Darkness and Destiny: A Guardian Story

Chapter Thirty-Three: The Heartfelt Advice

After a week of rest and recuperation, Shen Wei went back to lecturing at the university.  To his students and most of his colleagues, his behaviour was much the same as always.  However, those who knew him a little better could tell after a few days that something was not right, and Chu Shuzhi, when he stopped by the professor's office for a cup of tea one afternoon, noticed a marked change in his friend's demeanour.

"What's wrong, Shen Wei?  Has something happened at work?  At police headquarters?"  His voice was full of concern.

"Nothing, really.  I'm fine."

"Don't give me that crap!  I know you're not exactly Mr Forthcoming, but it's obvious that something is bothering you."

Shen Wei thought for a moment about how to respond.  Eventually he spoke, somewhat reluctantly.

"It's Zhao Yunlan.  I lied to him and now we're not...what we were anymore.  I don't even know if he's going to want to talk to me again."

"You lied?  You never lie.  I'm sure it was just a misunderstanding, right?"

"Not exactly."

Twenty minutes later, Chu Shuzhi sat back in amazement and almost fell off his chair.

"Seriously, you couldn't make this stuff up!  Why didn't you tell me you were Black Robe?  And you got shot?  Here I was thinking you were some mild-mannered professor, when actually you're galivanting around in the darkness catching criminals.  You know who you are, don't you? You're Clark Kent!"

"Don't be ridiculous," his companion muttered.

"It's true!  Even the whole glasses thing.  I bet you don't need them, do you?"

Shen Wei squirmed in discomfiture.

"Not really," he admitted.  "I had laser eye surgery a few years back."

"Ha!  I knew it, Superman!"

"Be serious for a moment, Chu Shuzhi," Shen Wei frowned good-naturedly at his friend.  "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before.  It was a bad decision on my part.  I probably wouldn't be in this situation if I'd been a bit more open with the people I care about.  I just didn't want to put you in the position of having to keep quiet about something that would potentially be newsworthy."

"Don't worry.  I understand.  I would have kept your secret, but it would have nearly killed me, so it was probably for the best.  I'm not angry with you, but from what I know about Chief Zhao, I understand why he is."

"Me too.  I've made such a mess of things.  What should I do?"

"Wait.  Just wait, and let him figure it all out in his head.  I've seen the way he looks at you.  He won't stay away for long.  Trust me."

***

"You've been walking around like a bear with a sore head for days now.  I told you not to leave it too long.  Go and see him."

Zhao Xinci was pacing the length of his son's apartment as he tried to reason with his stubborn offspring, who was leaning back against the living room wall, his head downcast.

"I'm not sure I can, Dad.  He's the one who left the hospital without waiting to talk about things, and now it's been almost two weeks.  I can't just go over there unannounced.  He probably won't even let me in."

The surgeon smiled internally.  He knew that Yunlan wanted to see Shen Wei.  He just wasn't sure how to initiate the contact after what had happened, and now he was scared of being rejected after letting too much time pass.  Luckily for his son, he had the perfect solution.

"Exactly," he said.  "Two weeks.  Who's going to take his stitches out without asking any questions?  He's my patient.  Go get him and bring him to me at the hospital.  And that's not a request."

The detective's eyes widened as he realised that his father had just given him the excuse that he had been searching for.

"Thanks, Dad!"

"No problem.  I'm covering for someone on night shift, so I'll get going.  But the next time I see you, it had better be with that young man in tow."

Zhao Yunlan watched his father leave, his mind lost in thought.

He knew that the professor had gone back to work a week after his injury.  Occasionally, he had stopped by the university on his motorcycle and watched from afar as the man moved around the campus going from class to class.  His steps had been slower than usual, and his pale skin was even whiter.  It was as if his handsome features were becoming almost ghostly.

It had taken all of Yunlan's willpower not to go to him then, but he had forced himself to respect Shen Wei's decision.  If he wanted to talk, he reasoned, he would have waited for him back at the hospital.  Now, it seemed as though the man wanted space, and he would just have to honour that.  He supposed it had given him time to sort out his own mind and get his thoughts in order, although he had to admit that his emotions were still jumbled up.

His first thoughts had been warped by anger.  He had suspected that Shen Wei had played with his feelings, albeit not deliberately.  That he had gotten a thrill from their interactions as police detective and Black Robe, and so he'd chosen to keep his secret to carry on with their relationship in the darkness while at the same time pulling him in as Shen Wei under the light.  Then, he had realised that the professor was not that sort of person at all.  He would never sacrifice someone else's emotions for his own gratification.  He was too noble and kind for that.  He must have had his own reasons for making the choices that he did, and Zhao Yunlan would just have to come out and ask him about them if he was ever going to know the full truth.

He looked across at the clock on the wall.  It was just after seven in the evening.  Shen Wei would be home by now.  It was time to resolve things between them.  He grabbed his coat and walked out of the apartment, and ten minutes later he arrived in front of the familiar apartment building just in time for an exiting resident to let him in.

Shen Wei frowned as he heard a sharp rap on the door.  He hadn't buzzed anyone into the building.  Perhaps it was one of his neighbours.  The couple in apartment two were going away soon, he knew.  Maybe they were stopping by to ask him to keep an eye on the place for them.

He walked into his hallway and pulled open the door.

"Hi, Shen Wei.  How have you been?"