Lin Shanhu had probably wanted to say these words since the day Chen Xiao arrived.

But because Chen Xiao was busy, he held back until now to voice them.

These words were undoubtedly the heartfelt thoughts of Lin Shanhu, the old father-in-law, after seeing the changes in Chen Xiao.

Chen Xiao was very moved, and he even felt a strong sense of accomplishment.

In his past life, he was quite confused.

But now he knew very well where a man’s sense of accomplishment truly comes from.

From the admiration of his wife.

From the approval of his parents.

And also from the respect of many people.

The title "Advisor Chen" had become a well-known brand within the Dongzhou police force.

Chen Xiao grinned foolishly at Lin Shanhu:

"As long as you all think I’ve done well, that’s good enough!"

Lin Shanhu just nodded and said no more.

Between men, many words are unnecessary.

A gesture, a look is enough.

"Since you’re home tonight, get a good night’s rest, and... do whatever you want, don’t worry too much about whether it affects Xiaoxi."

"I understand."

"Then I’m going to lie down too; tonight your dad had a lot, so I’m about the same."

With those words, Lin Shanhu staggered back to his room.

It was the effect of the alcohol that allowed him to say those heartfelt words just now.

Chen Xiao sat in the living room, and after a while, his mother and mother-in-law returned from outside.

He chatted with them for a while longer before returning to Lin Xi’s former room.

But this was only because Lin Xi was not home; when she was, Chen Xiao rarely slept in this room.

The reason was simple: customs.

It was said that if a married daughter stays with her family upon returning, it would be bad for the family.

Chen Xiao had been troubled by this.

Tonight, lying calmly, Chen Xiao couldn’t help but observe the room, still holding the style of Lin Xi’s teenage years.

But Lin Xi was not one to idolize celebrities in her teenage years, nor was she overly girlish.

The room was very simple; the most numerous items were some motivational notes that seemed a bit juvenile now.

Every time Chen Xiao read one, his smile grew a little wider.

Chen Xiao used to laugh at Lin Xi for those notes, but Lin Xi said they were her youthful memories, silly as they were, and she intended to keep them.

Chen Xiao agreed wholeheartedly.

Because many things from his youth had been lost, which now brought him a sense of regret.

While looking at those notes, one suddenly caught Chen Xiao’s attention:

When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you!

Chen Xiao, and perhaps many later generations, were not unfamiliar with this saying.

Chen Xiao didn’t know if intellectuals had heard this saying early on, but he learned it from a blockbuster movie.

Originally a warning, advising people to stay away from negative influences.

However, after the movie became a hit, it became a memorable line in detective films.

Lin Xi had this saying on her note, naturally as a reminder to herself to stay away from negativity, to always remain positive and sunny.

Seeing this note again, Chen Xiao’s thoughts turned introspective.

He softly murmured the words on the note as his mind began to wander.

But gradually, he got up from the bed and walked over to the window.

The room lights were off, and the village at night was enveloped in darkness.

Chen Xiao was staring into the abyss-like darkness.

He wondered if someone in the darkness was also staring at him.

With this thought, Chen Xiao stood by the window.

But what startled him was that he suddenly saw a pair of feet behind his car!

The sight of those feet made Chen Xiao’s scalp tingle as he shouted angrily, "Who’s there!"

The person behind the car turned their head.

In the dark, only Chen Xiao could see so clearly.

But the person behind the car seemed to ignore him and stayed put.

Chen Xiao, not hesitating, jumped straight out of the second-floor window.

With his current physical condition, he wasn’t worried about landing like Wang Dahe, so after jumping, he rushed to the back of the car.

However, the person standing behind the car was Madman Zhang!

Madman Zhang, upon seeing Chen Xiao, immediately said with a grin, "It’s your car, it’s yours!"

As he laughed, saliva drooled from the corners of his mouth.

Chen Xiao breathed a sigh of relief and frowned, "What are you doing here?"

Madman Zhang didn’t respond to Chen Xiao, but continued drawing on the dusty car with his finger.

He seemed to be drawing a little girl.

The drawing was abstract, but once finished, Madman Zhang clapped his hands:

"Tongtong is here, Tongtong is back!"

Just as Madman Zhang finished speaking, a breeze blew in from behind.

Chen Xiao squinted his eyes as Madman Zhang happily clapped his hands.

After a few silent seconds, Chen Xiao dialed Xiong Nan’s number.

"Hello, Officer Chen, is there something you need?"

"When did Madman Zhang leave your place?"

"He left a while ago; he goes home every day and then wanders out again in the morning."

"Alright, nothing else; you can rest now."

"Okay, but Officer Chen, why did you suddenly ask about him?"

"Because he’s hiding behind my car at night, I almost thought he was up to no good."

Chen Xiao replied annoyedly, and Xiong Nan exclaimed, "How does he know where you live?"

"It might be a coincidence; my place is on his way home, and it just happens to be here. Did you notice my car when you guys came back in the evening?"

"Yeah, I saw a strange car at the door and stopped to look; when I stopped, Madman Zhang stopped too." As he spoke, Xiong Nan seemed to remember something and added:

"Oh right, Madman Zhang has a really good memory; he often remembers things he glimpses at."

"That’s not surprising, maybe that’s why he got into a prestigious school back in the day."

Chen Xiao didn’t say much more to Xiong Nan. After hanging up, Madman Zhang shrugged his backpack, mumbling as he walked:

"Tongtong is back; daddy will take you home... home."

Madman Zhang continued walking toward the main road.

Watching him, Chen Xiao suddenly felt Madman Zhang might not only have a good memory but also extraordinary eyesight.

Otherwise, in this pitch-black night, even though Lin Xi’s house was by the roadside, without streetlights, it wouldn’t be easy to recognize a parked car at the door.

With this in mind, Chen Xiao felt an urge to visit Madman Zhang’s house.

With his mind made up, Chen Xiao didn’t hesitate, quietly following behind Madman Zhang.

The latter didn’t care about Chen Xiao following at a distance, continuing his way home.

Now and then, he even bounced around lightly, humming a nursery rhyme, as if his daughter was there by his side!