Li An came back with a glass of water, the rim trembling against his fingertips.
The apartment was quiet... too quiet. No low hum of the television, no faint tapping of Zhao Liren's restless feet. Just the sound of rain brushing against the windows.
He frowned. "Shen? Zhao?"
No answer.
He set the glass down on the coffee table, the clink loud in the silence, and walked toward the bedroom. The door was half open. Through the crack, he saw Shen Lian sitting on the edge of the bed, his head bowed, shoulders tense. Zhao stood near the window, back turned, staring into the gray light.
Li An paused, half-hidden behind the doorframe. Something in the air told him not to interrupt.
Shen's voice was low, tired.
"The report came back… that blood we found? It belonged to He Mingzhao."
Zhao turned sharply. "That's impossible. but you just said He Mingzhao's been dead for almost a year?"
"I know," Shen said. "But the DNA matched. 100%. And before that man died, he said something... something about you, Li An." Shen's gaze flicked to the floor, the words heavier than he wanted them to be. "He said Qin Yuelin's name."
Zhao froze. "What?"
"That's all he managed before collapsing."
For a long moment, Zhao didn't speak. The rain filled the silence between them. Then he said quietly, "You can't tell Li An. He doesn't need to hear this."
A sharp breath caught in the doorway.
Li An stepped in.
"Why not?" His voice trembled, not from fear but from the sheer effort to stay calm. His eyes... usually soft, almost shy... burned with disbelief. "Why shouldn't I know?"
Both men turned. Zhao's lips parted, but no words came.
"Do you all think I'm a child? That I'll break if I hear the truth?" Li An's voice rose, cracking. "Liren… I thought you were different. I thought you saw me, not just someone you have to protect. i thought you were different from my parents"
The air tightened. Even the rain outside seemed to stop for a heartbeat.
Li An took a step back, his breath unsteady, and then... slam!
The door shook as he stormed out.
Shen rubbed a hand over his face. "You should've locked the damn door," he muttered. "Now go pamper your baby brother."
Zhao grabbed a pillow and threw it at him. "Shut up, asshole," he hissed, before running after Li An.
The apartment went quiet again.
Shen sat there for a long second, staring at the wall. Then his phone buzzed on the nightstand. The hospital's number flashed on the screen.
He answered.
"Detective Shen, the boy you brought in earlier... he's waking up. You should come."
Shen sighed, already standing. "Alright. I'll be there soon."
He hung up, tossed his phone onto the bed, and muttered to himself as he grabbed a clean shirt.
"It's not even been a day since I moved here… and I'm already neck-deep in chaos."
He pulled his shirt over his head, talking to no one.
"If this keeps up, I'll just kill both of them and let them live happily ever after… and maybe then I'll finally sleep."
A bitter laugh left his lips.
"I don't even have time to shower. Maybe I should just become a monk. Live on a mountain. Grow a beard. Meditate. Sounds peaceful."
He zipped up his jacket, still grumbling, and left.
The moment the door clicked shut, Zhao's voice echoed from the living room.
"Li An, come on… look at me, please?"
Li An sat on the floor with his back against the couch, knees pulled close to his chest. His eyes were red, and the faint reflection of the rain streaked across his face.
Zhao crouched beside him, guilt heavy on his shoulders. "I didn't mean to keep it from you."
Li An didn't look at him. "Then why did you?"
"I thought it'd protect you," Zhao said quietly. "But I was wrong. You deserve the truth... even if it hurts."
Li An exhaled, a shaky breath between anger and exhaustion.
"You treat me like I'm fragile. Like one wrong word will shatter me."
Zhao hesitated, then did the only thing his ridiculous heart could think of. He suddenly held his ears, bent forward, and began doing squats right there in front of him.
Li An blinked. "What the hell are you doing?"
"Apologizing," Zhao said between gritted teeth, doing another exaggerated squat. "Ten squats for being an idiot. Twenty for underestimating you."
A reluctant laugh slipped out of Li An. "You look ridiculous."
"I know," Zhao groaned. "Thirty for that too."
He kept going, wobbling by the fifth, panting by the tenth. Li An tried not to laugh but failed completely. It broke the heavy air between them. Zhao grinned, breathless. "See? Works every time."
Li An shook his head, smiling faintly. "You're impossible."
"Comes with the charm." Zhao straightened, brushed his hair back dramatically, then sat beside him on the floor. "I'm sorry, Li An. Really."
Silence. Then Li An said softly, "Just… don't treat me like I'll break."
Zhao nodded. "I won't."
For a moment, they just sat there, listening to the rain again. The air in the room shifted... still fragile, but warmer now. Zhao leaned back against the couch, looking sideways at Li An.
"You know," he said, "if Shen were here, he'd tell me I'm the stupid one."
Li An smiled faintly. "He'd tell you that even if you weren't."
"True." Zhao chuckled. "But don't tell him he's right. His ego doesn't need the boost."
"Well, looks like the brothers made up..." shen said walking towards them, his tone mocking zhao "the boy i told you about... he's gaining consciousness i'm leaving"
but before leaving the apartment shen looked dead serious and turned around to face zhao "you really are stupd" and he left after zhao cursed him "GET LOST YOU BASTARD".
Li An's laugh this time was small but real. The kind that melts tension better than words.
Outside, thunder rolled softly in the distance. Inside, things felt lighter... imperfect, but alive again.
Half an hour later, Shen called.
"Kid's stable," he said. His tone was flat but steady. "Head trauma, but alive. I'll stay here for the night."
"Alright," Zhao said quietly. "Be careful."
"I'm always careful," Shen muttered, and hung up.
When Zhao put the phone down, Li An was watching him. "He worries about us too," Li An said.
Zhao nodded. "He just hides it behind sarcasm."
"Guess we all do."
They fell into a gentle quiet after that. Zhao leaned back, staring at the ceiling, while Li An sat with his head resting on his knees. The rain outside slowed to a drizzle, soft enough that they could hear each other breathe.
When Shen returned hours later, the air had changed. The tension had cooled into something fragile but forgiving. He stood by the doorway, watching the two of them half-asleep on the couch, a half-empty glass of water still sitting untouched on the table.
He didn't say anything. Just smiled faintly... the kind of tired, secret smile that meant he'd been listening all along.
"There is something i want to discuss with you both..." shen paused for a moment... his smile sheepish. "zhao you said there's a store room which is empty right?"
END OF THE CHAPTER.