Night settled deeper around the apartment. Everything had been cleaned earlier, but that didn't make the space feel lighter. Jun Wei slept on the bed without disturbance, his breathing steady and soft, one hand resting near his face in a loose curl. He looked completely detached from everything that had unfolded around him, as if the world outside his sleep didn't have the right to reach him.
Suo Ran sat by the window, unmoving. His eyes weren't focused on the streets below or the dim glow of distant lights. They were fixed somewhere beyond than somewhere heavier, quieter, and far more distant than anything visible. His posture hadn't changed in a long time, and even his breathing felt measured, controlled, like he was trying not to disturb whatever thoughts had already settled too deeply inside him.
Inside his mind, the silence wasn't empty. It was crowded.
What will happen now? he thought faintly. We just left like that. No explanation, no warning. How many times am I going to keep doing this running, disappearing, cutting things off before they reach a conclusion? This isn't safety. It just keeps shifting the danger somewhere else.
His gaze lowered slightly. Jun Wei was asleep behind him, breathing softly, unaware of anything beyond dreams. At least he doesn't understand yet, Suo Ran thought. But how long will that last? Another thought followed. He would notice first. He always notices everything eventually. What will he think when he walks into that empty room and finds nothing? Anger? Suspicion? Or something worse something calculated?
Suo Ran's fingers tightened faintly against his sleeve. He'll start looking. He won't stop. That's who he is. And when he looks too closely… what will he find? A faint breath left him, almost silent. I didn't leave because I wanted to escape, he thought. I left because staying was already becoming dangerous in ways I can't explain to anyone here. But will he understand that? Or will he only see it as betrayal?he was in deep thought.
He didn't notice Lian Ziho enter at first, or maybe he did and simply chose not to acknowledge it. Lian Ziho stopped near the doorway for a moment, watching him carefully. There was something different about Suo Ran tonight not exhaustion, not fear in the usual sense, but a strange distance, like his mind was listening to something the room itself couldn't hear.
After a moment, Lian Ziho spoke quietly, careful not to break the atmosphere too abruptly. "You don't have to sit in the dark like this." Suo Ran didn't turn his head or react immediately. His voice came out low and steady after a pause. "It's easier this way." Lian Ziho tilted his head slightly, studying him. "Easier for what?" he asked.
The question hung in the air, unanswered. The curtain shifted again with the breeze, and the silence that followed felt longer than it should have. When Suo Ran finally spoke again, his tone was quieter than before. "You don't have to stay here." Lian Ziho didn't move from his position. His answer was immediate but calm. "I know."
Suo Ran's fingers pressed faintly against the window frame, like he was grounding himself. "Then why are you?" he asked. There was a pause before Lian Ziho replied, his voice steady but honest. " Because you are." That made Suo Ran finally turn his head slightly, just enough for their eyes to meet for a brief second before he looked away again, as if holding eye contact for too long would give something away.
"That's not a reason," Suo Ran said quietly. Lian Ziho didn't agree or disagree right away. Instead, he simply watched him, then said, "It is. You just don't like it." That earned a subtle reaction small, but real. Suo Ran's expression shifted slightly, not anger, but something more conflicted, before he turned his gaze back toward the window. " You shouldn't get involved in things you don't understand," Suo Ran said after a moment.
Lian Ziho's tone didn't change. "Then help me understand." The simplicity of the reply made the air feel heavier again. Suo Ran let out a faint breath. "There's nothing to understand." "That's not true," Lian Ziho said immediately.
Silence followed, longer this time. Then Suo Ran spoke again, voice lower, sharper in a restrained way. " You heard it too, didn't you?" That question shifted the tone completely. Lian Ziho straightened slightly. " Heard what?" Suo Ran didn't look at him when he answered. "That sound this morning," he said. "That wasn't just pain."
The words settled into the room, heavier than either of them seemed to want to admit. Lian Ziho didn't respond immediately. After a moment, he said quietly, "No. It wasn't."
Suo Ran nodded faintly, as if confirming something he had already been afraid to name. "It was fear," he murmured. The pause that followed felt sharper than before. "And not the kind you feel when you're dying," he added. Lian Ziho's eyes narrowed slightly. " What do you mean?" Suo Ran's voice dropped even lower, almost blending into the quiet of the room. "The kind you feel when you know something is already too late."
The silence that followed was heavier than before, no longer just quiet but compressed, like it was pressing in from all sides. Lian Ziho slowly moved away from the wall and stepped closer, stopping just behind Suo Ran instead of beside him. His voice was softer now, more careful. "You think he knew?"
Suo Ran didn't hesitate. " Yes."
"About what?" Lian Ziho asked.
Suo Ran's jaw tightened slightly as he finally answered, his eyes still fixed on the dark outside. " About whoever was coming."
Lian Ziho's gaze sharpened slightly as he absorbed the words, his voice dropping into something more controlled. "You're saying this wasn't random."
Suo Ran didn't look away when he answered, his tone steady but quiet. "I'm saying he didn't come there by accident." A brief pause followed before he added, "He came to say something." Lian Ziho frowned faintly, processing it. " Then why didn't he?" Suo Ran finally turned his head just enough to meet his eyes again, not fully, but enough to make the words feel heavier. "He tried," he said simply.
That single line lingered in the air longer than expected. Lian Ziho didn't speak immediately, as if waiting for something more, but Suo Ran continued anyway. "Names. Warnings." " And then he died," Lian Ziho finished quietly. Suo Ran didn't respond, but the silence that followed wasn't empty it confirmed everything without needing more words.
The curtain shifted again with the wind, brushing softly against the window frame, the sound almost too normal for what they were discussing. Lian Ziho's voice lowered. " You think whoever did that is still close." Suo Ran looked away again, his expression tightening slightly, not in denial but in calculation. " I think we don't know how close," he said.
That answer changed the atmosphere immediately. It wasn't speculation anymore it was uncertainty with weight behind it. Lian Ziho's expression darkened. "Then leaving like this " he began, but Suo Ran cut in before he could finish. " was necessary." Lian Ziho didn't back off, his eyes staying on him. "Or it was running." The words were blunt, but not angry more like a challenge meant to pull a truth out of him.
Suo Ran finally met his gaze fully now, his tone flat but firm. " Call it whatever you want." Lian Ziho stepped closer, closing the distance slightly, his voice quieter but sharper in meaning. "I'm asking you do you think distance will fix this?" Suo Ran didn't hesitate this time. "No." The answer came immediately, without hesitation, and that alone made the situation feel more serious.
" Then what are you doing?" Lian Ziho asked again, slower this time.
Suo Ran let out a controlled breath, his eyes drifting briefly toward the bed where Jun Wei slept peacefully, untouched by any of this. His voice softened slightly when he answered. "Buying time." Lian Ziho followed his gaze. " For what?" Suo Ran's answer came after a pause, quieter than everything before it. " For him to stay out of it."
Lian Ziho's expression shifted slightly at that, understanding slowly forming but not easing anything. " And you?" he asked. Suo Ran didn't answer immediately. That silence stretched longer than the others, heavier in a different way. It wasn't avoidance it was acceptance. Lian Ziho's voice softened just a fraction, though his words didn't. " You're already in it."
Suo Ran's fingers tightened faintly against the window frame, his shoulders barely moving. " I know," he said quietly. Then after a brief pause, even lower, he added, " That's why he can't be." After a moment of silence, Lian Ziho spoke again, his tone slightly lighter but still attentive. "Cai Lang called me earlier. I didn't pick up."
Suo Ran blinked once, then reached for his phone almost instinctively, checking the screen before answering. "Oh… he called me too," he said quietly. He exhaled faintly, adding, "I didn't notice. I was busy with Jun Wei. I'll call him later."
Lian Ziho gave a small hum, watching him carefully. " Hmm." After a pause, he tilted his head slightly. "What are you going to tell him?" Suo Ran didn't look up immediately. "Nothing complicated," he said at first, then corrected himself slightly, "Just that we're fine."
Lian Ziho didn't look convinced. "And why you left suddenly?" he asked. Suo Ran hesitated for a fraction of a second, then replied, "We needed to come here. That's all." Lian Ziho's gaze lingered on him. "That won't satisfy him," he said quietly. Suo Ran exhaled through his nose. "It doesn't need to."
A short silence followed, heavier than the words. Then Jun Wei shifted in his sleep, turning slightly and mumbling something incoherent under his breath before settling again into stillness. Both Suo Ran and Lian Ziho instinctively looked toward him at the same time. For a moment, the tension in the room eased just enough to feel noticeable, like something sharp had been covered for a second.
Suo Ran let out a slow breath, his voice lowering. " You should sleep." Lian Ziho glanced at him. "You should too." Suo Ran answered without hesitation, "I will." Lian Ziho didn't move from where he stood. "You won't."
That earned a faint reaction from Suo Ran a slight frown, not annoyed, but tired. " Go away," Suo Ran muttered. Lian Ziho didn't react immediately. He simply stood there a moment longer before replying softly, " No." The answer was simple, but firm enough that it didn't invite argument.
Another pause followed, but instead of tension building again, something in Suo Ran shifted. His shoulders loosened slightly not fully relaxed, but less guarded than before. He exhaled, looking away toward the window again. " You're stubborn," he said quietly.
"Only when it matters," Lian Ziho replied without hesitation. Suo Ran didn't respond to that. He just turned back toward the window, letting the silence settle again but this time, it didn't feel as heavy as before.
Elsewhere Cai Lang drove too fast through the city, the streetlights outside stretching into long blurred streaks as his car cut through the road without hesitation. His grip on the steering wheel stayed firm. jaw locked as the same thoughts kept circling in his mind without permission.
They left without saying anything. They just left. (...)
What did they think my place is? A hotel? (...)
His fingers tightened on the wheel. The city lights flashed across his eyes in broken patterns as he kept driving, faster than necessary.
Come whenever you want, leave whenever you want. (....)
A faint scoff escaped him under his breath. "Hah "
Is that what I am to them? (.....)
His gaze darkened slightly.
His jaw clenched again, harder this time.
Am I an outsider in my own place? (...)
That thought lingered longer than the others, uncomfortable in a way he didn't like acknowledging. His grip tightened once more. " Ridiculous," he muttered, but it came out quieter than before, less certain. Because another part of him didn't fully reject it only resisted it.
If I was really just an outsider… then why does it bother me this much? (....) He exhaled slowly through his nose, eyes fixed ahead as the road stretched on endlessly. His fingers tapped once against the wheel before tightening again. " Fine," he muttered under his breath, eyes fixed ahead. "Why am I even thinking about this?" A brief pause followed, but the irritation didn't fade. " I don't care what he does." The words came out flat, but they didn't sit right even as he said them, as if something inside him refused to accept them.
His thoughts shifted again, sharper this time, uninvited. Doctor Gu's voice replayed clearly in his head. He was poisoned. Cai Lang's expression darkened instantly, and the car jerked slightly as his foot pressed harder on the accelerator. "Tch…" His voice dropped under his breath, heavier now. " Poison."
A pause followed, then suddenly his brows furrowed. " Suo Ran?" The name left his mouth before he could stop it, and his grip tightened immediately as if trying to erase the thought. "No." His voice turned colder. " No, that's ridiculous." But the idea didn't disappear. It only shifted, refusing to settle, becoming more irritating the longer he thought about it.
Cai Lang exhaled sharply through his nose, eyes narrowing. " How would that even be possible?" The road ahead stayed empty for a moment, his mind refusing to slow down. If Lu Zhen was poisoned, then it wasn't random. It wasn't an accident. It was deliberate. Controlled. Close. Cai Lang's gaze sharpened slightly. " There were no outsiders," he muttered. "Not at my place." His fingers tightened again on the wheel, knuckles faintly tense. " So who the hell did it?"
The question hung in the silence without an answer. Then his phone rang. He glanced at it once. He picked up immediately, though his tone came out sharper than intended."What." There was a short pause on the other end before Anxin's voice came through, cautious. " You're still outside?" Cai Lang closed his eyes briefly, forcing his voice to steady. "Yeah." " At this time?" Anxin asked again.
Cai Lang let out a slow breath. " I lost track of time," he said flatly, then after a pause added more evenly, "Don't worry. I'm fine."
Anxin didn't sound convinced. " You don't sound fine." Cai Lang's jaw tightened slightly, but he kept his tone controlled. " It's nothing," he replied. "Just needed air." Anxin sighed faintly on the other end. " You should come back. It's late." "I will," Cai Lang said simply. "Soon."
Another pause followed, then Anxin's voice lowered slightly. " Did something happen with Lu Zhen again?" That made Cai Lang's grip tighten for a brief second. " No," he said immediately. "Not anything new." Silence stretched between them. Anxin didn't press further this time. " Alright. Just don't stay out too long." Cai Lang gave a small nod even though it couldn't be seen. "Yeah."
He ended the call and dropped the phone back into its holder, staring forward again as the road continued to stretch endlessly ahead. For a moment he said nothing, just drove in silence, letting the thoughts settle but not disappear. " Suo Ran," he muttered again under his breath, quieter this time. His eyes darkened slightly as the name lingered in his mind. " What exactly are you involved in?" The car kept moving forward, but slower now.
Morning came.Lin Yichen stood near the doorway when Suo Ran stepped out for a moment, smiling easily as if no time had passed between them. His tone was casual, familiar. "You really came back without telling anyone. That's still your habit." Suo Ran gave a small, polite smile. "It wasn't planned."
Lin Yichen raised a brow slightly. "Nothing you do is ever just 'not planned.'" He looked past Suo Ran briefly, noticing the others inside. "You've got company this time."
Suo Ran followed his gaze. "Yeah." Lin Yichen stepped closer, lowering his voice just a little. "You're different too." Suo Ran blinked. "Different how?"
Before Lin Yichen could answer properly, Lian Ziho's gaze from inside the house shifted subtly, watching the exchange without interrupting. His expression didn't change, but his attention clearly sharpened. Lin Yichen shrugged lightly. "I don't know… less alone, maybe." Suo Ran let out a faint breath. "That's a strange thing to say."
Lin Yichen gave a small, easy smile at that. "Is it? I always thought you looked like someone who carries things alone even when surrounded by people." Suo Ran didn't respond immediately, his eyes narrowing slightly as he tried to read the intent behind the words. "That sounds like a diagnosis."
"It's not," Lin Yichen replied quickly, raising his hands a little in mock surrender. "Just an observation."
From inside the house, Lian Ziho stepped a little closer, still not interrupting, but now clearly listening. His gaze stayed on Lin Yichen a moment longer than necessary before shifting back to Suo Ran.
Lin Yichen noticed that shift and tilted his head slightly. "He's quiet," he said casually, referring to Lian Ziho without fully turning. "Does he always watch people like that?"
Suo Ran glanced back briefly. "He's not watching you." Lin Yichen raised a brow. "That didn't answer my question." Suo Ran exhaled lightly. "He's just like that sometimes." Lian Ziho's voice came in calmly from behind Suo Ran. "I'm listening."
Lin Yichen smiled faintly at that, not offended. "Good. I was starting to feel ignored."
Suo Ran shot him a look. "Don't start trouble." "I'm not," Lin Yichen said, though his tone suggested otherwise. He looked between them again, more thoughtful now. "You really brought interesting people this time." Suo Ran frowned slightly. "They're not things I 'bring.'" Lin Yichen chuckled softly. "Alright, alright. Bad wording."
A pause followed. Then Lin Yichen spoke again, quieter this time. "You're staying longer than usual, aren't you?" Suo Ran hesitated. "…Not sure yet." "That already means yes," Lin Yichen replied. Suo Ran didn't deny it immediately, which made Lian Ziho's eyes shift slightly toward him again.
Lin Yichen continued, tone lighter but curious. "It's different seeing you like this. Not rushing off somewhere. Not disappearing mid-conversation." Suo Ran gave a faint, restrained smile. "People change."
Lin Yichen nodded slowly. "Yeah… but not that easily."
Lin Yichen stepping back slightly. "Anyway," he said, tone easing back into something more casual, "I just came to check. I won't intrude too long." Suo Ran looked at him. "You're not intruding." Lin Yichen smiled faintly. "You say that, but I can feel someone silently disagreeing behind you."
Lian Ziho didn't react outwardly, but his gaze shifted slightly away, as if confirming he'd been noticed. Lin Yichen chuckled under his breath. "Alright, alright. I get it." Suo Ran sighed lightly. "Don't read too much into things." "I'm not," Lin Yichen replied, then added more softly, "I just know you."
That made Suo Ran pause for a fraction of a second. Lin Yichen's expression softened slightly. "Take care of yourself, Suo Ran."
Suo Ran nodded once. "You too." Lin Yichen turned to leave then, adjusting his coat as he stepped back toward the rain. At the doorway, he stopped briefly and looked over his shoulder. "Next time you come back," he said, tone lighter again, "at least tell me before disappearing again. Some of us still get worried." Suo Ran didn't answer immediately. Then "…I'll try." Lin Yichen gave a small smile at that, almost satisfied. "That's all I'm asking." And with that, he stepped out.
Lian Ziho stood where he was for a moment longer, watching the direction Lin Yichen had gone. Then his attention shifted back to Suo Ran. He stepped closer, not abruptly, but enough that the space between them felt smaller than before. "You two look close," Lian Ziho said finally.
Suo Ran blinked once, as if the comment didn't require much thought. "Hmm. You can say that." That simple answer made Lian Ziho's gaze tighten slightly. " You say that very easily," he replied. Suo Ran glanced at him. "It's just a fact." "A fact," Lian Ziho repeated softly, as if testing the word. "Or something you're used to?"
Suo Ran didn't answer immediately, which only made the silence stretch further.
Lian Ziho's voice lowered a fraction. "He looks at you like he knows you completely."
Suo Ran exhaled lightly. "We grew up together. That's all." "That's not 'all' for everyone," Lian Ziho said. Suo Ran tilted his head slightly. "What do you mean?"
Lian Ziho hesitated for a moment, then added more carefully, "Some people don't need history to act like they belong near you."
Suo Ran gave a faint, almost tired smile. "He doesn't act like that." Lian Ziho looked at him for a second longer. " You're defending him."
That made Suo Ran pause. "I'm not," he said simply. "I'm explaining."
Lian Ziho's expression didn't change much, but his tone sharpened just slightly. "You don't explain everyone like that." Suo Ran looked at him properly now. "Why does it matter?" A beat of silence followed.
Then Lian Ziho answered, quieter, more direct. " Because I don't know where I stand when you talk like that with others." Suo Ran blinked once, clearly not expecting that.
For a moment, even the rain outside felt louder. He looked away first. "You're overthinking." "I'm not," Lian Ziho replied immediately. Then softer, almost restrained, "I just notice things." Suo Ran let out a small breath, stepping back slightly as if resetting the space between them. "There's nothing to notice." Lian Ziho's gaze followed him. "That's not true." Suo Ran didn't respond to that.
Instead, he turned toward the side corridor, adjusting his coat slightly as if making a decision. "I'll be back in a bit. I need to go out for something." Lian Ziho frowned slightly. "Now?" "It won't take long," Suo Ran said.
A pause. " Alone?" Lian Ziho asked, though he already knew the answer. Suo Ran nodded once. "Yeah." Lian Ziho didn't stop him, but his voice came quieter than before. "You always say that when you don't want questions." Suo Ran stopped for a fraction of a second, then continued walking anyway. "Don't think too much." Lian Ziho watched him reach the door. " Suo Ran," he called once. Suo Ran glanced back slightly.
Lian Ziho didn't say anything else for a moment. Then only, "Be careful." Suo Ran gave a small nod. "I will."And with that, he stepped out.
Elsewhere Cai Lang had fallen asleep without meaning to, the kind of light, restless sleep where the mind never fully lets go. The apartment stayed quiet around him until a sharp doorbell cut through the stillness. His eyes opened immediately, body reacting before thought could catch up. For a second, there was only one assumption in his mind Suo Ran.
" You're back," he murmured under his breath, almost like it was already decided, like there had never been any other possibility. A faint pause followed as he sat up fully, gaze sharpening. " You always do this." His voice lowered slightly, quieter now, almost annoyed but not quite. "…Make me wait, then show up like nothing happened."
He got up quickly and walked straight to the door, faster than usual, his steps carrying a rare urgency. When he opened it, the corridor was empty. No one was there, only the dim hallway light and silence stretching both ways. Cai Lang stood there for a moment, staring out, then let out a short breath. "What was I expecting," he muttered under his breath, irritation mixing faintly with something harder to place.
He was about to close the door when his gaze dropped to the floor and noticed a small box placed neatly just outside. His brows tightened slightly as he crouched down and picked it up, turning it once in his hand while scanning the empty corridor again. There were no signs of anyone leaving it behind. No footsteps, no movement. Just the box.
He straightened and walked back inside with it, his expression already darker than before.
In the living room, Anxin was sitting on the sofa with a cup of coffee, as if he had been there for a while. He looked up the moment Cai Lang entered, his attention immediately shifting to the box in his hand. "What did you order?" he asked casually. Cai Lang frowned slightly as he sat down. "I didn't order anything. I thought you did." Anxin blinked once and shook his head. "No, I didn't."
A brief silence settled between them as both of them looked at the box more carefully now, the atmosphere subtly changing. Something about it didn't feel right. Anxin leaned forward slightly. "Open it." Cai Lang didn't respond, but after a short pause, he placed the box on the table and opened it slowly. The moment the lid lifted, his expression changed completely still, sharp, unreadable, but clearly shaken underneath the control. Anxin noticed it instantly and took the box from him. He opened box he was also in shock.