Let Me Explain

An Zhi sat rigidly on the bench as though the seat were lined with thorns.

Seeing Wen Yiqian approach, a complicated expression moved across her face.

“Why did you come?” Her voice came out slightly rough, probably from sitting in silence for so long.

“You think I wanted to?” Wen Yiqian gave her a look. “That person specifically asked for me. What was I supposed to do?”

“If I died, wouldn’t that be the best outcome for you?” An Zhi said flatly.

“I was joking yesterday. I was trying to scare you. I didn’t think you’d actually take it seriously.” Wen Yiqian shrugged.

“Sure.” An Zhi’s smile didn’t reach her eyes.

“I’m risking my life to be here, and that’s the look I get?” Wen Yiqian’s eye twitched slightly.

An Zhi glanced at him for a moment, said nothing, then slowly reached for her zipper and began to unzip her jacket.

A chill ran down Wen Yiqian’s spine. He swallowed involuntarily.

“Pervert.” An Zhi bit the word out, yanked the zipper back up, and crossed her arms tightly.

Wen Yiqian stood there for a second before it clicked.

The swallow. In her mind, that had read as a creep leering at her the moment she moved her hand toward her jacket.

Once someone decides you’re a pervert, there’s no action you can take that won’t look exactly like what they already think.

“It’s not what you think. I genuinely have no interest.” Wen Yiqian put his hands together in a gesture of appeal. “And besides—”

His expression changed completely mid-sentence. “What are you two doing here?”

Walking toward him from not far away were the grandmother and granddaughter from the night before.

“Xiangxiang has always wanted to visit an amusement park. Today is Children’s Day, so I brought her out to have some fun.” The old woman came forward with Xiangxiang in hand, smiling warmly. “Young man, I really do want to thank you properly for yesterday. I was going to find a way to come see you.”

“Running into you here like this: must be fate.”

“Running into me isn’t fate. It’s the worst luck you could ask for.” Wen Yiqian muttered under his breath, his eyes drifting to An Zhi’s midsection.

“Is this your girlfriend?” The old woman had noticed An Zhi’s expression and was already preparing a graceful exit. “We won’t intrude. We’ll find another time to thank you.”

Wen Yiqian nodded quickly, quietly relieved.

“Xiangxiang, big brother saved us yesterday. Don’t you want to say something before we go?” The old woman looked down at her granddaughter. “Say thank you to big brother, and then we’ll leave.”

“No, really, there’s no need.” Wen Yiqian waved his hands.

He remembered all too clearly: this child had watched him fall apart in tears the evening before and had shown him absolutely no mercy.

Giving a sharp little thing like her an opening was asking for trouble.

Xiangxiang’s wide eyes blinked at him. She walked forward obediently, stopped in front of him, and waved her hand upward, clearly signaling for him to crouch down.

Wen Yiqian crouched, resigned. “You’re not going to make fun of me again, are you? I did save you, after all…”

He didn’t get to finish.

Xiangxiang threw both arms around his head, planted a loud kiss on his cheek, said “Thank you, big brother,” then burst into giggles and skipped away.

Wen Yiqian went still, expression frozen.

“Pervert.” An Zhi’s voice came from behind him, sharp and barely contained. “You won’t even leave a child alone.”

“That is not what just happened.” Wen Yiqian spun around.

“What is there to explain? This was part of your scheme from the start.” An Zhi’s face was set with revulsion.

Wen Yiqian opened his mouth and closed it again. He knew, with complete certainty, that there was no version of this conversation he could win. Not now, not ever.

In her eyes, he was already a confirmed and irredeemable creep.

Just as An Zhi appeared to be gearing up for another round, her expression shifted. She pulled a buzzing phone from her pocket, looked at the number on the screen, and her face went cold.

She answered, listened for a moment, then held it out to Wen Yiqian, her lower lip pressed tight.

“Are you Wen Yiqian?”

The processed voice. The same one from before.

“Yes.” Wen Yiqian scanned the area but couldn’t spot anyone on a call nearby.

“You can call me Kid.” The introduction was perfectly polite.

“Hello.” Wen Yiqian matched the tone.

“Sister An Zhi told me about you. I find you very interesting.” There was a note of excitement in Kid’s voice, like someone who had just been handed something they’d been waiting for. “Your method, if I’m being honest: it’s a genuinely perfect crime.”

“Perfect crime?” Wen Yiqian looked blank.

“That’s exactly what it is.” Kid pressed on, gathering speed. “If I’m reading it correctly, you first exploited human weakness to maneuver others into committing crimes. Then you stepped in as the righteous party, arriving at precisely the right moment.”

The excitement in the voice climbed. “After completing the act in a way that was entirely justified, you walked away not only without punishment, but with the trust of the police and the gratitude of the very people you used. It’s elegant.”

“I mean…” Wen Yiqian scratched his head. “You’re really overthinking it.”

What would it take for people to just accept that he was genuinely not that clever?

“You might fool the police, but not me.” Kid’s tone turned earnest. “We are the same kind of person.”

“What kind?”

“People who wear Masks.” The word landed with unmistakable emphasis. “Stop pretending. Take yours off. Show me who you really are.”

“What exactly is it you want?” Wen Yiqian asked, keeping his voice plain.

“I want to play a game with you.” A short pause, and then a soft laugh. “I like people like us. Smart. If you win, I’d be happy to call you a friend.”

“And if I lose?”

“Then you’re no different from all the other insects.” The warmth dropped out of the voice completely. “And I’ll put you where insects belong.”

Wen Yiqian’s throat felt dry.

“You’re the first person I’ve ever wanted to approach like this,” Kid said, and the anticipation in the voice was unmistakable. “Please don’t disappoint me.”

The tone was almost tender. Like a confession.

Wen Yiqian stood there for a moment, genuinely caught off guard.

In his entire life, no one had ever said anything like that to him. It felt strange in a way he couldn’t quite place.

The only unfortunate detail was that the person saying it was completely out of their mind.

(End of Chapter)