“The case has now been successfully solved.”
“——The Thai specialty shop located on Hutai Road has been ordered to close due to suspected illegal operations. This incident is extremely serious. In the 21st century, it is unimaginable that people would still believe in such superstitious rumors. Eliminating feudalism and superstition has always been a key emphasis of our country…”
Chi Qing was drying his hair after a shower, and a news program was playing on the TV. The news agency had clearly conducted a detailed investigation; the report was accompanied by many on-site photos that had been pixelated.
As Chi Qing dried his hair, he spotted a photo of himself and Xie Lin among the various images flashing by. Their faces weren’t clearly visible, but their individual features were unmistakable: the cast on Xie Lin’s leg, and the hand resting on his shoulder—a hand that looked boneless and lazy, waving back at someone behind them in a “goodbye” gesture, with the thin ring on the finger clearly captured. As for Chi Qing, who was being leaned on, only a sliver of his thin jaw, his overly long hair, and those mismatched black gloves were visible. He hadn’t turned his head, appearing completely uninterested in the person beside him.
The news anchor recited right on cue: “It is reported that this case was handled by the Special Task Force of the Huainan Public Security Bureau. The task force, composed of several major case detectives and specially hired consultants, is the reason for our harmonious and stable society. Our country’s case-solving rate continues to grow year after year—”
That photo lingered on the TV screen for a long time while the anchor praised the police and the motherland for over ten minutes.
Initially, this case hadn’t attracted much attention, but after it was solved, people discovered it involved a top-tier celebrity (though pseudonyms were used, it triggered much speculation) and the “superstitious” phenomenon, causing interest to skyrocket.
Netizens were buzzing with discussion:
【My God, I thought “raising ghost fetuses” was just something out of pulp novels. I didn’t expect people to actually believe it, and to boil corpse oil… My scalp is crawling.】
【I’ve traveled to Country X, and the amulets sold there were advertised as having “that” oil. I almost bought one.】
【Salute to the Public Security Bureau~ Thanks for your hard work.】
There were also discussions about the celebrity aspect:
【Curious about which female celebrity it is.】
【+1, don’t know who is so miserable—getting pregnant, having an abortion, and then having the manager use the fetus to raise a ghost.】
The topic quickly went off-rails after a photo of the “special consultant’s” back appeared:
【Although I’m curious who it is, I’m more curious about these two people. Doesn’t anyone feel like this photo is easy to “ship” (fangirl over)?!】
【I want to hear the story between the genius consultant and the other genius consultant.】
【Wait, but these black gloves remind me of someone. A circle insider, very obscure. That person always wears gloves every time he appears. Remember when he first debuted and attended a fashion gala? The GIF of him getting out of the nanny van and slowly, meticulously putting on black gloves went viral on the trending lists. Does anyone remember?】
He was talking about Chi Qing’s early days in the industry. Back then, dressed in a black tailcoat with ink-colored medium-long hair, he looked cold and elegant, like a ghost walking out of an ancient castle. His fingers were long and slender, and wearing gloves added an indescribable, dangerous aura. Because of that trending topic that stayed high for a long time, black gloves became a popular fashion accessory—even though Chi Qing himself was far less famous than the gloves.
【Replying to the above, are you talking about that two-character guy? The one whose name contains a color and who always plays villains?】
【Yes, but I’m not entirely sure. Any fans of his out there to confirm?】
The call for fans lasted a long time, perhaps because there were so few of them. Under this explosively popular news topic, it took over half a day for a suspected fan to appear.
【Ah… I de-fanned a long, long, long time ago. It does look a bit like him, but I don’t dare to confirm. Wait for the next fan.】
A passerby was genuinely confused: 【…What is going on with your fandom? Is it really that obscure?】
After another long, long wait… finally, the next fan arrived.
【Holy crap, it really seems to be him! I have to say, seeing him reminds me of the fear I felt when I was a fan back then. Have you ever experienced the feeling of struggling for over half a year in the fan community with just two or three fellow fans, only for the final tour schedule you waited for to be the manager packing their own luggage to join a film crew? The artist had no work, so the manager went to act instead. It’s the first time in my many years of being a fan that I’ve seen such a spectacle. But why would he appear here?】
【Is this a career change? A cross-Pacific one at that.】
【So, was he just in the entertainment industry to experience life because he was too good-looking? And his main job is actually “Ace Detective”?】
Chi Qing was oblivious to these online discussions. He didn’t go online much, and the accounts he used during his time in the industry were unmanaged; even the fan community, which was cold enough to be in the Arctic Circle, had scattered. Yet, overnight, his name began to be mentioned frequently.
When Chi Qing woke up, he found his phone had been bombarded with messages and missed calls. He got out of bed and, while brushing his teeth, opened his message list. The first person was his manager, He Sen.
He Sen had returned to the film crew to continue shooting after cooperating with the investigation. One night, while shivering from the cold in a deep mountain forest, someone tapped him on the shoulder and asked, “Hey, isn’t this the person you used to manage?”
He Sen wiped his nose and took the phone. He couldn’t help but marvel at how wonderful life was—the person he had tried so hard to make famous had appeared in the public eye in such an outlandish way.
The first message He Sen sent was: There are quite a lot of people talking about you online right now.
Chi Qing lowered his eyes as he read the message. He was about to reply that he wasn’t interested in acting anymore. He had originally wanted to study acting to treat his condition, but acting didn’t seem to help much; it wasn’t even as useful as the person living across the hall. Chi Qing paused after thinking of that person across the hall, realizing that in the ten-plus minutes since waking up, Xie Lin’s name had already run through his mind.
However, what He Sen said next caught Chi Qing off guard.
He Sen: Actually, this is a great opportunity to market you, but I thought a lot last night. I kept thinking about what I am truly passionate about!
Chi Qing brushed his teeth with a blank expression and wiped his mouth after finishing the text.
He Sen’s following message was very long: So I want to sincerely say sorry to you. I discovered that what I truly love is acting! I never imagined I was born for acting! Of course, I have to thank you too. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have stumbled upon the fact that I had this potential.
Chi Qing: “…”
He Sen: Being a manager before was just to find a job. Looking back now, I realize it was a mechanical choice. Life should have dreams. My dream now is that one day I can stand on the Golden Dragon Awards stage and win the Best Actor trophy. Your contract is also about to expire. From now on, you’ll have to pave your own path. Good luck.
If Chi Qing’s few remaining fans saw this, they would probably question reality. Not only did the manager go to act, but he went all-in.
Chi Qing didn’t know what to reply. He lowered his head and splashed water on his face, feeling that his time in that industry had been truly surreal. After wiping his face, he replied with two words: …Good luck.
The remaining messages were mostly about the online frenzy.
Ji Mingrui: Don’t know when the news agency took the photos, but I’ve already contacted them to take them down. The speculation about your identities has been removed too. The heat should die down in a few days.
Chi Qing scrolled past a pile of messages and finally stopped at the two words: “Xie Lin.”
– I’m going to the hospital for a follow-up. I guessed you weren’t up yet so I didn’t call you. It should be fine, don’t worry.
“…” Who’s worried?
Making it sound like he wanted to go.
Chi Qing moved his fingers and replied:
– No one is worried about you.
– Hurry up and get that broken cast off.
Chi Qing had been very busy lately; the investigation was ever-changing, with little time to rest. After getting enough sleep today, he remembered something he had been wanting to do: make an appointment with Dr. Wu.
The psychology clinic was open as usual. Dr. Wu was free today, having only one patient in the morning, and could read in his studio for the rest of the time. He was halfway through his book when he received an unexpected guest.
“How do you have time to come by today?” Dr. Wu closed his book and said to Chi Qing, who had just walked in.
Chi Qing was wearing a black scarf today, covering his chin, leaving even less of his face exposed. From afar, it looked like a black blur, as if he were wearing a mask. After entering, he unwound the scarf and said very calmly, “I feel like my psychological state hasn’t been normal lately.”
“…” Dr. Wu pointed to the seat in front of him. “Sit. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you. Before we start, let’s do a personality questionnaire assessment to see exactly where the problem lies?”
Chi Qing nodded: “Sure.”
Chi Qing had taken similar tests before. Ten years ago, in the hospital, after he started “hearing voices,” the hospital sent a psychologist to counsel him. Before being discharged, the doctor told him he could regularly test his mental health online. At the time, his results came back “high risk.”
Chi Qing began looking at the test.
Question 1: If you hear someone crying on the street, what is your first reaction?
A. They must have encountered something sad, go comfort them.
B. Hesitate but eventually choose not to bother.
C. Walk straight away.
D. Other.
Chi Qing chose D.
Dr. Wu: “And what is this ‘other’?”
Chi Qing: “I might ask them if they could cry somewhere else. It’s noisy and affecting my walk.”
Dr. Wu: “…”
Dr. Wu stared at the “high risk” conclusion for a long time, concluding that the testing method might not be applicable to Chi Qing. He couldn’t see what was wrong in any specific area because this person seemed to have problems everywhere.
Dr. Wu: “You should detail your recent situation. Where do you feel the problem is, or what is it related to?”
Chi Qing was silent for a while before saying: “It might be related to a person.”
At the same time, Xie Lin was at the hospital for his follow-up.
The doctor said satisfiedly: “Your wound is recovering well. Being young makes a difference. The cast can come off. See if you feel any discomfort after it’s removed.”
Xie Lin recovered quickly, and the injury wasn’t too severe; otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to walk around relying on Chi Qing these past few days.
After the cast was removed, he walked around the room to exercise his legs. Aside from the knife wound not being fully healed, there was no other discomfort: “Recovery is going well. The wound shouldn’t be a problem in a while. Thank you, doctor.”
As the doctor packed his things, he said “No problem.” He handed Xie Lin his coat, which had been off to the side: “By the way, I heard your phone vibrating earlier. Someone might be looking for you, check it.”
Many people looked for Xie Lin daily. He skipped the ones with too many messages and searched among those with fewer, finally stopping on the person who only replied with two messages.
Xie Lin typed:
– Cast is off, want to eat lunch together?
He finished typing those words, then felt it wasn’t right. His fingers hovered over the keyboard for a long time, deleting the words “Cast is off” one by one, leaving only the second half, which he sent over.
The doctor finished packing his tools and was about to leave with his medical kit.
After sending the message, Xie Lin clutched his phone and called the doctor back: “Wait a second, doctor. It’s like this: I’ve felt some discomfort in my wrist lately. Can you put a cast on it for me?”
Doctor: “?”
“There’s nothing wrong with your wrist.”
“There is,” Xie Lin said, “I have a condition where I feel uneasy all over if I don’t have a cast.”
“…”
The doctor thought: Is he crazy? I’ve never seen someone rushing to get a cast.
Xie Lin remembered that if the cast came off, he wouldn’t be able to stay close to Chi Qing. But having a cast on his leg was truly inconvenient and unattractive; it was difficult to go out or climb stairs. In comparison, having a cast on his arm was much more convenient.
Under the pretext of having a cast that was little more than an ornament, Xie Lin left the hospital. Once he was discharged and in the car, he checked to see if Chi Qing had replied. He raised his hand, felt the weight of his wrist, and found it difficult to type. He stared at the white plaster on his wrist, deep in thought: He was someone praised as a “genius” since childhood, so why was he doing these brainless things lately?
On the other side, Chi Qing was confused during the therapy session. After mentioning “a person,” he described his recent issues: “It’s annoying—annoying that he gets too close, and annoyed at myself for why I didn’t push him away.”
“But when I see him, I feel peace. He is the only person in the world I can touch.”
“When I touch him, the surrounding sounds become very clear, yet they also seem very far away.”
As he spoke, Chi Qing felt it was even more inscrutable; he didn’t even know what he was saying. Furthermore, this didn’t feel like his usual self. The emotions were strange enough, but even he himself sitting here felt unusually unfamiliar.
Dr. Wu had been drinking tea, but upon hearing the end, he stopped. He looked as if he heard something interesting and actually laughed.
Chi Qing couldn’t understand what the laugh meant—a cold laugh, a fake laugh, or a mocking laugh. He was even less aware that there is a type of laugh in the world known as a “motherly smile.” He lifted his eyes, looking coldly at Dr. Wu: “Is it funny?”
“Ahem,” Dr. Wu covered his mouth, adjusting his facial expression. “…Not funny, not funny at all.”
Chi Qing was still waiting for a response.
However, Dr. Wu simply sent him off with a meaningful sentence: “Mr. Chi, I’m afraid you will need to find the answer to that yourself.”
Chi Qing: “…”
Chi Qing once again questioned Dr. Wu’s professional level. If he had to find the answer himself, what was the point of having a psychologist?
After Chi Qing left, Dr. Wu walked him to the clinic entrance. Seeing the smile on Dr. Wu’s face hadn’t faded, the receptionist asked curiously, “Dr. Wu, what are you laughing at?”
She actually wanted to ask: Why is it possible to laugh so happily while looking at Mr. Chi’s emotionless face?
Dr. Wu shook his head with a smile: “I think his condition might be getting better.”
“Ah?”
“You don’t understand,” Dr. Wu said mysteriously, “In this world, besides psychologists, there is another kind of medicine that can change anyone.”
Chi Qing didn’t read Xie Lin’s message. He felt inexplicably annoyed whenever he saw the name “Xie Lin.” After leaving the clinic, he stopped by Ji Mingrui’s house, brought some things for Ji’s mother, and was pulled in for a chat and a meal.
Ji’s mother had taught him in middle school and was retired now. She was a refined woman who wore glasses, though she couldn’t hide her age. She patted Chi Qing’s hand, asking: “You and Mingrui are not young anymore. Haven’t you met anyone you like?”
Chi Qing could tell anyone else to get lost, but he endured it in front of Ji’s mother and didn’t pull his hand away.
Ji Mingrui was in the kitchen washing a pot, looking nothing like her biological son. He shouted from the kitchen: “Career comes first—Mom, do you understand what ‘career first’ means? You need a career before you can have a family. I’m still young, and neither Chi Qing nor I are in a hurry.”
Ji’s mother: “I’m talking to Little Chi, who asked you?”
Ji Mingrui’s momentum faded: “Asking him is worse than asking me. Asking him is useless. Forget about people he likes, he can’t even find a living thing around him…”
Ji Mingrui trailed off.
Because he thought of one person.
Actually, there was one living thing.
A certain Xie who always inexplicably appeared around his brother, and the two were very close, always touching, hugging, and holding each other.
As Ji Mingrui thought about it, the pot in his hand seemed to become heavier.
Ji’s mother keenly caught his reaction: “There really is someone? Who? Tell Auntie Ji.”
Chi Qing: “No.”
Chi Qing said “no,” but after a pause, he asked: “What is liking?”
He didn’t have any elders around him and was not very familiar with many emotions, but the smile on Ji’s mother’s face looked very similar to that quack Dr. Wu’s.
After Chi Qing returned, he showered and lay in bed. That sentence from Ji’s mother wouldn’t leave his mind.
“Liking,” Ji’s mother said, her eyes bright as she cast a glance at the wedding photo hanging on the wall, “Liking is like having ten thousand butterflies in your heart. Whenever you hear his name, the butterflies will flap their wings.”
To be honest, this kind of syrupy, artistic statement was very difficult to understand.
Ji Mingrui had a reaction like his teeth ached from the acidity.
Chi Qing lay in bed, pondering for a long time but failing to grasp it. Just as he planned to throw all these distractions out of his mind, he received a call from Xie Lin.
Hearing him answer, Xie Lin breathed a sigh of relief: “Why didn’t you reply to my message?”
Chi Qing hadn’t been in touch for most of the day, and he feared something had happened to him.
Chi Qing: “I didn’t reply because I didn’t want to. Anything up?”
Xie Lin looked at the cast he had painstakingly put on during the day: “…Nothing much, just that my wound hasn’t healed yet, and showering is still a bit inconvenient.”
Chi Qing hung up the phone directly.
Ten minutes later, Chi Qing entered Xie Lin’s home using the door lock code and the first thing he said was: “Isn’t your cast supposed to be off?”
Xie Lin sat on the sofa waiting for him as if he knew he would come. He had taken off his coat, leaving only a thin black shirt. He didn’t know where to put his hands to show the cast to Chi Qing maximally. After getting into position, he turned his head slightly and said: “The cast on my leg is off, but recently I’ve been having bad luck, and I accidentally sprained my hand. This time it’s really inconvenient.”
Chi Qing looked at the disappearance of the cast that should have been on the leg, only for another one to appear on the wrist: “…”
Xie Lin was afraid of being seen through and didn’t want to repeat the “helping hold a book” mistake. This time, he had meticulously planned, and the logic was very smooth: “At about 8:10 AM, I went to the hospital to get the cast off, and an old man came down from upstairs. The situation was…”
Chi Qing didn’t really want to hear what the situation was.
He should have turned and left, but looking at that circle of white plaster, he still asked: “Are you going to wash up or not?”
Xie Lin: “…Yes.”
This was the second time Chi Qing had entered Xie Lin’s bathroom.
The setting was no different from last time. It seemed like incense was lit; he smelled a faint perfume-like scent, smelling a bit like cedar.
Xie Lin leaned on the sink with his crutches like last time. The collar of his black shirt was unbuttoned, and the ambiguous red abrasion near his collarbone was no longer very visible. But even without that mark, seeing it through the collar still carried an indescribable feeling.
The man’s Adam’s apple protruded slightly, bobbing as he spoke.
“My leg isn’t fully healed yet, so I have to support myself with one hand, and the other is inconvenient to move. Just help me unbutton it, and I’ll do the rest myself.”
He pulled closer to Chi Qing as he spoke, his breath brushing against the bangs on Chi Qing’s forehead. Chi Qing realized that the scent he smelled earlier seemed to be coming from this person.
Chi Qing had originally planned to sleep. He didn’t change clothes for this trip, still wearing the short-sleeved T-shirt he grabbed to use as pajamas. Usually, not only did he wear gloves, but his clothes were also neatly covered, always long sleeves and pants. This was the first time he had revealed so much in front of someone else.
Xie Lin discovered that not only were his hands pale, but everywhere on his body was excessively pale. His wrists and elbows were so thin that one couldn’t pinch any flesh.
Chi Qing: “You can just cut it with scissors. Don’t you have money?”
Xie Lin: “Money shouldn’t be burned like that. Anyway, you have to be responsible for me.”
Chi Qing felt something was wrong: “Last time your leg injury could barely be blamed on me, but what does your hand injury have to do with me?”
Xie Lin “tsk’d”: “If I hadn’t injured my leg, would I be able to go to the hospital today? If I hadn’t gone to the hospital, I wouldn’t have hurt my hand, right? Everything has a cause and effect. Isn’t this the cause you planted in me first?”
“…”
Plant your head.
Who planted a cause in you.
Chi Qing was too lazy to say more, focusing his gaze on the shirt buttons in front of him. Pale fingertips touched them, the skin tone forming a sharp contrast with the color of the shirt. The blackness seemed scalding; Chi Qing felt his fingers heating up for no reason.
With every button unfastened, a little more of what shouldn’t be seen was revealed.
Xie Lin looked down at his trembling eyelashes. The black pupils were obscured by the overly long lashes. Xie Lin had acted shamelessly to get Chi Qing to help him unbutton his shirt, wanting to tease him, to see his unwilling little expressions as he had to get closer. However, after Chi Qing unbuttoned a few with a cold face, he realized that if he teased Chi Qing, the one suffering might be himself.
The person who wouldn’t even allow a touch at first was now unbuttoning his shirt.
Chi Qing’s fingers were very thin; Xie Lin had known this since the first day he saw him.
As the movements moved lower, his fingertips would occasionally brush against the waist and abdomen through the fabric.
If he continued, he would really touch the belt.
Xie Lin closed his eyes, lifted the hand he had just said “was injured and inconvenient,” spread his five fingers slightly, pressed his palm against the top of Chi Qing’s head, and pushed him aside: “Alright… I’ll do the rest myself.”
Chi Qing, who usually wouldn’t let any detail slip, hadn’t noticed this flaw.
He breathed a sigh of relief as if throwing away a hot potato, and after going out, he found his heart beating very fast.
Fast, like a butterfly flapping its wings.
