Lin Heyu’s aesthetic always adhered to a practical and somewhat conservative standard, as seen from how he lectured Lin Zhizhi about wearing stockings in the cold. Thus, he wouldn’t choose overly fashionable or outlandish clothes; the colors would definitely be in a stable, dark palette, and they had to cover well to ensure he wouldn’t get cold in winter.
A trench coat and a deep brown woolen skirt fit the standard perfectly. When Yi Shi reached for a pair of black stockings, Lin Heyu stopped him, pinching the thickness of the stockings and saying in a deep tone, “It’s below zero recently; it’ll be cold.”
“I don’t know why I chose these,” Yi Shi said, a hint of helplessness in his eyes. “But I did wear them that day.”
The salesgirl picked up a beautifully packaged pair of skin-colored stockings and enthusiastically recommended, “Gentlemen, take a look at this one! It’s this year’s latest autumn and winter must-have for bare legs. The color is natural, with inner fleece, and it won’t make your legs look bulky. Your girlfriend won’t feel cold at all, even in below-zero temperatures!”
“This one seems good.” Upon hearing the words “won’t be cold,” Lin Heyu made a swift judgment.
They bought two pairs of stockings to take home, then went to choose a wig. After having dinner outside, they returned home in the evening. Lin Heyu curiously picked up the wig and asked, “Will wearing this be uncomfortable? Is it easy to fall off?”
“It’s okay; I’ve gotten used to it,” Yi Shi replied, taking out a few small hairpins. “I’ll use more clips. I wore it for several days in the mountains without it falling off.”
Lin Heyu patiently waited in the living room. Soon, the bedroom door opened, and Yi Shi confidently walked out. The trench coat was tailored to fit him well, with a black shirt buttoned up to his collarbone, looking sexy and alluring. The high-waisted woolen skirt made his lower body appear even longer, and a section of his calf was exposed. If one didn’t look closely, they wouldn’t even notice he was wearing stockings. With his long hair flowing and delicate features, just his natural face was enough to be captivating.
Lin Heyu stared, realizing that the ideal partner that Yuan Maoqiu had asked about multiple times had finally appeared.
“How does it look?” Yi Shi covered the lower half of his face with his hand. “I won’t wear makeup; I’ll just put on a mask later, so the surveillance cameras won’t be able to see.”
“…Mm.”
“Does ‘mm’ mean it’s acceptable?”
“It’s very acceptable.”
Yi Shi smiled, taking off his coat and casually throwing it over a chair. Just as he was about to go back to the bedroom to change his shirt, Lin Heyu grabbed his arm and embraced him from behind. “I’ll help you.”
What do you need to help with…? Yi Shi’s face began to redden again as Lin Heyu started to unbutton his shirt one by one, pulling the hem out from the woolen skirt. After unbuttoning all the way, he pulled it off Yi Shi’s arms. Lin Heyu held him tightly, leaning down to kiss his shoulder, his voice slightly hoarse, “You’re not wearing anything underneath?”
“I just need to change quickly…”
“You’ll be cold.”
Yi Shi lowered his head, his skin from his ears to his neck turning a light pink. There was no heating at home, so it was indeed going to be cold.
His hands were pressed on the table, bending him over. Lin Heyu planted kisses all over his shoulder and back, making Yi Shi’s exposed skin prick with goosebumps in the cold air. The woolen skirt was pushed up to his waist, causing Yi Shi to panic. “Take it off; I just bought it. It won’t dry easily if I wash it.”
“What about the stockings? They seem smooth on the surface; they look easy to tear.” Lin Heyu chuckled softly. “Good thing you have another pair.”
“…” Yi Shi buried his face on the table, his face burning red. He finally understood why he had worn black that day. He weakly pleaded, “Can we go back to the room? It’s not suitable here.”
“In my house, anywhere is fine.”
He’s gone crazy; I’m going crazy.
In the following days, Yi Shi never ate at the dining table again. No matter how Lin Heyu coaxed him, he stubbornly refused, preferring to eat takeout on the sofa.
Recently, Haijing’s municipal police station had been unusually lively, with many officers coming and going. Lin Heyu spotted Yuan Kang and Zhang Rui, both looking much younger than he remembered. In particular, Zhang Rui, who had once seemed critically ill in the hospital, now appeared full of vitality, creating a stark contrast.
“I told Song Ping to drink less; I don’t know if it helped,” Yi Shi said.
“Everyone has their fate,” Lin Heyu pressed down the brim of his hat. “We can’t change ourselves, let alone others.”
This statement felt very real and sad. Yi Shi wanted to comfort him, holding his hand and intertwining their fingers, resting his head on Lin Heyu’s shoulder as he blinked, “Things will change. It can’t always be this miserable.”
That’s true. Lin Heyu lowered his head to seek out Yi Shi’s lips. Yi Shi panicked and stepped back. “Not in the street.”
Lin Heyu wrapped an arm around his waist, feeling both amused and helpless. “You’re wearing a skirt! Besides, the surveillance can’t capture us.” He was very familiar with the road controls around Haijing’s municipal police station.
Yi Shi awkwardly scratched his cheek, finally submissively closing his eyes. A gust of wind blew by, and Lin Heyu instinctively shielded Yi Shi’s long hair. A glance revealed a small child with a backpack standing across the street, staring intently at them kissing.
It’s natural for a child to be curious about adults’ actions, but the key was that the child’s face was too familiar—it was a miniature version of Yuan Maoqiu.
Lin Heyu instinctively pulled up his mask, afraid that his future partner would recognize him. Yuan Maoqiu ran over, his social skills shining through even as a child. “Jie, you’re so beautiful!”
Yi Shi was momentarily stunned and had to look down at him.
“Jie, how old are you? Are you in school? Is it middle school up ahead?” Yuan Maoqiu even stood on his tiptoes to appear taller. “I’m in third grade now; I can go to middle school soon!”
“…” Yi Shi glanced at the overly familiar little boy and asked Lin Heyu, “Has he always been like this?”
“Probably.” Lin Heyu ruffled the round little head. “Jie has a boyfriend; you should hurry home and do your homework.”
“I’m not going home; I’m waiting for my dad to get off work.” Yuan Maoqiu ran a couple of steps toward the police station, then stopped and turned back to look at Yi Shi. “I still prefer mature older sisters.”
Lin Heyu and Yi Shi: “…”
It turned out the legendary story of the Gardener began back in elementary school.
———
After Yi Shi bought a USB drive, he copied the children’s song “Humpy Dumpy” at the internet café. Once home, he started creating the code. Lin Heyu found a well-preserved notepad in the cupboard that hadn’t yellowed over the years. However, there was a slight accident while tearing a page; his index finger was cut by the sharp paper. Such wounds are superficial—though the cut wasn’t deep, it hurt a lot, like being scorched by fire.
Yi Shi squeezed his finger slightly, and a drop of blood emerged. Lin Heyu walked over and grabbed his wrist. “What happened?”
The droplet of blood dripped down, landing perfectly on the tip of the water pen. Yi Shi took a piece of paper to cover the wound and picked up the pen to examine it closely.
Just this tiny drop of blood could cause an extremely subtle luminol reaction?
“Should I wipe it off?” Lin Heyu offered a napkin.
Yi Shi shook his head, directly taking the pen to write on the paper. The faint bloodstain blended into the black ink, rendering it nearly invisible. However, under precise chemical reagents, it would yield the most honest reaction.
Lin Heyu had already prepared a glass of water starch and dipped the empty pen nib into the murky mixture. “Is this easy to write with?”
“It should be; it’s just a few patterns.”
Yi Shi initially wanted to write it himself but found that Lin Heyu had taken the lead, already starting to draw the patterns. He quickly reminded him, “Lin Heyu, the pattern you saw back then—”
“What did you see?” Lin Heyu looked up, and three simple patterns were already drawn.
“…Nothing.”
Yi Shi had originally wanted to remind him that the pattern he had seen in the café was the opposite, but he suddenly remembered that this was his own world; everything Lin Heyu interacted with, every word he wrote, would be mirrored. So, this code should have been left by him—first undergoing a flip and then handed to Lin Heyu in the current timeline. The pattern would flip again, turning into the correct code for him to decipher.
Everywhere was filled with wonderful and unexpected coincidences.
Lying in bed that night, Lin Heyu propped himself up, his fingers playing with Yi Shi’s black hair. “Tomorrow morning, after you visit the police station, will you go find Lin Erde?”
“I need to turn back the sands of time; first, you need to return,” Yi Shi replied, taking a form out of the drawer and handing it to Lin Heyu. “On October 21, I met you, and it should be the current you.”
The form detailed various timestamps and events, marked with red and blue pens. Yi Shi pointed at the starred October 21: “Because you told me that on December 11, I would meet you. Otherwise, how would I happen to wait there?”
Chewing on this, Lin Heyu quickly understood. Despite having previous experience, he still marveled that the events unfolding were like scenes from a movie. He stroked Yi Shi’s cheek. “And then? When I go back to October 21, what will I do with you?”
Yi Shi lowered his gaze, holding Lin Heyu’s hand, remaining silent for a long time. Lin Heyu leaned in, pulling him into an embrace. “Are you not saying anything, or don’t you want to?”
“…I guess I don’t want to say it. It’s better for you to experience it yourself.” Yi Shi looked up, staring into his eyes. “You’ve told me many times that everything is a predetermined fact, destined to happen; you must remember that.”
It seemed like some unpleasant events would occur. Lin Heyu didn’t press further. What was meant to come would come. He believed Yi Shi had already experienced it and understood that random changes would instead lead to the most unwanted outcomes, which might be why he didn’t want to share.
Suddenly, Yi Shi flipped over, straddling Lin Heyu’s waist, holding his face in his hands. He clearly wanted to say something but hesitated. He took the initiative to kiss Lin Heyu, their lips mingling for a moment before he pulled back. His dark eyes were warm and soft, glimmering with unshed tears and flecks of unidentifiable emotions. He opened his lips several times but closed them again, and Lin Heyu waited patiently for him to gather his thoughts.
Forget it. Yi Shi closed his eyes. “Good night.”
He wanted to get down and lie down properly, but Lin Heyu held his waist tightly. “What do you want to say?”
“Nothing.”
“If you’re not going to say it, then don’t get down.”
Most of the time, Lin Heyu was very gentle, but at times he could be quite unreasonable. Yi Shi’s resistance and struggles were ineffective against him. Perhaps it was because Lin Heyu had always been so controlling since they were young that Yi Shi felt he couldn’t escape, mumbling with a blush, “It’s just… it’s just that the current me might not see the present you for a long time… I want to leave a memory.”
“Isn’t it enough to have left so much? You won’t even come to the dining table to eat.”
Yi Shi’s ears turned red instantly. Lin Heyu wrapped his arms around him, sitting up, sighing as he embraced the slender figure. “I don’t know when I’ll go back tomorrow, and I haven’t bought anything yet. I’m afraid I’ll hurt you.”
Yi Shi remained silent, opening the bedside drawer and pulling out a small plastic bag with his index finger. When he saw Lin Heyu’s gaze, overwhelming regret washed over him; he shouldn’t have acted impulsively, as it made him seem like he wanted a tangible outcome so badly.
He straddled Lin Heyu’s lap, holding him with all four limbs as the crinkling of the plastic bag sounded from behind. Lin Heyu asked, “What flavor do you like? Strawberry or banana?”
“…Whatever.”
“Let’s just try them all.”
———
The next morning, Yi Shi woke up on time, slowly made his way to the bathroom, and saw his pale face in the mirror, with a fresh red love bite on his neck.
He raised his hand to cover it, turned on the faucet to wash his face, and as he bent down, his legs felt weak and nearly gave out. He quickly leaned against the sink to steady himself.
It seemed he had left a few too many memories behind.
He spent half an hour getting himself back in shape. When Lin Heyu returned from his morning run, he noticed that Yi Shi was already up and looking normal, so he pinched his cheek and said, “You look good; it seems we can increase the frequency from now on.”
…Increase? Yi Shi pressed his forehead, feeling a dull ache in his lower back.
Delivering the message was a simple task, and Yi Shi quickly completed it in women’s clothing, leaving surveillance footage that was nearly identical. On the way back, he was so absorbed in thinking about his next steps that he accidentally bumped into a young man with a hiking backpack. The young man steadied him and said, “Sorry, are you okay?”
Yi Shi froze—Sheng Yu’an?
Sheng Yu’an scratched the back of his head. “I’m sorry, beautiful. I was looking at the sign and didn’t notice I bumped into you.”
“…It’s fine.”
“Do you know how to get to the Haijing Police Station?” Sheng Yu’an said with a distressed expression while holding up his phone. “The navigation seems off; I’ve been looking for a while.”
“Are you planning to climb Cheng’an Mountain?”
“Huh?” Sheng Yuaan looked confused.
Realizing his tone had been too harsh, Yi Shi cleared his throat and switched his attitude. “I see you’re carrying a hiking backpack. Are you visiting Haijing for tourism?”
“No, I’m here for training; the clothes are in my bag.” Sheng Yu’an’s eyes brightened with a smile. “I was supposed to go with friends to climb Southern Cheng’an Mountain. Isn’t there a fugitive there? So, we didn’t go. My brother might be searching the mountain too; if he runs into me, he’ll scold me to death.”
“…” Last time, he got scolded before he could even finish explaining, which felt a bit excessive.
Despite that, Yi Shi felt a mix of resignation and headache at the thought of him going to the police station and interrupting his work. He told him that he had just come from the police station, and everyone had gone out to search the mountain. He then conveniently pointed him in the wrong direction, sending him on a wild goose chase.
When he got home, Lin Heyu was already prepared to leave. Yi Shi changed out of the women’s clothing and headed back to Nanyi with him. He handed Lin Heyu a hundred-yuan bill, but Lin Heyu didn’t take it. “If I touch it, it can’t be used anymore.”
“Yeah, I want to slip it in with the money.”
“Give me two.”
Yi Shi handed over two bills. Lin Heyu touched one, immediately returning it to him, while he folded the other one into a heart shape and tucked it into Yi Shi’s shirt pocket.
“…Like a little elementary school student.” Yi Shi’s cheeks flushed slightly as he carefully put it away.
As night fell, Sheng Yu’an, who had waited all day and gotten lost for half an hour, held his phone in despair. Was that beautiful lady really from Haijing? Was the route she pointed out even correct?
