CH 65

After lunch, the office returned to silence.

Lu Ye had a short nap at his desk. As the afternoon approached, he heard Yao Xing bringing in some news from outside while in a half-asleep, half-awake state.

“… The procedures for early release of the suspects have been completed at the city bureau,” Yao Xing said. “But because it involves a foreign national, we also need to submit a report as the first handling party.”

In recent times, there had been only one foreign national transferred out of the sub-bureau. Lu Ye’s sharp radar caught keywords, rousing him from his nap. He casually pulled his duty coat aside, revealing half of his face.

During this period, with so much going on, Lu Ye had almost forgotten about that foreigner eccentric drug addict. Now, with Yao Xing bringing it up again, Lu Ye remembered that such a person existed.

This person seemed to have some subtle connection with Qi Yanbai. Although Qi Yanbai had denied knowing him, the vague insinuations from the other party were too obvious.

At that time, it seemed like he intentionally wanted to inform Lu Ye of something but also appeared to be just picking a fight. Lu Ye didn’t know the exact nature of their relationship, but from the ambiguous attitude of that person, it was clear that their relationship was far from good.

A drug addict who had issues with Qi Yanbai, whether it was due to paranoia or something else, sounded like a ticking time bomb. Despite his ongoing cold war with Qi Yanbai, Lu Ye, out of habit, couldn’t help asking a follow-up question.

“Early release?” Lu Ye asked, “Why?”

There were still a few colleagues in the office who hadn’t fully awakened, and Yao Xing had originally been discussing this matter with Li Zhiwen in a hushed tone. Startled by Lu Ye’s sudden question, Yao Xing turned to look at him and then explained, “Well, Lu-ge, the foreigner has some mental issues—”

Yao Xing pointed to her own head and showed a complex and subtle expression while saying, “I heard he has bipolar disorder. During his time in the detention center, I don’t know if it was due to some provocation or a medical episode, but he suddenly attempted suicide. First, he banged his head against the wall, and later he tried to cut his wrists with his teeth.”

The description was quite gruesome, and Yao Xing shivered as she mimicked cutting her wrist.

“I heard he was extremely ruthless, and blood was everywhere,” Yao Xing continued. “Later, his lawyer brought in a formal diagnosis from a hospital, confirming that he had a long history of illness, so the city bureau decided to release him early.”

During the detention period, there was no talk of bail, but if there was a significant medical condition, it could indeed lead to early release. Lu Ye, hearing this, sat up straight in his office chair and thought that people in the arts were generally not quite normal.

They either had paranoid tendencies or mental illnesses. Looking at it this way, Qi Yanbai was relatively “normal” among them.

Lu Ye thought that although Qi Yanbai was not doing well, he still seemed relatively “manageable” compared to this guy who both did drugs and self-harmed.

This bizarre sense of dark humor brought Lu Ye some mental comfort. He pulled up the zipper on his coat to his neck, smoothing out the wrinkles caused by his nap.

“Is the foreigner already released?” Lu Ye asked.

“He was taken away by his lawyer this morning,” Yao Xing replied. “Coincidentally, his visa was also about to expire, so he’s probably going to be deported directly. But, Lu-ge, why are you asking about this?”

Lu Ye shook his head without answering.

He furrowed his brow slightly, silently contemplating for a moment, and then, as if he remembered something, he stood up from his chair and walked straight to the corner of the office.

The office was made up of a group of individuals who, when busy, paid no attention to anything else. The potted plant in the corner hadn’t been watered for over ten days, and the soil in the pot had dried up with cracks forming. The leaves were drooping, and the edges were curling slightly.

Lu Ye stood next to the flowerpot, then bent down, reaching into the pot, and after a moment, he pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from the flowerpot.

………………..

The weather in the new district had been gloomy since morning, and it became even gloomier after lunch. It felt like the air was heavy with moisture, making every breath feel stifling.

Qi Yanbai’s recent state was really not great. Lu Ye’s distant and cold attitude made him anxious and restless, affecting his work, and even in class, he had accidentally used the advanced lesson plan for beginner students.

Since he started working, he had always been diligent and responsible, he would never make such basic mistakes. His colleagues looked at him with concern, but couldn’t find the words to ask, and eventually remained silent.

“…Mr. Qi.” One of his colleague looked at his troubled expression and cautiously suggested, “If you’re not feeling well, I can cover your afternoon class for you.”

Qi Yanbai paused while organizing his teaching materials, furrowed his brow, and then pinched his nose.

He knew he wasn’t in good shape, so he nodded in agreement and said softly, “Thank you, Mrs. Zhou. I’ll make it up to you next time.”

“No problem, it’s the least I can do,” Mrs. Zhou smiled and stood up, taking the class materials from Qi Yanbai. She added, “But if you’re not feeling well, you can also take a leave. Prolonged periods of not feeling well can be harmful to your health.”

She was very tactful, and Qi Yanbai pursed his lips, reluctantly nodded, and accepted her offer.

“Understood, Mrs. Zhou,” Qi Yanbai said, “But don’t worry, I’ll make sure to adjust myself.”

Once Mrs. Zhou left, Qi Yanbai was alone in the office. The sound of high heels gradually faded in the corridor, and the children’s small and noisy questions grew louder and then faded away, finally isolated on the other side of the hallway with the closing of a door.

Qi Yanbai leaned on his office desk, took a deep breath, and then sat down, covering his eyes with his hand.

To be honest, he knew that his current state had crossed a certain line of caution. But without Lu Ye around, he found it difficult to escape from this long-standing anxiety that had taken hold of him.

Since their last parting in the hallway, he hadn’t seen Lu Ye for ten days.

During these ten days, he had tried to talk to Lu Ye, but it seemed like Lu Ye was intentionally avoiding him, appearing and disappearing like a ghost. Even though the security cameras captured him returning home every day, Qi Yanbai had never managed to catch a glimpse of him.

This visible yet elusive feeling of not knowing where Lu Ye was made Qi Yanbai extremely anxious. When they were dating, he didn’t feel it as strongly, but once they were apart, he realized that Lu Ye’s influence on him was even more profound than he had thought.

It felt like Lu Ye’s disappearance had taken away something he couldn’t quite put into words. The methods Qi Yanbai had used to maintain his mental balance no longer worked. Even though he repeatedly told himself, “Lu Ye hasn’t disappeared; he’s just living in the room next door,” the anxiety of losing everything still clung to him.

He felt like an addict going through forced withdrawal, and time had not cooled his excessive possessiveness towards Lu Ye. In fact, it had only intensified his obsession.

If only he could keep Lu Ye by his side forever, Qi Yanbai thought suddenly. Then he would never disappear.

This thought was like a tiny, sharp needle, puncturing through the deliberately maintained illusion of peace. Qi Yanbai’s eyelashes quivered lightly, and before he could deny it to himself, he felt a nearly uncontrollable rush of excitement.

However, this fleeting sensation was interrupted by a sudden knock on the door.

“Mr. Qi?” a young woman’s voice called politely from outside the door, “Are you busy?”

Qi Yanbai’s wandering thoughts snapped back to reality. He hurriedly composed himself, subconsciously straightened his clothes, and said, “Come in.”

The door was pushed open slightly, and the receptionist peered inside. She glanced around the office and, seeing no one else, she hesitantly called Qi Yanbai’s name.

“Mr. Qi,” the receptionist said in a hushed tone, “There’s a gentleman here who wants to see you. Are you available right now?”

“Gentleman?” Qi Yanbai asked, a bit puzzled. “Is it a parent?”

“No, it’s not,” the receptionist’s expression looked somewhat awkward. “It’s a…”

Before she could finish her sentence, a hand with distinct knuckles reached from the side and firmly pushed the door open. The hand was adorned with numerous metal accessories, and a long bracelet on the hand made a soft clinking sound as it brushed against the door. The receptionist was pushed back a step, and the door swung open in an arc, revealing a familiar figure behind it.

“Hey,” Elvis leaned against the door, his eyes sparkling, and he waved at Qi Yanbai with a grin.

“Missed me?” he asked.