Recently, Nanyi had been shrouded in continuous rain. Two days ago, Yi Shi had already informed the police that Pang Daozi would return to visit his seriously ill mother. Until this morning, he saw someone near Turtle Back Mountain, who was inquiring about the nearby surveillance situation from the villagers.
The explosion case had caused quite a stir in Nanyi City, becoming a major topic of conversation during meals, especially among villagers who knew the suspect. Some people would come to offer a cigarette, and once they did, it was like opening a floodgate of chatter, making it impossible to stop.
Even though his back was turned to Yi Shi, from his height, build, and voice, he instantly recognized this old acquaintance, Lin Erde. Yi Shi only knew that Zhao Chenghu would come but hadn’t expected Lin Erde to be here as well. After Zhao Chenghu was arrested, he hadn’t revealed Lin Erde, truly a “man of honor,” helping Tu Laogui’s group to keep things under wraps.
“…Pang Nengshui’s mother is really pitiful. With her son making such a huge mistake, she can’t leave in peace.”
Lin Erde passed over half a pack of cigarettes: “Is his mother really not doing well?”
The villagers knew Pang Nengshui’s uncle, and they spoke with great detail. Lin Erde nodded, took a new pack of soft cigarettes from a small store, stuffed it into the villager’s hand, and pulled him aside to whisper.
Yi Shi watched coldly from a distance, observing the villager happily stuffing the cigarettes into his pocket, with a smile so wide his eyes nearly disappeared. At that moment, he could never imagine that tomorrow, he would pay a huge price for such a small gain.
After finishing up, Lin Erde walked down the main road. Just as Yi Shi appeared, he intentionally bumped into him while passing. He didn’t apologize and turned his head to remain silent. Lin Erde felt it was odd; the man was tall and thin, dressed completely in black, with cold, snake-like eyes that seemed to flicker with malice.
What are you looking at? Lin Erde felt a chill down his spine and muttered, “Crazy,” quickening his pace to walk down the mountain.
The next day, November 21, his normal self was preparing to deploy forces to capture Zhao Chenghu. At that moment, Yi Shi was idly sitting in the Time Flies Cafe, waiting for Lin Heyu’s arrival.
Everything was unfolding according to fate’s design. He brought Lin Heyu, who had just regained his memories, into his world. They went to Haijing together, and on that night they held each other while sleeping, Lin Heyu asked what he would do when they returned to October 21. Yi Shi lowered his eyelashes, lost in thought.
He was contemplating whether he should tell Lin Heyu everything about Sheng Guoning, so he could be on guard in advance. However, when Sheng Guoning confronted him that day… he had been armed.
Being pushed into the water and being shot into the water were completely different concepts. Yi Shi had endured that pain and didn’t want Lin Heyu to experience it. Even if Lin Heyu confronted Sheng Guoning in Changlong Huayuan, given their usual bad luck of returning home, new accidents would likely occur, putting him in danger.
Once it endangered Lin Heyu’s life, Yi Shi would weigh carefully and make the most prudent decision. It was better to let Lin Heyu experience it himself. If things could change, it would be a happy outcome; if not, they would find another way when they reunited next time.
On December 5, Lin Heyu’s childhood diary still contained records of Chen Shuwu’s car accident. Yi Shi sighed softly; it was just another failure, and deep down, he felt no turmoil.
This was destined fate.
These words appeared in his mind for just a few seconds before Yi Shi immediately shook them off, trying to keep himself awake. If he wanted to accept fate, he should have given up resisting long ago; wasn’t it a bit late to submit now?
Neither he nor Lin Heyu had a passive personality because they both knew that only by changing the existing rugged cycle could they hope for a better future.
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[12/08, 14:12, Southern Cheng’an Mountain Cemetery]
Yi Shi opened the yellowed record book and found the registration record for the grave at plot 10, row 15 in the northern area. He asked, “Who purchased this grave back then?”
“Who can remember that?” The administrator pushed up his reading glasses, the lenses nearly touching the book. “Let me see… It’s been twenty years; I really can’t recall.”
“Then please find the land purchase contract.” Yi Shi pointed to the blank area where the purchaser’s name should be. “Don’t tell me there isn’t one; if the purchaser doesn’t exist, who collects the management fees? Do you pay them yourself?”
The administrator was silent for a few seconds, then stood up and walked to the wooden cabinet, pulling open a drawer to search. After a while, he found an old file book, thick and bound with string, and brought it back to flip through.
Yi Shi waited patiently as seconds ticked by, and finally, the administrator came over and placed the file book on the table: “Finally found it. If you hadn’t mentioned the management fee, I would have forgotten; it was a one-time payment for thirty years, and the receipt is still here.”
That page was indeed the purchase contract for plot 10, row 15 in the northern area. Yi Shi flipped directly to the signature and found it was Sheng Guoning, along with the receipt bearing the same name.
“Seeing the contract jogs my memory; this was actually recommended by me. I wonder why I recommended it back then? Let me think… Was it because of a discount? The location was good?” The administrator frowned, tapping his forehead. “Oh dear, my memory isn’t what it used to be; I can’t remember at all.”
Yi Shi waved his hand, not concerned with those details. What mattered to him was Sheng Guoning’s signature, precise and neat, including some unique writing habits that matched exactly with what he had seen before.
That was the point of interest. The signature was written so clearly and meticulously that it was a habit Sheng Guoning developed only after he was transferred to the provincial office. The worst handwriting in the family belonged to Sheng Yu’an; Lin Zhizhi would get furious every time she saw his messy exam papers. Sheng Guoning protected his son, saying that after he was transferred to the provincial office in middle age, he finally started practicing his writing seriously, which left a deep impression on Yi Shi.
Twenty years ago, Sheng Guoning was still on the front lines, the flamboyant captain of the criminal investigation team. How could he have signed his name so neatly?
Unless… Yi Shi’s heart trembled, an unbelievable conjecture spreading through him.
Sheng Guoning’s “complete memory” might be even more strange and complex than he imagined. Not only did he have memories from twenty years ago here, but in Lin Heyu’s world, he had also retained all his complete memories while being younger!
Cold sweat covered his forehead, and Yi Shi instinctively covered his shoulder, vividly recalling the sensation of the bullet piercing his body by the riverside. The gunshot had sounded first, followed by Sheng Guoning’s loud scolding as he actively pursued the gunman. In that situation, no one would suspect it was a self-directed play, nor would they pay attention to Sheng Guoning.
He stared fixedly at the signature, realizing that their long-held suspicions had been centered around themselves. Sheng Guoning had never entered their line of sight because, in their subconscious, the young Sheng Guoning was an outsider, completely unaware of this.
Now it all seemed much clearer. To ensure Lin Zhizhi was sent to Lin Heyu’s side, he could easily take action.
“Officer, what’s wrong?”
Yi Shi gently shook his head. After clearing the fog in his mind, he felt more at peace, his tone becoming calmer: “He came alone to buy the burial plot?”
The old man stroked his chin, trying to recall: “I remember it was two people, a man and a woman. It was strange; they requested that only one character be inscribed on the tombstone, and it had to be painted red with cinnabar.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know! These days, there are all sorts of odd people. It’s not unusual anymore. Maybe they don’t care about feng shui taboos; once they paid, we just did as they asked.”
After leaving the administration office, Yi Shi walked toward the northern area along the main road. Although it wasn’t a day for honoring the dead, new graves appeared daily. Heartbreaking cries echoed from the mountain, and each time a black plume of smoke rose from the crematorium, it signified that a life had completely left this world.
Upon reaching the spot for Row 15, Plot 10 in the northern area, a familiar figure was there paying respects. The single-character tombstone had two bouquets placed on either side, and red strings were tied around the top. Lin Zhizhi was using a damp cloth to patiently wipe away the dust lodged in the recessed characters.
“Brother, I came to see you. Things haven’t been peaceful in Haijing recently, and Guoning won’t let me come, so I sneaked over. Don’t worry, I’ll go home tonight and return to Nanyi tomorrow.”
“Xiao Shitou is also working on a case here. Please look out for him; that kid loves to rush into danger just like you. Every time he goes on a mission, my heart races, fearing I’ll hear bad news.”
Lin Zhizhi set down the cloth and gently brushed her fingers along the indentations: “Also, he called me a couple of days ago to ask about my childhood. Guoning and I have kept it a secret for so many years, but I feel like we might not be able to keep it hidden much longer. What do you think? Should we tell him the truth? After all… he relies on you so much and likes you.”
A strong wind blew by, and Lin Zhizhi turned her head, squinting. She unintentionally glanced up and found Yi Shi standing not far away. She was startled to see him there. Wasn’t he working on a case? What a coincidence for them to meet in a cemetery, especially in front of Lin Heyu’s grave.
Yi Shi walked over and bent down to place a bouquet in the center of the tombstone. Lin Zhizhi smiled: “What brings you to the cemetery?”
“The suspect has been here, so I came to investigate,” Yi Shi replied calmly. “It’s indeed dangerous in Haijing. Your dad was right to not let you come.”
He glanced at the yellow paper ingots in his bag: “Are you going to burn them soon?”
“…Yes.”
Yi Shi took the initiative to help light the fire. The yellow paper ignited into a small flame, and Lin Zhizhi threw in the ingots, occasionally closing her eyes to murmur silently.
Through the flickering flames, Yi Shi stared at the character “Lin,” painted in cinnabar. It was strange; just a few days ago, they had been close, but now they were burning paper and paying respects for each other’s family. The feeling was so odd that even he felt uncomfortable.
“Aren’t you curious about who this is?”
“You said before, the missing brother.”
“Yeah, it’s my brother, Lin Heyu.” Lin Zhizhi glanced at him. “You must have heard what I just said, right? Some things aren’t as you think…”
“It’s okay.” Yi Shi didn’t even look up. “You don’t want to tell me for my own good; I understand.”
Lin Zhizhi felt even more conflicted. Continuing to keep the secret made her feel guilty toward her brother. Although it was a kind-hearted concealment, Lin Heyu was an unavoidable presence for Yi Shi. Without Lin Heyu, there would be no Yi Shi today.
During the ceremony, they didn’t delve deeper into the topic of Lin Heyu. As the flames extinguished, thick ashes remained on the ground. Lin Zhizhi stood up and bowed three times to the tombstone, saying, “Xiao Yi, you should also pay your respects. Let Uncle bless you to handle your case smoothly.”
“…No.”
“What?”
“He’s not my uncle.” Yi Shi said calmly. “We don’t have that kind of familial relationship.”
Lin Zhizhi thought he was concerned about blood relations, but then Yi Shi’s next words completely shocked her: “If I had grown up by his side, we wouldn’t have this kind of relationship.”
“Do you know something?” Lin Zhizhi grabbed his arm tightly. “Why did you suddenly call to ask about childhood matters that day?”
“I accidentally stumbled upon some information and became curious. Twenty years ago, there was a kidnapping case in Haijing. I heard that one of the rescued hostages was an orphan who was adopted and taken to Nanyi.”
The hand resting on his arm tightened suddenly. Yi Shi glanced at Lin Zhizhi’s pale face: “…And then?”
“That orphan was me. The one who rescued me was him, Lin Heyu.”
“Then do you… remember anything from your childhood?”
Lin Zhizhi’s eyes filled with hope, and Yi Shi tentatively spoke: “… Sort of. It was precisely because my memories weren’t clear that I called you that day.”
Upon hearing this, tears glistened in Lin Zhizhi’s eyes, gradually gathering into beads, swirling around in her eyes before finally rolling down one by one.
“Actually… you liked my brother the most when you were a child. You didn’t get close to anyone else, just stuck to him.” Lin Zhizhi choked up. “He also really liked you. No matter how busy he was, he always found a way to take care of you. He was gentle and attentive. If he hadn’t gone missing, he would have definitely wanted to raise you… On March 1st, you were found at the entrance to Cheng’an Mountain, severely burned on your arm, with my brother’s blood on you. But you couldn’t remember anything, couldn’t ask anything. How did it turn out this way? Clearly, you were with him in the end…”
“Guoning and I took you home and found an excuse for your injuries, hoping you could grow up healthy and happy. But deep down, I always hoped that one day you would suddenly regain your memories and tell me where he is and if he’s still alive.” Her tears flowed freely as she tightly gripped Yi Shi’s arm. “I’ve really waited too long. How much do you remember? Does it all relate to my brother?”
Sigh. Yi Shi sighed silently, reaching out to wipe away Lin Zhizhi’s tears, his tone much gentler: “Don’t cry. I remember a lot and can tell you slowly.”
