Lin Fengzhi's eyes gradually widened. He broke into a run toward the other side. "You guys go ahead!"
Pushing against the flow of people, Lin Fengzhi was frantic, repeating, "Sorry, please let me through. Sorry..."
Yan Heqing watched Lin Fengzhi stride toward him. Lin Fengzhi's fair, delicate face was full of anxiety and surprise.
Yan Heqing clenched his fingers.
Closer and closer.
In the last second before the light turned red, Lin Fengzhi managed to reach him.
For the first time, Yan Heqing heard Lin Fengzhi's voice as he let out a very soft, relieved breath.
Then he brushed past Yan Heqing's arm.
The next second, Lin Fengzhi's gentle voice came from behind him. "Kitty, don't run across the road. It's dangerous."
There was the sound of packaging being torn open. "You're so dirty. After you finish eating, shall I take you for a bath?"
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lin Fengzhi crouching beside a snowbank, gently stroking the stray cat's head with his right hand. His left palm held a pile of freeze-dried treats, which the stray cat ate in silence.
Lin Fengzhi always kept freeze-dried cat treats in his pocket.
A tiny packet cost several hundred yuan.
Lin Fengzhi waited until the stray cat finished eating, then carefully picked it up and sheltered it with his scarf.
"Don't be scared, don't be scared. We'll be there soon."
Speaking tenderly to the cat, Lin Fengzhi brushed past Yan Heqing again and headed to the other side.
Yan Heqing stopped looking at him.
He withdrew his gaze and looked down at his palm, reddened by his nails.
For one fleeting moment, he had hoped Lin Fengzhi had recognized him.
Even if he had lost his memories, would he hesitate, just a little, at the resemblance between their features?
The answer was no.
Yan Heqing turned and walked away in the opposite direction from Lin Fengzhi.
Yan Heqing continued straight down the road and soon arrived at a shopping plaza.
The Christmas atmosphere was strong, and plenty of people were out shopping.
Yan Heqing took out his phone and searched for nearby bookstores. There was only one. Following the map, he turned left and entered the mall.
The mall was heated, and warm air greeted him. Yan Heqing took the escalator to the second floor, then walked about a hundred meters to the right and reached Falling Paper and Book Fragrance.
Compared with the other bustling shops, the bookstore had noticeably fewer customers.
Yan Heqing walked inside. The tall bookshelves and occasional sound of pages turning left him feeling very peaceful.
He slowly searched along the shelves for the book he wanted and soon found it-
Notes on Fishing and Hunting.
It was a work by the Russian writer Aksakov, written during the golden age of nineteenth-century Russian literature.
No one was in this row of shelves. Yan Heqing stopped, leaned his back lightly against a shelf, and lowered his head to open the book and read quietly.
"Mr. Lu, we're here." The driver pulled over to the curb and turned to report.
Lu Lin opened the door and got out. "Don't wait for me. You can finish work."
"Yes," the driver replied.
Lu Lin closed the door. He was 189 centimeters tall and wore a classic black overcoat with a simple, close-fitting cut. As he walked toward the mall, passersby kept turning to look.
But his presence was so imposing that even the people handing out flyers dared not approach him.
He had just entered the mall when his pocket vibrated.
Lu Lin took out his phone. The call was from Xie Yunjie.
"Old Lu, come out for a drink tonight?"
Lu Lin stepped onto the escalator. "No time."
"Oh, come on, give yourself a break for Christmas," Xie Yunjie replied. "It's settled, then. The usual place at eight. Old Chu's coming too!"
Their usual place was Oxygen.
Xie Yunjie hung up immediately.
Lu Lin put away his phone and headed right when he reached the second floor.
Turning a page, Yan Heqing came across a passage he really liked.
[A true fisherman must be energetic and highly active.
He must rise early, often before dawn; endure the midday heat or damp, cold weather; concentrate while fishing; and find favorable terrain, which requires frequent trips by boat and repeated attempts.
This is not something a lazy person can accomplish.]
Through the staggered gaps between the bookshelves, a figure stopped behind Yan Heqing.
Lu Lin took out Biographies of Fishing Tackle and stood quietly reading.
Rustle.
The occasional soft sound of a page turning.
It flowed through the tranquil space.
Yan Heqing remained absorbed in his book until his vibrating phone roused him.
He took out his phone.
It was the manager of Oxygen.
Yan Heqing declined the call and sent a message: [I'm in a bookstore and can't take calls. Is something the matter?]
The manager replied: [The bar's holding an event tonight. Triple pay.]
The manager knew Yan Heqing was very short of money.
Yan Heqing closed the book and turned it over to check the price. Forty-eight yuan.
After considering for three seconds, he replied: [All right.]
He took the book to the checkout counter.
Employees could eat the food left over from the previous night at the bar for free.
Yan Heqing went to the bar for dinner.
After eating, he changed into his work clothes. The order had already been printed: private room 202, one Negroni, one Godfather, and one Old Fashioned.
Xie Yunjie had reserved room 202 exclusively. It was only opened when he or his friends came.
Xie Yunjie liked Old Fashioneds, and Chu Ziyu liked Godfathers. The Negroni was... Lu Lin's?
Yan Heqing glanced discreetly toward the second floor. The curtains were drawn, so he could not see inside.
Yan Heqing calmly mixed the drinks.
At the bar, a man kept teasing Yan Heqing. He was a regular, a second-generation rich kid from a moderately wealthy family, and had been pestering Yan Heqing for nearly half a month.
The man leaned against the bar, his shirtsleeves rolled up to his forearms, which rested on the counter. Once again, he asked Yan Heqing to come to his table. "Xiao Yan, it's my friend's birthday today. Do me a favor and have a drink at our table."
Yan Heqing could not hold his liquor very well. The man had asked a bartender he knew and learned that half a glass of a newly mixed cocktail was enough to leave Yan Heqing dazed.
The man was determined to get Yan Heqing to drink today. He had thought of countless ways to do it and would pester him until he agreed.
To his surprise, Yan Heqing set down the hot towel. "All right."