Ji Chenjiao was furious. He pressed down on Ling Lie’s head. “What’s wrong with you?”

Ling Lie turned his head. His hair was plastered to his cheeks, and his eyes, as if washed by the water, were astonishingly bright. “I was just doing an experiment. What are you so angry about?”

Ji Chenjiao’s mind was a mess at the moment. The case took up most of his energy, and the rest was not enough to counter Ling Lie. “What experiment?”

“This poem,” Ling Lie said. “It’s about an adult’s techniques for seduction. The ultimate line is to become a puppy soaked by the rain. Since it was pouring today anyway, and I was just waiting, I thought I might as well see if I could seduce you.”

Ji Chenjiao’s mind buzzed and short-circuited as he stared at Ling Lie.

Ling Lie pouted. “Alright, you can’t believe everything you read online. But a puppy soaked by the rain is really pitiful.”

Ji Chenjiao suddenly said out of nowhere, “It’s believable.”

“Huh?”

Ji Chenjiao came to his senses and said fiercely, “Is your special operations team that idle? Do you just surf the internet all day?”

Ling Lie dodged the question. “You’d better not learn that phrase.”

Ji Chenjiao: “What?”

“It doesn’t suit you. You snakes are already wet and lecherous. Getting drenched won’t turn you into a pitiful puppy like us.” As he spoke, Ling Lie suddenly exclaimed, “Xiao Ji, did you mean just now that I successfully seduced you?”

Ji Chenjiao felt his cheeks burning, but a glance in the rearview mirror showed, good, they weren’t red. “You heard wrong.”

“You’re shy!”

“Is that even possible?”

“Oh, I was just doing an experiment. I didn’t know a puppy soaked by the rain had this much charm.”

Ji Chenjiao’s temples throbbed as if they were about to explode. “Shut up!”

Ling Lie changed the subject abruptly. “What did you find out from your tracking just now?”

A ball of inexplicable emotion was squeezed in Ji Chenjiao’s chest. When Ling Lie so nonchalantly turned to work, he felt even more stifled. So, your ‘puppy soaked by the rain’ persona can just shake itself off and pretend the seduction never happened?

The moment Ji Chenjiao turned his head, he met Ling Lie’s eyes, which were full of curiosity, as if urging him on—Quick, tell me, what happened with Chen Xiangli?

Ji Chenjiao felt as if a basin of cold water had been poured over him. He felt like he was the one who was the puppy soaked by the rain. He took a few seconds to compose himself. His professionalism finally suppressed his personal emotions. Only then did he recount what he had seen while tailing them. “I suspect Fu Shunan is the lawyer fellow villager Mou Dianpei was bragging about.”

Ling Lie rested his chin on his hand. “From what you’re saying, Fu Shunan and Chen Xiangli seem like a couple? A caregiver and a law firm partner, that’s quite a gap. Does Shen Wei know about this? The people in Feng’an County still think Chen Xiangli is deeply in love with Tan Fabin, and hasn’t found someone new even after more than a decade. The last time we saw Shen Wei, he also seemed to treat Chen Xiangli as his sister-in-law. Has Chen Xiangli had a partner all along? And a fellow villager at that?”

Ji Chenjiao: “But when we investigated in Feng’an County last time, no one mentioned Fu Shunan. For such a successful person, the people of Feng’an County should remember him, right?”

Ling Lie: “So what are your thoughts?”

Ji Chenjiao had been sidetracked by the “puppy” earlier, and his thoughts were a bit jumbled. “Chen Xiangli seems to have been very panicked all along. The last time we saw her at the Third Hospital, she became evasive as soon as we mentioned Tan Fabin’s case. She and Shen Wei, one is Tan Fabin’s fiancée, the other is his brother. Shen Wei’s attitude is much more open than hers. He’s only hiding whether he knows who the murderer is, but my feeling is that Chen Xiangli is afraid of the police investigating Tan Fabin’s case. And now there’s this Fu Shunan.”

Ling Lie: “Was she very panicked today too?”

“Yes. Fu Shunan comforted her for a long time before she got a little better. After leaving the law firm, she was smiling. I don’t know what Fu Shunan showed her.”

“Let me deduce. What Chen Xiangli is afraid of is the police reopening the investigation, and perhaps also Mou Dianpei’s death and Shen Wei closing his shop,” Ling Lie said. “Shen Wei might not know about her relationship with Fu Shunan. The timing of their meeting is very clever, right when Shen Wei happens to be out of Feng City.”

Ji Chenjiao: “Not necessarily. They must have met before.”

Ling Lie: “But maybe not at the Third Hospital? The Third Hospital is too close to Shen Wei’s restaurant.”

Now that Fu Shunan’s background was unclear, Ji Chenjiao asked, “What about you? What was Lu Feixiang doing back at the shop?”

“I don’t know,” Ling Lie said. “He went in empty-handed and came out empty-handed, taking only ten minutes. Then he got on the bus back to the medical college.”

Ji Chenjiao: “Captain Huang has people watching ‘Old Shen’s Boxed Lunch.’ He’s never been seen going back before. The only stimulus he received today was seeing you.”

Ling Lie: “And I mentioned that Mou Dianpei might have left the paraquat at the shop.”

“He suddenly felt uneasy. What if the paraquat was still in the shop? Or if there were traces of its use?” Ji Chenjiao analyzed. “So he rushed back to check and dispose of it? But the paraquat was actually no longer in the shop, so after checking, he was finally relieved?”

The car was quiet for a moment, interrupted by Ling Lie’s sneezes. It was as if he had been wound up; once he started, he couldn’t stop. “Achoo—Achoo—Achoo—”

Ji Chenjiao’s face darkened. He quickly started the car and drove towards the hotel next to the city bureau—where they were currently staying.

Ling Lie was still sneezing nonstop while taking a hot shower. That nameless fire in Ji Chenjiao flared up again. He paced around the room a few times, then simply went downstairs to buy cold medicine for Ling Lie.

When Ling Lie came out of the shower and saw Ji Chenjiao was gone, he quickly sent a message: [Xiao Ji, where did you run off to?]

Ji Chenjiao sent a voice message back, “Buying medicine for you.”

Ling Lie also replied with a voice message, “Ah, disappointing.”

“?”

“Guess why I was so eager to message you?”

Ji Chenjiao was already at the hotel entrance with the medicine. He was too lazy to reply, but Ling Lie’s voice message came again. “Of course, I thought you went to buy a late-night snack and wanted to ask you to get me some lamb skewers.”

Ji Chenjiao replied with six dots.

Ling Lie rolled on the bed, laughing.

At the hotel entrance, after some hesitation, Ji Chenjiao turned and walked towards the barbecue stall diagonally opposite. He actually ordered five grilled lamb skewers for Ling Lie and some vegetable skewers for himself.

He almost never touched these things before, only eating a little symbolically at work gatherings. He would absolutely never buy them on his own. Since Ling Lie appeared, his good habits were being broken one by one.

The barbecue uncle was a talkative man. Business wasn’t good on a rainy day, and Ji Chenjiao was his only customer. He looked at the pharmacy bag in Ji Chenjiao’s hand. “Yo, what are you sick with?”

Ji Chenjiao: “A bit of a cold.”

The uncle: “Huh? And you’re still eating barbecue?”

“…”

And so, Ji Chenjiao stood by the barbecue stall, listening to an uncle who sold unhealthy food lecture him on health tips for a quarter of an hour. When he took the packed skewers, he looked at the uncle’s delighted smile from making a sale and thought: Well, you didn’t kick me out either.

When Ji Chenjiao returned to the room, he saw that Ling Lie had already burrowed into the blankets, covering his head and face completely, with only a tuft of hair sticking out.

In such a short time, Ji Chenjiao was sure Ling Lie wasn’t asleep. After putting down the medicine and barbecue, he went to pull the blanket. One pull, and it didn’t move.

Ji Chenjiao: “Come out!”

Ling Lie: “Mmm-mmm-mmm—”

Ji Chenjiao instantly understood. This thing was trying to avoid taking medicine! He laughed in exasperation and sat by the mountain of blankets. “Ling Lie-lie, what I bought you isn’t Chinese medicine. Western medicine isn’t bitter. Hurry up and come out, eat it, then sleep.”

Ling Lie’s muffled voice came out, “All medicine is poison to some degree! Not eating!”

“Really not eating?”

“Experts say a cold takes seven days to get over, with or without medicine!”

Ji Chenjiao gave the mountain of blankets a good smack. He didn’t know where he hit, but Ling Lie yelped.

“How about you open a crack?” Ji Chenjiao brought the barbecue to the bedside. “Smell this, what is it?”

Half a minute later, a nose poked out from the edge of the blanket crack.

Ji Chenjiao: “…”

Ling Lie threw off the blanket and sat up. “Captain Ji, you really bought it?”

Ji Chenjiao looked at the medicine instructions, which said to take it after a meal. “Take the medicine?”

Ling Lie exclaimed “Male Bodhisattva,” nodding like a pecking chicken.

The nameless fire that had been simmering in Ji Chenjiao for a while subsided a bit. The corners of his lips curled up. “Come and eat.”

After finishing the lamb skewers, Ling Lie wanted to play dumb again, but as they discussed the case to digest their food, Ji Chenjiao still forced him to take the medicine before bed.

Ling Lie’s reaction after taking the medicine was also very dramatic. He lay spread-eagled, his limbs twitching from time to time, looking like he was deeply poisoned and on the verge of death.

Ji Chenjiao asked casually, “Do you have some prejudice against medicine? In a place like the special operations team, don’t you often come into contact with drugs during dangerous missions?”

Ling Lie rolled over and looked at Ji Chenjiao. “I took the wrong medicine when I was a child. I almost died.”

Ji Chenjiao was startled, his brow immediately furrowing. “What happened?”

Ling Lie said it was after he was brought back to the Yu family. Although the Yu family was a wealthy clan, a child of unknown origin didn’t actually receive much attention. His uncle, Yu Qianming, who brought him back, and his nominal mother, Yu Qin, were both very busy people. He didn’t have many opportunities to spend time with them.

Back then, his health was very poor. Winter was fine, but in summer he would always get heatstroke, fevers, and rashes all over his body, looking like a little red monster. Yu Qin didn’t take him to the hospital, only calling the family doctor. The family doctor’s equipment was limited, and he didn’t discover his allergies. After a few bottles of IV drips, if Yu Qianming hadn’t heard he was sick and come to check on him, he would have been killed by the medicine.

Ji Chenjiao’s heart grew heavy as he listened. The A-Dou from his memory was thin, small, and weak. How could he have withstood the torment of being given the wrong medicine?

Ling Lie, however, spoke of it lightly. “After that, I generally don’t use medicine. Captain Ji, I wasn’t distrusting you just now. You definitely wouldn’t poison me. I just… don’t like medicine.”

The sudden seriousness left Ji Chenjiao not knowing what to say.

Ling Lie turned off the bedside lamp with a click. In the darkness, he said, “Time to sleep, time to sleep. Lamb skewers and cold medicine together aren’t bad. I suggest all major pharmaceutical companies launch a new sugar coating—cumin flavor.”

Ji Chenjiao: “…”

In the early morning, before the sky was light, Shen Wei tiptoed out of the room he was borrowing. Without saying goodbye to Brother Zhou, he shouldered the bag he had come with and walked towards the north of Feng’an County. This was the opposite direction from the long-distance bus station, and it was still more than three hours before his bus departed.

Shen Wei bought incense sticks and paper money and came to Tan Fabin’s grave. “Brother, I’m going back today.”

After saying this, he fell silent, just lighting the candles, burning the paper money, and placing a bottle of wine on the grave.

In the days he had been back, he had already visited Tan Fabin twice. Today, he was here to say goodbye. The firelight flickered in his eyes, illuminating the wrinkles on his face.

He was only in his forties, not old, but compared to his peers, he looked much older, and his eyes were very tired. After burning the last stack of paper, he cleaned the area around the tombstone, opened the wine, took two sips himself, and poured the rest on the soil.

Tan Fabin didn’t like to drink white liquor when he was alive. He liked to emulate the style of a gentleman and drink a little red wine. Shen Wei took him as a role model and also only drank red wine. But he could never get used to the taste. As someone who studied medicine, he had an inherent resistance to alcohol.

After saying his goodbyes, Shen Wei looked at the photo, which had become blurry from the wear of time, and said softly, “Brother, I might not be able to come back for the Spring Festival this year. But it’s okay, I will take care of myself.”

The sky gradually brightened, a dark blue color spreading across the horizon. Shen Wei left the cemetery and walked towards the long-distance bus station. At nine o’clock, he punctually boarded the bus to Feng City.

The criminal police from the city bureau were already waiting for him at “Old Shen’s Boxed Lunch”.

At noon, Shen Wei pulled up the rolling shutter door. Ling Lie called out from behind him, “Old Shen.”

Shen Wei turned around. His eyes flickered slightly, but he still stood straight. “What can I do for you?”

“There have been some new developments in Mou Dianpei’s case that may be related to you and Lu Feixiang.” This time, Ling Lie didn’t beat around the bush and directly stated the suspicion, simultaneously showing the relevant documents. “I need you to come with me to the city bureau.”

Shen Wei was relatively calm. He looked inside the shop. Although it hadn’t been open for a few days, the inside was neat and tidy, without the usual messiness of a small restaurant.

Ling Lie asked, “Do you have anything to pack? Okay, I’ll wait for you here.”

Shen Wei took out a bottle of mineral water and handed it to Ling Lie. “Then I’ll have to trouble you to wait a moment. I’ll go inside and take a look.”

Ling Lie didn’t take it and smiled. “That’s not how it works.”

Shen Wei nodded, twisted open the cap, and drank it himself. He walked towards the back kitchen. The curtain blocked the view, so Ling Lie couldn’t see what he was looking for. But the shop was only a few square meters in total. Shen Wei came out five minutes later, empty-handed.

Ling Lie thought of Lu Feixiang from yesterday, who had also checked the shop and left empty-handed.

Are they both confirming whether the paraquat is still there?

Shen Wei: “I checked the wiring. Let’s go.”

No one spoke on the way. Shen Wei seemed a little restless. “Mou Dianpei and I are just from the same hometown. We’re not close.”

Ling Lie made a ‘stop’ gesture. Shen Wei was confused. “What?”

Ling Lie said, “Let’s have a good chat when we get to the city bureau. We’ll record a formal statement.”

Shen Wei’s lips moved. He lowered his head. “Okay.”

At the city bureau, the person in charge of the questioning turned out to be Ji Chenjiao. Shen Wei frowned. “Just ask whatever you need to.”

Ji Chenjiao: “We detected a lethal dose of paraquat in Mou Dianpei’s body. On the afternoon of July 12th, he brought paraquat to your shop for a meal. He left without taking it, came back to look for it, but couldn’t find it. Is that correct?”

Shen Wei did not answer immediately, seeming to be recalling and thinking. Ji Chenjiao did not rush him, just looked straight into his eyes.

“Yes,” Shen Wei said slowly after a few minutes. “But I didn’t know what it was. When he came back to look for it, he didn’t mention what it was. He first asked Xiao Lu, who hadn’t seen it. Then he came to ask me. I even helped him look, but we really didn’t find it.”

Ji Chenjiao: “If you had known it was paraquat, what would you have done?”

Shen Wei frowned. “I don’t understand what you mean.”

“Mou Dianpei died from this bottle of paraquat. Can you guess why he was poisoned?”

“I don’t know. I’ve said, we’re just from the same hometown.”

“But as far as I know, you’re not just from the same hometown. Mou Dianpei was a key person of interest in both Tan Fabin and Bi Jiang’s cases.”

At the mention of Tan Fabin, the composure Shen Wei had tried so hard to maintain began to crack. He shifted in his seat and avoided eye contact with Ji Chenjiao. “The police said he was innocent. He wasn’t the one who killed my brother.”

“Then what do you think?”

“…”

“You gave up your studies and your life, spending the last seventeen years hunting the killer. In Tan Fabin’s case, you have more say than the police who were in charge of the case back then.”

Shen Wei remained silent.

Ji Chenjiao said, “The killer couldn’t be found, but a killer must exist. Who do you suspect?”

Shen Wei’s shoulders tensed up almost imperceptibly, a defensive posture.

“The last time we met, when you learned that Tan Fabin’s case had been reopened, your first reaction was excitement. But when I asked if you had any leads, you were unwilling to say anything. And your employee, Lu Feixiang, was also hinting for you to stop. You’ve actually already found the killer, but unfortunately, the killer was already dead at the time, right?”

“No!” Shen Wei’s voice trembled slightly. “Xiao Lu just works part-time at my shop. He doesn’t know about my family’s affairs.”

Ji Chenjiao changed the order of his questions. “Did you really not find that bottle of paraquat?”

“No.”

“Can you guarantee that Lu Feixiang didn’t either? I actually already went to see him yesterday.”

Shen Wei’s eyes widened with worry and nervousness. “What did he say?”

Ji Chenjiao: “He also said he didn’t find it.”

Shen Wei visibly relaxed.

But Ji Chenjiao asked again, “What about others? Is it possible that someone else you know found the bottle? Did Chen Xiangli eat there that day?”

Shen Wei became alert again. “No, it has nothing to do with her either.”

“How much do you know about Chen Xiangli?”

Shen Wei hesitated for a moment. “She’s a very good, but ill-fated woman. After my brother passed, I just help her out when I can.”

Ji Chenjiao said, “I have one more question. Do you know Fu Shunan?”

Shen Wei showed a wary expression. Ji Chenjiao was certain he knew Fu Shunan.

But after half a minute, Shen Wei shook his head hastily, as if unprepared. “I don’t know him.”

After that, Shen Wei’s mouth grew tighter, and he responded to almost everything with “I don’t know” or “I don’t remember.” The suspicion on him and Lu Feixiang was mostly based on Ji Chenjiao and Ling Lie’s deductions. Without concrete evidence, they could only let him go.

However, a little later, Shen Qi called excitedly. “Brother—”

It was Ling Lie who answered Ji Chenjiao’s phone. “Hey, little bro.”

Shen Qi recognized Ling Lie’s voice and didn’t find it strange at all. “Brother Lie, Brother Lie, I’ve found Fu Shunan’s background. He graduated from the law school of Zheng City University, and he’s forty-two years old!”

Shen Wei had attended the medical school of Zheng City University. Judging by their ages, it was very likely that Shen Wei and Fu Shunan were classmates.

Ling Lie let out an interested “Oh.” “This is getting interesting.”

Shen Qi had already dug up most of Fu Shunan’s background.

He was born in a village under the jurisdiction of Zheng City. During his undergraduate years, he received a scholarship every year, so his family’s financial situation seemed very poor. He took a one-year leave of absence during his second year of graduate school and later returned to complete his studies.

After graduation, Fu Shunan initially worked in Zheng City. As the provincial capital, Zheng City was more developed than Feng City in all aspects. The law firm he joined was ranked among the top in the province, especially in criminal litigation, where it was considered number one. But he only worked in Zheng City for five years before coming to Feng City. At first, he set up his own studio, which didn’t take off. Then he worked as in-house counsel for a company. Seven years ago, he joined “Zhengfeng Qingyue” and has been working there as a partner until now.

Shen Qi couldn’t find specific details about Fu Shunan’s time at the university online. Ling Lie relayed the situation to Ji Chenjiao. “From the timeline, Fu Shunan and Shen Wei took their leave of absence in the same year. Judging by Shen Wei’s reaction to hearing Fu Shunan’s name, he definitely knows him, but he’s unwilling to say. That’s too strange.”

Ji Chenjiao: “Shen Wei took a leave of absence because of his brother’s death. Did Fu Shunan also take a leave of absence because of this? What does it have to do with him?”

“I’ll go to Zheng University to ask around.” Ling Lie was a man of action. Since Zheng City University might be hiding a secret, he might as well go and investigate. “By the way, Lu Feixiang and the paraquat are also inextricably linked. If he hadn’t been forced to drop out, he probably wouldn’t have gotten involved in the case. The people who caused him to drop out should also be thoroughly investigated.”

Ji Chenjiao raised an eyebrow. “Are you giving me an assignment?”

Ling Lie smiled. “You’re the temporary worker. I’ve been promoted to leader.” As he spoke, he fumbled all over his body for his special operations team ID. He couldn’t find it and looked bewildered. “Crap, I lost my ID.”

Ji Chenjiao scoffed and, like a magician, pulled a blue lanyard out of his own pocket. Hanging from it was Ling Lie’s ID.

Ling Lie reached for it. Ji Chenjiao hooked it away. Ling Lie missed. Ji Chenjiao hooked it again, inexplicably experiencing the fun of a cat teaser wand.

“Still a leader, huh? Losing your ID like that. I was the one who picked it up for you,” Ji Chenjiao said in a scolding tone, but there was no hint of scolding in his voice.

Ling Lie couldn’t grab it, so he simply gave up. “You can play with it. I’m leaving!”

“Hey—” Ji Chenjiao hooked Ling Lie by the back of his neck, pulling him back. He put the ID around his neck and instructed him like Liang Wenxian, “Keep your ID safe. Otherwise, who will recognize you when you get there? Remember the investigation procedures. First, go to the Zheng City Public Security Bureau to report, get the pass and a cooperation certificate to make things easier…”

Ling Lie looked innocent. “Our special operations team doesn’t have these red tapes.”

Ji Chenjiao was afraid he would get into trouble in Zheng City, where he didn’t know anyone. “But this Mou Dianpei case is a Feng City police case. The special operations team is investigating the Feng’an County case.”

Ling Lie sighed. “Troublesome.”

Ji Chenjiao knew he had gotten the message and finally let him go.

The investigation had now reached a bottleneck. Their deductions seemed to be getting closer and closer to the truth, but none of the involved parties were willing to tell the truth, and no strong evidence had been found for the time being. Ji Chenjiao pressed his forehead and wrote in his notebook. When evidence is lacking, it’s time for psychological tactics.

His gaze fell on a name—Zeng Shu. This was Xue Bin’s ex-girlfriend. After Xue Bin went abroad, she also went abroad with the rich second-generation boyfriend she later dated. But two months ago, she had returned to Feng City.