Camel

The world finally fell quiet. Cheng Yue and Zhao Li exchanged a glance and suddenly burst out laughing.

"Finally, some peace."

Zhao Li had never been very expressive, but at those words, a faint smile made a rare appearance on his usually stern face.

The Labrador had been well cared for. Even after its owner left, it showed no anxiety and obediently stayed beside Cheng Yue.

"Huh? Captain, weren't you on the early shift?"

The property management department held its regular morning meeting on Mondays, and every department head had to attend. As captain of the security team, Zhao Li naturally had to be there too.

"Wu Haifeng had something to take care of. I'm covering his shift."

In other words, he had already spent an entire day at work.

Cheng Yue glanced sideways at him. There wasn't the slightest trace of fatigue in his calm, steady features.

No wonder he was the captain. They were both young men, but Cheng Yue needed three days to recover from one sleepless night, while Zhao Li looked completely unaffected.

The weather had grown hot, and nobody could stand staying indoors anymore. The Labrador lay obediently on the floor, panting.

Cheng Yue dug a plastic takeout bowl out of a corner, filled it with some water, and set it in front of the dog, giving its head a pat as he did.

Several security guards had gathered outside the break room, smoking and chatting. When Cheng Yue came over, Zhao Li held out his pack of cigarettes.

Cheng Yue had intended to refuse, but after a moment's thought, he took one. He wasn't addicted to smoking and normally never touched cigarettes. He only lit one when he was upset or too tired after staying up all night, to shake off the fatigue.

There was actually a funny reason behind that. He had read somewhere that heavy smokers had terrible breath, which could affect the experience of kissing them.

Cheng Yue used to smoke a cigarette or two every few days, but after hearing that, he hadn't bothered checking whether it was true. Without another word, he dumped his entire stash at home on Qi Su. Qi Su was so delighted that he thought the kid had finally grown up and learned to give his big brother gifts.

Cheng Yue said, "...Do you want them or not? If you don't, give them back!"

Qi Su might not have been a mythical beast that swallowed treasure without ever letting it out, but he came close. Once something entered his pocket, there was no reason to take it back out, especially when the cigarettes were pretty good.

A rich cocoa aroma drifted around Cheng Yue's nose with the smoke, while the strong tar content lingered in his mouth. His brows drew together almost imperceptibly.

"What brand is this?"

A few English letters were printed near the top of the white cigarette. Cheng Yue lowered his head to make them out under the streetlight.

"Camel."

Cheng Yue suddenly froze.

The name sounded so familiar. He seemed to have heard it somewhere before.

The cigarette in his hand burned in the breeze, scattered flakes of ash swaying as they fell.

[Camel is pretty good, but Black Stone Forest suits your tastes better.]

The memory jolted awake. Cheng Yue pulled out his phone, opened a chat, and quickly scrolled upward.

He had an easygoing personality, but only a handful of people came and went in his life. They rarely contacted one another unless something came up, so he seldom deleted his chat history.

Sure enough, a few seconds later, Cheng Yue found the original message in full.

Noticing his odd expression, Zhao Li asked quietly, "What's wrong? Is there something off about the cigarette?"

Cheng Yue shook his head, his gaze still fixed on his phone. "No, it's pretty good."

In the end, the Camel cigarette he had taken only two drags from was forgotten. All that remained was a lonely butt on the ground, unnoticed.

At eight in the morning, Cheng Yue returned home, exhausted. He could usually snatch a little rest during a night shift, but the Labrador's owner had come back quite late the night before.

That had coincided with the second round of patrols. After all that running around, every trace of sleepiness had vanished, so he had simply gone to eat breakfast and kill time, planning to sleep once his shift ended and he got home.

He took a bottle of water from the fridge and drained it in one go. As he threw the bottle away, he suddenly caught sight of the insulated food container on the dining table.

Cheng Yue stopped mid-step.

It was the one he had taken to the hospital yesterday and brought back when he left.

His muddled thoughts suddenly returned to the previous night. He had found where that message came from, but how had Ji Huaijin known about Camel?

The kitchen window stood slightly open, and the morning breeze softly tapped against its frame. Cheng Yue leaned against the counter, his fingers tapping absently as his thoughts raced.

After an unknown stretch of time, something suddenly occurred to him. He picked up his phone and opened his own Moments feed.

At a casual glance, people's attention would settle on the beautifully presented food, but that didn't include an observer with eyes like a hawk.

His gaze was sharp and piercing. With a single look, he could keenly pick out anything in the picture that didn't quite belong.

Yet every one of those actions spoke of the observer's ulterior motives.

That instinctive urge to shut out a rival was, in fact, proof of attraction.

A sudden knock sounded at the hospital room door. The corners of Ji Huaijin's eyes curved, warmth rippling through his gaze, only to turn abruptly to surprise when he saw who had come.

"Uncle Bai?"

Zhao Jibai walked in at an unhurried pace, his expression composed and a gentle smile on his lips. "What's this? Were you waiting for someone?"

Once his initial surprise passed, Ji Huaijin regained his usual composure. He got out of the hospital bed and invited him over to the sitting area.

"What brings you here?"

Had Cheng Yue been there, he would have recognized the man sitting upright on the sofa in a crisp, dark jacket, his bearing gracious and dignified, as the refined gentleman he had met at the front desk yesterday.

"I came bearing an imperial decree from your youngest uncle."

There was no need to guess; Lin Shuyang surely had a hand in this. Ji Huaijin smiled helplessly. "It's just a minor illness, nothing worth mentioning. I'm sorry you had to come all this way."

Besides, after all these years, both men now held high positions, yet they still loved teasing each other just as they always had.

Zhao Jibai accepted the glass of water Ji Huaijin handed him and relaxed slightly against the sofa. In a teasing tone at odds with his age and status, he said, "What can I do? You're the one nephew your youngest uncle holds so dear."

If he didn't look after him, his friend would probably charge all the way over from Sucheng tomorrow.

Ji Huaijin said, "...Would you two please stop teasing me?"

The two men chatting easily in the room had similar bearings, but a closer look revealed that the one in the jacket, seemingly gentle and modest, carried the faint but unmistakable authority of someone in a high position.

Ji Huaijin, by contrast, had a cooler, more reserved air.

Zhao Jibai was a busy man. He had managed to spare half an hour only because this was the child he and Ji Fengyao had watched grow up, even though the age gap between them wasn't all that large.

"Remember to call me if anything comes up. Don't make my teacher or your youngest uncle worry."

The Ji Family had an upright family tradition and never confined its younger members to a tiny corner of the world. As long as they were willing to venture out, they were free to spread their wings.

Of his generation, Ji Huaijin was his grandfather's most beloved grandson and had grown up at his side. Upon learning that Ji Huaijin planned to pursue his future in Capital City, his grandfather had been sad for only one night. The next day, he had given him his full support to do what he wanted.

Thinking of the old man who loved him most, Ji Huaijin softened his tone and answered quietly.

"All right. I'll take good care of myself."

Reassured, Zhao Jibai patted his shoulder, then left the hospital with the subordinate who had been waiting outside the door.