Replacing the Evil Way

Chapter 88: Broken World

“Do you still remember what you told me before you were arrested?” He Wei crossed his arms, looking down at the prisoner whose hands were handcuffed together.

Li Chenggui sat in the interrogation chair, pondering for a moment before shaking his head. “Officer, what did I say? Can you give me a hint?”

He Wei leaned forward, speaking softly, “You said—someone helped you.”

“I didn’t have anyone to help me. I’m a stranger here, who could I ask for help?” Li Chenggui thought He Wei was trying to trick him again. “Officer He, I’ve already confessed everything I should confess. Even the punctuation marks in the transcript are accurate.”

He Wei continued to question, “Did you come up with the methods of the crime yourself or did you hear about them from someone else?”

“I really didn’t. I felt quite proud when I came up with this method like I was even better than Conan,” Li Chenggui chuckled.

“…” He Wei was speechless, not understanding what there was to be proud of. Criminals would face the consequences of their actions, and there was no glory in these deeds. He decided to leave the self-congratulatory thoughts for Li Chenggui to reflect on in prison.

After leaving the interrogation room, He Wei was called by Zheng Furui and given the key to a new apartment.

“Here, the new apartment is ready. Someone has already moved in, so you should hurry up.” 

He Wei looked at the key, and it read “405,” right across from the original 404. He didn’t share Chief Zheng’s expected excitement but instead stared at the key in a daze, muttering, “Why is there no 404?”

Zheng Furui held up a ceramic teapot and touched his beer belly, “How would I know? You’d have to ask the apartment designer. Maybe it’s because having two 4s is considered unlucky.”

“Is the furniture all set up?” He Wei paused. “If my brother helped with it, just let me know. I won’t say anything.”

“Oh, why bring your brother into this? The furniture was all picked out by me and Youqing!” Zheng Furui tapped the table with his index finger. “My daughter has excellent taste; I guarantee you’ll like it when you move in.”

He Wei smiled and didn’t say anything. He put the key in his pocket and turned to leave. Zheng Furui couldn’t help but feel that something was off about his demeanor, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

In his office, He Wei played with the key in his hand. A beautiful face appeared at the door, with raised eyebrows. “Are you working overtime tonight?”

He Wei shook his head, realizing he didn’t have any cases at the moment, so he planned to check out his new apartment.

Hearing that he was going to the new apartment, Zheng Yuqing pointed her chin and smiled, “Take a good look, and don’t forget to praise me tomorrow.”

“I’ll definitely praise you. Lao Zheng said you picked everything, and you have a good eye.”

“That’s only natural. Everything I choose is excellent,” Zheng Yuqing hinted at something, and He Wei sighed, “I don’t have a choice anymore.”

Through the events with Li Chenggui and the new apartment, He Wei could confirm that the first loop no longer existed. Everything now followed the course of events after his second-time travel. 

This included the absence of Cheng Zhenqing. The two parallel worlds had been severed, and he was certain there would be no more duplicates of himself or Cheng Zesheng in this world.

After work, He Wei drove to the future domain and stood once again in front of the wall at the end of the corridor. This time, he didn’t linger long and turned to open the door to 405.

As the security door slowly opened, the fresh colors of the furniture and curtains were refreshing, with a subtle fruit-green theme running throughout. The layout here was entirely different from 404, and even the clock on the wall was not the brass pendulum clock but a fruit-themed clock carved with kiwi fruit, matching the furniture.

Sitting on the unfamiliar sofa, He Wei seemed exhausted. He slumped down, closed his eyes, and recalled the scenes of rolling on the sofa bed with Cheng Zesheng. Every kiss and touch felt so real and passionate. They were just memories, yet even his neck felt like it still bore the scorching imprints of the kisses.

How could it all be erased so easily?

He Wei opened his eyes, picked up his coat, and quickly left, calling Lian Jingyuan, “Wait for me at home, I’ll be there within an hour.”

———

Before He Wei arrived, he habitually bought a sufficient amount of cat food and snacks from the pet store. However, when Lian Jingyuan opened the door, a tiny teacup dog, small in size and pure white, leaped out and sat in the hallway, tilting its head to look at him.

He Wei was momentarily stunned, and Lian Jingyuan’s voice sounded, “How did it disappear in the blink of an eye? This little one can run quite fast with its short legs.”

He walked out and found the teacup dog interacting with He Wei. He picked it up and asked, “You’re here. What did you bring?”

He Wei stared at the teacup dog and then around the house, asking, “Where’s Stephen?”

“Who’s Stephen? There’s only Schrödinger here, nicknamed Snowy,” Lian Jingyuan pinched the dog’s paw and wiggled it. “Snowy, say hello.”

He Wei’s mood was complicated. He realized that the canned cat food and snacks he brought had no use there. He never expected reality to be this cruel, to the point where the gentle ragdoll cat, who had kept him company through countless cold nights, had also disappeared, and the second lifeline he had entrusted his emotions to had completely snapped.

“Why did you buy cat food?” Lian Jingyuan opened the bag, amused and puzzled. “Who told you I have a cat? I haven’t even told anyone that I have a dog.”

“What if I tell you that you’ve been keeping a Ragdoll cat named Stephen all this time? Would you believe me?” He Wei rubbed his temples, smiling bitterly. “It’s all a mess; I’m completely lost.”

Lian Jingyuan helped him pour a cup of tea and encouraged him to sit down and slowly explain. He Wei couldn’t find anyone else to confide in, and he knew that if he told anyone else, they might think he was crazy. Telling Lian Jingyuan might lead to a more understanding response, like, “You’re under a lot of work-related stress and need a break.”

He Wei explained halfway, and Lian Jingyuan’s expression had changed from calm to astonishment. He wondered if He Wei had been under too much pressure recently, leading to hallucinations. He Wei emphatically said, “I’m not crazy, my mental state is perfectly fine, and everything I’ve told you is based on real events. It’s just that everything has changed now.”

He lowered his head and looked at Schrödinger, lying at his feet. “Including pets. I’ve been with Stephen for so long; there’s no way it could be fake.”

“But…” Lian Jingyuan smiled wryly, “A-Wei, you can’t find any evidence to prove that you’ve experienced time loops.”

Lian Jingyuan’s words made sense. The previous loop didn’t exist, and what he knew as “facts” no longer matched the current reality. He had no concrete evidence, so how could he make others believe in something so absurd?

He Wei suddenly stood up, walked to Lian Jingyuan’s study, and turned on the computer. Lian Jingyuan followed, saying, “Are you going to use the computer? I set a startup password…”

He Wei glanced at the keyboard and suddenly felt there was no need to prove anything.

The letters on the numeric keypad were worn out and different from before, focusing on the numbers “5, 3, 1, 0.” Lian Jingyuan came over and entered “0315,” and the account logged in.

“Is it your mom’s birthday?”

“Uh? My mom’s birthday is in January; this is my lunar birthday.”

He Wei sat in the chair, and his memories were overturned time and time again, making him doubt himself.

Lian Jingyuan crouched down, supporting He Wei’s shoulders, looking concerned. “A-Wei, I know a professional psychologist. In your situation, it might be a good idea to seek counseling.”

He Wei remained silent for a long time, shaking his head stubbornly. “No need. Everything I’ve experienced is real, and I’m very clear about it.”

———

In his dreams, Cheng Zesheng quietly accompanied the man for several days. He didn’t know exactly how much time had passed, but roughly speaking, it had been over a month. Whenever the man left the house, he was always dressed in black from head to toe, wearing a hat and mask, being low-key and cautious.

Most of the time, he was in Lian Jingyuan’s home, playing with a cat named Stephen. The bond between the man and the cat was so strong that when the man held the cat, Cheng Zesheng couldn’t help but feel a hint of jealousy.

Cheng Zesheng wondered if cats had a natural ability to sense spirits. While the man couldn’t see Cheng Zesheng, the cat seemed to know exactly where he was, using its keen sense of smell to find Cheng Zesheng’s location and sniff around the area where he stood.

“What are you looking for, Stephen?” The man’s voice was low and gentle as he picked up Stephen. Stephen let out a soft meow, but unfortunately, the man couldn’t understand the cat language. He carried the cat to the balcony to groom it.

Cheng Zesheng followed them to the balcony, squatting down and resting his chin on his hand as he watched the man. Although he couldn’t see the man’s appearance, for some reason, Cheng Zesheng felt that he couldn’t be unattractive. In fact, he imagined the man’s features to be exquisite and charming, looking at the Ragdoll cat with a captivating smile at the moment.

“Seeing you so well-behaved makes me want to have a pet too.” He said as he stroked Stephen’s small head. “But I don’t know if my roommate likes cats. I’ve never heard him mention it.”

I do. Cheng Zesheng immediately responded, but unfortunately, he couldn’t make a sound to let the man hear.

He Wei held Stephen and rubbed its ears. “If I can save him, I’ll get a beautiful Ragdoll cat like you. I’ll bring it over to keep you company. How about that?”

Cheng Zesheng woke up from his dream and sat on the edge of the bed, lost in thought for a while. He suddenly had the idea of getting a Ragdoll cat.

When Xie Wenxi heard that he wanted to get a pet, he was completely surprised. “Are you serious? You’re actually getting a cat? And a Ragdoll at that. I suggest you, as a beginner, get a British Shorthair. Ragdolls are delicate and not easy to take care of, and you’re a busy person with limited time for them.”

“No, I want a Ragdoll. Other breeds won’t do.” Cheng Zesheng’s mind flashed with the image of the Ragdoll from his dream. “I want one with a face marked like an eight, brown ears, brown back, white paws, and pink paw pads and nose…”

“Damn, your requirements are so detailed. I don’t even understand what you’re saying. I’ll have my friend choose one according to your specifications, and I’ll contact you when we find one.”

After a week of searching for a cat, Xie Wenxi’s friend was very responsible and visited several catteries. Finally, they found a Ragdoll kitten that met Cheng Zesheng’s requirements. Without hesitation, Cheng Zesheng brought it to his apartment.

The Ragdoll was four months old, had a striking resemblance in appearance and size to Stephen, and had the softest and gentlest meow. On the first day at home, it refused to sleep in its own bed and insisted on sleeping on the same bed as Cheng Zesheng.

“What should I name you…” Cheng Zesheng stroked the soft fur of the Ragdoll. “How about calling you Stephen?”

Cheng Zesheng cuddled with his Stephen and fell asleep together. In his dreams, he was once again by the man’s side. They first returned to a grand mansion for dinner, and then back to Lian Jingyuan’s home. Cheng Zesheng watched as the man woke up from a nightmare, gasping for breath, clearly shaken.

Cheng Zesheng half-squatted by the bedside, extending his pale hand and placing it on the man’s hand.

Don’t be afraid, I’m here with you.

He silently told the man.

———

Xie Wenxi invited Cheng Zesheng to have dinner together and mentioned that the friend who helped with the cat was also coming. Cheng Zesheng wanted to express his gratitude, so he agreed to join them.

Upon arriving at the restaurant, they found a graceful and elegant woman with long flowing hair sitting at a booth. She smiled shyly at Cheng Zesheng, and he felt like he had seen her somewhere before. Xie Wenxi explained, “Don’t you remember her? This is Lin Wan, the school beauty from our high school. She was known for her beauty and grace. You forgot?”

Cheng Zesheng shook his head in confusion; he didn’t remember, and that was a definite answer. He had been a late bloomer back then and didn’t pay much attention to the campus beauties. Remembering her face vaguely was already quite impressive for him.

After they sat down, Cheng Zesheng realized that this dinner appointment arranged by Xie Wenxi was not just about the cat; it was an attempt at matchmaking. Lin Wan, who seemed like a refined lady, could only shyly steal glances at Cheng Zesheng, while Xie Wenxi, with her beauty mark, was playing the role of a matchmaker, exaggerating Lin Wan’s virtues as if Cheng Zesheng would be blind not to be smitten by her.

Cheng Zesheng grumbled about Xie Wenxi always meddling in his affairs. Xie Wenxi sensed his annoyance and, while Lin Wan was away in the restroom, whispered, “Don’t blame me. It’s the Auntie who asked me to introduce a beautiful girl to you. I’m just doing her a favor. You’re already thirty this year, and time waits for no one.”

“… You should focus on your own matters first.” Cheng Zesheng spoke as he was about to get up, “I need to get back to the bureau; the case isn’t finished yet. I don’t have time to hang around with you.”

Xie Wenxi insisted, “Hey, it’s not a bad thing to have someone keep you company while raising a cat, right? She runs a pet shop, so she knows more about it than you do. At least wait until you exchange phone numbers before you leave, or I won’t be able to report back to Auntie.”

When Lin Wan returned from the restroom, the two who had just been arguing pretended like nothing had happened. The two women were chatting happily, while Cheng Zesheng felt increasingly bored, propping up his head and looking out of the window. He had already become so disinterested that he was counting the streetlights on the street below.

Suddenly, his gaze was captivated by a figure dressed in a white shirt and black trousers, standing at the intersection across the street. It was rush hour, and a group of office workers were pouring out of the office building. However, this man, in particular, caught Cheng Zesheng’s attention.

His silhouette overlapped with the person from his dream. Their height and body shape seemed to be carved from the same mold.

“I think it’s great. Just exchange WeChat contacts, and in the future, if you want to buy cats or dogs, you won’t need me as a middleman, right, Wanwan?” Xie Wenxi said with a sly smile.

Cheng Zesheng’s gaze was fixated on the man who was now standing at the street corner, waiting for the traffic light to change. From head to toe, he looked like an ordinary office worker, like everyone else. He had his head down, staring at his phone, seemingly unremarkable.

Lin Wan blushed and discreetly picked up her phone, “Okay then…”

Cheng Zesheng abruptly stood up with a brushing sound, leaving behind the words “Something came up.” He didn’t look back as he quickly walked out of the restaurant. He walked forward in large steps and didn’t even wait for the elevator, he rushed down the emergency stairs, bursting out of the shopping mall.

At the street corner, the traffic light turned green. The crowd surged forward, and the man’s figure became hazy, blending into the throng of people, almost indistinguishable.

Cheng Zesheng also squeezed his way in. He passed through the crowd of office workers, unfazed by the curious glances he received. His eyes remained fixed on the tall figure with a head of shiny black hair ahead of him.

He was almost there, just a little bit more, and he would catch up.

Cheng Zesheng practically pushed through the bustling crowd, grabbing the man’s arm.

The man stopped in his tracks, looking back with a mixture of surprise and caution in his eyes.

Cheng Zesheng stared at him, and the murky haze in his mind began to clear, revealing features strikingly similar to the man before him.

“Who are you?” Even though Cheng Zesheng was the one who had pursued him, he found himself asking the question first.

The man cautiously replied, “I’m He… He Wei.”

He Wei.

A burst of intense light filled Cheng Zesheng’s empty heart as the name filled his thoughts.

He had finally found him.