CH 102

after returning from dongshan, lu ye officially packed up his things and temporarily moved into qi yanbai’s apartment.

the originally single-rented apartment suddenly had an extra person’s belongings, making it feel crowded. a spare coat of lu ye’s appeared on the coat rack by the door, and the bathroom’s single set of toiletries was neatly arranged to make room for new cups and toothbrushes.

these small items silently filled qi yanbai’s life. even though the room was still the same, at a glance, it gave qi yanbai a completely new feeling.

the bedroom’s balcony window was open, allowing the fresh air to flow in. the bedroom carpet, which had been stained the last time, had been replaced with a brand new one. it was a long, soft, beige rug that felt wonderfully plush underfoot.

the wardrobe by the bed hadn’t been fully organized yet, and lu ye’s suitcase was open, casually resting on the floor. a thick motorcycle jacket slipped out from under the suitcase lid, hanging crookedly on the side.

qi yanbai picked up the jacket and hung it back in the wardrobe, then casually took out a clean bed sheet from inside the wardrobe and spread it over the bed.

the dark gray linen still retained the scent of detergent. qi yanbai bent down and smoothed out the wrinkles on the fabric. when he spread it over the bed, he noticed that the chain he had previously used to “restrain” lu ye was still in place.

the cold and heavy shackles hung from the bed railing, with one end dangling into the gap at the bed’s headboard. qi yanbai picked up the fallen circular shackle from the floor and rubbed it in his hand. after a moment of hesitation, he quietly put it back in its original place.

“why are you keeping this?” lu ye, who knows when he walked over from the living room, was standing by the door, holding a water glass, looking at him with a half-smile.

“are you planning to keep it for future use?” lu ye raised an eyebrow and asked, “or are you prepared for a ‘return to prison’ at any time?”

“keeping it as a memento,” qi yanbai was caught off guard but remained calm. he blinked his eyes when he heard lu ye’s words, then turned his head to look at lu ye innocently and pitifully, playing innocent, “or, if i misbehave, you can use it to lock me up.”

qi yanbai seemed to have discovered the benefits of being straightforward lately. he neither concealed nor pretended to be “virtuous” anymore. all day long, he acted like a spoiled child, talking nonsense.

but lu ye was sharp and didn’t fall for it. he reached out and pinched qi yanbai’s chin, coldly stopping qi yanbai’s attempt to get closer. he handed the water glass to qi yanbai and said, “i don’t have that hobby.”

while saying this, lu ye walked over to the bed, took over the remaining work, and complained, “it’s all a safety hazard and dangerous.”

however, despite lu ye’s words, he didn’t force qi yanbai to get rid of the “criminal tools.” instead, he coiled the overly long chain a few times and tucked it under the mattress.

qi yanbai knew that lu ye responded better to gentle persuasion than force. so, he curved his eyes and obediently took a sip of water, then took a few steps to pick up the work again, helping to spread the sheets over the mattress.

with two people working together, it was much faster. a few minutes later, lu ye stood up straight, checked the time on his wrist, and then put down what he was holding. he clapped his hands to get rid of the non-existent dust.

“if you’re willing to move the remaining stuff for me, go ahead. if not, we can deal with it when i come back from work later,” lu ye said as he stepped on the carpet and took a new t-shirt from his suitcase. he casually added, “i’m on duty tonight, so i’ll probably be back late. you can come back home from work on your own. you don’t have to wait for me.”

“on duty again?” qi yanbai also put down the glass and walked to the bathroom door. he chatted with lu ye through the closed door, saying, “haven’t you been on duty a lot recently? did the schedule change?”

“it’s because the interns have all gone back,” lu ye replied.

while they were talking, lu ye had already changed his clothes. he walked out of the bathroom, adjusting his cuffs. as he walked toward the door, he suddenly remembered something and turned back to look at qi yanbai. he reminded him, “oh, by the way, i’m planning to sell the motorcycle. don’t forget to take the keys with you when you go to work later. give them to mingming during your class, and ask her to take them to my sister.”

“hmm?” qi yanbai was slightly surprised. he asked, “why do you suddenly want to sell the motorcycle?”

he paused for a moment and then hesitated, “is it because you need money?”

“where did you get that idea?” lu ye chuckled and reached out to comb qi yanbai’s long hair, which had fallen loose. he smiled and said, “it’s just that it’s time to let it go. it doesn’t suit me anymore.”

it was like how people would enter new stages in life at a certain age, and what used to be youthful exuberance and excitement would become immature in hindsight. while it was okay to cherish the memories, it didn’t fit as well when it came to “settling down.”

“we don’t go out together often, and you don’t really like motorcycles. you’ve only ridden it once, so it’s not a big loss,” lu ye said. he knew that qi yanbai wasn’t enthusiastic about seeking thrills; he enjoyed the feeling of speed because of the influence of “lu ye.”

qi yanbai initially wanted to dissuade him from selling it, but his words seemed to get caught in his throat, and he swallowed them.

“alright,” qi yanbai changed his tune, “i’ll remember.”

“okay,” lu ye nodded and said, “then i’m off.”

“be careful on your way to work,” qi yanbai said, “don’t order takeout for dinner tonight. i’ll bring you dinner.”

“you’re still bringing it?” lu ye smiled and said, “aren’t you afraid my colleagues will gossip about how domesticated you’ve become?”

perhaps because he had absorbed enough “nourishment” and “love,” qi yanbai had been quite stable lately.

the previous monday, qi yanbai unusually accompanied lu ye to work. he carried lu ye’s duty coat in his arms and held a packed breakfast. he looked like a virtuous wife as he walked qi yanbai to the police station’s entrance. then, he stopped on the steps, softly and carefully instructing lu ye about various “precautions” for quite some time, from not eating instant noodles to taking care of his arm. he talked for several minutes before being caught in the act by passing colleagues.

his colleagues didn’t say much at the time, but later, they teased lu ye with glee, asking if they had finally reconciled.

lu ye couldn’t stand it at the time and admitted to it. but not even ten minutes later, this “good news” had spread throughout the office, and even the usually serious li zhiwen came over with two cookies as a “reconciliation gift,” congratulating him on escaping the “depressed single youth” category.

lu ye was used to joking around with them and didn’t think much of it. but qi yanbai had thin skin and lu ye was worried that he wouldn’t be able to handle their teasing.

“it’s okay; they don’t mean any harm,” qi yanbai said with a smile, using the coat to shield his hand as he reached into lu ye’s sleeve.

these days, the chain that qi yanbai had given lu ye was back on his wrist. it seemed like lu ye deliberately teased qi yanbai, occasionally letting it dangle. unfortunately, every time, qi yanbai took the bait, and it always made him itch inside, unable to resist reaching out and touching it.

“anyway, i’m getting off work early today, and there’s nothing much to do,” qi yanbai said, using his fingertip to flick the bracelet on lu ye’s wrist. he said, “i want to give you something.”

“okay,” lu ye said helplessly, “i’ll ask the security guard to leave a note for you.”