There are many coincidences in this world, and it is hard to say whether they occur at the truly opportune moment. But regardless of whether the people caught in them feel elated, excited, or embarrassed, the coincidence happens nonetheless.
Mo Junyi’s house was not small; even the study he used for work was larger than that of an average family. However, such a space felt narrow at this moment, as if the entire universe had shrunk to contain only the two of them. The ambiguity in the air was as thick as flowing agar, trapping the sound of their erratic heartbeats within.
Su Xingting had not expected things to develop this way before he entered. For a moment, he was so ashamed that he was almost speechless.
Mo Junyi barely managed to regain his composure, though even with his steady character, he found himself somewhat overwhelmed. As if to cover something up, he took the notebook Su Xingting handed him and began to read it with feigned concentration.
Seeing this, Su Xingting sat up slightly straighter. His eyes flickered, and by unspoken agreement, he did not mention what had just happened. Yet, that soft, warm sensation had left an indelible mark on both their minds. Even as they tried their best to ignore it, the faint feeling lingered in their thoughts, refusing to dissipate.
Fortunately, even under these circumstances, Mo Junyi’s professional expertise remained sharp. After quickly reading through Su Xingting’s notes, he pointed to a section and said, “There is an issue with this part.”
Su Xingting snapped back to reality and looked over. Mo Junyi explained, “The script is set in the summer. If a corpse has been left in an abandoned factory for a long time, there is a high probability of ‘giantism’ (postmortem bloating) occurring, and it is very likely to explode. At this point, if one were to investigate, the investigator should take protective measures. It is impossible to simply push the door open and walk in as described in the script.”
Mo Junyi rarely used such long explanations of professional knowledge. His tone was not fast, but his logic was clear and his reasoning sound, making it easy to remember after hearing it once.
Knowledge related to criminal investigation naturally carries a touch of coldness. Coupled with Mo Junyi’s naturally crisp voice, it was as if a scoop of cold water had been poured over Su Xingting’s racing heart, instantly calming him down.
Mo Junyi looked at the person before him, who was looking down in thought. After a while, he asked, “Are there any other questions?”
Su Xingting bit his lower lip and nodded. He took the notebook, flipped forward two pages, and handed it back. “Here.”
Mo Junyi took it and saw a description of a case-handling procedure. A quick scan revealed it was riddled with loopholes; tasks that should belong to a forensic doctor were assigned to the protagonist, and logistics work was also piled onto them.
As he read, Mo Junyi couldn’t help but glance at Su Xingting. “Who wrote this script?”
Su Xingting also seemed to find the writing lacking. He propped his chin on his hand and couldn’t help but say, “Someone the director brought in. Supposedly a professional screenwriter from a prestigious academy.”
Seeing him look like he wanted to complain but was holding back out of politeness, Mo Junyi felt a bit of amusement. He took the pen from Su Xingting’s hand and began to revise while explaining: “Since the body is in this position, when entering the door, one shouldn’t…”
To see what he was writing clearly, Su Xingting inadvertently leaned a few inches closer to him.
Mo Junyi’s explanation went from shallow to deep, professional yet accessible. Su Xingting was a very dedicated person, especially regarding the scripts he accepted, so he soon became enthralled. Unknowingly, the meager space between them was compressed to zero, yet Su Xingting himself didn’t notice at all.
Mo Junyi was not as immersed as Su Xingting. Halfway through his explanation, he felt the contact against his arm, causing him to pause almost imperceptibly.
The quality of the silk pajamas the big star had specifically brought was indeed excellent; the smooth, slightly cool touch fit the late-night theme perfectly. The delicacy of the silk seemed to carry an unspeakable magic.
Mo Junyi’s speaking speed gradually slowed. He was usually rational and restrained, rarely finding himself in such a state of indecision. Reason told him he should stop talking and politely ask this alluring, yet oblivious, beauty to leave. But some inexplicable sentiment made it impossible for him to speak; a voice in his heart seemed to urge him to slow down.
Unfortunately, there was only so much content on that page of notes. No matter how learned Mo Junyi was, he couldn’t talk forever.
“…That’s all for now. Any other questions?”
Su Xingting looked down and pondered for a moment, then shook his head. “I don’t think so…”
His words came to an abrupt halt. As he shook his head, Su Xingting’s body swayed slightly. Mo Junyi’s forearm, which originally only had slight friction with the pajamas, was now pressed against Su Xingting’s chest through the silk due to that subtle movement.
The heating in the north was very effective. Having sat in the room for so long, Mo Junyi’s body temperature was naturally high. But Su Xingting had just showered, and due to his pajamas, his temperature was significantly lower than Mo Junyi’s.
In that instant, Su Xingting was not only “burned” by the heat but also suddenly realized the issue of their proximity. His face flushed immediately. Without even grabbing his notebook, he tried to stand up in a panic. “Thank you. I’ll… go first… mgh—”
They were sitting too close. As Su Xingting tried to stand, he crashed directly into Mo Junyi’s embrace. Mo Junyi had spent years in field operations, so he was naturally muscular; this collision left the already flustered Su Xingting completely dazed.
His center of gravity shifted. He widened his eyes in disbelief, watching himself fall backward uncontrollably. Although the bed was right behind him and he wouldn’t be hurt, Mo Junyi—acting out of concern—hurriedly stood up to catch him. Since it happened so suddenly, the result was both of them falling onto the bed together.
A second before Mo Junyi would have crushed Su Xingting, he quickly propped his hand on the bed beside Su Xingting’s head, stopping his body’s descent.
However, things became somewhat uncontrollable at that moment.
Hot breath was inches away. Su Xingting was like a startled rabbit, eyes wide and body stiff beneath Mo Junyi, not daring to move. His thin-rimmed glasses had slipped down during the sudden movement and were now hanging precariously from his pajamas.
The already wide collar of the silk pajamas was pulled even further open, exposing a large area of his fair collarbone, which looked exceptionally smooth under the warm yellow light of the study.
It was as if a pause button had been hit for both of them; neither moved for a long time.
The biting winter wind was sealed outside the window. The room was so quiet that only two slightly rapid breaths could be heard intertwining, echoing with intense ambiguity in the confined space.
Mo Junyi propped himself on the bed, his gaze gradually darkening. He watched the person beneath him silently yet dangerously, like a patient predator. Su Xingting couldn’t help but swallow hard under his gaze, a vague crimson flush appearing on his fair cheeks. At the same time, his heart beat so hard it felt like it would leap out of his chest.
In his daze, Su Xingting almost thought his own heartbeat and breathing were the only sounds left in the room.
It felt as if ten thousand years had passed, yet it was only a few seconds. Mo Junyi suddenly moved—Su Xingting’s racing heart skipped a beat. He opened his eyes wide, his mind filled with panic, disbelief, and a trace of indescribable, secret expectation.
However, just as the distance between them was less than a centimeter, the phone on the desk rang.
It was as if they had been awakened from a dream. Mo Junyi lifted his upper body, and Su Xingting scrambled to sit up from within the curve of his arms. Covering his flushed face with the back of his hand, he fled the study, not even taking his belongings.
Looking at the glasses left behind on the slightly wrinkled sheets, Mo Junyi’s gaze did not return to its usual clarity; instead, it became even more complex and deep.
The phone continued to ring. Mo Junyi picked it up and saw the name “Lu Hengyu” on the caller ID.
Lu Hengyu’s father—Mo Junyi’s eldest uncle—had once evaluated his son: “A failure who spoils everything he touches! I expect someone to deal with you sooner or later!” This evaluation proved to be precise. If Lu Hengyu were in front of Mo Junyi now, he would likely be dragged into a far-from-affectionate beating by his nominal elder brother.
Mo Junyi’s tone when answering was restrained, yet the coldness was palpable. “What is it?”
“Brother, Brother Jinghan asked me to ask you…” Mid-sentence, Lu Hengyu realized something was wrong. “Um… what’s up with you? Did you have a fight with my Sister-in-law?”
Mo Junyi said coldly, “No. If you have something to say, say it quickly.”
Lu Hengyu’s tone became cautious. “It’s about… has the murderer been found yet?”
“They’ve been found. Tell Li Jinghan not to worry.” After Mo Junyi finished, he added, “Anything else?”
Hearing this obvious dismissal, a flash of inspiration hit Lu Hengyu. Judging others by his own standards, he said cleverly, “Nothing else, nothing else! You and Sister-in-law carry on with your ‘business,’ I won’t disturb you. Happy New Year to you both!”
Before Mo Junyi could scold him, he tactfully hung up.
It took about three seconds for Mo Junyi to realize the implication. His anger subsided by half, replaced by an inexplicable feeling. He put down the phone, placed Su Xingting’s glasses with the forgotten notebook, and walked out of the study.
As he passed the guest room, he instinctively glanced at it. The door was shut tight; there was no sound from within. It seemed the person inside was already asleep.
It was as if nothing had happened; everything was calm. But only the two involved knew that after what had transpired, they could only maintain a facade of peace. They could no longer be truly, openly composed with each other.
The next morning, when Mo Junyi woke up, he found that Su Xingting was already gone. However, the things he had brought were still there. On the dining table sat warmed-up food and a note that read:
“Something came up at the company, I’ve gone over there. If the case requires my presence, you can call me.”
He didn’t mention a word about last night. Mo Junyi showed no outward emotion after reading it; he simply folded the note and put it in his pocket.
Aside from the past few days, Mo Junyi had always eaten breakfast alone. But as the ancients said, “It is easy to go from rags to riches, but hard to go back.” For the first time, Mo Junyi felt the dining table seemed a bit lonely. So, while eating, he opened his phone.
A person’s change actually begins with small habits. In the past, the first thing Mo Junyi did upon opening his phone was check the news or browse various essays. Now, he naturally opened Weibo.
Unsurprisingly, he saw the post Su Xingting had made the previous night at the top of his feed. The content was simple:
“Thank you all for your concern since the case began. The investigation is still ongoing, but the truth is close at hand. I have not sustained any form of injury during this process. I hope everyone stops worrying about me and enjoys the holiday. On this festive occasion, I would like to again thank the police officers who have been diligent and served the people in this case. Happy New Year to everyone.”
Below were four photos of the New Year’s Eve dinner. The content of the four photos was identical, with only tiny differences in the shooting angles—so small they were hard to notice unless one looked closely. Grouped together, they seemed somewhat redundant, which didn’t fit Su Xingting’s usual efficient and concise style.
Mo Junyi’s gaze lingered on the final line of thanks to the police for a long time before he moved to the comment section. The top comment had nearly 80,000 likes:
“Wuu wuu wuu, Happy Holidays Teacher Su! Hard work to all the police officers still at their posts during the holidays!!”
The subsequent top comments followed suit, expressing respect for contributors in various positions across the country. The style of the entire comment section was a sharp contrast to Bai Yuan’s previous comment section.
However, as he scrolled, Mo Junyi finally saw a comment with a unique focus:
“I thought the four photos Susu posted were for a ‘spot the difference’ game. I stared at them forever before realizing I forgot to grab the top comment. Dammit.”
This comment was full of people laughing, but some observant individuals had noticed the same thing: “Same here. I looked for ages before realizing there were only tiny lighting differences. Is Teacher Su lagging, or did his hand shake and he accidentally posted the failed shots?”
Mo Junyi, who was drinking soy milk, paused his movements. One reply below said: “I think he might have been too excited. Didn’t you guys notice that from Teacher Su’s shooting angle, there’s another set of bowl and chopsticks opposite him?”
This instantly stirred up a thousand waves. Countless people went back to look at the photos again. Indeed, as the reply stated, another set of tableware was placed openly at the other end. Some fans who browse Weibo with a magnifying glass even zoomed in to the maximum and found a small corner of Mo Junyi’s clothing in a far corner.
The comments section exploded:
“WTF?” “Isn’t this a bit too stimulating for the holidays?” “Good lord, it’s just a set of bowl and chopsticks. Why are you all so excited? Couldn’t he be eating with a family member?” “Speechless. The whole big table was photographed, and there are only two sets of tableware. Which ‘family member’ could he be eating with?” “Those who know, know. Maybe a ‘family member’ listed in the same household register (hukou).”
Because of this, that comment gained nearly 3,000 additional replies, almost all discussing this mysterious “family member.” However, although the discussion was heated, the sentiment was unusually peaceful. This was mainly because Su Xingting did not follow the “idol” path; he had no official fan support club and didn’t do airport appearances. Fans mostly just built private groups to chat.
For this reason, Su Xingting’s fans often teased him: “He could clearly rely on his face to make a living, yet Teacher Su insists on relying on talent.” As one of the few actors truly relying on their works, even if Su Xingting really had a romance, he would likely choose to expose it immediately. He was never afraid of losing fans due to a relationship.
Unfortunately, he had no romance to expose right now—only a contract marriage signed to appease his elders.
Mo Junyi drank his soy milk while watching the comment section invent over eighty identities for him, even changing his gender two or three times. The reason there was a “third” gender was that the talented people in the comments had miraculously added ABO elements. Mo Junyi felt they were one step away from adding elements of high fantasy.
One “whimsical” comment said: “Sisters, in that photo Teacher Su deleted before, wasn’t he wearing a police jacket? I’m just saying, is there a possibility that my ‘Sister-in-law’ is actually a ‘Police Flower’ (beautiful female officer)?”
Replies immediately followed: “Impossible. Absolutely impossible.” “I mean, are you looking down on our ‘Sirs’?” “A policeman and a big star? That tension is explosive.