Cai Lang stood by the window of his apartment, looking down at the city lights. It was well past midnight, but he was still awake, checking documents on his laptop. His hair was still wet from his shower, and he wore a loose black nightshirt with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows. He adjusted his glasses as he read another report, holding a glass of red wine in his other hand. He had been working for hours and was just about to close his laptop when his phone vibrated on the table.
Cai Lang took a sip of wine before picking it up, expecting a message from Zheng Rui. Instead, he saw an unknown number. [You promised to keep him out of it.] He paused with the glass near his lips and read the message again. His eyes narrowed, and he slowly lowered the glass. "Who the hell sent this?" He checked the number, but there was no name or account linked to it. He searched for it, trying to find any information about the sender, but nothing came up. Cai Lang pushed his glasses up."Sending me a message like this and hiding behind an unknown number. How clever." He set his wineglass aside and leaned against the table, reading the message once more.He placed the phone down and walked toward his desk, already thinking about who might know about the promise he had made years ago. He had barely taken two steps when he stopped.His mind went back to that rainy night when Lu Cheng had suddenly shown up at his apartment. It was late, and rain was pouring outside. Lu Cheng stood at the door, soaked and looking terrified, clutching something in his hand. Cai Lang still remembered how tightly he had held it, as if he couldn't afford to lose it. Before leaving, Lu Cheng had made him promise to keep Lian Ziho out of whatever was happening.
He picked up his phone again and typed a reply. Who are you? His thumb hovered over the screen, but after a moment, he deleted the message without sending it. "No. I'm not playing your game." He took a screenshot of the message and saved it before opening his laptop to search for the number again. His fingers moved quickly across the keyboard as he checked every detail he could find, but nothing came up.Cai Lang leaned back in his chair and pushed his glasses up. "Fine. Keep hiding. Let's see how long that lasts."
Before he could continue, his phone rang. Zheng Rui's name appeared on the screen. Cai Lang answered immediately. "What is it?" "Cai Lang, someone has accessed the medical records Han Yi and Qin Yue have been investigating." Cai Lang lowered his phone slightly and glanced at the laptop screen. "When did this happen?" "Recently. The same file has been opened several times, and it looks like more than one account is involved." Cai Lang put his phone on speaker and stood up, walking over to the desk. "And you don't know who's behind it yet?" "Not yet. I'm checking the access records, but some of the information is missing. Someone may have tried to cover their tracks." Cai Lang stopped walking. His fingers tightened around the edge of the desk. "May have?" he repeated, his voice turning cold. "Someone accessed the same file multiple times, several accounts are involved, and parts of the records are missing. What exactly are you waiting to confirm?"
Zheng Rui went quiet for a moment. "I'm still looking into it."Cai Lang pulled his chair back. "Then look faster." He sat down, opened the file Zheng Rui had mentioned, and began checking the records himself. "Send me everything you've found so far. Every account, every access time, and every change made to the file. I want the original records, too. Don't leave anything out." "Understood." "And Zheng Rui, if someone has managed to get into these records without leaving a clear trail, don't assume they'll stop here. Find out how they got in before they try again." "I'll handle it."
Cai Lang ended the call and pulled up the medical records on his laptop. He took off his glasses and rubbed his tired eyes before putting them back on and leaning closer to the screen.His hair fell over his forehead, and he pushed it aside impatiently as he opened the access history. He compared the timestamps with the information Zheng Rui had sent him, checking each entry carefully. At first, everything seemed normal. Then he noticed a gap between two recorded sessions. Someone had accessed the file, but the system showed no details of what they had done during that time.
Cai Lang frowned and clicked on the missing entry. A warning appeared on the screen. [ Access denied.]He stared at it for a moment, then laughed. "You've got to be kidding me." He tried another entry, then a third, but the result remained the same. Cai Lang pushed his glasses up and leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers against the desk.He turned back to the laptop and opened the original report instead. Several details had been changed, yet there was no record showing when the changes had been made or who had made them. His fingers paused on the keyboard as he looked over the altered information again. "Someone's trying very hard to keep this hidden."His phone lay beside the wineglass. Cai Lang picked it up and opened the message again. [You promised to keep him out of it.]His fingers tightened around the phone.
His phone rang again. Cai Lang glanced at the screen before answering. "Have you found something?" he asked, leaning back in his chair. "Not much yet," Zheng Rui replied. "But I've found something strange. One of the accounts accessed the file shortly before the first missing entry appeared." Cai Lang straightened in his chair and turned back to the laptop. "Can you identify the account?" "I'm trying. The account details don't match the usual records, and some of the information linked to it appears to have been changed." Cai Lang took off his glasses and placed them beside the laptop. He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to ease the tiredness in his eyes. "So someone accessed the file, changed the account information, and left us with incomplete records." "That's what it looks like." "And you still can't tell me who it is?" "Not yet."
Cai Lang glanced at the clock. It was already well past midnight.If they only wanted to hide the original information, changing the records should have been enough. So why leave traces of repeated access? Did they miss something, or were they checking whether someone had discovered the changes?...He picked up his glasses and put them back on. "Send me the account details," he said. "I want to see them myself." "I'll send them now." A notification sounded a few seconds later. Cai Lang ended the call and opened the file Zheng Rui had sent him. He adjusted his glasses and went through the information line by line, occasionally stopping to check something against the original report.
Most of it was useless, just a collection of changed details and incomplete entries. He was about to close the file when one detail caught his attention. The account had accessed the same medical file more than once, even after the original information had been changed. Cai Lang moved closer to the screen and checked the timestamps again. Once could have been a mistake. Twice might have been necessary. But why keep returning to the same file after making changes to it?... He tapped his fingers against the desk, thinking it over. Maybe the changes weren't enough. Perhaps there was something in the file they couldn't remove without damaging the rest of the records. Or maybe someone else had accessed it, forcing them to come back and check what was left behind... His gaze shifted to the account details.If two people are involved, then finding one account won't tell me the whole story. I need to know who accessed the file first, who changed it, and whether they were working together or against each other... "Why keep coming back to the same file?" he murmured. "Cai lang, did you say something?" Zheng Rui asked through the phone.
Cai Lang glanced at the screen and realized he hadn't ended the call properly. "No. I'm looking at the access history." He clicked through the entries once more, checking whether the account had left any other trace. "And you Keep checking the account. I want to know whether it accessed any other records, especially anything related to the older cases." "Understood." "And if you find anything unusual, send it to me immediately." "I'll keep looking." Cai Lang ended the call and sat quietly, his eyes fixed on the laptop.
Cai Lang stared at the laptop, tapping his fingers against the desk. The more he looked at the records, the angrier he became. Someone had changed the information and hidden the access history, leaving him with almost nothing to work with. "Damn it!" He pushed his chair back and stood up, walking to the window.He picked up his phone and checked for a message from Zheng Rui. But there was no message from him."Lu Cheng, you'd better not be involved in this mess."He ran a hand through his hair and sighed."If you know something, why can't you just come out and say it?"Cai Lang put his phone down and returned to the laptop.
The next morning, Han Yi arrived at the office and found Qin Yue already at his desk. Several windows were open on the computer, displaying the saved access logs and the university report. An empty coffee cup sat beside the keyboard, and Qin Yue was rubbing his forehead while studying the screen. Han Yi put coffee down and pulled out a chair. "Any progress?" "Depends on your definition of progress." Qin Yue pointed at the screen. "Two different accounts accessed the same medical file within a short period. The second account is giving me nothing useful so far."
Han Yi glanced at the timestamps. "How far apart?" "The second request came shortly after the first. The first account belonged to the dead employee." Han Yi leaned closer to examine the records. The first request had occurred shortly before the missing entry appeared in the medical file. The second account had accessed the same file not long afterward. "Can you identify who used the second account?" "Not yet. The available information doesn't lead to a real name." Han Yi studied the timestamps. "One person using two accounts, or two people working together." "Those are the two possibilities."
Qin Yue looked at him. "Which do you think is more likely?" "We need more evidence before deciding." Qin Yue sighed quietly. "You make everything sound so simple." Han Yi returned to the university report without answering. He pulled the printed access logs closer and lined them up beside the report, comparing the request times with the details of the missing entry. After a moment, he circled one timestamp and pushed the page toward Qin Yue. "This request came before the change was recorded."
Qin Yue leaned over to check. "By less than an hour." "Could the account have been used to change the file?" "The logs don't show that directly. They only confirm that the file was accessed." Qin Yue tapped a few keys and opened the available activity details. "I'll check whether the account made any other requests around that time." Han Yi took out his notebook and wrote down the timestamp. "Check the second account too. If it accessed anything else connected to this file, I want to know." "I'm getting there."
Qin Yue opened another window and began filtering the records by date. Han Yi continued reviewing the university report, paying particular attention to the employee's listed position and the department responsible for maintaining the medical files. A few minutes later, Qin Yue stopped typing. "There's another access entry here." Han Yi looked up. "From which account?" "The second one." Qin Yue turned the screen toward him. "It accessed another record in the same database, but the file description is incomplete." Han Yi read the entry carefully. "Save it with the others. We'll compare it with the university report."
Qin Yue saved a copy of the available details before opening the next record. "At this rate, we'll be here all day." Han Yi closed his notebook. "We were going to be here all day anyway." "I was hoping you'd disagree." Han Yi picked up his coffee and returned to the report.Qin Yue gave a quiet sigh and turned back to the computer. "You know, most people would at least pretend to offer some encouragement." Han Yi turned a page in the report. "Would that help?" "Not even a little." "Then there's no point." Qin Yue glanced at him, but Han Yi was already reading again. Shaking his head, Qin Yue returned to the access logs and saved the remaining details before closing the extra window.
For a while, the office settled into the sound of typing and pages turning. Then Han Yi paused at a section of the university report and read it again. The employee's listed position was still the same, but nothing in the description explained why he had been able to access the medical records in the first place. He marked the relevant line and placed the report beside the printed logs. "His position doesn't explain his access." he said. Qin Yue rolled his chair closer to look. "No. Either his permissions were broader than they should have been, or someone gave him access for a reason." "Can we confirm his original permissions?" "Not from the records we have." Qin Yue rubbed his eyes, then saved his current work. "I'll need to check the older system, assuming it still has anything useful." Han Yi nodded and gathered the printed pages into one pile. "Don't send another request through the same channel yet. We don't know who's monitoring it." Qin Yue shut the report and leaned back in his chair. "I'll see what we can establish from the copies we already have." Han Yi returned the marked report to the folder.
It was the middle of the afternoon, but Cai Lang's apartment looked as though night had fallen hours ago. The curtains were drawn tightly across the windows, leaving the rooms dark and stuffy. Empty bottles stood on the coffee table and beside the sofa, while a few overturned containers and half-eaten meals lay scattered across the floor. Nothing had been cleaned or put away. The apartment smelled of alcohol and food that had been left out for too long. In the bedroom, Cai Lang lay sprawled across the bed, one arm hanging over the edge. His phone was somewhere beneath the tangled sheets, its screen dark.
A knock sounded at the front door. He didn't move. Another knock followed, louder this time, but Cai Lang barely stirred. His head throbbed, and even the smallest sound made it ache more. He pulled the pillow over his head and shut his eyes, hoping whoever it was would eventually leave him alone. The knocking stopped. A moment later, the front door opened. Cai Lang heard footsteps in the living room. He frowned and slowly lifted his head. For a few seconds, he stared at the bedroom doorway, trying to understand what he had heard. Then someone appeared in the doorway. Someone had come in. He pushed himself upright, blinking in the dim light. His head swam, and he had to grip the edge of the bed to steady himself. But when he looked up again, his expression changed. "Suo Ran?"
He scrambled off the bed, barely noticing his feet catching against the clothes scattered across the floor. "Suo Ran…" His eyes brightened. For one brief moment, the mess around him seemed to disappear. The empty bottles, the untouched food, and the days he had spent shutting himself away no longer mattered. Suo Ran was standing right in front of him. "You came." He gave a faint, disbelieving laugh as he stumbled forward. "I knew you would come eventually." His knees nearly gave way before he reached the doorway. Suo Ran quickly caught him by the arm before he could fall. "Careful." he said.
Cai Lang barely seemed to hear him. He caught hold of Suo Ran's sleeve, his fingers tightening around the fabric as though he were afraid that letting go would make him disappear. "Don't leave yet." His voice softened, losing the unsteady cheerfulness it had held a moment earlier. "Just… stay for a while. You don't have to say anything. You don't even have to look at me. Just stay." The words came out too quickly, as though he had been holding them inside for far too long. He raised his head, searching Suo Ran's face. His eyes moved over the familiar features, and he leaned closer. "I've been waiting for you." His grip tightened. "Do you know how long I've been waiting?"
He leaned forward again, his forehead nearly touching Suo Ran's shoulder. "I'm sorry," he murmured. "I know I shouldn't have said those things to you. I know I made everything difficult. But you can be angry with me later, all right? You can scold me as much as you want. Just don't—" His voice broke. "Don't disappear again." Suo Ran went still. Cai Lang didn't seem to notice. He lifted one hand and slowly reached toward the other's face. "Suo Ran, look at me. Just once. Please." He leaned closer, hoping to feel the warmth and comfort he had imagined so many times during the lonely hours in this apartment.
Then voice came."Cai Lang. Look at me properly." Something in the voice made Cai Lang pause. It wasn't Suo Ran's voice. The truth slowly broke through the alcohol clouding his mind. He blinked several times before drawing back to look at the face in front of him. The person holding him wasn't Suo Ran. His expression changed. "...You?" His hand fell away from the man's sleeve. For a moment, neither of them spoke. Cai Lang stared at his brother as though he had only just noticed the room around them, the scattered bottles, the discarded food, and the curtains blocking out the afternoon light. An Xin stood in front of him, looking worried and unsure of what to say. Cai Lang stared at him for another moment before taking a step backward. Then another. "Why are you here?" He turned his face away, hoping to hide his embarrassment. "I called you several times," An Xin replied quietly. "You didn't answer." "So you decided to let yourself in?" "The door wasn't locked."
Cai Lang turned toward the bed, wanting to put some distance between them, but his foot caught against an overturned bottle. He stumbled sideways, hitting his shoulder against the doorframe. "Cai Lang!" An Xin reached for him. "I'm fine!" Cai Lang tried to straighten himself, but the room tilted around him. He reached for the wall but missed it. An Xin caught him around the waist before he could fall. "Enough. You're barely able to stand." "I'm fine." "You can hardly keep your eyes open." "I said I'm fine!"
Cai Lang struggled against him, but he had little strength left. An Xin held him steady until he stopped trying to pull away. For a few seconds, Cai Lang stood still, breathing unevenly. Then his shoulders dropped, and he lowered his head as though even standing had become too much for him. "Why couldn't it have been him?" he whispered. The question was so quiet that An Xin almost missed it. Cai Lang stared at the floor, his fingers curling into his palms. "For a second, I thought…" He couldn't finish.
An Xin looked at him, but Cai Lang refused to lift his head. For a moment, An Xin seemed ready to ask something. In the end, he only tightened his hold when Cai Lang swayed slightly. He adjusted his grip on Cai Lang's arm and steadied him before he could stumble again. "Come on. Let me help you back to bed." "I can walk by myself." "Then walk." Cai Lang lifted his head and gave him an irritated look. He took one step toward the bed, only to stumble again. An Xin caught his arm before he could lose his balance. He glanced down at the bottle near Cai Lang's foot, then back at his brother. "Still want to do it yourself?" Cai Lang said nothing.
An Xin let out a quiet sigh and shook his head. "That's what I thought." "Stop talking." "Fine. I won't say another word." An Xin guided him toward the bed, keeping a firm hold on his arm. When they reached it, he moved a pillow out of the way and helped Cai Lang sit down. He waited until Cai Lang was steady before letting go, then picked up the fallen bottle near his feet and set it aside. Cai Lang immediately turned away from him, pulling his legs onto the mattress.
An Xin glanced around the room again. Up close, the mess was worse than he'd expected. Several empty bottles lay near the bed, and the food on the table looked as though it had been sitting there for days. He couldn't remember the last time Cai Lang's apartment had looked this bad. He turned back to his brother. "Have you eaten anything today?" Cai Lang didn't answer. "When did you last eat?" "Does it matter?" "Yes, it matters." An Xin pulled the chair away from the table and sat down. "You've been drinking, you can barely stand, and you look like you haven't slept properly in days. So yes, I'd say it matters." Cai Lang rubbed his forehead. "I don't need you to take care of me." "I'm not asking whether you need me to." "Then what do you want?"
An Xin fell quiet for a moment then he replied,"Dad called me this morning," An Xin said at last. "He wanted to know why you haven't answered his calls or visited him." Cai Lang's expression barely changed. "Then tell him I'm busy." "I did. He asked what you were busy with." "Tell him the same thing." An Xin leaned forward slightly. "Cai Lang." "What?" Cai Lang finally looked at him. "You came here to ask questions? Ask them, then. I don't have anything to say."
An Xin studied him for a moment. "Dad also asked if something happened. He said you've been acting strangely for a while now." "Nothing happened." "You disappear for days, ignore everyone's calls, and refuse to tell us where you've been. Whenever someone asks, you either change the subject or tell them to mind their own business." An Xin paused, watching him. "You expect us not to worry?" Cai Lang looked away again. "I'm not asking you to tell me everything," An Xin continued. "But if something's wrong, you don't have to deal with it alone."
Cai Lang's fingers loosened against the blanket, and his lips parted as though he wanted to say something. But the moment passed, and he turned toward the wall. "I'm fine. Just go." An Xin watched him for a moment before reaching over to take the phone from beneath the tangled sheets. He placed it on the bedside table. "Fine. I'll leave you alone for now. But answer Dad's call when he tries again. You don't have to tell him everything, but at least let him hear your voice." Cai Lang didn't respond. An Xin glanced at the closed curtains, then picked up a few empty bottles near the door and placed them on the table. "Try to eat something." he said quietly.
When Cai Lang remained silent, An Xin finally left the bedroom. A moment later, the front door closed, leaving the apartment quiet again. Cai Lang slowly opened his eyes and stared at the empty space beside the bed where An Xin had been sitting.He turned his face toward the pillow and curled his fingers into the bedsheet. Then, in the quiet darkness, he whispered a name. "Suo Ran…"