“Zhou Ruo An, are you fucking insane?”
A private screening room had recently opened in the urban village. A single room cost fifty yuan. In name, it was for watching movies; in reality, once the door was shut, you could do whatever you wanted.
There was a discount for membership cards, with an extra half hour added. Bai Ban had treated Lin Yi and Zhou Ruo An to a movie. He had just finished getting the card and pushed open the private room door, only to see the two who had entered first already locked in a scuffle.
He had seen this scene plenty of times. Those two fought like dogs biting each other, no matter how much fur they ended up with in their mouths, but the moment something happened, they would immediately unite against outsiders. They also made up quickly. Zhou Ruo An would offer Lin Yi a cigarette, or Lin Yi would silently edge closer to Zhou Ruo An, and the next moment, the two of them would be so close they were practically wearing the same pair of pants, each taking one leg and hopping along together.
Bai Ban grew a little excited. Stroking the brand-new giant-screen television, his eyes gleamed with a thief’s light. “Stop fighting, stop fighting. I found some good stuff. I already gave the source file to the boss, and he’ll play it for us right away.”
“Bai Ban, step outside first. I have something to say to Lin Yi.” Zhou Ruo An’s face held no trace of a smile; his voice was cold.
The opening credits had already begun rolling on the screen. Bai Ban plopped down in the center seat. “Watch the movie first. You two can argue later.”
“Lu Yao, step outside first.”
Few people remembered Bai Ban’s real name. The last time it had been used was when he was summoned to the police station. Hearing it now made his heart skip. He stared blankly at Lin Yi.
Something was off.
Bai Ban glanced again at the two men locked in a standoff, then stood and walked toward the door. As the door slowly closed, he said softly through the final gap, “Brother Zhou, do you have cigarettes? If it’s time to light one for my brother, just light it. Between you two, there’s no shame in that.”
Zhou Ruo An muttered a low “fuck,” pulled out Lin Yi’s cigarettes, and threw them toward the door. The heavy soundproof door shut completely.
The opening sequence had passed. On the giant-screen television now was a woman in a red dress. She had taken off her high heels and was using one foot to hook a pair of suit trousers again and again, flirting.
The new sofa still smelled of leather. Zhou Ruo An leaned into the backrest, tipping his face up to look at Lin Yi, who stood in front of him. “At first, even Zhang Jin thought I was joking. You believed me right away.”
“Zhou Ruo An, I know what you look like when you’re greedy.”
“Yeah. You’ve seen this face of mine more than anyone, so I won’t hide it from you. I want Zhang Jin’s identity. I want to become the Zhou family’s young master.”
The new sofa in the screening room could recline halfway. Lin Yi braced one arm against the back of the sofa and slowly closed in on Zhou Ruo An. “Let me remind you of something. You’re not one of those kids kicking balls by the roadside anymore. You’re past the age where you can still dream. Impersonation, real and fake young masters—that kind of rotten trope is fine for TV dramas. Don’t fucking see someone else’s nice pants and think you can wear them too. Careful you don’t lose your balls in the process.”
Zhou Ruo An laughed lowly. “Lin Yi, you really are getting cruder and cruder.” He tilted his head and glanced at the giant screen. The woman had already been trapped in the man’s arms, somehow oddly resembling his own current situation.
He shoved Lin Yi away. “Someone else’s pants don’t fit? You think the skin I’m wearing now is comfortable? From childhood until now, I’ve never worn clothes that truly fit me.”
“What’s wrong with me wanting Zhang Jin’s identity? I didn’t rob him, cheat him, or trick him out of it. He’s the one who doesn’t have the fortune to enjoy it. So what if I pick up that skin and wear it instead?”
Lin Yi had never thought Zhou Ruo An childish. At such a young age, he was already a veteran of scams and schemes. No one would ever paste the word “innocent” onto him.
But today, Lin Yi began reassessing Zhou Ruo An. In those slightly upturned eyes, there was not only naked greed, but also an unusually twisted obsession.
“Have you had this idea for a long time? To replace him?”
“What, are you going to condemn how evil I am? Do you even have the right, Lin Yi?” Zhou Ruo An’s expression slowly cooled. “Replace him? I’ve thought about it before, though not often. I know I’m already past the age of dreaming. But yesterday, Zhang Yu Ting died, and the Zhou family doesn’t even know Zhang Jin exists. Suddenly, I realized… I might really be able to wear that skin.”
On the screen, the man and woman had already tangled together, a pale blur of flesh.
Lin Yi watched the shifting light and shadow across Zhou Ruo An’s face and gave the answer Zhou Ruo An least wanted to hear: “You won’t succeed.”
“That woman is dead, and you think everything is settled? Bloodline, genes, age—which one of those can you fake just because you want to?”
He suddenly seized Zhou Ruo An by the jaw, lowering his eyes to look at the shape of those thin lips. “That mouth of yours really can talk, but do you think one tongue is enough to make everyone believe you’re of the Zhou family’s bloodline? Stop dreaming, Zhou Ruo An. Once you can’t keep the lie going and the truth comes out, do you know what will happen to you? The Zhou family isn’t made of vegetarians. People like them have money and connections. In minutes, they can throw a fake like you, a fraud, into prison.”
The sounds from the screen grew louder, pressing down over the indecent panting. Lin Yi’s fingers tightened further around Zhou Ruo An’s jaw. “You think you’ve climbed into the clouds. In reality, with one turn of the hand, they can smash you straight back into the mud.”
“Am I not already in the mud?” Zhou Ruo An suddenly straightened his back and pressed closer against the force, every word from his mouth landing like a heavy hammer. “I’ve been wrapped in rotten mud my whole fucking life. So what if the matter is exposed? I’ve got one rotten life, and the worst hand has already been dealt to me. Why would I be afraid of not winning the gamble?”
Lin Yi’s eyes were dark and heavy. After a moment of silence, he slowly released his grip on Zhou Ruo An. “Since I can’t talk you out of it, do whatever you want.”
He had been half-pressing Zhou Ruo An down the whole time. When he got up, the sofa creaked, the sound coincidentally blending with the noise of the wooden bed shaking on the television.
But the next moment, Zhou Ruo An grabbed him back. “Lin Yi, you have to help me.”
In his panic, Zhou Ruo An misjudged his strength and pulled too hard, nearly making the two of them crash together.
Their breaths suddenly mingled, faintly scalding Zhou Ruo An. He instinctively tilted his head back, but the back of his head was already against the cushion. There was nowhere left to retreat.
Coincidentally, Lin Yi did not retreat either.
Zhou Ruo An needed something from him, so he did not push him away. He softened his voice. “Lin Yi, I’ve already considered all the problems you mentioned. They’re troublesome, yes, but not impossible to solve. If you can help me, there’s a chance I’ll succeed.”
It seemed Lin Yi had never looked at Zhou Ruo An from such a close distance before. He looked over the face before him inch by inch, not even missing the very faint little mole at the tail of his brow.
Then he said, “I won’t help.”
Zhou Ruo An’s brows drew together slightly, and what was in his heart slipped out before he could stop it. “Are you jealous that I have this chance?”
Before the words had even fully fallen, Lin Yi pulled away.
“Brother, I was wrong.” Zhou Ruo An took the initiative to follow him, took one of Lin Yi’s hands, and pressed it against his own right wrist. “This spot. Bai Jiu touched it yesterday too.”
Lin Yi went taut.
“He shook my hand and rubbed the skin here with his thumb several times. You’re a man too—how could you not understand what he meant?” A trace of bleakness entered Zhou Ruo An’s eyes. “Lin Yi, we’re both ants being trampled underfoot. Those people high above us can grind us down however they like. If that pervert Bai Jiu sets his sights on me, what do you think my ending will be? By then, I might not even count as rotten mud anymore.”
“But if I’m the Zhou family’s young master, would he still dare touch me? If you’re the young master’s friend, would he still treat you like some follower, some lackey? Lin Yi, we need to become people above others. We need to stand higher than them, so high we can crush them under our soles whenever we like.”
Long, powerful fingers lightly stroked Zhou Ruo An’s hair. The next moment, they tightened hard, forcing his chin to lift high.
Lin Yi revealed his first smile of the night. “Zhou Ruo An, truth mixed with lies, falsehood tangled with reality—this has always been your specialty. You’ve followed at my side for three years. Don’t use those little tricks on me.”
Lin Yi showed no mercy. Zhou Ruo An’s scalp was pulled until it hurt. “You don’t believe me? Then I’ll show you proof.”
Zhou Ruo An took out his phone, opened his call history, pointed at a phone number, and said, “This is the number of someone close to Bai Jiu. He called me last night and said Master Bai wanted to invite me for a drink. I found an excuse to brush him off. Lin Yi, do you think I’ll have an easy time ahead after turning down Master Bai?”
“Oh, right. You don’t believe me, do you? Then call this number right now and see whether what I said is true.”
Lin Yi stared at that string of numbers, his face gradually darkening. He released the hand gripping Zhou Ruo An’s hair, took out his own phone, entered the number, and pressed the call button while looking directly into Zhou Ruo An’s eyes.
Before long, the call connected. The voice on the other end was lazy, yet carried a vicious edge. “Who’s this?”
Lin Yi’s brows abruptly furrowed. His voice went empty for a moment before he said, “It’s me, Lin Yi.”
“Lin Yi? Oh, that young guy from the arena match? Why the hell are you calling me?”
“I just wanted to ask when I should report to Master Bai.”
“For that, contact Old Cui. I only handle Master Bai’s personal matters.”
With a sharp click, the other party hung up.
The phone remained by Lin Yi’s ear for a long while. Only after the screen went dark did he slowly lower it.
Straightening up, he sat down on the sofa beside him. Amid the woman’s distorted moans, he asked slowly, “How can I help you?”
Zhou Ruo An’s face brightened. Rising from the sofa, he walked to the door and picked up the cigarette pack from the floor. Then he turned back, crouched in front of Lin Yi, and handed him a cigarette.
There was a lighter in the cigarette pack. Zhou Ruo An brought the flame forward. “At the Provincial Paternity Testing Consultation Center, find someone who can come into direct contact with the blood samples. Use your methods to drag them into it.”
Lin Yi did not move to light the cigarette. The small flame could not hold for long and went out on its own. “There’s more than one institution in the province that can test DNA. I’m not capable enough to set up a honey trap for the relevant person at every single one.”
Zhou Ruo An struck the lighter again. “We’ll only pick the nearest and largest one. If the Zhou family chooses somewhere else, then I’ll accept my bad luck and obediently come back to be my rotten mud.”
After thinking for a moment, Lin Yi leaned in and lit his cigarette. “You’re going to use Zhang Jin’s blood sample? Will he give it to you?”
“That’s none of your concern.”
“Fine.” Lin Yi removed the cigarette from his lips, lifting his eyes through the smoke that had yet to disperse around his mouth. “Then how are you going to thank me?”
“If I can establish my footing, then you can also—”
“Not enough.”
The woman’s legs were lifted on the screen, swaying continuously in the air. Lin Yi glanced once, then looked away and leaned forward, closing in until he was extremely close to Zhou Ruo An.
Zhou Ruo An felt a little awkward. Lin Yi’s closeness and the woman’s sounds by his ear made him faintly uncomfortable. Pressing his lips together, he asked, “Then what do you want?”
Lin Yi’s hand holding the cigarette suddenly lifted. “Don’t move. There’s something on your face.”
A rough fingertip brushed the tail of his brow, lightly pressing the hidden little mole there before sliding away. Lin Yi raised his hand again and bit down on the cigarette once more. “I haven’t decided what I want yet. I’ll ask you for it once I have.”
Zhou Ruo An gave an “Mm.” “As long as it’s something I have, it’s all fine.”
Seeing that Lin Yi did not respond further, he stood and sat back down in the seat beside him, staring at the screen. “Still watching?”
Lin Yi gave a low “Mm,” his gaze lowered. “Let it play.”
The two of them sat quietly side by side, mottled light and shadow shifting across their faces. The room was filled with indistinct, drawn-out sounds. Until the very end, they had forgotten to call Bai Ban back in.