When we left Jin Mu’s room, my roommate consoled me, saying, "He’s the artist type."
I knew, I knew. I had already thought about it. The people who went hysterical last night were all part of a rather unique group within the school. At first glance, they seemed to have no connection—different addresses, different departments—but their fields of study all pointed toward a temperament that was sensitive, susceptible, and highly developed in both logic and emotion. This was especially true for those in the Academy of Arts. If they weren't sensitive and susceptible, if they didn't hone themselves into something sharp and unique, how could they create art? That was why they were infected and invaded by that ghostly thing in their sleep. Jin Mu was the most unique among them. His sensitivity had reached such a peak that he had been issued a critical condition notice last night.
I knew, I knew...
So, there was nothing wrong with him falling in love with a sculpture he had molded himself.
"People can fall in love with all sorts of things," my roommate said as we walked side by side.
"I only like people," I muttered under my breath. "And women, at that."
My roommate frowned, then gave a hum of affirmation, as if suddenly enlightened. "You would like things that are the same as you."
I looked at his smug profile, feeling unsettled by the hidden meaning in his words.
In the afternoon, we returned to school together. My roommate told me he had to go out to handle some business and would be back by sunset. I was curious about what he was going to do, yet also a little afraid. My emotions must have been written all over my face, because as he was heading out, he turned back and touched my face with a hint of comfort.
"Don't be afraid," he said.
He didn't pull his hand away immediately. His palm was very warm. I couldn't help but nuzzle against it, then immediately felt like, *Lord, I’m such a total pansy.*
My roommate also seemed a bit awkward. He hesitated on the spot for a long while before leaning in to hug me. I couldn't help but wrap my arms around his neck. In this warm, fuzzy atmosphere, a sudden wave of sadness washed over me—what kind of life have I been living these past few days! Why am I so miserable! Every day I’m being chased by this or that, getting my heart gouged out or being stabbed; I can’t even have a peaceful dream. It’s too much! Roommate, do you understand my heart? "I'm so scared... don't go."
My roommate said helplessly, "I have to."
"Don't gooo..."
"I'm going."
"Don't gooo..."
"I'm going."
As we spoke, we kept shifting our weight from our left feet to our right, then back to the left, swaying to and fro. Holding each other still was a bit boring, after all.
A few seconds later, Pi Zhang’s roar came from right beside my ear: "Are you two psychos?!"
My roommate shot him a glare, stepped back, and closed the dormitory door. "Then go to sleep. I'll be back by the time you wake up."
"I don't dare sleep. I had a nightmare when you weren't here... and it came true!"
My roommate gently tucked me into the covers and held my hand. "Sleep now, be good." As he spoke, he leaned down and gave me a few wet licks.
I shrank back into the quilt and used the sheet to wipe my face. "You'll leave as soon as I fall asleep..."
"Don't be afraid. I'll be there in your dreams too."
The moment he finished his last word, my vision went black, and I fell fast asleep.
Then, I had non-stop nightmares. In every dream, there was a hideously ugly, disgusting monster by my side. If I ran, it chased me; I couldn't shake it off. *God, this couldn't be my roommate, could it?!* It was earth-shatteringly ugly, holy crap.
When I woke up, I suddenly realized someone was by the bed. I jumped up in a fright, only to see it was Pi Zhang, shuffling in his oversized slippers. "Are you sick?! Why are you looming over my bed for no reason!"
"I'm asking to borrow some water for my instant noodles, okay? Who the hell wants to watch you sleep," he cursed loudly.
"Finish your noodles and get lost." The whole room smelled like Master Kong Seafood Noodles; the scent was so strong it made me want to gag.
Instead, Pi Zhang plopped down on the edge of my bed. "Are you and your roommate really having a thing?!"
I couldn't help but jump up, my face flushing crimson. "Don't talk nonsense!"
Pi Zhang lunged forward and tackled me from behind. "You’re playing with your life! Of all things to learn, you learn how to be gay! What if you catch AIDS?"
I scratched my head; I really hadn't thought that far ahead.
If even Pi Zhang was saying it, could it be that my spring had finally arrived? My roommate did seem quite interested in me, hehe. Even though he had a dick, I’d accept it. I certainly wouldn't make it hard for him to pursue me—no one else was chasing me anyway. My roommate was so badass, I’d have to give him ten thousand "I do's"! Come and date me already! I’ve been thirsty for twenty years; hurry up and get lovey-dovey with me.
But because I woke up early and the sun hadn't set yet, he wasn't back. I checked the time and saw it was almost dinner, so I went out to forage for food, planning to head back after eating. Just as I finished ordering beef noodles, my phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, I panicked for a moment before answering with a fawning, sycophantic tone: "Officer Ren..."
"Where are you?"
I heard a lot of noise on his end, a chorus of honking horns. It sounded like he was in a car, which made me wonder: Ren Xing’s hand is broken, and he’s talking to me on the phone, so which hand is he using to hold the steering wheel? That’s a police car, for heaven's sake.
I told him I was at the food stalls outside the East Gate. He gave an "un-huh," and before long, I saw a police car turn into the small lane, scaring the local street vendors half to death.
When Ren Xing got out of the car, he still wore the meticulous poker face of a People's Policeman, except his right hand was suspended from his neck in a triangular sling. Without a hint of politeness, he sat down right next to me and ordered a bowl of beef and potato starch noodles for himself. The owner knew me well; as he left, he kicked me under the table. "What did you do wrong this time?"
"How is it me who did something..."
"Assaulting a police officer," Ren Xing said flatly.
The owner hurriedly offered Ren Xing a cigarette, his face contorted as if he wanted to bash my head in with a brick. "Ah, Xiao Ye, when did you get so bold?"
"No thanks, I don't smoke—it wasn't him, it was his boyfriend."
"He's not my boyfriend!"
"Then why was he so jealous?"
Officer Ren just sold me out like that! The owner’s look toward me changed instantly! *Wait, big brother! Don't you know my character? I haven't even hooked up with my roommate yet, lord! I’m just secretly thinking about it, feeling a bit restless. Why do I have to face the judgmental gaze of society! Oh, big brother, will you still round down my bill when I eat here in the future?*
The owner’s worldview had been shattered by Ren Xing. He was now certain I was gay, and probably guessed that Ren Xing and I also had a thing. Sensing the atmosphere was wrong—like a prelude to a crime of passion—he decisively took the menu and vanished, selling me out once again! Thus, I was left alone to face the interrogation of the People's Policeman.
I watched Ren Xing struggle to twirl the noodles with his left hand. It looked like hard work, and I felt both panicked and guilty. "Um... Officer Ren, I'll pay the medical bills. I'll compensate you. My roommate is young and impetuous, he doesn't know better. Please, be the bigger man..."
Ren Xing simply gave up on the potato starch noodles, put down his chopsticks, and looked at me quietly. "Last time, you told me your roommate didn't seem human."
"Uh..."
He pulled his gun from his waist and slapped it on the table.
The surface of the gun was shattered into tiny pieces.
Ren Xing pressed his hand over the gun, his slender fingers tracing the cracks. "I don't even know how to write the report for my superiors."
"Yes, yes, yes..."
I could only play the humble subordinate with a good attitude, wondering how this would end. I felt like I couldn't afford the compensation.
Unexpectedly, Ren Xing asked me instead: "What do you plan to do now?"
"Huh? Me... I'll go back and scrape some money together to pay you back."
Ren Xing looked disgusted. "I'm talking about you and your roommate."
"Huh?"
What was I supposed to say? That I already wanted to have a go with him?
"You told me last time you wanted to change dorms."
That did seem to be the case.
"Then let's go." He stood up and walked out.
Wait, what kind of rhythm was this? He was talking to himself the whole time while I was just "huh-ing" and "what-ing"!
"What are you standing there for?"
"Where are we going?"
"My house."
"HUH?!"
"You still want to live with that roommate? Do you even know what he is before you go throwing yourself at him? Do you want to die?" Ren Xing swept a glance over me. Though his gaze was calm, it was absolutely authoritative and brook no argument—the kind of vibe where if I talked back, he’d pull his gun and shoot me dead on the spot. Although he maintained a cold, polite exterior, I could tell this was a man of decisive action, with a bit of a domineering streak inside.
"I... this isn't right..."
Ren Xing spoke plainly. "I suspect Old Chu was killed by your roommate. If you don't want to end up like that, you'd better do as I say."
"Then my roommate..."
"Try not to contact him. Come to school for classes in the morning, and go back to my place at night."
"Sometimes there are night classes..."
"When classes are over, go back to my place."
"Is it far?"
"Even if it's far, go back to my place."
"..."
"Anything else to say?"
"Since you've put it that way, I don't think I have anything left to say... Should I go straight back to the dorm to pack my things?"
"No need to pack. It's just for sleeping, what do you need to pack? I have a sofa."
"Well, thank you very much, Mr. People's Policeman!"
"Don't mention it." The People's Policeman, with his right hand in a sling, let the corner of his mouth curl up in a pleasant smile as he passed me. *Is it really okay for you to be like this?! What the hell is this, illegal protection?*
Ren Xing’s station was near our school, and parking was scarce, so he had parked his car on campus. Once he got the car, we headed to his house. He really did drive with one hand, hitting the accelerator in fits and starts. Sitting in the passenger seat, I took the initiative to fasten my seatbelt for the first time. I never imagined that this steady-looking pillar of the nation, Officer Ren, would drive like this. I felt like he was being cursed at by people the whole way there.
Thirty minutes later, the car drove into an old-fashioned residential area. The buildings were only five stories high, their walls covered in ivy. By the small flower beds in the twilight, many elderly men and women were enjoying the cool breeze. I felt a surge of cowardice. "Officer Ren, you don't live with your parents, do you?!"
He gave a low chuckle and signaled for me to help him shift gears. "If I lived with my parents, would I be able to bring a man back to sleep over?"
"Can you stop teasing me?"
"You're afraid of being teased? Aren't you a 'the more the merrier' type?"
"Officer Ren, why do I rank on the same level as a Money Boy in your mind! I'm very pure, okay! I've never even been in a relationship!"
Ren Xing glared at me, annoyed by my loud voice which had startled the old ladies cooling off. Later, while going upstairs, he even snapped at me, "Can't you wait until we're inside to talk?" making it seem like we were a couple having a spat and needed to keep our "family scandals" private.
Ren Xing’s place was quite small—one bedroom and one living room. The decor was dated, there weren't many belongings, and there were basically no decorations, so it looked empty. It was passably clean, but it had absolutely nothing to do with words like enjoyment, taste, or quality of life. It felt like a place just to manage a night's sleep. After showing me the bathroom and the sofa, he pointed to the kitchen and told me to go make him something to eat.
"No instant noodles," Officer Ren instructed unceremoniously, sitting on the sofa and turning on the TV to watch *Focus Interview*.
*You bastard, you only have instant noodles here, don't think I didn't see!*
In the end, I poached an egg in the instant noodles to honor the old gentleman, and Ren Xing reluctantly accepted it. His left hand wasn't nimble, so I had to feed him. He kept staring at the TV screen the whole time; I really wanted to poke his eyes out with the chopsticks.
Ren Xing finished watching *Focus Interview* at only eight-thirty, and he actually yawned, intending to wash up and sleep. I wandered around; his house only had a computer manufactured in the year 2000, and there was really no entertainment, so I could only follow his lead and get ready for bed. I hadn't brought a change of clothes, so he lent me a pair of boxers and a faded red T-shirt.
When I finished washing up and stepped out of the bathroom, Ren Xing was locking the door. His door was an old-fashioned style, not a security door; the lock had a protruding piece of iron with a chain that could be hooked into a slot on the door frame. Looking at it made me feel like I’d traveled back in time. Hearing me laugh, Ren Xing turned around and stared at me from head to toe. I was drying my hair and felt unnerved by his gaze.
"What?"
"Good build. Your legs are quite long."
"Lord, Officer Ren, what are you thinking about all day..."
He pulled out his key and spun it on his index finger; the keychain flew off and landed in a bowl on the shoe cabinet. "I was thinking, keeping someone like you around might not be so bad."
***
**Glossary**
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 康师傅海鲜面 | Master Kong Seafood Noodles | A very popular brand of instant noodles in China. |
| 焦点访谈 | Focus Interview | A famous long-running news program on CCTV. |
| 抹零头 | Round down the bill | A common practice in Chinese markets/stalls where the small change is forgiven. |
| 挂在脖子上 | In a sling | Referring to the triangular bandage used to support a broken arm. |
| 养 | Keeping / Raising | Can refer to raising a pet or, more suggestively, supporting/keeping a lover. |
| MB | Money Boy | Slang for a male sex worker. |
