Silver Snow Line [Criminal Investigation]

Wei Cheng woke up with a severe headache.

He sat up slowly, and when he opened his eyes, he found himself on the sofa in Xie Qingfei's living room. Because the scene was too unrealistic, he thought he was dreaming, so he fell asleep for a while, and when he opened his eyes again, he was shocked to find that everything was real.

"Xie Qingfei?"
After calling twice with no one answering, he suddenly became as cautious as a thief, wrapped in a blanket and walked carefully towards the bedroom door. As a result, the bedroom door was open and Xie Qingfei was not there.

After washing up, Wei Cheng began to rack his brains to recall what happened last night. He was drinking with friends, in a normal mood, and accepted every drink. Then... nothing happened. Unfortunately, he was a blackout player, his CPU was broken, and he had no idea why he was at Xie Qingfei's house.

At this time, the door rang and Wei Cheng immediately stood up and looked outside.

Xie Qingfei came back from his morning run, took off his hairband and threw it on the entrance cabinet, holding a transparent plastic bag with unknown contents in it in his hand. He took it into the kitchen and then came out to look at him for a few seconds.
"Are you sober?" Her cheeks were flushed pink, perhaps from the cold wind or the heat from running, and her breathing was a little unstable.
Wei Chengyin was not sure if he had done something he shouldn't have done. His heartbeat was even more unstable than hers, so he answered cautiously, "Awake."

Xie Qingfei took off his sportswear, brushed his sweaty hair, pulled a chair nearby and sat down, facing him: "Then let's talk about what happened last night. You sit down too, why are you so nervous? It's not your first time here."
Wei Cheng saw that she didn't look like he was going to blame him, so he didn't bother to be polite with her. However, just as he sat down and his head rested against the sofa, he felt a sharp pain, which made him frown.
Xie Qingfei saw it all, and he could hardly suppress his smile: "Does it hurt?"
Wei Cheng was even more confused: "How did I do this?"
After making sure that he didn't remember anything, Xie Qingfei said nonsense: "I fell. You know you drank too much last night, right? You staggered when you were walking, luckily I saw you. I'm a policeman, and we are quite familiar with each other. In order not to affect the city appearance, I had to bring you back first."
Afraid that he wouldn't believe her, she also dug up the conversation she had with Xi Ming last night as supporting evidence.

After reading it, Wei Cheng probably felt embarrassed and didn't ask any more questions. After a long while, he managed to say, "You are such a kind and enthusiastic person."
Xie Qingfei was satisfied and said, "If your head still hurts, just lie down for a while. You don't have to go to work today anyway."
She knew a lot. Wei Cheng was flattered, and then he pressed the issue: "Can you lie on the bed?"
Xie Qingfei couldn't bear to hear the word "bed" and glared at him: "What do you think?"
Her reaction was a little abnormal. Wei Cheng narrowed his eyes and suddenly said, "You can't get hard if you drink too much, so I shouldn't have had any yesterday..."
Xie Qingfei sneered twice: "Even if you are gifted, I don't care."
After saying that, he turned and went into the kitchen.

Seeing the people walk away, Wei Cheng sat alone for a while, but did not receive the next instruction from his leader.
He tilted his head to look at the coffee table, pretending to accidentally sweep the two books on it to the ground, and deliberately screamed "Ouch!" Xie Qingfei raised the spatula and leaned over to take a look. Seeing that it was nothing serious, he left calmly.
Wei Cheng could no longer sit still, wondering: Why are they not in a hurry to get me out?

The more easy-going her attitude was, the more uneasy he felt. This uneasiness reached its peak when Xie Qingfei brought a bowl of noodles to him.

"What are you looking at? I have to eat breakfast anyway. If I don't give you one, do you have to watch me eat?" She said condescendingly and righteously.
A little polite, but not much.
"That's what I said, but," Wei Cheng slowly raised his chopsticks, "this noodle is too long, didn't you feel it was weird when you cooked it?"
Xie Qingfei's eyes wandered, and he said sarcastically: "Young Master is really out of touch with the world. We ordinary people eat longevity noodles on our birthdays. What's so strange about this?"
Wei Cheng was stunned for a few seconds, then suddenly looked up at her.

Before he could even show his happiness, Xie Qingfei blocked what he was about to say: "You've celebrated my birthday before, so isn't it normal for me to cook a bowl of noodles for you?"
Wei Cheng felt as if he had been splashed with a basin of cold water. He put down his chopsticks and said, "Then I won't eat."
"..."
"I don't want you to pay it back."
"..."
"Just keep it as your debt. Every time you see me from now on, remember that you still owe me a birthday."
"You're dreaming," Xie Qingfei pretended to take the bowl away, "I'll punish you by making you eat fart."

This time it was Wei Cheng's turn to get anxious. He rushed to grab the chopsticks and fought hard to defend this bowl of longevity noodles. Xie Qingfei pulled him but failed to move him. Instead, he made a serious mistake because he underestimated his strength.

The coffee table was low, and she couldn't find a place to support herself with her hands, so she lost her balance and fell forward.

Wei Cheng subconsciously opened his arms to catch her. As soon as the two of them hugged each other, he immediately let out a very unpresentable groan, gnashing his teeth and saying to the person in his arms, "Are you doing this on purpose? Testing me like this so early in the morning?"
"I'm testing you." Xie Qingfei lay on his knees, a layer of cold sweat on his forehead, "My, my waist."
Wei Cheng paused: "What's wrong with your waist?"
Xie Qingfei: "... flashed."

……

People’s Hospital, Department of Orthopedics.

The doctor looked at the CT results and said, "Acute lumbar sprain. What do you do?"
Xie Qingfei lay on the examination bed and said weakly, "Police."
"No wonder. People in your line of work are prone to lumbar muscle strain. You should pay more attention to it. Have you ever had a similar situation before?"
"My waist has been feeling uncomfortable for a while..." Xie Qingfei was halfway through his sentence when he noticed Wei Cheng was looking at him unhappily. He felt guilty for no reason. "But I didn't think it was a big deal, so I didn't find the time to come and see him."

"Your condition is not serious. I applied ice compress immediately. You can go to the nearby massage clinic later. Go home and rest for a few days. Don't lift heavy objects within three months. The inflammation will go away and you will be fine. The nurse will tell you about other precautions later," the doctor glanced at Wei Cheng next to him and teased, "or you can ask Director Wei."
Director Wei couldn't laugh. He looked at Xie Qingfei's films carefully and discussed with the doctor to confirm that it was not serious. Only then did his frown relax a little.

The nurse pushed a wheelchair over. Xie Qingfei was unable to move by herself, so Wei Cheng leaned over and carefully carried her onto the chair.
"Actually, it didn't hurt that much." She said awkwardly, not knowing why she had to explain.

Wei Cheng squinted at her, as if he had something to say. In the past, as a boyfriend, he would not blame her for not taking care of her body, because he knew that his first priority was to respect her work, and all the inevitable troubles at work could not be blamed on her. But after the breakup, he had complained about this problem, and even said sarcastic words. Xie Qingfei felt that as a bystander, he probably wanted to scold her to vent his anger.

But after waiting for a while, he said nothing. He straightened her hair with his fingers and said calmly, "Go, I'll wait for you here."

The nurse pushed the person out the door, and the doctor, who had been holding his breath for a long time, asked, "Director Wei, is that your girlfriend?"

Doctors from different departments in a hospital are not very familiar with each other. Fortunately, the doctor in the emergency room is Wei Cheng's senior in undergraduate studies. I wanted to ask him since he brought people over in a panic.

Wei Cheng sat down on the examination bed. Xie Qingfei's body temperature was still on the white cloth. Just as he was about to speak, his palm was hit by a hard object on the bed.
He looked down and found a ring lying next to his hand.

The shape looked very familiar, so familiar that he could tell exactly where and when the ring was purchased, and even how he felt when he put it on her.
This fell from Xie Qingfei.

The doctor also took a look and said "Oh" in a long tone, then changed the topic: "Or, your wife?"
Wei Cheng moved his lips silently, and suddenly remembered the necklace he saw on Xie Qingfei's collar in the hospital that day.
The necklace she wore close to her body, hidden between her chest.
This is the thing hanging on top.

Wei Cheng's jawline suddenly tensed up, and an extremely incredible guess emerged in his mind, pounding on the wall of his heart.
"Neither. Please..." He held the ring and looked at it for a long time, his fingertips turning white due to the pressure, and suddenly laughed, "Forget it, just leave it here for now."

Xie Qingfei felt much better after the massage, and Wei Cheng sent her home. Considering that she was indeed physically disabled, she did not try to resist him from going home with her.

After changing clothes and lying on the bed, she saw Wei Cheng preparing a cold pack for her, and his face didn't look as bad as before. He wasn't born to be taciturn, but he was aloof to others most of the time. His temperament made people misunderstand his character. Xie Qingfei knew his temper very well since she knew him in high school, but he tried to hide it, and she couldn't be sure if he was unhappy.
Seeing him busying around now, she couldn't help but think of the times when he took care of her when they were still together. Because she always felt that he was mature and wise, she would occasionally deliberately act coquettishly and say it hurts so much, in exchange for his more careful care. At that time, she enjoyed this caring and never cared whether he felt sad because of her injury. She took it for granted that he would be the same as her and didn't think it was a big deal. In a blink of an eye, everything was ready, and Wei Cheng walked to the head of the bed and lifted the quilt.
Xie Qingfei lay on the soft pillow, her home clothes lifted by him, revealing half of her waist. The ice cubes through the towel made her shiver, Wei Cheng touched her skin a few times to let her skin adapt to the temperature, and then let go to let the ice pack contact her sprained area.
Probably adhering to the rigorous style of a doctor, he was very meticulous in doing such a simple thing, and did not show any awkward or intimate attitude because of the special relationship between the two people.
This is the difference between lovers and ex-lovers.

Xie Qingfei accepted his kindness and tried to break the ice, so he deliberately joked, "It's so quiet. I thought we would always have something to talk about."
The mattress collapsed, and Wei Cheng sat down next to her: "I used to think we would be together forever."
Xie Qingfei turned his head and said, "Why are you talking about this for no reason?"
Wei Cheng stared at her for a long while, then suddenly asked, "Have you ever regretted breaking up with me?"
Xie Qingfei said without hesitation: "No. I never make decisions that I will regret."
Wei Cheng said: "But I think you still like me."
Xie Qingfei couldn't listen any longer: "Just because I took you back to my home yesterday?"

She can clearly distinguish between you, me and me.

Wei Cheng pushed her upper body back down and changed the subject: "Is it convenient for you to ask for leave from school?"
"We've already talked about it." She never needs anyone to remind or coordinate her affairs.

When the 15 minutes were up, Wei Cheng removed the ice pack and asked her while smoothing the hem of her clothes: "Do you want me to help you lie down?"
Xie Qingfei nodded, and used his strength to turn over. The necklace on his neck slid across his skin as he turned over. Xie Qingfei suddenly remembered that he was wearing a home dress with a shallow neckline, and immediately put his hands over his chest.
Wei Cheng looked confused and asked, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
"No." She confirmed that the necklace was still hidden safely in her clothes and relaxed for a moment. However, she realized something was wrong the next second.
I felt down through the clothes and saw only an empty chain and buckle, but the pendant was nowhere to be found.
Xie Qingfei rummaged around under the pillow on the bed, his face darkening.

Wei Cheng pretended not to know: "What are you looking for? Let me help you."
"Nothing, nothing important." Xie Qingfei answered as calmly as possible, looking up at him, "Sorry for bothering you today, I'm much better now, you can go back."
Wei Cheng didn't respond, but just glanced at his watch: "Apply cold compress again in two hours. I'll bring lunch in when it's ready."
Before she could speak, he added, "If you can find someone else to do you this favor, I can go too."
"..." Xie Qingfei was completely speechless and pulled the quilt over his nose.

Wei Cheng left the bedroom. The ice cubes wrapped in the towel in his hands had melted. The icy water dripped through his fingers, making his palms numb from the cold.

He mopped the floor and opened the refrigerator door. As expected, it was empty.
With a sigh, he put on his coat and went downstairs to buy groceries.

Xie Qingfei hadn't eaten his cooking for a long time. Looking at the exquisite three dishes and one soup served on the bedside table, he was too embarrassed to open his mouth.
Wei Cheng frowned when he saw that she didn't move: "Does it hurt a lot?"
"No," Xie Qingfei clenched his chopsticks tightly, afraid to reveal any emotion he shouldn't have, "It's just... Thank you, I'm really sorry today."
Wei Cheng raised his eyes: "How do you thank me?"
Xie Qingfei: "How do you want me to thank you?"
Wei Cheng stared at her without making any further effort: "Just take back what you said about contacting her less if there's nothing wrong."
Xie Qingfei was surprised and said, "Just like that? Okay, I'll take it back. From now on... just let it go, and you don't have to avoid me on purpose."
"Yeah." He agreed.
Very easy to negotiate.

Xie Qingfei hesitated for a moment, then said, "That's not what I meant. I meant that since we've broken up, we should each live our own lives. Contact in the workplace is inevitable, but we don't have to do it in private like before... Of course, if you feel uncomfortable and don't want to see me, that's fine with me."
Wei Cheng served her a bowl of soup and just said, "Try it."
Xie Qingfei had no idea what he was thinking, so he just gulped down the drink from the bowl.
Wei Cheng looked at the top of her head and said calmly, "You said before that I didn't pursue you seriously."
"..."
"I reflected on it and it's really a pity. Fortunately, I have another chance now... I was just saying, why are you so nervous? Eat."
Xie Qingfei took a few mouthfuls of rice and said, "Wei Cheng, are you serious?"
"Eat vegetables."
"..."
Xie Qingfei pushed the dishes away and looked at him seriously.

Wei Cheng smiled and said, "What are you afraid of? Since you don't like me, my pursuit is probably useless. I won't pester you, and it won't affect your daily life. To put it bluntly, this is a one-sided matter on my part. Are you afraid that you will waver?"
Xie Qingfei sighed and said, "I just think you shouldn't hang yourself on a tree."
Wei Cheng still spoke in a relaxed tone: "Don't worry about that. I only listen to my girlfriend."

"Wei Cheng," Xie Qingfei said seriously, "We two have different ideas, and neither of us can convince the other. We have already tried and failed once, so there is really no need to continue."
Wei Cheng's smile froze, and he said dryly, "I can change it."
"I don't want you to change at all. Why don't you understand? I just hope... you can think more about yourself, do what you want to do, and don't waste too much time on me."

The pain in his waist came back again. Xie Qingfei gritted his teeth, a bitter look on his brows.
Wei Cheng immediately gave her an extra soft pillow, and judging from his expression, one would have thought that he was in more pain than she was.
Xie Qingfei grabbed his wrist and Wei Cheng froze instantly.

It was difficult for her to speak, but she knew that if she didn't make her attitude clear and let him believe in her determination, he would continue to be stubborn. Maybe she wasn't as selfish as she thought, and for Wei Cheng, she could lie against her heart.

Xie Qingfei hardened his heart and put on a cold expression: "You also know that I am only interested in people who are better than me. You once had the ability to make me remember you. Yes, you are indeed the best among your peers. You have already stood at a height that many predecessors could not climb in half a lifetime, but what about ten years later? What about twenty years later? Are you willing to stay here for the rest of your life and be an ordinary doctor in the Municipal Hospital?"

Wei Cheng lowered his eyes and said nothing.
Xie Qingfei loosened his hand, and subconsciously tried to hold her back, but his movement was in vain.

"Of course you can think that this is no big deal, but when you realize that you were obsessed with love and delayed a better future, and you regret it, what will we do?"
Wei Cheng retorted without hesitation: "You know I won't regret it, let alone..."
"I believe you, but have you ever thought about me?" Xie Qingfei pinched his brows, quickly hooked his eye with his fingertips, and said, "I will feel sorry for you. I can't help but wonder if I am a burden to you. The contradictions that you can't see will only be transferred to me, making me spend the rest of my life carrying pressure and guilt."
Wei Cheng said with difficulty: "I'm sorry, don't be angry, I will never again..."

"You haven't let me down." Xie Qingfei's palms were almost pierced by his nails under the quilt, but he remained calm and said, "You just failed to live up to your talent and career. I don't see anything attractive about you anymore, and of course I don't want to continue to be with you."

Wei Cheng was choked by her indifferent eyes, and at the same time, her words clearly and directly struck his heart.
He didn't know how to refute it.
In the past, he didn't know what he did not do well enough, and didn't know why she always pushed him away. Now he didn't know how to answer her questions.
But he could read the disappointment in her words.

"I don't see anything attractive about you anymore."

She might still have some feelings for him, so she didn't throw away the ring, but the one she loved was the Wei Cheng in the past who was still attractive to her, not the one now.
Therefore, his self-righteous speculations were just jokes, and those hopes... were also fruitless.

Wei Cheng suddenly felt uneasy, not daring to meet her gaze at all. He almost fled from her bedroom. When he leaned against the door, he realized that his hands and feet were so cold that they were weak, and his violent heartbeat almost broke his chest.

It took him a long time to calm down. When he returned to the living room, he saw the bowl of long-lost longevity noodles on the coffee table.

Wei Cheng had never thought that she would remember his birthday, let alone expect her to make birthday noodles for him. So when she suggested that this was prepared for his birthday, he was filled with great joy.
The ring was now in his arms. It was hard and cold, but could still be warmed by body temperature. However, some things were originally hot but were sealed by the ice.

Wei Cheng sat down, picked up the bowl of cold noodles with chopsticks, and fed it into his mouthful by mouthful.
She performed very steadily, and at least she cooked the thing, but the taste was naturally quite bad. He dug in the bowl for a long time and found a poor-looking poached egg hidden at the bottom of the bowl. It was in a strange shape, the edges were burnt, and the yolk was half cooked and half runny. He didn't know how the heat was controlled.
Wei Cheng took a bite in silence and found it unpalatable.

It tastes so bad that I want to cry.

(End of this chapter)