Chapter 75

Lu Siyu returned to his room, unsure whether it was due to the reduced dosage or something on his mind. He closed his eyes but found no trace of sleep. His heart pounded intensely, feeling like something was repeatedly striking his chest. His limbs felt awkward, unable to find a comfortable position. The stomachache not only didn’t alleviate but seemed to intensify. The night, combined with loneliness, felt like a giant beast circling the bed, ready to devour him at any moment.

What was merely stomach discomfort now became the cruelest thing in the world. Darkness seemed to transform into sharp blades, cutting freely inside his body, eventually stopping at the top of his head, the sharp edge drilling straight into his mind.

Lu Siyu furrowed his brows, pressed the pillow beneath him, pursed his lips, and turned over.

The words spoken by Xu Changying in the morning lingered in his mind.

At that time, when Song Wen was called away by Commissioner Gu, Xu Changying kept the team members and inquired about the details of the case involving Xia Weizhi. After the meeting, he was singled out by Xu Changying, and the team swiftly packed up nearby tables, arranging folders from their travel cases. Most of the information was brought by Xu Changying from the Provincial Bureau, materials that the City Bureau did not possess.

Xu Changying looked at him and said, “I did some research on the way here and investigated the personnel. I’ve reviewed your achievements. Your performance in the cases after graduation has been outstanding, with detailed records. We are short-staffed in investigating the case at the Wushan Nursing Home. The leadership said we can allocate some colleagues from the City Bureau to reassign to the Provincial Bureau. Are you willing to join us?”

Lu Siyu was caught off guard by Xu Changying’s sudden proposal. He felt a bit displeased with the person in front of him. This person was too aggressive, coming here and taking over Song Wen’s case, and now trying to poach Song Wen’s people. He lowered his head and replied, “Since I joined, I’ve only been working on cases led by Captain Song. I’ve mainly been responsible for organizing documents.” Implicitly, he emphasized that he was a recently graduated probationary officer, and all the credit belonged to others.

“But I think your analysis is very systematic. Your papers in school were well-written. In my opinion, your strength should lie in some related aspects of criminal psychology, which is a crucial aspect of modern criminal investigation. As for your performance at work, since you joined, the City Bureau, especially Song Wen’s team, has shown a noticeable improvement in solving cases. If Song Wen really only uses you for paperwork, that would be a significant underutilization of your talents.”

Xu Changying looked at Lu Siyu, slightly lifting his chin, leaning back against the chair as if taking his words as modesty. “To be honest, I believe that with your capabilities, staying at the City Bureau would be limiting. If you join me, there’s a chance you could directly transfer to the Provincial Bureau in the future. Opportunities for promotions and salary increases would be much greater than for others.”

As he spoke, Xu Changying casually straightened a stack of folders taken out by an assistant police officer. “Of course, judging by your current attire and your file, you shouldn’t be short of money. However, people always need a pursuit. Having a purpose, or else, why did you become a detective?”

Suddenly, Lu Siyu thought of the question Song Wen had asked him before: Why insist on being a detective?

The real answer, he didn’t tell him at that time. Besides Teacher Wu’s advice, he chose this path because of the case that changed his life, the truth he had been pursuing for a long time.

Lu Siyu’s eyes glanced, and he saw a few words written on the file not far away – “Detailed Description of Case 519,” stamped with a red seal that read “Top Secret.” It was the file he had searched for in the archive room for a long time and hadn’t found, now brought by the Provincial Bureau. He had never been so close to it, and the things in front of him were like bait, tempting him to reach out.

At this moment, a voice in his heart told him not to act too hastily. Lu Siyu reminded himself that it was just an investigative file, and no one knew the whole truth.

Now, he finally understood the meaning of what Teacher Wu had said on the phone about someone coming to clear the ants.

Lu Siyu stared at the stack of files marked as top-secret on the table, licked his lips, and ultimately restrained himself. The person in front of him was an experienced detective for many years, and he didn’t want Xu Changying to sense anything. Then he lifted his eyes, weighing the options in his mind.

Once under Xu Changying, he would have a faster chance of uncovering the truth, but it also meant disrupting all his current rhythms.

During this period, he seemed to have developed a liking for his current job and life. Transferring would mean he was no longer Song Wen’s subordinate, and perhaps his work with Song Wen would also be separated. This change might only be temporary, or perhaps…permanent.

Without making a decision, Lu Siyu felt like he owed something to Song Wen.

He was somewhat grateful for Dr. Zhou’s suggestion for Song Wen to live with him before. Perhaps without the hierarchical relationship, their interactions would be more natural.

Seemingly, no matter how he weighed it, joining Xu Changying’s team was more advantageous. However… Lu Siyu looked up at Xu Changying.

When the 519 special task force disbanded, Wu Qing and Song Cheng had a big argument, parting ways and choosing different paths. Now, Teacher Wu had retreated from the spotlight, and Song Cheng held the position of the Provincial Bureau Director. Lu Siyu couldn’t disrupt his overall plan for the sake of this. Compared to Xu Changying, compared to Song Cheng, he trusted Teacher Wu more…

Xu Changying seemed to understand his dilemma and generously said, “No rush. I also need to organize some cases on my side. You can think about it. Anyway, you can find me at any time, and I’ll process the procedures for you whenever you decide.”

At that time, when Lu Siyu had just left, feeling upset, he had encountered Song Wen. He was extremely guilty at that time…

Now, lying on the bed, Lu Siyu felt his face becoming hot again, as if he was running a fever. In any case, something was off all over his body. He had already reduced the dosage, and now with something else on his mind, he found it even more difficult to fall asleep.

Moreover, Lu Siyu knew that this was just the beginning, and there would be many difficulties ahead. This was a prolonged battle, not something that could be resolved overnight. Even if he got through this time, he didn’t know when the next one would come.

He feared the stomachache, feared hunger, and was terrified of falling into that endless pain, unable to sleep until dawn. The fear engraved by past memories intensified the vicious cycle. Eventually, the pain in his stomach would worsen, and even light sleep became a luxury, and everything spiraled out of control…

As Lu Siyu was lost in thought, a voice suddenly said, “Why haven’t you slept yet? What’s wrong? Still feeling unwell?” He raised his head and saw Song Wen standing at the door of his room. He was obviously awakened by his restlessness. Or rather, Song Wen hadn’t slept soundly, attentively monitoring any movement from this side.

Lu Siyu looked up at the clock on the wall. It was already past midnight, and he hadn’t realized how much time had passed. He gave a bitter smile, sat up with a pillow in his arms, feeling a bit disheartened, “I think… I probably… won’t be able to sleep tonight.”

In the beginning, it wasn’t so severe. Lu Siyu couldn’t quite remember how the condition had deteriorated. Initially, half a pill was effective, then a full pill, and if that didn’t work, he would take two. But over the years, as the condition worsened step by step, he didn’t understand why it had reached this point. The dependency on medication was so high. In the past, when he occasionally ran out of pills, it was unbearable, as if his mind and body were being tortured.

“Don’t say that. Have you taken your stomach medicine? You can’t rely solely on painkillers. You have to believe in yourself.” Song Wen’s gaze was persistent, much like when he faced a case. The usual Lu Siyu seemed like unheated ice, but at this moment, his somewhat dull and vacant state made Song Wen irresistibly want to get closer to him.

As if sensing Song Wen looking at him, Lu Siyu buried his head with a pillow. Under the moonlight, his complexion appeared as white as fine porcelain. Recently, his bangs had grown a bit long, slightly covering his eyebrows.

After hesitating for a moment, Lu Siyu licked his lips before speaking softly, “I feel a bit better now, Captain Song. Can you stay with me for a while? No need to talk or do anything. Just stay here with me.”

Song Wen expressed his stance through actions, quickly closing the door and pulling Lu Siyu back to his large bed. The master bedroom’s bed was a luxurious 2.2-meter bed, making it feel extravagant not to roll around on it.

Oddly enough, a moment ago, Lu Siyu felt restless and uneasy, various discomforts in his stomach, but now that Song Wen was here, it seemed like there was a soothing effect. The anxiety and unrest in his heart gradually faded, many problems no longer bothered him, and he stopped thinking about them. It was as if the entire world had narrowed down to this bed, with only this person by his side. The sleep he had been searching for, which had eluded him for a long time, finally came over him, and his breathing gradually became steady.

In this house, in the world, he was no longer alone. Someone cared for him, willing to stand by his side. Whether they were superficial colleagues or friends, he didn’t care about the label of this relationship but cherished the warmth it brought.

It felt like his whole body was immersed in water, gradually relaxing. Eventually, the whole world fell silent…

As he drifted into sleep, Lu Siyu thought: So, Song Wen was right. Those medicines did have an effect on him.

This first night was undoubtedly a good start, and success seemed imminent.

Song Wen watched as Lu Siyu became completely quiet, his breathing even, indicating that he had fallen asleep.

There was a pleasant fragrance coming from Lu Siyu, perhaps from the milk he drank before bedtime, with a hint of milky scent.

Song Wen gently covered Lu Siyu with a cool blanket, feeling a bit reluctant to disturb him further. However, Song Wen couldn’t resist, and in the end, he leaned over and placed an extremely light kiss on the forehead where Lu Siyu’s bangs lay.

Lu Siyu’s eyelashes trembled slightly but he didn’t wake up.

Song Wen turned over and closed his eyes, finally falling asleep.