Replacing the Evil Way

Chapter 72: Ordinary Friends

During this time period, He Wei knew that he and Lin Heyu were working on the investigation of the serial murder case and spent most of their time running around outside. Therefore, returning to the city bureau seemed like the most suitable and least suspicious option.

“Officer He, they’ve brought him in.”

Cheng Zhenqing, handcuffed and with a lazy gait, walked in. He locked eyes with He Wei and instantly realized this was a different Officer He.

“Why have you come to see me so soon?” Cheng Zhenqing wondered. “Shouldn’t you have waited until after this case is over…”

He Wei leaned on the table, staring down at him. “Let me ask you, have I ever mentioned my childhood to you before?”

“Childhood?” Cheng Zhenqing shook his head. “No, our conversations mainly revolved around Cheng Zesheng. You’re not one to talk much about yourself.”

He Wei fell silent and lowered his voice, “It seems I accidentally altered a detail of the loop and unexpectedly came across some crucial information.”

“…” No wonder he was able to see him so early. Cheng Zhenqing furrowed his brow, his tone turning serious. “If the detail you changed has a significant impact on this loop, I can’t even begin to imagine what might happen next.”

“If I were to die, would I return to the time of the crime?” Cheng Zhenqing asked.

“My experience suggests that, but for you… I’m not sure,” Cheng Zhenqing sighed. “You have no memory of interrupted loops, so the information I gather from you is from complete loops.”

What he meant was that the events that would unfold next were uncertain, and they were no longer in control of the situation after He Wei altered a detail and received some information.

“Although I don’t know what will happen, this information is crucial to me.” He Wei clenched his fingers on the table’s edge. “I’m telling you now, if this loop fails again, please pass on the message to the next He Wei.”

Ten minutes later, Cheng Zhenqing was left dumbfounded.

“…Are you saying that you should be the other He Wei?” He asked in disbelief.

He Wei nodded, his expression serious and troubled. “I’ve just remembered what happened back then. And it’s not just forgetting what happened that day; even my memories before the age of eight have been altered. In my impression, my family’s current situation here was what it was supposed to be, seamlessly integrated.”

If it were merely a switch, as an eight-year-old child, he would surely have had trouble adjusting to this life here, making mistakes or slipping up. But that phenomenon never occurred, and He Wei smoothly adapted to life here until a few days ago, when he learned about this experience.

Cheng Zhenqing shrugged; there was nothing he could do to help now. He could only wait here quietly. If he returned to the rental house ahead of schedule, it would indicate that something had happened to He Wei and the loop had ended prematurely.

“You should continue with the original development and remind them where the body is.” He Wei advised. “I’ll do my best to ensure the loop remains intact and prevent any accidents.”

“I’ll be fine inside, but it’s you,” Cheng Zhenqing emphasized. “Your life is important; be careful when facing any situations.”

“Yeah, I know.” He Wei clenched his fist. “I know that only if I’m alive, there’s hope for Cheng Zesheng to survive.”

———

In the quiet of the night, He Wei didn’t turn on the light. He sat alone on the edge of the bed.

The door creaked open, and a pair of emerald green eyes, like two night pearls, stared at He Wei. He waved his hand, and Stephen, moving stealthily, approached and crouched at his feet, looking up at him.

“How did you know I couldn’t sleep?” He Wei stroked Stephen’s little head. Stephen, with half-closed eyes, was affectionate and kept nuzzling He Wei’s palm.

“I asked him to come and check on you.” 

Lian Jingyuan appeared in the doorway, leaning against the door frame. “Why haven’t you turned on the light if you can’t sleep?”

He Wei said it was nothing; he was just thinking about things and couldn’t sleep. Lian Jingyuan walked in and leaned against the windowsill on the opposite side of him: “Since you’re living here, I’ve never seen you genuinely smile.”

He Wei wanted to raise the corners of his lips, but there was a heavy weight on his heart, and he couldn’t seem to find a reason to smile.

The death loop wasn’t scary because it was a loop, and they could always go back and, with persistence, find a solution. But his childhood was something he couldn’t change. He had swapped places with this world’s He Wei, spent several years here, and suddenly learned that Cheng Zesheng’s world was where he truly belonged. In an instant, the belief he had built up completely collapsed, and he couldn’t help but question the meaning of his existence.

Suddenly, there was a warm touch on the back of his hand. Lian Jingyuan’s hand rested on top of his, his tone gentle and cautious. “Can you talk about it? What’s on your mind? I feel like you’re carrying too much, and day by day, the burden on you is getting heavier, affecting your state of mind.”

He Wei remained silent. Lian Jingyuan continued to advise, “You need someone to confide in. Maybe I can’t necessarily help, but I can help you release some emotions and stress.”

Five minutes later, He Wei spoke slowly, “Lian Jingyuan, what if I’m not the He Wei you think I am?”

“What do you think the He Wei I know is like?” Lian Jingyuan smiled faintly. “The He Wei I know is just like you, resilient, determined, doesn’t give up easily, and is very capable.”

“But I don’t belong to this world.” He Wei looked up, his smile fleeting and bittersweet. No one knew that the day he came down from the mountain, it wasn’t this world’s He Wei, but another one. Any change in personality was just deception; the fundamental reason was that parallel individuals had already swapped.

Lian Jingyuan’s brow furrowed slightly, and he became even more concerned about He Wei’s mental state, as what was happening to him was beyond scientific explanation. He could ignore scientific paradoxes and go back in time, but now he was saying that he didn’t belong to this world, which made Lian Jingyuan even more worried about He Wei’s mental state.

“You don’t really believe it, do you? I can’t believe it myself.” He Wei stared at Lian Jingyuan, and his smile gradually faded, his lips straightening into a flat line. “When I was very young, I switched identities with the He Wei from a parallel world. I didn’t know until recently, and it turns out I had laid the groundwork for this loop a long time ago.”

Lian Jingyuan was surprised at first, but after a few seconds, his expression returned to normal, and he held He Wei’s hand. “This is indeed very bizarre, but since the switch happened a long time ago and there are traces of your life all around here, then you are the He Wei of this world, the one I know.”

“But that’s wrong.” He Wei’s expression was conflicted. He bent his waist, and his hands slipped into his hair. “The reason things have turned out this way is probably because of the exchange back then. I shouldn’t exist here, and that’s why so many things have happened. I even caused Cheng Zesheng’s death! If I hadn’t done that back then, maybe…”

Maybe—I wouldn’t have met you now. For a moment, Lian Jingyuan felt a chill run through his body, a sense of fear permeating every pore.

“Lian Jingyuan, I really don’t understand why I’ve gone through all this. If I could have another chance…”

“There’s no possibility, no ‘if’.” Lian Jingyuan squatted halfway, held his shoulder, and said seriously, “Everyone has a predetermined fate. Have you ever thought that even without your past, Cheng Zesheng might have died in some other accident? That’s his fate—something you can’t change. How long will you feel guilty?”

He Wei was stunned for a moment, seemingly unable to believe that these words were coming from Lian Jingyuan’s mouth.

“You know it yourself; after so many cycles, you couldn’t save him. That’s fate obstructing you from doing this. Why are you so persistent?” Lian Jingyuan’s eyes were filled with concern. He leaned over, resting his forehead against He Wei’s, and closed his eyes. “I don’t want to see you suffer like this anymore. Regardless of where you came from, in my eyes, you are unique, and no one can replace you.”

The room fell into complete silence. Stephen squatted on the floor, tilting his head as he looked at his owner and the other “owner” with a mixture of confusion and curiosity.

He Wei pushed Lian Jingyuan away abruptly.

Lian Jingyuan fell to the floor, and He Wei met his gaze with composure. He spoke in a calm tone, “Lian Jingyuan, I’ve always considered you a friend.”

Friend? Lian Jingyuan smiled wryly, sitting cross-legged on the floor with his chin resting on his hand. In their current positions, he had to tilt his chin up slightly to meet He Wei’s gaze, and in the darkness, only those eyes were scattered with specks of light.

“I’ve told you before, haven’t I? Even if I like you, you might never know it in your lifetime.”

He Wei looked at him, and after all these years, he had always thought that their feelings for each other were pure friendship. It didn’t require material maintenance or emotional explanations. No matter how long they hadn’t been in touch, with just one phone call, one dinner, their relationship naturally drew closer without any hint of alienation.

But what he had never considered was that all of this was built on the foundation of Lian Jingyuan having different feelings for him. He had thought that Lian Jingyuan shared the same thoughts and that they had found an interesting soul to accompany each other. That was the core of maintaining this friendship.

“I’ve never confessed to you because I didn’t want to lose you. I can endure everything about you, including your feelings for that Cheng Zesheng, but I can’t bear to lose you.” Lian Jingyuan knelt on the floor, holding He Wei’s hand against his cheek. “The key to breaking this death loop lies with you. After it’s solved, you might not stay in this world anymore, not by my side. So, I beg you, please don’t continue trying. Can you stay here like this?”

He Wei lowered his gaze and looked at Lian Jingyuan, then suddenly smiled.

“That’s not your fate; you wouldn’t understand.” He Wei withdrew his hand, stood up, and looked down at him. “I won’t sacrifice others for my sake, especially when that person is someone I love. I want to save him, and I will save him, no matter what the cost.”

He looked around the guest room and sighed softly, “One unexpected event after another, really caught me off guard. I think… it’s time for me to move out.”

Lian Jingyuan was surprised and blocked his way. “Where can you go now?”

There were many places he could go, and although they might not be the most comfortable or safest, they would be the least pressured. He still had the basement key to Cheng Zhenqing’s room in his possession. He could go there temporarily and complete the loop smoothly. As long as he could go back to save Cheng Zesheng, it would be enough.

“Although I didn’t expect this outcome… Just as you said, you and He Lu are friends, and we can only be friends.”

He Wei patted Lian Jingyuan’s shoulder as he passed by, saying, “Take care.” Lian Jingyuan turned around, watching him step further away, and sighed: “It’s late; let’s talk about it tomorrow.”

He Wei walked over, holding Stephen in his arms, and placed the cat in He Wei’s lap. “Let it sleep with you tonight. It will miss you when you’re gone.”

Stephen clung to He Wei’s arm, emitting a soft meow that tugged at the heartstrings. He Wei was finally moved and held the cat, returning to his room.

Lian Jingyuan stepped out but didn’t leave. He leaned against the wall, lowered his head, and remained there for a long time.

He also wanted to be friends with He Wei, but that possibility had disappeared since the first time He Wei helped him when he was bullied by classmates.

Lian Jingyuan covered his forehead, unable to help but smile.

After pretending for so many years by He Wei’s side, in the end, they could only be labeled as “ordinary friends.”

———

He Wei woke up from his sleep. The curtains were drawn, but through the slit in the curtains, he could tell that it was already quite bright outside, probably past nine o’clock.

Stephen was still on the bed. He Wei smiled, gave the cat some attention first, and then got up to freshen up. The layout of the house Lian Jingyuan had bought was quite good; even this guest room had its own ensuite bathroom. When He Wei first moved in, he couldn’t help but marvel at the luxury, but it was indeed quite convenient.

After freshening up, He Wei planned to go to the balcony to get some clothes. However, when he reached the door, he turned the doorknob several times but found that the door wouldn’t open.

“…” He Wei started searching for the keys in the room. The door was locked from the outside, and as long as he found the room key, he could open it. After checking a few drawers, He Wei had already given up hope—the door was locked by Lian Jingyuan, and he certainly wouldn’t leave the key behind.

“I thought about it, and you can’t leave.”

Lian Jingyuan’s voice came from outside the door. “First, your identity is quite special, and second, if you go to save him, you might disappear, and I can’t let that happen.”

He Wei was a bit speechless as he looked at the locked door and sighed, “Do you think a door can keep me in?”

“I didn’t plan to keep you locked up forever. I just wanted you to think it over. You can pretend I didn’t say what I did last night and just stay.”

“Stephen is hungry.” He Wei said. “It’s me you want to lock in, you can’t starve it, right?”

“Your room has cat food, and your breakfast and lunch are all inside.”

He Wei turned around and saw several plates on the table—milk and bread, as well as meat sauce spaghetti. There was cat food and water on the floor. He was even more speechless.

Unexpectedly, things had taken such a turn.