Replacing the Evil Way

Chapter 51: “Do you like me?”

He Wei, Lin Heyu, and Hu Songkai were all observing the entire interrogation process of Zhao Yang through a one-way glass.

Zhao Yang sat behind the interrogation table, looking somewhat impatient. “Officers, how many times have you questioned me already? And now you’ve brought me to the police station for no apparent reason. I’m a law-abiding citizen.”

“For no apparent reason? If you’re honest, why would we bring you in?” Chong Zhen tapped his index finger on the table. “Confession earns leniency; resistance earns severity!”

“Oh come on, I really don’t know where Zhao Shen is! We haven’t seen each other since he came to Shengzhou City. Why won’t you believe me?!”

He Wei held the microphone and said, “Ask him about Qiao Ruofei.”

“And you claim not to know, but you know how to use that excuse to get someone’s girlfriend into bed?!”

“… ” Ke Bo, who was recording, silently edited the words a bit to make the transcript sound less vulgar.

Zhao Yang’s expression changed. He shuffled his neck and muttered softly, “I-I was just trying to delay things… She looked pretty, and I couldn’t help myself…”

“So you made it up? Keep making, and using delaying tactics? Do you think girls are fools? Do you think anyone would willingly get involved with you just because you blabbered a bit?” Chong Zhen threw the pen on the ground and said, “I advise you to confess quickly. I have a short temper. If I turn off the video and audio recording and lock the door, you’ll have a tough time!”

Hu Songkai nudged He Wei’s arm. “Isn’t Lao Chong going a bit overboard? What if someone complains about us intimidating and using torture? That would be a mess.”

He Wei didn’t say anything; his eyes were fixed on Zhao Yang. Perhaps Chong Zhen’s air of menace was too strong, as Zhao Yang seemed genuinely frightened. His gaze wandered around, his expression hesitant, as if he were hiding something.

Lin Heyu stood up, walked in, and whispered something in Chong Zhen’s ear. After he came out, Chong Zhen immediately said, “Qiao Ruofei has already confessed! You’ve been refusing to hand over Zhao Shen all along. She reported to us, suspecting you killed Zhao Shen!”

Zhao Yang turned pale with fright. He shouted, “Officers! This is a mistake! Even if you gave me ten times the courage, I wouldn’t dare to kill anyone! I… I’ll tell you the truth; don’t listen to that woman’s nonsense. She’s framing me!”

Zhao Yang spilled everything, saying that at the end of April when Zhao Shen suddenly wanted to come, he knew something was up. But as cousins, they had a good relationship, and he wouldn’t let him die without help. On the day Zhao Shen arrived, he contacted Zhao Yang with a different number. Zhao Yang told him to go to Dangshui Village and even anticipated that the police might check the surveillance, so he advised Zhao Shen to disguise himself before coming over.

Originally, Zhao Yang planned to arrange for Zhao Shen to stay in the house his grandmother had just acquired, hiding for a while. Later, he intended to get him a fake ID and help him leave the country. However, when he went to the designated location to find Zhao Shen, he couldn’t locate him. He drove around the area and called him, but his phone was off. They completely lost contact, and he genuinely didn’t know where Zhao Shen had gone.

A few days later, Qiao Ruofei came to ask about Zhao Shen’s whereabouts. Zhao Yang answered truthfully that he hadn’t seen him and hadn’t received any messages. Unexpectedly, she came all the way to Shengzhou City, tears streaming down her face, looking pitiful. Zhao Yang’s heart stirred, and he comforted Qiao Ruofei, telling her he would help find Zhao Shen. He even sent himself messages from another number, pretending they were from Zhao Shen, to deceive her.

In this way, Qiao Ruofei obediently followed his lead and got involved with Zhao Yang, believing she could find her boyfriend. She didn’t realize she had been deceived the whole time.

“Officers, that’s the true story. I really don’t know where Zhao Shen is. Look at me, I wouldn’t even dare to kill a chicken, let alone a person!” Zhao Yang regretfully started his self-critique. “I’m despicable, I’m at fault. I never should have deceived an innocent woman. Just please don’t think I’m a murderer!”

He Wei and Lin Heyu sat together. After observing for a while, Lin Heyu said, “He doesn’t seem to be lying.”

“Yeah, it seems that Zhao Shen indeed called him before, and they arranged to meet at Dangshui Village, but they never crossed paths,” He Wei said.

After a while, Chong Zhen came out holding a piece of paper, which contained the new number for Zhao Shen provided by Zhao Yang. Lin Heyu asked someone to check the recent activity of this number. Chong Zhen came out of the room, his voice hoarse from shouting. He took a sip of water, then asked, “Hey, Captain Lin, does that girl next door really suspect Zhao Yang of murder?”

“No,” He Wei chuckled, “He never went over there, so how would he know what’s happening on the other side?”

“… ” Chong Zhen gestured with his hand, implying that everything was understood without words.

After asking enough questions, He Wei checked the time and instructed them to take Zhao Yang back for the night and continue questioning him the next morning. He stood up, picked up his coat, and Chong Zhen asked, “Hey, where are you going?”

“Home,” He Wei pointed to his watch, “Are you addicted to overtime?”

“…Shouldn’t that line be directed at you?” Chong Zhen teased, “In the past, in such a situation, you’d definitely drag the suspect out of bed for another round of questioning at night, to show them who’s tougher.”

“You said it yourself; he’s not even a suspect, let alone a criminal. Be careful of complaints.” He Wei didn’t waste any more words and prepared to head home. Lin Heyu was going out to grab some food, and they went downstairs together.

He Wei accompanied Lin Heyu for a bit before Lin Heyu rested his hand on the car window, gazing at the scenery outside. He casually asked, “You’ve been going home so often these days; is it because you’ve got a family now?”

“What family?” He Wei was puzzled by the question, “Who did I get a family with?”

“The pervert at home.”

“… “

———

If He Wei had a case on hand, it wasn’t uncommon for him to not return to the dorm for several days. Sometimes, to change clothes, he would make a quick trip back, but it would only take the time for a shower, and he would be back at the police station within half an hour.

However, with the addition of Cheng Zesheng to his home, He Wei found himself subconsciously returning home at a fixed time every night. He would try to avoid overtime if possible. He probably hadn’t realized it himself, but over the past month, his overtime hours had significantly decreased, to the point that Zheng Youqing couldn’t even find a chance to bring him late-night snacks.

Lin Heyu’s words today brought this to his attention, describing it as “getting a family”. He Wei didn’t take it seriously at first, but when he got home and took a shower while lying on the couch reading a book, he realized that there might indeed be a hint of truth in that description.

Perhaps it was because Cheng Zesheng’s presence was somewhat unique, and people were always curious about strange occurrences. In He Wei’s view, Cheng Zesheng was something of a “strange occurrence”. Every time he spoke to him or even just encountered him, he felt a strange sensation.

Moreover, lately, their interactions have become increasingly frequent. He was seeing Cheng Zesheng more and more often. Sometimes, he even got the feeling that he should see Cheng Zesheng as soon as he opened the door, an illusion that this person was just waiting for him.

Wanting to see him was perhaps due to a mix of curiosity and amusement. He Wei mused.

Cheng Zesheng has also been busy with a new case these days. It was a murder case disguised as a traffic accident, with the victim being a woman who had been involved in an affair. All evidence pointed to the man who had been taking care of her, but Cheng Zesheng felt that it wasn’t that simple. He was currently re-evaluating the evidence from the beginning, looking for any overlooked details.

He had been so engrossed in his work at the station that he lost track of time. Glancing at the clock, he realized it was already ten o’clock. He clapped his hands together. “Alright, alright, let’s continue tomorrow. Let’s head back for now.”

Cheng Aiyue, holding a magnifying glass, exclaimed in surprise, “Am I hearing this right? Vice-Captain Cheng is actually not working overtime and sending me home to rest?”

“…You might have misheard; stay and continue screening.”

“Please, because of a leader like you, I’m turning from a young girl into a middle-aged woman.” Cheng Aiyue quickly packed up her equipment, afraid that Cheng Zesheng might change his mind and keep her in the lab.

Cheng Zesheng, adorned in shimmering stars, returned to the Future Domain. He noticed that He Wei had been coming back frequently, almost every three to five days. It was uncertain whether he would return today. He seemed more dedicated and devoted to his work than Cheng Zesheng himself, often spending nights at the bureau.

With a “click,” as the anti-theft door swung open, even though the house was quiet, the living room light was on, indicating that He Wei had returned. Cheng Zesheng entered, took off his coat, and was about to casually throw it onto the sofa when his arm froze mid-air, still holding the coat, as he stood there in astonishment.

He Wei was lying on the sofa with his eyes closed, a book resting on his chest. It wasn’t “Forensic Toxicology,” but “Journey Under the Midnight Sun.” Cheng Zesheng occasionally indulged in suspenseful detective novels, and coincidentally, he had a complete collection of Keigo Higashino’s works. The first time he discovered this shared interest with He Wei, a hint of joy surfaced within him.

He Wei appeared to be asleep, one hand resting on the book while the other lay on his abdomen. His breathing was steady. He wore loose home clothes—a gray round-neck T-shirt and white shorts. His legs, which rarely saw sunlight, were fair and slender. The lamplight on his skin made it almost gleam white.

At this moment, he was relaxed on the sofa, his left leg slightly bent in a very casually relaxed sleeping posture.

A sleeping beauty.

These three words popped into Cheng Zesheng’s mind, and he froze for three seconds before leaning down as if enchanted.

The distance between them kept narrowing, and just as Cheng Zesheng’s lips were about to touch He Wei’s forehead, He Wei suddenly opened his eyes. His pair of black eyes were cold and sharp, fixed on Cheng Zesheng above him.

Cheng Zesheng’s breath caught. He had one hand bracing against the back of the sofa chair. The angle of his lean was unmistakably that of someone about to awaken a sleeping beauty with a kiss. No excuse could cover up the intention behind it.

The living room was filled with an overwhelming sense of awkwardness, and He Wei’s voice was chilly and deep, like a bucket of cold water being poured over Cheng Zesheng’s head.

“You want to kiss me?”

Pierced by that direct question, Cheng Zesheng’s face turned slightly red, “Ah—no.”

“Then what are you trying to do?” He Wei’s lips curled slightly, his tone mocking. “Are you planning to give me CPR in case I faint?”

“…”, Cheng Zesheng acted decisively. His right hand slid into He Wei’s soft hair, cradling the back of his head, and he leaned down to kiss him.

As his lips touched the soft and slightly cool ones beneath, Cheng Zesheng’s mind exploded, and a big question replayed incessantly in his head—Cheng Zesheng, what are you doing???

Another thought flashed at the speed of light: how should he explain things after the kiss?

In just a matter of two seconds, his mind had waged a war within itself. The brief and light kiss ended, and he straightened up as if nothing had happened. His face carried an expression that seemed to say, “I’ve kissed you, so what can you do about it?”

“…”, He Wei touched his lips with his hand. The stolen first kiss didn’t cause much turmoil in his heart. Instead, he found himself captivated by the novel sensation of being kissed.

His lips were so warm, as if holding a blazing fire within.

Cheng Zesheng feigned calmness and casually mentioned that he would go grab some clothes for a shower. He added that they could discuss the case if He Wei was still around later.

He quickened his pace toward the staircase. He Wei finally spoke up: “Do you like me?”

Cheng Zesheng’s entire body tensed up, once again caught in a mental struggle.

Who would do such a thing to a man if they didn’t have some sort of affection?

What he told Xie Wenxi was the truth – He Wei was just a regular roommate. However, after seeing He Wei today, Cheng Zesheng’s mind started to entertain inappropriate thoughts. In that instant, He Wei was no longer ordinary.

Being all talk and no action, what kind of man was he? Cheng Zesheng gritted his teeth, having already made up his mind to boldly admit his feelings, embracing the path of being openly gay. But He Wei threw a bucket of icy water on him.

“You’d better not like me. Given our circumstances, there won’t be any outcome.”