Good and Evil Chapter Fifteen: Lovers, Doctor, Patient

After Ning Yanran left the private room, she went straight to the restroom. It was already past ten, close to eleven at night, and the restaurant was nearly deserted. The hallway was empty, and she didn’t encounter a single soul on her way.

The restroom was at the end of the corridor around a corner. As Ning Yanran approached, she noticed that Ye Xuefei hadn’t entered the restroom but was instead loitering at the corner, apparently peering around as if spying on something. This made Ning Yanran feel tense. She tiptoed over and stood beside Ye Xuefei, peeking in the same direction. There wasn’t anything unusual, just a man and a woman standing by the sinks between the two restrooms.

The man was someone Ning Yanran knew very well—Xu Lang. As for the woman, her back was to them, so Ning Yanran couldn’t see her face. Still, judging by her posture and dress, Ning Yanran could tell she was someone who paid great attention to the details of life.

She wore black high heels and a business suit, her hair neatly tied up, presenting a capable look. She had earrings on, and from behind, Ning Yanran could see the temple arms of a pair of glasses perched on her ears.

“Where have you been lately? Why haven’t you answered my calls?” the woman asked, her voice suggesting she was attractive.

Xu Lang leaned against the sink, silently smoking a cigarette. Upon hearing her question, he looked up at her with a flat tone. “I’ve been sleeping at home.”

“It’s been three months since you came to see me,” the woman replied.

While Xu Lang and the woman spoke, Ye Xuefei noticed Ning Yanran. Their eyes met, and from the conversation, it was clear the man and woman knew each other, and probably shared more than a casual relationship. Ning Yanran speculated to herself—were they lovers?

Ye Xuefei seemed to have the same suspicion. Her gaze dimmed and she lowered her head, about to turn and leave.

Clang.

Just then, as Ye Xuefei turned, she accidentally knocked over a trash bin, producing a crisp sound.

Both Ye Xuefei and Ning Yanran froze, glancing at the bin, then simultaneously at the restroom door. At that moment, Xu Lang and the woman heard the noise and stepped out, finding Ning Yanran and Ye Xuefei standing there.

Xu Lang didn’t seem surprised to see them, but Ye Xuefei and Ning Yanran both looked uncomfortable, as if they’d intruded on a rendezvous—though admittedly, it was an odd place for a date.

Xu Lang looked at them and asked, “What are you doing here?”

Ye Xuefei glanced at the woman, then quickly turned and left. Ning Yanran watched her go, feeling as though she was fleeing in embarrassment.

Smiling, Ning Yanran said, “We drank too much beer and came to use the restroom. When we saw you two inside, we didn’t want to interrupt.”

As she spoke, Ning Yanran’s gaze fell on the woman beside Xu Lang. She looked about twenty-five or six, about the same age as Xu Lang, with light makeup and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses perched on her nose. Seeing those glasses, Ning Yanran guessed she was at least a white-collar professional.

While Ning Yanran was sizing her up, the woman was also appraising her.

The woman was the first to speak. “Hello, my name is Shu Yue. I’m a psychologist.” She extended her hand.

Ning Yanran shook Shu Yue’s hand and replied, “Hello, I’m Ning Yanran. I’m a police officer.”

Shu Yue released her grip and looked at Ning Yanran. “I know you. You’re the captain of the second criminal investigation unit of the S City Public Security Bureau, aren’t you?”

Ning Yanran nodded, a bit surprised Shu Yue knew her. She glanced at Xu Lang, seeking an explanation.

Xu Lang didn’t offer one. Instead, he turned to Shu Yue and said, “Go wait for me downstairs. I’ll be down soon.”

Shu Yue nodded, smiled apologetically at Ning Yanran, and then walked away in her high heels.

Xu Lang watched Shu Yue’s receding figure, frowned slightly, then turned to Ning Yanran and asked, “How much did you hear?”

Ning Yanran shook her head. “Not much. Just her asking why you hadn’t visited her.”

She looked at Xu Lang mischievously. “Did I interrupt something for you?”

Xu Lang shot her a look. “Are you still going to the restroom?”

Ning Yanran shook her head. She’d only come out to look for Ye Xuefei, and hadn’t expected to run into Xu Lang and Shu Yue. Ning Yanran, in fact, was full of questions. Earlier, when Shu Yue introduced herself, she’d said she was a psychologist. Did that mean she and Xu Lang weren’t lovers, but doctor and patient? But Xu Lang didn’t seem sick at all.

Xu Lang, guessing what Ning Yanran was thinking, explained, “We’re friends. We’ve known each other since we were kids.”

Though Ning Yanran still had questions, it was Xu Lang’s private matter, so she didn’t press further, and the two of them headed back to the private room.

When they returned, only Zhang Lei and the others were left. Ye Xuefei and Li Lei were gone. Xu Lang asked and learned that after returning from the restroom, Ye Xuefei said she was tired, took her bag, and left first. Li Lei, not feeling safe letting her go home alone so late, offered to escort her, and the two of them left together.

Since Ye Xuefei and Li Lei were gone and everyone else had nearly finished eating, Xu Lang and the rest decided to leave as well.

Ning Yanran, as the host, paid the bill and led the way downstairs. Lü Xing and Zhang Lei followed closely, Zhao Hua trailed behind them, and Xu Lang brought up the rear.

Noticing Xu Lang’s somber expression, Zhao Hua assumed it was because of something Zhang Lei had said, so he slowed to walk beside Xu Lang and said, “Zhang Lei didn’t mean it.”

Xu Lang was still preoccupied with how to face Shu Yue. He hadn’t left the private room just because Ning Yanran had asked if he had a girlfriend; he’d also really needed to use the restroom. Afterward, when he came out to wash his hands, he happened to run into Shu Yue, who was leaving the women’s restroom.

Shu Yue had been surprised and then delighted to see Xu Lang, but quickly turned angry. She confronted him by the sinks, and that was when Ning Yanran and Ye Xuefei saw them.

Hearing Zhao Hua’s voice, Xu Lang snapped back to reality and looked at Zhao Hua in confusion. “What did Zhang Lei say?”

“Huh?” Zhao Hua exclaimed. “You don’t know?”

Xu Lang looked even more puzzled. “Know what?”

Realizing Xu Lang wasn’t aware of the earlier incident in the private room, Zhao Hua stammered, “It’s nothing, nothing.”

Xu Lang, his mind still on Shu Yue, paid little attention to Zhao Hua’s words, and together they reached the first floor.

By then, Ning Yanran had settled the check. Zhang Lei and Lü Xing had already left, leaving Ning Yanran standing by the bar and Li Lei crouched, dejected, at the restaurant entrance.

Xu Lang and Zhao Hua found this odd. The three of them walked over, and Xu Lang asked, “Weren’t you escorting Ye Xuefei home? Why are you still here?”

Li Lei stood up, glanced at the three of them, and replied gloomily, “I meant to, but she just hailed a taxi and left.”

Hearing this, the three couldn’t help but laugh. Ye Xuefei’s reaction didn’t surprise them at all. Xu Lang patted Li Lei’s shoulder and said, “The revolution hasn’t succeeded yet, comrade. You must keep trying.”

Li Lei sighed deeply, waved at them, and said, “Xu Lang, Captain Ning, Hua, I’m heading off.”

He turned to leave. Zhao Hua glanced at Xu Lang, then at Ning Yanran, and quickly caught up to Li Lei, clapping a hand on his shoulder. “Let’s go together.”

Li Lei didn’t protest, and the two left together.

Only Ning Yanran and Xu Lang were left at the entrance. They exchanged a glance and walked out of the restaurant. As soon as they stepped outside, Xu Lang saw Shu Yue waiting by a white BMW, clearly waiting for him.

Ning Yanran saw her too, so she stopped and said to Xu Lang, “Bye. See you tomorrow.”

Xu Lang paused and replied, “Hasn’t the case already been solved? There’s no need for me to come in again, is there?”

Ning Yanran tucked a windblown lock of hair behind her ear and said, “There are still some unresolved issues. I need your help.”

Xu Lang considered it. There were indeed aspects of the case that didn’t add up, so he nodded. “See you tomorrow, then.”

Ning Yanran smiled and walked to the curb, hailed a taxi, and left.

Once she was gone, Xu Lang headed toward Shu Yue, who had been waiting for some time. Shu Yue drove, and Xu Lang took the passenger seat, lighting a cigarette without looking at her.

Shu Yue frowned, rolled down the window, and asked as she drove, “Didn’t you already quit your job? Why are you still dining with them?”

Xu Lang rested his hand on the window frame, gazing at the street outside. “There was a dismemberment case where I live. I was the one who reported it.”

Shu Yue turned to look at him. “Didn’t you promise me you’d stop being a cop? Why are you getting involved again?”

Xu Lang exhaled a smoke ring without replying. Seeing his silence, Shu Yue turned her attention back to driving, and both fell into silence.

Ning Yanran had guessed rightly about Xu Lang and Shu Yue—they were both lovers and, at the same time, doctor and patient.

Xu Lang and Shu Yue had known each other since childhood—their families had once been neighbors. Shu Yue’s mother and Xu Lang’s mother were both doctors at the same hospital. In fact, it was Shu Yue’s mother who introduced Xu Lang’s parents, so the two families had always been close.

They were born the same year and grew up together. When both mothers were pregnant, the families joked that if one had a boy and the other a girl, they’d become in-laws. It seemed a mere jest, but when the children were born—a boy and a girl—the families were overjoyed.

Until Xu Lang was five, the two children were inseparable. But after a certain incident, Xu Lang lost both parents in succession and was taken in by his grandmother, while Shu Yue moved away due to her father’s job transfer. Still, they attended the same school and could see each other during classes.

Thus, they advanced together through high school. When Xu Lang was fifteen, his sister Xu Chan was suddenly murdered, dealing him a severe blow and sending his grades into a steep decline. In the end, Shu Yue was accepted to a prestigious university, while Xu Lang applied to the police academy, and they parted ways.

However, they never lost touch. After Xu Lang’s sister and grandmother passed away in quick succession, Shu Yue was the one who stayed by his side. Naturally, they became a couple. It was around then that Shu Yue discovered Xu Lang had psychological issues. At first, the symptoms were subtle—he simply became withdrawn, disliked social interaction, and often kept to himself. Shu Yue frequently chatted with him and took him out to help him unwind.

After the college entrance exams, Shu Yue left S City for university elsewhere, while Xu Lang attended the police academy. They lived far apart and mostly kept in touch by phone, rarely seeing each other.

Over time, Shu Yue realized that Xu Lang was still consumed by the deaths of his parents and sister. At police school, besides training, he would either remain silent or isolate himself. Having known him for so long, Shu Yue understood his state of mind and worried that it would only get worse. Lacking a better solution, she switched her major to psychology, hoping to help Xu Lang overcome his problems.

Xu Lang graduated from the police academy with honors and, during his time there, helped solve two cases, earning the praise of the school’s leadership and a special recruitment into the criminal police force by Lu Ye, becoming captain of the second criminal investigation team.

After graduating, Shu Yue interned for over a year and, with her parents’ help, set up her own psychological counseling practice in S City. It wasn’t large—she was the only staffer—but she was a bright young woman, accomplished in her field, and helped many patients with their psychological issues. Occasionally, she assisted the S City police in evaluating suspects for mental illness.

As a detective, Xu Lang had to visit crime scenes daily, dealing with all sorts of criminals and witnessing countless murders. As a specially recruited team captain, he was constantly under scrutiny, and the pressure was immense. Over time, he developed insomnia, anxiety, and irritability, especially when handling wife-murder or dismemberment cases. These cases reminded him of his mother lying in a pool of blood and his dismembered sister, inevitably exacerbating his psychological problems.

As his girlfriend, Shu Yue noticed these changes and began treating him. Initially, the results were promising—with her help, Xu Lang’s work stress eased, he became less irritable, and even showed more kindness toward suspects.

Three months ago, Xu Lang assaulted a suspect who’d murdered his wife and daughter. The suspect was cruel and deranged, but what pushed Xu Lang over the edge was the man’s whispered claim that he had killed Xu Lang’s sister, Xu Chan, years ago. This shattered the progress Xu Lang had made in overcoming his trauma.

However, subsequent investigations revealed that the suspect was not Xu Chan’s killer. Ten years ago, he hadn’t even been in S City and didn’t know Xu Chan. He’d made the claim simply to provoke Xu Lang and the police. The reason he knew about Xu Chan’s case was that Xu Lang had achieved great distinction in the force, solving many major cases and being interviewed by the media, which naturally mentioned his sister’s unsolved murder.

The suspect’s provocation deeply affected Xu Lang, causing his psychological issues to resurface. On top of that, he was suspended from duty. When Shu Yue found out, she urged him to quit the force. After years of treating him, she knew that the deaths of Xu Lang’s mother and sister had left deep scars, and the only way for him to heal would be to find his sister’s killer and discover whether his father really was responsible for his mother’s death.

Xu Lang’s mother’s case was difficult to solve due to poor investigative conditions and lost or destroyed evidence. His father, Xu Yuan, who’d been sentenced to death, committed suicide after his appeal failed, and the case was shelved.

Over the years, Xu Lang never believed his father was guilty, and worked tirelessly to clear his father’s name. Lu Ye, his father’s old partner, also never gave up. With decades of experience and credentials, Lu Ye could have joined the provincial public security department, but always declined, staying in S City to pursue the case.

Xu Chan’s murder remained unsolved after ten years for two reasons: first, there were no witnesses to her disappearance or the crime, nor any clue as to where she’d vanished; second, the killer’s methods were highly professional, showing strong counter-surveillance skills and leaving no trace. After the crime, he disappeared completely and never committed another similar crime. In the following decade, although there were occasional cases of mutilation, none were linked to Xu Chan’s case, leaving it unresolved to this day.