BL Ch18

June 12th, Pingyi City, Lantian Airport.

A Gulfstream G650, majestic like an eagle spreading its wings, stood quietly on the tarmac.

Dragging his suitcase, Lu Qing swallowed hard, staring intently. “A private jet… Brother Ji, I’ve never been on one in my life…”

“You’ve got a long life ahead of you. Stop being so surprised and wipe your drool. Don’t embarrass the department.” Ji Lin scolded him, then gazed at the private jet he was seeing for the first time himself, silently repeating the police academy’s motto three times: “Serve with integrity, uphold justice!”

No decadent force could corrupt him!

Yu Duqiu gentlemanly lifted his arm, letting Du Lingya hold onto it as they boarded the plane first. As invited guests, Ji Lin and Lu Qing followed closely, then came their entourage of bodyguards.

Lou Baoguo muttered as he climbed the stairs, “Aren’t they supposed to break off the engagement? Why invite her…”

Zhou Yi reprimanded him, “What do you know? The young master must have his reasons. Talk less, do more, learn from your elder brother.”

Lou Baoguo glanced up at Bai Zhao, who had just boarded with Zhao Feihua. “Hey, what do you think our elder brother really feels about the young master? It seems like he has feelings for him, but also seems to dislike him?”

Zhou Yi: “How would I know? I haven’t been in a relationship for years.”

Lou Baoguo sighed, frustrated at hitting a wall every time he tried to discuss gossip with him. “Yeah, asking you is like talking to a stone, so pointless.”

Even Zhou Yi, who was known for being single, had his pride. Annoyed by the remark, he tried to understand the younger generation’s feelings and pretended to be knowledgeable. “Xiao Bai told me he has someone he likes, so he probably really dislikes the young master. We should advise him not to mix personal feelings with work!”

Lou Baoguo sighed and shook his head. “How can an old straight guy like you get married while I’m still single? This world is really unfair!”

“??”

Once everyone was on board, the flight attendant retracted the stairs and closed the cabin door. Then she approached and asked, “Would anyone like something to eat or drink?”

Lu Qing, who had rushed over early in the morning and skipped breakfast, felt his stomach growl and shyly asked, “Do you have some bread and milk?”

The flight attendant smiled, “Yes, is that all you need?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. Mr. Yu and Ms. Du, do you need anything?”

Du Lingya, who hadn’t accompanied Yu Duqiu on a trip for a long time, clung to her fiancé’s arm, not wanting to let go, having no mind for anything else. She casually replied, “No, thank you.”

Yu Duqiu, sitting on the sofa in the middle of the cabin, pointed to someone in the four-seater next to him. “Prepare a breakfast for him, something soft. He injured his jaw.”

Bai Zhao turned his head slightly. “Thank you, my jaw is already healed.”

Yu Duqiu smiled. “Then order whatever you like. I brought Chef Dong; it’ll taste just like home.”

Du Lingya felt a pang of jealousy as he talked about “home” with another man, feeling like an outsider. “Duqiu, you haven’t seen me for days and don’t even care about me. I’ve been thinking about you every day.”

Yu Duqiu turned back, gently stroked her blood-red earring, and said tenderly, “How could I not care about you? I think about you every day too.”

Lou Baoguo shivered, rubbing his sturdy arms. “I better cover my ears voluntarily…”

Bai Zhao looked down at the table, remaining silent. When the breakfast was brought, he just focused on eating.

Yu Duqiu and Du Lingya continued their affectionate conversation for quite a while, making Du Lingya laugh and lean on her fiancé with joy.

Lou Baoguo had been single for over twenty years, single since birth, and felt frustrated seeing others being sweet and affectionate. He sought help from the other three around him, “Can you guys talk about something else to distract me?”

Zhao Feihua, tapping away at his laptop, said, “I’m busy arranging the first wave of media PR after we land. Don’t bother me. If you’re really idle and don’t want to listen, lock yourself in the bathroom and clean the toilet. At least you’ll be useful.”

“You son of a…” Lou Baoguo felt a lump of anger stuck in his chest, unable to vent it.

Zhou Yi calmly took out a set of “Junior High Math Practice Tests” from his briefcase and spread them out on the table. “Here, help me figure out these problems for my daughter. Her tutor assigned them, and she’s been working on them every day. Her final exams are coming up when I get back.”

Without a word, Lou Baoguo rolled up his sleeves. “Leave it to me. Anything for Xiaoguo is my business! I can still handle junior high math!”

Half an hour later, Lou Baoguo tossed the pen aside, went to the bathroom to wash his face, tormented by inverse functions, and came back saying, “Xiaoguo is in eighth grade now, a mature student. She should learn to look up problems herself. You should buy her a smartphone.”

Zhou Yi angrily retorted, “Hell no! What if she doesn’t study properly with a phone? What if she starts chatting with boys? Even giving her a basic phone is generous.”

Lou Baoguo countered, “What kind of parent are you in this day and age? If I had a kid, I’d ensure they had a happy childhood. Don’t you agree, bro—oh! Sorry, I forgot you’re an orphan…”

Zhou Yi, unable to bear it, said, “That mouth of yours…”

Without looking up, Zhao Feihua added, “It’s like you ate surströmming. It’s bad enough for you to have a foul mouth, but must you spread it to others?”

“Who has a worse mouth than you?!” Lou Baoguo turned to plead, “I really didn’t mean it, bro!”

Bai Zhao quietly finished his breakfast, leaned back, closed his eyes, and put on earplugs. “I need to rest.”

“Hey! Got it! We won’t disturb you!”

The flight was about fifteen hours long. Du Lingya, who rarely got up so early, soon succumbed to sleepiness and went to the rear rest cabin for a nap. Ji Lin immediately took the seat next to Yu Duqiu.

Yu Duqiu moved his laptop a few centimeters away. “Captain Ji, I’m not interested in prudes like you.”

Ji Lin swallowed the retort, “I’m not interested in you either,” and instead tried to make small talk. “I’m quite interested in this plane. It must be expensive, right?”

“The plane’s alright, around 400 million yuan. The associated costs are high: 5 million a year for management, 10 million a year for operating costs, 20 million a year for maintenance and repairs, plus parking fees, crew salaries, and so on.” Yu Duqiu sighed. “I politely suggest you drop this interest. I’m afraid you might resort to crime, considering your current salary. You’d have to start from repairing the sky like Nuwa to afford it.”

Ji Lin’s temple throbbed. “Thanks for your ‘polite’ suggestion.”

“You’re welcome.”

“…Let’s talk about something else.” Every time Ji Lin tried to get close to him, it ended with a surge of anger. He gave up and glanced at Yu Duqiu’s laptop screen. “So, you do work personally. I thought you just gave orders… Hey, wait, did I just see Cen Wan’s name?”

Yu Duqiu’s laptop seemed customized without an anti-peep film, making it hard to see the words from the side. Ji Lin instinctively leaned closer and reached out to turn the screen, but it went black as soon as he touched it.

Yu Duqiu said helplessly, “Captain Ji, every key on my laptop is fingerprint-locked. If someone else touches it, it auto-locks. You need a password to unlock it. Please don’t disturb my work.”

Ji Lin, a bit embarrassed, mumbled, “I just wanted to look… You’re too cautious.”

“Many people want to steal confidential information. You know that in the tech research field, stolen technology is devastating. Alright, I need to enter the password. Please turn away.”

Ji Lin muttered as he turned, “Who cares about your password… I could guess it. It’s probably your birthday or something.”

Yu Duqiu snorted. “What idiot would use their birthday as a password?”

“…“The ‘idiot’ himself, Ji Lin, tried hard to keep his cool. “You haven’t answered me yet. Were you looking at something related to Cen Wan just now?”

Yu Duqiu’s long fingers quickly entered the password and replied, “Yes, I obtained her experimental data from twenty years ago. Although it’s old, it still has many valuable insights that might help with my Themis project.”

Ji Lin didn’t quite understand these business or scientific topics, so he switched to his own area of expertise. “By the way, there’s something odd about the Rain Alley case.”

“What is it?”

“Last year, I applied to join the investigation of the Rain Alley case at the city bureau, but the leaders didn’t approve it. Now, with the establishment of a special task force to reinvestigate the case, I finally had a chance to access the scene photos from that time. Do you remember the waitress named Wu Min?”

“The victim who left the bar with Mu Hao?”

“Yes.” Ji Lin turned around as Yu Duqiu finished entering the password and pulled out his phone, opening a photo in his gallery. Yu Duqiu looked down and instantly recoiled. “Captain Ji, could you please warn someone before showing them a corpse photo?”

Ji Lin was puzzled. “Lu Qing isn’t afraid. What are you scared of, as a grown man?”

Yu Duqiu sighed. “I’m guessing you’ve never been in a relationship.”

“…Don’t change the subject. Look at the photo.”

The photo showed a head with a blurred face, attached to a pale neck. The skin of the corpse was swollen and rotten from being in the sea, but two parallel cut marks were still discernible.

“According to Liu Shaojie’s testimony back then, he made two cuts on Wu Min’s neck with a folding knife. The murder weapon was found later, indeed with Wu Min’s blood on it. The police didn’t pursue it further. But now that we know there was another person in the alley, I think the wounds don’t look right.”

Yu Duqiu zoomed in on the photo and examined it closely. “The wounds are too smooth?”

Ji Lin gave him a rare look of appreciation. “Exactly. If Wu Min didn’t die after the first cut, she would likely struggle and resist. Even if she was too weak from blood loss to struggle, the second cut is too smooth, perfectly parallel to the first, as if it were made with a ruler.”

Yu Duqiu pondered for a moment. “It must have been a double-edged weapon. So, the weapon that killed Wu Min might not be the small knife Liu Shaojie mentioned? And the person who killed Wu Min might not be Liu Shaojie but the one on the watch recording?”

“It’s definitely him!” Ji Lin exclaimed, then pressed his temple, forcing himself to calm down. “I was too impulsive in the meeting room that day. Please forgive me. After months of no progress, suddenly having new clues was overwhelming… Then I realized you must have checked the surveillance footage since you had the recording. My checking would have been pointless.”

Yu Duqiu closed his laptop and crossed his arms. “Yes, I checked. The alley surveillance didn’t capture anyone else, so I looked at the footage from Yiqing Bar. But the bar wasn’t exactly proper; the lighting was deliberately chaotic, with many blind spots for people to do their business. I couldn’t see who entered or exited through the back door.”

Ji Lin added, “I know a bit more than you then. I guessed the killer might have bloodstains on his clothes and wouldn’t return to the crowded bar. So, I checked the surveillance at the alley entrance. Fortunately, the police preserved the footage from that entire night; otherwise, it would have been overwritten. Sure enough, three hours after Liu Shaojie left, a man holding an umbrella and blocking his upper body walked out of the alley. Based on the height of the street lamp beside him, he was estimated to be over 1.8 meters tall. He had a large, conspicuous ring on his right hand holding the umbrella, but I didn’t see any weapon on him.”

Yu Duqiu was surprised. “He stayed in that filthy alley the whole time? I really missed that.”

Ji Lin shook his head. “It’s not just you. The police, with a clear suspect and timeframe, only reviewed the key footage. The real killer showed us who we thought was the ‘killer,’ helping the police quickly ‘solve’ the case while he remained completely hidden! If only we had noticed earlier. But this bit of information isn’t very useful now. Street surveillance footage is kept for a maximum of three months. It’s too late to check it now.”

Yu Duqiu patted his shoulder. “Don’t blame yourself. The killer is just too cunning. Did you re-interrogate Liu Shaojie?”

“Yes, I did. If he could tell the truth, I would’ve solved the case by now. He stubbornly insists he killed her, and the weapon was the small knife, with no changes from his previous testimony.”

“He’s a peculiar one. Most criminals wouldn’t be so loyal. Could it be… the other killer is a relative of his?”

Ji Lin shook his head. “He’s an orphan.”

Yu Duqiu raised an eyebrow. “Another orphan? This case seems to have a lot of orphans.”

“…Can you be any more caustic?” Ji Lin glanced at Bai Zhao sitting next to them. Fortunately, he was still asleep with his earbuds in, apparently not hearing anything. “His situation is different from Bai Zhao’s. He didn’t go to a welfare home or get adopted. He wandered the streets from a young age, doing petty crimes. He was pretty good at it, never getting caught until now, and even managed to buy a car.”

At this point, Ji Lin gritted his teeth, and Yu Duqiu couldn’t resist poking at his sore spot. “You two are about the same age. He managed to buy a car, and you… well, the world isn’t fair, is it?”

Ji Lin, initially angry, calmed down after hearing this. “The world has never been fair. Otherwise, why would Mu-ge have had such a fate? He was such a good person. He deserved a smooth life, a good career, a kind and beautiful wife, and lovely children. He should have had a peaceful life.”

Yu Duqiu tilted his head. “Do you really think that?”

“What else should I think?” Ji Lin retorted, his gaze turning cold. “Even though he’s missing now, if he comes back, he’ll surely get promoted. Captain Feng of the city bureau thinks highly of him. His record is spotless, he’s upright, and capable. He has a bright future ahead. Don’t tarnish his reputation with your nonsense and ruin his future.”

Yu Duqiu laughed. “No wonder you were so agitated in the meeting room last time. Who are you afraid will ruin his future? Never mind, it’s not my business. I’m more curious—do you really think he’s still alive?”

Ji Lin paused for a moment too long. “I know the chances of him surviving are almost zero. But as long as I haven’t seen a body, I’ll believe he’s still alive.”

Yu Duqiu slowly stopped laughing and looked at him quietly for a while. “I haven’t seen someone as pure as you in a long time.”

“…Huh?”

“Never mind. Let’s talk about something lighter—want to know how I met Mu Hao?”

Ji Lin reluctantly looked away. “If you’re going to say it, just say it. Don’t tease me.”

Yu Duqiu smiled, stretched out, leaned on the sofa, and began. “Our meeting wasn’t pleasant: in the first year of high school, I was quite rebellious. I stole a horse during an equestrian class and rode it wildly around the campus. No one dared to stop me, but Mu Hao did. He pulled me off the horse and scolded me. We almost fought.”

Ji Lin frowned. “Wait, you went to a private school? I always thought he attended a regular high school. Was his family wealthy?”

Yu Duqiu said, “Not as rich as mine, but they were well-off. His parents ran a business and had some savings. They thought they could send him abroad for further studies after graduation, but he chose the police academy instead.”

Ji Lin asked, “What, do you look down on the police academy? Serving the country is an honorable thing!”

“Wrongfully accused! I don’t care where he went. I just thought he was a bit crazy.” Yu Duqiu quickly added before Ji Lin could get mad, “I’ve never seen someone with such a strong sense of justice and responsibility. It wasn’t just stopping my horse; he insisted on persuading me to mend my ways and focus on my studies. Every time he saw me, he’d lecture me like a monk reciting scriptures. Over time, somehow, we became friends.”

Ji Lin’s clenched fists slowly relaxed. “That’s the kind of person he is. When I started at the police academy, I was always at the bottom of the physical tests. The instructors were harsh, and I talked back once. I got punished with extra laps until I almost threw up. Mu-ge comforted me, ran with me, and trained me every day until I could keep up with the rest.”

“So you fell in love with him?”

“Yes, I…”—Ji Lin suddenly realized—“Bullshit! Don’t insult our friendship! He’s my role model! My idol!”

“Alright, alright. If I die on this trip, I’ll look for your idol in the afterlife. Oh, but I’m a materialist. I’d bet his bones are lying in some ocean trench. Maybe I’ll take my yacht out to fish them up someday.” Yu Duqiu lazily called a flight attendant. “Mr. Dong is a bit slow today. Ask him if we’ll be having lunch in half an hour. Don’t keep our guests waiting.”

The flight attendant nodded. “I’ll check on it right away,” and walked toward the aircraft’s kitchen.

Ji Lin had a complex expression. “Do you have any basic human emotions? How can you joke about life and death? You didn’t seem sad when your second uncle died. I bet you didn’t even flinch when you heard about Mu Hao’s accident.”

Yu Duqiu laughed carelessly. “You’re not me. How do you know I wasn’t sad?”

“I can tell by looking at you.” Ji Lin was too tired to argue, and looking back, he saw Lu Qing reclining her seat and sleeping, a bit of milk foam on her upper lip. She must have been dreaming about something delicious, as her slightly open mouth smacked a couple of times.

“…”

Half an hour later, lunch was served on time. Except for the crew and the still-sleeping Du Lingya, everyone gathered around a makeshift table to eat.

“Prepare a separate meal for Lingya and bring it in.”

“Understood, Mr. Yu,” the flight attendant complied.

Ji Lin glanced at the table full of dishes. “I thought it’d be steak and red wine. Didn’t expect it to be so homely.”

Yu Duqiu said, “In the next few days, we’ll be negotiating with Americans. There’ll be plenty of steak and red wine, and you’ll get tired of it. Come on, Ms. Lu, eat up. Your captain hits too hard; you need to build up your strength to beat him.”

Lu Qing rubbed the bump on her head. “Thank you, Mr. Yu. He’s so mean. I was just napping, and he woke me up so harshly! I’m a girl, you know! He has no sympathy…”

Ji Lin rolled up his sleeves. “Complain again, and I’ll knock you again. In this line of work, don’t see yourself as weak. Our job is to protect the weak. This trip isn’t a vacation.”

Lu Qing considered this and found it reasonable but still defended herself, “Brother Ji, I was just resting to be ready for the time difference in America. And what could happen on the plane? I think you’re just overreacting.”

Ji Lin was about to give her another stern talk when Lu Qing hurriedly dodged, accidentally bumping into Bai Zhao next to her. “Ah, sorry!”

Bai Zhao shook his head to show it was fine and continued eating.

Yu Duqiu’s eyes shifted as he picked a piece of fish belly and placed it into Bai Zhao’s bowl. “Chef Dong is from the southern coast. He’s excellent at cooking fish. Try this steamed grouper.”

Bai Zhao’s chopsticks paused as he silently stared at the tender piece of fish.

Lou Baoguo, eager to stir the pot, remarked, “This is rare. The young master serving someone… Ow!” His words were cut short by a sharp pain in his thigh.

Yu Duqiu took a piece of fish for himself and ate it. “Hmm, it’s quite fresh, with just the right amount of salt…”

Bai Zhao glanced at him, showing the first faint smile of the day, and reached for the piece of fish in his bowl.

“Clang!”

Suddenly, the porcelain bowl was forcefully knocked out of his hand, shattering on the floor with rice and fish scattered everywhere.

Everyone stared in shock at Yu Duqiu, who seemed to have gone mad.

“Giving me attitude, huh? Who do you think you are?” Yu Duqiu wiped his mouth with a napkin, his expression icy. “Stand aside. You’re not allowed at the table without my permission.”

Bai Zhao gripped his chopsticks tightly, his knuckles white from the strain. After a few seconds, he threw the chopsticks down heavily and stood aside, his face pale with anger. “I don’t think I did anything wrong.”

But he still obediently complied.

Lou Baoguo suddenly felt that his earlier question had been answered. If there was someone who could make him accept punishment without complaint, besides his parents, it could only be his spouse.

Yu Duqiu ignored him and said to the flight attendant who had just come out of the rest area with more food, “This fish is excellent. Ask Chef Dong to come here.”

The attendant immediately went to fetch the chef. The atmosphere in the cabin was awkward, everyone silent and inwardly sympathizing with the poor bodyguard. 

Unlike the usual pattern of a slap followed by a sweet, Yu Duqiu’s method was to offer a sweet and then deliver a harsh slap, a unique approach.

In no time, Dong Yongliang, dressed in his crisp white chef’s uniform, hurried over. “Young Master, what’s the matter? Is the dish not to your liking?”

Yu Duqiu smiled. “This steamed fish tastes just like it does at home. It’s impressive that you could replicate the flavor under the limited conditions on a plane.”

Dong Yongliang’s face lit up with a smile. “Thank you, Young Master.”

“Did you taste it while you were cooking?”

Dong Yongliang shook his head vigorously. “No, no, Young Master, I know you don’t like others tasting your food. I just memorized the seasoning proportions and cooked from memory.”

Yu Duqiu nodded in satisfaction. “No wonder you’ve been with my family for so many years.”

Dong Yongliang chuckled, his demeanor honest and simple.

“Bai Zhao!” Yu Duqiu suddenly shouted, then his tone shifted, becoming tender. “I want to sleep with you.”

“??” Dong Yongliang’s eyes widened in disbelief.

The expressions around the table were like they had seen a ghost in broad daylight.

Zhao Feihua was the first to recover, pushing his glasses back up. “You’ve finally lost all shame?”

Just as he finished speaking, there was a loud bang!

Dong Yongliang was suddenly pinned to the table, his arm twisted behind his back. No matter how much he struggled, he couldn’t break free and could only cry out in pain through gritted teeth. “What are you doing?! Mmm! Mmm!”

Bai Zhao stuffed a napkin into his mouth. “Be quiet.”

The sudden change left Ji Lin stunned. “What’s going on? If you want to sleep with the bodyguard, why are you grabbing the chef?”

Lou Baoguo smacked his own forehead. “Damn it! Who could’ve guessed that was a code word!”

“Quick reflexes, darling.” Yu Duqiu winked at Bai Zhao. “Sorry about earlier. Don’t be mad. I care about you too much to be harsh.”

“…No next time.”

Yu Duqiu smiled and revealed the napkin he had used to wipe his mouth, with the piece of fish he had seemingly eaten hidden inside. He took a sip of water, rinsed his mouth, and spat it out.

“Chef Dong, you probably didn’t know that on a plane, a person’s taste perception of saltiness decreases by 30%. If you cooked this from memory, the fish should taste blander. What did you add to my food to match the usual taste, you sneaky thief?”

Dong Yongliang’s face turned red, and his neck swelled as Yu Duqiu’s expression grew colder.