Replacing the Evil Way

Chapter 64: Turn out to be

The first rays of dawn seeped through the gaps in the curtains and fell onto He Wei’s eyelids. He was already awake, squinting his eyes, not yet ready to move.

Cheng Zesheng was curled up beside him, his entire arm resting on He Wei’s body. He Wei gently removed that heavy and powerful arm, trying to do so quietly, but it still managed to wake up Cheng Zesheng.

Cheng Zesheng’s nose nuzzled He Wei’s earlobe, and he mumbled, “How did you sleep?”

“It was okay,” He Wei’s complexion wasn’t great, and the sunlight made him look pale as paper.

Despite staying up late last night, years of disciplined routines still had Detective He waking up at the same time like clockwork, without missing a beat.

Cheng Zesheng figured he might have overexerted himself last night and given He Wei a rough time. He felt satisfied with last night’s activities and reached out to touch He Wei’s cheek. It was cool and damp, which startled him, prompting him to turn on the lights.

In the glaring light, He Wei’s reddened eyes clearly conveyed the message – “You’re having a good time.”

“…” Cheng Zesheng ruffled his short hair and planted a kiss on his cheek, trying to console himself, “Practice makes perfect, right?”

He Wei gave a muffled nod. He was exhausted, and he wiped the corners of his eyes with a tissue. He couldn’t help but think that his little brother, who had lived as a gay man for so many years, had it tough.

After waking up in the morning, He Wei felt surprisingly fine, despite their activities late into the night. He got up, and put on a T-shirt slowly. Just as he stood up, aside from a slight twinge in his lower back, everything felt normal.

He went to freshen up, and Cheng Zesheng followed him, buttoning his shirt and saying, “I think I’ll go look for my brother today. Why don’t you stay home and rest?”

“…Who told you I needed to rest?” He Wei stared at his reflection in the mirror, “I’m perfectly fine. I can handle it no matter how many rounds you come for.”

Cheng Zesheng pinched his chin and gave his cheek a peck, showing his genuine love for a challenge.

He Wei grabbed his collar and, after letting go, Cheng Zesheng’s lower lip bore a deep bite mark, nearly drawing blood.

Cheng Zesheng touched his lips and winced, feeling the pain. He couldn’t help it; this was a warning from a lion, not a rabbit. Well, that’s what you get when you choose this kind of partner, so he’d better spoil him.

———

Several days passed, and there was still no word from Cheng Zhenqing. Cheng Zesheng’s initial excitement gradually turned into disappointment. He began to wonder if his presence in this world somehow prevented him from contacting his deceased brother, causing his disappearance.

“…” He Wei patted his hair, as if comforting a large dog, “I believe your brother deliberately hid himself, not wanting us to find him.”

As the days went by, on the 10th, He Wei paid special attention and quietly went to the Shengshi Grand Hotel.

It was a drizzly day, and the area around the Shengshi Grand Hotel was crowded with onlookers. He Wei took a distant look and felt a sudden sense of unease.

The case had indeed occurred. Everything was exactly the same as what he had experienced before.

Cheng Zesheng tried to reassure him, not to overthink it, as this was the right course of action. If they changed something due to their interference, what would He Wei’s life be like then?

Going by the conclusions of various sci-fi movies, it would undoubtedly be far more chaotic than the current situation.

On April 13th, He Wei woke Cheng Zesheng up early in the morning. There was something important to attend to. Cheng Zesheng asked where he was going, and He Wei extended a finger to poke his chest, saying, “Your place.”

“…That’s not my place,” Cheng Zesheng asked, “Aren’t you afraid the pianist is at home?”

“He’s not at home during the day; he has an interview with a magazine,” He Wei checked the time on his phone. “Today is not the day for the housekeeper to clean, there’s no one at his place, so let’s take a look.”

Having solved a case certainly had its perks; you could easily manage any timeframe.

The pianist lived in a villa in a tightly guarded community. The security at the entrance was strict, but Cheng Zesheng’s face worked like magic. He pulled down his mask and claimed to have forgotten his keys, and as soon as the security recognized the big celebrity, they let him through without a second thought.

Once inside, Cheng Zesheng put his mask back on, his face showing a triumphant expression. “How about that? Facial recognition works.”

He Wei whispered, “You should be thankful we checked the surveillance footage at the time. We were only looking to see if he left the house after returning home around 4 p.m. Otherwise, this would have been a bust.” It was because he was familiar with all the details of the investigation at the time that he dared to let Cheng Zesheng use facial recognition to enter.

He Wei was quite familiar with this neighborhood, leading Cheng Zesheng on a route that avoided surveillance cameras. The pianist’s home was not equipped with surveillance, something they had complained about during the investigation, but now they were grateful for it.

Standing at the door, He Wei looked at the fingerprint lock, lifted his chin, and gestured for Cheng Zesheng to open it.

Cheng Zesheng, a bit displeased, wondered why he was being ordered around like a pet. Starting with his right hand, he tried each finger sequentially. After just two tries, he unlocked it with his right index finger, and the door swung open.

“He’s consistent in his habits, including the fingerprint he uses to unlock his private armory downstairs.” He Wei habitually put on gloves. Cheng Zesheng didn’t need gloves; this place was equivalent to his “home,” and he could leave any fingerprints he wanted without arousing suspicion.

The villa was spacious and elegantly decorated with luxurious furnishings. The living room was clean and tidy. Cheng Zesheng looked around and exclaimed, “No wonder he’s a celebrity; he lives in such a mansion.”

He Wei picked up a magazine from the table and flipped through it, casually replying, “It’s alright.”

“Alright?”

“My home is bigger.”

“…” Cheng Zesheng was dumbfounded, as if he had accidentally stumbled upon some shocking secret. Although He Wei’s lifestyle and behavior patterns were far from those of the typical wealthy second generation, looks could be deceiving, and who knew if he was a rich kid born with a silver spoon in his mouth?

The two searched through the pianist’s house, hoping to find some useful clues. Cheng Zesheng opened the bedroom door, and he was overwhelmed by the opulent atmosphere—exquisite Baroque chandeliers, a European-style king-size bed, and Impressionist oil paintings hanging on the walls. He shivered all over, almost driven away by the artistic ambiance.

Yes, definitely a pianist’s home.

Cheng Zesheng entered the room and found a clean and tidy desk with musical scores and a notebook. He picked up the notebook and opened it; every page was filled with musical scores, and below that, there were lyrics. It seemed the pianist had written songs in his free time.

Although these weren’t his own writings, the handwriting was so familiar. Cheng Zesheng turned to a blank page, picked up a pen, and wrote a piece of musical score. He flipped to an earlier page and found it to be identical.

Cheng Zesheng smiled; even though they lived in different worlds, their handwriting still matched. It was truly fascinating.

“Cheng Zesheng, are you upstairs?”

He Wei stood at the staircase, looking up at Cheng Zesheng.

Cheng Zesheng spread his hands, indicating that he hadn’t found anything. The pianist hadn’t left any information related to Cheng Zhenqing at home. He Wei rubbed his chin, understanding why they didn’t find anything. Based on Cheng Zesheng’s reaction last time, it was evident that he was very sensitive to information about his brother. Perhaps it was at Cheng Zhenqing’s insistence that he guarded information about his brother so carefully, so there wouldn’t be any traces left at home.

“Let’s check the underground armory.” He Wei led Cheng Zesheng to the garage, where they moved some clutter aside and found a fingerprint lock. He Wei said, “Use the same finger you used to unlock the main door.”

Cheng Zesheng extended his right index finger, and without any problems, he unlocked the door. They went down the stairs, stopping in front of another door. He Wei put his hand on the doorknob, smiling, “Get ready, don’t let it startle you.”

“What could possibly startle me, it’s just—”

After opening the door, a variety of firearms came into view, leaving Cheng Zesheng’s words hanging in the air as he stared in wide-eyed astonishment.

“…Damn, he collected all of these?”

“More accurately, it’s your brother. He even taught the pianist how to use firearms.” He Wei entered the room, and as his gaze swept over the various firearms, he suddenly noticed that the missing Type-92 pistol was still hanging in its place.

He took the gun down and contemplated it with furrowed brows. The fact that the murder weapon was still here at this time meant it was taken out after the pianist returned home. Did he bring the gun to the mansion himself? Who had killed him?

A hand took the gun from He Wei’s hand. Cheng Zesheng picked up the Type-92 and, in the blink of an eye, had loaded a magazine with matching bullets from a cabinet.

“There’s a shooting range here, right?”

“Yes.” He Wei walked to another door, pushed it open, and said, “Here.”

Cheng Zesheng pulled He Wei inside, and upon seeing the size of the range, he nodded in approval. The length was enough to meet the requirements for shooting a handgun.

“How’s the soundproofing here?” Cheng Zesheng looked up at the ceiling. “They won’t hear anything upstairs, right?”

“The soundproofing is quite good,” He Wei raised an eyebrow. “What? Do you want to fire a few shots to test it?”

Cheng Zesheng nodded confidently. After all, they were here already. He noticed a silencer on the table and picked it up, saying, “This looks quite professional, but it’s a shame it won’t fit on the Type-92.”

He Wei crossed his arms, and Cheng Zesheng turned his head to ask, “How’s your shooting? Do you want to have a go?”

He Wei smiled faintly, “Not too good.”

Cheng Zesheng embraced his shoulder, telling him not to take it too seriously, just have some fun shooting, and missing the target wouldn’t be a big deal. He Wei glanced at him, nodded, and said, “Alright, you go first.”

It was as if Cheng Zesheng wanted to show off his skills in front of He Wei. He put on earmuffs and safety goggles, lifting the gun. His posture was impeccable, with his back straight and his arm and shoulder lines smooth and appealing. Successive shots rang out, and Cheng Zesheng fired seven rounds in a row, nearly all of them hitting near the bullseye, with not a single shot scoring less than 10 points.

A faint smell of gunpowder lingered in the shooting range. He Wei applauded slowly, “Clap, clap, clap,” his skills were indeed impressive, befitting of his handsome face.

Cheng Zesheng removed his ear protection and goggles and handed them to He Wei. When He Wei put them on and took the gun from Cheng Zesheng’s hand, he said, “You’re next. Don’t be nervous, finish the remaining eight rounds.”

He Wei raised the gun with one hand, and his movements were light, as if he couldn’t exert any force on his wrist. Gunshots rang out in quick succession, and after finishing, he took off his equipment without even looking at the results.

All eight bullets hit the bullseye, with the holes almost overlapping.

“…” Cheng Zesheng was puzzled. “You call this ‘not too good’?”

He Wei nodded, “It’s the distance. Too close, not fun.”

“…” Officer Cheng, who wanted to show off his skills, found himself in an awkward situation as he was outperformed.

He Wei lowered his head, looking at the scattered shell casings on the ground. He hesitated for a moment, then glanced at the gun in his hand, feeling a strange sensation welling up inside him.

He and Chong Zhen had come to this place and discovered a pile of shell casings. At the time, they speculated that the pianist was practicing shooting in the basement. But now, it seemed that these shell casings were all because of him and Cheng Zesheng?

If that were the case, what about the gun? Did they take it with them, or did the pianist take it?

“What are you thinking?” Cheng Zesheng pinched He Wei’s cheek.

Furrowing his brow, He Wei shook his head gently. After hesitating for a while, he finally handed the gun to Cheng Zesheng. “Let’s put it back; we should leave.”

Cheng Zesheng went to hang the gun back in its original place while He Wei stared at the shell casings on the ground. He then looked at the shooting equipment and silencer on the table, and it all seemed eerily similar to the scene they had witnessed when they first opened that door.

He Wei fell into silence, was this also a part of the loop?

He didn’t know how to make a decision anymore. He closed his eyes, sighed softly, and closed the door to the shooting range.

It was getting late, and the pianist would be returning soon. They restored the garage to its original state and quietly left the villa. After leaving the villa area, Cheng Zesheng took out his phone and scrolled through it. He Wei kept his head down in silence until Cheng Zesheng asked, “How about going to this place to eat?” He Wei finally snapped back to reality, nodded absentmindedly.

The two of them took a taxi to the restaurant, and He Wei stared out of the window. It was only when the buildings around them became increasingly familiar that he asked, “Are you going to Fuzuo Road?”

“I think so? I’m not sure,” Cheng Zesheng replied as he handed his phone to He Wei. Upon checking, they were indeed headed to a restaurant on Fuzuo Road, just two streets away from Huyue Xingchen.

“What’s wrong? Can’t we go there?” Cheng Zesheng asked.

After a moment, He Wei gently shook his head, “No, it’s not related to the case. It’s just that place is very close to Lian Jingyuan’s house.”

“Oh… I see. How about we go to a different place then?”

He Wei still shook his head, “Let’s just go to this one.”

Cheng Zesheng had seen this private restaurant online and wanted to take He Wei there to try it out. The two of them sat in a private room, but He Wei seemed distracted, speaking without much focus. Cheng Zesheng reached out to touch his forehead and spoke cautiously, “Has something happened again to affect your mood?”

The corners of He Wei’s lips barely lifted, his thoughts in disarray.

Unbeknownst to them, their actions seemed to become an indispensable part of this loop, with familiar routines playing out one by one and the inner sense of unease growing stronger.

What fate awaited He Wei and Cheng Zesheng next?

Seeing him furrow his brow, Cheng Zesheng leaned closer and planted a kiss on his forehead.

“Don’t worry, I’m here with you.”

As they left the restaurant, the setting sun hung low in the sky. Cheng Zesheng checked his phone’s map and led He Wei to the taxi stand. They walked past a crossroads, and He Wei turned around. Behind him was the entrance gate to the Huyue Xingchen residential complex.

Ahead were still those two tall buildings, with the setting sun casting a golden glow at the entrance. The warmth and tranquility washed over He Wei as he looked at Cheng Zesheng beside him.

It turned out that he had always been by his side.