CH 88

When Lu Ye had hidden the wire inside the splint initially, he couldn’t be sure if Qi Yanbai would actually resort to extreme measures against him. It had been a spur-of-the-moment decision, an additional layer of security for his “high-risk plan.”

—Now, it seemed that his intuition was indeed correct, and this extra “security” turned out to be extremely necessary.

The wire was thin and flexible, stretching to more than ten centimeters in length. Lu Ye sat on the bed, bent the wire into an irregular arc, and then gently manipulated the metal lock, inserting the wire into the lock core.

Frontline police officers often dealt with various types of criminals, some of them serious offenders, but there were also many petty thieves. These offenders might not face severe sentences, but they frequently reoffended, and cases of repeat offenders were not uncommon. In the past, during difficult times, relationships between petty thieves and police officers could become quite complex.

Lu Ye had learned this particular skill several years ago when he was assigned to the local police station. It was rumored to be a skill passed down by a reformed “master thief,” and it was virtually foolproof. Except for complex locks like those on security doors, regular padlocks were pierced with ease.

With steady hands and a composed mindset, it took just over ten seconds for the lock in his hand to emit an extremely soft click. Immediately after, the lock snapped open automatically, and the semi-circular latch slid down the iron chain, falling silently onto the bed.

Lu Ye continued with the same method, unlocking the remaining shackles one by one. In just two or three minutes, he had completely regained his freedom.

Having grown used to the ankle restraint, Lu Ye felt a bit disoriented at suddenly regaining his “freedom.” He lightly moved his ankle, feeling the sudden loss of weight, creating a sensation of floating.

However, he didn’t have much time to dwell on this change. Qi Yanbai could return at any moment, so he had to make haste.

The front door had a smart security lock, and Qi Yanbai’s exit would automatically lock it. Unless a breaking and entering tool was used, leaving through the main door was difficult.

Lu Ye was well aware of this, so he didn’t attempt futile efforts. He quickly set his goal and swiftly scanned the whole apartment, realizing he couldn’t find his own phone. He abandoned the search and returned to the bedroom, retrieving a set of clothes he had left at Qi Yanbai’s house a long time ago from the wardrobe.

These clothes were meant for summer, but Lu Ye had no other options at the moment. He changed quickly, tucking the T-shirt’s hem tightly into his belt. Then, he made his way to the balcony, pushed open the balcony window, and stepped outside.

The open balcony railing was chilled by the cold wind. Lu Ye gripped it with one hand. As he was about to leave, he couldn’t help but turn back to look at the empty bedroom behind him.

After regaining his freedom after so many days, Lu Ye should have felt happy, but at this moment, his mood was unusually calm, with a hint of indescribable complexity.

Lu Ye knew that by leaving like this, Qi Yanbai would definitely feel betrayed and not be able to accept it.

However, despite this, Lu Ye was clear about what he needed to do—love should be based on equality and mutual respect, not lived under constant “control.” He could provide the security that Qi Yanbai needed, but he absolutely could not do it in the way Qi Yanbai wanted.

So, this time, when he left, he not only had to unlock the shackles on his hands but also break the lock in Qi Yanbai’s heart.

He had to completely break the chain that had imprisoned Qi Yanbai for over twenty years and turn his world upside down.

…………………………….

As time passed, the moisture in the air gradually condensed into raindrops. Qi Yanbai paced around the classroom, and suddenly felt a vague sense of unease.

This unease was extremely subtle, not sharp, and couldn’t provoke any emotional fluctuations in him for the time being. It was like the drizzling spring rain outside, continuous and unending.

Qi Yanbai subconsciously looked out of the window, and the glass panes facing the street were already covered with a thin layer of water stains. Water droplets slid down the glass one by one, leaving a winding trail behind.

What’s wrong? Qi Yanbai worriedly thought. Is something happening to Lu Ye at home?

He instinctively wanted to contact Lu Ye and inquire about the situation, but when he reached for his phone, he realized that Lu Ye’s phone had been taken away by him long ago. So, he hesitated and put down his phone, deciding to finish work five minutes earlier, avoiding the parents who would undoubtedly pester him with questions outside, and heading home earlier.

He made up his mind and, just before the end of the class, he discreetly informed the teaching assistant, then left through the back door.

The receptionist at the front desk saw him leaving early and was a bit puzzled. Unable to restrain herself, she stopped him and asked quietly, “Mr. Qi? Aren’t you staying to review the students’ work for this week?”

“No,” Qi Yanbai smiled at her and replied with a gentle but undeniable tone, “I indeed have an urgent matter at home. Please help me mark it as leave.”

During this period, he had been on leave, so the receptionist nodded and didn’t suspect anything. She marked “attended the class session” on his attendance record.

The rain outside continued to fall endlessly. Puddles formed on the road, and Qi Yanbai opened an umbrella, lowered his head, and briskly walked to the nearby supermarket.

Lu Ye wasn’t a picky eater, but he had clear preferences. Qi Yanbai went to the seafood section and picked up two pounds of live shrimp. Then, after giving it some thought, he headed to the meat section and bought two pounds of beef.

Qi Yanbai was calculating the menu for dinner in his mind while looking forward to some quality time with Lu Ye after work. Little did he know that Lu Ye had already left him a huge “surprise.”

As he returned home with brisk steps, Qi Yanbai pushed the door open and, before he could even call Lu Ye’s name, he suddenly felt a vast emptiness enveloping the apartment.

It was a very elusive feeling. Everything in the living room seemed exactly the same as when he had left, yet Qi Yanbai inexplicably sensed that something important had been taken away from his home, leaving behind only an empty shell. At that moment, everything was so quiet that he could only hear the sound of his own breathing.

His heart skipped a beat, and he felt like his entire heart was dropping, leaving a gaping hole in his chest. A cold wind blew through that hole, leaving only a chilling sensation.

Qi Yanbai’s fingers unconsciously loosened, and the plastic bag containing the live shrimp fell to the ground with a loud “splatter.” The water inside the bag splashed everywhere, and the live shrimp scattered around, emitting a fishy odor.

However, Qi Yanbai paid no attention to this. His heart rate accelerated rapidly, but he felt as if he had fallen into a state of numb shock, moving mechanically into the apartment. He didn’t even change his shoes, stumbling toward the bedroom door and grabbing the doorknob.

The cold metal felt sharp and icy in his palm, and suddenly, Qi Yanbai was overwhelmed by a profound sense of desolation. It was as though he didn’t need to open the door; he already knew the truth in advance.

“He said he would wait for me,” Qi Yanbai stubbornly thought.

This thought was deeply rooted in his mind, and he desperately wanted to convince himself to believe it. However, this idea was like a floating weed, seemingly solid but shattered with a slight touch.

A cold breeze whistled through the door crack. Qi Yanbai felt as if he had been torn in two, with one part still stubbornly believing that Lu Ye wouldn’t deceive him, while the other part had cruelly seen through everything and plunged into the pain of betrayal.

“He lied to me,” Qi Yanbai thought, “He never intended to stay.”

This thought shattered all of Qi Yanbai’s delusions and expectations in an instant, plunging him into the harsh reality. He closed his eyes, as if in extreme pain, took sporadic shallow breaths, and then, before his mind could fully react, he reached out and pressed down on the icy doorknob.

The bedroom door slid open inward, and Qi Yanbai stood at the entrance, seeing an empty bed in the room. The chains that should have locked Lu Ye were twisted and sprawled on the bedroom floor like two lifeless snakes.

The window in the balcony was open, letting in the chilly wind, and raindrops had already wet a small part of the floor near the balcony. Water stains were slowly, coldly creeping up the edge of the carpet.