Chapter 17

Chapter 17

"017"

After getting out of the car, Xiao Lancui walked along the roadside for a while, and the suppressed metallic taste rose back up his throat.

He looked around, found no trash bin, and quickly pulled out his spare handkerchiefs from his bag.

He unfolded several neatly folded white handkerchiefs, and just as he pressed them to his lips, he coughed up blood. The white handkerchiefs were instantly speckled with blood.

Under the streetlight, the blood appeared a deep, almost black red.

Xiao Lancui coughed intermittently for a while before stopping, leaving all the handkerchiefs unusable.

He folded the last clean corner of one handkerchief to wipe his mouth, then walked farther along the path until he spotted a trash bin.

He bundled the bloodied handkerchiefs together and tossed them into the bin, then took out his sipper cup from his bag. A few mouthfuls of herbal medicine remained, which he used to rinse his mouth, though a faint taste of blood lingered, and even the bitterness of the herbs couldn't mask it.

Xiao Lancui took a few slow, deep breaths, regaining some strength, and then contacted Zhou Fengqiang.

"Are you resting?"

Zhou Fengqiang replied that he wasn't, and Xiao Lancui hailed a ride-share headed to Senshan Psychiatric Hospital.

Just a few minutes into the ride, Xiao Lancui still felt quite unwell. He closed his eyes to rest as soon as he got in, but soon began to think.

Perhaps Xiao Anfeng hadn't gone home either, and Xiao Jingli hadn't called him that night. It could also be that Xiao Jingli had encountered that stand-in early.

In the original story, Xiao Jingli, barely able to suppress his desire for Xiao Anfeng, went to an auction to buy antiques as a distraction. The auctioneer was exactly that stand-in.

Similar in age to Xiao Anfeng, with a face that was almost identical to his.

That day, Xiao Jingli kept the auctioneer as his lover, secretly housing him in a neighboring city where he had a branch company, and even bought a suburban villa far from the city for their nightly escapades.

The original story noted that the auctioneer truly resembled Xiao Anfeng. Midway through, he ended his relationship with Xiao Jingli, but later reappeared once more.

At that time, Lu Siye and Xiao Anfeng were having a falling out. Lu Siye, drinking to drown his sorrows, ran into the auctioneer and slept with him, using him as a stand-in for Xiao Anfeng.

The subsequent plot spiraled into hundreds of thousands of words of angsty, melodramatic romance because of the auctioneer's one-night stand with Lu Siye.

The antique auction in the original story was scheduled for next week.

"Hello, we've arrived at Senshan Psychiatric Hospital."

Suddenly the driver said, interrupting Xiao Lancui's thoughts.

Xiao Lancui blinked his eyes open and took cash from his bag to pay the fare.

The cash was change he'd gotten from a convenience store on campus that evening.

Mobile payment was convenient, but it made it too easy to track his whereabouts.

The driver was a bit surprised to receive cash—not that he refused it, but it had been a long time since he'd had a passenger pay in cash, especially someone so young.

What was he doing at a psychiatric hospital in the dead of night?

The driver took the money and glanced outside once more as he drove off.

He saw the small iron gate of Senshan Psychiatric Hospital open, and the young man follow a small, elderly man inside.

Xiao Lancui listened to Zhou Fengqiang talk for two minutes, then asked, "So he was discovered missing at seven?"

Zhou Fengqiang nodded, lowering his voice, "I specifically asked around. They give him a sedative shot at seven every day. Today, when they went in at that time, he was gone. The window bars had been removed—oh, someone must have been helping him. Those were all steel bars; you couldn't do it without tools."

Xiao Lancui thought to himself—an accomplice?

Zhou Fengqiang stared at Xiao Lancui and let out a heavy sigh. "Cough, I initially suspected you. Your earlier visit was to scout the place."

Xiao Lancui smiled, "Do you think I seem capable of that?"

Zhou Fengqiang shook his head and said seriously, "I've looked you over repeatedly. You definitely don't have that ability. You're tall, but too thin—you'd struggle just to hold a cutting machine for any length of time."

Xiao Lancui nodded in agreement, a faint smile still playing on his lips, "You're right."

"Hey, the cutting machine that could cut through those steel bars weighs dozens of pounds." Zhou Fengqiang laughed too, then asked, "Your friend's family must be really rich, right? Today his father finally came, pulling up in a car at the director's office. I didn't see his face, just the car—oh, a Hongqi brand, really flashy. Must be worth millions?"

Xiao Lancui replied, "They're wealthy."

Comparable to the wealthiest families of the Dali period, the Lu family was the richest household of that era.

Xiao Lancui didn't concern himself with that. He asked Zhou Fengqiang, "Can I go see the ward?"

Zhou Fengqiang nodded, "You can. No one's there at this time of night."

Xiao Lancui took the portable lamp Zhou Fengqiang provided and went. After 9 PM, the power was cut to all wards.

Xiao Lancui swept the lamp across the window—all the steel bars welded there had been cut cleanly, with precise edges.

It really did look like they were severed with a sharp tool.

Xiao Lancui turned off the lamp, and the ward plunged into darkness. It was a room where even moonlight couldn't penetrate.

He stood in the darkness, lost in thought.

The youngest son of the Lu family wasn't mentally ill, yet the Lu family deliberately kept him in a place devoid of light, trying to slowly kill him in secret. So did the youngest son seize a moment of clarity to escape?

Or did he have some other urgent matter to take care of?

The plan was meticulous and succeeded on the first try. Even if it wasn't Lu Ao inhabiting the youngest son's body, he was still a clever person with the patience to wait for an opportunity.

With such careful thinking and exceptional execution, finding him would be like searching for a needle in a haystack. Better to wait for him to come to him.

If it was Lu Ao, he would definitely seek him out.

Xiao Lancui opened the outer pocket of his bag, which contained two boxes of ointment for external injuries. He took out one and placed it under the bedsheet on the left side of the pillow—hidden from view, but one would feel it when resting their head on the pillow.

A moment later, Xiao Lancui returned to the gatehouse to bid farewell to Zhou Fengqiang. He didn't go back to the Xiao family but took a taxi to the city's finest five-star hotel.

He swiped the card Xiao Jingli had given him and booked a deluxe room with a king bed.

After showering, Xiao Lancui sent his location to Xiao Mian, along with a message: "Tomorrow at 7 AM, bring a set of clean clothes and the two packs of herbal medicine I need to take to Room 2121."

At that hour, Xiao Mian was still gaming online. Receiving the text, he stared in disbelief at the message from "The one who owes me two slaps," furious and annoyed. How dare Xiao Lancui! Treating him like a damn errand boy?!

He was getting more and more brazen!

Xiao Mian immediately called him right back, "I'm not bringing it!"

"Okay." Xiao Lancui said indifferently, and hung up.

Xiao Mian listened to the dead tone, frozen for a long moment. Finally, he ground his teeth and muttered, "Fine, then don't drink it! It's not like I'm the one who has to take the medicine!"

The next morning, Xiao Lancui woke up at the usual time. He took a shower first, and just as he finished drying his hair, the doorbell rang.

At exactly seven o'clock, Xiao Lancui opened the door to find Xiao Mian standing there looking like death warmed over, holding two paper bags in his left hand and two packets of traditional Chinese medicine in his right hand.

Xiao Mian said stiffly, "I just happened to be in the area. Don't get used to it!"

Xiao Lancui took the paper bags. "Mm."

As he went to close the door, Xiao Mian suddenly reached out and held it open, asking in disbelief, "I drove all the way out here to bring you this, and you can't even ask me to stay for breakfast?"

Xiao Mian was feeling pretty put out. This was the first time he'd gotten up this early—before dawn, no less—and braved the freezing wind, his face almost frozen numb, to deliver things to Xiao Lancui. And he couldn't even get a meal out of it?

Xiao Lancui said, "Oh, I figured you wouldn't want any. Come on in."

Xiao Lancui turned and went inside, and Xiao Mian's lips twitched upward briefly before he quickly forced the smile away, acting all casual as he stepped inside and shut the door.

As soon as he entered, he saw Xiao Lancui heading to the changing room, clothes in hand.

The room had its own changing area and a dressing room.

Xiao Lancui never liked changing in front of other people. From his childhood until he became the Xiao clan's top scholar, he'd always had servants attending to his every need. Later, when he was injured and lost the function of his legs, he let go of all his personal maids and servants.

First, he didn't want others to see his disability. Second, after his disability, he'd become a cast-off in the Xiao clan. People naturally flock to the strong and avoid the weak, and since everyone saw him as a burden, he wasn't about to make a nuisance of himself.

This habit persisted even after he became Chief Grand Secretary, the most revered man in Dali.

When Xiao Lancui emerged, dressed, Xiao Mian was replying to messages. He looked up suddenly and froze when he saw Xiao Lancui.

He'd just grabbed some black-and-white checkered short puffer jacket, a black hoodie, black pants, and white casual shoes, plus a scarf and a knit cap thrown in for good measure—and Xiao Lancui just threw it all on—

And he looked incredible.

Especially those dark, mournful eyes, as bright as a snow spirit's. For a second, Xiao Mian felt like he was staring into his own mother's eyes.

Xiao Mian froze. Why did he think Xiao Lancui's features looked so much like his mom's? He quickly rubbed his nose—if his mom ever found out he was thinking that, she'd be livid! He must be out of his mind to think some mistress's kid could look anything like his mom...

He shot up from his seat. "Let's go, I'm starving!"

Xiao Lancui grabbed his bag and headed downstairs to the restaurant.

Xiao Mian ordered a few things for breakfast, but Xiao Lancui didn't have much of an appetite and just asked for a bowl of millet porridge.

While waiting for the food, a server brought over the two packets of warmed-up Chinese medicine.

Xiao Mian watched Xiao Lancui drink the medicine. The bigger, darker packet looked like it would be bitter as hell, but Xiao Lancui downed it without so much as a flinch. The other packet, the lighter one, Xiao Lancui didn't drink—he poured it into a straw cup and stashed it in his backpack.

Xiao Mian's mind drifted back to what Xiao Lancui had said.

"Just wait a bit longer, I'm about to die."

Why would Xiao Lancui say something like that...

Wasn't he better? He'd already been discharged...

Xiao Mian wanted to ask, but what came out instead was, "What are you, a bird? One bowl of millet porridge is enough for you?"

Xiao Lancui hadn't slept well, and faint dark circles under his eyes made him look wiped out. He unwrapped a sugar cube, popped it in his mouth, and sucked on it. "No appetite."

He went quiet again.

Xiao Mian ate his breakfast, half enjoying it and half feeling annoyed. Xiao Lancui was just so cold to him. After all, he'd driven halfway across the city to bring him clothes and meds!

As they left the hotel, Xiao Mian took off right away. He'd already gotten pretty far when he glanced back out of the corner of his eye—Xiao Lancui was still taking his sweet time, not paying him any mind at all.

Xiao Mian took a deep breath.

Chill.

This amnesiac Xiao Lancui was just like this—he wasn't going to lower himself to argue with him!

Xiao Mian stopped and waited for Xiao Lancui to catch up, then blurted out, "You going home today?"

Xiao Lancui barely raised his eyelids and asked, "What's up?"

Xiao Mian wasn't too sure himself. He tugged at his scarf and cleared his throat. "Things are a bit dicey around our neighborhood. Watch yourself when you're coming and going."

Xiao Lancui was actually surprised. "What's not safe?"

Xiao Mian couldn't really explain it—it was a feeling of danger, something off. From the time he got home yesterday to when he left this morning, he kept feeling like there were eyes nearby, hunting.

Yeah, hunting.

Like it was waiting for prey.

Xiao Mian turned his head but didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

Maybe he was overthinking it.

But overthinking never hurt anyone.

Xiao Anfeng had been kidnapped once as a kid and wasn't found for a whole week. Now that the Xiao family had grown, and his father had been climbing the rich list into the top ten in recent years, it wouldn't be surprising if someone was eyeing them.

Xiao Mian deliberately put on a serious face. "Nothing. Believe it or not, I've told you—just be careful!"

Xiao Mian took off on his motorcycle.

Xiao Lancui didn't think much of Xiao Mian's warning for now. He set it aside and flagged down a taxi on the street.

The driver asked, "Where to?"

Xiao Lancui wasn't heading to school today.

It was the second semester of senior year, so there weren't many classes, and with some students prepping for grad school and others job hunting, the teachers were pretty lenient about attendance.

He told the driver, "Zhengu Auction House."

That was where the body double worked.