Chapter 95 17

Chapter 95: Part 17

Li Shang was hospitalized for a full seven days, and He Lin took leave to stay with him every single night, refusing to delegate the care to anyone else.

For the first two days, Captain He was practically inseparable. The moment Li Shang reached for anything, He Lin would swiftly move to hand it to him. If Li Shang so much as stirred to get out of bed, He Lin would be there to assist him.

Li Shang sighed, "I'm not incapacitated, Captain He. Do you treat the other team members with this much care?"

He Lin retorted, "None of the others have been injured this severely. Besides, are you really comparable to them?"

By the third day, Li Shang could eat a little and manage short periods alone. He Lin used this time to return home and prepare nourishing blood-replenishing soup for him daily.

Later, when Li Shang lost his appetite, He Lin made him tomato and egg mixed rice.

Fearing Li Shang might find it too sour, He Lin specifically bought the sweetest strawberry tomatoes, simmering them into a rich, thick tomato sauce. He then added scrambled farm-fresh eggs and rice, stewing it until the sauce was fully absorbed, each grain coated in a subtly sweet and tangy flavor, perfectly seasoned.

Li Shang finished the meal with a contented smile, even licking the spoon clean.

He Lin cooked a variety of delicious meals for him every day. The day before Li Shang was discharged, He Lin brought him a box of dumplings, making up for his earlier disappointment of not having them.

After a week in the hospital, Li Shang hadn't lost any weight; in fact, he'd gained a pound.

As soon as Li Shang was discharged, he returned to work. He Lin couldn't dissuade him and ended up helping him complete the final report.

With no cases during this period, the entire team enjoyed a rare few days of rest.

He Lin heard that He Yuan and Zhu Xiaonian were visiting Yuncheng. Knowing Li Shang also came from the base, he asked if he'd like to join them for a meal.

Surprisingly, Li Shang, usually a solitary figure, agreed this time.

He Lin sought Li Shang's opinion: "Where would you like to eat?"

Li Shang's eyes remained fixed on his computer screen: "Anywhere is fine."

He Lin blocked his view of the screen, offering, "Here are three options: Qingyun Lou for local cuisine, Harvest Hall for Northwestern dishes, or that trendy fusion restaurant downtown."

Li Shang looked away from the screen and said calmly, "I have no preference. Why don't you let them choose?"

"It's my treat, and those two aren't picky. You pick something you'd enjoy." Seeing Li Shang's lack of reaction, He Lin smiled and added, "If you don't choose, I'll just decide myself."

Li Shang unhurriedly closed his laptop: "Give me a moment. I'll let you know later."

Back home, Li Shang researched the restaurants, carefully reviewing each option.

Location, menu, prices, and decor—all had to be meticulously considered.

At 7 p.m., He Lin received a message from him: "Qingyun Lou it is."

.

At 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, a luxury car pulled up in front of Qingyun Lou.

This century-old Yuncheng establishment was renowned for its delicate local cuisine, consistently earning high praise. Renovated just last year, it boasted numerous private rooms, offering excellent privacy for conversations.

Zhu Xiaonian told the driver, "Find a place nearby to wait. We'll message you when we're almost done here."

The driver complied, driving away.

He Yuan followed Zhu Xiaonian, but instead of entering Qingyun Lou, they headed to Futian Teahouse across the street.

They went straight to the quietest tea room on the third floor.

Though small, it offered the best vantage point, with an open window overlooking the bustling night cityscape below and the shimmering surface of the Yun River in the distance.

As the door opened, He Yuan saw someone already seated inside.

A pot of tea, accompanied by six plates of dried fruits.

Li Shang—or rather, Rong Qing, as he should now be called—had, as usual, arrived early.

He sat in a corner seat that allowed him to survey the entire room, calmly sipping tea with his head slightly bowed. His long eyelashes veiled his eyes, giving him an air of quiet detachment.

Only when the two entered did Rong Qing look up and greet them. Despite having lost considerable weight, his commanding presence remained undiminished.

Anyone from the Missing Persons Investigation Unit seeing him now might not even recognize him.

While his facial features were unchanged, his entire demeanor had transformed. The approachable, diligent persona was gone, replaced by an aura of coldness and pride. His back was ramrod straight, his gaze sharp as an unsheathed sword, exuding confident composure and a hint of authority.

He Yuan approached, bowing slightly as he greeted, "Hello, Captain Rong."

Zhu Xiaonian went straight over, attempting to hug him, "Captain Rong, it's been so long, I've missed you terribly."

Rong Qing ignored him, gently pushing him away with two fingers.

He Yuan poured himself a cup of tea and snorted, "Now you're all sweet talk. You didn't even dare to call him yourself."

Zhu Xiaonian chuckled awkwardly, "Well, I was afraid Captain Rong would scold me for being a disappointment. I still dream about him yelling at me."

Rong Qing cast a cold glance at him. Zhu Xiaonian, by muscle memory, immediately fell silent.

"Only Captain Rong can manage you. This kid has been buzzing around me like a fly the whole way here. Finally, some peace." He Yuan took a few sips of tea, bringing the conversation back on track, "Anyway, let's go over the plan for tonight. Captain Rong, you're going by Li Shang now, right?"

Rong Qing nodded slightly, "Yes, this identity is newly activated."

Everyone knew the base's rules. The name Rong Qing had been used for too many missions and couldn't be used publicly.

After listening to them discuss the details for a while, Zhu Xiaonian couldn't help but interject, "So... He Lin still hasn't remembered anything about the two of you?"

Whether intentional or spoken without thought, he had touched a raw nerve, and the atmosphere in the room instantly grew heavy.

He Yuan tried to smooth things over, "He's remembered some things. He Lin even called me recently to talk about the past."

A flicker of anger finally crossed Rong Qing's usually impassive face. He slammed his teacup onto the table and, uncharacteristically, swore, "Remembered my ass."

After cursing, Rong Qing pursed his lips and turned to look out the window. When he turned back, no trace of anger remained, but his expression seemed tinged with melancholy.

The three fell silent.

Zhu Xiaonian, who had initiated the topic, wanted to say something, but the words caught in his throat as he looked at Rong Qing.

Although Rong Qing often disciplined them, those who knew him well understood he rarely swore. For him to curse like this meant he was deeply upset.

Especially after the outburst, Rong Qing's lowered eyelids gave him a fragile appearance, yet he seemed to be forcing a strong facade.

As if sensing their potential misunderstanding, Rong Qing added, "I'm not angry with him. It's just that..."

He Yuan interjected, refilling Rong Qing's teacup, "I understand, I understand..."

The situation was inherently cruel: two once-intimate lovers, one remembering everything vividly, the other nothing at all.

Rong Qing took a sip of tea, his composure gradually returning. He summarized, "The current situation is that, even though he doesn't recognize me, he seems to have a very strong negative opinion of me." Thinking back to He Lin's words—"He wants me dead"—Rong Qing's heart still ached uncontrollably. But these were things he couldn't share with He Yuan and Zhu Xiaonian.

He Yuan sighed, "I had tried to guide him, but while He Lin's memories are hazy, the facts he recounts are accurate—it's just the perspective that's skewed..."

He Yuan struggled to find the right words several times, unable to pinpoint an adequate adjective to describe the angle from which He Lin recounted his dreams.

It was too distorted.

It seemed fine on the surface, but in reality, it was all wrong.

He Yuan concluded, "In short, I have no entry point to guide him. I was afraid it might backfire."

Zhu Xiaonian choked on his drink, "Cough, honestly, it would be better if he remembered nothing at all."

He grabbed a handful of raisins from the fruit plate, chewing them for a long time, still unable to comprehend: "But why? Even with a bad memory, how could he remember you as an enemy?"

Rong Qing sighed softly, "When he talks about the past now, his memories are fragmented and twisted. The fragmentation prevents him from rationalizing certain details, and the distortion comes from an amplification of certain emotions. These amplified emotions, in turn, affect his attitude, making him deeply hostile towards the version of me in his memories. I don't know exactly where things went wrong. For example, he still remembers the prisoner abuse training, but in his memory, I deliberately held him underwater, causing him to suffocate." He paused briefly before offering his speculation, "It must be related to what he experienced later."

He Yuan thought it over and gasped, "Is it because of that incident..."

If He Lin believed those training exercises were specifically designed to torment him, his resentment would be unimaginable.

That's why, when the topic came up last time, Rong Qing couldn't help but correct He Lin. After that encounter, there must have been some progress, but it was unclear how much his perception had shifted.

In He Lin's mind, it likely remained: his captain didn't want him dead, but didn't want him to live easily either. Gratitude and affection were out of the question.

Even now, thinking about these things, Rong Qing's heart was in turmoil. He didn't know whether to regret being too harsh with He Lin back then, leading to such an unhealthy mindset, or to resent He Lin for misinterpreting his efforts in his distorted memories.

He subtly clenched his hand, letting his nails dig into his palm, seeking to alleviate the heartache with physical pain.

Stay calm, Rong Qing reminded himself. He couldn't let these thoughts disrupt his plans.

Rong Qing drank a cup of tea, clearing the chaotic thoughts from his mind, and began to systematically assess his current relationship with He Lin.

Initially, He Lin had lost part of his memory due to an injury.

He reappeared in He Lin's life under the name Li Shang for several reasons: first, due to the base's confidentiality requirements, he could no longer use his identity as Rong Qing; second, he was afraid of triggering He Lin's old brain injury, which could endanger his life; and third, his pride wouldn't allow him to lay everything out directly to He Lin, as it would make him feel like he was begging for affection in this relationship. That wasn't like him, and it certainly wasn't like the Rong Qing He Lin had once loved.

He consciously avoided aspects that He Lin might dislike.

He gave He Lin no pressure, allowing him plenty of time and space, wholeheartedly helping him. He also made an effort to get along harmoniously with him in their daily work life, staying low-key and reserved, not showing his edge unless necessary.

He had envisioned two plans: if He Lin’s memories could be awakened, he would help him remember the past; if not, they would start over, and he would draw He Lin back to his side.

Forgetting the past and starting a new chapter wasn't entirely unacceptable.

But during the execution of the plan, just when he thought everything was going smoothly, He Lin would always unexpectedly deliver emotional shocks that even someone as composed as him often found hard to bear.

Many times, seeing the familiar person around every day, still maintaining past habits, Rong Qing would feel as if nothing had changed. He would often recall the past, trying to look at the person before him and remember the sweetness they once shared, unconsciously deceiving himself into thinking that he and He Lin were still the same as before.

However, illusions are just illusions. No matter how beautifully Rong Qing painted them with his astonishing memory, a single sentence from He Lin could shatter the illusion, exposing him to reality again, forcing him to repeatedly experience the cycle of gain and loss, an unending torment.

But he couldn't blame He Lin. He ached for He Lin’s suffering and accepted his confused state, yet he couldn't forgive himself in the story. He blamed himself for his negligence, hated his own incompetence, as if only through self-blame and self-punishment could he feel slightly better and gather more courage to face He Lin.

He could neither treat He Lin as a stranger he just met nor as his former lover.

It was as if he had entered an emotional maze, or found himself in purgatory, losing himself in repeated emotional torture with no better way to resolve it.

After reaching adulthood and before meeting He Lin again, Rong Qing was a believer in rationality, approaching all problems with a detached heart and cool head, analyzing them logically to find the optimal solution. Back then, he was always decisive and never regretted his actions.

But when it came to He Lin, his much-vaunted rationality always crumbled. A lifetime of indecision was likely because of this person. This feeling left him powerless, yet he couldn't change it.

He Yuan, thinking Rong Qing was still blaming He Lin, broke the silence: "Forgive him. After all, there’s a hole in his brain."

Zhu Xiaonian chimed in from the side: "And it’s filled with water."

Rong Qing didn’t seem to hear, merely letting out a low "hmm" and closing his eyes.

Deep down, he knew very well that no one wanted things to be this way. If the old He Lin knew, he would be more upset than anyone.

The other two in the private room were still throwing out suggestions.

He Yuan said, "If He Lin can recover his memory, then all problems will be solved."

Zhu Xiaonian, however, wasn’t optimistic: "It’s not that easy. Captain Rong has been right in front of him, and he still hasn’t remembered... What else can we do? Do we need to take drastic measures?"

Should they take drastic measures? How could they bring their relationship closer?

At this thought, Rong Qing opened his eyes and reminded them, "It’s about time. I’ll head out first. You two can come a bit later."

Even with his new identity, he still disliked being late as always.

He Yuan said, "Don’t worry, Captain Rong. We’ve memorized everything we discussed earlier. We were top of our class in acting—we definitely won’t slip up."

The two watched Rong Qing leave. Zhu Xiaonian even leaned out the window to make sure Rong Qing had crossed the street and was far enough away to not hear their conversation before pulling his head back in.

Zhu Xiaonian unusually dropped his joking manner and reminded He Yuan, "It’s been so long since we’ve seen him. He Lin will probably order some alcohol. Make sure Captain Rong doesn’t drink too much later."

He Yuan replied, "He Lin will be there. It’s none of your concern. Don’t meddle."

Zhu Xiaonian thought for a moment and asked, "What if... I can’t help it and give He Lin a beating? Do you think it’ll make him remember?"

He Yuan chuckled while cracking sunflower seeds, "Wishful thinking. Forget everything else—can you even beat He Lin?"

Zhu Xiaonian choked, glaring angrily at He Yuan.

He Yuan didn’t hold back, slyly mocking him, "If you two really fought, I’d say it’d be a three-seven split." Under Zhu Xiaonian’s slightly puzzled gaze, He Yuan leisurely added the second half: "He’d take three moves, and you’d be having your seventh-day ceremony."

Zhu Xiaonian pointed at He Yuan, stuttering, "You, you, you..." for a long time without finishing his sentence. He took a few deep breaths and said very seriously to He Yuan, "I don’t think so... I think I can manage a one-nine split with He Lin."

Now it was He Yuan’s turn to be confused.

"I hit He Lin once today, and tomorrow Captain Rong sends me to my grave..."

He Yuan nearly choked on a sunflower seed shell, coughing twice before quickly taking a sip of tea to calm himself. After all these years together, He Yuan felt he had still underestimated Zhu Xiaonian’s thick skin. He patted his shoulder and said, "At least you know what's good for you."

Zhu Xiaonian fell silent, seemingly plotting something again.

He Yuan cut straight to the point: "That famous Dr. Song who consulted on Captain Rong’s case—you were the one who called him in, right? Even with the base’s resources, we couldn’t get an expert like that."

Zhu Xiaonian grunted in acknowledgment, "I later had him transferred to Yuncheng Second Hospital."

He Yuan grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds, "You’re something else. On the surface, you play it cool, but behind the scenes, you’ve been pulling strings. Also, what you said earlier was intentional, wasn’t it?"

Zhu Xiaonian unusually didn't refute it, tacitly admitting it.

He Yuan spat out a seed shell, "If you hadn’t bugged me, I wouldn’t have brought you along this time."

They were from the same cohort and had worked together for years—comrades who had been through life and death. He Yuan knew Zhu Xiaonian’s character best. Though the guy often seemed all talk, his heart was in the right place. On the surface, he opposed Rong Qing, but in reality, he was like a naughty child trying to get the adult’s attention. That’s why he always wanted to compete with He Lin, causing trouble in the team—all childish behaviors born out of affection.

Because from the very beginning, he knew Rong Qing treated He Lin differently.

Zhu Xiaonian rarely looked so serious: "If Captain Rong were willing to let go of He Lin, I would…"

He Yuan kicked him: "Come on, dream on. Even though Captain Rong doesn’t seem to have many friends on the surface, people who are into him stretch all the way from here to Tianning Base. If he didn’t want to fixate on this one person, would it even be your turn?"

Zhu Xiaonian said resentfully: "Then hold me back later. I’m afraid I won’t be able to resist telling He Lin the truth. I just want to see him racked with regret, heartbroken, and bawling his eyes out."

He Yuan coldly laughed and punctured his tough act: "You won’t say it. At least, you wouldn’t dare say it in front of Captain Rong. You know this matter is Captain Rong’s sensitive subject. If you mess it up and hurt him, he won’t even glance at you again."

That left Zhu Xiaonian crushed. He lowered his head and said: "So it would’ve been better if I went on that mission back then. If I’d died there, I’d have made things work for them, saved us all this trouble. And Captain Rong would’ve remembered me for the rest of his life." He got up irritably. "Let’s go eat. I’m ordering a bunch of dishes to bankrupt him."

He Yuan finally agreed with that: "This, I won’t stop you."

The two walked out together. The host smiled: "Hello, your private room was used for a total of five hours. You ordered a pot of premium Mingqian Longjing tea and a high-end fruit platter. The total is 1388. Who will be paying?"

Is this a scam? Or an overpriced tea scam?

It didn't click for them that Rong Qing had been sitting there alone for so long.

He Yuan took a step back and made a "please" gesture to Zhu Xiaonian.

After swiping his card, Zhu Xiaonian clung to He Yuan and whimpered: "Captain Rong is so mean. Qingyun Lou’s average cost per person is 150; it’s the most affordable classic restaurant in Yuncheng. A whole table of dishes I order might not even cost as much as this tea. He only ever thinks about He Lin. I lost before we even started comparing."

He Yuan patted his back to comfort him: "This just means Captain Rong has great confidence in your deep pockets."

Zhu Xiaonian perked up again: "Right, I’ve got plenty of money. If I compete with He Lin on this, I’ll definitely win."

They crossed the street and arrived at the reserved private room. He Lin and Rong Qing were already seated inside.

He Lin looked pretty much the same as he did two years ago. As for Rong Qing, he had once again become Li Shang, head lowered, his expression subtly changed.

He Yuan walked over and greeted them warmly.

He first called He Lin by name, then his gaze fell on Rong Qing: "You’re from the team next door…"

He Lin jumped in proactively: "Li Shang. He’s also with the Missing Persons Investigation Unit now."

Zhu Xiaonian sat across from Rong Qing, smiling as he looked at him: "Oh, so your name is Li Shang. Long time no see, you’re still so obedient."

As soon as he said it, He Yuan’s eyes widened in disbelief, his mouth practically hanging open.

He wanted to grab Zhu Xiaonian by the neck and ask, Who are you calling obedient? Do you have a death wish? He knew it—Zhu Xiaonian was pushing his luck again.

But He Lin didn’t pick up on anything wrong at all. The young Li from his team was obedient—obedient enough to make him want to mess up his hair.

He turned and met Li Shang’s slightly deadpan look.

Luckily, once the real conversation started, Zhu Xiaonian didn’t stir up any more trouble.

Drinks and dishes came out one after another. Catching up after so long, He Lin ordered several bottles of beer and poured a glass for everyone—even Li Shang was no exception.

He Lin even reminded him: "Aren’t you allergic to alcohol? And this beer is pretty cold…"

Li Shang said: "A little bit won’t hurt."

But once everyone started drinking, the other three didn’t include him, and He Lin didn’t refill his glass.

Li Shang sat quietly listening to them, like an outsider just listening in.

They started by catching up on recent events, then moved on to base gossip, covering everyone else’s news too.

He Lin asked: "Still no news about Long Gu now?"

The question made both Zhu Xiaonian and He Yuan’s hearts sink simultaneously.

Isn't he sitting right next to you?

But as battle-hardened special ops, they quickly and wordlessly covered up the oddity.

He Yuan dodged the question and chatted about other things. He Lin started complaining about past training and Long Gu again. Even though Li Shang had corrected him last time about the prisoner abuse training memory, that intense disgust was still etched in his memory.

Amid confused memories and the influence of alcohol, He Lin mostly forgot Li Shang’s reminder from last time that he should apologize to Rong Qing.

Fortunately, He Lin still remembered wrongly blaming him and knew his memory might be flawed, so he toned it down a lot. It was just normal venting and gossip—nothing too harsh.

But those words still made the two across from him sweat bullets.

He Lin felt like this was like students talking behind their strict homeroom teacher’s back—pretty thrilling.

In his memory, back in the special forces, the few of them always loved gossiping about that strict, powerful, and handsome young captain.

But now, after he said a few things, He Yuan and Zhu Xiaonian across from him didn’t jump in at all. Instead, they looked kind of strange.

He Lin asked: "Why aren’t you two saying anything? Weren’t you always trying to one-up each other's complaints before?"

He Yuan laughed awkwardly: "Don’t drag me into it. I never had any issues with Captain Rong."

He Lin looked at Zhu Xiaonian: "Weren’t you the one who cursed him…"

Zhu Xiaonian wished he could cover He Lin’s mouth: "I’ve grown up now. People always grow up."

Instead, Li Shang chimed in: "Yeah, way too harsh. Didn’t treat people like people at all. So much extra training was thanks to him."

He Lin, feeling the beer, said: "See, I told you. It was famous all over the base, right?"

He Yuan looked at him with sympathy and pity. He shot Zhu Xiaonian a message: "Before, we were the ones complaining about Captain Rong, and he was the one defending him. Do you think this guy will live to see tomorrow if he goes back tonight?"

Zhu Xiaonian: "His brain's fried right now, isn't it? I think I finally understand Captain Rong’s line: 'Remembered my foot.'"