Although Pei Cangyu had tentatively decided not to leave Bai Shi’s house, Tu Ziyun’s suggestion was truly tempting. It was a perfect proposal: not only could he get away from Bai Shi, but he’d also have a safe place to stay. No matter who was stalking him, they surely wouldn't break into a policeman’s home.
The more Pei Cangyu thought about it, the more he felt it was a brilliant idea. His mood even brightened. After finishing evening self-study, he rushed back to Bai Shi’s house with impatient excitement. Bai Shi was currently arranging cutlery on the plates. He squinted his eyes in a smile and beckoned him over to eat.
To be honest, Pei Cangyu didn't like Western food at all.
But he had important business to discuss, so he pointedly sat down next to Bai Shi and even diligently poured him some wine.
Bai Shi propped his chin on one hand while tapping the tabletop with the slender, pale fingers of his other, signaling Pei Cangyu that he didn't need to keep pouring. He looked up with a faint smile. "Thank you."
Pei Cangyu gave a couple of sheepish chuckles. "Don't mention it."
Bai Shi seemed to be in a good mood, perhaps because Pei Cangyu was being exceptionally docile. While they ate, he took great interest in introducing the origins and stories behind each dish. Pei Cangyu nodded along cooperatively, but in truth, he didn't care one bit; he had zero interest in such things.
Once Bai Shi paused for a moment, Pei Cangyu finally set down his knife and fork.
"Um, I have something to say."
Bai Shi looked at him with a beaming smile. "What is it?" He even helped move a plate that was too close to Pei Cangyu’s clothes a bit further away.
"I want to move out."
Bai Shi’s face stiffened for a split second.
"I mean... it's just that..."
Bai Shi sat up straight, looking at him with a smile. "What did you just say?"
"Oh, I said I want to move out. Thank you for everything lately, letting me stay at your place, but how should I put this... I feel like it’s a bit inconvenient. I think you probably miss your boyfriend often, too. How is that boyfriend of yours from the alley doing? It’s probably not good to go this long without seeing him..."
Bai Shi didn't speak; he just continued to look at him with that smile.
Pei Cangyu swallowed hard. He watched Bai Shi’s expression, but then immediately thought: *Why am I worried? This is a mutual discussion. There's no need to act like I owe him something. What is there to be sorry about?*
Right!
Once he cleared his head, his courage grew. He cleared his throat and continued, "And then there's... look, me staying here isn't helping you at all. People even broke in and trashed your place. So, you should go somewhere with better security, and I’ll go somewhere appropriate. Otherwise, if we die together, wouldn't that be a huge waste?"
He waved a hand in front of Bai Shi’s eyes, wanting to make sure he was actually talking to a person.
Bai Shi gently caught his hand. The coldness of it gave Pei Cangyu a start. Bai Shi slowly placed the hand back on the table and finally spoke. "Then where do you plan to live?"
"Uh... do you remember Tu Ziyun? He’s..."
"The policeman," Bai Shi finished for him.
"Right, right, you remember him."
Bai Shi’s smile deepened. "Why did you think of him? Did he come looking for you?"
"How did you know?" Pei Cangyu nodded. "I met with him this afternoon, and he made the suggestion. Since he’s a cop after all, I thought it sounded pretty good, so I plan to move into his place for a while."
Bai Shi nodded. "You know that this case won't be under the jurisdiction of Z District for much longer, right?"
"Yeah. Isn't it being handed over to Division 8?" Pei Cangyu answered as if it were common knowledge.
Bai Shi stared at him. "Division 8? He told you that?"
"Yeah. What about it?"
"In other words, under the premise that this murder case is no longer the responsibility of the Z District police, and the follow-up regarding the danger we face after being attacked is also not their responsibility... the Z District policeman suggested you move into his house." Bai Shi folded his hands under his chin. "Then that must be for personal reasons?"
Pei Cangyu paused and thought about it carefully. "Is... is that how it is?"
"Because there's no longer a reason based on official business, is there? He told you himself."
"Oh, right, right," Pei Cangyu thought of something. "It’s probably because he feels a sense of familiarity when he sees me. I look a lot like his nephew."
Bai Shi actually laughed—a laugh tinged with condescension, as if he had just heard something incredibly stupid. For some reason, Pei Cangyu felt a bit unhappy. Bai Shi slowly suppressed his laughter and nodded, replying with an ambiguous, "Is that so?"
Pei Cangyu rolled his eyes at him, feeling a bit huffy. He stood up. "Whatever. Anyway, I’m moving out, so it doesn't matter."
"Hey..." Bai Shi reached out a hand toward him, wanting to say something, but his mouth opened and closed without a word.
"What?" Pei Cangyu frowned, waiting for him to ask.
Bai Shi shook his head.
Pei Cangyu turned and left. Madara, who was lying by the dining room door, suddenly lifted his head and let out a bark. Pei Cangyu waved, and Madara stood up, limping toward him. Pei Cangyu waited patiently, even bending down to reach out to him.
Bai Shi called out from behind him, "Then, how about moving next week instead?"
Pei Cangyu looked at him with a frown. "Why?"
Bai Shi pointed at the dog. "Wait until he’s a bit better. It’s rare for him to be this close to someone."
Pei Cangyu hesitated.
"If it’s more appropriate for you to look after him by then, you can take him with you."
Pei Cangyu’s eyes lit up, but then he returned to his frowning expression, looking as if he were reluctantly agreeing. "Fine."
As he spoke, Madara reached him. He picked up the limping dog. Behind him, Bai Shi let out a faint sigh. "Why are you only so fierce toward me?"
Although Pei Cangyu’s attitude toward Bai Shi was indeed not great, he felt a bit embarrassed having it pointed out like that. After all, this was the person who had taken him in. Besides, what happened last night might not have been out of malice; it was probably just a lack of self-control—a matter of poor character (?). One thing had nothing to do with the other.
So, Pei Cangyu turned around stiffly. "I’m not really."
Then he ran off awkwardly.
He took a quick shower and came out to check his call logs to call Tu Ziyun, but his old phone kept freezing. No matter how much Pei Cangyu tapped it, there was no effect. He had to turn it off and on several times, and finally, he just ran a memory cleanup. When it restarted, he was a bit stunned—the call logs were gone.
Ehhhhhh...
He silently flipped through his contacts, hoping he hadn't just cleared that out too.
Fortunately, he hadn't.
He breathed a sigh of relief and dialed the number, but the other side hung up. He tried again, and was hung up on again. He tried once more; same result.
What was going on?
He scratched his head, puzzled. Just then, he received a text message.
"Is there a result from your discussion with him?"
"Yeah, is next week okay?"
"Okay, I look forward to seeing you then."
Pei Cangyu frowned at the words "look forward to." It made him feel very uncomfortable. Out of politeness, he replied, "Thanks."
That should do it.
He tossed his phone aside and sprawled out on the bed. Madara barked from below, and Pei Cangyu pulled him up. "You lie here. I still have test papers to write."
Pei Cangyu switched on the desk lamp and began to bury his head in his work. Honestly, the environment here was really good. He remembered this lamp wasn't here the first day he arrived; he had spent two days doing homework by the light of his phone before it suddenly appeared one day. Pei Cangyu always assumed Bai Shi had brought it, since no one else came upstairs. The lamp was even eye-protection rated; it was much better than the one he used to have at home.
Pei Cangyu stopped and looked around. The desk was neatly organized, and there was even a bottle of fragrance emitting a faint scent of tea. There was a desk calendar—not something he would have prepared himself; he wasn't that meticulous. There was even a laptop, but since he had no use for it, he had never opened it. He turned to look at the bed. If he remembered correctly, the sheets had been changed. After all, when he lay down last night, there were still... things that hadn't been cleaned up. And come to think of it, he didn't get home from school until 10:30 PM. The housekeeper and everyone else were long gone. Bai Shi had nothing to do, yet he just sat there waiting for him, just to have a late-night snack with him.
He touched the beautiful desk calendar and flipped a page to today’s date.
How should he put it? If it weren't for what happened last night, the Bai family would be very, very good.
Pei Cangyu sighed. Forget it, don't think about it anymore. There’s a line between straight and gay. Forget it, forget it.
He wrote diligently until 1:00 AM before yawning and climbing into bed. Before sleeping, he checked his phone. There were actually over twenty text messages.
He frowned as he scrolled through them. They were all from Tu Ziyun.
They said things like: "Do you need me to prepare anything for you?", "Why next week and not this week?", "Sorry, maybe I shouldn't have asked," "Sorry, I'm getting old and talkative, please don't misunderstand," "Why aren't you replying? Did you misunderstand?", "I have absolutely no intention of upsetting you, I just want to be good to you," "Are you angry?", "I'm sorry..." "Well, goodnight for now..." "I still feel a bit uneasy, let's talk tomorrow then, you should rest too..."
There was also a photo he took of himself working overtime. Coincidentally or not, the photo captured his socks and a section of his hairy lower leg.
Pei Cangyu’s brow furrowed tightly. His hand trembled as he threw the phone aside. This guy...
He thought of Bai Shi’s words again and stared at the phone while clutching his head...
Dammit, is this for real? Fuck.
Consequently, Pei Cangyu didn't sleep well for another night.
He went downstairs exhausted. Bai Shi was in the garden watering the plants. Today he was wearing rubber boots and oversized denim overalls, carrying a hose as he walked from left to right.
Pei Cangyu stared at him blankly for a while until Bai Shi noticed him and smiled. Pei Cangyu raised a hand in a wave and went to eat breakfast.
He sat there tearing at his bread, his heart filled with unease. He felt as though he was about to make a terrible mistake.
At school, Pei Cangyu didn't have to think about these random things for a while. Near the end of the day, Bai Shi sent a text saying he was working very late and could only leave now. He asked if it would be convenient to go back together so they wouldn't need two drivers.
Pei Cangyu replied "okay."
Bai Shi told him to wait a little longer.
Pei Cangyu waited for half an hour.
Everyone in the building had left. It was already 10:45 PM. The security guard had come by once, advising the student not to push himself too hard. "You only have one life, but you can study many times. Don't you know there's a student in Grade 12-Repeat-Year-6 here?"
Pei Cangyu: "..."
The guard left a light on for him, telling him to lock the door when he left, and that he could only stay until 11:30 PM at the latest.
Pei Cangyu nodded and agreed. He called Bai Shi again, and Bai Shi said he would be there soon.
As he wrote, he grew drowsy. He was incredibly sleepy, so he stood up and walked around the classroom, doing some calisthenics while he was at it.
Ah... so boring... He couldn't sleep here, and he certainly couldn't admit he was too scared to sleep here. At least if he was moving, he could react quickly if something came, right?
It started to rain.
Pei Cangyu ran to the teacher’s podium. Bored, he fiddled with the multimedia buttons on the desk. A silver light hit the blackboard and then hit him. He looked up, was momentarily blinded by the intense light, and then pressed the button to turn it off.
Outside the window, the rain intensified. A crack of thunder boomed, giving him a fright.
Pei Cangyu went to close all the windows in the classroom. He brought in the potted plants and cacti from the windowsill and gathered a book someone had left behind, placing it on the podium.
He stood bored in front of the podium. This was a good spot; he could see every corner and it was easy to run from. No wonder teachers loved standing here. He chuckled to himself, leaned into the microphone, and cleared his throat:
"I’d like to say a few words, just a few words. First of all, to receive this award, I want to thank my grandmother. She has always..." Then he was interrupted by a couple of coughs from the dust, cutting short his "award speech." So, he entered the next world in his head: "Attention, student Bai Xiaoshi of Class 3-2. Attention, student Bai Xiaoshi of Class 3-2. Your mother is waiting for you at the school gate with two cans of Wangzai Milk. Two biiiiiiiig—biiiiiiig—cans!"
He finished speaking and made himself laugh. He continued, pinching his voice: "Attention passengers, attention passengers. Which one is student Bai Xiaoshi’s parent? Please come to the fried chicken shop entrance to collect your son. He ate too much; you can't blame the merchant..."
He laughed again after speaking, feeling quite delighted.
Once he finished laughing, the silence of the hallway highlighted just how awkward he had been.
Silence.
Pei Cangyu scratched his head, feeling like a total idiot.
But why did he have to mention Bai Shi? Annoying.
Another text.
Tu Ziyun.
"Is it convenient for me to come find you? Are you out of school yet?"
Pei Cangyu frowned and checked the time. 11:20 PM.
Dammit, doesn't he think meeting at this hour is weird? This guy really... how does he know I'm at school?
Another roar came from outside. A sudden flash of lightning flooded the classroom with light. Pei Cangyu flinched.
After the lightning faded, the electric lights all went out with a *snap*.
"Huh? Didn't the guard say he’d leave the lights on?"
He quickly turned on his phone’s flashlight, felt his way to his desk, grabbed his backpack, and headed for the door.
In the pitch-black hallway, no sound could be heard except for Pei Cangyu’s own heavy footsteps. As he walked, he cursed Bai Shi in his head. *Dammit, why did you have to make me wait for you?*
As he was going downstairs, he heard footsteps.
Pei Cangyu stopped immediately. He turned off his flashlight and listened carefully. It was definitely footsteps, getting closer, coming from the darkness. And...
Dammit, more than one person!
He bolted down the stairs. This was the third floor. First, he had to get to the ground floor where there was light; this entire building was now completely dark.
He slid down the handrail, skipping several steps at a time. He finally reached the second floor, only to see a beam of light shining toward him. Then he heard the sound of people coming up. This time, he even heard voices. A deep voice cursed, "Fuck, there's no light at all," followed by the sound of someone spitting loudly.
Pei Cangyu turned and ran horizontally across the floor toward the stairs on the other side. He ran at full speed, heedless of everything else. If these were people capable of arson, what else wouldn't they do?
He leaped down the stairs and ran out of the building. As he ran, he fumbled for his phone and called Bai Shi.
"What's wrong? I've already arrived—"
"Don't fucking come here! Run! They're in my school! Run!" he shouted, telling Bai Shi not to be a fool and come into the school. He panted as he sprinted forward. "Did you hear me—"
Before he could finish, he slammed into someone’s chest. His phone was knocked out of his hand, bouncing onto the ground. The person wrapped an arm around his waist. Before Pei Cangyu could react, he raised his hand and threw a punch at the tall figure.
The punch landed squarely on Bai Shi’s face.
Bai Shi’s face swelled up instantly.
"...Hey... sorry... I thought..." Pei Cangyu hurriedly touched his face. "Are you okay? Ah..."
Bai Shi released the hand around his waist. "Why such a big reaction?"
Pei Cangyu pointed behind him. "Someone’s coming for me! Quick, let's go!"
Bai Shi glanced behind him and was pulled away by Pei Cangyu. After a few steps, Pei Cangyu let go of his hand and turned back to search for his phone in the puddles. Bai Shi held an umbrella over him.
"The car is at the gate." Bai Shi pointed outside. Pei Cangyu nodded but went to bang on the door of the security post.
"Yo, you're done?" The old security guard turned off his radio, which was playing *Wu Song Fights the Tiger*, and poked his head out with a cheerful greeting.
Pei Cangyu looked dead serious. "Grandpa, you should leave now. It’s time to get off work."
The old man picked up his radio and slowly packed his things. "True enough."
Bai Shi looked at Pei Cangyu. "Shall we go?"
"Wait a second." Pei Cangyu stared at the old man with a solemn expression, occasionally looking back at the building with worry, until the old man put on his raincoat and pedaled his old bicycle slowly into the curtain of rain.
"If there are outsiders in the school, wouldn't it be better to tell the guard?" Bai Shi asked.
Pei Cangyu shook his head. "I know this old guy. If I told him, he’d definitely grab his flashlight and charge in. He wouldn't stand a chance; this isn't something he should handle."
Bai Shi looked at him, then turned to look at the building. "It seems no one is coming out."
Pei Cangyu suddenly stopped. He tugged at the corner of Bai Shi’s clothes, gritted his teeth, and whispered with his head down, "Didn't you say... there would be very powerful police handling this...?"
Bai Shi froze for a moment. He looked at Pei Cangyu’s hand tugging at him, staring at it for a while before looking at Pei Cangyu’s pale face. He stared so intently that Pei Cangyu began to feel uncomfortable. Only then did Bai Shi smile and speak with firm conviction: "Don't worry."
They walked toward the gate. A man holding an umbrella stepped out from under the bridge overpass. He greeted them as he walked over, still looking like a "good old guy," smiling inoffensively. "You said you wanted me to—"
He stepped into the light, saw Bai Shi and Pei Cangyu, and suddenly stopped talking.
Tu Ziyun.
Pei Cangyu frowned.
Bai Shi spoke first. "Hello, Officer. Is there something you need from us so late at night?"
Tu Ziyun sized them up, his smile gradually fading. "I'm not looking for you. I'm looking for student Pei Cangyu."
"Is it urgent? Does it have to be discussed now?" Bai Shi looked at him with a smile and adjusted the umbrella. "The rain is getting quite heavy, and it's getting late."
Pei Cangyu looked at Bai Shi, then at Tu Ziyun. He felt the atmosphere was incredibly tense.
Tu Ziyun was always smiling, looking kind and gentle like an approachable elder. It was a smile for the sake of smiling, full of wariness—it was fake, a smile like a shield. Bai Shi was also always smiling, but his smile always carried a hint of disdain, composed yet dangerous. It was a handsome smile, but inexplicably fierce—it was real, a smile like a spear.
Tu Ziyun looked at Pei Cangyu. "What do you think?"
Pei Cangyu frowned. "Let's talk another day."
"Fine. Let's leave it at that for now." Tu Ziyun waved his hand. "Goodnight, you two."
They waited until Tu Ziyun’s figure disappeared under the overpass before turning toward the driver.
"Why was Officer Tu waiting at the gate? Was he waiting for you or someone else?" Bai Shi’s face was uncharacteristically grim.
Pei Cangyu asked blankly, "What do you mean?"
"His pant legs were so wet. How did he get here, and how long was he waiting under that overpass?"
Pei Cangyu stopped dead in his tracks.
Bai Shi stopped beside him, holding the umbrella over his head.
Bai Shi looked toward the school building. "Those people haven't come out yet..."
"Under the overpass..." Pei Cangyu’s face was pale as he murmured, "Under the overpass, there's a small path into the school... I used to run through there. If he was there the whole time, there's no way he didn't see them..."
Bai Shi looked down at him calmly. He reached out and pulled Pei Cangyu’s trembling shoulder toward him, stroking it back and forth. He leaned in close, enveloping him in his shadow.
"Is that so? So that's how it is."
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 八部 | Division 8 | A higher-level police department mentioned as taking over the case. |
| 旺仔牛奶 | Wangzai Milk | A popular brand of flavored milk in China, often associated with children. |
| 武松打虎 | Wu Song Fights the Tiger | A famous episode from the classic novel *Water Margin*. |
| 直基有别 | The gap between straight and gay | A play on the phrase "men and women are different" (男女有别), reflecting the protagonist's awareness of sexual orientation differences. |
