Chapter 31: [HELLO] [Hello]

In the dark, with a brilliant moon hanging within the black night time sky, a jeep stopped on the intersection of Fulong Mountain. Chong Zhen and He Wei climbed the mountain highway for ten minutes and arrived on the mansion.

As the times since Cheng Zesheng’s passing grew longer, the variety of followers coming to the mountain to mourn progressively decreased. Nonetheless, there have been nonetheless those that couldn’t neglect, treating this place as Cheng Zesheng’s resting place. Day by day, they’d place a bouquet of flowers right here and pray for him.

They stood exterior the cordon and noticed a bunch of delicate and delightful lilies positioned quietly there. The blooming flowers had been nonetheless adorned with dew, indicating that that they had been positioned there solely within the night. Chong Zhen exclaimed, “Being a celeb is nice. Take a look at this, so many individuals take turns to recollect. If it had been me, I wouldn’t even wish to be reincarnated.”

“Don’t fear, you don’t have that sort of destiny.” He Wei bent over, picked up the cardboard inserted within the lilies, turned it over, and noticed two traces of stylish handwriting. The highest line learn, “HELLO.ninth,” and the subsequent line was signed, “Wei Youdie.”

“Take a look at the dates on the again. The woman is absolutely persistent, maintaining with recent flowers for 9 days in a row,” Chongzhen speculated, stroking his chin. “Do you suppose it’s like establishing a non secular follow? You need to provide flowers repeatedly for forty-nine days to rely?”

How may He Wei know? He inserted the cardboard again and organized the lilies. A beam of sunshine shone via, inflicting He Wei to squint his eyes. A patrolling police officer holding a flashlight approached.

“You may’t simply come right here like this. It’s against the law scene. Depart rapidly.”

He Wei and Chong Zhen exchanged glances. Chong Zhen cleared his throat evenly, “We’re from the Legal Investigation Division of the Shengzhou Municipal Bureau.”

The younger patrol officer had simply been assigned to patrol obligation on the scene a few days in the past and hadn’t encountered anybody from town’s legal investigation crew. Seeing them in plain garments, exhibiting up right here in the midst of the night time, their motives appeared suspicious. He sternly stated, “Please present your ID.”

“Alright, alright, it’s simply the ID, proper?” Chong Zhen reached into his pocket, felt round, after which slapped his brow. “Rattling, I left it within the jacket I wore through the day!”

He Wei’s pocket was additionally empty as a result of he had absentmindedly left the ID within the automotive when he took out the lighter earlier, and he didn’t keep in mind to seize it after they obtained out of the automotive.

Now issues had been getting worse; the younger patrol officer regarded them much more suspiciously. Chong Zhen tried to purpose with a nice tone, “Comrade, which precinct are you from? We’re colleagues. Our IDs are within the automotive. Taking place and coming again up will solely take twenty minutes, and it’ll save us all a while and effectivity.”

The younger patrol officer remained agency, “If you happen to can’t produce your IDs, you may’t enter. Go down the mountain rapidly!”

Chong Zhen couldn’t assist however suppose, why was this child so accountable? He was about to say a couple of extra phrases, however He Wei stopped him. With a pointy look, He Wei scanned the patrol officer from head to toe, smiled barely, after which started to make use of his expertise.

“Comrade, are you in a foul temper as a result of your marriage proposal failed?”

The patrol officer blinked and furrowed his brows, “Don’t discuss nonsense, don’t attempt to get shut!”

He Wei acted as if he didn’t hear, “Let me guess once more. To procure a hoop, reserved a candlelit dinner, and even obtained a luxurious model lipstick as a present in your girlfriend. Sadly, she didn’t prefer it. She picked up her bag and left on the spot, which led to your unsuccessful proposal. You ended up consuming alone. You’re on night time obligation, so that you couldn’t make amends together with your girlfriend. You should be fairly annoyed, proper?”

The patrol officer seemed bewildered and blurted out, “How have you learnt?”

“It’s easy. The cuffs of your uniform are stained with black pepper sauce, and the white spot in your chest is probably going from salad or mushroom soup. Nonetheless, your demeanor doesn’t appear to favor a bourgeois life-style. You could have chosen the Western restaurant for another person, contemplating the excessive costs. Even when your girlfriend left in anger, you wouldn’t wish to waste the meal and find yourself consuming it alone. The aim of your go to to the Western restaurant is in your pants pocket, a sq. field, simply the correct measurement for a hoop.”

“As for the rationale for the argument…” He Wei raised his proper hand and pointed behind his hand. “That pink mark in your hand might be lipstick that you simply didn’t wipe off cleanly after attempting it on. You tried a number of shades and ended up selecting the one your girlfriend dislikes probably the most. No marvel you felt wronged. Did you simply go to make up together with her on the cellphone? Your cellphone remains to be in your hand. Comrade, although I’ve by no means been in a romantic relationship, I do know that ‘pink neon’ just isn’t a coloration most women can deal with. Keep in mind, don’t purchase that shade sooner or later.”

The patrol officer’s nostril tingled, and a wave of disappointment washed over him. “How do you even know this?”

“As a result of whenever you had been wiping the lipstick, you by accident smudged one other uniform cuff.”

Chong Zhen beamed triumphantly, see that? That is our Captain He with sharp eyes, no matter particulars you disguise can’t escape his gaze!

He Wei lifted the cordon. “Alright, you may proceed together with your cellphone name. We’ll go in for some time and are available out quickly.”

“Okay… wait!” The younger patrol officer jumped up. “Don’t suppose that performing like Conan will work! Present me your IDs!”

He Wei: “…”

Chong Zhen: “…”

Fifteen minutes later, Chong Zhen returned, panting, and thrust the identification proper in entrance of the patrol officer’s eyes. “Take look! Captain of the Shengzhou Municipal Legal Investigation Division! Official stage! I’m exhausted from going forwards and backwards. Why is that this child so cussed?”

The patrol officer seemed on the IDs, saluted the 2, and gestured with a “please” movement. He Wei tucked the ID into his pocket, lifted the cordon, and Chong Zhen went inside, commenting, “Why didn’t they offer you a high-level deputy place? It could be much more intimidating.”

He Wei sneered, “If I get promoted to Deputy Chief at my age, do you wish to make Lao Zheng step down or have me subjected to dictatorship?”

“Hey, you’re not younger anymore. Take a look at these outstanding characters in novels. They develop into police chiefs by the age of 25! You even have the face of a male lead. Why are you so missing in ambition?”

He Wei couldn’t be bothered to reply. He raised his watch to verify the time. With that little commotion with the younger patrol officer, time handed rapidly. Solely ten minutes stay till midnight.

Simply as midnight approached, Cheng Zesheng additionally arrived on the mansion. The mountain was eerily quiet. The stout patrol officer was dozing off in a chair, utterly unaware of anybody approaching.

For the reason that patrol officer was asleep, Cheng Zesheng determined to not disturb him. He stepped contained in the cordon. He instinctively pulled out a pair of plastic gloves from his pocket and was about to place them on when he realized that he wasn’t right here for the crime scene investigation as we speak, so he didn’t want them in any respect.

Cheng Zesheng stared at his wristwatch. Because the clock struck twelve, he pushed open the mansion door and entered this eerie crime scene.

Concurrently, He Wei muttered to himself, “Time’s up.”

He pushed open the creaking door, and a skinny line of sunshine tore via the darkness, disrupting the mansion’s tranquility.

——

“Faucet,faucet,” the sound of Cheng Zesheng’s footsteps echoed in the lounge as he seemed round, his ears alert for every other sounds. Sadly, there was nothing – the mansion was extraordinarily quiet, providing solely echoes in response.

As soon as He Wei entered, he known as out, “Cheng Zesheng!”

Chong Zhen rubbed his arms, and goosebumps began to kind.

“Cheng Zesheng!” He Wei took a few steps ahead. “Are you able to hear me?”

The echoes of He Wei’s voice reverberated via the spacious mansion, however aside from that, there was no different sound.

“He Wei, are you there?” Cheng Zesheng additionally requested, however sadly, there was nonetheless solely his personal voice echoing again. He all of a sudden remembered one thing, and he casually picked up a spherical stone carving from a pillar and let it roll alongside the bottom.

The stone carving rolled to Chong Zhen’s toes, and he seemed down, puzzled: “What’s this?”

He Wei keenly seen that the spherical stone carving that was simply on the pillar they handed had disappeared. He whispered, “He’s right here.”

Chong Zhen was startled: “Don’t scare me. I solely have one protecting amulet. If I tear it in half to provide you a bit, it’d lose its energy.”

“Cheng Zesheng, are you able to hear me?”

After one other inquiry, He Wei confirmed that Cheng Zesheng couldn’t hear them. So, he took out a notepad and wrote two phrases on a bit of paper, sticking it onto the spherical stone carving earlier than inserting it again the place it was.

Cheng Zesheng seen the spherical stone carving returning, this time with a well-known word hooked up: [I’m here.]

Simply two easy phrases immediately lightened Cheng Zesheng’s temper, dispelling the preliminary heaviness he felt upon getting into. This place was totally different from his condo; although the proof he took exterior wouldn’t collapse and disappear, he couldn’t hear He Wei’s voice. 

He Wei and Chong Zhen aimlessly wandered via the mansion, with Chong Zhen sometimes asking, “Is there any progress?” He Wei responded half-heartedly, “Nearly there, virtually there,” whereas ready for a response from Cheng Zesheng.

Cheng Zesheng’s word was fairly prolonged. He defined to He Wei that he couldn’t hear any sounds there, however he may see the notes. He wasn’t positive what triggered the power to speak. He speculated that it may need one thing to do with the clock, presumably the shortage of the piano melody. That might be the rationale they couldn’t converse easily.

Chong Zhen noticed the numerous notes and was completely frightened, “…Rattling it! It’s really right here! L-La-Lao He Wei, take it straightforward, don’t mess with supernatural video games like this!”

He Wei was each amused and exasperated. He draped his arm over Chongzhen’s shoulder and patted his face, saying, “You’re so tall and formidable-looking, but you’re this simply scared. What supernatural sport? Have you learnt about parallel worlds?”

“I don’t know,” Chong Zhen replied firmly, “I’m an idealist. I imagine there’s just one.”

“…You’re actually one thing.”

He Wei launched him and walked in direction of the balcony, trying up on the brilliant moon exterior. Stars had been twinkling within the night time sky, much more quite a few and brighter than these seen within the metropolis. The air was recent with a touch of chilliness, invigorating his thoughts.

Tonight’s experiment resulted in failure. They hadn’t found the penetration patterns of the folded area. He thought there is likely to be an opportunity to see Cheng Zesheng, however he couldn’t even hear his voice. How may he count on to see him?

He rubbed his neck absentmindedly, and all of a sudden, his motion halted. He seemed down unintentionally, his actions freezing.

By means of the clear glass, a mirrored image appeared – apart from the furnishings of the mansion and Chong Zhen leaning in opposition to the steps, there was additionally a tall determine sporting a lightweight blue shirt and a black windbreaker draped over his arm, standing in the lounge.

He Wei’s heartbeat accelerated abruptly, and he slowly turned his head. His gaze fell solely on Chong Zhen and the acquainted décor, however the spot the place the person appeared was empty.

“… Chong Zhen,” He Wei’s throat felt dry, “come over right here.”

Chong Zhen walked over as requested, standing beside He Wei. He Wei raised his chin barely and requested, “The reflection within the glass, what do you see?”

Chong Zhen stared on the reflection with a confused expression on his face. “…Moreover you and me, what else?”

“Look extra carefully.”

“I did look carefully. It’s simply you and me, and there are a couple of pillars behind us, a settee… and that’s it.”

Chong Zhen couldn’t see.

After He Wei realized this, he patted Chong Zhen’s shoulder with feigned ease, saying it was nothing, only a informal query. Chong Zhen, feeling suspicious and uneasy, discovered a nook to smoke.

He Wei stared on the reflection within the glass, his index finger curling up as he evenly tapped the glass twice.

“Faucet, faucet.”

With eager listening to, the person instantly rotated. His finely sculpted face entered He Wei’s line of sight, his expressive black eyes enhancing his already good-looking options, making him unforgettable.

Positive sufficient, a residing individual appears to be like higher. He Wei’s lips curled right into a smile.

Cheng Zesheng turned his head and seemed within the path of the balcony. The place was he?

Step-by-step, he walked over, noticing the additional reflection on the glass. He was astonished and unconsciously quickened his tempo.

Within the glass’s reflection, a face with delicate and mild options and calm eyebrows and eyes appeared. Not like the stiffness of He Lu’s expression, these options, though the identical, had a delicate high quality when illuminated by the moonlight, radiating an inexplicable heat.

Seeing him strategy, He Wei exhaled, making a mist on the glass. His hand moved throughout the mist, writing stroke by stroke. When Cheng Zesheng stood behind him, he had simply completed the ultimate stroke.

[HELLO]

A delicate smile crammed his eyes. Cheng Zesheng stood barely to the correct behind He Wei. Evaluating their heights, it was clear that he was a couple of centimeters taller. He raised his hand, hovering it within the air, and within the reflection, that hand was resting on He Wei’s shoulder.

Cheng Zesheng lowered his head and silently whispered a greeting into He Wei’s ear.

[Hello.]