The first week after we came back, I was lost in a daze and was a mere shell of my old self. I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t sleep, and I couldn’t focus my thoughts on anything at all.

Dali asked me if it was due to the pressure of having to solve multiple cases back to back. He offered to buy an old chicken and cook it in a soup for me so I could feel better. The fact was, I was in love with Huang Xiaotao, but I couldn’t tell anyone about it.

I sometimes sent short WeChat messages to her, saying banal things like “What are you doing?” or “Are you asleep already?” and all that drivel. This was a completely new experience for me. I had never been in love before, much less being in an actual relationship. It was impossible for me to suddenly act all romantic with her because I didn’t have a single clue how to do that kind of thing! Huang Xiaotao herself seemed to be very...