Chapter 48

Chapter 48

When Shen Gali left, Bai Wei offered to have her assistant drive him back. Shen Gali just put himself in that position—if it were him, sound asleep in the dead of night, dragged out of bed by a phone call to drive and pick up someone he hardly knew, someone he'd only met a few times and wasn't even close to, he would probably get emo and freak out.

He declined, saying he would call a ride himself.

But standing downstairs, he couldn't for the life of him remember what road or what number Nan Liujing's house was. All he remembered was that it was quite close to Jinhai University, so he set the destination to Jinhai University, planning to find his way back by memory once he got there.

The streets were deserted at midnight. Perhaps because of the recent trending topics, what used to be the start of nightlife at twelve was now eerily quiet. Many shops had closed early, and the usually bustling Jinhai City was unusually empty and desolate.

The driver stopped at the gate of Jinhai University. After a moment's thought, Shen Gali asked the driver to go a little further, until they reached a narrow, pitch-black alley. He remembered that cutting through this alley would lead directly to a private path heading to Nan Liujing's house. If he took the main road, it would take more than ten minutes longer.

The driver sized up the alley and warned, "The car can't go any further up ahead. I can only drop you off here. These are dangerous times, young man. Be careful."

The driver didn't drive off immediately. Instead, he turned on the high beams, pointing them into the alley. The once pitch-black alley was lit up as bright as day. The kind driver added, "Hurry up, kid. There's a two-minute limit here. If the camera catches me, I'll get a ticket."

He stuck his head out, glanced around, and muttered, "I wonder if there's a camera."

Shen Gali thanked him and walked straight into the alley. But for a lazy bum who could barely manage fifty meters before conking out, it was hard to finish a hundred-meter-long alley in one go.

Halfway through, perhaps because the driver realized the time limit was up, the headlights suddenly cut out. As the sound of the car starting and driving away faded, the long, narrow alley fell back into complete darkness.

This was an urban renewal area, already torn down beyond recognition. Some jerk had smashed a big hole in the only streetlight, completely destroying it.

Looking ahead, the entire alley was pitch dark, stretching forever. You couldn't see a damn thing, and it was impossible to move.

Shen Gali stood there for a long time before remembering that his phone had a flashlight.

But the phone's flashlight only lit up about three feet around him. Shen Gali pressed himself against the wall, stepping over scattered gravel and rubble, sloshing through murky water, moving extremely slowly.

In the dead silence, every little sound was a thousand times louder. Even though Shen Gali walked slowly and lightly, his footsteps were still clearly audible, scraping against the rough ground.

Rustle, rustle.

Rustle, rustle—

Shen Gali suddenly looked up, his heart skipping a strange beat.

Was it his imagination? Within his own rhythmic footsteps, he thought he heard another rustling that didn't match his steps.

The phone's light cast a regular semicircle where the ground met the wall. But after this different footstep appeared, a semicircular shadow suddenly popped up at the edge of the lit semicircle. It looked a lot like...

The top of a human head.

Shen Gali stopped, trying to determine if the interwoven rustling was just his imagination. But when he stopped, all footsteps ceased. The bump of shadow at the edge of the light wobbled and stopped too.

It wasn't a shadow caused by camera glitches—it was moving.

At that moment, his phone suddenly vibrated. A Weibo push notification came through, along with several text messages and missed calls. The signal in the upper right corner showed only one bar, because the demolition had severely disrupted the signal. That brief window of signal let all the blocked messages come flooding in.

In the Weibo push, a short sentence with a bunch of exclamation marks.

"Another violent crime in Jinhai! Second victim in two days! The criminal's methods are the same as before! Everyone be on high alert and don't go out alone!"

Shen Gali saw the news and knew for sure...

There was someone behind him.

Nan Liujing slowly opened his eyes and instinctively looked at his phone.

*

Twelve thirty. Still no reply from Shen Gali.

Now that he was thinking about it, maybe it was because of that cheesy "I miss you" that he didn't want to reply. No, this was Shen Gali—he might not have even seen the message.

Nan Liujing breathed a sigh of relief.

So it was true: you must never act on impulse. What you do on impulse, you'll surely regret when you're clear-headed. He could only pray Shen Gali hadn't seen that "I miss you." Otherwise, he'd think Nan Liujing caught feelings. With Shen Gali being so pushy, if he mistakenly thought Nan Liujing had special feelings for him, he'd definitely walk all over him.

But if he hadn't seen it, wouldn't he think Nan Liujing didn't give a damn? That everything he did was just to get something out of him?

Did he even want him to see it or not?

Nan Liujing pulled the covers over his head, curling up into a pathetic little silkworm.

He had never been so conflicted. A man who always acted decisively, and now he couldn't sleep over one stupid text.

Tangled and confusing, the more he thought about it, the more upset he became. Since Shen Gali wasn't answering, he'd just call Bai Wei. At least he could ask if Shen Gali was sleeping okay there, if he'd had dinner, and also tell Bai Wei that Shen Gali was super particular—had to have two pillows to sleep or his neck would kill him.

But when Nan Liujing learned from Bai Wei that Shen Gali had said he was coming back for a midnight snack, he sat bolt upright, unable to hide the excitement in his voice: "He really said that? Can't sleep without the pumpkin porridge?"

Bai Wei asked back, "Li Li isn't home yet? He took a cab over forty minutes ago. It's only four or five kilometers, and there's no traffic jam. He should have been home in ten minutes."

Nan Liujing suddenly thought: did Shen Gali even know the address?

He told Bai Wei that Shen Gali would text her when he got home, then hung up hastily, trying to call Shen Gali again. But it rang for a long time with no answer.

Suddenly, the news that Uncle Li had mentioned at dinner flashed through his mind.

Targeting young men, stripping them and tying them to utility poles, writing insulting words on their bodies.

His mind went blank with a ringing in his ears.

Shen Gali did have a bad habit of not checking his phone, but since he had used it to book a ride, there was no reason he wouldn't have seen the later calls and messages.

At that moment, a whole lineup of crime shows flashed through his mind.

Shen Gali—if he found him this time, whether he cried or bitched, he'd put an ankle monitor on him and lock him up at home. He was never leaving the house again, period.

Thankfully, Nan Liujing kept his head. He first notified his private bodyguard team to go look for him, planning to call the police if they didn't find him within half an hour.

Then he dragged his wheelchair to the parking lot, analyzing Shen Gali's route. It was highly likely that, not remembering the house number, he would set his destination near a landmark like Jinhai University and then walk back. And with Shen Gali's lazy nature, he would definitely take a shortcut to save energy.

The only shortcut was through the urban renewal area behind Jinhai University's back gate. Although it was all torn to pieces, it still saved at least ten minutes compared to the main road.

Nan Liujing drove straight to that alley, flooring it. He was driving so fast you could almost see sparks from the tires.

He was frantic, in agony, on the verge of losing it, his head full of bloody and tragic images.

And the most painful part was that he knew Shen Gali didn't have much attachment to the world. He might not even put up a fight if he ran into trouble, just give up and accept it.

Nan Liujing took a deep breath, telling himself not to lose his mind now. If he lost it too, what would happen to Shen Gali?

He raised his hand and slammed it hard against the horn, the piercing sound cutting through the dark night again and again.

It wasn't just about blowing off steam—it was to let the criminal know someone was coming, to tell him to stop the crime immediately, to minimize the damage as much as possible.

When the car reached the entrance of the alley, Nan Liujing no longer cared about the wheelchair he used as a disguise. If Shen Gali was really in danger, all his pretenses would just get in the way of saving him in the last second.

Just as he got out of the car, he saw two figures of similar height slowly walking toward him from the alley.

It was too dark to make out who they were, but Nan Liujing recognized one of them at a glance—the familiar silhouette and gait were unmistakably Shen Gali.

In the blink of an eye, he dragged the wheelchair from the trunk and sat down, and the two figures stepped out of the alley, standing under the streetlight.

It was indeed Shen Gali, but the other was...

Shen Lanqing?

The source of anger was unclear, but Nan Liujing's taut, powerful arms bulged with veins as he forcefully pushed the hand rims to block their path.

"Shen Gali." His voice was low and deep, his dark eyes blazing with fury.

Seeing Nan Liujing, Shen Lanqing, who had been all smiles a moment ago, instantly, his smile vanished.

Shen Gali blinked. "What are you doing here?"

Nan Liujing let out a cold, incredulous laugh. "To cause myself more trouble."

He seemed to have grown used to harsh words. In this family, where everyone treated him as a stepping stone, if he wasn't tough, he'd sink into an even messier state.

But seeing Shen Gali standing before him safe and sound softened his heart—it ached with both relief and pain.

The only man who cared about him was unharmed. Thank goodness.

He could still maintain his composure, calmly calling off the security team and notifying Bai Wei that he had found Shen Gali so she wouldn't worry—like the cool-headed strategist he was in business, handling everything methodically.

But the moment he faced Shen Gali, all his rationality crumbled.

He always had a way of angering and tormenting him.

Yet he savored it, silently repeating to himself, "He's okay, thank goodness."

Just like last time, when he had driven a hundred kilometers into the remote mountains, Nan Liujing reached out, pulled Shen Gali close, and held him tightly in an embrace. He wrapped his arms around Shen Gali's waist, burying his face deep into his stomach, as if clinging to the one thing in this world that truly belonged to him.

Muffled by the fabric of their clothes, his voice came out in a low, rumbling voice:

"I was so worried. I went mad with no reason. But seeing you safe, I found my composure again."

Shen Gali was sure he had gone mad—how else would he embrace him so tightly in front of an outsider, whispering such embarrassing and cheesy words? This was so unlike Nan Liujing. He should have bought an electronic ankle monitor to chain him up, making sure he could never leave that cold, desolate mansion.

Not like this, making him feel strange thoughts—like he was needed and cared for.

Shen Gali remained motionless, not knowing what to say.

Should he comfort him? Or tell him to back off for being so sappy?

Those arms, like iron chains, locked around him, as if trying to crush him into his chest, believing only there was safety.

Sigh, what a hassle. Why do humans have so many complicated emotions, only to turn them into shackles that bind the very beliefs they once held so firmly?

After a long moment, Shen Gali reached out and patted Nan Liujing's shoulder. "Let's go back. I'm hungry."

Nan Liujing nodded. He had never thought the word "hungry" could sound so beautiful.

But Shen Lanqing, standing nearby, suddenly grabbed Shen Gali's hand. His brows furrowed, and his voice trembled. "Brother, didn't you agree to have a late-night snack with me?"

Earlier, when Shen Gali had been crossing the alley alone, he heard strange footsteps. At that moment, his phone buzzed with a terrifying news alert. He turned around, ready to tell the guy following him that he had no money. As for his life, he wasn't about to hand it over, especially since he had just seen his mother again. He was thinking of negotiating—maybe letting the guy take a pinky finger and call it quits. But when he looked back, it was Shen Lanqing.

Shen Lanqing said he had come to the university to handle some paperwork earlier, met up with some old classmates, and had dinner near the school. They talked for so long he lost track of time, and coincidentally, he saw Shen Gali get out of a taxi behind the school gate. Worried, he decided to follow and check on him.

Then Shen Lanqing mentioned he hadn't eaten his fill, and noticing the bowl in his brother's hand, guessed he hadn't had dinner either. He suggested they find a place to eat and chat.

Shen Gali didn't respond, which he took as silent agreement, and his heart soared. But he didn't expect to run into that annoying man as soon as they exited the alley.

That annoying man had once again taken his brother away from him, seemingly deliberately, as if asserting his dominance.

Shen Gali hadn't actually agreed to eat with him, and he didn't want to waste more time wandering around late at night. He got into the car with his bowl.

"I'm tired."

Those two words seemed to say everything, yet nothing at all.

Shen Lanqing's hand in his pocket clenched so hard his nails dug deep into his palm, ugly veins standing out on the back of his hand.

And what Nan Liujing said next felt like a petty gloat:

"No one to have a late-night snack with you? Want me to call Nan Feiyao? Though you and Shen Gali are brothers, taking someone else's wife out to eat in the middle of the night isn't proper."

Shen Lanqing looked at his brother's indifferent profile in the car. His once-normal thoughts began to warp.

If Nan Liujing had never existed, his bond with his brother wouldn't be so cold now. Maybe Nan Liujing had already figured out his intentions and was deliberately sabotaging him.

This man kept provoking and blocking him—he was the biggest obstacle between him and his brother.

He didn't deserve to exist in this world.

He had never understood why Nan Feiyao hated his half-brother so much, but now he realized all hatred stems from a source: that menace's existence had stolen the happiness that others deserved.

A smile slowly spread across Shen Lanqing's lips, as harmless as ever—almost endearing. "It's fine. Brother is tired too. Go home and rest early. Stay safe. I'll be off now."

With the night as his backdrop, Shen Lanqing turned and walked away, each step firm upon the dark ground.

Shen Gali sat in the car, just like last time, staring at the empty driver's seat. "How did you get here?"

Nan Liujing looked away, a hint of guilt in his expression. "The driver brought me."

"And the driver?"

"Gone to buy water."

The driver, who should have been sound asleep on his soft bed, finally arrived—grinding his teeth in anger—and drove the two home.

Butler Li didn't understand why Shen Gali had come back in the middle of the night, only to have the young master accompany him for a bowl of pumpkin porridge.

He assumed Shen Gali was particular about his bed and couldn't sleep well at Bai Wei's place. But after finishing the porridge, Shen Gali set down his spoon and wanted to call a cab to leave again.

Nan Liujing's tone was irritated. "You think this is a restaurant? Eat and leave?"

Shen Gali glanced sideways at the empty bowl. "If a restaurant served porridge this bad, it would have gone out of business long ago."

Nan Liujing: ...

Leave it to Shen Gali to bite the hand that feeds him.

"Don't leave. Go upstairs and sleep." Nan Liujing commanded arrogantly.

If Shen Gali left, he'd have to wrap himself in Shen Gali's blanket again, tossing and turning until dawn.

Shen Gali: "But I miss my mom,"

Nan Liujing sneered, "A grown man in his twenties crying for his mom every day—isn't that funny?"

Shen Gali lowered his head, weighing whether to knock him out and run. But causing a scene was a hassle, and he might end up losing the chicken without catching the egg—getting himself locked up instead. He didn't mind that, but not if it meant never seeing his mother again.

In Nan Liujing's eyes, Shen Gali's lowered head made him look dejected and about to cry.

He'd long realized his place in the family hierarchy—lower than a toilet plunger in the family ranking. How could he, someone ranked lower than a plunger, dare to go against the undisputed number one big sister?

Fine. If he wanted to leave, let him.

But before he left, he had to get one thing straight: "Shen Gali, I'll ask you one last time: If the toilet plunger and I both fell into the water at the same time, and you could only save one, who would you choose?"

Shen Gali: "I can't swim."

Nan Liujing sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Suppose you can. Suppose you're a swimming champion."

Without hesitation, Shen Gali replied, "You."

The corner of Nan Liujing's cold mouth twitched upward involuntarily. See? He does care about me. He chose me without even thinking. Maybe I've already surpassed Shen Lanqing and his father-in-law to become second place.

Nan Liujing pushed, not giving up. He wanted to hear the reason. Answers like "I care about you" or "You're important" were fine—he didn't mind the cheesiness.

Shen Gali: "Because the material of a toilet plunger ensures it floats and won't drown. If it can't… well, sorry about that."

Nan Liujing: ...

He turned to Uncle Li and said, "Take Shen Gali back to his mother's place. He can stay as long as he wants. I don't want to see him for a while."

Uncle Li couldn't suppress a laugh, but dared not be too obvious; his laughter came out in a series of 'puff puff' sounds like farts.

Nan·temporarily-didn't-want-to-see-him·Liujing got into the car and followed all the way to Bai Wei's doorstep. Under Bai Wei's surprised gaze, he stepped inside and explained:

"Sorry to impose, Mother-in-law. It's late, and I have an early meeting tomorrow at the company. I hope you don't mind me staying the night."

Bai Wei: ...

"Of course, you're welcome to stay, but we only have two bedrooms. You'll have to sleep with Li Li."

She saw nothing wrong with that—married couples sleeping together was normal.

But strictly speaking, this was the first time Shen Gali and Nan Liujing had ever shared a bed.

Since it was the guest room, the bed was only a meter and a half wide. Two men over 1.8 meters tall had to squeeze in tightly together.

Shen Gali was too tired to bother with all that; he fell asleep the second he lay down.

In the dead of night, even the sound of leaves rustling in the wind was unusually clear—along with Nan Liujing's sudden, violent heartbeat.

Nan Liujing lay straight as a board, his whole body tense.

It wasn't the first time he'd had such intimate physical contact with Shen Gali, but before, it had always been met with disgust and avoidance. Now he realized that the closer he got, the stronger the scent only he could detect grew. It was also the first time he knew that Shen Gali lay completely still after falling asleep, like a corpse, making him check his breathing multiple times.

Gradually, his heartbeat slowed, returning to normal.

Whether it was because it was his first time sharing a bed with someone else or because of the lingering fear from Shen Gali's disappearance, Nan Liujing couldn't fall asleep. A thorn seemed embedded in his heart as he repeatedly recalled the "ten extreme tortures" Shen Gali had once proposed, and those words:

"Even if I disappeared, nobody would care."

Nan Liujing turned his gaze to the person beside him. The moonlight was bright and white, softly illuminating his delicate features. He seemed to be dreaming, his long lashes trembling softly, stirring ripples.

Watching him, Nan Liujing's restless heart gradually calmed.

How could someone like this have poisoned someone else? It must have been a misunderstanding—many people don't know that combining certain herbs can be toxic. And those pre-marriage rumors about him were probably just rumors, unverified and baseless. A man who found even eating troublesome? Would he go through the trouble of harming someone?

Shen Gali had a knack for overturning ironclad evidence without lifting a finger, dismissing everything as a "misunderstanding."

Nan Liujing cleared his throat softly. Once he was sure Shen Gali was fast asleep, he gently reached out, pulled him into his arms, and whispered:

"Shen Gali, live well. I'll slowly make your life miserable."

Everything you want, I'll give it to you.

He reached for his phone, found the company HR manager's number, and sent a long text message.

At the police station.

*

The officer in charge of taking statements rubbed his tired brow as he looked at the sniveling young man across from him.

It was September, but the man was bundled in a cotton-padded jacket and down pants, covering every inch of his skin. He was the victim, pitiable, and it was the police's duty to uphold justice and crack down on crime. But he kept crying, and after questioning him for ages, the officer had gotten nothing useful. How was he supposed to proceed?

He'd heard that the second victim from today's case was also crying nonstop next door. After all those years of schooling, was crying the only thing they'd learned? Annoying.

The second victim had been attacked from behind and knocked out in the same way, then tied to a pole with words like "Scumbag" and "Trash" written all over his body. He and the first victim had no connection whatsoever—they didn't even know each other.

The two crime scenes were close together, both in areas with weak security due to urban redevelopment messing everything up. The main entrance's surveillance cameras had been accidentally damaged, and repeated requests to the city for replacements had only been met with lip service.

In a case like this—a series of related incidents—the victims must have some underlying connection. But the two insisted they didn't know each other and didn't attend the same school. The only commonality was that they were both fans of a minor celebrity named Pei Jing.

"Don't take this the wrong way," the officer said, "but you celebrity fans love to stir up trouble online. Did you pick a fight with an extreme fan of some rival artist, and they retaliated?"

"No, absolutely not," Victim One sobbed. "We barely have time to help our idols with charts and popularity every day—we don't have time to argue with anyone."

Victim Two echoed the same sentiment.

The police, seeing no point in further questioning, confiscated the victims' phones to focus on investigating their social connections and narrowing down leads.

To their surprise, the two really were as their classmates described—model students who were helpful and kind, often helping elderly people cross the street in their free time. They'd even received banners of gratitude from the families of the elderly they'd helped. Their classmates spoke highly of them.

An officer opened one victim's Weibo account and scrolled through his comment history, from two years ago to recent posts. When he saw the records, a phrase came to mind:

"Know a person's face but not their heart; paint the bones but not the soul."

These two model students had completely different personas online. If he had to describe them, it would be: "Rally like-minded followers and purge dissenters."

Anyone who criticized Pei Jing's acting or looks was met with a frenzy of attacks. Even if the person blocked them, they'd create new accounts to send abusive private messages.

The one who suffered the worst was a user named "Shen Gali." Besides endless insults and curses, the two had sent Shen Gali numerous graphic and threatening photoshopped images.

The officers exchanged suspicious glances.

Shen Gali? That name sounded familiar. After a moment's thought, they realized it was the daughter-in-law of Huanhai Electronics.

Things were getting interesting.

The next day.

*

Bai Wei had a full schedule, so she got up early and made breakfast herself, planning to call the two to get up and eat.

As soon as she pushed the door open, she immediately backed out again.

The two of them on the bed were tightly embracing, their noses almost touching, looking incredibly affectionate. As their elder, she naturally didn't want to disturb their sweet dreams, so she left breakfast and a Post-it note before following her assistant out the door.

She hoped Shen Gali could stay here for a few more days, but she was afraid Nan Liujing might object, so she said it subtly:

"Mom has a lot of work these days and can't accompany you during the day. Send me a message in the evening about what you want to eat. Love you, baby."

When Shen Gali woke up, he felt something ticklish on his face. Focusing his eyes, he saw Nan Liujing's face very close; just a little closer and their noses would touch. The warm breath from Nan Liujing's nostrils spread across his face, and one hand was still resting on his waist, unconsciously pulling him closer.

Shen Gali pushed his hand away. Getting up early was annoying—how could anyone have such bad sleeping posture?

Nan Liujing was awakened by him. Slowly opening his eyes, he saw a stunningly beautiful face, with a faint blush on his cheeks.

He had to admit, this face was indeed, as netizens said, magnificent.

Though his heart was racing, Nan Liujing still acted calm and collected: "Get up. Time to go to work."

Shen Gali didn't understand. From his tone, did it sound like he had to go to work too?

"Me? Go to work?" Shen Gali asked.

"Yeah, you go to work." Nan Liujing was changing clothes casually. "I already notified HR last night. You can start right away without an interview."

As for why he was so abrupt, it was probably because he thought of Nan Feiyao, who had lost the chairman position due to a last-minute change of plans, and Shen Lanqing's meaningful gaze from last night.

Maybe, things were about to change.

Shen Gali lay back down: "I don't want to work, I just want to lie down."

What reason did he have to go to work? Besides, even if he worked, Nan Liujing had no right to decide his freedom to choose his own job.

In the past, Nan Liujing would have been adamant: no matter the reason, you had to go to work with him. But today he seemed more patient, speaking very softly:

"The job is easy and simple. After deducting insurance, housing fund, and all subsidies, you'll take home one hundred thousand. Want to go?"

Shen Gali looked at him warily: "You're not saying the hundred thousand is per year, are you?"

Nan Liujing paused his hand as he tied his tie: "Am I that stingy in your eyes?"

Shen Gali really hadn't expected that.

According to Nan Liujing, he was also a senior executive with an annual income of one million. Although nothing beats doing nothing, exchanging labor for corresponding compensation is society's rule.

In just a few years, he could earn enough for a luxurious Matryoshka-doll afterlife palace. That deal wasn't bad.

But going to work meant facing all kinds of people; maybe his list of annoying people would grow to a hundred. Thinking about that scene made him cringe.

Seeing Shen Gali silent, Nan Liujing guessed he was probably having a bout of social anxiety again. To reassure him, he promised:

"Don't be afraid. With me here, the only person you'll have to deal with daily for work is me."

Shen Gali calculated: With Nan Liujing being a twisted villain from the original story, he might kick him out one day. Relying on his own abilities, it was almost impossible to earn a million annually. So he might as well grab a few more opportunities before Nan Liujing changed his mind. The end of life is always the "final garden."

He looked up and said lazily, "Since you're begging me like that, I guess I'll go."