At ехасtlу 7 p.m., the Gustav Веcker grаndfather сlосk in thе living rооm chimed with dеep, resonant tonеs tо mark thе hour.
Sеvеrаl fоrmer studеnts hаd аrrаngеd to visit, аnd He Zhengrеn аpрeared quitе pleаsed. Hе аskеd thе fаmilу’s hоusekeерer, Аh Ноng, to bring оut his treаsurеd aged Рu’еr teа, filling the room with its distinсtive medicinаl аrоma.
Аh Hong, who sроkе little but wаs diligеnt, nеаtlу аrrangеd sеverаl snaсks along with а plаttеr оf washеd rеd grарes and honеydew melon on thе coffeе table bеforе hеading uрstairs to iron clothes.
“Teacher He has nurtured so many talents, yet why didn’t you keep Xiao He in the motherland? It’s such a bargain for the U.S. to gain such an outstanding talent!” All the students knew He Zhengren had divorced long ago, so they unanimously avoided mentioning his wife, focusing instead on his son Xiao He, who worked far away in the United States.
He Zhengren chuckled kindly, “My son has grown up, his wings have hardened. Even if I wanted him to stay, there’s nothing I can do if he insists on remaining in the U.S.”
“He earns an annual salary, I heard it’s a million dollars.”
“Teacher He truly knows how to raise a child. My son may attend a top-tier high school, but he only ranks in the middle of his class in every exam. I heard Xiao He used to be first or second in his grade.”
“Your son is already doing quite well! Even the middle ranks at his school are aiming for 985 or 211 universities! My daughter is infuriating—she insists on applying to drama school to become a celebrity…”
“Your daughter is so beautiful, why shouldn’t she become a celebrity!”
The flattery and complaints among middle-aged and elderly people always revolve around their children, sons-in-law, or daughters-in-law, as if no one can escape this common topic.
“When you were studying under me, each of you was a ‘fresh young face’ or a ‘budding flower.’ In the blink of an eye, your sons and daughters are already preparing for the college entrance exams… Time truly waits for no one.” He Zhengren sighed with emotion, even seeming to well up with nostalgic tears. “Come, have some tea, have some tea.”
“I’ve heard that aged Pu’er tea often has a strong musty smell, but Teacher He’s tea isn’t that overpowering. It’s quite smooth to drink.”
He Zhengren waved his hand dismissively. “That’s all just hype… Back in the early days, before Pu’er tea was hyped up, I was on a research trip in Yunnan and asked a few tea farmers about it. Actually, the climate in Yunnan is hot and humid, so things tend to mold easily, and tea leaves are no exception during transportation. At that time, there were no high-speed trains or planes—everything was transported by mules or donkeys. The tea would develop a bit of mold along the way, giving it a musty taste. So what did they do? They claimed that aged Pu’er, the finest Pu’er, was supposed to have that musty flavor. That way, the tea could still be sold…”
Everyone burst into laughter. Someone chimed in, “I remember Xi Ye is from Yunnan.”
He Zhengren’s smile froze for half a second but quickly returned to normal. He didn’t respond, calmly using the remaining tea to nourish a purple clay teapot instead.
“Time really flies. Teacher Diao’s son has been working for several years now. When the teacher had that incident, his son was still in high school. Now, he’s following in his father’s footsteps. But geology is truly grueling work. I heard Professor Lu Yang’s children—some became doctors, others civil servants… I don’t want my son to go into this field, spending all his time out in the wilderness…”
His phone vibrated. Glancing at the caller ID, he stood up with a smile and said, “Please help yourselves to some fruit. I need to take this call…”
The students responded in agreement, standing up as he left. Once he had gone upstairs, they sat back down and began murmuring among themselves in low voices:"I still can't believe Xi Ye would be with Teacher Diao... You have to remember, the leader of the trip was Teacher Diao's father-in-law, Professor Rao! How could they dare to do something like that right under his nose?"
"But Teacher Diao does have that refined, scholarly look. Back in the day, many girls in the department idolized him."
"Xi Ye was always a bit dull... He didn't talk much normally, and honestly, his looks were pretty average, not as good-looking as Teacher Diao's wife."
"I also heard a rumor, though I'm not sure if it's true..."
"Go on, tell us."
"...Well... sigh! They say when Diao Jun and Xi Ye's bodies were found... Xi Ye was holding Diao Jun."
"What?!"
"But wasn't the cause of the accident that the two of them got into a huge fight, and everyone trying to break it up caused the vehicle to lose control?!"
He Zhengren went into the bedroom, locked the door, and only then answered the call.
"Isn't the signal terrible where you are? Why are you calling me now?... What's wrong?"
The voice on the other end said, "Xiao Ba and Diao Zhuo seem to have figured out a way to find the thermos. Are you still not going to tell me what exactly Zhang Chenguang went to trade? What's the deal with that thermos?!"
He Zhengren remained silent for a long time, still not speaking.
The person on the phone grew impatient. "If they find that thing and hand it over to the police, will it implicate me or not?!"
"Don't worry, it won't implicate you. After all, you're just a messenger," He Zhengren said, a hint of arrogance and coldness in his eyes. "What he went to trade, only the supplier and the seller know. But he did hide a memory chip inside the thermos. If you have a chance to get your hands on the thermos before they do, or better yet, destroy it outright, you'll save me a lot of trouble, and our business can continue smoothly! After all, our line of work is much more profitable than what you're doing now, isn't it? Hah, a memory chip worth five bucks can sell for over a million. To say something I probably shouldn't, even drug dealing isn't as lucrative as this."
"You guys are the ones making the profit," the other person said dismissively.
"You're still young, and you haven't been through major storms. I climbed my way up step by step too. When the time is right, I'll arrange for you to do more. If Zhang Chenguang is confirmed dead, you could very well take his place. That way, his commission would all be yours from then on."
The other person snorted, seemingly about to hang up.
"By the way..." He Zhengren stopped him. "Any new leads on the Pearl Peak photo?"
"I heard Diao Zhuo wants to find the exact location where that photo was taken. We'll see if he finds it."
"Zhang Chenguang looked for it several times and never found it."
"Then pray that Diao Zhuo doesn't find it either."
He Zhengren hung up the phone, anxiously rubbing his palms against his thighs. Now, Diao Zhuo and Bayunye had almost managed to locate the shooting spots of all three photos. He had no idea what secrets these photos held, and he truly couldn't remember why Ba Xiye had inexplicably left three photos in his wallet back then.
He felt a bit dizzy and quickly took two pills from the drawer, swallowing them. Taking a few deep breaths, he returned to the living room and continued laughing and reminiscing with the students.
"Did you buy anything tasty?"As soon as Hippo got out of the car, he saw Bayunye standing with her arms crossed, smiling as she waited for him in the parking area. The night had grown bitterly cold, and she was bundled up in a thick scarf that covered the collar of her windbreaker. Everything around them was pitch black, except for the headlamp she wore, which made her look like a lighthouse.
He grinned with exaggerated mischief. "A night of spring passion is worth a thousand pieces of gold. On a night as dark and windy as this, how could you bear to leave Diao Zhuo behind and come wait for me?"
Bayunye recalled the conversation she’d had with Diao Zhuo after he read Brother Long’s text message—
"Damn it, let’s follow him and see what he’s really up to!"
"Don’t be impulsive." Diao Zhuo stopped her. "There are no trees here, no corners to hide or take cover. Even from two or three hundred meters away, the car in front can still tell if it’s being followed. He definitely won’t do what he intends to do."
"Then I’ll just stand here and wait for him, and ask him what exactly he’s hiding from me and Brother Long!" Bayunye was as restless as an ant on a hot pan. She could brush off the schemes and deceptions of unrelated people, but she placed great importance on the loyalty and righteousness of those close to her. She was like the chivalrous heroes often found in martial arts novels—unfazed by the villain’s evil deeds, but utterly shaken when a sworn brother betrayed her, as if touching a reverse scale.
"Whether you ask is up to you, but whether he tells is up to him. Why do you think he’ll definitely answer just because you ask?" Diao Zhuo retorted.
"Saying that sounds like you’re mocking my emotional intelligence."
"Take out the word ‘sounds.’"
She glared at him, and as the cold wind blew, her heated head seemed to cool down a little. Turning her back to him, she spread her hands and said quietly, "Fine, tell me what we should do."
"Everyone has things they don’t want others to know. What’s his purpose in hiding it? Does hiding it from you cause you any real, direct harm? Obviously, Brother Long isn’t sure. So he only told you the facts. For now, all you can do is restrain your impulse to demand an explanation and, at the same time, figure out what you can and can’t say next. After we get down the mountain, ask Brother Long alone about what happened."
Bayunye tried calling Brother Long, but due to poor signal, the call failed several times. She sighed. "Having something hanging in the air like this, it’s hard to let it go without getting to the bottom of it."
"So, Brother Long’s words carry more weight than mine," Diao Zhuo suddenly remarked.
"Brother Long is Brother Long, and you are you. It’s not the same."
Hearing this, Diao Zhuo’s expression seemed to darken even more. Whether you’re the same as another single man or not, neither option sounds pleasant. Master Ba, a pure tomboy, could flirt but also knew how to rub people the wrong way with a single sentence.
Bayunye didn’t notice his expression. "I’ve thought about it. If one of them definitely has ulterior motives, I’d rather it be Hippo than Brother Long. After all, I’ve known Brother Long for a long time. Without him, there wouldn’t be the me I am today…"
Diao Zhuo felt he had said all he needed to say. He patted her shoulder, turned, and walked away. Bayunye hesitated for a long time where she stood, finally deciding that Diao Zhuo’s words made some sense, and gave up on the idea of driving after Hippo.
Remembering this, she returned to her usual tone and laughed, scolding Hippo, "Spring passion, my foot."
"Here." He pulled a bulging plastic bag from the back seat and handed it to her.Bayunye looked through the bag, which contained a few packs of instant noodles, small bread rolls, chocolate, potato chips, and other snacks, along with a large bag of glucose. Being straightforward by nature, she found it particularly uncomfortable to hold back her accusatory questions. Glancing at Hippo’s face, which always wore a comical smile, her lips twitched before she pressed them tightly together.
Hippo crooked a finger. "Oh, right, Master Ba, there’s something I need to tell you."
"...Huh?" She was taken aback and leaned in closer.
"Look at this." He pulled out a small white bottle from his jacket pocket, with some kind of label on it that looked like a medicine label.
Bayunye took it and saw five bold black characters on the label: "Glibenclamide Tablets." She shook it, and a few pills rattled inside. "What... what is this? Some kind of... urine tablet?"
"When I was buying things, the attendant at the inn we stayed at called me over. She said it was accidentally left behind by someone from the same group of climbers, dropped by the bed and not cleaned up. Seeing it was medicine, she worried it might be someone’s regular medication, so she asked me to bring it along. Hehe..." Hippo chuckled proudly, as if presenting a treasure. "Guess whose room the attendant found it in?"
She blurted out—"Diao Zhuo?!"
"Are you blind? Didn’t you see it says it’s for diabetes on the bottle?" Hippo rolled his eyes at her. "Are you cursing him to get sick? The hearts of women are the most venomous!"
"I’ll beat you to death!" Bayunye grabbed Hippo’s collar fiercely, flushed with shame and anger, almost forgetting Brother Long’s warning.
"It was found in the couple’s room!" Hippo, afraid of getting hit, quickly clarified.
"How could such a young couple have diabetes?"
"And during the training, they ate a lot of chocolate without any restraint," Hippo added.
"Maybe Old Fu has this condition?"
Hippo shook his head. "Doesn’t seem like it. Rice, cake, especially that cake—it was so sweet I couldn’t even eat it, but he had no problem. Besides chocolate, he doesn’t avoid any other sweets."
"You’re quite observant..." Bayunye said in surprise.
He pointed to his own nose. "I was the first to notice Jiang Aohang’s ill intentions, so of course I’ve been keeping a close eye on them."
Bayunye teased him as she walked back. "Oh, with such sharp insight, why don’t you become a police officer?"
Hippo sneered. "Someone who couldn’t get into college has no right to ask me that!"
"As if you’ve been to college!"
"Hmph, I attended the Chinese People’s Public Security University!"
"And I’m from Tsinghua!"
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