I watched as the eyes of the men cleared, and a blurry gray mist rose from the crowns of their heads. The mist coalesced into a mass against the ceiling before snapping away from some invisible tether and vanishing rapidly into the ventilation duct. Immediately, the people around me collapsed in unison. The bandages binding me snapped with a sharp pop.
I leaped up and ran to the window. Xiao Hei was perched on the frame, tail erect, staring solemnly at Zhang Litian. The insufferable look of smug certainty had finally vanished from Zhang Litian’s face. I noticed black veins flickering beneath the skin of his face, shifting like slithering snakes. Then, he opened his mouth and directed a long sentence toward me.
It wasn't human speech.
The sound wasn't something a person could produce; it sounded as if it came from the depths of hell, echoing with its own unnatural reverb.
Xiao Hei responded: "Meow, meow, meow~"
Then, Zhang Litian vanished before our eyes. From my vantage point on the second floor, I had a wide field of vision; the moment he disappeared, he reappeared two hundred meters away, pulling his long trench coat tight as he merged into the crowd. If not for the cloud of gray mist hovering over his head, I would have struggled to identify him.
It was close to lunchtime, so there weren't many people at the construction site, but those who remained had witnessed this bizarre scene. To my surprise, once everything returned to calm, not a single person whispered or came forward to ask me what happened. Even Lu Daoshi and Pi Zhang didn't say a word; they acted as if nothing had occurred at all.
I reached out and grabbed Xiao Hei by the scruff of his neck just as he was about to jump into the tree, bringing him face-to-face with me.
"Liu Wukong!"
"Meow~"
"Meow my ass! Stop pretending!"
I made a move as if to hit him, but he didn't dodge. Instead, he wiggled his small, fluffy body closer and licked my finger. Wherever I aimed a mock blow, he would eagerly lick that spot. Damn it. I couldn't bring myself to do it. Seeing I had softened, he tilted his head to act cute before focusing intently on grooming his fur, even using a paw to wash his face.
"I say, Liu Wukong... your true form couldn't actually be a cat demon, could it?"
Xiao Hei let out a cheerful "Meow~" and scrambled onto a tree trunk to hunt cicadas. He even poked one with his whiskers, only to be startled into a leap when the cicada suddenly began to chirp, sending him scurrying back into my arms.
Fine, this definitely wasn't my roommate. My roommate’s IQ isn't that low.
When I went out to lunch with Pi Zhang and Lu Daoshi, the people in the infirmary had already woken up. They all looked dazed, not understanding why they were there. I didn't dare say anything to them and let them leave on their own.
Later, while the three of us were eating, I was prepared to answer any of their questions, but they still didn't ask. I felt it would be awkward to bring up the morning's events myself. Something felt off—their entire attitude was wrong.
I spent the afternoon sleeping in the dorm. My roommate never showed up, and Xiao Hei had gone off to play somewhere. As the sun began to set, I received a call from Ren Xing: "Where are you?"
"In the dorm."
"Come out. I'm at the school gate."
I spotted Ren Xing’s car parked in a corner of the brightly lit street, and a very strange feeling washed over me. Ren Xing drove a second-hand red Citroën. He rarely washed it, and since he drove it everywhere, the car usually looked filthy. However, the windshield had clearly just been replaced; it was sparkling and bright, creating a jarring contrast with the rest of the vehicle. As I walked toward the car, I realized that the sense of unfamiliarity in my heart stemmed from this.
Getting into the car, I asked him where we were going. He said we were going to see the sea.
I let out a surprised sound. "Officer Ren, you're in quite a poetic mood today."
Ren Xing smiled but said nothing.
"Weren't you called into the station today? How did you get released so quickly?"
"I wanted to be with you."
"Wait... didn't you swear this morning to abandon me, the 'dead transvestite'?"
"Did I say that?" He stared at me through the rearview mirror, his gaze turning momentarily cold.
"You're quick to deny it..."
Ren Xing’s triangular sling was gone, leaving only the stabilizing splint and cast. He could shift gears himself and didn't need my help anymore, so I boredly fiddled with the car radio. However, no matter which channel I tuned to, there was nothing but the hiss of static. Ren Xing handed me a CD to play. The songs on it were ancient, including "Can't Help Falling in Love with You." I eventually fell asleep listening to them.
When I woke up, I was surrounded by the sound of the tide. The car was rocking, and waves were lapping against the chassis, making it feel as though we were on a boat.
I jolted awake and scrambled to open the car door. Seawater immediately surged in gently, soaking my pants and shoes. I shouted Ren Xing’s name as I jumped out of the car. Looking up, I saw him with his pant legs rolled up, leaning against the hood and watching me. His eyes were as tender as water under the moonlight.
"Why did you drive the car into the ocean?" I took off my shoes, intending to walk back to shore. We were on the outer edge of the beach, about thirty meters from dry land. If it were a typhoon day, a large wave could easily sweep someone away.
Ren Xing followed silently, snatched my shoes, and tossed them back into the car. "Stay and watch the sea with me for a while," he said, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind. His soft black hair brushed against my neck in a gesture of deep attachment.
I remembered that normal sea-watching involved barbecues on the sand, drinking beer, or maybe a quick hookup. I felt like I’d been scammed. Yet, I couldn't find it in me to refuse this melancholic, literary version of the police officer. Without much of a mental struggle, I let him take my hand and lead me deeper into the water. The moonlight was beautiful, and a few stars twinkled above, but the sea remained dark and indistinct. I could only see dark masses shifting constantly, topped by the thin white lines of the surf. I guessed it was very late, right at the peak of high tide. When the waves surged toward us, I swayed, unable to keep my footing, but Ren Xing was as steady as a rock. His grip on my hand was like an iron vice, never loosening, so I could only let him lead me deeper.
When the water reached my waist, I grew afraid and shook off his hand. "Hey, how much further are you going? You're not planning a double suicide, are you?"
Ren Xing gave a low chuckle. "I wouldn't mind."
My intuition told me Ren Xing was acting strange today. I touched his fingers. "Hey, what's wrong with you? Suddenly wanting to see the sea, then wading right into it."
He didn't answer but took my hand again and rubbed it. "Are you cold?"
"How could I not be cold, soaking in the ocean in the middle of the night?"
Ren Xing smiled faintly again—a smile that was part helpless, part lonely, and more desolate than this murky sea.
"I kind of want to go home," he said, gazing out at the ocean.
"Is your home by the sea? I've never heard you mention it. My home is by the sea, too."
Ren Xing put his arm around my shoulder and kissed my temple, his mind clearly heavy with thoughts. "We live in the same place."
After a pause, he added, "I want to go home with you."
"Then let's go... can that car of yours even start?"
Ren Xing shook his head and lowered it. "It's all broken."
For the next ten minutes, he remained in that position, motionless.
The ebb tide began, and the water receded step by step. Suddenly, I spotted glittering points of light in the distance, though I couldn't tell if they were floating on the sea or in the sky. Then, more and more points of light appeared, rising and falling with the tide. It was as if someone had suddenly flipped a switch; all at once, these little lamps lit up, bathing the entire ocean in a gentle, quiet cyan glow.
I shook Ren Xing’s arm. "What... what is that?"
Ren Xing smiled. "Baby jellyfish, born just this year."
Then, in the waters illuminated by the glowing jellyfish, I saw creatures I had never seen before. Luminous seaweed, massive and beautiful oarfish, and strange organisms I couldn't name. Given our distance from them, their sheer size was terrifying. As far as I knew, the larger a creature was, the deeper it lived in the ocean. How could they withstand the pressure changes of rising to the shallows? Moreover, the coastal waters had been heavily polluted in recent years, yet under the light of the jellyfish, this dark tide appeared almost transparent. This scenery was so beautiful it felt illusory.
I leaned against Ren Xing’s shoulder and watched for a while. He asked if I liked it, and I said I did, but that I was cold. Finally, he agreed to head back. Once we reached the shore, our pants were completely soaked. I was wearing jeans, which felt especially heavy, so he knelt down to give me a piggyback ride. As a grown man, I couldn't just let him carry me; I had to put up a token resistance. Without a word, Ren Xing simply hoisted me over his shoulder and started walking. Once we reached the embankment, he found a small motel. I had a feeling that something intense was about to happen.
