Xie Jia Hua turned on the showerhead and unleashed a torrent of water straight down on his face!
Startled, he choked on several mouthfuls, coughing and spluttering as he tried to dodge. Seizing the opportunity, Xie Jia Hua pinned him down, grabbed a towel from the side, and—ignoring his struggles—scrubbed him viciously from head to toe. He even gripped his jaw and forcefully poured mouthwash into his mouth, making him spit it out in large gulps.
Leaving him dazed and disoriented in the bathtub, he hurriedly washed himself as well. Finally, he dried them both and, still naked, carried Lu Guang Ming out in his arms, tossing him onto the bed in the bedroom.
Lu Guang Ming jolted awake by the fall, mumbling incoherently as he looked at Xie Jia Hua and broke into a foolish grin. Xie Jia Hua turned off the lights and climbed into bed. Lu Guang Ming tried to continue bothering him, but after struggling for a long time, he could not even lift his hand. Xie Jia Hua wrapped him in the blanket and patted his icy cheek. “Sleep.”
Lu Guang Ming was reluctant. Like a caterpillar, he wriggled forward, pressing his face suddenly against Xie Jia Hua’s, lowering his voice with a mysterious air. “I saw it…”
“What?”
“I saw him kiss you… in that bar. I snuck there…”
Xie Jia Hua was so startled that he didn’t respond.
Finally, mustering enough strength to raise his hand, Lu Guang Ming poked and prodded at Xie Jia Hua’s firm brow ridge. “Inspector Xie… back then, you were young and handsome, a police officer—wearing that ‘uniform’… so good-looking. If I were him, I’d like you too. Why would I fancy some fifteen-year-old brat with yellow hair…”
He lowered his head; his voice turned thick and hoarse.
“That brat was foul-tempered and stubborn, not likable at all… right? Why couldn’t I think straight? Why did I argue with him… why did I tell him to ‘get lost’… He really left… he really never came back…”
Slowly, Xie Jia Hua raised a hand and wiped away the tears that had stained his own face. Then, he opened his arms and enveloped the sobbing Lu Guang Ming—now nearly a lifeless heap—in his embrace.
His own eyes brimmed with tears, yet no drops fell. Within him lay an indescribable exhaustion and sorrow. Years of guilt, pain, anxiety, and despair had accumulated like mountains, consuming his time and eroding his very soul.
And the youth in his arms—since that fateful day, he had confined himself within a false and solitary adult shell, never growing again.
Gently patting the back of Lu Guang Ming’s head, he sighed. “Sleep. We are both exhausted. Sleep.”
……
Lu Guang Ming awoke from his hangover.
He lay on his side, and when he opened his eyes, he dimly perceived sunlight resting upon the pillow beside him.
His head throbbed as if it might split open. Rubbing his eyes groggily, he realized—it was indeed sunlight. His own room had never witnessed such light.
He curled into the blanket, pressing his temples into the darkness for quite some time, but could not recall what had transpired the previous night. The pain in his head was unbearable. Finally, he threw off the blanket and sat up—only then did he recognize that this was Xie Jia Hua’s home.
“…” He still had no recollection, looking around blankly. Not seeing Xie Jia Hua, he glanced down at himself—completely naked, yet without any suggestive traces. He twisted awkwardly to feel his backside, finding nothing unusual.
A thought struck him, bewildering him. Did I… take him? Would he even allow it? Impossible!
Barely clothed, he climbed out of bed, familiarly rummaging through the wardrobe to find a pair of Xie Jia Hua’s underwear to wear, then draped a shirt over himself. Only then did he notice that there were no slippers by the bed—because he had been carried in.
Barefoot, Lu Guang Ming staggered out of the bedroom, first stumbling into the toilet to relieve himself in a rush. Then, swaying unsteadily, he collapsed onto the sofa in the living room. Picking up a takeaway coffee cup from the table, he sniffed it—parched and half-conscious, he felt like drinking.
“Put it down!” Xie Jia Hua barked sharply.
Lu Guang Ming’s hand trembled. Instinctively, he held the cup with both hands, lifting his head like a startled squirrel to look at Xie Jia Hua, who had just stepped out of the kitchen. Still muddled from drunkenness, he hadn’t yet donned his usual mask. His face was flushed from the hangover, his eyes wide with confusion and unease. The shirt hung loosely on him, sleeves covering half his hands; his hair was a mess. With his naturally youthful features, he looked even more like a younger brother who had stolen an elder’s clothes.
For a moment, Xie Jia Hua was caught off guard by such innocent guilelessness. He cleared his throat lightly and said more gently, “That’s been sitting there a long time. I’ll get you some water later.”
He set down two bowls of noodles on the dining table. After rummaging in the kitchen, he eventually found an unopened bottle of water from the fridge and placed it on the table.
Drawn by the aroma, Lu Guang Ming had already wandered over and sat down, staring curiously at the bowl.
“Just eat. I only know how to cook instant noodles,” Xie Jia Hua said.
“I don’t even know how to cook instant noodles,” Lu Guang Ming replied foolishly. “It smells so good.”
Xie Jia Hua’s eyelid twitched oddly. He returned to the kitchen to fetch chopsticks. Lu Guang Ming was still weakly trying to twist open the bottle cap; Xie Jia Hua took it from him and opened it.
Lu Guang Ming drank more than half the bottle in one go, then picked up the chopsticks and began devouring the noodles noisily. Since noon the previous day, his stomach had held nothing but alcohol; he was starving beyond measure.
As he ate, his senses gradually returned. Fragments of the previous night replayed in his mind like scattered scenes, and suddenly, he choked.
“Cough—cough, cough, cough—!”
Xie Jia Hua pushed the remaining half-bottle of water toward him. He grabbed it and gulped it down, then sprang up and rushed into the toilet, coughing and retching violently. Only after a long while did he wash his face and come out again, his expression complicated.
When Xie Jia Hua looked at him now, the earlier innocence had vanished, replaced by suspicion and guardedness hidden beneath a false smile.
“Inspector Xie, what were you doing at the bar last night? Drinking your sorrows too?”
Xie Jia Hua disliked speaking to him in this state. Without answering, he simply transferred several more mouthfuls of noodles from his own bowl into Lu Guang Ming’s. “Hurry and eat. I have to go to work.”
“…”
Lu Guang Ming sat down again suspiciously, hesitating as he ate. Xie Jia Hua drank his soup without even glancing at him.
They had never interacted so peacefully. Unease churned within Lu Guang Ming. The last time they parted, he had punched Xie Jia Hua square in the face. And yet now—this man, who had always despised him, neither sought revenge nor drove him out, but even cooked noodles for him?
Did I really… take him? Was I that good? A wildly absurd thought surfaced in his mind.
“Hurry up. I’m heading out soon.” Xie Jia Hua tapped the edge of his bowl.
As Lu Guang Ming wolfed down his food, he noticed a fresh wound on Xie Jia Hua’s arm. It wasn’t deep, but the flesh was slightly split and swollen—showing signs of infection.
“Why didn’t you treat it?”
Xie Jia Hua didn’t answer. He stood, took away the empty bowl, and went to the kitchen to wash it. Lu Guang Ming followed. “I’ll do it. The wound shouldn’t touch water… Was it from me last night?”
“Not you. Caught a criminal yesterday,” Xie Jia Hua replied, omitting the chaos in the bathtub. “Stay out. Don’t let it get wet.”
Driven back to the living room, Lu Guang Ming sat there in a daze, unable to recall why Xie Jia Hua had been at the bar. All he could remember was being carried home and perhaps kissing his face.
Was I losing my mind? Why would I kiss him?!
He also recalled their bitter parting last time, and his thoughts grew tangled.
Soon, Xie Jia Hua emerged, changing clothes as he called out, “I’m heading to work. Are you going to the ICAC? I can drop you off.”
“…” Lu Guang Ming hesitated, saying nothing for a long time. After a night of drunken chaos, he still couldn’t figure out how to face Chief Investigator Xu.
Knowing he was still muddled, Xie Jia Hua didn’t press him. After changing, he stepped out and spoke more gently.
“About last time—I didn’t disbelieve you. I just thought there might be some misunderstanding. I didn’t consider your feelings. That was my fault. I’m sorry.”
“You once said Tang Jia Qi approached me to investigate the cases I handled. I’ve reviewed all the cases I worked on back then and found nothing unusual. The files are in my office. When you have time, come take a look yourself—see if you can find any connection.”
Lu Guang Ming stared at him, clearly taken aback.
After a long hesitation, he said, “Brother Jia Qi… once found a photo related to a case in your home. He showed it to me.”
Xie Jia Hua frowned instinctively, recalling. “Impossible. He’s never been to my home.”
Lu Guang Ming’s expression changed instantly. He shut his mouth and turned away.
Realizing he had spoken wrongly again, Xie Jia Hua was about to amend it when the mobile phone in the briefcase on the sofa suddenly rang.
The ringtone was distinctive—specially set.
Lu Guang Ming’s expression sharpened. He grabbed the phone and strode quickly into the bedroom to answer it, slamming the door shut behind him.
Standing outside, Xie Jia Hua sighed. He understood the anger behind the slammed door—this suspicious, sensitive youth, who spun lies yet yearned for trust, must have taken his words as doubt and denial once more.
He waited a few minutes, glancing at his watch. He was already late, but he couldn’t simply leave Lu Guang Ming here—it would only exacerbate the misunderstanding. So, he leaned against the door, trying to hear if the call had ended.
Suddenly, the door swung open.
In truth, Lu Guang Ming had spoken for barely ten seconds. He had already rummaged through the wardrobe and dressed himself in Xie Jia Hua’s clothes. Seeing Xie Jia Hua eavesdropping, his expression turned colder still.
Xie Jia Hua awkwardly tried to explain, but Lu Guang Ming didn’t even look at him. Slipping past him, he picked up his briefcase and phone, preparing to leave.
“Wait—I’ll drive—“
“I’m not going to ICAC,” Lu Guang Ming cut him off.
At the entrance, he found his shoes ruined beyond use from vomit. Without ceremony, he opened the shoe cabinet, took a pair of Xie Jia Hua’s slippers, and walked out—suited and slippered alike.
Xie Jia Hua grabbed his wallet and keys and chased after him, just in time to see his figure pressing the elevator button repeatedly—the doors closed decisively before he could reach them.
Xie Jia Hua received his second slammed door of the day. At last, he couldn’t hold back a curse. “Fuck!”
He had half a mind to drag that infuriating brat back and give him a proper spanking.
When in a good mood, the boy would cling shamelessly, grinning and spouting nonsense with mischievous intent. When in a bad mood, he would turn hostile in an instant, overthinking everything and sulking—what kind of damned temperament was that?
He didn’t realize that he himself was no better—cold, stubborn, and equally difficult. Venting his frustration, he kicked the trash can in the corner before turning and taking the stairs.
Futile Devices Scans 
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