Tomb raiders: You stole my little Qilin?

Wu Wei was awakened by the light streaming in through the window.

He opened his eyes and was dazed for a moment before a severe headache from the hangover struck, as if someone were tapping his temples with a blunt hammer.

I lay in bed for a long time, trying to recall what exactly happened last night.

But my mind went blank, and my last memory was of myself excitedly carrying a bamboo tube of wine and sitting down at the stone table.

What happened after that was completely irrecoverable.

He propped himself up on the headboard, shook his head, rubbed his temples, and walked out of the room.

On the sofa in the main hall, Zhang Qiling and Hei Xiazi were watching TV.

The movie playing on the screen was quite lively, but both of them seemed a little distracted.

Zhang Qiling sat upright in the center of the sofa, his gaze fixed on the television, but his pupils did not follow the image.

Black Bear leaned against the armrest with his legs crossed, not even noticing that he was holding the remote control upside down.

After washing up, Wu Wei also came to the living room.

As soon as he stepped into the main hall, both of their eyes turned to him at the same time, landing on him simultaneously.

Wu Wei was startled by the commotion: "Why is everyone looking at me?"

The two of them turned their gazes back at the same time, their movements perfectly synchronized.

Zhang Qiling stared at the television again, while Hei Xiazi looked down at the remote control he was holding upside down. Neither of them spoke.

!

Wu Wei's heart skipped a beat.

He looked at Zhang Qiling suspiciously, then at Hei Xiazi, and the more he looked, the more uneasy he felt.

He asked tentatively, "I...didn't do anything embarrassing yesterday, did I?"

"No," Zhang Qiling and Hei Xiazi said in unison.

The words came out too quickly, making it seem unreal.

After they finished speaking, they both paused for a moment and then shut their mouths at the same time.

Ruined.

Wu Wei's mind went blank. This reaction was definitely problematic.

They're never usually this in sync; this is clearly a case of attempted collusion gone wrong.

He took a deep breath, his expression resolute: "Don't worry, I can handle it."

The two looked at each other, each thinking that they were the only ones who had seen Wu Wei's other side when he was drunk.

Zhang Qiling recalled the hand that had been used as a pillow last night, while Hei Xiazi recalled the warm and soft touch on his eyelid.

Then he turned his head and shook his head at Wu Wei.

Wu Wei buried his face in his hands: "I'll never drink again."

Beijing has its own airport with flights to Switzerland, so there's no need to transfer like in Hangzhou.

Hei Xiazi drove, and together with Zhang Qiling, they took Wu Wei to the airport.

The car stopped in front of the international departure terminal. Zhang Qiling got out of the car with Wu Wei and stood by the car door, saying, "Be careful."

Black Bear did not get off the vehicle.

Sitting in the driver's seat, with both hands on the steering wheel, keep your eyes straight ahead.

After a while, he coughed twice, his voice a little muffled: "Come back soon."

Wu Wei felt that Hei Xiazi was acting a bit strangely today.

This person is usually so talkative he could be a stand-up comedian, but today he hasn't said a single word since he left the house.

Wu Wei thought he must have done something while drunk yesterday that offended the other person, and he felt even more guilty.

He bent down and waved to Hei Xiazi through the car window: "Okay. I'll be back in a few days."

Black Bear nodded, but still didn't turn to look at him.

Wu Wei hugged Zhang Qiling again as he got out of the car, saying, "I'm leaving now, bro."

Zhang Qiling's tone softened, "Go."

Black Bear suddenly turned his head and secretly gritted his teeth.

His gaze, obscured by the glasses, remained fixed on Wu Wei's back until it was no longer visible.

Wu Wei boarded a flight to Switzerland, while an uninvited guest stepped into Wu Shan Ju.

Wu Xie was bored and huddled behind the counter, minding the shop.

Wu Sansheng has been so busy these days that he can't even keep his feet on the ground, so he can't help much. Panzi also went out with Wu Sansheng yesterday.

Wu Shan Ju's business has always been slow, with only a few customers coming in for most of the day.

Wu Xie was organizing the store's accounts on his laptop when the light at the entrance suddenly dimmed.

Someone stepped in.

The man was rather thin, with a somewhat weathered face and fine lines at the corners of his eyes that seemed out of place for his age.

He stood at the door, his gaze sweeping around the store before finally settling on Wu Xie behind the counter.

His lips moved, and he called out, "Wu Xie."

Wu Xie looked up and paused for a moment.

The face in front of me was both unfamiliar and familiar.

He racked his brains for a while before finally pulling a name from the depths of his memory and tentatively calling out, "Old Yang?"

Jie Ziyang, also known as Lao Yang, was his classmate in elementary school.

They got along very well in junior high school, but later, when they went to high school and the academic pressure increased, they gradually saw each other less.

In the past few years, they haven't even spoken on the phone, and Wu Xie doesn't even know if he's still in Hangzhou.

"It's me." Lao Yang stood at the door, looking somewhat flustered.

Wu Xie quickly came out from behind the counter and led the person to the backyard:

"Why are you here? You haven't contacted me in all these years?"

"Sit down, let me pour you a glass of water."

Lao Yang sat down on a stone bench in the backyard of Wushan Residence, took the water cup, held it with both hands but did not drink it.

With her eyes downcast, she seemed somewhat reserved, as if she had a lot to say but didn't know where to begin.

Wu Xie scrutinized his face; the contours of his features from his youth were still there.

But there was an inexplicable weariness in the corners of his eyes and brows, as if he hadn't had a good night's sleep in a long time.

"Old Yang, where have you been these past few years?" Wu Xie asked. "I went to your house before, but your aunt said you haven't come back."

Lao Yang lowered his head, his voice hoarse: "I've been out there for a few years."

Seeing that Lao Yang looked travel-worn, Wu Xie treated him to a meal.

The two sat down at a small restaurant near Wushanju, ordered a few home-style dishes, and chatted while they ate.

"You still haven't told me where you went." Wu Xie pushed the dishes towards Lao Yang.

"How could they suddenly vanish into thin air?"

"I went on a long trip. I went to several places, but it wasn't easy to make a living in any of them."

Lao Yang took a bite of rice and mumbled something.

Wu Xie didn't press the matter further.

Leaning back in her chair, she changed the subject: "By the way, how's Auntie's health?"

Lao Yang stopped moving.

He put down his chopsticks, lowered his head, and remained silent for a long while, his voice becoming somewhat melancholy:

"It's fine, it's just that I'm not in Hangzhou anymore. I've been away for the past few years and haven't come back. My mom... went to live with a distant relative somewhere else."

Wu Xie blamed himself for asking that question and quickly comforted him:

"With transportation so convenient these days, you can just book a ticket and go whenever you want to see her. It's very easy."

Lao Yang suddenly raised his head and looked straight at him: "Wu Xie, come with me to see her."

Wu Xie frowned, feeling that this was a bit inappropriate.

Why would Lao Yang bring a stranger to visit his mother whom he hadn't seen for many years?

"Isn't this inappropriate?"

"I..." Lao Yang's fingers unconsciously rubbed against the table.

"I haven't visited her for several years; I'm afraid she'll be angry."

"You know me, I've never been good at talking since I was little. If she gets really angry when she sees me, there has to be someone there to help smooth things over."

"You're someone she's watched grow up, and you're an outsider, so even if she's angry, she can't lash out too much."

Wu Xie still felt it wasn't appropriate, and said to Lao Yang, "Mother and son shouldn't hold grudges overnight. You can go and talk to your aunt about it."

Lao Yang gave a pleading look:

"I don't have the courage myself; I really don't dare to go alone."

"Wu Xie, please come with me. Just so I can take this step. I'm begging you."

After all, they had known each other since childhood, and looking into Lao Yang's pleading eyes, Wu Xie couldn't bring himself to refuse.

"I'll think about it."

Lao Yang nodded immediately and said, "Would it be convenient for me to stay here for a few days?"

"...Convenient." Wu Xie did not refuse again.

He prepared a guest room for Lao Yang, provided him with clean towels and pillows, and even found a set of clothes that he himself hadn't worn much for him to change into.

Lao Yang took the things, thanked him, and closed the door without saying anything more.

Wu Xie returned to his room, sat on the edge of the bed, and picked up his phone.

I dialed Wu Wei's number.

The phone was switched off.

Wu Xie did not continue fighting, and Wu Wei would indeed turn off his phone when he had something to do.

I'll call back when I'm done with this and see the call log.

I put my phone on the bedside table, turned off the light, and lay down on my side in the darkness.

His mind kept wandering, wondering what his brother was busy with.