“Happiness” is a very magical experience.
When he took a bouquet of flowers from the flower shop, and then touched the soft, pure cotton baby clothes in the maternal and child products store across the street.
The sales assistant walked over to him, smiling, and asked, “Sir, are you buying clothes for the baby? I wonder if your wife and child came with you?”
He Qinghong silently shook his head, and after a while, answered, “Hasn’t been born yet.”
He added, “…Just pregnant.”
The sales assistant: “Then you must love your wife very much? You must be really looking forward to the birth of this child, that’s why you want to prepare clothes so early.”
The sales assistant began displaying the clothes hanging on the entire shelf, introducing him to fabrics, and also talking about seamless stitching, eco-friendly dyes, and other things he didn’t understand.
While checking out and bagging the items, she said to him, “Oh my, you bought flowers too. Your wife must be very happy.”
‘Happy?’
Would Xin Hexue feel happiness because of this bouquet of flowers?
He didn’t know.
But in that moment, He Qinghong thought of many simple scenes: green grass, sunlight, bubbles in the air…and an unprecedented feeling of lightness filled his heart.
‘So, is this what happiness is?’
Even though He Qinghong had always avoided and been wary of the word “family” before, now, he began to appreciate the beauty of this word.
He should take action and firmly grasp this happiness and possess it.
He had to return to the organization’s headquarters and talk to the second-in-command who currently held power.
But before that, to demonstrate that he had sufficient bargaining chips, he had to maintain his image of an assured winner.
Today’s injury was a slip-up.
He couldn’t go there with this injury. Those people would think he had a vulnerable point. Even if his mission completion rate was still one hundred percent, a Number Nine with a weakness would have significantly less say.
He had to bandage the wound first and conceal everything properly.
“Are you injured?”
When he was hiding in the corner of the bathroom dealing with soiled clothes, Xin Hexue directly walked in and looked at him with concern in his eyes.
He Qinghong was sitting on a low stool, his tall, slender frame confined in the small space. In front of him was a wooden basin filled with water.
The shirt waiting to be washed was soaked, and there was a patch of dull, dark red.
On hearing Xin Hexue’s question, he averted his gaze for a moment. “…Mmm.”
Xin Hexue then asked, “What happened?”
He explained without any change in expression, “Near the bus stop, someone was maliciously injuring people with a knife.”
He Qinghong: “I acted bravely for a just cause.”
He usually wore a thick, indifferent mask, and his expression had no fluctuations, making it impossible to tell if he was lying or telling the truth.
He Qinghong intentionally controlled his breathing to a steady frequency.
He was led by Xin Hexue to sit on the edge of the bed, his hands still wet from the unfinished washing.
“Is it okay if I see?” Xin Hexue’s brows and eyes were lowered, looking very worried. “Is it serious?”
“No,” He Qinghong emphasized, “It’s nothing major.”
For some reason, he didn’t like seeing Xin Hexue show that somewhat sad expression.
“Did you apply medicine?” Xin Hexue asked.
He Qinghong had no choice but to take off his short and let Xin Hexue check the injury. “I bandaged it in the afternoon. I haven’t changed the dressing tonight yet.”
After all, it was an industry where one walked a tightrope with their life, He Qinghong was skilled at handling various sudden emergencies. Although, before today, he hadn’t been injured on a mission for several years.
But there was no doubt that thanks to previous repeated training, his actions for treating injuries were now ingrained into instinct.
The reason was that when injured, one couldn’t expect a killer to walk into a hospital for help. They could only handle it themselves or get help from people in the organization. So there was no choice but to learn the relevant skills.
After cleaning the wound, stopping the bleeding, and bandaging it, he had gone to the clinic in the Walled City on his way back to get a tetanus antitoxin injection.
So, it seemed fine.
He Qinghong raised his hand to stop Xin Hexue from unwrapping the bandage to look. “I’m fine. The wound looks a bit scary.”
He tried to dissuade Xin Hexue, but the young man insisted on looking. “The more you act like this, the more worried I become…”
His fluttering eyelashes cast small, light shadows under the lamp.
He Qinghong couldn’t help but compromise. “…Alright, look.”
The bandage was removed, and the gauze was unwrapped.
Xin Hexue narrowed his eyes slightly. It didn’t look like a knife wound.
It looked like some kind of firearm injury.
He Qinghong definitely had problems.
But he didn’t find any firearms during his search of this house.
Where did He Qinghong hide those things?
He re-bandaged the wound absentmindedly.
Suddenly, Xin Hexue noticed the tattoo on He Qinghong’s side and back.
His exposed back muscles flowed with smooth, powerful lines that were taut from the shoulder blades to the spine, like a bow ready to fire.
A black tattoo spread out on the left side of his back. It was hard to describe what it was…radial, with serrated edges, like a splash of ink sprayed by an octopus.
If one’s gaze lingered on it for too long, it felt like experiencing motion sickness, and there was a strange, uncomfortable urge to vomit churning inside.
Xin Hexue reached out and touched the man’s skin.
Suddenly, his vision spun; He Qinghong had pinned him down on the bed.
“Have you seen enough?” He Qinghong’s face was cold, his hands braced on either side of Xin Hexue in an imposing manner. But upon closer look, the roots of his ears were somewhat deep red, and his voice was hoarse. “Show some respect for me too, as an adult male…”
An adult male who couldn’t withstand provocation.
Xin Hexue was slightly surprised, and realized the abnormality.
A soft smile spread on his lips, and his ankle lifted, brushing against the inside of He Qinghong’s calf with a feather-like touch.
Xin Hexue said softly, “The doctor advised against sexual activity in the early stages of pregnancy… Can you wait a bit longer?”
His black hair spread out on the dark blue sheets like seaweed, reminiscent of a mermaid luring sailors in the deep seas.
He Qinghong’s Adam’s apple rolled.
He abruptly pushed himself up with his elbows, grabbed his shirt, and fled into the bathroom.
……
He Qinghong stayed home to recuperate for two days. Xin Hexue was also happy to have him at home, since someone was cooking for him and doing the cleaning.
The man’s recovery ability was astonishing; after two days, he was already mostly better.
So, he found an excuse to go out again one morning, leaving only a sticky note and a few large-denomination bills under it.
“Out. Return date uncertain.”
Xin Hexue unceremoniously took the bills and went to eat at a restaurant outside.
The time for his regular prenatal check-up arrived.
But when he went, Gu Mifeng happened to be out. The assistant came out from the inner room and asked him to wait for a while.
“Today is Monday. Teacher Gu went out to sign orders and purchase medicine,” the assistant glanced at the clock on the wall. “It’s past lunch hour now, so he should be back soon.”
“Please wait for a bit.”
The assistant handed him a cup of warm water.
“Thank you.”
The assistant busied himself moving files, stealing several glances at Xin Hexue as if he wanted to talk to him but didn’t know what to say. In the end, he sighed and carried the things into the storage room to organize.
Xin Hexue sat on the chair in the waiting area, bored. The several boxes piled in the corner soon caught his attention.
He glanced towards the corridor. The lighting wasn’t great; the corridor was dim with only one light on. Faint noises of the assistant organizing shelves came from the storage room.
At this hour, no patients were coming.
The conditions were ripe; it was safe.
Xin Hexue lifted the cardboard lid off the top of the box.
The dust was quite thick, perhaps it hadn’t been opened for a year or two, or even longer.
Xin Hexue waved away the flying dust and squinted his eyes to see the heading clearly.
[Eric Comprehensive Clinic Patient Files.
Clinic Address: 23, First Lane, Xishui Road, Nanwan Walled City, North Island City.]
It was the address of the current clinic.
— “They’re all the account books and patient records left by the previous doctor.” The assistant had once complained about the waste paper taking up space without being recycled.
Xin Hexue flipped through them; they were truly stored in a disorganized mess. Various receipts, bills, IOUs, utility payment reminders, examination reports…
All were stuffed into different patient files.
Amidst the chaotic, disordered text, Xin Hexue caught two important words:
Tan E.
He pulled out the file, cautiously lifted his eyelids to glance at the corridor, and then quickly opened the first page.
The attached prenatal examination report fluttered to the ground.
Xin Hexue scanned the first page rapidly.
[Patient Name: Tan E.
Visit Time: November 3, 1988.
Chief Complaint: Nervousness, anxiety, palpitations, sweating, etc., lasting two weeks, accompanied by insomnia and poor concentration.
Preliminary Diagnosis: Neurosis, Panic Disorder.
Management Suggestions: 1. Pharmacotherapy, 2. Hypnosis.]
The timeline from two years ago and the pregnancy all matched.
Tan E was Teacher Annie.
Xin Hexue picked up the prenatal report that had fallen on the ground and stuffed it, along with this file, into his bag.
Then he placed the box back in its original position, disguising it as if no one had looked through it.
He sat on the chair, his hands braced on either side as he swung his calves lightly out of boredom.
Turning his head again, he found that the fashionable doctor with permed hair and a floral shirt had returned, carrying a briefcase in his left hand and taking off his sunglasses with his right. He smiled and asked, “How have you been recently? Is the child bothering you?”
His tone was somewhat strange.
It sounded like a husband returning from a long trip.
Xin Hexue smiled slightly. “No. He Qinghong has been taking very good care of me.”
Gu Mifeng’s wide, toothy grin disappeared.
………
Xin Hexue’s body was the slender and lean type, with skin so fair it could be called pale. There was almost no excess fat anywhere on his body, only a thin layer of smooth muscle covering him.
Because he had some slight muscle definition, he wasn’t bony to the touch, but rather very supple and soft.
But since becoming pregnant, the muscle definition on his waist and abdomen had faded.
In other words, his abdominal muscles were gone.
The narrow lines of his obliques extended along his waist, and his abdomen now felt slightly rounded and soft to the touch, like a kitten’s primordial pouch.
Moreover, Xin Hexue had developed a strange feeling.
He actually felt a sense of protectiveness towards the little monster in his belly.
Xin Hexue slowly stroked his abdomen through the pure cotton examination gown.
He got off the examination bed and told Gu Mifeng about the abnormality.
“Sometimes I feel like I can hear its heartbeat, overlapping with mine…”
It was like a wondrous connection of life.
It shared a heartbeat with him.
Gu Mifeng tore off the condom from the probe and threw it into the medical waste bin.
After discovering Xin Hexue’s name on the guest list for this dungeon, Gu Mifeng had gone to the convenience store to buy condoms. He never imagined they would ultimately be used on medical equipment to prevent cross-contamination.
He sighed.
Returning to the previous topic, Gu Mifeng explained to Xin Hexue, “The human brain is very amazing. During pregnancy, the posterior pituitary secretes a hormone called oxytocin, which can stimulate maternal instincts. This is probably the source of the change in your feelings now.”
“There are many effects of this hormone, such as promoting uterine contractions during childbirth, helping with milk ejection during breastfeeding…”
When he reached this point, both of them finally realized a major problem and looked at each other in silence.
Xin Hexue looked up at him, and Gu Mifeng continued dryly.
“Generally speaking, during pregnancy, the level of prolactin secreted by the anterior pituitary does significantly increase.”
“However, the thing in your belly cannot be judged by existing medical knowledge and common sense after all,” Gu Mifeng’s gaze swept over him, “Um… so it probably won’t happen.”
Xin Hexue said expressionlessly, “You guarantee it.”
Gu Mifeng bared his big white teeth in a smile again. “If you have any pregnancy-related troubles, I am at your service wholeheartedly.”
“I can close the clinic and become your private doctor.”
He said solemnly, “Free of charge.”
Xin Hexue ignored him. He went to change out of the examination gown, put his original set of clothes back on, and confirmed that the file documents in his pocket were still there.
With a calm expression, he walked from the inside out.
But then he saw the assistant rushing in. “What is this?! Who is so bored as to secretly take photos and even mail them here!”
“Teacher Xin, did you offend someone?”
Xin Hexue took the opened letter from him, and the photos inside spilled all over the floor.
There were scenes from the day he and Zhou Liao moved into the Walled City…
Him entering He Qinghong’s house, him confronting Yu Xingzhou on the stairs…
Due to the special angles, the close proximity of the people, and the dim lighting, these photos indeed looked extremely ambiguous.
Besides that, there was also a piece of paper with only one line of content, word by word, seemingly cut out from newspapers and then rearranged and pasted together, finally forming a title reminiscent of entertainment magazine headlines:
[Wife’s Affair Exposed, Delicate Wife Secretly Feasts on Double Barreled Delight! Neighbor Hunk + 18-Year-Old Fresh Meat Both Succumb, Boudoir Secrets Revealed! Shocking Love Triangle Scandal!]
Xin Hexue looked outside.
On the street outside the clinic, it was obvious that various shops had received identical letters.
“It’s too much!” the assistant cried out in protest.
“Who is so lacking in virtue?”
“It’s really too much!”
Gu Mifeng complained.
“Why didn’t I appear in them?”
