On the way to the First Affiliated Hospital, Han Huaixiao received a message from Xiang Kaicheng:
[Xia Hang is in Bed 32, Floor 5.]
By the time he arrived, it was already past eleven at night. The inpatient building was quiet. As he passed the nurses’ station, he was stopped.
“Are you here to visit a patient? Visiting hours are over. Come back tomorrow.”
“Alright,” Han Huaixiao replied, “how is Xia Hang in Bed 32?”
The nurse had a strong impression of Xia Hang, who was good-looking and cooperative, so she quickly said, “Mr. Xia’s condition is stable. Are you here as a caregiver?”
“Mm.”
“If you’re staying with him, you can go in. Just come earlier tomorrow. Most patients are resting now, so keep it quiet when you enter.”
“Got it.”
Han Huaixiao pushed the door open.
At a glance, he saw Xia Hang sleeping in the innermost bed. The other two beds had family members keeping watch, and only Xia Hang was alone.
He walked over and sat down on the chair beside the bed.
At his feet was a paper bag, with a few pieces of new clothing inside. The receipt was still on top, and Han Huaixiao glanced at the logo printed on the bag.
Not something Xiang Kaicheng would buy.
So who bought it for Xia Hang?
Xia Hang, who had already fallen asleep, sensed someone beside him. Thinking it was a nurse, he opened his eyes, only to find Han Huaixiao.
“Captain Han?” He sat up immediately, lowering his voice.
Han Huaixiao glanced at the other two sleeping patients and kept his voice low as well, asking, “Why are you getting up? Go back to sleep.”
“How did you get here?”
“You don’t know the bureau’s rules?”
“What rules?”
“When someone’s hospitalized, the bureau sends someone to stay with them.”
Hearing that, Xia Hang thought, Even if that rule exists, it wouldn’t be you they’d send.
Han Huaixiao read his expression at a glance. “Don’t want me here?” he asked. “Want someone else instead?”
Xia Hang shook his head immediately. “No.”
Han Huaixiao leaned the chair back against the wall, resting his head against it, closing his eyes.
“Then sleep.”
The chair was wooden. The backrest was hard. The wall was even harder… Sitting like that couldn’t be comfortable. Xia Hang glanced at the narrow bed, barely enough space for one person. In the end, he still asked, “Do you want to sleep up here?”
Han Huaixiao had only leaned there for a moment, but it was already uncomfortable. He was really exhausted, and he wanted real sleep. Without another word, he pulled up the bed rail on Xia Hang’s side, walked around, and lay down on the other side of the bed, back facing him.
Xia Hang pulled half the thin blanket over him, but Han Huaixiao tugged it back toward Xia Hang.
The ward was silent deep into the night.
From the rhythm of his breathing, Xia Hang could tell that Han Huaixiao had fallen asleep quickly. Xia Hang had already slept earlier, so now, he wasn’t as tired.
He couldn’t fall asleep.
Slowly, he turned onto his side, facing Han Huaixiao, and quietly watching his back. He edged a little closer, then stopped just before his face brushed against Han Huaixiao’s clothes.
And like that, he closed his eyes, breathing in the faint scent of laundry detergent.
…………………
Early the next morning, footsteps and voices drifted in from the corridor.
The other two patients and their family members were already awake. Seeing an extra person on Xia Hang’s bed, they couldn’t help glancing over a few more times.
Han Huaixiao was woken by the coughing from the neighboring bed. When he opened his eyes, he realized that sometime during the night, he had turned over, facing Xia Hang. A corner of the blanket rested across his waist, and Xia Hang was still asleep, facing him.
Han Huaixiao tried to recall when he had turned, when he had pulled the blanket over, but… he couldn’t remember.
He only knew that Xia Hang slept quietly.
So the blanket must have been pulled over by him sometime in the night. They had spent the whole night squeezed onto that narrow bed, and yet, the sleep had been unexpectedly good. The fatigue in his body had completely lifted.
He moved the blanket aside and got out of bed carefully. The other patients and their families looked over, and Han Huaixiao simply nodded to them, calm and composed.
“Young man,” the elderly man in the next bed smiled, “is he your younger brother?”
Han Huaixiao glanced at Xia Hang, still asleep, answering, “Mm. My brother.”
“You two brothers are both very handsome. Your parents must be good-looking too.”
“Not bad.”
“…”
In fact, Xia Hang had woken up when Han Huaixiao got out of bed, and was now lying without the slightest change in expression. He heard the entire exchange, and of course… Han Huaixiao noticed he was awake, asking, “What do you want to eat?”
Xia Hang thought he would leave for the bureau… was he going to buy breakfast?
“Anything is fine.”
“There’s no ‘anything’ at the store.”
“Then… porridge. And a bun.”
With that, Han Huaixiao left, and Xia Hang got up to wash. He felt fine, honestly, he could be discharged already.
After washing up, the doctor came by for rounds, and Xia Hang said as much, but the doctor, Xiang Kaicheng’s senior, replied, “You just recovered from serious injuries not long ago, and now this impact injury; don’t take your body lightly. Stay another day for observation. Treat it as rest.”
Rest… The thought lingered.
After the doctor left, Su Cheng arrived, carrying several large bags, and Xia Hang helped him set them down.
“You needed them,” Su Cheng said, “so I brought everything over.”
Xia Hang paused. “I…?”
“When I got back last night,” Su Cheng continued, “my mom hadn’t gone to sleep yet. When she heard I came back late because I was delivering things to you, she immediately said she’d come see you first thing in the morning. I stopped her, but at dawn she still got up, went to the market to buy a free-range chicken, made soup, and then packed a bunch of fruit for me to bring to you before work.”
Xia Hang wasn’t used to kindness. Faced with it, he felt a little at a loss.
“This… It’s too much trouble for your mother.”
“It’s nothing,” Su Cheng said. “She and my brother have both wanted to thank you for a long time. Letting her do something for you makes her happy.”
“Then… help me thank her.”
Su Cheng glanced at the time and poured a bowl of chicken soup for him to cool, instructing, “Drink it while it’s hot. I’ll head to work first, so call me if anything comes up.”
“Alright.”
As soon as Su Cheng left, Han Huaixiao returned, carrying two portions of porridge and buns. When he saw the chicken soup on the table, his movements paused. At first, he thought it was takeout, but next to it was a slightly worn thermos, along with fresh fruit, clearly something someone had brought.
Seeing his gaze linger, Xia Hang explained, “A friend brought it. Do you want a bowl?”
The rich aroma of the soup filled the ward. Besides chicken, it contained premium red mushrooms for replenishing qi and blood, along with nourishing herbs.
Just preparing something like that took time, so whoever made it must have gotten up early to do it properly.
And then there were the new clothes from last night.
What kind of friend would go to such lengths?
Han Huaixiao suddenly thought of that night at the hotel in Jiling Town. It had already been late, but Xia Hang had still been messaging someone, sending them the password to his apartment.
Han Huaixiao had known Xiang Kaicheng for over ten years, yet he had never given him his own door code. Was the person Xia Hang sent the password to… the same person who brought the soup and bought the clothes?
His mood, which had been good after a decent night’s sleep, turned irritable.
“Who drinks something this greasy first thing in the morning?”
Xia Hang shifted slightly to make space for him, saying, “Then just have the porridge and buns.”
Han Huaixiao watched as Xia Hang moved the soup aside and started eating the porridge, and the irritation eased a little.
“Want to switch to a single room?”
“No. I’ll be discharged after one more night.”
“You won’t rest well here.”
“It’s fine. I can sleep. There are more people here… it feels lively.”
Han Huaixiao suddenly remembered how, when he came in last night, the other beds all had someone keeping watch.Only Xia Hang had been lying there alone. Something caught in his chest, and the step he had been about to take to leave paused.
In the end, Han Huaixiao sat down in the space Xia Hang had made for him and started eating breakfast.
………………
There was still plenty to handle at the bureau, so after breakfast, he left the hospital. Sitting in the car, Han Huaixiao didn’t start the engine immediately. Instead, he took out his phone and sent a message.
Then, rather than heading straight back to the bureau, he drove toward the Second Affiliated Hospital.
Before he arrived, his phone rang.
Kong Qinmao.
“Captain Han, something’s wrong! Jiang Tao’s heart suddenly stopped. He’s being resuscitated right now.”
Han Huaixiao stepped on the gas, but by the time he reached the emergency room, the doctor had already declared the resuscitation unsuccessful.
“What happened?”
“I had someone check,” Kong Qinmao looked guilty. “There was a problem with his medication.”
Han Huaixiao knew that Kong Qinmao was meticulous. Last night, he had been on watch. Whoever administered the injection would have been thoroughly checked before being allowed in, and he would have supervised the process himself.
“The medication was switched?”
“Yes. It was replaced in the pharmacy. Only one pharmacist was on duty last night. He said he just meant to rest his head on the desk for a bit, but somehow fell into a deep sleep. When he woke up, nearly half an hour had passed.”
“The pharmacy requires a keycard. How did they get in?”
“Another pharmacist just reported that his access card is missing. He likely lost it on the subway yesterday afternoon after work.”
Zhang Tianhua, who had come to relieve Kong Qinmao, spoke up, “Jiang Tao was using an alias. Even if they got into the pharmacy, how did they know which medication was his?”
“We’re still investigating. All the medication Jiang Tao used has already been sent for testing.”
“If it was done last night, then whoever tampered with it has already escaped. It’ll be hard to find them now.”
Jiang Tao’s testimony had been critical for the next stage of the investigation. They had been careful, and still, someone had found a gap. Kong Qinmao lowered his head.
“Captain Han… I’m sorry.”
“Now isn’t the time for apologies. Go find whoever tampered with the medication.”
“Yes.”
Kong Qinmao left, but Zhang Tianhua frowned, saying, “They dared to switch the medication right under police watch. That’s bold.”
“Have Wen Yu and Tech speed up the surveillance analysis along Qu Mingzhe’s escape route. Confirm his direction as soon as possible. Any updates from the border?”
“We’ve already notified them and sent Qu Mingzhe’s information over. They’re keeping an eye out.”
“Let’s go. Interrogate the pig farm group and Liu Peng.”
………………….
After finishing breakfast, Xia Hang saw the message in the group chat.
Jiang Tao was dead.
For someone like him, dying like that was almost too easy.
He sent a message asking if there was anything he could help with, and Xia Ling replied with a pat-on-the-head emoji:
[Your main task right now is to rest properly at the hospital.]
Xia Hang replied: [I’m fine. The doctor just wants observation. Wen Yu, maybe send me some footage? I can review it.]
Wen Yu replied: [Brother Hang, with that volume of footage, even if all of us watched nonstop, we’d go blind before finishing. I wrote a program, and it’s running now. Just rest. Wait until you’re back.]
Knowing they were all busy, Xia Hang didn’t send anything else. Instead, he opened a delivery app and ordered milk tea and snacks for them.
Just as he closed his eyes to rest, Xiang Kaicheng walked in, yawning, holding a bouquet.
“Doctor Xiang? Aren’t you working today?”
“I’m off today,” Xiang Kaicheng yawned again. “Figured you’d be bored alone, so I came to keep you company.”
Xia Hang took the flowers and placed them on the windowsill, saying, “I’m not bored. You should go back and sleep.”
“Is that chicken soup?” Xiang Kaicheng sniffed the air. “Got any left? I haven’t eaten breakfast.”
Xia Hang poured him a bowl, answering, “There’s plenty. Go ahead.”
Seeing he had no intention of leaving, Xia Hang waited until he finished, then got up and put on his shoes, saying, “Then you sleep here. I’ll go take a walk in the garden.”
Xiang Kaicheng flipped through the chart at the foot of the bed, where nothing was concerning, answering, “Alright. I’ll nap for a bit. Don’t stay out too long, it’s hot.”
After informing the nurse, Xia Hang wandered down to the garden.
It wasn’t small, and there was plenty of greenery. Some patients and their families were walking around, while others were practicing Tai Chi. After a lap, with nothing else to do, Xia Hang joined in behind them, following along.
His movements were surprisingly decent, so after two rounds, one of the aunties warmly invited him:
“Young man, come again tomorrow morning and practice with us.”
“I’m being discharged tomorrow,” Xia Hang smiled.
The aunt looked a little disappointed, but quickly smiled. “Being discharged is good! Congratulations on getting out of the hospital.”
Xia Hang was a bit worried she might keep the conversation going, as he wasn’t good at handling that kind of small talk. After thanking her, he returned to the ward. Xiang Kaicheng was still asleep, so he didn’t wake him. Instead, he sat down on a chair and borrowed a newspaper from the elderly man in the next bed.
A nurse came in to give the old man by the door an injection. She glanced at Xiang Kaicheng, who was lying on the hospital bed in regular clothes, fast asleep, then at Xia Hang, who was in a patient gown sitting on a chair reading. “Oh my,” she laughed, “which one of you is actually the patient?”
Everyone in the ward chuckled, and Xia Hang covered for Xiang Kaicheng with a small, harmless lie, answering, “He just got off a night shift.”
“That makes sense.” The nurse nodded knowingly. “After a night shift, forget a bed, you could fall asleep standing up.”
An hour later, Xiang Kaicheng woke up, looking much more refreshed, and immediately dragged Xia Hang into playing a game.
Xia Hang stared at the phone screen, straight at the game Xiang Kaicheng had just downloaded for him, muttering, “I don’t know how to play.”
Xiang Kaicheng raised a brow. “This game has such a high download rate, and you’ve never played it?”
“No. I don’t play games.”
“Not even a single one?”
“No.” Xia Hang shook his head.
Hearing that, Xiang Kaicheng gave him a thumbs-up, asking, “Then what do you do for fun?”
“Sleeping,” Xia Hang thought for a moment. “Does that count?”
Xiang Kaicheng was completely defeated. “Alright, come on, I’ll teach you. This game is really fun.”
At first, Xia Hang wasn’t familiar with the controls and basically got eliminated the moment he landed. But after listening to Xiang Kaicheng’s explanations and watching him play a couple of rounds, he quickly went from getting wiped out instantly to carrying Xiang Kaicheng to a win.
Xiang Kaicheng was both delighted and exasperated, complaining, “How are you just like Han Huaixiao?! Says you can’t play, then you pick it up this fast!”
“He plays this, too?” Xia Hang looked at him.
“Same as you, doesn’t play games. I had to drag him into it last time. Don’t be like him, okay? He only played once. If you’ve got time, remember to call me; we make a great team.”
Xiang Kaicheng stayed at the hospital the whole day, and even had dinner with him before leaving that night. Before going to sleep, Xia Hang found himself wondering whether Han Huaixiao would come again, but until he woke up the next day, he didn’t see him.
The next day was the weekend, and Su Cheng came early in the morning to pick him up for discharge. Thanks to Xiang Kaicheng’s senior, Xia Hang finished the discharge procedures quickly.
As for Han Huaixiao, he had been busy all day the day before: first interrogating the people from the pig farm and Liu Peng, then visiting the rescued victims, and later being called away by higher-ups.
From the interrogations, it seemed the pig farm workers didn’t know much. Unexpectedly, it was Liu Peng who revealed some useful information.
Liu Peng still didn’t know Jiang Tao was dead. Zhang Tianhua had only told him that Jiang Tao had been arrested, saying, “Liu Zhibin has already confessed. Two years ago, Jiang Tao asked him to provide an alibi, but Liu Zhibin said that when they went to Qingshan Village, you only walked with them for a short while before disappearing. Were you present when Jiang Tao killed Wei Zixuan and Guo Zhengqi that night?”
Hearing that, Liu Peng recalled what Jiang Tao had told him: if the police found out he had been there too, he would be treated as an accomplice and face execution. Terrified, his whole body trembled, but no matter how Zhang Tianhua questioned him, he refused to speak.
Han Huaixiao watched him coldly, took out his phone, and sent a message. Soon, two videos appeared on his screen. He played them and held the phone in front of Liu Peng.
In the lobby of the Sanshan County Public Security Bureau, Wei Zixuan’s parents and Guo Zhengqi’s wife clutched their photos, grief written all over their faces. After Tang Gaoxiong told them the murderer had been caught, Wei Zixuan’s parents wailed, “My daughter!” and collapsed to the ground, while Guo Zhengqi’s wife fainted on the spot.
The second video showed the young people rescued from the pig farm, crying in their families’ arms. The sobs of over a dozen families echoed endlessly through the interrogation room.
Han Huaixiao said, “You and your brother have brought hellish pain and suffering to countless victims and their families. What you just saw is only a small part of it. There are many more still enduring unimaginable pain because of you. If you have even a shred of conscience left, tell us what happened that night.”
Tears streamed from Liu Peng’s dull, numb eyes. Bit by bit, he began to speak.
“So you’re saying that night Jiang Tao drove a small truck and took you to the county, had you get off, drove away alone, and when he came back to find you, he returned by taxi?” Han Huaixiao asked.
“Yes,” Liu Peng nodded.
“Where did he drop you off? About what time?”
“Around ten. I don’t know the place, I rarely go to the county, I don’t recognize it.”
“Think carefully. Did you see any distinctive buildings or landmarks?”
“There seemed to be a hotel across the street. Not far from it, there was a shop selling mutton rice noodles. I was hungry at the time and kept looking at it, so I remember.”
“Anything else?”
“The street looked old. The sign for the hotel had the top part of the character for ‘hotel’ missing, so it just looked like the character for ‘soldier.’1 Nothing else.”
“You said Jiang Tao came back by taxi. Did you see the driver? Any details about him or the car?”
“It was too dark. I didn’t see the driver. I only remember the taxi was green. I didn’t notice anything else.”
“When Jiang Tao had you get off, did he drive off immediately? Which direction?”
“He parked by the roadside. After a while, a small car honked ahead. Then he told me to get out, and drove off following that car, heading to the left side of the hotel.”
After leaving the interrogation room, Han Huaixiao told Zhang Tianhua, “Contact the Sanshan County Public Security Bureau. Have them locate that hotel. The chances are slim, but see if any surveillance footage from back then still exists. Also, find a way to track down that taxi driver.”
“Got it.”
Just after stepping out, a call from higher-ups summoned him. First came a round of criticism: how could they let someone as important as Jiang Tao meet with an accident? Then came a meeting. The pig farm case was only the tip of the iceberg, and the leadership had already realized how extensive this case might be.
By the time the meeting ended, it was past three in the morning. Not long after, Han Huaixiao received another call: one of the rescued youths had been scolded by his father for wasting money and going missing, saying he’d never be able to rely on him in the future. Already emotionally fragile after what he’d been through, the young man couldn’t take it. In the middle of the night, he attempted to slit his wrists, so Han Huaixiao rushed to the hospital again.
After all that chaos, remembering that Xia Hang was being discharged that morning, he drove over, only to find that Xia Hang had already left.
……………………..
Xia Hang rode back to his apartment complex with Su Cheng. As he got out of the car, a little girl suddenly ran up and stopped in front of him, calling excitedly, “Big brother!”
Xia Hang recognized her immediately: the girl who had given him the two turtles.
“Qianqian.”
“I’ve been looking for you!” Her eyes sparkled. “I asked all the grandparents in the complex, but none of them had seen you. I was just about to go home when I finally ran into you!”
“Want to see the turtles?”
“Yes!” She nodded vigorously.
“Wait here, I’ll bring them down.”
“I’ll go up with you!”
Su Cheng understood Xia Hang’s intention and smiled, saying, “Little girl, you shouldn’t casually go home with men or go anywhere alone with them.”
“It’s okay. I know you’re good people. My grandma is right over there, I’ll go tell her.”
“Alright, go let her know.”
The moment she entered, Qianqian ran straight to the balcony to see the turtles. Su Cheng’s mother had also brought a lot of food for Xia Hang, prepared dishes, and even added fresh fruits and vegetables. Su Cheng opened a container, revealing glossy, fragrant braised pork, so he complained, “The old lady actually made braised pork for you! Her cooking is amazing, but she rarely makes this. I haven’t had it in almost two months.”
“Then stay and eat lunch here.”
Su Cheng checked the time, seeing that it was already past ten. “Sure. You’re heading to work this afternoon, right? I’ll drop you off on the way.”
After putting things away together, Xia Hang went to the balcony. “Are you still staying at the boarding school?”
“Yes. My parents are too busy and travel a lot.” Qianqian answered. “My grandma isn’t in good health, and taking the bus back and forth every day to pick me up is too tiring. So I stay at school and only come back on weekends, it’s easier for her.”
Xia Hang washed a bunch of grapes and brought them over, and Qianqian took two, saying, “Thank you, big brother.”
“How old are you this year?”
“I’m ten.”
“Then you should call me ‘uncle.’”
“But you don’t look like an uncle.”
Xia Hang noticed her gaze fixed on the turtles. “Do you want to take them back?”
“It’s hot now.” She shook her head. “You have to change the water often, or it’ll smell. Last time I gave them to you because my grandma almost slipped in the bathroom while changing their water. I won’t take them back; you should keep raising them.”
“Alright,” Xia Hang patted her head. “I’ll give you my number. If you want to see them, call me. If I’m home, you can come over.”
Her face lit up. “Really?”
“Really. Now go back to your grandma. If you stay too long, she’ll worry.”
Qianqian carefully put the slip of paper with his number into her turtle-shaped bag, then took out a small bottle that looked like gum. “Big brother, have some of these mixed vitamins. My grandma bought them for me. I’ve been taking them for half a year, and I haven’t gotten sick at all since. I heard you talking with Uncle Su. You just got out of the hospital, right? You should take some too. They taste just like candy, no medicine taste at all.”
Seeing how enthusiastic she was, Xia Hang accepted it. He opened the bottle, poured one out, and put it in his mouth. It was overly sweet, with a faint, bitter medicinal aftertaste; an odd flavor, not quite like candy as she described. But he had undergone drug training and was sensitive to medicinal tastes, so… maybe to others it really did taste like candy. “Mm, not bad,” he said, not thinking much of it.
Satisfied, Qianqian happily ran downstairs.
Xia Hang stood by the window, watched her rejoin her grandmother, then turned back toward the living room. Just as he was about to head into the kitchen to help Su Cheng, the doorbell rang.
- 宾馆 (bīn guǎn) means hotel, while 士兵 (shì bīng) means soldier. He’s saying that the 宾 character from “hotel” had the top missing, looking just like 兵 from “soldier”. ↩︎
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