Thanks to Terrio, a friend of Hou Qi’an, they found a local police officer named Ansel and were told they could go see him directly that afternoon. Terrio left a phone number before hanging up to attend to his own business.
Hou Qi’an put down the phone and nodded to the others, and everyone relaxed.
Lu Mingyue, who had been brought back the previous night, had looked listless since his return. Like a withered plant, he huddled alone in a corner. Seeing him like this made Fei Zuohua click his tongue in irritation, eventually choosing to simply look away.
"Who’s going?" he asked Shi Yuanchen.
Before Shi Yuanchen could answer, Kong Ping took a sip of water with his head down, his face pale. "I won't go. I have a headache."
Hou Qi’an followed up, "Then I’ll stay behind."
In the end, because Shi Yuanchen needed to contact the school, Fei Zuohua went to the police station alone.
The station was in ST9, just across a commercial street. Fei Zuohua pushed through the noisy crowds and arrived at a district where there were more trees than people. The sudden silence made him feel a brief wave of dizziness, likely due to the sweltering heat of the day.
The trees along the street were short and stout, their lush greenery almost sickeningly thick. The patches of sunlight hitting the ground seemed to splash with heat. The street was wide and exceptionally clean, with buildings on only one side—several government offices, all fenced off by sparse iron railings. The people passing by seemed to have a strong sense of purpose, dressed formally, though occasionally someone with heavy headphones would zip past on a skateboard.
Fei Zuohua had only walked a few steps when he spotted a man standing at the entrance of the police station.
In truth, he judged the man to be a police officer first, and only then realized the building behind him was the station.
The man stood straight, gazing at the garden across the street with his hands behind his back. He wore a blue shirt with an insignia on the upper arm and a black tactical vest over it, but no jacket or hat. He looked like a very upright man. He was Asian, tall and broad-shouldered. Occasionally, he stepped aside for passersby, nodding kindly with a squint-eyed smile before returning his gaze to the opposite side.
Fei Zuohua walked over and asked tentatively, "Ansel?"
Upon hearing his name, the man turned his head, smiled at him, and extended a large hand. "Ansel Alliot. I’ve heard about you, Mr. Fei."
Fei Zuohua shook his hand, curious about what he had been staring at. "Is there something across the street?"
Ansel shook his head. "A bird landed on the statue."
Fei Zuohua looked over and saw a green bird perched on a statue of a man reading. Ansel had been watching it for a long time.
He was a bit puzzled. "Does that... have some kind of meaning?"
Ansel chuckled. "Oh, no. They don't usually land there. I’m guessing it’s going to rain today."
Fei Zuohua took another look. Not knowing how to respond, he just gave a small smile.
Ansel continued, "I’ve heard about the situation. Terrio said that while it’s not certain if the person you’re looking for is the culprit, the surveillance cameras caught the license plate when they left the area. If they haven't switched cars on the road, we can check our local surveillance here."
"Is that possible? Thank you so much."
Ansel smiled. "Don't mention it. The problem is we might be short-staffed, and the surveillance tapes can't leave the station. So, if you don't mind, I hope your companions can come along to help watch. Oh, and I’ll need you to provide some identification so we can contact the consulate."
Fei Zuohua nodded. "Alright. When do we start?"
"Well, normally we have to wait for all the paperwork to be processed." He noticed Fei Zuohua’s immediate frown. "But I started looking as soon as I got the call. Based on the timeline, I started from two months ago. I’ve only managed to get through five days' worth."
Fei Zuohua felt a bit sheepish. "Thank you for your hard work."
Ansel waved it off dismissively and pointed to the station behind him. "Want to come in and take a look? It’s where I work. Although the procedures aren't finished, I don't think just looking at the monitors will be much of an issue." He then grinned. "But you can't touch anything."
Fei Zuohua nodded. "I promise."
Ansel put on the police cap he had been carrying under his arm. "After you."
Fei Zuohua followed him inside.
Ansel was tall and sturdy, greeting everyone he passed. The others seemed very warm toward him; it was clear he was well-liked. His smile was warm, and his large eyes had a slight downward slant at the corners, giving him an innocent look. With his white teeth and likable grin, he would have looked exactly like a Golden Retriever if not for his black hair.
Once they were in the elevator and finally alone, Fei Zuohua relaxed a little. Greeting so many people was a novel and difficult task for him.
"You’re very popular," Fei Zuohua said, loosening the top button of his shirt.
Ansel scratched his head sheepishly and laughed. "I’ve only been here three months. I’m still a rookie."
The elevator stopped on the fifth floor, where the air felt even more stifling.
Ansel held the elevator door for him. "The fourth floor and this floor are both surveillance rooms, but this one is a bit older. Actually, most of the town's cameras were installed three or four years ago, after the new Mayor arrived. Have you heard of him? He’s quite remarkable... this way."
Fei Zuohua followed. "No, I haven't."
Ansel walked toward the end of the hallway. "He specifically authorized this matter as well."
The room they were heading to was 509. It was smaller than the other surveillance rooms. Ansel explained, "I borrowed the tapes we need to see. This room is specifically for reviewing them."
Fei Zuohua nodded understandingly and followed him in.
The room was barely forty square meters, perhaps even less. Facing them were nine monitors. To the left were stacks of numbered tapes; to the right were buzzing, lit-up cassette players. There were four or five swivel chairs in front. The television screen was paused, with a date in the upper right corner: two months ago.
Ansel set down his police cap. "That’s about it. We’ll call it a day for now. You and your friends are welcome to come tomorrow."
Fei Zuohua looked around, nodded, and extended his hand again. "Thank you."
Ansel smiled. "No problem. Oh, one more thing. I have an idea that might help."
"What is it?"
"Our Mayor is very well-respected, and many people rely on him. I heard the person you’re looking for lives in the villa district. The Mayor is very familiar with the villa areas here and has many friends. Perhaps you could show him their photos; maybe he can help."
Fei Zuohua’s eyes lit up. "Is that possible? How can we find him?"
"I’ll handle it. I’m in charge of a security detail for the station this week. I can just ask him when I send him an email."
Fei Zuohua didn't know how to express his gratitude and reached out his hand yet again. "Thank you."
Perhaps because his words were so sincere and his gaze so earnest, Ansel lowered his head shyly, his face flushing slightly. Although they were around the same age, Fei Zuohua couldn't help but feel that Ansel seemed like a child.
***
After taking his medicine, Kong Ping went back to his room to sleep. Hou Qi’an went with him, but after a while, presumably because he wasn't needed there anymore, he returned to the main room. After all, he still didn't feel comfortable leaving Lu Mingyue and Shi Yuanchen alone together.
When he arrived, Shi Yuanchen was cooking. The inn was quite basic, but Shi Yuanchen didn't seem to mind. He could showcase his culinary skills even in a place like this, delicately beating eggs and adding a pinch of salt.
Upon entering, Hou Qi’an first glanced at Lu Mingyue. The latter was slumped on the sofa watching TV, his expression vacant. He didn't look like he was watching the program; he seemed to be just staring into space.
Hou Qi’an walked toward the kitchen. As he passed the balcony, he pulled the curtains open, only then realizing it was already dark outside.
He helped Shi Yuanchen by handing him a bowl. "It’s dark."
Shi Yuanchen looked up. "So it is."
"Isn't Fei Zuohua coming back?"
"He said he’s going to dinner with the policeman. That officer has been a big help."
"I see." Hou Qi’an leaned against the table. "What are you making?"
"Beef brisket over rice." Shi Yuanchen smiled. "But there isn't enough brisket, so I’m adding some eggs to make do."
Hou Qi’an gave a small smile, then turned to look at Lu Mingyue, lowering his voice. "What’s wrong with him?"
Shi Yuanchen followed his gaze. "Heartbreak."
Hou Qi’an’s brow furrowed instantly. "Bai Shi?"
Shi Yuanchen nodded, noticing that Hou Qi’an’s expression remained grim. "What is it?"
Hou Qi’an asked very seriously, "Is Bai Shi gay?"
Shi Yuanchen set down the bowl and leaned his arms on the counter, letting out a hum but offering no answer.
"Then..." Hou Qi’an crossed his arms. "Him and Pei Cangyu?"
"I think, on this journey, it must be..."
He didn't finish his sentence. Hou Qi’an’s gaze drifted away, his brow furrowing even tighter. Shi Yuanchen looked at him. "If you want to smoke, it’s better to go to the balcony."
Hou Qi’an glanced at him, pressed his tongue against his cheek, and turned to walk away.
After putting the rice in the steamer, Shi Yuanchen also walked out, joining Hou Qi’an on the small balcony.
Hou Qi’an leaned on the railing, gazing at the distant lights. The glowing tip of his cigarette illuminated his face intermittently. His brow was still furrowed, and the boyishness was rapidly fading from his features.
"I always felt you were the most precocious one among your group," Shi Yuanchen said, his back against the railing to keep the wind from messing up his hair.
Hou Qi’an turned to look at him. "I think it might be Fei-ji. He’s better at handling things."
Shi Yuanchen smiled. "Your reaction is very similar to Kong Ping’s. Did you guys never consider that Pei Cangyu might be gay?"
"Pei Cangyu isn't gay," Hou Qi’an refuted him quickly.
Shi Yuanchen sighed. "Do you think Bai Shi just kidnapped him for no reason?"
"Yes," Hou Qi’an answered immediately.
"For what? What can Pei Cangyu give Bai Shi? What is Bai Shi extorting? Money?"
Hou Qi’an almost bit his cigarette but said nothing.
Shi Yuanchen softened his tone. "Do you hate Bai Shi that much?"
Hou Qi’an remained silent.
"Why did you guys break off your friendship with Pei Cangyu back then?"
"It was just childish stuff from when we were kids. There’s no 'breaking off' or not." Hou Qi’an flicked his cigarette irritably. "Does it have anything to do with you?"
Shi Yuanchen watched the rare display of agitation from him, his voice remaining gentle. "If you put it that way, then nothing has anything to do with me. Pei Cangyu didn't specifically ask me to come, either."
Hou Qi’an froze, realizing he had crossed a line. He pursed his lips.
After a moment of hesitation, he said, "It was probably because of Bai Shi."
"Why?"
"He’s too fake. He says one thing to your face and does another behind your back." Hou Qi’an stubbed out his cigarette, speaking ill of someone with a sense of self-abandonment. "You haven't seen him when he’s with Pei Cangyu. He’s too much trouble. He’s the kind of person you can tell just by looking at him is going to be a problem. Narrow-minded, sensitive... I couldn't see a single redeeming quality in him."
It was clear Hou Qi’an had never voiced these thoughts before. After speaking, he lowered his head.
Shi Yuanchen patted his shoulder. "Got a cigarette?"
Hou Qi’an blinked in surprise and handed him the pack.
"I always felt things weren't that simple." Shi Yuanchen took one, and Hou Qi’an helped him light it. "There was a period when Pei Cangyu often went to the school infirmary to buy things—right before Bai Shi left. Did you know?"
Hou Qi’an shook his head.
"Ointments for injuries. In your memory, did he get hurt often back then?"
Hou Qi’an shook his head quickly.
Shi Yuanchen fell silent. He didn't specify what kind of medicine it was.
Hou Qi’an also took out a cigarette for himself, rolled it between his fingers, and finally tucked it behind his ear, resting his arms on the railing.
Shi Yuanchen returned from his own thoughts and turned back to Hou Qi’an. "Why did you come to help?"
Hou Qi’an looked down at the lights below his feet, his voice muffled. "Friend."
"I see." Shi Yuanchen exhaled a cloud of smoke. He turned around; the wind had died down significantly, hitting his face softly without blowing his hair. He narrowed his eyes behind his glasses, gazing at the small town.
"I saw him once, later on."
Shi Yuanchen turned to look at Hou Qi’an. Hou Qi’an’s head was still down, his voice low but clear.
"I was going to deliver something to a relative." Hou Qi’an’s toe kicked at a fallen leaf on the ground, a gesture that seemed very boyish.
"It was snowing that day. New Year’s Day."
"I took the Route 9 bus to the intersection and walked from there. Their residential compound was old, but it was packed with cars—people returning from out of town, I guess. So the path was even narrower. Actually, I’d walked that road many times. I wasn't very close with that relative, but I went to his house often. The roads in his neighborhood were like a maze, but I could walk them with my eyes closed.
"I was almost at the entrance of the compound when I saw him. I don't know where he was coming back from. He was so thin then. I almost didn't recognize him from behind, but his scarf was still the same one. Shit-yellow, ugly as hell. He wasn't wearing a hat. His hair was shaved really short, looking a bit reddish, but his ears were frozen bright red too, so I couldn't really tell.
"He was so thin. He had a slouch—or maybe he wasn't slouching, just wearing something thin, a jacket, so he was huddled up, and his shoulder blades were sticking out. I think it was just his bones poking through.
"He walked like a cripple, so slowly, with no energy at all. Dammit, I wouldn't have recognized him at all if it weren't for that scarf.
"His hand was injured. His right hand.
"He always used his right hand when he fought, so it would’ve been weirder if it wasn't injured.
"The bandage was trailing so long it almost reached his feet. Speaking of which, back in the day when we went to the infirmary, the bastard would swipe people's bandages and wrap his tiny scratches until he looked like a mummy.
"But it wasn't like that that day. There was blood on the bandage, and a strip of it was just hanging loose. Every step he took, that thing would sway. It looked so red against the snow.
"He looked like a dog, you know? I didn't see his face, but I doubt it looked much better.
"I stopped walking right then. Even if I walked slowly, compared to him, I was practically flying. I was faster than him."
Hou Qi’an paused.
"One look and I knew he’d been fighting again." Hou Qi’an unconsciously pressed down on his own hand.
"I didn't leave, and I didn't move. I didn't know where he was planning to go. I saw him pass the gate to his compound and keep walking forward.
"I thought then that I should go say hello.
"It was so cold, and the snow was so heavy. Everyone was about to go home for a family dinner; how could he not go home? Then I remembered his grandmother was dead.
"But I didn't think that much at the time. I was just wondering whether to go say hello.
"What I thought was: if he turns around now and sees me, no matter what he means by it—whether he pretends to know me or not—I’ll go over and greet him. I’d invite him to my house for dinner. He’d met my parents; we were close, it wouldn't be a problem.
"If he didn't turn around, I wouldn't go over.
"Because to be honest, I was still a little angry. About the 'breaking off' thing."
Hou Qi’an tilted his head, as if explaining. "I was in my first year of high school then."
"I just kept standing there. He walked so slowly my feet were going numb from the cold. He never turned around.
"But I saw him approaching the convenience store, about to turn the corner. I thought he’d probably look back when he turned, so I waited a bit longer.
"In the end, he went inside without ever turning his head.
"Then there was no point. I went to deliver the stuff.
"When I came out, I glanced at the convenience store, but I didn't see him.
"I looked at the window of his home, but the lights weren't on.
"I don't know where he went." Hou Qi’an took the cigarette from behind his ear. "With snow that heavy, I don't know where he went."
He lit the cigarette for himself. His hand trembled slightly, and he spoke no more.
Shi Yuanchen finished his own cigarette and tossed it into a flowerpot. "Do you regret it?"
"I’m still thinking about it, even now." Hou Qi’an frowned. "Why could I be so cruel? I’m the kind of person who would pick up a stray dog if I saw one on the street—I’ve picked up two—yet I didn't even ask him how he was doing."
He turned to Shi Yuanchen. "I don't understand at all why I did that back then. You’re a psychologist; why didn't I ask him?"
Shi Yuanchen didn't speak, nor did he correct Hou Qi’an that he wasn't actually a psychologist.
"Pei Cangyu fought a lot of battles for me," Hou Qi’an gestured. "I used to be very short. Before Bai Shi came, I was the shortest."
Shi Yuanchen gave a small smile, but Hou Qi’an didn't. "Pei Cangyu..."
He didn't go on, seemingly unsure of what to say.
Shi Yuanchen watched him calmly. The fingers Hou Qi’an used to hold his cigarette were trembling slightly. He let go, and the cigarette fell to the ground. He crushed the butt with his shoe, his expression grim.
"Bai Shi won't do. It can't be Bai Shi. Pei Cangyu has had it too hard; Bai Shi needs to stay away from him."
Shi Yuanchen turned his face away. Hou Qi’an was a man of strong principles and a deep sense of justice. From a purely human perspective, he didn't want someone like Bai Shi near Pei Cangyu, let alone the fact that Pei Cangyu was his friend.
The door clicked, and they turned back to see Fei Zuohua returning.
Fei Zuohua tossed his keys on the table, looking relaxed. "What are you making? It smells burnt."
***
"Don't be nervous." Ansel glanced at Fei Zuohua.
Fei Zuohua shifted his weight to his other foot. "I’m not nervous. My leg is just numb."
Ansel laughed in surprise, his face flushing slightly again—he always did that when he was embarrassed.
Shi Yuanchen pushed up his glasses, looking at the monitor in front of him. Hou Qi’an, as usual, leaned against the wall with his arms crossed and an expressionless face. He asked Fei Zuohua, "Is it okay to leave Kong Ping alone with Lu Mingyue?"
Fei Zuohua looked at him. "It’s fine. Lu Mingyue won't try to run; he has nowhere to go. Kong Ping can keep an eye on him. We need the hands here."
Ansel checked his watch. "He should be here soon."
The Mayor was very efficient. He had agreed to come by, saving them the trouble of going to the administrative hall to find him. Since he had to come to the police station anyway, he stopped by this floor on his way.
As they spoke, the sound of people talking drifted in from outside, getting closer. Ansel became visibly nervous—after all, it was his superior—and Fei Zuohua also felt a slight tension.
A few moments later, the door was pushed open. A tall man with white hair walked in. His face looked young, and he was full of grace. He shook hands with everyone present. When Fei Zuohua shook his hand, he noticed the man had a very strong grip; he was someone with great vitality.
Profis was also a man who smiled often, but compared to Ansel’s guileless, sunny smile, his carried a very different weight. It was a display of charisma, and those present didn't find it unpleasant.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Profis asked to see the photos.
Fei Zuohua handed them over. "Sorry to trouble you."
"Not at all." Profis took the photos. "You’ve traveled so far to search; I’m only helping in a small way."
He lowered his head, looking at the photos.
There were two very clear photos of Bai Shi and two of Pei Cangyu.
For a moment, no one spoke. The room was deathly quiet.
Fei Zuohua felt a strange tension. He looked at Profis. "Have you seen them?"
Profis looked at them once more, then raised his head and offered a smile.
"I’m very sorry. I haven't."
***
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