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Something’s up with Qing Shan, Zhao Yunlan had said.
Shen Wei wondered anxiously what it could possibly be this time.
Upon hearing the news that his protégé had stirred trouble again, Shen Wei sprung to life immediately without a word, as if he hadn’t been in a half-comatose state just a minute ago. Wearing an unreadable expression on his face, he grabbed a fresh suit from the closet and proceeded to dress himself meticulously, while Zhao Yunlan collected his jeans where they had been disgracefully discarded on the floor, and fished for a random T-shirt in his bedside drawer, pulling it on haphazardly. The day was still young, but after checking the weather on his phone, which was one of the few things that he knew how to do on it, Shen Wei found that the pleasant temperature from earlier had made way for cooler weather, and so, as he followed Zhao Yunlan out of the apartment, he grabbed a wool-lined leather jacket from its hanging position by the door, along with Zhao Yunlan’s phone and wallet that the other had inadvertently left behind in his haste.
Upon setting foot in the chill, Zhao Yunlan stopped dead in his tracks. He was debating whether he should go back when a warm coat was suddenly wrapped around his shoulders from behind. Zhao Yunlan spun around to face Shen Wei who handed him his other misplaced belongings. “Here.” Shen Wei said softly as Zhao Yunlan gratefully accepted his things and stashed them away into his jacket pocket with a sheepish smile.
“...Thanks.”
Truly, Zhao Yunlan was a lost man without Shen Wei, in more ways than one.
This particular train of thought reminded Zhao Yunlan of his previous musings and, now that he was wide awake, his thoughts began to race again as he started the engine and drove off, his gaze alternating between the road, Da Qing in the back seat and Shen Wei sitting stiffly by his side, throwing nervous glances out the window.
Tonight had brought back into his mind a matter that he had momentarily brushed aside: the mysterious reason why Shen Wei always stuck to his side so vehemently, and why from day one he had been acting like Zhao Yunlan was his entire world despite Zhao Yunlan knowing fully well that they had never met before. What was more, right now, he was struggling to make sense of Shen Wei’s unequivocal love and devotion for him, which he wasn’t sure what he had done to deserve. No matter how he looked at it, he felt like he was missing a larger piece of the puzzle. Zhao Yunlan had chosen to believe Shen Wei at every turn, and more than anything, he wanted to put his complete trust in him, but although he was aware of his secret identity now, he couldn’t shake off the idea that Shen Wei was still hiding things from him.
Zhao Yunlan didn’t want to feel like he was a mere spectator in his relationship with Shen Wei, but what else could he do if Shen Wei wasn’t willing to open up to him?
Frowning, he shot another look at Shen Wei, worrying at his lip as he turned this over in his mind.
Sensing that he was being observed, Shen Wei turned his head to meet Zhao Yunlan’s lingering stare.
“Zhao Yunlan. Is something on your mind?”
“Ah, it’s nothing.” Zhao Yunlan replied with a forced grin and a wink, squeezing Shen Wei’s knee affectionately before diverting his attention back to Da Qing who was currently briefing them about the situation. “Sorry, you were saying?”
Da Qing clicked his tongue in annoyance and moved up to the edge of his seat, putting himself between Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei and wrapping his arms around the backs of their seats to capture their full attention. “Lao Zhao… You better listen to me this time, ‘cause I’m not going to repeat this again.”
“Forgive us, Da Qing.” Shen Wei apologized meekly, as he too had been lost in his thoughts. “Please continue.”
Smiling widely at Shen Wei, before throwing a dirty look at Zhao Yunlan, Da Qing resumed his explanations.
There had been an incident at school. Three female students had been found unconscious in an otherwise empty science lab from which remnants of toxic fumes could still be found emanating. From the looks of it, it seemed that the fellow classmates had been running an experiment which had gone terribly wrong. Fortunately for them, however, one of the young women had managed to call the police before losing consciousness, which had made it possible for them to be rescued before the gases caused irreversible damage to their bodies. Despite this, the girls had been rushed to Dragon City General Hospital, which was where the three of them were currently headed.
Upon making this grim discovery, the police had tried to get a hold of Shen Wei who was responsible for the group and, as the professor had appeared to be otherwise occupied, they had then reached out to the SID’s Chief Zhao, who was both a dependable asset for the force and famous for being attached at the hip with the distinguished scholar, but Zhao Yunlan had been equally missing in action, so the responsibility had fallen to the Chief’s second-in-command. As soon as Da Qing had gotten wind of this, he had set out to inform them of what had happened. “One of the students was seen cooking up a mixture of doubtful nature by the other two, but she doesn't remember why she did what she did. The officer I spoke with said that the police wouldn’t have normally involved the SID for something so mundane, which is a lie, but the students are Professor Shen’s, and the circumstances surrounding the incident do seem pretty suspicious.”
This news was doing nothing to alleviate Shen Wei’s fears. He exchanged a look with Zhao Yunlan. “They were supposed to meet after school to work on a group assignment, so I had given them the keys beforehand for them to do what they had to do. I never imagined that something like this…” Shen Wei trailed off, leaving the rest of his sentence hanging in mid-air, but from his creased brow and tortured expression, Zhao Yunlan could guess where he was going with this.
“Don’t blame yourself, Shen Wei.” Zhao Yunlan said soothingly as he backed up the Jeep in the hospital parking lot, taking one of his hands off the steering wheel to wrap it around Shen Wei’s, which were folded neatly on his lap. “Wait. What does that have to do with Qing Shan? Was she among the three who were found?”
Da Qing shrugged and shook his head.
“I don’t know the details, but apparently one of the girls said that she had been with them up until the time when the incident happened, at which point she said she had something important to do and left.”
“That’s suspicious as hell, not gonna lie…” Zhao Yunlan admitted as the three of them got out of the vehicle and slammed their doors shut. Once they were outside, he produced a lollipop at last, unwrapping it and tucking it inside his mouth in one swift movement, a feat that he hadn’t dared to attempt in the Jeep for the safety of his passengers. Feeling like himself again as his earlier worries and misgivings evaporated at once, Zhao Yunlan touched Shen Wei’s arm in support as he walked past him, following Da Qing across the parking lot and towards the hospital entrance.
The hospital, much like the city where it was located, was a small and kempt establishment based at the very heart of Dragon City. Zhao Yunlan often had to come meet with the individuals involved in the cases he investigated—both the suspects and the victims—so he had a few contacts and was well known by the staff, particularly among the ladies. Oftentimes, he used this to get the information he needed for his work, but never in front of Shen Wei, who might have misinterpreted his behavior. He was, however, completely immune to the attention he received.
As Da Qing was leading them through the endless corridors, the trio walked past a nurse who greeted Zhao Yunlan enthusiastically as their paths crossed, breaking into a bright smile, then ducking her head giddily at her own bravery. Zhao Yunlan, seeing Shen Wei’s face blanch at the gesture, chuckled to himself internally at the obvious display of jealousy and sidled closer to Shen Wei, entwining his fingers with the other’s and squeezing them reassuringly. Shen Wei relaxed visibly at the gesture, but took back his hand before they walked into the room indicated by Da Qing.
“Professor Shen! You came…”
A petite girl sporting short, chestnut hair rose from the bed that she had been sitting on, as the three men filed inside the room quietly. Next to her, another young woman was lying on the mattress, pale-faced with long strands of ebony spread across her pillow, while a third one, whom Zhao Yunlan couldn’t make out properly from under the covers, seemed to be asleep in her bed by the window. All three students appeared to be safe, if only a little indisposed.
Zhao Yunlan watched as Shen Wei greeted his students, calling them by name. “Xian Yan. Sun Lin. Lu Zhou.”
“Professor, it was so horrible… I thought I was going to die...”
Shen Wei smiled affably, gently patting the back of the girl named Xian Yan, who had burst out into tears when he had come in and all but thrown herself in his arms. Zhao Yunlan’s heart swelled at this warm, doting mentor’s concern for the well-being of his pupils.
“It’s alright. It’s over now.”
Zhao Yunlan stood politely to the side with Da Qing, watching this heartfelt reunion with a smile. After a while, he stepped forward and made his presence known, pulling up a chair and sitting down backwards on it casually. Once he had made the necessary introductions and asked for the girls’ earnest cooperation, Zhao Yunlan finally cut to the chase. “So which one of you wants to tell us exactly what happened? Don’t push yourselves, but anything you can give us will help us get to the bottom of this.” He explained as his feline right-hand man diligently took out a notepad and settled down on the only empty bed in the room with a pen at the ready, prepared to jot down any important information.
The one called Lu Zhou was the first to speak. “We were running our experiment as planned and not bothering anyone when Qing Shan suddenly showed up. This was a huge surprise, since she’d excused herself for tonight because she wasn’t feeling well, but we didn’t think about it too much and let her join us. Ah Yan and I were busy with our part of the assignment, so we didn’t really pay attention to what the others were doing, but not long after Qing Shan had arrived, she suddenly announced that she had something else to do and left! Why she came in the first place is beyond me…”
Xian Yan nodded emphatically, her eyes still red and watery, but whether from crying or exposure to the toxic fumes, it was hard to say. “As soon as she was gone, my eyes started stinging and I couldn’t breathe. Then I passed out.”
“Did you see what caused the reaction?” Zhao Yunlan inquired with renewed interest, straightening up in his seat.
The two girls exchanged a nervous glance.
“I’m not sure, but there was something fishy about Linlin’s beaker…” Lu Zhou ventured tentatively.
Sun Lin, who had been the most directly exposed to the chemical emissions among the three students, and who had been unconscious upon their arrival, had woken up at some point and sat up in bed, looking regretful and near tears. “I… it was my fault. Qing Shan told me to mix a bunch of ingredients—I think it was bleach and ammonia?—and I… Professor Shen, I’m so sorry! Deep down inside, I knew how dangerous it was, but for some reason, I couldn’t stop myself...”
Zhao Yunlan froze. Why did this sound so familiar?
“The chloramine vapors caused by combining bleach and ammonia are extremely noxious. You could have died.” Shen Wei gently reprimanded the poor girl as she hung her head at the prospect of what she had done.
Zhao Yunlan perked up at this and turned to look at Shen Wei who was frowning, lost in his musings.
“Hey, can’t you make a bomb out of that combination? I’ve heard about it being used as a cheap alternative.”
Shen Wei nodded gravely in assent. “That is correct. With the right amounts and proportions, it can create a very potent explosive device. Thankfully, it seems like Qing Shan didn’t do her homework and look up the correct steps, or else the consequences could have been unthinkable.”
Zhao Yunlan gnawed on the stick of his finished lollipop, pensive.
“Huh...”
After a bit of prodding, Zhao Yunlan managed to draw out a few more details from the students as they started from the top and gave the three men a second account of the events of the night, at which point their professor, sensing that the girls had told all there was to tell—not to mention that they needed to rest—suggested that they check out the school and witness the aftermath of the incident for themselves.
Once they reached the premises, they had a quick chat with the officers in charge of securing the area and learned that, since the leak had been deemed accidental and there had not been any casualties, the girls would be let off with only a stern warning, and no further action would be taken. Zhao Yunlan wasn’t sure how they had reached that conclusion, and pondered furiously why the hell they had asked for the help of the SID if they didn’t plan to take advantage of it, but he had better things to do than argue with a low-ranking officer, and, since he had been given clearance, he wasn’t about to drop the matter, not unless he received clear orders from the top.
“Aiya... What a bunch of idiots.” Zhao Yunlan huffed, rubbing the bridge of his nose in exasperation. “I don’t trust them, but unfortunately, we don’t have the manpower to take care of everything on our own...”
Meanwhile, Shen Wei, who had been unsettlingly silent until now, suddenly came forward.
“I’m going to look for Qing Shan.” He announced decisively, before turning on his heels and stalking off in quick strides.
Zhao Yunlan quickly weighed his options, wishing he could split himself in two. He turned towards Da Qing. “I’ll follow after Shen Wei. Go have a look at the scene, and see if you can find something that they haven’t.” Zhao Yunlan directed his deputy chief, then grabbed him by the shoulder, holding him back before the other could dart off towards the science department. “Be careful out there. There might still be some of that gas floating around.”
Da Qing beamed at Zhao Yunlan, touched by his concern, then gave a resolute nod and jogged away.
Not wasting one more second, Zhao Yunlan hurried to catch up with Shen Wei who was still in sight and, together, they set off towards the student residences where Qing Shan lived. If Qing Shan was indeed behind these unfortunate events, she wasn’t likely to be waiting in her room for the police to come collect her, but it seemed a sensible enough place to begin their search. As they made their way there, Zhao Yunlan peered at Shen Wei walking next to him with his jaw set and his hands balled into tight fists at his sides. This whole ordeal was clearly taking a toll on Shen Wei…
For his sake, Zhao Yunlan hoped that the young woman had nothing to do with this, but as far as he was concerned, should that be the case, he planned on giving her hell for making trouble for Shen Wei and abusing his trust.
Nobody messed with his people and got away with it.
At the speed they were going, the couple reached their destination in no time. Stopping in front of the familiar door, Shen Wei raised his fist and knocked—once, twice, thrice—but no answer came. Zhao Yunlan reached for the knob in front of Shen Wei and turned it for him, slowly pushing the door open. “Qing Shan? Sorry, we’re coming in.” Zhao Yunlan wasn’t sure what he had been expecting to find—his hardened senses had witnessed a fair amount of gruesome displays throughout his career—but as Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan stepped into the room, they immediately spotted the lady of the hour huddled up under the covers in bed, looking like she had seen better days.
Shen Wei was momentarily at a loss for words. The student and the teacher assessed each other with their eyes under a silence so thick that one could have heard a pin drop.
Then, something in him snapped, and ‘Shen Wei’ made way for ‘Professor Shen’.
“You… What you did was completely irresponsible. What were you thinking? You could have killed someone.” Shen Wei glowered, and the young woman recoiled at his outburst, wondering what she could have possibly done to incur the wrath of the professor who was usually so gentle and polite. From the look of complete surprise on her face, it was pretty clear to Zhao Yunlan’s trained eye that she had no idea what Shen Wei was talking about. This was the expression of an innocent person, but Shen Wei was beside himself with anger, and right now, Zhao Yunlan didn’t think that anyone could have made him see reason—not even Zhao Yunlan.
Qing Shan blanched visibly at what Shen Wei was implying.
“Professor, I have no idea what you think I have done… I-I spent all day in bed, and—”
Zhao Yunlan had never seen Shen Wei so furious; he was livid, and wouldn’t listen to any of Qing Shan’s excuses. Zhao Yunlan figured that this must not have been the first time that Shen Wei was faced with a student trying to lie their way out of a tight spot, but it was still painful to watch, as well as oddly reminiscent of his own school days. “If that’s so, then why do I have three students claiming that you were in the lab only a few hours ago? Are you telling me that you didn’t use your power to force your classmates to make a dangerous, explosive mixture? And think hard before you reply, because it’s your word against theirs.”
Qing Shan had grown a sickly green. “What…? No, why would I do such a thing? I… I wasn’t feeling well, so I stayed in my room. I swear I didn’t set foot outside this room for hours… days, even! Professor, you have to believe me!”
Zhao Yunlan touched Shen Wei’s arm subtly in an attempt to appease his ire.
“Shen Wei… maybe you should listen to—”
“Don’t take her side!” Shen Wei snapped at Zhao Yunlan, whipping his head in his direction and glaring at him with eyes like burning coal and angry veins bulging on his beautiful forehead.
Zhao Yunlan flinched.
Just now, ‘Professor Shen’ had switched to ‘Black-Cloaked Envoy’ mode in full gear, and Zhao Yunlan was getting chills all over, but not the good kind. “Fine, fine...” Zhao Yunlan said weakly, dropping his hand and stepping back to leave the two to their talk, before taking out the only lollipop that he had left on his person and stuffing it in his mouth. “Geez…”
Sulking, Zhao Yunlan stood by the door which he had shut to save all three of them some face, waiting for Shen Wei and Qing Shan to finish their conversation that really was one-sided in this case, as Shen Wei listed all the reasons why what Qing Shan had done was extremely wrong and threatened to send her back to Dixing, and Qing Shan discovered what a terrible idea it had been to interrupt Shen Wei while he was scolding her, something which Zhao Yunlan had found out for himself the hard way, long ago. Zhao Yunlan had been on the receiving end of Shen Wei’s reprimands more times than he cared to count, so he could only sympathize with the poor girl.
By the time Da Qing arrived with Chu Shuzhi in tow, Shen Wei had calmed down and turned into a statue of stone.
As soon as the two came into the room, Shen Wei stood up and marched towards the door in his usual dignified way, slipping out without a word. Zhao Yunlan’s sharp eyes caught the pained expression that flashed on his otherwise stoic face for a split second. Although he did consider stopping him, he figured Shen Wei must have wanted to be alone for a while, so he let him leave on his own. He would go home to him after he was done here.
“Put her in cuffs.” Zhao Yunlan directed Chu Shuzhi, nodding towards the cowering girl. “Qing Shan… I’m sorry, but this is for the best. We need to repress your powers for now, at least until we can manage to prove your innocence.”
Qing Shan shook her head dejectedly, her eyes brimmed with tears. “Chief Zhao. I’m not the same as I used to be. I… I’d never…”
Feeling a twinge of sympathy, Zhao Yunlan put a comforting hand on Qing Shan’s shoulder and gazed at her honestly. “Listen... I believe you, I really do, but I don’t have a choice right now. Hey, look at it this way—at least you’ll be with us instead of having to go through the system. And I promise we won’t do anything to hurt you. You have my word. As for Professor Shen…” Zhao Yunlan sighed, feeling a headache creeping in. Shen Wei was a whole other story. He could be unbelievably stubborn. “He’ll come around, so give him some time. Please cooperate with us for his sake, okay?”
Qing Shan nodded demurely, looking as if her entire world had just shattered, which was probably not far from the truth.
“Take her to the SID and ask Zhu Hong or Wang Zheng to keep an eye on her. There’s something I need to take care of.” Zhao Yunlan instructed Chu Shuzhi, who acceded without batting an eye.
“Sure, boss. I’m on it.” Chu Shuzhi replied.
“Oh, and… don’t bully her. Your Black-Cloaked Envoy values her life.”
Chu Shuzhi merely hmphed at Zhao Yunlan, shooting daggers at the woman with his eyes before grabbing her thin arm and dragging her away unceremoniously. He was followed closely behind by Da Qing who had very wisely decided to tag along with him and leave their moody boss alone.
Zhao Yunlan peered at his phone screen. Ten thirty.
Only a few hours had passed, but he felt drained, like he had worked two full shifts without a single moment’s pause.
Zhao Yunlan sighed again, then headed home.
Once he reached his apartment complex, Zhao Yunlan spotted some light filtering through the crack underneath Shen Wei’s door. Zhao Yunlan had only been there a few times, but he remembered how, even then, the place had looked austere and barely lived in at all. Feeling both intrigued and oddly anxious by this discovery, as Shen Wei had spent every single night at his place for the last few months, he walked over to Shen Wei’s door and rapped on the hard panel, half-expecting Shen Wei not to answer. But the door opened almost instantly, revealing Shen Wei’s face, which was calm but also marred by traces of some untold inner conflict.
“Oh, Yunlan. I’m catching up on some work right now. I’ve been neglecting my duties lately and—”
Zhao Yunlan was no fool. He knew Shen Wei had been rehearsing these lines while he waited for him.
“Shen Wei, please. Cut the crap, will you?” Zhao Yunlan interrupted him, waiting for the other to invite him in, but Shen Wei remained perfectly still, blocking the way as if frozen in place. Then, suddenly, it was as if a veil had fallen off Shen Wei’s face, and he slumped against the doorframe with grief, bowing his head shamefully. “...It’s all my fault. If only I had stayed behind to supervise them, none of this would have happened.”
Of course Shen Wei would take all the blame for this.
Zhao Yunlan could have laughed at how typical of his ridiculously selfless lover this behavior was, if only his heart didn’t ache so terribly in his chest at seeing him look so utterly devastated.
“Shen Wei…” Zhao Yunlan trailed off, unable to stop himself from reaching through the open door to caress Shen Wei’s gorgeous ivory cheek. Shen Wei shivered under his fingers and leaned into his touch, instead of withdrawing like Zhao Yunlan had feared he might. “They’re okay. Everyone’s fine. What more can you do? It’s not like you could have foreseen something like this… and besides, they’re all adults. You’re not accountable for each and every one of their actions.”
Shen Wei could see the logic in that and did not press the subject further, but he still seemed to have a lot on his mind. More than the narrowly-avoided accident, Zhao Yunlan knew that Qing Shan’s apparent betrayal was the real reason behind why Shen Wei was so upset. “As for Qing Shan…”, Shen Wei continued, confirming Zhao Yunlan’s hunch, “I won’t deny that I’m disappointed. I really thought she was on the right track. In hindsight, I shouldn’t have treated her differently from the rest. Students need guidance, after all. I’m her professor, not her friend.”
“But they also need a kind and generous teacher who cares about them.” Zhao Yunlan protested, cupping Shen Wei’s chin and lifting his face so that he would look at him. “Shen Wei, I know how much you love your students, but...”
Shen Wei smiled shyly, averting his gaze, and Zhao Yunlan understood by this that the conversation was over.
“Zhao Yunlan.” Shen Wei said softly. “I really need to finish this for tomorrow. I’ll see you in the morning?”
Zhao Yunlan felt his heart drop, well aware that tomorrow was a Tuesday and that Shen Wei did not have class on Tuesdays, which meant that Shen Wei was most likely making up excuses to put some distance between them and isolate himself. Zhao Yunlan had noticed that Shen Wei tended to withdraw into himself when something was bothering him instead of talking it through. When he did that, Zhao Yunlan had half a mind to grab him by the shoulders and shake him until the truth came out, but he doubted whether that would be very effective, so he let Shen Wei have his space.
“Yeah, okay. I’ll pick you up at eight.” Zhao Yunlan smiled sadly, unsure whether Shen Wei expected Zhao Yunlan to kiss him goodbye. He settled on a gentle peck on his smooth forehead. “‘Night.”
“Good night, Yunlan.”
Zhao Yunlan crossed over to his apartment, not looking back to spy Shen Wei’s reaction, but he could easily imagine Shen Wei’s tormented expression as he stood in his doorway and watched Zhao Yunlan’s retreating back.
Once Zhao Yunlan had closed the door and heard Shen Wei do the same, he kicked off his shoes and made a beeline for his bedroom, plopping down fully-clothed on the mattress. Based on the absence of light, sound and movement in the apartment, Da Qing must not have been home yet—well, he wasn’t in his own room nor in Zhao Yunlan’s, anyway—so Zhao Yunlan was completely alone, free to take up all the space he wanted, and hog the covers to his heart’s content. But all Zhao Yunlan could think of was how empty his bed was, and much too big for him.
Despite how exhausted he was, Zhao Yunlan hardly got any sleep that night.
The next morning, Zhao Yunlan showered quickly and had a light breakfast—a habit long established by Shen Wei at the beginning of their relationship—and he was at Shen Wei’s door at five to eight—another habit acquired by Zhao Yunlan from dating Shen Wei. Shen Wei didn’t say anything about the previous night and Zhao Yunlan didn’t mention it either, but Zhao Yunlan could tell that the incident was still weighing heavily on his mind. Still, despite his terrible lack of sleep, the mere sight of Shen Wei’s face had sufficed to diminish the effects of Zhao Yunlan’s insomnia, soothing his headache and brightening his mood.
Zhao Yunlan was almost feeling good.
I missed him. Zhao Yunlan marveled at the thought. It’s been less than twelve hours, but I actually really missed him. Zhao Yunlan… Can you really not spend one night apart from this man?
Shen Wei looked away from the rolling scenery and smiled at him softly, making his heart do a somersault in his chest.
No… No, I can’t. Zhao Yunlan grinned at Shen Wei in return, troubled by the realization.
Not long after, Zhao Yunlan stopped the Jeep by the school gate and, not giving Shen Wei the time to react, disembarked and walked around the front of the vehicle to Shen Wei’s door, opening it with a flourish.
“We’ve arrived, Your Honor.” He said jokingly, doing his best to lighten the atmosphere, and hopefully, Shen Wei’s day.
Shen Wei looked at him with overt affection and a spark of humor in his eyes, knowing better than to encourage his ridiculous antics.
“Thank you.”
Zhao Yunlan chuckled a bit, casually leaning against the door while Shen Wei unbuckled his seatbelt and gathered his things, then became serious again. “You concentrate on your research and don’t worry about a thing. I’ll keep a close eye on Qing Shan for you.” Zhao Yunlan told Shen Wei, who stopped in his movements to gaze at Zhao Yunlan wordlessly, his gratitude clear as day. The two exchanged a knowing look, the air between them thick with things left unspoken, before Zhao Yunlan broke the heavy silence at last.
“Eh, what’s that? You got something there.” Zhao Yunlan pointed out, and Shen Wei started, eyes widening with surprise as he looked down at his nose out of reflex. “What—” Completely distracted by the interruption, Shen Wei didn’t notice Zhao Yunlan taking advantage of this moment of unguarded innocence to lean in, pull Shen Wei’s face towards him and bring their lips together. Shen Wei was so taken aback by the kiss that it took him an instant to recover and realize where they were. Mortified, he pushed Zhao Yunlan away while a smug expression spread across the other’s face.
Zhao Yunlan couldn’t believe how he had managed to fool the almighty Black-Cloaked Envoy with such an old trick.
“Zhao Yunlan…!” Shen Wei blurted out as his cheeks flared up in embarrassment.
“Sorry, sorry.” Zhao Yunlan apologized, laughing, not meaning it one bit.
He had missed this, too.
Before Zhao Yunlan could cause more trouble than he already had, a very flustered Shen Wei attempted to force his way past his tall frame which was blocking the exit, clutching his briefcase in his hand and trying to ignore the pointed stares of the bystanders who had witnessed the scene, but Zhao Yunlan caught his wrist before he could get away. “Don’t work too hard today, okay? Call me when you’re done.” Zhao Yunlan said with a soft smile, brandishing his phone and waving it around in the air for emphasis, his eyes sparkling with playfulness.
“Yes, alright.” Shen Wei said in a thin voice, disentangling himself from Zhao Yunlan and finally making his escape, but not before Zhao Yunlan spotted the shadow of a smile dancing on Shen Wei’s lips.
Maybe things were going to be okay.
Zhao Yunlan watched his retreating figure until he disappeared from view, then climbed into the Jeep and drove off.
******
Shen Wei had spent all morning deeply immersed in his research, which had allowed him to keep his mind busy and off more problematic matters for a while. Though he had chosen to pursue a career in the very niche field of bioengineering as a cover-up for his true identity—scientists tended to escape the public spotlight and he needed to avoid scrutiny as much as possible—he had developed a healthy interest for what he did. What was more, as a ruler of people, he quite enjoyed teaching as a whole, as well as caring for and nurturing young souls into valuable members of society.
Since his work for today was done, Shen Wei had gone out to get some fresh air and walk around the school grounds in spite of the dark, looming clouds above which threatened to unleash torrents of rain over Dragon City. Indeed, there was something about watching the raging elements that did wonders to calm Shen Wei’s agitation, so he was almost looking forward to the imminent downpour. However, now that he had nothing in particular to focus on, his thoughts had started wandering again into unpleasant territory.
Shen Wei was furious at himself.
Last night, Shen Wei had been unable to control his feelings and had allowed his anger to get to him and cloud his judgment, ultimately making him lose his composure and lash out at Zhao Yunlan, the one person who mattered the most to him and with whom he had promised himself he would have always have infinite patience. To ensure that this did not occur again, Shen Wei preferred to stay away from Zhao Yunlan until he got his mood in check, and, while he was aware that he was probably hurting Zhao Yunlan by keeping him at arm’s length, it was nothing compared to the prospect of what he might say—or do—to him should he lose his temper again.
The mere thought of it was beginning to stir up his anger once more, which could be a dangerous thing, as Shen Wei’s powers tended to go haywire and activate on their own when his heart was in turmoil. Presently, he was getting snatches of conversation between two students despite no one being in the immediate vicinity. Shen Wei wanted to block out the words flowing into his brain against his will, for he felt that this was a horrible invasion of privacy, when he heard something that made him want to listen in a little longer.
Did you hear what happened last night?
Someone tried to blow up the lab, right?
People are saying it was that weird new girl… my friend has a class with her… wait a minute, I think it was, uhhh... ‘physical molecular and cell biology’, I think?
Isn’t that subject taught by that really attractive professor… Chen… no... Shen Wei?
Yeah, that’s him! To be honest, I don’t know how the class average is that high. If I were his student, I’d be too busy ogling at his dreamy face to focus on what he’s saying...
Shen Wei continued on his way as the girls broke into shrill laughter, barely registering what had been said about him, yet piqued, if not personally attacked as Qing Shan’s mentor, by the fact that her reputation seemed to precede her everywhere on campus. To be fair, these rumors were mostly based on Qing Shan being from Dixing and having difficulty adjusting to life aboveground. Despite her distinct uniqueness, Qing Shan had been a model student ever since she had started her studies at the university, which was why Shen Wei had been so shocked to hear about her acting out and causing trouble again. Maybe there was another explanation behind yesterday’s events.
Maybe Qing Shan really did have nothing to do with this.
Shen Wei stopped in his tracks when his eyes fell on two female students who were chatting excitedly with their backs leaning against the outside wall of the arts and linguistics building. Given their number and proximity, Shen Wei presumed they were the owners of the voices he had heard inside of his head. Upon seeing him, the young women froze in place, putting an end to their gossiping as they acknowledged Shen Wei’s presence—Oops, that’s him over there. Pretend I just said something funny!— scrambling to gather their books and scurry away from Shen Wei’s sight.
Yet they didn’t get very far, for one of them spotted something of interest and pointed towards the sky, making Shen Wei whirl around to see what had put such a horrified expression on the girl’s fair mien.
“Hey, look! There’s someone up there! They look like they’re going to jump!”
What…?!
As Shen Wei searched frantically for the person in question and located the silhouette of what he identified as a man standing on the edge of the roof, a new voice resonated within Shen Wei’s consciousness.
She didn’t mean it! Don’t do this, please!
Five storeys above ground, the young man ignored the plea to spare his own life, and plunged to meet his death.
Shen Wei was overcome with a sense of dread which left a bitter taste in his mouth, reminiscent of blood. The feeling was so overwhelmingly strong that he didn’t even stop to mull over his next course of action. All Shen Wei could think about was how he didn’t want another accident to happen under his watch, and so, not sparing a single thought to what consequences this could have in the near future, he changed into his Black-Cloaked Envoy attire to avoid being recognized and rushed over to catch the man before his body hit the ground, barely managing to reach him on time.
As soon as the man was safe and sound in his arms, Shen Wei laid his inert form down on the ground and warped himself to safety, somehow managing to land a little off from his initial destination. Reverting back into his university professor self, Shen Wei scanned his surroundings and found that he was standing in the small woods adjacent to the running track behind the school. More importantly, he was alone now and, if he was lucky, no one would have noticed him come and go during the commotion. Hopefully.
Willing himself to breathe deeply, so that his heart might stop hammering against his ribcage, Shen Wei struggled to make sense of what had just happened. From what he had heard, the man had attempted to take his own life following something he had been told. Although this could mean a number of things, it did sound a lot like vocifery, or Dixingese mind control through the power of speech. In other words, Qing Shan’s ability.
But Qing Shan was being held under custody at the SID, her hands bound by Dixing power-cancelling handcuffs.
It couldn’t be her, and yet, it sure sounded a lot like her.
Yunlan. I need to contact him immediately.
Shen Wei took out his cellphone, which Zhao Yunlan had taught him to keep on his person at all times for situations such as these, and speed-dialed the only contact saved on his device—and the only one he needed—letting the phone ring a few times, but he did not have much success. Shen Wei tried again. Still, Zhao Yunlan’s precious voice did not come up on the other end. This was strange, but not unheard of. Zhao Yunlan was notorious for misplacing his things all the time. He could have also returned home and gone back to sleep after taking Shen Wei to school. After all, Shen Wei mused, remembering how exhausted he had looked this very morning, he must not have gotten a good night’s rest due to Shen Wei’s own childish behavior the previous night.
Whatever might be the case, Shen Wei couldn’t just stay still and wait to find out.
He had to go find Zhao Yunlan.
After making sure that there was no one around to witness him vanishing into thin air, Shen Wei used his powers again to teleport himself into Zhao Yunlan’s apartment.
The place was in the same state that they had left it the night before, with clothes strewn all over the place and even the bags of groceries from their afternoon shopping left forgotten by the door, that neither man nor cat had bothered to put away. “...Yunlan?” Shen Wei asked to an empty room, but his question was met with dead silence. Almost stopping to clean up the mess, Shen Wei rationalized that there were more pressing matters at hand and, after going through each room and confirming that Zhao Yunlan wasn’t home—he wasn’t—and that he hadn’t left his phone behind again—he hadn’t—Shen Wei did not waste a second longer and warped inside Zhao Yunlan’s office at the SID, Lin Jing’s dark energy shield having been modified to accept Shen Wei’s own energy signature.
After giving the room a quick once-over, Shen Wei realized that he had company. “...Wang Zheng.” He called at the sight of the female ghost, who had just set a stack of files down on Zhao Yunlan’s empty desk and frozen mid-gesture at Shen Wei’s sudden appearance. “Do you know where Zhao Yunlan is? ”
“Professor Shen… We haven’t seen him all day. I believe Chief Zhao has taken leave to spend the day with you.”
Shen Wei felt a twinge of guilt at the thought that he had ruined the plans, whatever they had been, that Zhao Yunlan had made for them, and that Zhao Yunlan had not mentioned it for his sake.
He knew that he was undeserving of such affection and concern for his well-being.
“Are you sure that he hasn’t come in at all today?” Shen Wei asked, following Wang Zheng as she floated out of the office and into the common area of the SID headquarters, where their arrival made a few heads turn in their direction. Wang Zheng shook her head in the negative. At their approach, Zhu Hong looked away momentarily from her computer screen where she had been shopping online for shoes. Meanwhile, a plump, black cat rose from its nap and jumped down the desk where it had been curled into a ball, promptly transforming into Da Qing’s human form and coming forward to meet them. Shen Wei peered over the top of Lin Jing’s head, who was engrossed in a mobile game on his cell phone, and recognized Qing Shan sitting listlessly by the window as she ought to be.
Shen Wei sighed. He didn’t know what to think anymore.
“Lao Zhao isn’t with you?” Da Qing inquired, looking just as surprised as Wang Zheng had.
“No. I was at school and there was an incident, so I came to find him, but…” Shen Wei began, then stopped himself.
There was no use explaining everything. They were running out of time...
If Shen Wei’s intuition was right, Zhao Yunlan could be in grave danger.
While they were digesting this new information, Chu Shuzhi suddenly stormed in with Guo Changcheng on his heels. “...My lord.” He bowed his head deferentially to Shen Wei, turning to look at everyone assembled. “I don’t know how to put this, but we found Chief Zhao’s Jeep parked by the side of the road, with the doors wide open and the keys still in the ignition, but no one inside. We can’t get a hold of him either. His phone just goes directly to voicemail. We’re not clear on what could have happened, but the situation seems pretty grim.”
Ghosts, fairies and humans exchanged a worried look. It wasn’t like their boss to disappear without a word.
That was it—Shen Wei had heard enough.
Closing his eyes and focusing his energy, Shen Wei scanned the city for traces of Zhao Yunlan’s warm and kind essence, looking for the footprint of his aura which he knew like the back of his hand, but the only track he could find was cold, going back to a few hours ago at the latest, and there was nothing else substantial to find.
He had to face the facts.
If he couldn’t sense him, then that meant that Zhao Yunlan was no longer in Dragon City.
Shen Wei briefly entertained the thought that Zhao Yunlan had decided to go for a ride beyond the outskirts of the city, but without his car or his motorcycle, it was very unlikely that he had had time to get far enough for Shen Wei not to be able to pinpoint his location. Also, Zhao Yunlan hadn’t told him anything and Shen Wei highly doubted that he would do something like this without consulting with him. Then, if they were ruling out Dragon City, that left one other place where Zhao Yunlan might have wandered to, though Shen Wei had no inkling what could have led him there.
“At this point, we have no choice but to assume that Chief Zhao is missing. Please do whatever is necessary to discover his whereabouts. I will head to Dixing to see what I can find.” Shen Wei resolved. He was preparing to make his exit when Qing Shan, who had been unusually silent until now, suddenly spoke up.
“Lord Envoy… Let me come with you!”
Shen Wei paused in his steps, thinking hard.
His suspicions about Qing Shan had been greatly reduced upon finding her still in captivity and not out on the run, causing mischief around campus, but Shen Wei was still unsure whether he could put his trust in her, and where Zhao Yunlan was concerned, there was no room for error. Shen Wei just couldn’t take any chances. “Fine.” Shen Wei agreed, regarding her with cold aloofness. “Chu Shuzhi—you will accompany us. The handcuffs stay on.”
Chu bowed his head again solemnly. “Very well, my lord.”
Behind him, Guo Changcheng tugged on the cuff of Chu Shuzhi’s sleeve like he desperately wanted to say something. “Chu ge…”
“No. You stay here, Xiao Guo. It’s too dangerous.” Chu Shuzhi said decisively, leaving no room for discussion and ignoring Guo Changcheng’s feeble protests as he retrieved his arm and stalked over to Qing Shan to tie one of his barely visible, yet extremely durable strings to her handcuffs. “Now listen to me.” Chu Shuzhi muttered under his breath for only Qing Shan to hear, though his words still reached Shen Wei due to his keen hearing. “His Honor is giving you a chance to redeem yourself. You better not betray his trust or you’ll have to deal with me. I promise I’m not as nice as him.”
“Y-yes.” Qing Shan squeaked. If she had had any intention to rebel, her courage was obliterated by Chu Shuzhi’s threats.
Shen Wei was truly blessed to have such a devoted and loyal subject. He would take men like Chu Shuzhi anytime over the dozens of blubbering fools who groveled at the Regent’s feet.
“I will take us directly to the gate to avoid wasting any more time. Hang on tight.” Shen Wei instructed Chu Shuzhi, who grabbed Qing Shan’s arm so that she would not be left behind, but also to ensure that she did not lay hands on his lord. In the blink of an eye, the three of them disappeared through a portal that Shen Wei had created, amidst the cries of the members of the SID, who were begging them to ‘please be careful’ and ‘bring him back to us, professor’. The trio reappeared under a torrential rain on the small path flanked by trees that passed right next to the secret door between the two worlds, unbeknownst to the common people.
Aghast, Shen Wei noticed once again how his aim was slightly off, which meant that his emotions were still in disarray, though the fact that he had been carrying two other people might also have something to do with it. Ideally, he should have taken some time to rest and replenish his force, but right now, he didn’t have the luxury to stop. At least his power would greatly increase once in Dixing… Surely It would be enough to face whatever adversary awaited him there.
Shen Wei refused to believe that Zhao Yunlan would go to Dixing willingly without him.
“There’s someone there!” Qing Shan yelled through the heavy shower as the water trickled down her face and plastered her wet bangs to her high forehead, pointing to some kind of shadow ahead of them.
Shen Wei whipped his head back, shielding his eyes with his arm and trying to see through the storm.
“Is that…” Chu Shuzhi began uncertainly.
Shen Wei didn’t hear the rest of Chu Shuzhi’s sentence for the shadow had suddenly taken shape in front of his eyes.
He could have recognized that silhouette anywhere. Every inch of skin that covered it was forever burned into his mind.
“...Zhao Yunlan. Zhao Yunlan!” Shen Wei screamed, while fat drops of rain dripped down his nose and along the vermilion border of his mouth to die in the corner of his lips. “Zhao Yunlan!” Shen Wei cried again, his voice barely carrying through the chaos of the pouring rain and the howling winds, as he began to close the distance between himself and the man who occupied his thoughts at all times, and possessed every fiber of his being. The man who held Shen Wei’s miserable existence in the palm of his hand.
As Shen Wei called after him, Zhao Yunlan turned slowly on his heels to gaze at him, standing still as a mannequin.
It was as if the rain wasn’t affecting him. Like nothing in the world could have moved his heart.
Then, a strange smile played on his lips, and he disappeared through the portal.