Lipstick

Under the damp raincoat, a pair of handcuffs glinted sharply in the light.

"Don't move, you're under arrest. Put down what you're holding and come with me!"

A gun barrel, dark as a black hole, pointed at Zhao Ke. A man's face gradually became clear under the raincoat, a faint curve lifting the corners of his mouth beneath a thick stubble.

"Boring! How old are you, still playing pranks."

Zhao Ke's mouth twitched at the sight of the same old prank, rolling his eyes and completely disregarding it. However, Zhao Ke's face quickly fell.

Two large, dark footprints stood out starkly on the gleaming floor. Zhao Ke's face darkened, and he grabbed a colander from the side, swinging it at the man's head. His voice was a growl squeezed through his teeth, cursing, "Get lost! My floor!"

The man had been joking at first, but when he saw the colander Zhao Ke threw, his pupils contracted sharply. He bent down quickly, and a gust of wind whistled past his ear as the colander hit the wall with a clang.

"Holy hell, you're serious!"

Looking back, the man gasped. If that had hit him on the head, it probably would have given him a concussion.

Zhao Ke's face was expressionless, but he couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat. In his excitement, he'd forgotten that his strength had doubled.

Seeing the man still hopping around, however, he relaxed and didn't engage further. He picked up a rag from the table and tossed it gently to him.

"There are slippers in the shoe cabinet on the left, and hangers on the right. Clean up the floor."

"Am I not your real brother!"

Looking at the rag in his hand, then at Zhao Ke, Lei Ke clutched his chest, looking heartbroken.

"We're roasting bear paw tonight. If you want to eat, clean the floor for me," Zhao Ke said, holding up the bear paw in his hand for Lei Ke to see.

Upon seeing the bear paw in Zhao Ke's hand, which was almost as big as a washbasin, Lei Ke froze, then stomped his foot and cursed, "You little brat, what zoo did you raid? I'm telling you, if you keep this up, I'll really turn you in."

Lei Ke cursed, but his hands moved swiftly. He took off his raincoat and kicked off his leather shoes.

His face was chiseled, with sharp features, especially his bright, piercing eyes. Even with a smile in them now, they still gave off a sharp, keen impression. Standing there, he looked like a drawn sword, sharp and upright, exuding an aura that made it hard to look directly at him.

Yet, this awe-inspiring figure was now diligently kneeling on the ground, quickly cleaning the floor. Then, he darted to Zhao Ke's dining table, his eyes fixed on the bear paws Zhao Ke was preparing.

"Exquisite!"

Lei Ke pursed his lips, unable to help but praise. Clearly, he was an expert when it came to food.

Zhao Ke took out a new set of knives from the drawer and began to skin the bear. He cut along the thick joints of the bear paw, the knife slicing through the flesh with a light stroke, revealing the distinct red and white marbling beneath the pinkish-brown skin.

Skinning, deboning, sinewing, and seasoning were almost a single, fluid motion. Lei Ke sat on a chair, took a cigarette from his pocket, placed it in his mouth, picked up the gun he'd taken out earlier, and pulled the trigger.

Click!

A wisp of flame shot out from the muzzle. It turned out the gun was just a lighter.

Hiss!

Lei Ke took a contented drag, exhaled a smoke ring, and simultaneously gazed at Zhao Ke's long, shapely hands as he prepared the bear paws.

More than the food itself, he enjoyed the process, witnessing the birth of a culinary masterpiece.

"I quit."

Zhao Ke's hands paused, and he looked up at Lei Ke. To Lei Ke's surprise, Zhao Ke merely nodded, without the intense reaction he'd expected.

"Hey, I'm not kidding."

"I know. It's for sister-in-law."

Lei Ke took a deep breath and nodded. Although Zhao Ke sent him money on time every month, Pei Pei's treatment costs were getting higher and higher.

Even though Zhao Ke was willing to cover them, Lei Ke, out of masculine pride, had decided he needed another job.

He took a file folder from his pocket and placed it on the table. Seeing Zhao Ke's calm expression, Lei Ke chuckled sinisterly, "Aren't you going to ask what I plan to do?"

However, Zhao Ke didn't respond. His eyes were fixed on the hot oil. Seeing the bear paws in the pot beginning to turn a golden brown, he quickly scooped them out, placed a piece of honeycomb on top, and then put them into a steamer.

Glancing back at the file bag by Lei Ke's hand, Zhao Ke shook his head and took a card from the cabinet, handing it to Lei Ke.

"Take this money. There's about 1.6 million in here. The password is six 7s. Call me if you need anything."

Zhao Ke didn't want to know what Lei Ke was doing. If he wanted to tell him, he would; asking would be futile.

But no matter what Lei Ke did, Zhao Ke wouldn't stop him. They had grown up together in the orphanage, and Zhao Ke knew Lei Ke's temperament well.

If he wanted to be a tree, he would strive to be the biggest and tallest, even at the risk of being struck by lightning. His fierce pride meant no one, except for sister-in-law, could make him bow his head.

Lei Ke looked at the bank card Zhao Ke handed him and didn't stand on ceremony. He was short on cash, and their relationship was practically that of brothers. Politeness wasn't his style; he could only keep this kindness in his heart.

After carefully observing that Zhao Ke seemed to be in good spirits, Lei Ke hesitated for a moment and then said in a low voice, "Why don't you... go to America and see? Has it... appeared recently?"

Mentioning "it" made even Lei Ke nervous. He had seen firsthand how terrifying Zhao Ke became when he had an episode, how he completely transformed into another person. That change... was eerie, not a traditional split personality, but a fundamental shift in character.

"Hmm... it doesn't seem to have."

Zhao Ke thought for a moment. He hadn't had an episode recently, and even when he was dragged into the horror space this time, his condition hadn't relapsed.

After getting Zhao Ke's confirmed answer, Lei Ke let out a long sigh of relief.

They chatted idly, and before long, a unique savory aroma filled the entire mess hall.

"Done!"

Lifting the lid of the steamer and seeing his masterpiece, Zhao Ke's lips curved upwards. He opened the steamer, carefully took out the platter, and placed it on the table in front of him.

"Fish Sheep Bear Paw!"

The honeycomb that had been placed on the bear paw had already turned into a sauce, drizzled over the golden crispy skin. Zhao Ke picked up his chopsticks and gently poked it.

"Crunch!"

With a crisp sound, the outer skin gradually cracked, revealing the tender, red meat underneath, which had been steamed to perfection.

"Let me try first!"

Seeing this, Lei Ke, who was standing by, couldn't help but swallow. He didn't fear the heat and scooped up a spoonful. The bear meat below was as soft as tofu, and Lei Ke stuffed it into his mouth.

The moment the meat entered his mouth, Lei Ke's eyes widened, as if he wanted to swallow his own tongue.

Soft, fragrant, and rich – these were secondary. The most important thing was the umami, which was even more delicious than fugu, with a texture like soy milk.

A mouthful in his mouth gave him the illusion of being deeply...

Even though he had witnessed the entire cooking process, Lei Ke still didn't understand how Zhao Ke managed to achieve this level.

Of course, he wouldn't ask for the secret. He remembered trying to imitate Zhao Ke's cooking methods a long time ago, and the result... Pei Pei almost beat him to death, and even the neighbors called the police, suspecting he was cooking feces.

Not only did he fail to cook the dish, but he was also forced to stay in a hotel for several days until the stench dissipated. It was said that the families living in the same building as him almost cursed him to death during those days.

After that profound lesson, Lei Ke no longer tried to imitate Zhao Ke's cooking. He was already very satisfied with the occasional treat.

Zhao Ke tasted a few bites. It was not bad. After all, it was a top-grade bear paw. Such ingredients, if they existed in reality, were available, but the key was that he couldn't get them.

The portion of this bear paw should have been enough for four people, but Zhao Ke had been struggling in the horror space for so long that he was really hungry. He ate it with white steamed buns, gobbling it down.

Lei Ke, of course, was not polite to Zhao Ke. As mentioned above, such ingredients were too rare. Even for ordinary rich people, it was very difficult to get them.

As for ordinary people, they could probably only look at pictures online their entire lives and wouldn't have the chance to experience it. Moreover, with top-grade ingredients and a top chef, such a delicacy was not something ordinary people could enjoy.

The two of them ate heartily. Finally, Zhao Ke made a bowl of noodles and poured the sauce over it. He ate until his belly was round and then lay back on the chair contentedly.

"Here."

Lei Ke took out a cigarette and handed it to Zhao Ke. Zhao Ke took it, but didn't light it. He just sniffed it a few times under his nose and casually placed it on the table.

After all, he needed to maintain his keen sense of smell and taste. Smoking wouldn't make him lose his taste, but it would make his sensitivity to flavors dull.

Lei Ke didn't have as many concerns as Zhao Ke. He lay back on the chair casually, lit a cigarette, took a few deep puffs, glanced at the time, and stood up to leave.

Before leaving, Lei Ke suddenly looked back at the box Zhao Ke had placed on the table, his brow furrowed: "You don't mean..."

"What??"

Zhao Ke didn't understand what Lei Ke meant.

Seeing this, Lei Ke pointed to the wooden box on Zhao Ke's table and said, "That urn is..."

Zhao Ke was stunned. He looked back at the rosewood box on the table, and his mouth twitched. After Lei Ke mentioned it, Zhao Ke also realized that this rectangular box was indeed shaped like an urn.

Suddenly, Zhao Ke said irritably, "It's for trash!"

"Oh!"

With Zhao Ke's explanation, Lei Ke was relieved. Based on his understanding of Zhao Ke, if this box was for Zhao Ke himself, Zhao Ke would never have said it was a box for trash.

After seeing Lei Ke off, Zhao Ke looked at the clock. It was already six in the morning. He walked up to the attic, opened the bedroom door, and saw an open coffin placed in his bedroom.

He opened the coffin, lay down inside, and perhaps because he was too tired, he didn't close the lid. Soon, Zhao Ke fell asleep.

"Tick-tock, tick-tock..."

In the dim room, the hour hand of the clock moved, tick-tock.

"Buzz..."

At this moment, the drawer of the dressing table was gently pulled open by a slender finger. Zhao Ke had somehow gotten out of the coffin and was looking at the time on the clock.

Seeing the thin face in the mirror, he opened his mouth, as if murmuring something in a low voice, but without a sound. He looked up at the mirror, and a sly smile suddenly appeared on Zhao Ke's face. He casually took out a lipstick from the drawer and applied it to his lips.