Replacing the Evil Way

Chapter 90: The difference between dreams and reality

A few days later, it was another weekend, and Cheng Zesheng drove to the vicinity of He Wei’s house, hoping for a “chance encounter” with him. To his surprise, as soon as he got out of the car, he saw two He Weis arguing and pulling each other.

The reason he said it was two of them was that their appearances were almost identical. Cheng Zesheng had sharp eyes and noticed a tiny teardrop-shaped mole under the right corner of one of their eyes. This person also had a colder and more distant demeanor, unlike He Wei’s softer and gentler appearance.

Cheng Zesheng remembered that He Wei had mentioned having a twin brother. Could this be him? It seemed that the relationship between the two brothers was not good, as they were already getting physical in the middle of the street.

“I’m going to take you back with me today, come with me!”

“A-Lu, I have something important to do today, I really can’t go back with you…”

He Lu furrowed his brow and forcefully grabbed He Wei’s arm, half pulling and half dragging him towards a black Audi parked nearby. He opened the car door and pushed him inside.

Just then, his shoulder was suddenly grasped and pulled backward with force. He Wei stumbled but managed to steady himself against the car’s hood. He saw a tall man pulling his brother aside and asking if he was okay.

“Are you okay? Does your arm hurt?” Cheng Zesheng squeezed his brother’s arm a few times. “Luckily, it’s not dislocated.”

He Wei rubbed his reddened wrist and moved closer to Cheng Zesheng. He Lu, impatient, said, “Who are you? Mind your own business.”

“Don’t worry about who I am. Your actions just now amount to restricting someone’s personal freedom. If I call the police, you’ll definitely be detained.”

He Lu sneered, “Oh, you’re going to call the police? Is the police station your family’s business?”

Cheng Zesheng took out his ID and almost pressed it against He Lu’s face. He Lu’s face changed, and he pushed away Cheng Zesheng’s hand. “Are you trying to intimidate me with your police identity? This is my brother, and we’re dealing with family matters. You’re meddling too much!”

“Family matters should also be resolved within the bounds of the law.” Cheng Zesheng turned to He Wei. “Where does he want to take you?”

He Wei answered in a low voice, “To his… his house.”

“Do you want to go with him?”

He Wei hadn’t had a chance to respond when He Lu spoke with a stern tone, “Ge, it’s best if you come back with me today. Don’t provoke my anger.”

He Wei trembled all over and instinctively grabbed Cheng Zesheng’s arm, half of his body hiding behind him. He Lu furrowed his brow, his gaze moving back and forth between the two of them. “What’s the relationship between you two?”

Cheng Zesheng didn’t pay any attention to He Lu and asked softly once again, “Do you want to go with him?”

He Wei hesitated for a while, his gaze shrinking even further when he met He Lu’s eyes, and he shook his head without daring to speak.

“In that case, don’t go back with him. Where would you like to go? I’ll give you a ride.”

Cheng Zesheng took He Wei’s arm and turned to leave, which made He Lu anxious. He took a step forward and reached out, but he couldn’t even grab his brother’s clothes before Cheng Zesheng stopped him.

“What kind of brother are you? He’s your older brother! Pushing and shoving, shouting and screaming, you didn’t even show basic respect.” Cheng Zesheng pointed at He Lu, his tone stern. “I don’t care what ‘family matters’ you have between you, but you can’t force He Wei to do something he doesn’t want to do. Otherwise, I really don’t mind taking you to the police station for tea.”

He Lu’s face turned pale, and he glared at He Wei before turning his angry gaze back to Cheng Zesheng. Through gritted teeth, he said, “Fine, He Wei, don’t think you can hide from me forever. Unless you’re planning to stay away from home for the rest of your life!”

He slammed the car door, started the Audi’s engine, and sped away in a cloud of dust. After he left, He Wei finally breathed a sigh of relief, his expression filled with worry. Cheng Zesheng found it strange, “What did your brother want from you? He scared you like that.”

He Wei seemed hesitant to speak, shaking his head without saying anything. Seeing that he didn’t want to discuss it, Cheng Zesheng didn’t press further and asked, “Where do you want to go now?”

“Let’s go to Liang Jingyuan’s place,” He Wei said, stealing a shy glance at Cheng Zesheng. “I was just thinking of inviting you for a drink.”

———

Avenoir hadn’t opened for business yet, and there was a “CLOSED” sign hanging outside. Behind the bar stood three people, including the owner and his two friends.

The man behind the bar, wearing glasses, had a handsome face and a gentle demeanor. He prepared a glass of orange-red juice and handed it to Cheng Zesheng, smiling, “What a coincidence! I didn’t expect Officer Cheng to know my old college friend.”

“It’s a coincidence,” Cheng Zesheng took a sip from the glass. “I didn’t know you were not only the owner but also a bartender.”

He Wei held a Mojito in his hands and chimed in, “Liang Jingyuan worked as a bartender in a bar at Jingyuan University, so he’s really good at it.”

Liang Jingyuan smiled and didn’t say anything; instead, he had some appetizers sent over from the kitchen. He noticed the red marks on He Wei’s wrist and asked, “What happened to your hand?”

He Wei stammered, but Liang Jingyuan had already guessed, and a smile crept onto his lips, “Did He Lu come looking for you again?”

“…Um.”

“Your presence here is thanks to Officer Cheng, right? Otherwise, you wouldn’t have come to my place,” Liang Jingyuan expressed his gratitude to Cheng Zesheng. “Thank you for helping out, Officer Cheng. I truly hope to see the day when He Lu gets arrested.”

He Wei felt somewhat embarrassed and replied, “Jingyuan…”

“He’s just a scumbag, or rather, calling him a scumbag is too generous.” Liang Jingyuan said as he wiped the cleaned glasses dry. “Your place isn’t safe at all. How about moving in with me? He Lu definitely wouldn’t dare to come looking for you here.”

He Wei shook his head. Whenever he was less than enthusiastic, he would lower his head and remain silent. It seemed that Liang Jingyuan had suggested this before, but He Wei’s reaction was always the same. Liang Jingyuan shrugged, “If you don’t want to come, don’t come. As long as the senior is happy.”

While He Wei was in the restroom, Cheng Zesheng leaned over and asked in a low voice, “What’s the deal with his younger brother?”

Liang Jingyuan’s expression remained calm, but his eyes were filled with disdain and disgust. “He’s obsessive, with a strong need for control. He treats his older brother like his possession, like a mad dog.”

Cheng Zesheng’s quick-thinking mind led him to a bold thought. “Could he… be in love with his own brother?”

Liang Jingyuan raised an eyebrow and chuckled, “Officer Cheng, you have a keen sense. Are we members of the same group?”

Cheng Zesheng cleared his throat, about to deny it, but then he remembered the intense feelings he had in his dream for He Wei and his real-life desire to get closer to him. Denying his attraction to men suddenly felt less convincing.

Liang Jingyuan rested his chin on his hand, carefully studying Cheng Zesheng. “Officer Cheng, people with a personality like Senior’s aren’t easy to get close to. You approached him first, didn’t you?”

Cheng Zesheng admitted it straightforwardly. Yes, he had indeed approached He Wei first. But he wasn’t a paranoid and unreasonable jerk like He Lu, so Liang Jingyuan had no reason to be hostile toward him.

Liang Jingyuan smiled, “I know, I understand Officer Cheng’s character.” He raised his index finger, “I only want to say one thing. If you have feelings for Senior, then please protect him and don’t let him get hurt again.”

———

When they left the bar, it was still early in the evening. Cheng Zesheng asked, “Is there anything else you’d like to do?”

He Wei shook his head. Apart from coming to Liang Jingyuan’s place, he didn’t have any other plans for entertainment. Cheng Zesheng then asked if he had time to accompany him to take Stephen to the pet store.

“Pet… Is it a cat?” 

Cheng Zesheng nodded, “A Ragdoll cat. Do you like cats?”

He probably would, given how close they were in his dream.

Unexpectedly, He Wei bit his lip and intertwined his slender fingers. “I’m sorry, I have allergic asthma, and I can’t tolerate animals with long fur.”

Cheng Zesheng was taken aback. He hadn’t expected this response. For a moment, he felt that the He Wei sitting beside him and the one from his dream were becoming increasingly different, especially in terms of personality. He believed that if it were He Wei from his dream, he would have easily dealt with He Lu’s aggression earlier.

“Oh, it’s okay. My mistake for not checking properly. It’s probably better for you not to have pets with your allergy,” Cheng Zesheng said as he turned the steering wheel. “Let me take you back home.”

He Wei opened his mouth, wanting to invite him for dinner, but Cheng Zesheng was focused on the road, seemingly not giving him the chance to speak. He Wei contemplated silently along the way and eventually gave up.

After dropping He Wei off at his place, Cheng Zesheng went to a restaurant to pick up a portion of roasted duck wings and brought them home. The takeout was placed on the passenger seat, filling the car with an enticing aroma. As Cheng Zesheng drove, a vivid image of him and He Wei sitting across from each other, enjoying takeout together, appeared in his mind. It was a simple and heartwarming scene, silent yet romantic.

The senses of smell and taste held the longest-lasting memories. Cheng Zesheng gradually became puzzled, questioning whether these memories were from dreams or if they had some basis in reality. However, he and He Wei were not acquainted before, so where did these mixed-up memories come from?

Upon arriving home, Cheng Zesheng sat alone at the table, savoring the duck wings. He didn’t feel lonely because Stephen had jumped onto the table, keeping him company. Cheng Zesheng ate while Stephen watched, one bite at a time.

Cheng Zesheng stared at the adorable Ragdoll cat, murmuring to himself, “Why would you be allergic to cats?”

He had adopted Stephen because of He Wei’s remark in his dream about wanting to raise a cat together. But now it seemed that everything was reversed. Not only did He Wei not want to keep a cat, but he was also allergic.

Stephen, carefree, sniffed the air a few times, and the scent of his dad’s food seemed even more enticing than cat food.

Cheng Zesheng carried the trash and opened the door, instructing Stephen, “Dad will be back in twenty seconds. Be good and stay inside; don’t wander around.”

Stephen replied with a “meow,” seemingly agreeing to the request. Cheng Zesheng left the door slightly ajar, and as soon as he left, the clever Ragdoll cat used its small paws to push the door open and slipped out, its soft body gracefully gliding.

During the weekend, He Wei spent the afternoon at the library, reading a book borrowed from there. As he exited the elevator, he spotted the clever and beautiful Ragdoll cat again.

It appeared to be lost, wandering the hallway. It sniffed at every door and stood on its hind legs, scratching the door of apartment 403 while emitting soft meows.

Was this cat from the opposite apartment? He Wei walked over, this time successfully preventing the Ragdoll cat from running away, and managed to pick it up.

It looked so much like him. Whether it was the facial features, the eyes’ color, or the fur, it bore a striking resemblance to Stephen. He called out, “Stephen,” and the Ragdoll cat’s ears perked up, showing a response to the name.

He Wei was overjoyed and couldn’t bear to let it go. “You really are Stephen? It’s okay, I’ll treat you as him.”

Seeming to like He Wei, Stephen nuzzled his hand and lay still in his arms. He Wei enjoyed the moment but understood that he couldn’t keep a cat that wasn’t his own. He played with it in the hallway for a while and then knocked on the door of 403.

After several knocks without a response, He Wei figured that maybe the person in 403 wasn’t at home. But he couldn’t understand how the cat had gotten out if its owner wasn’t home. Had it been intentionally abandoned?

The likelihood of that was slim. It wasn’t logical to abandon such a beautiful Ragdoll cat. It was either a case of mistaken identity or it didn’t belong to the person in apartment 403.

He Wei knocked on all the neighboring doors in the hallway but still couldn’t find the cat’s owner. He wore a somewhat helpless expression but secretly felt a sense of joy. “How about you come back with me for now? I have some delicious canned food at home.”

When Stephen heard “canned food,” his dad was suddenly less important, and the prospect of delicious canned food took precedence.

He Wei opened a can of food and placed it in front of Stephen, squatting nearby and watching as the cat enjoyed its meal. He decided to take it in for the night, and since tomorrow was the weekend, he could dedicate a whole day to helping Stephen find its owner.

“I’ve also thought about getting a cat,” He Wei thought of Cheng Zesheng and sighed with a bitter smile, “But without him, it seems like there is no point in raising anything.”