Red Light

Day 6 Part 4

The day had been quiet for Lan Wangji and Yu Bin. Though in all honesty, Yu Bin had turned into a walking smile. The detective had looked pleased at the policeman's happiness and went back to work. Reports were written and sent in. Noodles were made for lunch. 

It was late afternoon when they donned their outfits for the evening's undercover. Yu Bin was wearing a plain gray t-shirt and jeans with his blue jean jacket. He even managed to do his hair by himself.  Lan Wangji was wearing the same outfit after washing it earlier. He had ironed the khakis to have a crisp clean look to them.

Yu Bin had merely laughed. Lin Cheung and Lan Wangji had a great deal in common.

After a brief conference call, they agreed to just repeat the schedule from the night before. Nie Huaisang would pick them up and drop them at the hotel. From there they would pick up a cab, eat somewhere local and then hit the red light district until it was midnight or they found Yiling.

Simple. 

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Everything had been pulled off without a hitch. Nie Huaisang and Yu Bin had shared looks on the way the to the hotel. A lot of them. Lan Wangji had rolled his eyes and mentioned actually watching the road was conducive to safe arrivals. They had just laughed and, when they parted, shared smiles meant for no one else.

Sushi for dinner and an animated conversation on the latest sports news had fleshed out their covers that night. They did have a brief conversation regarding Lin Cheung refusing to save Zhang Zihao any more since it was his idea to go down to that awful place. Zhang Zihao had smiled and replied, "I know you will because that is who you are, Lin Cheung. You are a hero looking for a place to happen."

Lin Cheung had scoffed and said, "Not hardly."

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It was dusk when they arrived in the red light district. It wasn't as active as it had been last night. It made the process both easier and harder. Fewer people to get past but the prostitutes were more desperate. Lin Cheung still found his gaze was enough for most though he had  resorted to speaking to several. "Married." was all he said. Combined with the glare, it was effective.

Zhang Zihao had learned a bit the night before too and put it to good use. He blamed the visit on Lin Cheung, leaving the said man flabbergasted, and announced he had a partner who was quite handsome. "You ladies are lovely buuut.... " he had just grinned and continued on with a red Lin Cheung.

Sitting in his office again, Nie Huaisang choked on his purchased (and vastly inferior) caramel latte when Zhang Zihao made that little announcement. When he could breath again, he had fanned himself violently for several moments to sooth the blush. But it didn't stop him from smiling enormously.

~~~~~

The two men had decided to take different sides of the street. It allowed for both close up inspection and general overviews of the areas. They had gone down several streets when he heard it. Lin Cheung could hear the flute. He was determined to find the player this time. He would resume his search for Yiling afterwards. Following the song that had played in his dreams, he hurriedly looked on both sides of the street.

He slowed to a stop. Across the street, amongst the lewdly dancing women in other windows, there was a man. Alone in the aperture to his world, his hair was half tied up with a red ribbon, the rest flowing on to his shoulder. A white shirt. Tight jeans. His eyes closed lost in the music of his dizi. It was Yiling.

Lin Cheung froze. All this time, he had been listening to Yiling and had never known.

"I found him. I repeat, I found him." There was no missing the excitement in Lin Cheung's voice.