BL Ch102

Cars streamed by, voices filled the air, and the stall owner worked briskly on the pancakes, missing their conversation. After spreading sweet bean sauce, he asked, “Want chili?”

Yu Duqiu shook his head. “None for me, but Mu Hao loves spicy. Captain Ji, add some for him?”

Ji Lin, still reeling from Yu Duqiu’s earlier words, stared blankly until a waving hand snapped him out of it. “Huh? Oh, no chili. Mu-ge can’t have spicy yet.”

The owner nodded, sprinkling cilantro and green onions.

“You’re… really different now,” Ji Lin couldn’t help saying. “Bai Zhao’s changed you a lot.”

Yu Duqiu shrugged. “No big deal. You’re the same, right? Without Mu Hao, you’d still be that crybaby weakling.”

Ji Lin’s temple vein pulsed. “Yu. Du. Qiu. I give you one rare compliment, and you’re begging for a beating?”

Yu Duqiu grinned, stepping back to safety. “Alright, no joking—serious talk. I won’t directly join the investigation anymore, but I’m not satisfied with the culprit still out there. If you need funds or manpower, just ask—call it my angel investment. Also, Bai Zhao will keep cooperating. I can’t promise he’ll spill everything, but he won’t hurt you.”

Ji Lin snorted. “Not so sure. In the interrogation room, he lied to our faces, pretending not to know Liu Shaojie while making Liu think he’d kill us all, tricking him into revealing Bai Zhiming’s location. Too cunning. He’s the scariest of Bai Zhiming’s three foster kids. Everyone’s played by him, and only he knows the full truth.”

Yu Duqiu brushed it off. “You said it yourself—‘tricking.’ Don’t cops use deception in interrogations? As long as he’s on our side, isn’t that enough?”

Ji Lin scoffed. “You’re his boyfriend, of course you’re biased. From my angle, he should be locked up and grilled. His behavior’s too suspicious. What victim endures years of abuse without reporting, staying with their abuser? Bai Zhiming didn’t restrict his freedom, and he’s financially independent. Why not run? I can’t figure why he’d endure so long.”

The owner started the second pancake, same routine. Yu Duqiu, losing interest, turned to Ji Lin. “If he’d escaped and reported, Bai Zhiming would’ve gotten a slap on the wrist for child abuse. Clearly, he wanted Bai Zhiming dead.”

“He lived with Bai Zhiming. Plenty of chances to kill him. Why didn’t he?”

Why? Yu Duqiu sighed inwardly, thinking Ji Lin still hadn’t grasped what Bai Zhao said above the mine that night:

“This tattoo won’t drag me to hell, because it represents the only god I believe in.”

“It only reminds me not to fall, not to err, because those by a god’s side must be pure.”

The day Ji Lin gets it, he’ll probably lose it. Best not to spell it out yet.

“That proves he’s law-abiding, kind-hearted, doesn’t it?” Yu Duqiu said coolly. “You suspect he’s got criminal intent? Show evidence.”

“…Your bias is out in outer space.”

“Should I be biased for someone else’s boyfriend instead?”

Ji Lin took a beat to realize ‘someone else’ meant him. “Stop spouting nonsense!”

Yu Duqiu smirked. “I don’t know his motives, and I won’t force him to say. I’m more curious how he learned about Bai Zhiming and Pei Xianyong’s crimes. He was only seven or eight then.”

Ji Lin pondered it too. “Maybe Pei Ming told him?”

“Pei Ming wanted that buried forever, no way he’d mention it. Peizhuo probably doesn’t know either, or he wouldn’t be so carefree and clueless.” Yu Duqiu paused, recalling something. “By the way, how’s your chief lately? I asked him about this last time, and he seemed to know something, said he’d call my granddad.”

Ji Lin frowned. “He’s fine. Why not ask your granddad directly?”

“I would, but the old man’s still mad about my second uncle, hasn’t called me in two months… Forget it, I’ll call him tonight. Gotta face it eventually.” Yu Duqiu sighed.

Ji Lin, amazed there was someone Yu Duqiu feared, gained new respect for the esteemed Academician Yu.

The owner finished both pancakes, packed them in a paper bag, then a plastic one, and handed them over.

Yu Duqiu, drained from the morning, was starving, swallowing hard at the aroma.

Ji Lin offered one. “Eat it hot.”

Yu Duqiu eyed the open trays of vegetables, pork, and sausages by the roadside, exposed to dust and germs. “I’ll just smell it. Got the method down, I’ll have my chef make it. This place isn’t clean enough.”

Ji Lin’s anger spiked. “I offer you food, and you’re picky? Why didn’t you say earlier? I bought two! Do you know how pricey a full-set is? I don’t even splurge on these extras for myself!”

Yu Duqiu, shocked, pointed at the menu board. “It’s just 20 yuan! You can’t afford 20 yuan for breakfast? My god… you’re poorer than I thought, Captain Ji.”

The owner, about to resume his drama, nearly fell off his chair at a deafening roar:

“Yu. Du. Qiu! Get lost!!”

The pancake ended up in Bai Zhao’s stomach. Yu Duqiu, after the scolding, was reasonable, apologizing. “I didn’t mean to mock your finances, just that your budget’s beyond my understanding.”

…That hurt worse than mockery!

Ji Lin refused to look at him. He fed Mu Hao two small bites of pancake, only to be caught by Sun Xingchun on rounds, who furiously kicked them all out.

The three stood in a row in the corridor, scolded like schoolkids caught talking in class.

Sun Xingchun ranted, then left. They sighed in relief. Ji Lin, not wasting food, ate the rest, and Yu Duqiu teased, “Indirect kiss, huh?” The young cop’s face flushed, too embarrassed to reenter the ward. Luckily, Mu Hao’s parents returned from grabbing things at home, so they weren’t needed.

The trio said goodbye and left. Ji Lin, cooling off, glanced at Bai Zhao. “What’d you talk about?”

Bai Zhao said flatly, “Nothing much, didn’t do anything. Check the ward’s cameras if you don’t believe me.”

Ji Lin, his intent exposed, looked sheepish.

“I know you suspect me, Captain Ji, but I swear, I didn’t know what Bai Zhiming did to Officer Mu beforehand.” Bai Zhao raised his ringed hand. “If I’m lying, shoot me now.”

“Hey, ask my opinion first?” Yu Duqiu chided. “Tell you what, Captain Ji, since we’re free today and his injury’s mostly healed, take him to the station for questioning. Put your mind at ease.”

Ji Lin nodded. “Been meaning to. Was busy with Pei Ming, and you said he needed rest, so I held off. No time like the present. Bai Zhao, come with me. If you’re clean, clear your name sooner.”

Bai Zhao didn’t hesitate. “Alright.”

Ji Lin took him to the station. Yu Duqiu waved them off, then strolled back to another single ward in the hospital. The guarding cops, familiar with the silver-haired CEO, greeted him and let him in.

Unlike Mu Hao’s ward, brimming with flowers and fruit, this one was starkly desolate, not a petal in sight, reflecting how unpopular its occupant was.

Yu Duqiu knocked politely and entered, finding Pei Ming reading a thick Bible by the window.

“You believe in this?” Yu Duqiu leaned over, checking the pages, and scoffed. “Thought you hid escape tools in it. Boring.”

Pei Ming snapped the book shut, exasperated. “Watched Shawshank Redemption too much? There’s barely any books here, and you took all my stuff. How else do I pass the time?”

Yu Duqiu grabbed a chair, sat, and crossed his legs leisurely. “Chat with me then.”

Pei Ming eyed him warily. “I’ve told the police everything I know. You won’t get more out of me.”

“I’m not asking about the case.” Yu Duqiu fixed on him. “About Bai Zhao, before he was adopted… what do you know?”

Pei Ming froze, then laughed. “You really like him? That broke, two-faced punk?”

Yu Duqiu shrugged. “Broke’s fine—give him a tenth of my wealth, he’s richer than you. Two-faced? Fine, as long as he’s not stabbing me.”

Pei Ming’s face soured, mentally chanting can’t strangle him, there’s cameras three times to calm down. “Even if I know something, why should I tell you?”

Yu Duqiu’s eyes narrowed, drifting to Pei Ming’s neck. The wound had healed, but a long, unsightly scar remained, undiminished by days of ointment.

“Pei-ge, they not giving you scar cream? I got plenty for Bai Zhao, works great. I can send some over. But… you gotta tell me the truth.”

Pei Ming, ever the pragmatist, cursed Yu Duqiu inwardly but changed his tune. “Not that I’m hiding anything. When he was adopted, my dad hadn’t had his accident yet, and Bai Zhiming wasn’t under me. I only know Bai Zhiming took a kid from an orphanage to raise as his son. Before that, I’ve got no clue.”

Yu Duqiu studied his expression, neither confirming nor denying belief, and pressed on. “What about your dad’s role in harming Miss Cen’s family? How much do you know?”

Pei Ming gave a bitter smile. “I told the police everything, it’s recorded. Can’t deny it, no point faking. How they planned it exactly, I don’t know.”

“Not the crime’s details. Before we uncovered the truth, who else knew about it?”

Pei Ming frowned, puzzled. “Of the living, just me and my dad. Why ask…”

His eyes widened. “You think Xiao Zhuo was involved? No, he’s clueless, don’t go after him!”

“I’m not suspecting him, but he’s not as innocent as you claim.” Yu Duqiu tapped his ear, raising a brow. “Lingya’s ruby earrings, remember?”

Pei Ming looked blank. “What earrings?”

“Don’t play dumb. Didn’t you have Peizhuo give them to Lingya? Pigeon-blood rubies from Mogok.”

“Joking? Me, let Xiao Zhuo give priceless pigeon-blood rubies to Du Lingya?” Pei Ming sneered. “I’m generous just not opposing their relationship. When have I ever supported him chasing Du Lingya?”

Yu Duqiu frowned. “Pei-ge, we said truth. I don’t buy Peizhuo’s brain coming up with a plan to provoke Lingya and bribe my chef. You wanted my Themis project to fail, to get trashed by the media. If not you, then… who…”

A spark flashed in his mind, the last two words dragging out, slow and long.

Pei Ming, not following, opened his mouth to argue, but Yu Duqiu shushed him with a finger, staring into space like a supercomputer crunching data—eyes fixed, face blank, but his mind racing at peak efficiency.

Suddenly, he seized the fleeting spark from countless clues, like grabbing the end of a tangled yarn ball. He pulled, and the knot unraveled, the thread growing longer, clearer—

At the station, Ji Lin reported to Peng Deyu about bringing Bai Zhao for questioning, only to get an unexpected reply.

“Old Peng says he’ll question you himself. Weird, he ignored you for days, now he’s all serious…” Ji Lin muttered, starting the car, offering advice. “Watch what you say with him. Don’t argue, just be honest. He’s scary when he yells, but he won’t frame you. And don’t try lying—he’ll see through it, and it’ll be bad.”

Bai Zhao nodded, seeming unfazed, more focused on something else. “When you were out with him, did he mention me?”

Ji Lin knew who “him” was. About to answer, he recalled Yu Duqiu’s smug “I have a boyfriend” and gritted his teeth. “Don’t remember. Ask him yourself. I don’t care about you two.”

Bai Zhao went quiet.

Traffic was light. Ji Lin stopped at a red light and took the chance to ask, “You always knew Pei Ming wasn’t the King, didn’t you?”

Bai Zhao shook his head. “He didn’t fully trust me, kept a lot from me. I only inferred.”

“How’d you infer?”

“For instance, he seemed clueless about Bai Zhiming’s faked death and didn’t know Huang Hanxiang. I had doubts. After getting Bai Zhiming’s location from Liu Shaojie, I planned to confront him directly, give you the truth, catch the real King, and keep Duqiu safe from threats.”

Ji Lin huffed. “No wonder it went so smoothly, finding Bai Zhiming without a hitch. You were pulling strings too. Pei Ming’s press conference act was staged, right? He lured us to Mogok on purpose?”

Bai Zhao denied it. “He didn’t plan to go himself, just send me to leak clues, lead you to Mogok to kill Bai Zhiming, tying up loose ends. I convinced him to come along, work with Bai Zhiming to ‘deal with’ Duqiu, then I’d deal with Bai Zhiming, pinning the blame on him—a murderer wouldn’t care about one more charge. As for Bai Zhiming, he accepted my ‘defection’ because I promised to ‘handle’ Duqiu and Pei Ming.”

“If Duqiu hadn’t stumbled onto my plan that day, I could’ve lured Bai Zhiming to that valley. I told him I’d break from the convoy to meet him there. He was alone—once Old Zhou’s car caught up, we’d have nabbed him easily.”

“After his arrest, I’d tell Pei Ming, misled to another route, that Bai Zhiming’s hijacking failed and he was caught. If he didn’t want me telling the police he and Bai Zhiming plotted against Duqiu, he’d name the real culprit of the crash twenty years ago. Of course, that was a lie—I’d confess either way.”

Ji Lin was floored by this masterclass in deception.

“So, how’d you know Bai Zhiming was behind that crash?”

Bai Zhao, seeming weary, exhaled softly. “The rest, I’ll tell Chief Peng.”

The light turned green. Ji Lin hit the gas, processing the info dump.

What kind of brainpower and mental steel did it take to manipulate the police, Yu Duqiu, Bai Zhiming, and Pei Ming like pawns?

Despite hiccups, Bai Zhao achieved his goals without spilling innocent blood, walking away clean. The station questioning would likely yield nothing.

Ji Lin glanced at the passenger seat.

If Yu Duqiu was brazenly arrogant, Bai Zhao was unfathomably wild. Neither was purely righteous, only aiding the police because their goals aligned. If not, the story might’ve gone differently.

In a way, those two were a damn perfect match.

No point dwelling on motives now—the outcome was good, a happy ending.

Ji Lin tried fishing for more, casually saying, “So, catching Bai Zhiming and Pei Ming had some luck involved.”

Bai Zhao looked over. “How so?”

“Well, though you and the Queen nudged us toward Bai Zhiming, it all started at Yu Duqiu’s press conference. Someone mentioned Mogok, spooking Pei Ming, tipping us off…”

He cut himself off, the car falling silent.

Half a second later, Ji Lin’s eyes widened, his fingers trembling. He swerved, pulling over abruptly.

Their eyes met, no words needed—shock and realization mirrored in each other’s gazes.

In the ward, Yu Duqiu let out a long sigh, then gave a self-mocking smile.

“You got played hard, Pei-ge. And I was dumb, thinking you were the King, when you’re just a pawn. Thinking he was a pawn, when he’s the King.”

Pei Ming, baffled, asked, “What’re you talking about?”

Yu Duqiu ignored him, heading for the door. “Thanks for cooperating. I’ve found the key to the door… I’ll send the scar cream. Behave, and maybe I’ll go easy on you.”

Pei Ming swallowed his anger.

His attempted murder charge hinged on Yu Duqiu’s forgiveness as the victim.

Yu Duqiu had clearly gleaned new intel from his reaction, his instincts razor-sharp. Pei Ming knew better than to say more.

If Yu Duqiu learned that… he’d never forgive their family.

A smart man knows when to yield. Pei Ming said humbly, “Thanks for the trouble.”

“No problem.”

Yu Duqiu left, noting the curious looks from the guarding cops but staying silent.

If he was stepping back, he shouldn’t meddle further.

At the hospital entrance, Lou Baoguo was animatedly chatting with Lu Qing, flailing as he recounted surviving an explosion. “It was intense, we nearly got wiped out… Oh, young master, you’re out!”

Yu Duqiu nodded, heading for the car parked curbside. “Others stay on guard. You’re with me.”

Lou Baoguo reluctantly bid Lu Qing farewell. “Let’s chat another day!”

Lu Qing waved. “Sure! Pick up where we left off.”

Lou Baoguo hopped into the car, asking, “Young master, what’s the rush?”

Yu Duqiu sighed softly, as if shedding a burden, and smiled. “Nothing. Thinking of giving you all a long vacation. Want one?”

Lou Baoguo’s small eyes lit up. “Yes, yes, yes! God, I’d kill for a break! You’re too kind!”

“Hold on, not done.” Yu Duqiu’s smile widened. “Summer’s gone, but it’s still warm. Let’s take my yacht out, hit the sea, make up for the missed sun and sand.”

“Leave this place, forget the case, go somewhere safe, and relax for a while.”

“Let them catch the criminal whenever. I’ve met my goals, I don’t care anymore.”

Lou Baoguo grew more excited, nearly dancing in his seat. Yu Duqiu’s voice softened, the last words almost to himself, tender and lingering. “Together… we’ll spend this autumn safely.”