Ling Lie said, “Why did you go to L Country? You were only in your teens when you went. It’s not a suitable place for studying abroad, especially for a woman.”

“The Yu Group’s first step abroad was L Country. Because of the chaos, there were opportunities. Although I was young, I was destined to assist my brother in managing the entire group in the future. I had to be trained,” Yu Qin’s answer was flawless. “And at that time, an important figure from the Yu family was needed to go there to stabilize the ‘morale.’ It was impossible for my brother to go, and others weren’t important enough, so it was me.”

Ling Lie: “What was life like there? I’ve never been, but I imagine it was constant warfare.”

Yu Qin smiled, “Not quite to that extent. There were chaotic places, and there were relatively peaceful places. We went to a relatively stable region of L Country. What was it called again?”

Ling Lie: “Zha’an Town. It’s now been merged into a larger district called Salingauk.”

“Yes, yes, Zha’an Town.” As she spoke, a hint of surprise showed on Yu Qin’s face. “How do you know?”

“Because the case I’m currently investigating is related to Zha’an Town,” Ling Lie gradually got to the main topic. “Many of the wealthy people in L Country lived in Zha’an Town. They often held parties, and you were also invited to attend. Is that right?”

Yu Qin frowned, not answering immediately, as if analyzing why Ling Lie was asking this question.

After a moment, she nodded. “Yes. Almost all the wealthy people you mentioned owned farms and plantations. We had a lot of business dealings with them.”

Ling Lie: “Then do you know a man named Bi Jiang? He went there from Feng City to work, participated in training with a local gang, and worked as a security guard at parties multiple times.”

The expression on Yu Qin’s face hardly changed, but Ji Chenjiao saw her jeweled hand twitch slightly.

“Bi Jiang?” Yu Qin thought for a moment, then shook her head. “I don’t have any impression of him. There were many people from Asia who went to Zha’an Town for work. The local wealthy merchants were very generous when hiring bodyguards, so many people rushed to become bodyguards. I may have seen him, but it’s been so long, I don’t remember.”

A single “may have seen him” left her plenty of room to maneuver. Ling Lie paused and exchanged a look with Ji Chenjiao.

The sudden silence made Yu Qin frown. After a moment, she asked, “Did something happen to this Bi Jiang?”

Ling Lie nodded. “Seventeen years ago, he was murdered in his hometown of Feng’an County, in his own workshop. In the same year, there was another case in Feng’an County, and his case was suspected to be a copycat crime. We recently reopened the investigation. The first case has been solved, and we found that Bi Jiang’s case is very likely related to his work experience in Zha’an Town. We also happened to find out that the Yu Group was stationed there at the time, and you might have known each other, so we wanted to ask if you knew anything.”

Yu Qin visibly relaxed. “I’m sorry, I can’t provide you with any help. I really have no impression of him.”

Ling Lie paused again for a moment, then suddenly said, “Mother.”

Yu Qin was taken aback.

This was what Ling Lie—then still called Yu Ge—used to call her years ago. It was respectful but not intimate. She had been the one to ask Ling Lie to call her that, and the young Ling Lie had not known the reason.

But now, the same word spoken from Ling Lie’s mouth carried a hint of probing, dangerous flavor.

Yu Qin subconsciously straightened her back, adopting a defensive posture.

“Although we are no longer mother and son, please allow me to address you this way one more time,” Ling Lie smiled. “After all, what I’m about to say is related to the time I lived in the old mansion.”

Yu Qin pursed her lips. Time had loosened her skin, and dry veins stood out on her neck.

“There is an oil painting in the house, a portrait of you in your teens, right?”

Yu Qin swallowed. “Yes. Before I went to L Country, my brother had someone paint it for me.”

“Why is the painting’s title Princess Alice? Is that your nickname?”

Yu Qin seemed to have thought of something, and her face suddenly stiffened.

Ling Lie: “President Qin?”

Yu Qin cleared her throat. “It’s nothing special. When I was a child, I watched foreign films and thought the names of the girls in them were very nice. My own name wasn’t nice. Qin—diligent, industrious—too old-fashioned. So I learned from them and gave myself a name I thought was exotic. I was young and didn’t know any better. It’s embarrassing.”

Ling Lie didn’t smile. “The person Bi Jiang admired was also called Miss Alice.”

Yu Qin was about to pick up her phone. Hearing this, her hand loosened, and the phone fell onto the table with a thud.

“When he was in L Country, he repeatedly called his sister back home to confide in her. He had met the elegant and beautiful Miss Alice at a party. He was smitten with her at first sight and saw her as his dream lover,” Ling Lie continued. “After returning to the country, he still couldn’t let go of Miss Alice. With her in his heart, he couldn’t look at any other woman.”

For the first time, Yu Qin’s voice rose, her tone slightly rushed. “But I don’t know him!”

Her chest heaved rapidly, the lines of her cheeks drawn tight, as if she were desperately trying to adjust her expression.

“No need to rush,” Ling Lie said. “I didn’t come here today to force you to remember this person. It’s just that since this clue has appeared, I must come to verify it. Please understand.”

Yu Qin’s breathing gradually returned to normal. “I understand. But I really have no impression of this person. I admit that at that time, because my life was empty, I often attended parties, but I never communicated with the security guards. Perhaps he just saw me and had some ideas about me.”

Ling Lie nodded. “We also considered that possibility. It’s a good thing we came to see you today. Otherwise, our other hypothesis might have led the case down the wrong path.”

Yu Qin subconsciously asked, “What hypothesis?”

Ling Lie touched the bridge of his nose. “You wouldn’t want to know.”

The more Ling Lie said this, the more it piqued Yu Qin’s curiosity. “Why not tell me?”

Ling Lie said seriously, “I considered that this Bi Jiang might have been your lover, my… your real child’s father.”

Yu Qin was utterly horrified and took a step back, both regretting asking the question and having to respond. “You, how could you think that?”

Ling Lie spread his hands. “After all, you and the entire Yu family have been very secretive about the child’s biological father.”

Yu Qin looked somewhat flustered and tucked away a loose strand of hair. “It’s not him. How could it be him?”

Ling Lie waited a moment. “Then may I ask, who is Yu Ge’s father?”

Yu Qin stood up, seemingly having regained her businesswoman’s demeanor. “If you were still part of the Yu family, perhaps I would tell you. But Officer Ling, your current position doesn’t seem to give you the right to inquire about my family’s affairs.”

Ling Lie was just testing the waters and didn’t expect to really get anything out of her. He also stood up. “Alright, I’ve learned pretty much what I wanted to know. Thank you for your cooperation. However, Miss Alice is indeed an important clue in Bi Jiang’s case. If you remember anything in the future, please contact me in a timely manner. This is my business card.”

Yu Qin took it and raised an eyebrow. “Ji Chenjiao?”

Ling Lie smiled. “Did I take the wrong one? Sorry, I’m out of my own cards. This is my partner’s. Finding him is the same as finding me.”

Yu Qin gave Ji Chenjiao a meaningful look and saw the two of them to the door.

Just as they were about to leave, Ling Lie turned around. “I saw on the news that President Yu has been hospitalized for a long time. Is he any better?”

Yu Qin was distracted and answered a beat later, “The best medical team and medicines have been used. His condition is stable.”

When she said this, it was as if she were evaluating an object, not her own brother.

“That’s good,” Ling Lie said. “See you next time.”

Those three words made Yu Qin’s heart skip a beat. She nodded. “Goodbye.”

Closing the door, Yu Qin stood silently for a few seconds, then walked quickly to the desk and opened the surveillance feed. On the screen, Ling Lie and Ji Chenjiao entered the elevator one after another, standing at nearly opposite corners of the car, with no communication at all. The numbers on the elevator display decreased one by one, and Yu Qin felt as if she were also falling towards some low point.

When the two completely disappeared from the monitor, Yu Qin rubbed her eyes in frustration. A moment later, her right hand slammed down on the desk.

Bi Jiang, Miss Alice. Memories that had long sunk to the bottom of the sea stirred up a tiny vortex. It was in the deepest part of the sea and seemed incapable of causing any waves. But it could also sweep up all the seawater and brew a catastrophic disaster.

---

At a coffee shop, by a row of bar seats near the floor-to-ceiling windows, Ling Lie was holding a milkshake, his eyes fixed on the corridor outside. When Ji Chenjiao returned from the restroom, he saw through the glass wall that those “double-barreled” eyes were locked firmly on him.

This coffee shop had a nice environment, with warm yellow lighting and clean windows. Looking in from the outside through the glass, it had a somewhat splendid feel. Ling Lie was like a beautiful object displayed in a bright shop window. Ji Chenjiao’s gaze swept downwards and he concluded—a beautiful object with particularly long legs.

Ji Chenjiao pushed open the door, returned to his seat, and Ling Lie stopped looking outside, turning his head to look at him.

“What are you staring at me for?” Ji Chenjiao asked.

Ling Lie beckoned to him with a finger and picked up his phone. Ji Chenjiao looked and saw it was one of those sentimental, pretentious marketing accounts that only spewed nonsense. Just as he was about to ask why he was looking at this, Ling Lie started to read, “‘A person with a boyfriend must keep an eye on their boyfriend at all times.'”

Ji Chenjiao: “!”

Ling Lie said proudly, “I am, after all, a person with a boyfriend.”

Ji Chenjiao didn’t know what to say for a moment. Yes, they had agreed to give it a try, and they had even kissed. But there were some things he was too embarrassed to say directly, and Ling Lie was already applying the “keep an eye on your boyfriend” rule to him.

Boyfriend, boyfriend… Ji Chenjiao repeated it silently in his heart, a smile unconsciously appearing on his lips. He cleared his throat, preparing to also say something sweet and fitting for their romantic status, but Ling Lie’s unpredictable eyebrows were already furrowed. “That reaction from Yu Qin… it would be a miracle if it has nothing to do with Bi Jiang’s case.”

The words Ji Chenjiao had racked his brain for were stuck on the tip of his tongue. How did they jump to the case so quickly? Isn’t this just hitting on him and then running away?

Ling Lie had a bit of a Casanova’s skill in him. He continued to talk about the case seriously. “Miss Alice, Princess Alice, was her nickname in her youth. Bi Jiang, who knew this nickname of hers, was killed. Either she herself has some secret that Bi Jiang discovered, or the Yu Group has problems.”

Ji Chenjiao, having failed at his attempt to flirt, also quickly entered a state of contemplation. “Yu Qin probably didn’t use the name Miss Alice much after she went abroad. The fact that Bi Jiang knew it means that their relationship was definitely not just that of a bodyguard and a party guest.”

Ling Lie: “How do you know Yu Qin didn’t use the name Miss Alice much?”

Ji Chenjiao organized his thoughts for a moment. “It’s not entirely certain, just my personal judgment. When you mentioned Miss Alice to Yu Qin, she looked completely stunned. It was as if she thought no one should remember this name anymore. Given her level of fear of this name, it seems that anyone who knew she was called Miss Alice in L Country should be dead, but the only known deceased person is Bi Jiang. She may have rarely, or almost never, used the name Miss Alice in L Country.”

Ling Lie finished his milkshake, the straw making a slurping sound. He shook the cup. “You know what this is like?”

Ji Chenjiao: “Hmm?”

“It’s like my brain, about to be squeezed dry.”

“…”

Ling Lie put down the cup. “That makes sense. Bi Jiang knowing about Miss Alice might mean he had a deep relationship with Yu Qin. But I still can’t think of a specific motive, a motive for Yu Qin to kill him. If it was because of the Yu family’s dirty business, Yu Qin was just a figurehead at the time. She only officially participated in the group’s affairs after she returned to the country.”

Ji Chenjiao: “We’re missing a key element.”

“Huh?”

“The child. Yu Qin’s child was lost shortly after she returned to the country. This is the most bizarre part. With the Yu family’s security, how could a four or five-year-old child just get lost?”

Ling Lie’s eyebrows shot up. “Someone deliberately wanted the child to disappear from the Yu family?”

Ji Chenjiao: “If this line of thought is correct, then it can branch off in two directions. Was this person targeting the child? Or were they targeting Yu Qin? Is the child’s disappearance related to Bi Jiang?”

Ling Lie bumped his head on the edge of the table. “This time it’s really squeezed dry.”

It was originally a very serious discussion, but as soon as Ji Chenjiao saw his comedian-like reaction, he wanted to laugh. He reached out and ruffled his hair.

Ling Lie sat up straight with a “thump.” “The Yu family is indeed very strange about the child matter. Yu Qin was apparently heartbroken and devastated after the child was lost—I didn’t see this with my own eyes, it’s all hearsay. When I became Yu Ge’s replacement, she clearly knew I wasn’t him, but she seemed to accept it calmly. Since I was there, the Yu family felt calm and peaceful. So logically, when I turned eighteen and wanted to be removed from the Yu family’s household register, they should have stopped me, but they didn’t.”

Ji Chenjiao: “Because they were unwilling to deal with the police.”

Ling Lie: “Not just that. It also meant that I was disposable.”

Ji Chenjiao subconsciously said, “You are not disposable.”

Ling Lie looked into his eyes and smiled. “Our Sweetie Ji’s mouth is so sweet.”

Having not heard that nickname in a long time, Ji Chenjiao’s eyelids twitched violently.

“That child…” Ling Lie’s tone suddenly softened. “The child that truly belongs to the Yu family, I wonder if he’s still alive.”

Ji Chenjiao said heartlessly, “He was most likely killed. How could such a young child survive without the protection of his family?”

Ling Lie sighed, then suddenly looked at Ji Chenjiao. “How were you abandoned by your family?”

Ji Chenjiao: “How would I know? My earliest memory is being in the welfare home.”

Ling Lie leaned closer and closer, almost pressing his face against Ji Chenjiao’s.

Ji Chenjiao: “We’re going cross-eyed, Teacher Ling.”

Ling Lie laughed and drew back. “I was just thinking, you’re twenty-eight too, the same age as me, the same age as Yu Ge. Could you be the real Yu Ge?”

Ji Chenjiao was taken aback, then frowned. “That’s not funny.”

Ling Lie nodded. “Not very likely. But if you hadn’t been adopted back then, you wouldn’t have met me at McDonald’s, and I wouldn’t have gone to Lily of the Valley as you suggested. Then who would have been taken to the Yu family by Yu Qianming? We’re the same age. Among the bunch of misfits at the welfare home, Yu Qianming would have likely taken a fancy to you.”

Ji Chenjiao suddenly felt that fate was indeed an intricate web. If he had replaced Ling Lie as the fake Yu Ge, would he still be the person he was now? Would he still have put on a police uniform? Would he still have had the chance to meet Ling Lie?

He thought again of that strange dream. In the dream, he had another name. In the dream, he was in the arms of a gentle woman. The woman was humming a very melodious song. They seemed to be in a large manor, but he couldn’t see the woman’s face, just as he could never hear clearly how others called him in his dreams.

Ling Lie clutched his hair and said, “My head hurts. I don’t want to think anymore.”

Ji Chenjiao smiled and comforted him. “This trip to Dongye has been quite fruitful. At least we’ve added Yu Qin as a line of inquiry.”

Ling Lie, with his messy hair, nodded in deep agreement. “At least I got a boyfriend.”

Ji Chenjiao: “…” Wait! How did he land another critical hit?

Ling Lie jumped down from the high stool, walked a few steps, then turned back. Seeing Ji Chenjiao still sitting on the stool, he walked back and, ignoring all the onlookers, took Ji Chenjiao’s hand.

Ji Chenjiao: “!”

Ling Lie: “Let’s go, boyfriend.”

Ji Chenjiao was led by him to the coffee shop door, his head a little dizzy. Only the sound of the wind chimes when the door was opened brought him back to his senses. He quickly turned the tables and held Ling Lie’s hand. Ling Lie let out a “huh,” but soon showed a look of “if you want to hold it, then hold it.”

Ji Chenjiao’s vacation was almost over. That evening at the hotel, he was looking at high-speed rail tickets back to Xiarong City. Ling Lie also came over, his freshly washed hair wetly rubbing against Ji Chenjiao’s face. Ji Chenjiao remembered when they first met, Ling Lie had also carelessly let water from his hair drip onto his shoulder. He had pushed him away then. Now… if he wants to rub, then let him rub.

“Buy this one, the one after ten o’clock,” Ling Lie pointed at the screen. “We can go right after we wake up.”

Ji Chenjiao didn’t want to buy that one. A high-speed rail after ten o’clock meant that once they slept tonight, they would have to say goodbye tomorrow morning.

This vacation, filled with work, was like a cloud floating above reality. Both he and Ling Lie had participated in the investigation as members of the special operations team, but they were ultimately not from the same department. When the vacation ended, his temporary status would also expire. He had to go back to Xiarong City and continue to be the captain of his serious crimes unit. Ling Lie wouldn’t have it easy either. The “Snow Child” case was baffling, and the Bi Jiang case involved the huge Yu Group. Ling Lie… probably wouldn’t go back to Xiarong City with him at this time.

“Boyfriend, what are you spacing out for?” Ling Lie turned his head, flinging a spray of water onto Ji Chenjiao’s face.

Ji Chenjiao: “After ten is too early. Let’s buy a later one, five in the afternoon.”

Ling Lie was shocked. “If we go back that late, there won’t be any vegetables to buy. What will we eat?”

Ji Chenjiao: “We?”

Ling Lie started to mumble, “I want to eat the eel from the alley. The fresh mushrooms will be gone soon. If we don’t eat them now, we’ll have to wait until next year. Before two in the afternoon, we can probably still buy some leftovers…”

Ji Chenjiao: “You’re going back with me?”

Ling Lie blinked. “No way? You’re going back by yourself, without taking your boyfriend?”

“No…” Ji Chenjiao was also a little confused. “Aren’t you staying here to investigate the case?”

Ling Lie: “My boyfriend has run off. Am I still in the mood to investigate cases?”

Ji Chenjiao: “…”

Ling Lie laughed. “The Yu Group has businesses in Xiarong City too. Isn’t Yu Qianming still hospitalized in Xiarong City?”

Although he understood that Ling Lie wasn’t going back to Xiarong City entirely because of him, Ji Chenjiao’s mood suddenly soared, as if he had grown hooves and was prancing on the clouds above reality.

In the end, the two bought tickets for the earliest train, just before six in the morning, because Ling Lie wanted to buy the fattest eels and the freshest mushrooms at the morning market.

However, the next day, before dawn, Ji Chenjiao got up, but Ling Lie refused to get out of bed, hugging the blanket and insisting that Ji Chenjiao was persecuting him. Ji Chenjiao, not fully awake himself, blurted out a line from a funny video, “If you keep this up, see if I kiss you or not?”

Ling Lie’s eyes widened. He leaped up and darted into the bathroom in a single bound. Leaving Ji Chenjiao by the bed, secretly wounded—So disgusted? What’s wrong with a kiss?

Ji Chenjiao brooded over this matter until the high-speed rail was about to arrive in Xiarong City. He finally lowered his voice and asked, “This morning when I said I would kiss you, you were so reluctant?”

Ling Lie was indignant. “Of course I was reluctant! Can my mouth be kissed just like that?”

Ji Chenjiao: “…” Even more defeated.

Ling Lie: “I hadn’t brushed my teeth then. What if my boyfriend found me disgusting?”

Ji Chenjiao: “!” So that was it!

Although he didn’t get his morning kiss, returning to the family courtyard with Ling Lie made Ji Chenjiao feel even better than if he had. As soon as they got home, Ling Lie was full of energy and wanted to go buy groceries. Ji Chenjiao cleaned the house. When he came to the guest bedroom, he couldn’t help but think, Will Ling Lie still live in this room in the future? Should he move to the master bedroom?

Ling Lie came back with two big bags of groceries. Too lazy to even turn on the air conditioner, he rushed to the kitchen to get busy. Ji Chenjiao finished cleaning and wanted to go lend a hand.

Ling Lie waved his right hand while making sound effects, “Go! Go!”

Ji Chenjiao: Is he shooing away a dog that’s in the way?

At noon, lunch was served. Sautéed eel with garlic scapes, boiled eel, and a mushroom meatball soup. Ling Lie had said he wanted to eat eel, so he simply made it in two different flavors!

Ji Chenjiao silently became the pre-meal photographer he used to scorn. The composition was perfect. He posted it on his social media and glanced at Ling Lie before picking up his chopsticks.

Ling Lie was already eating with gusto.

After eating out for a long time, finally eating a home-cooked meal, Ji Chenjiao found it especially delicious. When Ling Lie wanted more rice, he also stood up. “I’ll go.”

Ling Lie was so shocked his hair stood on end. “Aren’t you on a strict carb control?”

Ji Chenjiao: “Can’t I not control it today?” He said, walking towards the kitchen.

Ling Lie somersaulted after him. Ji Chenjiao had already opened the lid of the rice cooker. Ling Lie shouted, “Stop! But I only cooked a small bowl for you!”

Ji Chenjiao: “Huh?”

“The rest is all mine,” Ling Lie said indignantly. “I bought the groceries and cooked the meal. How dare you fight with me for it?”

Ji Chenjiao took a small clump from Ling Lie’s bowl. The two reached an agreement: cook more rice in the future.

After the meal, Ji Chenjiao finished cleaning the kitchen and opened his social media. He found that the post he had made not long ago already had many likes and comments. He opened it and saw that Ling Lie was actually chatting with their mutual friends.