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Fei Du considered himself a reasonable man. Not always a good man, not always an honest one, and certainly not someone who always obeyed the law, especially when the law required him to behave in ways he found inconvenient or simply boring, but reasonable nonetheless. For most of his life, he had made decisions only after carefully considering every available option, weighing potential gains and losses, anticipating other people's reactions, and preparing for the various scenarios that might unfold in the future. He liked being in control. He liked knowing what to expect. Most of all, however, he liked situations in which other people were convinced they knew exactly what he was about to do, while he had already decided long ago to do something entirely different.
That was why he had never expected that one day he would face an exceptionally serious problem whose solution required him to accept a deeply inconvenient truth.
Captain Luo Wenzhou was corrupt.
Not in the traditional sense of the word, of course. Fei Du had enough money, connections, and experience dealing with people who really were corrupt to recognize the difference. Luo Wenzhou would never take a bribe, conceal evidence, or let a criminal escape justice, even if that criminal offered him enough money to buy the entire Public Security Bureau building, complete with its employees, equipment, and probably several nearby restaurants. Fei Du knew that perfectly well. In fact, it was one of the things he loved most about that infuriating, stubborn, unbearably honest man.
Captain Luo did, however, have one particular weakness.
That weakness could be found in his bed every morning, usually wrapped in half the duvet, with hair scattered across the pillow and one leg shamelessly draped over his hip.
Moreover, that weakness had its very own parking space outside the police station.
Fei Du believed the matter called for an immediate investigation.
Especially since he had evidence of a glaring injustice within the system.
He had received his first ticket many years earlier.
He remembered that day with astonishing clarity, although he suspected it had very little to do with the ticket itself. Fei Du was not the sort of person who paid much attention to minor financial losses. He could have paid a hundred similar fines without noticing the difference in his bank account, even if his accountant had taken it upon herself to point it out. Money was a tool. Something that allowed him to buy comfort, security, information, and, occasionally, things that served absolutely no practical purpose but looked interesting enough to make him want to own them.
So the ticket had not been the problem.
The problem had been the police officer responsible for getting it issued.
Luo Wenzhou had found him irritating from the very beginning. Fei Du could hardly blame him, since at the time he had worked quite diligently to give the captain as many reasons to be irritated as possible. He appeared in places he had no business being, asked questions whose answers he had no business knowing, and flirted with Tao Ran with the carefree smile of a man without a worry in the world, all while watching Luo Wenzhou gradually lose his patience.
He had not done it solely because it was entertaining.
Although, admittedly, it had been extraordinarily entertaining.
Back then, Fei Du had not yet known how to put a name to what he felt when the older man looked at him with a mixture of irritation, suspicion, and something else neither of them wanted to recognize. All he knew was that Luo Wenzhou was one of the few people he could never predict completely. The man had far too strong a sense of justice, far too little respect for money, and absolutely no interest in the elegant cars Fei Du so enjoyed driving.
He had, however, taken an interest in the way one of those cars was parked.
More precisely, he had made sure the appropriate police department took an interest in it.
Fei Du had never forgotten that.
Not because he felt wronged. He was not a child, although Luo Wenzhou had had the insufferable habit, back then, of treating him like a spoiled young master who had never had to face the consequences of his own behavior.
No, Fei Du remembered the ticket for an entirely different reason.
It had been one of the first gifts he had ever received from his future husband.
At least, that was how he intended to tell the story for the rest of their lives together.
"Ge."
Luo Wenzhou did not look up from his paperwork.
"No."
Fei Du paused in the doorway of his office, holding a paper bag from a restaurant in one hand and two cups of coffee in the other. He regarded the older man with mild interest, then closed the door behind him, entirely unconcerned that he had apparently just been refused something he had not even asked for yet.
"I haven't said anything yet."
"I know you."
"How romantic."
"Fei Du."
"Captain Luo."
Luo Wenzhou sighed and set down his pen. He knew that tone. More importantly, he knew that smile. Over the past few years, he had learned that the more innocent his beloved looked, the more likely he was to be plotting something exceptionally hazardous to the mental health of everyone around him. Fei Du could smile like that while questioning a suspect, negotiating a multimillion-yuan contract, or informing Luo Wenzhou that he had accidentally bought a new mattress because the old one had seemed a little too firm.
The last time, they had ended up replacing half the furniture in their bedroom.
Luo Wenzhou still suspected his spine had merely served as a pretext for some far more elaborate operation.
"What have you done?"
Fei Du put the food on the desk, then placed a coffee in front of the older man.
"I brought you lunch."
"I can see that."
"You should thank me more often."
"Thank you."
"And show a little more gratitude."
"Don't push it."
Fei Du's smile widened. Then, instead of sitting in one of the empty chairs, he walked around the desk and settled on Luo Wenzhou's lap without the slightest hesitation.
The captain looked at him.
Fei Du looked at the captain.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Finally, Luo Wenzhou placed one hand on the younger man's hip and used the other to move the documents aside so they would not accidentally be drenched in coffee.
"We're at work."
"You're at work. I came to visit my husband."
"We're not married."
"Yet."
Luo Wenzhou narrowed his eyes.
Fei Du smiled in satisfaction, evidently considering the exchange a resounding success.
Tao Ran had believed that working with Luo Wenzhou for so many years should have prepared him for anything.
He had been wrong.
He realized this the moment he walked into the captain's office and saw Fei Du sitting on his lap as serenely as if he were occupying his assigned seat at an official board meeting.
Worse still, Luo Wenzhou looked entirely resigned to his fate.
He had one arm around Fei Du's waist and was leafing through documents with the other hand, while the younger man calmly ate pieces of fruit from a small container.
Tao Ran stopped in the doorway.
"Am I interrupting?"
"No," Luo Wenzhou replied.
"Yes," Fei Du replied.
Tao Ran considered this for a moment.
Then he decided he did not want to know.
"I need your signature on a report."
"Leave it on the desk."
Tao Ran obeyed, carefully avoiding looking at the captain's hand, which had apparently decided that Fei Du's waist was its natural habitat.
Unfortunately, Fei Du had no intention of letting him leave without complications.
"Tao-ge, did you know your captain is corrupt?"
Luo Wenzhou went still.
Tao Ran blinked.
"What?"
"Fei Du."
"It's a serious accusation," the younger man continued, wearing the expression of someone who had just uncovered a scandal of national importance. "I think you should report the matter to the appropriate authorities."
Tao Ran looked at Luo Wenzhou.
Luo Wenzhou closed his eyes.
"Don't listen to him."
"But..."
"No."
Fei Du heaved a sigh, as though he had just discovered that justice did not exist.
"Do you remember our first case?"
Tao Ran nodded cautiously.
"I do."
"And do you remember how your captain sicced the traffic police on me?"
Tao Ran spent a moment trying to recall the incident, then his face lit up with sudden understanding.
"Oh, that parking ticket."
"Exactly."
Luo Wenzhou put down the documents.
"You parked illegally."
"Ge, you've hurt my feelings."
"Traffic regulations don't take your feelings into account."
"Well, they should. I'm a very delicate person, after all."
Tao Ran covered his mouth with one hand.
It did not help.
Luo Wenzhou noticed his smile.
"Don't laugh."
"I'm not laughing."
"You're lying."
Meanwhile, Fei Du looked increasingly pleased with himself.
"First you made me pay a parking ticket, and now you let me park right outside the entrance, in a space no one else is allowed to use. Don't you think, Tao-ge, that we ought to investigate the reasons behind this sudden change?"
Tao Ran looked at him.
Then at Luo Wenzhou.
Then back at Fei Du.
He was beginning to understand.
Worse still, he was beginning to regret coming for that damned signature.
The parking space did indeed exist.
It was near the building's entrance, in an exceptionally convenient spot for someone who frequently visited the precinct for brief consultations, delivered information, or brought food to a captain who apparently considered eating regular meals an unnecessary waste of time.
The space had not officially been assigned to Fei Du. His name was not displayed on it, no sign had been installed to identify it as belonging to the consultant, and no regulation had ever been issued allowing the young businessman to treat it as private property.
Everyone simply knew that was where he parked.
And since Fei Du visited often, usually in his exceptionally expensive car, and since nobody wanted to explain to Captain Luo why his favorite consultant had been forced to leave his vehicle three streets away, the space had gradually become the younger man's unofficial property.
Nobody remembered exactly when it had happened.
Fei Du, however, had his own theory.
"It's not because I'm a consultant."
Luo Wenzhou gave him a suspicious look.
"No?"
"No."
"Then why?"
"Because I'm your husband."
Tao Ran choked on his tea.
Luo Wenzhou turned his head very slowly.
"I'm sorry, your what?"
"Your husband, ge. Without a ring on my finger, admittedly, but I believe that's merely a minor administrative oversight."
Tao Ran began coughing even harder.
Luo Wenzhou studied Fei Du for a long moment, trying to decide whether to respond to the provocation or simply throw the younger man out of his office and lock the door.
The problem was that Fei Du was right.
Not about the parking space. On that subject, Luo Wenzhou fully intended to maintain that the consultant's car was parked there for purely practical reasons.
But as for everything else...
Well.
Fei Du had been living with him for a long time. He had his own things in Luo Wenzhou's wardrobe, his own mug in the kitchen, and the infuriating habit of taking over the entire bed even though he spent most nights practically glued to the older man's side anyway. He knew his family. He had dinner with his parents. He could tell when Luo Wenzhou came home upset, even if the captain never said a word.
And Luo Wenzhou...
Luo Wenzhou knew what Fei Du looked like when he woke from a nightmare. He knew the younger man did not always remember to eat, and that sometimes his smile was at its most beautiful precisely when he was trying hardest to hide his pain. He knew which dishes he liked, which ones he avoided, and how much satisfaction he got from teasing the people he loved.
He also knew that if he came home one day and Fei Du was not there, the entire world would suddenly feel unbearably empty.
He did not need a ring to know who held his heart.
And yet...
He looked at the younger man.
Fei Du was smiling innocently.
Far too innocently.
"Do you want a ring?"
Tao Ran stopped coughing.
Fei Du froze as well.
For a fraction of a second, Luo Wenzhou saw something he had not expected. The smile disappeared from the younger man's face, and his eyes widened slightly, as though he had just been asked a question for which he had not prepared an answer.
It was such a rare occurrence that the captain almost felt satisfied.
Almost.
Because a moment later, Fei Du regained his composure.
"Ge, did you just propose to me?"
"I asked if you wanted a ring."
"In front of a witness?"
Tao Ran took a step back.
"Leave me out of this."
"You can be the best man."
"Fei Du!"
"But only if you promise not to cry during the ceremony."
Luo Wenzhou caught the younger man by the chin, forcing him to meet his eyes.
"One more word and you'll get another ticket."
Fei Du leaned closer.
"For what?"
"Disturbing the peace."
"I didn't know kissing my own husband was an offense."
"We're not..."
Luo Wenzhou never finished.
Because Fei Du kissed him right in the middle of the sentence.
Tao Ran turned around and left.
He had no intention of taking part in this madness.
The kiss did not last long.
At least, not as long as Fei Du would have liked.
Luo Wenzhou drew back, although his hand remained on the younger man's nape, his thumb moving slowly over the skin just beneath his hairline.
"You're insufferable."
"I know."
"You have no shame."
"I know that too."
"We're at work."
"You've already told me."
Fei Du smiled faintly, but this time he did not look like a man preparing his next provocation. For a moment, he watched Luo Wenzhou in silence, as if trying to see something hidden beneath that familiar, irritated expression.
"Really?"
Luo Wenzhou frowned.
"Really what?"
"The ring."
The captain looked at him more closely.
Fei Du was still smiling. Of course he was smiling. It was one of his oldest habits, developed back when honesty had been dangerous and allowing anyone to see what he wanted could mean handing them an advantage. But Luo Wenzhou had already learned the difference between the smile Fei Du used to torment his opponents and the one behind which he hid the things that truly mattered to him.
He stroked Fei Du's cheek with his thumb.
"If you want one."
Fei Du was silent for a moment.
"That's a terribly irresponsible proposal, Captain Luo."
"Is it?"
"You should consider all the consequences first."
"Such as?"
"I might start taking advantage of your name."
"You already do."
"I might demand special privileges."
"You already do that too."
"I might take over your side of the bed."
"You do that every night."
Fei Du blinked.
Luo Wenzhou grinned.
"Got any other arguments?"
For a moment, the younger man looked genuinely thoughtful.
Then he sighed.
"Ge, you're a truly terrible man."
"You've only just noticed?"
"No. But I'm starting to suspect I should have taken that parking ticket as a warning."
Luo Wenzhou chuckled softly.
Fei Du watched him for a moment, then leaned forward and rested his forehead against his shoulder.
He said nothing more.
He did not have to.
The next morning, a small sign appeared outside the police station.
It was not official.
It bore neither the precinct's seal nor a superior officer's signature. It was made of elegant metal, its lettering engraved with such care that anyone who saw it immediately understood it had cost considerably more than an object of that purpose had any right to cost.
It read:
RESERVED PARKING — CAPTAIN LUO'S HUSBAND
Lang Qiao was the first to see it.
For several seconds, she stood motionless, trying to make sense of what she was looking at.
Then she took out her phone.
Ten minutes later, the entire precinct knew.
Twenty minutes later, Tao Ran was wondering whether it was legally possible to take leave on the grounds of emotional exhaustion caused by his coworkers' behavior.
And thirty minutes later, Luo Wenzhou stepped outside, saw the sign, and very slowly closed his eyes.
"FEI DU!"
The younger man, standing beside his car with a cup of coffee in his hand, beamed at him.
"Good morning, ge."
"What is this?!"
"A parking space."
"I can see that!"
"Then why are you asking?"
Luo Wenzhou looked at him with the expression of a man seriously considering committing a crime.
Fei Du looked delighted.
"You don't like it?"
"You can't put up private signs outside a police station!"
"Why, of course. I forgot to ask permission."
"Fei Du."
"I can take it down."
"Immediately."
"Of course, ge."
The younger man set his coffee on the roof of his car and bent to unscrew the sign from its small stand. He did so without protest, which should in itself have aroused Luo Wenzhou's suspicions, had the captain not been too busy trying to contain his growing irritation.
When Fei Du straightened again, he smiled gently.
"Don't worry. I made another one."
Luo Wenzhou went still.
"What other one?"
"This time I'm going to put it outside our home."
"What for?!"
"So everyone knows the parking space belongs to my husband."
For a long moment, Luo Wenzhou said nothing.
Then he looked at Fei Du's face.
At his smile.
At that insufferable satisfaction shining in his eyes.
And suddenly he understood.
"You little..."
Fei Du laughed and took a step back.
Luo Wenzhou caught him by the wrist before he could escape and pulled him closer, not caring that half the precinct was watching them through the windows.
"Do you want to be my husband?"
Fei Du raised an eyebrow.
"Ge, you really ought to find a more romantic way to propose."
"Do you or don't you?"
The younger man looked at him for a moment.
Then he smiled in a way Luo Wenzhou knew far better than any of his provocative grins.
Softly.
Sincerely.
Almost shyly.
"I do."
Luo Wenzhou kissed his forehead.
"Good."
Fei Du nestled against him for a brief moment, allowing himself to forget all the eyes watching them from behind the windows.
Then, however, his smile turned dangerous again.
"Does that mean I can keep the parking space?"
Luo Wenzhou sighed.
"Fei Du."
"Ge?"
"I swear, if you mention that damned ticket one more time..."
"Then what?"
The captain leaned close to his ear.
"Tonight, I'll remind you who makes the rules in our home."
A pleasant shiver ran down Fei Du's spine. Not because he genuinely believed Luo Wenzhou always made the rules. Quite the opposite, in fact, and they both knew it perfectly well. But the older man's voice, low and slightly husky, combined with the firm hand resting on his waist, made Fei Du decide that, for a brief moment, he might allow his beloved to labor under that impression.
Only for a moment, of course.
He smiled sweetly.
"I can hardly wait, Captain."
That same evening, when Luo Wenzhou came home, he found a small envelope on the table.
Inside was an old parking ticket.
Carefully preserved.
Mounted in an elegant frame.
Underneath, Fei Du had added a short dedication.
The first gift from my future husband.
Luo Wenzhou stared at it for a long moment.
Then he burst out laughing.
He laughed for so long that Fei Du emerged from the bedroom to check whether something had happened to the older man.
He found him sitting on the sofa with the frame in his hands.
"Do you like it?"
Luo Wenzhou looked at him.
"You're impossible."
Fei Du came closer and sat down beside him.
"I know."
"You really kept this all these years?"
"Of course."
"Why?"
Fei Du was silent for a moment.
The truth was, he did not know how to answer that question himself.
He did not know why he had kept that little slip of paper. Perhaps because it was proof of their earliest encounters, when Luo Wenzhou had looked at him with irritation and yet had been unable to stop taking an interest in him completely. Perhaps because, from the very beginning, Fei Du had wanted to possess something that belonged to that insufferable police officer, even if it was nothing more than a penalty for improper parking.
Or perhaps because somewhere deep down, beneath all the carefully constructed layers of irony, suspicion, and fear, there had always been a small part of him that longed for Luo Wenzhou to look at him differently one day.
Not as a problem.
Not as a spoiled young master.
Not as someone to be suspected.
But as someone he wanted to keep by his side.
Fei Du said none of those things, however.
Instead, he rested his head against the older man's shoulder and smiled faintly.
"It's a very valuable document, ge."
Luo Wenzhou wrapped an arm around him.
"Really?"
"Of course. It's the beginning of our love story."
"Our love story began with a parking ticket?"
"Some couples have flowers. Others have love letters. We have a traffic violation."
Luo Wenzhou laughed again.
Then he kissed Fei Du's temple.
"All right, sweetheart."
The younger man closed his eyes, content with the warmth of the arm around him and the steady heartbeat he could hear when he moved closer.
"But I'm still going to buy you a ring," Luo Wenzhou added after a moment.
Fei Du's smile widened.
"Ge?"
"Hm?"
"Does that mean I'm officially allowed to park outside your office now?"
Luo Wenzhou looked at him.
Fei Du looked utterly innocent.
The captain heaved a sigh, then pulled him closer and kissed him.
"You can park wherever you like."
Fei Du returned the kiss with obvious satisfaction.
It was probably the most satisfying compensation for a parking ticket he had ever received.
Although, of course, he had no intention of telling Luo Wenzhou that.
After all, he had to save at least one argument for future quarrels.
And marriage, he suspected, would provide them with plenty more opportunities for conversations like these.