A police automobile from Luowan County’s native station was parked immediately on the general public highway by the pond. Lu Hui and Ji Fanyang sat within the automobile as one of many officers despatched by Supervisor Li drove. 

“Um…” Ji Fanyang began hesitantly. He leaned ahead a bit, evidently a bit cramped. He tilted his head, eager to see Lu Hui’s expression clearly, “Do you wish to talk about what occurred this morning?”

Lu Hui’s face was coated by a shadow: “What occurred?”

No matter whether or not Lu Hui was actually unaware or purposely ignoring him, he elaborated extra exactly: “This morning, by the pond. Did you wish to leap in?”

“Leap in?” Lu Hui raised his eyebrows. He slanted his head, a darkness rising on his face and real mistrust in his gaze, “Why would I try this?”

Ji Fanyang shrank again a bit. He couldn’t restrain his curiosity. He wished to probe and unearth the important thing to different folks’s struggling, then remedy it. It sounded ridiculous, nevertheless it was actually like this. He had the endurance to make somebody with a extreme inferiority advanced communicate, the endurance to make somebody with debilitating melancholy journey, and the capability to make somebody with acute dependency issues problem a rejection. He wished to know Lu Hui’s key, accompany him, and remedy him. 

“Do you wish to kill your self?” Ji Fanyang requested. 

Listening to the phrases ‘kill your self’, Lu Hui’s expression revealed a sentiment of execration: “Individuals who kill themselves are cowards.”

“Then you definately…” Ji Fanyang saved prying.

Lu Hui brutally interrupted his phrases: “Cease asking silly questions. We aren’t shut.” His irritation was clear from his phrases and method. In the future out from that date and Lu Hui was shedding extra management over his mood. 

Ji Fanyang shut his mouth. 

The inside of the automobile fell into silence. 

“We’re right here.” The officer steadily slowed the automobile and parked. Lu Hui impatiently opened the door and obtained out. 

Ji Fanyang adopted in his steps, strolling into the native precinct. 

“Li Yun’s data.” Lu Hui propped his elbow on the wood desk, “Every thing you’ve got that’s related.”

“That’s a variety of paperwork to sift by.” The feminine officer on responsibility reminded him. 

Lu Hui slanted a take a look at Ji Fanyang, then stated to the feminine officer: “Some energetic younger individual can do it. Give me the paperwork.”

Ji Fanyang, who had simply been roped into it, smiled wryly, then stretched out a hand to obtain the paperwork within the feminine officer’s palms. He took two steps again in shock, saying: “A lot?”

“For one thing associated to a prison offense, can or not it’s so little?” The feminine officer checked out Ji Fanyang sympathetically, “Sufficient so that you can take a look at all night time.”

“Thanks very a lot.” Lu Hui stood to the facet with nice schadenfreude. 

Ji Fanyang hugged the paper to his chest and adopted Lu Hui. He fought to stay his neck out to see the trail in entrance of him, not forgetting to grouse his complaints: “Looks like I gained’t be again for dinner.”

“I’ll have Rao Feifei convey some meals for you.” Lu Hui stated, his conscience not twinging within the slightest, “Younger folks ought to toughen up.”

A minimum of he wouldn’t be staying up all night time by himself, Ji Fanyang thought to himself. 

He nearly broke by his angelic persona. 

A younger officer led the 2 of them to an empty workplace: “You may seek the advice of the paperwork in right here. The water cooler and tea are under the window. There’s all the time somebody within the on-duty room.”

“Okay, thanks.” Ji Fanyang positioned the pile of paper on the desk and launched a breath. He turned his head to take a look at Lu Hui, “Chief Lu, do you wish to undergo it collectively?”

“Do I appear to be an fool?” Lu Hui was a clear-cut, hands-off chief. He walked to the door, “Round six, give Rao Feifei a name and have the 2 of them come to the station. I’m going out.”

“Going the place?” Ji Fanyang requested. 

“The bar. Going to talk up a couple of sizzling babes and get laid.” Lu Hui grabbed the door deal with, “Have enjoyable along with your paperwork. In the event you miss something, I don’t thoughts sending you again to your mother and father.”

Ji Fanyang sighed and watched as Lu Hui swaggered out of the station. 

Lu Hui wandered the bustling streets of Luowan County’s city heart at random. He was a middle-aged, slovenly recluse whose emotions of attachment to life approached zero. Within the huge world, everybody’s soul was a lit candle, however Lu Hui’s candle flame had already gone out in July of the yr he was fifteen. Struggling splashed him full within the face, the deluge totally drenching him. 

He dragged a damaged leg alongside as he totteringly fled the broken-down manufacturing facility. Like a lone wolf who had misplaced his territory, he whimpered as he curled up by the facet of the general public highway. 

The whooshing sound of the transferring automobiles whistled previous his ears. Few folks paid consideration to the scarred youth clothed in rags who was laying by the facet of the highway on loss of life’s door. The scorching solar baked the parched floor. The feeling of thirst was the very last thing he felt. 

Two days of hunger made him delirious. He can’t go on dwelling, he thought. He can’t go on dwelling. 

Lu Hui discovered a tranquil park and sat on a tan, lacquered bench beside a sturdy parasol tree. Every year, throughout the previous couple of days of July, he would sit by himself for some time. After all, he was alone most different occasions, too. 

He lowered his hand, caressing the shin of his proper leg. That spot had been fractured as soon as, solely therapeutic after three months of relaxation. Lu Hui was like this leg: ruthlessly damaged, counting on sheer tenacity and willpower to heal little by little, and solely outwardly showing like he had already recovered his well being. 

The scars stay on his bones, simply as Lu Hui’s sickness remained extreme. 

Two boys have been on a distant yard, chasing one another round and taking part in. Their laughter was grating, like hundreds of thousands of needles piercing his eardrums. One baby pushed the opposite to the bottom, and the opposite rolled about on the garden shamelessly. 

Lu Hui earnestly regarded on with a mixture of inquisitiveness and disgusted boredom, like he was appreciating a chunk of positive artwork or studying a analysis report, but nonetheless trying to find that means. One of many boys reached out a hand to drag the opposite boy up, and the opposite took it, reluctantly being hauled up. Their mother and father known as from a distance, and the 2 boys ran off to affix them. 

At this second, Lu Hui’s expression wasn’t one in all recollecting the previous. He by no means in contrast himself with others, nor utilized his views to others. He didn’t perceive regret or self-pity and would have interaction with neither. 

Lu Hui unscrewed the lid of his mineral water and took a sip. A pigeon with one grey, blinded eye landed on the alternative facet of the bench. Lu Hui raised a hand to shoo it away. It simply impatiently used its wing to beat Lu Hui’s hand away, nevertheless it didn’t fly off. 

Lu Hui might nonetheless recall the odor of that broken-down manufacturing facility as clear as day; the foul stench of the moist combination of bat and rat excrement, the scent of blood, the metallic tinge of the leaky pipe, the putrid, bitter odor of the rotten foliage, and the humid aroma of the recent summer time climate assaulted his nostrils, making him really feel nauseated and sick. 

The blind pigeon rested composedly on the bench. Maybe it was previous, as its feathers have been now not full, the information of its wings tough and bumpy. Lu Hui casted a take a look at its tail feathers, and the blind pigeon turned its neck, prefer it wished to speak to him. 

An previous man and a blind pigeon sat on the identical bench. Lu Hui thought, he wanted an expert photographer, as a result of this could undoubtedly be an attention-grabbing picture. 

The solar slanted to the west, and it was nearly dinner time. 

A burst of fast, vigorous steps broke Lu Hui’s contemplation. A younger man, who was gasping for breath, appeared in his line of sight. The blind pigeon fluttered away, and Lu Hui regarded on the younger man with annoyance: “Completed wanting by all the pieces?”

“Feifei got here. I went out for a relaxation.” Ji Fanyang supported himself with a hand as he sat on the bench subsequent to Lu Hui. The scent of detergent and the aroma of sweat unique to the younger surrounded Lu Hui.

Lu Hui stared at Ji Fanyang: “You actually aren’t lower out for telling lies. I’m going to inform Director Gao that he shouldn’t ship you undercover.”

Ji Fanyang smiled awkwardly and stated: “Miss Lu known as me…”

Lu Hui had the phrase, “I guessed as a lot,” written throughout his face. He stood: “Let’s go eat.”

The younger man evened out his respiratory and adopted Lu Hui.