Chapter 19

Chapter 19: “Brother.”

Because the attempted intentional assault with a knife was already confirmed, Chen Yang had been transferred to the Beijiang Detention Center a few days earlier. The oversized blue vest hung loosely over his body, making him look even more sinister in the interrogation room.

Just as his colleague Zhang Qianli had described, Chen Yang was an introverted and taciturn person. He confessed cleanly and decisively, but whenever they tried to ask anything further, it was extremely difficult to pry his mouth open.

He gave off the calm air of someone who had given up completely, like breaking jars and smashing them—death sooner, relief sooner.

Only when He Linfeng sat down in front of the bars did Chen Yang’s eyes move slightly.

Yan Qiuyu frowned.

This was exactly why she hadn’t originally planned to bring He Linfeng along. Being arrested did not mean remorse; a criminal who had already formed murderous intent, taken action, and even dared to confess to the police could no longer be measured with normal thinking.

But she clearly underestimated the latter’s unpredictability.

Showing his full face openly, He Linfeng raised a hand to brush back his fringe and leaned closer. “Do I look good? If I do, look a little longer.”

Yan Qiuyu: …

For a moment she genuinely couldn’t tell which was more insane—the colleague or the suspect.

“We made several calls to your family. Your parents said they don’t have a son like you, and that whatever sentence you deserve should be given,” He Linfeng said casually, as if making small talk, deliberately avoiding mention of the Ping’an Road case. “Looking at the bank transfers, you send them a large sum every month. Pretty cruel, aren’t you?”

Chen Yang said nothing.

As if he had already expected this outcome—and didn’t care.

However, He Linfeng had learned through various inquiries that when Chen Yang left Beijing for Beijiang, choosing a “second-best option,” a major reason was that his mother was ill and needed surgery fees.

“Of course, they didn’t use the money themselves. They donated it all to a nearby temple as incense offerings,” He Linfeng leaned back into his chair again, the corner of his lips curling. “I heard your parents even sponsored a long-life lamp for him. They go up the mountain every week to pay respects.”

Chen Yang’s expression darkened.

“The name on it is Chen Chen—your younger brother,” Yan Qiuyu said, catching on to He Linfeng’s intent and cooperating seamlessly. “He was a rather beautiful boy.”

He Linfeng nodded in agreement. “Indeed.” Then, imitating how Chen Yang had just stared at him, he carefully examined him. “And he looks more like you…”

“Another death?”

His voice hoarse, Chen Yang split into a mocking grin. “Can’t catch the murderer, so you come here to show off your authority?”

“Male or female? Or disfigured and stabbed in the throat? Seems like there are plenty of people out there who think the same as I do. That’s really something to celebrate, isn’t it, officers?”

From the moment he was arrested until now, this was the longest sentence Chen Yang had spoken.

Unable to hide his smugness, he narrowed his eyes and scanned them from head to toe, trying to find frustration on He Linfeng’s face.

But the latter only nodded in understanding. “So it’s not over yet.”

The contents of Chen Yang’s notes only covered Jian Qing’s part, so even though disfigurement was a shared element, no one initially connected Xiang Yun’s case to him.

However, crime always circles back to motive.

Hating victims with attractive appearances, thus destroying their faces—but why choose the rare and difficult method of stabbing the throat, then slowly letting the blood drain away?

The crime scene was near residential buildings; even late at night, someone could still return home. Every second of delay increased the risk of being discovered.

It was highly unreasonable.

Unless the killer had a reason that made it absolutely necessary to do so.

Until He Linfeng remembered Chen Chen.

Asthma, lack of medication, suffocation.

His intuition told him that no matter who the real murderer was, this case was inseparable from Chen Yang.

Whether it was coincidence or an accomplice, since the real killer and Chen Yang were “sharing a mind,” by eliminating all interference variables, he only needed to grasp Chen Yang’s logic.

The reason surgical knives were chosen for the crime was because Chen Yang worked in a medical aesthetics institution, where he could use his position to steal official tools without leaving any personal purchase record.

And the choice of victims?

Jian Qing, Lanjiang Yayuan, the invitation letter from the director…

A flash of insight struck. He Linfeng asked, “Captain Yan, does Xiang Yun have any consumption records at Xinzi Medical Aesthetics?”

Chen Yang’s expression changed instantly.

Although he tried his best to control it, the fleeting twitch at the corner of his eye still exposed him. Although Yan Qiuyu had not fully sorted out the logic, years of experience allowed her, together with He Linfeng, to accurately catch Chen Yang’s abnormal reaction.

“No records in the past three months,” Yan Qiuyu replied quickly. “I’ll have Wang Lai check further back.”

He Linfeng said, “Also check whether there are any young clients similar to Xiang Yun—attractive appearance, popular, average financial situation, living alone, remote address.”

“Both male and female are fine.”

“Don’t admire me too much,” seeing Chen Yang glaring straight at him, He Linfeng waved his hand and explained in a good-tempered manner, “Jian Qing was just an accident—an opportunity gifted by fate through coincidence. Even if you wanted to make a big case, you can’t possibly pick off celebrities and tycoons one by one like fish.”

“That’s precisely why you failed.”

“First, insufficient preparation; second, you didn’t expect that Jian Qing—a thin-built CEO who sits in an office all day—would beat you until you were crying for your parents.”

If looks could kill, He Linfeng would probably already have been stabbed full of holes.

With his shoulder bandages still not removed and his aching back constantly reminding him of that night’s failed attempt, Chen Yang had once been arrogant and excited when holding a weapon and infiltrating the bamboo grove, convinced he himself was the enforcer of judgment over injustice. Yet in the face of real “violence,” he had panicked so badly he lost all composure.

“Being fierce is useless,” He Linfeng said lightly, as if dealing with a misbehaving child. “Just thinking about you trembling in the ambulance makes me not afraid at all.”

The more he spoke, the more mistakes he made.

Chen Yang forcefully suppressed his rage, fully aware that the police officer in front of him was deliberately provoking him.

He was a smart man.

He had always been so, since childhood.

There were no words that could describe Chen Yang’s shock the moment he saw the photo of Xiang Yun’s corpse. If he had not been personally locked inside the police’s cage, he would almost have thought he had committed this in a sleepwalking state.

Choice of person, location, method… everything matched exactly what he had once envisioned. No matter who the other party was, or why they could achieve such uncanny “mind resonance” with him, the only thing Chen Yang could be certain of was that, now trapped in confinement, he needed to interfere with the police’s line of sight as much as possible.

The scene photos were handed over again.

“Number 24 blade,” Yan Qiuyu asked, “Who did you talk to about this?” There were no corresponding keywords in online records—the most likely explanation was phone calls or offline conversations.

And since the real killer likely had some medical background, the circle could be narrowed to Chen Yang’s classmates or colleagues.

A blade?

What blade?

The surrounding sounds gradually faded away. Chen Yang almost greedily traced the corpse clutching its throat with both hands through his gaze—so similar, so similar to how Chen Chen had once struggled while crying like a fool.

He stood behind the cabinet. The half-human-height lucky bamboo placed on top just happened to block his face—the face that had always disappointed his parents and been the target of constant teasing. Through the tiny gaps between the leaves, he coldly watched the other person curl up in pain like a shrimp. That face, so favored and pampered, turned a purplish-blue from suffocation, like a kitten, calling out in broken gasps—

“Brother.”

“Bro—ther.”

“Snap.”

A hand took the photo away and casually flipped it face-down.

Chen Yang instinctively looked up along with it, the whites of his eyes covered in spiderweb-like red veins.

He Linfeng met his gaze calmly. “Sorry.”

“What you just showed me makes me feel especially disgusted.” It reeked of rot from the inside out.

Yan Qiuyu kicked him hard under the table:

Mind your language.

An obvious personal attack would get him reported—did he still want his salary or not?

He Linfeng obediently shut up. After two seconds, he added:

“Captain Yan didn’t tell you? The injuries on Xiang Yun’s face were all inflicted after death.”

“Condemning injustice? Punishment against the privileged? He knew nothing at all—he didn’t even have a single moment of fear or regret over his own good looks.”

“Jian Qing said the first stab you made was aimed at his face, but the first stab on Xiang Yun was at the throat. The killer only cared about efficiency, not your resentment at all.”

“What exactly is there to be pleased about, Chen Yang?” he asked as he put the photos back into the evidence bag.

“The real murderer stole your prey, but carried it out in his own way.”

“Psychic resonance?”

“That’s just your wishful thinking.”

Not a single word had been spoken by Chen Yang, yet he was still seen through and mocked completely. His breathing grew heavier and heavier, dark and suffocating, before he finally cursed out loud: “Monster.”

He Linfeng raised an eyebrow. “Thanks for the compliment.”

“Let’s go, Captain Yan,” he said as he packed up calmly and stood. “We need to catch the real killer before they strike again.”

At the same time.

Jian Qing, who should have already changed into home clothes and been preparing to wash up and sleep, was instead driving toward Baisha Street.

This was his only remaining trump card in the “second case.”

In the original text, the second victim of Case Two appeared on Baisha Street, and his “passive ability” of hearing the thoughts of transmigrators had, under sufficiently quiet conditions, an effective range of about a hundred meters in radius.

If the murderer really was a transmigrator, he might be able to use this to prevent the next tragedy.

Uncertain of the exact time of the second victim’s attack, Jian Qing could only use the least efficient method—staying near Baisha Street all night, pretending to drive around for a stroll, going back and forth repeatedly until the horizon began to lighten with the first signs of dawn.

Nothing happened all night.

With the rising sun, the number of pedestrians on the street finally increased beyond the occasional two or three.

The rest area always had clean spare clothes available. Jian Qing glanced down at his wristwatch and prepared to head straight to the company.

Before starting the car, the phone placed nearby on charge suddenly vibrated.

The screen lit up.

A Samoyed dog avatar popped out.

【“He Linfeng” patted me.】

Below it were three voice messages marked as read but not replied to.

The send time was last night.

Only then did Jian Qing belatedly and uncomfortably remember that he was now someone who had a driver arranged for him.

It wouldn’t be appropriate to casually stand up the protection he had personally requested from the Major Crimes Unit.

Tapping lightly on the screen, he replied: 【8 o’clock.】

Forty minutes later.

After pushing his speed to the limit and hurriedly tidying himself up, Jian Qing went downstairs with a normal expression and got into He Linfeng’s car right on time.

“Breakfast,” He Linfeng casually handed him a cup of soy milk. “Didn’t sleep well last night?”

The young man’s lips seemed paler than usual.

Jian Qing gave a tired “mm.”

He didn’t intend to lie, nor did he intend to confess—he simply brushed it off vaguely.

Given his relationship with He Linfeng, the conversation should have ended there. But seeing that the man still had obvious dark circles under his eyes and was nevertheless concerned about him, Jian Qing couldn’t help adding: “…You’re not great either.”

He Linfeng let out a muffled laugh.

Without saying a word, he took the soy milk Jian Qing had just been about to open and swapped it with his own.

Jian Qing: ?

“Double sugar for you,” He Linfeng said with a faint curl of his lips, putting on a deliberately troubled expression. “Being cared about by President Jian… I’m getting way too sweet right now.”