stabbed Shen Xian's heart painfully. She clenched her teeth tightly, struggling to contain her heartache.

"Shen Xian, it's been three years. It's time for you to let go."

Zhou Mu reached out and took Shen Xian's hand, his warm and dry palm providing the only warmth in the cool autumn night.

Large tears escaped from Shen Xian's eyes as she cried, collapsing onto the hands they were holding together. The grief she had held back for years burst forth at that moment.

Zhou Mu's other hand patted Shen Xian's back, comforting her. He empathized with her sorrow completely.

Because the one they had lost was their equally cherished comrade—Xiaobai, Bai Zhan.

But this story dates back to three years ago.

Even before that, Shen Xian was an extremely professional and resolute bomb disposal expert. With her strong professional skills and courageous character, she had disarmed thousands of bombs and rescued countless trapped and kidnapped civilians before any property or lives had been harmed. She always managed to dismantle the terrible threats.

She raced against time with countless hidden dangers and never lost.

Yes! Shen Xian, undefeated!

Not only that, but she also single-handedly developed a bomb analysis instrument, designed to rapidly analyze the structure and the detonation device of various bombs.

Xiaobai was her best bomb disposal partner.

However, it was during an operation that the invincible Shen Xian saw her own comrade lose his life. She would always remember Xiaobai's trembling voice after she had cut the wire, "Shen Xian, the wiring is wrong."

Immediately following, Xiaobai threw himself over her without hesitation, shielding her with his body. After the piercing explosion sound, Xiaobai didn't even have the chance to speak a word before leaving them forever.

Her shoulders bore scars from the explosion, permanent marks that could never be erased. They were like the weight of Xiaobai's final leap, forever pressing upon her.

After that incident, Shen Xian resigned, taking the blame. Although everyone tried hard to retain her, claiming the mistake wasn't hers, Shen Xian couldn't face those dreadful bombs with the same calm and coolness as before.

She changed her name and cut off all ties with her past, taking on the most mindless physical labor as a means of escape and self-rescue.

And she stayed away for three years.

"After three years, has the culprit behind the kidnapping case still not been found?"

After a long silence, Shen Xian asked heavily. That explosion from years ago took away her best partner, as well as the kidnapped mother and daughter.

Zhou Mu shook his head, "The male head of that household, upon hearing that his wife and daughter had not been rescued successfully, set his house on fire, along with himself."

A fire cleansed everything.

"However..." Zhou Mu paused for a moment before continuing, "Investigation revealed that the man was a middle manager at Shen Fei International before his death."

Shen Fei International? Shen Xian was taken aback.

"Could it be that the kidnapping case is related to Shen Fei International?"

Zhou Mu nodded slightly, "It's hard to say, after such a long investigation, we haven't obtained any useful information. They're very smart, wiping their tracks clean."

The kidnapping was technically sophisticated; despite the lengthy investigation, they had not even discovered the motive behind the kidnapping of the mother and daughter. Shen Xian had also looked into it at the time but found absolutely no leads to follow.

"Maybe, I know what I should do now."

Shen Xian clasped her hands together, her eyes sparkling after the tears had washed them. Her words were even more resolute.

"You—" Zhou Mu stared into her eyes with a hint of anticipation, "come back to us, Shen Xian, we need you."

Upon hearing Zhou Mu's words, Shen Xian shook her head without hesitation, "The Shen Xian of the past no longer exists. Zhou Mu, I'm no longer suited for being in the team."

A trace of hidden pain flitted across Zhou Mu's eyes—were the days of fighting side by side truly gone?

"Here's to our reunion!"

Perhaps because she had found a new breakthrough, Shen Xian seemed a bit more relaxed, as she picked up a bottle of wine and handed it to Zhou Mu.

Zhou Mu didn't know what Shen Xian was planning, but he firmly believed that she must have made the best choice she thought possible at the moment. And he, would, as always, support her, trust her.

The two of them drank and talked, the months and years of braving thorns and risking their lives seemed to be right before their eyes.

"Shen Xian, am I awesome or what, the strongest scissor hand!" Xiaobai always boasted to Shen Xian after completing a mission.

"Shen Xian, remember to buy potato chips, you ate three of mine yesterday, you owe me three bags…"

"Shen Xian, do I look like Edward..."

"Shen Xian, the wiring's wrong..."

In the course of their conversation, Xiaobai's sunshiny, smiling face appeared in Shen Xian's mind. Those past scenes, forever sealed in the years amidst spilled blood and utter darkness.

"What are your plans for the future? Or are you just going to keep on working in the logistics warehouse?"

Zhou Mu took a sip of wine and turned to ask Shen Xian, who was staring into space.

"Heh, working in the logistics warehouse is quite good, you know, no need to use your brain, no need to think, just move things forcefully every day, getting exhausted every day, and then you can come back and sleep peacefully until dawn, oh what joy!"

Shen Xian raised the wine bottle, looking through its glass at the distant lights, hazy, truly beautiful.

"Shen Xian—"

Zhou Mu called to her helplessly; the mighty dragon should not be kept in shallow waters. Their Shen Xian should not be like this.

"Xiaobai wouldn't want to see you like this either," Zhou Mu said consolingly.

"To Xiaobai—"

To Xiaobai—her best classmate, comrade, partner; to their most fiery years; to the Shen Xian who could never return…

Shen Xian appeared somewhat tipsy; she spoke as she clinked her bottle against Zhou Mu's, drinking on her own.

Who was it that said 'after dark and twisted paths, we find a bright way out'? This phrase turned out to be profoundly true.

Shen Xian did not tell Zhou Mu her decision. Some things, if Zhou Mu were to investigate with his identity, he would be restricted. She had to uncover the truth by herself, hoping that if Xiaobai was watching from heaven, he would let her discover the truth soon.

After sending Zhou Mu away, Shen Xian took out a business card from her work attire and dialed the number on it without a second thought:

"Hello, Manager Gu? If your promise today counts, I hope... I can have a chance to work at Shen Fei Headquarters."

On the other end of the line, the man stared at the resume in his hand, his eyes deep with thought, "Good! Tomorrow morning at ten, come straight to the top floor of Shen Fei, and someone will meet you."

"Good!"

Without any superfluous words, the two completed this significant decision.

On Gu Chen's hand was Shen Xian's resume. Apart from her three years of experience working in Shen Fei International's logistics, her past experience was a blank…