When Pei Cangyu’s eyes finally adjusted to the light, he saw Bai Shi. Bai Shi was drenched, water dripping from him and washing away streaks of red as he reached out a hand toward him.
Pei Cangyu didn’t move. Behind Bai Shi, a man was stealthily approaching. He was tall and burly, holding a short blade, closing the distance with the silent precision of an expert. He glanced at Pei Cangyu, signaling him to stay quiet.
To Pei Cangyu, what was the difference? He was being kidnapped either way, shoved from one hand to another.
Bai Shi reached out again. Pei Cangyu remained still and said, "Behind you."
Bai Shi heard him. His eyes flickered as he let go of the lid. It slammed shut, plunging Pei Cangyu back into darkness. He could only hear a few muffled, heavy thuds from outside, followed by the sound of something crashing to the floor.
The lid was flung open again. Bai Shi stood there like a gladiator who had rightfully reclaimed his prize, a hint of pride in his bearing. He hauled Pei Cangyu up, cradling him in his arms, only then realizing that Pei Cangyu seemed unable to move.
"Did they drug you?"
Pei Cangyu looked up at him. "Don't you find it ironic, hearing that from your mouth?"
Bai Shi jumped down with him in his arms. Only then did Pei Cangyu realize how massive the warehouse was and how deeply his crate had been buried. All around them were overturned and fallen boxes. At their feet, the man from moments ago lay stiff on the ground, his body twitching occasionally in the final throes of death.
Pei Cangyu couldn't see clearly. His fever was so high even his tongue felt scorched. Bai Shi’s body was ice-cold, made even chillier by the rainwater. Pei Cangyu tried to push away from the cold; he couldn't stand the chill.
Bai Shi stopped, looked at Pei Cangyu’s pushing hands, and set him down. He stripped off his own jacket before moving to pick him up again. Pei Cangyu struggled to open his eyes. "I’ll walk myself."
Bai Shi stepped aside but supported him. "I think that will only hinder our movement."
Pei Cangyu ignored him, stubbornly insisting on standing and walking on his own.
They were in a remote warehouse management building. It was tall. As Pei Cangyu walked, he could look through the floor-to-ceiling windows. He saw the harbor; the surrounding area was desolate, devoid of other large structures, though he could see a truck yard and, further toward the docks, the sign for a shipyard. However, there were no lights on in this building. He navigated forward solely by the green emergency exit signs glowing at the end of the hallways.
The building felt deserted. The only sounds were his and Bai Shi’s footsteps. He dragged his feet exhaustedly, scuffing the floor, while Bai Shi, who could have moved like the wind, simply followed slowly behind. Pei Cangyu walked forward with singular focus. He didn't want to think about where they were, who had snatched him, or if he was still in danger. He didn't want to think about any of it; he didn't want to ask. He just wanted to go back. He just had to go back—back to his charred home, to lie down and sleep, and then go to school tomorrow.
That was all. He would never mention what had happened again. He had been overconfident, thinking he could actually do something. Looking back, he didn't even know what was really going on. There was no one stupider than him in this entire mess. Pei Cangyu didn't want to be entangled anymore. He should return to his quiet, boring life—no more occasional thrills, no more hoping for adventure, no more delusions of heroism.
He would act as if he knew nothing. He walked straight to the elevator, pressed the down button, and prepared to leave.
Leaning against the wall, he thought to himself: *If I go back now, it might be hard to find a bus.*
Bai Shi followed silently, standing beside him on the floor as they waited for the elevator.
"Where are you going?" Bai Shi finally asked.
"Home," Pei Cangyu answered.
"You need to see a doctor, or there will be lasting complications." Bai Shi stepped toward him. "Stop forcing yourself. You can't hold on much longer."
Bai Shi was right. Pei Cangyu’s brain, his legs, his stomach—everything was on the verge of irreversible injury. Yet Pei Cangyu gritted his teeth, desperately guarding the tiny spark of clarity left in his mind. The reason was simple: the moment he collapsed, he would fall into someone else's hands again. If not this person, then that one. He would be shoved around again, his life hanging by a thread, waiting, cowering, utterly powerless.
Pei Cangyu ignored him, watching the elevator floor numbers slowly climb.
Bai Shi lost his patience. He reached out and grabbed Pei Cangyu’s arm. He didn't even use force, but Pei Cangyu nearly toppled over.
"You aren't going back."
Pei Cangyu looked up at him. "Why?"
"Because I don't plan on going back."
Pei Cangyu closed his eyes wearily, resting his head against the wall. "That has nothing to do with me. I'm going back."
A flash of anger appeared on Bai Shi’s calm face, reflecting a touch of impatience under the dim lights. "No."
"Bai Shi..." Pei Cangyu forced his eyes open to look at the frowning man. Bai Shi’s hair was slightly messy, the top two buttons of his shirt undone to reveal a black cord pendant resting against his snow-white skin. His hands were in his pockets, sleeves rolled up. He looked down at Pei Cangyu, and even in this state, he remained terrifyingly handsome and poised.
"Hmm?" Bai Shi leaned in closer.
Pei Cangyu reached out to hook the object hanging from Bai Shi’s neck. He wanted to see what it was, and while he was at it, he asked the question he had been wanting to ask: "...Do you like me?"
He pulled the object out. It was a dull grey, utterly ordinary ring—the kind of cheap *Lord of the Rings* replica kids buy for less than thirty yuan, made of low-quality iron. Because Bai Shi wore such a thing, a patch of red rash had broken out on his chest, marked with tiny scars where it had been scratched raw.
Pei Cangyu froze. Because this ring was one he had bought, and later lost.
Having heard the question, Bai Shi stared intently at Pei Cangyu. He seemed to deliberate for a moment before telling him, "I don't like you."
Pei Cangyu shifted his gaze away from the ring. "Then what are you after?"
Bai Shi thought about it seriously. "I believe... I think, it should be that I have a responsibility toward you. I hope you..." He didn't finish, stopping there.
The elevator arrived.
Pei Cangyu didn't wait any longer. He turned and used the wall for support as he entered. Bai Shi followed quickly, still trying to explain his feelings. "...Perhaps it's because you belong to me, so I have a responsibility toward you."
The elevator doors closed. Pei Cangyu leaned against the interior, caught between laughter and tears. "On what basis do I belong to you?"
Bai Shi looked at him solemnly, not understanding why this was so difficult for Pei Cangyu to grasp.
The elevator descended one floor and stopped.
Pei Cangyu looked toward the opening doors. Bai Shi suddenly yanked him back, pulling him behind his body, and lunged to press the close button. He wasn't fast enough to stop several arms from thrusting inside.
The men forced the doors open. Five or six burly thugs, armed with knives and guns, rushed in. The elevator doors slid shut behind them, trapping them all inside.
Pei Cangyu was shoved into the corner. Without warning, someone kicked him in the leg. Pei Cangyu cried out. Bai Shi glanced back, then turned to seize that man’s throat. With his other hand, he disarmed another man, driving the blade into the man's abdomen with several wet, rapid stabs. During the scuffle, Bai Shi was slashed as well, one cut opening his arm. Bai Shi let out a muffled grunt, gripped the blade of the knife with his bare hand, turned, and plunged it into the first man's neck. He then slammed his weight backward, pinning someone against the wall, grabbed another man's head, and smashed it into his knee. When he let go, the man slumped down, limp.
The elevator was filled with frantic screams. Pei Cangyu couldn't make a sound, watching Bai Shi move among the crowd like a wild beast. His strikes were vicious and lethal. He seemed to feel no pain from his injuries, remaining silent while the screams all belonged to the others. In the cramped space, blood was everywhere. Someone slipped on the bloody floor with a sickeningly comedic squelch, only to have Bai Shi drive a knife into his eye and twist. The man shrieked, his voice higher than a woman's, as he collapsed into convulsions on the floor. Someone landed a heavy punch on the back of Bai Shi’s neck, slamming him into the elevator wall. The man lunged with a knife, but Bai Shi dodged; the blade sliced deep into Bai Shi’s ear, sending blood spraying. Bai Shi turned and caught the next blade with his bare hand. Blood poured from his palm as he fought the man's wrist, snapping it with raw strength.
Only two were left. One, covered in blood and gasping, was locked in a struggle with Bai Shi. Both looked as if they had been soaked in blood. They slumped toward the floor, unable to even make a sound, testing each other with shallow stabs.
Until the other man suddenly pulled out a gun.
He aimed at Bai Shi.
Pei Cangyu suddenly sprang to life. He kicked the man’s hand, sending the gun skittering across the floor. Everyone in the elevator scrambled toward the weapon. The man closest to it reached it first, grabbed it, and pulled the trigger, aiming for Bai Shi’s head.
The gun fired. In the confined space of the elevator, the sound was a deafening roar. A flash of yellow muzzle fire streaked through the air. The bullet grazed Pei Cangyu’s abdomen, passed through a corpse, and slammed into the elevator wall. The elevator car shuddered.
Because Pei Cangyu had just lunged forward.
The shooter reacted instantly, preparing for a second shot. Bai Shi leapt like a predator, seizing the man's wrist and twisting it into a grotesque angle. He stripped the gun from the man's hand, caught it steadily with his other hand, aimed, and fired in one fluid motion.
Two shots.
*Bang.*
*Bang.*
He was the only one left standing in the elevator, surrounded by a pile of corpses. Pei Cangyu lay sprawled over the bodies, his breath shallow, truly not wanting to open his eyes again.
Bai Shi tossed the gun aside.
The elevator stopped at the first floor.
Bai Shi grabbed Pei Cangyu. He was furious—utterly livid. He dragged Pei Cangyu without a hint of gentleness, pulling him out from the pile of dead bodies and across the floor. He spoke through gritted teeth. "...You dare try to die? ...Damn it, you dare try to die..."
Pei Cangyu coughed several times. He let out a pained moan, kicking his legs. "...Get lost... I'm not... not going with you..."
Bai Shi turned around, checked his injuries, felt around to judge the location, and set him on the floor, crouching down himself. He slapped Pei Cangyu across the face to shake him awake.
Pei Cangyu glared at him with resentment and spat out a mouthful of bloody foam. Bai Shi wiped it away casually, staring at him with a smile.
"You have to come with me. Where I go, you go. You can't escape."
Pei Cangyu clutched his stomach and tried to crawl away. He had been in pain for so long he was nearly numb.
Bai Shi followed behind him, watching him struggle, waiting for him to pass out.
Pei Cangyu couldn't crawl anymore. What else could he do?
Bai Shi crouched down, his eyes shining with a bright, manic excitement. "From now on, it's just you and me. Only you and me. Unless I die, you must stay by my side..." He laughed again. "But I won't die. You saw it—I don't die easily."
Pei Cangyu looked at the blood-soaked yet still vibrant Bai Shi. The man crouched beside him, the lines of his muscles visible beneath his clothes. His chin was stained with blood, his forehead slick with sweat. The pendant around his neck swayed back and forth. His eyes were bright and crazed.
Pei Cangyu closed his eyes in sorrow. "...Why..."
"We were destined for this, don't you understand?" Bai Shi looked at him with a smile, speaking some realization from an unknown source. "Like you are destined for loneliness, and I am destined to ruin everything."
Pei Cangyu’s eyes fluttered open, staring at the man who had just struck his most secret fear.
Bai Shi picked him up. On the verge of unconsciousness, Pei Cangyu heard him sigh.
"I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I hope you can live well."
Pei Cangyu was suddenly plunged into a much older memory. He believed that a long, long time ago, he had heard those exact words.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 指环王 | Lord of the Rings | Refers to the film/book franchise. |
| 玉树临风 | Strikingly handsome and poised | Lit. "A jade tree facing the wind"; used to describe a handsome and elegant man. |
| 糖糖 | Tangtang | A nickname (likely for a child, mentioned in the context). |
| 费左华 | Fei Zuohua | Character name. |
| 费启昇 | Fei Qisheng | Character name. |
| 丁川 | Ding Chuan | Character name. |
