Replacing the Evil Way

Chapter 82: Liking you for no reason

In the past few days, the pianist had been secretly slipping into Lihui Garden, where Cheng Zhenqing lived, and staying there for the entire day. He was very quiet, sitting alone with a book in hand, and days passed by just like that. As Cheng Zhenqing put it, he and He Wei weren’t close at all, and they didn’t have much to talk about. When they stayed in the same room, they each did their own thing and could go for hours without speaking.

However, most of the lively atmosphere was created by Cheng Zhenqing. He Wei could tell that Cheng Zhenqing genuinely cared about his younger brother, and his concern was evident in his eyes and words. The pianist had a gentle and somewhat reserved personality, and he liked to keep everything to himself. Cheng Zhenqing sometimes initiates conversations about his work, asking if he has encountered any difficult or unpleasant people and encouraging him not to keep it bottled up inside.

Under Cheng Zhenqing’s guidance, Cheng Zesheng occasionally complained about the entertainment industry, and He Wei listened, treating it as gossip.

In the afternoon, He Wei was lying on the balcony’s recliner, holding a black phone, and looking at the music score inside. It was a photo he took and stored on Cheng Zesheng’s phone. After deciphering it, every time he saw this music score, he felt a warmth in his heart.

Whether it was a confession or an expectation, it was the kind of emotional support he needed. His lips curled into a rare, gentle smile, and even his eyes were filled with tenderness.

Through the glass, the pianist took it all in. He bit his lip, curious about what he was looking at to make that expression. His eyes were gentle and transparent as if looking at something he loved.

For some reason, Cheng Zesheng felt a bit uneasy. He walked over and gently tapped on the glass door to the balcony, and He Wei looked up and signaled for him to come in.

Cheng Zesheng stands on the enclosed balcony, pretending to admire the scenery, though it was only the third floor and there was not much to see. He asked, “What are you looking at?”

“Music score,” He Wei handed him the phone and asked, “Can you understand it?”

After all, he was a pianist with a rich sense of music, but Cheng Zesheng glanced at it and shook his head gently, saying, “I don’t know what it means, but the tune sounds a bit strange. Did you write it?”

He Wei smiled but didn’t answer. Cheng Zesheng curiously asked, “Was it written by someone for you?”

“Sort of.”

“Girlfriend?”

He Wei denied it, saying he was not interested in women.

A small spark of joy flared up in Cheng Zesheng’s heart. Cheng Zhenqing happened to interrupt, asking He Wei to help with hanging the laundry.

He Wei walked over slowly, seeing several shirts in the basket, and couldn’t help but sneer, “There’re so many.”

“You think I really called you here to hang the laundry?!” Cheng Zhenqing lowered his voice, “If you don’t want trouble, just keep your distance from him. This guy is sensitive and fragile, hurting him would probably leave him in a low mood for quite some time.”

He Wei looked at him as if he was dealing with a lunatic. He didn’t seem like the type to have multiple relationships, right? He treated the two Cheng Zeshengs as completely different people.

Cheng Zesheng stood stupidly on the balcony, still admiring the scenery.

“In any case, don’t give him any false hopes.” Cheng Zhenqing can’t help but comment, “It’s only been a few days! Damn, love comes so fast, like a tornado.”

“…,” He Wei interrupted him, “Alright, stop talking. I don’t want to think about it anymore.”

———

On the 13th, both He Wei and Cheng Zhenqing woke up early, almost at the break of dawn. When they turned to see each other coming out of their rooms, they immediately understood.

“You couldn’t sleep?” Cheng Zhenqing asked.

“You either?” He Wei replied.

They exchanged smiles for a moment, but their expressions quickly turned serious. Tonight would be the crucial moment to determine victory or defeat. Whether He Wei could save Cheng Zesheng depended entirely on their efforts tonight.

The number 13 was considered unlucky in the West, and April 14th sounds eerie.

After getting ready, Cheng Zhenqing asked what He Wei wanted to eat. He Wei lit a cigarette, not feeling hungry at all. The closer it got to the time, the more his mind was filled with images of Cheng Zesheng being shot. Cheng Zhenqing sighed, “People are like iron, and food is like steel. If you don’t eat well, how can you have the energy to fight the enemy? Do you want some Chinese pancakes and soy milk? I’ll go get them.”

He Wei waved his hand, not particularly concerned about it. He had no appetite; he just needed to fill his stomach. However, just five minutes after Cheng Zhenqing left, the doorbell rang. He Wei thought he forgot his keys, but when he opened the door, he found the pianist standing there.

“…Don’t you have a shoot today?” He Wei remembered. “An interview, I think.”

“They rescheduled it.” Cheng Zesheng’s dark eyes sparkled. “Have you joined my fan group?”

He Wei awkwardly smiled. He couldn’t exactly say he had investigated it before. Faced with Cheng Zesheng’s eyes filled with anticipation, he couldn’t bear to say, “I’m not your fan,” which would surely make Cheng Zesheng wither like a delicate flower.

So, He Wei could only nod. “Yeah, I follow you. You play the piano well.”

Cheng Zesheng blushed slightly at the compliment, which left He Wei even more puzzled. Cheng Zesheng was a big star; he must have received countless compliments and flattery. Why did a simple “you play well” make him shy?

He Wei couldn’t figure it out, nor did he want to. He leaned against the door, and Cheng Zesheng softly asked, “Can I come in?”

“You can come in; I’m not stopping you.”

He Wei hadn’t stopped him; he was just blocking the door. Reminded by Cheng Zesheng, he moved aside as if Cheng Zesheng hadn’t actively requested to come in.

Under normal circumstances, Cheng Zesheng should have been busy with his interview today. But his sudden appearance here could have an impact on the murder case that would happen later tonight.

However, He Wei couldn’t send him back because the other He Wei was currently searching for clues in the pianist’s house with Cheng Zesheng. If the pianist returned home unexpectedly, it would make things difficult for both of them.

Cheng Zesheng noticed that his brother wasn’t home but didn’t ask any questions. His main purpose in coming here today was related to He Wei. If his brother had been here, it would have been awkward and would have affected his performance.

He sat down next to He Wei, casually asking, “Do you know anything about classical music?”

“I don’t,” He Wei replied. He had forgotten most of the vocal-related things he learned during his school days.

“You can try to learn a bit; it can be very inspiring.” Cheng Zesheng’s hand went into his coat pocket. “I have a ticket here…”

“I’m not interested, and I don’t want to learn.”

“…,” Cheng Zesheng’s expression became awkward and uncomfortable. He couldn’t pull out the concert tickets after being slapped like this by He Wei.

He Wei did it on purpose, having already figured out his intentions. He just didn’t want to get into any trouble. Cheng Zhenqing had already warned him, so there was no need to harm his younger brother. He Wei wasn’t interested, and he didn’t have the time for it.

After struggling for a few minutes, Cheng Zesheng finally came up with another excuse. He Wei had already stood up, feeling a bit tired and wanting to go back to his room for a nap.

So, Cheng Zesheng could only watch in disappointment as He Wei closed his bedroom door. He took out a VIP box ticket for the weekend concert from his pocket, wearing a pitiful expression. It was the first time he had ever encountered a situation where he couldn’t give away a ticket, especially to someone who claimed to be his fan.

After a while, Cheng Zhenqing returned, not just with Chinese pancakes but also with xiaolongbao and duck blood vermicelli soup. Upon opening the door and finding Cheng Zesheng there, he paused for a moment before saying, “Have you eaten? If not, come and have some xiaolongbao. I bought too many.”

Cheng Zesheng sat at the table, and Cheng Zhenqing handed him a pair of chopsticks. “Where’s He Wei?”

“He went back to sleep.” Cheng Zesheng replied in a gloomy tone. Cheng Zhenqing picked up a xiaolongbao and placed it in his bowl. “What’s wrong? You look like you’re feeling wronged. Did someone bully you?”

Cheng Zesheng said softly, “Brother, my concert is this weekend…”

Cheng Zhenqing nodded: “I know, you mentioned it last month. I remember. Is this for me? My little brother really is considerate, thinking about everything for his big brother.”

As expected, Cheng Zesheng took out a ticket from his pocket and handed it to Cheng Zhenqing. Just as Cheng Zhenqing was about to take it, Cheng Zesheng asked cautiously, “Can you… try to get He Wei to go?”

“…” Cheng Zhenqing was both saddened and infuriated. He was saddened because, no matter which world they were in, his brother always seemed to favor someone else over him. He was infuriated because no matter which world they were in, He Wei always managed to steal his brother’s attention.

Cheng Zhenqing held Cheng Zesheng’s wrist and said, “Hold on, tell me why you want him to attend your concert? He’s not interested in this stuff.”

Cheng Zesheng’s gaze wandered, and he stuttered, “Just… to make friends… and it happens that the concert is coming up.”

“I think you need a ‘man,'” Cheng Zhenqing said seriously. “But this is a tricky situation. He’s not gay. You need to rein in your feelings. There’s no future for you if you like him.”

Cheng Zesheng’s expression became even more peculiar, and he touched his nose. “He told me last time that he’s not interested in women.”

“…” Cheng Zhenqing wanted to shake He Wei and ask about trust between people. They had agreed to let this one go!

Taking a deep breath, Cheng Zhenqing smiled and asked, “Tell me, what do you like about him? I’ll let him change it.”

Cheng Zesheng’s face turned red, and he touched the tip of his nose, “I don’t know what’s going on? I just saw him and felt familiar. I subconsciously wanted to get closer to him. I don’t know if it counts as liking him, but I just want to make friends with him for now.”

“It’s not your fault.”Cheng Zhenqing sighed. After all, he was also Cheng Zesheng, and he also couldn’t resist He Wei’s natural charm. But the problem was that in the other world, Cheng Zesheng was in love with He Wei, so in this world, this Cheng Zesheng could only…

Cheng Zesheng pulled at Cheng Zhenqing’s sleeve, his tone pleading, “Brother, just do me this favor and let him come to the concert. I… I haven’t figured out how to proceed yet, but it would be great to be friends for now.”

As if afraid Cheng Zhenqing would refuse, Cheng Zesheng pushed the ticket into his brother’s hand. Just at that moment, his manager called, inviting him to take a look at the concert venue. Cheng Zesheng grabbed his hat and mask, moving incredibly quickly, and Cheng Zhenqing couldn’t stop him.

After a while, He Wei’s bedroom door finally opened, and he stood at the doorway, peeking in. “Ready to go?”

Cheng Zhenqing, sipping his soup, looked at him without enthusiasm. He pointed at the ticket lying on the table. The message was clear: you handle it yourself, I can’t do anything now.

He Wei picked up the ticket. This concert was the one Yun Xiaoxiao had already purchased tickets for and intended to attend on the 15th, the evening of the murder.

“You don’t have to worry too much,” He Wei said, folding the ticket neatly and putting it in his pocket. “Cheng Zesheng won’t have any concerts in June.”

Cheng Zhenqing, who had initially been stunned, met He Wei’s gaze and suddenly realized: what he was referring to was that after breaking the time loop, the time might return to its normal course, continuing from June 16th.

Cheng Zhenqing smiled with relief. “Let’s hope so.”