A heavy rain brought not only the lingering chill of late winter but also a cold that hadn’t visited for a long time.
In the morning, Yi Shi still dared to show half of his arm, full of vigor, but by noon, he started to run a fever, feeling weak and feeble, nestling in Lin Heyu’s embrace. His cheeks burned bright red, even more so than usual.
Lin Heyu placed his cool hand on Yi Shi’s forehead, immediately feeling like a cooling patch. Yi Shi smiled bitterly, lowering his head to touch Lin Heyu’s cheek, which was hot like a little heater. Despite having taken fever-reducing medicine, why hadn’t it taken effect yet?
“If you still haven’t cooled down by tonight, I’ll take you down the mountain to the hospital.”
Hearing the word “hospital,” Yi Shi shook his head, burying his face deeper into the warm embrace: “I’ve never been to a hospital.”
“Why not?” It was quite stubborn to refuse to see a doctor even while sick.
“The hospital… is not good. I stayed there for a while… The smell was uncomfortable…” Yi Shi was a bit dazed from the fever, his voice broken. He indeed had a bad impression of hospitals; he had spent a long time there as a child to treat burn injuries. Although his memories were blurry, the smell of disinfectant and the glaring white walls were forever etched in his mind.
“Just an IV, no hospitalization. Once it’s done, we can leave.” Lin Heyu softened his tone, speaking gently as if coaxing a child, “Don’t be afraid, I’ll stay with you until you recover.”
“If I get better… will you leave?” Yi Shi pressed against his hand, trying to grip it tightly but lacked the strength, only able to let it rest limply on the back of Lin Heyu’s hand. Lin Heyu smiled: “You don’t want me to leave?”
Yi Shi nodded, changing positions to lie on his side, his arms loosely wrapped around Lin Heyu’s waist. He closed his eyes, losing the ability to hide his feelings in the midst of high fever, softly asking Lin Heyu not to leave, his tone almost pleading.
Lin Heyu complied, continuously soothing him, assuring him that he wouldn’t leave and would stay within reach.
Though his body felt exhausted, he simply couldn’t fall asleep. Yi Shi opened his hazy eyes and looked at Lin Heyu above him. They twisted and turned in the unpredictable tides of fate, not knowing how many times they had met and forgotten one another. It was no wonder that despite only knowing Lin Heyu for a few short days since their first meeting, he could let down all his defences and instinctively draw closer.
Lin Heyu covered his eyes: “Sleep for a bit, be good.”
“Do you have a girlfriend?”
“I’ve answered this question before.”
“Yeah, you said you didn’t… but Aunt Lin said you have someone you like, and you smile at your phone…” Yi Shi wasn’t sure why he didn’t want to discuss cases or unsolvable puzzles; he only wanted to clarify this inexplicable question.
Lin Heyu’s gaze was calm, and this time he didn’t deny it.
“…Who is it?” Yi Shi asked, his throat dry and uncomfortable like it was scorched, unable to resist licking his lips.
The next second, his lips were covered by equally soft lips. His eyes were still covered by a large hand, enveloped in darkness where nothing could be seen, only feeling those two lips gently rubbing and touching against his, tender and lingering, nearly making him dizzy in the air of ambiguity.
“Do you still want to ask?”
Yi Shi pushed his hand away and slid down, resting against Lin Heyu’s leg. His hands and feet curled up, his face buried in the crook of his arm, his earlobes plump and rosy, the heat extending to his neck, which was also flushed.
Lin Heyu helped him put on a coat, his fingers gently combing through Yi Shi’s fine black hair, watching as he gradually fell asleep, his tense posture slowly relaxing, his breathing becoming longer and steadier.
This sleep wasn’t deep; his body felt like a little boat swaying in the waves, rocking and jolting, occasionally stopping for a few minutes, only to start swaying again moments later. Yi Shi wanted to open his eyes and see what was going on, but his eyelids felt glued together, as if weighed down by a thousand pounds. He struggled to open a small gap and saw a back of a head, seemingly resting against Lin Heyu’s back.
“…Where are we going…”
A soft mumble reached Lin Heyu’s ears. He replied, “Taking you to a quiet place to rest.”
Yi Shi’s eyes couldn’t focus, his vision blurred and swayed, until he caught sight of three small moles distributed at obtuse angles behind Lin Heyu’s ear and instinctively reached out to touch them.
“Don’t move around; hold on tight.”
Yi Shi nodded randomly, his hands hanging onto Lin Heyu’s chest, and before he knew it, he fell asleep again.
He didn’t know how long had passed when he heard muffled voices in conversation, kept low as if afraid of waking him up. The surroundings finally welcomed tranquility, and Yi Shi was placed on a soft bed. The warmth from below enveloped him, opening every pore, and only then did he truly sink into a deep slumber.
When he opened his eyes again, the room was pitch black, with the bright moon already hanging high outside. Yi Shi sat up, the thick cotton blanket sliding off him, his bangs sticking to his forehead, feeling sticky and uncomfortable all over.
“Creak,” the wooden door was pushed open, and someone walked in. Seeing his sitting silhouette, they asked, “Feeling better?”
The fluorescent light turned on, and Yi Shi squinted. Lin Heyu leaned down to check his forehead: “The fever has gone down; you’ll take the medicine again later.”
“Here…” As soon as he spoke, Yi Shi was startled. No wonder his throat felt swollen and painful, it was so hoarse.
“We’re still in the mountains, staying with a farmer for now.”
The furnishings in the room indeed reflected the simple style of mountain dwellers. Below him wasn’t a bed, but a heated clay bed, warm and cozy, warming the whole room. A woman wearing a floral cotton jacket stood at the door, speaking in dialect. Lin Heyu responded and picked up a coat to help Yi Shi put it on.
“What did she say?”
“She called us for dinner.”
The two walked into the adjacent tile-roofed house, where four dishes and a pot of chicken soup were set on the table. Besides the aunt, her husband and daughter were also present, and the family of three was waiting for them to eat dinner.
Lin Heyu pulled Yi Shi down to sit, continually serving him food. Yi Shi lowered his head and silently ate; he had little appetite but finished everything to recover as soon as possible, even drinking a bowl of chicken soup.
Illness struck like a landslide, leaving Yi Shi with no energy, and as soon as they returned, he collapsed onto the clay bed. Lin Heyu brought a basin of water, asking him to take off his clothes to wipe off the sweat.
Yi Shi recalled the kiss in the old ancestral hall, and his cheeks burned. He wrapped himself in the blanket, refusing to take it off. Lin Heyu chuckled helplessly and dug him out: “Hurry up; the water will get cold.”
“…No need.”
“Don’t you feel sticky all over?”
“…Not really.”
Lin Heyu noticed Yi Shi’s flushed cheeks and leaned in to check his temperature; he no longer had a fever. After thinking for a moment, he understood: “Then you can wipe yourself down; the clean clothes are on the stool.”
Half an hour later—
Lin Heyu entered again to find Yi Shi wearing an ill-fitting shirt, his long legs exposed, reminiscent of that time in the hotel room.
“Don’t you have clothes?”
“I do, but it’s the women’s set.”
“……” Yi Shi pulled the blanket over himself.
Lin Heyu took the clothes he had changed out of, poured a glass of water, and called for Yi Shi to take his medicine. He had brought a pack of cold medicine as a precaution, which now happened to come in handy.
Having slept almost the entire day, Yi Shi didn’t feel the slightest bit sleepy. His mind was much clearer, and he could finally concentrate on thinking about the case. Given the current situation, the kidnappers and hostages were still in this world. Calculating the time, a part of them had likely already been taken to a cave near Lover’s Peak, waiting for the Haijing police to rescue them.
He temporarily withdrew from the kidnapping case but couldn’t distance himself entirely, especially since two of the hostages were very special.
Previously, he had only held a doubtful attitude until that day when he clearly saw Xiao Shitou’s features, which were strikingly similar to his own childhood. At that moment, Yi Shi suddenly realized that this was his true self, and the fire was merely a well-meaning lie concocted by his adoptive parents.
Yi Shi smiled. On the surface, his intersections with Lin Heyu were few, but in reality, they had been lingering around him for many years.
The farmers in the mountains turned off their lights early. In the darkness, Yi Shi rested his head on Lin Heyu’s arm, still able to smell the lemon scent of laundry detergent. He found Lin Heyu’s hand under the blanket, tracing each finger. The hand had thick joints, each finger calloused, and the palm was broad and warm—while it wasn’t exactly beautiful, it radiated a sense of safety.
“Did you already know my identity?”
“Mm.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Of course, it’s better for you to realize it on your own.” Lin Heyu’s chin rested against his forehead. “If I were to tell you, it might have some unnecessary effects. You’ll eventually discover it.”
Now that he knew, Gardenia was his sister, who would later be sold to Yang Weiyi’s family as a spare. After so many years, there hadn’t been any news of her.
“Is Gardenia still alive? Where is she now?”
Lin Heyu fell silent for a moment before slowly speaking: “She’s doing well, in a… quite unexpected place.”
Upon hearing this, Yi Shi let out a breath of relief. No matter where she was in the world, as long as she was safe, there was a possibility of seeing her again. The little girl had big, round eyes and dimples when she smiled; when she grew up, she would definitely be a great beauty. By the time he saw her again, she might already have her own family.
Lin Heyu suddenly stood up, gently holding Yi Shi’s cheek with one hand and slowly leaning down. Yi Shi sensed what he was about to do and immediately tensed up, his nerves taut, even suppressing his breath.
Their foreheads touched, and the hand that was holding his cheek gradually moved down, unbuttoning two buttons and slipping inside the collar of his shirt.
Yi Shi’s entire body was on high alert; he bit his lip, feeling closer to someone for the first time. His capacity for handling the situation was nearing its limit, and his heart felt like it was about to leap from his chest.
Though he had been cold and indifferent toward matters of the heart, at nearly thirty years old, he couldn’t be completely naive. What Lin Heyu intended to do was now in plain sight, and Yi Shi felt a bit confused and scared, worried that pushing the other person away would cause misunderstandings. He could only bite his lips tighter, feeling conflicted, torn, and struggling within.
The hand slid over his chest, the rough fingertips brushing against his skin sending shivers down his spine, before gently pulling apart his arms, the palm pressing against his ribs and sliding along his skin to his armpit.
Yi Shi let out a soft, short gasp.
Lin Heyu paused, capturing Yi Shi’s restrained expression in the darkness, unable to help but chuckle: “Don’t be afraid; I just wanted to check if you still had a fever.”
As if fearing he wouldn’t believe him, he added, “The temperature in the armpit is more accurate.”
“……” Yi Shi pushed Lin Heyu’s arm away and turned his back to him, unable to tell if he felt shy or was sulking.
Lin Heyu wrapped his arms around him from behind, leaning in to kiss the tip of his ear: “Good night.”
That night, he indeed didn’t have a fever again. After spending a few days recuperating at the farmer’s home, Yi Shi had nearly recovered. They left the farmhouse and began descending the steep, rocky path down the mountain. The temperature today wasn’t too low, and after walking for a while, they even began to sweat. From this height, it was easy to see the mass of camphor pine trees in the lowland, while the old ancestral hall was on the other side. One could imagine how much effort Lin Heyu had exerted to carry him all the way here.
Looking out, the mountains below were a vast expanse of dark green. These camphor pines grew naturally, unlike artificially cultivated ones that would be pruned regularly to maintain a certain degree of transparency. They were packed tightly together, competing for nutrients; their branches crammed together and spreading throughout the lowland, reaching halfway up the mountain like a carpet. No wonder it was impossible to see the sky when walking in the lowland; even sunlight could only filter in through sparse gaps.
Including the Xiao Ci Temple, it was also submerged within this forest. With the grandeur of Cheng’an Mountain, one might never discover that there was a temple hidden within unless they were specifically searching for it.
“Are they still here?” Yi Shi felt his expression was unclear, so he rephrased, “Are they still in my world?”
“First, you need to determine which world you are in,” Lin Heyu said, pulling a coin from his pocket. “This is the simplest method.”
The pattern on the coin was facing upright, and Yi Shi remarked, “In my world.”
“Don’t rush,” Lin Heyu smiled. “Under what circumstances do you think you would see a coin with the pattern facing upright?”
Yi Shi was taken aback for a few seconds, recalling the situations he had encountered before. He quickly formulated a chart in his mind, his brow instinctively furrowing: “…Two situations. On my side, if it’s something from my world, or on your side, if it’s something from your world.”
Lin Heyu nodded. Yes, there were two situations, so just looking wouldn’t suffice; you had to make contact. He handed over the coin, and at the moment Yi Shi’s fingertips touched it, the pattern flipped, turning into a misprinted coin.
Yi Shi had his answer: “Now… in your world?”
“Mm.”
Yi Shi was momentarily confused. When did this happen? He hadn’t noticed at all. Lin Heyu chuckled, “It could be because we are involved in the case, or maybe I have more memories; moving in and out of the two worlds is much easier. It’s possible that contact at a certain point in time brought you here.”
He pointed at the coin: “So I always carry this coin. In an unverifiable environment, I use it to determine.”
The two worlds were mirror images of each other with a time difference. In the city, one could discern by looking at buildings, but in this mountain forest, aside from grass and trees, there were indeed very few objects with text or patterns, making them the quickest means of verification.
Yi Shi mentally noted this as they walked to halfway up the mountain. Beyond that would lead into the camphor pine forest. He asked softly, “Should we go to Xiao Ci Temple first?”
“No need; they have already relocated.”
“Are you sure?”
“Mm. I stopped by once on the day you were burning up with fever,” Lin Heyu raised his hand to check the time. “Let’s first prepare a few things.”
“Are we providing clues for the search team?” Items that flashed through Yi Shi’s mind from the reports surfaced. “Ah, is it that…”
Lin Heyu nodded, pulling out a round object wrapped in paper from his pocket. Yi Shi tore off the outer layer, revealing a white circular shell, the edges stained with blood that had long oxidized to a brown color.
This was the receiving coil of a cochlear implant. Yi Shi had slipped it into his pocket while treating that girl’s wound, not expecting it to become a crucial tool.
Author’s note:
This pair has suffered too much, and I couldn’t help but add sugar, sugar, and more sugar.
Now let’s talk about the principle of coin identification. I’ll draw the chart in Yi Shi’s mind for everyone, which also involves some logical reverse reasoning, but having the chart makes things much easier.
| Located in | Object Type | Perceived by A World Resident | Perceived by B World Resident |
|---|---|---|---|
| A World | A Object | Upright (Upright) | Reversed (Upright → Reversed) |
| B Object | Reversed (Upright → Reversed) | Reversed (Reversed) | |
| —————— | —————— | ———————————– | ———————————– |
| B World | A Object | Reversed (Reversed) | Reversed (Upright → Reversed) |
| B Object | Upright (Upright) | Upright (Upright) |
It’s important to emphasize that without contact, seeing an object from the other world appears normal; all mirror reversals depend on the contact person and which world they are in. Some readers might be confused about the four reversals of [A World, B Object] and [B World, A Object] but it’s like this: any time you see something with the reverse pattern, it must be brought over by someone from the other world. At the moment of switching worlds, everything has already flipped, including the person who brought it. They see everything in reverse. This has been hinted at numerous times in the text; it has appeared in Chapters 4 and 5.
Here’s the chart: just plug it in. If Yi Shi can see the upright pattern, there are two possibilities. Then after making contact, if the pattern flips to the reverse, there is only one possibility: he is in Lin He Yu’s world, and the object he touched is from Lin He Yu’s world.
The coin identification has been hinted at earlier in the text, including in a previous chapter where Yi Shi uses a coin to determine which world he is in. You should be able to feel how uniquely this circular narrative operates; whoever teaches the other is correct, because there is no concept of prior or later, making it impossible to trace back to the source.
