Cai Lang had moved farther than before, eventually reaching a place that felt uncomfortably familiar somewhere he and Lu Zhen had once spent long hours working side by side, arguing over details, sharing silence when words weren't needed. Now it felt colder than he remembered, as if the space itself had forgotten how to hold warmth. For a moment, Cai Lang just stood there. Then the present began to blur. The sharp edges of the room softened, and memory slipped in without permission.
Lu Zhen was sitting across from him at a cluttered table, papers scattered everywhere, ink stains on the edge of his fingers. He looked tired but there was a faint smile on his face. "You're doing it wrong again," Lu Zhen said, pushing a document slightly toward Cai Lang. Cai Lang didn't even look up. "It's not wrong. Your instructions are unclear."
Lu Zhen huffed softly, leaning back. "You always say that when you lose."
"I don't lose," Cai Lang replied flatly.
That earned a quiet laugh from Lu Zhen.
The scene shifted again. They were outside this same building, later in the evening. Lu Zhen was holding two small paper cups, handing one to Cai Lang without looking at him. "Drink it," he said. Cai Lang glanced at it. "What is it?" "Something warm," Lu Zhen replied. "Just take it." After a pause, Cai Lang took it. Lu Zhen watched him for a second, then smiled slightly. "See? Not everything needs interrogation." Cai Lang didn't respond, but he didn't refuse either.
For once, silence between them didn't feel heavy.
Another fragment. They were eating together at a small table, food half-finished, conversation drifting between work and nothing at all. Lu Zhen leaned forward slightly. "If something ever happens to me, don't look for reasons everywhere."
Cai Lang's chopsticks paused. " Why would something happen to you?" he asked.
Lu Zhen shrugged lightly. "Just saying."
A faint pause. Then Cai Lang replied, quieter than usual, "Nothing will happen." Lu Zhen studied him for a moment, then smiled again. "That's not how the world works."
The memory broke and the present returned all at once. The empty space in front of Cai Lang felt heavier now. He exhaled slowly, eyes narrowing slightly as he looked around the room again not at what was there, but what wasn't anymore. " You always talked too much," he muttered under his breath. A pause. Then, quieter "And I still didn't listen enough."
Silence pressed in around him, but this time it didn't feel empty. It felt accusing. His gaze lowered slightly, something darker settling beneath the surface of his expression.
Lu Zhen…Sorry. He said.
I couldn't protect you. His jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. For a moment, he said nothing more just stood there, letting the fragments of memory and reality overlap in a way that refused to separate. Then his thoughts shifted. I'll find out who did this.
His fingers curled slowly at his side.
And when I do… A brief pause.I won't let them forget it. His gaze lifted again, no hesitation left in now. What it means to wish for death… and still not be able to reach it.
His hand tightened slightly at his side. And the search continued.
The sound cut sharply through the stillness.
Cai Lang glanced at the screen Anxin.
He answered without hesitation. "What?"
"Where are you?" Anxin's voice came through immediately, calm but direct. "You're not at the apartment." "I'm outside," Cai Lang replied, his gaze still scanning the room around him. "Following something related to Lu Zhen."
A brief pause. " Did you find anything?" Anxin asked. "Nothing useful yet." Anxin exhaled lightly. "What about his death?" Cai Lang's jaw tightened slightly. " What about it?"
"Does it make sense to you?" Anxin continued. "The way it happened." "No." Cai Lang said flatly. "And Qiao Shiyan?" Anxin pressed. "That name does it mean anything now?"
" Not yet." Cai Lang replied, his tone growing colder. "But it will."
Silence lingered for a second before Anxin spoke again, quieter this time. "If something feels wrong… don't ignore it."
"I don't." Cai Lang replied.
Another pause. " Call me if you find anything." Anxin said. Cai Lang didn't answer immediately. Then he said."I will." He ended the call.
Before he could move again, his phone rang once more. This time Gu Wenyao. Cai Lang frowned slightly before answering. "What is it?" "Are you free?" Wenyao's voice came, calm as always. " Free?" Cai Lang echoed. "Why?" "I need to meet you," Wenyao said. "Now." Cai Lang's eyes narrowed. " About Lu Zhen?" A short pause. "Yes."
" Where?" Cai Lang asked. "There's a café near the main road," Wenyao replied. "You know it." "I'll be there." The call ended.
Cai Lang stood there for a second longer.
Elsewhere Suo Ran pushed open the door slowly. The hinges creaked faintly. Dust had settled over everything. The air inside the apartment felt stale, untouched for too long.
Jun Wei stepped in right after him and his entire face lit up. "Home!" he said brightly, his voice echoing slightly in the empty space.
Suo Ran paused at the entrance, looking around quietly. " Yeah." he said softly.
Behind them, Lian Ziho stepped in, glancing around with a faint frown. "You weren't kidding about the dust." Jun Wei didn't seem to care at all. He ran inside, his small footsteps kicking up light traces in the dust. "It's the same!" he said excitedly. "Nothing changed!" Suo Ran let out a faint breath, setting the bags down. " That's because no one's been here."
Jun Wei turned toward him immediately. "That means we have to clean!" Lian Ziho raised a brow slightly. "You sound very motivated." Jun Wei puffed his chest slightly. "I am!" Suo Ran couldn't help the faint smile that slipped through. "You say that now."
"I'll help!" Jun Wei insisted. "Alright," Suo Ran said, softer now. "We'll clean together."
Jun Wei nodded eagerly. "Yes!" Lian Ziho watched them both for a moment before sighing lightly. " Guess I'm included in this too." Suo Ran glanced at him. "You can leave if you want." Lian Ziho shook his head immediately. "Not happening."
Jun Wei pointed at him. "You have to help!"
" I figured." Lian Ziho muttered, but there was no resistance in his tone.The three of them started moving around the apartment opening windows, wiping surfaces, shaking out old cloths.
Jun Wei had taken his task very seriously.
He stood on a small stool near the window, tongue slightly sticking out in concentration as he wiped the glass with exaggerated effort. The cloth in his hand moved in uneven circles, leaving streaks more than actually cleaning anything. "Gege! I'm cleaning!" he announced proudly.
Suo Ran glanced over briefly, a faint smile appearing despite himself. "Be careful. Don't fall." "I won't!" Jun Wei replied confidently, though he wobbled slightly the next second before steadying himself again. "See? I'm strong!"
Meanwhile, Suo Ran was focused on clearing a cluttered shelf nearby, brushing off dust and stacking things neatly. His attention stayed fixed on what he was doing. He stepped back without looking. And bumped straight into the edge of a chair. The sudden shift in balance caught him off guard. His body tilted, about to fall but before he could react, he closed his eyes, a hand caught him firmly. Suo ran open his eyes and saw Lian Ziho.
One arm had already wrapped around Suo Ran's waist, pulling him back before he could lose his footing completely. The other steadied his shoulder. Everything stilled for a moment. Suo Ran blinked, slightly startled, his hand instinctively gripping Lian Ziho's sleeve. Their eyes met. Lian Ziho didn't let go immediately. His hand remained at Suo Ran's waist, fingers firm but not forceful.
His gaze lingered Lian Ziho's eyes flickered, briefly dropping to Suo Ran's lips before returning to his eyes.Then, slowly The distance between them shortened, inch by inch. Suo Ran's breath hitched almost imperceptibly, his body going still instead of retreating.For a second, it felt like everything else had disappeared the dust, the room, the quiet sounds of movement. Lian Ziho's hand at his waist tightened slightly, steadying him, holding him in place without force.
he leaned in closer than before.
"Gege! Look!" he said, holding up a random object he had found. Jun Wei's voice rang out brightly across the room..The moment shattered. Suo Ran blinked, pulling back instinctively as if waking from something he hadn't fully understood. Lian Ziho froze for half a second before stepping away as well, his hand dropping from Suo Ran's waist a beat too late." What is it?" Suo Ran asked, his voice a little softer than usual, not quite steady.
Jun Wei held up a random object excitedly, completely unaware of what he had interrupted. "I found this!" Suo Ran turned toward him, grateful for the distraction. "Where did you even get that?"
"It was hiding!" Jun Wei said proudly.
" I see." A small silence followed. Then the awkwardness settled in.
Lian Ziho turned away quickly, grabbing a cloth from the table. "I'll… clean this." he muttered, already wiping the surface with slightly too much focus, his movements just a little off. Suo Ran didn't look back at him.
" Jun Wei, get down from there." he said instead. "I'm almost done!"
"Now."
" Okay." Jun Wei climbed down reluctantly, still holding his "treasure."
Elsewhere Cai Lang arrived at the café not long after. The place was quiet and dimly lit, with only a few people scattered across the room, their low voices blending with the faint clink of cups and plates. He spotted Gu Wenyao immediately. Already seated. Already waiting. Wenyao raised a hand slightly as Cai Lang approached.
Cai Lang didn't waste time. He pulled the chair out and sat down across from him, his expression already tense. "What is it?"
Wenyao didn't answer immediately. Instead, he lifted a hand and gestured toward the waiter approaching their table. "Two drinks."
Cai Lang's brows tightened. "Wenyao," he said, his tone sharpening slightly, "I don't have time for this." "I know," Wenyao replied calmly, not the least bit affected by the impatience in his voice. "That's exactly why I called you."
The waiter stood by the table, waiting.
"Americano." Wenyao said first.
The waiter turned to Cai Lang. " Black coffee," Cai Lang replied without looking away from Wenyao. Once the waiter left, Cai Lang leaned forward slightly, his eyes fixed on the doctor. " Then say it." Wenyao studied him for a moment before speaking. "Are you ready to hear it?"
Cai Lang's jaw tightened. "Stop asking questions and just talk." A brief silence passed between them. Then Wenyao finally spoke. " Lu Zhen's death wasn't natural."
The words landed heavily. Cai Lang's entire expression stilled. For a second, even his breathing seemed to pause. " Explain."
Wenyao kept his gaze steady. "He didn't die because of his injuries." Silence.
The café noise around them suddenly felt distant. " What?" Cai Lang said slowly, his voice lower now. Wenyao didn't look away. "He was poisoned." For a second nothing moved. Cai Lang simply stared at him, his face unreadable, though something colder was already settling behind his eyes. " Poison?" he repeated. "Yes."
"Are you sure?" Cai Lang asked, his voice dangerously calm.
Wenyao's expression remained firm. "I'm a doctor. I don't say things like this unless I'm certain." The waiter returned then, setting the drinks down between them. Neither of them touched the cups. Cai Lang leaned back slightly, his mind already racing ahead. "What kind?" "I can't confirm the exact compound yet," Wenyao said, lowering his voice a little, "but it wasn't mild. Whatever it was, it accelerated the collapse of his system."
Cai Lang's fingers tapped lightly against the table once. Then again. " How?" he asked. "Through food? Injection? Medicine?"
"That's the problem," Wenyao replied. "There's no clear entry point." Cai Lang's eyes narrowed. "Meaning?" Wenyao folded his hands lightly in front of him. "Meaning it was either administered very carefully…" he said, pausing for emphasis, " or it was already in his body before he ever reached your apartment."
Silence settled heavily between them.
Cai Lang stared at the untouched coffee in front of him. " So someone tried to kill him."
"Yes." " And succeeded." Wenyao didn't respond. Cai Lang's gaze darkened slightly. " Do you think it happened at my place?"
Wenyao shook his head. "I can't confirm that." " But it's possible." "Yes."
A pause followed. Cai Lang's fingers stopped moving altogether. " Do you think he knew?" he asked after a moment. Wenyao looked at him carefully. " He was trying to say something before he lost consciousness, wasn't he?" Cai Lang's gaze sharpened immediately. " Yeah. he said qiao shiyan." He added "You've heard it right ?" Wenyao didn't deny it this time. " I have." "From where?" Cai Lang pressed.
Wenyao exhaled slowly, reaching for his cup at last but not drinking. " That's not something I can explain quickly." "That's not good enough." "I know," Wenyao said calmly, "but neither is jumping to conclusions."
Cai Lang leaned forward again, his voice colder now. " Do you think Qiao Shiyan is involved?" Wenyao was silent for a moment.
Then he answered carefully. "I think that if Lu Zhen used that name with his last strength…" he said, "then it matters." The words settled heavily. Cai Lang's eyes lowered briefly, his thoughts moving rapidly. Lu Zhen's broken voice. Don't trust ....Qiao Shiyan.
" Do you have any suspects?" Wenyao asked after a pause. Cai Lang didn't answer immediately. His gaze remained fixed on the dark surface of his coffee.
" No." he said quietly.
A brief silence followed. Then Wenyao spoke again, slower this time, more cautious.
" Do you think the person staying with you could be involved?" Cai Lang's expression shifted slightly. "What?" Wenyao held his gaze. "The one living there. Could they be connected to this?" Cai Lang's brows drew together. " Who?" A beat. " Suo Ran?"
Wenyao blinked faintly. "Oh so that's his name. Suo Ran." A small pause followed before he added, almost absentmindedly, "It's a nice name." The next second Cai Lang's hand slammed hard against the table.
The sharp sound cut through the quiet café.
A few people nearby turned to look. " Sorry ... sorry" wen yao apolized them. "Are you out of your mind?" Cai Lang's voice dropped, but it carried a dangerous edge now. "Are you trying to say Suo Ran is behind this?"
Wenyao was visibly taken aback. "Calm down I didn't say that." "You implied it," Cai Lang shot back immediately. "I said 'could be,'" Wenyao replied, keeping his voice controlled. "I'm looking at possibilities." Cai Lang's eyes darkened. "Then look somewhere else."
Wenyao raised a hand slightly, trying to ease the tension. "You're reacting emotionally."
"I'm reacting logically," Cai Lang said, his tone flat but cutting. "You're the one making baseless assumptions." "Cai Lang "
"I know exactly who you're talking about." Cai Lang interrupted. "And no he's not involved."
Wenyao studied him for a moment, then reached forward, noticing the faint smear of red on the table. " Your hand." he said.
Cai Lang glanced down briefly. His knuckles were split open from the impact. Blood had already started to seep out. Wenyao pulled out a small bandage from his coat pocket. "Hold still." He reached for Cai Lang's hand
but Cai Lang pulled back sharply, pushing his hand and the bandage away. "You don't get to say things like that casually," Cai Lang said, his voice lower now, but no less intense.
Wenyao exhaled, setting the bandage down slowly. "Alright. Fine." A pause. " That's on me," he admitted. "I shouldn't have said it like that." Cai Lang didn't respond. His hand remained on the table, blood still slowly dripping, untouched. "I'm sorry." Wenyao added quietly. Silence stretched between them again.
Wenyao studied him for a long moment. "Don't rush into this blindly." Cai Lang let out a short, humorless breath. "I don't do anything blindly." Wenyao's eyes held his. "That's not true." Silence. "Not when it comes to people you know." Wenyao added calmly. That hit deeper than it should have.
Cai Lang's jaw tightened slightly, but outwardly he remained composed. Instead of responding to that, he shifted the conversation back. " If someone poisoned him." he said, "then they were close enough to do it." "Yes."
" Or careful enough to avoid being seen."
"Yes."
Cai Lang's expression darkened further, his eyes growing colder with each thought.
" Then I'll find them." Wenyao didn't stop him.
He simply looked at Cai Lang quietly before saying, " Just don't let it consume you."
Cai Lang didn't answer. He left without saying anything else.
Cai Lang exhaled slowly as he started the engine, the low hum of the car filling the silence. He pulled onto the road, city lights stretching past in blurred streaks, but his thoughts refused to follow any steady path they only sharpened.
If it was poison, then it was deliberate. And if it was deliberate, then someone had been close enough, careful enough, patient enough to make sure it worked. That meant one thing this wasn't over.
His jaw clenched faintly as Wenyao's words surfaced again in his mind. Don't let it consume you. Cai Lang let out a quiet breath, his gaze fixed ahead. " Too late," he muttered under his breath. Another thought followed, quieter but sharper, cutting through the rest. Do you think the person staying with you..His expression hardened instantly. "Ridiculous." The word came out low, almost dismissive, yet it didn't settle anything. If anything, the fact that it had been said at all irritated him more than he expected. Suo Ran? No. The idea didn't even make sense. There was no reason, no logic behind it.
And yet Cai Lang's fingers tapped once against the steering wheel, a small, unconscious movement. It wasn't suspicion. Not really. Just something unresolved. Something that refused to sit quietly.The rest of the drive passed in silence, broken only by the steady sound of the engine and the distant noise of the city.
When he finally reached the apartment, he stepped out without hesitation, his movements sharper than usual, more controlled but carrying a quiet edge. The door opened with more force than necessary as he entered, the sound echoing briefly in the stillness inside.
Anxin was sitting alone in the living room when Cai Lang entered, but Cai Lang didn't acknowledge him at first. He walked straight past without a word, his steps steady but carrying a sharp edge, and went into the kitchen. He grabbed a glass, filled it with water, and drank it in one go, the glass hitting the counter a little harder than necessary when he set it down.
Only then did he return and sit beside Anxin, his posture relaxed on the surface but clearly not at ease. Anxin glanced at him, quietly studying his expression. "What happened?" he asked. "Why do you look so mad? Did something happen?" Cai Lang leaned back slightly, his voice flat and controlled. "Nothing. Don't worry about it." Anxin didn't look convinced, but he didn't press further.
Cai Lang's gaze drifted across the room, scanning without focusing on anything in particular. It was quiet. The kind of silence that didn't feel natural. "Why is it so silent?" he asked after a moment. "Where is everyone?" Anxin tilted his head slightly. "I don't know. Maybe they went out for some fresh air." Cai Lang frowned faintly. "Fresh air?" The answer didn't sit right with him without wasting another second, he pulled out his phone and dialed Suo Ran. The call rang, echoing faintly in the quiet room. No answer. His expression tightened just a little. He ended the call and dialed again still nothing.
A faint irritation crept into his gaze. He switched to another contact and called Lian Ziho. The phone rang, once, twice, longer this time but no one picked up. Cai Lang's jaw clenched. " Not picking up either," he muttered under his breath. Anxin straightened slightly, sensing the shift in his mood. "That's strange."
Cai Lang without another word, he turned and walked toward Suo Ran's room, his steps quicker now, more deliberate. Anxin followed behind him, quieter but alert. Cai Lang reached the door and pushed it open. The room was dark. He stepped inside and flipped the switch. Light filled the space instantly.
For a second, he didn't move. Everything was clean. There were no scattered toys, no clothes left behind, no small, careless traces of someone living there. No bag ,No belongings. Jun Wei's things were gone. Suo Ran's presence gone. The room looked untouched, like no one had stayed there at all Empty.
Cai Lang's jaw tightened slowly as the realization settled in. They had left. Without saying anything. Without a word. Behind him, Anxin spoke quietly, " They're not here." Cai Lang didn't respond. His gaze moved across the room once more, slower this time, taking in every detail, confirming what was already obvious. Then " Good, very good." he said. The word came out flat, unreadable, giving nothing away. Without another glance, he turned and walked out.