Chapter 18 The Dark Hunter

Chapter 18 The Shadowy Hunter

The day before heading to the capital, it rained—a heavy downpour that lasted late into the night.

Li Wangyue suffered from insomnia again. He didn't take his meds, and he didn't want to—he could just catch up on sleep on the plane tomorrow, so no rush.

He went over the materials he needed to bring again and again, checking if they were saved on the USB drive and if all the paper documents were tucked into the file folder. Only by repeating this familiar routine could he settle down.

The forum invitation required a return receipt on-site, but Li Wangyue hadn't filled his out yet. The desk was covered in papers, and as he rummaged through them, he heard a sharp "thud"—his pen had hit the floor and rolled a couple of times.

Startled, Li Wangyue quickly bent down to look for it, only to realize it was his old pen. He let out a sigh of relief.

He didn't pick it up right away. Instead, he carefully looked around and pulled open a drawer. The fountain pen Ting Zhenxi gave him was lying safely inside. He took it out, gently stroked it, and then put it back carefully.

His old pen was worn out too. With that fall, the clip on the cap had broken off and flown somewhere unknown.

Li Wangyue searched the floor for a long time but couldn't find it—it might have fallen into the gap under the bed, and looking further would be too much trouble.

He wiped the dust off the pen and gently ran his fingers over the damaged cap. This pen had been with him for a long time, showing the wear of many years.

Li Wangyue unscrewed the cap, filled out the receipt, and decided to look for the missing piece after his trip.

He neatly packed everything into his suitcase, sat at the desk for a long time, then opened the drawer again and took out the fountain pen.

This was the first gift Ting Zhenxi had ever given him. Whenever he felt restless, he would take it out and hold it, like a good luck charm.

He had never written with this pen, just carried it with him everywhere.

Li Wangyue held the pen by the front and back ends, rubbing his fingertips along its body. With a gentle twist, he opened it, revealing the ink cartridge inside.

It was filled with dark red ink, and on closer look, there were flecks of gold glittering inside—the same color as the small bottle of red ink that came with the pen.

He stared at it for a moment, then put it away, placing the fountain pen back in its box and tucking it into the padded compartment of his suitcase.

He got up to double-check everything, then took the pen out again and slipped it into his coat pocket.

The night was deep, and he could faintly hear the distant call of a cuckoo bird. The night had worn thin, and sleeping now seemed useless.

Li Wangyue turned off the light, closed his eyes, and lay on his side in bed, holding Ting Zhenxi's coat to his chest.

His phone seemed to ring. Li Wangyue opened his eyes, pulled out his phone, and looked at it. The light from the screen lit up his face, but the message bar was empty. He hesitated, tapped on the blank call log, but no new messages popped up.

He was too tired, his nerves on edge, and he was starting to hear things.

He turned off the screen, and the room went dark again. Just as he closed his eyes, he heard a faint voice outside the door—it was Ting Zhenxi's voice.

Sighing, he buried himself deeper into the coat, hoping the hallucinations would go away.

But they didn't.

"Li Wangyue."

A familiar voice called out to him, but he ignored it.

"Can't sleep without me by your side?" came a soft, teasing laugh.

Li Wangyue jolted awake. The sky was already bright. The overnight storm had passed, leaving a clear, sunny sky.

He couldn't even remember when he had fallen asleep.

He was drenched in cold sweat, still in the same sleeping position, the coat pressed against him like a lover.

Li Wangyue let out a long breath and wiped the sweat off his forehead.

It was still early—three hours until the plane took off. He made his bed, grabbed his luggage, and headed out.

The school's shuttle bus was just turning onto the street. Li Wangyue didn't want his colleagues to know where he lived, so he had given an address farther away, so he could wait there ahead of time.

The window rolled down, and Meng Chi was looking around. When he spotted Li Wangyue, he just waved.

Li Wangyue thought it was weird. This guy had been looking forward to the capital trip every day, but now he seemed so quiet. It felt a little off.

As he opened the car door, Li Wangyue saw the person in the back seat and understood why Meng Chi had gotten quiet.

A stranger sat in the back, wearing over-ear headphones and working on a laptop. He nodded a greeting to Li Wangyue but didn't say anything.

Wondering who this was, Li Wangyue saw Meng Chi subtly point at his phone, signaling him to check a message.

No wonder Meng Chi was quiet—this guy was probably some connection they had to bring along. Li Wangyue gave a polite, knowing smile.

The drive to the airport was silent. The car was dead quiet, and the two of them barely talked, since it wasn't convenient with an outsider there.

Luckily, their tickets weren't booked together, and their seats weren't next to each other. As soon as Meng Chi sat down, he started digging through his bag. "Teacher Li, did you bring a pen? I need to fill out the receipt quick and then crash."

"I do," Li Wangyue replied instinctively, reaching into his pocket. He paused, then corrected himself, "Sorry, I didn't bring one. I misremembered."

His pocket held his good luck charm.

"I'll ask the flight attendant later, then." Meng Chi didn't think much of it, slipped his neck pillow on, tilted his head back, and dozed off.

Li Wangyue had a window seat. After the plane leveled off, all he could see were clouds, which were pretty hypnotic.

He woke up only when the plane descended, jolted by the turbulence.

"Arrived?"

"Teacher Li, you slept so soundly, I didn't dare wake you. Here, have some water." Meng Chi handed him a bottle of water.

"Thanks." Li Wangyue smiled and took a sip to soothe his throat.

Meng Chi pointed at the announcement. "It's going to be pretty cold outside. Did you bring a thick coat?"

"Yeah." Li Wangyue gazed at the scenery outside, which seemed frosted over, the colors turning cold. "It really is cold. This season..."

"This season's not too bad," Meng Chi said with a laugh. "It's not deep winter yet, but it's not too hot either. You know, last summer on a business trip, the school booked us a weird mountain resort hotel, calling it an 'excellent landscape case study.' That night, the hotel's fountain show spat out a snake. At least now, the snakes are getting ready to hibernate."

This time, they were also booked at a mountain resort. Meng Chi planned to check out the observation deck in his free time, since the season was right.

Still, he had cautiously brought snake repellent.

Li Wangyue understood. In their line of work, soil testing was common, and they occasionally had to venture deep into the woods, so insect and snake repellent were essential.

"I once encountered a king cobra during my graduate studies, when I was with a research group," Li Wangyue recalled. "And during an undergrad camping trip with friends, the locals mentioned there were sharp-nosed vipers, but I never saw one—another camper did."

"That intense?" Meng Chi's eyes widened. "I'm terrified of snakes. King cobras are scary, right?"

"A bit, but they don't attack humans unprovoked. They usually warn and drive you away. If you see one from a distance, just slowly walk away. Sharp-nosed vipers are scarier—they like dark, damp places and don't move much. If you step into their territory, they won't make a sound, and by the time you step on them, they bite."

Meng Chi's face paled. He stammered, "Then maybe I'll skip it. I was thinking of checking out the woods."

"It's okay, just be careful. I can go with you. The wild forest near the resort looks really beautiful this season, and I'd like to see it too."

"Teacher Li, you're the best!" Meng Chi looked at him with admiration and started browsing guides on his phone.

Li Wangyue actually envied Meng Chi—a guy who loved his career and had made a name for himself at the school.

He loved landscape design too, but for him, it was more about aesthetic appreciation. He immersed himself in it, but always got bogged down by little things.

When the cabin door opened, the cold air rushed in. He tucked his hands into his pockets for warmth, touched the pen, and in the chilly breeze, remembered the night Ting Zhenxi gave him that pen.

That night, he'd wandered alone into the sky garden, gotten lost, and unknowingly stepped into Ting Zhenxi's territory.

Like a sharp-nosed viper, Ting Zhenxi was coiled silently in a corner, watching Li Wangyue approach without a sound or warning. He waited for Li Wangyue to spot him first, then emerged from the darkness to strike.

Li Wangyue gripped the pen tightly and couldn't help shivering.

He suddenly felt like a pair of eyes was watching him—sinister, dark, pitch-black eyes.

He whipped around, but the airport was still noisy, people rushing past. No one was looking at him.

Li Wangyue figured he was just too tired. He needed rest.

·

The forum was boring as always, but still worth it. Meng Chi came in all excited and left wiped out. On the way back to the hotel, he slept like a log, dead to the world.

When the car turned a corner, he dozed off and slumped onto Li Wangyue's shoulder. Li Wangyue didn't know whether to laugh or sigh, but just shifted to let him lean more comfortably.

They ordered food to the room. When they got out of the car, Meng Chi yawned and stretched, barely able to walk straight. Li Wangyue guided him into the elevator.

Right as the doors were about to close, Li Wangyue caught sight of a figure approaching the entrance. He reached out to hold the door for them.

The people outside stepped in one by one.

"Thanks."

Li Wangyue steadied Meng Chi, then looked up. "You're welcome."

He went still.

His eyes locked with Ting Zhenxi's.

*He's so handsome*—that was the first thing that popped into his head.

The guy was in a suit and tie, sharp and put-together, as if he had just come from a negotiation. His eyes had a hint of tiredness, and even his fatigue looked beautiful.

His throat went dry. His Adam's apple bobbed as he glanced at the people beside Ting Zhenxi—all unfamiliar faces, presumably not the kind of frivolous friends like Zhao Bing.

He wanted to look away, act like he didn't know him, but Ting Zhenxi didn't turn his head first. Ting Zhenxi kept staring at him.

The man's gaze swept over him slowly, landing on Meng Chi leaning against him.

Then he looked back at Li Wangyue.

One of the people beside him noticed the tension and asked, "Mr. Ting, do you know this guy?"

Ting Zhenxi gave a low "mm-hmm," but didn't look at the questioner. His eyes were still fixed on Li Wangyue.

"More than just know him," he said.

Li Wangyue said nothing. He just gave a polite, forced smile and a slight nod to the men who were now staring at him.

The elevator stopped at Li Wangyue's floor. He quietly said goodbye to Ting Zhenxi, and as he stepped out, he heard the man's voice again.

"Li Wangyue, which room are you in?"

Li Wangyue was about to turn and answer, but he had forgotten—he needed to check the room card. He had to say hastily, "I'll send it to you."

As the elevator doors slowly closed, Li Wangyue saw the faces of the people around Ting Zhenxi shift. Low murmurs arose.

"So he's Li Wangyue? The one your dad's mistress brought back..."

"Strange, he looks tamer than the rumors said. I thought he'd be more arrogant."

Li Wangyue dropped his gaze, letting the whispers fade behind him.

Ting Zhenxi wasn't standing in the center of the elevator. He liked to lean in a corner, and he was the center of the gossip, all because he had run into Li Wangyue here.

Li Wangyue clenched the room card, frowning almost imperceptibly.