Pei Cangyu woke briefly, his head heavy and groggy. His entire body ached, though he couldn't pinpoint exactly where the pain originated; he likely had injuries in more places than one. No footsteps could be heard outside the door, only a heavy, oppressive gloom. Not a single ray of light penetrated this basement, and it was devoid of all sound.
He struggled on the floor for a while before managing to prop himself up against the wall. He tried to move toward the basement exit at the top of the stairs, but his left foot seemed to be sprained; every movement brought a sharp, searing pain. Pei Cangyu looked down and realized his foot was twisted at a full forty-five-degree angle. Only then did the pain truly register—previously suppressed by terror, it now surged forth the moment he looked at it, making him want to scream. He couldn't stop a cry from escaping his throat, but he quickly covered his mouth, letting out only muffled, whimpering sobs.
*Damn it, damn it...*
*If this keeps up...*
Pei Cangyu knelt on the ground, reaching out to touch his foot. He felt only a massive protrusion, likely fluid buildup from a rapid swelling following a dislocation. The thought made him nauseous. He dragged his leg and began to crawl up the stairs.
The double doors of the exit were shut tight. If he remembered correctly, there might even be a lock hanging on the outside. Pei Cangyu struggled to grab the edge of the door and pounded on it. He heard the rattle of a lock outside, and his heart sank. Indeed, it was locked.
But immediately after, he heard Madala’s bark. The dog’s cries moved toward him, circling outside the door. Hope flared in Pei Cangyu’s chest again. He called Madala’s name in a raspy voice, and Madala responded.
He hoped to be fast, to get out before those men returned. He tried to tell Madala to take the lock off, but obviously, the dog couldn't understand human speech. Madala just spun in circles, bumping against the door over and over. Pei Cangyu lay prostrate on the ground, at a loss for what to do. Despite only a door separating him from Madala, he realized he couldn't actually hear the barks clearly, which meant the place was significantly soundproofed.
Madala barked once more, then stopped.
Pei Cangyu grew tense. He tried calling out again, but Madala seemed to have run off. He didn't know what to do; his last shred of hope was gone. From the moment that man had started hitting him, he understood: they couldn't be reasoned with. He thought he had seen Bai Shi, but in reality, it was only because he had *only* seen Bai Shi. He had merely caught a glimpse of a corner of a deviant world, and now he was paying the price for it.
He understood clearly, just as he had when fleeing through the fog, that if he died, he would rot away like a fallen leaf, affecting no one. This was why he worked so hard to distance himself from environments that made his cheap life even cheaper, why he tried so hard to blend into the "right track." Even if he was alone in the world, as long as he walked the same path as the majority, he would surely establish connections. An intricate network of human relationships wrapped around one's body meant that when one fell, someone would be there to feel the tug of those thousand threads. In his long years of loneliness, he was far from establishing the high-minded, self-respecting hobby of yearning for independence.
He simply didn't want to be forgotten, silently and alone.
Suddenly, the lock outside rattled.
Pei Cangyu snapped his head up. He saw someone slowly open the basement hatch, looking down at his bruised and battered form huddled on the floor.
He squinted in the sudden light. A tall man knelt before him, observing him. It was a delicate-looking man with somewhat flamboyant mannerisms, a pair of sunglasses perched on his head. Seeing Pei Cangyu’s state, he wore an expression of surprise. "How could something like this happen?"
Pei Cangyu’s eyes lit up. This person was completely different from the others. He struggled to lift his head, his parched throat only able to squeeze out a single syllable: "Help..."
The man nodded. "Mm-hmm." He turned to look at Madala, who was wagging his tail. "Is this why you called me over?"
Madala let out a "woof."
The man reached out and helped Pei Cangyu up. Staring at his injuries, he knit his brows and pressed down on the swollen joint. Pei Cangyu screamed in pain. The man patted his shoulder. "I want to help you, too."
Pei Cangyu looked at him expectantly.
However, the man pointed to his watch with a troubled expression. "But I'm about to get off the clock."
Pei Cangyu froze.
Lu Mingyue stood up. "Why are those two so slow?" He glanced down at Pei Cangyu. "Let's just do it here. There's no one else anyway."
The two men from upstairs came down, donning gloves with extreme professionalism as they walked toward Pei Cangyu. Lu Mingyue crossed his arms and stepped back. "I told you two not to drag this out."
Pei Cangyu struggled to retreat. Lu Mingyue shook his head in annoyance. "Don't struggle. Otherwise, it'll get everywhere, and we'll have to clean up again."
Madala suddenly jumped up, frisking about Lu Mingyue’s feet. Annoyed, the man gave the dog a light kick. Madala lunged forward, shielding Pei Cangyu and barking at the three of them.
"Should we take care of the dog too?" one of them suggested.
Lu Mingyue reached out to grab the dog but was nearly bitten.
This gave him pause. He stopped and stared intently at the battered Pei Cangyu.
"What's wrong?" one of the men asked.
Lu Mingyue didn't answer. He stepped past the two men, walked up to Pei Cangyu, and knelt. He pinched the boy's chin, tilting his face up. After staring for a long time, he thought of the alley where Bai Yinhua had died and shuddered.
"...Shit." He turned to the two men. "You two idiots."
The two looked at each other, bewildered.
Lu Mingyue asked again, "Who hit him?"
A voice answered, "I did."
Lu Mingyue sighed. "For the sake of how long we've known each other, I suggest you run."
As he spoke, he moved to pick Pei Cangyu up horizontally. Pei Cangyu struggled, resisting with what little strength he had left. Lu Mingyue figured that since there were already so many injuries, he might as well pin this one on the guy who did the hitting—it was more convenient. So, he slapped Pei Cangyu unconscious and picked him up smoothly.
He called the dog and went upstairs.
Pei Cangyu lay on the bed, trembling incessantly. Lu Mingyue reached out to feel his forehead; he guessed the boy was terrified and would likely come down with a fever sooner or later. Combined with the open wounds, the more he thought about it, the more troublesome it became.
It was too much to ask. It was impossible for Lu Mingyue to get off work now. He was irritable, wanting to lament his troublesome lot in life. As Pei Cangyu struggled between life and death on the bed, Lu Mingyue sat at the head of the bed, seriously considering whether he could extract himself from this mess if Pei Cangyu died—like pretending he had never shown up.
"Water..." Pei Cangyu groaned in agony.
Lu Mingyue glanced at him but didn't move.
"Water..." another groan.
Lu Mingyue lowered his head and covered his face. "So annoying..."
He stood up, poured some water for Pei Cangyu, and handed it to him. Then he went downstairs, found some shackles, and locked them around Pei Cangyu’s ankles.
"I'm doing this for your own good. Wait here a moment; I'm going to find Bai Shi for you." Eager to wash his hands of the matter, Lu Mingyue drove at full speed to Taozhong Xuan.
Fei Zuohua was also at the bar. Lu Mingyue had no intention of chatting; he gave a brief greeting and realized he was so busy he hadn't even taken off his sunglasses. Fortunately, Fei Zuohua’s mind was elsewhere. Lu Mingyue went straight to the back to find the man cleaning the dregs from the vats.
"Tell Bai Shi to come back," Lu Mingyue said bluntly.
The man, nicknamed "Scrap Copper," was short and stout. His eyes were squeezed into two slits by flesh, and his tiny pupils always held a hint of suspicion. He was a man of few words and one of the few people who could always contact Bai Shi.
Scrap Copper shook his head. "He's seeing a doctor."
"I don't care if he's seeing a doctor or seeing a shrink. Tell him to come back."
Scrap Copper ignored him.
"Tell him someone escaped. If that person falls into Ding Chuan's hands or the police's hands, we're all finished sooner or later."
Scrap Copper still ignored him.
"Hey!"
Scrap Copper looked up. "Watch your tone with me."
Lu Mingyue bit his lip reluctantly, then added, "Pei Cangyu is dying. He's halfway there." He scratched his hair, not expecting a response, and turned to leave.
Scrap Copper stood up, looking at Lu Mingyue. "Are you sure?"
"Why would I lie to you?"
Scrap Copper grabbed something and walked toward the back. "Then he'll be back in two hours."
Lu Mingyue stood frozen, not quite understanding the priority of things. Scrap Copper looked up at him. "Go back and wait."
"It's still me, then..."
Scrap Copper left.
Lu Mingyue stood there thinking for a moment. Suddenly, he felt this was an opportunity to show off; he should make himself useful before the boss returned. So, he left in a hurry and rushed back to the Bai residence.
He was much more enthusiastic upon his return. Not only did he help Pei Cangyu change out of his dirty, old clothes, but he also popped the dislocated foot back into place. Listening to Pei Cangyu’s pig-like squeals, Lu Mingyue smiled. "Want some water?"
Finally, when he had finished tidying Pei Cangyu up like a doll, he almost wanted to take a photo of his excellent handiwork. Maybe he should go into domestic service when he retired.
Then, Bai Shi returned.
Bai Shi was accompanied by a doctor carrying a medical bag. The car at the door dropped them off and left. Bai Shi walked in with a deep frown, his complexion terrible.
Lu Mingyue stood to the side.
Bai Shi stared at the unconscious, injured person on the bed, then looked up at Lu Mingyue with a murderous glare. "What happened?"
Lu Mingyue was silent for a second, wondering if he should help cover things up.
When Bai Shi turned fully toward him, Lu Mingyue recounted the entire situation fluently, leaving nothing out.
After hearing it, Bai Shi sat on the edge of the bed. The doctor asked if they should continue the IV drip now. Bai Shi nodded wearily. The doctor deftly took out the equipment and had Lu Mingyue act as the IV stand, holding the bottle up high.
"What now? I've already sent people to chase the one who ran," Lu Mingyue reported to Bai Shi.
"What's the situation with Ding Chuan?"
"That woman approached Pei Cangyu at the school gate last time, but they probably didn't talk. Since Zhou Linyuan brought him back, there hasn't been any other movement."
Bai Shi fell silent, then smiled. "Ding Chuan... he really deserves to die."
After that, they stopped talking. In the house, aside from a small desk lamp dimmed in Pei Cangyu’s room, everything else was plunged into deep darkness. The doctor was at the table, dividing tablets into doses for Bai Shi. Lu Mingyue stood by the bed holding the IV bottle. Bai Shi sat sideways, watching the unconscious Pei Cangyu, whose face still bore the dried tracks of tears and whose fingers were twitching.
Bai Shi reached out to touch Pei Cangyu’s head, then turned to the doctor. "He seems to have a fever."
The doctor stood up and walked over quickly. He checked Pei Cangyu’s face and pushed up his thick glasses. "Yes, he needs plenty of rest."
He sat back down, this time prescribing medicine for Pei Cangyu as well.
Pei Cangyu turned over in bed, and Bai Shi pulled his hand away.
No one spoke again. The desk lamp was turned to its lowest setting. The doctor leaned lower over his work. Lu Mingyue shifted his weight to his other leg. Only Bai Shi sat motionless, one leg stretched out on the floor and the other bent on the bed. He rested his arm on his knee, staring at Pei Cangyu. In the dim light, his back curved into a sharp, hard arc, like a sleek-furred leopard.
Pei Cangyu tossed and turned, muttering under his breath.
"Bai... you bastard... Bai Shi..."
Bai Shi heard him. He reached out and gave Pei Cangyu’s hair a firm tug, then flicked his cheek with a finger. Lu Mingyue was stunned.
In the silence, an ill-timed vibration came from the yard. Because it was so quiet, the sensitive Lu Mingyue caught it.
"There's something outside."
Bai Shi stood up instantly. They couldn't hear clearly from this window. Bai Shi whistled, and Madala ran in. Bai Shi patted the dog's head and signaled everyone to be quiet. The sound rang out again, and Madala’s ears twitched.
Bai Shi stroked his head. "Go, find it."
He patted Madala, and the dog bolted out.
Less than a minute later, Madala flew back upstairs and proudly placed the item he had retrieved—Pei Cangyu’s phone—into Bai Shi’s hand.
The caller was still trying. The screen lit up. The cheap phone was particularly good at vibrating and ringing loudly. Bai Shi saw the contact name displayed on the screen: "Grey-haired Cop."
He glanced at Pei Cangyu and suddenly knew who it was.
"Who is it?" Lu Mingyue asked.
"It should be Tu Ziyun, that policeman." Bai Shi watched the vibrating phone until it finally stopped; it seemed the caller had given up.
Once the phone stopped ringing, Lu Mingyue looked at Bai Shi. "Is it over?"
Bai Shi stood up. "I suspect he's coming here soon."
Lu Mingyue frowned. "The cop? Coming straight here?"
"Yes."
"Then what do we do?" The doctor also stood up nervously. Bai Shi glanced at him, and the doctor sat back down.
"Should we leave now?" Lu Mingyue suggested.
Bai Shi looked at the intervals between the calls. "There probably isn't enough time."
The birds by the window were startled into flight. In the quiet street, the light of car headlamps appeared. As they drew closer, the lights dimmed and eventually vanished.
"He's here."
Bai Shi looked at the doctor. "Turn off the light."
The doctor immediately switched it off.
In the darkness, with only a sliver of moonlight filtering in, Bai Shi yanked the needle out of the back of his hand and threw it to the doctor. The doctor was horrified by this total disregard for infection control and scrambled to find a disposable bag to handle the equipment. Bai Shi kicked him. "Hurry up. To the basement."
As he spoke, he moved to pull Pei Cangyu up.
Lu Mingyue reached out to stop him, actually objecting. "Are we taking him? He's useless now, isn't he?"
The doctor chimed in. "Yes, he needs rest. It's too dangerous for him to come with us."
Bai Shi ignored them. He grabbed Pei Cangyu and hauled him up, lifting him roughly. Pei Cangyu didn't wake during the process; he was burning up with fever and indeed needed rest, but Bai Shi didn't care.
They headed toward the basement. Bai Shi whistled for Madala to follow. At the basement entrance, Lu Mingyue picked up the lock and went to the control room to pull the main breaker. Then, Lu Mingyue drew his gun and pressed himself against the wall outside the basement door, staring at the policeman who was trespassing on private property.
Tu Ziyun, having failed to reach Pei Cangyu multiple times and feeling a terrible premonition, had come to the Bai residence. The house emitted a heavy, stagnant odor. It was pitch black. No matter which light switch he flipped, there was no response, as if the house had been dead for a long time.
He leaned against the wall, slowly trying to adjust to the darkness. He was not yet familiar with this massive house and could only move as slowly as possible. As he felt his way through the dark, from the direction of the basement, a gun was pointed directly at him.
However, Pei Cangyu woke up.
His body was burning. Following the line of Lu Mingyue’s gun, he saw the policeman, unaware of the imminent danger, warily scanning the upper floor and preparing to move upward.
Pei Cangyu began to struggle, trying to warn Tu Ziyun.
Bai Shi pinned him down ruthlessly, covering his mouth. He pressed a finger hard against the surface of Pei Cangyu’s tongue and whispered into his ear, "If you move, he dies. Do not defy me."
***
