Another video tape.
The ti was when Bai Han was in high school.
This was the day Bai Han was going to ask Xiao Xi to the movies.
He was discussing it with his good friend, Zhou Gu.
Bai Han: "It’s not like that... This might be a terrible idea."
Zhou Gu didn’t think so: "So what? Who cares?"
"Think about it. The worst-case scenario is just: she says no."
"And then you just hold your head high and walk away like nothing happened. No one will know, and everyone will still think you’re cool."
Bai Han hesitated, "But what if she tells other people?"
"Or yells at ?"
Frustrated by his friend’s lack of resolve, Zhou Gu slapped Bai Han on the shoulder. "Don’t! Be! So! Weak!"
"Just go for it!"
Bai Han was still too scared. "Or what if... she says ’yes,’ but actually ans ’no’?"
Zhou Gu scoffed, "Pfft, you’re overthinking it. Who does that?"
Bai Han: "What if she just throws a dictionary at my face?"
"I don’t even have a helt... Oh my god, I just can’t face any of that."
Zhou Gu said loudly, "Look, man, don’t panic. Just stand up straight and don’t act like a coward."
"Everything will go smoothly... All you have to do is turn around and walk up to her."
Bai Han was finally convinced and mustered his courage. "Okay, okay."
Next,
It was obvious that Zhou Gu was hiding in a corner with the camcorder, secretly filming.
Xiao Xi was sitting quietly at the top of the stairs, reading a book.
Bai Han shuffled over, one step at a ti. "Hi..."
Xiao Xi was still reading her book.
Bai Han could only gather his courage and continue, "Uh... hi."
Still no response.
Bai Han almost fled in defeat. Using his last ounce of strength, he asked, "Can you hear ?"
Xiao Xi finally spoke. "Yes."
Bai Han let out a sigh of relief and couldn’t help but ask, "Then why didn’t you... Never mind."
He didn’t want to accuse her.
So he quickly tried to find a topic of conversation.
He saw a platypus toy placed next to Xiao Xi and said, "Um, your platypus toy is really cool."
No response.
Bai Han looked at Xiao Xi and tried a new topic. "What are you reading?"
Xiao Xi: "A book."
Bai Han: "...About platypuses?"
Xiao Xi: "No."
Bai Han could only grasp at straws. "Oh... I, uh, I guess that’s cool too."
Another silence.
Watching the video, Li Xu and Song Sisi both felt embarrassed for Bai Han.
On the screen,
Bai Han continued to muster his courage. "Hey... would you like to go..."
Xiao Xi: "Watchtower."
Bai Han was stunned. "...What?"
Xiao Xi: "In the forest outside the city, there is a white watchtower."
"According to statistics, there are a total of 15,000 watchtowers in our country. The one outside the city was converted from an ancient sentry tower."
Bai Han: "..."
He didn’t know how to respond.
His gaze fell on the book in Xiao Xi’s hands, and an idea struck him. "Oh, is that what you’re reading about?"
Xiao Xi didn’t answer.
The atmosphere grew cold again.
After a while,
Bai Han finally stated his purpose for being there. "Um, I an... are you free to go to a movie with soti?"
Xiao Xi kept her eyes on her book and said, "I don’t know."
Bai Han imdiately said, "That’s okay, I can wait for you to think about it."
Xiao Xi: "I can’t go."
Bai Han was extrely disappointed, but he still wanted to know why. "...Why?"
Xiao Xi: "Because you didn’t say a specific ti."
Bai Han was so happy he started stuttering. "...Oh, um, how about eight o’clock this Saturday?"
Another silence.
Bai Han asked nervously, "Is that okay?"
After that, Bai Han went into motor-mouth mode.
He kept trying to make small talk.
Xiao Xi, on the other hand, remained quiet and reserved,
which was consistent with her social anxiety disorder.
In the end,
Bai Han did get a date with Xiao Xi,
which was the video tape Li Xu and Song Sisi had just watched.
...
A new video tape.
The ti was a bit earlier.
Before he asked her to the movies,
Bai Han and Zhou Gu were in the cafeteria, discussing Xiao Xi.
Zhou Gu: "Yeah, she’s really special. Specially... dull."
"Haha, I an, look at her... she never fits in, always sitting there by herself all day, and that deford duck doll of hers."
Bai Han argued, "It’s not a deford duck, it’s a platypus, you ignorant oaf."
Zhou Gu: "What the hell is a platypus? Stop being difficult. Anyway, she’s just so... antisocial, you know?"
"It’s like she’s from another planet or sothing."
Bai Han didn’t see it that way. "I know, but isn’t that cool?"
...
This was the last video tape.
The ti was even earlier.
This was from Bai Han’s childhood.
Even back then, he loved making videos.
He’d take his camcorder, place it on the windowsill, in the yard, hang it from a tree, and record everything about himself.
"I’m going to school now, Mom."
"Be careful on your way, Xiao Hai."
Seeing Bai Han’s mother call him Xiao Hai,
Song Sisi couldn’t help but mutter, "What if Bai Han had been born a girl? Would they have still called him Xiao Hai?"
Li Xu thought for a mont and said, "Although Xiao Hai is a boy’s na, so girls are called that too."
"Alright then."
The two continued watching the video.
But they found that the video cut off abruptly.
"That’s it?"
Song Sisi was a bit confused.
Li Xu also felt it ended too soon.
He hurriedly searched for more,
but there were no other video tapes on the table.
’Let’s check the bedroom.’
In the bedroom, there was nothing but the paper rabbits.
"What was that all about?"
Li Xu sighed.
After watching tapes all afternoon, not only had they not found any answers, but they were even more confused.
’Why did Xiao Xi fold paper rabbits?’
’Why did she always carry that platypus toy around?’
’What was the question she wanted to ask but couldn’t because of her Asperger’s syndro?’
’What did Bai Han owe Xiao Xi?’
’And where was he going?’
The mysteries were piling up.
"Boss, I feel like we’re not here to treat a patient, we’re here to solve a case,"
Song Sisi said, troubled.
"Yeah."
Li Xu nodded in agreent. "But our detective skills aren’t good enough. We can’t find the answers."
Song Sisi looked at the sky. It was already dark. "What should we do? Should we go back?"
Li Xu thought for a mont.
’This place is remote; we’ll never be able to hail a cab.’
’Even though I have the taxi’s number, I don’t want to go back at night.’
"Let’s just make do and stay here for the night,"
Li Xu said.
It was sumr,
so they didn’t need any bedding.
It was cool in the mountains, and sleeping in their clothes wouldn’t be too hot or too cold.
Actually, Li Xu had another hope.
’Tomorrow, the system will refresh its intel.’
’Will it give a new hint?’
After watching videos all afternoon, there were a lot of mysteries.
But Li Xu had a feeling.
’All it would take is one small hint to solve all of them.’
’If we go back tonight,’
’and the system gives a hint tomorrow, we’ll just have to co back again.’
’It’s better to just stay the night.’
He called Bai Qingqing and explained the situation.
Bai Qingqing thanked him profusely. "It’s no problem, feel free to stay. Use whatever you need..."
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