Pei Cangyu held the gun aimed at him and repeated, "Walk over here."
But the moment Bai Shi moved his leg, Pei Cangyu flinched. He quickly steadied himself, tightening his grip on the gun, his gaze turning even more resolute.
Bai Shi let out a small laugh. He casually tossed his keys onto the floor and walked toward him. "Don't be nervous. Keep your hand steady."
Pei Cangyu raised his voice. "That’s enough. Stop."
Bai Shi continued forward, staring into his eyes. When he was only three steps away, Pei Cangyu jerked the muzzle upward, aiming directly at his face. His voice grew harsher. "Stop!"
Bai Shi’s next step didn't touch the ground; he slowly retracted it, shoved his hands into his pockets, and tilted his head back to look at him. "And then?"
With one hand still gripping the gun, Pei Cangyu reached behind him with the other, pulled out a pair of handcuffs, and threw them onto the floor. "Pick them up. Cuff one of your hands."
Bai Shi looked down, flipping the cuffs over with his foot. The silver handcuffs were of remarkably high quality. He looked up and asked, "Where did these come from?"
"Vanessa brought them."
Bai Shi let out a whistle. "Profis really knows how to have a good time, doesn't he?"
At the mention of that name, Pei Cangyu’s grip on the gun tightened. His palms were sweating, making the grip a bit slippery, but he didn't dare adjust his position.
Pei Cangyu repeated, "Hurry up. Cuff yourself to the iron rack."
Bai Shi glanced at the rack Pei Cangyu was referring to. It was an artistic piece shaped like an iron tree extending from the window, bolted into the floor. It was designed to allow flower branches from the garden to climb into the house—a very stylish touch.
Bai Shi slowly crouched down, picked up the handcuffs, and sat on the floor. Following Pei Cangyu’s instructions, he cuffed one wrist. He was about to cuff the other side to a vertical branch of the iron tree where it met the floor, but Pei Cangyu called out, "Wait."
Bai Shi looked up at him and stopped.
Pei Cangyu cautiously approached him.
As he drew closer, Bai Shi saw that the hand holding the gun was trembling slightly. Naturally, someone without training couldn't hold a gun steady, and with Pei Cangyu being so distracted, he was practically covered in openings.
Bai Shi bent one leg, resting his free hand on his knee. He sat there casually, tracking Pei Cangyu’s movements, and suddenly said, "I could bite you to death right now. Go for the throat."
Pei Cangyu startled, his head snapping up to meet Bai Shi’s pitch-black eyes. He felt instinctively that Bai Shi wasn't joking. Ever since he had entered, Bai Shi had been in a state of simmering rage.
Pei Cangyu ignored him and slowly sat down.
Bai Shi watched him. "What do you plan to do after I’m caught? Go back?"
Pei Cangyu still didn't answer, sitting down to thread the handcuffs around the railing.
Bai Shi stared at him. "Going back is fine. You’re still young; you still have a chance to start a new life. Go to university, find a girlfriend, or a boyfriend—you like being fucked anyway, it would suit you—and then spend a few happy years in college before getting a job, getting married, and waiting for retirement. A normal life. You like that, don't you? You’ll have it; you’ve worked so hard for it."
Bai Shi’s voice was soft and gentle, whispering in his ear. Pei Cangyu’s hand paused for a moment. He glanced at him, then lowered his head again.
Bai Shi leaned closer to his face, his deep voice continuing like a slow, hypnotic spell. "But no matter how normal it gets, you won't be able to forget. I’ll appear in every one of your dreams, in the shadows of your wedding photos, in the profile of every woman you look at, by the bedside when you’re making love, at every corner of your life."
Bai Shi stared at him and smirked. "You can't shake me. You’re doomed."
Pei Cangyu had already placed the gun on the floor. He looped the handcuffs around the railing and snapped the other side onto his own wrist. The lock ratcheted shut with a long, metallic *clack*. He looked up at Bai Shi and gave a plain, "Oh."
Bai Shi watched his actions, momentarily stunned.
Pei Cangyu picked up the gun and fired out the window until the magazine was empty. Only then did he turn and hurl the pistol far away.
Bai Shi’s expression turned cold. "What are you doing?"
Pei Cangyu looked perfectly composed. "Firing the gun. It’s my first time; the recoil made my hand hurt."
Bai Shi grabbed him with his free hand. "I know that. Why did you lock us both here?"
"To wait for the police," Pei Cangyu said. He reached into his clothes, pulled out the key to the handcuffs, and threw it with all his might into the distance. He turned back and shrugged at Bai Shi. "Vanessa said that once the police hear gunshots, they’ll come and surround this place to negotiate with us. If we don't make a move for a long time, regulations state they can legally open fire and shoot any suspicious persons."
Pei Cangyu looked into Bai Shi’s eyes, rattled the hand cuffed to the railing, and flashed a smile.
"So, Bai Shi, let’s die together."
For a long time, Bai Shi didn't even blink. He just stared at Pei Cangyu.
Pei Cangyu waved five fingers in front of his eyes. "Hello? You there? You there?"
Only then did Bai Shi focus his gaze on him. He grabbed Pei’s hand, his brow furrowed deeply. "What the fuck are you doing?"
Pei Cangyu looked aggrieved. "I already told you. Didn't you understand?" He sighed. "Fine, I’ll explain it again. After the gunshots..."
"I know that part!" Bai Shi raised his voice. "I’m asking what *you* are doing?"
Pei Cangyu looked at Bai Shi, speechless. "Which part don't you get?"
Bai Shi froze. He stared into Pei Cangyu’s sincere eyes. He felt angry—angrier than when he had first arrived—but for a moment, he didn't know what to say. He suffered a rare stutter, then turned his face away in frustration, refusing to look at Pei Cangyu.
After a long silence, he asked sullenly, "Why didn't you run?"
Pei Cangyu scratched his hair somewhat sheepishly and lowered his head. "Because I like you."
Bai Shi’s head snapped back toward him. His throat felt dry. He felt this wasn't the right setting for such words, but it seemed they wouldn't have any other setting ever again.
They sat on the floor, face to face, knees touching. One had his head lowered, the other had his face turned away. It felt exactly like the atmosphere of a first love’s confession—ridiculously pure, incredible, and entirely out of place for their desperate, fugitive journey.
But neither could speak.
An occasion like this should have had a moon, a breeze, a rooftop, backpacks, discarded jerseys, cold bento boxes, and two children returning home late.
It shouldn't be like this.
Bai Shi suddenly thought that if they had moved out together back in high school, they probably would have ended up together just the same. And of course, Pei Cangyu would still be the one to confess. Bai Shi would never do it.
Pei Cangyu stole a quick glance at him, then looked away again, staring at the floorboards and picking at them. His voice was a bit shaky. "So... anyway, that’s how it is."
Bai Shi realized he had never explained why he had taken Pei Cangyu on the road with him. To be honest, he didn't quite know himself.
"You shouldn't be here. This is a waste."
Pei Cangyu looked up at him immediately.
"Do you think you’re being romantic?" Bai Shi looked at him flatly. "Boring."
Pei Cangyu gave a bitter smile. "It’s not entirely a matter of romance. To be honest, if someone like you could just escape all this scot-free, I’d have a breakdown. Just like Pei Yueshan—the fact that he could live without any punishment is something I can't understand either."
Bai Shi looked at him. "Are you some kind of champion for the legal system?"
"No." Pei Cangyu shook his head, his expression turning serious. "I just feel that things should be the way they’re supposed to be."
Bai Shi let out a disdainful snort. "And what way is that?"
"At least people like you, and people like Pei Yueshan, shouldn't be able to take it all for granted."
Bai Shi frowned. "Don't compare me to Pei Yueshan."
Pei Cangyu was puzzled. "Why?"
Bai Shi found himself unable to speak. He realized that in Pei Cangyu’s eyes—or the eyes of any normal person—they were both criminals. There was no point arguing who was more righteous. And if it truly came down to the law, Pei Yueshan would actually be the one with the lighter sentence.
Bai Shi couldn't understand the law on that level, so he had gone his own way. But there were always people who understood it, or believed in it even if they didn't understand it—not out of debate, but out of a simple sense of justice. Perhaps it was a form of kindness.
But Bai Shi was still angry. Did Pei Cangyu comparing him to Pei Yueshan mean that Pei Cangyu loathed him just as much?
Bai Shi looked at him coldly. "Since you hate me so much, why didn't you run?"
Pei Cangyu reached out and poked his forehead. "Are you a goldfish? Didn't I just answer that?"
"We’re both criminals. What’s the difference?"
Pei Cangyu spread his palms helplessly. "I don't know. My brain told me to do this, so I did."
Bai Shi couldn't even muster the temper to explode. He was so frustrated he wanted to curse, but after a long while, he only managed: "Idiot."
Pei Cangyu smiled, looking quite unbothered. He leaned against the handcuffs on the railing and said blankly, "Anyway, this is it. I can't watch you get away with it, but I can't let you stand trial alone either. So I thought of a way to have it both ways."
He looked up. Bai Shi saw a flickering light in his eyes that made him seem slightly manic.
Pei Cangyu continued, "You might not necessarily like it, but 'having it both ways' means we die together. I’m prepared. If you aren't, there’s nothing I can do. Just consider it me killing you. You can hate me, that’s fine. If you want to haunt me after death, I’ll stay with you. At worst, I’ll pay you back with my life in the next one. But this time, you’re coming to die with me."
Bai Shi stared at him, suddenly speechless. After a long moment, he gave a helpless laugh and rubbed his forehead.
"You’ve finally been driven mad by me..."
***
"Where? Where did you see him?" Shi Yuanchen couldn't care about anything else and tried to stand up, only to be pinned down by Zhou Linyuan’s foot.
Before Zhou Linyuan could ask further, the sound of police cars reached them from outside. The sirens were blaring arrogantly, creating the illusion of being completely surrounded.
Lu Mingyue took a step back and looked at Zhou Linyuan. "You should go."
Zhou Linyuan glanced at Shi Yuanchen, then back at Lu Mingyue. "I can still kill him before I leave."
Lu Mingyue shook his head. "What’s the point?"
Zhou Linyuan took a step toward Lu Mingyue. "You flipped."
Lu Mingyue looked at him seriously. "I’ll say it one last time: I didn't."
Zhou Linyuan turned to look at the warehouse doors. The headlights had already bathed the surroundings in blue and red. Sirens wailed from all directions, and the loudspeakers had been turned on, looping the opening statement for a negotiation.
Lu Mingyue said, "See you at the statue."
Zhou Linyuan gave him a half-doubting look, then turned toward the shadows. He scaled the wall in a few quick movements, took one last look at them, and disappeared behind the wall.
Shi Yuanchen turned to watch him, then looked back at Lu Mingyue. "Can he get away?"
Lu Mingyue winked. "Escaping? We’re professionals."
"Why aren't you running?"
"Me?" Lu Mingyue raised his hands and clasped them behind his head, walking toward the door. "I need to get caught."
The blinding white light from outside hit him.
***
Pei Cangyu pursed his lips. "It might not be appropriate to say this, since I just said I want you to die with me. But since it’s come to this, I still want to ask..."
He steeled his resolve. "You’ve never said it, so... do you, like... do you like me or not?"
His voice grew smaller and smaller, his head dropping lower. By the end, it was barely a breath.
Bai Shi had known since they were kids that his junior high classmate was a total moron.
Bai Shi looked at him calmly and didn't speak.
The sirens had begun to sound from the distance, growing more intense.
Pei Cangyu waited a long time without getting an answer. Feeling a bit dejected, he pursed his lips and leaned his side against the railing.
Bai Shi watched him, then reached out to stroke his hair. Pei Cangyu’s hair was cut short and looked like it should be coarse, but it felt unexpectedly soft to the touch.
"Are you afraid?"
Hearing this, Pei Cangyu looked up and shook his head. "This is fine."
Bai Shi asked again, "By my side?"
Pei Cangyu lowered his eyes, then raised them again to look at him. "Yes."
The sirens wailed from the corner of the street all the way down the block. The flashing lights drew closer and closer, the colors shifting inside the house as the piercing sound became more imminent.
The neighbors, awakened by the gunshots in the middle of the night, had finally found something to rely on. They threw on coats and stepped out of their homes, finding the best vantage points outside the police perimeter. They huddled together, staring at the house at the center of the focus.
The police stood behind their car doors. The officer in the lead was shouting through a megaphone.
The police lights illuminated the neighborhood, making the road bright as day. Harsh white light hit the front door. People crowded into safe corners, unafraid of potential stray bullets. In slippers and pajamas, with unwashed faces and balding heads, they all looked up, waiting for the conclusion of this spectacle.
"Is it a crime of passion?" someone asked.
"Probably," someone answered. "The old classic."
This was followed by a chorus of sighs and head-shaking.
The police officers adjusted their holsters casually. The leader gestured, and four officers drew their weapons and moved forward, preparing to breach the door.
The radio inside the car crackled. The leader listened to the report and directed someone to check the car in the garage. When the license plate report came back, the voice on the other end said:
*Possible serial killer. Just escaped from the Mayor’s house. It’s the Mayor’s car.*
The leader’s head snapped up. He waved back the four scouts and barked to the team, "Call SWAT!"
He sent someone to calm the onlookers and made a gesture to the officers on the scene. They turned serious. One group went to put on bulletproof vests, followed by the next.
An officer who had just rescued Fei Zuohua from the abandoned residential area approached the leader. He stroked his mustache, looked at the house in front of them, and handed the leader a cigarette. "It’s been a long night."
The leader took it, glanced at the newly arrived negotiation officer putting on a vest, and lit up. "You can say that again."
***
Inside the back of the police car, Lu Mingyue heard a location and a plate number—AX997—over the radio. He then noticed the police car behind them split off at the intersection. Although Lu Mingyue didn't recognize the case code, he knew that address. Bai Shi and Pei Cangyu should be hiding there right now.
He sat up straight and looked at the officer in the front, smiling. "Are we going back to the station, Officer?"
The two men in the front ignored him.
"Where did the others go? Did the guy who was kidnapped go with them?"
The officers still ignored him.
Lu Mingyue used his handcuffed hands to smooth back his hair and leaned against the partition. "I really like calling people 'Officer.' It gives me a little thrill when I say it."
Finally, the policeman in the passenger seat turned back and gave him a cold look.
Lu Mingyue continued, "Don't look at me like that. I’m great at being helpful. I’ll give you two a piece of information for free; it’ll be a big help to your colleagues."
No one responded.
Lu Mingyue said to himself, "Regarding the identities of those two... one of them is a kidnapper."
As soon as he finished, the police car slammed on its brakes. Both officers turned to look at him—one with disbelief, the other gauging how much credibility the claim had.
Lu Mingyue smiled. "You can have your boss ask the people you rescued tonight. It’s the truth."
The two officers exchanged a look but didn't move for a moment. They eventually restarted the car and continued toward the station.
Lu Mingyue leaned back into the seat and looked out the window, acting as if it were none of his business, leisurely whistling a tune.
The officers whispered a few words to each other. One of them picked up the radio and said something. After finishing, he turned back to glare at Lu Mingyue, his eyes signaling: *If you dare lie to us, you’re in trouble.*
To Lu Mingyue, such a toothless threat was like watching a bunny threaten a hound—quite adorable.
He leaned back lazily. As the car drove steadily toward the station, he forgot the rest of his tune halfway through. Suddenly remembering that he was probably quite far from retirement, he let out a sigh.
The car turned a corner, and the police station came into view. Lu Mingyue saw the statue ahead—a man reading a book with a crow perched on it.
Lu Mingyue sat up, leaning toward the partition again. "I’m sorry."
One of the officers turned to look at him, questioning.
Lu Mingyue gripped the bars and looked at them sincerely. "Sorry about your injuries."
"What injuries?" The officer was completely confused.
Lu Mingyue smiled. "You’ll have them in a second."
The three of them waited quietly in the car for the light to change. The signal pole by the road made a rhythmic *clack-clack* sound.
The next moment, a large truck lunged out from the crossroad. With its headlights off and no horn blaring, it drove straight toward the police car from the right without turning, like a sledgehammer swinging at an egg.
Both officers were stunned. Before they could even react, the impact landed with a dull thud. The door on one side deformed instantly. The truck pressed against the car’s body, the driver not letting up on the gas, pushing it all the way out of the surveillance camera’s range. The car’s tires shrieked as they were pushed sideways across the pavement, leaving grey skid marks from the braking. Once the driver lost consciousness and released the brake, the tires finally began to slide wildly. Upon hitting the curb of the sidewalk, the car broke free from the truck’s grip. Carried by its own momentum, it flipped over entirely, then flipped back, landing in the green belt.
The police car lay overturned in the mud, its doors crushed and deformed.
A man jumped down from the truck and walked over, backlit. He reached the police car. The officer in the driver’s seat opened his blood-blurred eyes and moved his hand, trying to push the door open. The newcomer kicked the door shut, pinning the officer’s arm. The officer let out a cry of pain and fainted.
The man pulled open the rear door and dragged the unconscious Lu Mingyue out. He gave him a couple of slaps to wake him up.
Lu Mingyue opened his eyes, wiped the blood flowing from his forehead with his wrist, and moved his mouth. Feeling the sting on his face, he gave a bitter smile. "Revenge, is it, Zhou Linyuan?"
Zhou Linyuan let go. "Can you stand?"
Lu Mingyue wobbled, supporting himself against the side of the car. He complained, "You have no fucking sense of restraint. You almost killed me."
Zhou Linyuan ignored him and walked toward the truck. Lu Mingyue followed behind.
They switched to another car at ST7. Lu Mingyue tossed away his opened handcuffs as the vehicle merged onto the highway.
"How are Bai Shi and the other one?"
Zhou Linyuan shook his head. "A small complication."
Lu Mingyue startled. "What complication?"
"The person watching the house said Pei Cangyu didn't leave with the girl."
"Why?"
Zhou Linyuan frowned. "Unclear. It doesn't change anything."
Lu Mingyue was also confused at first, with several uneasy thoughts crossing his mind. But then he suddenly recalled the time Pei Cangyu had come to find him. He thought about it carefully, slowly leaned back into his seat, and suddenly laughed. "No way..."
Zhou Linyuan turned to look at him. "What?"
Lu Mingyue snorted, glanced at Zhou Linyuan, and chuckled. "What a pair of fucking lunatics."
***
The police had been calling for surrender for ten minutes; it wouldn't last much longer. Slowly, the sound of light footsteps approached, and shadows moved faintly by the windows.
Bai Shi looked at Pei Cangyu again. "They’re coming in."
Pei Cangyu nodded, not particularly caring, but then quickly frowned. "You haven't answered me yet. Even if you don't like me, you have to tell me now. I need to know. I hate guessing."
Bai Shi felt a surge of frustration at his stubbornness. He gritted his teeth. "Is that the only thing in your head?"
Pei Cangyu stared at him with his round, clear eyes and nodded twice. As if that wasn't enough, he added, "It’s the only thing I care about. Even if it’s the end of the world, I need to know."
Bai Shi rubbed his forehead. "...It’s not the end of the world. You can still surrender and explain everything to them."
Pei Cangyu: "I won't."
Bai Shi shook his head. "You’re sick."
Pei Cangyu was shameless. "It’s called true love. It’s hard for the secular world to understand."
Bai Shi: "..."
A voice from the door repeated: "This is your last warning."
Bai Shi sighed. For the first time tonight, he looked Pei Cangyu directly in the eye.
Pei Cangyu’s face suddenly flushed because Bai Shi looked so serious—he had never seen such an earnest expression on him before. His heart thundered in his chest. *He’s going to confess,* he thought.
In an instant, the melody of *The Butterfly Lovers* seemed to play in his mind. Every love story he had ever heard of rushed forward, shouting in his head, *Pick me! Pick me! Let me represent love!* Pei Cangyu told them to get lost. *This is my moment. Don't be noisy. Let me hear him say it. I have to hear it, dammit.*
But his mind was still a mess. The thought that he might die right after hearing the confession actually made him a little afraid. Unless Bai Shi said, "I don't like you," in which case, to hell with it—he’d just have to trouble Bai Shi to accompany him to the afterlife. That was all Pei Cangyu cared about now.
He stared into Bai Shi’s eyes, his mind repeating *I love you I love you I love you I love you*. Unfortunately, it was all in his own voice; since Bai Shi had never said it, he couldn't imagine it. At that moment, Pei Cangyu also had the stray thought that his mental activity was quite lively—he felt alive. Dying together was a way of being alive. If his grandmother knew, she’d beat him to death... Why was it always about life and death... It was all Bai Shi’s fault.
Bai Shi opened his mouth. His lips parted. Pei Cangyu’s heart nearly leaped out of his chest.
But Bai Shi closed his mouth again.
He turned to look at the moon outside the window. "It’s going to rain."
Pei Cangyu stiffly turned to look at the moon as well. There was no sign of rain whatsoever.
Bai Shi looked into his eyes. "The weather was just like this the day I ran away."
Pei Cangyu instantly understood he was talking about the day Pei Yueshan died. His throat went dry, and a very bad premonition surged in his heart.
Bai Shi’s voice was very light, as if drifting from far away. He gazed at the moon, looking hazy and ethereal. "I never intended for you to die. I told you before, I hoped you could..."
Bai Shi didn't finish, but Pei Cangyu suddenly remembered the words Bai Shi had said to him in the car the night they fled. His heart suddenly beat so fast he could hardly breathe.
He lunged forward and grabbed Bai Shi’s arm.
In the very next second, the east window, the west window, the south window, and the north door were all smashed open simultaneously. Shards of glass flew from the windows, and wood splinters danced from the door. The powerful searchlights from outside flooded in without mercy, turning Pei Cangyu’s face deathly pale.
Contrary to what he had expected, the people who burst in didn't open fire. They seemed to only lunge toward Bai Shi.
Pei Cangyu saw Bai Shi give a very faint smile. Amidst the sounds of explosions, shouting, and the door being breached, Bai Shi leaned in close to his face. His voice was incredibly tender as he said, "I love you. Happy birthday, baby."
Then, Bai Shi turned, attempting to kiss his cheek.
The police swarmed in. Pei Cangyu had already felt Bai Shi’s breath against his face, but in the next second, he was yanked away. Bai Shi was pinned down by the surging officers. Someone quickly cut the handcuffs, separating the two with maximum speed. Bai Shi was slammed hard against the floor. A SWAT officer in heavy gear pressed a knee against his head, wrenched his arms back, and snapped handcuffs onto his wrists.
Bai Shi couldn't move an inch. His head had struck something at some point, and blood was gushing out.
The surroundings were a cacophony of noise. The police took turns shouting things at Bai Shi, but he made no movement at all. Surrounded and pinned by layers of officers, he looked terrifyingly fragile.
Pei Cangyu sat there blankly, unmoving. He stared at Bai Shi—just stared. People around him were patting him, talking to him, waving fingers in front of his eyes, draping a blanket over him, even calling his name. But Pei Cangyu couldn't hear a single word. He was as motionless as a scarecrow, just looking in Bai Shi’s direction.
He couldn't see Bai Shi’s face.
The police finally moved. They hauled Bai Shi up, while others tried to help Pei Cangyu to his feet.
Bai Shi was injured; there was a smudge of filth on his face. He was being dragged toward the exit by the police.
"Bai Shi—!!"
At that moment, Pei Cangyu finally broke down.
He ran toward Bai Shi, only to be caught by the alert officers. He struggled with such force that the veins in his neck bulged. The police held him in a death grip. Pei Cangyu reached out toward Bai Shi, screaming his name. He wanted to say that Bai Shi hadn't resisted, that they shouldn't treat him like that. This wasn't part of his plan. In his ending, there was no option for separation.
The police continued to lead Bai Shi out, even quickening their pace.
Pei Cangyu felt as if his own body were being torn apart—as if those people were ripping him open to take away a part of him. He didn't remember how frantic he was; he only knew he was struggling toward that direction. They were pressing down on Bai Shi’s head, making the once proud and overbearing man look utterly wretched.
Pei Cangyu struggled wildly, clutching at his own throat. He opened his mouth to gasp for air, but it felt like he couldn't breathe in. The veins in his neck stood out in a network of red and blue. He pressed his head against the ground. The medics grew tense, grabbing a paper bag and placing it over Pei Cangyu’s mouth, forcing him to breathe.
Once he could finally draw breath, they gave him an injection, and he lost consciousness.
Shi Yuanchen stood by, supporting Pei Cangyu. He had tried calling Pei Cangyu’s name earlier, but had received no response.
Having witnessed everything, Kong Ping and Hou Qi’an stood frozen by the back door. They watched Pei Cangyu’s actions in disbelief, too stunned to move. Kong Ping asked blankly, "...What happened to him?"
Hou Qi’an turned to him. "Looks like he’s hyperventilating."
The noise continued unabated. Hou Qi’an finally started walking, and Kong Ping followed. Pei Cangyu was placed on a stretcher and taken toward the hospital. Kong Ping, Hou Qi’an, and Shi Yuanchen sat beside him in silence.
Hou Qi’an looked at Pei Cangyu’s face—haggard and anxious. Even in his coma, he was still murmuring something. Hou Qi’an could tell it was Bai Shi’s name, but he said nothing.
Kong Ping gazed at Pei Cangyu as if looking at a broken stuffed toy—unsure how to help, yet unable to ignore him.
After watching for a while, Hou Qi’an turned to Shi Yuanchen. "Is he... is this..."
Shi Yuanchen looked up at Hou Qi’an. Only then did Hou Qi’an rephrase the term he didn't want to use: "That... that sickness where you fall for your kidnapper?"
Shi Yuanchen hesitated for a moment, then gave a small smile. "In any case, he’s back, isn't he?"
Before Hou Qi’an could speak, Kong Ping cut in. He was still staring at Pei Cangyu, but he nodded and answered firmly, "Yes."
Hou Qi’an pursed his lips and didn't speak again.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 凡妮莎 | Vanessa | A character mentioned previously. |
| 普罗菲斯 | Profis | A character mentioned previously. |
| 裴越山 | Pei Yueshan | Pei Cangyu's father (antagonist). |
| 施远尘 | Shi Yuanchen | A character mentioned previously. |
| 周临渊 | Zhou Linyuan | A character mentioned previously. |
| 鲁鸣月 | Lu Mingyue | A character mentioned previously. |
| 费左华 | Fei Zuohua | A character mentioned previously. |
| 孔苹 | Kong Ping | A character mentioned previously. |
| 候齐安 | Hou Qi'an | A character mentioned previously. |
| 梁祝 | The Butterfly Lovers | A famous Chinese legend of tragic lovers. |
| 过呼吸 | Hyperventilation | Medical condition mentioned at the end. |
