The closed study door suddenly opened. Foss, who was sitting on the living room sofa looking at the itinerary for Ji Xun’s trip to Qin City, took a couple of puffs from his pipe and only felt a dark shadow flash past him like the wind.
When he belatedly looked up, all he heard was the “bang” of the main door closing. Someone had left.
Was it Officer Huo who just arrived? Why did he leave in such a hurry?
Foss was surprised for a moment, then looked at the time and realized it was unexpectedly nine o’clock at night!
Even for an editor chasing an author for a manuscript, staying at the author’s house for so long was a bit much. Fortunately, the travel arrangements for Qin City were almost finalized. He quickly picked up the schedule and went to knock on the study door.
“Come in,” Ji Xun’s voice came from inside.
He pushed the door open and didn’t see Ji Xun at first. When he looked closer, he saw the owner of the house through the gap in the drawn dark green curtains, with his arms crossed and his shoulder leaning against the window.
“The itinerary for Qin City has been arranged,” Foss said.
“Thanks, but there’s really no need to be in such a rush,” Ji Xun said.
“No, it’s better to confirm it early.” Foss had no patience for procrastination; he had come in person today precisely to finalize everything. “Please take a look and see if there are any problems with the hotel and itinerary.”
Ji Xun took the paper and glanced at it. Pack tomorrow, leave the day after, a planned three-day stay in Qin City, five-star hotels throughout. One day for a book signing at Huiyou Bookstore; one day for a lecture at Qinjiang University; the remaining day for sightseeing in Qin City.
“I have no problem with it,” Ji Xun said, returning the itinerary to Foss. “Do we need to book a five-star hotel?”
“The foundation provided a considerable amount of funds, so the arrangements are top-tier,” Foss said.
“Did the founder of the foundation request to meet me?” Ji Xun suddenly asked.
“Not at all.” This was actually somewhat strange. After spending such a large sum on an author, it would be reasonable to make some requests, such as meeting the author for a meal. However, there was none of that. The founder remained behind the scenes, only responsible for providing the money, acting like a philanthropist giving without expecting anything in return.
Foss wanted to chat with Ji Xun about the strangeness of the foundation, but after that sentence, the person leaning against the window fell silent again, preoccupied with the night view outside.
So, he dismissed the thought.
The world is a big place; isn’t it possible for there to be a few wealthy, idle people with quirks?
“Then I’ll have your assigned editor accompany you for the whole trip.” Foss marked the end of their conversation for the evening. Before leaving, he suddenly remembered something and asked, “By the way, why did Officer Huo leave in such a hurry just now? Was there another case?”
It wasn’t a case.
There was no case.
It was just that if they stayed any longer, the two of them wouldn’t be able to resist igniting a spark, so one had to leave first to let the boiling flames within their bodies cool down. It wouldn’t be a big deal if the two of them rolled into the flames and burned each other, but it wouldn’t be pretty if a bystander got splashed.
Besides, it wasn’t the right time yet.
Huo Ranyin left, and Foss left too. The house was once again left with only Ji Xun.
Ji Xun stood by the window with his arms crossed. There were no lights on in the room, making the neon glow of the night outside seem brilliant. He saw the landscaped trees in the residential complex. The trees, which had been bare all winter, had sprouted a few tender leaves at some unknown time. The small leaves swayed gently in the evening breeze, carrying a hint of spring.
This busy winter was finally, almost over.
Let’s wait until I get to Qin City.
Ji Xun thought.
Once he was in the city where Huo Ranyin had lived, once he found some clues, what he would touch would no longer be the embellished body of Huo Ranyin, but the truest soul hidden within.
The next day’s preparations didn’t take much effort. Packing a suitcase for the trip was all it took. In modern society, as long as you carry your ID and phone, everything is manageable.
After packing, he arranged to meet his editor at the high-speed rail station the next day, then left a message for Huo Ranyin saying he would be away for three days starting tomorrow. All necessary preparations were complete.
Ji Xun surveyed the room. Restlessness born from stillness prompted him to go to the Raccoon Bar in the evening, a place he hadn’t been to in a long time.
The bar opened early, and people who had been cooped up all through the new year festival writhed wildly amidst the red lights and green wine. Ji Xun once again sat in his familiar spot, picked up the familiar drumsticks, and played a full-throated drum session.
He didn’t know if it was an illusion, but after drumming this time, Ji Xun didn’t feel the fatigue and daze that had seemed to drain his physical strength when he came here before the new year. He was still tired, but it was more of a comfortable, relaxed fatigue after letting loose.
Strange.
Could it be that running all over the place with Huo Ranyin these days had actually, in a real sense, trained his body?
Ji Xun pondered as he stepped down from the stage. A new year had passed, and the crowd in the bar had changed again. He smoothly squeezed out of the crowd that paid him no mind and made his way to the front of the bar.
Jenny was still there. The short, student-faced young man had been promoted in a short time, from a waiter to a bartender, and was now standing behind the bar winking at him.
Ji Xun sat down in front of Jenny.
A cocktail was placed before him. This cocktail was interesting. The bottom layer should be cola; tiny bubbles were hidden in the dark liquid, rising one by one. As the bubbles rose, the liquid in the glass gradually lightened, until the top layer completely faded from black to transparent.
This sliver of transparency was like a halo, enveloping this glass of wine that transitioned from dark to light, from black to white.
“This is a new cocktail I created,” Jenny said with a grin. “I’m thinking of calling it ‘Rebirth,’ what do you think?”
“Looks good,” Ji Xun glanced at it, “but I didn’t order it.”
Jenny: “It’s on me.”
Ji Xun picked up the glass, swirled it, and took a sip. It tasted okay, a bit spicy, perhaps like life itself. Any change, good or bad, carries a spicy flavor. “Did something good happen today that’s making you so generous?”
“Seeing you is a good thing in itself,” Jenny said. “Besides, I feel like you’re different today than in the past, much more energetic.”
“Ha…”
“What, are you going to deny it?”
“There’s no need to deny it,” Ji Xun admitted frankly. “I also feel my spirits have been better recently. It seems I’ve pulled back from the brink of death by overwork.”
“But it’s still a bit of a pity,” Jenny added with a look of regret. “Now that your spirits are up, that destructive allure is gone. Haven’t you noticed? You’ve been here for so long today, and no woman has come over to ask for your phone number.”
“…That’s not necessary,” Ji Xun said.
What does a gay man need to be so popular with women for? Besides, it wasn’t necessarily that he lost his allure because his destructive vibe was gone. Couldn’t it be that others smelled the scent of a taken man?
Just as they finished speaking, there was a movement at the next seat. A woman with a graceful figure sat down, placed her handbag on the table, and looked at Ji Xun from the side.
Jenny immediately quieted down, not at all embarrassed that his recent conclusion had just been proven wrong. Instead, his eyes lit up, and he started winking furiously at Ji Xun. It was clear that although a new year had passed, his passion for matchmaking had not faded in the slightest.
Ji Xun felt rather bored for a moment, and he noticed the person next to him still had her gaze glued to his face.
He turned his head, thinking of a reason to refuse that wouldn’t embarrass either of them… Then, when he saw the woman beside him clearly, his gaze froze. The words he was about to say were swallowed back, and his eyebrows shot up.
Sitting opposite him was an acquaintance.
It was Sisi.
“I, I have something to ask you,” Sisi was wearing a white dress today. A white dress, black hair, and very light makeup, not even lipstick, almost bare-faced. Only the corners of her eyes were a little red, as if she had been crying and rubbed them swollen, looking delicate and timid. When she stole a glance at Ji Xun, the redness at the corners of her eyes was particularly obvious. “Can you give me a little time? It’s something very important. It’s, it’s about the thing you came to see me for last time…”
The last sentence was very soft and small. As Sisi spoke, she looked around nervously, as if terrified of being discovered by someone. Of course, her hand also grabbed the hem of Ji Xun’s shirt, daring only to pinch a tiny bit, as if that tiny bit gave her unusual courage.
Honestly, Sisi wasn’t ugly, and her attire today was appropriate—soft, weak, and harmless, the kind that most easily arouses a man’s protective instincts.
Unfortunately, her luck was bad today.
Ji Xun was not only gay, but a clear-headed gay man, and even more so, a clear-headed, former-detective, current-private-investigator, gay man.
He looked at Sisi strangely, and two words flashed through his mind:
Honey trap.
Then another few words flashed:
Yellow Hair’s honey trap.
“Is that okay?” Sisi became a little uneasy under Ji Xun’s gaze and couldn’t help but shift on the bar stool.
“Okay,” Ji Xun agreed at once.
His hand, behind his back, found his phone, opened the screen, and, typing blindly, sent a message to Huo Ranyin.
They hadn’t even had a chance to go looking for trouble with the suspect, and the suspect had conscientiously delivered himself to their door.
Naturally, they should cooperate from the inside and out, block the doors and windows, and not let the cooked duck fly away.
At the same time, Huo Ranyin was out eating hotpot with his police team. The case was over, and no matter what, they should celebrate. Besides eating hotpot today, they were also planning to go for karaoke later.
Tan Mingjiu had a little to drink, and his voice got even louder. He clamored to call Ji Xun, to dig Ji Xun out of his house and have him come celebrate with them, not let him stay home alone and gather dust.
Huo Ranyin remained silent.
His silence made the others at the table more or less understand his meaning. Those who were urging drinks urged drinks, those who were talking talked, and they moved past the topic. The hotpot billowed with white steam, which drifted through the crowd, separating them.
Huo Ranyin leaned back in his chair leisurely.
He knew these people were guessing if he and Ji Xun had had a falling out… Of course not.
Huo Ranyin thought to himself, Ji Xun is going out of town for work tomorrow. Isn’t it good for him to prepare properly at home today, write a bit more? It seemed the sequel to “Poison Fruit” had already been delayed because of him. He couldn’t keep pushing it back again and again. Who knows when the next case will appear? When a case comes up, it’s busy again. It’s better to write more while he has the free time.
He thought this through with high-sounding reasons, and finally, glanced at Yuan Yue.
Then, he opened his phone again and checked WeChat.
In WeChat, his last conversation with Ji Xun was from the afternoon.
He put his phone back in his pocket and continued eating hotpot.
Ji Xun had been stalling with Sisi at the bar for an hour.
In this hour, he had been trying to find topics to talk about over and over again, to the point where he was almost out of words.
What’s going on? He wondered secretly. He had originally thought Huo Ranyin would give him a signal within 20 minutes at most, for them to coordinate their next move. But he had waited and waited, for three times 20 minutes, and there was still no movement from Huo Ranyin… nor had any plainclothes officers entered the bar.
“…Excuse me, I need to use the restroom,” Ji Xun said directly to Sisi.
He left Sisi, who seemed to want to say something more, and walked quickly towards the bar’s restroom. The men’s restroom had a wooden door. A couple was being clingy at the entrance. He pushed open the wooden door and walked in. It was empty inside. No one was at the urinals, and only the door to a stall was ajar. He took out his phone from his pocket and directly dialed Huo Ranyin’s number.
Just as he heard the “beep—” in his ear, a gust of wind came from behind his head.
Ji Xun’s senses screamed. He dodged to the side, and the corner of his eye immediately caught a baseball bat swinging down viciously from behind him!
He immediately turned back and saw one, two, three… people coming out from behind the ajar door. He immediately turned to rush out, but the wooden restroom door moved. The man from the clingy couple outside came in, blocking the door, and brandished a sharp little knife.
Ji Xun immediately looked away.
He composed himself for a moment. Losing the fight is one thing, but losing composure is another.
“…Brothers, you must have been waiting in the restroom for a while, right? You’ve really worked hard to corner me.”
However, the other side didn’t waste any words with him. The man picked up the knife and stabbed straight at him.
The sharp tip of the knife was like a silver cross, and the light of the silver star grew closer and brighter in his eyes, until it exploded into a dazzling white light.
