Chapter 64

Penerjemah: Editor Terjemahan EndlessFantasy: Terjemahan EndlessFantasy

Setengah tahun kemudian.

Saat itu bulan Mei, dan sedikit kehangatan mengingatkan Lin City akan pendekatan lambat musim panas. Namun, ada beberapa hujan ringan di pagi hari hari ini, sehingga udara terasa menyenangkan menyegarkan di bawah sinar matahari yang berkilauan.

Ji Bai berdiri di pintu masuk bandara dengan jas hitam dengan tangan terlipat di depannya. Dia bisa dikira sebagai model yang tampan ketika dia berdiri di tengah-tengah kerumunan yang ramai, bahkan menarik cukup banyak perhatian karena penampilannya yang tangguh dan dewasa.

Ji Bai tidak perlu menunggu terlalu lama sebelum Shu Hang, Monkey, dan yang lainnya muncul. Masing-masing dari mereka membawa koper kecil saat mereka berjalan santai keluar dari bandara. ketika mereka melihat satu sama lain, senyum lebar menyebar di setiap wajah mereka.

Shu Hang berbicara lebih dulu. "Wow, seperti yang diharapkan, kamu benar-benar berbeda sekarang karena kamu seorang ayah. Lihatlah tampilan sombong di wajah Anda, Anda tidak sabar untuk memamerkan kesuksesan Anda dalam hidup! "

Semua orang tertawa ketika Monkey menambahkan, "Tentu saja, Ji Bai selalu memastikan untuk memikirkan semuanya dengan seksama dan dia telah berakhir dengan seorang istri dan seorang anak."

Ji Bai tersenyum dan mengangkat bahu. "Aku tidak bisa menahannya. Saya tidak bisa menyangkal betapa beruntungnya saya. "

Semua orang tertawa dan mengejeknya karena nada sombongnya.

Total tiga mobil melaju dari bandara kembali ke kota. Ji Bai menyetir sendiri dengan Shu Hang di kursi penumpang, Monkey dan teman lain di belakang. Mereka semua pernah ke Lin City sebelumnya, tetapi ini adalah pertama kalinya mereka di musim panas. Mereka segera terkejut melihat betapa subur, segar, dan menyenangkannya kota itu ketika Monyet bersiul pelan. "Cuaca di sini jauh lebih baik daripada cuaca di Beijing – terlalu panas dan kering di sana."

Sebelum Ji Bai bisa menjawabnya, Shu Hang menyeringai. "Apa yang kamu harapkan? Ini adalah tanah diberkati Third Ji. "

Teman yang lain mencibir dan menimpali, “Apakah kalian ingat? Ketika Saudara Ketiga Ji kembali ke Beijing tahun lalu, dia mengklaim bahwa dia tidak punya pacar. Dalam waktu kurang dari dua tahun, ia menikah dan anaknya sekarang sudah berusia satu bulan. Apakah semua petugas polisi kriminal seperti ini? Mereka sangat gesit, akurat dan brutal. "

Ji Bai dalam suasana hati yang baik ketika dia menjawab, "Apakah itu secepat itu? Setelah bertemu dengan orang yang tepat, saya merasa seperti dua tahun baru saja lewat. ”

Kata-katanya terdengar romantis namun sombong. Sisa dari mereka saling memberi isyarat dengan mata mereka dan mereka dengan cepat mengungkapkan kekaguman dan kecemburuan mereka dengan membuat peluit serigala dan ciuman berbunyi … Namun, mereka benar-benar merasa sedikit malu karena mereka semua masih tidak memiliki keluarga sendiri – karena ini, mereka benar-benar mengagumi Ji Bai.

Orang yang tepat, ya? Tidak semua orang akan seberuntung itu bertemu orang yang tepat dalam hidup. Tidak peduli siapa individu itu, mereka akan membutuhkan sedikit keberuntungan untuk bertemu dengan pasangan yang akhirnya akan menjadi pasangan yang cocok di surga.

Pesta bulan purnama diadakan di salah satu hotel di kota. Masih ada waktu yang tersisa sebelum pesta dimulai, jadi Ji Bai membawa Shu Hang dan yang lainnya ke kamar mereka di lantai atas. Kemudian, dia kembali ke rumah untuk menjemput istri dan anaknya.

Shu Hang dan yang lainnya tidak bisa duduk lama. Apa yang begitu menyenangkan tentang tinggal di dalam kamar hotel? Setelah mereka mandi dan berganti pakaian, mereka berjalan turun berpakaian lengkap.

Hotel ini baru dibangun dan sangat besar. Taman itu dipenuhi dengan tanaman hijau subur dan hanya beberapa bercak sinar matahari yang terlihat menembus taman yang semarak yang tergantung di atas kepala. Itu tenang dan indah, menjadikannya tempat yang bagus bagi orang untuk berjalan-jalan.

Shu Hang memanggil pelayan untuk memesan ruang santai bagi mereka untuk mengobrol, bermain kartu, dan minum teh bersama. Ruang tunggu ditutupi karpet beludru merah dengan banyak sofa kulit yang ditata dengan apik di tengahnya. Ada juga jendela kaca dari lantai ke langit-langit yang memungkinkan mereka untuk melihat pemandangan taman yang indah saat mereka menikmati diri mereka sendiri.

Shu Hang beruntung hari ini dan dengan cepat memenangkan tiga pertandingan berturut-turut. Dia dengan riang memandang sekeliling seperti raja yang baru saja dinobatkan dan memperhatikan bahwa Monyet sekarang memandang ke luar jendela tanpa sadar. Dia mengikuti pandangan Monkey dan langsung terpana.

Dia bukan satu-satunya yang tercengang. Pria di sebelahnya dengan cepat mengangkat tangannya untuk mendorong yang lain dan dalam satu menit, mereka semua menjulurkan leher mereka ke arah yang sama. Mereka benar-benar mengabaikan permainan kartu dan sepenuhnya berfokus pada minat terbaru mereka.

Tidak ada awan di langit nila di luar jendela saat matahari yang cerah menimpa rerumputan dan danau, meninggalkan kemilau yang menyilaukan di permukaannya. Seorang wanita muda berjalan keluar dari balik pepohonan dan perlahan-lahan menuju danau. Dia mengenakan gaun merah muda terang dan sepasang sandal yang serasi sementara rambut hitam panjangnya jatuh di bahunya seperti satin paling mewah. Shu Hang belum pernah melihat seseorang dengan rambut seindah ini sebelumnya. Ada kilau berkilau di rambutnya yang tak tertahankan karena bersandar rapi di bahu wanita yang seperti batu giok. Belum lagi, ketika wanita itu sedikit memalingkan wajahnya, mereka bisa melihat alisnya yang tipis dan halus dan matanya yang penuh kehidupan.

Untungnya, jendela besar itu adalah kaca satu arah sehingga orang-orang di luar tidak bisa melihat ke dalam. Karena hal ini, para bujang yang haus di dalam bisa melirik wanita itu ke keinginan hati mereka, sementara wanita itu tetap tidak menyadari keberadaan mereka. Mereka mengawasinya berjalan santai ke tepi danau sebelum sedikit mengernyit. Dia sangat cantik, tetapi setelah melihatnya sedikit berkerut, dia tampak agak jauh dan dingin. Namun, ketidaksempurnaan ini dan fakta bahwa dia sekarang tampak lebih tidak terjangkau hanya membuatnya lebih menarik.

Dia duduk di bangku dekat danau dan tampak tenggelam dalam pikirannya sendiri. Setelah beberapa saat hening di dalam lounge hotel, suasana menjadi gaduh. Monyet menatapnya sebelum dengan cepat melolong ketidaksenangannya. "Dia jelas bukan dari pihak Ji Bai. Apakah dia bahkan punya teman perempuan yang tidak kita sadari? Sial, saya tidak bisa percaya kakak ipar benar-benar memiliki teman yang begitu cantik. "

Tepat setelah Ji Bai memasuki ruang tunggu, dia melihat sekelompok pria berdiskusi dengan antusias sambil menatap Yao Meng di sisi lain jendela.

Ketika mereka melihat Ji Bai, mereka langsung bertanya, "Ketiga Ji, siapa dia? Apakah dia kakak iparmu? "

Biasanya, mereka bukan tipe yang mudah bergairah, karena semua mata mereka sangat tajam, mereka telah melihat semua jenis keindahan sebelumnya. Alasan mengapa mereka bereaksi seperti itu adalah karena kecantikan Yao Meng sangat unik di mata mereka. Dia mempesona, namun ada juga sedikit pesona kekanak-kanakan. Dia tampak lembut dan cantik, tetapi masih ada sentuhan kegelisahan di dalam dirinya yang membuatnya tampak sangat misterius. Pria paling takut pada wanita misterius karena mereka tidak pernah bisa menahan keinginan untuk mengejar seseorang di luar jangkauan mereka. Selain itu, penampilan Yao Meng yang tiba-tiba mengejutkan mereka dan, anak laki-laki menjadi anak laki-laki, mereka ingin membuat keributan.

Ji Bai memandang Yao Meng. Setengah tahun telah berlalu sejak kasus Lin Qingyan, dan gadis malang itu selalu bersikap rendah hati sejak saat itu. Karena itu, dia menjawab, "Dia adalah teman Xu Xu. Kalian sebaiknya tidak mengacaukannya. ”

Semua orang tertawa ketika seseorang menunjukkan, "Sudah terlambat, Monyet sudah pergi."

Ji Bai mengerutkan kening dan melihat sekelilingnya. Cukup benar, dia tidak melihat Monyet. Monkey terkenal sebagai playboy yang memiliki banyak pacar, jadi tidak mungkin dia membiarkannya mengganggu Yao Meng. Namun, pada saat ini, para tamu mulai berdatangan dan Ji Bai harus menyambut mereka. Karena itu, dia melambaikan tangannya dan berkata dengan tegas, "Aku tidak bercanda, tolong hentikan dia."

Kelompok orang ini masih relatif berguna ketika dia serius, dan beberapa orang segera berdiri. Pada titik ini, Shu Hang yang telah minum teh diam-diam juga bangkit. "Aku akan pergi."

Shu Hang sangat bisa diandalkan, jadi Ji Bai diyakinkan. Dia mengangguk dan berjalan keluar bersamanya. Mereka berpisah saat mencapai persimpangan di ujung koridor saat mereka berdua menuju ke arah yang berbeda. Setelah Shu Hang mengambil dua langkah ke depan, dia berbalik dan bertanya, "Oh ya, siapa nama gadis itu?"

Ji Bai menyapa beberapa petugas polisi dan kolega. Dia berbalik ke samping untuk menatapnya dan menjawab dengan jelas, "Yao Meng."

Shu Hang mengenal Monkey dengan baik dan segera menemukannya di jalan beberapa meter dari Yao Meng, baru saja mengambil dua gelas anggur dari pelayan.

"Ji Ketiga mencarimu dengan segera, cepat dan pergi padanya." Shu Hang berkata dengan ekspresi serius di wajahnya.

Dengan marah Monkey mengembalikan minuman ke pelayan dan mengikuti Shu Hang kembali. Ketika mereka tiba di pintu masuk ruang tunggu, Shu Hang berhenti sementara Monkey langsung masuk.

"Tangkap dia dan jangan biarkan dia keluar sebelum pesta dimulai." Shu Hang memberi perintah dan beberapa dari mereka di dalam ruang sambil bercanda menekan Monkey di atas meja. Kemudian, Shu Hang berbalik dan pergi. Seseorang melihatnya berjalan pergi dan bertanya, "Di mana Anda pergi, Saudara Shu?"

Shu Hang tersenyum padanya dan terus berjalan. "Ji Ketiga meminta bantuanku."

Dia berjalan cepat dan kembali ke tepi danau. Kemudian, dia meminta dua minuman dari pelayan dan menuju ke Yao Meng. Orang-orang di ruang tunggu tercengang ketika mereka menyaksikannya. Setelah beberapa saat, mereka melihat Yao Meng tersenyum sopan pada Shu Hang sebelum berjalan pergi. Shu Hang, di sisi lain, melangkah maju dan mengambil waktu untuk mengikutinya dengan senyum tak tahu malu di wajahnya. "Hei, jangan pergi …"

Pesta bulan purnama berjalan sangat lancar. Semua orang bersemangat – kolega dari kantor polisi, teman masa kecil Ji Bai, atau saudara dan saudari junior yang serius namun sombong dari akademi kepolisian Xu Xu. Meskipun bayi mereka yang adil dan gemuk baru saja muncul, tetapi dia terus tersenyum pada semua orang sepanjang hari, menjaga kegemparan yang menyenangkan.

Ayah Ji Bai, kakak laki-laki, dan saudara laki-laki kedua datang. Meskipun ibu Ji Bai tidak datang, dia meminta Pastor Ji untuk memberi Xu Xu sebuah amplop merah besar dan satu set perhiasan.

Ji Bai perlahan-lahan mengasimilasi Xu Xu ke dalam keluarga dan dia mengerti bahwa dia tidak bisa terburu-buru dan mencoba untuk mempercepat hubungannya dengan ibu mertuanya. Setengah hari, Ji Bai menemaninya saat mereka menelepon ibu mertuanya, percakapan mereka masih sopan seperti yang diharapkan. Mereka tahu bahwa mereka hanya bisa memberikan waktu dan menunggu sampai hari akhirnya mereka bisa akrab.

Dalam sekejap mata, bayi mereka berusia dua bulan.

Xu Juan baru saja dipulangkan dari rumah sakit, dan meskipun berat badannya turun beberapa kilogram, ia terlihat agak energik. Meskipun demikian, sekarang ada bekas luka merah gelap di bagian belakang kepalanya. Setiap kali Xu Xu membuka rambutnya untuk melihat bekas luka itu, dia akan merasakan sakit yang tumpul di hatinya. Dia akan membelai itu berulang-ulang sementara Xu Juan menghiburnya sambil tersenyum. “Hari-hari baik akan datang kepada mereka yang lolos dari maut. Masa depan saudaramu tampak cerah. "

Itu hari Sabtu dan Ji Bai bekerja lembur seperti biasa. Xu Xu masih cuti hamil dan dia tinggal di rumah bersama anak mereka bersama Xu Juan.

Baik Ji Bai dan Xu Xu seharusnya merawat anak itu. Meski begitu, setiap kali Xu Juan punya waktu luang selama akhir pekan, dia akan datang dan mengurus semuanya. Karena Xu Xu melihat betapa dia sangat menyukai keponakannya, dia secara alami membiarkan mereka terikat.

Ketika Ji Bai kembali ke rumah, dia melihat Xu Juan dengan tangan di saku celananya dan tangan lain memegang popok. Dia berdiri di samping dengan seringai di wajahnya ketika Xu Juan membungkuk ketika dia berjuang untuk mengganti popok anaknya dengan tatapan penuh perhatian pada wajahnya yang tampan.

Ji Bai menyapa Xu Juan, lalu menarik tangan Xu Xu dan membawanya ke kamar. Xu Xu bertambah sedikit berat badan setelah melahirkan anak dan kulitnya juga menjadi lebih putih. Meskipun demikian, di mata Ji Bai, dia terlihat lebih manis dan lebih proporsional daripada sebelumnya. Setiap kali dia melihat senyum di wajahnya, Ji Bai akan mendapatkan dorongan tak tertahankan untuk menciumnya.

Dia mendorongnya ke pintu dan mulai menciumnya ketika wajah Xu Xu memerah. "Kakak masih sibuk di luar"

Ji Bai membenamkannya ke bahunya dan mendengkur, "Biarkan saja."

Meskipun Xu Juan sangat menyukai keponakannya, dia tidak memiliki niat untuk mengganggu Ji Bai dan Xu Xu. Jadi, dia pergi segera setelah Ji Bai kembali. Dia adalah saudara lelaki dan paman yang sangat baik karena dia memastikan untuk menidurkan bayi itu sebelum pergi.

Itu adalah malam yang sejuk dan damai ketika Ji Bai selesai bekerja di ruang belajarnya dan kembali ke kamar tidur. Dia segera melihat Xu Xu duduk di samping meja di samping setumpuk file besar, melaluinya dengan penuh perhatian.

Dia membawa file-file ini kembali dari kantor polisi sesuai permintaan Xu Xu. Sejak kasus Lin Qingyan, Xu Xu tidak mengerjakan kasus apa pun – sudah setengah tahun sejak kasus terakhir. Dalam kata-katanya, dia merasa "mati lemas."

Dia membaca dengan penuh perhatian dan tidak memperhatikan bahwa Ji Bai telah memasuki ruangan. Ji Bai terus menatapnya dan perlahan mulai membuka baju.

Segera, dia tidak mengenakan apa pun kecuali sepasang celana pendek saat dia merangkak ke arahnya perlahan. Tiba-tiba, dia membungkuk dari belakang dan menopang lengannya di atas meja. Kemudian, dia menundukkan kepalanya dan berbisik ke telinganya, "Apakah Anda memiliki hal lain yang ingin Anda lakukan?"

Baru saat itulah Xu Xu mengangkat kepalanya untuk menatapnya. Tak perlu dikatakan, dia tertegun.

Cahaya hangat redup menyinari wajahnya yang tampan bersudut tepat di sebelah wajahnya. Tubuhnya yang tinggi tampak lebih ramping dan tangguh di bawah cahaya lembut karena setiap inci tubuhnya tampak memancarkan kehangatan tertentu yang menyatu dengan miliknya.

Wajah Xu Xu memerah. Mereka berdua hanya melakukannya beberapa kali saat dia hamil; bahkan setelah dia melahirkan, mereka memastikan untuk tidak mendorongnya dan abstain sama sekali.

Namun, itu pasti baik-baik saja untuk melakukannya sekarang.

Ji Bai melihat bahwa dia mendapatkan petunjuk itu, jadi dia bangun dengan perasaan puas dan mengambil handuk mandi dari sampingnya. "Aku akan mandi dulu."

Begitu dia memasuki kamar mandi, Xu Xu memikirkannya sejenak. Kemudian, dia menyisihkan file-file itu, membuka lemari dan mulai mencari gaun tidur. Karena mereka telah menahan diri begitu lama, dia harus memilih gaun tidur yang menggoda untuk membantu membakar gairah mereka. Sementara dia membandingkan berbagai set gaun tidur, dia tiba-tiba mendengar suara air di kamar mandi berhenti ketika Ji Bai memanggil dengan santai, "Wifey, aku lupa mengambil handuk."

"Oh." Namun, tepat ketika Xu Xu hendak bangun dan mencari handuk, dia ingat bahwa dia memang membawa handuk sebelum dia memasuki kamar mandi.

Xu Xu tidak bisa menahan senyum pada niatnya yang sangat jelas. Kemudian, dia menundukkan kepalanya untuk melihat berbagai gaun tidur dewasa yang berbaring di tempat tidurnya dan memikirkan yang mana yang akan dikenakan.

Setelah mereka pindah bersama, Ji Bai telah mengubah bak mandi satu orang biasa menjadi bak mandi yang sangat besar yang memiliki cukup ruang untuknya dan Xu Xu untuk berguling-guling. Setelah Xu Xu menjawabnya, ia terus bersantai di bak mandi dengan lengannya tergantung di tepi sementara dia menunggu wanita itu dengan santai.

Setelah beberapa saat, dia mendengar suara langkah kaki mendekat. Sekarang, dia telah menahan diri selama setengah tahun, jadi tenggorokannya terasa kering sementara tubuhnya mulai menegang saat dia menatap pintu.

Perlahan, pintu didorong terbuka dan Xu Xu berjalan masuk.

Saat Ji Bai melihatnya, dia merasakan tubuhnya terbakar. Perasaan itu begitu luar biasa sehingga dia merasa seperti akan meledak.

Xu Xu tidak punya apa-apa selain handuk melilit tubuhnya. Dia secara bersamaan terlihat seperti yang paling tidak bersalah, dan hal yang paling menggoda di dunia saat dia berjalan menghampirinya dengan pipi memerah. "Ini handukmu."

Senyum lebar muncul di wajah Ji Bai. Dia tiba-tiba keluar dari bak mandi, mengangkatnya, dan menutup pintu kamar mandi.

Ruangan itu segera dipenuhi dengan aroma bercinta mereka.

Pada saat mereka selesai, itu sudah tengah malam. Ji Bai bersandar pada Yao Meng merasa sangat puas saat ia terus meninggalkan ciuman kecil di seluruh tubuhnya.

Setelah beberapa saat, dia mengingat sesuatu dan berkata kepada Xu Xu, "Shu Hang telah mengejar Yao Meng selama hampir sebulan."

Xu Xu sedikit terkejut. "Apakah dia tidak harus kembali ke Beijing?"

"Proyek terakhir perusahaannya berbasis di Lin City." Seringai muncul di wajah Ji Bai saat dia menjelaskan, "Dia mengatakan kepada saya bahwa Yao Meng telah menolaknya lebih dari sepuluh kali."

Xu Xu mengangguk dan menghela nafas. "Jelas." Setelah memikirkannya sejenak, dia memandang Ji Bai dan bertanya, "Apakah kamu pikir mereka cocok satu sama lain?"

Alih-alih menjawab pertanyaannya, Ji Bai hanya mengangkat bahu. “Shu Hang mungkin pandai berbicara manis, tapi dia memiliki integritas untuk mendukungnya. Apakah mereka cocok satu sama lain atau tidak bukan untuk kita putuskan. "Dia berhenti sebelum menambahkan," Mungkin sekarang bukan waktu yang tepat, tetapi akhirnya, Yao Meng harus melanjutkan hidupnya. "

Hari berikutnya, setelah Ji Bai pulang kerja, dia menerima telepon dari Shu Hang tepat ketika dia akan berhubungan intim dengan istrinya.

Nada main-main dan santai Shu Hang tidak ditemukan. Sebaliknya, dia terdengar agak serius. "Aku baru tahu tentang masa lalu Yao Meng."

Ji Bai terdiam sesaat karena sampai sekarang, dia selalu berusaha menghindari berbicara tentang masa lalu Yao Meng. Meski begitu, dia tahu bahwa jika Shu Hang serius mengejar dia, maka dia akhirnya akan mendapatkan seseorang untuk mencari tahu lebih banyak tentang dia.

"Jadi, apakah kamu masih akan mengejarnya?" Tanya Ji Bai.

Shu Hang tidak segera menjawab.

Matahari baru saja mulai terbenam ketika mereka berbicara satu sama lain, dan Shu Hang duduk di mobilnya yang diparkir tepat di pintu depan sebuah kafe.

Itu adalah kafe Yao Meng. Setiap sore, dia akan duduk di lantai dua kafe untuk sementara waktu. Shu Hang mengejarnya dengan antusias, jadi dia tahu jadwalnya dengan baik.

Dia duduk di dalam mobil dan memandang ketika Yao Meng dengan santai berjalan keluar dari kafe. Dia masih secantik dan bersinar seperti biasa.

"Mari kita bicarakan lagi lain kali." Dia menutup telepon pada Ji Bai dan diam-diam menatap sosok anggunnya bergerak melalui kerumunan.

Tiba-tiba, sebuah BMW convertible dari seberang jalan perlahan berhenti di sebelah Yao Meng. Kemudian, Yao Meng mengungkapkan senyum manis kepada pria di mobil.

Mata Shu Hang langsung melebar.

Pria di mobil itu Feng Ye. Dia mengenakan setelan jas dan telah mencukur janggutnya sehingga dia sekarang tampak setampan sebelumnya. Namun, karena kesulitan yang dia lalui, ada juga rasa baja di matanya yang biasanya tidak ditemukan pada orang lain seusianya. Dia keluar dari mobil, membuka pintu untuk Yao Meng, dan menyaksikan dengan gembira ketika dia masuk ke mobil.

Setelah kematian Lin Qingyan, polisi menggeledah rumahnya dan menemukan segala macam bukti terkunci di ruang bawah tanahnya. Ada potasium sianida, afrodisiak, rantai, dan banyak foto para korban. Ada juga foto-foto delapan korban dari insiden "Pembunuh Malaikat". Dengan demikian, dengan bantuan kesaksian Ji Bai, Feng Ye akhirnya dibebaskan dari semua tuduhan.

Namun, pada saat itu, masih ada beberapa orang hilang lainnya. Informasi dan tubuh mereka belum ditemukan, sehingga mereka tidak dapat menentukan apakah penghilangan mereka terkait dengan Lin Qingyan atau tidak. Polisi hanya bisa menyimpulkan bahwa mereka telah dibuang oleh Lin Qingyan di beberapa lokasi yang tidak diketahui.

Menurut kehendak Lin Qingyan, ia meninggalkan semua hartanya ke Yao Meng. Meskipun demikian, otoritas Hong Kong mengklaim bahwa sekitar sepertiganya diwarisi dari Kepala Qin, yang merupakan ibu Feng Ye. Dengan demikian, Yao Meng setuju untuk membagi bagian dari properti ini dan mengembalikannya ke Feng Ye; proses hukum seputar penyerahan masih berlangsung.

Berita tentang apa yang dilakukan Lin Qingyan segera menyebar di antara teman-teman lama mereka, membuat marah setiap orang dari mereka. Mereka sekarang menyambut kembalinya Feng Ye dengan tangan terbuka. Dengan demikian, Feng Ye sebenarnya ada di sini untuk menjemput Yao Meng hari ini karena dia telah mengundang beberapa teman sekelas sekolah menengah untuk mengadakan pertemuan di vilanya.

Setelah Yao Meng duduk, Feng Ye tersenyum lembut padanya, "Saya menyiapkan barbekyu malam ini, bersama dengan puding karamel favorit Anda."

Yao Meng mengangguk. "Terima kasih."

Matahari sore masih terik, jadi ketika Feng Ye menundukkan kepalanya, dia melihat leher Yao Meng yang bersinar seperti sepotong batu giok di bawah sinar matahari. Dia terkejut dan cepat-cepat merangkul bagian belakang kursinya. "Apakah terlalu panas? Apakah Anda ingin saya menyalakan AC? ""

Yao Meng tersenyum dan menggelengkan kepalanya. "Tidak apa-apa, senang berjemur di bawah sinar matahari."

Feng Ye mengangguk tetapi tidak melepas lengannya. Kemudian, dia mengalihkan pandangannya dan melihat seorang lelaki jangkung dan tampan duduk di dalam sebuah Cadillac yang menatap mereka.

Feng Ye langsung mengenali teman Ji Bai yang pernah ia temui saat pesta bulan purnama.

Mereka berdua melakukan kontak mata dan Feng Ye tersenyum padanya sebentar. Shu Hang merasakan campuran ketakutan dan kekecewaan di hatinya ketika dia melihat gigi putih orang itu, tetapi pada saat itu, Feng Ye sudah memulai mobil dengan Yao Meng di dalamnya.

Villa yang dibeli Feng Ye terletak di pinggiran Kota Lin. Tempat itu dipenuhi dengan pohon-pohon hijau tinggi yang membantu memberikan getaran tropis. Ketika mereka tiba, beberapa teman sudah duduk bersama di taman sambil memanggang dan minum. Ketika mereka mengobrol, mereka hanya bisa menghela nafas ketika mereka mengenang masa lalu.

Dibandingkan dengan anak laki-laki liar masa lalu, temperamen Feng Ye menjadi jauh lebih lembut dan lebih terkendali. Dia duduk di sebelah Yao Meng dan secara alami merawatnya sepanjang waktu. Karena hal ini, beberapa teman sekelas mereka menggoda, “Kalian berdua salah berpisah di masa lalu. Apakah Anda tidak berencana untuk kembali bersama lagi? "

Setelah mengatakan ini, semua orang tertawa. Feng Ye ikut tertawa, tetapi dia juga meletakkan tangannya di belakang kursi Yao Meng dan memandangnya dengan tenang. Semua orang melihatnya melakukan ini, jadi mereka dengan cepat mendapatkan petunjuk.

Namun, Yao Meng tersenyum polos dan mengangkat bahu. "Ini semua di masa lalu, jadi jangan membicarakannya lagi. Apakah sayap ayam sudah matang? ”

Feng Ye tertegun saat yang lain segera mencoba untuk memperbaiki keadaan. "Sudah selesai, sudah selesai, ini dia."

Setelah makan sebentar, Feng Ye pergi ke rumah untuk mendapatkan lebih banyak makanan. Yao Meng, di sisi lain, terus mengobrol dengan semua orang untuk sementara waktu, tetapi dia akhirnya meletakkan tasnya di kursi dan bangkit untuk pergi ke kamar mandi.

Vila itu terang benderang saat dia berjalan di sepanjang koridor. Setelah mengambil beberapa langkah, dia tiba-tiba berhenti.

Pintu di sisi kanan lorong dibiarkan sedikit terbuka, tetapi dia masih melihat beberapa foto yang tergantung di dinding. Ada foto Feng Ye dan dua tetua, yang Yao Meng dengan cepat dikenali sebagai orang tuanya yang bisu tuli. Ada juga foto foto kelulusan SMA-nya dari masa lalu. Selain itu, ada juga koleksi pemotretan besar miliknya yang Feng Ye simpan setengah dari uang sakunya untuk membawanya ketika mereka berdua berkencan.

Dia mendorong pintu dengan lembut.

Ruangan itu tampak seperti ruang pamer. Selain foto, ada juga banyak kamera vintage, buku, dan patung kecil.

Pada saat ini, dia mendengar suara Feng Ye rendah dan lembut dari belakangnya. "Saya telah kehilangan banyak hal dan hanya berhasil mengambil beberapa hal dari kehidupan lama saya, yang telah saya simpan di sini."

Yao Meng berbalik dan tersenyum padanya. "Kamu selalu bisa menambahkan lebih banyak barang di masa depan."

Alih-alih menjawabnya, Feng Ye menyandarkan tubuhnya yang tinggi ke lemari dan menundukkan kepalanya untuk melihatnya. Ketika dia melakukan ini, suasana di ruangan itu segera berubah.

Tentu saja, Yao Meng mengerti apa yang dia pikirkan, tapi dia pura-pura tidak memperhatikannya. Sebagai gantinya, dia melihat boneka-boneka yang tertata rapi di lemari dengan penuh minat. Sosok-sosok itu berwajah manusia dan diukir dari kayu berwarna maple. Mereka semua memiliki wajah yang dibuat dengan sangat baik yang terlihat seperti kehidupan sambil juga menjaga karakteristik bonekanya pada saat yang sama. Mata boneka itu terbuat dari meteorit hitam sementara gigi yang tersenyum tampak seperti potongan porselen dan batu giok.

Yao Meng menatap mereka untuk sementara waktu sebelum mengganti topik pembicaraan. “Di mana kamu membeli ini? Sangat unik. Bisakah kamu mengeluarkannya dan biarkan aku memeriksanya? ”

Feng Ye mengambil satu dan menyerahkannya padanya. "Tentu saja. Seorang teman membuatnya dan memberikannya kepada saya. "

Yao Meng tersentak kagum. "Temanmu benar-benar terampil." Lalu, dia meletakkan boneka itu dan tersenyum padanya. "Ayo pergi." Saat dia berbalik ke pintu, Feng Ye meraih pinggangnya dan menariknya kembali.

Yao Meng terkejut dan secara naluriah berusaha mendorongnya. Namun, lengan Feng Ye sangat kuat dan dia hanya menundukkan kepalanya untuk melihatnya tanpa membiarkannya pergi. Kilatan cahaya dari lorong bersinar di dalam, melemparkan sinar cahaya ke wajahnya yang fokus dan intens.

"Little Meng, dulu atau sekarang, apakah aku bekerja di Hong Kong atau dalam pelarian … Aku tidak pernah berhenti mencintaimu. Apa yang diperlukan bagimu untuk memberiku kesempatan lagi? ”

Saat itu malam menjelang malam ketika Yao Meng dan teman-teman sekelasnya berjalan keluar dari villa Feng Ye. Karena dia tidak ingin Feng Ye mengirimnya pulang, dia telah meminta supirnya untuk membawa mobilnya ke vila Feng Ye. Setelah ini, dia dipecat.

Alih-alih langsung pulang, dia mampir di pinggir jalan. Dia ada di jalan utama dan ada banyak kios ramai dengan banyak pengunjung yang makan malam di dalam. Suasana di sana sangat hidup dan ceria, jadi dia duduk di sana dengan tenang untuk sementara waktu, lalu memanggil Xu Xu.

Xu Xu baru saja menidurkan anaknya dan Ji Bai sedang mandi. Dia mengambil setumpuk dokumen yang dibawa Ji Bai dari kantor polisi dan baru saja akan mulai membaca ketika dia melihat nomor Yao Meng berkedip di layar ponselnya. "Apakah kamu menelepon karena Shu Hang?"

Yao Meng tersenyum dan menggelengkan kepalanya. "Dia bukan masalah. Saya tidak akan bertemu dengan siapa pun sekarang. "Dia berhenti dan menambahkan," Feng Ye juga meminta untuk kembali bersama dengan saya sekarang, tapi saya menolak. "

Xu Xu berpikir sejenak sebelum menjawab, "Kamu membuat keputusan yang tepat."

Yao Meng bersandar di kursi dan menatap langit tengah malam yang berbintang. "Mengapa? apa yang Anda pikirkan tentang dia? Katakan dengan jujur. "

Xu Xu menjawab, “Dia tidak cocok untukmu. Ketika dia remaja, dia sangat sombong. Setelah itu, dia dalam pelarian selama tiga tahun dan hidup dalam isolasi penuh di hutan. Tentu saja, ini belum tentu kekurangan, tetapi Anda berdua memiliki terlalu banyak hal di piring Anda sekarang dan akan lebih baik jika Anda memiliki awal yang baru. "

Yao Meng sedikit terkejut, dan dia menjawab dengan lembut, “Aku tidak memikirkannya sedalam itu. Hanya saja sudah begitu lama sehingga saya tidak lagi memiliki perasaan untuknya. "

"Oh. Itu juga benar kurasa. "

Reaksinya membuat Yao Meng tertawa. Kekecewaannya perlahan menghilang saat dia mulai merasa optimis lagi. “Baiklah, pergi dan jaga anak baptisku. Saya akan mengunjungi Anda dalam beberapa hari. "

Keduanya menutup telepon, tetapi panggilan itu dengan cepat mengingatkan Xu Xu pada kasus Lin Qingyan. Dia menyisihkan file yang dibawa Ji Bai kembali, lalu pergi ke laci tempat mereka menyimpan file case sebelumnya dan mulai membacanya lagi.

Ketika Yao Meng menutup telepon untuk mengembalikan ponselnya ke tasnya, dia terkejut. Sambil mengobrak-abrik tas tangannya, dia tidak bisa menemukan rumahnya. Secara alami, dia mencoba melacak kembali langkahnya. Sebelumnya, dia telah meninggalkan kebun dan pergi ke toilet. Ketika dia melakukan ini, dia meninggalkan tasnya di kursi, jadi mungkin saja saat itulah kuncinya terlepas.

Yao Meng langsung berbalik dan melaju kembali ke tempat Feng Ye sambil merasa sedikit malu. Namun, dia tidak memikirkannya terlalu lama karena dia segera tiba di tempat itu. Dia tidak parkir terlalu jauh dari rumah Feng Ye, jadi setelah mengunci mobilnya, dia berjalan ke villa.

Lampu jalan bersinar terang di jalan yang suram. Ini adalah salah satu lokasi perumahan terbaik di kota dan karena itu, ada penjaga keamanan yang bertugas di setiap sudut. Ada juga deretan toko-toko mewah di sisi jalan yang masih beroperasi, siap melayani setiap pelanggan tengah malam. Dia berjalan di sepanjang bulevar langkah demi langkah dan dia segera melihat gerbang besi besar Feng Ye.

Tepat ketika dia hendak membunyikan bel pintu, dia mengintip melalui gerbang dan melihat Feng Ye duduk sendirian di kursi santai di teras. Dia memegang sosok boneka yang telah dia tangani sebelumnya dengan senyum aneh di sudut bibirnya.

Yao Meng agak bingung, jadi dia berdiri diam dan mengawasinya tanpa mengucapkan sepatah kata pun. Tiba-tiba, dia melihat dia mengangkat boneka itu dan mendekatkannya ke wajahnya sebelum menanam ciuman tepat di bibir boneka itu. Lampu jalan sangat terang yang menyebabkan gigi boneka porselen itu bersinar dengan sinar lembut.

Yao Meng sedikit gemetar ketika dia berdiri di sana dalam diam sejenak sebelum berjalan pergi diam-diam.

Pada saat yang sama, Ji Bai baru saja kembali ke kamar tidur setelah mandi. Dia melihat Xu Xu membongkar semua informasi dan mengaturnya di atas meja sebelum membaca dengan seksama.

"Apakah kamu melihat kasus Lin Qingyan lagi?" Ji Bai bertanya dengan lembut.

Xu Xu menghela nafas dan berkata, "Suamiku, ingatkah kamu, bahwa sebelum Lin Qingyan meninggal, aku katakan padamu bahwa dia hanya menemukan Tan Liang untuk mengaku bersalah atas kejahatannya setelah Tan Liang membunuh korban ketiga. Kemudian, kami menyimpulkan bahwa sangat sulit untuk memperoleh zat beracun seperti kalium sianida. Lin Qingyan bisa mendapatkannya dari pasar gelap Hong Kong, tetapi Tan Liang hanyalah lulusan perguruan tinggi biasa dan penjaga hutan biasa. Melalui media apa dia membelinya? Kami belum mengetahuinya.

“Baru saja, saya membaca file-file sebelumnya dan sebagai perbandingan, case ketiga terlalu mirip dengan dua case pertama. Oleh karena itu, kami berasumsi bahwa Tan Liang kebetulan adalah pengguna forum yang banyak pada waktu itu dan ia kebetulan mengetahui segala sesuatu tentang "Pembunuh Malaikat" dari zamannya menjelajah internet. Ketika dia menemukan Lin Qingyan, itu memicu keinginan internnya untuk melakukan kejahatan. Jadi, dia meniru Lin Qingyan dan menggunakan metode yang sama untuk melakukan perbuatannya.

“Ada begitu banyak kebetulan dan asumsi – saya selalu merasa ada yang tidak beres. Semakin banyak saya membaca file, semakin kuat perasaan ini. ”

Ji Bai mengangguk karena dia juga memiliki keraguan tentang hipotesis awal mereka. Dia membelai kepalanya dan mengangguk. "Mari kita telusuri file sekali lagi."

Dia duduk di sampingnya dan mengambil salah satu file berisi beberapa yang dia bawa kembali dari kantor polisi. Zhao Han had handed him this particular document as he was about to go home, he claimed that it was some follow-up information regarding the angel killer case that he had just received from Hong Kong this afternoon.

Ji Bai was initially calm, but after reading a few lines, the expression on his face changed. After he finished reading it, he looked up at Xu Xu and said seriously, “The Hong Kong authorities came across a number of bodies in the open sea last week. After conducting some DNA test, they confirmed that the corpses are, in fact, the other nine victims of the ‘Angel Killer’ case who went missing in the past. All of their bodies were dismembered and some of them had been disemboweled and their teeth had been pulled out.”

Xu Xu terkejut. She took the information and her eyes widened in horror. She quickly went through it and murmured, “This couldn’t have been done by Lin Qingyan. It doesn’t match his methods or his character at all. The only possibility is that it was done by another person.”

She suddenly raised her head and looked Ji Bai in the eye only to see his astonished expression staring back at her.

Was there another perverted serial killer in Hong Kong at the time?

The End

Lin Qingyan bonus (1), When I think of you.

The town that Lin Qingyan grew up in was called Daozhen. In the early 1980s, the town was still very poor and chaotic. The streets were filled with gangsters and even teenagers fought for fun.

The seven-year-old Lin Qingyan was undoubtedly the one who was being bullied the most. Not only that his family was too poor, he was also very small and quiet. He was as frail as a bean sprout. Therefore, the kids who were older than Lin Qingyan often punish him as a way to vent their angry and impulsive hormones.

However, this was nothing to Lin Qingyan. What he was most afraid of was going home from school every day and see his father looking at him ferociously, alcohol bottle in hand. And he will definitely get a beating. One time, his father hit him with a stool and he lost consciousness. By the time he woke up, the sky had gotten dark already and his father was nowhere to be found. He wrapped a towel around his head for a long time before the blood stop flowing. He stood on a stool in a daze and started cooking on the stove.

Nonetheless, all this changed when he was ten years old because his father finally died of drinking alcohol one day. Perhaps because his father’s body was being carried around by his neighbors and everyone saw his father’s ghastly-white face, the other children no longer dare to bully him. When they saw him, they would call him “jinx” behind his back.

It was the first time the young Lin Qingyan thought that a dead person could actually bring good fortune.

He began to live with his grandfather, but his grandfather only had a few acres of thin fields. In order to get money for him to study, he had to farm under the hot sun every day with his frail and old body. Right after Lin Qingyan finished school, he would go and help his grandfather. Even so, they were still extremely poor and Lin Qingyan always wore old washed out clothes. At noon, all he could eat was a big steamed bun with a tiny bit of vegetable and tofu.

Nevertheless, someone people were particularly nice to him. His female class teacher who was in her thirties had a son about the same age as him and she often offered him to eat at her house. This was the period of time when Lin Qingyan had eaten the best and he was so happy that he felt as if he was in “heaven” every day. He also began to grow rapidly during this time and he suddenly got a few dozen centimeters taller. He finally looked like a normal child and his original poor results had also gradually improved. Most of the time, he was still very introverted. However, during his class teacher’s birthday, he carefully finished eating a piece of birthday cake at her house and he handed a handwritten birthday card to her. He wrote a sentence in the birthday card which said, “Teacher, I’ll definitely repay you when I grow up. I swear.” His class teacher’s tears started falling when she read his card.

However, good times did not last long. When he was in his second year of middle school, his class teacher was being transferred to another place. His new class teacher was a 27-year-old male teacher named Du Tie. He just graduated from a teacher training academy and he was very handsome. His previous class teacher specially asked Du Tie to take care of Lin Qingyan and she even secretly gave Du Tie a sum of money. Even though it was not much, but it was enough to pay for Lin Qingyan’s meal for an entire semester. Du Tie promised her and the way he looked at Lin Qingyan was as kind as a spring breeze.

Ever since then, Du Tie would ask Lin Qingyan to go to his single dormitory every day after school. He could get a big bowl of food for just one yuan in the teacher’s cafeteria. Thus, he would buy a little more every day and give some of it to Lin Qingyan. Whereas Qingyan would pick up fresh vegetables from his field every week and deliver it. After school, if he went to pick up cans and mineral water bottles with his grandfather, he would hand all the money he got to Du Tie as living expenses. Du Tie would accept it, pat his head and praise him for being sensible.

That incident happened during an afternoon in the summer. He brought a lunch box and went to Du Tie’s place as usual. The weather was particularly hot that day and Du Tie only wore a pair of shorts. Thus, his fair and broad back was shown. He was sitting on the bed while he watched the TV. He was smoking a cigarette as the electrical fan blew towards him.

Lin Qingyan held his lunch box and sat on a small stool while he ate. After a while, he suddenly noticed that Du Tie was looking at him smilingly. “You are a boy, but why didn’t you sweat at all?”

At that time, Lin Qingyan was thirteen years old and he had grown into a fine looking boy. His skin was just like his mother’s, which was very delicate and fair. Moreover, his slender eyebrows were like ink strokes that were drawn onto his face. When he heard what his teacher said, his face got a little red and he smiled without saying anything.

After he finished eating, he wanted to go back to the classroom. However, Du Tie patted on his shoulder and said, “You can take a nap here and sleep on the bed. I still need to prepare the teaching materials.”

Lin Qingyan was shy, so he obviously said there was no need for that. Even so, Du Tie pushed him onto the bed, got up, sat in front of the table and started working.

As compared to the scorching classroom, the summer bed-mat was much more comfortable with the fan blowing at him. Lin Qingyan soon fell asleep and he dreamed that he was standing in the paddy field. The sun was just right on top of his head and it was unbearably hot. Suddenly a fish jumped up from the paddy field and bit the base of his thigh. Then, it went into his pants which made him feel very itchy and embarrassed…

Lin Qingyan opened his eyes and he first saw that the curtains were down. The room was very dark and he felt his thigh getting a little cold. When he lowered his head, he saw Du Tie’s tall figure sitting on the edge of the bed. He wore grandfather’s shorts, which was very wide and old. Du Tie stretched his hand into the wide opening of his trousers and was fondling his ass.

When they looked into each other’s eyes, Du Tie’s face gotten a little red. The look in his eyes was rather strange and a little scary. The room was very quiet, but Lin Qingyan felt as if he was being thrown into a dim and rapidly flowing water. He was shocked and scared.

“Qingyan, teacher is trying to…” Before Du Tie can finish his sentence, Lin Qingyan had already launched a kick onto his chest. He then stumbled out of the bed, pulled open the door and ran out.

Lin Qingyan had a very hard time during the remaining a year and a half time he spent in middle school.

Du Tie did not have the courage to force him to do anything, but when he invited Lin Qingyan over to his dormitory, Lin Qingyan never went to his room ever since the incident. Even when he asked him to go to his office, if Du Tie was the only one in the office, Lin Qingyan would turn around and leave. From that day onwards up until the day Lin Qingyan graduated, he did not say a word to him. Even if Du Tie asked questions during class, he remained silent stubbornly.

Du Tie certainly got his revenge by putting him in the last row. He was being blocked by a bunch of tall and big classmates or classmates who do not pay attention in class. Most of the time, he could not hear what the teacher was saying clearly or see what was written on the blackboard. His grades plummeted, so he gave Du Tie a reason to criticize him. He scolded him in front of the whole class by saying he did not make any progress in his studies and he was going on the wrong path. Also, he wasted his former class teacher’s and his effort in educating him.

The way Du Tie looked at him was always very cold and sarcastic, like a sinister snake. He did not have the courage to attack him head-on, so he bit him secretly behind his back.

…

One day, the uncle in the school’s communication department asked Lin Qingyan to answer the phone.

It was a call from his former class teacher. Her voice was as gentle as ever, but Lin Qingyan was much quieter than before.

Towards the end of the phone call, his former class teacher started sobbing. “Qingyan, why did you get into the wrong path? I heard that you’re always with the bullies and you no longer pay attention in class. Why did you become like this?”

For the first time, Lin Qingyan felt a piercing pain in his heart. Why did it turn out like this?

How can a fifteen-year-old boy speak up for himself?

After hanging up the phone, Lin Qingyan walked into the classroom listlessly. At that time, he had grown a lot taller already. Moreover, he was lean and fair. Since he was gloomy and quiet, his classmates avoided him when they saw him. When he passed the teacher’s dormitory, he saw Du Tie placing his hand on a petite boy’s shoulder as they walked into the dormitory. Lin Qingyan recognized that he was a first-year student who had a small face and big eyes. He always smiled naively and his family’s conditions were also very bad.

Lin Qingyan stood still in the mottled sunlight under the huge tree and watched as the dormitory’s door close behind Du Tie. After a while, he saw him lowering the curtains.

Lin Qingyan only ate a steamed bun and two bowls of vegetable soup at noon this day. He suddenly felt nauseated, held onto the tree and started vomiting profusely.

After that day, Lin Qingyan began to study intensely. Despite the bad influences around him and Du Tie’s sarcasm, he still managed to get first place in the entire town and get into a major high school in the county. Later on, even the bullies sitting next to him patted on his shoulder and said to others, “This is my buddy and he’s amazing. From now on, no one can bully him in this town.”

Of course, Du Tie did not have the chance to bully him again. In fact, ever since he got into a high school, he had not seen Du Tie for a very long time.

The last time he met him was many years later when he had inherited Chief Qin’s property and became a wealthy businessman in Hong Kong who returned to the town for an investment. At that time, he was already very familiar with the skill of murder and he had mastered it.

He deliberately stayed in the town for a month and Du Tie also disappeared for a whole month. During that period of time, Lin Qingyan participated in various activities of the town’s government during the day and returned to the basement of his villa at night to watch Du Tie moan in pain. He was the only one who Lin Qingyan slowly tortured to death. He burned him up after cutting his body into small pieces and his ashes were scattered under the big trees in his middle school.

All these were events that happened later on – Lin Qingyan’s entire high school life was quiet but difficult. There were many girls who gave him love letters, but he never responded to any of them.

Lin Qingyan entered university all on his own.

He was all alone because his grandfather sold their two broken tile houses to gather his first year’s tuition fees. From then on, his grandfather and he were living in utter destitute. When he went to the county for a part-time job during his summer break, his grandfather died of an illness in the grass shed near the field. By the time he returned home, the body was there for several days already and no one found his body.

The most difficult part of the countryside was the abundance of fields. He carried the body for an entire day, walked to the high mountains and dug a pit to bury his grandfather. He did not feel sad, because his grandfather will die eventually and an early death was a relief for him.

Lin Qingyan majored in mathematics in university and it was the second happiest moment of his life.

When he was in high school, he liked mathematics very much and now he can finally enjoy it to his heart’s content. In his opinion, mathematics was very beautiful, concise, clean and inexhaustibly profound. This kind of profoundness was something that an amateur can never understand. He indulged in it all alone and lost himself in it.

Nevertheless, there were times when he was not happy. That was because he liked a girl during his third year in university.

The university’s male dormitory had “hormones” written all over it. When Lin Qingyan saw people walking in pairs or when people started having sex in the male dormitory after lowering the curtains, he was not as calm as he seemed. He would vent out his desire under his bedsheet, bury his face in the pillow to hide his sweat and suppress the sound of him panting. He was a sneaky man who secretly pried into other peoples’ private lives.

The university girls were no longer as naïve as high school girls. Everyone knew that Lin Qingyan was poor. He had to take up three part-time jobs to support himself and apply for a student loan every year. There were also one or two girls who went after him, but Lin Qingyan remained completely unmoved.

The girl that he liked was the purest girl in the whole department. She must not necessarily be the most beautiful one, but she had to have a gentle fair oval-shaped face and pitch-black eyes. She wore a beautiful long bohemian dress and her bright smile was as clear as the spring water.

During the night before their graduation party, the girl left early without anyone noticing. Lin Qingyan secretly tailed her as she kept walking and he wanted to confess to her.

Just when they arrived at the east gate of the school, he saw her getting into a luxury car. The man in the car was about forty years old and he was wearing a gold metal-rimmed glasses. He put his arms around her waist and lowered his head to kiss her honey-colored lips.

Lin Qingyan stood under the shadow of the trees and watched the car drove away. For the second time in his life, he could not suppress the feeling of disgust. It reminded him of the feeling he felt during summer from a few years ago when Du Tie’s gentle yet strong hands caressed his ass. The sound of the electrical fan blowing as well as the dark cool room became fresh and clear in his mind. Lin Qingyan squatted on the tree pit outside the school gate and vomited violently.

The world was so filthy. Where can he find a clean sky and land?

Lin Qingyan studied in quite a good university, but it was not the top university in the country. The rate of employment for those who graduated from a mathematics major was not that good. However, he did not want to continue with his postgraduate studies as he did not want to stay penniless in the university forever.

After many years of hard work, he overcame all difficulties so his hard work was not in vain. He finally got what he wished, entered the best investment company in China and become an assistant analyst. Despite the lowly position, his income was already very high and he was envied by his classmates.

This was also the year when he met Qin Shuhua.

It was during a day in mid-September and the branch company that he was in received news that the chairman of the company would come over from Hong Kong to inspect the business. Everyone from the investment department went to the magnificent first-floor lobby to welcome the chairman and since Lin Qingyan had the lowest qualifications, he was on duty in the office.

When Qin Shuhua walked in, the spacious office was very quiet and Lin Qingyan did not even hear her footsteps. When he raised his head, he saw a middle-aged woman with a light makeup standing at the front door looking at him.

Lin Qingyan could tell a person’s social ranking at first glance. When he saw how she was well-dressed and wore a pair of diamond earrings, he smiled at her politely. “Who are you looking for?”

Qin Shuhua immediately laughed and thought, ‘So there are people in the company who don’t recognize the chairman.’

A large group of people quickly followed behind and when the department manager saw Chief Qin, he smilingly stood aside. When he saw how Lin Qingyan was still sitting, he immediately slapped his forehead and said, “Little Lin, quickly go and pour a cup of tea for the chairman.”

Lin Qingyan just got this job last month, so he did not recognize all the faces of the company’s leaders. His fair face blushed and he immediately got up and went to pour a cup of tea.

Qin Shuhua waved her hand and said, “No need.” Then she stopped looking at Lin Qingyan and left with the large group of people.

Good looking men were divided into many categories. The 22-year-old Lin Qingyan was not the striking type of handsome man who would attract people’s attention at first sight. At first glance, he was just a handsome tall looking man wearing a white shirt and black trousers. He was quiet yet gentle and he gave people a comfortable feeling.

Even so, up until the day Qin Shuhua died, she believed that Lin Qingyan was the most handsome boy she had ever seen. She had met too many men and she could easily distinguish Lin Qingyan from an ordinary person. After some time, the boy’s delicate eyebrows and clear eyes gave people an extremely dazzling feeling. It was as if many things were hidden under his dark slender eyes. He was quieter than the peers of his age, but there was also some childishness in him. He had an obvious wild ambition yet he seemed to be unconcerned and was sick of the reality.

Qin Shuhua was reminded of her younger self who started from scratch when she looked at him. For someone who was single for many years, it was the first time she felt like she wanted a man. She wanted to control such a delicate and beautiful man.

Everything that happened since then was like a game of cats and mice with a great disparity in power.

One month after Qin Shuhua inspected the branch company, Lin Qingyan was informed by his superiors that he was being transferred to Hong Kong to participate in a project at the headquarters.

“This is an excellent opportunity for a promotion.” The manager said, “Little Lin, you must seize this opportunity.”

Lin Qingyan was not overwhelmed by this great opportunity. Since he was outstanding to begin with, he would think that he deserved it if he was given a chance.

This project was said to be a strategic development of the company and Chief Qin’s assistant was directly in charge of it. Sometimes when he worked until late at night, Chief Qin’s assistant would also ask him to do something. For instance, he would ask him to deliver a document to Chief Qin, make a cup of coffee for Chief Qin, or driving Chief Qin to the shopping mall. After a couple of times, Lin Qingyan got closer to Chief Qin. He saw how merciless and decisive she was in the mall. He also saw how exhausted and lonely she was after engaging in social activities with the officials late at night. Gradually, his heart was filled with admiration towards this strong woman.

Things started getting clearer two months later. On that day, the assistant was driving and he accompanied Chief Qin to the commerce department to attend a party. This was also an opportunity for him to expand his connections in the industry, so he cherished it very much. By the time the party ended, it was very late already. Chief Qin drank some alcohol and she was a little dizzy after getting into the car. He was sitting in the passenger’s seat initially, but the assistant said, “Go and take care of Chief Qin at the back.”

Lin Qingyan did not suspect him and he sat next to Qin Shuhua. He carefully poured water, handed her a towel and put a thin blanket on her. Qin Shuhua seemed to be half-drunk and when she raised her head to look at him, there was a smile at the corners of her lips.

When the assistant took a turn, Qin Shuhua’s body slanted sideways and Lin Qingyan quickly reached out his hand to support her. Thus, she fell onto his shoulder.

Her eyes were closed and she was breathing uniformly without moving even slightly. Lin Qingyan’s body stiffened up a little, but be it rationality or courtesy, he could not push her away at this moment. He can only sit up straight and put his hands on the back of the chair to avoid touching her body.

The body of the forty-year-old woman was still very soft and a faint aroma lingered in his nose. Her face was leaning on his shoulder with a thin layer of fabric in between. Perhaps because she was not too comfortable, she rubbed her face against him gently.

The car was silent for a few minutes and the assistants in front seemed like he was ignorant of what was happening in the back seat. Lin Qingyan was in an extremely uncomfortable position and he had no choice but to speak up. “Chief Qin? Chief Qin?”

Qin Shuhua raised her head slowly and looked at him quietly. Her forehead, cheeks, as well as lips brushed against his young yet warm neck and chin.

Lin Qingyan’s felt as if a lightning struck his heart and instantly illuminated everything.

At this time, Qin Shuhua had already closed her eyes while waiting and her lips were less than a centimeter away from him. A strong sense of stagnation and weariness rushed into his heart at the same time. Then, a clear thought suddenly appeared in his mind. He must not refuse her and he had to kiss her.

The car was very quiet, but Lin Qingyan’s heart was like a stormy wave. He lowered his head while he was almost shivering. When Qin Shuhua sensed his movement, she put her hands around his neck and pressed her lips to his.

It was Lin Qingyan’s first kiss but he did not feel anything about it. All he felt two slippery and wet tongue entangled together. There was even a touch of alcohol scent in Qin Shuhua’s mouth. At the same time, he also felt part of his body beginning to swell up and harden. This reaction frightened him and the feeling of shame that he tried to suppress instantly flooded him like a tidal wave. He wanted to push Qin Shuhua away, but in fact, all he did was move his lips away. When they looked each other in the eyes, he saw the fine lines around Qin Shuhua’s eyes and he felt nauseous.

He endured it and resisted the urge to vomit. Nevertheless, Qin Shuhua did not notice it. She thought that he was just being nervous and shy. Thus, she continued to lean her head on his shoulder and whispered, “I am very happy, Qingyan.”

When they finally arrived at Chief Qin’s villa, he and the assistant helped Chief Qin get off the car. The assistant said, “Little Lin, send Chief Qin to her room.”

He almost let go of her in an instant like an electric shock and took a step backward. “I’ve something to do in the morning, I’ll go back with you.”

Qin Shuhua did not say anything and before the assistant could continue speaking, they heard him say, “Good night, Chief Qin and Assistant Chief. I’ll leave first.” Then, he turned around and left. He heard the assistant’s slightly unhappy voice from behind him. “You…” Perhaps because Qin Shuhua stopped him, he did not get to finish his sentence. Lin Qingyan started speeding up gradually and he did not care whether there were people watching him or not. Very soon, he left the villa.

The next morning, Lin Qingyan handed in a resignation letter to the company and called in sick so he did not have to go to work. Three days later, the assistant called, but he did not pick up the phone. After a while, Qin Shuhua called him personally, but he still did not pick up and eventually switched off his phone.

A few days later, the resignation procedure was completed. Ever since then, Qin Shuhua and her assistants did not show up anymore.

Many years later, Lin Qingyan recalled this incident and realized that he probably reacted too drastically. Thus, Qin Shuhua was enraged and she dealt with him forcibly later on. If he handled it better at that time, Qin Shuhua might let go of him.

Or, she might not.

However, he was too ashamed at that time and he did not want to face Qin Shuhua at all. Not only did she make use of her authority for her own desire. Most importantly, he actually kissed her because he was blinded by greed.

…

At this time, Lin Qingyan thought that this it was considered over and done with.

He only found out that something was wrong after he went to several investment companies for a job application. Even though he performed very well in the written tests and interviews, he was being rejected by all the companies. Later on, someone leaked the news to him. “Why did you offend Qin Group? They banned all the companies from hiring you.”

Banned? This word was very terrifying to a boy who just graduated less than half a year ago. Nevertheless, it was extremely easy for the great Chief Qin to ban a rookie in this industry.

Lin Qingyan was forced to work in some small companies that were not well-known. Even so, he majored in mathematics, so what can he do? A clerk? He had to get a very meager income and work with a group of immensely mediocre colleagues. The company’s owner would stress the staff over a paper copy.

Even so, he could not stay long in this kind of place. Although he was the most outstanding one there, he would be fired without any reason. Others did not utter a single word about it and he had no choice but to remain silent.

A few months later, he was being forced into a dead end. He still had to repay the four-year student loan that he borrowed but he did not have a single penny in his pocket. He had not eaten for three days already and he was wobbling on the streets. Chief Qin’s people probably felt that it was time already, so they openly tailed him in the car from a few steps away.

He braced himself and went to one restaurant after another to apply as a waiter. Chief Qin’s people waited outside the restaurant and when the owner saw this situation, they dare not hire him.

In the evening, a restaurant finally hired him. He worked back and forth throughout the entire evening in the busy little restaurant. He did not even remember when he fainted and fell to the ground.

When he woke up, he found himself lying on a very soft huge bed. Also, he had changed into clean and comfortable clothes. This was a very luxurious room which had the view of the entire city lights.

There was a plate of food next to the bed. He got up and gobbled it down.

The night wind blew on the white-colored gauze curtain and Qin Shuhua was sitting behind the curtains. She was looking at him quietly and gently.

She did not say anything and he too did not say anything.

After a long, long time, Qin Shuhua sighed softly. “Why are you doing this? Qingyan, I can help you fulfill your dreams and I can change your life. Not everyone in the world has such an opportunity.”