“Gardenia!”
“Gardenia!”
Calls echoed from the top of the embankment, causing Gardenia to tremble all over, almost unable to believe her ears. The voice was eerily familiar, a voice she had longed to hear for so long that she even doubted if it was just a hallucination born out of extreme fear.
“Damn it, someone’s coming!”
The next moment, Gardenia was lifted again, her body jolting up and down, making her dizzy. Zhao Chenghu was running with her, and the jostling made her feel nauseous. The sound of water grew closer and closer. In her daze, she thought Zhao Chenghu was going to throw her directly into the river.
But before that could happen, she was thrown aside. Zhao Chenghu was kicked from behind, falling flat on his face, smashing his head on a hard rock, and instantly bleeding profusely.
The one who had kicked Zhao Chenghu was none other than Yi Shi. He crouched down, grabbing Zhao Chenghu by the hair and forcing him to look up, sneering coldly: “I thought you might put up a fight here, but it turns out you were easy to catch.”
“Who the hell are you…”
Yi Shi’s fist hit Zhao Chenghu square on the right cheek. Zhao Chenghu could only groan in pain as he was repeatedly punched. Blood from his forehead dripped into his right eye, blurring his vision. Against the moonlight, he couldn’t make out Yi Shi’s face, only the cold, sharp features of his tormentor.
Meanwhile, Xiao Shitou scrambled over to Gardenia. Although he arrived faster, he was far less agile than Yi Shi. Watching Yi Shi’s daring moves, especially his sprint down the steep riverbank slope, left Xiao Shitou in awe and fear. He worried Yi Shi might lose control and plunge directly into the river.
But Yi Shi not only stopped in time but also managed to kick Zhao Chenghu into the rocks.
Xiao Shitou didn’t have time to admire Yi Shi’s skills; he quickly picked up Gardenia, who was covered in blood. His hands trembled as he smelled the strong scent of blood, panicking as he laid her on a large, flat rock, too scared to move her carelessly.
“Gardenia, wake up, wake up!” Xiao Shitou lightly slapped her cheeks, but the little girl remained unresponsive, her head lolling weakly on her shoulder like a broken doll. He was on the verge of losing his mind and looked at Yi Shi, desperate: “What do we do? She’s bleeding a lot, and she won’t wake up. Is she going to die?”
Yi Shi, still holding Zhao Chenghu by the hair with one hand, pressed Zhao’s arm down with the other, his knee pinning Zhao’s back to the ground, immobilizing him. He directed Xiao Shitou to administer first aid: “Untie the rope, lay her flat, take off your clothes to press on the wound to stop the bleeding, and apply pressure. Quickly!”
Xiao Shitou followed the instructions, tying off the wound on Gardenia’s head as best as he could, pressing down on it firmly. As he did so, he kept a close eye on her condition. Zhao Chenghu took advantage of Xiao Shitou’s distraction to try and roll away, using his larger physique to his advantage.
Yi Shi quickly realized what was happening, and his body instinctively reacted. Although his right upper arm was injured and barely able to bear any weight, he managed to maintain his balance by pressing his other hand firmly on the ground. His face turned pale from the pain, but he didn’t let go of Zhao Chenghu for more than a second before retaliating with another blow.
By now, the gauze under Yi Shi’s ribs was soaked through with blood. His coat was also steadily darkening with the spreading bloodstains, though it was difficult to notice in the dim light. Fortunately, his clothes were black, making it harder to detect.
Zhao Chenghu crawled back a few meters, wiping the blood from his face. Who the hell was this kid? Skinny and weak like a chick, but he fought like a beast!
Zhao Chenghu pulled a small knife from his jacket. Seeing the weapon, Yi Shi stood up calmly, rolling his wrist: “Come on.”
“Come on? Only a fool would fight you!” Zhao Chenghu charged toward the direction of the large rock, thinking that if he couldn’t kill the guy, he could at least take out the two kids.
In the darkness, the blade gleamed coldly like a meteor streaking through the night. Yi Shi’s pupils contracted, and he lunged forward. A blinding light suddenly shone down from the embankment, accompanied by a loud shout: “Stop right there!”
Everything happened in an instant. Yi Shi missed grabbing Zhao Chenghu’s clothes, Zhao Chenghu’s knife didn’t stab Xiao Shitou, and there was nothing left on the rock except for a pool of bright red blood.
Yi Shi was stunned for a moment. Ignoring the dangerous Zhao Chenghu, he scrambled to the edge of the rock to check below. The back of the large rock was covered in thick wild grass, making it seem like an ordinary rocky surface. But beneath the grass was a steep slope leading straight down to the river. The two kids had disappeared in the blink of an eye—they must have rolled down!
“They fell? Fine, then it’s your turn!”
The knife flashed again as Zhao Chenghu lunged at Yi Shi. But Yi Shi grabbed Zhao Chenghu’s wrist, and with a swift kick to Zhao Chenghu’s groin, sent him rolling on the ground, screaming in pain. The light and footsteps drew nearer: “Police! Freeze!”
Yuan Maoqiu’s flashlight beam fell on the cold, indifferent face he recognized immediately. He then glanced at the man writhing on the ground, clutching his groin: “…Did you do this?”
Yi Shi nodded faintly, his face pale to the point of being almost transparent, exuding an eerie and intimidating presence. Without a word, he snatched the flashlight from Yuan Maoqiu’s hand, pushed aside the wild grass, and jumped down.
???
Yuan Maoqiu was dumbfounded, what’s going on? Isn’t there a river below?
Lin Heyu arrived shortly after, having asked the underling a few important questions and called for backup. He only delayed for two minutes, and when he looked back, he saw only Yuan Maoqiu and the handcuffed Zhao Chenghu left on the embankment.
Yuan Maoqiu pointed at the patch of wild grass: “Your boyfriend jumped down.”
———
Following the traces left by the flattened wild grass, Lin Heyu found the riverbank and saw Yi Shi taking off his coat, preparing to go into the water.
Quickly, he grabbed him: “It’s dangerous!”
“Perfect timing, let’s go down together.” Yi Shi pointed at the river, “You take the left, I’ll take the right. We must find those two.”
“Two?”
Yi Shi nodded. Lin Heyu’s eyelid twitched; Xiao Shitou was there too!
It was deep into the night, with pitch-black surroundings, low visibility in the water, and the water temperature was extremely cold. If those two had fallen in, what were the chances of them surviving?
Yi Shi’s coat fell at his feet, and a strong scent of blood hit Lin Heyu’s nose. His expression darkened further: “You’re injured?!”
Yi Shi didn’t answer and jumped into the river without hesitation.
“…?” Lin Heyu’s face turned ashen: He’s injured, yet he still dares to act so recklessly! He was disobedient as a child, and now he’s even bolder as an adult!
A beam of light from above pierced through the darkness, and Yuan Maoqiu shouted: “Lao Lin! Did you find them? Do you need my help down there?”
“I’ll go find him.”
Lin Heyu replied and then leaped into the river.
“…?” Yuan Maoqiu was utterly shocked. Bro, it’s nighttime! You’re not jumping into a swimming pool; it’s a massive river! How can you just dive in without any gear?! Even professional rescue teams wouldn’t be this reckless!
As Yi Shi entered the water, the cold river enveloped him, numbing the pain from the two wounds on his body—enough to make an ordinary person faint long ago. But this was Yi Shi, and the determination to save lives was the only thing keeping him going.
He swam a few meters, then opened a small flashlight and bit it between his teeth. Holding his breath, he dove underwater, using the flashlight as a searchlight to look for the two children.
It hadn’t been long since they fell into the water, so they shouldn’t have drifted too far. Xiao Shitou wasn’t the main concern; it was Gardenia who was still unconscious, unable to protect herself in the water, and dragging Xiao Shitou down with her.
Yi Shi swam along the current and finally saw two shadows. One was sinking, while the other was desperately trying to push it towards the surface. The two shadows merged, struggling together in the water.
Xiao Shitou was holding onto Gardenia with all his might, but the cold and resistance of the river had drained his strength. The unconscious Gardenia, like a waterlogged sponge, had become as heavy as a weight, dragging him down as well.
I can’t… I’m so tired…
Xiao Shitou’s consciousness began to blur. His head, which had been partially above water, slowly sank. He hadn’t let go of Gardenia, holding on purely out of sheer determination. The river water kept rushing into his mouth and nose, entering his lungs, making it impossible to breathe. His survival instinct screamed in his mind, urging him to let go—let go of her, and he might reach the surface…
But he never did, because more than death, he feared living a fate worse than death.
In his daze, he seemed to see Yi Shi’s figure, and then his arm was grabbed. Xiao Shitou instantly opened his eyes—it really was him!
Yi Shi grabbed both Xiao Shitou and Gardenia, pulling them back to the surface. Lin Heyu swam over: “Found them?”
Yi Shi nodded, handing Xiao Shitou over. Lin Heyu picked up the unconscious child, noticing that Yi Shi’s face was even paler than before. Alarmed, he quickly took Gardenia from Yi Shi’s hands, cradling both children with one arm while holding onto Yi Shi with the other.
Yi Shi didn’t refuse, leaning wearily against Lin Heyu’s shoulder, covering the torn wound with his free hand. But he couldn’t afford to relax—although most of the weight was now on Lin Heyu, he continued to move his other hand, eager to get back to shore as quickly as possible.
Finally, his feet touched the rocks. Lin Heyu set Xiao Shitou down and reached out to help Yi Shi. Yi Shi’s hand was as cold as ice, and as soon as he set foot on land, his legs gave out, and he fell straight into Lin Heyu’s arms.
“How are you?!” Lin Heyu’s tone was anxious. As soon as Yi Shi came ashore, he noticed that the light blue shirt was stained with a large patch of red, concentrated around the abdomen—clearly the site of a serious injury.
The fact that Yi Shi was here was already enough to surprise him, but what shocked him even more was that he had such a severe injury. Lin Heyu held the cold figure tightly, trying to transfer some warmth. Yi Shi pushed against his chest with one hand: “Quick, check on them first.”
How could Lin Heyu feel at ease? Clearly, Yi Shi’s condition was worse than that of the two children. Although he was conscious, his face was as pale as a corpse. Yi Shi actively broke free from his grasp, picked up Gardenia, while Lin Heyu picked up Xiao Shitou, positioning him face down. He first checked his breathing and pulse, then began patting his back to try to expel the water.
Yi Shi was doing the same. Fortunately, the head injury on Gardenia wasn’t too severe, and it had temporarily stopped bleeding. As long as she woke up, she should be okay.
After a moment, Xiao Shitou first coughed up water, followed by Gardenia. Yi Shi and Lin Heyu both breathed a sigh of relief. From the embankment came Yuan Maoqiu’s call: “Lao Lin! Did you make it up?”
“We made it up.”
Then came the sound of wild grass and trees being trampled, as Yuan Maoqiu stumbled his way over. Lin Heyu frowned: “What are you doing down here? What about Zhao Chenghu?”
“Are you kidding? Of course Zhao Chenghu was taken away; the backup just arrived.” Yuan Maoqiu clicked his tongue, “You’re heartless, as if I came down here for anything other than to help you… huh? Xiao Shitou? He’s here too? And that girl is his sister? How are the two of them?”
His questions were too many, and Lin Heyu was too lazy to answer, so he asked, “Where’s the ambulance?”
“It’s parked at the edge of the forest. I’ve called someone to bring down a stretcher.”
Yuan Maoqiu thought of placing the two kids on it, while Lin Heyu thought of putting Yi Shi on it. He could tell that Yi Shi was already at his limit, and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that he could collapse at any moment. Lin Heyu was about to call Yuan Maoqiu to take care of Gardenia, but Yi Shi beat him to it, standing up while holding Gardenia.
Just as he took a step, a bullet came whistling through the air and struck him directly in the shoulder.
Lin Heyu’s eyes were stained red by the splattering blood, and Yuan Maoqiu was also stunned. He immediately turned his head to look toward the high embankment. There was a height difference of more than twenty meters between the riverbank and the embankment, and it was pitch black above. All they could hear was Sheng Guoning shouting, “Who?! Stop running!”
“You guys get down there and save him! That person has a gun!”
Several questions exploded in Lin Heyu’s mind in an instant. Who fired the gun? Why did they want to kill Yi Shi? Was the shot to the shoulder a mistake or intentional?
Yi Shi, still holding Gardenia, softly fell backward after being shot. His gaze was calm and indifferent, showing no fear of death. Instead, he looked directly at Lin Heyu, his eyes so gentle and bright.
Behind him, the rushing river surged, with waves crashing over his ankles. If he fell now, he would be back in the cold water. Lin Heyu’s pupils constricted as he threw the small stone to Yuan Maoqiu, extending both hands simultaneously, trying to grab this fragile figure.
Yi Shi also reached out his hand, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly, pale and weak. Their fingertips were only a few centimeters apart, but in the end, they missed each other by a small distance. A wave of overwhelming fear engulfed Lin Heyu as he watched Yi Shi, still holding Gardenia, fall into the river. A wave surged over, and when it receded, they were both gone.
“Damn it, what’s going on? Lao Lin, you’re going to jump in again? Are you sure you can…”
A support team quickly arrived at the riverbank, only to see Yuan Maoqiu pacing anxiously with a child in his arms. When he looked up and finally saw his colleagues running toward him, he hurriedly handed the small stone over and started taking off his clothes, preparing to go into the river.
“Get the kid to the hospital first! Those who can swim, follow me into the water! An adult and a child both fell in; there’s no way Lin Heyu can search this large area by himself. Those staying on the shore, call the professional rescue team! Hurry, hurry!” He turned his head, looking around. “Where’s Sheng Guoning?!”
“Captain Sheng went after the person, but he hasn’t returned yet.”
The colleagues got busy, pulling out a large lamp to illuminate the river, which was much more effective than a small flashlight. They jumped into the river one by one, like dumplings, searching for the two people who had fallen in.
Lin Heyu swam out several meters, his thoughts growing heavier with each stroke. Yi Shi fell into the river, and he immediately jumped in after him. By all logic, it should have been easy to find him, but now there was no trace of him. Yi Shi and Gardenia seemed to have vanished into thin air.
Vanished…into thin air?
Lin Heyu froze for a moment, the only explanation he could think of was that Yi Shi had returned to the other world.
Five minutes later, Lin Heyu dragged himself back to shore, soaking wet, and told everyone else to come up as well. He said they should wait for the professional rescue team to come with their equipment. Yuan Maoqiu wiped his hair, tilted his head to dry his ears, and said, “This is crazy. They fell in right by the riverbank; where could they have drifted to?”
“Where’s the Xiao Shitou?”
“Huh?” Yuan Maoqiu was taken aback. “…He’s at the hospital; I sent him over a while ago.”
A colleague doing an on-site investigation handed over a black jacket they found by the shore. Lin Heyu recognized it as Yi Shi’s jacket, which he had taken off and left on the shore. The smell of blood on it was still very strong.
Lin Heyu clenched the jacket, his face growing even darker. Sheng Guoning also returned, panting, and unbuttoned his shirt collar. “I couldn’t find the person; I chased them to the front, and there was nowhere else to go. They couldn’t have jumped into the river, right?… Why are you all looking at me like that?”
The word “jump” had come up too often tonight. Those who should have jumped had jumped, and those who shouldn’t have, had jumped as well. Yuan Maoqiu rubbed his chin. “They disappeared? What a coincidence. We also have someone who fell in and disappeared.”
“Who fell in and disappeared? It wasn’t that little girl, was it?”
“Yes, it was her, and one other…” Yuan Maoqiu glanced at Lin Heyu’s expression and hesitated to continue.
Lin Heyu, however, said nothing, just looked down at the jacket in his hands, his gaze deep and cold light flashing in his eyes.
———
The Xiao Shitou was having a dream he didn’t want to wake from.
In the dream, Lin Heyu was a teenager, about 1.7 meters tall, his frame not yet fully grown. He didn’t look much like he does now; or rather, his features hadn’t yet become sharp, and only his brows and eyes vaguely resembled the cold and reticent Officer Lin he would become.
In the dream, he and Lin Heyu lived together, with Lin Heyu as the older brother and himself as the younger one. They didn’t have a father at home, but they did have a hardworking and gentle mother. They lived in a village surrounded by mountains and rivers. Looking up, they could see the rolling Cheng’an Mountains, and a mountain spring winding its way down, passing by the ancestral hall and absorbing the spirits of the ancestors, becoming the sacred water that nourished the Lin family village for generations.
It wasn’t easy for a single mother to raise two children, and the family had always been poor, but the Xiao Shitou had never suffered because Lin Heyu found all sorts of ways to work and save to help support the household. Besides winning scholarships every year, he would help out at the factory or tutor others in his spare time, and the money he earned was always first used to get whatever the Xiao Shitou needed.
All of Lin Zhizhi’s little blessings fell on him. He and Lin Heyu never quarreled, and even if they occasionally had differences of opinion, one of them would always give in. Sometimes it was him, but more often, it was Lin Heyu.
Time flew by like a drawn bow, “whoosh,” several years passed, turning a thin, weak child into a tall young man. Lin Heyu had grown into the shape he would have as an adult, tall and long-legged, his skin tanned to a healthy bronze from running around all the time. On a sultry summer night, he took the Xiao Shitou into the mountains, where they squeezed into a small tent. The slender and gentle boy rested his head on Lin Heyu’s arm, counting the stars in the sky one by one. Eventually, he got sleepy, and he turned his head to nestle into Lin Heyu’s arms, closing his eyes.
“Do you think…am I dreaming?” the Xiao Shitou asked softly, his fingers crawling into Lin Heyu’s palm, gently intertwining with his.
“You’re not.”
Hearing this, Xiao Shitou curved his lips slightly. “I really like the life I have now. You’re not a brother; you’re Lin Heyu.”
“Hmm.” Lin Heyu responded in a low voice. “You’re not a younger brother either; you are…”
What am I?
Tell me, who am I?
