CH 55

Before heading back, Lu Ye had instructed Yao Xing to pay attention to Qi Yanbai. If he started feeling unwell, it would be best to take him to the hospital for a check-up before going home.

However, Qi Yanbai believed he was in good condition, so he politely declined Yao Xing’s proposal to go to the hospital and simply stated that he was tired and just wanted to go home to rest.

So Yao Xing didn’t insist further and drove Qi Yanbai to the entrance of the residential area.

As it was nearing midnight, there was no one on the streets, and small puddles accumulated under the streetlights. Qi Yanbai held an umbrella with one hand, smiling as he watched Yao Xing’s car gradually recede. Only then did he turn around and walk towards the residential area.

The security guard in the gatehouse had already changed shifts and was resting. The residential area was quiet, with only a few late-night workers occasionally passing by. The light drizzle fell on the umbrella, forming tiny streaks of water that rolled down along the edge.

The latest message on WeChat was still of Qi Yanbai and Lu Ye hadn’t replied yet. Qi Yanbai guessed he might be busy with work, so he didn’t press further and simply exited the chat. He increased the notification volume for messages, just in case.

At this time, most households in the building were already asleep, with only a few scattered lights on. Qi Yanbai exited the elevator and cleared his throat consciously, triggering the motion-activated hallway lights..

Everything seemed normal at his doorstep, except that a water bill notice had been affixed to the door, and Qi Yanbai’s gaze shifted around for a moment. Instead of heading to his apartment, he turned and removed the payment reminder from Lu Ye’s apartment’s door first.

On his way back, Qi Yanbai had been thinking about how to subtly change Lu Ye’s perception of him. He realized that he couldn’t continue being the perfect and flawless boyfriend as he had been before. He needed to start showing Lu Ye some harmless imperfections and gradually change his perspective.

This required precise timing, and Qi Yanbai stared at Lu Ye’s door for a while with a thoughtful expression. Then, he slowly reached out and grasped the doorknob, activating Lu Ye’s electronic lock.

He thought he could start with that “mystery gift.”

“Honesty” needed to be handled with care. Too little wouldn’t be effective, and too much could backfire. Finding the right balance was crucial, but fortunately, Qi Yanbai was quite skilled at it.

A while ago, when he and Lu Ye had gone shopping, Lu Yehad bought a “surprise” for him. Qi Yanbai had indirectly inquired about it for a long time but couldn’t get an answer about what the surprise was. He had been somewhat concerned about it at the time, but Lu Ye had later confessed that it was a gift for him. Qi Yanbai had barely managed to suppress his urge to dig deeper into the matter.

Back then, he had brushed his curiosity aside, but now, that “little secret” could serve as a starting point to satisfy the curiosity that “Teacher Qi” shouldn’t have.

The electronic lock blinked for two seconds, displaying a green light to indicate the correct password. There was a mechanical sound from the lock, the latch sprang back, and the door automatically opened a narrow slit.

The room was pitch black, and Qi Yanbai changed his shoes before entering. He casually turned on the ceiling light, then took a step and walked into the master bedroom.

Lu Ye was an open and honest person with no secrets, and he didn’t mind his “personal space” much. So, after confirming their relationship, he had also shared his door code with Qi Yanbai, allowing him to come and go freely.

Qi Yanbai entered Lu Ye’s bedroom. He knelt down on the floor and pulled open a few drawers on Lu Ye’s bedside table.

As a lover, having a bit of curiosity about your partner’s secrets was natural, Qi Yanbai thought. Lu Ye was a liberal person; he wouldn’t actually get angry over such a small matter.

The wooden drawer made a crisp sound as it opened. Qi Yanbai’s eyes darkened slightly, and he applied a light pressure with his thumb, intentionally leaving a faint pencil mark near the handle of the white wooden drawer.

In the late hours of the night, the rain outside gradually ceased. The water streaks on the ground had frozen into a thin layer of frost, making a creaking sound when stepped on.

The group of people brought back from the concert were quite young, and when they were caught with drugs, they were shedding tears when they found out they’d have to notify their families. They cried and made a scene, and few of them cooperated.

The duty police officers spent the entire night dealing with them, and it wasn’t until the sky was beginning to brighten that things settled down.

Lu Ye hadn’t come home at night and had stayed up working. He had taken a short nap on his desk, but in just twenty minutes or so, he had strange and vivid dreams.

Perhaps because he couldn’t sleep well due to the thoughts on his mind, during that brief moment, his dreams were even more surreal. One second, he was fighting aliens in a space battle, and the next, he was in a war behind enemy lines.

When a colleague woke him up from his desk, he was in the middle of a dangerous mission as an undercover agent, suddenly exposed and betrayed by his superior. He was surrounded and couldn’t escape. He heard someone patting his shoulder and calling his name.

“Lu Ye!”

Lu Ye woke up from his dream, the adrenaline from the dream had not completely faded. His heart was pounding, and his fingertips were tingling. It took him a couple of seconds to react to what was said, and he slowly raised an expression of confusion.

“A foreigner?” Lu Ye asked in puzzlement. “Foreigners should be sent to the city bureau. Why are you bringing them to me?”

Dealing with foreigners involved in crimes was troublesome. They couldn’t be simply released, but they also needed to be handled carefully to avoid diplomatic issues. Usually, such cases were sent directly to the city bureau, where it was easier to negotiate.

“He’s not cooperating,” his colleague sighed. “He mentioned your height and physical appearance and specifically asked to speak with you.”

Lu Ye had been working overtime for over half a month and had pulled an all-nighter last night. He hadn’t had enough sleep, and now, with his heart pounding and his head spinning, he felt a bit dizzy and nauseous .

He frowned and sighed, feeling tired. Then, he reluctantly put on his coat and stood up, draping it over himself leisurely.

“Which room?” Lu Ye asked.

“Interrogation Room 2,” his colleague replied.

With most other matters handled for the night, this troublesome case remained. Lu Ye’s steps felt unsteady as he pushed open the door to Interrogation Room 2, took a seat behind the desk, and got straight to the point.

“Foreign nationals who use drugs in our country are subject to punishment under our laws, typically detention for up to fifteen days and a fine. Is there anything you don’t understand?” he asked.

Surprisingly, the foreigner didn’t resist or make a scene, nor did he demand to contact his embassy. Instead, he tilted his head with curiosity, observing Lu Ye for a moment before attempting to speak in broken Chinese.

“No… can call me Elvis,” he said.

His Chinese was far from fluent, his tone awkward and stiff. Lu Ye furrowed his brow, trying to make sense of his words, but he only nodded in response, assuming Elvis wanted to write something down. Lu Ye tore a sheet of paper from his notebook and handed it over along with a pen. Elvis lifted his head, and with a strangely sticky gaze, he observed Lu Ye’s face before licking his lips and offering a cryptic smile.

He wore unconventional clothing and had a slender build, accentuated by heavy makeup. He looked like a skeletal figure from an animated movie. Lu Ye felt uneasy under Elvis’s blatant and flirtatious gaze, but he restrained himself.

Elvis quickly wrote his name and phone number on the paper, then crumpled it into a ball and stretched his arm to awkwardly stuff it into Lu Ye’s coat pocket, all while maintaining an seductive expression.

“You’re very handsome,” Elvis complimented Lu Ye in broken Chinese, using an unusual choice of words. It seemed his linguistic limitations didn’t deter him from acting provocatively. He ransacked his mind and finally came up with something to say on his own, expressing his admiration sincerely, “Full of desire.”

Lu Ye …

It was Lu Ye’s first time being sexually harassed by a suspect in a professional setting during his years in the police force. He nearly burst into laughter.

“If I were you, I wouldn’t attempt to harass an officer,” Lu Ye replied coldly. “If you have the time and energy, you might as well prepare for the fine.”

Lu Ye didn’t want to engage further with this eccentric individual. He turned and walked toward the door of the interrogation room. However, just as he reached the door, he heard Elvis’s voice from behind.

“don’t…..,” Elvis suddenly stopped Lu Ye. He seemed like a neurotic person lost in his own world. He smiled with narrowed eyes, speaking to himself as he asked Lu Ye, “it seems you like artists, right?. I’m an artist too.”