Cai Lang returned to his apartment late that evening.The hallway was quiet,and the light above his door flickered once before settling.He unlocked the door and stepped inside.The place was messy,with his coat thrown over the sofa,books left open on the coffee table,and a few files stacked beside the TV.There was empty cup near the edge of the table,and another was on the floor. Some clothes were left over a chair,and his shoes were still near the window.The curtains were only half closed,so a little light from outside came through.
Cai Lang closed the door behind him and locked it without making a sound.He stood there for a moment,his back against the door,and slowly ran a hand through his messy hair.His sleeves were still rolled up from earlier,and a few strands of hair had fallen across his forehead.He loosened the top button of his shirt and paused.His fingers stayed there for a moment as his mind returned to the mall.Why do I care? He pulled another button open harder than necessary.He decided to cut ties with me... His hand stopped.He made that choice...
He looked toward the floor.So why am I the one standing there like an idiot just because I thought I saw him?...He pulled the next button open.If he doesn't want me in his life,then fine.I'll stay out of it...His fingers tightened again.He told me to leave.I left... He looked toward the window.So why am I still worried about whether he's safe?...
Cai Lang suddenly pulled the shirt open and threw it onto the back of the sofa.He stood still for a moment and his hand moved to the back of his neck,and he rubbed it hard.
He walked toward the sofa and stopped beside it.His hand landed on the backrest, and his fingers tightened around the fabric. Fine.If cutting ties was what he wanted,I'll do it... He released his grip.He walked toward the table and picked up the empty cup.His grip tightened around it for a second before he put it beside the other one.He glanced at the files,but didn't open them.He reached into his coat pocket and touched the burned piece of paper.His fingers stayed there for a moment.Cai Lang stood quietly,then rubbed the back of his neck and let out a slow breath."What a day..." he muttered before walking toward the bedroom.
Cai Lang stood under the hot water and slowly lowered his head.The water ran through his hair,over his forehead and down his face.He lifted one hand and pushed his wet hair back,his fingers staying there for a moment as the water ran over them.He rested his other hand against the wall and closed his eyes.The heat moved across his shoulders and down his back,and for a few seconds,he let himself relax.He raised a hand to his neck and rubbed it lightly,then ran his fingers through his wet hair again, brushing it away from his face.Water slipped along his jaw and down his neck.
He opened his eyes and looked down at the bruise along his side.The skin had already turned darker.He touched it with his fingertips and winced slightly."Shen Mo..." he muttered under his breath.He turned back toward the water and let it run over his shoulders again.His hand moved through his wet hair as he stood there for another moment.The old document suddenly came back to him.The date flashed through his mind,followed by the number he had seen before.Lu Cheng's record.He frowned slightly and lowered his hand.The water continued to run over him,but he was no longer paying attention to it.
Five years earlier,the same apartment had been much neater.The desk near the window held only a few books and an open laptop,and the room was quiet except for the rain tapping against the glass.Cai Lang was sitting at the desk when three quick knocks came from the door.A short pause followed, then two more knocks.Cai Lang looked up from the laptop and listened for a moment before walking toward the door and opened it.
Lu Cheng stood outside.His hair was wet from the rain,and his coat was damp around the shoulders.He stepped inside quickly and turned his head toward the hallway before Cai Lang closed the door behind him.Cai Lang noticed and locked it.Lu Cheng stayed near the door for a moment,his eyes moving toward the window and then back to the door.Cai Lang watched him quietly.
Lu Cheng rubbed his wet hands together and took a slow breath. "What happened?" Cai Lang asked.Lu Cheng shook his head. "Nothing." He walked toward the window, then stopped and looked through the curtain.Cai Lang's eyes followed him. "Then why are you looking so scared?" Lu Cheng let the curtain fall and looked back at him.His fingers tightened around the edge of his coat. "I'm fine." Cai Lang's expression changed slightly.He knew Lu Cheng well enough to know that something was wrong.
Lu Cheng walked toward the desk.His hand stayed inside his coat pocket for a few seconds before he finally pulled out a small object wrapped in a dark piece of cloth.He placed it on the desk between them.Cai Lang looked down at it. "Keep this safe."Lu Cheng said.Cai Lang didn't touch it. "What is this and why are you giving to me?"Lu Cheng looked at him for a moment. "Because I can't keep it with me." Lu Cheng pushed the object slightly closer.Cai Lang finally picked it up."Don't open it."Lu Cheng said. Cai Lang looked at him. "Just trust me."
Cai Lang held his gaze for a moment before closing his fingers around the object. "Fine."
Lu Cheng shoulders lowered slightly,but his eyes still moved toward the door.Cai Lang noticed. "You should leave this alone."he said.Lu Cheng gave a faint smile. "I would,if I could." He stepped back from the desk and adjusted his coat.Cai Lang watched him for a moment."You say that when you've already gone too far." Lu Cheng looked at him and laughed,but there was no humor in it. "Maybe this time I went a little too far." "A little?" Cai Lang's eyes dropped to the object in his hand.Lu Cheng looked at it too. "You don't need to know everything." "You came to me in the middle of the night and handed me something you won't even explain."
Lu Cheng's smile faded.He looked toward the rain-covered window. "Some things are safer when only one person knows." Cai Lang studied him. "And you chose me." Lu Cheng was quiet for a moment. "I knew you wouldn't ask me to hand it back." Cai Lang looked at him. "You know me that well?" Lu Cheng smiled tiredly. "Unfortunately." The rain grew louder against the glass.Lu Cheng lowered his eyes. "If they find it with me,it won't matter what I say." His fingers tightened around the edge of his coat.Cai Lang's hand closed around the object.
Lu Cheng walked toward the door.Cai Lang followed him,but didn't stop him.When Lu Cheng reached it,he stood there without opening it.The rain outside had become quieter,and for a few seconds the only sound in the room was the clock near the window.Lu Cheng looked down at the floor,then spoke without turning around."If I don't come back,don't tell Lian Ziho."Cai Lang stopped."Why?"Lu Cheng was silent for a moment.He looked toward the window where the rain had left thin lines across the glass."Because he'll come looking for me."
Cai Lang's eyes narrowed.Lu Cheng gave a small smile,but there was no humor in it."You know him.He won't care who tells him to stay away.If he thinks I'm in trouble, he'll come."He finally turned around.His face was pale,and the tiredness in his eyes made him look older than he had when he arrived."That's what scares me."
Cai Lang stared at him for a few seconds. Then he stepped closer."And what about me?"Lu Cheng's expression changed. "What about you?""You think I can't protect you?"Cai Lang's voice stayed low,but the anger in it was clear.He reached out and caught the edge of Lu Cheng's coat for a moment before letting it go."You come here in the middle of the night,you hand me something you won't explain,and then you tell me to stay out of it."Lu Cheng looked at him,but said nothing.Cai Lang took another step closer."Do you really think I'm going to stand here and watch you walk into something alone?"
Lu Cheng lowered his eyes.His fingers closed around his sleeve."That's not what I meant."Cai Lang laughed and looked away for a moment."Then what did you mean?"Lu Cheng lifted his eyes again."I came here because I know I can rely on you."Cai Lang's face changed slightly.Lu Cheng took a small step closer."If I didn't trust you,I wouldn't have brought it here."His eyes moved briefly toward Cai Lang's coat where the object was hidden."I know you'll keep it safe.I know you won't open it just because you're worried about me.And I know that if something happens to me,you won't let the wrong people find it."
Cai Lang looked down for a moment.His hand rested against the edge of the desk. "You make it sound like you're already saying goodbye."Lu Cheng's eyes lowered. "Maybe I am."Cai Lang looked back at him at once.Lu Cheng saw the change in his face and shook his head."I'm not asking you to save me."He paused,then spoke more quietly."I'm asking you to trust me enough to let me handle this my way."Cai Lang's jaw tightened."And if I don't?"Lu Cheng smiled. "Then you wouldn't be the person I came to."
For a few seconds,Cai Lang said nothing.Lu Cheng reached up and lightly pushed a wet strand of hair away from his forehead."You always think protecting someone means standing in front of them."He looked directly at Cai Lang."Sometimes it means knowing when to stand beside them instead."Cai Lang watched him carefully."You always talk like you know how this ends."Lu Cheng shook his head."I don't."His voice became softer."That's why I'm afraid."Cai Lang's expression changed when he heard that.Lu Cheng rarely admitted when he was afraid. He looked toward the door,then back at Cai Lang."Just don't make me choose between coming back alive and knowing Lian Ziho is safe."
Cai Lang hesitated for a second.His lips parted,but the words didn't come easily. "I..."He looked at Lu Cheng,his eyes searching his face."I don't know if I can—"Lu Cheng turned toward him."Cai Lang."Cai Lang went quiet.Lu Cheng gave him a small smile,but his eyes were tired."You don't have to promise me everything."He reached for the door."Just promise you'll keep him out of this."Cai Lang took a step forward."Lu Cheng—"But Lu Cheng had already opened the door.He looked back once."Take care of yourself."Then he stepped into the hallway and left.Cai Lang stood there for a moment, watching the empty doorway before slowly closing it.
Cai Lang opened his eyes when a cough caught in his throat.He took a breath and turned his face away from the water for a moment.He was still standing under the shower,with hot water running over his shoulders.He wiped his face with one hand and reached for the towel and dried his face first,then rubbed it through his wet hair. Water still ran down his neck and shoulders as he wrapped the towel around his neck.
He looked at himself in the mirror for a moment.His hair was messy from the water, and a few strands stuck to his forehead.He pushed them back with his fingers and let out a quiet breath."Still thinking about it..."he muttered.
Cai Lang stepped out of the bathroom.His upper body was still damp,and the towel was wrapped around his neck.He walked to the chair beside the bed,where he had left his clothes.He picked up his night clothes and pulled them on,then pushed his wet hair back with both hands.He looked at himself in the mirror for a moment before turning away.
He walked over to the desk and pulled open the top drawer.It was filled with old papers, keys,and a few small things he had kept over the years.
Cai Lang moved them aside one by one until his fingers touched something hard beneath an old notebook.He pulled it out and found a small metal box.He placed the box on the desk and looked at it for a moment.Then he slowly opened it.Inside was a piece of dark cloth,folded neatly and worn at the edges. Cai Lang's eyes narrowed.He reached in and picked it up,his fingers resting on the faded cloth.A memory came back to him. Lu Cheng standing near the door five years ago.His wet hair,his tired face,and the way he kept looking toward the hallway. "Keep it hidden." Cai Lang looked down at the cloth in his hand.His fingers tightened around it.
Cai Lang slowly opened the dark cloth.He turned it over in his hand and noticed a thin line along the side.He ran his thumb over it and found a small hidden cover.He pressed it,and the cover opened and he saw small memory card inside.Cai Lang took it out and looked at it for a moment.He walked to the desk,turned on his laptop,and inserted the card.He waited as the files appeared on the screen.There were several folders.
Cai Lang opened the first one,and a group of photographs appeared.At first,nothing looked unusual.There were pictures of the university,old streets,cars,and different places around the city.Then he saw Lu Cheng in several of them.Sometimes he was alone.Sometimes Lian Ziho was with him.Cai Lang moved through the pictures slowly,looking at each one.Then he stopped.
He went back to the previous picture and looked closer.A dark figure stood in the background.He opened the next photograph.The same person was there again.This time,the figure was farther away, standing near a parked car.Cai Lang clicked through a few more pictures.The person appeared again and again.
Cai Lang opened the recordings folder and played the first file.Lu Cheng's voice came through the speakers,quiet and calm.The first few recordings were short and ordinary. Cai Lang listened to a few of them,then opened the next one.For a few seconds, there was only silence.Then Lu Cheng spoke in a low voice."He's watching Lian Ziho now."Cai Lang stopped moving.His hand remained above the desk as he listened.Lu Cheng continued talking about the same person from the photographs.He kept his voice low and said the person had been following Lian Ziho and was now watching him more closely.
The recording suddenly stopped.Cai Lang looked at the screen and checked the time. His expression slowly changed.The recording had been made only a few hours before Lu Cheng disappeared.He checked the timestamp once,then again.His eyes stayed on the date and time."No..."he whispered.Cai Lang leaned back slowly and rubbed his jaw,trying to put the pieces together.He opened the recording again and played the last few seconds.
Lu Cheng's voice came through once more, quiet and tense."He's watching Lian Ziho now."Then the audio cut out again.Cai Lang stopped the playback and looked at the photographs.He opened one of them and zoomed in on the figure standing across the street.The person's face was hidden,but the same dark coat appeared in another photograph.He opened another file,and there it was again.Cai Lang's fingers stopped on the mouse."Who are you?"he muttered.
Then faint sound suddenly came from the laptop.Cai Lang froze.His hand stopped above the mouse,and his eyes fixed on the screen.He leaned closer and listened.The recording had already ended,but something had played after the silence.He quickly moved the cursor back and played the last few seconds again.This time,he heard it clearly.A quiet breath came through the speakers,followed by a few words in a voice so low that he almost missed them."Don't trust Cai."Cai Lang went completely still.His fingers slowly tightened around the mouse. He stared at the empty recording bar,his eyes widening slightly."What the *@#!"He played it again.His hand moved faster this time,but the voice didn't come back.He checked the file,then the timestamp,and played the ending again but there was nothing.
Later that night,Suo Ran and Jun Wei were back at home.The shopping bags were still near the sofa,and Jun Wei had taken out an old box from the cupboard.He sat on the floor and opened it,looking through the clothes and random things inside.He was supposed to choose a costume for his school annual day,but after a few minutes,it was clear that he had other ideas. He first came out wearing a large black coat that was clearly too big for him.The sleeves covered his hands,and the hood fell so low that he could barely see.He walked slowly across the room like a mysterious stranger, then turned when the coat dragged across the floor.
Suo Ran looked at him from the sofa.Jun Wei stood there for a few seconds,waiting for his reaction.Then he pulled the hood back and shook his head."Not this one."He went to change again. A few minutes later,he returned wearing a white shirt with a long red scarf tied around his waist like a belt.He had also put on sunglasses even though it was night.He picked up a wooden stick and held it over his shoulder like a hero from an old movie.He took two serious steps forward, but the scarf suddenly came loose and fell to the floor.
Jun Wei looked down at it,then slowly picked it up and put it back in the box. His next attempt was even stranger.He found an old blanket and wrapped it around his shoulders like a royal robe.He placed a small paper crown on his head and walked toward the mirror with a serious expression.He lifted one hand as if greeting a crowd,but the blanket slipped from his shoulder and he nearly stepped on it.He quickly caught it and stood straight again.Suo Ran covered his mouth for a moment.Jun Wei noticed and immediately went back to the bedroom.
This time,he came out wearing two different shoes.He had also put a small backpack on his chest instead of his back and stuck several paper stars onto his sweater.He stood in front of the mirror and turned from side to side,checking the stars.One of them slowly fell off and landed on the floor.Jun Wei stared at it for a moment before picking it up and pressing it back onto his sweater. Then he tried a detective costume.He wore a dark jacket,put on a cap,and carried a small notebook in one hand.He walked around the room slowly,looking under the table and behind the sofa as if he were searching for clues.He stopped beside Suo Ran and opened the notebook.There was nothing written inside.Jun Wei stared at the empty page,then slowly closed it and walked away. He returned again with a pair of fake animal ears on his head.He wrapped the scarf around his neck and stood in front of the mirror.He tilted his head to one side,then the other.The ears moved with him.He smiled and tried another pose before the ears slipped sideways.Jun Wei quickly fixed them and looked at himself again.
After that,he found a long piece of cloth and tied it around his shoulders like a cape.He ran across the room once,but the cloth caught on the corner of the sofa and pulled him back.He stopped,looked at the cloth, and carefully untied it."Too dangerous!"he muttered before throwing it onto the pile. Finally,he picked up the simplest costume from the chair.It actually fit him.He stood in front of the mirror for a while,checking the sleeves and collar before giving a small nod.Suo Ran looked over from the sofa. "That one is fine."Jun Wei looked at him through the mirror and smiled.He placed the costume on the chair for tomorrow, then started putting the other clothes back into the box.He stopped when he found the paper crown again.He looked at it for a second,then put it on his head and walked toward his room.
Suo Ran watched him and quietly shook his head.He stood up and started putting the remaining clothes away.He picked up the small paper crown from the sofa and turned it over in his hand.A small piece of tape was still stuck to the side.He rubbed it with his thumb,then remembered another time when Cai Lang had done something similar.He had once fixed a torn paper badge on Suo Ran's coat before they went out, complaining that Suo Ran never noticed when something was falling apart.Suo Ran had laughed at him then.He looked down at the paper crown again,and the small smile on his face slowly disappeared. He placed it on the table and walked toward the window. The glass reflected his face in the dark room.
His eyes stayed on the dark window.
Earlier that evening,He had been walking with Jun Wei when he caught sight of Cai Lang in the mirror across the corridor.Cai Lang was talking to someone and looked serious.Suo Ran slowed down and stopped without realizing it.The shopping bags slipped from his hand and dropped.His eyes stayed on Cai Lang. "Ge-ge?"Jun Wei looked up at him.Suo Ran didn't answer.He kept staring for a few seconds,as if he had forgotten where he was.Jun Wei followed his gaze,then reached down and grabbed his hand."Ge-ge,come on."
Suo Ran didn't move at first.Jun Wei pulled him again,and he finally bent down to pick up the bags,but his eyes went back to Cai Lang almost immediately.Jun Wei took his hand and started pulling him farther down the corridor.Suo Ran followed,but he turned his head once more.Cai Lang was still standing there.Then a group of people passed between them,and Suo Ran couldn't see him anymore.He looked forward again and tightened his grip on the bags before quietly walking after Jun Wei.
Suo Ran looked away from the window.He stood there for a moment,his fingers resting against the edge of the table."Some people leave your life,"he said quietly."But that doesn't mean they stop being part of it."He lowered his eyes and let out a slow breath. "Sometimes,the hardest part is knowing you still care,and choosing not to go back."