Falling asleep worked surprisingly well. His body reacted to the older neither with tension nor stress. Instead, he even managed to relax in Xiao Dao's presence. Relieved, Wenjie closed his eyes. Sleep came faster than expected. The awakening was all the more violent. 

He did not dream. But when the first rays of sunlight fell into the room between the cracks of the curtains and their light woke him up, he startled as if a hornet had stung him. He sat candle-straight in his bed, pressed against the side wall. Dumbfounded, he stared at Ding Wei, who rubbed his eyes sleepily before realizing that his friend was as pale as cheese again.

Wenjie breathed hastily, but instinctively reached out a hand to him. "It's not you. I just had a flashback." At the first moment, he had expected Xu Zhengqing. Probably because of the hallucination the night before. He took a deep breath. Then he lay down next to Xiao Dao again, who watched him suspiciously from the side.

The older man was lying on his side. "You're not going to college today." 

Wenjie looked at him for a long time, without saying a word. Finally, he nodded. Ding Wei blinked. The reaction had probably surprised him. It elicited a faint smile from the younger man. "Give me my phone. I have to write to my teachers, that I will be absent for health reasons."

Xiao Dao didn't need to be told twice. 

Shortly after, Wenjie had his phone in his hands and was sending messages. Not only did he write to his professors, but also to Lin Zhiyue and Sun Zhijian. But he supplemented his text with soothing words, so that they would not worry. 

Ding Wei, meanwhile, got up anyway. He shuffled over to the kitchen table. Wenjie watched him go. With his fingers, he literally clung to the phone. "I was able to fall asleep just fine," he said. 

Xiao Dao stopped. The worry lines disappeared. "Then we can assume that Xu Zhengqing was lying?" 

"Mmm..." Wenjie nodded. However, despite their test, he was not one hundred percent sure. After all, there was a possibility, that he had developed Stockholm Syndrome towards Ding Wei. At least, he did not rule it out. When he had been in captivity, it had been Xiao Dao who had eased his pain somewhat and given him hope. His body remembered the treatment, which was why he felt safety in the presence of the older. Curious. Ding Wei, of all people. He sighed deeply and closed his eyes for a moment. 

From the background, he heard the splashing of water as his friend filled the stove, probably to make fresh tea. The phone vibrated. Lin Zhiyue had texted him a get-well message and asked if she should come by later. 

"Ding Wei is here," he texted back. "And I'll be back at the university tomorrow. Don't worry." She still would. Because she loved him. A lump formed in his throat and melancholy pressed on his heart. Ding Shenghuo had been right. She was important to him. But Xu Zhengqing had destroyed everything that could have been. He put the phone on his nightstand and got up. 

Xiao Dao had already prepared everything for breakfast together. It was almost uncanny how well he knew his way around his kitchen. 

"You must have looked around quite intensely, when you were here with your father," Wenjie noted as he opened the curtains. The sky was bright blue. The courtyard was bustling with activity. Ding Wei's car was still parked where he had left it last night. And nothing indicated uninvited guests. No hallucinations. 

Xiao Dao laughed. "To become your friend, I had to study your way of life very carefully. Shall we eat at the kitchen table or in the living room?" 

Wenjie's gaze fell on the living room table. There was only a desk calendar there, next to a lamp. Clothes hung above the chair, which he put away to make room. "I usually use the living room table." He wanted to help Ding Wei carry the cups and plates over, but his friend waved him off.

"You need to rest. I'll take care of it. Sit down."

"I'm fine," Wenjie muttered more to himself. In fact, though, sitting down did him quite a bit of good. The night's rest hadn't been particularly long. 

"Your refrigerator is pretty empty," Xiao Dao noted over breakfast. 

"I eat more often in the canteen or at my workplace." Wenjie took the teacup between his cold hands. Thoughtfully, he looked at the steam rising from it. He hadn't been drinking much lately, which wasn't good for his body. Any form of liquid, especially soups, could trigger flashbacks unless he knew exactly what was in it. Cautiously, he sipped the tea. Nothing happened. His mental condition remained stable for the time being. Hopefully, by the next day, everything would be fine again. He didn't want to be a burden to anyone. 

Time passed as they ate the meal. Slowly, the cold and tension receded from his limbs. Ding Wei made a few jokes, which even made him laugh, before he took care of the dishes. Wenjie, meanwhile, remained seated at the table, watching him from his position. He was wondering, what they were doing with the day that had dawned, when there was a knock at the door. 

Xiao Dao put aside the dish towel he had just used to dry the plates. By then Wenjie had already gotten up and indicated to him that he could quietly finish his work. He was counting on Mrs. Chen perhaps dropping by to check on things. Or Lin Zhiyue or Sun Zhijian had not been able to refrain from making the trip to his apartment after he had written to them, he was staying home today for health reasons. However, it was Luo Jian. How had the policeman known he was home? 

"Captain Luo. What brings you here? Is there any news? Do you need a statement from me after all?" He didn't think his friends were informing Captain Luo because of his health. But his neighbor had overheard Ding Wei's loud thumping last night. However, he wondered why she would only make a call in the morning then. 

"Do I always have to have a reason to visit you?" Luo Jian smiled. "I actually thought you were in college."

"I took the day off." A little indecisive, Wenjie stopped at the door. 

"Aren't you alone?" Captain Luo glanced past him into the apartment. 

"Ding Wei is here. We had breakfast together. Wait..." Immediately, his inner resistance spoke up. "What are you here for? Do all my visitors have to be questioned now?" A queasy feeling spread through his stomach, inevitably feeling reminded of Captain Luo's previous visits and the day he had met Xu Zhengqing here. "Is Mister Xu really dead?" he blurted out his concern. 

"Relax. If it's that important to you, I'll give you a reason. After the case is closed, I wanted to surprise you by having dinner together. Your boss told me she gave you some time off, because you weren't feeling well." When Wenjie mentioned Xu Zhengqing, the smile on Luo Jian's face faded. "The probability that he is still alive is almost zero percent." 

And yet, the question apparently triggered doubt, if Wenjie interpreted the policeman's facial expression and body posture correctly. 

"Let's talk inside. I can come in, can't I?" 

And before Wenjie knew it, Luo Jian had already pushed open the door and stepped into his apartment.

to be continued...