Weiran pulled out his phone. “No, I just have my phone set up to notify me whenever there’s something related to the List in the—” He stopped when he read the notification.

Liu Xiaokai Confesses to Murder of Secret Organization ‘the List’s Leader.

“No.” Weiran tapped the article, scanned through it frantically. Liu Xiaokai, the second heir to Liu Incorporated. Murder of Bai Xue. Brutal. Revenge. Justice. Trial. Blood. “No, no, no, no.”

Liu Xingyu peered at him. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s Xiaokai, I think he—” Weiran punched in Xiaokai’s number and held it to his ear even though he knew he hadn’t picked up any of the other few dozen times he called in the last three days. “Pick up. Please pick up.”

“Weiran?”

No answer. “Shit!”

“Zhu Weiran, what the hell is going on?”

“Your brother—Xiaokai—he—” It was getting harder to breathe, much less speak. Weiran just pushed the phone at Xingyu instead, showing him the screen—and Xingyu made a choked sound in the back of his throat. He pulled out his own phone, tapped something onto the screen, held it up to his ear—

“Find Xiaokai. Now.”

A moment of silence. Xingyu paced around the room.

“And you let him? Why the hell didn’t you stop him?”

Weiran felt like he was going to throw up. He slowly dropped to the floor, put his head between his hands, squeezed until it ached enough to drown out his thoughts.

“You know that he of all people would never—fuck—where is he now? …Can he take visitors? Has he had his phone call?”

Weiran’s vision blurred. Xingyu sounded far away. His consciousness pulsed.

They were in the prison visiting room. Xingyu next to him, holding a corded phone to his ear. Glass in front of him. Xiaokai on the other side. He was dimly aware that he’d just finished saying something, but he wasn’t sure what, and he didn’t know why Xingyu and Xiaokai were looking at him like that. He opened his mouth again. Nothing came out.

“What’s your plan after this?” Xingyu said into the phone. He was holding it just far enough from his ear and just close enough to Weiran’s ear that they could both hear whatever Xiaokai had to say. “What if you go to prison for the rest of your life?”

“Don’t do what you’re about to offer. Don’t even say it out loud. And don’t let him do it either.”

“Xiao-Xiao.”

“It’s already done. Don’t ruin it now.”

“But—but why? Why would you—you didn’t—”

Xiaokai gave him a look. “Just handle everything on the outside with Weiran. The lawyer that I’ve been talking to doesn’t think I’ll be in prison for long, but I don’t want to plan anything just in case it doesn’t go as she thinks.”