Lu Guang Ming stayed at Xie Jia Hua’s place for two whole weeks. During that time, Xie Jia Hua happened to have a day off. He discovered that this fellow either slept or watched television all day, languid as a sloth, eyes half-lidded, barely moving at all. Fortunately, he still had a shred of survival instinct—occasionally dragging himself up to sweep the floor or do the laundry to curry favor with the head of the household—otherwise he would truly have lazed himself into a puddle.
Xie Jia Hua could not stand it. The next morning at six, he dragged him out for a run. Lu Guang Ming clung to the bedpost in desperate resistance, wailing, “If I go out, I’ll be recognized!”
“It’s early morning—just wear a mask, who would recognize you!”
“I still have a fever!”
“What fever? Didn’t it clear two days ago!”
“I want to sleep! You kept me up till three last night, you freakishly strong Big Sweet Potato! My butt hurts!”
In the end, he was still dragged out, whining all the way.
They ran out of the residential complex, along the seaside canal path toward the ocean. Lu Guang Ming ran like a newborn fawn, wobbling all over the place. After only a few steps, he lagged behind, clutching his waist. “My butt really hurts—I’m going back…”
Xie Jia Hua, running steadily ahead, turned back with a darkened face. “Didn’t we use protection last night?”
“It still hurts! Why don’t you try getting pounded till three in the morning?!”
Xie Jia Hua felt a faint trace of guilt—but also suspected he was exaggerating to avoid exercise. After all, he had seen plenty of his shameless tricks by now. Frowning, he reached out and groped his backside, as if tempted to strip him on the spot and check. Catching sight of a few morning joggers nearby, Lu Guang Ming hurriedly covered himself. “Inspector Xie, don’t be more shameless than me.”
“You do know you’re shameless?” Xie Jia Hua shot back.
“I’m not arguing. I’m going back.” Lu Guang Ming tried to sneak away.
Xie Jia Hua grabbed him like a chick and hauled him back. “No. Run a bit longer. Your body is too weak—you fall sick at the slightest thing. From now on, you’re running with me every morning. Doesn’t the ICAC give you physical training?”
“Maybe? I don’t know. I don’t go.”
“How have you not been fired?”
“I’m cute.”
“……”
“Don’t hit me, it already hurts—you violent maniac…”
Sniffling, Lu Guang Ming was dragged along again. Xie Jia Hua pulled him forward the entire way, and somehow it gradually turned into them running hand in hand. Behind him, Lu Guang Ming was held by that warm palm, eyes fixed on the firm, flexing movement of Xie Jia Hua’s body, swallowing unconsciously—he still wanted him.
The sun rose over the horizon, spilling gentle crimson across the blue sea. A seabird screeched overhead. Xie Jia Hua stopped, wiping the sweat from his brow. Turning back, he frowned and touched Lu Guang Ming’s forehead. “You’ve got a fever again?”
“No.”
“Then why is your face so red? Are you really exhausted? Trouble breathing? Does your heart hurt?”
He grabbed Lu Guang Ming’s wrist to check his pulse, head lowered, focused on timing it with his watch. Lu Guang Ming stared at the sweat on his forehead and thought, Does he realize how much he cares about me? How does he explain it to himself?
“180? Why is your heart beating so fast?” Xie Jia Hua looked up, concern plain in his eyes.
“Ah? Me? I…” Lu Guang Ming stammered—he couldn’t possibly say it was because he’d been staring at him—so he continued pretending. “A bit short of breath… very tired…”
Xie Jia Hua wiped his sweat with his sleeve, then handed him a water bottle. “Drink a little, not too much. There’s a bench over there—we’ll walk and rest.”
Still flushed and flustered, Lu Guang Ming was led to sit beside him. The closeness burned like fire. His mind replayed scenes from the previous night, restless, shifting in his seat.
“Does it really hurt?” Xie Jia Hua misunderstood. He took off his jacket, bundled it up, and said, “Sit on this.”
It didn’t really hurt—just swollen and strange. Sitting cautiously on the jacket, Lu Guang Ming avoided looking at him, feeling unbearably warm.
“What’s wrong?” Suddenly, Xie Jia Hua grabbed his wrist. Startled, Lu Guang Ming tried to pull away, but Xie Jia Hua tilted his chin up. A drop of blood slid from beneath his nose.
“You’ve got a nosebleed!” Xie Jia Hua frowned, pinching his nose while scanning around. Spotting a jogging couple, he said, “Hold it yourself—I’ll get tissues.”
He soon returned with tissues. After stopping the bleeding, he crouched with his back turned. “Get on. Let’s head back. Don’t catch the sea wind—put on my jacket.”
Lu Guang Ming draped himself in the jacket and climbed onto his back. Xie Jia Hua lifted him easily and strode off, speaking with quiet self-reproach. “I shouldn’t have forced you out. Not believing you just now—that was my bad habit again. Sorry.”
With tissues stuffed in his nose, Lu Guang Ming said nothing. He couldn’t admit the truth—that he wasn’t sick at all.
Xie Jia Hua paused to glance back, then continued walking.
“Go back and sleep more. If you still feel unwell at noon, call me…”
Finally, Lu Guang Ming spoke softly, “Don’t call an ambulance. I’m supposed to be ‘dead.’ And don’t call that caretaker—he chews betel nut and never brushes his teeth. His breath stinks.”
“I know. Call me instead. If it’s not urgent, I’ll take leave and come back.”
Lu Guang Ming fell silent again, burying his face in his shoulder. After a while, he sniffed quietly.
“Heaven… Dad, Mom, Brother Jia Qi… I really like him.”
Then the thought of what he and He Chu San were doing made him suddenly sad.
There were only two possible outcomes:
Either they failed and were killed by Xie Jia Hua’s father…
Or they succeeded—and he himself would arrest Xie Jia Hua’s father.
Either way, moments like this would never exist again.
Knowing that, he lifted his head and gently kissed Xie Jia Hua’s hair.
Behind them, the rising sun painted the sky in blazing red. Their reflections shimmered in the clear water below—seen by Xie Jia Hua.
……
Parting came quickly.
The next morning, He Chu San sent word disguised as a food delivery—meaning the materials needed to open a case had been hidden at their agreed location. It was time for Lu Guang Ming to “come back to life.”
He retrieved the materials.
Then he spent half a day cleaning Xie Jia Hua’s home thoroughly—every corner spotless, every piece of clothing folded or pressed neatly. He did not know what else he could do for him.
While washing one of Xie Jia Hua’s coats stained with a little blood, he found a small woven grass shark in the pocket. Its bared teeth looked oddly cute—clearly a child’s toy. He hadn’t uncovered any child relatives in Xie Jia Hua’s life. The shark was slightly crumpled, with traces of blood and mud on its tail.
Curious, he thought, I’ll ask him when he comes back.
In truth, Xie Jia Hua now hid very little from him. Whenever Lu Guang Ming said anything—even obvious nonsense—Xie Jia Hua would still respond with, “I’ll believe it for now, so this brat doesn’t end up with a fever or nosebleed again.” It was blatant indulgence.
“He likes me… at least a little, right?”
“He doesn’t just treat me like a ‘younger brother,’ does he?”
“Who sleeps with their ‘younger brother’? When he kisses me, he’s so serious, so gentle… Even if we’re just bedmates, there must be a little bit of liking… right?”
But thinking about that now had no meaning.
“If I die… will he be sad?”
That, too, had no meaning.
He placed a copied set of the documents inside a folder and hid it deep in Xie Jia Hua’s wardrobe—so that if both he and He Chu San perished, at least someone in this world would still uncover the truth for Tang Jia Qi.
Alongside it, he left a note for Xie Jia Hua.
He rewrote it again and again for nearly an hour.
In the end, he only wrote a few simple words of apology.
Futile Devices Scans 
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