Bad Child

A rainless summer night.

The occasional chirp of insects sounded like human moans.

Fang Xian had done a little homework this time. He and He Qi walked along the riverbank, one behind the other.

"The waterways around Thousand-Mountain Lake are dense. Supposedly, they connect to tributaries of several other famous rivers in the region."

Looking at a screenshot on his phone, Fang Xian said, "Before the turn of the millennium, people around here apparently still had a custom of throwing corpses into the river. Come to think of it, with such a rich food supply, it's no wonder the fish here grew so big."

He Qi pushed down his fear.

Now they were in his area of expertise. He studied the lake, looking for a good place to cast.

He had no particular need to catch a fish king that measured 1.7 meters.

But catching a few big fish and parading them around town was every angler's dream.

"Chirp, chirp."

Perched on Fang Xian's shoulder, Xiao Jiu gently tapped his cheek.

She was telling him to look ahead.

The lake's surface rippled.

Something seemed to sway beneath the water.

Is that the Human-Faced Fish?

Fang Xian wasn't sure.

But He Qi had already spotted it, and excitement flashed in his eyes.

Time to get started!

"Fang Xian, I think I saw it!"

"Just watch what I do next."

"Help me with the landing net in a minute."

He Qi brimmed with confidence.

I really did bring the right person, Fang Xian thought. He Qi, you belong in the fishing scene, not the dating scene.

As He Qi cast his line, Fang Xian felt that sense of being watched again.

No...

That feeling had never gone away.

It was as though someone stood in the shadows, staring at him with eyes full of malice.

"It's too dark around here. I can't see a thing."

Fang Xian glanced around from the corner of his eye.

But he found nothing.

"Damn, I'm going to find somewhere to take a leak."

Fang Xian spoke up suddenly.

He Qi was so focused he didn't even turn around.

Fang Xian nodded and headed farther along the riverbank, pretending he urgently needed to pee.

In the blink of an eye, he disappeared into the darkness.

"Chirp."

Seeing what Fang Xian was doing, Xiao Jiu, whom he had already trained, naturally covered her eyes and chirped. She was probably saying she couldn't see anything now.

"You can stop covering them."

Fang Xian lowered his voice. "I'm not going to pee, Xiao Jiu."

Fang Xian hid nearby and watched He Qi.

Of course he couldn't go far.

The Human-Faced Fish was lurking in these waters. It would be far too irresponsible to lure the prince of fishing here and then leave him without backup.

From this spot, he could watch without being too far away.

It was just right.

"Holy shit!"

"I've got a bite!"

Up ahead.

He Qi felt a heavy weight in his hands.

He hauled up on his rod.

The entire rod bent double.

Fang Xian's eyes sharpened.

Is it the Human-Faced Fish?

He Qi's face flushed with excitement as he kept reeling in.

This feeling!?

"A big one! Fang Xian never lies!"

"It really is huge!"

He Qi leaned so far over he was almost tipping sideways, but he knew what he was doing and how to conserve his strength.

The line kept coming in.

He Qi was already reaching for the landing net with his left hand.

At that moment.

Fang Xian saw a small figure approaching He Qi.

Huh?

What's that?

Is that a person?

Without another word, Fang Xian charged out of the trees with the Fire Axe in hand, not even taking time to pull up his pants.

"Buddy! I'm coming to help!"

Fang Xian's voice rang out through the dark at Changzhao Reservoir.

He Qi was so thrilled he could barely contain himself. "Come on!"

A clear voice rang out.

"Big brother, I'll help too!"

The line held taut!

The net swept in!

"Got it!"

He Qi gazed excitedly at the fish in the landing net.

It wasn't as big as Fang Xian had said, but it had to weigh at least twenty pounds!

That definitely counted as a big fish.

Only then did He Qi realize why the second half of the struggle had felt a little easier: someone had been helping him.

Not Fang Xian?

He Qi froze.

Fang Xian hurried over with the Fire Axe. He Qi turned and discovered that the one who had helped him was a child.

The boy looked about twelve or thirteen. He wore a black baseball cap and a T-shirt, and his pale skin gave him a gloomy look, especially in the dark.

"Thanks for the help, kid."

He Qi smiled at him.

"No problem."

The boy's voice was young and clear. "I help my dad net fish all the time."

The boy ate a snack as he studied the fish He Qi had caught.

"Holy shit, that fish is huge!!"

The exaggerated shout rang out.

Fang Xian approached quickly, still holding the Fire Axe.

The boy in the baseball cap instinctively took a step back.

He Qi, on the other hand, had already gotten used to the sight. He eagerly showed Fang Xian his catch.

"See? I told you you could do it!"

"Fishing is just like chasing girls."

"You have to stay calm and put up with the loneliness. Most importantly..."

Fang Xian raised a finger and wagged it. "You have to make your move in the right place."

He Qi thought that made perfect sense. He was so excited he practically trembled.

Only then did Fang Xian seem to notice the boy who had helped He Qi with the net. "Hey, kid, what are you doing up this late watching people fish?"

"Where's your family?"

The boy answered in a bright voice. "I live in that town over there. My dad usually fishes upstream, and I wander around."

"I saw this big brother was about to run out of strength, so I came over to help him."

"Tomorrow's Sunday, so I don't have school! My dad said I could!"

Fang Xian nodded. "I see."

He Qi had taken a liking to the boy. "Fang Xian, this kid helped me with the net just now."

Fang Xian gave a thumbs-up. "Yeah, nice work!"

The boy took a long look at the Fire Axe in Fang Xian's hand, then slowly forced a smile. "Well, if there's nothing else, I'll be going?"

Before Fang Xian could even answer, the boy hurried off. It looked more like he was fleeing.

"Fang Xian, do you think you might've scared the kid?"

He Qi asked.

Fang Xian shrugged. "Who knows? Only girls can see my charm."

"Chirp."

Xiao Jiu gave a chirp of agreement.

He Qi eagerly began taking photos of the fish he had caught.

Fang Xian, meanwhile, gazed thoughtfully in the direction the boy had gone.

First.

Fang Xian had seen the boy before.

He was the quiet boy from the bus to Changzhao Reservoir.

Second.

Had the boy really come to help He Qi?

From Fang Xian's angle.

What the boy had done earlier.

Had looked less like an attempt to help He Qi.

And more like an attempt to push him off the riverbank!

"Kids these days are pretty decent."

"Though staying out this late isn't great."

He Qi muttered.

Fang Xian narrowed his eyes.

Human-Faced Fish. Bad Child.

"Interesting."

"He Qi, keep fishing!"

Fang Xian called out.

He could already tell: tonight was going to be one hell of a night for strange tales.