Bring Them All Back

"Wait!"

Cen Xia raised a hand to stop him, and an idea came to him.

"I have an accomplice... no, a companion. He's in 806. Can I go tell him? If not, you can arrest him and bring him here."

If one road was blocked, there were others. As long as the two of them met in 806, it didn't matter how.

He really didn't care how it happened, but after waiting in 806 for ages, Lu Mian ended up with not only his companion but also the title of "accomplice."

"What on earth did you do?" As Lu Mian was led toward 808, his listless eyes widened a little in surprise. The colorful phoenix shook out its tail feathers, looking gorgeous.

"I offended a superior," Cen Xia said indifferently, then reassured him, "We're both students. They'll probably let us go after a few questions."

Wen Xingzhou, walking a step behind them, laughed. "What school are you two from?"

This time, Cen Xia answered honestly, not daring to talk back to him again. "Kanlitel."

Wen Xingzhou raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Oh, that's a good school."

Sure is. Your alma mater, Cen Xia thought absentmindedly.

"What about Lu Xiao's performance?" Lu Mian turned to look at him.

"...Fuck, aren't we screwed?!"

He'd forgotten all about it.

When they entered 808, Cen Xia and Lu Mian, still worrying about how to explain things to Lu Xiao, both froze.

Lu Xiao had been looking dejected, but the moment she saw them, her face lit up with a smile.

"You two are here too? They work that fast?"

Cen Xia cried out, "Why are you here?!"

Lu Mian didn't want to say a word. Tonight felt especially surreal, like a dream.

Perhaps he'd never actually woken up from his nap that afternoon?

Wen Xingzhou walked in and frowned at the unexpected sight of Lu Xiao in the private room. "Why is she here? Weren't you supposed to keep an eye on her?"

Liu Yang, who had been responsible for her, scratched his head awkwardly. "She said she needed the bathroom, swiped a phone, and sent her brother details of today's operation."

An older man beside him gave him a hard smack on the head. "You can't even handle something this simple! Looks like you want to write a self-criticism!"

Liu Yang wore a mournful expression but didn't dare speak.

Wen Xingzhou's brows knitted tightly. "Where's her brother? Find him and have him sign a confidentiality agreement."

Lu Xiao obediently raised her hand. "Sir, my brother is right next to you."

"..."

Seeing the stunned expressions on the faces around him, Cen Xia thought for a moment and added, "We're all here."

Wen Xingzhou said, "You're her brother?"

"No, I'm her brother's classmate."

At that answer, Lu Mian glanced at him.

Wen Xingzhou turned his gaze to Lu Mian. "You're her brother?"

Though he didn't want to admit it, Lu Mian nodded, since the two of them really were on the same household register.

"Bring them all back."

At Wen Xingzhou's command, Cen Xia and the others were taken to the police station along with the suspect.

Lu Xiao sat on a bench, swinging her feet excitedly. "It's my first time at a police station!"

"Whose isn't it?" Cen Xia looked up at the ceiling. Who could have imagined things would end up like this?

Lu Xiao, a helpful member of the public, had cooperated with the authorities on a case, which should have been a good thing. But who knew how the girl's brain worked? She'd insisted on stealing a phone to contact the two of them, and she'd even planned to go onstage and perform. Her urge to share and her nerve were a bit much.

And now look: all three of them had ended up at the station.

Lu Mian had been taken in for questioning, and Cen Xia would be next.

Within a few minutes, Lu Mian came out with a policewoman.

Cen Xia exchanged a glance with him and was led away.

A young policeman questioned him, then handed him a confidentiality agreement to sign afterward.

After signing it, he went back to sit on the bench.

Lu Xiao's performance had fallen through, but she wasn't sad at all. She thought tonight had been more exciting than performing onstage.

Her eyes shone. "Brother, what would you think if I became a police officer someday?"

Lu Mian kept his eyes closed, his voice lazy. "Not much."

"Can you stop discouraging me? You should encourage me, support me, and tell me that if I become a police officer someday, I'll definitely be able to fight crime!"

Cen Xia happened to return just in time to hear her and chimed in supportively, "You'd definitely look cool in a police uniform."

Lu Xiao was delighted. "I think so too."

Before she could bask in it for more than a few minutes, Lu Mian spoke. "Your grades aren't good enough to become a police officer, and you're the wrong species to be a police dog."

Lu Xiao said, "..."

She said calmly, "Brother, you're going to be single for the rest of your life."

Lu Mian paid her no mind.

Just then, Wen Xingzhou came out of the interrogation room, walking rather quickly. He paused as he passed the three of them and asked in puzzlement, "Why are you still here?"

At that moment, the policewoman checking their identity information finished and walked over.

"The check is complete. You can go now."

Wen Xingzhou glanced down at his watch. "I'll drive you back."

It was nine at night, and his conscience wouldn't let him send three first-year high school students home alone... or perhaps together.

Lu Mian and Lu Xiao sat in the back, while Cen Xia got into the passenger seat. He had just fastened his seat belt when Lu Xiao leaned forward from behind him. "Cen Xia, are you going back to school tonight? Stay at my place for another night."

Hearing that, Wen Xingzhou glanced at the two of them. "Dating young is fine, but know your limits."

"..."

"You've got the wrong idea. Cen Xia and I aren't like that," Lu Xiao denied with a grin. "He likes my brother."

"..."

Lu Mian, who had closed his eyes to rest as soon as he got in the car, opened them and pulled Lu Xiao back.

Now it was Cen Xia's turn to close his eyes, his heart cold as dead ashes.

Wen Xingzhou looked at Cen Xia, then at Lu Mian.

"So where exactly am I taking you?"

Lu Mian said, "The residential complex we mentioned just now."

Cen Xia closed his eyes and thought, Whatever.

The plot's already fallen apart anyway. What's a little more chaos?

When they reached the residential complex, the three got out one after another.

Cen Xia thanked Wen Xingzhou through the car window, and Lu Xiao waved and thanked him from behind.

Lu Mian's eyelids drooped halfway, and he looked listless.

Back at the Lu home, Lu Xiao went into her room to call her bandmates, while Lu Mian flopped onto the sofa, looking drained.

Cen Xia hadn't showered in two days. He told Lu Mian and went into the bathroom.

The sound of running water soon began.

Lu Mian opened his eyes and went into the bedroom to find clothes for him.

Just as the water stopped, someone knocked on the bathroom door.

Cen Xia opened it a crack, and a hand holding clothes reached inside.

Taking the clothes, Cen Xia praised Lu Mian inwardly for being thoughtful and noticing what needed doing without being asked.

He unfolded the clothes in his hands. They were probably Lu Mian's old clothes: a loose short-sleeved shirt and a pair of black shorts, just right for pajamas.

After changing and going out, he found Lu Mian sitting on the sofa on the phone. This time, he didn't avoid him either.

It was the first time Cen Xia had heard Lu Mian's voice sound so gentle. "I know. I'll visit you at the hospital tomorrow."

Whatever the person on the other end said, a helpless look appeared on Lu Mian's face. "Grandma, I'm doing well at school. I've made lots of friends, really..."

Grandma? Is Lu Mian talking to Grandma Lu, who adopted him?

But...

Hadn't Grandma Lu already passed away?

Before the He Family found Lu Mian, she'd died of a heart condition...

As if struck over the head with a club, Cen Xia felt the questions that had puzzled him all this time vanish like smoke and clouds. His thoughts had never been so clear.

Why did Lu Mian work part-time at night? To scrape together money for medical expenses.

The plot fell into place at that moment.

Because Lu Xiao was no longer rebellious, Grandma hadn't suffered an attack from worrying about her and died at home without anyone finding her.

And Lu Xiao hadn't been drugged, become addicted, or ruined her life.

Both their fates had changed.