Mortal Dawn and Dusk, My Eternal Life - Chapter 37

In the dark alley, the atmosphere was somewhat stagnant. Dozens of armed police officers surrounded Su Mingyue, their black muzzles gleaming with cold light in the dim moonlight. Leading them was Gu Mingxuan, his eyes, hidden in the shadow of his hat brim, sharp and scrutinizing like a hawk’s as he observed the young woman before him, who appeared fragile and harmless yet exuded an indescribable mysterious aura.

For some reason, from the very first glance at this woman, an inexplicable sense of familiarity surged in Gu Mingxuan’s heart. That feeling was faint, blurry, yet like a delicate feather, lightly stirring his blank memory, making him feel a little… unsettled. But upon careful recollection, he was certain that such an exquisite face had never appeared in his memory. Perhaps… it truly was his imagination. After all, ever since he “woke up,” his mind had been in a constant state of turmoil, with chaotic memory fragments and that blurred, pitch-black female figure often causing him excruciating headaches.

“You’ve arrested the wrong person.” Su Mingyue looked at the scene before her, her brow slightly furrowed, and said calmly, “The one in the black cloak just now was the real culprit. If not for your sudden appearance, which ruined things, I might have already apprehended him.” Her voice was clear and cold, without a hint of panic, as if she were facing not dozens of black muzzles, but a group of unruly children.

Gu Mingxuan heard her, and the corners of his lips curved into a cold, sharp arc, his voice carrying a subtle hint of sarcasm: “Oh? Is that so? I don’t quite think so. A stranger of unknown origin, appearing in such a secluded crime scene in the middle of the night, conveniently standing next to the victim, while the culprit ‘conveniently’ escaped right under your nose. Miss Su, don’t you think… all of this is too coincidental?” After the street rescue incident, he had sent someone to briefly investigate this suddenly appearing “Divine Doctor Su.” All he knew was that she was from out of town and possessed high medical skills; everything else was unknown. Such a person of unknown origin appearing at such a sensitive time was inherently suspicious.

“If you’ve arrested the wrong person, then what are you afraid of? And why bother with that troublesome smoke bomb?” A hot-headed young police officer beside him couldn’t help but question. He clearly thought Su Mingyue and the escaping black-robed person were in cahoots.

Su Mingyue merely glanced at him, correcting him: “The smoke bomb was used by the black-robed person, before you appeared.” She couldn’t be bothered to waste words on these simple-minded police officers. She just wanted to leave this troublesome place as soon as possible, and then investigate the black-robed person’s background herself, as well as the secrets that might be hidden behind him.

“I have other matters to attend to; please excuse me,” Su Mingyue said, then prepared to turn and leave.

However, as soon as she took a step, a strong, powerful hand, like an iron clamp, firmly gripped her wrist! It was Gu Mingxuan!

“Miss Su, I’m afraid you can’t leave just yet.” Gu Mingxuan’s voice was cold and firm, leaving no room for discussion. “Until this matter is thoroughly investigated, you must return to the police station with us and cooperate with the investigation.” Although he also felt something strange about this woman, his intuition told him that she might truly be unrelated to the escaping culprit. But it was his duty to bring in all suspicious individuals.

Su Mingyue’s wrist was gripped, and her brow furrowed even deeper. She disliked physical contact with anyone, especially men. Furthermore, from this man, she again felt that faint, familiar aura that unsettled her. That aura was very subtle, very elusive, belonging neither to humans nor demons, but more like… a product of the complex fusion of multiple powers. She was certain that this man was definitely not an ordinary mortal. But strangely, she couldn’t feel any “demonic” evil qi from him. This made her even more confused.

The moment their arms touched, a strange sensation simultaneously surged through Su Mingyue and Gu Mingxuan. Su Mingyue could clearly feel a cold, yet somewhat… savage aura emanating from Gu Mingxuan’s palm. But within that aura, there was also a faint trace of pure energy, remarkably similar to her own. This… what was this about?

And Gu Mingxuan, the moment he grabbed Su Mingyue’s wrist, also felt a cool and pure aura coming from her wrist, which miraculously calmed his “heart,” which often agitated from consuming life force. This feeling… was very comfortable, and also… familiar. It was as if… he had once felt a similar aura in some distant dream. He looked at Su Mingyue’s exquisitely beautiful face, and the blurred, pitch-black female figure came to his mind again.

Could it be…

Just as both of them were slightly distracted by this sudden anomaly—

“Meow~”

A soft, somewhat lazy cat’s meow abruptly echoed in the silent dark alley! This meow wasn’t loud, but it clearly reached everyone’s ears! Everyone froze! The police officers exchanged glances, their faces showing confusion. This… where did a cat’s meow come from in this deserted place? And the sound… it seemed to be from…

Everyone’s gaze, without prior agreement, fell on the tall, stern-faced General Gu! Gu Mingxuan himself was standing there, utterly bewildered, his mouth slightly agape, seemingly not yet recovered from that meow. He… he just… seemed to… meow? Impossible?! It must have been a mistake! How could General Gu, such a mighty and imposing figure, make such a… such a kitten-like sound?!

Su Mingyue also stared at Gu Mingxuan, bewildered. She had clearly heard that meow, and the sound… indeed came from Gu Mingxuan’s direction. Could it be… that this incredibly cold general had such a… peculiar habit in private? A strange feeling arose in her heart.

Gu Mingxuan’s internal world at this moment was utterly shattered, so embarrassed he wanted to find a hole to crawl into! He knew, of course, that the meow just now came from his own mouth! Damn it! It was all because before he came out this morning, to prevent any changes in his body, especially that intense craving for life force from affecting his daytime activities, he had specifically gone to the back alley and “had a snack,” consuming the life force of a wild cat, thinking it would stabilize him. Who knew… the side effects of consuming animal life force would manifest so quickly! He actually… actually let out a meow uncontrollably! And in front of so many people! Especially in front of this mysterious Miss Su! His image as “Gu Mingxuan,” the brilliant and mighty general, was completely ruined!

“Cough cough!”

Gu Mingxuan forced two coughs, trying to mask his embarrassment. He straightened his face and spoke to Su Mingyue in an even colder and stricter tone: “Miss Su, please stop your futile resistance! Returning to the police station with us to assist in the investigation is our duty! If you are innocent, we will naturally not wrongly accuse you!” As he spoke, he tried to make his voice sound authoritative, but for some reason, he felt a lack of confidence.

The surrounding police officers were all suppressing their laughter, their faces flushed and necks thick with effort. Although they also found their General’s “meow” quite bizarre, no one dared to laugh openly. However, their gazes towards Gu Mingxuan became… somewhat strange.

Su Mingyue looked at Gu Mingxuan, who was trying to maintain his composure but whose earlobes were slightly red. The slight unpleasantness she felt from being misunderstood also dissipated considerably. She suddenly felt that this seemingly incredibly cold General Gu… was perhaps not so difficult to get along with after all. At the very least, his sudden “meow” made her feel a little… amused.

“Alright.”

Su Mingyue finally nodded, her tone softening a bit. “I’ll go back with you. However, I hope you can investigate the truth as soon as possible and clear my name.” She knew that if she forced her way out now, it would only deepen the misunderstanding. Moreover, she also wanted to see if the Tianjin Police Bureau could truly uncover the identity of the black-robed person. More importantly… she had developed a hint of… investigative interest in this General Gu who could meow, and the familiar yet strange aura about him.