BL Ch110

The investigation into Fei Zheng’s background began the moment they started suspecting him.

He was born in a remote, impoverished village in the northwest. Until the age of seventeen, his life mirrored that of most children in the country, diligently studying and advancing through school. However, his journey to school involved hours trekking along dusty dirt roads, and after classes, he tended to the family’s cattle and sheep. His school was a makeshift structure converted from an old warehouse, long since demolished to make way for a factory.

Yet, in the year he was set to take the college entrance exam, Fei Zheng was expelled for fighting with a classmate, causing the other student to lose their sight. After that, he vanished for a time.

Record-keeping in remote areas was often shoddy, a jumbled mess, making it nearly impossible to trace details from over a decade ago. All that was known was that when he reappeared, he had transformed from a rural kid into a master’s degree holder returning from studying in the U.S., settling directly in Pingyi City during an era when overseas credentials held significant value.

Not long after, Fei Zheng applied to be Du Shuyan’s secretary, a position he had held for nine years.

On the surface, it was a standard, even inspiring resume, unlikely to raise eyebrows unless viewed through the lens of a criminal suspect. But once scrutinized with suspicion, numerous inconsistencies emerged.

For instance, how did a poor, expelled rural kid afford to study abroad? Where did the money come from? Who sponsored him?

Or, why, with a solid business degree, would he settle for a lowly secretary role, underutilizing his talents?

Moreover, Fei Zheng’s family background was murky. His father had left years ago, his identity unknown. His mother was still alive but had remarried long ago, starting a new family and rarely contacting her biological son. She also seemed to despise the police—Xu Sheng had called her several times, only to be met with hostile hang-ups. Frustrated, he nearly booked a flight to the northwest to confront her in person, but with the bureau short-staffed, the matter was shelved.

When Ji Lin received this thin dossier, he couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong, only that it felt off.

Even in a backward, remote village, after more than a decade, for the police to uncover so little after digging deep was downright strange.

It was as if someone, years ago, had preemptively scrubbed Fei Zheng’s past clean, leaving future investigators grasping at fragments, unable to reconstruct the full picture.

This wasn’t the first time Ji Lin had felt this way.

Bai Zhao’s life before entering the orphanage was similarly a blank slate, as if he’d never existed.

For such a rare occurrence to appear twice among people linked to the same case—was it coincidence, or had they, even now, failed to uncover the whole truth, still peering through a fog?

Ji Lin couldn’t unravel these tangled doubts, just as he couldn’t fathom how the Queen had instantly materialized outside their door.

“He probably climbed in through the window—there’s a shoeprint on the frame.” Lu Qing, recovering from her shock, leaned on her sharp professional instincts to analyze the situation. “It takes about five minutes to walk from the auxiliary building’s bathroom to here, two if running. The study is the closest unmonitored spot. He’s wearing a mask, so the cameras couldn’t track him, giving him a brief window of invisibility… He must’ve studied the building’s layout and routes in advance.”

As for who tipped him off about the internal details, the answer was obvious.

The only silver lining was that, aside from the three of them and Yu Duqiu, no one else knew about this room. The man outside had no idea his target was just a door away.

This was their chance, but it could easily turn into a crisis.

“Ji-ge, what now? Should Bai Zhao go out? Or call for backup and arrest him?” Lu Qing asked.

“I’ll go.” Bai Zhao answered first. “Arrest him now, and your evidence won’t hold up. You won’t pin him, let alone Du Shuyan. The buyers behind Du Shuyan will erase their tracks and slip away. Our setup will be for nothing.”

Ji Lin’s brows furrowed, the screen’s grayish glow casting his face like a solemn statue. “But if you open the door, this room’s exposed. We’re exposed.”

Bai Zhao pointed. “Hide behind the door. Leave the rest to me. He probably won’t stay long.”

The secret room’s door was automated, too heavy to pull manually, opening to a thirty-degree angle with the wall, perfect for concealment. The room was small, though—if the man stepped inside, he’d be two meters away at most. A loud breath could give them away.

Getting caught would mean all their efforts wasted. But staying put led to the same outcome. Fei Zheng had boldly escaped the bathroom and shown up in this guise, likely prepared to go down fighting. Even a clever trick might not tame the Queen’s murderous instincts.

Tonight, it was either a stalemate or one side’s defeat.

Lu Qing gritted her teeth. “Let’s gamble! Have Bai Zhao go talk to him. If it goes south, we rush out and take him down. Three against one, we’ve got this!”

Ji Lin held her back. “That plan’s shaky.”

It wasn’t the plan—it was the person.

Bai Zhao remained a question mark in Ji Lin’s mind. If he turned traitor, this move was like inviting a wolf in. Once the door closed, it’d be two against two, and in terms of combat, their odds were slim.

Lu Qing, his longtime partner, read his thoughts, cutting through his doubts bluntly. “Ji-ge, if Bai Zhao had bad intentions, how’d you make it back safe? How’d Officer Mu survive? As for me… well, I’m realistic. A small fry like me wouldn’t last past the first episode if he wanted me dead. No need for all this hassle.”

Yu Duqiu, linked through the earpiece, chuckled. “Ms. Lu’s got a sense of humor.”

Lu Qing shot back, “Mr. Yu, don’t laugh. Ji-ge wasn’t this paranoid before—you rubbed off on him.”

“Wrong. He’s just gotten timid.” Yu Duqiu’s tone carried weight. “Like me, he’s got someone to care about now.”

Ji Lin snapped, “Enough, you two. Yu, I’ll let him open the door, but if he gets hurt, don’t blame me. That guy out there doesn’t look like he’s here to talk peace. He won’t leave without blood on his hands.”

Yu Duqiu hesitated, then said, “Give him the earpiece. I need to tell him something.”

“You’re worried now?” Ji Lin grumbled but complied.

Bai Zhao put on the earpiece, listening intently, then coughed lightly, his expression awkward. “Get serious, young master.”

Ji Lin and Lu Qing exchanged a look. “?”

Whatever Yu Duqiu said next made the usually stoic man turn away, hiding his face, his ears faintly red. His voice lowered. “You said it, don’t back out, or… I won’t give you the key, and you’ll suffer a few more days.”

Lu Qing whispered, “What’re they talking about? What key?”

Ji Lin replied, “No clue, but my gut says don’t dig—it’s bad news.”

The private chat ended, and Bai Zhao returned the earpiece, his face snapping back to cold indifference with stage-actor speed. “Hide well, I’m opening the door.”

Ji Lin had no words for these two, leading Lu Qing to the door’s shadow, placing her deeper inside.

Everything ready, Bai Zhao gave them a final glance, his words aimed at Yu Duqiu. “If things go wrong, forget the evidence—send people to protect them now.”

Yu Duqiu heard, responding, “Tell him I don’t care about anyone else’s life, just his.”

Ji Lin, one of the “anyone else,” muttered, “…Cursed my luck for working with you two.”

A “beep!” sounded, the lock disengaged, and the heavy alloy door slowly opened, like a hidden beast parting its jaws, ready to devour a rival just as dangerous.

Two Queens, evenly matched—one duplicitous, the other unfathomable. It was hard to say who held the upper hand. The hidden spectators’ hearts clenched, their breaths held instinctively.

“Creak—!”

The door reached its limit. Ji Lin and Lu Qing pressed against the wall, blending into the shadows like flat paintings, silent, swallowing cautiously.

The man in the study, startled by the sudden noise, froze, the golden King piece in his hand halting mid-tap, a flicker of surprise crossing his face.

Then he saw someone emerge not from the study’s entrance but from within, clapping with a laugh. “So President Yu’s house really has a secret room. Why were you in there?”

Bai Zhao stepped out confidently, heading straight for him, mirroring his familiar tone. “I should ask you that. We prepared clothes, treated you as a guest, yet you sneak in here. What’s that about? Think a mask hides you, Secretary Fei?”

Face-to-face, Fei Zheng’s features and build were unmistakable. He didn’t bother hiding, removing the mask with a smile. “Mr. Bai, what are you saying? I just wandered here by chance. Saw this shiny chess set, couldn’t help but take a closer look. Pure gold—President Yu’s loaded.”

A flimsy excuse, clearly dodging something.

Bai Zhao had no time to waste—the longer this dragged, the more likely Ji Lin and Lu Qing would be exposed. He cut to the chase. “I can’t make you as rich as him, but I can help you take him down. Want to hear me out?”

Fei Zheng raised an eyebrow. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Playing innocent.

Bai Zhao leaned on the desk, lowering himself, his dark eyes locking onto the hypocritical man. “I know exactly who you are. And I’m sure you know who I am. Don’t play dumb with me.”

Fei Zheng’s eyes narrowed—a crack in his mild, deferential facade. A cold, venomous glint seeped through, poisoning the air, chilling everyone around.

He raised his hand, pressing the golden King’s sharp crown against a red mark on Bai Zhao’s neck, its edge capable of slicing thin skin, fatal in one strike.

“What’s this? President Yu not treating you well? Why betray him? Seems he dotes on you.”

Bai Zhao stepped back to a safe distance, face blank. “He’s got some twisted hobbies. Sooner or later, he’ll torment me to death.”

His blunt admission caught Fei Zheng off guard. He nodded. “With him, nothing’s surprising.”

A faint static buzz crackled through the earpiece, followed by a silent, awkward pause laced with disdain.

In the banquet hall, Yu Duqiu rubbed his temples, clarifying wearily, “Lying with embarrassing details makes it more believable—it’s psychological. I don’t have those weird kinks.”

Ji Lin and Lu Qing couldn’t speak, but a soft snort escaped their noses: Pervert, save your excuses.

Yu Duqiu found a nearby sofa, easing the unspeakable discomfort in his body.

Who was tormenting whom here…?

Perhaps the “embarrassing detail” worked, as Fei Zheng’s guarded stance softened. He stepped toward the secret room, spotting the array of surveillance equipment, and asked, “All this work, just you handling it?”

Bai Zhao replied, “He doesn’t trust anyone else.”

Fei Zheng glanced at the ceiling, seeing no rose carvings. “This room isn’t the ‘under the roses’ you mentioned?”

Bai Zhao played along. “‘Under the roses’ is just a code for any secret room. They’re all called that.”

Fei Zheng’s eyes flicked to the food tray on the table. “All that food for one person?”

Bai Zhao cut him off. “You gonna keep asking pointless questions? Maybe I should find another partner. I don’t like wishy-washy types.”

“Young, but bold.” Fei Zheng chuckled, setting down the chess piece, finally stepping into the room.

Ji Lin and Lu Qing’s hearts leapt to their throats.

Yu Duqiu swiftly remotely disabled the study’s webcam and his own location’s camera, hiding any tells in his expression.

Fei Zheng searched, finding no one, and teased, “President Yu’s not on the monitors. Off with a lover in the bedroom?”

Bai Zhao’s fists tightened. “Gives me more reason to take him out.”

That one was probably genuine, Yu Duqiu thought.

Fei Zheng checked again, confirming no cameras in the study or room and no police in Palace No. 1. His wariness eased, but he still avoided mentioning his crimes, saying, “Tell me your reasons. That one alone isn’t enough to convince me.”

“You’ve probably guessed—things that happened in Myanmar.” Bai Zhao moved to the door’s opposite side, diverting his gaze. “I was working for Pei Ming to find my father, temporarily. Pei Ming feared Yu Duqiu uncovering his family’s old sins, so he sent me to gather intel. But he still fell to Yu Duqiu, and it cost my father’s life.”

With Liu Shaojie and Jiang Sheng as precedents, Fei Zheng didn’t seem to doubt him, asking, “Shouldn’t you be after Pei Ming for revenge?”

“Pei Ming looked out for me while my father was gone. I don’t hate him. It all started when Yu Duqiu returned. I’m safe now because Pei Ming wants me to protect his brother and hasn’t ratted me out to the cops.”

If Ji Lin didn’t know the plan, he’d have bought it. No wonder an eight-year-old took down Pei Xianyong—his quick-witted bullshitting was unmatched.

“But it’s not sustainable. Yu Duqiu’s paranoia will turn on me eventually, and the police won’t let up. I know you’ve got ways, like you helped my father, to get me out, keep them off my trail.” Bai Zhao paused, easing into the core. “So I wrote to President Du, hoping—”

“Hold up.” Fei Zheng smiled. “President Du knows nothing. Don’t accuse him.”

Accuse my ass! Ji Lin wanted to storm out and deck him.

On the bright side, Fei Zheng’s words confirmed his involvement in drug trafficking. But one thing baffled: this guy killed and committed crimes without blinking, yet didn’t seem loyal to Du Shuyan. Why admit his own guilt to shield him?

Pushing further on Du Shuyan would raise suspicion, so Bai Zhao backpedaled. “Whether President Du’s involved or not, I know you’ve got the means. Willing to work together? In return, I can deal with Yu Duqiu. I know his crypto account passwords. The one he gave Jiang Sheng was fake—he’s got billions of dollars in there, enough for lifetimes. Name anything else, I’ll do what I can.”

“Haha, like father, like son, even your pitch is identical.” Fei Zheng leaned against the table, picking up a steak knife from the tray—sharp enough to cut beef or slit throats. “Last year, when Bai Zhiming nearly got caught, he made me the same offer, promising to take out Pei Ming.”

Bai Zhao thought quickly. “If Pei Ming died, Peizhuo would inherit. He’s naive, loves Du Lingya. Once they wed, the Pei fortune would be yours, right?”

Fei Zheng tossed the knife like a juggler, catching it with a scoff. “Who cares about their money… Don’t ask my reasons. You saw the outcome—Pei Ming turned the tables. How do I know you won’t fail like him against Yu Duqiu?”

“Pei Ming was on guard, so he slipped. My case is different—Yu Duqiu trusts me. I’ll succeed.”

“I don’t think you’re being honest, Mr. Bai.” Fei Zheng’s fingers grazed the cold blade, unhurried. “Your excuses hold up so far, but one thing you can’t explain: you tipped off the cops about Pei Xianyong, your father’s boss and partner. That was as good as killing him. Did you not know?”

The blade’s chill seeped into the air, prickling everyone’s skin.

Lu Qing’s arms erupted in goosebumps, her urge to swallow stifled by fear of making noise, forcing her to clench her jaw.

Bai Zhao couldn’t claim ignorance—a kid capable of exposing a drug lord wasn’t that naive. But admitting he knew would mean confessing he meant to harm Bai Zhiming, unraveling his earlier story.

It was an unresolvable lie.

Fei Zheng had cornered Bai Zhao, his eyes glinting with cruel excitement, ready to slice through his flimsy facade with the poised knife, carve out his heart, and mock his arrogant stupidity—

“You know,” Yu Duqiu’s amused chuckle came through the earpiece, “my favorite moment in chess isn’t the crushing victory. It’s when I’m down to a few pieces, my opponent smug, and I flip the board, wiping them out. That thrill… it’s addictive.”

Outside the earpiece, after a brief silence, Bai Zhao, just before the man could strike, delivered the only answer to this impossible question:

“You’re a bit smarter than I thought.” A faint smile broke his stoic face, the first of the night. “Yes, I knew it would kill him… That was my goal.”

Fei Zheng’s knife froze mid-twirl, his interest piqued as he studied him.

“They abused me, lied to me, thought I’d obey them? In their dreams.” Bai Zhao’s grin was icy, his eyes colder, making the smile chillingly sinister. “I wanted them all dead, but those beasts weren’t worth my future. So I tipped off Du Yuanzhen about Pei Xianyong, goaded Pei Ming into killing Bai Zhiming, and now I’m using you to help me escape… Satisfied with that?”

Fei Zheng didn’t answer, silently sizing up his expression. After a dozen seconds, his lips twitched, then curled into a grin as wild and warped as Bai Zhao’s.

“That’s more like it.” Fei Zheng laughed heartily. “I knew it—you’re my kind.”

Ji Lin and Lu Qing, hearing this, let out silent sighs of relief.

The “dead end” they’d set up, Fei Zheng had followed Bai Zhao right into.

This meant their plan was halfway to success.

A cunning, bloodthirsty Queen wouldn’t trust a random defector. Only a schemer as ruthless and devious as himself could earn his approval.

If Bai Zhao had spilled everything defenselessly to save himself, he’d be a weak, stupid lamb in Fei Zheng’s eyes, ripe for slaughter. But clever deception and calculated fraud made Fei Zheng take notice. Yet, those lies had to be exposed by Fei Zheng, making him think he’d outsmarted Bai Zhao, lowering his guard.

So this seemingly unresolvable lie was a trap, waiting for Fei Zheng to step into.

He thought he’d unmasked Bai Zhao’s true face, unaware that this wolf’s disguise ran far deeper than two layers.

Yu Duqiu, smiling, touched his lips, blowing an unseen kiss into the void beyond the monitors. “Told you not to worry. My darling’s the best at lying.”

If he could steal his heart, what couldn’t he do?