After the entire Nanyi Criminal Investigation Team headed to Haijing, Yi Shi and Lin Heyu didn’t delay either; they set off for Haijing as well. The mountain search operation was massive, with most of the officers from both locations focusing on Cheng’an Mountain. Due to limited manpower, other areas, such as the national highways, were inevitably less thoroughly checked. With just a bit of caution, Lin Heyu, an “undocumented person,” managed to return to Haijing smoothly.
Previously, when they had crossed into the mirrored world, life’s everyday challenges were always a worry. Just solving the issue of accommodation had been enough to cause headaches. On the road, Lin Heyu asked Yi Shi where he planned to stay. Yi Shi pulled out a set of keys and waved them in front of him. “Forgot? You told me I could come over anytime when I had a break.”
“…Is it still there?”
“Of course it is. Zhizhi wouldn’t want to sell it. The mortgage is fully paid off.”
Lin Heyu folded his arms, feeling a mix of nostalgia and melancholy. Time passes, and years show no mercy. After all these years, he wondered what the house must look like now.
Over the twenty years, the residential complex’s management company had been replaced several times. The new property management company the homeowners’ association found had a good reputation, especially with its strict cleanliness standards. This kept the public roads and areas of the old complex clean and tidy. The two of them walked along a tree-lined path, and Lin Heyu looked up at the neatly aligned rows of plane trees, making a joke to Yi Shi: “The housing brochure back then said the greenery rate here was as high as 35%, and in summer, there would be plenty of shady spots to rest. But after moving in, many homeowners found there were only a few trees providing shade, including these rows. When I moved in, these trees were only half my height.”
“Didn’t anyone go after the developer?”
“I didn’t have time. I heard from other homeowners that the developer responded, ‘The trees will grow in phases, batch by batch. Eventually, they’ll all be tall enough.'”
“…” Yi Shi looked back at the scene. The trees that were once saplings had now grown into towering trees. Twenty years felt like a quick crossing to a mirrored world for them, but to others, it was clear that Lin Heyu hadn’t been back for many years.
While the passage of time left its marks on the outside world, it seemed frozen inside the three-bedroom apartment in the building. Lin Heyu opened the door, and aside from the unfamiliar chill in the air, everything in the house was almost exactly as it had been when he left. It was as if he hadn’t been missing for years but had merely gone on a long trip and just returned.
“Surprised?” Yi Shi pulled him inside. “Isn’t it seamlessly connected with your other home?”
“…Yeah.” Lin Heyu casually picked up a photo from the screen divider. “Has Zhizhi been coming by to clean?”
“She comes back to Haijing every few months to visit the grave and clean the house. She never mentioned it to me, probably because she didn’t want me to feel sad. She never brought up that it had anything to do with you when she went back to Haijing,” Yi Shi said with a smile. “It’s a good thing Zhizhi is so diligent, giving us a place to stay.”
It hadn’t been long since Lin Zhizhi last came to clean. The windows were usually kept closed, so there wasn’t much dust. The house was bright and clean, giving it a comforting feel. Lin Heyu sighed with emotion, thinking that after getting married, Zhizhi had become quite capable. Finally, he didn’t have to worry about her anymore.
The water and electricity in the house were still functioning, but the heating had been off for a while. As night fell, the house became cold. Lin Heyu, used to the heating system in the north during November, found it odd. On the other hand, Yi Shi seemed completely unaffected, having long adapted to the cold. What was heating, anyway? For a southerner, surviving winter relied on sheer willpower.
Even though Yi Shi claimed he wasn’t cold, when it was time to sleep, he still curled up in Lin Heyu’s arms, absorbing his warmth. Lin Heyu wrapped his cold hands in his own, rubbing them. “Your hands and feet are so cold. You weren’t like this when you were younger.”
“Kids are always full of heat,” Yi Shi said, recalling the few times he had met a younger Lin Heyu. His hands had always been warm, like touching a piece of burning coal, spreading warmth and comfort.
His right leg habitually draped over Lin Heyu’s leg. Lin Heyu’s hand moved along his calf, feeling the firm muscles covering his slender frame. Although it didn’t look remarkable, the power hidden in them was strong. That kick he had delivered to Zhao Chenghu’s chest was still vivid in his memory—it had hit right in the solar plexus, making even an observer feel a dull ache in their own chest.
“You seemed pretty ruthless with that kick. Did you often get into fights at school?” Lin Heyu asked.
Yi Shi raised his head. “It was alright. I just fought casually.”
“…Casually fought?” Lin Heyu was speechless.
“Yeah, most of my classmates wouldn’t mess with me—they couldn’t win.” Yi Shi paused. “There was one time I wanted to get serious, but Captain Yu stopped me. Didn’t get my fill of fighting.”
Even in police school, he still dared to fight. It seemed Yi Shi had always grown up outside the lines, always pushing boundaries wherever he went. Lin Heyu sighed in resignation and gave his calf a squeeze. “You still have to be mindful of your image. Captain Yu can’t always cover for you. You need to leave yourself some room to maneuver.”
Yi Shi nodded repeatedly, rubbing his forehead against the warmth of Lin Heyu’s chest. “I know, Captain Yu has talked to me about it. He told me to change my temper and make more friends.”
“And did you change?”
“Yeah, I waited for my roommates to hold meetings and act together last time; wasn’t that enough?”
Whenever Yi Shi had that blank look in his eyes, an inherent innocence would bubble up from deep within him. Lin Heyu smiled and praised him a couple of times. Taking advantage of Yi Shi’s inattention, he leaned down slowly, his breath brushing against the pale neck. Goosebumps visibly rose, and the fine, soft hairs stood on end.
The earlobe closest to him instantly flushed with blood. Lin Heyu reached out and gently rubbed it between his thumb and forefinger, playing with that little piece of soft flesh. Yi Shi squirmed slightly, his breathing becoming a bit more rapid. “Don’t, don’t mess with it.”
“Hmm?”
“…It tickles.”
Lin Heyu’s hand moved away from his earlobe, wrapping around his waist as he gently kissed the snowy white neck, then gave it a light bite.
Yi Shi’s heart raced, his body tensed, and his hands clenched tightly in his sleeves, unsure of where to place them. Lin Heyu hadn’t bitten hard, not even leaving a mark on the smooth white neck, but he was curious to see how much pressure it would take to leave one. His lips returned to the side of the neck, this time applying more pressure as his tongue scraped across the soft skin.
A low, hoarse sound escaped as Yi Shi closed his eyes, his eyelashes trembling uncontrollably. The unfamiliar sensations overwhelmed his nerves. He hugged the other’s waist tightly, his legs instinctively rubbing against him. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he thought, I can’t take it, I can’t stay calm. I need to think about the case, think about what to do next… What is he doing? Where is his hand?
Yi Shi quickly grabbed the roaming hand and pressed it against his waist, his breathing becoming labored from the tension. His eyelashes still fluttered, too nervous to open his eyes and meet Lin Heyu’s gaze.
Lin Heyu chuckled softly, his fingertips gliding from Yi Shi’s waist to his lower abdomen. As expected, Yi Shi’s stomach flinched rapidly, as if shocked by electricity. Releasing Lin Heyu’s hand, Yi Shi spoke in a tense voice, “I can’t sleep, how about—how about we talk about the case?”
“Sure, let’s talk.”
“The last two days, we’ve been combing through the mountain. It’s hard to get into the area. There’s a task force meeting on the 25th, and the personnel will be halved. That day, we’ll be discussing—wait, don’t touch me, I’m ticklish…”
“Do we need to discuss that you’re ticklish?”
“No, you—you just need to take your hand off first.” Yi Shi’s thoughts were scattered. He was so flustered that his eyes and nose started to turn slightly red. He tried to lift the blanket and escape, but he was tightly held in place, trapped in Lin Heyu’s arms. His T-shirt was crumpled and pushed up to his armpits. Lin Heyu’s fingers counted his ribs, and for each rib he touched, he demanded that Yi Shi promise to eat more of the vegetables he usually avoided, forbidding him from being as picky as he used to be.
Yi Shi drooped his eyes, the vulnerable spots all over his body now discovered. He looked a bit fragile and pitiful, completely different from the arrogant version of himself earlier when he calmly said, “I wasn’t done fighting.” What was even worse was his body’s physiological reaction, making him afraid to move too much. He weakly pleaded, “Can you let me go, please?”
This expression overlapped with the image of a crying, pleading child. Lin Heyu felt his heart ache a little and loosened his grip slightly. In the next second, Yi Shi swiftly pulled the blanket aside, darting to the edge of the bed, trying to escape. But he was quickly pulled back by the waist.
“Where are you going?”
“…The bathroom.”
“Aren’t I here?” Lin Heyu gently rubbed his thumb against Yi Shi’s lips, leaning down for a tender kiss.
———
The bathroom faucet gushed water. Lin Heyu stood behind Yi Shi, holding his hand under the water, patiently and carefully washing them. Yi Shi’s slender, jade-like fingers lay limp in Lin Heyu’s palm, letting him move them around. Due to their height difference, Lin Heyu could easily see Yi Shi’s flushed neck. He chuckled, “Why are you so easily embarrassed?”
“…I’ve never experienced this before,” Yi Shi muttered, struggling to find the right words. “I… I don’t usually lose control like this. It’s my first time… getting so worked up, losing composure like that…”
Lin Heyu glanced at the T-shirt soaking in the basin. “Yeah, we’ll need to wash the clothes later.”
Yi Shi became even more flustered, standing there awkwardly. Lin Heyu couldn’t resist teasing him further. “You’re usually so shy, yet you had the nerve to flirt with me when I had no memory?”
Yi Shi blinked in confusion. The target and intent were different, of course. Back then, all he had in mind was leaving a strong impression on Lin Heyu as quickly as possible. So, he went straight for it, fearless in throwing out bold moves. But now that Lin Heyu had his full memory back, he was the expert at bold, direct moves. Yi Shi always found himself on the passive end, often left flustered and at a loss. Forget flirting; just responding normally was already draining his mental energy.
Clearly, Lin Zhizhi didn’t know her brother well enough. He wasn’t as boring and dull as he seemed on the surface—he just hadn’t found anything or anyone that truly piqued his interest.
Once Lin Heyu was sure their hands were thoroughly cleaned of the sticky mess, he turned off the faucet and dried Yi Shi’s hands. “Let’s head back to bed.”
…Who can sleep now? Yi Shi covered his face, using his cold hands to cool down his burning cheeks.
Lin Heyu moved the basin aside, took out some detergent from the cabinet, and Yi Shi hurriedly took over, saying, “I’ll do it myself.”
After all, he was the one who made the mess, and now he felt embarrassed making Lin Heyu clean it up. He wished he could switch worlds to avoid the situation altogether.
Lin Heyu didn’t stop him and watched as Yi Shi anxiously tried to scrub out the dirty spots, his ears growing redder by the second. Thinking about how this state wouldn’t be conducive to their long-term living arrangement, Lin Heyu spoke seriously, “Life can’t be too bland, especially after long hours of tiring work. It’s not good for your health.”
Yi Shi thought of the famous gardener in Haijing, Mr. Yuan Maoqiu, and asked, “How’s Yuan Maoqiu’s health?”
“Don’t follow his example. Sooner or later, he’s bound to fall ill too,” Lin Heyu smiled. “Just stay with me; you’ll be fine.”
“…Okay.”
After hanging up the clothes and finishing his chores late into the night, Yi Shi lifted the blanket again, only to be greeted by a bed full of telltale stains. Staring at the suspicious marks, he felt a wave of dizziness and an overwhelming desire to disappear from this world. To distract him from the mounting anxiety, Lin Heyu asked, “So, what’s your plan for the code the municipal bureau was using?”
“If I’m not mistaken, I sent the code.” Once they began discussing the case, Yi Shi immediately shifted into serious mode, the earlier awkwardness fading completely as he returned to his calm and composed police officer persona.
His reasoning wasn’t far-fetched. After donning women’s clothes multiple times, Yi Shi had become numb to it, even used to it. Reflecting on the surveillance footage, the woman’s height and build were quite similar to his own. And now, there was no one else who could have pulled it off but him.
“I think this is the first time I’ve seen you in women’s clothing,” Lin Heyu rested his head in his hand. “You must look really good. I’m looking forward to it.”
“This isn’t the first time. There was that time at the bar.”
Recalling the unforgettable “female hero” from that night, Lin Heyu shook his head, amused at how he hadn’t realized it was Yi Shi. The fierce spirit he’d displayed then was the same as when he fought, clear as day.
“I didn’t get a good look last time,” Lin Heyu pulled Yi Shi closer, “This time, change in front of me. I bet it’ll feel different.”
“…”
