Tu Ziyun sent another text message. This time, the photo was even more explicit. Pei Cangyu took one look and threw his phone aside. Some parts of the human body simply didn't need to be recorded by a camera, did they?
Pei Cangyu picked up his phone and put it down again, unable to think of a reply. *Starting the day as a pervert this early in the morning, are we?*
Forget it.
He scratched his head, hopped out of bed, washed up, and got dressed, acting as if he had never seen the message.
When he went downstairs, he saw Bai Shi in the dining room pouring tea. Breakfast was already set out on the table. Bai Shi waved at him and wished him a good morning.
Seeing him gave Pei Cangyu a sense of security. He offered a relaxed smile. Even though there was no reason for Bai Shi to wake up this early, it felt good to always see him upon waking.
The breakfast at Bai Shi’s house was delicious and highly nutritious. *Sigh, and he doesn't even want money. What a good person...*
As he ate and marveled at his luck, the front door opened. The butler led a man inside. The man was fair-skinned and tall, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and a crisp suit under a grey overcoat. When the butler offered to take his coat, the man refused. He kept his hands in his pockets, showing no intention of staying long. His expression was cold and professional.
Bai Shi nodded upon seeing him and stood up, first introducing him to Pei Cangyu. "This is Gu Sai, the Deputy Chief Prosecutor of District A. He’s the higher-level investigative team I mentioned."
Pei Cangyu, a piece of bread still in his mouth, gave a dull grunt of acknowledgment and turned to look at the man.
Bai Shi politely invited him, "Please, come in."
The man looked at Pei Cangyu, then back at Bai Shi. "Let's go somewhere convenient to talk."
Bai Shi continued his polite invitation. "Here is perfectly fine. Come in."
Pei Cangyu simply watched the back-and-forth between the two.
The man finally stepped inside but remained standing, having no intention of sitting down. He cast a cold glance at Pei Cangyu. "Hello. I am Gu Sai."
Pei Cangyu hurriedly wiped his hands on a napkin, stood up, and extended his hand. "I'm Pei Cangyu, a student at No. 16 High School."
Gu Sai stared at the outstretched hand for a moment before shaking it, appearing somewhat reluctant. Pei Cangyu felt a flicker of admiration; as expected, real prosecutors were all this cool and aloof.
Gu Sai turned back to Bai Shi. "We have taken over your case from the District Z police station. We will likely be in frequent contact from now on."
Bai Shi nodded. "Thank you for your hard work."
Pei Cangyu lowered his head and winked at Bai Shi, signaling for him to stand up properly. It was incredibly rude for the host to keep eating while a guest was present.
Bai Shi met his gaze for a long while before slowly standing up.
Pei Cangyu then asked, "So, the officers from District Z no longer have the authority to investigate the case?"
Gu Sai turned to him. "Are you referring to the original officers in charge, Fei Zuohua and Tu Ziyun? No, they do not."
Pei Cangyu seemed lost in thought as he nodded silently.
Bai Shi narrowed his eyes and smiled. "The previous officers worked hard as well. We can finally rest easy now."
"Perhaps. However, for an officer like Tu Ziyun, taking a break isn't necessarily a bad thing."
Hearing this, Pei Cangyu looked up blankly. "What do you mean by 'an officer like Tu Ziyun'?"
"Nothing in particular." Gu Sai was clearly implying something more.
Pei Cangyu continued to stare at him.
"Officer Tu has no relatives and has always been too focused on his work. A rest is good for him; otherwise, being too lonely can become dangerous." These words, which sounded like a joke, took on a menacing edge because of the speaker's icy tone.
Fortunately, Bai Shi smiled and waved a hand dismissively. "A rest is fine. Officer Tu can spend more time with his sister."
"Sister?" Gu Sai frowned. "Officer Tu has always been alone. He doesn't have any siblings."
Pei Cangyu’s eyes widened in shock. "Wha... what?"
"Officer Tu is an only child. He’s been alone since his parents passed away, and he’s never married."
Bai Shi watched as Pei Cangyu’s face turned pale, then turned to Gu Sai. "Is there anything else? We have to head out soon."
"I wanted to ask about some details regarding the attack."
"This way, please." Bai Shi pointed toward the back and led Gu Sai away.
Pei Cangyu was left alone, his face the color of ash.
*...? ...? ...?*
*Is this for real? Is it really necessary? They’re all prominent figures—why would he lie about having a nephew? Hey, is the reason he’s never married because... he’s actually a total creep? This makes me lose all faith in the system. Why? I don't understand. Am I some kind of universal heartthrob? Why do I always get caught up in this mess...*
Pei Cangyu chewed the rest of his bread absentmindedly until the butler came to tell him it was time for school.
Speaking of which, he hadn't seen the man in the hat following him for a long time. Pei Cangyu glanced out the window at the empty playground, listening to the teacher lecture about iron oxide.
In Pei Cangyu’s mind, the safety ranking was: School > Bai Shi > Tu Ziyun. A major reason for this was that Tu Ziyun was a policeman; if he became dangerous, he would be even more formidable, which always sent a chill down Pei Cangyu’s spine. As for Bai Shi, that was pure instinct—he couldn't trust a man who was capable of anything when drunk. Thus, good and bad were all relative; school truly made him feel very safe.
Lackey’s shuffled cards flew out, one hitting Pei Cangyu on the head. Pei Cangyu took the card off and gave Lackey a light smack on the back of the head.
Lackey grinned wildly, turned around to snatch his card back, and soon scribbled something on it before throwing it back.
"Going to play ball this afternoon?"
Pei Cangyu listlessly picked up his red grading pen and replied: "Why aren't you listening in class? If you don't work hard, you'll have no future." Then he poked Lackey’s back. Without turning around, Lackey reached a hand out from his side, executing the legendary "Hidden Hand Stealth" to snatch the card.
After reading the words, he muttered, "Dumbass."
Pei Cangyu laughed from behind him.
During the break, Pei Cangyu borrowed the top student's notes and was gnawing on his pen while studying catalysts when Lackey said someone was at the door looking for him.
Pei Cangyu looked up and saw Tu Ziyun standing at the door in his khaki trench coat.
He instantly grew tense.
Lackey looked out at the man who clearly didn't belong there, then at Pei Cangyu. "Should I go tell the teacher?"
Pei Cangyu shook his head, gritted his teeth, and stood up to walk toward the door. After two steps, he turned back, ran to Lackey, and said with utmost gravity, "This man’s name is Tu Ziyun. Remember it. He’s the last person I saw."
Lackey nodded with one hundred percent seriousness. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone!"
"..."
Pei Cangyu resigned himself to his fate and walked toward Tu Ziyun.
Tu Ziyun smiled as he approached and gestured toward the stairwell to talk. Pei Cangyu hesitated for a moment before following.
Tu Ziyun lit a cigarette. "What happened yesterday?"
Pei Cangyu didn't answer.
"I heard there are new leads regarding the fire at your house. We found a lighter at the scene that might have been used to start it. But..."
"Are you the one in charge of these matters now?" Pei Cangyu suddenly interrupted.
Tu Ziyun paused, exhaled a cloud of smoke, and didn't answer.
"Aren't you getting too involved in things that aren't your responsibility?" Pei Cangyu frowned and glared at him.
Tu Ziyun looked at his expression and smiled. "I admit, I have some personal reasons for investigating these things..."
"Do you really have a nephew?"
Tu Ziyun froze.
"Do you?" Pei Cangyu stared at him intently.
Tu Ziyun swallowed hard. The ash on his cigarette grew long. His expression became more serious than ever before.
Pei Cangyu turned to leave, but Tu Ziyun reached out and grabbed him. "Student Pei, it seems his influence on you is even deeper than I imagined."
Pei Cangyu shook off his hand and glared at him. "Don't touch me. Watch out, or I'll hit you."
Tu Ziyun gave a helpless smile and withdrew his hand, raising it to show he meant no harm. "Student Pei, there are some things you might not be able to distinguish as true or false. That isn't your fault. The fact that you don't trust me at all right now is because I failed to properly anticipate his preparations. I won't force you to trust me anymore, but there is one thing I hope you remember: from today on, you must pay close attention to everything around you. You are currently in danger. It was my mistake not to realize it sooner and tell you."
Pei Cangyu took a step back. Tu Ziyun looked at him with an extremely sincere expression. "Please be careful in everything. Also, you can contact me at any time."
Pei Cangyu watched him warily.
Tu Ziyun stubbed out his cigarette, tucked the butt back into the pack, and smiled at him. "I won't contact you again unless you contact me."
With that, he opened the door and left.
Pei Cangyu stood there, completely baffled. *What does he mean, 'in danger'? Being attacked, being followed, having my house set on fire—wasn't I already in danger? What does he mean, he 'just realized' it? Strange, so strange.*
Everyone was so strange.
Pei Cangyu was annoyed to death. He was just an honest high school student; how did he get dragged into all this nonsense? He slumped over his desk, flipping through a six-page Science Comprehensive paper, and began working on the multiple-choice questions.
Suddenly, he remembered what Tu Ziyun said about the scene at his house. If Tu Ziyun went there, did he go privately? Then why did he say "we"? Who did he go with?
Pei Cangyu sat up. He wanted to go back to his house. If there were any clues left, who would be better at noticing something out of place than Pei Cangyu himself?
No sooner said than done. He sent a text to Bai Shi, saying he wanted to go home after evening self-study and would be back late. Bai Shi asked if he needed company. Pei Cangyu thought about it and said sure. "See you tonight," he wrote. Bai Shi replied with a gentle "Okay."
Evening self-study ended at 10:20 PM. Pei Cangyu packed his things and ran out. The driver was already waiting at the gate, and Bai Shi was in the car today as well.
They drove toward Pei Cangyu’s home. The walk usually took Pei Cangyu less than twenty minutes, but the drive was only seven or eight. At this hour, most people in the neighborhood were already asleep; after all, there were many elderly residents who went to bed early.
Pei Cangyu tried not to make too much noise. As they passed the security booth, he greeted the old guard. After a moment's thought, he asked, "Has anyone been to my place lately?"
The old man was very sleepy and was brewing ginger soup. "Yeah, the police have been here several times. One just came by a moment ago."
Pei Cangyu was startled. "Just now?"
"It’s so damp today. There’s going to be fog these next few days." The old man nodded as he held his ginger soup, then squinted at Bai Shi. Because he really couldn't see clearly, he leaned forward. "Outsiders have to register. Register."
Bai Shi obediently walked over and picked up the pen. He was about to write something when he paused and called out to Pei Cangyu.
Pei Cangyu walked over and looked. On the line directly above for visitors, the single character "Tu" was written in a flamboyant, cursive hand. Bai Shi looked at Pei Cangyu. "Do you think it could be him?"
Pei Cangyu pursed his lips and said nothing.
Bai Shi continued writing his own name, leaving his phone number and the time of entry. He then handed the pen back to the old man and prepared to lead Pei Cangyu inside.
But Pei Cangyu told him to wait. He flipped back through the visitor logs. The single character "Tu" appeared many times, but Tu Ziyun’s full name also appeared many times, and every time the full name appeared, it was followed by Fei Zuohua’s name. Pei Cangyu thought that perhaps when Tu Ziyun and Fei Zuohua came on official business, they didn't need to use a pseudonym.
He flipped through more pages and looked up at the guard. "Grandpa, do you remember what the person who just came looked like?" Pei Cangyu gestured to his own face and height. "About how tall was he?"
The old man squinted at Pei Cangyu. His eyesight was very poor. He didn't get paid for being a security guard in this neighborhood; he had simply volunteered to keep watch, mainly to scare off petty thieves.
The old man waved a hand. "Can't see clearly. Pretty tall."
That was too broad. Pei Cangyu felt frustrated.
The old man added, "He was wearing a yellow coat, I think."
Pei Cangyu froze.
Bai Shi called to him from behind. "Aren't we going up?"
Pei Cangyu nodded and went upstairs with Bai Shi.
The stairwell was pitch black and narrow. The sound-activated lights required a loud shout to turn on, and even then, they flickered several times. To avoid waking the few residents, Pei Cangyu turned on his flashlight.
Bai Shi reached out and held his shoulder. "Sorry, can I lean on you? I'm not used to walking here."
Pei Cangyu smiled at him. "Sure."
They reached the floor, and Pei Cangyu walked familiarly toward his home. There was the single, old, reddish-copper door with the room number written in peeling gold characters. He inserted the key into the wooden door. It would open with a single turn of the handle.
The problem occurred when he turned the handle.
Bai Shi saw Pei Cangyu suddenly freeze. Pei Cangyu’s eyes were fixed straight ahead, unmoving, not even blinking, yet he was trembling.
"What's wrong?" He reached out to touch Pei Cangyu, but Pei Cangyu shoved him away.
Pei Cangyu lurched back several steps, holding the arm that had turned the handle far away from his body, as if unwilling to let it near him. With this distance, Bai Shi could finally see clearly what was on Pei Cangyu’s hand—a smear of white liquid picked up from the handle.
The liquid was half-dry, yet one could tell what it was at a single glance. There was quite a lot of it, covering the handle and even the edge of the door. Pei Cangyu’s right hand was still shaking slightly. He held it up, his expression one of disbelief and utter loathing.
Bai Shi looked at him, took off his own overcoat, and wrapped it directly around Pei Cangyu’s hand.
Startled, Pei Cangyu tried to pull back, but Bai Shi gripped him. He frowned and told him in a stern tone, "Wipe it clean first."
Pei Cangyu stopped moving and left it to Bai Shi; he didn't want to touch it anyway.
Bai Shi helped him wipe his hand clean, then draped the expensive coat over the door handle and turned it for him. He turned back and called to him, "Come on."
Pei Cangyu kept his head down, looking exhausted. He was like a drowning person slowly being submerged; there were too many people and too many voices around him, yet he knew nothing and understood nothing.
He shook his head. "Forget it. I want to go back."
Bai Shi looked at him in confusion. "Come inside. Didn't you want to find some—"
Bai Shi didn't finish his sentence because Pei Cangyu suddenly moved close to him. He was very near, head bowed, his hand clutching Bai Shi’s shirt. He looked helpless and filled with bewilderment. "Let's go... please."
Bai Shi was stunned for a moment before he slowly raised his hand to pat Pei Cangyu’s head. "Okay."
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 顾赛 | Gu Sai | Deputy Chief Prosecutor of District A. |
| A区 | District A | A geographical district in the story's setting. |
| Z区 | District Z | Another geographical district. |
| 副检察长 | Deputy Chief Prosecutor | Gu Sai's official title. |
| 理综 | Science Comprehensive | A combined high school subject/exam covering Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. |
| 狗腿 | Lackey | Literally "Dog's leg," a common nickname for a sidekick or follower. |
| 暗手潜行 | Hidden Hand Stealth | A playful or mock name for a quick, sneaky movement. |
