Before Luo Wenzhou had the time to react, the person behind him gasped for air: it was Lang Qiao.
Lately Miss Lang's mind often went to Fei Du's mysterious smile the other day. Each day on her way to work, her imagination ran wild, conjuring up a whole season of an R rated TV show with the tags of "dominant-submissive", "psychological sadom.a.s.o.c.h.i.s.tic", and the likes. Thank G.o.d she was insanely over-worked lately that she hasn't found the time to 'spoil' the plots for one of her male lead, Luo Wenzhou, yet.
It had been rainy lately, and, shocked by the sight of Fei Du, Camarade Lang Qiao tripped and stomped right into a water puddle. Almost losing her balance, she clinged onto the side wall with all four limbs.
Luo Wenzhou heard the noises and turned around. Seeing her disgraceful posture, this stupid h.o.m.o delivered his signature ridicule: "Why do you bother to wear heels to work? It's not like anyone here doesn't already know that you're short..."
Lang Qiao: "..."
She rolled her eyes, fixed her heels, and swallowed the warning she was about to give him, thinking: "Bah! Like I care if you're bled white."
To be fair, even when Fei Du was 'courting' Tao Ran back in the days, he didn't frequent the Bureau but only occasionally dropped by to 'bug' him when he had something exciting to show off. Afterall, he had a job to go to during the day and many clubs to visit at night. Luo Wenzhou used to think of him and worry about him a lot, but that was before he had grown into a 360 degree d.i.c.khead. After that, there wasn't much to think of.
A city is a worldly place filled with busy people. A megacity like Yan-cheng separates souls by distance, traffic, or simply other souls. So it is very normal for ordinary friends to go for months without seeing each other.
However, although it has only been a couple weeks since Mr. Fei last graced the Bureau to "send warmth" (1), to Luo Wenzhou it seemed, strangely, like ages.
Send warmth: This literal translation may sound a bit strange. It's a Chinese expression used a lot to describe volunteers (usually elementary or middle school kids) going to the community to send their love and help those in need (mostly the elderly, and the poor).
Fei Du's car was flashy as usual, but he dressed much more low-key.
He didn't wear gla.s.ses this time. An earphone hung loosely from one of his ears. His cotton dress shirt was b.u.t.toned up neatly and he even wore a pair of jeans -- a rare sight. His hair was pushed back, revealing his well-defined contour and beautiful eyes. It was as if something had cleansed his soul and washed off his usual facade of a polished sc.u.m. Now he looked like a cool art major student who's got a little att.i.tude but nothing over-the-top.
Hands in his pocket, Luo Wenzhou strolled casually towards Fei Du. But inside he was cursing the F word:
There were a million types of beautiful men in the world, and Luo Wenzhou's taste was diverse. He appreciated the muscular hunky type that's popular in the western world and also had an appet.i.te for the traditional jade-like gentlemen ... all were welcome that is, except Fei Du's type.
Mr. Fei belonged to a category that he couldn't handle: a human cobra. He was well-groomed and charming on the outside but had a million holes in his heart (2) that could cause a trypophobia reaction if anyone took a peek. From top to bottom this man was armed with something sharp and invasive. If you don't want to be manipulated you'd have to be on guard all the time. Just thinking of him gave Luo Wenzhou a headache, let alone 'appreciating'.
(2) Holes on his heart: There is a saying in Chinese to describe someone who is shrewd and calculated: having lots of holes in his heart (心眼多). This saying probably originated from the Chinese folk mythology "Canonization of the G.o.ds" where one character, Bi Gan, was said to have a heart with seven holes (七窍玲珑心）
Meanwhile, what attracted Luo Wenzhou the most was the bright, clean, and moderately rebellious type. A pretty face would be a plus --- today's Fei Du, for example.
After all, Fei Du was still very young. All it took was retracting his fangs and tuning up his youthfulness, and there you have it: a sunshine boy from the next door.
Luo Wenzhou waved to dismiss the parking enforcement officer. Then he tapped on the top of Fei Du's car and pointed to a business building across the street: "Make a right turn there by the shopping center, and you'll see the closest parking lot. You can't just park in front of the Bureau like this unless absolutely urgent. You'll have to have a parking permit."
Fei Du replied with an innocent smile: "Where can I get the permit?"
"Our long term permit is neither for sale nor for wholesale...Well, first you'll have to become an employee at the Bureau. Or, you could become the spouse of someone that works here." Luo Wenzhou looked down impa.s.sively to try to hide his inner turmoil and to rest his over-feasted eyeb.a.l.l.s. Then he continued with a half-hearted smile: "So which one are you, Mr. Fei? A couple days out of the plaster and looks like someone's already fooling around again --- What do you want?"
Fei Du replied to his question with another question: "Where's your car?"
Luo Wenzhou: "Lent to a colleague for his first date."
Fei Du squinted his eyes, then pulled open the pa.s.senger door: "Cool. Want a ride?"
Luo Wenzhou: "..."
With Fei Du's movements came a light breeze. To Luo Wenzhou's surprise, Fei Du didn't wear one of his collections of cologne today. Instead, the scent was a mixture of some fabric detergent and shaving cream: fresh and clean, like the autumn wind washed crisp by the cold rain.
This kid must be doing it on purpose.
Luo Wenzhou's brain sounded the alarm, but his limbs had betrayed the brain and had automatically climbed into the car.
Fei Du closed the door for him like a gentleman. Right when he was about to go to the driver's side, he saw a 'frizzy hair' with a worn-out briefcase walking out of the Bureau and looking around as if waiting for someone. It was Tao Ran.
Fei Du paused, and waved at him: "Brother."
"Hey," Tao Ran scratched his head as he walked towards him. Although his eyes were big, they were not observant: he completely missed Fei Du's different look today. "These lazy bones...they knew we won't work overtime today. I only went to the restroom and 'poof' they're gone ... except for the ones on call ... Why are you here?"
Fei Du: "Got something to take care of."
"Oh, Okay." Tao Ran's mind was clearly elsewhere. He didn't continue asking him what that something was, but instead asked, "I was looking for you actually. Chang Ning said that Chen Chen's parents wanted to invite us over for a meal. Are you going?"
Fei Du replied with a long "Oh~~"
Tao Rar: "What?"
"Go to Chen Chen's house --- then the rest of us will chat with the parents and keep them occupied, while you help sister Chang Ning clean up and prepare the meal?" Fei Du leaned on the car idly, "Or you could encourage people to bring wine. Then after everyone's had some drink, Chang Ning offers to send them home and you can be the chauffeur. Better yet, right after we get out of the door, the rest of us 'third wheels' can just go and take the subway together. You can then take her out for a drive, or even for a movie."
Tao Ran had planned none of those. But this plan was so inspiring that he was completely enlightened. Even his eyes were visibly lit up. A little embarra.s.sed, he didn't reply, only stood there and smiled, mesmerized.
At that time, the car window facing Tao Ran rolled down. Luo Wenzhou said to him peevishly: "Alright alright... I have received the message about this meal and will relay it to the camarades. Now could you please stop torturing the single dogs on the street? Watch your manners!"
Tao Ran couldn't have imagined it in a thousand years that he would one day see a Luo Wenzhou, alive, in Fei Du's car. He was flabbergasted. He looked at Luo Wenzhou, then at Fei Du, then back at Luo Wenzhou for a couple rounds as if making sure that he wasn't hallucinating because of extreme fatigue. "O...Okay." He replied absentmindedly, rubbing his eyes. Then he walked away following Luo's protest.
Vice Captain Tao had walked a complete 50 meters until his reflex arc finally caught up. A flash of lightning struck him: Wait! It was Luo Wenzhou on the car?
Luo Wenzhou: gender: male; interested in: male.
Fei DU: gender: male; interested in: ...human!
Tao Ran abruptly turned his head - his neck complained with a loud "crack" - only to see that the sports car had already happily departed. It quickly merged into the traffic and disappeared.
"Hallucination." Tao Ran concluded with a nod in all seriousness, then dragged his heavy legs and walked away.
"Turn left on the next crossing: there is a detour ahead due to construction." Luo Wenzhou gave out unruffled directions as if he was really just getting a ride home. He asked about Fei Du's true intention once, but the little b.a.s.t.a.r.d kept it in the cloud. So Luo Wenzhou decided not to ask again, but wait for him to reveal it when the time comes.
Little did he expect that Fei Du drove silently the whole way, without a single unnecessary word until finally: "Arrived."
Luo Wenzhou: "..."
Wait...so? What now?
"I meant it. I just wanted to give you a ride." Fei Du keenly caught the hint of confusion from Luo Wenzhou's eyes. The corner of his mouth curved into a faint, Fei Du-ish smile.
And so long to the innocent "sunshine boy" image that he had kept the entire way. Underneath the painted skin, it was still the usual ingredients and the familiar taste. Fei Du lowered his voice intentionally so the atmosphere turned ambiguously steamy. He whispered in Luo Wenzhou's ear: "What were you expecting, Captain Luo?"
It was the usual flirting tactic of the playboys: inviting in this moment but aloof in the next; tinker with the line but never cross it; vaguely amorous but retreat as soon as the fish starts biting the bait...if the prey was curious and followed suit, it would be led into the trap one step after another.
Luo Wenzhou used to be an insider of the circle too and a pro at using these tactics. But being the target of them was quite a new experience. He couldn't really find any faults in Fei Du's words, and he couldn't ask about anything directly. The antic.i.p.ation was built up high, but nothing followed up. This teasing had really worked, for he now felt like some bon.o.bos were scratching his heart making him hard to concentrate and unsure whether to cry or to laugh.
Luo Wenzhou took a deep breath to help ease the scratches, and decided to employ a "steadfast" move, that is, to make no move in response to any move. He paused shortly, then went straight for the door handle. He opened the door, then patted it: "Nice car. But wasted in the city roads...what a shame. Thanks bro, see ya."
Luo Wenzhou dashingly jumped off the car and headed back home to feed his cat. He didn't look back, not even once.
Fei Du stayed in the car, but his eyes were with Captain Luo as his back disappeared into the hallway of the apartment building. Then, slowly, he restarted the car.
"My pleasure." He said to himself, "See you tomorrow."
The next day, Captain Luo picked up his breakfast delivery business again and barely made it to the office on time. As soon as he walked in, he saw some colleagues moving a desk.
"What's up?"
"Director Zeng just dropped by and said that someone new is arriving today." Tao Ran poked his head out of his cubbie and answered, "They're making room for the new colleagues."
"Oh, yeah right." Luo Wenzhou put down the breakfast food. He signaled his underlings to help themselves as he continued, "Too much was going on lately that I almost forgot: I've received his transfer order a while ago. So today is the day huh --- actually you guys know him. It's 'small-gla.s.ses' from the branch office. When w.a.n.g Hongliang was taken down, he was under investigation leave too. Afterwards I thought, hey, this kid was quick and capable, so I filed a request to transfer him over to us."
Tao Ran was surprised: "It's Xiao Haiyang?"
Before Luo Wenzhou could answer, another head popped in at the door and said: "Captain Luo, Director Zeng wants to see you in his office."
Luo Wenzhou nodded. He grabbed a bean-curd to-go cup and poked in a straw as thick as his thumb. After a casual stir he started drinking, and by the time that he arrived at Director Zeng's office, he had already finished the whole cup.
Luo Wenzhou was as lazy as a slug. To avoid walking the extra steps, he shot the empty cup at the trash can from two meters away. Following a nice hyperbolic trajectory, the plastic cup landed in the middle of the can with a bang.
Before he saluted himself for the perfect long shot, an office door opened from the inside.
Zeng Guangling pushed his gla.s.ses and glanced at Luo Wenzhou coldly: "What a waste of talent. You should have gone to the NBA."
Director Zeng started out as a forensic doctor. Later he was promoted to the managerial position because old Chief Zhang appreciated his professionalism and rigorous work ethic. But since then, he was handed lots and lots of 'career growth opportunities': drafting the reports, organizing the Party member meetings, weighing in on the HR decisions, etc., which were killing him. The more he was involved in these 'growth opportunities' the more miserable he was, and the more rigid and icy he became.
When Luo Wenzhou was just starting out at the Bureau he often followed Zeng around at the crime scenes. Zeng Guangling, a strict and serious man, wasn't a big fan of Luo Wenzhou's playfulness. He often scolded him. Consequently, Luo Wenzhou had already developed a steel-forged thick skin in front of him. He lightly brushed it off with a cheeky grin: "You bet. But I also have a heart for servicing the people so I had to give up the $20,000,000 salary. What a touching story --- Anyways, I heard that the newbie was an old..."
Before the word "friend" made it out of his mouth, Luo Wenzhou was stunned to paralysis.
There were two guests in Zeng Guangling's office. One was Xiao Haiyang, just as he expected. As Xiao Haiyang saw him coming in, a well-behaving kid that he was, he immediately stood up to salute him: "Captain Luo."
As for the one beside him: wasn't quite so well-behaving.
"An old friend indeed." Fei Du finished Luo Wenzhou's sentence. His eyes patrolled, delightfully, from Luo Wenzhou's chest down to his knees and back up again. After the free tour, he smiled and continued, "I was just at Captain Luo's home for dinner last month."
Zeng Guangling had been around for very long: he basically watched Luo Wenzhou grow from a know-nothing young lad to the Captain of the Criminal Investigation Squad. Although he never mentioned it, he knew very well about Luo Wenzhou's "unconventional" private life. So Fei Du's words immediately sent Director Zeng the wrong message. He rolled his eyes at Luo Wenzhou and spoke with an undertone: "Since you all knew each other before, I will skip the introduction. Last year the Bureau and the Yan-cheng Police Academy's Graduate school had a joint project, remember? Old Chief Zhang was leading it. The goal was to study the cases to develop theories, and then use the theories to direct future operations on similar cases. For example the child abduction case this time -- spanning over twenty years -- is very worth studying. The YCPA (3) had formed a focus research group, and Little Fei here is the liaison --- Wenzhou might not look like a serious superior, but is actually quite good at separating the personal role from the professional one, right?"
(3). YCPA: Yan-Cheng Police Academy
Luo Wenzhou: "..."
What sketchy research group would appoint such a liaison! Did everyone else die?
Zeng Guangling continued: "Little Xiao, it's your first day today. Go ahead and introduce yourself to your colleagues. Many here are about the same age as you. I am sure you will find yourself at home in no time. Fei Du---"
Fei Du put his crossed-leg down and, under Luo Wenzhou's tooth-aching glower, answered with the most innocent and benign voice: "Professor Zeng."
"Oh well, don't call me 'Professor'." Zeng Guangling was apparently pleased by this address. His otherwise stern voice warmed up a little and a hint of smile appeared on his icy face: "I only taught for two years. I am more like an uppercla.s.sman. Your Professor Pan had called about you. If there is anything you need, feel free to come to my office."
Luo Wenzhou stayed for a one-on-one with Director Zeng afterwards. Apparently this middle-aged man's understanding of what's going on was completely astray. Luo Wenzhou had to endure his belaboring about conduct and professionalism, then sit through a meeting for this lousy research project at Chief Lu's office where the old man expounded the meaning and significance of the project all the way up to political correctness. When he finally dragged his fatigued heart and legs back to the main office, he found his own office barely recognizable ---
OMG guys, I just found this precious fan-cut of Silent Reading on bilibili! I can't paste the link here, but go to bilibili and search for av79167161. Let me know what you think!! I am blown away...I literally watch it several times everyday hahaha.
I actually got into Silent Reading after watching some fan-cuts featuring Zhu Yilong and Bai Yu (hence the cover of this book. Guardian fans, you know what I'm talking about ;) I used to think they were perfect for the roles and actually pictured their faces while I was reading the book. But now this new fan-cut video has completely changed my mind! I have discovered someone more perfect for the roles: w.a.n.g Yibo and Chen Xiao.
Yibo, well, he's literally the reincarnation of Fei Du, without question (another brilliant fan-cut video with Yibo being Fei Du for 4 minutes straight: av57555856). As for Chen Xiao in the role of Luo Wenzhou, at first it took me some time to get used to -- I thought that he looked too young for the role. But then I checked and the actor was born in 1987. He and Yibo (born 1997) actually had the perfect age difference! And Priest wrote it herself that Luo Wenzhou looked young for his age. AND Chen Xiao is such a good good good actor -- I would say at Zhu Yilong's level, if not higher. AND he is so good looking too... T___T AHHH his double eye lids...
Anyways. Don't worry about spoilers because this video doesn't follow the plots very closely. It's rumored that these two are going to shoot a show together this year (冰雨火 ice, rain, and fire). The story is also police/crime related. I can't wait for more resources for fan-cuts of these two after this show is aired!