In early July, a new colleague was transferred to the Criminal Investigation Team at the Haijing City Bureau.
A week before his arrival, rumors spread throughout the Criminal Investigation Division that this new colleague from Nanyi was impressive—outstanding performance, strong abilities, skilled in combat and investigation, and his good looks could make anyone eat three bowls of rice. The Criminal Investigation Division and the Public Relations Department in Nanyi fought over him, and the leadership had to hold back a transfer order for a year and a half just to keep him. On the day he left, the young policewomen of Nanyi City Bureau cried tears of sorrow…
With such a story behind this new guy about to arrive in Haijing, the Criminal Investigation Division was filled with anticipation. The new colleague became the focus of casual discussions during breaks, and excitement was palpable. Yuan Maoqiu propped his leg up and poked Lin Heyu’s arm: “Hey, your brother is so popular in Nanyi?”
“Maybe,” Lin Heyu replied, as if he indeed heard Sheng Guoning mention it. Yi Shi waved his sleeve, leaving without taking a piece of the clouds, hurting many people’s hearts.
“That makes sense; his persona is just too appealing, giving no chance to the other male colleagues,” Yuan Maoqiu looked around, “Where is he? Didn’t they say he was coming to report today?”
Just as he finished speaking, the door of the Criminal Investigation Division swung open, revealing a man standing at the entrance. He was tall with long legs, a narrow shoulder, and a slim waist. His skin was pale to the point of being blinding, and his features were excessively delicate. Wearing the same blue uniform issued by the bureau, it looked as if he was on a runway—he could have used a red carpet beneath him.
“Police badge 01XXXX, Yi Shi, here to report.”
The large office fell silent. Yi Shi looked around, puzzled. Lin Heyu walked over, placing a hand on his shoulder: “This is Yi Shi, our new colleague from Nanyi. We’ll all be working together from now on, and let’s maintain a principle of friendly coexistence. If you have any questions…”
“Definitely! We will be friendly for sure!”
“No problem at all, absolutely no problem!”
“Hurry up! Why are we still making him stand there? Zou Bin! Get a desk out here!”
Suddenly, the office was filled with chatter and excitement. Lin Heyu was somewhat surprised; it seemed that Yi Shi’s “legend” in Nanyi was indeed credible.
For the whole morning, Yi Shi was busy handling transfer procedures and meeting the city bureau’s leaders. After running up and down several flights of stairs, he finally got some rest during lunchtime, only to be surrounded by a group of people.
Among them were a few acquaintances: Zou Bin, Wen Huabei, and Jian Ru. Yi Shi had an impression of them, but for them, it was a definite first meeting. Zou Bin rubbed his hands together: “You must be Yi Shi, right? How old are you? Do you have any sisters at home?”
“28. No sisters.”
Zou Bin retreated in disappointment. Such good genes; if only he had an older sister or younger sister, she would surely be a beauty!
Wen Huabei grinned: “How about a partner? Do you have a partner?”
Yi Shi quickly nodded: “Yes.”
“Good! That’s great! From today on, we are good buddies!” Wen Huabei let out a long sigh of relief; with such a strong competitor appearing, it made his already difficult path to finding a partner even tougher.
“Then if you don’t have any sisters, do you have brothers?” Teng Xiaojun propped her chin in her hand, smiling, “Don’t misunderstand, I’m asking for my younger sister.”
“I have an older brother, and he’s not single.”
Teng Xiaojun sighed deeply; this was the cruel reality—excellent and handsome guys never seemed to have a chance with them!
After being bombarded with questions, Yi Shi felt as lost as a rabbit. Finally, a senior pushed through the crowd: “Hey, hey, hey, look at you all, surrounding him like you’re interrogating a suspect! You’re scaring him!”
Zhang Rui.
Yi Shi looked up at him, grateful that Lin Heyu and Song Ping had repeatedly reminded him to quit smoking, allowing him to look so lively today.
Yi Shi stood up and actively extended his hand: “Hello, Senior Zhang.”
Zhang Rui gave him a once-over and shook his hand with enthusiasm: “This kid is really good; I like him!” He called back, “Heyu, take him away quickly! By the time they finish their three rounds of questioning, there will be nothing left but washing pot water in the cafeteria!”
“I know the cafeteria well; Lin, I’ll take Yi Shi to eat!”
“No need,” Lin Heyu wrapped an arm around Yi Shi’s shoulder and said, “I’ll take him.”
As everyone watched their departing figures, they realized Captain Lin was truly taking care of this new colleague. The few newcomers felt it the most; he was even taking them out to eat? It was surprising that Captain Lin would scold them less!
Zhang Rui sipped his tea: “Can you compare yourselves with him? You’re newcomers, and he’s a new star! Not on the same level!”
The newcomers silently shed tears: Please stop scolding us; the kid is on the verge of depression!
In the cafeteria, Lin Heyu and Yi Shi sat together, ordered a few dishes, and asked, “What do you think of Haijing City Bureau so far?”
“Pretty good; everyone I’ve met is… very friendly.”
Lin Heyu smiled, ruffling his hair: “They mean no harm; they’re just a bit noisy. Overall, the atmosphere in Haijing is quite nice.”
Yi Shi nodded, looking around before quietly asking, “Does anyone here know about our relationship?”
“No. Yuan Maoqiu doesn’t even know.”
“…I meant the relationship on the household register.”
Lin Heyu chuckled; he thought Yi Shi was referring to a romantic relationship. However, the “brother” relationship was also not well-known in the bureau. Colleagues had heard that Lin Heyu had a “younger brother,” but they had never seen him and certainly didn’t expect that this brother was Yi Shi, who had just transferred today.
Busy yet ordinary days passed swiftly. It had been half a month since Yi Shi transferred to the Haijing City Bureau. One day after work, as Lin Heyu was tidying up, the eager newcomers popped up: “Captain Lin, Yi Shi has been here for so long; shouldn’t we throw a welcome party?”
“Yeah, it’s been a while since we didn’t have to work overtime, and it’s been ages since we had a group meal!”
“Tomorrow is the weekend; we have plenty of time tonight!”
“Let’s go to the usual restaurant; I’ve checked, and there’s a private room!”
“And then we’ll go to KTV; we still have those coupons we haven’t used from last time!”
Lin Heyu habitually remained silent, while Yuan Maoqiu beside him stroked his chin with a sly smile: “Don’t use Yi Shi’s disagreement as an excuse. I just heard him kick the ball back to you outside.”
“……” Lin Heyu raised his hand, “Then let’s go.”
———
Due to Lin Heyu’s taciturn and boring personality, gatherings in the Criminal Investigation Team were rare, and even when they managed to organize one, the participants were often incomplete. It had been two months since the last get-together, and Yuan Maoqiu thought it would just be the usual few regulars. To his surprise, more than twenty people showed up this time; the originally reserved private room was too small, and they had to switch to the biggest one.
As the main character of the event, Yi Shi felt a bit awkward sitting next to Lin Heyu. He also disliked lively situations, and during events in Nanyi, he was usually forced to attend by Yu Xue. He went along, acting as merely a decorative background. This time, however, it was a welcome party held in his honor, and it was truly outside his comfort zone—like a bride getting into the wedding carriage for the first time.
All eyes were on him, and as everyone stared eagerly, Yi Shi stood up with his cup, struggling to speak: “……Thank you all, and I look forward to working with you in the future.”
“Why do you always say such formalities? That’s too polite.”
“Exactly! Don’t treat us like outsiders; you need to drink a punishment shot.”
“One shot might be a bit much; how about half—hey, hey, hey!”
Before they could finish their coaxing, Yi Shi had already tipped back a cup of baijiu, leaving not a single drop behind.
??? The colleagues were stunned. Was he really that bold? Isn’t he from the south? Why did he drink it like that?
The key point was that he showed no sign of being affected, calmly sitting back down. Lin Heyu placed a bowl of food in front of him: “Drinking on an empty stomach can get you drunk; eat all this food.”
Yi Shi touched his nose, looking innocent as he obediently lowered his head to eat.
His drink had served as a signal to start the meal, and gradually, the atmosphere at the table grew lively. Yuan Maoqiu, sitting to Lin Heyu’s left, smiled and said, “Hey, I didn’t expect this kid of yours could drink so well.”
“No. Don’t try to force him,” Lin Heyu’s warning was clear; trying to make him drink would be a bad idea.
Yuan Maoqiu glanced at Yi Shi: “See, he treats you like a child, protecting you like that.”
“Hmm. I like it,” Yi Shi replied with a light smile.
Yuan Maoqiu rubbed his arms; what was up with these two brothers? This was getting a bit too mushy.
Yi Shi sat beside Lin Heyu, who spoke little, spending most of his time with his head down eating. Meanwhile, the person on Yi Shi’s right kept changing. A colleague sat down, holding a glass: “Yi Shi, did you go to the police academy in Nanyi? That makes me your senior; I also graduated from the Nanyi Police Academy.”
Yi Shi readily replied: “Oh, hello, senior.”
“Hey, that’s straightforward! Come, let’s have a drink…”
His words trailed off because Yi Shi had already finished his first glass and sincerely asked, “Is there anything else?”
“……Nope.”
Oh, if there was nothing else, he continued eating.
Before long, another colleague sat down next to him—Wen Xining from the Forensic Science Department, a single woman of a certain age. The first thing she said was, “Is your partner male or female?”
Yi Shi nearly choked and coughed several times. Wen Xining whispered, “I saw you and Captain Lin out shopping last time; the florist said you two are brothers. Is that true?”
“Hmm.”
“You two are so close, holding hands, huh?”
“W-well, occasionally…”
“And he was even hugging you.”
“……” Yi Shi took the initiative to drink again, thinking, don’t ask any more; if I keep talking, I won’t be able to make up any more nonsense.
Wen Xining patted his shoulder, reassuringly, saying that she was a good person and wouldn’t say anything.
Just after she left, Zou Bin sat down with a beer in hand, trying to get close: “Yi Shi, since you’re so popular in Nanyi, do you have a list of police flower sisters in your contacts? Any single ones you could introduce?”
“No.” Yi Shi pointed at Yuan Maoqiu, shifting the responsibility to the gardener, “He knows many.”
Zou Bin felt awkward. Did they not know how much the gardener had been through? They had already gone through that list once; they were looking for new resources because they couldn’t find any suitable matches!
It wasn’t that Yi Shi didn’t want to help; he genuinely didn’t have anyone. Zou Bin refused to give up: “What about your girlfriend? Does she have any single friends or close buddies? Can you introduce them?”
“Uh…” Yi Shi took another drink, deciding it was better to just keep drinking.
Seeing him downing glass after glass, Lin Heyu’s expression darkened. Zou Bin got scared and bolted out faster than a rabbit. Wuwuwu, I didn’t do anything! I didn’t mean to force him to drink; he just drank too quickly!
Fifteen minutes later, the effects of the several cups of baijiu finally became noticeable. First, he felt warmth spreading through his face, turning the pale white a shade of rosy pink; then, his head began to feel light, and images started overlapping before his eyes. Finally, he felt hot all over and couldn’t help but loosen two buttons of his uniform, revealing half of his alluring collarbone.
The private room fell silent again. They weren’t eating or drinking; they were too busy staring at Yi Shi, finally understanding the meaning of the idiom “food that pleases the eye.”
“He’s drunk; I’ll take him home.” Lin Heyu supported Yi Shi to stand up. Yi Shi’s long, narrow eyes squinted slightly as he leaned against Lin Heyu’s broad shoulder, his eyes watery like a tipsy beauty.
“Captain Lin, will you come back later? We’re about to switch venues!”
Lin Heyu shook his head and told Yuan Maoqiu, “You take them to have fun; put it on my tab.”
The summer night was oppressively hot. Stepping out of the air-conditioned room, Yi Shi felt even warmer. He unbuttoned the third button of his shirt, and Lin Heyu cleared his throat, helping him adjust the collar: “Wait until we get home to take it off.”
“……It’s hot…”
“Who told you to mess around and drink so fast?”
In the car, Yi Shi sat in the passenger seat. As Lin Heyu bent down to buckle his seatbelt, Yi Shi wrapped his arms around Lin Heyu’s neck and suddenly bit his lip, causing a slight sting.
“Kiss me,” Yi Shi said, his voice sticky, almost like he was whining.
Lin Heyu struggled with his thoughts; Yi Shi, growing impatient, reached to unbutton his fourth button.
In the parking lot. No one around. A beautiful person. Alright then.
———
The next morning, Yi Shi woke up with a splitting headache, propping himself up in bed. The first attempt to sit up was unsteady; his muscles ached all over, with the area from his waist to his thighs being the most noticeable.
He shook his head, recalling that he had accidentally gotten drunk at last night’s gathering. Lin Heyu had brought him home early, and they had gone to the parking lot… and then what???
Yi Shi carefully retraced his memories; vague fragments rushed into his mind, causing his face to flush. He buried his head deep into the soft, air-conditioned blanket.
What had they done? Was that really him? He felt utterly ashamed.
The bedroom door creaked open, and Lin Heyu walked in. Upon seeing a curled-up ball, he couldn’t help but dig him out: “What are you doing? Don’t suffocate yourself.”
Yi Shi only exposed a messy head and didn’t dare to meet Lin Heyu’s gaze. Lin Heyu pinched his soft cheeks: “Now you know what it means to be shy?”
“Y-you didn’t stop me?” Yi Shi’s voice was as soft as a mosquito’s buzz, too embarrassed to say it out loud. The parking lot wasn’t home; wasn’t he supposed to be a gentleman?
“Just this once, it’s fine,” Lin Heyu rubbed his dark hair. “I’ve told you before, life shouldn’t be too bland. You were quite a surprise when you got drunk.”
Yi Shi shook his head repeatedly; no, no, no, he was so embarrassed he wanted to find a hole to hide in. He vowed never to get drunk again.
After dragging himself out of bed around noon, he accidentally caught a glimpse of himself in the dressing mirror while opening the wardrobe. He silently picked out a T-shirt with a higher collar.
What would he say at work if the marks weren’t gone by Monday?
On the balcony, he tended to a row of potted plants. As he watered the flowers and pulled some weeds, Lin Heyu returned from the market, holding a bunch of fragrant white gardenias.
He found a small vase, filled it with fresh water, and placed the gardenias inside, setting it right in the middle of the coffee table. Warm sunlight streamed in through the balcony, and Yi Shi closed his eyes, resting his head on Lin Heyu’s thigh. Lin Heyu massaged his waist to relieve the soreness, chuckling: “If you were just a little kitten, you would be purring right now.”
Yi Shi huffed, too lazy to retort.
In the scorching afternoon, with cicadas chirping in the summer heat, the fragrance of the gardenias filled the room, spreading into every corner of their lives.
—–
Author’s Note:
The main text is finished!!
I feel a bit sorry for the delay because this piece was quite complex. While writing, I often found myself tangled up and needed to organize my thoughts frequently. Dealing with something this intricate made my head hurt; it always felt like I was trying to create something completely new (?).
Compared to the earlier story, the hard-core criminal investigation elements are somewhat reduced in the mirror-like narrative, with most of the focus on the timeline of the mystery. I will go through it from start to finish in the next couple of days, possibly picking out some minor bugs, but there won’t be any major rewrites in terms of plot. I will compile the timeline and the principle of time travel mentioned in the text and pin it on my Weibo; readers who are confused can check that out.
I’ll also update the extras later, featuring the little couple from this story. To reiterate, it’s not a BE (bittersweet ending)! There will be chances for reunion!
There will also be extras featuring Yu Chang, Qi Wenyu, and Yi Shi in women’s clothing (yes, he’s back) among other things.
I’m very grateful to all the little angels who accompanied me through this story. Thank you for your unwavering support. Thank you, MUA~