RTEW Chapter 105: Extra

On the platform at the foot of the mountain, He Wei was studying the map.

The sky above was clear, with not a cloud in sight. Behind him, the mountains were lush with bamboo forests. At the entrance to the uphill road into the mountain was a sign—Fulong Mountain, up ahead. This place was sparsely populated, with only one bus route passing through the platform. The southern end leads to the city, and the northern end to the reservoir.

To prevent people from getting lost, the advertisement showcase at the bus stop displayed the map of Fulong Mountain on the front and the map of Shengzhou City on the back, with emergency contact numbers at the bottom. Across the street, there was a public phone booth. From the lush green bushes came a noise, and Cheng Zesheng jumped down from a few stone steps: “How is it? Is this the right place?”

Looking at the landmarks on the map that shouldn’t have been familiar, He Wei sighed helplessly, “No, it’s not.”

“Oh, I see.” Cheng Zesheng walked over, draping his long arm over He Wei’s shoulder, “Well, since we’re here, let’s just treat it as a sightseeing trip.”

He Wei looked up. The bright sunlight filtered through the dense leaves, casting dappled shadows. The summer breeze gently swayed the trees. If it weren’t for being in the wrong place, he would have liked to climb the mountain with Cheng Zesheng, enjoying the beautiful scenery.

Calling it a sightseeing trip sounded easy. The last “sightseeing” trip was fraught with dangers and difficulties, leaving them and Cheng Zhenqing with no way out. They barely escaped from a vortex of fate. Now, were they targeted again?

In mid-May, Shengzhou City experienced a heinous cash transport vehicle hijacking. After more than half a month of intensive investigation and operation, the city’s criminal investigation team successfully captured most of the hijackers, with only two main culprits still on the run. Last night, the police received information that the fugitives were hiding in Fulong Mountain. He Wei and Cheng Zesheng immediately led two teams to search the mountain overnight.

At night, Fulong Mountain was quiet and eerie. The police’s intense operation broke the silence of the deep mountains. He Wei and his team members acted separately. He wanted to bring those two audacious hijackers back as soon as possible, driven by both duty and an instinctive discomfort with this mountain.

This was Fulong Mountain, a place filled with countless bad memories. Although He Wei had been here several times for investigations over the years, it was the first time he came to catch someone in the middle of the night.

Under the high-hanging moon and swaying green trees, He Wei stood on the slope, looking at the spire of the old mansion in the distance. His heart pounded, and his attention was severely distracted. Le Zhengkai’s voice came through the walkie-talkie: “Deputy Chief He, it’s getting foggy. The criminals are armed. Should we regroup?”

He Wei had already noticed the thickening fog. His heart skipped a beat. Murphy’s law always seemed to come into play at such moments; what he feared most was happening.

He picked up the walkie-talkie, “Tell everyone to come back, temporarily halt the operation…Hello? Le Zhengkai? Can you hear me?”

The walkie-talkie was filled with static. The fog grew denser, reducing visibility to within 3 meters. He Wei’s heart pounded, each step he took felt like walking on thin ice.

He must not end up at that mansion again, finding Cheng Zesheng’s body lying there, realizing everything he now had was a mere illusion, and the cycle was still ongoing. That would drive He Wei insane on the spot.

Fortunately, after only a few steps, he was grabbed by the arm and pulled into a warm embrace.

“Finally found you.” Cheng Zesheng frowned, “The fog is so thick, I have a bad feeling…” He noticed He Wei’s pale face, his dark eyes staring intently at him. He quickly tightened his embrace to comfort him, “It’s okay, I’m here, right beside you.”

He Wei touched Cheng Zesheng’s cheek, feeling the real warmth, and gradually calmed down, pulling himself out of his tense and anxious state. All their colleagues were out of contact, leaving only the two of them to navigate the foggy mountain paths together. They spoke little, but Cheng Zesheng held He Wei’s hand tightly, their fingers interlocked, inseparable.

Despite not knowing what challenges they would face, as long as they were together, they could overcome any difficulty. In the end, none of the imagined scenarios occurred. The sky gradually brightened, the eastern dawn light broke through, birds chirped, awakening the sleeping Fulong Mountain, and the thick fog that had enveloped them for hours finally dissipated.

After regaining their vision, He Wei and Cheng Zesheng still hadn’t found their teammates. Left with no choice, the two followed the sloped road down the mountain, one studying the map and the other continuing to patrol the mountain road entrance, until they finally confirmed just now—

Well, what was meant to happen couldn’t be avoided. After escaping the Möbius loop, they once again encountered a parallel world.

*

It was now 8:56 AM, June 15th, the 27th day of the fifth lunar month.

He Wei raised his wrist and synchronized his watch with the electronic screen at the station. The time was correct, and with the deeply familiar landmarks etched in his memory, he was 80% sure that the place they were now was the world he originally lived in.

“Dragging people over without a word—what terrible timing.” He Wei spread his hands and said, “Auntie called a few days ago, wanting us to go back for dinner today. That’s out the window now.”

Coincidentally, June 15th was precisely Cheng Zesheng’s thirtieth birthday. With this happening, let alone going home, even returning to their own world became an issue. Cheng Zesheng’s thirtieth birthday seemed to be a major hurdle.

Cheng Zesheng scratched his cheek, resigned to his bad luck, and hugged him to make amends, “It’s my fault. I didn’t choose a good day to be born.”

“Hey, I didn’t imply anything.” He Wei was amused by him, poking the cheek resting on his shoulder, “Just think of it as you having a unique fate. From another perspective, this kind of experience is something others can’t even wish for.”

Cheng Zesheng was puzzled, “…Who would dream of something like this?”

“Maybe physicists doing research.”

Speaking of physics, He Wei suddenly thought of Lian Jingyuan. Given the normal progression of time, he should be a teacher. He Wei looked at the city map again, the roads and landmarks were exactly as he remembered, and he couldn’t help but be surprised. Could it be…

Cheng Zesheng had a flash of insight and snapped his fingers, “This is a good opportunity to see your former colleagues and friends. Haven’t you been talking about them often?”

He Wei also felt that this might be a precious opportunity given by fate. Tomorrow was the 16th, and there would be a supernova explosion at dawn. Would they be able to return to their world then?

This reasoning seemed logical, and He Wei’s mood lightened considerably. A bus approached slowly. He glanced at it and took out a mask for Cheng Zesheng to wear.

Cheng Zesheng lowered his head slightly to help the two straps loop over his ears.

He Wei pointed at the concert advertisement on the bus. A world-renowned pianist would be meeting fans this weekend, and the face looked exactly like Cheng Zesheng’s.

“…” Cheng Zesheng quickly pulled the mask tight.

He almost forgot that here, he was a wildly popular celebrity.

*

Route 746 had 46 stops in total and was an important route connecting Fulong Mountain to the city. It used a tiered fare system and still had conductors. Depending on the length of the journey, the fare ranged from 2 to 5 yuan. Cheng Zesheng and He Wei searched their pockets and managed to find 7.5 yuan, still 0.5 yuan short. Thanks to Cheng Zesheng’s sweet talking, calling the conductor “big sister” a few times, they weren’t kicked off midway.

Pathetically speaking, this was the era of online payments, and both Cheng Zesheng and He Wei belonged to the cashless crowd. With no phone signal, they couldn’t access the money in their accounts. Fortunately, they were on duty in plain clothes and had a few coins in their pockets, preventing two well-dressed and upright police officers from being labeled as fare evaders.

He Wei turned his phone off and on again, but still had no signal. Beside him, Cheng Zesheng, wearing a mask, couldn’t escape trouble either, being approached by two girls who wanted to chat. He kept emphasizing that he wasn’t a pianist, just looked a bit like him. They secretly took photos to post on Weibo, but He Wei stopped them in time: “Sorry, he doesn’t want to become famous, please delete the photos.”

Facing He Wei’s clear and somewhat serious eyes, the two girls, shy and awkward, finally nodded and deleted the photos. They didn’t bother Cheng Zesheng again until they got off the bus.

In less than two hours, He Wei and Cheng Zesheng got off at the terminus. This stop happened to be on Fuzuo Road East, just across an intersection from Lei Jing Internet Cafe, 600 meters from Huyue Xingchen, and just a corner away from a very delicious private kitchen restaurant, which Cheng Zesheng added.

He Wei gazed at him silently, and Cheng Zesheng asked, “What’s wrong? You said the food there was good too.”

He Wei’s lips thinned slightly: “Yeah, it’s pretty good. I just didn’t expect you to remember the taste there.”

Taking advantage of the few people around, Cheng Zesheng pulled down his mask, leaned in to steal a kiss, and blinked: “Of course, how could I forget what we experienced together?”

The memory of taste lasts the longest, long enough that no matter how many times the cycle repeats, He Wei can recall the taste of the signature dish “Braised Pork with Taro” from that private kitchen. The taro was tender and soft, and the braised pork was rich but not greasy. A bite leaves a lingering fragrance, an endless aftertaste…

The two stood in front of the restaurant, staring at the poster pictures, their appetites stirring, pockets empty.

“Why did you have to bring this up?” He Wei complained softly. Yesterday, after receiving the tip-off, they rushed up the mountain with just two buns, running around for hours, their stomachs numb with hunger.

“My fault, my fault,” Cheng Zesheng had it worse, busy setting up control without even getting the buns, his stomach growling long ago.

After much thought, He Wei pulled Cheng Zesheng inside and connected to the Wi-Fi, but before he could feel happy for a second, he found that the payment code wouldn’t load. Cheng Zesheng remained calm, having experienced this situation before, accepting the setup where they could only eat without paying here.

“Would you two gentlemen like to order?”

Facing the waiter’s enthusiastic smile, He Wei felt awkward, experiencing for the first time what it meant to be “a man with money is confident, a man without money is difficult.”

Just then, the glass door opened, and a man in casual clothes walked in, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, his smile gentle and elegant, exuding scholarly charm. He Wei suddenly stood up: “…Lian Jingyuan?”

Lian Jingyuan glanced at He Wei, then noticed Cheng Zesheng sitting beside him, and greeted them: “Out on a date? What a coincidence.”

He Wei waved him over and handed the menu to Cheng Zesheng. Cheng Zesheng felt uneasy, thinking this direct contact might not be good. What if they slipped up?

“It doesn’t matter; let’s get a free meal first,” He Wei whispered.

*

In a small private room, five dishes and a soup were on the table. After the food was served, He Wei and Cheng Zesheng didn’t stop using their chopsticks, even refilling their rice bowls once.

Lian Jingyuan, holding his chopsticks, watched them eat voraciously, looking a bit surprised: “A-Wei, slow down, don’t choke.” He added, “You too, Mr. Cheng.”

He Wei pointed at the dishes with his chopsticks, indicating that Lian Jingyuan shouldn’t be polite either. It felt awkward for the host not to eat while they devoured the food.

Lian Jingyuan’s eyes kept darting between the two of them. He didn’t know Cheng Zesheng well enough to comment, but he knew He Wei thoroughly. He Wei had always been shy and reserved since childhood, introverted and quiet, raised in a well-off family with good manners. Since Lian Jingyuan had known him, he had never seen He Wei eat so ravenously.

But from the moment they met today, He Wei’s behavior was refreshing and unfamiliar, yet not abrupt. His eyes were bright and spirited, and his brows were seemingly calm yet hinting at a sharp intensity. This expression was very familiar, belonging to the “He Wei” often constructed in his mind.

“A-Wei, you seem… a bit different today.”

Hearing this, He Wei looked up and smiled lightly: “Only a bit? I thought you’d say I’ve become a different person.” Lian Jingyuan was taken aback; indeed, that’s what he thought, but asking outright seemed too strange, so he phrased it differently. Cheng Zesheng’s chopsticks rhythmically tapped the edge of the bowl, spelling out in Morse code: Should we tell him?

He Wei gave a look, and Cheng Zesheng understood, taking it step by step.

“What have you been busy with lately?” He Wei poured Lian Jingyuan a cup of tea. Lian Jingyuan, resting his cheek on his hand, replied, “Teaching, doing projects, attending seminars, the usual academic stuff, I’m used to it by now.”

He Wei understood that, just as he imagined, Lian Jingyuan was still a scholar. He smiled, “Still single?”

“Ah… yes.”

Just then, Cheng Zesheng took a tissue and wiped a bit of sauce off He Wei’s lips. Lian Jingyuan smiled helplessly, “You two loving birds, don’t rub it in.”

He Wei chuckled softly, then abruptly changed the subject, “Do you have any cash? Can you lend us some?”

He really didn’t want to walk back to Fulong Mountain with Cheng Zesheng; such a long journey would take them from dawn to dusk. Lian Jingyuan was taken aback, took out his wallet, and handed over the only two red bills in it: “Is this enough?”

“More than enough, but we can’t pay you back right now. If we have the chance in the future…” He Wei furrowed his brows, “It’s tough…”

Given Lian Jingyuan and He Wei’s friendship, asking for repayment of 200 yuan was too formal. But he was curious about who this He Wei in front of him really was, very sure he was different from the He Wei he knew; could it be multiple personalities?

Even as they left the restaurant, Lian Jingyuan was still puzzled. He had to hurry to school, so he parted ways with He Wei and Cheng Zesheng at the intersection. Before getting into a taxi, he suddenly heard He Wei say, “Oh right, thanks for taking care of Stephen.”

Lian Jingyuan was stunned, his pupils constricting: “You—”

“It’s with us now, doing well.” He Wei waved, “Thanks for your help today. Goodbye, Jingyuan.”

Thoughts swirled in Lian Jingyuan’s mind, and a sudden realization hit him. He finally understood why He Wei’s behavior didn’t seem out of place, because this was him—this calm, capable, and resilient He Wei really existed.

“I hope we meet again.”

Closing the car door, Lian Jingyuan watched them walk away, opened his wallet, and saw the empty compartment, confirming this wasn’t a dream.

Stephen’s real owners turned out to be them.

Even in another world, these two were destined lovers.

*

At the entrance of the Shengzhou City Public Security Bureau, He Wei stood in front of the position announcement board. As his gaze moved, serious faces came into view. The bureau chief was still Zheng Furui, the leadership team hadn’t changed, but there were many personnel changes below. There wasn’t a familiar face in the Criminal Investigation Department, and the captain of the Anti-Drug Team had also changed.

The leadership posted on the board consisted of high-ranking officials; even the old team captain was no longer there. Were any of his former colleagues still at the municipal bureau?

He Wei pondered this, and unintentionally looked up, his gaze drawn to a graceful beauty in a white dress. She descended the concrete steps lightly, passing by him with a bright and sunny smile, as if heading to a sweet rendezvous.

Cheng Zesheng waved his hand in front of He Wei’s face, and He Wei’s lips curled into a faint smile: “That’s Zheng Youqing.”

In the past, his indifference was too cruel to Zheng Youqing. Now, not encountering each other again meant she was no longer held back by him; a good girl was finally freed.

At this moment, a domestic Jinbei prison van pulled up, and Wu Xiaolei and Ke Bo got out. Behind them were several people wearing large silver bracelets, societal misfits ready to live off the government.

The last two, with their fierce looks and intimidating demeanors—one with spiky short hair and the other smoking nonchalantly—who else could they be but Chong Zhen and Hu Songkai?

He Wei was stunned; he had always thought if these two weren’t cops, they’d just be thugs.

They lined up, and the shifty-eyed man in front of Chong Zhen suddenly broke free from Ke Bo, attempting an escape right at the municipal bureau’s entrance—a commendable show of courage. He ran towards He Wei, planning to take a hostage, but was stopped dead in his tracks, running straight into trouble.

He Wei and Cheng Zesheng moved in sync, one gripping the shoulder and the other sweeping the leg, using joint locks to pin the man to the ground. Chong Zhen was furious, rushing over to kick the man in the back: “Run! Go on, keep running!”

Hu Songkai clicked his tongue: “Professionalism, professionalism. Trying to pull one over on Lao Zheng? Are you too deep in character or just naturally unrestrained?”

“Bullshit! If he got away, I’d be back to being a lackey!”

Hu Songkai fished out a pair of handcuffs from his pocket and, noticing He Wei and Cheng Zesheng’s technique, complimented, “You two are professionals! Great skills, are you in the same line of work?”

He Wei smiled, feeling much relieved. It turned out these two were undercover, and today was the day they finally reeled in their targets.

After cuffing the man, He Wei remarked, “Luckily, we are indeed colleagues.” He patted Chong Zhen on the shoulder: “Undercover work is dangerous; keep your protective charm with you.”

Cheng Zesheng couldn’t hold back a laugh, quickly smoothing his expression under his mask and pulling He Wei along as they left.

Chong Zhen and Hu Songkai stared at He Wei’s back, feeling a strange familiarity but unable to recall where they had seen him before.

“Which department are they from? They seem quite skilled,” Hu Songkai murmured.

Chong Zhen, fingering the yellow charm his grandmother had given him, was puzzled: “How did he know I carry a protective charm?”

*

As evening fell, they passed a cinema, and Cheng Zesheng paused in front of the LCD advertising screen, staring at the promotional video for “The Triassic Chronicles.”

“‘The Triassic Chronicles’ huh…” Cheng Zesheng rubbed his chin. It seemed that in their world, there was no trace of this movie being released.

He Wei remembered “The Triassic Chronicles” premiered in May. Due to its good reviews, it was still showing in June. The poster’s release date matched his memory exactly. He had seen this movie once by himself, once with Zheng Youqing, but never with Cheng Zesheng.

Since they stumbled upon it, it was a rare opportunity. He Wei calculated the cash they had; it was more than enough for a movie. They were usually too busy with work to go on dates, so why not seize the moment? It was a rare chance to “take a break amid the busyness.”

“Handsome young police officer, wanna watch a movie?” He Wei took the initiative to hook Cheng Zesheng’s arm.

Cheng Zesheng blushed, put his arm around He Wei’s shoulders, and said confidently, “If my wife is inviting me, of course, I have to go.”

“You’re so cheeky.” He Wei laughed and scolded, then gave Cheng Zesheng several kisses while being held.

The afternoon show on a weekday wasn’t full. After the lights went out, Cheng Zesheng finally dared to take off his mask and focus on the movie. The plot didn’t differ much from He Wei’s memory: the protagonist encounters three worlds and overcomes layer upon layer of cyclic fate. Near the end, he suddenly sat up straight, revealing a look of surprise.

The ending had changed.

At the movie’s conclusion, the male lead didn’t sacrifice himself for others but instead successfully changed his life and reunited with his lover. This mirrored He Wei and Cheng Zesheng’s story, finally escaping the cycle of fate, meeting, understanding, and falling in love again in another world, culminating in a happy ending.

He Wei leaned on Cheng Zesheng’s shoulder, smiling softly. Before Cheng Zesheng could speak, He Wei hooked his neck with one hand, and the next second, their lips met. Cheng Zesheng closed his eyes and hugged his lover tightly, immersed in the passionate kiss, seemingly never getting enough.

On screen, the happy couple walked side by side, while outside the screen, the fated lovers kissed passionately. At this moment, He Wei suddenly felt there was nothing more to worry about.

*

An ordinary yet extraordinary day passed with them running around. After boarding bus route 746 and paying the fare, He Wei had just one coin left.

The last bus had only a few passengers, coming and going, until only He Wei and Cheng Zesheng remained seated in the back row. The TV hanging in the front was playing a sentimental song. He Wei leaned against the window, watching the swiftly passing night scenery, his hand intertwined with Cheng Zesheng’s. They squeezed each other’s knuckles, exploring inch by inch, playing a game of cat and mouse, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

As the bus neared their stop, He Wei stretched, feeling he would fall asleep if they didn’t get off soon. Suddenly, a familiar piano tune emerged from the TV, recognizable even amidst the broadcast.

Do

Do Si Sol Re Mi

A segment from a concert was playing, the melody flowing from the pianist’s hands on stage, titled “Wings of Hope.”

Both He Wei and Cheng Zesheng listened. The camera panned to the audience and across the face of another He Wei, shyly smiling and gently waving a glow stick.

The bus slowly stopped at the station. The piano piece hadn’t finished playing yet. He Wei walked slowly, taking one last look at the screen, his heart filled with comfort and satisfaction.

It turned out that everyone in this world was doing well.

They returned to the mountains, finding a spot with a wide view to sit. It was one minute to midnight when He Wei suddenly spoke, “Oh, I forgot to say, happy birthday.”

“It’s okay, there will be many more opportunities in the future.” Cheng Zesheng leaned in, tightly holding He Wei’s hand.

In no time, one, two, and countless stars streaked across the night sky, the Northern Lyra meteor shower falling abundantly. He Wei leaned on Cheng Zesheng’s shoulder, watching as the supernova exploded in the night sky, the bright moon gradually becoming dim and obscure. No, it was their vision slowly being obscured by the mist.

Behind them came the sound of footsteps, snapping twigs, and dry leaves, accompanied by the cursing complaints of two men. “Damn it, what kind of forest is this? We’ve been circling for ages and still can’t find our way out!”

“It’s all your stupid idea. I told you not to come to Fulong Mountain. This mountain is haunted!”

He Wei and Cheng Zesheng stood up. Two people emerged from the dense forest behind them. The four of them faced each other, and He Wei smiled slightly—this was a case of finding something effortlessly.

*

The tumultuous armored car hijacking case was finally solved, thanks to the two captains of the city’s criminal investigation team, who had staked out the mountain for a whole day and night, capturing all the remaining suspects.

“Hey, what’s up with you two?” Cheng Zhenqing sat cross-legged on the sofa, holding and petting Stephen, “Don’t play dumb with me. I took a police dog up the mountain and still couldn’t find you.”

He Wei squatted on the ground, fiddling with a can, and said lightly, “Take a guess.”

“I don’t want to guess. June 16 is an unlucky date. If you hadn’t come back, it would have been quite the commotion.”

Cheng Zesheng, who was busy with the cat bed, looked up at this and said, “Didn’t you just guess it?”

Cheng Zhenqing was stunned, taking a long time to come to his senses, “…So it really is like that, huh? What were you there for? Sightseeing?”

He Wei waved his hand, and Stephen jumped down to eat the canned food, its fluffy tail brushing against his leg, soft and delicate. He Wei petted its head, glanced at Cheng Zhenqing, and thought how he and Cheng Zesheng were true brothers, their thoughts exactly alike.

But none of that mattered anymore. Coming back safely was the greatest luck.

He Wei took a coin from his pocket and placed it in a separate small box, sealing it along with past concerns.

He had personally confirmed that in that world, even without meeting, they still had bright and colorful lives.

_____________

Author’s note:

This is an exclusive, uncut extra for “Replacing the Evil Way.” As you can see from the Weibo announcement, I have terminated the contract with the publisher. I asked the editor if I could release it on JJ, and they agreed.

I had always felt regretful because this was a very carefully written extra, showing from He Wei’s perspective what would happen in another world without him, making up for the readers’ regrets. Unfortunately, the physical copy was never released, and it couldn’t be used elsewhere, so it just sat gathering dust in WPS. Every time I opened the document and saw it, I felt very heartbroken. Fortunately, there is still this opportunity for it to see the light of day. I feel a sense of fulfillment and would like to thank all the lovely readers who have always liked “Replacing the Evil Way,” making this niche story not so niche. Love each and every one of you, mua~

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