Xie Bai's previous words had some effect, and Yin Wushu indeed stayed at the Tai Xuan Dao to continue his overhaul, not showing up for several days in a row. After resting and recuperating for a few days in his long-lost residence, Xie Bai calmly went to the Forensic Center of Linshi on a sunny morning.

In the office where Xie Bai had only stayed for a week, there was once again a heavy atmosphere. Jiang Haoran and Lao Chen were hunched over their desks, tapping away at their keyboards with droopy eyelids. Dark circles and bags under their eyes dominated their faces, indicating another round of overtime, probably to meet some report deadlines.

When they saw Xie Bai arriving on time, they greeted him with a hoarse voice, cigarette in mouth: "Morning, Xiao Xie."

After speaking, they returned their gaze to their computer screens without a hint of surprise, as if it were just another ordinary day and Xie Bai had never been absent.

Xie Bai nodded to them and replied, "Morning," before walking to his own desk, tidying up the stack of printouts, and sitting down.

Just as he was about to turn on his computer, Jiang Haoran suddenly turned his head as if he had remembered something, furrowing his brows and staring at Xie Bai with a puzzled expression for a while. It seemed like he wanted to say something, but due to the exhaustion from staying up late, his mind couldn't quite catch up.

Xie Bai looked up and quietly met his gaze for a moment before lightly asking, "What's wrong?"

Jiang Haoran opened his mouth, then shook his head, saying, "Nothing, I didn't sleep all night, feeling a bit groggy. Suddenly, it seems like it's been a long time since I've seen you, even though you only took a few days of sick leave." He chuckled awkwardly and then retreated to continue wrestling with his report.

"Well, it's been a few days since I came. Are you guys working overtime again?" Xie Bai neatly arranged the folders, then stood up, saying, "I'll go get some coffee. Do you want me to bring back a few cups for you guys?"

Lao Chen and the others raised their hands one after another, tapping away at their keyboards while muttering, "That would be great, we need it, working so hard."

When Xie Bai returned with the coffee, Lao Chen and the others had already started chatting absentmindedly, probably trying to perk themselves up.

"The smell on me from a couple of days ago... even my cat, Milk Candy, couldn't stand it. It practically wanted to stay eight zhang away from me. It used to wait for me at the door eagerly when I came home." Jiang Haoran complained, then took the coffee from Xie Bai, saying, "Thanks, I'm so sleepy—Oh, Xiao Xie, wait."

"Hmm?" Xie Bai paused, turning his head to look at him.

"You have some fur on your shoulder." Jiang Haoran reached out to brush it off, holding it up to examine, "What's this fur? Did you also get a cat?"

Xie Bai was taken aback for a moment, then nodded and admitted, "Just got one recently."

Jiang Haoran and Lao Chen, both cat lovers, immediately became interested and asked, "What kind of cat? Do you have a photo? How old is it?"

"This big." Xie Bai put down the coffee and gestured with his hand, "Picked it up from the roadside, no photos."

"A black cat?" Jiang Haoran stared at the few strands of fur in his hand for a while before asking.

Xie Bai nodded.

Lao Chen remarked, "A black cat may be beautiful, but it can be a bit spooky to see at night."

Jiang Haoran chuckled, "You're not scared even when faced with corpses, yet you're scared of cats?"

Lao Chen waved him off, "Go on! It's different."

Jiang Haoran earnestly said to Xie Bai, "Black cat, white cat, it doesn't matter as long as it's obedient. Look at my Milk Candy, it's like a thoughtful little cotton ball. But Lao Chen's cat is like a demon from another realm, always scratching him. Lao Chen has been begging to touch that little devil for years, but it never lets him, like a precious flower on a high mountain, with a lot of character."

Lao Chen held his coffee cup with a mournful look, turning to Xie Bai for comfort, "Is the one you picked up shy? Does it let you touch it?"

The little black cat had been taken care of by Xie Bai for the past few days and had gradually recovered quite a bit, although it still lacked strength and walked unsteadily, with weak legs. Nevertheless, it still circled around Xie Bai all day long. Wherever Xie Bai went, it followed; when Xie Bai sat down, it nestled lazily in his arms, refusing to get up. If it weren't for its small and soft stature, it would really look a bit like a rascal.

After briefly recalling, Xie Bai carefully replied to Lao Chen, "It's alright, a bit clingy."

Lao Chen looked even more mournful.

They had finished the major tasks earlier, leaving only some finishing touches to be done. After a whole day of work, apart from a few individuals, most of them left on time in the evening. Xie Bai greeted them and strode out of the building, buttoning up his coat as he descended the steps in front of the building.

He had only taken a few steps when he suddenly stopped because there was someone standing under the steps not far from him.

The person was tall with long legs, wearing a black woolen coat similar to the one Xie Bai was wearing, except that this person never fastened the front buttons, always leaving the front open to reveal the dove-gray shirt inside, as if the cold wind couldn't reach him.

It was none other than Yin Wushu.

Seeing Xie Bai standing halfway up and down the stairs, Yin Wushu's lips curled up, "Can't stay idle, huh? As soon as you're better, you come to experience life?"

Xie Bai glanced up and down at him and found that this person had indeed recovered quite a bit. His complexion was back to normal, and he looked very spirited, ready to cause mischief again.

Yin Wushu raised his chin at him and said, "So, are you planning to remember me now?"

Xie Bai raised an eyebrow and met his gaze for a moment, then stepped down the stairs and passed by Yin Wushu, saying, "No."

"Eh—" Yin Wushu followed along, somewhat amused, "You've got quite the temper, huh? It's been how many days now?"

Xie Bai replied simply, "Don't know, didn't count."

Yin Wushu: "..."

Xie Bai turned into an empty space and directly opened the Lingyin gate. In three or four minutes, they arrived at the northeast suburb of Linshi. Yin Wushu followed along, strolling leisurely along a small path behind the Huaimen Tobacco and Wine toward the riverbank.

He looked around at the two bridges, waved away the dust in front of him, and complained, "There's so much dust here, you've moved back again?"

Xie Bai responded with a grunt and stepped onto the arched bridge.

This arched bridge was only accessible to the Yin guest. Other people who dared to walk on it would find that halfway through, there was no road ahead, making it impossible to enter the residence of the Yin guest. But since Xie Bai was there, Yin Wushu shamelessly followed suit. Xie Bai moved, he moved; Xie Bai stopped, he stopped. He was being extremely stubborn.

Because Xie Bai cleared the way, what Yin Wushu saw was no longer just half of the bridge, but also a stretch of floating rocks in the river ahead. Following Xie Bai's complex sequence, they walked to the end and saw a faint door in the thick mist ahead.

Next to the door squatted a black bundle. Seeing Xie Bai return, it lifted its head and meowed. It was the little black cat.

"I was wondering where it went. Turns out you brought it back." Yin Wushu glanced at the little black cat and said to Xie Bai.

Xie Bai stepped onto the shore, picked up the little black cat next to the door, leaving Yin Wushu standing alone on the rocks. As he reached for the door, he replied, "What brought it back? This is a cat I picked up."

Yin Wushu said, "Alright, it's yours if you say so. Hey, kid, since I've come all the way to the door today, can you let me in to take a look?"

Xie Bai glanced back at him, then slowly uttered a word, "No."

After saying that, he unlocked the door with three knocks, entered in a flash, grabbed the door to close it tightly, but was stopped by Yin Wushu's voice.

"Don't close it. Just leave the door open so I can take a look." Yin Wushu began a tactic of emotional persuasion.

Xie Bai blocked the view inside the door tightly, shaking his head mercilessly.

Yin Wushu tried to sneak a peek inside, but Xie Bai moved his body, blocking the view even more tightly. After a moment of thought, he teased Xie Bai, "The residence of the Yin guest has always been according to their preferences. Do you have any strange interests that you're embarrassed to let me see?"

Xie Bai's face first stiffened, then he said expressionlessly, "Are you done?"

Seeing that provocation didn't work, Yin Wushu changed tactics and played the emotional card, "After all, I've raised you painstakingly for a hundred years."

Xie Bai remained expressionless. "So what?"

Yin Wushu hesitated, then suggested, "Can you just tap lightly on the door?"

Without a word, Xie Bai raised his hand and slammed the door shut with a loud bang, causing even the stone bridge behind him to tremble.

Yin Wushu: "..."

*

That night, Xie Bai slept unusually well. The next morning, he woke up early and went straight to the forensic center. Lao Chen, Jiang Haoran, and the others had a good night's sleep, and their eye bags and dark circles had diminished somewhat. They were chatting and opening their computers while holding their coffee cups.

As soon as Xie Bai entered, they greeted him, "Xiao Xie is here. Just in time, your coffee is ready and placed on your desk."

Xie Bai thanked them and was about to walk to his desk when Lao Chen, holding his cup, turned to the others and said, "We can't look half-dead today. We have to be spirited so that the newly transferred leader doesn't think we saw ghosts last night."

Newly transferred... leader?

Xie Bai took a sip of coffee and felt his eyelids twitch inexplicably.

Just after ten o'clock in the morning, Lao Chen received a call and gestured to everyone before hurriedly leaving. A moment later, he accompanied a tall man and walked in, smiling as he introduced, "This is the newly transferred leader, everyone..."

Xie Bai didn't pay attention to what Lao Chen said afterwards. He squinted his eyes and stared at the person who strolled to his desk. When no one noticed, he reached out and tugged on the sleeve of the "new leader," gritting his teeth and whispering, "What are you doing here?"

Yin Wushu, who was waiting under the doorstep yesterday, has now transformed into the new leader. He smiled and said, "Hey, finally remembered me today?"

Xie Bai: "..."

Lao Chen looked surprised. "Do you two know each other?"

Yin Wushu gave a casual "oh" and nodded with a smile, saying, "We used to live together."

Everyone was dumbfounded: "What?!"

Xie Bai: "..."

 

Translator : DarNan