Ji Chenjiao rushed back to the City Bureau. Although he had mentally prepared himself for the test results, learning them still weighed on him with an indescribable heaviness.

Ling Lie was carrying takeout, which turned out to be bland, low-fat fitness meals, one for each of them. Ji Chenjiao hadn’t touched fitness meals in a long time. Upon opening the box, he immediately frowned. “Why are we eating this?”

Ling Lie: “Don’t you like it?”

“I…” Ji Chenjiao felt something was off with Ling Lie. “Why did you buy this?”

Ling Lie smiled. “Because I’m a considerate boyfriend. Our Xiao Ji likes to eat it, so what’s wrong with me eating it with him once?”

Ji Chenjiao felt a lump in his throat. “Is it because of ‘Floating Light’? What are you planning to do?”

Ling Lie: “What’s with you? Nagging for ages just to eat a meal.”

Ji Chenjiao held down his hand. “I’m asking you, what do you want to do?”

Neither of them touched the two boxes of grass. Ji Chenjiao scrutinized Ling Lie’s eyes from a very close distance, trying to see his truest thoughts.

Ling Lie had always been a meat lover who craved strong flavors and never controlled his oil, salt, or carb intake. Now that he suddenly wanted to join him in eating a fitness meal, Ji Chenjiao couldn’t help but think that Ling Lie might be planning to leave him.

He had witnessed Ling Lie’s fear of “Chen Jin,” and now it was confirmed that “Floating Light,” the successor to “Chen Jin,” had cast its net toward Ling Lie as early as six months ago. They advanced step by step, staring at Ling Lie like venomous snakes in the dark.

For a long time, the police had been completely unaware. Even now, they hadn’t fully investigated what kind of organization “Floating Light” really was. “Snow Child” was related to it, a series of murders of entrepreneurs was related to it, and even behemoths like the Yu Group and Zhui Ting Group were involved with it.

Ling Lie was used to being alone. When he learned that “Floating Light” was coming for him, the fear settled into dust, leaving behind the excitement of action.

Based on his understanding of Ling Lie, Ling Lie would bite the forked tongue of the venomous snake and take the opportunity to lunge into the deepest darkness.

But he would absolutely not allow Ling Lie to do so!

Ling Lie picked up a lettuce leaf, wrapped some sauced beef inside, and rolled it up. “Ah—”

The meat was at his mouth, but Ji Chenjiao didn’t move.

Ling Lie tried again. “Ah—”

Ji Chenjiao said, “Answer my ques…”

Before he could finish, Ling Lie, ignoring the rules, stuffed the beef into his mouth.

“…”

Ling Lie laughed loudly. “No talking while eating. Xiao Ji, you have such bad manners. People won’t laugh at you if they see, but they’ll laugh at your boyfriend—me—for not training you well.”

“…”

“So let’s talk after we finish eating.”

After hastily finishing the meal, before Ji Chenjiao could ask again, Ling Lie explained himself. “I know what you’re worried about. But at least for now, I don’t have that kind of intention.”

Ji Chenjiao’s expression was gloomy.

Ling Lie said, “When I first learned the test results, I felt I was ‘Floating Light’s’ most important target. But after taking a walk outside, I thought again: what makes me worthy of such attention from ‘Floating Light’? Maybe I’m just an element that ‘Floating Light’ had to involve while doing something else. Up until now, there are a few people with too many suspicious points who might actually hold the key.”

Ji Chenjiao said, “Yu Qin?”

Ling Lie nodded. “And one other person, Yin Hanshan.”

Hearing Ling Lie analyze so calmly, the irritability buried at the bottom of Ji Chenjiao’s heart dissipated slightly. “Zhui Ting’s Fu Chixun. He had dealings with Bai Lingxue.”

Ling Lie said, “I saw him that time I went to Beizhi Hospital to see Yu Qianming too.”

Ji Chenjiao paced in front of his desk, thinking with his head down. “Luo Manchai was the ‘bride’ the Fu family was determined to get. ‘Floating Light’ intercepted her. How could Fu Chixun still get together with ‘Floating Light’? And he even went to visit Yu Qianming?”

Ling Lie: “Did Fu Chixun know about Luo Manchai’s death, or did Luo Manchai die precisely because of him?”

“Remember we considered that someone inside Zhui Ting wanted to sabotage the plan to make Luo Manchai commit suicide?” Ji Chenjiao said. “Fu Huizhi’s enemies could exist externally, or among his siblings. Someone with obvious hatred is easy to check, but what about the people around him? What about Fu Chixun, whom he trusted the most?”

Ling Lie said, “Fu Chixun’s task was to urge Luo Manchai to commit suicide. Boss Fu never imagined he was nurturing a wolf that would become a threat. Fu Chixun’s background is worth a detailed investigation.”

Ji Chenjiao noted this down. Looking at the clues and work arrangements filling his notebook, the name Bai Lingxue was inexplicably glaring.

Ling Lie tapped lightly on those three characters. “A-Xue…”

Ji Chenjiao frowned. “Are you sure Bai Lingxue is A-Xue?”

“I can’t be. It’s been over twenty years; I can’t remember A-Xue’s face clearly anymore. But A-Xue’s eyes were dark green, just like his.” Ling Lie sat down, propping his cheek on his hand. “A-Xue was very stupid and very weak. Under normal circumstances, he couldn’t have survived, much less shouldered the burden of the organization. But maybe something happened in the village after I left that changed him forever? I’ve thought about it over and over. If there’s anyone left in ‘Chen Jin’ who remembers me, it could only be A-Xue. And Bai Lingxue’s name also has the character ‘Xue’ (Snow).”

Both fell silent. After a moment, Ji Chenjiao took Ling Lie’s fingers, his voice low and gentle. “Why did you eat grass with me today?”

Ling Lie didn’t pull his hand back. He cupped Ji Chenjiao’s face with his other hand. “Still worried?”

Ji Chenjiao didn’t speak.

“Just suddenly felt like it,” Ling Lie said. “Since I appeared, you look domineering, can’t cook anything, and love to give orders. But actually, you yield to me in everything and accompany me in eating heavy flavors. I haven’t eaten grass with you many times. You indulged me ninety-nine times; I’m only indulging you once.”

Ji Chenjiao furrowed his brows. His heart softened, but his worry deepened.

“So I just wanted to indulge our Xiao Ji. In case…” Ling Lie didn’t continue. Ji Chenjiao pressed the back of his neck, pushing him toward himself.

The unspoken words melted into a kiss. That was a scenario Ji Chenjiao refused to let happen, but as police officers, it was also a scenario they couldn’t avoid considering.

After it ended, Ji Chenjiao still gazed heavily at Ling Lie until Ling Lie stood up and kissed him on the forehead.

“Promise me one thing,” Ji Chenjiao said. “No matter what you discover or suddenly sense, let me know before you act.”

He spoke so earnestly, like taking an oath. Ling Lie was stunned for a moment, then smiled with curved eyes. “YES, SIR!”

The forty-eight-hour detention period was up. The Major Crimes Unit hadn’t found clear evidence of Yu Qin’s involvement and had to release her temporarily. Leaving the City Bureau, she gave Ji Chenjiao a haughty look, but her retreating figure seemed wretched and uneasy as she turned away.

Ji Chenjiao handed the leads on Fu Chixun to Shen Qi and Liang Wenxian. Shen Qi pulled up Fu Chixun’s recent itinerary entirely—after Luo Manchai was murdered, he had been to Xiarong City four times. Zhui Ting had a project underway in Xiarong City, and he was currently still in the city.

“We meet again.” Ji Chenjiao arrived at the hotel where Fu Chixun was staying. Several other executives from Zhui Ting were also staying there.

Fu Chixun looked surprised but quickly recovered, inviting Ji Chenjiao to the hotel’s afternoon tea restaurant. “Officer Ji, is there a lead on Luo Manchai’s case?”

Ji Chenjiao said, “You might be clearer about this case than I am.”

Fu Chixun put on a puzzled look. “Officer Ji, I don’t understand what you mean.”

Ji Chenjiao said, “Did you once go to Beizhi Hospital?”

Fu Chixun recalled for a moment and nodded. “Yes, to visit an old friend on behalf of President Fu.”

“Which old friend?”

“This…” Fu Chixun hesitated. “He’s a prominent figure. It’s inconvenient for me to reveal his privacy.”

“Is that so?” Ji Chenjiao said. “Zhui Ting Group and Yu Group have quite a few business collaborations, don’t they? Was the person you visited Yu Qianming?”

With things said so plainly, Fu Chixun had to admit it. “President Fu and Chairman Yu have known each other for years. He asked me to check on his illness.”

Ji Chenjiao knew it was definitely not as simple as visiting the sick. He asked again, “Who did you meet at ‘Autumn Pool’ in the Art Corridor?”

Only then did Fu Chixun truly panic. “I, I just went to buy a cup of water.”

Ji Chenjiao directly showed the surveillance footage. “The person sitting opposite you is a suspect we are currently pursuing.”

Fu Chixun was flabbergasted. “No, you’ve got it wrong!”

Ji Chenjiao asked, “Who is he?”

Fu Chixun’s facade of peace and humility vanished, fear welling up in his eyes.

“You say your Zhui Ting and Yu Qianming are friends. Then do you know that Yu Qianming has already admitted to using a criminal organization multiple times to hire hitmen?” Ji Chenjiao said. “You staying in Xiarong City probably isn’t to oversee a project, but to see which way the wind is blowing with the Xiarong police and act accordingly, right?”

On Liang Wenxian’s end, the investigation into Fu Chixun unearthed an important clue.

Fu Chixun wasn’t a distant relative of Fu Huizhi, but the sin left behind from Fu Huizhi’s assault on a female university student in his early years. Because of their faith, the Fu family absolutely did not allow betrayal of the family. The female student disappeared after giving birth, and her family had long since gone abroad, likely having fallen victim to Fu Huizhi’s vicious hand.

Fu Chixun, being clever and adaptable as he grew up, was highly regarded by Fu Huizhi, who kept him by his side to groom him. Especially when Fu Huizhi discovered that Fu Chunxing was a useless waste absolutely incapable of inheriting the family business, he shifted his focus even more onto Fu Chixun.

“Fu Chixun has a motive for revenge against Fu Huizhi,” Liang Wenxian said. “Fu Huizhi may have long forgotten the crimes he inflicted on others, but as the victim’s son, Fu Chixun hasn’t forgotten.”

Fu Chixun denied any involvement in Luo Manchai’s death, nor did he admit any connection between Zhui Ting and “Floating Light.” Restricted by the angle, the surveillance at “Autumn Pool” only captured Fu Chixun walking toward Bai Lingxue’s table. When leaving, Bai Lingxue and Na Sheng left first, and Fu Chixun only left more than ten minutes later.

Ji Chenjiao wasn’t in a rush to make him plead guilty. Instead, he had Liang Wenxian go to Ruilan City, where Zhui Ting’s headquarters were located. When Fu Huizhi learned that the one who intercepted him was his most trusted subordinate, his reaction would surely be spectacular.

Yu Yesheng had been having a terrible time these past few days. He had been a carefree young master for thirty years, always getting whatever he wanted. Now, subjected to repeated questioning and investigation, even the identities of the models he dated were thoroughly checked. The Yu Group was tottering in the storm.

Fear rose from his heart. When granted permission to see Yu Qianming, he was so anxious that tears fell. “Dad, what is going on? Our family won’t be in trouble, right?”

Compared to Yu Yesheng, who had panic written all over his face, Yu Qianming acted as if he had no idea what was happening outside. He lay half-reclined on the hospital bed with his eyes closed, composed and relaxed.

Hearing no answer, Yu Yesheng became even more uneasy and gently shook Yu Qianming’s arm. “Dad, say something!”

Yu Qianming slowly opened his eyes. It was a long time before he said, “Don’t look at this as a calamity; look at it as a rebirth. This is all I can do for you brothers. Survive this, and the Yu family still has a future.”

Yu Yesheng didn’t understand and left the hospital dejected.

That afternoon, the South District police received a report discovering a male corpse. What was unusual was that the fatal wound was a gunshot.

The body dump site was in the urban-rural fringe at the southernmost point of the South District. It was an area full of low-rise walk-ups. Though it looked remote, many people lived there due to cheap rent—people from all walks of life, a mixed bag. The body was thrown at the edge of the morning market, spotted instantly by an old man setting up his stall at dawn.

There was a lack of surveillance there. Although the police station cordoned off the area upon arrival, the traces around the body had all been destroyed by onlookers.

The corpse wore a black and gray long-sleeved sportswear set and black shoes. Three bullets had pierced the lung lobes from the back. There were no items on the body to identify him. After the autopsy, An Xun found that the man had died the night before last. There were two old injuries on his back and shoulder, and an old gunshot wound on the right side of his waist where surgery had been done to remove a bullet. His fingers and palms had heavy calluses from gun usage.

This was not an ordinary person.

An Xun extracted the bullets and gave them to Xi Wan for identification. He also ran pharmacological and toxicological tests, confirming the man wasn’t poisoned but had consumed alcohol before death and hadn’t taken drugs.

“These are bullets from Country E. The only way they enter our country is through smuggling.” Xi Wan displayed the bullets and matching firearms on the computer. “This type of gun is low-priced and relatively easy to obtain, very common abroad. But in our country, ordinary people basically have no access to it.”

Ji Chenjiao stared at the screen. “Internal strife within a hitman organization? Or a gang war?”

Xi Wan turned around, looking worried. “Happening right at this critical juncture, could he be a member of ‘Floating Light’ silenced by ‘Floating Light’?”

Ji Chenjiao strode to the forensic identification room, put on the same gear as An Xun, and lifted the corpse’s arm.

It was a very lean and muscular body. The degree of muscle development was no less than that of the special police next door. The knife and gunshot scars indicated he had been through many life-and-death situations. This kind of body made it hard not to think of foreign mercenaries.

The murderer who killed Luo Manchai had appeared openly in the hotel lobby surveillance. Although his face wasn’t visible, his outstanding physical fitness was evident. Xi Wan had calculated based on proportions that the murderer was 1.84 meters tall. Ji Chenjiao quickly grabbed An Xun’s record, which also noted 1.84 meters.

Watching Ji Chenjiao’s reaction, An Xun asked, “Captain, do you know who he is?”

Ji Chenjiao said, “Notify Xi Wan to come here.”

Xi Wan not only came but also brought the surveillance footage. Playing the video repeatedly, the murderer looked more and more like the cold corpse lying on the autopsy table. In particular, his walking posture matched the wear and tear on the leg and foot joints.

Ji Chenjiao stood before the sink, the water turned up to the max, rushing over his hands. Various statements kept surfacing in his mind.

Yu Qianming confessed that Zhuo Suyi had revealed to him that the one executing the “Feng Shui Fish” mission was Yu Qin. This claim sounded absurd at first, but considering the three-way game between Yu Qianming, “Floating Light,” and Yu Qin, it wasn’t actually hard to understand.

And of course, Yu Qin couldn’t do it herself; she kept hitmen under her command.

Yu Qianming had self-destructed and didn’t care about his own end, but Yu Qin still cared. Yu Qianming’s actions were equivalent to destroying all her plans and pushing her into a very dangerous position.

To protect herself, she had to eliminate those in the know as much as possible.

The Major Crimes Unit released Yu Qin due to lack of evidence. Did Yu Qin dispose of the hitman right after getting out?

But Shen Qi and plainclothes officers were watching Yu Qin; she couldn’t have done it personally. Perhaps she had prepared for the silencing long ago.

Ji Chenjiao returned to the office and didn’t see Ling Lie. He called Ling Lie but couldn’t get through. Ji Chenjiao suddenly began to worry.

At this moment, Ling Lie was sitting in the shade of a tree in a public park in the East District, staring blankly at children playing with water ahead.

Just now, he had received the results of the second DNA test: Ji Chenjiao and Yu Qianming were related by blood.

It was a scenario he had hypothesized, but actually seeing the result, he still felt it was incredible, felt dazed. Suddenly, he didn’t want to think about anything. He walked aimlessly down the road and unknowingly ended up in the park.

Ji Chenjiao had no relation to Yu Qin, yet was a blood relative of Yu Qianming? What did this mean?

Ji Chenjiao was very likely Yu Qianming’s nephew. Yu Qin was neither his mother nor Yu Qianming’s sister.

Ji Chenjiao’s existence touched upon the Yu family’s deepest secret. The outside world knew Yu Qianming and Yu Qin as biological siblings from the same parents. How could Yu Qin not have Yu family blood? Did Yu Qianming know about this?

Or, had Yu Qin been swapped at some point in time?

A large group of children ran past, chattering like sparrows. Ling Lie looked at them but seemed to see nothing. After a brief turmoil, his thoughts gradually became clear, and a definite clue appeared—Yu Qin was sent to the turbulent Country L at the age of sixteen and didn’t return to the Yu family with the child Yu Ge until she was twenty-four.

He had once seen a portrait of Yu Qin before she went abroad in Yu Qin’s own villa at the old Yu estate. That was a very innocent and soft girl. The current Yu Qin was cold, hard, and sinister. From the outside, she seemed to have just grown up and matured, but can a person’s inner temperament really change completely?

Why would the Yu family throw such a girl into Country L? Even if it was for training to take over the family business in the future, it was hard to believe. Why send such a frail girl instead of her brother Yu Qianming?

Those years in Country L were filled with variables. The one who went was the real Yu Qin in the oil painting, but was the one who returned still her? If not, if the current Yu Qin wasn’t the Yu Qin in the painting, then where did the real Yu Qin go?

Ling Lie had dealt with death countless times, so he easily associated it with death.

The one who became pregnant and gave birth in Country L was the real Yu Qin. That was why Ji Chenjiao was related to Yu Qianming and bore a subtle resemblance to Yu Yesheng. However, the one who brought Ji Chenjiao back to the country was the current Yu Qin. She completed the “transformation” in Country L. Those who knew her secret…

Bi Jiang was someone who knew her secret, so Bi Jiang had to die!

Ling Lie stood up abruptly. The blockages were washed away like by a monstrous flood in the rainy season. The path was clear, but it left behind devastation.

Following this train of thought, Yin Hanshan’s disappearance also had an answer—back then, he had put all his effort into investigating Bi Jiang’s death and very likely had traced it to Country L and the Yu Group. He came to Xiarong City to verify his deduction because, at that time, several of the Yu Group’s large projects in Xiarong City were advancing, and the person in charge was Yu Qin.

His appearance terrified Yu Qin. She hadn’t expected that with Bi Jiang dead, another person in the know would pop up. So Yin Hanshan also had to die.

Rongmei probably wasn’t built specifically for Yin Hanshan. The Yu family had a tradition of superstition, but Yu Qin—the current Yu Qin—did not. She might have just been executing tasks set by the group. She knew Rongmei’s layout came from the evil sacrificial rites of Mikelan Island, and this rite required an odd number of “sacrifices.”

Yin Hanshan walked right into it, coincidentally making up the final odd number.

Ling Lie raised his head slightly, looking at the sky with a wisp of drifting cloud, and gently let out a breath.

Was this it? The truth about Ji Chenjiao’s origins?

Ji Chenjiao was staying perfectly fine at the old Yu estate as a child; why did he go missing? Not only did he go missing, but he also couldn’t remember anything that happened when he disappeared. Ji Chenjiao was clearly old enough to remember things then.

Either Yu Qin deliberately threw the child away—since it wasn’t her child—or someone else in the Yu family threw the child away.

Why did Yu Qianming go to Linglan Xiang to adopt a child for Yu Qin? Yu Qin knew he wasn’t Yu Ge, and Yu Qianming knew he wasn’t Yu Ge, but everyone was glossing over the peace, pretending he was Yu Ge.

Ling Lie covered his forehead. He was a bit overloaded; he really couldn’t figure this part out.

But it was basically certain that Yu Qianming didn’t know then that the Yu Qin before him wasn’t his sister; otherwise, more people than just Bi Jiang would have died.

And now? Yu Qianming might have realized it, but with his abilities, he could no longer control Yu Qin without hurting the Yu Group or his descendants, so he could only resort to “Floating Light.”

There was another suspicious point: “Floating Light’s” motive.

Zhuo Suyi was “Floating Light’s” man. It was Zhuo Suyi who brought Yin Hanshan to the police’s attention. Was he seeking justice for Yin Hanshan? Was the “Floating Light” behind him providing clues to the police?

The Feng City police said Yin Hanshan had disappeared in Weiti Town. After returning, Yin Hanshan refused to talk about his experiences in Weiti Town. At that time, did Yin Hanshan cross paths with “Floating Light”—no, it was still “Chen Jin” back then?

The key to breaking the game lay with Yu Qin, and also with Yin Hanshan.

Overthinking made Ling Lie’s head split with pain. He lined up at a water stall behind the tired children running around, bought a cup of iced lemon water, drank it all in one gulp, and felt another wave of dizziness.

He thought he should act.

If it were in the past, he wouldn’t hesitate at all about whether to act or not. Xiao Yuan gave him absolute freedom; he could act entirely on his own judgment. He didn’t have any attachments, nor could he speak of ideals. He simply enjoyed the process of solving mysteries and chasing murderers. So once there was a clue, he would pounce like an excited cheetah.

The hesitation just now was because of Ji Chenjiao. That day, Ji Chenjiao’s gaze was deep and heavy, forcing him to promise to report before any action.

He threw the empty bottle into the trash can and whispered to himself, “But I’m not used to being managed.”

He had been too focused on the case just now and missed Ji Chenjiao’s call. He only called back after his emotions settled. Ji Chenjiao answered instantly: “Why didn’t you answer the phone?”

“Came out for a walk, to rest my brain.” Ling Lie smiled. “Xiao Ji, why the rush? Did something happen?”

Hearing his voice, Ji Chenjiao’s suspended heart lowered. “Nothing serious. The corpse found in the South District today is basically confirmed to be the murderer in the Luo Manchai case.”

Ling Lie: “Oh? I’m coming back right now.”