The cozy little house was filled with the aroma of tea, and Sheng Guoning began to recount the events from years ago.
That morning, Xiao Shitou was taken away, but the person who came was not Song Ping; it was Lin Heyu’s “partner.” Meanwhile, Lin Heyu had taken Zou Bin and others to Peacock Head Mountain. They indeed found the hostage and some of the ransom money, but Lin Heyu himself mysteriously disappeared. The Nanyi side dispatched several teams to search the mountain and investigate, but there was still no news.
The strange occurrences continued: Xiao Shitou also went missing. Reviewing the road surveillance footage revealed that they had entered a café located at Pingju Square and had not come out again. The café’s internal cameras did not capture either of their entrances or exits; it was as if they had evaporated into thin air after stepping through the café’s door.
The next day, everyone had to muster their spirits, bearing the immense pressure to set up surveillance at the mechanical factory and along the route. To their relief, a terrifying bombing incident did not occur. Around four in the afternoon, the Linjia Village police station near Haijing reported that a child had been found collapsed at the mountain’s entrance. Colleagues from the municipal bureau rushed over and discovered that the child was Xiao Shitou.
When he was found, it was as if he had gone through a significant fire; his right forearm and upper arm were severely burned, and he was in a coma. However, there had been no fire incidents in Linjia Village or the entire Cheng’an Mountain area.
When Sheng Guoning and Lin Zhizhi arrived at the hospital in Haijing, Xiao Shitou had already regained consciousness but seemed to have lost his memory, not recognizing anyone. His personality had drastically changed; he was not only more reticent but had developed a layer of coldness, as if his heart had been covered in ice and snow.
Faced with this situation, the colleagues involved in the case had various speculations, with all sorts of ghostly theories emerging. In an effort to find Lin Heyu, both municipal bureaus launched a massive search-and-rescue operation, lasting ten days, half a month, a month… As time dragged on, the hope of finding Lin Heyu became increasingly bleak. The depletion of police resources was substantial, and they ultimately had to announce the termination of the operation, which, in effect, was akin to acknowledging Lin Heyu’s “death.”
Not only Lin Heyu but also Sun Gui and Pang Nengshui, among other criminals, were unaccounted for. Fortunately, all the hostages were found, but the sensational kidnapping case gradually faded from public memory following Lin Heyu’s disappearance.
Lin Zhizhi was unwilling to believe that her brother might have met with misfortune. Sheng Guoning purchased a plot of land at the Southern Cheng’an Cemetery, but only carved the surname, with the characters drawn in red cinnabar ink. Until they saw Lin Heyu’s body, the two of them still held onto a glimmer of hope.
“So you adopted him later?”
“Yes, this child really is fortunate. He survived severe burns. When he woke up, he didn’t cry or make a fuss; his expression was terrifyingly cold, as if he had become a different person.” Sheng Guoning lowered his voice, fearful that the child in the room might hear him. “He doesn’t remember anything, so Zhizhi and I had to concoct a story to deceive him. Thankfully, we managed to keep it hidden all these years; otherwise, after experiencing such significant psychological trauma, his personality would surely be even more twisted than it is now.”
Given this perspective, perhaps amnesia was a blessing in disguise; at least for these past twenty years, Yi Shi had grown up carefree.
Sheng Guoning clasped his hands together. “Now it’s your turn to talk. What exactly happened?”
“I’ve told you before.”
“Huh?” Sheng Guoning looked bewildered for a few seconds, then remembered. “You really traveled through time?”
Lin Heyu nodded affirmatively, and Sheng Guoning leaned back, resting against the soft sofa chair. “How bizarre! Who would believe that if you told them?”
“As long as you believe it, that’s all that matters. I need your help with something significant.” Lin Heyu pulled out a piece of paper, wrote down two lines, and handed it over. Sheng Guoning took it and frowned. “What is this?”
The numbers and text were inverted. How could his brother-in-law write so fluidly in one breath?
Lin Heyu stood up and retrieved a small square mirror from the TV cabinet, placing it next to the paper.
Peering through the mirror, Sheng Guoning finally made out the content—10.30, 06:35 A.M., Nanyi Mechanical Factory Building No. 2 and dormitory.
“What are you writing this for?” Sheng Guoning, worried he hadn’t looked closely enough, put on his reading glasses to review it again.
“The bombing case, time and location.”
Sheng Guoning was stunned, almost losing his balance. “What? Another bombing case is going to happen?! Is this for real?”
“Yes,” Lin Heyu replied, glancing at the tightly closed door. “Yi Shi experienced it.”
“…Which Yi Shi? The older one or the younger one?”
“The older one.”
Now, Sheng Guoning was genuinely confused. Lin Heyu succinctly described their intricate relationship with Yi Shi, how they met, how they interacted, and how they obtained precise information.
Sheng Guoning rubbed his temples and raised his hand to interrupt. “Let me just clarify, brother-in-law. Are you saying that twenty years ago, you already knew the current Yi Shi?”
“Yes.”
“And you two couldn’t meet often, but you kept sending messages and developed feelings for each other?”
“We met; I brought him here.”
“You brought him here?” Sheng Guoning was taken aback and suddenly slapped his thigh. “Is he the ‘partner’ that’s been circulating in Haijing?”
Lin Heyu frowned, wondering why there was such a need for surprise.
However, Sheng Guoning was already clutching his heart, astonished to the point that he felt his blood pressure might spike. His brother-in-law was inexplicably involved with his son. How was he supposed to reconcile that?
Lin Heyu’s patience was limited; he couldn’t wait for Sheng Guoning to process this shocking news. He tapped his finger on the glass surface of the coffee table. “Got it? You need to help with the case. You’re a high-ranking official now; even the bureau chief has to give you face.”
“Oh, you really make me feel ashamed. If it weren’t for Zhizhi, I wouldn’t want to sit in an office either.” Sheng Guoning patted his slightly bulging middle-aged belly. “Look at me, I’ve had a beer belly for ten years. Little Shao still remembers, right? He’s always been on the front lines and can easily run a thousand meters now.”
“Everyone has their own ambitions. You’ve risen through the ranks and climbed to a high position, something many people can only dream of.”
“Stop flattering me. Don’t worry about the case; I’ll call the municipal bureau right away.” Sheng Guoning took out his phone. “Aside from the time and location, do you have any other information?”
Lin Heyu picked up a pen and began to write down the information about the hostage and the criminals. During this time, Sheng Guoning went to the balcony to make his call. When he came back in, he saw that Lin Heyu had filled an entire sheet of paper.
“I’ll go to the provincial office for a while. The personnel from the municipal bureau are all being notified. It’s getting late; the meeting is currently set for 9 o’clock.” Sheng Guoning asked Lin Heyu, “Are you going?”
“Do you think it’s appropriate?”
“It has to be appropriate even if it isn’t. Do you think the few people you’ve written about will understand it?” Sheng Guoning stroked his chin. “I’ll give you a guiding identity; it’ll be easy to fool them. I’m just worried that Yi Shi will recognize you.”
“He won’t.”
“Then it’s settled. You have plenty of ideas; if you go, you can definitely be a big help.”
Lin Heyu seemed thoughtful. Yi Shi had never mentioned any meetings occurring before the incident. The entire Nanyi police force had received the news of the explosion at the mechanical factory completely unprepared. Given the established facts, there could only be one possibility: the meeting had likely never taken place for some reason.
Sheng Guoning slapped his forehead and suddenly remembered something important. “Oh, my memory! What about Xiao Shitou? What will we do with him while we’re out?”
“Leave him here.”
“…Aren’t you afraid he’ll run off?” Even after all these years, Sheng Guoning still hadn’t overcome his psychological trauma.
“He should be going to bed at 9.”
Sheng Guoning picked up his coat. He would go to the provincial office first and come back to pick up Lin Heyu afterward. Before he left, he reminded Lin Heyu that there were clothes for Xiao Shitou to change into in the bedroom closet; Zhizhi had never had the heart to throw them away. There was fresh milk in the fridge, so he should warm some up for him to drink so he could sleep well.
After the security door closed, only Lin Heyu was left in the living room. He walked to Yi Shi’s room, pushed the doorknob open, and saw Xiao Shitou sitting at the desk, sitting up straight with his back against the chair, a puzzle set aside, two sunflowers already completed.
“Why aren’t you working on the puzzle?” Lin Heyu walked in, and Xiao Shitou immediately stood up, still holding a pen. “I got tired of it and am taking a break.”
As he got closer, Lin Heyu noticed that the large notebook spread open on the desk was actually filled with math problems. Xiao Shitou’s face was slightly flushed as he looked down at the floor. “I, I was just trying it out…”
“How many problems have you done?”
Xiao Shitou’s face turned red. He hadn’t completed a single one yet; he only knew simple addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. However, the math problems in front of him were quite strange, not only filled with symbols he didn’t recognize but also printed in reverse.
“It’s not your fault; the things you come across here will be like this. You’ll get used to it.”
Xiao Shitou tilted his head slightly. “Is it like the upside-down pattern on a coin?”
Lin Heyu nodded, grabbed a small chair, and sat next to the desk. “I’ll teach you.”
Xiao Shitou moved over a bit, making room for Lin Heyu. He pointed to the empty space with “2^5” written on it and asked, “What does this symbol mean? It’s neither greater than nor less than; the opening is facing down.”
“That’s an exponent symbol.” Lin Heyu flipped to the cover page, which prominently displayed the number 7, and smiled. “No wonder you don’t understand; this is seventh-grade material. You won’t learn it until middle school.”
Xiao Shitou felt at a loss; he had randomly picked a book from the bookshelf, and when he saw the large number 7, he thought it meant 7 years old. Feeling embarrassed for making a fool of himself in front of Lin Heyu, his cheeks turned crimson, and he wished he could find a hole to hide in.
Lin Heyu rarely encountered such a scene and couldn’t help but be curious. He grabbed Xiao Shitou’s arm. “What’s wrong? You just picked the wrong book; why do you care so much?”
Xiao Shitou bit his lip. “…It’s not the same.”
“What’s not the same?”
Xiao Shitou opened his mouth, but the words he wanted to say were swallowed back down.
Lin Heyu wouldn’t understand.
He felt so small trying to grasp a ray of light; life had become a firework, wanting only to show the brilliant side, while all the dust was hidden in the night. That was him—merely picking the wrong book, yet worrying that Lin Heyu would disdain him for not having been to school, for not having received a proper education, and for being a worthless wild child up to now.
When he looked up again at the photo on the shelf, he saw that although they were both people, Yi Shi had everything he dreamed of. This world was truly unfair to the extreme.
Lin Heyu gently tapped his forehead. “You’re thinking too much again.”
Xiao Shitou felt wronged. “No, I’m not thinking about anything.”
“Then do you still want to solve this problem?”
“Yes!” Xiao Shitou pouted. “Seventh grade is no problem; I—I’ll be a top student in advance.”
Lin Heyu’s lips curved slightly, and he didn’t want to burst the child’s dream. He found a “Mathematics Dictionary” in the drawer and patiently taught Xiao Shitou how to look things up.
After a while, one would become accustomed to reading inverted text; Chinese characters have this advantage—no matter the order or direction, it doesn’t create too much of a barrier to reading. After demonstrating how to look up several simple symbols, Lin Heyu encouraged Xiao Shitou to find the exponent symbol himself. He propped his chin on his hand, watching as Xiao Shitou first found the corresponding symbol in the table of contents, then turned to the appropriate page, circled “∧” from the many symbols, and eagerly pushed the dictionary over to Lin Heyu. “I found it!”
Lin Heyu glanced over and smiled. “Are you sure? Take another careful look.”
Xiao Shitou stared at the symbol circled in black, and the explanation behind it was a type of logical operator. He was instantly confused. “Isn’t that the exponent symbol? It looks just the same!”
Lin Heyu drew two symbols on the paper: a large ∧ and a small ^, asking, “Do you see the difference?”
Xiao Shitou nodded; the sizes were clearly different. Lin Heyu pointed at the math problem. “This one is small. You should have found the small one. There are many similar shapes in math symbols; you have to carefully distinguish and select.”
“Oh.” Xiao Shitou flipped back to the table of contents, this time paying more attention. Finally, he found the correct exponent symbol. Just as he was about to circle it with the black pen, he suddenly remembered this wasn’t his book. He immediately tugged at Lin Heyu’s sleeve, panic on his face. “I wasn’t paying attention and drew on the dictionary. Will Uncle Sheng be mad?”
Lin Heyu flipped back to that page and took a closer look. The “∧” symbol was circled with a black marker, and at first glance, the irregular circle looked like a clock pattern.
A strange feeling bubbled up inside him. He picked up the dictionary and flipped through it. When he had cracked Xu Shang’s code to save him, a similar mathematical symbol had appeared. Yi Shi had never mentioned any abnormalities with the dictionary—had he just not had time to look it over?
Seeing him lost in thought, Xiao Shitou spoke cautiously. “I only drew one line. This dictionary is so thick; it shouldn’t be easy to find, right?”
“…Um, it’s hard to find; don’t worry.” Lin Heyu put the dictionary back in place. “It’s getting late; you should go to bed.”
Xiao Shitou stood up. “Should I look for a hotel?”
“Sleep here.”
Before he could think too much, Lin Heyu went into the bedroom and brought out a set of clean clothes, arranging for him to take a shower. When Xiao Shitou saw the familiar pattern on the clothes, he was overjoyed. “These are the clothes Aunt Lin bought for me! She still kept them?”
“Yeah, she took good care of them.”
Xiao Shitou held the clothes, his nose feeling a bit sour. “She was really nice to me, bought me clothes, took me shopping, went to the haunted house with me, and even said she would be willing to adopt me. That day, I almost felt tempted and was ready to join her dream.”
“Why did you hesitate?”
Xiao Shitou’s soft, white hand grabbed Lin Heyu’s hand, his eyes shining with pure sincerity. “Because I want you to adopt me. I want to live with you.”
Lin Heyu felt a gentle scratch in the softest part of his heart. He crouched down and hugged him, but he didn’t make any promises.
Fifteen minutes later, Xiao Shitou returned to the room, his body still damp from the shower. Lin Heyu placed a glass of fresh milk by the bedside, the temperature just right.
“I don’t like drinking milk.”
“You’re still growing.”
Reluctantly, Xiao Shitou picked up the milk and gulped it down. When he moved the cup away, he had a ring of milk mustache around his mouth.
The room was dimly lit by a small nightlight. Lin Heyu sat on the edge of the bed, gently patting the child’s thin back. Xiao Shitou probably felt tired, closing his eyes, and soon his breathing became even. After confirming he was sound asleep, Lin Heyu quietly got up and carefully closed the door behind him.
When he opened the security door, Sheng Guoning poked his head in. “Is he asleep?”
“Yeah.”
“Then let’s go. My car is parked downstairs.”
The two of them checked the gas and locked the doors and windows before feeling at ease to head out. While waiting for the elevator, Sheng Guoning rambled, “You act like you want to install a surveillance camera. He’s already this big; what’s the problem with him sleeping alone? Look at how cautious you are…”
The rest of his words were swallowed back. Of course, that was his future partner; how could he not be nervous? Ah, this generation really was a headache; he couldn’t even figure out the rocking horse at the supermarket entrance.
