[12/14, 21:35, Nanyi City, Changlong Garden]
Sheng Guoning opened the door to his home. The living room was pitch black, and the house was quiet. He thought his wife and son had gone out to eat and hadn’t returned yet. While changing his shoes, he called Lin Zhizhi to ask where they were, but the ringtone came from the bedroom.
Zhizhi was home? She wasn’t answering the phone or making any noise; had she already gone to sleep?
Although Lin Zhizhi was getting older, she usually spent this time reading novels or watching variety shows, and she wouldn’t be sleepy before eleven. Especially when her husband worked late, she always waited for him to come home to chat for a bit before resting together.
His eyelid twitched again, and Sheng Guoning pressed it down with his finger. The sense of unease in his heart grew heavier. There was more than one bedroom light on, and Sheng Yu’an was also home, yet it was strangely quiet, as if no one were inside. This kid was a notorious troublemaker; whenever he was home, various game sound effects would bombard the house, and eight times out of ten, it was Lin Zhizhi knocking on his door, warning him to keep the noise down.
Something was off today; this was a serious problem.
“Knock, knock,” Sheng Guoning lightly tapped on the door. After a moment, it opened from the inside, revealing Sheng Yu’an looking dejected. He was momentarily stunned when he saw his father: “…Dad, you’re back.”
“Mm.” Sheng Guoning glanced past him; the gaming console and computer were turned off, and the desk lamp was on, which was unusual. There was a book laid out. Sheng Yu’an scratched the back of his head: “I happened to have nothing to do today, so I’m reviewing vocabulary.”
“Is there a test at school?”
“No, there’s a Level 4 exam next semester, so I’m preparing in advance.”
This wasn’t surprising; it was bizarre. Sheng Yu’an had a chronic procrastination problem, living in the moment and always cramming at the last minute before exams. The idea of studying for a Level 4 exam this early was as likely as the sun rising from the west tomorrow.
“It’s good to read more books. If you had been this diligent earlier, your mom wouldn’t be angry at you every few days.”
Mentioning his mother made Sheng Yu’an’s shoulders tremble slightly. Sheng Guoning caught on and asked, “What’s wrong? Did you mess up again today? I knew something was off with you acting so innocent.”
“…No.”
“Did you make a mistake while eating out?”
“I didn’t go out; I ordered takeout.”
“Then what’s going on? Did you get into trouble at school? Fighting, dating, cheating on an exam?”
“None of those.”
Sheng Guoning knocked his forehead gently: “Tell the truth! Confession means leniency, resistance means severity.”
Sheng Yu’an hung his head, his voice barely audible: “…I still won’t say; you can ask Mom. I’ll accept whatever it is.”
…It seemed like he had committed a major offense. This was the calm before the storm.
Sheng Guoning closed the door and mentally listed dozens of “major offenses” a kid his age could commit. At least he hadn’t broken the law; if that were the case, Lin Zhizhi would have forced him to confess before he even returned home. He guessed it was likely something related to morality; Sheng Yu’an had reached the age for emotional entanglements—love triangles, unintended pregnancies… oh, just thinking about it made his head hurt.
Carefully, Sheng Guoning pushed open the bedroom door. A dim yellow nightlight illuminated the room, and Lin Zhizhi was sitting on the edge of the bed, holding the well-thumbed family album.
“Why are you looking at things without turning on the lights? Be careful; your eyes might get hurt.” Sheng Guoning turned on the overhead light. Lin Zhizhi looked up, her eyes slightly red and swollen, as if she had just cried.
Sheng Guoning’s heart sank. Could it be that his guess was right? If so, he’d go back and break that kid’s legs. Right now, his wife was the most important thing. He didn’t even have time to take off his coat and hurried over to hold her hand: “Zhizhi, what’s wrong? I just saw An’an, and he looked guilty as hell. What did that kid do?”
Lin Zhizhi shook her head: “…Don’t ask.”
“…Did he cause trouble for some girl, and now her family has come looking for us? Don’t worry; just tell me, and I’ll handle it.”
Lin Zhizhi shook her head again, and as she did, a tear fell. Sheng Guoning grew anxious, wishing he could just tie Sheng Yu’an up and force him to apologize. He hugged Lin Zhizhi’s shoulders, grabbed a tissue to wipe her tears, and spoke gently. Since his wife wouldn’t say, he began guessing. But the more he guessed, the more her tears flowed, making him feel increasingly uneasy.
What on earth was going on? How could the usually optimistic Lin Zhizhi be brought to such despair? Sheng Guoning’s imagination ran wild, suspecting Sheng Yu’an had been taken in by a rich woman or had been involved in someone else’s marriage. Yet Lin Zhizhi still wouldn’t say a word. He felt anxious and helpless, glancing down at the album. One page showed a family photo, with tears still visible on the picture, suggesting that it hadn’t been turned for quite a while before he returned.
Could it be…?!
Sheng Guoning’s expression changed drastically as he focused on the picture of the handsome Yi Shi. His eldest son had become a sensation in Nanyi City simply because of his looks. Even if his personality was cold and aloof, there were still waves of admirers drawn to him. Sibling rivalry was often about inheritance or women, but when it came to women, that was nonsense; Yi Shi liked Lin Haku.
Then, the conflict between him and Sheng Yu’an had taken on an even stranger direction.
Sheng Guoning fell silent, his mind in turmoil: his biological son liked the adopted son, who was also his nominal nephew. What kind of situation was this? Which decent family would produce such melodramatic stories?
Lin Zhizhi stroked the photo and sobbed softly: “I really feel sorry for Yi Shi… He’s an orphan; we adopted him to give him a better life, to let him feel the warmth of family, and how did it end up like this…”
“When he graduated, I wanted to renovate his room to make him more comfortable. But before I could find a renovation company, he insisted on moving out, and then he came home less and less, growing more distant from us.” Lin Zhizhi covered her face with her hands, tears streaming from her fingers. “I was once disheartened and disappointed, thinking he was too cold, that this little stone could never warm up… I didn’t realize he had no choice but to leave home. He didn’t want to say anything, bearing everything alone for this family. I really feel heartbroken and guilty! I spent the most time with both of them, and such a thing happened right under my nose, and I was completely unaware. I truly… don’t deserve to be a mother…”
Her words confirmed Sheng Guoning’s suspicions completely. He didn’t know how to comfort her; his anger was instantly overshadowed by a flood of complex emotions. He couldn’t even muster the energy to reprimand Sheng Yu’an. Just as Lin Zhizhi said, before Yi Shi moved out, the two kids had been around him every day. He was a police officer, yet he hadn’t noticed Sheng Yu’an’s hidden feelings. Every time he saw the two brothers getting along so well, he felt relieved that there was no friction between the biological and adopted sons and that they had found happiness in a harmonious family environment.
Thinking back, Sheng Yu’an was indeed overly attached to Yi Shi. It was understandable when they were young, but even as they grew up, he still couldn’t stop mentioning “my brother,” like a catchphrase he kept repeating. While others were “mama’s boys,” he was a “brother’s boy.” Whatever Yi Shi said was gospel; his authority surpassed that of his parents. Lin Zhizhi had scolded him countless times to no avail, yet one word from Yi Shi could correct his behavior. How many pairs of brothers were close enough to reach that level?
Lin Zhizhi had already used up half a pack of tissues, and after a long period of mental preparation, Sheng Guoning finally spoke: “Zhizhi, don’t be too sad. It is indeed An’an’s fault; he thinks too much. But there is still room for reconciliation; at least Yi Shi wouldn’t have feelings for him.”
“How are you so sure?”
“It’s obvious. Think about it. Yi Shi has such a decisive personality, always doing things cleanly. He even moved out directly. It’s clear he wants An’an to stop hoping. To him, An’an is just his younger brother, and he will do everything to sever this messy emotion. He might have already dealt with it by now.” Sheng Guoning rubbed his temples, “But An’an—have you had a proper talk with him? Is he really gay?”
“No, he doesn’t like men. He only likes his brother.”
Sheng Guoning unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief. Although he wasn’t a narrow-minded person and had even prepared himself mentally for the possibility of accepting his son’s orientation, this group was still not publicly acknowledged in the country. The law wouldn’t recognize it either, and if Sheng Yu’an really took that path, the road ahead would become much harder.
As for Yi Shi, there was no need to worry. The adopted son was far stronger in every way than the biological son, capable of turning a thorny path into a broad avenue.
That day, Lin Zhizhi had been through many blows. Her sadness and emotional strain had caused her to shed many tears, leaving her drained. Sheng Guoning spent a long time comforting her before she finally agreed to wash up and rest. After settling Lin Zhizhi down, he went to find Sheng Yu’an, who was sitting there, listless and looking utterly defeated.
“When are you going back to school?”
Sheng Yu’an froze for a moment, “…The day after tomorrow.”
“Alright, your mom’s not in a good mood. Tomorrow, keep her company for some shopping, buy some clothes, watch a movie, and take her to eat hot pot for lunch.” Sheng Guoning found the restaurant he had saved in a mobile app, “This one, it’s just opened recently. Take her to try it out.”
“Oh.” Sheng Yu’an nodded, still dazed. “Dad, you came to tell me this?”
“What else? Tomorrow, you pay. Anyway, you save all your pocket money just to spend it on games. You might as well do something meaningful.”
With that, Sheng Guoning wrapped up his instructions and told him to go to bed early. Sheng Yu’an, feeling like he had just survived something major, showed a complicated expression. “Dad, you really have nothing else to say to me? I admit it this time. Even if you break my legs or ground me, I won’t have any complaints.”
“If you really liked men, breaking your legs would help?” Sheng Guoning looked him up and down. “You’re a big guy now; I’d be too weak to hit you. Besides, your brother wouldn’t just sit idly by and let you mess around.”
Sheng Yu’an gave a bitter smile, filled with mixed emotions, still harboring a bit of lingering attachment and unwillingness. But his brother could even talk about cutting off their relationship. All his words and actions showed he didn’t want any more entanglements. If he kept pushing forward, Yi Shi might be the one to break his legs.
“He’s much harsher than you, almost twisted my arm off.” Sheng Yu’an rubbed his shoulder. “I have no more thoughts now. I’m just a bit curious about what kind of person he’ll end up with in the future.”
“…Definitely someone completely different from you.” Sheng Guoning glanced at his son. Apart from their similar height, there was nothing about him that resembled Lin Heyu. It was hard to imagine Yi Shi would ever be moved by him.
After dealing with this major incident, Sheng Guoning wiped his face and sighed at how difficult life was. The situation in front was enough to make him anxious, and now the chaos in the home was like a fire breaking out in the back. Truly, a troublesome time.
Lin Zhizhi had already fallen asleep, though her brows were still furrowed even in her dreams. Sheng Guoning sat by the bed for a while, wanting to smooth out the furrow between her brows with his thumb. Children and grandchildren have their own fortunes, he thought. He hoped Zhizhi could see things clearly soon and stop worrying.
It wasn’t until now that he had time to check his phone. Any emergencies from work would have come through a direct call, while most of the WeChat messages were notifications from upper-level departments, guidelines for party policies, and the usual end-of-year busywork. Among the few personal messages was one from the property manager: Officer Sheng, have you found the thief who broke into your house? I tried calling and messaging your wife, but she didn’t respond. Our management feels very sorry for this. As the theft occurred in an owner’s home, we also bear some responsibility. Therefore, we’ve prepared a small gift to express our apology.
A thief in the house? Why hadn’t Zhizhi mentioned such an important thing?
But compared to the issue Sheng Yu’an had caused, the theft seemed trivial. Lin Zhizhi must have been so upset that she temporarily forgot about it. Since the property management had already contacted her, she’d surely checked the elevator footage. Sheng Guoning unlocked Lin Zhizhi’s phone and found a colleague’s WeChat from the city bureau, intending to send the surveillance video over so they could quickly catch the thief.
Stealing from an old criminal investigator’s house—how reckless. The culprit needed to be caught and taught a lesson.
Lin Zhizhi’s phone had several missed calls. The first few were from the property manager, and the last one was from him. He opened the WeChat video, and his eyes immediately widened, his palms growing damp.
The two figures in the footage sent his heart racing, and the timestamp in the corner—10/29, 18:46—made it clear. There had been no thief. Lin Zhizhi had just used that as an excuse to find evidence that Lin Heyu had been to their residence at Changlong Gardens.
How had she discovered it? Did Yi Shi tell her? Had they seen each other recently?
Now that she had seen the surveillance footage, it was only natural for her to recall that her husband had been home that day, so he must have seen her brother.
His heart pounded heavily as he glanced at his sleeping wife, a bitter taste filling his mouth. What he cared about most was Lin Zhizhi’s feelings. All the concealment had been to protect her. Now that she knew and had seen the footage, but hadn’t said or asked anything, was she waiting for him to confess on his own? Or had she become so disheartened that she no longer cared to ask?
Sheng Guoning put the phone back, quietly got out of bed, threw on a jacket, and went to see Sheng Yu’an for the third time that night.
Sheng Yu’an was still awake. He was a typical night owl, and his body clock was fixed. He wouldn’t feel sleepy until one or two in the morning. Besides, being dragged out of the closet by his parents today had left him sleepless, tossing and turning in bed.
“Dad, what is it this time? It’s so late already.” Sheng Yu’an’s tone was cautious. His father looked even more serious than before. He quickly tried to think—aside from the incident with his brother, had he done anything else wrong?
Sheng Guoning gestured for him to move aside and found a chair to sit down on. “Tell me everything that happened after you came back today.”
“I came home in the afternoon and saw Mom looking for something. I offered to help, but she refused and sent me back to my room to play games. After a while, she came into my room, said I’d accidentally left a dictionary at my brother’s place, and she put it back for me. She saw a letter, and then, well…”
“What was she looking for?”
“I don’t know. She wasn’t clear. She mentioned papers and a bottle, and something about reversed words. I couldn’t make sense of it.”
Sheng Guoning’s eyelids twitched, and he continued asking, “Then you stayed home the whole time after that?”
Sheng Yu’an nodded pitifully. After having his crush on his brother exposed, he was terrified and didn’t dare suggest going out for food. Lin Zhizhi locked herself in her room, and after a while, he could hear her crying through the door. He stood outside for fifteen minutes but didn’t dare knock. Eventually, he went back to his room to distract himself with an English word list.
Sheng Guoning sighed, patting his son’s shoulder. “Got it. Go to bed early.”
“Dad, I swear, aside from this, I haven’t done anything else wrong.”
“Mm, it’s not your fault.” Sheng Guoning muttered, “It’s my mistake…”
———
Late at night, a small red glow flickered in the dark living room before being snuffed out in the ashtray.
Sheng Guoning sat alone on the couch, deep in thought. Based on the information he had gathered, Lin Zhizhi must have realized that Lin Heyu had visited the house sometime after her phone call with him earlier in the day. The car keys had gone missing from the nightstand, and combined with Sheng Yu’an’s mention of the bottle, Sheng Guoning guessed that the bottle of deadly mineral water had given everything away.
Sheng Guoning clenched his fists. Hadn’t Yi Shi taken it away? Why was that bottle still in the car?
Lin Zhizhi was too smart. She must have pieced together most of the situation by now. She had been tearing the house apart to find more items related to Lin Heyu. Sheng Yu’an’s love letter was a coincidence, but the compounded stress had pushed her to the edge.
The puzzles and math notebooks that little Shitou had played with were all in Yi Shi’s room. Sheng Guoning had thought about destroying them all together, but he was worried that if the other Yi Shi came back, he would notice something unusual, causing more trouble. No matter how he calculated, he never expected that Lin Zhizhi would get involved.
The frightening part of lies is that one lie needs to be filled with another lie, rolling like a snowball, becoming bigger and bigger, teetering on the edge of a mountain. How was he supposed to explain to Zhizhi? This was a secret that even Yi Shi and Lin Heyu couldn’t speak of, and he definitely wouldn’t tell her.
“Bang,” the living room suddenly lit up, Lin Zhizhi stood by the wall, sleepily asking, “Why aren’t you asleep yet?”
Sheng Guoning smiled, waving his hand in the air to disperse the smell of smoke: “I can’t sleep, just sitting here for a while.”
Lin Zhizhi came over and sat down next to him. Her eyelids were seriously swollen, and her pair of watery big eyes had turned into slits. Seeing this made Sheng Guoning feel heartbroken. He said, “I’ll go to the kitchen and get an ice pack; you can apply it, and it will be fine by morning.”
When he returned to the living room with the ice pack, there was an extra bottle of mineral water on the coffee table. Sheng Guoning was stunned. He saw her casually open the bottle cap and pour a bit of water into the ashtray. When she noticed Sheng Guoning standing there, she asked, “What’s wrong?”
“…Nothing.”
Sheng Guoning placed the ice pack on Lin Zhizhi’s right eye. Lin Zhizhi suddenly leaned over, resting her head on his shoulder, softly saying, “I slept for a while and thought through a lot. An’an has grown up; everyone has the right to make their own choices. Some things might be innate; no matter what happens in the future, I will accept it, as long as he lives a safe and happy life.”
“Yeah, it’s best to think like that. The kids have grown up; let them be, we can’t control them for a lifetime,” Sheng Guoning smiled and said, “You worry too much. You need to learn to let go; we should enjoy our lives too. In a few years, when I retire, I’ll take you out to travel around the world.”
“You said that when we just got married, year after year, I don’t expect it anymore.” Lin Zhizhi looked at him. “Also, you promised that you would only be good to me in this lifetime and would never deceive me. Do you remember?”
“Yeah, I remember.”
“You have fulfilled the first promise. What about the second?”
Sheng Guoning felt a chill in his heart; what was coming couldn’t be avoided. He picked up the bottle of mineral water, silently staring at the reversed text. Lin Zhizhi placed the ice pack on the coffee table and continued to ask, “If I hadn’t discovered it, would you have never planned to tell me he came back? Did you two meet?”
“…Zhizhi, this matter is not as simple as you think.” Sheng Guoning held her hand. “I never intended to hide it from you; I just wanted to wait for the right moment to tell you. Right now—”
Lin Zhizhi interrupted, “I want to hear it now. I know part of their story too. If you have a reason for it, just tell me; don’t use those kind-hearted lies, I don’t need them.”
Sheng Guoning could easily fabricate a story, but the oaths he had once made felt like a fishbone stuck in his throat. Facing Lin Zhizhi’s serious and determined expression, he opened his mouth but ultimately couldn’t utter a word.
“What did he come to find you for? Was it to discuss a case? The explosion case happened the next day; with my brother’s personality, he must have wanted to ask for your help. Then you two went out together, and only you came back with little Shitou. What on earth did you go to do?”
Sheng Guoning remained silent, and Lin Zhizhi grabbed his arm: “Tell me, where did you take them? Where are they now?”
“Sheng Guoning, after so many years of our relationship, can’t you even give me one honest word?”
After a long and silent fifteen minutes, disappointment clouded Lin Zhizhi’s eyes: “Forget it, it’s getting late. You have to work tomorrow.”
She took away the ashtray, wiped the few ashes off the coffee table, and stood up: “Every time I go to Haijing to visit the grave, I tell my brother that I’m doing well and happy, so he doesn’t have to worry. Now that I think about it… I don’t know if I can say those words so easily when I go to see him next time.”
__
[12/15, 06:13, Nanyi City Changlong Huayuan]
Sheng Yu’an rarely got up early. He initially wanted to cook breakfast himself, but he had never lifted a finger to help in the kitchen, having no culinary talent at all; even the simplest fried egg could go wrong. He simply gave up and made scrambled eggs, sprinkled some black pepper on them, and served them at the table. He dared not continue making a mess and obediently went downstairs to buy ready-made breakfast. By the time he returned, his parents were already up—one was cleaning up the battlefield he had left behind in the kitchen, and the other was sitting at the table reading the news.
Sheng Yu’an brought the breakfast into the kitchen and cheerfully spoke to Lin Zhizhi: “Mom, don’t worry about it; I’ll clean up later. The buns are from Wang’s shop, and the soy milk is from Boss Hu on the street, all your favorites.”
Lin Zhizhi smiled and took the bowls and chopsticks out of the kitchen. Sheng Yu’an felt downcast and then sat beside Sheng Guoning, softly saying, “Dad, I’ve already planned the route. Today, I’ll take good care of Mom and make sure she has fun.”
“Mm.”
…Both parents’ attitudes were so cold; it seemed there was still some time before they would calm down. Sheng Yu’an sighed, wondering what he could do; it was already a miracle he hadn’t been kicked out of the house.
However, he soon realized that the atmosphere between his parents was also quite subtle. Throughout breakfast, the two remained silent, and Sheng Yu’an didn’t dare to breathe loudly, watching his mother wash the dishes while his father went out alone, with no communication between them at all.
This situation didn’t seem like a quarrel; rather, it felt like… they were deliberately avoiding each other.
It was over; he was the sinner, the eternal sinner. Sheng Yu’an walked into the kitchen, mustering his courage to apologize: “Mom, I’m sorry; it’s all my fault. You can hit me or scold me, just don’t fight with Dad. I feel so guilty seeing you like this.”
“It has nothing to do with you. It’s about other things; don’t ask too much, kid.” Lin Zhizhi sighed, “…It probably won’t be so easy to get past this.”
Sheng Yu’an scratched the back of his head, wondering why everything at home seemed to have changed upon waking up.
