Shen Li couldn’t forget that night when Zhou Lifen drugged him and locked him in a room with a woman he didn’t even know.
That woman had taken money from Zhou Lifen.
As soon as Zhou Lifen left the villa, Shen Li jumped from the third floor. The woman failed in her scheme, and so did Zhou Lifen.
Zhou Lifen never imagined he was capable of such extremes. Below the villa were shrubs, and when he was sent to the Shen family’s private hospital for a check-up, he only had some abrasions—nothing serious.
This incident even reached his father. For a while, Zhou Lifen didn’t dare to cause trouble.
It was also from that time that a rift grew between him and Zhou Lifen.
Zhou Lifen believed that his preference for men was a psychological abnormality.
Shen Li’s expression darkened. Ji Zhouye felt he had pushed too hard—some things can’t be rushed; time would tell.
He rose and released Shen Li from his hold. “Shen Li, I can promise to only like one person—on the condition that you never said you wanted to break up.”
Shen Li tugged at the corner of his mouth lightly. Whether to break up or not wasn’t up to him; he had no choice, just like now being Ji Zhouye’s lover.
If he didn’t become Ji Zhouye’s lover, he would lose Jiangqing.
And if he hadn’t broken up back then, what would he have lost?
He didn’t dare think about it.
“Smoke less; it stinks. Let’s go.”
Ji Zhouye took the cigarette Shen Li had left on the desk as he left.
Only a lighter remained on the desk.
“Damn.” Shen Li looked at Ji Zhouye’s back. “Take the lighter too—and that dog of yours!”
“Left it for you.” Ji Zhouye didn’t even look back.
Shen Li: “……”
He realized—it was just to annoy him, and then leave without a backward glance.
Though annoyed, he acted earnestly and booked two movie tickets for a suspense-thriller.
As the workday neared its end, Ji Zhouye called, saying something came up and he should head home first.
Shen Li hadn’t told Ji Zhouye about the movie, thinking he could just go after work if he had time.
If not, it would be for another time.
Shen Li stayed back at the office to work overtime; Jiangqing still had room to grow.
By seven, Shen Li rubbed his sore neck, ready to leave.
After organizing the documents on his desk, he grabbed his phone and headed out. Ji Zhouye called again.
He answered.
Ji Zhouye asked, “Still at the office?”
Shen Li: “Mm. Heading back now.”
He told Ji Zhouye as he reached the elevator, then hung up.
The underground parking lot was eerily quiet. Shen Li couldn’t help thinking of the scary scenes from horror movies set in parking lots.
Even in this atmosphere, he felt no fear.
He even thought that if ghosts were real, he’d face them head-on for three hundred rounds, just to see whether humans or the so-called ghosts were truly scarier.
As he opened the car door, his heart skipped a beat. A chill shot from his feet to his head.
Once he processed it, he swore, “Ji Zhouye, are you insane? What’s gotten into your head?”
Ji Zhouye was in the driver’s seat. The interior light was off, and the tinted side windows made it impossible to see inside from outside unless someone pressed against the windshield.
His hand rested on the steering wheel, eyes playful. “Scared?”
“Scared my ass. There’s nothing I fear.” Even if he were killed, he wouldn’t admit he was scared. “How did you get in the car?”
Shen Li realized the question was redundant; he was in Ji Zhouye’s car, which had more than one key.
Ji Zhouye: “I have the key.”
Shen Li rested his elbow on the door. “Did I offend you, or do something to upset you?”
Ji Zhouye: “How do you mean?”
He switched on the interior light, casting half-shadows across Shen Li’s face, softening his features.
“You annoyed me earlier, now you’re hiding in the car trying to scare me,” Shen Li said, a mixture of grievance and defiance, almost daring him to fight.
“I was waiting for you. Didn’t expect to scare you.” Ji Zhouye held his hand, fingertips lightly scratching Shen Li’s palm.
The palm itched—and so did his heart.
It was like a poison, a venom called Ji Zhouye. The closer he got, the harder Shen Li’s feelings were to control. His heart belonged to him, yet it defied his own control.
Shen Li pulled his hand away. “Stop trying to fool me. Do you think I’m stupid and wouldn’t turn on the lights?”
“Forgot.”
Just casually saying he forgot, as if to erase the soul-stabbing shock from moments ago? Impossible.
“Get in.” Ji Zhouye said.
Shen Li went around to the passenger seat and sat. “Where to?”
“Any plans?”
“No.” Shen Li fastened his seatbelt.
“Had dinner?”
“Yes.”
He had grabbed a takeout, just something light.
“Then a movie?”
At the cinema, Ji Zhouye was about to buy tickets when Shen Li stopped him. “I already have two tickets.”
They were for the 8 PM showing—perfect timing.
The plan had been to eat first and then watch a movie, but plans couldn’t keep up with change. Shen Li hadn’t told Ji Zhouye in advance.
Ji Zhouye: “Coke and popcorn?”
“Yes.”
Ji Zhouye didn’t eat these things himself but remembered Shen Li liked them before.
Shen Li collected the tickets while Ji Zhouye bought the Coke and popcorn—just one portion.
The cinema hall was sparsely populated. They found their seats, and the movie began.
Ji Zhouye handed him the popcorn; the Coke was on his left.
Shen Li took a sip and teased, “After all these years, you still don’t drink Coke. Poor Coke.”
“After all these years, you still love Coke, yet it never rejoices.”
Shen Li: “……”
Years had passed, yet he was sharper than ever, quick to retort.
As the movie reached its climax, with the killer finally caught, Shen Li kept sneaking glances at Ji Zhouye.
Biting the straw, he stole another look—and their eyes met.
Ji Zhouye leaned close, whispering in his ear, “If I were the killer, there wouldn’t be so many flaws.”
Shen Li shivered.
The film told the story of a newlywed husband murdering his bride on their wedding night, dismembering her, storing the pieces in a fridge, then slowly moving them away before calling the police.
The husband was highly skilled at covering his tracks. Even the police took time to solve the case, and no one initially suspected him.
The woman never imagined that her husband, the man she was to spend her life with, would kill her—so extreme, so perverse.
A chill ran down Shen Li’s back. He looked at Ji Zhouye, feeling like a demon in human skin.
Now, sharing a bed every night, would there come a day when this person suddenly disappeared—or worse, died—and no one could find him?