The hot pot place Lin Zhizhi reserved was near her internship company. Lin Heyu, with Xiao Shitou and Yuan Maoqiu, waited downstairs for her. Twenty minutes ago, she said she was changing clothes, but upon their arrival, she messaged saying she had to quickly hand in a report and needed a few more minutes to find her leader.
Xiao Shitou clung to Lin Heyu like a leg accessory, never more than half a meter away. Yuan Maoqiu fiddled with his phone, which kept pinging with messages. If Lin Heyu guessed right, this guy had probably already exchanged WeChat contacts with the two female officers over a cup of milk tea, not wasting any time in moving on from his breakup.
Lin Heyu checked the time and regretted not messaging Yi Shi earlier. It was morning there, and after interrogating suspects until late last night, Yi Shi was probably sleeping now.
“Hey, since we’re in Nanyi, and it looks like we’ll be here for a while, how about setting up a time for us to formally meet the handsome guy?” Yuan Maoqiu asked.
Lin Heyu’s eyes turned cold, “Why do you need to meet him?”
“Just to get acquainted! I’m curious to know what kind of person could make you, who’s been single for thirty years, suddenly settle down.”
“…,” Lin Heyu decisively refused, “No time.”
Yuan Maoqiu shook his head in disbelief. “No time? You just don’t want to show him off! Let me reassure you, I’m straight and have zero interest in guys. You have nothing to worry about!”
Lin Heyu ignored him. No matter what Yuan Maoqiu said, he was unmoved. He couldn’t even see Yi Shi himself, let alone letting Yuan Maoqiu see him. Wishful thinking.
Finally, a familiar graceful figure emerged from the office building. Wearing a short skirt and high heels, only a wool coat to block the wind. It was early spring, and Lin Zhizhi dared to bare her legs. Lin Heyu’s face darkened.
“Brother!” Lin Zhizhi hurried down the steps, her high heels making crisp sounds. She smiled brightly, but noticing her brother’s stern face, she was puzzled, “What’s wrong?”
“Isn’t it cold today, at 10℃?”
“Yes, it is. I even added a wool coat over my dress.” Lin Zhizhi had a sudden realization, “Oh, that’s because I’m wearing leg-slimming pantyhose! Flesh-colored tights! Brother, you’re so out of touch, you didn’t even know that.”
“…?” Lin Heyu glanced down again to confirm that Lin Zhizhi indeed wasn’t risking her health, and his expression finally relaxed.
Yuan Maoqiu laughed heartily, “Your brother has been single for so long, how could he know these things! But he truly cares about you. Look at me, my knees have been exposed all day, and he didn’t even ask!”
Lin Zhizhi proudly linked her right arm through Lin Heyu’s, “Of course! I’m his only sister!”
When she lowered her head, she noticed the little boy hiding behind Lin Heyu, and immediately felt curious, “Hey? Brother, who is this child behind you?”
Before Lin Heyu could answer, Yuan Maoqiu, ever the mischief-maker, feigned confusion, “Where? What child? It’s just me and Heyu waiting for you.”
The three pairs of eyes all looked at him as if he were crazy. Including the little boy.
“No wonder Brother Yuan’s relationships never last, the problem must be here.” Lin Zhizhi made a face at Yuan Maoqiu, then bent down to pat the little boy’s head, “Hello, I’m Lin Zhizhi. What’s your name?”
The little boy avoided her hand, looking down and refusing to speak. Lin Heyu introduced, “This is Xiao Shitou, I mentioned him to you.”
“So you’re Xiao Shitou!” Lin Zhizhi’s eyes curved in surprise, “Brother talked about you. I thought I would meet you next time I went to Haijing, but I didn’t expect to see you here in Nanyi.”
Xiao Shitou, overwhelmed, nodded nervously, almost hiding his entire body behind Lin Heyu.
The four of them headed to a hot pot restaurant. It was peak dining time, but fortunately, Lin Zhizhi had reserved a table, so they didn’t have to wait outside. Xiao Shitou sat beside Lin Heyu, with Lin Zhizhi and Yuan Maoqiu across from them. Lin Heyu asked Xiao Shitou, “Is there anything you’d like to eat?”
Xiao Shitou shook his head. He wasn’t particular about food and could eat anything.
While waiting for the dishes, Lin Zhizhi kept teasing Xiao Shitou, “Xiao Shitou, you’re so cute, why don’t you smile more? Have you been infected by my brother after being with him for so long?”
“Don’t be like him, you’ll end up expressionless. I bet when you grow up, you’ll be so handsome and if you’re gentle and smile a lot, you’ll charm all the girls!”
Xiao Shitou remained unmoved, staring at the table with his chopsticks. Lin Zhizhi’s eyes twinkled, “Xiao Shitou, can you guess how to write my name?”
This time, Xiao Shitou finally reacted. He looked at Lin Zhizhi, then wrote “知之” on the table with his finger.
“Hey, everyone’s first reaction is always this,” Lin Zhizhi sighed, resting her chin on her hand, “To know is to know, and to not know is to not know, that is knowledge.”
Xiao Shitou was stunned for a couple of seconds, then looked at Lin Heyu, whispering, “…Isn’t it?”
Lin Heyu smiled and showed Xiao Shitou Lin Zhizhi’s name on his phone. Lin Zhizhi laughed, “There’s a grass radical, symbolizing life and vitality. Remember not to write it wrong in the future.”1Lin Zhizhi (林知芝) pointed out that her name, 知芝, includes the radical “艹” (grass), which symbolizes life and vitality. This radical is part of the character “芝” (zhī), which often relates to things that grow, like plants, and can be associated with vitality and growth.
Xiao Shitou glanced at Lin Zhizhi. Maybe her bright and warm smile was contagious, causing his tightly pressed lips to unconsciously curve into a slight smile.
“Wow, I told you your smile is beautiful!” Lin Zhizhi pinched Xiao Shitou’s cheeks, exaggerating, “So~ cute~”
Xiao Shitou blushed for the first time, finally less resistant to this stranger.
On the table was a mandarin duck pot, with the tomato side facing the child who couldn’t eat spicy food. Lin Heyu kept helping Xiao Shitou with the food, taking care of him meticulously. Lin Zhizhi bit her chopsticks, “My brother will definitely be a good father in the future, he’s so good with kids.”
“Taking care of kids and being a father are two different things. Your brother’s love life…” Yuan Maoqiu felt a murderous aura and quickly changed the subject, “By the way, Zhizhi, what’s going on with the captain from Nanyi?”
Lin Zhizhi was ready to enjoy some gossip but was caught off guard when the topic turned to her, “What captain? Who are you talking about?”
Lin Heyu was also concerned about his sister’s love life, “Sheng Guoning, what’s the deal?”
“Oh, Captain Sheng? What could be going on between us?” Lin Zhizhi blinked her big eyes, “He helped me on the bus half a month ago, and I sent a banner to the Nanyi Police Department. You all know about that.”
Yuan Maoqiu nodded, “We only know what’s on the surface, not what goes on behind the scenes. What’s the progress now? Is he pursuing you? Come on, tell your brother clearly.”
Lin Zhizhi was even more confused. Pursuing her? How come she didn’t know? She was surprised, “He’s pursuing me? I really didn’t know. We’ve barely chatted on WeChat…”
“Then don’t chat anymore.” Lin Heyu gave Xiao Shitou a shrimp ball. He didn’t particularly like Sheng Guoning and didn’t want to hand his sister over to him at all.
Yuan Maoqiu stifled his laughter, lighting a candle for Sheng Guoning. Captain Sheng thought he was facing a love rival but ended up in a misunderstanding, and now he was pushed to the fire by the big brother. Poor guy, so pitiful.
Lin Zhizhi was completely clueless, shrugging, not understanding what was happening. She received a WeChat message from Sheng Guoning but didn’t even look at it, locking her screen and continuing to eat.
Well, just listen to her brother and stop chatting then.
—
After seeing Lin Zhizhi off, Lin Heyu passed by a supermarket and took Xiao Shitou inside to buy him a set of clothes. Without Lin Zhizhi, Yuan Maoqiu was only reliable when picking gifts for girls. With Lin Heyu’s straight male aesthetic, black and white were the safest choices. He picked up a set of black and white striped thermal underwear and compared it to Xiao Shitou.
Yuan Maoqiu stroked his chin, “…Why does this look so familiar?”
He snapped his fingers, pulled out his phone to search for “black and white prison uniform,” and handed it to Lin Heyu, “Does it look similar?”
“…” Lin Heyu hung the clothes back and picked a set of cartoon-printed ones next to it, featuring a bird pattern that most kids would like.
“Hey, your taste is finally normal.” Yuan Maoqiu compared the long-sleeved thermal shirt to Xiao Shitou’s body, “It’s a bit big, the sleeves will need to be rolled up.”
“It’ll still fit next year.”
Yuan Maoqiu was stunned for three seconds before bursting into laughter, “Haha, you’re just like my mom! When I was growing up, my mom always bought clothes a size too big. I never wore clothes that fit properly.”
“…” Lin Heyu was the same. Almost all mothers were like this, he was just influenced by it.
“And just now, your first reaction upon seeing Zhizhi wasn’t to compliment her outfit, but to scold her for dressing too lightly. Haha… Heyu, when did you start acting like an old mother?”
If they weren’t in public, Lin Heyu would have tackled Yuan Maoqiu to the ground again.
Xiao Shitou was quite happy, holding onto the clothes tightly. Lin Heyu patted his head, “Do you like them?”
Xiao Shitou nodded vigorously, “Yes. Like crane.”
“A crane?” Lin Heyu quickly corrected him, “It’s ‘Heyu’ with the ‘gorge’ radical, not ‘crane’.”
“I know.” Xiao Shitou nodded, “The one with soil, not the bird.”2In Chinese, characters can have the same pronunciation but different meanings and radicals (components that hint at the meaning of the character).
The character “壑” (hè) means “gorge” and includes the radical “土” (soil).
The character “鹤” (hè) means “crane” and includes the radical “鸟” (bird).
Xiao Shitou initially said “仙鹤” (xiān hè), meaning “crane,” possibly because the sound is the same. Lin Heyu corrected him, explaining that his name uses the character for “gorge” (壑) with the “soil” radical, not the character for “crane” (鹤) with the “bird” radical. Xiao Shitou confirms he knows the correct character, showing he understands the difference between the similar-sounding characters.
“Good. I’ll teach you how to write it later.”
Yuan Maoqiu felt like an outsider: Did I just miss a segment? What were they talking about with these cranes?
But clearly, they shared an understanding that others couldn’t grasp and had no intention of explaining it to Yuan Maoqiu.
Back at the hotel, Xiao Shitou was taking a bath, and Lin Heyu was leaning against the headboard, staring at his phone in a daze. It was already this late, and it was 3:30 AM where Yi Shi was. Another day had passed; was he resting or still working through the night?
The last time he saw Yi Shi, he looked unhealthy, his face pale and almost bloodless, and his body thin and frail. He probably hadn’t been eating well either.
Lin Heyu pressed his temples, trying hard to recall past events. As time passed, his memories were gradually being overwritten, the recent ones replacing the old. Like a surveillance system that automatically overwrites old footage after a fixed time. Up to now, the clearest memory he had was the time they met at the Southern Cheng’an Cemetery.
How could he slow down this forgetfulness? He felt he was forgetting something important, something that might greatly affect both of them. Although he knew in his subconscious how crucial it was, he had no chance to record it, and it quietly slipped away with time.
Xiao Shitou, wearing his new thermal clothes, ran out of the bathroom with wet hair.
Yuan Maoqiu tossed the hairdryer to Lin Heyu, “Dry the kid’s hair, I’m going to take a bath.”
Without needing to be told, Lin Heyu would take good care of Xiao Shitou. He sat cross-legged with the hairdryer in hand, patiently drying the child’s hair who was sitting in his lap. Xiao Shitou clutched Lin Heyu’s jacket, his lips suddenly moving.
Lin Heyu turned off the hairdryer, “What’s wrong?”
“…I don’t want to be adopted.”
Never did he expect the child to bring this up. Lin Heyu supported Xiao Shitou’s shoulders, making him sit properly, his tone becoming serious, “Give me a reason. Last time I asked, didn’t you like Uncle Lü’s family?”
Xiao Shitou shook his head. He didn’t dislike them. Uncle Lü’s family treated him very well, Miaomiao shared a room with him and played with him every day. Even the grandparents didn’t treat him as an outsider, buying things in pairs, truly treating him like their grandson, giving him a sense of family warmth he had never experienced before.
He was very grateful to Uncle Lü’s family, but that was it—gratitude. He never thought of joining their family. From the beginning, he just saw it as a temporary stay, waiting for the right time to leave. This time depended entirely on Lin Heyu. Whenever he wasn’t busy and was willing to adopt him, he would leave Uncle Lü’s house.
Xiao Shitou looked at Lin Heyu and softly said, “If you could adopt me, I want to live with you.”
Lin Heyu hadn’t expected him to think this way. Thinking about his own situation, he smiled wryly, “Sorry, I don’t have the time to take care of you.”
His father had died young, his mother passed away two years ago, leaving only him and Lin Zhizhi to rely on each other. Since Lin Zhizhi went to Nanyi, he hardly ever returned to Linjia Village. If his mother were still around, she could help take care of Xiao Shitou, but relying on him alone, his job’s nature didn’t allow him to adopt a child.
Xiao Shitou understood this, nodding, unusually obedient, “I know. That’s why I’m waiting for you to have time, and I don’t want to be adopted by Uncle Lü’s family.”
Lin Heyu sighed, not quite understanding why the child was so attached to him. He hadn’t inquired in detail before, but today was a good opportunity, so he asked, “Xiao Shitou, why do you want me to adopt you?”
“You’re different.”
“How so?”
Xiao Shitou reached out and tightly grasped Lin Heyu’s clothes, after a while, he softly said, “You saved me.”
Lin Heyu was taken aback, recalling the time in the cave when this poor child was curled up in the corner, and it was indeed he who carried him out. He patted Xiao Shitou’s head, “It wasn’t just me who saved you, it was the effort of many uncles.”
“No.” Xiao Shitou seemed anxious, his expression conflicted, unsure how to explain, shaking his head, “No. You saved me.”
Lin Heyu patiently advised, “Even if I saved you, when it comes to such decisions, the main consideration is who can take care of you better. I think Uncle Lü and Aunt Teng can do that, and Miaomiao can grow up with you. Isn’t that good?”
Xiao Shitou looked at Lin Heyu, his eyes bright like obsidian, “I want you to be the one to accompany me as I grow up.”
“You saved me, I want to stay by your side.”
