Pei Cangyu hadn't been able to get in touch with Bai Shi for several days. His calls wouldn't go through, and whenever he recalled the image of Bai Shi standing in those dark shadows, a heavy sense of foreboding settled in his gut. He had considered calling the man named Bai Jiang to ask, but his intuition told him that Bai Shi’s dark mood that day was likely connected to him.
For the past few days, he had stayed home working on his assignments until his head throbbed. It was the same old story: he did the problems he knew over and over again, while the ones he didn't know remained utterly incomprehensible. Apple wasn't doing any work at all, insisting on cramming right before the semester started because it was "more efficient," all while complaining to Pei Cangyu about how mind-numbingly boring the workbooks were.
Pei Cangyu decided to try studying a bit more on his own; if all else failed, he’d just ask the class monitor.
At the thought, he let out a long sigh. He was being so diligent he was practically moved by his own efforts. He glanced at the clock—it was already eight in the evening. He decided to call it a night and head to bed.
He took a shower and was about to lie down to play some games before sleeping when Bai Shi’s call finally came through.
Pei Cangyu was in the middle of a match, and since the incoming call showed only an unfamiliar number, he declined it immediately. To his surprise, the caller was persistent. After several attempts, Pei Cangyu finally died in the game and answered the phone. "Hello?"
Bai Shi’s voice rang out, "Where are you?"
Pei Cangyu bolted upright. "At home. What’s wrong?" He glanced at the number. "Did you change your number?"
Bai Shi spoke rapidly. "Can you come over for a bit?"
"Now?" Pei Cangyu turned to look at the clock. It was nine-thirty. "Your house is too far. By the time I get there..."
"I’m not at home," Bai Shi interrupted. "I’m at the Lizhi Institute."
Pei Cangyu was utterly confused. "...The what?"
"It’s hard to explain right now, but I need you to come. Otherwise, I might not be able to get out."
Pei Cangyu froze. Bai Shi’s tone sounded incredibly serious. He asked again, "Are you... are you for real?"
"Yeah. Come. I’ll give you the address."
Pei Cangyu stood up and pulled open his bedroom door. The lights outside were already off; his grandmother had been going to bed early lately and was already asleep. Bai Shi recited an address.
Pei Cangyu put on his shoes as quietly as possible and carefully shut the door behind him. He pulled his jacket tight against the pitch-black night. His footsteps echoed through the empty stairwell, sounding somewhat eerie.
Bai Shi stayed close to the phone. "Let's leave it at that for now..."
"Wait, don't..." Pei Cangyu shivered, feeling a sudden chill on the back of his neck. He whipped his head around but saw nothing. "Keep talking for a bit, hahaha..."
"...Talk about what?"
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Pei Cangyu quickened his pace toward the streetlights. "Just... what is this Lizhi Institute? A restaurant?"
"A psychiatric hospital."
***
Pei Cangyu called Mahua. Mahua was currently getting a foot massage at a club, but when Pei Cangyu called, he came out to help drive him there.
When they pulled up to the back gate of the Lizhi Institute, Mahua let out a low whistle.
The Lizhi Institute was located on the outskirts of the city and occupied a massive area. The entire grounds were separated from the main road by a long stretch of black, ornate iron railings. The tops of the bars were tipped with sharp spikes that glinted silver under the moonlight. The railings themselves were choked with vines so dark green they were almost black, making the entire institute look profoundly isolated—like prey ensnared by vegetation.
Mahua turned to Pei Cangyu. "This place is creepy as hell. Want me to wait for you?"
Pei Cangyu shook his head. "No need. Bai Shi said I’ll be leaving with him later."
"How are you guys getting out?"
"I don't know. He probably has a plan." Pei Cangyu looked at the place, feeling a strange surge of excitement. "It’s been a while since I’ve been on an adventure. The last time was that abandoned building next to your shop."
Mahua tugged at his goatee. "If I didn't have things to do, I’d go in with you to check it out. Probably be pretty interesting."
Pei Cangyu waved him off and looked at the vines behind them. "Bai Shi said there’s a hole here. I’ll go find it. You head out."
"Alright." Mahua straightened his handlebars. "Call me if anything happens."
"Got it."
Pei Cangyu called Bai Shi, who carefully guided his movements. Pei Cangyu rummaged through a cluster of thorny vines, unable to find the so-called entrance.
"Are you sure, big brother?" Pei Cangyu’s hands were covered in scratches; any more searching and he’d be bleeding. "Is it on the other side? Should I circle around?"
"Don't circle. There are cameras elsewhere. Do exactly as I say." Bai Shi’s voice was stern.
Pei Cangyu went quiet. On the other end, Bai Shi paused, then lowered his voice, sounding a bit apologetic. "I'm sorry..."
Pei Cangyu still didn't respond. Bai Shi’s voice dropped even lower, sounding cautious. "Pei Cangyu?"
Still no answer. Bai Shi sighed, his tone filled with dejection. "Forget it. You should go back. This has nothing to do with you anyway..."
"Found it!" Pei Cangyu finally discovered a gap in the thick vines where a bar had snapped. It was quite small. "I’m hanging up. I’ll talk to you once I’m through."
Without waiting for Bai Shi’s reply, he ended the call.
Pei Cangyu pulled his hood up to cover his head and tugged his sleeves down over his hands. Then, he slowly began to crawl through the gap in the railings, head first, then his torso. He was halfway through, his legs still dangling outside, when he saw a brilliant beam of white light sweep toward him.
*Shit!*
Pei Cangyu scrambled back in a panic, the fabric at his stomach catching and tearing. He curled up as small as possible, hiding within the vines, watching as the white light swept over the spot where he had just been.
That was close.
He’d almost been spotted.
Pei Cangyu looked up. The white light was coming from a searchlight on the tallest building. He rubbed his hands together with a bit of excitement. This place was pretty hardcore—what exactly did they do here?
Bai Shi called back, but Pei Cangyu didn't hear it.
He focused on the trajectory of the searchlight and realized it rotated quite slowly; it wasn't hard to dodge. So, when the white light was furthest from his position, Pei Cangyu slipped through the gap in the fence once more.
This time, it went smoothly.
Once through, he stayed low and bolted for the nearest building. He crept along the wall until he found a recessed corner to duck into. Only then did he call Bai Shi back, unconsciously lowering his voice.
"Yam, Yam, this is Sweet Potato. Sweet Potato has entered the oven. What is the next step? Over."
"...There’s a recessed corner near the building in a straight line from you..."
"Yam, Yam, Sweet Potato is already in the corner. Over."
"...Then continue heading east. Turn south at the third building you pass. There’s a garden there. Look up, and you’ll see me."
"And then?"
"That's all for now."
"And then?"
"...That's it."
"And then?"
"...Over."
"Roger."
Pei Cangyu followed the instructions. Occasionally, he heard the voices of security guards talking. He made full use of the experience he’d gathered over years of playing cat-and-mouse with his school’s dean, dodging and weaving with agile flexibility. As he moved through the night, the *Mission: Impossible* theme song played in his head, making him feel as though his feet were flying—he felt like he could scale skyscrapers or walk a tightrope.
When he reached the garden, Pei Cangyu looked up. He didn't see Bai Shi among the rows of windows.
So, he cupped his hands around his mouth and let out a soft call: "Cuckoo, cuckoo..." —just like in the movies.
There was no response.
Pei Cangyu thought for a moment; maybe Bai Shi didn't watch much TV.
So, he tried a different call: "Yam, Yam?"
Then Yam—no, Bai Shi—opened the window, looking very nervous. "Watch out for that—"
Before he could finish, Pei Cangyu noticed it. A dog was staring at him intently, drool dripping from its mouth. It pawed at the ground, a low growl vibrating in its throat as it bared its teeth fiercely. A dog that didn't bark was the kind that bit hard.
Pei Cangyu turned to the dog, his eyes lighting up. He crouched down and reached out a hand. "Hey, this is a nice dog. Look at those big eyes."
The dog stiffened, stepping forward with its head lowered even further, its teeth grinding.
Pei Cangyu took a step forward, hand extended, and crouched to scratch the dog under its chin. "Why aren't you sleeping in the middle of the night? Do you get overtime pay? Since we’re so destined to meet, I’ll call you Madagascar..."
Up above, Bai Shi waved frantically at Pei Cangyu, his voice a forced whisper. "Get away from that dog!"
But then, he witnessed the ferocious beast slowly succumb to Pei Cangyu’s petting technique. It eventually sat down, tongue lolling out, tilting its neck for Pei Cangyu to scratch. Finally, it abandoned all dignity and rolled over, exposing its belly to the human. The drooling stopped, the pawing ceased, and its eyes even drifted shut.
Pei Cangyu gave its head a final pat. "But I have things to do. You stay here and don't move."
The dog sat perfectly still.
Pei Cangyu looked up at Bai Shi. "And then, Yam?"
"Come up."
Pei Cangyu assessed the situation. Climbing to the third floor wasn't too bad. Besides, the background music in his head had switched to *007*; scaling walls was no problem at all. Without a word, he rolled up his sleeves, leaving Bai Shi stunned.
Using the pipes for leverage and the tree-climbing skills of his childhood, Pei Cangyu nimbly ascended the building. He slipped once halfway up and had to restart, and when he looked up, he saw Bai Shi’s worried face. For some reason, the scene of him climbing while Bai Shi watched from the window reminded him of a fairy tale. He thought Bai Shi looked like Rapunzel.
Because he kept thinking about it, the first thing he said when he hopped through the window was, "Hey, don't we look like we're having a secret tryst?"
...Heaven be his witness, he’d misspoke. He had intended to say "this scene is a lot like a fairy tale," but the words that came out sounded incredibly strange. Especially given Bai Shi’s expression—and for some reason, music was playing in the room, a lingering, drifting melody that felt intensely intimate.
As for Bai Shi, he was staring at him in a daze, his face looking as blank as could be. Pei Cangyu regretted his words even more.
He scratched his head. "Let me say that again."
Bai Shi grabbed him, pulling him down from the windowsill. Upon landing, Pei Cangyu’s momentum carried him onto Bai Shi’s bed. Bai Shi lay down beside him.
The music was still playing. Pei Cangyu nudged Bai Shi. "Aren't you going to turn it off?"
Bai Shi didn't move. "In a bit."
"So, why did you ask me to come?" Pei Cangyu started to sit up, wanting to roll up his sleeves and show Bai Shi the fruits of his hard labor. "Look at the trouble I went through to get here..."
But he couldn't sit up. Bai Shi pulled him back down, and Pei Cangyu landed on the bed once more.
He lay on his back, noticing strange graffiti on the ceiling. Bai Shi was beside him, curled up and facing him, his breath warming Pei Cangyu’s right arm.
Pei Cangyu unzipped his coat. "It’s hot. Are you hot?"
Bai Shi didn't move or speak; he just stared at him.
Even without turning his head, Pei Cangyu could feel Bai Shi’s gaze.
Neither of them spoke, and neither moved. Pei Cangyu felt Bai Shi’s eyes on him, and for reasons he couldn't explain, he felt like this was quite nice.
The moon was the only light source in the dark room. A single beam of light fell across Pei Cangyu’s foot. He lifted his foot slightly, and the light shifted upward.
The music stopped. The room became very quiet.
"Where is this place?" Pei Cangyu asked, finding his voice uncontrollably soft.
"The Lizhi Institute," Bai Shi answered, his voice equally quiet.
But Bai Shi’s voice sounded right in his ear, ticklish. Pei Cangyu laughed and shifted, trying to move away, but Bai Shi reached an arm over to his other side, pulling him back and brushing against his clothes.
Pei Cangyu laughed and pushed him. "Hey, that tickles."
Bai Shi leaned in until he was practically at his ear, calling his name in a tone Pei Cangyu had never heard before.
"Pei Cangyu..."
His voice was suppressed and pained, saturated with an anxious, profound devotion. It made one feel that after saying the name, Bai Shi was about to announce his own death.
Pei Cangyu turned to look at Bai Shi, their noses nearly touching.
Bai Shi’s thick eyelashes fluttered, but he said nothing more.
Pei Cangyu heard something in the darkness and suddenly laughed, pressing his head against Bai Shi’s chest. "Whoa, your heart is beating so fast..."
***
