Wei Zongting did not stay long.
After the meal, he stood before the office building, shaking hands with everyone who had come to see him off. Just before getting into the car, he pulled Yang Qi aside.
"Our teacher asked me to give you a message."
He lowered his voice, his expression growing more serious. "She said: The matter of Cangshan isn't over. You need to be prepared. Also—"
He paused, then spoke again. "Protecting yourself is more important than solving ten cases."
Yang Qi was silent for a moment before nodding.
"I'll keep that in mind."
Wei Zongting looked over, a sudden smile on his face. He reached out and patted Yang Qi's arm, like an older brother advising his younger sibling before a long journey.
"If anything comes up, call me directly. You might be too scared to call our teacher, but you're not scared to call me, are you?"
"…Thank you, Senior Brother," Yang Qi said sincerely.
"Alright, head on back."
