Chapter 16 – Strange

This newly opened Western restaurant catered to young, trendy patrons with its Instagram-worthy decor. Ling Yang, a popular social media influencer, had been invited to promote the restaurant through her content.

After they settled into their seats, the staff quickly brought out the dishes they had prepared. The flavors didn’t quite suit Zhou Liao’s local C City palate, but he was only here to accompany Ling Yang anyway.

He sat patiently while Ling Yang arranged the dishes for photos. Just as he was about to ask if they could finally eat, she suddenly handed him her professional camera.

“Young Master Zhou, would you mind taking a photo of me?”

Zhou Liao glanced around. “The glass behind you is reflecting.”

“I’ll adjust.” Ling Yang scooted over slightly. “How about now?”

“Perfect.” Zhou Liao took the camera. He was no stranger to photographing women, but since they were all naturally beautiful, it was impossible to take an unflattering shot.

After he snapped a few shots, he handed the camera back to Ling Yang. She took it with a surprised smile. “You can tell Young Master Zhou has taken plenty of photos of girls before!”

“It’s just that you’re beautiful, Sis.”

Ling Yang covered her mouth and giggled softly at his flattery. Zhou Liao forked up a bite of creamy macaroni, but before he could swallow, his phone rang.

The caller ID displayed Bai Ling’s name, and both Zhou Liao and Ling Yang paused momentarily. Ling Yang, ever discreet, quickly averted her gaze.

“Hello.”

“Hey, Zhou Liao, are you at school?”

“No, what’s up?”

“…I made some desserts and brought them to the dorm, thinking you’d be there. I wanted to bring you some.” Bai Ling felt a pang of hurt at his cold tone. Ever since that day, Zhou Liao’s attitude toward her had abruptly changed.

She had wondered if her rejection had upset him, but then reminded herself that refusing him was her right. If Zhou Liao truly liked her, he should respect her decision.

Still, his recent coldness felt strange. Although they weren’t the kind of couple who spent every day together, Zhou Liao had always been affectionate toward her.

Whenever she considered confronting him about it, her countless roommates would warn her that this might just be a form of emotional manipulation, a way to pressure her into complying with his demands.

“Just eat them. I’m not there.”

“Are you out somewhere? I hear piano music, like in a Western restaurant.”

“Something like that.”

“Are you with Chen Xian and the others?” Bai Ling found it odd; places like that weren’t usually where groups of friends went.

“With other friends.” Zhou Liao glanced at Ling Yang, who was tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she ate with her eyes downcast. Growing impatient, he asked, “Is there anything else?”

“Nothing much, just wanted to see if you were around so I could bring you something. Have fun!”

Bai Ling rarely inquired about his personal life, which Zhou Liao appreciated most about her.

As soon as he hung up, Ling Yang smiled at him. “Girlfriend checking in?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Judging by your tone… you guys in a cold war?”

Zhou Liao propped his head up with one hand, a smirk playing on his lips. “What do you think, Sis?”

“I have no idea.” Ling Yang’s eyes darted playfully. “How did you two even get together? She doesn’t seem like your type.”

“How did we get together?” Zhou Liao cut a piece of steak, his mind filling with Qin Zhan’s face and those cold, damp eyes. “I wanted to see something different in that person’s gaze when they looked at me.”

Ling Yang paused. “Who?”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“That sounds like you have someone you like.” Ling Yang forced a casual laugh.

“Huh?” Zhou Liao didn’t understand what Ling Yang was implying. What did this have to do with liking someone?

“…You said you wanted that person to look at you with different eyes… Isn’t that love?”

Zhou Liao nearly vomited at the suggestion. He liked Qin Zhan? Only if someone had kicked him in the head. He wasn’t gay, and even if he were, he’d never be interested in that shady rat.

“Sister, you’re so funny.”

Realizing she’d misspoke, Ling Yang quickly changed the subject.

That evening, the two strolled along the riverbank. The surroundings were quiet, with only a few scattered residents passing by occasionally. Ling Yang looped her arm through Zhou Liao’s, and after a while, she tentatively leaned her head on his shoulder. Seeing no resistance, she grew bolder.

The scent of essential oils in her hair mingled with the river breeze, stirring Zhou Liao’s senses.

“It’s been ages since I’ve taken a walk like this,” Ling Yang murmured, her head still resting on his shoulder.

“No time usually?”

“Besides school, I’m busy with my social media stuff. Grad school keeps me pretty occupied too, so I’m really enjoying this,” Ling Yang said, lifting her head to meet his gaze. “What about you?”

“Same here, though my workload isn’t too bad. I can manage.”

Ling Yang shook her head, her beautiful eyes widening. “I meant… do you enjoy it?”

Zhou Liao turned his head to meet her gaze under the dim streetlight. After a moment, he lowered his head and kissed her lips.

“What do you think?”

Ling Yang, flustered by the sudden kiss, murmured, “I guess so.”

Zhou Liao murmured an indistinct “Mmm,” wrapping his arm tighter around Ling Yang’s waist as he deepened their kiss under the moonlight.

Just as their passion was reaching its peak, a piercing scream suddenly shattered the night’s tranquility, sending shivers down their spines. Zhou Liao frowned and took a few steps back, while Ling Yang, still disoriented, struggled to focus her gaze.

When she finally made out the dead bird on the ground, she recoiled with a shriek, clinging to Zhou Liao’s arm as they stumbled backward.

Zhou Liao scanned their surroundings. The area was deserted, save for an elderly couple strolling arm-in-arm in the distance.

“Why is there a dead bird here?” Ling Yang gasped, covering her mouth and avoiding looking at the blood seeping from the bird’s corpse.

“I don’t know. Looks like it was killed by someone,” Zhou Liao said, tilting his head back. The birds that had been perched on the branches overhead had all scattered. He crouched down to examine the bird’s body but avoided touching it, wary of getting his hands dirty. “It couldn’t have just gotten sick and fallen to its death.”

“But there’s no one else around…” Ling Yang’s fear grew with each word, making her afraid to even turn her back.

“Not necessarily,” Zhou Liao replied.

Ling Yang’s face turned deathly pale, the thrill of her earlier seduction completely overshadowed by fear.

Zhou Liao found the situation peculiar. Lacking any real knowledge of animals, the sound had struck him as distinctly human. Yet there was no one nearby. The night was too dark to be certain, but nothing could be more ominous than a dead bird at his feet, especially during such an intimate moment.

“Just kidding, don’t be nervous.” Zhou Liao could feel Ling Yang’s hand trembling as she gripped his arm, clearly unnerved by the darkness and their isolation. A smirk played on his lips as he turned to pull her closer, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “If I didn’t say that, how would you hold onto me so tightly?”

“You’re such a tease.”

Ling Yang’s tension eased slightly. She shot Zhou Liao a bashful glare, but couldn’t quite hide her lingering fear.

Zhou Liao kicked the bird onto the nearby lawn, then lit a cigarette. “I’m going to the bathroom. Wait here?”

“Alone?”

Zhou Liao grinned wickedly. “Or should we go together?”

Zhou Liao’s teasing had lifted Ling Yang’s spirits a little. She pushed off the concrete floor twice and turned around. “I’ll be waiting for you.”

The public restroom wasn’t far away. After Zhou Liao strolled over, cigarette in mouth, Ling Yang leaned against the riverbank and fiddled with her phone for a while. The night wind was chilly, and she was only wearing a white tank top beneath a beige blazer for her date.

A gust of wind made Ling Yang shiver slightly. After a moment, she heard the rustling of a plastic bag nearby. Turning around, she saw a tall, entirely black-clad figure crouching down, apparently picking up the dead bird.

She initially assumed it was a sanitation worker, but the person’s height and build suggested a young man, and it seemed odd for someone to be cleaning up at this hour. She couldn’t make out the person’s features; the hat brim was pulled so low that the figure seemed to blend almost seamlessly into the night.

Ling Yang initially paid little attention, until the figure stood up, plastic bag in hand. She glanced up again and saw that the person had clearly noticed her too, standing still and silently observing her for two or three seconds.

She swallowed nervously, tugging her casual blazer tighter at the collar to conceal the cleavage visible between her tank top straps, wrapping herself as tightly as possible. It wasn’t that she suspected the man intended any harm, but his gaze was terrifying—like a cold, impassive surgeon looking down from above an operating table, his dark, inscrutable eyes almost slicing her apart layer by layer.

Afraid of encountering a lunatic, Ling Yang reached for her phone to call Zhou Liao, but then she saw the man pull his hat down again and hurry toward the restroom with his plastic bag, no longer appearing threatening.

Zhou Liao had finished his cigarette in the restroom. Standing at the sink, he had just washed his hands, still holding the phone to his ear with one shoulder. Chen Xian was calling to ask about his evening plans. But as soon as he turned off the tap and looked up, he was startled by a figure reflected in the mirror, his heart skipping a beat.

The person was dressed strangely, carrying a plastic bag. For a split second, Zhou Liao wondered if it was some kind of celebrity—the mask and hat made it almost impossible to see the person’s face or eyes, but the height and build felt strangely familiar.

“Hey, why aren’t you saying anything?”

“Nothing.”

“Are you with Ling Yang?”

“She’s waiting outside for me.”

“Have you broken up with Bai Ling yet?”

“Not yet. I’ll wait until I sleep with this one first.” Zhou Liao watched in the mirror as the other man opened the bathroom door.

“Oh, what are you doing next Friday night? Brother Long is back in the country and wants to treat us to dinner. He asked me to remind you, the busy man you are.”

“I’ll probably head to the cemetery after class on Friday. It’s Grandpa’s death anniversary. The others can’t make it, so they insist I go every year. I’ll likely be late.”

“Want me to come with you?”

“No need. I’ll just buy a few bouquets, leave them there, and go.”

The cemetery was a bit of a drive, being far from the city center, but Zhou Liao had no real intention of paying his respects to anyone.

“Alright, I’ll let him know you’re going. He said you changed your number without telling him.”

“I forgot. He’s been overseas for so long and hasn’t come back.”

Zhou Liao shook the water off his hands and retrieved his phone. After hanging up, he deliberately lingered around the corner of the bathroom, trying to see if the person he sensed was following him would emerge. He hadn’t heard any water running or any other sounds from inside.

But a full minute passed, and no one came out. His suspicions eased slightly.

It wasn’t until Ling Yang sent a message urging him to hurry that he finally tiptoed out. After returning, Zhou Liao noticed with a sharp sense of unease that the bird he had kicked aside earlier was gone.

“Oh, someone picked it up in a bag just now,” Ling Yang said.

“Picked it up?”

“Yeah, a person dressed all in black. Looked kind of strange, couldn’t see their face clearly… Probably someone from the cleaning crew?” Ling Yang wasn’t sure, but she couldn’t think of anyone else who would pick up a dead bird. “Guess they threw it in the restroom trash.”

Zhou Liao remained silent. After a moment, as they walked up the distant staircase, he glanced back, his gaze focusing on the restroom area.

A few moments later, the person dressed all in black emerged from the restroom. They didn’t look around but immediately walked in the opposite direction, their silhouette vanishing quickly into the night. Zhou Liao had initially suspected this person of stalking him, but this behavior didn’t quite fit that theory.

Yet an undeniable sense of unease lingered.

“Do you know them?” Ling Yang asked, noticing Zhou Liao staring intently at the retreating figure. “They seemed really tall.”

Zhou Liao, his hands in his pockets, narrowed his eyes slightly. “No, I don’t recognize them.”