Pei Cangyu had a splitting headache. It was only when he heard a sharp, piercing sound that he slowly opened his eyes.
Upon waking, a sense of unreality still clung to him. He sat up and heard a heavy thudding coming from outside. Turning his head, he saw that Bai Shi was gone.
He opened his mouth to call Bai Shi’s name, but his throat was so parched that he couldn't make a sound. He coughed a few times instead.
He needed a drink of water.
He stood up, grabbed a pair of pants to pull on, and leaned against the wall as he slowly made his way out.
His head hurt too much; he didn't know what was happening.
The dull thudding continued. Pei Cangyu felt the sound was hauntingly familiar, but in his dazed state, he couldn't place it.
He walked outward, groping along the wall for the light switch. When he couldn't find it, he simply gave up and kept walking.
The sound grew louder, more familiar.
Suddenly, Pei Cangyu stopped in his tracks.
Ah. If he thought about it carefully, that was exactly the sound of a heavy object striking flesh.
In the next instant, a bloody figure, barely recognizable as human, collapsed in front of him. Where a face should have been were two dark, hollow pits; the man spat blood, a few teeth dangling from his gums. His crimson hands groped forward until they found Pei Cangyu’s feet, clutching them tightly as if grasping at a final lifeline.
Goosebumps erupted across Pei Cangyu’s skin. Drenched in a cold sweat, he looked up and saw Bai Shi. His bare chest was splattered with blood as he strolled toward them. His eyes were bright, his face like that of a Shura. Emerging from the darkness, his fists were clenched, blood dripping from his knuckles onto the floor.
He walked over and hoisted the man up, tossing him aside like a piece of trash. Pei Cangyu watched in a daze before reacting, reaching out to grab Bai Shi. "What happened to him?"
Hearing another voice, the man on the floor immediately began to move. He whimpered as if crying, but he couldn't stand; he simply spun in circles on the floor.
Bai Shi turned to look at Pei Cangyu. "Why are you up?"
Pei Cangyu was fully awake now. He pointed at the man on the floor. "Who... who is he? What are you doing?"
"Oh," Bai Shi explained succinctly. "He came to kill us. I have to kill him."
As he spoke, he started to move toward the man again.
Pei Cangyu grabbed his arm, his words a jumbled mess. "No, no... wait... don't... wait..."
His mind was a chaotic fog, but he gripped Bai Shi with a deathly hold. He felt he had to do something.
The man couldn't see; he only heard them speaking. One voice, overcome with terror, kept repeating something, while the one called Bai Shi remained mostly silent. The man leaned back against the wall, gasping for breath.
Pei Cangyu was going out of his mind. Seeing Bai Shi act like a ghost, devoid of any guilt for his actions, was utterly terrifying.
He began to plead, but he couldn't even organize his thoughts. The palms of his hands, gripping Bai Shi, were slick with sweat.
Bai Shi looked at him, listening patiently, but showed no reaction. After listening to Pei Cangyu for a long time, he merely tilted his head in confusion, glanced at the man in the corner, then checked his watch. He seemed prepared to finish the job as soon as Pei Cangyu was done talking.
Bai Shi even nodded along. In truth, he wasn't really listening. Pei Cangyu was trembling. After Pei Cangyu stammered out a few more words, Bai Shi gave a token nod. Pei Cangyu’s face went deathly pale. "...Is it really because... you want to eat people?"
Bai Shi looked at him, speechless. He slowly pried Pei Cangyu’s hands off him and helped him sit down nearby. "Sit for a moment. Do you want some water?"
Bai Shi stood up to pour some water. He passed the man huddled in the corner; the man cringed and shrank back. Bai Shi walked past him to get the water, then walked past him again on the way back. The man shifted, trying to make himself less conspicuous.
He handed the cup to Pei Cangyu. Pei Cangyu took it absently. Bai Shi said to him, "I'll be right back."
Pei Cangyu nodded blankly, but as Bai Shi turned away, he grabbed his pant leg. "Wait..."
Bai Shi turned back, asking patiently, "Alright. But wait until when?"
"No..." He pleaded over and over. Panicking, he knocked over the water cup. He stood up and patted Bai Shi’s arm, finding his body ice-cold. He threw his arms around him, standing on his tiptoes to kiss his face. As he kissed him, he began to cry for no reason. He cupped Bai Shi’s face. "Don't do this, okay? Bai Shi... please, don't do this."
Bai Shi looked at him, puzzled. "Why are you crying?"
Pei Cangyu didn't know. He kept shaking his head, reaching for the dagger in Bai Shi’s hand. "Don't do this, don't do this..."
"This has nothing to do with you..." As he touched Bai Shi’s hand, Bai Shi instinctively jerked the dagger back, slicing Pei Cangyu’s hand.
Bai Shi was startled. He looked at Pei Cangyu’s hand, but Pei Cangyu only reached out stubbornly to grab his arm again.
Bai Shi looked at him and finally, as if giving up, glanced at the man in the corner. He saw the man had crawled more than a meter toward the door.
Bai Shi sighed and sat down.
Pei Cangyu still didn't let go of his hand.
Bai Shi looked at Pei Cangyu’s tear-streaked face, his eyes red and wide. He reached out to wipe the corner of his eye.
"Look at him," Bai Shi said, gesturing with his chin toward the man in the corner. He explained to Pei Cangyu, "He wasn't this pathetic just a moment ago. He brought a gun—five rounds, modified, untraceable. He came prepared."
Pei Cangyu looked at Bai Shi. "So...?"
"So?" Bai Shi frowned slightly. "He lost. He initiated a robbery where someone lives and someone dies. Isn't it normal for the loser to die?"
Pei Cangyu shook his head violently. "He lost. Let it end here."
"Why?"
"Why?! Because we aren't criminals! We aren't murderers! We aren't like him!"
"But I *am* a criminal."
Pei Cangyu froze.
Bai Shi was no longer confused. He looked at Pei Cangyu calmly. In that moment, he suddenly realized something: Pei Cangyu hadn't truly accepted who Bai Shi was; he had simply been avoiding the sharp edges of their conflict.
Pei Cangyu swallowed hard with difficulty. "...If you change your ways starting now..."
Bai Shi gave a small smile. "Is that what you think?"
Pei Cangyu didn't answer.
Bai Shi gazed at him. The clock on the wall chimed. It was half-past three.
Bai Shi stood up. "I have things to do."
Pei Cangyu reached out and grabbed him again.
Bai Shi’s tone was firm. "Go into the room."
Pei Cangyu lowered his head, his grip not loosening. "Is it because of me?"
"What?"
"Because of me." Pei Cangyu looked up. "Because I asked you to help me kill Pei Yueshan, you went down this path. You became a... criminal."
Bai Shi looked at Pei Cangyu’s face. "You can't exactly say—"
"Let it be. He's already terrified." Pei Cangyu stood up, looking at him firmly. "You've already won. Let it be."
"That's impossible. Have you ever met a desperado? He'll seek revenge. We'll be like sitting ducks."
"Then let's leave. We can go anywhere."
"Why should I leave?" Bai Shi raised his voice in rebuttal. "I like it here. I put a lot of effort into preparing this place. Why should I leave because of a robber?"
"But..."
"Why do you want to help him?"
Pei Cangyu hesitated. "I don't know... I just feel that killing people at the drop of a hat is strange..." His brow furrowed. "There are clearly other ways... Ah, let's call the police!"
Bai Shi looked at him as if he were an idiot. Only then did Pei Cangyu realize their own identities were questionable.
Bai Shi looked at him. "It's perfectly normal for a homeowner to kill someone who breaks into their residence."
Pei Cangyu looked up. "Does that include a situation where he's no longer a threat?"
Bai Shi didn't answer.
Pei Cangyu scratched his hair, muttering to himself, "I'm actually trying to convince someone not to kill. Am I a damn monk...?"
Bai Shi shook his head. "Suit yourself. I'm going to get a drink of water." He turned toward the kitchen, speaking as he walked. "Is it because of the grilled fish? Do you feel thirsty? I suspect we put too much seasoning in the barbecue yesterday. We can't grill it like that for the party tomorrow. It might be better to buy more beer."
Pei Cangyu watched Bai Shi walk into the kitchen. There was no water in the kettle, so he prepared to boil some.
Taking advantage of this moment, Pei Cangyu rushed toward the man in the corner. The man had moved quite a bit; he was only a few steps from the backyard door, crawling with great difficulty.
Hearing footsteps, the man kicked out desperately with his good leg, looking like a frog trying to swim on dry land—desperate and persistent.
Pei Cangyu quickly knelt down. "I'm here to help you..."
The man didn't understand, but Pei Cangyu didn't care. He helped the man up, casting a cautious glance toward the kitchen. He couldn't see Bai Shi, and hearing the sound of the water boiling, he took the chance to lead the man quickly forward and pulled open the door.
The man seemed to realize Pei Cangyu was helping him. He leaned half his weight on him, his left hand tightening its grip on a small concealed knife.
Pei Cangyu led him out. A man of this weight hanging off his shoulder made walking difficult, and the man was blind, unable to tell which way to go.
Where should they go?
As soon as they reached the yard, Pei Cangyu looked around. He didn't want to be seen, though there shouldn't be anyone around at this hour.
But as soon as the man left the house and caught the scent of the air, he knew he was outside. Remembering the direction he had crawled from, he pulled Pei Cangyu toward a specific spot.
Pei Cangyu followed him and realized he was heading toward the vehicle. It was a golf cart given to them by the community, kept in the yard and rarely driven. The keys were always in it. Seeing the man’s steady pace, Pei Cangyu wondered how he knew where it was.
They reached it quickly. The man leaned against the seat and sat down. Pei Cangyu turned to glance at the kitchen, but the man grabbed his wrist and pulled him upward, seemingly wanting Pei Cangyu to get in with him.
"Don't pull me, I have to go open the gate."
Pei Cangyu tried to pull his hand away, but the man seemed to mistake this for an attempt to flee. He gripped tighter, and in the next second, his other hand flashed the small knife. Pei Cangyu thought, *You still have the mind to threaten me now?* and then the knife lunged forward.
Fortunately, because the man couldn't see, his aim was off; otherwise, the blade would have gone straight into Pei Cangyu’s chest. Pei Cangyu instinctively reached out to block it, his hand catching the blade. Blood immediately gushed out, and his face turned pale.
Pei Cangyu gripped the blade tightly, his eyebrows knitting together as he wrenched the knife away. "Damn it, you really are..." He threw the knife to the ground, glared at the man, climbed into the cart, and turned the key.
Bai Shi watched them from the window. He poured himself a cup of water, took a sip, and watched their struggle—and watched Pei Cangyu preparing to drive the man away.
He sighed, set the cup down, and walked out.
Pei Cangyu turned the cart around. Beside him, the man, having lost his knife, was deathly clutching his arm. Pei Cangyu dodged while trying to steer, unable to stop himself from cursing the man out.
Even as he cursed, Pei Cangyu thought that if he were blind and had almost been killed, he probably wouldn't be very calm either.
Pei Cangyu aimed for the gate, ready to burst through, when a sudden force pulled from the side. He turned and saw the man being yanked down by Bai Shi’s arm, hitting the ground with a heavy thud. Bai Shi looked up at Pei Cangyu.
The man struggled to get up. Bai Shi kicked him in the face and raised a shovel.
Pei Cangyu scrambled off the cart and ran toward them.
But the shovel swung down, striking the top of the man’s head as he tried to stand. Blood poured from his forehead.
The man remained upright for two seconds before collapsing with a heavy *thump*.
Pei Cangyu watched, wide-eyed.
Bai Shi walked over, grabbed the man by the collar, and looked up at Pei Cangyu. "I'm certain now. It was because the seasoning was too salty. Let's just not use any seasoning tomorrow."
As he spoke, he knelt down and began stripping the man’s clothes, leaving him stark naked.
Pei Cangyu broke into a cold sweat. The man was motionless. His pale, bloated, sturdy body looked like a pig hanging in a slaughterhouse. He suddenly remembered the person he had seen hanging in Bai Shi’s closet. During his time with Bai Shi, there had been a period where Pei Cangyu had even naively thought that it was the work of Bai Shi’s subordinates and had nothing to do with Bai Shi himself.
It seemed that wasn't the case.
He trembled. Bai Shi’s steps were almost light as he dragged the man to a small tree and began cheerfully digging a hole in the pitch-black night.
Pei Cangyu spoke hoarsely, "The lights... the lights aren't working..."
"That's right," Bai Shi answered him. "It makes it easier to bury people."
Pei Cangyu’s head began to throb. This meant... from the moment he turned off the lights, he had been planning this?
...Come to think of it, when were the lights turned off?
Bai Shi quickly finished the hole, tossed the man inside, and whistled softly as he covered him with soil, his movements graceful. Even now, Pei Cangyu felt a sense of unreality, as if he couldn't judge whether this was actually happening.
Bai Shi patted the soil flat, planted a sapling on top, and watered it with great interest.
"Is he... dead...?"
Hearing the question, Bai Shi turned and smiled. "Yes. You wouldn't have agreed if I threw him in alive."
Pei Cangyu turned away and began to retch. Bai Shi’s hand, holding the watering can, paused. He watched him for a while before turning back to continue. "How is the wound on your hand? Should I wrap it?"
Receiving no response, Bai Shi turned to look at Pei Cangyu. Pei Cangyu was standing dazed, his eyes vacant.
Bai Shi walked over and gently took his hand. Pei Cangyu’s lips trembled. "He's just like me..."
"What?"
"He's just like me, a thug. I could have gone down the wrong path, too, and robbed someone's house... He's just like me..."
Bai Shi laughed. "How could that be? He's no simple robber. Come on, let me wrap that for you. His knife was quite sharp..."
Pei Cangyu suddenly yanked his hand away and ran toward the golf cart. He leaped on and, with trembling but swift movements, turned the key. His face was covered in sweat; he was determined to leave right now.
Bai Shi’s eyes darkened. He tossed aside the watering can, reached the cart in two strides, and dragged Pei Cangyu off the vehicle as it started to move.
Pei Cangyu fell to the ground. Bai Shi straddled him, pinching his face and squeezing his injured hand, forcing more blood out until Pei Cangyu felt his hand go numb.
"Where are you going? We have things to do tomorrow."
Pei Cangyu tried to scream at the top of his lungs, but before a sound could escape, Bai Shi covered his mouth.
Bai Shi’s gaze was dark and heavy. "Listen carefully. We are hosting a party tomorrow. The neighbors are coming. This is our peaceful life—yours and mine."
Pei Cangyu struggled.
Bai Shi pinned him down. "Our peaceful life. Just like you said before, as if we really lived together in high school. This is that life now. He disturbed us, so he died. If the neighbors disturb us, then the neighbors must die. If your little policeman friend disturbs us, then he must die too. Am I making myself clear?"
Pei Cangyu stopped moving.
"Now, be a good boy and go to the room to sleep. I'll be back once I'm finished. We're having a party tomorrow." Bai Shi’s eyes were bright as he smiled. "Just like a normal family."
