Tracking

Chen Guibin just sat there on the floor, staring blankly at Yang Chu, staring into empty space.

Everything around him seemed to vanish in an instant: the polished floor, the wooden table with its chessboard, the rows of bookshelves, the greenery beneath the walls and the portraits of famous people hanging on them, the ceiling with its fluorescent lights and ceiling fans—

Twisting, tilting, swaying, spinning, the world turned upside down.

A countless number of murmurs seemed to ring in his ears, some high-pitched, some lilting, some grating, some low, all jumbled together.

Chaos, absurdity, darkness; countless lights and shadows tangled together, spinning without end—

In the deepest part of the scene before him, it seemed—seemed as though something was slowly emerging, bit by bit...

"Hey, what's wrong?"

A gentle voice suddenly sounded beside his ear.

Everything before him vanished in an instant.

"Ah—"

Chen Guibin let out a startled cry and blinked. Looking up, he saw Xu Xi beside him, reaching out to help him to his feet.

Yang Chu stood not far away, watching him. The table with the chessboard, the rows of bookshelves—everything was perfectly normal.

"I..."

Chen Guibin opened his mouth, then wrenched himself free of Xu Xi's hands and shook his head hard. He patted his forehead with his palm and staggered to his feet.

"Are you all right?" Xu Xi asked with concern, looking at Chen Guibin's disheveled state.

Standing nearby, Yang Chu was equally baffled by Chen Guibin's sudden change.

"I'm fine."

Chen Guibin shook his head and lowered it. He didn't dare look at Yang Chu again—or even at Xu Xi. He turned and hurried toward the library exit. "There's still work to do at the station. I'll head back first."

"Aren't you staying for dinner?"

Xu Xi called after him, still wearing a puzzled expression at Chen Guibin's inexplicable change.

"No."

Chen Guibin's voice came from outside, tinged with impatience. His footsteps quickened.

"He's probably under too much pressure at work."

As Chen Guibin left, Xu Xi turned to Yang Chu and offered the explanation with a smile.

"There was something strange about the way he looked at me."

Remembering the look Chen Guibin had given him, Yang Chu felt both confused and curious.

"You are pretty strange."

Xu Xi smiled, then paused before adding, "You don't see many people reading in a public library like this anymore."

"Is that so?" Yang Chu smiled at Xu Xi. "I thought you meant I'd gotten fat. I guess everyone's a little strange, aren't they?"

"Haha—"

Xu Xi laughed and smoothly changed the subject. "How about dinner tonight? My treat this time."

"Sure." Yang Chu nodded, then added, "But we're not having boxed meals again, right? I eat a lot."

"Then let's go to this stir-fry place I know. The owner's really good, and it's cheap, too." Xu Xi smiled and tidied the chess pieces on the table. "You go ahead. I'll lock up."

Half an hour later.

A small shop called Uncle Fang's Stir-fried Noodles sat in an alley off Un Chau Street in Sham Shui Po.

"Hey, you've already eaten eight plates. If you keep going, I won't have enough money to pay."

Xu Xi tapped the table and teased Yang Chu, eyeing the stack of plates beside him.

"I told you I eat a lot."

Yang Chu buried his head and shoveled the dry-fried beef ho fun into his mouth. Only after chewing and swallowing quickly did he look up and reply to Xu Xi.

"You eat way too much."

Xu Xi shook his head and gestured toward a balding man in a sleeveless shirt, busy stir-frying noodles in the shop. "See that old man cooking your noodles? You might not get tired of eating, but he's going to get tired of cooking for you."

"Then I'll stop after this plate." Yang Chu replied casually, lowering his head to shovel the stir-fried noodles from the plate.

"Fine, but you promised. Otherwise, I really won't pay."

Xu Xi sat across from him, looking at the plates and at Yang Chu as he continued eating, a faintly shy smile still on his face.

He was curious about Yang Chu. The clatter of stir-frying and the conversations in the restaurant were deafening, yet he could still faintly hear the quiet gurgling of Yang Chu's internal organs.

It wasn't normal. It reminded him of the first time he'd met Yang Chu, when he'd heard the precise rhythm of his heartbeat and breathing.

He didn't know what was going on with Yang Chu, but he hadn't pressed him for answers, just as Yang Chu had never asked about him.

In all the time he'd spent at Po On Road Public Library, Chen Guibin and Yang Chu were the only people he truly considered friends. None of them asked about one another's past.

"Boss, one dry-fried beef ho fun."

Just then, a beautiful, alluring woman walked into the shop and called to Uncle Fang, who was stir-frying noodles at the stove.

"Miss, have a seat. It'll be ready in a moment."

Uncle Fang, the balding owner, seemed a little excited to see the woman. He hurried to greet her loudly.

All kinds of people came to his little shop, but glamorous city women like her were rare.

The other diners couldn't help stealing glances at her as she entered.

The instant the woman walked in, Xu Xi's expression changed. He lowered his head, looking anxious, pulled a few Hong Kong dollar notes from his pocket, and placed them on the table. Then he leaned toward Yang Chu and spoke quietly. "Hey, my stomach's acting up. I can't wait for you. Come find me at the library when you have time."

Yang Chu looked up at Xu Xi. He didn't ask any questions, only nodded. "Next time, I want to read some books on martial arts, athletic training, and biomechanics. If you find any, keep an eye out for me."

"Sure, sure..." Xu Xi murmured. Slightly hunched, he followed a young waiter carrying food to the neighboring table and hurried out of the shop.

Yang Chu watched Xu Xi leave, then glanced at the alluring woman, who had just ordered and taken a seat. He lowered his head and continued eating.

"Boss, check, please."

A little while later, Yang Chu finished the food on his plate, drank a few sips of the shop's cheap tea, and sat quietly for another minute before getting up to pay.

"That'll be 170 dollars," said the young man working both the register and the tables, checking the receipt.

After paying, Yang Chu walked out of the noodle shop without hurry.

Outside, Un Chau Street was lit up for the evening, crowded with people moving in every direction.

Yang Chu didn't take a taxi or any other vehicle. He continued at an unhurried pace along Un Chau Street. Sham Shui Po Public Swimming Pool wasn't far from here, and after walking a little farther, he'd be back at Fish Head Xu's place.

After Yang Chu left Uncle Fang's Stir-fried Noodles, the alluring city woman also emerged from the shop. Watching him from a distance, she took a pack of women's cigarettes from her pocket and lit one with elegant composure.

Soon, several figures who looked like tourists out for a stroll appeared near the alley mouths and storefronts. They spread out in pairs and trios, blending into the crowd as they followed Yang Chu.

The alluring woman took a few elegant puffs, then flicked the half-smoked cigarette into a nearby street trash can. Only then did she stroll toward Yang Chu and the others.

After the woman left, Xu Xi, who had said he was leaving first, slowly emerged onto the street from another shop beside Uncle Fang's Stir-fried Noodles.

Looking at the bustling, noisy crowd flowing along Un Chau Street, Xu Xi seemed lost in thought. He stood still for a while, as if pondering, but in the end, he followed after them.