Chapter 59

Chapter 59: Mountain Blaze (19)

Jie Yang shook his head. “At that time, I wasn’t thinking about what to do, I was just constantly uneasy. I kept thinking, if the police discovered the body before five or ten years, if they traced it back to us, what would I do? I can promise to keep quiet, but I can’t promise for the other two, especially Zhao Ruo Cheng—he’s an auxiliary cop, he’d be the first to confess. I thought and thought and realized the only way to be safe was to turn the living into the dead. I thought for a long time and finally came up with a perfect plan—to make the police believe that the missing Yao Wei killed Zhao Ruo Cheng.”

The air seemed to grow cold, like a snake slithering.

Jie Yang smiled. “I almost succeeded, right? The isopropyl I gave Yao Wei indeed made you believe he was the culprit. But unfortunately, I couldn’t immediately deal with his body.”

Hai Shu asked, “Did you later go to see where the body was buried?”

Jie Yang nodded. “I did, but I couldn’t tell it had been moved. I couldn’t dig up the soil to check either. I didn’t expect the body had been dug up by someone else.”

Hai Shu asked, “When did you find out the body had been dug up?”

“On the Flower Viewing Festival,” Jie Yang said. At first, he couldn’t be sure it was Tang Jinli’s body. There was too little information online, but for some reason, he panicked. Zhao Ruo Cheng, however, felt confident that it wasn’t her. He and Yao Wei went to the burial site late at night, dug up all the soil, and found the body gone.

His heart seemed to stop, dizziness made him stagger. If not for Yao Wei supporting him, he would have fallen. Yao Wei shivered but forced himself to stay calm. “It’s okay. We agreed, as long as we say nothing, the police can’t do anything!”

Jie Yang returned home, calmed down, and knew it was time to activate the isopropyl phenol plan.

On March 18, he lured Zhao Ruo Cheng out under the pretext of discussing the route. Zhao Ruo Cheng was nervous but optimistic, saying he could get information from the police—they hadn’t acted yet. Jie Yang smiled, and when Zhao Ruo Cheng was slowed by drinking, he pushed an overdose of isopropyl phenol into him.

Zhao Ruo Cheng’s eyes were full of disbelief, trying to struggle, but breathing became difficult.

“Sleep,” Jie Yang said. “Yao Wei will soon join you.”

On March 20, he used Zhao Ruo Cheng’s phone to message Yao Wei, saying the police investigation was deepening, they might not escape, and the only way to protect themselves was to kill Jie Yang together and fake his suicide. Yao Wei panicked and, in confusion, received a call from Jie Yang.

Jie Yang’s voice was panicked: “Zhao Ruo Cheng just messaged me—he wants me to kill you. Old Yao, I can’t do this! Run!”

After a short confusion, Yao Wei realized what had happened—Zhao Ruo Cheng, that treacherous bastard, sent the same message to both him and Jie Yang to make them kill each other. If they both died, Zhao Ruo Cheng would be safe.

“Jie, listen to me! I got the same message. We have to stick together!”

This was exactly what Jie Yang wanted to hear. They arranged to meet at night to discuss how to deal with Zhao Ruo Cheng.

At night, Yao Wei drove to Erlizhi Road. They chose this place because Jie Yang knew it too well—he knew every shadow and how to avoid every camera at night.

Yao Wei arrived and waited half an hour. Jie Yang got into his car and, as Yao Wei was about to speak, Jie Yang injected him. Yao Wei never reacted and didn’t understand until his death that it was him who had died.

Hai Shu asked, “Earlier you said you dealt with the body—how did you handle it? You could have taken it away that day, why hide it in the morgue?”

Jie Yang shook his head with a bitter smile. “Tang Jinli was buried deep, yet someone dug her up. It’s not safe. Only if you can never find Yao Wei am I safe.”

Since giving the isopropyl phenol to Yao Wei, Jie Yang had been considering various ways to escape. He remembered in college, a classmate had gone to an external institution for underground autopsies due to a shortage of bodies at the school. The institution’s existence was illegal, and only certain students could access it. The source of bodies was strictly confidential, and anything at risk of being discovered by police would be destroyed.

Jie Yang thought giving the body to them was the safest option.

He vaguely knew a junior named Zheng Li was doing this. A few years ago, Zheng Li had left him contact info. He didn’t expect much but called, and surprisingly, it went through. He asked if they still accepted bodies. Zheng Li said yes, but it would take a month.

A month was too long. Jie Yang asked if it could be faster. Zheng Li said no. If he could wait, they would take it; if not, he had to handle it himself.

He thought it through. He believed the police wouldn’t find him quickly, and keeping the body in the hospital morgue meant even if the police suspected him, they wouldn’t search the morgue. Handling it himself was too risky; giving it to the institution ensured safety.

Jie Yang’s shoulders slumped. He stared at Hai Shu. “I can’t believe… in the end, I lost to a woman.”

Hai Shu’s eyelids twitched when she heard him mention the institution. For a moment, the nameless bodies at Moonrise Villa kept replaying in her mind.

The bodies in Pit B had been repeatedly dissected before burial!

“What’s the institution called? Give me Zheng Li’s contact info!”

Jie Yang shook his head. “I don’t know the name. I wasn’t involved. Zheng Li… I have it on another phone. Check it yourself.”

Leaving the interrogation room, Hai Shu looked up at the window at the end of the corridor—it was already daylight. She felt a bit exhausted and temporarily left the Zheng Li matter to her teammates.

Although Jie Yang confessed, there were still some suspicious points and seemingly too coincidental circumstances in this case. After being hurt by Li Siwei, Tang Jinli became a so-called “female sea king.” She was eager to build a family and tested and used Jie Yang and the other two men. A normal man discovering he was a backup would certainly feel anger and hurt—but would he uncontrollably kill?

Passionate killings exist, but all three losing control simultaneously seemed a bit theatrical.

Wen Xu brought over two cups of coffee, fingers holding an egg pancake from a breakfast stall. “Just eat a little, fill your stomach.”

Hai Shu took a few bites and gulped down her coffee, feeling her mind clearer. “Teacher Wen, I want to ask you a question.”

She said what she had been thinking. “Is this kind of behavior more common among men?”

Wen Xu said, “Everyone’s ability to manage emotions is different. I can only say, if I discovered that I had genuinely invested myself and ended up as a backup, I would break up and let the past be the past. From my understanding of men, many would be like me—some more extreme, harboring long-term resentment in their hearts, but incapable of murder. On the other hand, there are quite a few men who are the opposite; they usually have a specific trait.”

Hai Shu listened carefully, connecting it to Jie Yang’s testimony. “They’re deeply insecure inside?”

Wen Xu nodded. “Especially insecure in front of women. This kind of insecurity isn’t just psychological; it often stems from a specific issue. For example, Zhao Ruo Cheng is an auxiliary cop, not a real policeman or soldier. He felt women would look down on him, so he pretended to be a soldier to trick women. Later, as an auxiliary cop, he would brag that he was a real policeman. When he learned Tang Jinli’s other two boyfriends were a doctor and a photographer, his insecurity ballooned. He became convinced Tang Jinli was insulting him.”

Hai Shu said, “Then his madness has a traceable cause. Yao Wei and Jie Yang also had their issues. Jie Yang is a shut-in who isolates himself in the anime world, with little contact with women, and a kind of fear toward them. Yao Wei’s problem is even greater—he seems to live with two different personalities. Simply put, they’re all insecure men with unstable mental states, and a slight trigger or guidance can set them off…”

Wen Xu smiled. “You grasped it quickly—instantly understanding the psychology of men like us.”

Hai Shu did not relax. At this moment, a woman’s face appeared before her: Fengcheng Anna.

There were individual reasons why Jie Yang, Zhao Ruo Cheng, and Yao Wei went mad, but why was it such a coincidence that all of Tang Jinli’s boyfriends were this kind of person? Yao Wei was introduced to Tang Jinli by Fengcheng Anna. Jie Yang knew Fengcheng Anna. Whether Zhao Ruo Cheng had any connection to Fengcheng Anna was still unknown.

If there was, then what role might Fengcheng Anna have played?

Jie Yang had not mentioned Fengcheng Anna at all. It didn’t seem he was deliberately hiding her, just that he thought she was irrelevant. But one thing couldn’t be ignored: Tang Jinli didn’t actually do anime-related work. Her attending the convention and meeting Jie Yang could very likely have been at Fengcheng Anna’s request.

Also, Liu Xing reacted extremely abnormally when seeing Fengcheng Anna’s photo.

Why did he know where Tang Jinli was buried?

Hai Shu didn’t have time to rest. As the city woke up, she immediately went to Fengcheng Anna’s residence. But Anna wasn’t there. The internet celebrity living with her said she had gone out of town for a shoot yesterday.

Another piece of bad news followed: Zheng Li’s phone was off, impossible to confirm his whereabouts. Even stranger, the person corresponding to the identity of Zheng Li—the junior mentioned by Jie Yang—had died of heart disease five years ago.

Jie Yang hadn’t expected to be brought to the interrogation room so soon.

Hai Shu said, “Zheng Li is already dead.”

Jie Yang took a long moment to respond. “Ah?”

Hai Shu asked, “Are you sure the one contacting you was really your junior? Really Zheng Li?”

Jie Yang asked in confusion, “What do you mean?”

Hai Shu asked, “When did you last see him?”

Jie Yang thought for a moment. “Three years ago? At a doctors’ gathering. We met by chance and chatted briefly. He said what he was up to, what he was doing.”

“You still remembered what your junior looked like after so many years?”

Jie Yang looked up in shock. “That person… wasn’t Zheng Li at all?”

Hai Shu nodded. “Most likely. The real Zheng Li died five years ago. This person impersonated him. First, answer me—do you remember what your junior looked like?”

Jie Yang shivered. “I can’t remember clearly. We weren’t very close. But he said he was Zheng Li, and I didn’t doubt him.”

Hai Shu moved on. “Do you know that Tang Jinli was introduced to Yao Wei by Fengcheng Anna?”

Jie Yang’s eyes showed disbelief. “……”

“Looks like you didn’t know,” Hai Shu said. “One of the companies Fengcheng Anna signed with is Yao Wei’s company, Qifeng Kaiyun.”

Jie Yang opened his mouth twice. “I knew that, but I thought… I thought they just knew each other, had no interaction.”

Hai Shu said, “Yao Wei may also think you had no connection with Fengcheng Anna, but in fact, you are one of her avid fans. Jie Yang, do you have a feeling? That your meeting with Tang Jinli was orchestrated?”

Jie Yang shook his head. “Impossible!”

Hai Shu said, “The fact is, Fengcheng Anna knew Tang Jinli before you did. Sometimes she recommended work to Tang Jinli. That convention where you met was recommended by Fengcheng Anna. She also did her makeup and prepared her costume.”

Jie Yang suddenly froze.

Hai Shu continued, “And you… fell in love with Tang Jinli’s appearance at first sight.”

Jie Yang trembled. “But… why would Anna do this?”

Hai Shu said, “She’s weaving a trap, and you all fell into it. Now, tell me, what has Fengcheng Anna said to you?”

Cold sweat dripped from Jie Yang’s head, his expression torn. He had always believed he was the master of his fate. Even though he committed crimes and was caught, unable to escape, every step had been by his own will.

So it wasn’t that at all?

He remembered his first meeting with Fengcheng Anna, which was at the convention the year before last. That cute, lively girl cosplayed his favorite female character, like a spirit stepping out from the two-dimensional world. After that, he would appear at any convention where Fengcheng Anna was present, and he even joined her fan club. At one offline event, he even shook hands with Fengcheng Anna.

Fengcheng Anna chatting with fans made him like her even more than on stage, but this liking was very pure, like a high goddess and a lowly devotee. The devotee could only look up to the goddess, never daring to tarnish her.

Fengcheng Anna became familiar with him, spoke to him a few times, knew he was a doctor, and looked at him with admiration, saying he was amazing.

Later, one time he went to the convention to see Fengcheng Anna, only to find that due to scheduling she couldn’t make it. He wasn’t too disappointed. Walking around alone, looking at other cosplayers, he suddenly saw Tang Jinli and his eyes lit up.

This woman’s temperament didn’t quite fit in with her surroundings, but it was precisely this mismatch that suited the character. At that time, he didn’t even know Tang Jinli’s name but took many photos. When leaving the convention, he felt an impulse to meet Tang Jinli.

With Fengcheng Anna, he had never felt such an impulse. He only needed to protect her from afar, but Tang Jinli seemed more like an ordinary person he could try to approach.

After the convention, he waited for Tang Jinli and, summoning courage, asked her to dinner. Tang Jinli actually smiled and agreed.

Hai Shu asked, “And after that? You and Tang Jinli started a relationship. Did you still meet Fengcheng Anna?”

Jie Yang instinctively defended, “Tang Jinli is different from me! Meeting Fengcheng Anna was just fan and idol!”

Hai Shu asked, “So you met her. What did you talk about?”

The more Jie Yang recalled, the uglier his expression became. He grabbed his hair as if he had realized something.

Why did he discover Tang Jinli was using him as a backup? It was because at an offline fan meeting, Fengcheng Anna kindly reminded everyone not to be deceived in relationships and to make sure they weren’t a backup. Men and women over thirty in relationships aren’t that simple; the likelihood of being a backup is high.

After realizing he was a backup, he proactively told Fengcheng Anna about it, like a devotee seeking comfort from a goddess. Fengcheng Anna looked at him with pity, saying he was such a good person, shouldn’t be let down by a woman, and the women who hurt him should not be forgiven.

Subtly, she guided him.

Jie Yang looked at Hai Shu in horror. “Fengcheng Anna used me, Yao Wei, and Zhao Ruo Cheng to kill Tang Jinli? But why?”

Fengcheng Anna had just finished an out-of-town shoot when local police asked her into a patrol car. Wearing youthful makeup, her panic-stricken expression was pitiful. “What are you doing? Let me go!”

A female officer controlled her and patiently explained that they had received a cooperation request from the Huoyong City Bureau and would send her to the airport. Fengcheng Anna asked to call her company. One of the partners at Qifeng Kaiyun answered, saying the police had already come to the company to check the situation and hoped she would honestly report to the police.

Fengcheng Anna was exasperated. “But I didn’t do anything!”

The flight to Huoyong City landed safely. Hai Shu was waiting at the airport early. Seeing her, Fengcheng Anna finally smiled slightly. “Officer Hai, what on earth is going on?”

In the city bureau’s interrogation room, Hai Shu said, “Besides introducing Yao Wei to Tang Jinli, you also secretly facilitated Tang Jinli’s relationship with Jie Yang.”

Fengcheng Anna widened her innocent eyes. “How could that be? And who is this Jie Yang? I don’t know him.”

Hai Shu took out a photo of Jie Yang with Fengcheng Anna. “This is Jie Yang. He has admitted that he, Yao Wei, and Zhao Ruo Cheng together killed Tang Jinli and disposed of the body.”

Fengcheng Anna was so shocked she couldn’t speak. Her pretty nails covered half her face, her shoulders trembling. After a long while, she calmed down and whispered, “Brother Yao… Brother Yao, how could this happen?”

Hai Shu pointed at the photo. “Setting aside Yao Wei for now, you don’t recognize him?”

Fengcheng Anna trembled. “It’s him? He was my fan, but I didn’t know his real name. I can explain this photo—at conventions, fans take photos with us; it’s called ‘collecting stamps.’ Taking a photo doesn’t mean you know someone.”

Hai Shu said, “But Jie Yang said he confided in you about Tang Jinli and her relationship problems, and you gave him advice, saying Tang Jinli was a bad woman.”

In fact, when Jie Yang mentioned Tang Jinli to Fengcheng Anna, he didn’t give a name, only vaguely referring to his girlfriend. Hai Shu wanted to test Fengcheng Anna’s reaction.

Fengcheng Anna quickly replied, “Absolutely impossible! He only said his girlfriend treated him as a backup, but I had no idea he was talking about Janie! How could it be Janie? Janie was with Yao Wei!”

Hai Shu took out a long work sheet. “Some time has passed, so it took effort to trace your work from early last year. As you said before, you were busy. Sometimes you accepted work but had to give it to someone else due to scheduling conflicts. On March 22 last year, Tang Jinli went to a convention for you and met Jie Yang. Her makeup and styling were done by you. You know what your fans want to see, and you designed Tang Jinli according to Jie Yang’s preferences. This work sheet shows you had no other events that day. So I ask, why did you give the work to Tang Jinli?”

“I…” Fengcheng Anna clenched her hands, nearly in tears. “I don’t remember. You must be mistaken. I really had events almost every day. If I couldn’t make it, why wouldn’t I earn money myself? And what about you saying I designed Janie according to Jie Yang’s preferences? What do I gain from that?”

Hai Shu said, “You wanted to use these three emotionally unstable men to kill Tang Jinli for you.”

Fengcheng Anna’s chest heaved, staring at Hai Shu in shock and disbelief. “Officer Hai, why would you say that about me? I have no feud with Janie! Since I met her on the mountain, I’ve been helping her! We have no career competition, let alone life competition. Don’t say killing her—I never had even a thought to harm her!”

As she spoke, her eyes reddened, tears falling like broken pearls, unstoppable.

Hai Shu admitted asking was a bit risky. The theory that Fengcheng Anna used Jie Yang and the others to kill was not yet formed, but she couldn’t figure out Fengcheng Anna’s motive and had not found a connection between Fengcheng Anna and Zhao Ruo Cheng. However, based on Jie Yang’s testimony, it was highly likely he was secretly manipulated by Fengcheng Anna, and the same might apply to Yao Wei and Zhao Ruo Cheng. Furthermore, Tang Jinli’s body eventually ended up in Liu Xing’s hands, whose later actions helped the police solve the murder case, and Liu Xing reacted strangely to Fengcheng Anna’s photo.

Three perpetrators, one victim, one avenger—all connected to Fengcheng Anna.

Any coincidence is suspicious to an experienced detective. Hai Shu would not let it go.

Hai Shu sighed and handed a tissue to Fengcheng Anna. “Do you know how we found the people who killed Tang Jinli?”

Fengcheng Anna shook her head, sobbing.

Hai Shu then explained the whole process, repeatedly emphasizing Liu Xing’s name, sometimes using his real name, other times calling him “Liu the Fool.” She wanted to catch a clue in Fengcheng Anna’s microexpressions, but Fengcheng Anna cried the entire time, her tears blurring all reactions.

Finally, Hai Shu asked, “Do you know Liu Xing?”

Fengcheng Anna said firmly, “No, I don’t know him.”

“But what I don’t understand is, when I showed him your photo, his gaze clearly said: ‘I know you,’” Hai Shu said. “What a coincidence—they all know you.”