The wet, heated tongues sucked and teased at each other, their kiss producing a soft, endless chorus of wet sounds.

The surface of the palate was skillfully rubbed and teased by the other man's tongue. The pressure of his sucking was just right, turning what should have been nothing more than a simple exchange of saliva into something unnecessarily sensual, lips and teeth intertwined, breaths mingling.

Someone knocked on the car window.

Jiang Yu lifted his head from the sudden, generous kiss and hurriedly lowered the window.

“Gentlemen, you can't park here.”

The speaker was a handsome young police officer, a ticket for illegal parking pinched between his fingers.

His gaze first settled on Jiang Yu's face, then quickly noticed the intimate position the two men were in. His advancing body inexplicably came to a halt.

He adjusted his cap and said sternly, “Please also be mindful of your behavior in public.”

“Sorry.” Jiang Yu took the ticket.

“I'll need to see your identification.” The young officer noticed another person getting out from the passenger side of the patrol car and suddenly remembered something. “It's just a routine inspection. We've had several cases of illegal drug trafficking reported in this area recently.”

“Illegal drugs? I haven't heard anything about that. Sounds awful, though.”

Jiang Yu reached for his driver's license, but Qiu Shihuan was faster. He simply handed over his ID card.

The older officer beside him shone a flashlight into the car. Keeping one hand near the small of his back, he took Qiu Shihuan's identification.

“First day on the job?”

Jiang Yu handed his driver's license to the young officer and smiled.

“How did you know?”

“You're young, a little shy. And the local police in District 19 have a habit of keeping their right hand near their holster so they can control the situation quickly.” Jiang Yu gestured toward the older officer, suggesting that his colleague could teach him a thing or two. “Don't worry. It's just experience talking. If you spend enough time on this street, you'll understand soon enough.”

The young officer returned his driver's license, his eyes filled with gratitude.

“For safety's sake, I think we'll need to inspect the trunk as well,” he said. “Please cooperate.”

Jiang Yu opened his mouth, wanting to refuse. “I think—”

“No. Don't touch them. That's enough, gentlemen. Your documents are in order. You can leave.”

The older officer returned Qiu Shihuan's ID and immediately stopped the younger man from going any further.

“Also, don't chat during an inspection.”

The young officer looked surprised. “Officer Peter?”

Apparently unwilling to wait any longer, Jiang Yu gave the older officer a brief salute, stepped on the accelerator, and sent the Beetle roaring away. Through the rearview mirror, he could vaguely see the older officer pulling the unfortunate young man over beside a streetlamp and quietly saying something to him.

“Wasn't that exciting?” Qiu Shihuan didn't look back. He stretched lazily and smiled with obvious delight. “Uncle, did you know someone almost discovered that we're accomplices? We would've been handcuffed together! Taken to the same courtroom together—don't you think that's a hundred times more romantic than a kiss?”

“Are you insane?” Jiang Yu frowned. “This isn't romance, and it isn't a game. Listen, under Article 15 of the Federal Supreme Decree, you could very well be sent directly to the Federal Marine Prison. Do you know what that place is? It's the most terrifying prison in the world, specifically for unrepentant murderers like you. And your sentence would depend on how many lives you've taken.”

“What about you?”

“What?”

“Uncle, where do you think you'll end up?” Qiu Shihuan grinned. “You're an accomplice who helped destroy the evidence and a perpetrator who stood by and watched. You can't escape responsibility.”

“Because the financial conglomerates already control the entire federal government apparatus. Whether I stop you or report you to the authorities, there'd be no benefit to me staying alive.” Jiang Yu didn't look at him. “Young Master, I'm curious. What exactly do you want?”

Qiu Shihuan turned the ruby ring around his finger.

“You've asked me that many times.”

“But this time, I came prepared.” Jiang Yu kept his eyes on the road. “I've investigated you and Jin Youzhe.”

“Really?” Qiu Shihuan folded his arms, looking unconcerned. “What did you find?”

“You only need to answer yes or no.”

“That doesn't sound like a fair deal. Are you trying to trick me, Uncle?”

“Don't you want to try?” Jiang Yu turned his head. His dark-brown eyes held a calm, orderly conviction—a sense of absolute fairness that was strangely persuasive. “I'll set the rules. Five questions, five answers. If the number of correct answers is greater than the number of wrong ones, you'll grant me one request. Otherwise, I'll grant yours and willingly become your accomplice.”

He rested his chin on his hand, smiling brightly.

“I like challenging games.”

Jiang Yu took a deep breath.

“Coming to District 19 was your own decision. It had nothing to do with Qiu Ang.”

“Yes.”

A nod—the classic gesture of affirmation.

His expression barely changed.

Jiang Yu tapped his index finger against the steering-wheel cover. The Beetle slowly came to a stop as the traffic light changed from green to red.

“Was the club your target from the very beginning?”

“…Yes.”

A pause. The muscles around his eyes twitched almost imperceptibly.

He was thinking about something seemingly insignificant.

Why?

There was only one explanation.

The question had only been half-right.

But those were the rules. Only “yes” or “no.” Every answer was half-truth and half-lie.

“But it wasn't entirely about the club?”

“Do I have to answer that?”

One corner of his mouth lifted slightly.

He habitually disguised contempt as a smile.

“No need. Let's continue.” Jiang Yu pressed the clutch. The wheels rolled over a speed bump, jolting the car several times. “The actual controller behind the club is actually the Ibis Group?”

“Yes.”

“Then. The person you truly want to kill is connected to Ibis Technology?”

“Yes.”

“…Did you approach me for a purpose?”

The final question made Jiang Yu deliberate for a long time, his thoughts unsettled. Only after the words actually left his mouth did he realize he'd asked the wrong question.

His pupils contracted.

A smile appeared.

A nearly perfect smile. Not a single flaw could be found in it.

“Yes.”

He had said yes, yet the truth was once again being toyed with.

Jiang Yu's heart suddenly began pounding violently. The fire burning in his chest made it impossible to sit still. Before he knew it, he opened his mouth and asked the stupidest question of his life.

“Do you like me?”

“The five rounds are over. No more questions.” Qiu Shihuan sighed regretfully. “Ah—how unexpected. I was beside you most of the time. How exactly did Uncle manage to investigate so much?”

“I have my own methods,” Jiang Yu said. “Now, can you grant me one request?”

“Go ahead.”

“…Stop killing people indiscriminately.”

From the corner of his eye, Jiang Yu clearly saw the figure in the passenger seat freeze.

Qiu Shihuan said nothing. He simply folded his arms and silently gazed at the road ahead.

“I can help you capture Jin Youzhe.”

Jiang Yu raised the stakes.

“I don't want only Jin Youzhe.”

“—Including Ibis Technology,” Jiang Yu said. “Whether it's the club or whatever shortcut you intend to take next, I can help you accomplish it. But I want you to promise me that you won't kill anyone anymore.”

“Why?”

“You won't be happy. You'll only end up with nothing, tormented night after night by emptiness and the dead.” Jiang Yu rested his elbow against the lowered window and lit a cigarette, watching the smoke dissipate beside his lips. “When the long night comes and there's nowhere left to go, you'll realize that this world has no road back anymore.”

─── ⋆⋅ ♰ ⋅⋆ ───

The fenced-off area contained only one abandoned, unfinished building that hadn't yet been demolished. Its walls were mottled and covered with black-market advertisements. Even the pipes were so badly rusted they were barely recognizable. The building had three floors and a filthy basement.

There were no lights in the corridors. The stairway was cramped and narrow, and the hollow wooden boards creaked beneath every step.

The Beetle was parked casually at one corner of the square. After getting out, Jiang Yu dragged the two wheeled suitcases upstairs with Qiu Shihuan following him.

“Uncle, what kind of place is this?” Qiu Shihuan looked suspiciously in every direction. Pinching his nose, he glanced at the spiderwebs everywhere. “Ugh—it's so dirty. There are bugs too. Uncle, Uncle!”

“What now?”

“There are spiders.”

Qiu Shihuan lowered his head helplessly and nervously tugged at his clothes, staring at the spiderweb caught on them.

Seeing him like this, Jiang Yu's heart ached. He stepped forward and gently pulled away the web. Then he slipped an arm around Qiu Shihuan's lower back, drawing him into his arms and soothing him carefully.

“Afraid of bugs?”

“They bite.” Qiu Shihuan pouted. “It hurts and it itches.”

“All right, Young Master. At least with you standing like this, they'll bite me first.”

Qiu Shihuan rose onto his toes and wrapped his arms around Jiang Yu's neck. His angelic face drew close, and the two kissed again, wet and lingering.

“Uncle is the very, very, very, very best—”

There was only one room on the third floor. Nearly every pane of glass in the door was covered with newspapers.

Jiang Yu patiently knocked several times. Nearly fifteen minutes later, the lock finally turned a few times, and someone inside reluctantly opened the door a crack.

“Who is it?”

“Captain Yu, it's me.”

The gap widened.

A middle-aged man's face appeared, ravaged by alcohol. He first looked at Jiang Yu, then at Qiu Shihuan beside him.

“Your son?”

“…”

When no one answered, the middle-aged man awkwardly scratched his disheveled hair and opened the door.

The cramped room reeked of stale decay. Garbage was piled all over the floor, as if it hadn't been cleaned in years.

The curtains were drawn tightly shut, allowing not even a sliver of light inside. Mold covered the walls. It barely looked as though anyone lived there.

After entering, Qiu Shihuan was settled in a relatively clean room that contained a few toys apparently salvaged from the trash.

Yu Sanhai pulled Jiang Yu into the bedroom and looked around several times before closing the door.

“So this is what happened to you after the task force was disbanded?” Jiang Yu crouched down, looking at the flattened beer cans scattered across the floor. He couldn't help saying to the swaying figure by the window, “What's the point of me coming to find you like this?”

“Then what exactly did you come here for?” Yu Sanhai sounded impatient. “I'm barely managing to stay alive. Where would I find the energy to care about any of this?”

“The incident six years ago.”

“That has nothing to do with me anymore.”

“The statute of limitations hasn't expired. And now we've obtained new evidence.” Jiang Yu folded his arms and spoke gravely. “Do you remember that blond-haired kid?”

“I don't remember.”

“Qiu Shihuan. The young master of Ibis Technology.”

The beer can in Yu Sanhai's hand instantly crumpled with a metallic crunch.

The veins on his neck bulged.

“His father was the one who caused us to die or scatter, forcing us to live under false identities. For six years, we haven't even dared leave a single fingerprint behind! And now he—he actually dared to come knocking?”

“Calm down, Old Yu. He was only twelve back then. He had nothing to do with those events.”

Yu Sanhai gritted his teeth.

“What are the three suitcases you brought?”

“It's a long story. I need you to find a way to temporarily store these bodies and issue an autopsy report.”

“An autopsy report? There's a limit to how much you can treat my place like a morgue.”

“I mean a toxicology report. I suspect there's some kind of drug in all three bodies. It may be connected to what we discovered six years ago.”

“Then I have to ask: how did you manage to get three bodies at once?”

“It was that kid, but the situation isn't what you think—”

“Accuse him.” Yu Sanhai impatiently cut him off. “Do you think one or two bodies are enough to force Ibis Technology into holding a press conference? What we have to be careful about is their powerful legal department. Now, Qiu Ang's little bastard has handed you a golden opportunity. We should make the most of it and ruin that bastard Qiu Ang.”

“But he's not our only objective.” Jiang Yu frowned, clearly disagreeing with Yu Sanhai's plan to target Qiu Shihuan. “We can't lose sight of the bigger picture. If that kid is willing, he could even help us.”

But Yu Sanhai's attitude was firm.

“Everyone from Ibis Technology is rotten.”

“Old Yu, your concerns are understandable. But we also need to find a way out for ourselves. Our days of hiding and running are coming to an end.”

Yu Sanhai laughed sarcastically.

“You really are Du Minchan's disciple. Even your resolve is exactly like his.”

“Don't mention him to me.”

“All right, all right. Jiang Yu, you're right. We should think of something. Oh, by the way, a few hours ago, a new email arrived in your personal inbox. I thought you'd deactivated it. I don't know whether it's a trap…”

“Leave it there. It came from an important informant of mine and cost quite a bit. I'll deal with it when I'm alone.” Jiang Yu glanced toward the door. “Because right now, I have something more important to do.”

Although they ultimately failed to reach an agreement, Yu Sanhai still accepted the suitcases and said he would handle the drug testing.

Jiang Yu walked out of the foul-smelling room and instinctively wanted to light a cigarette to ease his frustration. Before he could even take out his lighter, however, his gaze became fixed on a solitary figure.

The other man had his chin resting on the soft back of the sofa, his back turned toward Jiang Yu as he stared intently through the glass.

The filthy curtain had been pulled open only by a narrow crack, allowing moonlight to ripple inside and trace a cool, beautiful outline along his waist and shoulders.

Jiang Yu carefully stepped around the garbage on the floor and silently approached, afraid of startling him.

Just then, a skinny cat suddenly leapt from the abandoned air-conditioning unit toward the second floor. The metal support creaked, and several rusty screws fell loose, like a sudden downpour, raining onto the collapsed awning below.

The blond, blue-eyed boy abruptly turned around.

First, he looked bewildered.

Then helpless.

And finally, he smiled.

At that moment, Jiang Yu didn't know what had come over him. He simply felt something extraordinarily strange surge up from his heart.

That yearning was visible the moment he looked up, the breeze lingering beside his ear—it seemed to be silently saying something.