Tu Ziyun...
Bai Shi watched Pei Cangyu run upstairs, mulling over the name. Just chewing on the syllables felt disgusting; he couldn't fathom how anyone could be given such a name. He stood up and began pacing around the dining table, circling it again and again. Without even realizing it, his brow was furrowed deep in thought as his mind began to work.
Just then, the telephone rang. Bai Shi reflexively grabbed a knife and hurled it. The ringing was abruptly cut short as the phone was knocked over, the receiver dangling and swaying by its cord. The room fell into a terrified silence. Bai Shi remained standing by the massive table, his expression dark.
He pulled out his cell phone, made a call, and then headed upstairs himself.
The person arrived quickly. His name was Xu You, a former subordinate of Bai Shi’s who specialized in electronic equipment; word was he was currently working on his doctorate. Xu You was deathly tired. When he reached the upper floor, he saw Bai Shi standing before a door with his arms crossed, his expression so gloomy it was hard to tell if he was planning to walk in and commit a murder.
"Why'd you call me?" Xu You asked.
Bai Shi shot him a look and lowered his voice. "Keep it down."
Xu You was used to Bai Shi’s erratic behavior, so he didn't even ask for a reason. He lowered his voice accordingly. "Are we going in?" He reached out and turned the handle, only to find it locked from the inside. *Hoh, quite the defensive one. Who are they hiding from?*
He glanced at Bai Shi and roughly understood the source of the man's current irritation.
Bai Shi naturally had a key, but he was still profoundly displeased.
They stepped inside quietly. Xu You scanned the room, unable to help but admire it. In the entire Bai household, you couldn't find a room with more character or warmth. Even the color of the desk lamp felt cozy. Bai Shi’s own room didn't even have lights installed because he claimed he had no use for them; that vast space contained nothing but a bed.
Bai Shi familiarly picked up the clothes scattered on the floor by the bathroom door and began rummaging through them. Inside the bathroom, someone was singing. The tune was rhythmic but incredibly off-key, a discordant voice trying to overpower the original track, only to break into a cough every two lines due to poor breath control.
Xu You listened for a moment, then turned to Bai Shi and whispered, "You actually installed speakers in the bathroom?"
Bai Shi ignored him. He pulled out a phone and produced a fingerprint mold, fitting it over his finger to unlock the device.
Xu You watched him. "Should I ask where you got a fingerprint mold?"
Bai Shi bypassed the lock and scrolled through the call logs. Sure enough, he saw the eyesore of a number. Pei Cangyu’s habits hadn't changed; he never saved contacts. Not a single number in his directory had a name attached; they were just raw digits.
Bai Shi found Tu Ziyun’s number. Pei Cangyu still hadn't added a contact name for it. Bai Shi called out to Xu You, "Do you have a spare phone?"
Xu You pulled several phones from his bag and picked out a purple one for Bai Shi. "Will this work?"
Bai Shi took it and used the purple phone to call Pei Cangyu’s device. Once the connection was made, he saved the number, entering Tu Ziyun’s actual number into the "Name" field. Then, he tossed Pei Cangyu’s phone to Xu You. "I need to be able to monitor it."
Without a word, Xu You sat on the floor, opened his bag, and began dismantling the phone. Bai Shi added, "I also need all incoming calls to be diverted to me, and all outgoing calls diverted as well."
Xu You paused, taking a deep breath and frowning at the request. Finally, he replied, "Then we’ll have to scrap this SIM card and just link it directly to your phone."
Bai Shi was perfectly composed, looking quite satisfied. "Fine."
Xu You worked efficiently. He swapped the card and connected to the network. "What’s your Wi-Fi password?"
Bai Shi told him. Xu You entered it and installed a piece of software, pairing it with the purple phone and hiding it in the background. He handed it back to Bai Shi. "It’ll take effect after he restarts the phone. It works as long as there's a network connection; if he's offline, it won't. Is that acceptable?"
Bai Shi reluctantly accepted.
Xu You pointed at Pei Cangyu’s home screen. "I’ve disabled notifications, but there’s an icon at the very top indicating a process is running. Removing that might take some time..."
As he spoke, the singing in the bathroom stopped. Bai Shi cut him off. "This is enough. He won't notice."
The two of them quickly tidied up and exited. Bai Shi even made a point to double back and smooth out Pei Cangyu’s bedsheets. At the exact moment the bathroom door slid open, he closed the exit door behind them.
Bai Shi walked toward his own room, ignoring Xu You. As a mere "tool," Xu You didn't mind. He stopped downstairs to eat some roasted foie gras before leaving. Compared to the exhausting mental gymnastics Bai Shi engaged in to torment people, Xu You preferred dealing with machinery. He believed a brain should be used for the right things—though, granted, he wasn't exactly in a position to judge.
Back in his room, Bai Shi stared at the purple phone. Pei Cangyu’s call came through quickly. Because of the diversion, an option even appeared on his screen asking if he wanted to connect the call.
Bai Shi dutifully chose to decline and hung up.
Pei Cangyu called again with dogged persistence, which began to irritate Bai Shi. *Just how badly do you want to talk to a stranger in the middle of the night? Again? Still calling?*
Bai Shi tossed the phone aside, pondered for a moment, then opened his laptop and typed into a search engine: "Men, disgusting."
A flood of results popped up. Upon closer inspection, they were mostly stories. It made sense; only through specific stories could one truly convey what made someone "disgusting."
As he scrolled, he accidentally clicked into a "Gays are disgusting" forum. He read through it, gaining a solid grasp on how to play his next character.
After all, Pei Cangyu already had a psychological shadow—because of Bai Shi himself. If he encountered another "creep," he wouldn't be able to take it. He might even break down. The mere thought of it made Bai Shi feel a surge of excitement.
He started with a barrage of text messages. He knew Pei Cangyu hated that. He even specifically searched for some images—one of a dim setting that looked remarkably like a police station—and sent the copy to Pei Cangyu.
Once finished, he called Gu Sai. "Do you remember Tu Ziyun?"
Gu Sai had been woken up, but he was in a good mood today. "I heard you’ve officially taken over the media company..."
"Don't talk about that. Answer my question."
Gu Sai paused. "A cop from Z-District. Why?"
"Investigate him. Report back to me."
Gu Sai let out a resigned sigh.
***
Bai Shi spent the day busy, handling the various administrative tasks of his new position and discussing potential business acquisitions. Intermittently, he dealt with the messages on the purple phone from both sides, acting as the "distorting" middleman between Pei Cangyu and Tu Ziyun.
However, seeing Tu Ziyun’s stubborn desire for a voice call, Bai Shi realized that simply refusing via text might not be enough. He needed a plan.
So, he arranged to head back with Pei Cangyu after school and sent a text to Tu Ziyun, telling him to meet at 11:30 PM.
Tu Ziyun agreed but still asked: *Is it okay that it's so late?* Bai Shi replied that it was fine.
Tu Ziyun even asked: *Is it okay with Bai Shi?* Bai Shi’s brow twitched. *An interloper who knows it's an issue yet still asks for a meeting—doesn't he feel any shame?* Nevertheless, he replied: *It's fine.*
Bai Shi’s second move was calling Zhou Linyuan. He told them to split into two groups. One group would lure Tu Ziyun toward the overpass at the appointed time. The other group would go through the back door to the senior floor and cut the power. They could move around, but they were not to actually run into Pei Cangyu.
With everything arranged, Bai Shi waited at the school gate until nearly eleven o'clock.
It started to rain.
He waited until all the lights in the building were extinguished before getting out of the car. He leaned against the vehicle, waiting for Pei Cangyu to come rushing out and see him like a savior. He checked his watch; Tu Ziyun should be arriving around now as well.
But Pei Cangyu seemed to be running a bit late.
Zhou Linyuan called, saying that besides them, there seemed to be a few other people around. It wasn't clear who they were.
Bai Shi frowned. This wasn't part of his plan.
He opened his umbrella and walked quickly toward the teaching building.
Who could it be? Ding Chuan’s people? The police? Or some enemy he’d offended in the shadows?
...
He walked fast and saw someone running even faster toward him, making a phone call. Then, Bai Shi’s phone rang.
It was Pei Cangyu.
Bai Shi hurried to answer. "What’s wrong? I’ve already arrived—"
"Don't fucking come here! Run! They're in my school! Run! Do you hear me—"
Bai Shi ignored the warning. He set his phone down and opened his arms, catching Pei Cangyu as the boy lunged into his embrace.
Immediately after, he was punched.
Even so, Bai Shi didn't let go of his grip on Pei Cangyu’s waist. Pei Cangyu was clearly shaken, even reaching out to touch Bai Shi’s face, nearly causing Bai Shi to grab his hand in return.
Though Bai Shi still wanted to know who those people were, Pei Cangyu looked truly terrified. Despite his attempt to act calm, he still wanted to protect others.
Pei Cangyu tugged at the hem of Bai Shi’s coat, causing Bai Shi’s pace to falter. He turned his head and looked down at Pei Cangyu. The usually defiant boy had his head bowed, revealing his vulnerable nape. Droplets of water trailed from his hair down his spine. Bai Shi was, of course, intimately familiar with the scent of that back. Pei Cangyu asked him in a small voice, "Didn't you say a very powerful policeman would handle this...?"
Bai Shi’s breathing suddenly grew heavy. He stared for a long time, his hand hovering as if unsure where to touch, before finally telling him, "Don't worry."
Pei Cangyu had nothing to worry about, because Bai Shi was there.
As they left the school gates, Tu Ziyun arrived.
Bai Shi checked his watch; the timing was about right.
As expected, Tu Ziyun didn't say much with Bai Shi present.
According to Bai Shi’s plan, after Tu Ziyun left, he pointed out the state of the man's trouser cuffs. He had thought he would have to explain the shortcut by the overpass himself, but to his surprise, Pei Cangyu figured it out on his own.
Because Pei Cangyu had deduced it himself, he believed it more than anything. He actually began to tremble at the realization. Bai Shi was overcome with delight. He finally touched the boy's shoulder, his presence looming over the hesitant figure, telling him who stood by his side and who would decide his choices.
Victory would surely belong to Bai Shi.
***
Gu Sai was summoned early the next morning to report what he had found. Tu Ziyun was a bachelor—forget a nephew, he had no siblings, parents, or even a girlfriend. He had served as an undercover agent for over twenty years; the specifics were unclear, but medical records showed he had severe stomach problems and PTSD from the crackdown on the Dark Fire Group ten years ago. Because of this, he couldn't stay in Unit 8, and his health was poor.
As Bai Shi listened, a smile spread across his face, making Gu Sai feel instinctively nervous.
"Oh, right," Gu Sai added. "The lighter you had someone plant at the scene—didn't Unit 8 use that to arrest Ding Chuan? Tu Ziyun heard about it and went to Unit 8 to take the lighter."
Bai Shi frowned. "Did they give it to him?"
"They did. Fei Qisheng gave the word," Gu Sai replied, then carefully weighed his next words. "Even though you successfully used Unit 8 to strike at Ding Chuan, I feel it's dangerous. That Tu Ziyun might just make Unit 8 turn their sights on us."
Bai Shi didn't speak. He turned on a hose to water the flowers at his feet, but he showed no mercy to the blooms, nearly drowning them.
Gu Sai’s voice sounded troubled. "I think your attacks on Tu Ziyun are a bit too obvious. Sooner or later, you'll draw his attention. For one thing, every time our people went to that Pei kid's house, they used the name 'Tu.' If Tu Ziyun investigates, it won't take much effort to trace it back to us..."
Bai Shi switched the hose to his other hand, his face remaining calm.
Gu Sai pushed up his glasses. "So I'm saying—"
"You should leave now," Bai Shi pointed toward the door. "When you come in, you have to act like we don't know each other. Do I need to teach you how?"
Gu Sai stared at Bai Shi’s profile and took a deep breath, wanting him dead for the eighty-thousandth time. He wanted to make him understand that not everyone was in the mood to play his games of impersonation. Only those lacking a sense of self relied on becoming others to survive.
But he still lowered his eyes, gave a word of assent, and walked out. A sick man is destined to die of his illness; he only hoped that when the end came, Bai Shi wouldn't take everyone else down with him.
When Gu Sai saw Pei Cangyu with his own eyes, his dissatisfaction grew. Such a fool. Even if Gu Sai wore a mascot costume, as long as he maintained a sharp enough gaze and spoke with enough confidence, he didn't doubt Pei Cangyu would believe his identity. Thinking about how he had been worried about how to explain the lack of a badge earlier, he felt he had given the boy far too much credit.
Bai Shi was exceptionally kind, to a point of self-suppression that bordered on masochism. Gu Sai, knowing Bai Shi’s true nature, looked at the two of them and felt only danger. Specifically, he didn't know *why* Bai Shi was doing this. Bai Shi had been obedient to Bai Yilong to steal the family assets and kill off his heirs; he had been subservient to Ding Chuan to kill him and legally possess everything. Now, Bai Shi’s indulgence of Pei Cangyu’s every whim would surely be repaid tenfold in the future—whether Pei Cangyu was willing or not.
After Pei Cangyu ran out, his mind full of worries, the smile immediately dropped from Bai Shi’s face. He watched the boy's retreating figure for a while, then turned to Gu Sai. "What do you think should be done about Tu Ziyun?"
Gu Sai finally felt his boss was back to normal. "Hiding like this forever is pointless. Why don't we..." He trailed off meaningfully, giving a calculated swallow. "He really is in the way."
Bai Shi laughed. "You're a legitimate businessman; is your heart this dirty too?"
Gu Sai avoided Bai Shi’s overly bright gaze. He and Bai Shi were not the same kind of person. Absolutely not.
Bai Shi’s smile vanished. "Leave Tu Ziyun to me. You don't need to deal with Unit 8 anymore. Go clean up Bai Hai’s mess. Tell me what you need, and I’ll provide it."
Gu Sai, finally getting the chance to show his prowess, couldn't help but smile. He had teamed up with a monster like Bai Shi for this very moment. He replied reservedly, "Understood."
Bai Shi drove to Pei Cangyu’s school and sat in a tea shop, staring at the opposite side. Sure enough, he saw Tu Ziyun’s figure. He let out a cold sneer, watching the man enter, then emerge a while later with a furrowed brow. He had a good idea of what was happening. He was preparing to head back to the company in the afternoon when he saw a text from Pei Cangyu saying he needed to go home.
In that case, Gu Sai was right; Tu Ziyun had indeed targeted him and planned to start with Pei Cangyu.
Bai Shi’s mind whirred. He agreed and suggested accompanying him.
Pei Cangyu’s classes ended at 10:20 PM. Bai Shi left the company after 9:00 PM; time was tight, so he went directly to Pei Cangyu’s house first. He had the car park far away, then put on a specially sourced earthy-yellow coat and a mask before walking toward the house.
While registering at the security gate, the old guard was chatting with a neighbor, pointing at an earthy-yellow Shiba Inu and laughing, saying how spirited the black dog looked. The neighbor chatted along cheerfully.
Only Bai Shi irritably threw down the pen and left. He rushed to buy a bright yellow coat before heading back in.
His original intention was to create the atmosphere of a home that was constantly being targeted. According to the perverted acts he’d read about, some people liked to steal the family's clothes, while others hid in large boxes inside the house to observe... While perverted enough, it wasn't very practical, especially since Pei Cangyu didn't even live here anymore.
Bai Shi watched the time pass, still unable to think of a suitable method.
He forced himself to calm down. He shouldn't try to guess a pervert's logic; he should just follow his own thoughts. If it were him, what would he do?
He leaned his head against the door, thinking. A breeze blew, lifting the scent of perfume from beneath his coat. It suddenly reminded him of when he had pinned Pei Cangyu down; the boy had smelled exactly like this.
As another waft of the scent reached him, Bai Shi closed his eyes and felt the memory resurface. A flush rose to his pale face.
He was hard.
He licked his lips, stepped forward with his long legs, braced a foot against the doorframe, and unzipped his fly.
***
Enjoying the story? Rate this novel:
Stolen Jade | Chapter 23 | The Architect of Deception | Novela.app | Novela.app
