Suo Ran looked out of the window as the line of cars barely moved.The traffic had come to a complete stop ahead of them,and the occasional horn sounded through the crowded street.Lian Ziho tapped his fingers lightly against the steering wheel,waiting for the cars in front to move.After another minute,he shifted the gear into park and leaned back slightly.Suo Ran glanced at him,then turned back toward the window.He watched a cyclist squeeze between the cars before suddenly turning toward Lian Ziho. "By the way.""Hmm?"Lian Ziho looked at him briefly before turning his attention back to the road."Your friend."
Lian Ziho's hand remained relaxed on the steering wheel."What about him?""You never really told me who he is."Lian Ziho was silent for a moment.His fingers stopped tapping."Lu Cheng.""That's his name?" Lian ziho nodded.Suo Ran studied his face for a second,then shifted in his seat to face him more directly."Exactly who is he?"Lian Ziho kept his eyes on the road."We met at university." "Were you close?"
"We were friends for years.""And then?"Lian Ziho's looked through the windshield at the unmoving traffic but didn't answer.Suo Ran waited.He uncrossed his arms and rested one hand against the door,watching Lian Ziho's reflection in the window."Why aren't you saying anything?"Lian Ziho glanced at him."Because there's a lot to say.""Then say it."Suo Ran turned fully toward him,his voice quiet but firm."What happened between you and him?"Lian Ziho let out a slow breath and reached for the gear when the car ahead finally moved."Not here."He shifted the car into drive and followed the traffic."Why?" Suo Ran watched his hands."Because if I start talking about Lu Cheng,you're going to ask questions."
Suo Ran raised an eyebrow."I already am.Lian Ziho smiled for second."That's what I was afraid of."He turned onto a quieter road once the traffic finally cleared.The buildings became less crowded,and the noise from the main street faded behind them.Suo Ran lowered the window slightly,letting the cool air move through the car as he looked outside."So?"he asked after a moment."You said you were close."
Lian Ziho drove for a while before speaking. "Lu Cheng and I were almost always together when we were at university.We studied together,ate together,and spent most of our free time somewhere outside campus."He briefly glanced at Suo Ran."He was more outgoing than me.He knew everyone."Suo Ran closed the window again and rested his arm against the door. "And you trusted him?" Lian Ziho thought for a moment."Back then."
Suo Ran caught the change in his tone and slowly turned his head toward him."That sounds like something happened."Lian Ziho slowed down at an intersection,then continued once the road cleared.Suo Ran watched the buildings pass outside before looking back at him."He started spending time with some people I didn't trust."Lian Ziho said."Why?"Suo Ran asked,turning slightly in his seat."There was something wrong with them."Lian Ziho's expression became more serious.He adjusted the rearview mirror before continuing."I couldn't explain it at first.They weren't doing anything obvious,but they always seemed to be around things they shouldn't have been around."
Suo Ran rubbed his thumb against the edge of his phone."And Lu Cheng got involved with them?"Lian Ziho nodded."Did you warn him?""I tried.""What did he say?"Lian Ziho was quiet for a moment.He changed his grip on the steering wheel."That I was overthinking it."Suo Ran looked at him."And were you?""I hoped I was."Lian Ziho's grip tightened slightly."But every time I told him to stay away,he went back to them."
Suo Ran watched him for a moment,then looked down at his phone before placing it face down on his thigh."You fought about it?""More than once."Lian Ziho glanced at Suo Ran briefly before looking ahead again. "He hated being told what to do."Suo Ran tilted his head."And you kept telling him anyway.""I thought I was protecting him." Suo Ran's expression softened slightly.He leaned back against the seat and looked at Lian Ziho for a few seconds."Did he know that?" Lian Ziho kept his eyes on the road,but Suo Ran's question brought back a few old memories.As they passed an old bookshop,he remembered sitting there with Lu Cheng,books spread across the table while Lu Cheng complained about studying. A little farther down,the smell from a small food stall reminded him of the times they used to eat together.
Lu Cheng would always complain about how much Lian Ziho ordered,even when he ended up eating half of it.Then he noticed two university students walking together. One was carrying the other's books,and Lian Ziho almost smiled.He remembered Lu Cheng doing the same thing,always complaining about how heavy the books were while carrying them anyway.The memories were small,but they came back clearly,one after another.Lian Ziho's expression slowly changed as the road ahead brought them past an old university building.He slowed slightly when he saw the familiar stone steps,and another memory came back.
Years earlier,Lian Ziho had stood outside a university building with Lu Cheng beside him.The campus was almost empty,and the evening wind moved through the trees.Lu Cheng had his hands buried in his coat pockets as he walked slowly down the steps, while Lian Ziho followed a few steps behind him."You need to stay away from them."Lian Ziho said.Lu Cheng stopped halfway down the steps and glanced back at him."You keep saying that.""Because you keep meeting them."
Lu Cheng sighed and continued walking. "They're not as bad as you think."Lian Ziho caught up with him."You don't know that."Lu Cheng stopped again and turned around. "And you do?"Lian Ziho stared at him for a moment."I've seen enough."Lu Cheng looked away.He rubbed the back of his neck and let out a quiet breath."You're asking me to choose between you and them.""No."Lian Ziho's voice softened as he stepped closer. "I'm asking you not to get yourself into something you can't get out of."
Lu Cheng laughed."I can handle myself." "That's not what I'm worried about."Lu Cheng's smile faded.He looked at Lian Ziho for a few seconds before turning away again. "You always do this.""Do what?""Act like you're responsible for everyone."He started walking again.Lian Ziho followed."I'm not trying to protect everyone."Lu Cheng glanced over his shoulder."Then who are you trying to protect right now?"Lian Ziho didn't answer.Lu Cheng slowed down until they were walking side by side."Me?" he asked quietly.Lian Ziho finally looked at him."Yes."Lu Cheng's steps stopped.He looked at Lian Ziho with an expression that was almost surprised,then lowered his eyes."You really mean that.""Of course I do."
Lu Cheng kicked a small stone from the pavement and watched it roll toward the grass."Even after all the arguments?" "Especially after them."Lu Cheng laughed under his breath and shook his head."You're terrible at saying things like that.""Saying what?""Things that make it difficult to leave." Lian Ziho's expression softened."Then don't leave."Lu Cheng looked at him for a long moment.The wind pushed his hair across his forehead,and he reached up to move it aside."I wish it were that simple."He looked toward the dark road beyond the campus gate."There are things I've already gotten involved in."Lian Ziho's expression immediately tightened."Then tell me.""I can't.""Why?"Lu Cheng looked down at his hands."Because if I tell you,you'll try to fix it.""Maybe I will.""That's exactly why."
Lu Cheng smiled for second then it disappeared."You'd walk straight into something dangerous just because I'm there."Lian Ziho didn't deny it."You're my friend."Lu Cheng's eyes softened."I know." He looked away."That's what makes this harder."For a while they walked without speaking.They reached the edge of the courtyard,and Lu Cheng stopped beside a low stone wall.He sat down and leaned forward,resting his elbows on his knees.
Lian Ziho remained standing in front of him. "You're making this sound like a goodbye." Lu Cheng looked up."Maybe it is.""Don't say that.""Why?""Because I don't like it."Lu Cheng smiled faintly."You don't like a lot of things.""I especially don't like you disappearing."Lu Cheng's smile slowly faded.He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small keychain.It was old and slightly scratched,with a tiny metal figure hanging from it.He turned it between his fingers before holding it out."Here."
Lian Ziho looked at it but didn't take it immediately."What's this?""You gave it to me in first year.""You still have it?""Of course."Lu Cheng grabbed Lian Ziho's hand and placed the keychain in his palm before he could refuse."Keep it for me."Lian Ziho closed his fingers around it."Why?"Lu Cheng shrugged,but his eyes avoided his."Because I have a feeling I'll lose it if I keep carrying it around.""Then I'll give it back when you come back."
Lu Cheng looked at him."Yeah."He nodded slowly."When I come back."Lian Ziho studied him for a moment. "Promise?"Lu Cheng hesitated,then held out his little finger."Promise."Lian Ziho looked at it before hooking his own finger around Lu Cheng's."Don't make me regret this."Lu Cheng laughed quietly."You worry too much.""And you don't worry enough." "Maybe that's why we get along."Lian Ziho almost smiled."Maybe."Neither of them knew that those words would become the last promise between them.
A few weeks later,Lu Cheng stopped answering his calls.At first,Lian Ziho assumed he was busy.He sent a message while sitting in the university library.He waited.He called again that evening but no answer.The next day he went to the café where they usually met.The chair across from him remained empty for more than an hour.He eventually left the untouched drink on the table and walked back to campus. That evening,he tried Lu Cheng's number again.The call didn't connect.
Lian Ziho stopped walking in the middle of the pavement and stared at the screen.He called again but same result.He lowered the phone slowly and looked toward the university gate.Lu Cheng had disappeared from his life without even giving him a chance to ask why.Over the following weeks, Lian Ziho searched for him.He went to the places they used to visit.He checked the apartment Lu Cheng had once mentioned. He contacted two classmates who had known them both,but neither had heard anything useful.Each attempt ended the same way
Eventually,one evening,Lian Ziho returned to the university building where they had argued.He stood beneath the same trees, his hands in his coat pockets.The old keychain was still there.He pulled it out and stared at it for a long moment before closing his fist around it.He called one last time.No answer.Lian Ziho lowered the phone and whispered to himself,"You said you'd come back."The wind moved through the branches above him,but nothing else answered.That was the last time he went looking for Lu Cheng.He never stopped remembering him,but eventually he stopped expecting him to return.That was the last serious conversation they had before things began falling apart.
A car horn suddenly sounded nearby.Lian Ziho looked up,but the memory continued. He remembered standing outside the university a few days later,calling Lu Cheng again and again while staring at the empty road where they used to walk together.Then the calls stopped being answered completely.Lu Cheng disappeared from his life without giving him a chance to ask why.
"Lian Ziho?"Suo Ran's voice pulled him back.Lian Ziho blinked and looked toward him.The traffic had already started moving, and the car behind them honked again.
"We weren't enemies.We just ended badly."
Suo Ran looked toward the window,thinking about it."Maybe he really is coming back."
Lian Ziho didn't answer immediately.His eyes remained fixed ahead,and his expression became unreadable."Maybe."A few seconds passed."Or maybe,"he said quietly,"he wants me to know that he never forgot what happened."Suo Ran turned toward him.
By the time they reached home,the sky had already grown dark.Lian Ziho carried the food inside while Suo Ran unlocked the door.As soon as they stepped inside,Jun Wei appeared from the living room.He was still wearing the same clothes from earlier, and there was a small trace of flour near his sleeve."You're finally back."Suo Ran smiled. "We brought dinner."Jun Wei looked at the bags,then at Suo Ran.His smile slowly disappeared."Ge-ge?"Suo Ran stopped. "Hmm?" "You look strange."
Lian Ziho glanced at Suo Ran but said nothing.Suo Ran quickly placed his phone on the table and tried to smile."I'm just tired."Jun Wei watched him for a few seconds."Did something happen?" "No." Suo Ran reached over and lightly fixed Jun Wei's messy hair."Everything's fine."Jun Wei frowned."You're lying."Suo Ran gave a quiet laugh."I'm not.""You are."Jun Wei looked at Lian Ziho as if asking him to confirm it.
Lian Ziho set the food on the table."He's just tired."Jun Wei still didn't look convinced,but he finally nodded and helped carry the bags into the kitchen.Later,while Suo Ran was inside heating the food,Jun Wei quietly followed Lian Ziho toward the hallway.He stopped him before he reached the stairs. "Lian-ge."Lian Ziho turned around."What is it?"Jun Wei lowered his voice."Is Ge-ge in trouble?"Lian Ziho's expression softened. He crouched slightly so they were closer to eye level."No.He isn't."Jun Wei searched his face."You're sure?""Yes."Lian Ziho gave his shoulder a light pat."Whatever happened today,you don't need to worry about it.We're here,and he's safe."
Jun Wei nodded slowly."Okay."He turned to leave,but then stopped."I saw someone earlier."Lian Ziho's expression changed. "Where?""Near the gate."Jun Wei pointed toward the front door."I was in the kitchen, and I saw someone standing across the street."Lian Ziho straightened."What did they look like?""I couldn't see their face."Jun Wei frowned as he tried to remember."They were just standing there.""For how long?""I don't know.Maybe a few minutes."He glanced toward the window."I thought they were waiting for someone,but they didn't move."Lian Ziho's eyes shifted toward the front door."Did they come closer?"Jun Wei shook his head."No.They just looked at the house."
Suo Ran walked out of the kitchen."What are you two talking about?"Lian Ziho looked at him."Jun Wei saw someone near the gate earlier."Suo Ran's expression changed. "Someone?"Jun Wei nodded."Across the street.They were looking at the house."Suo Ran walked toward the window and pulled the curtain aside slightly.He looked through the gap,but the street outside was empty. "Did you see where they went?"Jun Wei shook his head."No."Suo Ran lowered the curtain."Let's check the cameras."
They moved to the security monitor in the study.Suo Ran pulled up the recordings from the front gate and began scrolling through them.Most of the footage was normal.A delivery driver passed in the afternoon.A neighbor walked past with a bag.Someone stopped near the corner for a few seconds before continuing down the street. "Nothing."Suo Ran muttered as he changed to another camera.The screen showed the road outside the house.The image was clear for several seconds.Then a figure appeared across the street.
Suo Ran stopped the recording.The person was standing beneath a streetlight,far enough away that their face could not be seen clearly.They weren't walking.They weren't using their phone.They were simply standing there."Go back!"Lian Ziho said.Suo Ran rewound the footage and played it again.The figure remained in the same place.Lian Ziho stepped closer."Look at the direction they're facing."Suo Ran stared at the screen.The person wasn't looking down the road.They were looking directly at the house.
Suo Ran paused the footage just before the figure turned away."They were here for us."Lian Ziho's expression hardened."And they knew where to look."Suo Ran switched to the next camera.The person had already disappeared from view.He checked the camera near the corner,then the one covering the side road,but there was nothing."They left before the camera caught them again."Lian Ziho remained silent for a moment."How long were they there?"Suo Ran checked the timestamp."Almost seven minutes."
Jun Wei,who had been standing near the doorway,quietly stepped closer."So they really were watching us?"Suo Ran looked at him and softened his voice."We don't know that yet."Jun Wei glanced at the screen."But they were looking at the house."Suo Ran looked back at the frozen image."Yes."Lian Ziho noticed Jun Wei's worried expression and stepped between him and the screen. "Go upstairs for now.We'll handle this."Jun Wei hesitated,but Lian Ziho gave him a calm look."Nothing is going to happen to you."
Jun Wei looked between them before nodding.He turned toward the stairs,but stopped halfway."Ge-ge?"Suo Ran looked up."Don't stay up too late."Despite everything,Suo Ran smiled faintly."I won't."
Jun Wei disappeared upstairs.Suo Ran turned back to the screen.The frozen figure remained across the street,its face hidden in shadow. He stared at it for several seconds before speaking."They weren't passing by."Lian Ziho looked at him.Suo Ran's eyes narrowed."They came here to see who was inside."
Suo Ran clicked through the other camera angles again,but the person disappeared before reaching the next street."They knew where the blind spot was,"he said.Lian Ziho's expression tightened."Or someone told them."Suo Ran leaned back from the screen and rubbed his forehead."I'll save the footage.We can check it properly tomorrow." Lian Ziho nodded,but his eyes remained on the frozen figure."For now,don't tell Jun Wei anything more than he needs to know."Suo Ran looked at him."I wasn't planning to."He closed the recording and turned off the monitor,but the image stayed in his mind.
Across the city,Qin Yue sat in front of two monitors with her hair tied loosely behind her.She had been going through old access records for nearly an hour when a name caught her attention.She stopped scrolling and leaned closer to the screen."Wait."Han Yi,who was sitting across the room with a file open in his hands,looked up."What?"Qin Yue pointed at the monitor."Lian Ziho."Han Yi put the file down and walked over."What about him?""Someone searched his name three times this week."She opened the records one by one."The first search was basic.The second opened an old university record.The third went into a restricted archive."
Han Yi's expression changed."Who accessed it?"Qin Yue checked the access code."That's the strange part.The account isn't linked to any of our current cases."She clicked through the details and frowned."But whoever used it knew exactly what they were looking for."Han Yi leaned closer."What record?"Qin Yue opened the file."A university incident report from almost five years ago."She scrolled down slowly until another name appeared beside Lian Ziho's. "Lu Cheng."Han Yi went quiet."That's Lian Ziho's friend.""The same one."
Qin Yue said.She opened the report.The file was short,but several lines had been marked as restricted."Lu Cheng disappeared from the university around the same time the report was created."Han Yi looked at the date."Almost five years ago."Qin Yue nodded."And look at this."She opened another record beside it.A visitor entry had been added to the university archive two days before Lu Cheng disappeared.The name on the entry was Lu Cheng,but the ID number didn't match his student record. "Someone used his name to enter the building,"Qin Yue said."Three days later,he stopped attending classes."
Han Yi's brows drew together."Did Lian Ziho know about this?""I don't know."Qin Yue opened the access history again."But someone recently searched for this exact record."She pointed to the timestamp."And the search was made from a temporary network."Han Yi pulled a chair closer."Can you trace it?" "I'm trying."Qin Yue's fingers moved quickly across the keyboard.She followed the network path through several redirected connections before stopping. "There."She stared at the screen."The request passed through the same external server we found in the old kidnapping records."
Han Yi looked at her."You're sure?" "Not completely."Qin Yue enlarged the data."The route was masked, but the server signature matches."She paused,then opened another file."And there's more."Han Yi leaned forward.Qin Yue placed two records side by side.The first was the recent search for Lian Ziho.The second was an older search made almost five years ago."Look at the search terms."
Han Yi read the records silently.Lian Ziho,Lu Cheng,University transfer records and Patient transfer.His expression hardened. "Why would someone search Lian Ziho and patient records together?"Qin Yue shook her head."I don't know yet."She clicked into the patient record and suddenly stopped.Han Yi noticed her expression and leaned closer. "What?"Qin Yue pointed at the screen."This patient number."Han Yi stared at it.It was the same patient number they had found in the old case file—the one with two different official outcomes.Qin Yue slowly leaned back."Someone wasn't just looking for Lian Ziho."Han Yi's eyes remained fixed on the screen."They were looking for the connection between him and Lu Cheng."Qin Yue nodded."And whoever searched it recently already knew those two names belonged in the same file."
Qin Yue opened the old file again and began going through the photographs one by one. The first few were simple university memories.Lu Cheng and Lian Ziho were sitting together in the library,books spread across the table between them.In another, they were standing outside a small food stall,Lu Cheng laughing while Lian Ziho looked at him with an annoyed expression. There were more photographs from different days like walking across campus,eating together,studying late,and even one where Lu Cheng had fallen asleep on a pile of books while Lian Ziho stood beside him holding a cup of coffee.
Han Yi watched silently as Qin Yue moved through them. "They were really close." he said. Qin Yue nodded. "Looks like it." She opened the next photograph. This one was different. Lian Ziho and Lu Cheng were standing outside the university building. Lu Cheng was holding a folder,and Lian Ziho was leaning closer as they looked through something inside it.Han Yi looked at the background. "Wait." Qin Yue stopped.
Across the road,partly hidden behind a parked car,was a man. Han Yi leaned closer to the screen then he was shocked to see cai lang face.Qin Yue zoomed in. Cai Lang wasn't looking toward the camera. He was looking directly at Lian Ziho and Lu Cheng. Han Yi's expression slowly changed. "Why was he there?" Qin Yue checked the date beneath the photograph.Her fingers stopped. "This was taken four years and eight months ago."Han Yi looked at her. "That was before Lu Cheng disappeared." Qin Yue nodded slowly.Her eyes remained fixed on Cai Lang in the photograph.