BL Ch48

Ji Lin didn’t have time to respond to the two messages, as everyone’s eyes soon turned back to him.

Xu Sheng asked incredulously, “He goes there every week?”

“Yes, ever since Mu Hao disappeared last year,” Yu Duqiu said with a grin, looking at Ji Lin who was standing. “I never managed to catch the killer returning to the scene, but I did spot a young detective. Initially, I thought I could use this to blackmail you into working for me later, but alas… Oh, by the way, I watched the footage of you being chased by a sanitation worker and running away in a panic several times—it was hilarious.”

“No wonder you found out so fast…” Ji Lin gritted his teeth. “You saw me long ago! I was wondering why you looked at me so strangely when we first met and pretended not to know me! How much have you been hiding?”

Yu Duqiu raised his hands in mock surrender. “I didn’t expect it to be you investigating the case at Junyue that day. If it weren’t you, I wouldn’t have dared to give the recording from the watch to the police. It shows how much I trust you; you should feel honored.”

“Pah!”

“Alright,” Peng Deyu interjected, as the situation had taken a slight turn, and his expression softened a bit. “Your surveillance footage might prove that Ji Lin and Huang Hanxiang being at Yiqing was a coincidence, but it doesn’t clear him of suspicion.”

“No, their simultaneous presence at Yiqing wasn’t a coincidence—it was inevitable,” Yu Duqiu said seriously, his smile fading. “When I first saw the footage, I thought Captain Ji was tracking Huang Hanxiang, and I was puzzled why Huang would choose such a crowded place like Yiqing to finalize his transaction. There were more secluded locations, right? But today I understand—Captain Ji was set up.”

“You both know deep down that it was Captain Ji monitoring Huang Hanxiang. While he may be naive in some ways, he’s not stupid enough to get caught on camera. The killer deliberately orchestrated their meeting for one reason only: to frame him.”

“If I were the killer, who would I want to eliminate the most? First, it would be myself. I was the one who provided the clue that reopened the investigation into the Rain Alley case, and I also run a drug rehabilitation program. Since the killer is involved with drugs, they must be wary of me. But I’m not easily accessible. Overseas, they could use a sniper rifle, but in the country, they would have to resort to close combat. With so many bodyguards around me, there’s no way they could succeed with a cold weapon.”

Yu Duqiu’s light-colored eyes reflected the cold glow from the screen, as if covered in a thin layer of frost. “So, the killer cleverly used Huang Hanxiang. First, they made him suddenly have a drug relapse in my company, using methods and tools similar to those in my uncle’s suicide case, leading us to naturally think it was another warning. But the killer’s real goal was to make me distrust those around me. I have to admit, they understood my psychology well. I fell into the trap, firing over a dozen employees. Until I hire new staff, I’ll be left vulnerable for a short period.”

“However, even in this state, I am still under police protection, with Captain Ji watching over me at all times. So, naturally, he became another obstacle in the killer’s eyes. If they managed to kill the head of the criminal investigation team, it would be a huge case that might shake the entire city, and the police’s focus would inevitably shift away from me, creating an opportunity for assassination.”

“But Captain Ji is a detective. He’s physically strong and usually carries a gun. For a killer accustomed to using cold weapons, a direct attack would be difficult. Poisoning him like Mu Hao would be tricky too, since Captain Ji lives a rather frugal life… Don’t glare at me, I’m defending you,” Yu Duqiu added with a shrug. “He rarely goes to entertainment venues and sticks to a strict daily routine—just like Mu Hao. Mu Hao was only at Yiqing that night because his friends dragged him there for his birthday, and he had the money to spend. Even if Captain Ji’s birthday was around the corner, I bet he wouldn’t spend his meager salary on drinks, right?”

Ji Lin: “……..” He couldn’t refute that!

“The simplest way left was to get Captain Ji off the special investigation team, take away his gun, and cut him off from any case information. This would make it easier to ambush him. And to achieve that, all you need is to make him a suspect. Even if everyone believes he didn’t commit the crime, to avoid suspicion, he’d still have to step aside.”

“Fortunately for Captain Ji, the killer didn’t account for the fact that I had installed surveillance cameras in that alley, or else he really would have had no way to defend himself today. If I’m not mistaken, there was a typhoon on the night of the 8th. With weather forecasts being accurate up to 15 days in advance, the killer knew it would rain that night and that Captain Ji would go to that alley. So, they arranged for Huang Hanxiang to be there, leading to a staged encounter—just to frame Captain Ji.”

Yu Duqiu tapped his phone again, and another video played. This time, the footage showed two people. One was twisting the other’s arms behind his back in a typical police arrest hold.

The audio was clear:

“You should ask yourself—why aren’t you at home in the middle of the night? What are you doing here? Answer me!” It was Ji Lin, shouting angrily.

Huang Hanxiang stammered, “I—I came to drink, got a little dizzy, and thought I’d step outside for some fresh air…”

Ji Lin wasn’t buying it. “Do you know what place this is? Huh? You definitely know! Who sent you here?!”

“No one sent me… Captain Ji, you can’t just bully civilians because you’re a cop…”

Ji Lin cursed, roughly shoving Huang Hanxiang into the rain. Huang quickly picked up his umbrella, backing away several steps, trembling as he looked at the fierce detective before him. “If—if there’s nothing else, I’ll head home now…”

“Get lost. Don’t think just because I’m letting you go now, you’re safe. We’re watching every move you make. Next time I catch you, I won’t be so nice!”

“O-okay…”

Huang Hanxiang fled, but the video didn’t end. The deserted alley became engulfed in wind and rain. The young man with the black umbrella walked a few steps to the trash bins and, as always, silently stared at the narrow, filthy ground in front of them. His expression became blurred in the strengthening downpour.

“What are you looking at?” Peng Deyu asked the man in the footage.

“He’s looking at the spot where Mu Hao fell,” Feng Jinmin answered for him. “That’s the exact place where Mu Hao’s blood was found.”

Peng Deyu was slightly taken aback. “I can understand most of it, but this… Why? Why does he go there every week? Why does he always go when it rains? Why is he so obsessed with this case involving his old classmate?” A strange yet plausible suspicion began to form in Peng Deyu’s mind. “Could it be…”

Ji Lin bit his lip hard, keeping his head down, avoiding both the screen and his superiors’ gaze.

Peng Deyu’s suspicions were about to be confirmed when Yu Duqiu suddenly turned off the screen and interrupted with a light cough. “Captain Ji told me before that when he first entered the police academy, he was at the bottom of his class and was even scolded to tears by his instructor. Mu Hao was the one who helped him regain his confidence and pushed him to work harder. It’s not as simple as Captain Ji just now described it—Mu Hao was his savior, his role model, his mentor in life. In short, his idol. You two might not understand how intense idol worship can be these days, but Captain Ji’s behavior would be classified as that of a ‘sasaeng fan.’ You can look it up online—it’s a real term.”

Ji Lin: “……….”

Without missing a beat, Yu Duqiu continued his nonsense smoothly. “Driven by admiration, Captain Ji wanted to give Mu Hao a birthday gift but knew Mu Hao wasn’t one for such gestures. So, he lingered outside his house, debating whether to leave the gift. When he saw Mu Hao returning with Wu Min, he felt it was even more inappropriate to give the gift in front of others, so he left. After Mu Hao’s death, given how much Captain Ji values loyalty, how could he not seek revenge for his idol? In his mind, he must have been thinking, ‘This time, I’ll be the one to save you!’ That’s my more plausible theory. What do you think, Captain Ji?”

“……….” Ji Lin took a deep breath. After the initial panic and loss for words, he realized there was no way out of this except through a lie. “Yes, Mu Hao’s help meant a lot to me back then. I’ve never forgotten it. I felt that lurking outside his house to leave a gift wasn’t an honorable thing to do and could be seen as bribery, so I didn’t mention it earlier.”

Yu Duqiu shot him a teasing glance: Not bad, you covered that well.

Ji Lin glared back: This is what happens when you hang out with bad company.

Peng Deyu, who never believed Ji Lin was involved in the crime, was quick to accept the explanation. He turned to Feng Jinmin, saying, “Old Feng, you see, there’s no sign that Ji Lin and Huang Hanxiang were in cahoots, or even planned their encounter. Ji Lin’s been working so hard on this case, and if we wrong him, it would be heartbreaking.”

Xu Sheng, who had been watching quietly, nodded vigorously. “Yes, yes! We all know what kind of person Captain Ji is. There’s no way he’s the killer.”

Feng Jinmin wasn’t unreasonable, and after some thought, he acknowledged, “But how did the killer know Ji Lin would go to the bar that night? Could it be that the killer also saw this surveillance footage and knew his habits?”

Yu Duqiu shrugged. “The password to access my surveillance footage is only known to my subordinates. The killer might not even need the footage—they could just live nearby and have seen Captain Ji frequently visiting the alley. Huang Hanxiang disappeared not far from the bar; maybe the killer dragged him into their home.”

Feng Jinmin said, “You’re just speculating, and you’re clearly biased toward him. That’s not objective.”

Yu Duqiu smiled. “At this point, no one can say for certain who the killer is. You think I’m biased, perhaps because my perspective doesn’t align with your subjective views?”

Feng Jinmin snorted coldly. “Investigations rely on evidence, not just a sharp tongue.”

“A sharp tongue alone won’t do, of course. You need to use your eyes to see and your brain to think.” Yu Duqiu’s smile turned icy. “Having eyes but not seeing is as good as being blind. Having a brain but not thinking is as good as being brainless.”

The tension between the two was palpable, like sparks flying from clashing blades, and the air seemed charged with a burning friction.

Feng Jinmin, holding his temper, didn’t slam the table but his expression was grim. Finally, he made a decision: “To avoid any potential conflicts of interest, I think Captain Ji should step aside for now, and let Captain Xu take over the case.”

Ji Lin immediately panicked and blurted out, “No way!”

Xu Sheng, finally understanding why he’d been called in, hesitated, unsure whether to accept or decline. “Captain Feng, I still have several unsolved cases. I’m really swamped. Besides, Ji’s been on this case from the start; he knows it better than me, and he really wants to solve it…”

“Do you think I don’t want to solve this case? Do you think I don’t feel the pain of Mu Hao’s death?” Feng Jinmin said angrily. “I had to recuse myself from the investigation too, didn’t I? The more you care, the more anxious you become, the easier it is to overlook details, make misjudgments, or even create wrongful convictions. Moreover, the killer’s already targeted him. This time they failed, but what about next time? He’s standing on the edge of a fire pit, and instead of pulling him back, you’re pushing him in?”

His words hit like a slap of reality, and Peng Deyu suddenly realized, “Old Feng, you’re right. As long as we don’t wrong him, it’s not necessary for him to be in charge.”

Xu Sheng, seeing that the two senior officers had agreed, resigned himself to the decision. “Alright, I’ll follow orders.”

Even Yu Duqiu chimed in, “Though I don’t care whether he lives or dies, since you’re all being so humane, I’ll respect your decision too, so I don’t seem like the odd one out.”

Xu Sheng muttered, “…That statement already makes you the odd one out.”

But Ji Lin didn’t agree. “Director Peng, Captain Feng, I’ve been on this case for over half a year now, and I’ve been just fine. Even if something happens, it would be a glorious sacrifice, and I have no regrets.”

Peng Deyu was firm. “Four people have already died in this case. It’s time to hand it over to the Major Crimes Unit. You’re young, impulsive, and less experienced than Xu Sheng. He’s more suitable for this. Take some time to rest and recharge, and you can rejoin when you’re ready.”

“But—”

“Enough. You’ve been up all night. Go home and get some sleep. I’ll have Lu Qing and Niu Feng handle the handover.” Peng Deyu stood up, cutting off any further argument. “We still need to look into that anonymous tipster. Something seems fishy. Let’s head back to the office. Oh, and Mr. Yu, remember to upgrade our computer system. Those cameras of yours seem pretty good—mind installing a few at our station? Not too expensive, I hope?”

Yu Duqiu smiled. “You and my grandfather go way back. How could I charge you? I’ll have the installation crew come by and replace everything. You can set the passwords yourself. I’ll also send you the access code for the cameras in the alley by the Yiqing Bar.”

That was basically saying they were confiscating his equipment.

Peng Deyu, satisfied with his free haul of new gear, let go of the issue of Yu Duqiu’s unauthorized surveillance installations. After all, that alley was mostly visited by sanitation workers and rats; it wasn’t really infringing on anyone’s privacy.

Peng Deyu gave him a knowing look, pleased, and left the meeting room with Feng Jinmin and the others.

As soon as the door closed, there was a loud “bang!”

Ji Lin slumped into a chair, nearly tipping it over. It was as if all the strength had been drained from his body. He stared blankly at the photos Feng Jinmin had left on the table.

The blurry surveillance images vaguely showed the figures of a man and a woman walking together from one end of the street. Meanwhile, another person was lurking like a thief in the shadows, out of the reach of the streetlight, silently watching the pair.

Yu Duqiu walked over, leaning on the back of Ji Lin’s chair. Glancing at the photos with him, he casually asked, “What gift did you buy for Mu Hao?”

Ji Lin didn’t respond.

“Do you regret not going up to him and saying a few words back then?”

Still no answer.

“I watched all the surveillance footage. You always just sat there quietly, just like now, saying nothing. I’m curious—how have you managed to hold on to feelings that you can’t even bring yourself to voice, either to the air or to yourself?”

“…Why do you have so many questions?” Ji Lin gathered the scattered photos from the table, stuffed them into his pocket, and stood up.

“Where are you going?”

“Home, to sleep.”

“Are you really going to obediently follow orders?”

“What else can I do?” Ji Lin gripped the door handle tightly, the veins on his hand bulging. He didn’t turn around. “A more qualified detective is taking over the case. That’s a good thing.”

“That doesn’t sound very sincere.”

“What good is sincerity? Can sincerity solve the case? Can it bring Brother Mu back?” Ji Lin’s voice caught in his throat. “This is the price I’m paying for my incompetence. I can’t blame anyone else.”

As he pushed open the door, the wind from the hallway found its way into the room, rushing in, making his thin shirt flap wildly, as if the whole person was swaying, ready to fall. But in the end, he walked out against the wind.

The meeting room fell into complete silence, with only the lingering power of the typhoon recklessly blowing through.

Yu Duqiu’s silver hair fluttered in the wind. Slowly, he turned his head as the black screen of his phone lit up again. He scrolled all the way to the top—to October 27, the day when all this misfortune began.

It was a video Ji Lin had sent him that night—the only footage capturing the killer.

The repeatedly watched clip played before his eyes again. The brutal, bloody, and tragic scenes hidden in the unseen depths of the alley; all the bar’s surveillance had captured was the peaceful, empty entrance to the alley.

Until the man appeared.

A long black-handled umbrella obscured everything above his chest. Based on the height of the streetlights, the figure appeared quite tall. Dressed in black clothing and black pants, perfect for blending into the night for a stealthy kill. The only thing that stood out was a ring on his right index finger. Its color was unclear—red, black, or white—but it was definitely a gemstone.

But no matter which color, it wasn’t enough to identify him.

Yu Duqiu paused the video, quietly facing off with the man on the screen across time and space.

The wind outside weakened, brushing softly against his thick lashes, causing them to tremble slightly.

“Who are you really… Queen?”

“Talking to me?” A man was suddenly standing at the doorway, arms crossed, watching him. “I heard you arguing earlier, so I didn’t come in. Is it settled?”

Yu Duqiu turned and smiled at him. “You’re not my queen anymore. Why answer to that?”

Bai Zhao walked toward him slowly. “I heard you say the killer took advantage of your suspicious nature. Now that you’ve realized that, won’t you forgive me?”

“Stop trying to dodge the issue. Is that really the question here? Was it the killer who made you spy on me? Was it the killer who made you deceive me?” Yu Duqiu grabbed Bai Zhao by the collar, narrowing his eyes. “And you still haven’t learned your lesson. You dare lie to me even now? You were listening outside the whole time, clear as day, and still had the nerve to ask if things were resolved. Where do you get such audacity?”

Bai Zhao took hold of his wrist, kissed the back of the hand gripping his collar, and then embraced him. “Because I have nothing to lose, so I have nothing to fear.”

His broad, warm chest pressed against Yu Duqiu, recreating a scene from the darkness of the previous night.

Yu Duqiu’s heart thudded heavily, but he pushed the man away before Bai Zhao could sense any wavering.

“I have plenty; I don’t need you,” Yu Duqiu said, heading toward the door. “But for now, you’re still useful to me. Come with me.”

“Where are we going?”

“The other side went to such great lengths to try to kill me, and they succeeded in humiliating me. How could I not retaliate?” The sunlight outside was too bright, and Yu Duqiu raised a hand to shield his eyes before staring at his fingers in a daze. “I didn’t want to act so rashly, but now I have no choice but to speed things up.”

Bai Zhao seemed to sense something, his heart tightening. “Will it put you in danger?”

“It will. If I’m not careful, it might ruin my reputation and make me despised by everyone.” Yu Duqiu smiled indifferently. “But what’s a reputation worth? What’s a person worth?”

“Don’t forget, ‘Life is but a fleeting dream.’ If you only get to dream once, you might as well make it a wild one!”