When Yi Shi returned to the room, Lin Heyu had already finished his shower. He had changed into a white dress shirt, which was almost identical to the previous one, except it had a couple of decorative stripes at the cuffs. His black hair was still damp and soft, sticking to his forehead, which subtly softened his sharp features.
“You were gone so long, I thought you had left.”
“Left?” Yi Shi’s initial reaction was one of confusion, which gradually turned strange. He had been apart from Lin Heyu for at least five minutes and had gone up and down the stairs. How could he still be here?
Based on past experiences, Yi Shi had always believed that leaving a certain range from Lin Heyu would return him to his own world. What was going on this time?
Including when he returned to his room alone or took a shower, he hadn’t considered this issue before. But now, thinking about it, there had been many chances to leave this world. Yet he was still here, which suggested he might not be able to return at will for the time being.
“Is it because I crossed over from the water?” Yi Shi mumbled to himself.
“Maybe,” Lin Heyu replied with a smile. “You might figure it out after trying a few more times.”
Yi Shi didn’t want to try again; the sensation of being inverted 180 degrees underwater was truly uncomfortable, making him feel as though his internal organs were misplaced. A few more times might actually drown him.
It was currently 1:30 AM, which corresponded to 11:30 PM in his own world. It wasn’t even the previous day but today, which meant going back now would waste a whole day. Since that was the case, he might as well spend the time comfortably here with Lin Heyu and take this opportunity to learn what he wanted to know.
Seeing Yi Shi’s expression shift through various subtle changes before settling back to calm, Lin Heyu understood that Yi Shi had adjusted his mindset. Yi Shi was exceptional in this regard, possessing a resilient will and psychological quality beyond the norm. His ability to adapt was extraordinary, quickly remaining calm and rational in any unexpected situation. Such talent was rare in any field.
“Some of your behaviors are even better than I remember,” Lin Heyu said.
“Is that so?” Yi Shi responded flatly, using a neutral tone, unaffected by any praise from others. He took out paper and a pen from the bag and sat on the bed. “Let’s begin.”
Lin Heyu adjusted his position and sat facing him. He was curious about what Yi Shi intended to do, his eyes instinctively focusing on Yi Shi’s hands. Yi Shi held the notebook with one hand and wrote seriously with the other. His thick, downward-slanting eyelashes cast shadows on his nose, like small fans.
Such a beauty should be this way. For some reason, Lin Heyu thought of this phrase, realizing for the first time that Yuan Maoqiu, the shameless guy, occasionally came up with a few high-quality sentiments.
Soon, Yi Shi finished writing on a sheet of paper and handed it to Lin Heyu. Lin Heyu took a look, and sure enough, the writing was in mirrored text. However, due to the nature of Chinese characters, they could still be identified from any angle, though it looked odd, understanding was not hindered.
“Is it still manageable?” Yi Shi pointed to the note.
“Yes, I can understand it.”
The paper listed names from the Nanyi and Haijing criminal investigation teams. While Lin Heyu was unfamiliar with Nanyi’s names, he recognized some from Haijing, although there were names he had never heard of.
Yi Shi had listed details about Haijing meticulously, including almost every officer he had encountered. Despite his cold demeanor and limited social interaction, Yi Shi, coming from a criminal investigation background, was highly sensitive to personal information. Coupled with an exceptional memory, he could remember even basic features from a single meeting.
That’s why when Lin Heyu first met him in the small tile house, Yi Shi found it odd that Lin Heyu left no trace of information in his memory—not even a silhouette. It was truly baffling.
“Which ones do you know?” Yi Shi handed over the pen. “Circle them for me.”
Lin Heyu circled the names he recognized. For Nanyi, there were “Shao Shiqing” and “Yu Xue,” and he was surprised to see “Qi Wenyu,” checking the list again to confirm it was indeed from Nanyi’s team. He was puzzled: “This is the apprentice of our Haijing’s Forensic Doctor Gu. Why is he listed under Nanyi?”
“He was transferred to Nanyi ten years ago,” Yi Shi said coldly. “For Yu Xue.”
“…?” Lin Heyu struggled to connect the two. Why would someone transfer for Yu Xue? What could a young kid have to offer?
Seeing Lin Heyu’s expression, Yi Shi realized that such a straightforward person wouldn’t grasp the deeper context. Yi Shi decided to reveal the answer: “He’s with Yu Xue.”
“Was it before or after Yu Xue turned of age?” As a righteous police officer, Lin Heyu’s mind was preoccupied with the protection of minors.
Yi Shi tilted his head, thinking carefully before answering, “It should be after he turned of age. Yu Xue and he were in the same police university. Both remained single from school to the city bureau, while Forensic Doctor Qi moved to Nanyi ten years ago.”
Lin Heyu nodded, “That’s good.” He remembered Gu Yan’s apprentice, who wore black-rimmed glasses and had a clean, scholarly appearance. This reassured him, “Qi Wenyu is shy and honest, so he likely wouldn’t do anything illegal.”
Now it was Yi Shi’s turn to feel complicated. He couldn’t reconcile the descriptors “shy” and “honest” with the rough, unflinching forensic expert he knew. Time was like a butcher’s knife; the past twenty years must have been harsh, turning a once promising youth into this hardened person.
He waved his hand, setting aside the gossip about these two for now. Lin Heyu circled the names he recognized, and Yi Shi added, “Also mark their ages.”
A minute later, the sticky note was back in Yi Shi’s hands. The numbers were reversed, but fortunately, his strong acceptance skills helped him gradually adapt to the strange and awkward text.
Yi Shi first looked at Nanyi’s side: Yan Runping, about in his early 30s, had not yet become the “Iron Mouth Yan” of the future interrogation team; Shao Shiqing had just started working; and Yu Xue was a middle school student. Adding twenty years to their ages matched their current ages.
Next, he looked at Haijing’s team: Liu Chenyi and Yuan Kang had become Haijing’s chief and deputy, their ages nearing retirement; Qi Wenyu was an intern; Song Ping was 46, Teng Xiaoyuan was 41, and most surprisingly, Zhang Rui’s note said, “Deceased, aged 49.”
“How did Zhang Rui die?” Yi Shi asked.
“Cancer. He had been smoking heavily in his youth, which ruined his lungs,” Lin Heyu said with a hint of regret. He then asked, “What was he like on your side?”
“About my age, very young,” Yi Shi pointed to the name “Song Ping,” “He had a fondness for her and considered me a rival.”
Lin Heyu’s expression changed several times before he couldn’t help but shrug his shoulders and let out a chuckle or two. He could imagine the scene where Zhang Rui and Yi Shi clashed. In his memory, his master was humorous and carefree, only having a sharp tongue. In his youth, he often clashed with Liu Chenyi, repeatedly bringing up trivial matters and criticizing him relentlessly.
Moreover, he and Song Ping were also a pair of bickering spouses. Lin Heyu had worked in the city bureau for eleven years, and for ten of those years, he had heard stories of their arguments, from bickering to divorce, witnessing the decline of their marriage. Before Zhang Rui’s death, his attitude towards Sister Ping was indifferent. It was hard to imagine him being jealous of Song Ping. His behavior even led some of her female friends to privately feel relieved that Sister Ping wouldn’t be burdened by him.
Despite their divorce, Song Ping continued to care for Zhang Rui diligently after learning about his illness, never complaining. In the end, she was there by his bedside, and even though their marriage was legally dissolved, Zhang Rui’s parents still considered her a daughter-in-law. After discussing with Song Ping, they had her name inscribed on his gravestone as “Wife Song Ping.”
“Master… Zhang Rui, did he care about Song Ping?”
“Yes,” Yi Shi nodded lightly, “As long as she was near me, Zhang Rui’s eyes would be on her.”
Lin Heyu thought for a moment, his brows gradually furrowing, and a guess slipped out, “Master must have deliberately divorced her. He probably knew about his cancer and didn’t want to burden her.”
“…” Yi Shi was speechless. This sounded like an idol drama plot. The greatest love is to let go? That’s lyrics, not reality. For two people with a foundation of affection, facing life and death should make them cherish their remaining time together, without regrets. If one was deceived and concealed the truth, it would only lead to guilt and regret for the one left behind, who could never recover.
“Master was wrong in this step,” Lin Heyu said.
Yi Shi glanced at him, feeling a slight warmth in his heart. From his eyes, it was clear that their thoughts were quite similar, and they could resonate with each other.
“Let’s continue,” Lin Heyu moved closer and sat beside Yi Shi. His hand reached over Yi Shi’s shoulder and grasped the other end of the sticky note, his action almost encircling Yi Shi in his embrace, the distance so close that their foreheads might touch if they looked up.
Yi Shi glanced at the arm across his body and wanted to create some space, but Lin Heyu quickly spoke, “I’ll write down the people I know from this side.”
Without waiting for Yi Shi’s consent, he pulled the sticky note away, laid it on Yi Shi’s lap, and took the pen, writing swiftly.
Now, two long arms were encircling Yi Shi together. Yi Shi didn’t move, maintaining a facade of calm while internally growing increasingly anxious, as if surrounded by flames, consuming his inner moisture, making him unconsciously lick his lips.
Lin Heyu seemed completely unaware of the discomfort his actions might cause his “friend.” When he looked up and noticed Yi Shi’s ears turning slightly red, he smiled, “Is it hot? Should I lower the air conditioning?”
“Yeah,” Yi Shi nodded vigorously.
Lin Heyu picked up the remote control and lowered the air conditioning by two degrees.
“……” Yi Shi turned his head and bit his lip. He thought Lin Heyu would go to the central control to adjust the temperature, but now pushing him away seemed too obvious.
If it were someone like Sheng Yu’an, who had clear romantic intentions, Yi Shi would have immediately avoided him and used strict measures to cut off any improper thoughts. But Lin Heyu was serious and had an upright demeanor, making Yi Shi feel no ill intentions, leading him to self-doubt and question why he was viewing even normal friendship through colored glasses.
So what exactly is this upright gentleman trying to do?
Lin Heyu wasn’t trying to do anything. He just thought it was inconvenient to discuss with the sticky note being passed back and forth while sitting face to face.
The area where his thigh and knee met felt numb and itchy; a few sheets of paper could hardly cushion the pressure of the pen. Yi Shi endured it, relieved when Lin Heyu quickly finished writing and handed the note back to him, his dark eyes still pure and showing no hint of deliberate teasing.
…It seemed he had overthought it.
Yi Shi shifted his gaze to the paper and noticed the name “Yuan Maoqiu” in Haijing’s team: “Who is this?”
“The one you met just now.”
“The one who came up with us?”
“Yeah.”
“Yuan Maoqiu, Yuan Kang…” Yi Shi pondered these names, speculating about their relationship. Lin Heyu proactively clarified, “Yuan Kang is his father.”
That made sense. Yuan Kang had a son in third grade, and if you added twenty years, it would make sense for him to be a colleague of Lin Heyu. Considering Yu Xue’s situation, Yi Shi felt even more perplexed.
Just like the mirrored text and numbers, the ages of people around them were also reversed. In Yi Shi’s world, the young Yuan Maoqiu was a colleague in Lin Heyu’s world, while the young Yu Xue was Yi Shi’s superior.
Headache.
Yi Shi’s brows were tightly knitted, and his temples were gently pressed and rhythmically rubbed by a thumb. He turned around and once again met Lin Heyu’s deep eyes. Lin Heyu’s actions did not stop: “You seem to have a headache.”
Yes, the reason for the headache was complicated, partly due to your “kind” touch.
He didn’t deliberately move away, continuing to look at the list. When he saw “Sheng Guoning” in Nan Yi’s team, his mood became even more indescribable.
“Sheng Guoning… What’s his position in the team?”
“Captain of Nanyi’s Criminal Investigation Team,” Lin Heyu answered.
“Hmm, I guessed that. He was indeed from the Criminal Investigation Team before.”
“Do you know him?”
Yi Shi smiled faintly: “Not just know. He is my adoptive father.”
Lin Heyu’s actions halted, his eyes filled with surprise: “…Your adoptive father is actually him?”
“Yes, what’s the matter?” Yi Shi was puzzled by his reaction, “Didn’t I mention this before?”
Lin Heyu sighed. He withdrew his hand and began rubbing his own temples. Yi Shi might have mentioned it before, or he might not have; he couldn’t remember, only knowing that Yi Shi had adoptive parents… Wait, there was still one crucial question.
Lin Heyu straightened up, his attitude suddenly serious: “If your adoptive father is Sheng Guoning, then your adoptive mother—”
“My adoptive mother’s surname is Lin, and her name is ‘Lin Zhizhi,’” Yi Shi wrote the name on the paper and explained, “It’s not ‘zhizhi’ as in knowing, but ‘zhi’ from knowledge and ‘zhi’ from Ganoderma, with an extra grass radical. She is from Haijing, just like you, from Linjia Village.”1The character “知” (zhī) means “knowledge” or “knowing,” but in this context, it’s specifically referring to “知识” (zhīshì), which means “knowledge.”
The name “Lin Zhizhi” uses the character “知” (zhī) from “knowledge” and the character “芝” (zhī) from “Ganoderma” or “Lingzhi,” which is a type of mushroom. The phrase “with an extra grass radical” refers to the character “芝” (zhī), where “芝” is combined with the “艹” (grass radical) on top, distinguishing it from the “知” (zhī) which lacks the radical.
“……” He knew it.
Lin Heyu’s fists clenched tightly. Seeing Yi Shi’s puzzled expression, he thought about how Yi Shi was raised by Sheng Guoning, and he felt exasperated to the extreme.
What a fated connection, having taken the cherished and delicate young cabbage from his family and even taking the daffodil standing on the windowsill.
bwahahahaha Lin Heyu in despair that the crazy Sheng indeed became his brother-in-law!!!
And I love that we are now discussing the crazy differences between their worlds!!!