Zuo Mu was so exhausted that many past events flashed through his dreams.
The encounter with Tang Tang, Wang Lin's sudden disappearance, and a series of abnormal things since the case occurred. Even in his sleep, his dreams were in a complete mess.
Half - asleep and half - awake, he seemed to see Tang Tang. The girl was smiling sweetly. Only he knew that beneath her cute exterior was a hidden indifference to the world and a sense of being an outsider.
Apart from the few people who had entered her world, Tang Tang was indifferent to everything else. Sometimes, when he looked at this young girl, he could clearly sense a split in her.
Tang Tang was smiling. The young girl had fair skin and delicate fingers. She waved goodbye to him.
Don't go!
Zuo Mu felt that even though he shouted at the top of his lungs, he couldn't stop the girl from leaving. The pain in his heart was so intense that he had to open his eyes.
He felt a splitting headache, and there was a heavy feeling on his forehead. When he touched it, there was a wet towel on his forehead for some unknown reason. There was also an empty cup on the bedside table.
What had happened?
Zuo Mu tried to recall. He seemed to have gone straight into his room as soon as he got back. He had planned to take a short rest and then get up, but unexpectedly, several hours had passed when he opened his eyes again.
The room was dim. He looked out of the window. The sun was setting, and the afterglow of the setting sun shone on the city, illuminating all sentient beings, warm yet cruel.
His phone beside him kept flashing the blue light indicating new messages.
He felt groggy and didn't have time to check these messages. Instead, he went to the bathroom first.
Zuo Mu was used to being self - disciplined. Even after a night shift, he had never slept for such a long time.
It was rare for him to sleep until afternoon, so now he felt his head was heavy and didn't have the clarity one usually has after waking up.
He shook his head hard and then went to the bathroom in his room to splash his face with cold water.
Looking at his slightly confused self in the mirror, he was stunned.
There were still drops of water on his hands. The hands that were used to holding a scalpel were pale and cold at the moment, but Zuo Mu still reached out to touch his reflection in the mirror.
The cold touch of the mirror surface woke Zuo Mu up, and his expression was a bit confused.
Was the man in the mirror, a bit lost and a bit decadent, really him?
The two people, one inside and one outside the mirror, stared at each other at the same time. Zuo Mu felt a sense of detachment from the world.
Perhaps that was why he and Tang Tang could accept each other so quickly.
They were different in many ways, but they were also surprisingly similar in some aspects.
Tang Tang!
Zuo Mu always felt that he had overlooked something. It was not until this moment that he suddenly remembered the cat - and - mouse game they had played on the street today.
The other side always thought he was the hunter, while Zuo Mu and Tang Tang were the prey.
Zuo Mu sneered. Based on the information he currently had, it was really hard to say who was the prey and who was the hunter.
Tang Tang had classes this afternoon!
He had first had a thrilling car chase on the street at noon, and combined with the fact that he hadn't had much rest last night, he had slept until afternoon.
Thinking of Tang Tang, Zuo Mu got anxious and rushed out of his room directly to the living room.
Sure enough, the living room was cold and quiet, especially in the evening.
Zuo Mu was used to being alone before, but now he found it extremely hard to bear.
It seemed that something was missing without Tang Tang by his side.
He couldn't help but mutter, "Did she go to school alone?"
Considering this possibility, Zuo Mu couldn't help feeling restless. He instinctively thought that Tang Tang must have left him and gone to school alone.
They had just evaded a trailing car at noon.
They didn't even know who was in that car and how many people there were.
At such a dangerous time, Tang Tang actually went to school alone.
Thinking that something might happen to Tang Tang on the way, the worst - case scenario was that the tracker had been waiting at the school.
Would she be in danger?
This thought kept swirling in Zuo Mu's already over - loaded brain, and he only felt his headache getting worse.
Just when Zuo Mu couldn't stand it anymore and was about to go to school himself, there was a "clank" sound from the kitchen.
Immediately afterwards, an "ah!" followed.
It was Tang Tang's voice.
Zuo Mu's heart tightened, and he rushed to the kitchen in three big steps. As a result, he saw the person he had been worried about busily working in the kitchen.
The bright pot was boiling porridge, steaming white. The kitchen was filled with the aroma of the rice and water blending together.
The bacon in the pan was sizzling.
Tang Tang, wearing a Doraemon apron, looked very distressed about a small pot.
Seeing Tang Tang like this, a smile suddenly appeared on Zuo Mu's face.
There was a tenderness in his eyes that was about to overflow, and he didn't even notice it himself.
"Didn't you go to school?"
Tang Tang had originally wanted to taste the porridge she had been cooking. She had specially found a recipe and rummaged through the refrigerator. Fortunately, there were the red dates, wolfberries, lilies and all kinds of porridge - making ingredients she had bought on a whim last time.
They finally came in handy this time.
There were all kinds of ingredients in the porridge. She stared at her phone intently, afraid of missing a single second.
When the time was finally up, Tang Tang opened the lid to taste the porridge, but was severely scalded by the steam from the boiling pot.
Suddenly being scalded, especially by the steam from a just - opened pot, on her fair hand, it hurt more than being directly poured with boiling water.
In pain, Tang Tang couldn't help crying out and almost threw the pot lid in her hand.
Fortunately, she resisted the impulse and saved the pot lid.
Then she heard Zuo Mu's voice behind her.
Tang Tang turned around, stuck out her tongue, and smiled playfully, "Brother, you're in this state. How could I feel at ease going to school?"
Zuo Mu laughed. Knowing that she hadn't left, the stone in his heart finally dropped.
Then he noticed what Tang Tang had said and was a bit puzzled. "Me? What's wrong with me?"
"Alas." Tang Tang sighed. She took off the overly cute apron and walked up to Zuo Mu. With a serious look on her face, she said, "Brother, you don't know. I went into your room at noon. Seeing your face was all red, I thought something was wrong, so I took your temperature without asking."
"You went into my room?" Zuo Mu missed the point completely.
Tang Tang stared at him in disbelief. Wasn't the most important thing your health at this moment?
She put her cold little hand on Zuo Mu's forehead.
Zuo Mu, caught off guard, stiffened up.
"Yeah, it's still hot." Tang Tang nodded. "I went in. I called you outside the door for a long time but got no response. I was worried about you, so I went in. Why, is brother blaming me?"
Tang Tang's clear eyes were free of any impurities. She stared directly into Zuo Mu's eyes.
Zuo Mu suddenly stammered, "No, it's nothing. It's just that it's not very appropriate for a girl to just go into a man's room."
As soon as he said it, he regretted it when he saw Tang Tang's teasing look.
Sure enough, Tang Tang couldn't help laughing. "You must be delirious from the fever. If I hadn't gone in to check on you and put an ice towel on your forehead, by the way, brother, don't you remember? I even gave you water to drink."
Zuo Mu listened to Tang Tang's description and said that he didn't remember any of it.