Chapter 30 – You actually dislike white hair!
The next morning, Jiang Yujin had buried himself under the covers when the ringing of his phone, placed at the edge of his bed, woke him up.
Without opening his eyes, he reached out, feeling around the bed until he found the phone. He then tucked his hand back under the covers and answered the call based on instinct.
It was a call from the Special Investigation Unit, asking for a brief inquiry and record-keeping regarding the events from yesterday for documentation.
Still in a state of sleepiness, Jiang Yujin didn't retain any impression of what was said on the other end, except for the mention of the SIU and two keywords in the inquiry. After hanging up, he drifted about like a wandering soul.
The high schooler in the kitchen hadn't prepared his breakfast. He seemed surprised when he saw him leaning against the door in the living room, then fetched a bowl from the cabinet.
That morning, Jiang Yujin himself couldn't recall what he had eaten. After finishing the meal, he drifted out of the house.
Having made a good amount yesterday, he didn't feel the need to hold back. He hailed a taxi and slept through the ride.
The consequence of that nap was that by the time he got off the taxi, he had completely lost his sense of direction. He walked straight towards an unfamiliar bureau across from the SIU until a security guard timely pulled him back.
Inside the office building, after finally locating the correct office, he sat down at the desk and yawned.
The person contacting him appeared quite young, holding several sheets of records and a pen. Perhaps not yet proficient in the job, they seemed oddly nervous. Standing beside the young officer was someone who appeared relaxed. He even turned and handed a glass of water to Jiang Yujin, saying, "Please."
The person handing the water was Hu Li, but not dressed in a floral shirt.
Jiang Yujin didn't drink the water. He looked at the officer, hoping for a quick question-and-answer session to conclude promptly.
The officer seemed tense but had decent professionalism, aided by Hu Li's reminder. It was efficient. Jiang Yujin selectively disclosed some facts consistently, responding fluently.
What he said aligned with the confessed details from Li Ying and the other three people. No issues arose.
Once the inquiry concluded, the officer began packing up, preparing to escort the citizen surnamed Jiang back. However, after standing by for quite some time, Hu Li straightened up and said, "I'll take him back."
Jiang Yujin didn't say anything, just got up and walked out.
It didn't matter who escorted him; he just wanted to get back soon to watch the morning news replay.
The building wasn't bustling in the morning. Hu Li glanced at the person next to him and remarked, "You're quite good at finding people."
Jiang Yujin modestly replied, "Just decently good."
A hint of a smile appeared on Hu Li's face as he continued, "Can you help me find someone?"
Jiang Yujin looked at him.
Hu Li said, "I'm looking for a person with white hair. Have you come across anyone like that?"
"White hair?" Jiang Yujin shook his head. "That's too broad."
He patted his pocket and said, "I've received enough commissions recently. Wait until I run out of money."
As they reached the building's main entrance, the man in a wrinkled shirt found another taxi and got into the car.
Hu Li stood at the door, watching the person leave, then turned around.
It's like finding a needle in a haystack, but sometimes, you just have to try.
*
Due to eavesdropping on the gossip from the aunties downstairs while he was buying groceries, Jiang Yujin ultimately missed the replay of the morning news.
With his wallet temporarily full and himself comfortably laid back, he shut his door for an entire week. It wasn't until the high schooler returned home with a receipt for the data fee that he became slightly aware of the situation and reopened the door.
During the weekend, when the high schooler mentioned going to the municipal library to study, Jiang Yujin lounged on the couch with a plush toy goose, watching a melodramatic urban drama. Just when it reached a thrilling part, an advertisement popped up, and the doorbell rang, marking his first commission after reopening the door.
The person lying on the couch with the plush goose got up to open the door. A figure with a tightly-covered head wearing a hat appeared at the doorway.
This person seemed quite young, with clear yet melancholic eyes.
Jiang Yujin moved aside to let the person come in and offered water to both of them.
After taking a sip of water, tears started rolling down the other person's cheeks when they put the cup down.
Jiang Yujin was taken aback, his action of drinking water pausing abruptly as he immediately handed over some tissue.
"…"
"Shhh—"
The person sitting across wiped away their tears, and with it, their runny nose, finally stabilizing their emotions before introducing themselves.
They said their name was Zhao Lin, a student from A University, who came here to investigate the hair disappearance incident.
Jiang Yujin took a sip of water, then glanced up.
Zhao Lin took off his hat.
"…"
Such a shiny bald head!
Even under the lighting, that head was gleaming. Jiang Yujin held back the water he had just sipped, managing not to spit it out.
—Well, not entirely bald. There were a few remnants of white hair left on the head, a trace of remaining dignity.
Zhao Lin began to recount his painful ordeal.
The anomaly had already appeared at the beginning of the month. At that time, a student went to the bathhouse late at night and inexplicably passed out in the restroom. The next morning, they were found sleeping soundly in the middle of the road. Upon waking, they claimed their hair seemed sparser than usual, but others dismissed it as an excuse for hair loss and didn't take it seriously.
However, a few days later, the second incident occurred. Another student went to the bathhouse late at night and similarly fainted, but the difference this time was waking up with a large chunk of hair missing.
Then, he became the third student involved in the incidents. Upon awakening, all of his hair… except for a few remaining white strands, had vanished.
He reported this to the school authorities, but they didn't believe him. The dorms lacked surveillance due to student privacy concerns, and he couldn't provide evidence. Eventually, he had to give up seeking official help and turned to a private agency.
The prominent agency charged too high a fee, and he didn't have enough money. That's how he ended up finding his way here.
As Zhao Lin recounted the heartbreaking events again, his nose reddened once more. Before he could start crying again, Jiang Yujin asked, "Are there any other unusual occurrences?"
Zhao Lin fell silent for a moment and then said, "There were also underwear disappearances on our floor. Several people mysteriously lost their underwear."
Calculating the timing, it seemed to coincide with the emergence of the anomaly.
Before the advertisement break ended, he accepted the task.
After finishing a glass of water, Zhao Lin, understandingly polite, didn't intend to disturb further. He put on his hat, preparing to leave, when the TV suddenly blared:
"I really have nothing going on with him, and you're the same, getting close to her!"
"I only treated her like a little sister! She's been through a lot before, can't you understand?"
"…" The college student stayed, "Actually, it's not that urgent."
He stayed and watched an entire episode of the show. After finishing, still immersed in the melodramatic excitement, he repeatedly contemplated it on his way back to school.
Jiang Yujin followed him into the school. To blend into the dorms, he even washed his face and tidied the stubble on his chin, wore a white T-shirt, looking even more like a college student than the college student.
—Then he got stopped by the dorm manager.
The dorm manager behind the counter glanced up casually at him and said, "Non-residents aren't allowed in."
Jiang Yujin tried to argue, "How am I a non-resident?"
The lady raised her eyes, "Are those the eyes of a college student?"
Jiang Yujin turned to look at the actual college student's eyes.
Clear, bright, without a hint of gloominess, utterly innocent.
Citizen Jiang abandoned the disguise of being a college student.
In the afternoon, a janitor dressed in a blue uniform entered the dormitory with their tools.
Wandering through the floors, the janitor casually opened a window on one floor, pretended to mop a bit with the mop, then propped it against the wall, opened a soda, and left with their tools, exhibiting a completely lackadaisical work ethic.
Outside the dorm, the negligent janitor Jiang removed his hat, revealing disheveled hair, and handed over his equipment to the real janitor resting nearby.
Late at night,
The dormitory lights gradually dimmed, and the noise within reduced.
The window in the empty hallway was left open as a figure smoothly climbed in.
Jiang Yujin, still wearing today's white T-shirt, reached for the bathhouse door handle when a shadow appeared beside him. He turned.
It was Zhao Lin, still wearing a hat even at this hour, whispering, "I also want to see what's really going on."
He couldn't afford to lose his hair without a proper explanation.
Jiang Yujin didn't respond. He gestured for Zhao Lin to step back against the wall. Zhao Lin was about to say something, but Jiang Yujin silenced him with a hushing gesture.
Footsteps echoed down the corridor, and a third figure emerged.
Zhao Lin fell silent, his heart pounding a bit faster as he cautiously peeked around the corner.
The figure that appeared in the hallway wasn't the humanoid creature he had imagined; it was a genuine person.
One side of the corridor housed the dorms, while the other side held the balcony where everyone dried their clothes. He watched as the person walked toward the balcony, looked around, rummaged through the clothes, grabbed something, then swiftly left, returning to the dorm.
Zhao Lin: "…"
Jiang Yujin remained unfazed, saying, "It seems like your hair disappearance and the underwear vanishing might not be related."
Zhao Lin realized it too but couldn't articulate anything. He remained in a state of inexplicable shock, lacking any joy of solving the case, even as they entered the bathhouse.
After Jiang Yujin closed the bathhouse door behind him, he scanned the area.
It looked almost the same as when he scouted it in the afternoon—damp but tidy, showing no apparent abnormalities.
Though fearful, Zhao Lin revisited the spot where he had collapsed earlier, hoping to find some clue.
He couldn't find anything unusual, not even after circling the bathhouse or examining it thoroughly.
Returning to the starting point, he turned to Jiang Yujin. "Seems like there's nothing here."
As if the previous events had never happened, Jiang Yujin remained remarkably composed.
Jiang Yujin's gaze shifted away from the corner drain, offering no response. His phone vibrated in his pocket, and as he checked it, he found a message from the high schooler, inquiring about dinner plans and when he would return.
He lowered his head to reply to the message.
Unnoticeable black, thread-like substances appeared from the corner, crawling up the wall and onto the light fixture.
Subtle electrical crackling echoed, and suddenly, the entire space went dark. The sound of droplets from the faucet hitting the tiles resonated, unnervingly eerie for no apparent reason.
Eyes adjusted to the darkness, with moonlight seeping in from the window, Zhao Lin could now discern the outlines of various objects in the room.
He shifted his gaze and saw something emerging from the drainpipe that Jiang Yujin had been watching before, threads and strands of it, multiplying and surging, pushing the drain cover aside.
Hair-like black entities ascended the wall, reached the ceiling, and gradually descended, nearing Jiang Yujin who was still focused on composing his message.
It was evident that this entity had caused the series of events before.
Realizing he had been attacked while unconscious in such an oblivious state, goosebumps covered Zhao Lin's arms. He summoned unknown strength and instantly pushed the person still standing beside him, engrossed in the dinner menu, to the side.
Aware of the movements of the black strands, Jiang Yujin was taken aback by the sudden push. Protecting his phone first, he swiftly sent a message.
As he placed the phone back in his pocket, he looked up to see the dangling black strands momentarily stop, then start bending and heading towards him. This time, they approached much faster than before.
With Zhao Lin's hair already taken by the entity and avoiding entanglement, he made a dash for the door, attempting to open it and escape. However, through the corridor's faint light, Zhao Lin noticed the door crack was filled with strands, sealing the door and frame tightly shut, even extending to the windows, completely sealing them off.
Jiang Yujin slightly sidestepped, evading the attacking strands, and instead of heading towards the door like Zhao Lin, he moved calmly toward the corner drain.
As he approached the drain, the strands above him multiplied, nearly enveloping his entire body.
The strands in front of him grew thick enough to make one's scalp tingle. His expression remained unchanged as he scanned through the dense tangle of hair.
Amid the entangled hair, he found a strand with the thickest diameter, housing tiny eyes on its surface, densely packed together.
When Zhao Lin, attempting to open the door, glanced back, all he could see was the hair enveloping the person in the corner. His pupils quivered in an instant.
Just as he was about to collapse to the ground, the constantly moving strands suddenly stopped, freezing the entire space.
The strands entangled around a few white hair strands were forcibly detached, revealing a segment of white hair.
Before Jiang Yujin could sever the thickest strand, the entangled hair that wrapped around the white strands retracted, quickly retreating to the corner from where it emerged.
It's hard to describe, but there was an inexplicable sense of disdain lingering in the air.
Jiang Yujin recalled the few remaining white strands on Zhao Lin's head.
This entity seemed to harbor a strong aversion to white hair.
Jiang Yujin: "…"
The strands withdrew into the drain, and the previously lifted drain cover returned to its original position.
Zhao Lin, standing by the door, rushed over and found the person previously enveloped by the hair was unharmed and intact, letting out a sigh of relief.
Jiang Yujin stood in front of the drain, his eyelids drooping, and after a while, he diverted his gaze.
Having encountered the strange species, Zhao Lin promptly dialed the SIU hotline on his phone.
The previously sealed windows and doors were now accessible again. Jiang Yujin, realizing he shouldn't be there, willingly retraced his steps. To avoid unnecessary trouble, Zhao Lin, having learned from Jiang Yujin's approach, selectively concealed the presence of the other person at the scene, merely stating that he accidentally witnessed the appearance of the strange species.
Jiang Yujin departed but didn't completely leave. With a swift support, he climbed over the courtyard wall and made a call to Shi Bu.
As the call connected, he lowered his eyes and said, "Do you know about hair bleach?"
Shi Bu arrived before the SIU did.
Breathless, he handed over what he was holding.
*
The SIU worked late into the night. The vehicles turned off their lights and quietly entered the school.
Despite the low profile, it still managed to alert some students.
The team borrowed a drainage pipeline map from the school. They traced the incidents back to the original drainage cover and eventually pinpointed the convergence point of all the pipes.
Students from the related dormitories were awakened, temporarily leaving their rooms. The school provided classrooms for them to wait in, although they were too anxious to observe and just stared out of the windows.
After locating the convergence point, the team sent someone into the sewer. When movement was detected, a vast amount of tangled black hair emerged, much larger than anticipated.
Watching from a distance, Zhao Lin was suddenly frozen in shock.
Not only was the strange species much larger than he had imagined, but its color had also changed. It turned white, stained with dirt, slightly tinged with yellow, and had nothing to do with black hair.
He suddenly realized that this thing could change color.
Perhaps due to the attack, even from a considerable distance, he seemed to sense the despair and pain of the strange species.
*
Jiang Yujin thoughtfully used Shi Bu's exclusive powerful hair bleach for the long-haired strange species. After the incident, Jiang Yujin returned home contentedly and even received a commission from Zhao Lin on the way back.
The SIU seemed to have resolved the strange species. It wasn't as fast as expected, but still quicker than anticipated.
Jiang Yujin took a taxi back.
Originally, Shi Bu wanted to accompany him and see where he lived, but Jiang Yujin directly refused and sent him back.
He had no intention of letting Shi Bu meet Chen Jing.
With the habit of never keeping secrets, this silly fellow would definitely spill the beans to Chen Jing, giving some material to dig out the family background and help count it by the way.
When Jiang Yujin opened the door, the high schooler was still studying in the living room, and the aroma of food filled the air. The dishes were already laid out on the table.
With finals approaching, the high schooler visibly stayed up later each night.
Noticing Jiang Yujin's return, Chen Jing put away his books and stood up. "Wash your hands; dinner's ready."
Being the parent, Jiang Yujin went along with what the high schooler said and enjoyed the meal.
The table was filled with dishes he had ordered. He took his seat at the table, and after the high schooler took his papers back to his room and returned, he sat down with him.
As he passed by Jiang Yujin, Chen Jing glanced casually, then abruptly stopped, his steps halted.
Among the pile of black hair on the person sitting at the table, there were a few strands of white hair, stark against the black. The roots were black, but the ends were white.
He noticed it and voiced it out.
Jiang Yujin swallowed the food in his mouth and casually said, "Maybe I bumped into something."
Rubbing his hair, he added, "A wash later should take care of it."
His attitude was relaxed, his expression unchanged. Chen Jing simply took a glance and didn't pay much more attention, sitting down across from him. It was a very ordinary and yet delicious dinner.
Home
2023
December
7
Infinite Game Ch.31.1
Boys Love Supernatural Unlimited Flow
Infinite Game Ch.31.1
December 7, 2023Aris
Chapter 31.1 – F City
Sitting at the dinner table, the high schooler finished eating and set down the chopsticks. Then he mentioned Xiao Pang.
"With the finals coming up, he wanted to come over and stay for a couple of days to catch up on some lessons." Finally, he asked, "Is it okay?"
Citizen Jiang who never refused reasonable requests from the high schooler, shed the tears of an old father.
When the high schooler first arrived, he was cautious and overly responsible. It was his first time bringing a friend home to stay overnight.
Chen Jing: "…"
"Stop pretending. Finish your meal quickly." He would have to wash the dishes after this person finished eating.
Seeing this, Jiang Yujin wiped away his fake tears and quickly finished his meal.
It wasn't until after the meal, when the sound of the dishwasher ceased and night quietly returned, that this day was considered completely over.
Early the next morning, the high schooler got up to go to the station to pick up Xiao Pang. Jiang Yujin also got up and went downstairs.
The barbershop was already open, the owner smoking and still cleaning.
"Morning, boss."
Jiang Yujin took the initiative and found a seat, pointing to his hair, half of it already turned white. "Dye it again, please."
The barbershop owner lowered his eyes and picked up the scissors directly.
As the blade rose and fell, a few white hairs drifted slowly down, simple, direct, and fast.
Losing a few strands of hair, Jiang Yujin immediately got into a scuffle with the owner. Later, catching sight of someone, he forcibly stopped, stomping a couple more times on the freshly mopped floor before leaving the shop.
After the primary school student left, the owner bent down to pick up the few strands of hair that had fallen to the ground. Tiny sparks flickered as the hair turned to ashes in his hand, scattering on the floor. He wiped it clean with a mop.
The high schooler, accompanied by Xiao Pang, met Jiang Yujin at the foot of the building, and the three of them went upstairs together.
Arriving at Chen Jing's house once again, Xiao Pang was already familiar with the way.
The guest room hadn't been tidied up yet. The reliable adult attempted to display his parental skills by trying to help organize.
"Chen Jing, where are the blankets?"
"Where are the new towels we haven't unpacked yet?"
"The light in this room is broken. Can you fix it?"
Chen Jing: "…"
The reliable adult was politely invited out of the team cleaning up the guest room and wiped away the non-existent sweat.
Though he didn't do anything, he still exerted effort.
Xiao Pang followed along to help tidy up, feeling inexplicably complex and unable to articulate his emotions.
It was hard to imagine that the usually composed, reserved, and imposing person was actually the backbone of household chores, extremely skilled in cleaning the room.
Glancing at the person who had already taken out a cold beer to lie on the couch and turned on the TV to reward himself for his labor, Xiao Pang fell silent for a moment.
Yet, it suddenly didn't seem so hard to imagine.
By the time the guest room was finally cleaned up, Jiang Yujin had already watched an episode of the TV series, and tossed the remnants of the beer into the trash can.
While Xiao Pang, carrying his backpack, went into the high schooler's room.
He took the books out of his backpack and pretended to neatly arrange them on the table. Holding a pen in his hand, Xiao Pang looked at the person opposite, showing a hint of pity, "You've worked hard."
Chen Jing took out a sheet of paper but remained silent.
Laughter from the TV outside echoed into the room, and the person on the couch chuckled along.
"Last night, there was another strange species at A University, and the SIU dealt with it," Xiao Pang glanced at the now-closed door and said, "Including what we dealt with before, this is the fifth strange species discovered at the school."
The recent frequent appearance of strange species was quite bizarre, especially their precise occurrences at the school; it was hard to chalk it up to mere coincidence.
Chen Jing lowered his eyes as he wrote down an option, saying, "Yesterday, Zhang Xin found out that before these incidents, there were strangely dressed individuals wandering around these places."
They acted covertly, but there were still witnesses and surveillance records. People who appeared near the locations had a dark red symbol, a '0', seemingly branded onto their faces, resembling a terrifying mark seared directly onto the skin.
Xiao Pang remarked, "I heard that those acknowledged by Zero get marked on the face."
If things went as expected, those lurking around the accident sites were affiliated with Zero.
He frowned, "But Zero has always been discreet before."
Previously, the other party was well-hidden; they had searched for a long time until they accidentally stumbled upon the existence of Zero and gradually understood some of their information. Yet now, the other party seemed to be openly targeting the school, making it difficult to comprehend their intentions.
Pulling up a statistical chart on his phone, Chen Jing handed the phone to Xiao Pang, saying, "The frequency of strange species in F City has also been increasing lately. The branch in A City has been destroyed, offering no further investigative value. We'll head to F City at the end of the month."
Xiao Pang nodded and then asked, "Why at the end of the month?"
Chen Jing replied, "Because I still have final exams."
"…"
Surprisingly irrefutable.
Chen Jing took out a map of F City, grabbed a red pen, and emphasized several places on the map, saying, "We'll prioritize visiting these places when the time comes."
Xiao Pang nodded repeatedly.
In the morning, half was spent cleaning the guest room, another half discussing the plan for F City, and only a quarter was devoted to studying.
Accompanied by the noise from the TV outside, Chen Jing completed the comprehensive exercises without changing his expression, while Xiao Pang managed to cover a quarter of their morning's material.
Outside, Jiang Yujin had finished watching a season of a melodramatic urban drama. Reflecting on the emotional rollercoaster of the characters, he glanced at the closed room door, grabbed his phone, and prepared to play a round of Xiaoxiaole.
As the game interface popped up, an advertisement sounded on the TV: "…Panda Burger! Students now receive a panda accessory with every purchase of a kids' meal upon presenting a student ID!"
Jiang Yujin slowly lifted his gaze.
The TV sound faded, replaced by a series of footsteps.
Soon after, there was a knock on the room door.
Chen Jing set down his pen and stood up to open the door.
The person at the door smiled at him and said, "It's about time, shall we go out for lunch?"
Then, he heard the person ask, "You guys brought your student IDs, right?"
…
Seated in a brightly decorated hamburger joint, Chen Jing and Xiao Pang glanced at the two kids' meals in front of them and finished their meals simultaneously.
The kind-hearted citizen, Jiang, sitting across from them, held two panda accessories in his hand, his eyes sparkling with a smile. "This meal's on me, and if it's not enough, Uncle can get another one."
Since their first meeting, when Xiao Pang hadn't clearly seen his face and hesitated for a while before addressing him as "uncle," Jiang Yujin, who accepted the title, became more and more skilled in calling himself uncle.
Chen Jing chose silence and resigned himself to reality, focusing on his meal.
The two high schoolers, soon to face their final exams, didn't have much time to spend in the restaurant. Also, their inability to stomach another round of kids' meals pushed them to leave the establishment.
The adult man casually invited them and resumed playing Xiaoxiaole while eating.
They were in a mall, and it being a Saturday meant a steady stream of people. It happened to be lunchtime for nearby companies, so the restaurants along their route were bustling, occasionally requiring them to sidestep to make way.
Chen Jing had been brought to this area's other restaurants by the adult man before, so he walked confidently, without glancing around. Xiao Pang, unfamiliar with the place, looked around curiously.
As they reached the other side of the mall, his gaze halted momentarily, and involuntarily, his steps paused.
Noticing his sudden pause, Chen Jing also stopped and followed his gaze.
Two people passed by on the opposite corridor, dressed in casual attire and seemingly inconspicuous to the casual observer, yet easily recognizable to them.
It was Xu Tonggui. Despite not wearing the Special Investigation Unit's uniform, his height made him stand out in the crowd. The person beside him was unknown to them.
Knowing that the other party was sensitive to gazes, Chen Jing and Xiao Pang only glanced briefly before averting their eyes.
Xiao Pang pondered, "What are they doing here?"
Chen Jing shook his head and continued walking.
They didn't have any plans to deal with Xu Tonggui at the moment, nor was it the right time.
Chapter 31.2 – F City
In an instant, Xu Tonggui from the other side turned his head in their direction, scanning the area before averting his gaze.
Xu Gao, who was walking beside him, held his stomach, completely oblivious to the unusual situation, his eyes scanning each restaurant fiercely.
Every single one was packed.
When his eyes moved to the front of the burger restaurant, he made eye contact with someone.
Jiang Yujin, who was sitting in the shop, did not expect to meet Xu Gao and Xu Tonggui while having a meal.
Xu Gao outside waved at him before striding into the restaurant, but Xu Tonggui remained motionless until Jiang Yujin gestured for him to come in.
The spot where the two high schoolers were sitting was taken by the two members of the SIU.
Seeing these two together for the first time, Jiang Yujin momentarily set aside his phone, curious. "Why are you two together?"
Xu Gao started browsing the menu upon sitting down, visibly escalating in anger at the question.
Today was meant to be his day off. He had plans to spend consecutive hours at an internet cafe with his friends. However, someone reported seeing a strange species firsthand, and as he was nearby, he got temporarily dispatched to handle it. The caller repeatedly emphasized the severity of the strange species, so Xu Tonggui, who was also nearby and off-duty, was also called in.
It turned out to be a false alarm when they arrived. There was nothing unusual at the reported strange species site. The caller was taken to the station for questioning, and they ended up making a pointless trip, coincidentally hitting the lunch rush.
He was genuinely furious, speaking faster than usual.
Jiang Yujin expressed his sympathy, "That's rough."
While Xu Gao continued ordering energetically, Xu Tonggui remained passive. Jiang Yujin kindly ordered a kids' meal for him.
Unfortunately, he wasn't a student, so he couldn't receive the panda accessory.
The ordered meal arrived, and Xu Gao, seething with anger, hastily packed everything up as his friend called to ask if he was still going to the internet cafe.
He promptly agreed, quickly stood up, but then recalled that Xu Tonggui was technically his superior. He gave a nod in acknowledgment, said goodbye to him, and then left.
It was evident he treasured his rare day off.
Watching him disappear from sight, Jiang Yujin withdrew his gaze and pushed the kids' meal towards Xu Tonggui.
Captain Xu still graciously finished his lunch.
No food wasted at noon today. Jiang Yujin nodded in satisfaction, about to leave when he met the gaze of those grey eyes looking at him.
—There was something on the man's mind.
Slipping his phone into his pocket, Jiang Yujin tilted his head, asking, "Want to take a walk?"
Xu Tonggui nodded.
They said they were going for a walk, but it was more of a stroll around the mall.
Captain Xu indeed had something to say. When Jiang Yujin returned after quickly buying the coffee, Xu Tonggui blurted out, "Am I a tenant or an ex-boyfriend?"
His question was direct, catching Jiang Yujin off guard. He choked on his coffee, coughing several times, his droopy eyelids suddenly lifting.
After patting his chest a few times, he recovered, sipping his coffee to ease his discomfort, not answering but instead asking, "Why ask that?"
Xu Tonggui mentioned hearing it on the day they apprehended Li Ying.
After racking his brain, Jiang Yujin vaguely recalled Li Ying mentioning something about "your ex-boyfriend can really fight" that day.
He hadn't realized this man overheard it, let alone remembered it.
Without hesitation, Jiang Yujin replied, "That was a bluff I told him. If I had said you were from the SIU, he'd have bolted."
Xu Tonggui lowered his gaze.
This was the second time this person directly admitted to deceiving others. The first instance was in the house where his fingerprint inexplicably opened the door, and now the second time, both times denying his status as an ex-boyfriend.
His words were a mix of truth and falsehood, perhaps all falsehoods, making it hard to discern what was genuine.
After circling around, the conversation of the rather disingenuous citizen, Jiang, halted midway upon spotting a shooting stall with a bunch of toy guns on display. Pushing the coffee into Xu Tonggui's hands, he dashed off to negotiate with the owner, paid, and then picked up a toy gun.
He fired five shots, hitting the target twice, a decent performance for an average person. The last shot was probably a stroke of luck, hitting a black and white plush dog.
People around watched, applauding as the toy dog fell off.
Citizen Jiang was a seasoned socialite and didn't flinch, graciously thanked everyone, took the toy dog, grabbed his coffee, and shoved it into Xu Tonggui's arms, smiling.
"It looks like you. Consider it a gift."
After handing over the toy, he took a step back.
"The rent's been paid, and you're not my ex-boyfriend."
"You don't have to keep dwelling on the past. If you can't remember, don't force it," he chuckled. "We only live once; isn't it better to look forward?"
After finishing his statement, Jiang Yujin turned and waved. "Soap operas at noon—" Coughing slightly in the man's direction, he continued, "I've got something to attend to. I'll take off now."
He walked away, casual and relaxed in his demeanor.
It seemed like he was truly living by his words, moving forward without hesitation.
Xu Tonggui stood there for a moment, then his phone rang in his pocket. He diverted his attention, took out his phone, and answered it.
"Sorry for contacting you during your break, but recently in F City…"
…
Jiang Yujin returned to watch his noon soap opera.
He got back quickly, only realizing as he laid on the sofa that he had finished the soap opera yesterday; today's program was a teenage romance series. With a big senior high schooler in his care, and being a parent who didn't support early relationships, he turned off the TV and played Xiaoxiaole instead.
By evening, Chen Jing, who had studied all afternoon, and Xiao Pang, who had napped all afternoon, emerged from their rooms. They found Jiang Yujin sprawled on the couch, phone on the floor, sleeping deeply and peacefully.
The deeply sleeping adult was awakened during dinner. At the table were three people, two of them wearing aprons.
Even Xiao Pang was surprised at himself, somehow inexplicably joining in with the household chores, not feeling that anything was amiss.
The adult man had initially been slumped in exhaustion when he sat at the table, but as soon as he picked up his chopsticks, he became lively and ate heartily.
During dinner, Chen Jing brought up the plan to go to F City after the end of their exams.
"F City?" Jiang Yujin glanced up. "That's quite far."
Chen Jing nodded, saying no more, waiting quietly.
Jiang Yujin remained silent, picking up his phone.
This was the first time he didn't immediately agree.
Xiao Pang glanced at Chen Jing, who was quietly observing the person on the phone.
After a while, Jiang Yujin looked up and said, "Hold on, I'll search for some specialties from F City."
Chen Jing sighed in relief, silently.
Leading up to the exam week, what seemed like last-minute cramming was actually a well-laid plan to go to F City. Xiao Pang, with his almost untouched school bag, left.
Time flew during the exams. Jiang Yujin watched as the high schooler came back and left every day, carrying piles of books. He woke up one noon to see the high schooler already prepared with a backpack, having finished the exams.
Half-awake, he vaguely remembered the high schooler mentioning a trip to a certain city a while ago.
He weakly waved, muttering, "Don't forget to bring back some local specialties," before letting his hand drop and drifting back to sleep.
The high schooler glanced at him, then at the glaring sun, finally pulling the curtains, closing the door, and leaving.
Jiang Yujin was eventually awakened by the vibration of his phone.
He sat up from the couch, feeling a bit parched. He got up to the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water, not checking the caller ID and directly answered the phone.
On the other end was the voice of Shi Bu, sounding quite excited.
"I'm on a business trip to F City today. This is my first free trip ever!"
The tone resembled that of a primary school student on a field trip.
Jiang Yujin drank from the glass of water, casually responding, "That's great."
"…"
As he sipped the water, he paused and asked, "Where?"
Shi Bu obediently replied, "F City."
A sudden twitch at the corner of his eye, an inexplicable sense of foreboding washed over Jiang Yujin. Setting the glass down, he uttered slowly, "If you encounter a tall, good-looking high schooler in F City, do not talk to him. Do you understand?"
Even though he didn't know why he said that, he was sure he had his reasons. Shi Bu was always good at following instructions and earnestly replied, "Okay."
Jiang Yujin hung up the call, paused for a moment, poured another glass of water, and slowly eased his worries.
*
After ending the call, Shi Bu turned to observe the scenery around him, one he had never seen before. The weather was excellent today; the sky was blue, and clouds drifted slowly from above the tall buildings. He rolled down the car window and gazed upward; his entire pupils were filled with the blue sky and white clouds.
The driver in front glanced at the rearview mirror and reminded him, "Don't stick your head or hand out of the window."
Shi Bu withdrew his head but kept his eyes fixed outside.
He had been looking at the view for more than an hour now. The driver asked, "Haven't you ever seen the sky before?"
The question was not malicious, just sheer curiosity.
Shi Bu replied, "It's been years since I've seen it like this."
After staring at red or dark spaces for so long, he had almost forgotten that the sky used to be blue.
The driver thought he meant that he hadn't seen such a clean sky for a long time and began praising the air quality in the area.
While listening to the driver, Shi Bu casually took a photo of the roadside and sent it to a dear friend. However, his phone shook, indicating low battery.
When Jiang Yujin received the photo, he was still debating whether to go out for food or settle for a meal at home. Upon hearing the notification, he picked up the phone.
It was an ordinary roadside photo. He glanced at it and then looked away. Later, he felt something was wrong and glanced at it again.
Under a tree by the roadside, there was a familiar figure holding a walkie-talkie.
"…"
His heart raced. Jiang Yujin instinctively grabbed a shirt from the couch, heading out while dialing the person who sent the photo.
The other side was switched off.
Chapter 32 – …we broke up?
The vehicle slowly stopped in front of the hotel. Shi Bu paid the fare and got off, proceeding to check in at the front desk.
The hotel room had been arranged by the company, a luxurious single room. It was bright with sunlight, well-equipped with facilities. He glanced around, then bent to charge his phone. However, upon seeing the time on the electronic clock on the table, he froze momentarily. He needed to rush to the factory on the outskirts of the city, but time was completely against him. He retracted his charging cable, grabbed his briefcase from the side, and swiftly left the room.
He had arrived in F City in the afternoon to visit the factory. The factory, situated in F City's largest industrial park, was his destination to assess whether the machinery required a complete upgrade, among other tasks. His emotional intelligence was lacking, but his intellectual capacity sufficed. As long as it involved work matters, he seemed quite normal and even reliable.
He spent the entire afternoon and half the evening at the industrial park, extending his work slightly. He managed to address pending issues that had been dragging on, finally leaving before the latest expected closing time.
There were no more scheduled transports from the outskirts to the city at this hour. The industrial park arranged a vehicle to directly take him back to the hotel.
Waving goodbye to the car that had brought him back to the hotel, he suddenly remembered he hadn't checked whether his dear friend had replied to his message. Patting his pocket, he found it empty.
It seemed he had left his phone in the industrial park.
Meanwhile…
Jiang Yujin was still on the way to F City. His eyelids drooped, reflecting an almost lifeless state.
The situation was somewhat difficult to explain. In simple terms, he encountered frequent problems on the highway to F City. He had set off in the afternoon, but a truck transporting piglets had an issue with its cargo compartment along the way, resulting in piglets falling out continuously. Despite many people helping to retrieve the piglets and clear the road, it took a considerable amount of time. Now, it was completely dark, and he was still on the road.
Inside the compartment, there were other people chatting and speaking loudly on the phone. Faint smells of snacks lingered in the air. He glanced at his almost-dead phone, indicating a critically low battery, and eventually closed his eyes slowly.
*
It took Shi Bu nearly an hour to return to the hotel, only to spend another hour getting back to the industrial park.
With the round trip taking two hours, when he returned, there was no one on the roadside in the park… except for one person.
On the other side of the road, a figure with the brim of their hat lowered had a dark, eerie symbol of '0' marked where their face met the neck. They casually walked away.
Shi Bu glanced at them briefly, unconcerned, his mind focused on his phone, and he walked into the industrial park.
The park seemed very economical; the streetlights were off at this late hour. Everywhere was engulfed in darkness except for the security booth. However, the security guard inside wasn't diligently working, slumped over the table, sleeping in a peculiar position.
—Shi Bu interpreted it unilaterally as sleeping.
Then, something disrupted the tranquility fit for sleep. A dark shadow appeared on the rooftop of the factory building, then descended from it. Its limbs moved in a crisp and hair-raising manner.
There were more than just one of these creatures. With the light behind them, standing on the ground, people could see numerous densely packed figures continuously crawling. Their shapes exceeded the boundaries of normal imagination.
These unidentifiable creatures appeared large and moved swiftly while crawling. In just a brief glance, the fuzzy tentacles on their heads had already reached right in front of Shi Bu's eyes, aiming precisely for his pupils.
Shi Bu instinctively reached for a nearby streetlight, but before he could touch it, something flashed in the air. A massive tentacle was severed in mid-air, narrowly missing Shi Bu's nose before falling away.
A figure jumped down from the factory roof, their features faintly illuminated by the pale moonlight, their clothes billowing in the wind.
Tall and handsome, resembling a high schooler.
Chen Jing landed lightly on the ground, he squatted before springing up. With a long knife in hand, it glinted momentarily in the light as it ruthlessly pierced the carapace of the strange species, slashing a long portion forward. The strange species was severed in the middle, green fluid gushing out instantly.
*
Finally getting off the long-distance bus, Jiang Yujin squatted by the roadside for a while before flagging down a car. He went to the hotel mentioned over the phone by Shi Bu, only to find out from the front desk that the person hadn't returned yet. He then checked the address of the factory where Shi Bu's company was located and left the hotel, taking a cab to the outskirts.
The journey from the city to the outskirts was a significant trip. The driver seemed quite pleased and engaged in conversation throughout the ride. Jiang Yujin, still feeling the effects of the bus ride, usually talkative in town, leaned against the window, finding solace in the wind outside and speaking very little.
When they were still some distance from the destination in the industrial park, the driver stopped. Jiang Yujin slightly leaned forward to look out the window and saw that the road ahead was blocked by several barriers, indicating no passage.
Glancing at the map, the driver said, "The industrial park is not far ahead, but unfortunately, you'll have to walk a bit more from here."
Jiang Yujin got out, and the driver turned and left.
As his feet touched the ground again, the night wind blew, clearing his somewhat hazy mind.
A road stretched ahead, dividing into two paths. Jiang Yujin glanced around and in the unlit part where the headlights hadn't reached, he spotted a figure, seemingly wearing a hat, appearing out of nowhere.
Approaching, Jiang Yujin greeted politely before asking, "Do you know how to get to the industrial park?"
The person on the other side looked up, emitting an inexplicably hoarse sound from their throat, lips curling up. Along with the twitching of the inscription of '0' on the face, they pointed in a direction and slowly said, "That way."
Jiang Yujin glanced at the person before smiling, nodding in thanks, and headed towards the indicated direction.
*
The park was teeming with insect-like creatures beyond description.
Chen Jing rescued the person who appeared in the park and led him to a relatively safe place, asking, "What are you doing here?"
Shi Bu was about to answer, but upon seeing the tall and handsome high schooler, remembered something Jiang Yujin had mentioned on the phone. So, he closed his mouth, choosing not to speak.
The other party remained silent. Chen Jing's expression remained unchanged as he said, "It's very dangerous here. You should leave first."
In no time, Xiao Pang also arrived, pointing in a direction and saying, "It's dangerous here. This area has been cleared. Just keep going in this direction, and you'll be able to leave."
There were too many of these creatures, and for the moment, they couldn't clear them all, so they had to temporarily create a path.
Neither he nor Chen Jing expected to encounter someone linked to 'Zero' on their first day in F City. After following this person here, they suddenly disappeared, coinciding with the appearance of these creatures.
These are Ant Walkers, named with 'Ant' in their title, but entirely unrelated to ants. They move in groups, exhibit territorial behavior, and drive away anyone or anything invading their territory.
The industrial park was evidently claimed as territory by the Ant Walkers.
Though unsure how the person released these creatures, it was certain that these strange species were closely linked to them.
Ignoring Xiao Pang's suggested route, Shi Bu continued toward the building he had been in previously.
He needed to retrieve his phone; that was his goal, everything else was just irrelevant interference.
His pace quickened as he brushed past a metal railing.
The metal railing detached, twisted, and deformed, rapidly reshaping in his hands.
A silver firearm appeared in his hand, aiming at the approaching Ant Walkers.
A small bullet pierced through an Ant Walker's body, and in less than a second, the creature exploded.
Without aiming, he traversed through the group of strange species, the gun continuously targeting the incoming Ant Walkers.
Explosions echoed in the night. The metal railings and streetlights along his path severely deformed, forming arcs almost impossible to create by mere human strength.
The number of Ant Walkers rapidly decreased.
Perhaps this person didn't need protection at all. Metal objects along the way decreased, and his firearm effortlessly switched from one wave to another, never ceasing, seemingly endless. The creatures were eradicated from afar, unable to get anywhere near him.
Chen Jing frowned, "Shi Bu?"
Xiao Pang hadn't reacted until the bodies of the Ant Walkers fell beside him. He quickly seized a weapon in his hand, his not-so-large eyes widening slightly.
In a short time, a new path had been cleared, and they watched as the person ahead entered a building.
The walls of the building seemed to be made of a special material, impenetrable to the sharp feet of the Ant Walkers. They crowded outside, attempting to force their way in, emitting a high-pitched sound with peculiar sonic waves.
Dodging the attacks of the creatures, Xiao Pang counterattacked, then, when the creatures were immobilized, he covered his ears, trying to block out the piercing noise.
Clearly, the person inside the building couldn't endure the sound either. A window on a certain floor of the building opened, and a figure appeared, carrying something much larger than the previous firearms on his shoulder.
"…"
Boom! A loud sound reverberated, followed by an unstoppable buzzing in the ears, then suddenly, the world seemed to quiet down.
Indeed, the world quieted down. The number of Ant Walkers sharply decreased, and the scuttling of limbs diminished significantly.
Xiao Pang took the chance to glance around, trying to locate the origin of the continuously emerging creatures. His gaze paused in a certain direction, and he nudged the person beside him, hesitantly saying, "That person… seems familiar."
Chen Jing plunged his knife into the abdomen of an Ant Walker that was still attempting to approach. He then turned his head following Xiao Pang's line of sight.
"…"
Behind the crawling figures, someone was peering around the entrance of the park, seemingly trying to communicate with the security guard stationed in the booth.
The guard had already permanently fallen asleep. Consequently, the individual crossed the railing and entered the park.
Chen Jing's head began to ache.
Assigning the task of locating the source of the creatures to Xiao Pang, Chen Jing quickly sprinted towards the entrance.
Some of the Ant Walkers had sensed something amiss and were also lunging toward the person at the entrance.
The person standing there widened their eyes, seemingly taken aback.
Chen Jing was faster than the creatures. He split the Ant Walker charging towards Jiang Yujin in half, reacting in time to step back, avoiding the green viscous liquid that splattered around.
Honestly, Jiang Yujin was genuinely startled.
It was his first time encountering such large, flapping bugs.
The high schooler shielded him to the side, eyebrows twitching, and asked, "How did you end up here?"
Jiang Yujin explained, "I wanted to try a specialty of F City. I didn't know when you'd be back, so I came on my own."
"I mentioned wanting to visit the park, and the driver dropped me off here." He scratched his head. "Looks like this isn't it."
An absurd reason, but somehow it made sense in this person's context.
Chen Jing: "…Indeed, this isn't the place."
Observing the squirming insects around him, Jiang Yujin asked:"Are these creatures from the Game?"
Astounded, he said, "The things in your game are really strange."
Chen Jing remained silent, intending to lead the person away to a safer location.
Xiao Pang rushed over, gasping, claiming he had found the source of the emerging creatures but was struggling to handle it alone.
As he spoke, several gunshots echoed behind him.
Finally retrieving his phone, Shi Bu turned back towards the entrance, planning to head back and rest. Amidst the movements of the creatures, he happened to notice the person standing at the entrance.
Jiang Yujin glanced at him, saying nothing, his fingers twitching slightly at his side.
Only Shi Bu understood his intention.
It was a signal to swiftly resolve the situation and leave this place.
Reacting instantly, Shi Bu hid the phone he had just obtained to his pocket, touching the nearby metal.
In almost an instant, the entire metal casing outside a factory building vanished.
Different from shooting one by one previously, this time, he headed straight towards the direction Xiao Pang had just come from.
The park suddenly fell into silence, followed by a bright flash. With the light behind them, they could see countless lifeless Ant Walkers thrown into the air.
Apart from appearing foolish, Shi Bu was actually highly efficient in his actions.
He promptly filled the hole where the Ant Walkers emerged, eradicating the remaining creatures.
With the task completed, Shi Bu withdrew his gaze and walked toward the entrance.
Before he could show a silly smile, Jiang Yujin took the lead, warmly patting the guy's shoulder, praising, "Buddy, you're really amazing."
He was good at praising people and keeping a certain distance, warm yet with a sense of unfamiliarity.
But it didn't matter; Shi Bu knew how to pick up compliments well. When he heard the praise, his face lit up with a full smile. Luckily, he was facing away from the two high schoolers and wasn't seen.
The two high schoolers watched the guy with disheveled hair and unreserved attitude, daring to link arms with someone he just met.
Shi Bu laughed, and Jiang Yujin laughed too, softly saying, "We don't know each other. Avoid talking to anyone on the way back. If there's anything, we'll talk about it tomorrow."
The very obedient and honest man nodded. Jiang Yujin patted his shoulder before stepping away, joining the high schoolers.
It was just an accidental encounter. In the midst of the silence, Shi Bu departed alone, while Jiang Yujin turned to link arms with the high schooler again, smiling as he asked, "So, why are you guys here again?"
The same question the high schoolers had asked him earlier, now directed back at them.
Xiao Pang was busy trying to come up with excuses, while Chen Jing, unfazed, said, "We're on a community project. We left something here and came back to retrieve it."
Jiang Yujin raised an eyebrow and then nodded.
Xiao Pang had a knack for this and managed to find a ride back to the city late at night.
As the car entered the city, Jiang Yujin got off midway, casually saying, "The hotel I'm staying is nearby, so I'll get off here."
He stood by the roadside after getting off, watching the vehicle drive away.
*
At night, there were no more buses from the outskirts to the city. Shi Bu's phone was running out of battery, so he had no choice but to walk back to the city.
After a few hours, or perhaps a bit quicker, he finally caught sight of the city lights again.
The good news was he made it back to the city, but the bad news was the hotel was still far away.
It was probably quite late by now. Most shops were closed, except for the 24-hour convenience stores.
There were few people on the streets. Some workers were riding electric donkeys through the city. As he turned a corner, he saw another convenience store—the brightest spot on the street.
"Welcome, come again next time," the sound of the store door opening greeted him.
Shi Bu turned and saw someone coming out of the convenience store, holding a bottle of water.
Sharp facial features, iron-grey eyes, dressed in a black combat suit, muscles defined.
Shi Bu paused, then waved. "Brother Xu!"
Xu Tonggui glanced sideways, his inorganic grey eyes looking over with a heavy sense of unfamiliarity.
Shi Bu seemed to be born without emotional perception systems. With a turn of his toe, he happily walked towards the person standing at the convenience store entrance, saying, "You're indeed still alive!"
This person knew him.
Xu Tonggui glanced at the other person without saying a word, observing quietly.
Shi Bu said, "Why didn't you go to A City to see him?"
"Him," Xu Tonggui lowered his eyes and slowly uttered a name, "Jiang Yujin?"
He guessed correctly.
The person in front of him changed expression, seemingly surprised, "You actually called him by his name?"
Fingers tapped slowly on the water bottle as Xu Tonggui didn't respond to the statement, instead asking, "Did he tell you we broke up?"
Shi Bu was startled by this question. "He never mentioned it to me."
Xu Tonggui stopped tapping the bottle with his fingers.
The truth came out.
"…"
On a street corner, Jiang Yujin was not feeling at ease leaving the silly guy wandering around, so he searched for half of the city, and finally found him.
Jiang Yujin slowly crouched in a corner, covering his face in agony.
He was too late.
Chapter 33 – Dating Agency (1)
Meeting an old friend, Shi Bu seemed very happy, his mouth opening and closing, even adjusting to a comfortable standing position, seemingly determined to chat for a long time.
Xu Tonggui neither urged nor interrupted, quietly listening with lowered eyes.
"…"
Before this silly chatterbox could spew more words, Jiang Yujin propped himself up, walking out from the shadowy corner.
His posture appeared as if he casually passed by. As he drew closer, he patted Shi Bu on the back of his head and chuckled, "What a coincidence, meeting you guys here."
Suddenly hit, Shi Bu hadn't realized why he was hit, just assuming his good friend had a bit too much strength today and greeted him back with a smile, "Didn't expect to see you again."
His gaze shifted to the person opposite, saying, "Guess who I've run into!"
The tone was pleasantly surprised, and the expression was joyful.
While he conversed here, Jiang Yujin looked up at the person in combat uniform, and Xu Tonggui also glanced at him.
Without answering Shi Bu's question, Jiang Yujin reached out, hooking his neck, "It's getting late, you have work tomorrow, it's better to go back and rest soon."
His words sounded considerate. Shi Bu couldn't help but pat his hand, "Brother, a bit tight."
Jiang Yujin smiled, "Is that so."
It's you who's killing me.
After finally getting together again, despite the discomfort, Shi Bu didn't seem to have any intention to leave. Eventually, he was kicked away by his close friend beside him, turning around three times while leaving.
Jiang Yujin looked at Xu Tonggui, explaining, "He lacks self-control, if he doesn't sleep, he won't be able to get up in the morning for sure."
After saying that, Jiang Yujin ruffled his hair, his eyelids drooping, "I'm tired too, so let's end it here for today, goodbye."
As he spoke, his feet slowly started moving.
Xu Tonggui looked at him with lowered eyes.
In the end, Jiang Yujin couldn't successfully slip away.
Being considerate, Captain Xu immediately arranged a room upon learning of his fatigue.
Sitting in the room, Citizen Jiang really couldn't easily brush this matter aside.
Xu Tonggui poured a glass of water and handed it over. Jiang Yujin's mind was arranging thoughts while he took it and drank before returning the empty glass.
"…"
Realizing something, Jiang Yujin raised his eyes and coincidentally met Xu Tonggui's probing gaze.
The other's gaze held profound curiosity.
So, Citizen Jiang added, "Thank you."
Compared to the skilled action of receiving the water earlier, this added sentence sounded dry and insincere.
Xu Tonggui sat down, tilting his head, "Have we broken up?"
Extracting words from Shi Bu's mouth earlier, this time he skipped asking if there had been a relationship between them and went straight to the point.
He's quite direct with this question, and Jiang Yujin's ears seemed to throb at the mention of the word 'breakup'. After a brief silence, he said, "Let me… drink water, I'll tell you."
Xu Tonggui then got up again, poured a glass of water, and handed it over.
The pouring time allowed ample time for Jiang Yujin's brain to race.
Jiang Yujin took the water, had a sip, then lowered his eyes, saying, "We broke up."
Unlike his previously carefree demeanor with a smile, this person seemed to have settled down completely, finally showing a hint of seriousness.
Xu Tonggui asked, "Why?"
He added, "Is it my fault?"
"You know, a breakup isn't decided by just one thing," Jiang Yujin said. "Anyway, we're no longer together."
Xu Tonggui listened.
Skipping the reason for the breakup, the focus shifted to what happened after. He mentioned that the day after the breakup, he suddenly disappeared, abruptly, even before informing his friends about the breakup. Checking the surveillance cameras at the police station only revealed him leaving the city alone, and thereafter, there were no more clues. It's possible that he voluntarily wanted to leave everything behind.
Everyone assumed he left on his own. With no contact, it was all left behind, but considering the current situation, he must have been pulled into the game back then.
Upon returning, he inexplicably lost his memory, forgetting everyone.
Since he had amnesia, there was no need to bring up the breakup again. Originally, Jiang Yujin, his ex-boyfriend, wanted to pretend this relationship never happened, but he was surprised at how persistent he was about the past.
Leisurely taking a sip of water, Jiang Yujin said, "Is it clear now?"
After finishing the water, he glanced at the cup, a slight smirk playing on his lips.
This time, it was lukewarm water, strangely warm to drink.
—This explanation was crude yet carried a sense of reality, explaining his earlier act of pretending not to know and also addressing the lock with his fingerprints and the question from the person earlier about why he didn't go back to see those around him.
Xu Tonggui looked at the person with disheveled hair, drooping eyelids, and an expression of surprise studying the lukewarm water. His steel-grey pupils twitched slightly.
This person was once his lover.
Feeling the warmth of the lukewarm water settling within him, Citizen Jiang put down the cup and lay down on the bed. His already wrinkled shirt became even more creased, his messy hair sprawled on the white sheets, and the drowsiness instantly spread.
He directly took over the entire bed, and with one raised finger, declared solemnly that he had claimed this bed and hoped all unrelated persons would leave promptly.
It was evident that Captain Xu belonged to the category of unrelated persons.
He turned off the lights, and as an unrelated person, Captain Xu left the room, then went to the front desk to extend the checkout time from the default nine in the morning to a later time.
For some reason, he felt the other person might not be someone who'd easily get up in the morning.
After settling the bill, he walked away.
…
In a dark room, the person who had been lying on the bed had risen, taken off their shirt, and put on a sweatshirt of a middle-aged style. They sat by the window, gazing downward with lowered eyes.
The night wind blew, tossing their hair to one side, blurring their vision.
Jiang Yujin reached for his hair, silently watching a figure leaving the hotel, eventually disappearing at the end of the street across.
Retracting his gaze and leaning against the windowsill, he turned and stood up.
Some people drifted into a deep sleep at night, while others remained restless.
Jiang Yujin had suddenly arrived in F City, disrupting the original plans. Chen Jing and Xiao Pang didn't rest, scouring the city for any suspicious leads.
Unlike their initial arrival, luck didn't favor them this time with chance encounters. They ran around for half the night, only to confirm a few previously marked strange species were, in fact, not strange species.
Until the break of dawn, as the first light pierced through, Xiao Pang sat down where he stood, lifting his head to ask the person still standing, "Shall we keep searching?"
He added, "Uncle will wake up soon too."
"He won't wake until noon," Chen Jing folded the paper in his hand, saying, "Let's continue."
Xiao Pang stood up, following him as they changed direction again.
Walking along the road, they passed by speeding police cars and vehicles from the Special Investigation Unit, along with TV station vans trailing behind, seemingly heading toward yesterday's park.
Without much attention to the vehicles, the two moved on.
They ruled out two places in the morning, taking a brief break at noon. Chen Jing and Xiao Pang glanced at the map again, realizing only three places remained.
The closest spot was a dating agency, a three-story building. Despite two missing persons cases in the past, its reputation remained high due to its quality clientele.
Chen Jing folded the map, stating simply, "Let's go here."
The agency was nearby, taking less than half an hour to reach. Across the street, they observed the three-story building with a sign hanging. It differed from the pictures they had seen previously; it had become significantly luxurious, with people frequently coming and going, an auntie greeting and seeing off customers, a perpetual smile on her face.
Exchanging a glance, Chen Jing and Xiao Pang crossed the street, entering the building.
The dating agency seemed to flourish more and had earned a substantial amount of money. The interior and exterior of the shop were highly consistent, exuding a consistent sense of luxury. The auntie who had been at the door and saw them entering stood up again with a smile, approaching them.
This kind of slightly enthusiastic situation was something Xiao Pang could handle better. Without giving the other person a chance to speak, he rambled on, fabricating a story about being a second-generation wealthy individual to capture the auntie's attention. He continued speaking without pause. Meanwhile, Chen Jing took the opportunity to survey the area.
The building was spacious, and their location was in the lobby, where other people, such as concerned grandparents looking for partners for their children, were present. Above them was a high ceiling, with a massive crystal chandelier hanging, exuding extreme luxury. From the lobby, parts of the corridors on the second and third floors were visible, with people constantly moving about, chatting and laughing.
As Chen Jing withdrew his gaze, they heard measured footsteps approaching the entrance. Glancing sideways, they saw a person with blond hair entering, swinging keys in hand. Their gaze casually passed over the lobby, then locked onto where the auntie was, and they changed direction to approach her.
The auntie also noticed them and, looking up, directly said, "Miss Huang is in the room farthest to the left on the second floor."
With keys in hand, the person with blond hair ascended the stairs to the second floor.
They kept chatting until it was time to fill in information. Xiao Pang couldn't continue the conversation any further, and when asked about their age, he stated a number.
It was the ages of his two "o's" – minors.
Xiao Pang and Chen Jing were asked to leave.
Back across the street, Xiao Pang looked at Chen Jing. "So, did you notice anything?"
But they had only been sitting there and glanced around; the probability of noticing any strange species was low.
"It's this place," Chen Jing said, "The person with blond hair had dried blood around their fingernails, coagulated, indicating it's been there for a while. There's a wound on their neck, and only a strange species could bite in that manner."
He glanced downward. "The question is how to get back in."
Xiao Pang glanced at him and then away. "…Maybe there's someone who can."
*
The adult citizen surnamed Jiang woke up around noon.
Outside the window, it was bright, the sun reaching its zenith, shining intensely. He opened his eyes, then slowly closed them again.
As he prepared to slip back into slumber, his phone, which had been set aside, rang with vibrations. He turned over and lazily answered.
It was a call from a high schooler, asking where he was. He glanced at the hotel's name printed on the bedside and replied.
Two high schoolers arrived.
Having just brainstormed last night, Jiang Yujin dragged his heavy body out of bed, washed up, stood in front of the mirror, casually taming his tousled hair with his eyes lowered, while the two high schoolers whispered something on the couch.
After he finished freshening up and wore a wrinkled shirt, the high schoolers informed him, for various reasons, that they wanted him to go somewhere.
Jiang Yujin: "Hmm?"
…
Standing in front of the three-story dating agency, Jiang Yujin turned to the two high schoolers. "Is this really part of your social practice?"
Chen Jing averted his gaze, feeling the pressure, while Xiao Pang nodded under the strain. "Just chat, as much as possible. After a good conversation, the boss will stamp our forms."
Jiang Yujin yawned and walked inside, with Chen Jing following beside him while Xiao Pang stayed outside to greet.
The auntie who was chatting with someone before, smiling, noticed them and her expression changed momentarily. However, when she noticed Jiang Yujin looking around as he walked in, her smile returned, and she stood up to approach.
Jiang Yujin sat on the sofa, finding a cup of tea in front of him. The auntie sat opposite him, glanced at him, then quickly glanced at Chen Jing beside him, trying to grasp their relationship. It was difficult to speak for a moment.
It was her first time seeing someone bring their son to the dating agency.
The person in front of her wore wrinkled clothes, disheveled hair, giving off an aura of someone who had just gotten out of bed at noon. There was no air of affluence about him, but rather a sense of apathy and laziness, making it difficult to find any positive attributes at first.
But a top-notch matchmaker was still a top-notch matchmaker. The auntie continued smiling and asked, "Are you here to register for finding a partner?"
In reality, Citizen Jiang didn't know why he was here, but upon hearing that, he nodded slightly.
His nod made the auntie's smile widen, and she took a sip of water, continuing the conversation.
Interests: watching soap operas and playing puzzle games. Proficient at playing Xiaoxiaole game, income extremely unstable, irregular sleep patterns, single parent to a high schooler.
As the conversation continued, the smile on the auntie's face gradually faded, but her gaze became more determined.
From this point on, the conversation had completely shifted in nature—a battle to uphold the dignity of the matchmaker.
She was determined to find at least one positive trait!
Engrossed in conversation, the auntie and Citizen Jiang were engaged. Chen Jing, who had been sitting quietly, stood up and quietly said, "I need to find the restroom," before leaving.
Chen Jing walked into the corridor leading to the second floor. He sent a message to Xiao Pang, instructing him to keep a close eye on the situation inside and prioritize protecting Jiang Yujin if anything happened. Xiao Pang replied with an acknowledgment.
It was neither too early nor too late. The people who had been chatting in the corridor were nowhere in sight. Only the sound of Chen Jing's footsteps echoed through the corridor.
Glancing at rows of room doors, he recalled the auntie's previous words to the blond-haired individual: "Room farthest to the left on the second floor."
The room at the far left of the second floor was indistinguishable from its surroundings. Chen Jing looked in the direction of the camera, stood in front of the door, and knocked. No one answered, and there was no sound from inside.
Lowering his gaze, he casually placed a tissue on the door handle and then turned it.
The door was locked. There was something like a towel stuffed under the door, visible through the gap. Chen Jing squatted down, partially pulling the towel out.
The side of the towel facing the corridor was relatively clean, but the other side was stained red.
Chen Jing furrowed his brows, reinserted the towel, then took a clay-like substance from his pocket and filled the lock with it before putting it back in his pocket and heading downstairs.
The auntie downstairs was still chatting with Jiang Yujin. Her habitual courteous smile had completely vanished from her face, replaced by a serious demeanor. In contrast, Jiang Yujin seemed relaxed, holding a cup of tea, occasionally sipping to stay hydrated while chatting.
It was difficult to tell if they were really there for registration or matchmaking.
The auntie held the pen she was trying to use so tightly it seemed she might pierce through the paper. A vibration sounded nearby, and Jiang Yujin glanced at his phone, noticing a message from Shi Bu.
Due to last night's incident, many parts of the park were damaged, and emergency repairs were ongoing. Much of what he did last night seemed to have been in vain, and now he needed to spend a whole day planning the park's restoration.
It looked rather bleak, but Jiang Yujin smiled slightly.
While he checked his phone, the auntie took a brief break to drink some water and then resumed her efforts to find positive traits.
Jiang Yujin's mood improved considerably. He leaned back on the sofa, cup in hand, and smiled, "Take your time, no rush."
Auntie: "..."
The auntie's eyes lit up, she picked up the form and said, "Can you smile again?"
Jiang Yujin: "Hmm?"
Chen Jing descended just as Citizen Jiang finished filling out the registration form. The auntie, teary-eyed and excited as if she'd completed a major deal, was overwhelmed with a sense of accomplishment. She even waived the registration fee, completely immersed in the joy of success.
Not quite understanding why the auntie was so thrilled, but sensing that they had received something for free, Jiang Yujin stood up when he saw the high schoolers return, ready to leave.
The exuberant auntie quickly grabbed him, asking for a contact method, insisting on staying in touch in case she had any news for him in the future.
Watching the exchange of contact information between the two, Chen Jing then followed the adult man who pocketed his phone, leaving the place.
Outside the dating agency, Jiang Yujin turned to the high schoolers and asked, "Is this enough, or do we need to continue?"
Chen Jing remained silent.
Any further and it would involve actual matchmaking.
He said, "This is enough."
Initially, they had only intended to chat for a while, but unexpectedly, this person stirred the auntie's competitive spirit, resulting in the completion of a registration form.
With the task accomplished, Jiang Yujin strolled off to find local specialties in F City.
Seeing the cheerful figure of the adult man disappear at the end of the road, Chen Jing waved to Xiao Pang, who was still observing the situation on the other side. Xiao Pang hurried over.
Taking out the clay from his pocket, Chen Jing handed it to Xiao Pang and said, "We need to make a key today. Come back and check later tonight."
Xiao Pang nodded.
*
The specialty of F City was its liquor—various types of small fruit wines, slightly higher in alcohol content than usual. If you found the right place, the entire street would be filled with the fragrance of fruit wine.
In the afternoon, those drinking in the shops were either tourists or locals with free time. The locals were well-versed in local affairs, easily discussing gossip and things that wouldn't appear in the news.
Jiang Yujin sat in a corner, enjoying some puzzle games and sipping his drink, casually eavesdropping on a few conversations.
It wasn't the melodramatic gossip he usually enjoyed, but news about a local girl who had gone missing. Her house had been broken into, the room was a mess, and she was nowhere to be found.
The incident had occurred nearby, and the locals were discussing it fervently, transitioning to the chaos at the park on the outskirts, mentioning the lack of surveillance there.
Losing interest in the conversation, Citizen Jiang signaled to the server, requesting a small bottle of pineapple fruit wine, aromatic and sweet.