Chapter 17 – Hydrogen Peroxide

The atmosphere between Zhou Liao and Ling Yang had cooled significantly after the incident the previous night. Zhou Liao harbored lingering doubts, while Ling Yang clearly wasn’t ready to give in so easily. He simply drove her home, sharing a few kisses and caresses in the car before dropping her off. Ling Yang didn’t invite him upstairs.

Zhou Liao didn’t mind. Tonight wasn’t the right time anyway. Besides, fine wine only grows more delectable with age and refinement. He wasn’t in a rush, understanding that Ling Yang was playing a game of push and pull.

Over the next few days, Ling Yang continued to send occasional messages, maintaining their intermittent flirtation. Bai Ling had asked him once if he wanted to have dinner together, but after Zhou Liao declined, she didn’t message him again.

One afternoon after class, Zhou Liao and Chen Xian went to the snack street near the south gate of campus and ran into Bai Ling. She was with her roommate. When their eyes met, Bai Ling glanced away, seeming irritated.

Her roommate, upon seeing Zhou Liao, promptly covered Bai Ling’s eyes and pulled her down another street.

“Why are you still looking at him? He’s clearly giving you the cold shoulder.”

“I wasn’t looking… We just accidentally made eye contact.”

“Stay away from people like him. You did the right thing not agreeing. If he infects you with something, you’ll have nowhere to cry.”

Chen Xian watched the retreating figures, stroking his chin. “Her roommate’s quite attractive—tall and commanding.”

Zhou Liao’s mind wasn’t truly on Bai Ling, but to be honest, she was a decent match. Obedient, honest, and considerate, she lacked the intense ambition of other women. Losing her after playing with her for a while would be a waste, though he had originally only intended to steal something Qin Zhan cared about. Now, he felt a flicker of genuine interest.

This faint interest, however, didn’t ignite any romantic feelings for a woman of her appearance. He still preferred the conventionally beautiful—a delicate blend of innocence and allure, ideally with a figure to match.

“Bai Ling.”

Bai Ling froze in her tracks, but her roommate turned around with a hostile glare, immediately trying to pull her forward.

Zhou Liao called out again. This time, Bai Ling ignored him completely, hurrying away with her roommate until they disappeared from sight.

“Well, that settles it,” Chen Xian said, watching their retreating figures with amusement. “No need for a breakup now.”

“I wasn’t planning to break up yet. She makes a good shield.”

“What else are you holding back for? Aren’t you just dying for beautiful women to come chasing after you?”

“Bai Ling’s different,” Zhou Liao joked, unfazed by her current mood. “She’s perfect for salvaging my reputation in school. She’s naive enough, and we’ve been fooling around for a while now. No big deal—I’ll just sweet-talk her tomorrow when I have time.”

Chen Xian nudged him with his elbow. “Just don’t get too carried away. By the way, what was that about you feeling like someone was following you the other night?”

“I’m not sure, but for the past two weeks, I’ve had this feeling someone’s been watching me. Every time I turn around, there’s no one there.”

“You’ve met a ghost?”

Zhou Liao glared at him. Lifting his gaze, he spotted Qin Zhan emerging from the information building, a lifeless black backpack slung over his shoulder. While others milled about in small groups, Qin Zhan stood out alone, making him impossible to ignore.

It was strange. For over two years of university, Zhou Liao had barely noticed this invisible figure. Now, the moment Qin Zhan appeared, he immediately caught his eye.

“He looks kind of like that ghost.”

Chen Xian followed Zhou Liao’s gaze. Recognizing who it was, he turned away with a disdainful grimace, dismissing it casually. “Maybe it is him. After all, you’d have to have a grudge to stalk someone.”

Zhou Liao hadn’t considered Qin Zhan at all. But now, seeing his figure in the brown jacket, he couldn’t help but notice an uncanny resemblance to the figure from that night.

“But it’s definitely impossible,” Zhou Liao scoffed. “He’s dirt poor, spending all his time on school and work. How could he possibly have time for something like this? Did you check the surveillance footage?”

“I went to the security room the second time I got suspicious. I checked the parking lot footage, but there was nothing. Some blind spots were out of camera range.”

“But we’re computer science majors. What if Qin Zhan hacked the surveillance system to get a better view?”

“Can you make it sound any more far-fetched?” Zhou Liao snapped, irritated by Chen Xian’s deliberate attempt to scare him. “Even if you gave that rat a hundred lives, he wouldn’t dare mess with me. Hiding in the sewers and peeking, though, that’s exactly his style.”

Chen Xian was just throwing out ideas, only slightly suspicious. But even that sliver of doubt wasn’t enough to convince him Qin Zhan would actually stalk Zhou Liao. Let’s be real, Qin Zhan was just an orphaned nobody. Zhou Liao, though neglected by his parents, was still the sole heir of C City’s elite. Qin Zhan posed absolutely no threat to him.

His only lingering doubt stemmed from Qin Zhan’s dark, unsettling aura—what if he wasn’t a normal person?

“Just kidding. You’re not seeing him anymore, right?”

Zhou Liao didn’t want Chen Xian meddling in his affairs with Qin Zhan, so he naturally wouldn’t mention what he’d done at the bar recently.

“No,” Zhou Liao replied.

“Good. You’re probably just overthinking things. Who would dare stalk you?” Chen Xian glanced at a message on his phone, his eyes widening. “Forget about all that. We’re in for a treat tonight! Boss Ran said there’s an Aston Martin Valkyrie we can drive today.”

“Seriously?” Zhou Liao turned his head at the news. “My dad won’t buy me one. I’ve only driven it in Forza Horizon 5.”

……

The weather had been plummeting rapidly, and the hospital corridors were crowded with patients waiting in line and those hooked up to IV drips.

The nurse finally breathed a sigh of relief when she saw a familiar face. The elderly woman’s prolonged stay had made her well-aware of the family’s situation, and the hospital had made a rare exception by extending their payment deadline. She had half-expected them to default, but now, at last, the man had finally appeared.

“Here’s the detailed bill for the past period,” the nurse said, handing him the statement. “The elderly woman’s mental state seems to be deteriorating, likely from loneliness. If you have any free time, you should visit her more often.”

Qin Zhan stared at the staggering sum on the bill. His face remained expressionless as he silently paid the full amount, ignoring the nurse’s words. Moments later, his phone displayed his remaining balance: less than 200 yuan for the rest of the month.

“I’d like to buy two bottles of 30% hydrogen peroxide,” he said.

The nurse paused as she was tearing off the receipt. “Why do you need such a high concentration?”

“I have a younger cousin staying with us,” Qin Zhan lied without a flicker of emotion.

“Ah?” The nurse seemed puzzled, but considering his family’s circumstances, she reasoned it might be understandable. “Actually, 3% should be sufficient if you soak it longer.”

Qin Zhan shook his head. The nurse sighed, guessing it was probably just a bedsheet. “I’ll ask the supervisor.”

After a brief wait, perhaps due to Qin Zhan’s explanation, she quickly handed him a prescription for medical-grade 30% hydrogen peroxide. Qin Zhan muttered a thank you and went to the pharmacy counter to pay for the medication.

The nurse watched his retreating figure and couldn’t resist calling out, “Aren’t you going to see your grandmother?”

Qin Zhan didn’t reply, nor did he turn around.

Carrying two bottles of hydrogen peroxide, Qin Zhan returned home and stashed them in the cabinet. He then prepared a bowl of instant noodles, turned on his computer, and plugged his phone’s data cable into it. In the upper right corner of the screen was an icon for an unnamed game.

The computer’s photo album contained a vast collection of videos and photos. Most of the earlier entries showed his own shredded artworks, while the later ones all documented a single person.

The detailed metadata for each photo and video meticulously recorded the subject’s location and time of appearance. Qin Zhan glanced at the subject’s recurring patterns in his notes; barring unforeseen circumstances, the young man would be at the racetrack tonight, so there was no need to follow him.

Over the past two days, Bai Ling and the subject hadn’t seemed to have much contact. Qin Zhan’s recordings only contained evidence of Zhou Liao’s infidelity. He compressed all the evidence into a zip file, intending to send it to Bai Ling later.

After finishing his instant noodles, Qin Zhan separated the dry and wet components and tossed them into the trash can outside. A stray dog sidled up to sniff around, and Qin Zhan tossed it his last sausage before turning and heading back inside.

With eighteen days left in the month, his remaining funds were barely enough to survive. The refrigerator held only a handful of greens. Fortunately, the school cafeteria was affordable, and the bar occasionally provided meals. He was currently juggling two loans, plugging one hole with another.

However, the delayed student grant would soon be disbursed alongside the national scholarship, potentially allowing him to repay the loans before the deadline.

At 11 PM, Qin Zhan sat back down at his computer. Just as his mouse hovered over the nameless game icon, his phone vibrated beside him. The call came from an unlisted number, but Qin Zhan knew who it was.

He answered, and the voice on the other end, crackling through the secondhand phone’s static, sounded cold and detached.

“Someone called in sick tonight. Come cover their shift.”