Replacing the Evil Way

Chapter 42: Can you warm the bed?

The investigation into the gunpowder residue, as envisioned by Cheng Zesheng, yielded no results. The detectives from Team 2 went out enthusiastically but returned disheartened. It was evident at the meeting that their morale had taken a hit. Cheng Zesheng reiterated his advice to them not to continue wasting time on this lead and suggested that they could be better off inspecting other cases.

Perhaps this case was so complex that even the heavens couldn’t bear to watch. The city bureau had been relatively calm recently, with no major cases reported from the grassroots police stations. While many prefectural-level police units were focused on providing guidance, the effectiveness depended on the leadership. People like Cheng Zesheng were the kind who would become anxious if they saw others struggling with investigations they couldn’t crack.

“Now we need to focus on investigating He Lu. I suspect he deliberately fabricated the story of He Wei’s disappearance and deceived us by saying he had driven back. In reality, the one who drove back wasn’t him; he found someone else to do it while he stayed here and killed He Wei,” Zhao Yu said.

“That’s highly unlikely. The surveillance footage from the toll station shows a 90% similarity in the facial comparison, so it’s most likely He Lu,” Le Zhengkai countered as he pushed the comparison images forward.

“But it’s also possible that he went through the toll station and then turned back on the national highway. This He Lu is like a madman. Look at his testimony; he even refused to believe that the deceased was his brother. If it’s not his brother, then who could it be? Even if there’s a genetic discrepancy, it’s impossible to completely change a person, right?”

“…” Cheng Zesheng cleared his throat. “Let’s just consider it as his rambling.”

Regarding the genetic sequencing, only Cheng Zesheng, Jiang Tan, and Liu Renyu knew the precise results, and even Chief Huang and Yan Minglang were kept in the dark. The others had only partial knowledge, understanding that something was off with the body and the genetic testing, but without the specifics. This matter was never discussed again after the initial meeting and was left unresolved.

The reason for keeping it under wraps was that Cheng Zesheng knew all too well the panic that would ensue once those three assessment reports were brought to light. The police archives were full of unsolved mysteries, many of them veering into the supernatural realm. However, those occurred decades ago, in an era where DNA technology and surveillance capabilities weren’t as advanced as they are now. What was once unexplainable now had scientific explanations, and criminals trying to deceive with supernatural claims faced more significant challenges.

But in He Wei’s case, the advanced genetic sequencing technology had determined that the victim and the body were two individuals with different life trajectories. This would undoubtedly have substantial implications, and revealing them could lead to severe consequences. An inadvertent leak could turn midnight into a discussion of the supernatural. 

Thus, the fewer people who know this secret, the better. Jiang Tan’s worldview was shattered and took several days to piece back together. Liu Renyu seemed indifferent, as he was accustomed to science fiction literature and movies. Cheng Zesheng, on the other hand, accepted it calmly; he had a He Wei at home, and the illogical was a norm in his eyes.

From Cheng Zesheng’s perspective, the main goal was to solve the case and apprehend the culprit as soon as possible. The worst outcome would be if they couldn’t even catch the perpetrator, turning it into an unsolved case.

After the meeting adjourned, Le Zhengkai privately inquired about the body’s situation. Cheng Zesheng’s response was evasive, shifting the blame to Jiang Tan, claiming that Director Jiang was researching it and would soon provide results. He urged them to be patient.

Le Zhengkai nodded, sighing, “It’s really tough. It’s been years since we encountered such a mind-boggling case. Have you figured out how He Wei went missing?”

Cheng Zesheng shook his head. He did have an idea, but it was too bizarre to share. If he were to share, it would only be with He Wei himself, who would surely understand.

Thinking of He Wei now, an image of He Tianluo wearing a translucent long dress and offering to warm his bed appeared in Cheng Zesheng’s mind. The image was gentle, sweet, and alluring. His face turned slightly red, and he touched his nose, feeling his heart rate increase.

Le Zhengkai observed his expression and exclaimed in surprise, “Oh, what’s with you? You’re blushing so much.”

“It’s nothing.”

“Don’t play innocent. You’ve been acting unusually lately, and I have good reason to suspect you’re up to something.” Le Zhengkai playfully bumped his arm against Cheng Zesheng’s chest, saying, “Hurry up, confess for leniency, go home for a date; resist strictly, work overtime during the holidays.”

“…” Cheng Zesheng pushed away his hand, “There’s really nothing. By the way, where did you buy that Hainanese chicken combo you said was delicious last time?”

“At Liuzhou Road, it’s quite a distance, half the city away. Are you going?”

“Half the city is manageable. I can drive pretty fast.”

“…” Le Zhengkai was surprised. For whom would he run half the city to buy something for? This didn’t seem like someone who wasn’t in love.

Cheng Zesheng was still calculating what time to go to Liuzhou Road to avoid traffic. He hadn’t noticed that his excessive attentiveness toward He Wei had already skewed in a different direction.

———

He Wei left the office at 7 o’clock, preoccupied all the way as he pondered over Cheng Zesheng’s words.

“Don’t involve him in this.” This “him” naturally referred to Cheng Zesheng. But what did “involve him in this” mean? Did it mean that Cheng Zesheng would have a chance to enter his world?

Cheng Zesheng didn’t want to elaborate much, deflecting any further questions and not providing direct answers. When it came to the murder case, Cheng Zesheng emphasized that he was not the killer. Although he didn’t have an alibi, there wouldn’t be concrete evidence proving he had been present at the scene.

Based on He Wei’s years of experience in handling cases, Cheng Zesheng wasn’t likely the culprit. When talking about Cheng Zesheng, He Wei felt a sense of helplessness more than anything else. Cheng Zesheng’s death was seen by He Wei not as a tragedy or shock, but as regret and self-blame.

An emotion of being unable to save.

He wanted to save Cheng Zesheng, but he was powerless. He could only watch him die. Following the so-called “script,” he had to play out these expected scenes and segments. Even with his brother’s death, he was still powerless.

After parking the car, He Wei looked up and saw the lights on at home. Cheng Zesheng was back.

Although this was an invisible cohabitant, with increasing time spent together, Cheng Zesheng’s presence had become more distinct. Traces of another person’s life were everywhere in his own life. He Wei had grown accustomed to seeing the bathroom light on and then going to do something else, only coming down to take a shower later. He had also grown accustomed to coming home after two days to find the place a bit messy, which he would dutifully tidy up despite any annoyance. Moreover, he had become accustomed to another deep and melodious voice appearing after midnight, discussing the case with him.

It only takes 21 days to form a habit, and they hadn’t been living together for that long. However, He Wei felt that Cheng Zesheng’s presence was becoming overwhelmingly strong and occupying a certain part of his life.

Cheng Zesheng was in the living room, exercising his arm strength with dumbbells, when the door suddenly opened. He quickly set the dumbbells down and rushed to the doorway, only to pause. What could he do at the doorway when he couldn’t see anyone?

He Wei stood in the foyer, his shoes not even changed yet. What was that sound just now? A muffled noise, like a heavy object hitting the ground. Did Cheng Zesheng throw a shot put in the room?

Cheng Zesheng stood there for a moment, somewhat irritated, and then returned. He Wei walked in, saw the takeout on the table, and immediately guessed that he had brought it for him. The packaging contained two types of Hainanese chicken, accompanied by four types of sauce—red chili, green chives, black soy sauce, and yellow ginger paste.

He Wei took off his coat and hung it on a chair. He had passed by a fried chicken shop on his way back and couldn’t resist buying something to tide him over. He wasn’t very hungry now that he was back. So he wrote a note, calling Cheng Zesheng to join him for the meal.

Following the exchange rules, as long as he didn’t touch them, things that belonged to Cheng Zesheng wouldn’t appear in his area. Over time, he had also figured out certain patterns, allowing Cheng Zesheng to unwrap the packaging, open the boxes, and he would take the chopsticks to pick up the food, ensuring the entire meal wouldn’t disappear.

Cheng Zesheng, who had just exercised and was covered in a light sweat, opened the packaging, grabbed a pair of chopsticks, and sat across from He Wei to enjoy the Hainanese chicken. He Wei had a keen sense of smell and detected a faint smell of sweat in the air, mixed with the scent of pheromones. It was like a male creature was showing off his strength.

He Wei furrowed his brows. Did Cheng Zesheng exercise before? Was that heavy and muffled sound just now from a weightlifting session?

He Wei stared at his own hand, realizing that he usually didn’t intentionally exercise during downtime. After all, his regular work involved a lot of moving around and chasing criminals. Climbing walls and trees often gave him enough exercise, so there was no need for additional effort. He hadn’t expected Cheng Zesheng to come home from work and start lifting dumbbells. Did this indicate Cheng Zesheng’s excessive energy, or was he implying that the work at the Criminal Investigation Division was so relaxed that he had time to exercise at home?

It’s possible that Cheng Zesheng mostly does guidance work. He pondered this thought in his mind.

Under the encirclement of two grown men, the takeout containers were emptied quickly. Cheng Zesheng noticed that the outermost packaging bag had disappeared and guessed that He Wei had taken it. He subconsciously tried to stop him, saying, “Let me clean up.”

He Wei paused in his actions, looking up at the quartz clock. It wasn’t even 9 o’clock yet. Was he having auditory hallucinations, or did he genuinely hear Cheng Zesheng’s voice?

To verify this, He Wei asked softly, “What did you say?”

Cheng Zesheng also froze, looking up at the clock and voicing the same question as He Wei.

“I said, I’ll clean up. Can you hear me?” Cheng Zesheng asked.

“…Mm.”

Both of them fell into silence. Had the permeation between these two worlds started to disregard the rules of time?

“It’s quite nice like this, not needing to stay up late to analyze the case. I haven’t been sleeping well lately and have been getting easily irritated.”

“Who hasn’t?”

Cheng Zesheng cleaned up the takeout and then retrieved the clothes he had washed an hour earlier to hang them on the balcony. The glass sliding door of the balcony acted as a mirror at night due to its transparency, clearly reflecting the scene inside the room. A man with refined features and a calm temperament sat on the couch with his legs crossed, playing a handheld game console.

Cheng Zesheng stood in front of the balcony with the basin in his hands, dazed. “… He Wei.”

“Yeah?”

“Come over here.”

He Wei saved his game and stood up, walking towards the balcony. Cheng Zesheng’s nervous throat moved as he watched He Wei approach. Their figures almost overlapped when He Wei arrived in front of him.

He Wei extended his hand, sliding his index finger on the glass, sketching a silhouette that didn’t belong to this world. His gaze focused on Cheng Zesheng’s well-built arms, visible beneath his sleeveless T-shirt, and a hint of jealousy surfaced in his heart.

Cheng Zesheng, on the other hand, was fixated on He Wei’s face, seemingly lost in thought. Though He Wei’s fingers were sliding on the glass, Cheng Zesheng felt as if there were genuine hands teasing him, the fingertips icy cold yet igniting a fire wherever they touched.

Almost unconsciously, Cheng Zesheng asked, “Can you warm the bed?”

In a somewhat absent-minded manner, He Wei replied, “Don’t you have an electric blanket?”

“…Pretend I didn’t ask.”

“Oh, if you don’t have one, you can buy it.”