The bathroom door opened. Bingying, who had already changed, sat on the other side of the round bed, toweling her damp, long hair.
“Oh, finished showering? I’ll go wash up then!”
“Whatever,” Luo Tianchen said, glancing at the clock embedded in the artificial tree, which showed 8:30 PM. “Just be as quick as you can. We only have half an hour left.”
“Got it, got it!” An Yueyin replied, darting into the bathroom.
Instantly, the entire room fell silent. A subtle tension hung between them; neither spoke, yet both seemed to be waiting for the other to begin.
‘As expected, being alone in a room with Bingying was still a bit awkward.’
“Um…”
“Um…”
‘Ah, they spoke at the same time.’
“You go first…”
“You go first…”
“…”
“…”
“Ahem, well…” Luo Tianchen cleared his throat deliberately, hoping to prevent another interruption. “Your hair smells really nice. What brand of shampoo do you use?”
‘Damn it, he completely forgot what he wanted to say the moment he opened his mouth! He was truly pathetic! And of all things, he asked about shampoo! Was he some kind of scent-obsessed pervert?’
“Huh? This one came with the bathroom. I think it’s called WELLA?”
‘Excellent, she didn’t seem to notice anything amiss. If he could just change the subject now…’
“Oh, really? What a coincidence, my sister uses that brand too.”
‘Why was he still talking about shampoo brands? And he was the one who started it!’
“Oh, is that so… Hmm? Luo Tianchen, why did you suddenly lie down? Are you feeling unwell?” Bingying asked, her voice laced with concern.
“Don’t mind me.” Luo Tianchen waved his hand, indicating he was fine. “I just want to be alone for a moment.”
‘This was probably one of his flaws: he could never be serious when it truly mattered, a fact his sister often mocked relentlessly.’
****
“Um…” Luo Tianchen’s body seemed to brush against something soft. He looked up, only to realize Bingying had moved to sit beside him.
As he hesitated, unsure what to say, Bingying spoke first: “Hey, are you… not coming back to the student council?”
‘She went straight for the kill.’
He chose to remain silent.
“Why? Can you give me a reason? Were you threatened by someone? Did that idiot Yang Mingzhi upset you? Or is it family reasons? Why can’t you tell me? If you told me, I could…”
“It’s not like that.” Seeing Bingying on the verge of an outburst, Luo Tianchen quickly cut her off. “This is my personal choice. I haven’t been threatened by anyone; I simply want to leave.”
“In that case…”
“W-wait? Bingying? You… you need to calm down a little. Your expression is quite scary right now…”
“If that’s the case, why did you come to Xingjiang High? Why did you appear before me? If it weren’t for you, I would have… I would have…”
His body sank deep into the duvet. It truly was a high-end Simmons, wonderfully soft and comfortable… No, what was he thinking at a time like this?
‘He seemed to have been pushed down.’
He tried to move his wrists but found he couldn’t budge. He knew his physical strength was far inferior to Bingying’s, but to this extent, it genuinely wounded his male pride.
“…Bingying?” he called out cautiously. Her bangs obscured her face, making her expression unreadable.
He could only ensure his voice remained gentle, careful not to hit another nerve.
Drip.
Warm liquid dripped onto his face, then slid down his cheeks, wetting the bedsheet.
“…Are you alright?”
“Huh?” She straightened up as if startled awake from a dream, staring blankly at Luo Tianchen, who was pinned beneath her knees. She seemed to have no memory of what she had just done.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Bingying scrambled off him, grabbing a few tissues from the bedside table to wipe her eyes. “My apologies, I don’t know what came over me just now… Huh, why won’t these tears stop? Damn it, stop!”
Luo Tianchen said nothing, merely sitting up in bed. Once her emotions finally stabilized, he slowly began: “Once upon a time, there was a young boy who was exceptionally gifted.”
“From a young age, he was incredibly intelligent. Whatever he learned, he could master completely after seeing it just once.”
“Huh?” Bingying hadn’t expected him to suddenly tell a story. She forgot to wipe her tear stains, simply listening intently.
“Everyone around him praised him as a genius. The boy, too, realized he was different from others and used his abilities without restraint.”
“Slowly, people’s awe of his extraordinary talent transformed into fear, and his title shifted from ‘genius’ to ‘monster.’ The boy noticed this but didn’t care. He continued to flaunt his gifts even more recklessly.”
“Until one day, everyone left him out of fear. He was left alone, standing in an empty space, playing by himself.”
“…”
“But did you think the boy would awaken then? No, he didn’t. People’s fear and estrangement only fueled him further.”
“He became even more headstrong, starting to call himself a ‘god,’ convinced he was a being far superior to humanity, existing solely to protect humans and guide their evolution. It sounds incredibly chuunibyou, doesn’t it?”
“But that was genuinely the only thought of an eight-year-old boy at the time. How, though, was he to guide them? By engaging in politics? Or by amassing vast wealth to manipulate the global economy?”
“Then, one day, he saw a newspaper report about a locked-room murder. Using his talent, he effortlessly solved it and secretly handed his conclusions to the police.”
“No one knew it was his doing; everyone praised the police’s bravery. Only he chuckled in the shadows, for he had finally found something only he could do: apprehend all criminals in the world until peace reigned.”
“In that way, there would be no more slaughter or suffering, and people could live happily.”
“But…”
“It’s foolish, isn’t it? Because it’s fundamentally impossible. Where there is light, there must be shadow; where there is life, there will inevitably be struggle.”
“Yet, he deluded himself into thinking he could change the rules of the entire world by himself. Truly, it’s laughable.”
“…What happened next?”
“After that, the boy continued to operate in the shadows, apprehending countless criminals. For a short period, global crime rates indeed dropped because all criminals became aware of an unknown detective who could solve even the most complex and intricate cases.”
“So, the boy kept working, tirelessly pursuing criminals, until he was hospitalized.”
“Huh!!! W-why was he suddenly hospitalized? Did he fall ill? Or was he overworked?” Bingying asked, extremely tense, deeply invested in the story.
“The boy suffered severe injuries during a case, apparently even to his brain, causing him to lose most memories related to it. To treat him, his parents took him to America.”
“There, the boy met a girl who would change his life; let’s call her Yue. Yue was an overseas Chinese girl whose father was the boy’s attending physician.”
“Thus, during the boy’s hospitalization, the girl frequently visited. Unlike others, she didn’t seem to fear the boy and often approached the bored youth to chat with him.”
“Perhaps because he had been alone for too long, the boy initially didn’t know how to communicate with her. However, the girl didn’t mind, simply talking to him one-sidedly about the saplings she planted in her garden, the neighbor’s dog having six puppies, or getting a perfect score at school…”
“Gradually, the boy was influenced by her and began to share his own stories of solving cases. The girl listened intently, and then she said, ‘Please let me be your assistant.'”
“Initially, the boy didn’t take her seriously and firmly rejected the girl. Yet, she didn’t give up, continuing to visit him day after day.”
“Finally, one day, the boy agreed. Thus, they adopted a shared moniker, appearing before the world as official detectives under the name ‘Chenyue.’ They created a website where anyone could submit cases via email, with payments also handled online.”
“At first, people dismissed it as a joke, but after several cases were solved, Chenyue’s reputation grew, attracting more and more attention. This became their shared secret, and their relationship grew increasingly intimate.”
“For the boy, the girl was his first friend; for the girl, the boy was an important, irreplaceable person.”
“Three years passed, and the boy’s treatment neared its end; he would soon be discharged. The girl was overjoyed. However, at that very moment, the two encountered an astonishing, monumental case…”
“…”
“…”
“…And then?”
“That’s it.”
“Huh?!”
“Later, the boy recovered from his illness and returned home, simple as that.”
“That’s completely wrong! That’s not what I wanted to hear! What about that case? Why did he come back? What about the girl? What about their relationship?” Bingying exclaimed, exasperated.
“Well, who knows? It’s getting late. We should get ready to go out.” Luo Tianchen replied, smiling evasively.
“Hmph…” Bingying pouted, puffing out her cheeks, emitting a low growl like an angry wild dog.
“Are you going to tell me or not?”
“There’s nothing more to tell.”
“…I’ll call my father right now and tell him I’m not actually staying at a classmate’s house, but rather alone in a nightclub room with a boy. Oh, and that boy’s name is…”
“Please, spare me that!”
‘He certainly didn’t want to be hunted down by the governor’s men.’
“Then hurry up and tell me what happened next!”
“I said we’re out of time… Oh, look, An Yueyin is finished showering too!”
“Hmm? Did something happen? Are you two playing a hugging game? Can I join?”
“N-no, we’re not!”
“Hehe, take this! I’m hugging you!”
“Eek! W-wait! Your towel is falling off! Go dry your hair first! Water’s splashing on my face!”
“I’ll rub, I’ll rub!”
“Eek!”
As a gentleman, faced with two half-naked girls rolling around on the large bed, Luo Tianchen naturally chose to join… no, he ignored Bingying’s pleading gaze and walked onto the balcony.
He looked up at the dazzling stars, feeling the cool breeze, allowing his boiling blood to slowly cool down.
In the distance, the city lights blazed, seven-colored neon signs flickering in alternation. Cars sped down the streets, their headlights cutting through the night, flowing like blood through veins.
Even standing so far away, gazing at the scene before him, the familiar hum of the city involuntarily echoed in his mind, making him feel as though he were once again at its very heart.
Behind him, Bingying and An Yueyin were still frolicking and wrestling. This time, Bingying had gained the upper hand, pinning the girl beneath her with a wicked grin, slowly reaching out with her ‘salty pig hand.’
Just as An Yueyin’s modesty was about to be compromised, the doorbell rang.
“Excuse me, the manager says everything is ready. Please allow me to lead the way.”