Chapter Sixty-Three: Brotherhood Bound by Heart

Silvery moonlight poured into the police dormitory from the window, illuminating every corner of the room. In his sleep, Lu Hehuan seemed tormented by nightmares; beads of sweat dotted his brow as he murmured in distress, “Ling Yan, don’t go, Ling Yan…”

In Lu Hehuan’s dream, the first light of dawn painted the empty dock in a gentle haze. The distant sky was brushed with a soft milky white, and the thick fog rendered everything vague and surreal. Ling Yan stood on a small boat, gazing at Lu Hehuan, who waited anxiously on the shore.

“Ling Yan, don’t go, Ling Yan…” Lu Hehuan called out, anxiety etched across his face.

“Lu Hehuan, you never really cared about me.” Disappointment lingered on Ling Yan’s strikingly beautiful face.

“How could I not care? Ling Yan, there must be some misunderstanding—please, come back.” His voice trembled with urgency.

Ling Yan shook her head resolutely. “If you cared, you wouldn’t have left me, wouldn’t have abandoned me to go to Britain alone.”

Lu Hehuan’s desperation mounted. He shouted hoarsely, “I left so we could be together! For three years, I’ve thought of you every moment of every day!”

Ling Yan gave a short, bitter laugh. “Is that so?”

Frantically, Lu Hehuan reached for his pocket. “If you don’t believe me, look—I’ve kept our photo with me all this time. I look at it every day, remember every day we spent together…” He searched, but the photo was gone. Panic rose in him. “Where is it? It’s always been with me…”

Ling Yan smiled with disappointment. “Lu Hehuan, I won’t trust you again.”

Hardly had her words faded when the little boat began to drift away.

Lu Hehuan chased after her along the dock, shouting, “Ling Yan, don’t go…”

A bitter wind swept by. Tears brimmed in Ling Yan’s eyes, falling as she murmured, “Lu Hehuan, this is farewell… forever…”

Stubbornly, Lu Hehuan continued the pursuit. “No, I don’t want this to be goodbye—”

He struggled within his nightmare, shaking his head, his mutterings turning into anguished shouts. “No, no… I don’t want it to be forever!”

With a gasp, Lu Hehuan sat upright, breath coming in ragged bursts. Beside him, Ying Xi was startled awake and sat up as well.

“What’s wrong?” Ying Xi squinted with sleep, gazing at Lu Hehuan.

It was a while before Lu Hehuan calmed, casting a dejected glance at Ying Xi. “I dreamt of Ling Yan.”

Ying Xi exhaled, unconcerned. “You dream of her every night.”

“I dreamed she left and would never come back.”

Ying Xi patted his shoulder in comfort. “Don’t overthink it. Go back to sleep.”

Both lay down again, but neither found rest. At last, Ying Xi broke the silence. “Can’t sleep?”

“No.”

Ying Xi, hearing this, simply sat up, shooting Lu Hehuan a questioning look. “Want a drink?”

“I told you, no!” Lu Hehuan’s irritation was plain.

The night deepened. Suddenly, the dormitory lights flickered on.

A small table bore a few simple dishes and a bottle of baijiu. Ying Xi and Lu Hehuan sat opposite each other.

Pouring them both a drink, Ying Xi raised his glass to Lu Hehuan. “Haven’t you heard, ‘Draw your sword to cut water, it flows still more; raise a glass to dispel sorrow, it grows all the more’?”

Lu Hehuan’s mood was low. “You know, I’ve only ever heard, ‘Let us drink while we have wine, let tomorrow’s worries wait for tomorrow.’”

Lu Hehuan considered this, then nodded in agreement. “That makes sense.”

“Cheers,” Ying Xi declared, and they drained their glasses.

Yet the wine did nothing to dull Lu Hehuan’s melancholy. If anything, it stirred up more sorrow. He sighed in frustration. “Detective Ying, I truly regret going to Britain. If I hadn’t left, maybe nothing would have happened to Ling Yan.”

“There’s no use in what-ifs,” Ying Xi replied dismissively.

“Even if something had happened, I would have protected Ling Yan. I wouldn’t have let her be wronged.” Lu Hehuan’s voice faded, his gaze growing vacant.

Seeing his friend so mired in guilt, Ying Xi paused, then spoke in a soothing tone. “Some things are decided by fate, not by us. It’s not your fault. It was her destiny.” He raised his glass to clink with Lu Hehuan’s.

Lu Hehuan downed his drink in one gulp. “I once promised Ling Yan I would protect her forever. And now, I can’t even find our only photograph together. I’m useless. I let her down.”

“Don’t be foolish. With the devotion you showed Ling Yan, you’ve never wronged her.”

“Detective Ying, tell me—why doesn’t Ling Yan come back to look for me?” Lu Hehuan’s eyes, without his notice, had grown moist.

Ying Xi thought for a moment, then looked at Lu Hehuan with a serious expression. “If you loved Ling Yan so much, why did you leave her in the first place? I’ll never understand people like you. What’s so great about the West that you had to go learn their ways?”

Lu Hehuan sighed. “I went to Britain for our future. My father said he’d only agree to let me be with Ling Yan if I studied abroad.”

“That’s how it was…” Ying Xi nodded, the truth dawning on him. “Did Ling Yan know?”

Lu Hehuan shook his head. “I was afraid it would be a burden for her if she knew I went abroad for her, so I didn’t tell her.”

Ying Xi finished his drink and shook his head in exasperation. “Lu Hehuan, you really don’t understand women. Did you think that by leaving without a word, you’d spare her a burden? Women are always overthinking. She probably thought you didn’t love her enough.”

Lu Hehuan was startled. “Really? I thought she would trust me as I trusted her.”

“It’s not about trust… how do I put this…” Ying Xi hesitated.

“Just say it.”

Taking another sip, Ying Xi continued, “I just worry you won’t get it… you’re a blockhead.”

“If you can understand it, why wouldn’t I?” Lu Hehuan retorted, annoyed.

Ying Xi grinned. “You know I’m a regular at the Paramount. I’ve gotten to know the dance girls, so I understand women a bit. Women care about different things than we do. We focus on the outcome, but women care about the process and the details.”

“What do you mean?” Lu Hehuan was lost.

“For example, in your case with Ling Yan, you care about the result—whether you end up together. But for Ling Yan, it’s what you did along the way that matters most.”

Lu Hehuan shook his head. “I still don’t understand.”

“How should I put it…” Ying Xi scratched his head, thinking. “You think as long as you end up with her, it doesn’t matter what you do. But for her, it’s exactly what you do that matters.”

“So Ling Yan doesn’t care if we’re together or not?” Lu Hehuan grew more confused.

“Of course she cares, but if what you do along the way hurts her, she might make a different choice. Maybe she won’t come back because she thinks you don’t love her enough.”

Lu Hehuan lowered his head, thinking. He glanced at Ying Xi. “Detective Ying, if you were me, what would you have done?”

Ying Xi pondered. “I would have told her the whole truth, and discussed with her whether or not to go abroad.”

Lu Hehuan was stunned.

Ying Xi poured himself another drink, joking, “Besides, your father obviously never intended to let you marry Ling Yan. He was just stalling.”

“My father wouldn’t lie to me.” Lu Hehuan looked at Ying Xi in disbelief.

Ying Xi rolled his eyes. “Fool. Your father knew how stubborn you were, so he sent you abroad. Otherwise, would you and Ling Yan have separated?”

Lu Hehuan clenched his teeth, frustrated, and took a swig straight from the bottle.

Ying Xi, feigning disgust, produced another bottle from under the table, poured himself a glass, and grumbled, “So much for not drinking. You’re not drinking less, that’s for sure.”

As Lu Hehuan drank, tears spilled from his eyes.

Ying Xi, alarmed, blinked in disbelief. “What’s wrong? If you can’t drink, don’t force it. Why cry while drinking?”

Lu Hehuan said nothing, finishing the bottle and reaching for Ying Xi’s.

Ying Xi quickly held it back. “Don’t drink too much. Drowning your sorrows only makes them worse.”

Tears shimmered in Lu Hehuan’s eyes. “Didn’t you say let tomorrow’s worries wait for tomorrow? Let me be happy tonight.”

Ying Xi hesitated, then slowly let go.

Lu Hehuan drained the bottle, and in a daze, looked at Ying Xi with a faint smile. “Ling Yan, I’m sorry…”

He slumped over the table, dead drunk.

Ying Xi sighed deeply, stood, and helped Lu Hehuan to bed. He took off his clothes and shoes, tucked him in, then stood by the bed for a long while, shaking his head. Moved by pity, he muttered, “Foolish boy, why torment yourself so?”

Night had deepened. Liu Rushuang tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep.

“Could Bai Bai actually like me?” The idea made her scratch her head in annoyance. “No, no, we’re just good friends! Don’t overthink it, Liu Rushuang. Bai Bai was only making an analogy—don’t complicate things.”

She nodded to herself for reassurance. “Right, nothing wrong with taking a photo with a friend. It’s a reasonable request.”

She consoled herself again, “Yes, that’s settled. Now, sleep.” She readjusted her posture, pulled up the covers, and finally closed her eyes in peace.

The sun rose, bathing the old police dormitory in golden light.

A ray of morning sun fell across Lu Hehuan’s face. He rubbed his temples and slowly opened his eyes, seeing Ying Xi standing by the window with his hands behind his back.

“Detective Ying, what are you doing?” His voice was hoarse.

Ying Xi turned around. He was impeccably dressed, his hair neatly combed—a far cry from his usual slovenly appearance.

“Detective Ying, do you have a date today?” Lu Hehuan asked in surprise.

Ying Xi nodded, grinning mischievously. “I was about to invite you. What do you say, will you do me the honor?”

“Invite me? For what?” Lu Hehuan was puzzled.

Ying Xi winked mysteriously. “Photography.”

“Photography?”

“You lost your only photo with a woman. I’ll make it up to you with a photo of brotherhood!”

Lu Hehuan grumbled, “It’s not the same at all.”

Ying Xi pulled him up enthusiastically. “Come on, friendship is stronger than gold.”

Before long, the two arrived at Baoji Studio, the largest photographic studio on the Bund.

Both dressed in matching suits, hair perfectly styled, Ying Xi dragged Lu Hehuan to the camera.

The photographer peered at them from behind the lens. “What kind of photo would you like?”

Ying Xi glanced at the blue backdrop. “Change the background to white.”

“Very good.” The photographer nodded and swapped the background, then returned behind the camera.

Imitating Ling Yan’s pose in the old photo, Ying Xi rested his head on Lu Hehuan’s shoulder, then pulled Lu Hehuan’s arm up to drape over his own. He gestured with his eyes for Lu Hehuan to cooperate.

“We’re really posing like this?” Lu Hehuan was embarrassed.

Ying Xi nodded solemnly.

Clearing his throat, Lu Hehuan awkwardly mimicked the same pose he had used with Ling Yan—standing before the white backdrop, his arm around Ying Xi’s shoulder, while Ying Xi leaned his head happily against Lu Hehuan’s. Only, Lu Hehuan’s posture was stiff as a board.

Trying not to laugh, the photographer signaled, “Gentlemen, smile more naturally.”

Ying Xi whispered, “Think brotherhood, not too much else.”

Lu Hehuan relaxed, managing a faint smile.

The camera shutter clicked, capturing the two of them in the same pose, in the same setting, as the lost photograph with Ling Yan.

Just as they finished, Bai Yulou dragged a reluctant Liu Rushuang into the studio.

Seeing Ying Xi, Liu Rushuang jumped in surprise, quickly shaking off Bai Yulou’s hand. “Brother Xi!”

Ying Xi glanced at Liu Rushuang and Bai Yulou, instantly understanding.

Liu Rushuang hurried to explain, “Bai Bai insisted on bringing me here for a photo. I’m just accompanying him, please don’t misunderstand.”

Bai Yulou, seeing how much Liu Rushuang cared about Ying Xi’s opinion, glared at him with hostility.

Ying Xi said nothing, simply smiled and led Lu Hehuan away.

In the European-style office of the central police headquarters, Gordon was sorting papers on his desk. The door opened softly, and Mary, clad in a pink dress, crept up behind him and suddenly covered his eyes.

Mary was Gordon’s niece—a girl of mixed heritage, with golden hair, blue eyes, a high nose, and rosy lips curved in a mischievous smile, like a haughty Persian cat.

“Guess who?” Mary teased, blinking playfully.

Gordon, instantly furious, barked in command, “Who dares play such games in the police station? Let go at once!”

Mary released him, pouting in grievance. “Uncle, you’re too serious! I just wanted to surprise you!”

“Mary, you’re back!” Gordon exclaimed in astonishment.

“Uncle, I just got home and came straight to see you.”

Gordon patted her head. “How was life abroad?”

Mary nodded. “Not bad, but I missed you terribly.”

Gordon, pleased, affectionately tapped her nose. “I see. What would you like to eat? Uncle will treat you to a feast tonight.”

“No need for a feast—Mother says you’re expected for dinner at home.”

“Alright, I’ll come after work.”

Mary nodded, but after a moment, her eyes sparkled as if she remembered something. “Oh, Uncle, I argued with a servant earlier. She says she’s going to report me to the police.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.” Gordon replied at once.

“Thank you, Uncle.” Mary beamed and left happily.

The light was perfect; sunlight poured in through the ornate window of the police office.

Bao Rong stepped out of the forensics lab, documents in hand, and met Lu Hehuan in the corridor. Lu Hehuan nodded in greeting. “Xiao Rong.”

She smiled, then seemed to recall something. “Hehuan, I heard Mary just returned from America.”

Lu Hehuan nodded indifferently. “Oh.”

Bao Rong hesitated. “Back in school, she was always chasing after you…”

Lu Hehuan smiled. “That was ages ago—let’s not bring it up.”

“Do you know the connection between Mary and Gordon?”

“What connection?”

Before she could answer, a woman’s sobs echoed from the end of the corridor. Both looked up to see a woman, clearly a servant, crying as she made her way straight to Director Bao Kang’s office.

This was none other than Mary’s servant, Sister Tian. In her thirties, with a composed presence and hair neatly coiled, her clothing was ragged and showed traces of blood. Lu Hehuan and Bao Rong were both startled, unsure what had happened to her.

A police officer followed, trying to stop her. “Miss, please wait…”

She ignored him and continued forward, her voice determined and loud. “I want to speak to the chief! Do the wealthy get to treat people like dirt?”

Lu Hehuan signaled to Bao Rong. “Let’s see what’s going on.”

Bao Rong nodded, and the two followed.