The ribby man looked him up and down with a scrutinizing gaze.
Liao Ran was a low-saturation person. The contours of his cheeks were lean yet sharp, his eyes elongated and his pupils deep, radiating a cold aloofness that carried an untouchable, sacred aura. It seemed as though there was a layer of glass barrier between him and everyone else, inspiring wild imagination, yet any wicked thoughts that arose would instantly dissolve into an inexplicable sense of inferiority.
Thinking that the man had discovered something, Liao Ran coughed, signaling Bai Ji to get ready and be on high alert.
“You book-smart guys are always such a hassle. Back in the village, my brothers and I used to bathe naked together in the big pond. Do you want me to help scrub your back?” As he spoke, the ribby man’s cheeks flushed red. He rubbed his hands against his pants, picked up a roll of toilet paper from the bedside table, and left a parting remark before pushing the door open. “Well, take your time washing up then. No rush.”
After the man left, the moment Liao Ran turned around, he felt a scorching chest press against his back.
Supporting the man’s waist, Liao Ran took a step back, widening the distance between them to leave some breathing room for conversation. “Why do you always pop up like a ghost?”
Bai Ji pressed forward, closing the distance. “Flirting with another man behind my back, are you feeling guilty?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Liao Ran turned around and decisively dug out the backpack that the ribby man had hidden.
Inside, he fished out a pack of white plastic bottles.
Bai Ji stepped forward with a puzzled expression. “What is this?”
“A newly circulated type of anesthetic on the market, commonly known as Carefree Immortal. It is strictly prohibited from being sold for non-medical purposes. Taking it causes hallucinations and a feeling of drifting to immortality.”
“Oh, they even have good stuff like this.” Quick-handed, Bai Ji slipped a bottle into his trouser pocket.
“No, take it out. All of these things need to be handed over to the police for processing.” Liao Ran’s expression was stern, like an ideological and political teacher lecturing a misbehaving student.
Bai Ji shook his head. “You telling me what to do? What are you to me? If you want it, come take it yourself.” He spread his hands in a do-as-you-please posture, fully betting that Liao Ran wouldn’t dare search his body.
When it came to matters of principle like this, Liao Ran didn’t hesitate for a second. He slid his fingers in, brushing against Bai Ji’s inner thigh, and snatched the Carefree Immortal bottle back.
The moment he pulled it out, his wrist was caught in a firm grip.
“You’re taking advantage of me.”
Liao Ran struggled a bit, but Bai Ji was stronger than he imagined, holding him completely immovable. “You just wanted me to touch you. You did that on purpose.”
Bai Ji released him, lowered his head with a faint smile, and murmured under his breath, “Why are you sometimes so foolish and sometimes so clever?”
“I could understand all those hints of yours; I just chose to ignore them.”
After coming out of the bathroom, the ribby man went to the kitchen to chat idly with Uncle Song. Assessing the surrounding environment, the two of them took advantage of an unguarded moment and slipped away from the guesthouse.
Fearing pursuit, the pair stepped onto a secluded mountain trail.
The chirping of cicadas and birds was ceaseless, occasionally mingled with the low, deep roars of large animals. The dark green grass grew up to half a person’s height, hiding a hint of eerie mystery as if something might leap out at any second.
Having grown up with drivers taking him everywhere and almost never participating in outdoor activities, the dense, gloomy forest felt to Liao Ran like the open jaws of a ferocious beast, making every single step feel anxious and uncertain.
“You usually do autopsies and collect evidence, used to rotting flesh and internal organs. How can you be such a coward?” Seizing the rare chance to initiate close contact, Bai Ji felt a surge of secret satisfaction inside.
“You usually focus on scientific research, writing books to promote the development of botany. How can you have zero bottom line in your morals?” Liao Ran’s mind was running in a state of hyper-focus right now, sharp and active, ready with a counterattack on the tip of his tongue.
Bai Ji caught the crux of it. “Does that mean you used to pay attention to me before?”
His father was the director of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and one of the bookshelves at home displayed representative works published by outstanding talents from the institute. Liao Ran liked to broaden his knowledge across various fields, and he had read the award-winning book by that author three times.
To be honest, he liked it very much. The arguments in the book were novel, the experimental processes rigorous, and it had provided Liao Ran with a lot of inspiration for improving the autopsy process.
He had held a sliver of anticipation in his heart for this author, imagining him to be a scholar full of self-respect and dignity. But after getting to know him, that grandmaster-level image had completely shattered.
“If I had known you were this kind of person earlier, I should have just burned the book.” Liao Ran originally wanted to say he should have burned the book, but thinking that such important botanical knowledge shouldn’t just vanish, his cherishing of talent ultimately won out over his irritation.
Fueled by a mix of anger and courage, Liao Ran bypassed him to forge ahead and scout the path.
Who would have thought his foot would slip, sending him tumbling down the slope?
The world spun, leaving his brain in a chaotic blur as his body crushed against the loose gravel on the slope. Just as his head was about to crash into a massive boulder, a wisp of black mist wrapped around his waist, transforming into an arm that pulled him tight. Liao Ran fell right into Bai Ji’s embrace, and the two of them tumbled down together, rolling alternately until they hit the bottom of the valley.
It felt as though he had been subjected to a thousand cuts. Every bone in Liao Ran’s body felt dislocated, and everything hurt.
Bai Ji shook off the dust, then bent down to help him up.
Biting his lip, Liao Ran managed to squeeze out a few words with difficulty: “Don’t. Don’t move my body yet. Let me check myself first.”
He gently pressed along each of his vertebrae. There were no abnormalities or injuries, which was the best-case scenario. It was just that his ulnar nerve had taken pressure, and he would likely need a moment to recover.
Supporting him, Bai Ji found a cave, laid down a layer of weeds, and set up a temporary shelter.
The night air was biting cold. Liao Ran hugged his arms and shivered all over, his lips pale. Bai Ji took off his coat and pulled him close into his arms, wrapping him up tightly for warmth.
Feeling the scorching chest behind him, Liao Ran felt his body temperature rise and his mouth go dry.
Watching the flickering starlight in the distance, Liao Ran experienced a complex mix of emotions. Physical discomfort combined with a fear of the wild environment made him display a rare, vulnerable state.
Taking the initiative, he reached out and intertwined his fingers with Bai Ji’s, pressing them against his own chest, which brought an immense sense of security.
“Nothing’s going to happen. In a few hours when it gets light, I’ll take you out of here,” Bai Ji comforted him, pressing a kiss to his forehead.
Liao Ran’s heart, which had been as barren as a desert, suddenly burst with vitality, sprouting hurried spring grass. “Actually, I do not hate you.”
His emotional shift was completely under Bai Ji’s control. Even without looking through the gu worms, Bai Ji could feel the fierce, irregular pounding of Liao Ran’s heart through their seamless skin contact.
“You do not hate means you like.” Supporting Liao Ran’s back with his arm, Bai Ji let him lean back against his legs so their faces were directly aligned.
Their faces mirrored in each other’s pupils, while the air was filled with the pine fragrance of soil and trees. A nightingale on a branch shook its wings, and upon taking flight, it dislodged a pine nut that rolled down the sloping terrain into the cave.
Yet no one paid it any mind as they kissed passionately. Liao Ran had never before so truly experienced the taste of the other person, like drinking a bitter cup of coffee with the astringent bite curling at the base of the tongue, the rich viscosity of exchanged breath, and the lingering sweetness reaching deep down his throat. Stimulated both physically and mentally, he wanted to extract even more of the fragrance belonging to this man.
Liao Ran hoisted himself up, pressing down against Bai Ji’s chest to leverage his strength.
Sensing his eager advance, Bai Ji yielded and tipped backward, making it easier for Liao Ran to straddle his waist, bringing an even broader surface area of contact, dreamlike and surreal.
The jungle before dawn was at its most clamorous. Liao Ran woke up early, covered in an unknown number of bruises. After hours of blood pooling from the contusions, it ached even more.
Before him lay the sleeping face of the man. His skin was as tender and white as snow, whether naturally so or related to his cultivation of gu worms was unclear, with curled, fluttering eyelashes that twitched softly like a crow’s wings. His high bridge of nose, paired with brows that were always tightly furrowed, carried a hint of a menacing aura that warned others not to mess with him. His lips, which looked benevolent at first glance, were full and thick with a slightly upturned corner, arrogant enough to demand the upper hand every single time. This mouth had the exact same bad temper as the man himself.
Stepping into the mindset of a victim, Liao Ran gave it a light flick.
Stung by the touch, Bai Ji opened his eyes with a lingering smile. “Still not enough kissing?”
The skin around his neck tightened and his cheeks grew hot as Liao Ran sat up to steady his breathing.
Physical habits were a terrifying thing. Liao Ran wasn’t entirely certain whether these reactions of his were lingering aftereffects of the gu worms or if he had genuinely fallen for him.
Liao Ran hoped it was the former. He decided to reserve his conclusion for now.
The two walked to a neighboring town and rented a car from a local.
They went to the police station first to close the case. During the lunch break while everyone else went out to eat, only Qin Jiu remained in the office, staring at surveillance footage with dark circles under his eyes, desperately trying to trace the whereabouts of the ribby man’s vehicle.
His younger sister, Qin Yi, knocked on the door and entered with a lunchbox. This was already the third time she had come by today.
After shoveling down a few quick mouthfuls, her brother went right back to burying his head in front of the monitor.
Qin Yi sat down to the side and set her chopsticks aside. “Dr. Liao was abducted, and I share some responsibility. I want to help too.”
Only then did Qin Jiu realize he had neglected to care for her. “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely rescue him. There’s no case in this world your brother can’t solve. Eat properly; your health comes first.”
Qin Yi looked at the sweet and sour pork in the lunchbox. “I just wonder if Dr. Liao is getting any food to eat.”
“Not yet!”
A familiar voice rang out. Startled, Qin Jiu accidentally hit the play button on the remote, triggering a wedding march to play out loud.
Leaning against the man’s shoulder, Liao Ran appeared at the office doorway.
Seeing the disarray of his clothes, Qin Jiu took off his jacket and wanted to drape it over his shoulders.
Liao Ran politely declined. In truth, right before stepping through this door, he had just returned the jacket to Bai Ji.
It wasn’t that he was the overly proud type who refused to show weakness; he just hated troubling other people.
Qin Yi bounded forward like a rabbit, only to be grabbed and stopped by her brother.
The two of them were as close as Siamese twins, leaving Qin Jiu unsure of what to do as he shifted back to his professional duties. “How did you manage to escape? Where is that man now?”
“About 500 kilometers south of Tongxi City, in a town. There’s a pine forest near there. He took me to a guesthouse.”
“Alright, I’ll arrange for people to pursue them right away.” Qin Jiu poured them both some tea. “Do you have any external injuries? Do you need to go to the hospital for a checkup?”
“Yes, get checked out just to be safe,” Qin Yi chimed in, looking at Bai Ji with a mixture of guilt and starlight in her eyes.
Unable to watch her starry-eyed infatuation any longer, Qin Jiu interjected, “Hey, this isn’t the time you grabbed the guy demanding to beat and kill him! If I remember correctly, you’re getting engaged in about a week. Shouldn’t you go take care of your own business?”
Reluctant to leave, Qin Yi lingered and picked up her chopsticks. “I haven’t finished eating yet.”
Liao Ran looked at the girl. “You need to wash your hands with disinfectant before eating.”
Qin Jiu shook his head. “Our family doesn’t have all those fancy rules of yours. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”
Liao Ran offered a faint smile. “That’s not what I meant. Do you remember the green fluorescence under ultraviolet light?”
The siblings nodded.
“I remember. That’s how you used the metal seeping from that phone casing to lock down the thief. That’s the only reason I realized I had wronged this Bai brother here,” Qin Yi said with a shy expression.
“Actually, I made that up. There is no such element. What you got on your hand was just glow-in-the-dark powder from wedding balloons.”