BL Ch56

At 9 PM, the party had ended and people began to disperse.

The Pei brothers personally saw their guests off at the hotel entrance. As Yu Duqiu and the others were leaving, they happened to see Pei Ming and Du Shuyan standing together, exchanging polite words in a seemingly cordial but distant manner.

“They really don’t get tired of it, clearly can’t stand each other… hic—” Lou Baoguo, who had eaten three fried chicken legs and two burgers, had a mouth full of greasy junk food.

Lu Jinyu waved his hand in front of the thick air and smiled politely, “I’ll head out now, Duqiu. Let’s reschedule for another time.”

Lou Baoguo and Zhou Yi immediately looked at their other colleague’s expression, but unfortunately, they couldn’t discern any emotions.

Yu Duqiu waved goodbye to Lu Jinyu and turned to Ji Lin, saying, “I didn’t expect tonight to end without incident. Could it be that we’ve wrongly accused someone?”

Ji Lin narrowed his eyes as he looked at Pei Ming from a distance. “It’s also possible that he wants to clear his own name and deliberately did nothing.”

Yu Duqiu scratched his chin. “What a shame, I thought it was going to be a banquet of betrayal where we could gain new clues.”

Ji Lin rolled his eyes. “If nothing happened, you should thank the heavens. What, were you still hoping for another victim to appear?”

“I just feel like I wasted this outfit.” Yu Duqiu dusted off nonexistent dust from his suit, then casually flicked his wrist, the gemstone ring and watch sparkling in the light. “The weapons are ready, yet nothing happened. What a waste of my effort, I can’t let this slide. Zhou, you guys go get the car. Team Ji and I still have questions for Pei Ming.”

Having worked together for so long, Ji Lin immediately guessed what Yu Duqiu meant. “You think he’ll tell the truth?”

Yu Duqiu replied, “If he doesn’t, it only proves he’s hiding something.”

Pei Ming and Du Shuyan were comforting each other dramatically when Ji Lin approached. He vaguely heard phrases like, “The sales of rough diamonds in the first half of the year were only 80 million,” and “We’re not doing much better, last quarter’s total revenue from the news app was only 50 million.”

It was a clear case of “first world problems” to the ears of those whose monthly salary barely reached the four-figure range.

“Pei Ge, Shuyan Ge, aren’t you heading back?” Yu Duqiu approached them and asked.

Both men’s expressions subtly changed when they saw him.

Du Shuyan, ever the affable one, responded, “We were planning to, Duqiu. When can the three of us get together again? There were too many people today, I didn’t even have time to chat with you.”

Ji Lin remembered how Du Shuyan had been eagerly offering toasts to everyone at the table earlier and thought to himself, “Aren’t you the one who likes big crowds? Really speaks one way to people, and another to ghosts.”

“Sure, I was just thinking it wasn’t enough fun,” Yu Duqiu lied through his teeth, despite not having had a single drink. “I recently found a good bar, just over at Changhe.”

“Is that so? Which one?”

“Yiqing, on Songchuan Road.”

Pei Ming and Du Shuyan both froze for a moment.

Peizhuo couldn’t help but speak up, “Isn’t that the place where Mu Hao had his incident? You went there to drink? Isn’t that unlucky?”

“There’s no bad luck among old classmates,” Yu Duqiu replied casually, then turned to Pei Ming. “Pei Ge, have you been there?”

Peizhuo sneered, “How could my brother go to such a low-class place—”

“I’ve been once,” Pei Ming surprisingly admitted without hesitation, his casual smile flawless. “It’s not really up to par, so I haven’t been back. If you want a drink, I can recommend something better.”

Ji Lin found this strange. He had expected Pei Ming to deny it outright, but he was so open about it that it threw them both off guard. Moreover, Pei Ming had taken the opportunity to subtly criticize Yu Duqiu’s taste.

Peizhuo, having recovered, mockingly added, “Yeah, there are tons of good bars around Changhe. Duqiu, you think that place is nice? That’s really surprising. I thought you’d prefer a more refined place.”

Yu Duqiu didn’t get upset, just smiled and said, “I enjoy all kinds of places. By the way, Pei Ge, how did you find that bar?”

Pei Ming replied nonchalantly, “Someone invited me, but then they stood me up, so I ended up drinking alone.”

“Go to hell,” Ji Lin cursed inwardly. Pei Ming had brought two women along but still claimed he drank alone.

“A drink to relax isn’t the worst of things,” Pei Ming said, clearly not intending to be fully honest. Yu Duqiu didn’t press further and instead asked, “What were you two talking about just now? I think I heard something about your sales dropping again?”

“…”

As soon as money was mentioned, Peizhuo’s energy immediately deflated.

After all, the combined net worth of all the guests at tonight’s banquet probably couldn’t even match Yu Duqiu’s alone.

Pei Ming, however, wasn’t bothered, and responded generously, “Yes, it’s dropped quite a bit. The total revenue for the second half of the year is expected to drop further. We missed out on a big order from the US, and the loss was significant. Business has been declining year by year. That’s why I’m seeking other opportunities. Duqiu, don’t forget our agreement. I’m counting on your project to get rich.”

Du Shuyan quickly interrupted, “Pei Zong is already talking about being poor, what should I do? My company’s value is still less than yours, and the bank loan isn’t paid off. We’re barely scraping by these days.”

Ji Lin could hardly bear it. He would rather listen to Yu Duqiu’s show-off than endure this fake, dramatic whining. At least Yu Duqiu was being honest.

“Shuyan Ge, as long as you work steadily and develop your company, you’ll win back the market share that belongs to you eventually.” Yu Duqiu seemed to stress the words “work steadily,” though it wasn’t clear whether it was a reminder or a warning for Du Shuyan.

Du Shuyan nodded, seemingly agreeing, “Thanks for the advice, Duqiu. You take care too, protect yourself. Officer Ji, there are rumors circulating outside, and some people are saying Duqiu is the murderer. You need to catch the real culprit as soon as possible to clear his name. Thank you for your hard work.”

Ji Lin replied, “That’s definite. We’ve already got new leads, and I believe the truth will come out soon.”

Du Shuyan asked curiously, “What leads?”

“Can’t say for now, but if we’re lucky, we might make a big breakthrough tonight.”

Pei Ming smiled, “Is that so? Then I’ll congratulate you in advance.”

Ji Lin carefully observed every micro-expression on Pei Ming’s face, from his eye movements to muscle twitches, and came to a fruitless conclusion: Either Pei Ming was a great actor, or he was truly innocent.

He exchanged a glance with Yu Duqiu.

After this questioning, the evidence that Pei Ming had been to Yiqing was undeniable. But what was his purpose? Had he been involved in planning the Yuxiang case? That remained unclear.

At this moment, every lead they had was somewhat reliable, but still filled with doubt and scattered, making it hard to piece together.

The real killer, like a ghostly specter, drifted through the world, chilling the hearts of the living. Though they searched, they could only capture fleeting traces.

They knew of his existence, yet could never catch hold of his physical form.

Only the dead can see his true face.

On the way back, Yu Duqiu sent a message to check in: [Captain Ji, if the poison acts up, make sure to call the medical examiner. With evidence, we can finally interrogate Pei Ming.]

Ji Lin’s rage burst out even in text: [Just because I’m poisoned doesn’t mean I’ll die! Why call a medical examiner? How eager are you for my death, exactly?]

Yu Duqiu replied: [I’m only helping you reunite with Mu Hao.]

Ji Lin: [………………]

This tone sounds more like a killer than the real one!

Yu Duqiu put down his phone, only to notice Zhou Yi, the driver, retracting a curious glance as if he wanted to say something.

“What’s up, Old Zhou?”

Caught in the act, Zhou Yi replied sheepishly, “Not much… Today, Abao and I ran into Secretary Fei outside the banquet hall, and we had a quick chat. He mentioned that recently Peizhuo has been fervently pursuing Miss Du, and it seems Du always could be swayed toward an alliance with the Pei family. But if she actually marries Peizhuo and he’s involved in all these incidents, wouldn’t that implicate Miss Du?”

Yu Duqiu thought for a moment. “From how Peizhuo sounded today, it seems his brother keeps a lot from him. And Peizhuo’s too timid to commit murder or arson himself; at most, he’d stay quiet about what he knows, so the charges wouldn’t be too heavy. For now, all we know is that he encouraged Lingya to drug me, but the hallucinogen dosage in that ‘deadly green’ powder was insignificant—it wouldn’t lead to a long sentence. I won’t press charges. Lingya marrying him might not be a bad thing; he genuinely likes her, and in a world chasing power, true affection is rare. But it’s not up to me to decide. Even if Du Shuyan agrees, Pei Ming still holds onto grudges from the last generation. He won’t easily accept it, and Lingya might not care for Peizhuo either.”

Zhou Yi nodded. “The young master has a point. President Du knows about your orientation but still engaged Miss Du to you. He’s using her lifelong happiness as a bargaining chip. If it’s not Peizhuo, he’d likely arrange blind dates with executives from other families. Peizhuo might actually be a lesser evil.”

Lou Baoguo sighed. “Poor Miss Du, falling for the wrong person. When she saw you leaving with Mr. Lu today, the look in her eyes was so pitiful…”

Zhou Yi quickly glared at him, and Lou Baoguo suddenly realized—they weren’t the only ones with grievances in the back seat.

Yu Duqiu, feeling zero guilt, leaned against Bai Zhao, who sat beside him, with an air of provocation. “The sooner she sees, the sooner she’ll give up. I’ve never belonged to anyone; I sleep with whoever I want, ditch whoever I want.”

A textbook example of a shameless scoundrel’s statement.

Bai Zhao lifted Yu Duqiu’s head and pushed him off his shoulder.

Yu Duqiu, relishing in his discomfort, asked, “Upset?”

Bai Zhao pointed expressionlessly to his neck, where a choker rested. “Worried it’ll prick you.”

“…”

Tonight, traffic was light, and it took only an hour to drive from Changhe District back to Xinjing District, where No. 1 Palace stood. The mountain road up Banshan was lined with warmly glowing street lamps, welcoming its master’s return. The massive copper gates opened, grander than any five-star hotel.

Lou Baoguo, turning back, bragged, “Young master, we should invite the Pei family over next time, just to show them up!”

Zhou Yi, driving down the main road, scoffed, “We’re lucky nothing happened today. You want to invite trouble?”

Lou Baoguo huffed, “Those scrawny Pei family members wouldn’t stand a chance. I waited all day for the young master to give me the signal, but those cowards didn’t dare anything. Of course, if they weren’t cowards, they wouldn’t resort to assassination.”

Yu Duqiu chuckled, “I’d call Old Zhou first, for fairness.”

Zhou Yi shook his head, steering around the fountain in front of the main building, stopping beside Yu Duqiu’s “Ghost.” “Best not, young master. That signal messes with my head.”

Lou Baoguo perked up. “What is it? What’s the signal?”

“Scram, I’m not telling you.”

Yu Duqiu leaned toward Bai Zhao, his mind working. “Want to know? I’ll tell you if you agree to my terms.”

Bai Zhao shot him a cold look and got out of the car.

Yu Duqiu followed, leaning against the roof, calling after his resolute figure, “What, a little rejection and you can’t take it? Not in love anymore?”

Bai Zhao stopped, turned to look at him. The night wind tousled his hair, but his posture stayed as steady as ever.

Just like that night from the window.

A silent gaze, enough to throw Yu Duqiu off balance.

“I don’t have Stockholm syndrome, young master,” Bai Zhao’s tone was as still as a stagnant pool. “During that hour I waited outside for you, my hatred numbed me—I may never let it go… but I never stopped loving you.”

As if afraid Yu Duqiu hadn’t heard, he repeated, “I never stopped… Even my hatred, I want to hold you and tell you how much I hate you. Do you think I’m mad because you’re with others? I told you, I’ve come to terms with that. What hurts is that from the moment you left, you didn’t even spare me a compassionate embrace. Even a dog, if mistreated, should be petted afterward if you expect it to obey, right?”

Lou Baoguo and Zhou Yi shrank in the car, not daring to intervene.

“Now what? Big bro’s finally lost it. Should we step in?”

“Forget it… You’ve been single since birth, I’m widowed; what advice could we offer…”

Yu Duqiu studied him with an amused gaze, propped his head on his hand, and replied indifferently, “Give me the right answer tomorrow, and I’ll consider it.”

Completely unmoved by Bai Zhao’s heartfelt words.

Zhou Yi and Lou Baoguo watched as Yu Duqiu walked toward the main hall without looking back, both silently pitying Bai Zhao.

Out of all people, he had to fall for this unfeeling young master.

Inside No. 1 Palace, only the butler and servants stayed; most other staff lived in the annex. It was late. Just as the two were about to drive to the annex, a tall figure darted past them, seizing Yu Duqiu’s arm.

Lou Baoguo got excited. “See! I knew big bro wouldn’t back down!”

Yu Duqiu turned, a sly smile on his face. “So, made up your mind?”

But Bai Zhao’s gaze was fixed on the main hall ahead, its dark mahogany doors like a gaping black maw, ready to devour anyone who entered.

With the silence pressing in, Yu Duqiu sensed something was wrong.

Too quiet.

Bai Zhao stepped forward, shielding him from the eerie, lifeless building ahead.

“Why didn’t Butler Hong come to greet you?”

Elsewhere in Xinjing District, a Rolls-Royce Phantom merged onto the highway.

Ever since his dealings with Yu Duqiu, Ji Lin had ridden in more luxury cars than in his previous twenty-six years… not that he’d ever ridden in any luxury cars before.

Tonight was the first time Ji Lin sat alone in the car; Yu Duqiu had sent his personal driver, Zhao Shifu, to take him to the station. Zhao Shifu, likely cooped up and in need of conversation, chatted nonstop:

“Ah, Officer Ji, you wouldn’t believe how many luxury cars Master Yu has in his garage. Some of those brands I’ve never even seen before, supposedly rare antiques he bought at auction.”

“You tell me, what’s up with these rich people? Spending millions on cars that can’t even be driven on the road—what’s the point?”

“Master Yu also has sky-high standards for drivers. When I got hired, they did a background check on me, dug through my entire family history! I didn’t even know until then that my ancestors three generations back were from a minority group—turns out I’m mixed-blood!”

Ji Lin responded dryly, “…Is it really okay for you to be telling me all this?”

“Oh, it’s fine. No matter how well I do, I’ll have to leave after a year. That’s Master Yu’s rule—all his drivers are only on a one-year contract. I heard it’s because he was kidnapped by a driver when he was a child.”

As expected, despite strict orders, employees always end up gossiping about their employers’ secrets.

“He’s just trying to protect himself.” Ji Lin found himself surprisingly understanding of Yu Duqiu’s reasoning.

But it was true. Peng Deyu once mentioned that Yu Duqiu had been an obedient, likable child. His mistrustful and occasionally neurotic personality now was likely a result of that childhood trauma.

Some people spend a lifetime healing from their past; Yu Duqiu seemed more like someone who carried it with him.

“I didn’t mean to badmouth him,” Zhao Shifu chuckled. “But I swear, the security in his household is the tightest I’ve ever seen. Not only is there a guard on duty 24/7 at the main gate, but he also has a team of bodyguards on standby at home. Who does that? It’s intense.”

The Phantom exited the highway, approaching the Xinjin precinct. Ji Lin, preoccupied with the case, replied absentmindedly, “He’s got the money; he can do what he wants. Anyway, it’s not like he’s going to turn it on employees like you, so what’s there to worry about?”

“You never know! What if there’s an insider? I heard the previous chef got fired because of something like that.”

Just as Ji Lin was about to compliment his accuracy, his phone rang abruptly.

Zhao Shifu perked up. “Hey, I know that tune! It’s from one of those wartime dramas, ‘When that day truly comes…’”

“Please don’t sing. It’s a call from the station; might be important.” Ji Lin cut him off just in time and answered Xu Sheng’s call. “Hello, Brother Xu?”

From the other end, Xu Sheng’s voice came hurriedly, his footsteps echoing as if he were on the move. “Hey, Xiao Ji, where are you?”

“I just got off the Wanping Highway, on Xinming Road. What’s up?”

“Turn around and head to Jiangxue Apartments. I’m on my way there from the station, and the Changping precinct is sending someone over too. We’ll meet at the north gate of the complex.”

Ji Lin quickly instructed Zhao Shifu to turn around for Changhe District, to which Zhao Shifu grumbled, “Could’ve told me sooner; all that distance for nothing.”

Ignoring his complaints, Ji Lin eagerly asked Xu Sheng, “Did we find something?”

Xu Sheng didn’t reply immediately. After getting into a car and closing the door with a thud, he exhaled before slowly explaining. “We went through all the homeowners and tenants with rental contracts—nothing stood out. So we called in the landlords without contracts for questioning. The landlord of Unit 201 in Building 15 said their tenant was a middle-aged man with a son in his early twenties. They moved in last September, claiming they came from out of town for work. Building 15 has commercial spaces on the ground floor facing Songchuan Road, and the second floor and above are residential. From the second floor, you can see Songchuan Road, where the ‘Yiqing’ building is located. The back gate of the complex is also nearby.”

“The man stopped contacting them after January, and now only his son lives there. Apparently, the son often leaves for work and even went abroad recently.”

Ji Lin mused, “Went abroad… That matches the information from Yu Duqiu. So, this son is the man with the flame tattoo?”

“Whether he has a tattoo or not, I don’t know. The landlords are an elderly couple, quite trusting. The tenant paid a full year’s rent upfront, so they didn’t bother with a contract or even photos. However, their daughter was a bit more cautious and secretly took pictures of the two tenants, just in case.”

Ji Lin slapped his thigh in excitement. “That’s perfect! Do we have the photos?”

“Yes, after going through more than twenty thousand photos.”

“…Who has that many photos on their phone?”

“Fangirl.” Xu Sheng stated matter-of-factly. “But that’s not the point. The real kicker? You’ll never guess who the middle-aged man is.”

“Who?” Ji Lin paused, then guessed, “Bai Zhiming?”

“…Damn it, how did you know?” Xu Sheng was shocked. “I was planning this whole reveal, building it up just to see your reaction, and you spoiled it!”

“…”

Men are childish creatures to the end.

“I was just guessing. You said the man stopped contact after January, and Bai Zhiming went missing at the beginning of February, so it lined up.”

“Sure, but not everyone would make that connection so quickly. Xiao Ji, you’ve got solid deductive skills.”

Ji Lin gave a wry smile. “If I were that good, would this case still be unsolved?”

Xu Sheng, knowing Ji Lin was feeling a bit down lately, consoled him. “Don’t worry; we’re close. Although Bai Zhiming is dead, his ‘son’ is still around. The phone number he left with the landlord is still active, and we’ve requested monitoring and location tracking for it. Plus, we’ve got photos, so we’ll find him soon enough. I’ll send you the photo. If you see him, don’t hold back.”

“Hold back? Ha, you should pray I don’t strangle him.” Ji Lin smirked.

Up front, Zhao Shifu shivered and, after Ji Lin hung up, dared not speak.

Ji Lin clarified, “I won’t actually strangle him. Just expressing my hatred for drug dealers. Don’t worry; as police officers, we won’t break the law.”

Zhao Shifu breathed a sigh of relief but resumed his chatter. “Ah, scared me there, Officer Ji. When you get fierce, you’re quite intimidating. Smile more—be more approachable, or you’ll never find a girlfriend.”

“Not planning to.” Ji Lin placed his phone on his lap, the screen’s glow reflecting faintly on his watch. “I’m perfectly fine on my own.”

Elders never liked hearing that, and just as Zhao Shifu was about to advise him otherwise, Ji Lin’s phone vibrated with a new message, silencing him for the moment.

A few seconds later, the back seat grew quiet. Glancing into the rearview mirror, Zhao Shifu saw Officer Ji staring intently at his phone, frowning deeply as though trying to recall something.

“What—”

“Shh! Don’t speak.” Ji Lin murmured to himself, “I’ve definitely seen this person before… but where…”

Suddenly, his eyes widened in shock.

“It’s him!”

Zhao Shifu, curious, asked, “Who?”

Ji Lin didn’t answer. He immediately raised his phone and swiftly recorded a voice message. “Brother Xu, I’m heading to Yu Duqiu’s place first—I’ll catch up with you later!”

Zhao Shifu noticed his hand trembling slightly and swallowed nervously. “Are we going to Number One Mansion?”

“Yes, turn around, quickly!” Ji Lin grabbed hold of the back of the driver’s seat, leaning forward in urgency, as if he might pull Zhao from the driver’s position and take over himself.

Startled, Zhao nearly hit the gas instead of the brakes but quickly regained control, steadying the car with professional skill. At the next intersection, he made a swift U-turn and sped towards One Palace, listening as Ji Lin repeatedly dialed out only to be met with endless busy tones.

A creeping sense of dread filled Zhao’s heart. “Officer Ji, has something happened to Young Master Yu?”

“I don’t know.” Ji Lin finally gave up trying to call Yu Duqiu, tossing his phone aside and raking his fingers through his hair in frustration. “Even if nothing has happened yet, it’s about to… Didn’t you say he does background checks on his staff? How does he not know there’s an intruder in his own house?”

Ji Lin’s phone lay next to him, the screen still illuminated, displaying a photo just received from Xu Sheng. In the picture, a young man in his early twenties was chatting with the landlord couple, unaware he was being secretly photographed by their cautious daughter. His figure was mostly concealed by a thick down jacket, but his facial features were unmistakable. There was something lighthearted in his expression as he smiled warmly at the landlord couple, dimples forming on his cheeks, giving him an oddly innocent, almost charming look.