Extremely Handsome: My Perfect Man

During the peak heat of Puller City, the air seemed to cling to his skin like a layer of molten wax. Jack stood in the outermost row of the archive room, mechanically flipping through the pages of a file, appearing engrossed, yet his gaze drifted longingly towards the partially open door opposite. As he finished one file and prepared to start the next, the door finally opened. In that instant, Jack felt as though a refreshing breeze had washed over him—her striking visage, short and tousled hair, and the national blue police uniform made her skin appear even more pristine and fair. Jack swallowed hard, ready to set down the file, but the subject of his interest had already exited briskly. “—Is that the new deputy director? The renowned detective?” Jack, dejected, turned to glance behind him. He had been so fixated on the door opposite that he hadn't noticed the other colleagues in the archive room. A few female officers from the logistics department were whispering among themselves. “Ava is far more beautiful than anyone else in this precinct!” “Ava—” the more senior officer successfully captured everyone's attention, “Her professional skills are top-notch. How else could she become a division head at such a young age? She’s earned many merits and sustained many injuries over the years.” Upon hearing this, Jack's gaze fell with sadness. “Why is the deputy director, who has accomplished so much, assigned to this position?” The senior officer spoke mysteriously, “Who doesn’t know that Ava has a powerful background? You can’t afford to offend her…” Everyone’s eyes widened in astonishment. “She’s so impressive!” The senior officer chuckled, “I heard that on the day Ava was rescued, many prominent figures came to Puller City!” Everyone exchanged knowing glances. “Could it be that Ava is connected to some influential figure?” “Clang—” Jack slammed the file cabinet door shut. Turning a corner, the murmurs gradually faded away. Ava remained unfazed, pretending not to hear her colleagues' “discussions,” and continued on her way. Since her critical condition in the ICU of Puller City’s private hospital and her return to work, she had been inundated with gossip both within the criminal police team and the precinct. Rumors about emergency lockdowns, luxury cars blocking roads, and helicopters transporting foreign experts for her surgery seemed so vividly detailed that one might believe they were true. Having heard so many, Ava nearly convinced herself of their truth, but she was just an ordinary person from a modest background. After graduating, she had no influential relatives and began in the criminal police team from the grassroots, diligently accumulating experience and improving her skills. Who was this rumored figure her colleagues spoke of as if she were a heroine from a Mary Sue drama? Ava sighed inwardly, pushing open the office door, when a sudden, thunderous shout jolted her thoughts. “You must give me an explanation today; if this continues, I’ll file a complaint! I’ll take you to court!” “Mr. Zhang, Mr. Zhang, please calm down.” The young auxiliary police officer being tugged along looked helpless; Ava recognized him as someone who had followed her around calling her "Sister Yu" on her first day at the precinct. …She was clearly much younger than him! Ava approached, “What’s the matter?” Mr. Zhang looked at Ava with confusion. The young auxiliary officer introduced, “This is our precinct’s deputy director.” Upon hearing that she was a superior, Mr. Zhang immediately directed his ire towards Ava: “My girlfriend has been kidnapped for two days, and you’re still not investigating or catching the criminals. You keep passing the buck—the precinct says the criminal police team is responsible, and the criminal police team says it’s the precinct’s job! Who the hell is in charge?” Mr. Zhang’s outburst drew the attention of everyone in the hall, both police and the public. Ava furrowed her brow slightly. She had just heard from a neighbor that there had been recent robberies, with the crime scenes located on several streets near her home. “Mr. Zhang, please make a statement with this officer first.” Then she told the young auxiliary officer, “I will contact the criminal police team shortly.” On her first day, Ava had a multitude of tasks to familiarize herself with, and before she knew it, night had fallen. Massaging her aching shoulders, Ava sat at her desk, continuously reviewing Mr. Zhang’s statement. It wasn’t until her phone alarm rang that she realized the time. It was already 11:00 PM. After organizing the materials, she took off her police uniform, changed into a short-sleeved shirt and shorts, said goodbye to her colleagues on duty, and left the police station. The precinct was not far from her residence; the drive was less than fifteen minutes, but the last bus had departed three hours ago. Ava decided to walk home, savoring a moment of coolness in the summer night. Thirty minutes later. At 11:40 PM. The dim streetlights barely illuminated the pitch-black night as Ava walked briskly alone, acutely aware of someone trailing her. An instinctive sense, essential for an accomplished detective! As Ava traversed street after street, her pursuer remained persistent. She soon arrived at the street near her home, where the robbery had occurred, and Ava suddenly slowed her pace, strolling leisurely. Upon reaching an intersection where she was supposed to turn right, she instead walked straight ahead. Ava was intimately familiar with the area around her home— The path ahead grew darker. The footsteps behind her grew clearer. The person showed no sign of leaving or acting. Ahead was another intersection, with only one streetlight standing guard. Ava turned into it— A high wall rose before her! It was a dead-end alley! The footsteps behind her approached as expected— Ava turned around to see a tall, dark figure emerge. She immediately grabbed a metal trash can lid from the alley and swung it at the figure behind her. The shadowy figure quickly dodged, the trash can lid scraping past, and the sound of it hitting the ground echoed through the empty alley… Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, Ava delivered a powerful kick. A serial robber bold enough to stalk in the dead of night was certainly formidable. The attacker quickly seized Ava’s calf. Ava felt the warm fingers of her assailant lightly skimming her skin, ambiguous in their provocation or teasing. “…………Perverted scum!” Ava leveraged her position, lifting her other foot to force the attacker back a step. In this back-and-forth struggle, Ava held the upper hand. Unexpectedly, the attacker began to chuckle softly. The deep, raspy laughter echoed in the darkness. Ava swung her arm with determination! A solid hit. As she struck her opponent down: “Ah—” Ava moaned in pain. She collapsed to the ground, clutching her right arm. She had forgotten one crucial detail—her arm had been recently injured by a bullet! Although the attacker was knocked down by Ava’s forceful blow, he quickly regained his footing. The hazy figure knelt before her: “Are you alright?” His deep voice was saturated with masculine undertones. He naturally cradled Ava’s body in his arms, even letting her sit on his thigh. “Let me see your arm—” His burning hand covered her smooth right arm, inch by inch. Simultaneously, a cold, black gun barrel was pressed against his forehead. “I’m a police officer,” Ava said, “Please stop your actions!” She omitted the word “scum.” —Please cease your scurrilous behavior! Ava did not lower her gun. The attacker did not release Ava’s right arm, as though the gun pressed against his forehead did not exist; he continued to touch her arm’s skin with nonchalance, even giving her backside a punitive pat. He whispered, “Put down your gun.” Ava: “…………” For a moment, she was stunned. She had handled numerous cases and interacted with all sorts of people, but never had she encountered someone like this… In the darkness, Ava could not make out the attacker’s face or expression. He gently massaged her injured arm, his heated breath whispering in her ear: “Does it still hurt? Do you need to go to the hospital? Move your arm for me—” Ava tried to withdraw her arm, but his grip was surprisingly strong. Her right arm was firmly held in his palm. A chilling “click” sounded from the gun. “I’m a police officer,” Ava repeated, “Please cease your inappropriate behavior!” She finally said those words. To her surprise, the attacker patted her backside again, as if deliberately provoking her: “Put down the gun, don’t be naughty!” Ava: “…………” Almost simultaneously, glaring headlights from the intersection illuminated the dead-end alley. The piercing sound of sirens shattered the silence of the night. Several police cars had been lying in wait. The police cars advanced and parked directly beside the streetlight, completely blocking the suspect’s escape route. With the police car’s headlights providing illumination, Ava finally saw the figure beside her. He slightly averted his gaze, still focused on her arm, his expression and demeanor serene. She was stunned. She had never seen a man so extraordinarily handsome! No celebrity could compare, not even remotely. Ava had encountered many suspects of various types, but never one with a blend of “danger” and “compassion” as this man did. Her gun seemed to freeze time on his brow. He was both a dangerous criminal and a compassionate priest. The police officers rushed out of their vehicles, accompanied by the cacophony of sirens and the clinking of handcuffs. Ava was still sitting on his thigh. After a second or two, he slowly raised his eyes— Along with the light from behind him, all directed towards her! “After six years, I finally see you again.”