Jian Yao knocks on the black color entrance door.  She thinks in regards to the code that she has simply cracked.  Chills are taking place her backbone.

She’s knocked on the door for a very long time, however there’s no reply.

“Faucet.. Faucet…” She persists.

She takes out her telephone to name him.  

Bo Jinyan solutions in a drained voice: “Are you sleepwalking? It’s 1:00am within the morning.”

Jian Yao:  “Are you residence? Open the door!”

Jian Yao waits outdoors his residence for one more 5 minutes earlier than Bo Jinyan opens the door.  He’s carrying a bathrobe.  His hair continues to be damp and with occasional drop of water forming on the ideas and dripping down onto his bathrobe.  The gown is ‘open’ across the neckline, revealing the highest a part of his chest.

He glances at her and smiles: “You’ll be able to change your thoughts, with the proviso that it’s a must to make me breakfast tomorrow morning.”

Jian Yao: “I am not ……” He walks inside the home.

Jian Yao has no selection however to observe behind him. 

It’s the primary time she stepped in the home ever since he has moved into the residence. Every thing appears to be like roughly like what she remembers.  Besides… there may be now a porcelain bathtub in the course of the lounge.

This bathtub is twice the dimensions of the one in her residence.  The bathtub is crammed, with steam rising into the air, which implies Bo Jinyan simply took a shower. Subsequent to the bathtub, there’s a bit of aspect desk with a tall glass, crammed with the flower tea Jian Yao really useful. 

Bo Jinyan takes a seat on the couch, one leg overlapping the opposite, beneath his huge bathrobe.   He appears to be like at her: ” Effectively, what makes you come to my home presently of the evening in your pyjamas…” His eyes slides over her face: “… like a frightened chicken?”

Jian Yao sits throughout from him: “Li despatched you an e-mail on the numbers we present in Solar Yong’s home.”

Bo Jinyan takes out his silver pocket book from beneath the espresso desk. 

After just a few seconds, he raises his hand to shut the display.  He stands up.  Jian Yao notices that his face has turned a bit of pale, with a pointy chilly look in his eyes.

She says softly: “For those who exchange the numbers with alphabets ……”

Bo Jinyan turns and walks to a room.

Jian Yao follows behind.

–

Bo Jinyan’s research.  One aspect of the wall is a big bookcase, crammed with bins and bins of file.  It extends all the way in which to the ceiling. 

Jian Yao watches Bo Jinyan reaches for one of many bins on the highest shelve.  He locations the field on his research desk and begins to take out a number of folders.  These folders are huge and thick.  On the aspect of every folder, there’s a label that reads: 27-211, California , Flower Cannibal.

Bo Jinyan is scanning the paperwork within the file.  Jian Yao asks: “ Why would Solar Yong go away such a message?”

“It’s not from him.” Bo Jinyan says with out wanting, nonetheless scanning these paperwork: “He is a straightforward man, he’s incapable of arising with such complicated codes.  And based mostly on his persona, if he was to depart alerts behind, they need to be totems, or summary symbols like knights and symbols.”

Jian Yao is barely shocked: “ You imply Solar Yong is only a puppet? And there’s another person behind the instigation of his crime?” She appears to be like on the folders on his research desk: “One in every of your instances within the US?”

Bo Jinyan shakes his head: “No. His psychological situation might be hereditary, nevertheless it doesn’t occur in a single day. Solar Yong’s irregular behaviour was constant along with his troubled upbringing. In addition to, his first homicide occurred whereas I used to be in America.  Staying in Tung Metropolis is a final minute resolution after I made a decision to return again to China, due to this fact his crime was not finished to impress me.”

Jian Yao nods and appears at his stern face.  He out of the blue returned to China.  Should be one thing to do with that severe sickness of his.  

Bo Jinyan continues: “Introverts favor to work alone, and his crime displayed a particular private character.  There isn’t any proof to recommend that he has an confederate.” He appears to be like at Jian Yao, “It’s inconceivable that somebody was controlling his actions all these occasions. “

“Solar Yong was solely answerable for the killing machine case.  There isn’t any doubt about it.” Bo Jinyan concludes: “however somebody went to the crime scene and left me this message.”

Bo Jinyan has taken out a number of photographs from the recordsdata.  Jian Yao takes a take a look at them.  It’s a caucasian in his 20s.   Within the photograph, he’s carrying a white T Shirt.  He’s a gorgeous man with blue eyes.

Immediately Bo Jinyan speaks in a approach that could be very totally different from how he speaks usually:

“Hello, Simon. I’m scared.

Hello, Simon.  Come get me. 

Hello, Simon.  Will you be my dinner tonight?

He’s imitating another person. She appears to be like on the photos once more: “Did he go away these alerts for you? Has he come to China?”

– Is that this the rationale he left America? To return to China? The Flower Cannibal from California?

Bo Jinyan places all of the paperwork and the photographs again into the field: “He’s in Pelican Bay jail serving a life sentence.  It’s inconceivable for him to be right here..”

Jian Yao is aware of there needs to be a connection someplace.  Or else, Bo Jinyan wouldn’t have rushed in right here and begin going by means of the recordsdata.

“Then, who might it’s?”  Jian Yao asks.

“I don’t know.”

They each stand there for some time.  Immediately, he turns round and places his palms on both aspect of her shoulders.  He turns her round and begins pushing her gently in direction of the door. 

“Bo Jinyan ……” Jian Yao is aware of he doesn’t wish to talk about any additional, however she is anxious for him.

He pushes her all the way in which to the entrance entrance.  He turns the knob of the entrance door and opens it.  Yet one more mild push and she or he will probably be outdoors of his residence.   

Jian Yao turns to appears to be like at him.

He stands with a reassuring smile on his face.  Then he appears to be like straight into her eyes.  His deep voice feels like soothing water: ‘ Jian Yao.  I’m advantageous.  Don’t fear.  Goodbye.”  He provides her one last nudge. 

Then he closes the door.

–

Jian Yao can’t sleep.  She tosses and turns for the remainder of the evening. 

She is aware of it’s pointless to knock on his door once more.  He is not going to reply.  

The solar is out.  One other morning.  

She will get prepared for work.  Earlier than she leaves the home, she provides Bo Jinyan a name.    “Sorry, the quantity you dialled is presently switched off ….” She is greeted by a mechanical feminine voice.

Bo Jinyan by no means switches off his telephone.  That is in all probability extra severe than she thinks.

She rushes downstairs.  She knocks on his door: “Bo Jinyan!  Bo Jinyan!”  The banging sound and her voice echoes within the abandoned stairway.  Nobody solutions. 

-—

Monday mornings are often a frantic time for Jian Yao.  There’s a mountain of labor piled on her desk.  She has no selection however to place Bo Jinyan’s matter apart. 

Throughout lunch break, she provides Fu Ziyu a name.

“He took the primary flight again to the US this morning.” Fu Ziyu sounds involved too. 

Jian Yao:   “What’s the story with the Flower Cannibal?”

Fu Ziyu pauses.  Then he explains: “Jian Yao, I don’t assume Bo Jinyan is definite who’s behind the message.  He has gone again to the US to speak to the FBI and presumably Ty, the Flower Cannibal.  It’s not one thing we may also help with at this stage.  However I consider in Bo Jinyan.  He’ll be capable of deal with this.  Don’t fear.  He will probably be again quickly.”

–

Fu Ziyu is true.  There’s nothing she will be able to do.  

After lunch, she returns to her desk.  She appears to be like round her workplace.  Women and men wearing enterprise apparel.  Rows of laptop, cubicles with desks and workplace chairs… busy, calm and bizarre.   She wonders the place Bo Jinyan is now.  Who’s he speaking to.  Criminals? Psychopaths? FBI brokers who faces violence and demise every day?

She and Bo Jinyan.  They stay in two totally different worlds.

–

Per week has handed.  Each night after work, she is going to cross by Bo Jinyan’s residence.  She presses her ears over the entrance door.  It’s all the time quiet.  There’s nobody inside. 

On Saturday evening, whereas checking the inbox for brand spanking new mail, she comes throughout Li’s outdated message on the numbers.  

She decides to ship Bo Jinyan a message. The content material could be very transient:

– How’s all the pieces?

A couple of minutes later, a brand new e-mail seems within the Inbox. It’s Bo Jinyan.

– High quality.  Deal with Chen Mo.  The secret is beneath the doormat.

Jian Yao smiles and instantly go downstairs.

She picks up the important thing that’s hidden beneath the thick black mat.   Regardless that it is a protected neighbourhood, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a bit of dangerous to depart the important thing like that.  Jian Yao decides to maintain it till he returns.

The home has a slight musty odor, in all probability as a result of it’s been empty for per week.  B Metropolis is notoriously unhealthy for its high quality of air.  There’s a skinny layer of mud and ash on high of the furnishings and window seals already.  Jian Yao provides the place a fast clear.  She finds Chen Mo beneath a pile of paperwork within the research.  Jian Yao squats down, pats its shell and says: “He’s abroad for the time being. Come residence with me.”

–

For the subsequent two months, Jian Yao continues along with her busy and uneventful life. Each morning, she has breakfast with Chen Mo, then it’s off to work.  She is often exhausted by the point she will get residence within the night.  A fast dinner, learn a bit of, and it’s mattress time.  Within the weekend, she catches up along with her classmates from the college.  She may even spend a few hours cleansing Bo Jinyan’s residence for him.  

Throughout this time, she has misplaced a few kilos, and Chen Mo has gained 2 grams.  She did some analysis on the web, For a turtle, it’s thought of a progress spurt!    She will see how Bo Jinyan’s calculations are very correct.  If she strikes in with him, each him and Chen Mo will probably be very effectively sorted.  

Typically, when she is cleansing his residence, she is going to consider his good-looking face.  She’s going to keep in mind the day once they had been testing mattress collectively, and she or he might really feel her coronary heart beating quicker.  

In her highschool years, she had a crush on one of many seniors, wanting, quiet boy who’s mature for his age.  She nonetheless remembers that feeling.  Anxious, candy, nearly nauseating. She  felt like she has butterflies in her abdomen.  When he was round her, she is happy however very shy on the identical time.  

However Bo Jinyan is totally different. He’s dazzling and vivid.  She feels there’s a giant distance between him and her, who’s simply an bizarre woman.  And he’s supercilious and arduous to get together with.  She is often very affected person and tolerable, however in entrance of him, these virtues can vanish into the skinny air.  Additionally, he might be painfully naive typically. 

Does she have a crush on him? Jian Yao isn’t so positive.

However she is bound that she needs him to be part of her life.  As a good friend. No less than. 

The primary of Might is a public vacation – Labour day.

Fu Ziyu involves B Metropolis to fulfill up with Jian Yao. He’s bringing her out for a meal to thank her for cleansing Bo Jinyan’s home and taking care of Chen Mo.     

“Relaxation assured, I’ll make Bo Jinyan pay for this meal.” He says.

Jian Yao asks: “When is he coming again?”

“No person is aware of.  He works alone.  So he would not should be accountable to anybody however himself.    He seldom shares his plans and schedules with anyone.”

–

One other fortnight has previous.

As typical, she goes down to wash Bo Jinyan’s residence.  It’s near lunchtime, so she arranges for the lunch order to be delivered to his home.

She had a giant breakfast, so there’s some leftover within the lunchbox.  She leaves it on the desk and continues with the cleansing. 

It’s a sunny afternoon. She placed on her head telephones and press play on her iPod, buzzing the melodies as she wipes the cupboard. 

After some time, she thought she heard the sound of a door closing.

She takes her head telephones off.  She walks slowly into the lounge.  The entrance door is closed.  There’s nobody else there.  

– Perhaps it’s the neighbours. She thought to herself.  

After she tidies the research, she rinses the fabric within the lavatory.  She passes by the kitchen and notices one thing is totally different …on the desk.

The chair continues to be properly tucked beneath the desk, the cutlery neatly positioned to aspect…

The place’s the half eaten meals? The 2 rooster wings, the purple bean mousse.  They’re gone?!

Jian Yao’s heartbeat begins to speed up.  She is bound they’re on the desk.  She appears to be like to the proper, the place the trash bin is.  There’s an empty cup and a plate inside.  Somebody completed her meals.

Jian Yao slowly turns round to look within the route of his bed room.  She will see a imprecise picture of a physique shifting on the reflections of the shinny ground boards. 

No thief will end off a half-eaten meal when he first enters a home. 

So, both he was choosy in regards to the meals served on the flight, or he’s extraordinarily hungry.  

Jian Yao smiles to herself.