Replacing the Evil Way

Chapter 61: You helped me

After gradually completing the missing pieces of furniture, the apartment slowly returned to its familiar appearance. In order to minimize the traces of habitation, Cheng Zesheng and He Wei chose not to sleep upstairs and opted for the sofa bed. After several consecutive days off work, Cheng Zesheng felt a strong sense of unreality, as if this relaxed and comfortable life was a dream.

As he woke up early in the morning, he reached out to touch He Wei’s face, confirming the softness of his skin, before he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He Wei opened his eyes and held his hand, asking, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I just can’t believe it.” Cheng Zesheng leaned closer and kissed his forehead, “I’ve always thought that being able to touch you was the limit; I never imagined we could be together like this.”

“I never imagined it either.” He Wei’s long fingers slipped through the gaps between Cheng Zesheng’s; their hands intertwined and held together. “After handling so many cases, I never thought I’d fall in love with a victim.”

Ultimately, it was Cheng Zesheng who made the first move with those affectionate gestures, infecting He Wei and leading him down this unusual path. For over thirty years, He Wei had never considered being with a man. Although He Lu had come out long ago, he always believed his sexual orientation was normal. Now, it seemed that perhaps the two brothers shared the same genes, with He Wei just hiding his deeper. It was only now that Cheng Zesheng had unearthed it.

April’s temperatures weren’t high, and a cool breeze swept in the mornings and evenings. Wrapped under the same blanket, He Wei liked to curl up while sleeping, and Cheng Zesheng would hug him from behind, resting his hand on his waist and lightly pinching through his T-shirt.

The rhythmic motions brought back memories for He Wei, reminding him of a cat his family had owned when he was a child. The cat would knead its paws on people’s legs, purring contentedly, just like the gentle rhythm of Cheng Zesheng’s touch.

Satisfied sighs were also audible in his ears. He Wei remained silent initially, not stopping the gesture until Cheng Zesheng lifted his clothing, at which point he spoke up, “Don’t make trouble, I’m heading to the city bureau today.”

“The city bureau? Aren’t you afraid of being discovered?”

“I want to go and confirm if that ‘He Wei’ really exists.” He Wei shifted his waist a few centimeters forward, evading that broad and warm hand. “Don’t mess around.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t do anything.” Cheng Zesheng’s hand searched around his waist, lifting the T-shirt to touch the supple waist. There wasn’t an ounce of excess flesh there; one could faintly make out muscle lines. A gentle press revealed incredible elasticity, and it felt like his fingertips were dancing on his skin.

His fingers lingered there, igniting a spark, and He Wei felt flustered by the teasing. He held onto Cheng Zesheng’s wrist, saying, “It’s ticklish, don’t move.”

Cheng Zesheng held him tightly and whispered in his ear, “Are you hard?”

“…” He Wei resignedly replied with a nonchalant tone, “You wish.”

Cheng Zesheng chuckled, his fingers tugging at the drawstring of his shorts, “Shall I help you with that?”

“Do you have a license?” He Xian glanced over, “Barefoot doctor, it’s daytime, not the middle of the night.”

“It works better during the day.”

“Hey…!”

The blanket wriggled in a strange shape, and even the sounds that wafted out took on a different tone. Tiny beads of sweat formed on He Wei’s nose and forehead. He inadvertently looked up and saw the bare balcony. He quickly thought to close the curtains; he couldn’t bear the idea of exposing himself to the glaring sunlight.

Cheng Zesheng kissed his forehead, his palm sticky, warm, and carrying a faint, musky scent. He Wei got up and headed for the bathroom without looking back. Cheng Zesheng was momentarily baffled, holding his hand with a mix of amusement and frustration.

Could he at least ask him to wash up first? Why is he so easily embarrassed?

He Xian turned on the tap and splashed a handful of water on his face to cool his cheeks. A figure appeared outside the door, saying, “Don’t be embarrassed, it’s a normal physiological reaction. You see, you can cure it just like that.”

He Xian casually replied with two words — “Get lost.”

——

Across from the Shengzhou City Bureau, He Wei was wearing a hat and leisurely eating a bowl of fried rice in a snack shop, occasionally glancing towards the entrance of the police station.

Cheng Zesheng stayed back at home; he was too conspicuous for this kind of stakeout work. He lowered his head to check his watch. If he remembered correctly, in a while, “He” would come out with Chong Zhen, and then they would come to this place to order a couple of dishes for lunch.

Sure enough, around 1 o’clock, two very familiar figures emerged from the police station. Dressed in uniforms, they walked into the shop together. He Wei lowered his hat a bit more.

“Boss! Spicy diced chicken, sweet and sour pork, what else are you eating?” Chong azhen asked the person beside him.

The other person lifted his head to look at the menu and said, “Just tomato scrambled eggs.”

“Why not garlic sprout stir-fried pork? It’s a signature dish.” Chongzhen immediately corrected himself, “Wait, you’re allergic to garlic sprouts, right? Well, you’re out of luck.”

After ordering their food, the two of them found a seat. He Wei sat in a corner, far away from them, almost forming a diagonal line. But he could clearly see every move of “himself,” the familiar facial expressions, gestures, and even the way he sat mirrored his own, as if looking into a mirror.

Even though He Wei had been skeptical about time reversal before, thinking it wasn’t very reliable, the living, breathing “himself” appearing right before his eyes had an incredibly strong visual and mental impact.

After finishing his fried rice without drawing attention, he left. The two were still laughing and chatting, completely unaware that another “He Wei” had passed right by them.

After leaving the snack shop, He Wei picked up a meal for Cheng Zesheng. When he got home, he found Cheng Zesheng scrolling through Weibo, seemingly very interested in this world.

“Gold prize in the Chopin International Piano Competition, silver prize in the Tchaikovsky International Music Competition, performed on the Spring Festival Gala… This person’s resume is so dazzling,” Cheng Zesheng exclaimed, “I really didn’t expect it. The other me has actually gotten used to living in the limelight. From childhood to adulthood, I couldn’t even stand looking at a camera lens for too long.”

“You both live in two different worlds, with different environments shaping different personalities. Isn’t He Wei over there timid and cowardly? He even lets He Lu bully him. If it were me, I’m afraid He Lu’s arm would be broken already.” as He Wei spoke, he took out the takeout and handed it to him.

Holding the meal box, Cheng Zesheng noticed He Wei sitting at the table, propping his cheek and lost in thought. After he realized it, he playfully poked He Wei’s face with the other end of the chopsticks, “Did you meet him today?”

“Yeah, he had lunch with one of my closest colleagues,” He Wei murmured. “It’s really strange. Even though I know he’s me, every gesture and expression is familiar, but deep inside, I can’t help feeling uncomfortable for no reason. It’s like there should only be one He Wei in this world.”

Cheng Zesheng put down his chopsticks, held his hand, and pressed his cheek against He Wei’s, saying, “Feel this, I’m really here, right? But there’s also another public figure named Cheng Zesheng. If we can only keep one of us, who do you think it makes more sense for?”

“…” He Wei pulled his hand away, “It’s different, not the same.”

“It’s the same. Since we can both come back as separate individuals, it means you and he can coexist,” Cheng Zesheng ruffled his hair. “Stop overthinking. How about we go out tomorrow? I haven’t properly explored where you live.”

“…What’s there to explore? You live in Shengzhou too,” He Wei quipped.

Staying at home every day wasn’t safe either. In case Chief Zheng suddenly decided to pay a visit, they wouldn’t be able to keep up the facade. He Wei glanced at his coat lying on the sofa. Maybe they should go out together and take a stroll. He would have Cheng Zesheng wear the black coat tomorrow—keeping a low profile was crucial.

———

“Here is where I went to high school.”

Cheng Zesheng exclaimed, “You graduated from the top high school in the city?!”

“Yeah.” He Wei admitted frankly, then asked, “Where did you graduate from?”

“Shengzhou Normal Affiliated Middle School,” Cheng Zesheng cleared his throat, “I missed the high school entrance exam score by around ten points, so I didn’t make the cut.”

“Oh, you seem pretty envious. Let me show you around the area?” He Wei’s eyes held a playful glint. “Our school has a good environment. There’s a park in front, and before evening self-study during the summer, I used to go to the park to study.”

Cheng Zesheng held onto two of his fingers and squeezed them in his hand. Who was envious? Your school has a park, but mine has a mountain.

After a stroll through the park, He Wei took Cheng Zesheng to his university by car. He had graduated from the police academy, and due to his major, he had attended classes on the branch campus. Compared to the bustling East Campus located in the city, He Wei’s North Campus was much more remote. A lake lay ahead, while mountains stood behind, and a national highway was just a few steps away. At least it was within the university town, with commercial streets weaving through, bustling with students from nearby schools.

“What you see now is the present. It wasn’t like this when I was in school over a decade ago,” He Wei pointed to a street. “Originally, this place was all ditches and reed beds. There weren’t even streetlights at night. Our teachers would tell us not to leave the campus at night, warning that we might drown and our classmates would have to come to identify our bodies.”

“…Your teachers were quite straightforward.”

They were waiting for a type of flatbread called “zali jianbing.” The vendor making the jianbing said, “Young man, you’re right. Over a decade ago, it was all barren hills around here. There was no university town, just a Criminal Police Academy.”

He Wei exchanged a glance with Cheng Zesheng that said that he wasn’t lying; it was really a grim reality.

“But there were benefits too. At the time, that mountain behind us belonged to our school. We used to conduct all kinds of exercises up there.” He Wei suddenly recalled something and asked the vendor, “Master, is Chenjia Village further ahead?”

“Chenjia Village is still a bit far. You need to take Bus 676 for three more stops.”

“Not too far, quite close.”

After getting the jianbing, He Wei pulled Cheng Zesheng along. “Come on, I’ll take you somewhere.”

———

The sky was growing dark when Bus 676 stopped at Chagang Station. Cheng Zesheng and He Wei got off the bus, and Cheng Zesheng took a bite of the jianbing, asking, “Where are we now?”

“This road is National Route 102, and if you go north, there’s a small village called ‘Chenjia Village,'” He Wei explained. 

Cheng Zesheng nodded, and then what?

He Wei smiled without saying a word, walking ahead. Cheng Zesheng followed him, passing by a series of self-built low-rise buildings along the highway, until they stopped in front of a hotel.

“Shengshi Grand Hotel.” The name did sound grand, but being situated near this remote stretch of the highway, aiming for a high-end image wasn’t exactly realistic. Several cars were parked along the roadside, all belonging to customers passing by for a meal or lodging. He Wei didn’t plan on going in. With his hands in his pockets, he looked up at the roof of the five-story building.

“What’s going on?” Cheng Zesheng also stared at it. “Is there something special about this place?”

“Very special. Before the Mansion case, I investigated a haunted murder case that happened here,” He Wei pointed to the courtyard. “Let me test you. The deceased fell from a height, landing on the flowerbed just after the turn, about one and a half meters from the building. There were ten centimeters of scrape marks on the railing at the point of descent, with handprints left behind. There was also half a mud footprint on the steps and even a half-footprint on the corner of the wall—both belonging to the deceased. So, I’ll ask you, in what posture did the deceased fall?”

“Hold on, you need to do a projectile experiment for this, right? Don’t tell me you’ve mentally simulated the falling scene in your head.”

He Wei smiled, making it clear that they had indeed done just that. They had a conclusive result; otherwise, they wouldn’t be asking him to guess.

“…Hmmm.” Cheng Zesheng rubbed his forehead and worked hard to recreate the scene based on the clues He Wei provided. “Grip, scrape marks, footprints on the steps and the wall corner, steps… He didn’t use the steps to jump down; he probably used them for support?”

He Wei was quite satisfied. Cheng Zesheng’s mind was sharp, as sharp as two ErHu’s. If he had brought him to the scene that day, they would have only needed to do the experiment once to get the result.

He revealed the answer, “He flipped down. Next question: A witness said they saw an old man standing on the rooftop. We checked the surveillance, but we didn’t find any footage of anyone going up to the rooftop during the time of the incident. Guess what happened?”

“Ghostly activities are impossible. It must be through some special method or by avoiding the surveillance,” Cheng Zesheng guessed. “Climbing up from the outside using an air conditioning unit? Was the surveillance video edited?”

He Wei shook his head, “Both are wrong. The culprit shifted the surveillance slightly to the right, creating a blind spot. We experimented with it. With a little practice, you can indeed walk against the wall and evade the surveillance, creating an illusion of haunting.”

Cheng Zesheng nodded, “This suspect is pretty clever.”

“His counter-surveillance skills are pretty good too. He wore gloves and shoe covers the whole time to disrupt the police investigation,” Cheng Zesheng commented as they chatted.

As they talked, He Wei casually turned around and noticed a man not far behind them. He had a sincere and honest appearance, standing under a tree with his hands behind his back.

He Wei had a deep impression of this face because he was none other than the security guard of this hotel, the culprit of the recent case—Li Chenggui.

Li Chenggui chuckled and approached them. “Why aren’t you two going inside to eat? Our place is the best hotel around here!”

He Wei smiled, “Not hungry, just looking around.” He assessed Li Chenggui. This security guard always had an innocent smile on his face. If they hadn’t investigated his connection with Wang Fusheng, they probably wouldn’t have been able to apprehend him.

Li Chenggui greeted them and went back to the security room, sitting down and looking at his phone while holding a thermos. He Wei and Cheng Zesheng left. As they walked away, Cheng Zesheng glanced back at the Shengshi Grand Hotel and said, “A homicide will occur here in about two weeks. We can’t stop it, can we?”

“Yeah, theoretically, if we interfere, it would disrupt the events that follow…” He Wei’s words suddenly stopped, and he turned around abruptly, his widened eyes fixated on the leisurely figure in the security room.

“Officer He, you helped me.” Li Chenggui had said this when he was arrested. He Wei had long pushed it to the back of his mind, but just now, the thought struck him like a lightning bolt—an ominous idea gradually took root.

If-if it’s true, then wouldn’t that mean—

He immediately turned around, took a couple of steps, and then stopped again, not knowing what to do.

Cheng Zesheng grabbed his arm. “What’s wrong with you? Your face looks awful.”

He Wei bent slightly at the waist, covering his mouth, his hand trembling slightly.

As a police officer, He Wei had always been diligent and responsible, with a clear conscience. But this time, not only could he not prevent a homicide from happening, but he might also be an invisible instigator of it.