HC CH191
An Xun had just arrived at the Forensic Identification Center when he was pulled aside by a colleague. “Your Serious Crimes Unit recruited a newcomer?”
An Xun was confused. “What newcomer? I haven’t heard anything.”
“Hey, Little An Xun, stop hiding it. Pengpeng saw him; he’s a handsome guy with a crew cut! Came with your captain this morning. Tell me, which detachment did Ji Chenjiao poach him from? And he only poaches good-looking ones. Does your Serious Crimes Unit have an appearance requirement?”
An Xun genuinely didn’t know. Although he was the forensic doctor for the Serious Crimes Unit, he was also managed by the forensic department. When the Serious Crimes Unit didn’t need him, he supported other units. The captain had been busy to death lately; where would he find time to recruit a newcomer? And a handsome one at that?
What does Brother Lie think about this?
An Xun’s curiosity burned intensely. “I’ll go ask around!”
Not finding anyone in the Serious Crimes Unit office, An Xun ran to the technical investigation work area. Shen Qi was burying his head in food, sporting dark circles under his eyes—technical investigation had been the hardest hit during this period.
“Little An Xun, come to see your Brother Qi?”
“What Brother Qi? I’m older than you!” An Xun didn’t produce gossip, but he became a porter of gossip. “Have you seen our new colleague?”
Shen Qi paused. “What new colleague?”
An Xun repeated what he had heard, emphasizing “crew cut” and “handsome guy.”
After listening, Shen Qi wasn’t sleepy anymore. He wiped his mouth. “Let me go see how handsome he is, if he’s as handsome as my Brother Lie!”
After Ling Lie and Ji Chenjiao arrived at the Municipal Bureau, they went through the procedures at HR first. On the way back to the Serious Crimes Unit, Ling Lie said, “Why do I feel someone is following us?”
Ji Chenjiao turned around and grabbed the “petty thief” Shen Qi who was about to hide.
Shen Qi yelled, “I came to deliver baked cakes to the new colleague! Bro, why did you grab me?!”
Ji Chenjiao and Ling Lie said in unison, “Where did a new colleague come from?”
Shen Qi: “A handsome crew cut… Huh?”
Before he could finish, Shen Qi stopped himself. His dark eyes rolled over Ling Lie, and finally, he let out a sound: “Holy crap! Bro, where’s your hair?”
Ling Lie raised his hand to touch his new hairstyle, raising an eyebrow with a smile. “Finish your flattery if you’re going to start. Handsome crew cut what?”
Shen Qi: “Handsome, handsome guy.”
Ling Lie clicked his tongue. “Thanks for the compliment.”
Shen Qi chased after them. “Bro, why did you cut your hair? You don’t know, the forensic side is going crazy with rumors, saying my Captain Bro poached another handsome newcomer, raising the average looks of our Serious Crimes Unit by a large margin!”
Ji Chenjiao’s eyelid twitched. “The forensic side is going crazy with rumors; how do you know? Are you very free?”
Shen Qi quickly shifted the blame. “Not me! Little An Xun told me just now!”
Ji Chenjiao: “Okay, then An Xun is very free. Call him back today.”
Shen Qi: “Is there a body to dissect?”
“Duty.”
“…”
The news of Ling Lie changing his hairstyle quickly spread throughout the Serious Crimes Unit, and even other squadrons of the Criminal Investigation Detachment came to watch the fun. Everyone was used to Ling Lie’s “unkempt and dissolute” appearance. Now that he was suddenly heroic and spirited, they were a bit unaccustomed for a moment. But he was good-looking; hair was just decoration on that face. Long hair and short hair were two completely different temperaments, neither affecting his good looks.
Praised too much, Ling Lie couldn’t help but get cheeky. “A true handsome guy never uses hair as an excuse. Handsome is handsome, ugly is ugly.”
Ji Chenjiao: “Then shave the middle and leave the sides.”
Liang Wenxian, who heard this while drinking antiviral granules, almost sprayed the table.
Ling Lie was provoked for the first time today.
Ji Chenjiao: “Anyway, your looks aren’t affected by hairstyle. You said it yourself.”
Ling Lie cleared his throat and, while colleagues weren’t paying attention, hooked Ji Chenjiao’s chin. “Little Ji, why don’t you save some face for your husband outside? Your husband is very heartbroken.”
Ji Chenjiao: “…”
Soon after, Xie Qing called the Serious Crimes Unit, saying he wanted to chat with Ling Lie alone about something. As soon as Ling Lie left, team members asked Ji Chenjiao why Brother Lie suddenly cut his hair.
Ji Chenjiao didn’t say the real reason, nor did he mention Ling Lie going to Country L—only he and Xie Qing knew about this in Xiarong City. He just said the Special Action Team had a mission and transferred Ling Lie back for a while.
Having a mission made cutting hair reasonable; everyone understood. But with a key member like Ling Lie leaving at this juncture, Shen Qi and Xi Wan were somewhat worried.
Shen Qi said, “Without my Brother Lie’s brain, the difficulty of solving the case has gone up another level!”
Ji Chenjiao slapped the back of his head. “You don’t have a brain?”
Shen Qi looked teary. “Not as smart as my Brother Lie!”
“Do your own job well.” Ji Chenjiao went to the pantry to make coffee. While waiting for the water to boil, he absentmindedly thought about how more than half a year ago, Ling Lie was still a suspect of the Serious Crimes Unit. Now everyone had tacitly accepted him as one of their own.
One of their own suddenly being transferred away made him worried and left an empty spot in the team members’ hearts.
Ling Lie knocked on the door of the Detachment Captain’s office. Xie Qing’s voice came: “Come in.”
Ling Lie entered and saluted properly. “Captain Xie, what do you need me for?”
Xie Qing smiled. “Everyone is saying you changed your hairstyle and look like a different person today. I think so too. Before, you had no bones; now you stand like a pine and sit like a bell.”
Ling Lie also smiled. “You summoned me here not just to verify the truth of the gossip, right?”
“Before talking work, can’t we exchange pleasantries?” Xie Qing placed tea in front of Ling Lie. “When do you leave?”
“Tomorrow night.”
Xie Qing joked, “That salute just now was so standard, and now you’re sitting with no posture again.”
Ling Lie said, “That was because I have a favor to ask of Captain Xie.”
“Oh?”
“While I’m away, please trouble Captain Xie to take care of our Little Ji.”
The two looked at each other for a long time, neither looking away. Finally, Xie Qing smiled and shook his head. “That’s my junior brother; could I not care?”
Ling Lie nodded. “Then I’m relieved.”
After chatting for a while longer, Xie Qing narrowed his eyes, his gaze sharper than before. “Going to Country L this time, investigating Xing Yongdan is just one of your purposes, right?”
Once smart people speak frankly, no extra explanation is needed. Ling Lie said, “Yes, I have selfish motives. I’ve long wanted to go to Country L to investigate Xia Chengshi’s origins clearly.”
“And after you investigate clearly?”
“Captain Xie, whose son Xia Chengshi is doesn’t matter to me. I’m doing this for him.”
Xie Qing only watched Ling Lie without speaking.
“He cares, but due to the responsibilities on his shoulders, he doesn’t want to show it. Since I’ve seen through his thoughts, I can’t help but find out for him.”
Xie Qing sighed with a smile, speaking as if it were unrelated. “You called him Xia Chengshi just now.”
Ling Lie leaned back on the sofa, smiling lazily, his tone carrying a hint of territorial claim. “Xia Chengshi, this name belongs to me.”
Xie Qing laughed loudly. “Yours, yours, no one is snatching it from you.”
The topic returned to the mission. Having chatted enough, Xie Qing saw Ling Lie to the door, instructing him to prioritize safety as if instructing his own subordinate.
Ling Lie said, “Yes, Captain Xie.”
Preparations for departure were done, waiting for the Special Action Team car to pick him up. Ling Lie inspected the kitchen, quizzing Ji Chenjiao on whether he knew where the wok, stew pot, pepper, and salt were kept.
Ji Chenjiao: “Are you planning to teach me how to cook a dish too?”
Ling Lie thought seriously. “It’s not impossible.”
Ji Chenjiao: “I won’t learn. I’ll eat at the cafeteria every day.”
Ling Lie shook his head. “Fine, you just rely on having a boyfriend like me who spoils you.”
Returning to the living room, Ling Lie saw an exquisite box on the decorative wall. curious, he picked it up and looked; inside was actually his little tail (ponytail).
The black string had been replaced, tied with a silver ribbon, every strand neat and tidy.
Ling Lie: “Ah, this!”
Ji Chenjiao took the box. “You said the little tail belongs to me; can’t I find something to keep it in?”
Ling Lie: “You treat it too well; you even bought it a house.”
Ji Chenjiao: “…”
Ling Lie wanted to tease Ji Chenjiao a bit more, but suddenly remembered he had also hidden something. “Wait a moment, I have something for you.”
Ji Chenjiao was puzzled but followed him to the guest bedroom.
Ling Lie squatted on the ground, rummaging in the bottom drawer for a long time, covering something with both hands. “Guess, what is it?”
In the past, if Ling Lie asked him to guess so mysteriously, he would definitely think Ling Lie was going to prank him, holding a toad or some disgusting bug. But at this moment, he inexplicably believed Ling Lie must be holding something very precious.
He said softly, “Can’t guess.”
Ling Lie: “Is the captain of the Serious Crimes Unit so dumb?”
Ji Chenjiao: “…”
Ling Lie’s hands opened like flower petals. “Can’t even guess your boyfriend wants to give you a ring?”
Ji Chenjiao’s pupils constricted, staring at that plain little gift box, his Adam’s apple rolling up and down.
Ling Lie opened the small gift box. The golden light of the setting sun glided a dazzling arc across the ring.
Ling Lie beckoned. “Do you want it?”
Ji Chenjiao was silent, not because he had nothing to say, but because a thousand words were stuck in his chest.
He looked at the ring, then turned his gaze to Ling Lie, looking deeply into Ling Lie’s eyes.
“Yes.”
But Ling Lie held the small gift box high and smiled. “Then kneel for me first.”
It was just a joke, but after saying it, Ling Lie’s eyes widened abruptly. Because he saw Ji Chenjiao really kneel on one knee, facing the brilliant gold spilling in from the window, looking up at him.
The joke went too far. Ling Lie became uncomfortable and flustered. “Ah, you really knelt? Don’t, don’t, don’t, I haven’t prepared yet. I was joking… it’s just a ring, not worth much money, not worth it, not worth it, a man has gold under his knees…”
But Ji Chenjiao caught his flailing hand. “Ling Lie.”
Ling Lie was at a loss, stuck for a long time before saying, “Ah?”
Ji Chenjiao said, “Aren’t you going to put it on me?”
Perhaps it was the effect of the light, but from Ling Lie’s perspective, Ji Chenjiao’s hair and eyelashes were golden, and his pupils were bright like a lake in early winter. And he himself was reflected in this pool of lake water, rippling gently.
Ji Chenjiao pulled his finger again and placed his own hand on it.
This was urging him.
Ling Lie didn’t expect to be checkmated by Ji Chenjiao. He took out the ring. “Then I, then I’m really putting it on. Once put on, you, you are tied by me, no regrets allowed.”
“Mn.”
Ling Lie felt his heart had never beaten so fast. He took a few deep breaths. When the ring touched Ji Chenjiao’s ring finger, the clamor and noise strangely subsided. He held Ji Chenjiao’s hand and slowly pushed the ring down. While doing all this, he felt invisible threads tethering him.
Strange, he was clearly the one lassoing Ji Chenjiao, so why did he feel like he was lassoed by even more things?
Those threads passed through him, connecting to Ji Chenjiao’s bloodline, and through Ji Chenjiao, connecting to the vaster mountains and rivers.
He was tied here. The thought of wanting to stay away from the hustle and bustle alone, which had existed in his mind for many, many years, seemed to be thoroughly shredded by the threads.
“Thank you.” Ji Chenjiao held Ling Lie’s hand back, lowered his head, and kissed his fingers.
Ling Lie, who always had skin as thick as a city wall corner, blushed this time.
Ji Chenjiao stood up and deliberately rubbed Ling Lie’s cheek with the hand wearing the ring. “Xia Xiaodou, you’re blushing.”
“Nonsense!” Xia Xiaodou stiffened his neck. “Clear-clearly it’s friction static from your blind rubbing!”
Ji Chenjiao chuckled.
Ling Lie: “What are you laughing at!”
Ji Chenjiao: “Laughing because everything you say is right.”
The window was like a flowing painting. When the scene changed from evening glow to deep night, Ling Lie kissed Ji Chenjiao’s forehead. “Little Ji, watch the house well.”
An inconspicuous black business car stopped outside the family quarters. Ji Chenjiao walked Ling Lie to the car. When the car started, Ling Lie pressed the index and middle fingers that had touched his lips against the car window.
Ji Chenjiao stood by the road until the business car turned out of his sight.
Ling Lie also watched Ji Chenjiao in the rearview mirror, not changing his posture even when he couldn’t see him anymore. Beside him, a cheerful and slightly cheeky voice said, “The Captain of Xiarong City’s Serious Crimes Unit is indeed a fine-looking man.”
Only then did Ling Lie withdraw his gaze and look at the person next to him. That was the elite of the Special Action Team’s SWAT group, who had been his shooting instructor.
“Why is it you?” Ling Lie said.
Zhao Fan’s handsome face swayed back and forth. “It’s me; are you dissatisfied?”
Ling Lie: “…Read less of the CEO novels your husband writes.”
Zhao Fan laughed, hooking his arm around Ling Lie’s shoulder. “Long time no see. Did you miss your master?”
Ling Lie: “Master?”
Zhao Fan: “Even if I only taught you to fire one bullet, I am still a master. A teacher for a day, a father for life…”
Ling Lie didn’t give him a chance to finish. “What is Yan Xiao writing recently? A kid in our team is his fan.”
“Really?”
Zhao Fan fell straight into Ling Lie’s trap, hurriedly promoting, babbling all the way to the airport. Ling Lie listened until he was drowsy. Zhao Fan shook him awake. “You’ve been gone for over a year and aren’t close to me anymore.”
Ling Lie: …Thanks, dare not be close to a chatterbox.
“But if I have secrets, I will still share them generously with you,” Zhao Fan said. “Otherwise, you’ll look like an outsider in our team in the future.”
Ling Lie originally wanted to say he didn’t really want to know any secrets. Besides, a secret known by this big mouth Zhao Fan definitely wasn’t a secret.
But Zhao Fan said, “It’s related to Ming Shu.”
Ling Lie perked up instantly. “Hm?”
Zhao Fan hooked his finger and whispered, “He actually thinks we act like dogs!”
Ling Lie: “…”
Zhao Fan was filled with righteous indignation. “Surprised? He said we are both very dog-like (cunning/shameless). You are Dog Ling, I am Dog Zhao!”
Ling Lie: “You just found out?”
Zhao Fan: “Who did dogs offend to meet the two of us!”
Ling Lie: “…”
Being thrown into the “big dye vat” of the Special Action Team at eighteen made Ling Lie accustomed to weirdness. Now, having served in a normal local police force for over half a year, Ling Lie felt he had been normalized, and actually couldn’t out-talk Zhao Fan.
“Bring that captain out for a meal next time,” Zhao Fan said.
Ling Lie was vigilant. “What do you want to do?”
Zhao Fan: “Recommend a few novels to him.”
Ling Lie: “Keep dreaming!”
The handsome guy with the crew cut didn’t stay in the Serious Crimes Unit for two days before leaving again, but the work of the Serious Crimes Unit had to continue. Shen Qi muttered about his Brother Lie from time to time. An Xun was forced to work shifts because he was too gossipy, running over to eat Shen Qi’s late-night snacks.
With Ling Lie gone, everyone seemed a bit out of sorts. Ji Chenjiao, who should have been the most out of sorts, appeared the most normal. He had already given the letters and the half gold lock Ling Lie brought back from Jianling Town to the appraisal unit. He had read the content of the letters and the pattern on the gold lock many times; he could recall them just by closing his eyes.
The sweep of Guishui Road had basically ended. No suspicious persons were found in the scarce surveillance footage. Only some residents said they saw unfamiliar faces coming and going—some young, some elderly. The elderly ones looked very dignified, not like people who would come to Guishui Road.
But when asked to describe the other party’s features in detail, no one could describe them.
Now the investigation of the entry clue had stopped. No one matched the profile, which indirectly indicated the killer likely entered illegally.
Illegal entries were impossible to trace.
Late at night, Ji Chenjiao returned home. Without Ling Lie, the house was much colder.
He let his brain, which had been boiling all day, go blank for a moment, picked up the brocade box containing the little tail, looked at it for a while, and put it back.
The brocade box reminded him of the pouch on Xing Yongdan’s neck, letting his thoughts wander—
The half gold lock, the “Jasmine Tea” cigarette butts left on the balcony, the Duan family that once entrenched in Jinxiang Village, that family letter with vigorous and beautiful handwriting…
Xing Yongdan, Duan Wande.
Yu Qin.
Bi Jiang, Shaman.
The Salingauke Region where all these people might have lived.
Xing Yongdan using a silver chain to hang a pouch was strange in itself. The pouch must have been very precious to him, just like the little tail Ling Lie left at home.
Such a sloppy man who lived an incredibly rough life actually used an exquisite pouch for decoration. Was it given by an important person?
And the killer tore the silver chain and took the pouch.
Although this action was incidental, it seemed to carry some meaning of venting or revenge.
Ji Chenjiao walked around the room, unknowingly walking into the study. Looking up in thought, he saw the Polaroid taken with Ling Lie at a glance.