Chapter Nine: Striking Up a Conversation

Yan Xue also hoped this trip would prove worthwhile, though her purpose was obviously different from that of the little fan of Xin Rui.

The two of them wandered around a little longer. This was the outskirts, and the temperature seemed several degrees lower than in the city center. What was worse, none of the several bizarre pieces of performance art around them had managed to kindle the slightest enthusiasm in either of them. By the time they had made it halfway around, the wind had turned both of Yan Xue’s ears red, and her hands were icy cold.

“Have a look around here, but don’t go too far. The map showed a bubble-tea shop somewhere over there. I’ll go buy us two hot drinks so we can warm up.” Kang Ge was relatively resistant to the cold, but Yan Xue clearly seemed to be freezing. He caught hold of her, gestured for her to wait a moment, then hurried toward the direction marked on the map as having a beverage shop.

Yan Xue was indeed chilled by the wind, so rather than stand still waiting for Kang Ge to return, she decided to walk around within the area and keep moving. That way, she would not feel quite so cold.

She was standing in what looked like a small plaza. Scattered around it were several things Yan Xue was unsure whether to call “works” or “exhibits.” After enduring all sorts of minor spectacles along the way, she had broadened her horizons and become difficult to surprise. Yet one “large-scale work” in the center of the plaza immediately seized her attention.

A ring of scaffolding had been erected there. From it hung several lengths of steel wire, each tied to a dummy resembling a marionette. They were stark white and, under ordinary circumstances, might have seemed unremarkable. But on a day when snow had only just fallen, the pale puppets clashed rather awkwardly with the dirty snow that had not yet been cleared from the ground.

The reason they had caught Yan Xue’s attention was that among the puppets hung a real person. That person was also dressed in a white bodysuit, which covered the entire head and concealed all facial features. Only two dark, sunglass-like pieces had been sewn over the eyes. From the outside, it was impossible to see the wearer’s eyes, though the person inside could presumably see out.

The real person suspended among the puppets looked almost exactly like the subject of the most famous piece of performance art ever reported on. The only difference was that, instead of being arranged on an abandoned amusement ride, the dummy had been replaced by a person hanging in midair.

Yan Xue walked a few steps closer to take a better look. Maintaining the calm demeanor of an ordinary tourist, she studied the scene while wondering whether the person hanging there could possibly be Xin Rui himself.

If it really was, then the man had an astonishing devotion to art.

After all, in weather like this, those clothes were plainly not very thick. Just looking at them made her feel cold.

She had never doubted whether the person above was alive. The white bodysuit clung tightly to the body, and she could faintly see the chest and abdomen rising and falling with each breath.

As Yan Xue watched the person beneath the scaffolding pretending to be a puppet, she suddenly sensed someone approaching and stopping behind her. That was clearly not Kang Ge’s habit. The feeling of a stranger coming so close—far too close, in fact—put her on guard. She took a step diagonally forward and turned to look at the spot behind her.

An unremarkable-looking man in his thirties stood there. On such a bitterly cold day, he was wearing neither a hat nor a scarf, only a padded traditional-style jacket. He had little hair, and what he had was short. His head was round, and both his prominent ears had been turned bright red by the wind. They even had a strangely translucent quality, as if a brake light had been installed beside each ear. If he did not get somewhere warm soon, he might well suffer frostbite.

Most striking of all was the fact that this utterly ordinary-looking man was now examining Yan Xue with an expression that seemed to say, “I’m the most handsome man alive,” while wearing a smile coated in a thin sheen of oily self-satisfaction.

That was exactly what he was doing: examining her. It was more than simply looking. His narrow eyes scanned her from head to toe again and again. For all she knew, he was trying to assess her figure through her thick down jacket.

Yan Xue fought down the urge to thrust two fingers in the shape of a victory sign straight into his eyes and did not hurry to speak.

She managed to grit her teeth and remain composed, but the “brake lights” was an impatient sort. He could not wait to open his mouth.

“Well, young lady? Can you appreciate it? Have you understood the meaning behind this work?” he asked.

If I could understand it, I would probably need to be admitted to a psychiatric hospital, Yan Xue thought furiously.

Of course, as a qualified criminal police officer, she did her best to suppress every emotion on her face. But she had never possessed the gift for pretending to be frail and harmless that her good friend Xia Qing had. All she could do was play the part of someone a little slow-witted, unable to grasp the point, and lacking an artistic sensibility.

“I haven’t figured it out yet. I’m still thinking about it,” she said, shaking her head at the man.

He clearly had not paid his own way in to admire the spectacle, as she and Kang Ge had. And judging by his confident, self-important air, he did not look like a volunteer either. Since he had taken the initiative to strike up a conversation, she might as well give him an opening to perform.

“Oh, you haven’t seen it? That’s all right. Young people like you generally lead rather happy lives. Lacking experience, it’s only natural that your insights should be somewhat shallow.” Upon hearing that Yan Xue had understood none of the work’s meaning, the “brake lights” grew visibly pleased. He tilted his head and struck a pose as though imparting some profound truth, then pointed toward the display.

“This work symbolizes human life! Our lives are like marionettes. On the surface, everyone has a head and two legs, but in reality, who among us is not swept along by the tides of fate, pushed forward whether we wish it or not?”

“Oh! I see!” Yan Xue put on an appropriately enlightened expression. “I never would have thought of that if you hadn’t explained it.”

“That’s perfectly normal! Perfectly normal! Different people will have different impressions of the same work. As I said, for a young girl like you, it’s entirely natural not to have developed particularly profound insights into life yet. There’s nothing strange about it!

“But that’s what makes art so interesting. Everyone understands it from a different level and a different angle. Exchanging those insights not only broadens our horizons and deepens our character, but also becomes a process of mutual learning and creative reinterpretation.”

The “brake lights” rubbed his hands together. “I noticed you had been staring at this work for quite a while. So let me ask you something: when you looked at it just now, what was the strongest thought in your mind?”

Yan Xue had no idea what “deepening one’s character” was supposed to mean, so she smiled and pointed at the person hanging beneath the scaffolding.

“I was just thinking that the model must be freezing.”

“Excellent! Compassionate! Yes, you are still young and inexperienced, and your views on many things are somewhat shallow, lacking in depth and substance. But your untainted, good-hearted nature remains intact, and that is extremely precious!” After hearing Yan Xue’s answer, the “brake lights” launched into another somewhat exaggerated reflection. “The fact that my work inspired such a thought in you is very admirable!”

“Your work? You’re…?”

Yan Xue stared at him in surprise. She had suspected that the person hanging beneath the scaffolding was Xin Rui, but had also wondered whether an artist would really go to such lengths in weather this cold. From the sound of it, however, the man before her was the artist himself.

The “brake lights” clearly mistook her momentary astonishment for surprise. With a smug yet deliberately modest expression, he nodded.

“Yes, I’m Xin Rui. Everything here is my work.”

“Wow! So I’ve met an artist! How lucky am I?” Yan Xue exclaimed.

The instant the words left her mouth, she felt gooseflesh rise all over her body. That was unbearably sugary. The age gap between them could not be very large, yet every sentence Xin Rui had uttered had pushed her into the role of an innocent, ignorant young girl. She could only go along with it.

People always said that when you were sleepy, someone would send you a pillow. Yan Xue had never truly understood the saying before, but now she finally did.

They had been investigating whether this case was connected to the artist. Now the man had practically delivered himself to them.

Xin Rui was clearly pleased with Yan Xue’s reaction. It was exactly what he had wanted. He pulled out his phone and waved it at her with great flair.

“Well, young lady, are you interested in performance art? I could give you a few pointers.”

“Sure!” Yan Xue agreed readily with her mouth, but her actions were the exact opposite. She slipped a hand into the pocket of her down jacket and rummaged around with exaggerated seriousness.

“Hmm… Where’s my phone?”

Xin Rui was in no hurry. He stood patiently beside her and waited.

He might not have been in a hurry, but someone else was. At that moment, the only real person hanging beneath the scaffolding suddenly spoke.

“Boss, isn’t this session over? Don’t just stand there chatting! Hurry up and unhook me. I’m freezing to death. I need to get somewhere warm—and I have to use the bathroom. I’m about to burst!”

“You’re so vulgar! Honestly, so vulgar! I told you to call me Teacher. Calling me by my name would be fine too. But ‘boss’? How utterly pedestrian!” Xin Rui was clearly annoyed by the interruption, particularly by the latter part. “And really, what am I supposed to do with you? Matters of bodily function shouldn’t be shouted about in front of a young lady!”

That was what he said, but he obediently walked over and slowly lowered the man from the scaffolding.

“What’s so special about a young lady? Did she grow up breathing fairy air? Young ladies still have to eat, drink, and relieve themselves. If they catch cold, they fart and get diarrhea just like anyone else!”

The man’s head and face were hidden beneath the white bodysuit, so he felt no embarrassment at all. After being scolded by Xin Rui, he seemed even more determined to argue. Since his face was concealed, he probably assumed no one would know who he was. His tone was mocking and his language crude. As soon as Xin Rui unhooked him, he darted away in three quick strides, though it was impossible to tell whether he truly had an urgent need to use the bathroom.

“I’m sorry. My phone may have fallen out in the car. I didn’t bring it with me,” Yan Xue said regretfully once Xin Rui had finished dealing with the man.

“That’s all right. Here’s my business card.” Xin Rui showed no displeasure. He reached into his breast pocket, pulled out a card, and handed it to her. “Add me when you get home. My account uses my phone number. Just remember to note where we met, otherwise I won’t know who you are.

“If you ever have questions about art, you can come and ask me. I enjoy talking with young people who love art. Art and life can never truly be separated! Once your understanding of art improves, you will naturally become a philosopher of life.”

“All right, all right! Wonderful! I’ll bother you again sometime. Master, you’d better get back to work!” Yan Xue accepted the card and nodded, looking both surprised and slightly self-conscious.

“Master? Why call me that? My artistic life is still very young!” Xin Rui said, pretending to be modest while clearly enjoying the title immensely. “Ha ha ha!”

He did not hurry away. Instead, he continued giving Yan Xue an impromptu lesson in artistic enlightenment. Even though she barely said a word, it did nothing to diminish his enthusiasm for conversation. Had the white-clad man with the urgent bladder not disappeared and failed to return, Xin Rui might have continued talking until who knew when.

Before leaving, he reminded Yan Xue to take good care of his business card. After all, he did not hand them out casually—only to people who were fated to meet him.

Yan Xue nodded obediently while thinking to herself, I’m afraid you have far too many of those “fated people.”

At last, she managed to see Xin Rui off. Yan Xue rubbed her hands together. She had stood there quietly for so long that her fingertips were nearly numb with cold. Turning to scan the surroundings, she spotted Kang Ge waiting near a fork in the path and hurried over.

For one thing, she was worried Xin Rui might come back and see them. For another, now that she had his personal contact information, there was no reason to waste any more time appreciating this bizarre performance-art exhibition.

Kang Ge had obviously been waiting for a while. When Yan Xue approached, he first pointed out a shortcut leading to the exit, then took a cup of hot bubble tea from the insulated bag in his hand and passed it to her.

Holding the hot drink, Yan Xue felt much more comfortable even before she had taken a sip. The two of them quickly crossed the shortcut to the exit and hurried toward the car parked nearby.

Once they were inside, Kang Ge started the engine and turned the heater up to its highest setting.

“This trip really wasn’t a waste after all.”

“Exactly! Look at this!” Yan Xue handed Xin Rui’s business card to Kang Ge. “His phone number is on it. With the number, we can look up his identity. I refuse to believe that someone in his thirties was actually given a name with that kind of pun by his parents. It’s almost certainly a stage name!

“Now that we have his number, the initiative is in our hands. If he turns out to be a suspect, I’ll apply for a burner account and add him so I can sound him out. If we don’t need to do that, then thank goodness!”