Since Chen Zhaoci had been classified as a highly dangerous criminal, this time, You Mingxu and several other police officers were armed. She rode in a car with Xu Mengshan and Yin Feng, with Xu Mengshan driving as usual, leaving the passenger seat empty.
"How reliable is Deng Yao's statement?" Xu Mengshan asked.
You Mingxu replied, "Very."
Xu Mengshan snorted coldly and said, "This time, we're definitely going to catch that bastard."
You Mingxu glanced at Xu Mengshan's expression in the rearview mirror. After not seeing each other for a few days, her partner showed no signs of abnormality, appearing just as he always had—still the deep-thinking Xu the Fox. It was as if he had tidied away everything from the past, as if nothing had ever happened.
A faint bitterness rose in You Mingxu's heart.
Her hand was grasped by Yin Feng. Since Xu Mengshan likely couldn't see, she didn't pull away. She looked at him and whispered, "You were quite impressive during Deng Yao's interrogation earlier." Today, his deductions were noticeably more brilliant and accurate than before.
Yin Feng also felt that this time, his thoughts were faster and clearer than ever. During Deng Yao's interrogation, the deductions flowed smoothly and naturally. He suddenly remembered Chen Feng mentioning that the blood clot in his brain showed signs of dissipating, and his heart skipped a beat.
He tightened his grip on her hand and said softly, "Then I deserve a reward."
You Mingxu replied, "We'll talk about it at home."
He held her hand for a moment longer and asked, "Don't you think we worked together exceptionally well just now?"
"Hmm?"
"Aren't we even more compatible now?"
Thinking he was still dwelling on the last time she refused to admit they were a good match, You Mingxu smiled faintly and didn't answer.
But he concluded on his own, "We're like husband and wife, perfectly in sync."
She shot him a sidelong glance. "You've got it backward."
He said, "No, I haven't. After all, I'm the one on top."
Even a tough woman like You Mingxu took a moment to process what he meant, and her heart skipped a beat. Now he seemed like a man who dared to act and take responsibility, casually draping an arm over the back of her seat and whispering, "Not convinced? Are you going to bite me again?"
This was another reference to her biting his back the night before.
You Mingxu fell silent for a moment, then laughed, her tone even more languid than his. "I forgot to tell you, the wound has healed. I'll show you later who's really on top."
Yin Feng stared at her with a smile, and You Mingxu felt her heart flutter a few times under his gaze. She thought to herself, It's true—even the purest man turns into a scoundrel after getting into bed and then out of it.
They arrived at Yuefeng Mountain.
It was already afternoon, and darkness would fall in the mountains within a few hours. A group of detectives quickly spread out along the mountain path to begin their search. However, the foothills were quite expansive, and at a glance, the forest stretched endlessly. The legendary air-raid shelter, located at the border of the city and county, wasn't marked on any map, so they had to search area by area.
You Mingxu led Yin Feng into the forest, pushing through thorns and obstacles as they advanced quickly. The sky was overcast, and the light in the woods grew dimmer as the search line gradually widened. Suddenly, You Mingxu remembered the juvenile case—it was also in a forest like this where she and Yin Feng shared their first kiss.
The man beside her, who had complained about his feet hurting the last time he followed her, remained silent today, sticking close to her every step of the way. When they reached a spot that required climbing, he even used his long legs to climb up first and pull her up—though You Mingxu didn't need the help at all, she still gave him a bit of masculine pride and let him pull her up.You Mingxu thought that Yin Feng was right in the car—after all these days, the tacit understanding between them was far beyond what it used to be. The feeling of being able to entrust their backs to each other, the sense of being almost one entity, had existed for some time now, though neither knew exactly when it began.
It was after crossing a wild hillside that You Mingxu noticed something unusual. Ahead stood a sheer rock face, with dense vegetation growing at its base. Hidden among the foliage was a small, dilapidated wooden hut, its interior dimly lit. From a distance, obscured by trees, it was nearly impossible to spot.
You Mingxu pulled Yin Feng into the tall grass, simultaneously taking out her walkie-talkie to report in a low voice. In at most ten minutes, the others would surround the area.
"Stay here and don’t move," You Mingxu said. "I’ll go check it out."
He held her hand. "Let’s go together."
You Mingxu shook her head.
Yin Feng understood—if he followed, he might hinder her agility. He squeezed her hand. "Be careful. I’ll keep an eye on you."
You Mingxu smiled, crouched low, and crept forward.
Reaching the hut, she found the door slightly ajar. Concealed in the shadowy grass, she peered through the crack. To her shock, she saw someone sitting at a small table—none other than Chen Zhaoci.
After days on the run, he looked gaunt and tanned, with a stubbly chin and tattered, dirty clothes. Clearly, life on the lam had been harsh. Behind him, a stove and some rice and oil were faintly visible on the ground.
The sight of him filled You Mingxu with rage. She thought of how Fan Jia had trusted his promise to turn himself in, only for him to deliver her into the hands of a killer. She tightened her grip on her pistol.
Just then.
Chen Zhaoci, who had been staring down, suddenly lifted his gaze. Their eyes met abruptly.
He curved his lips into a smile.
A chill gripped You Mingxu’s heart. She knew it was a trap and couldn’t let him seize the initiative. In a flash, she leaped from the grass, burst through the door, and aimed her gun. "Freeze!"
Chen Zhaoci had indeed bent to draw a dagger from his boot, but You Mingxu was too quick. His hand had barely touched the hilt when the gun was already pointed at his forehead, freezing him in place.
"Hands up!" You Mingxu barked.
He straightened up slowly, a mocking smile on his face, and raised his hands. Seeing his defiant, unrepentant expression made You Mingxu’s blood boil. She quickly scanned the surroundings. The hut was small, with only a folding bed and a dark curtain at the back, likely leading to the air-raid shelter.
Her gaze returned to Chen Zhaoci. "Deng Yao has confessed everything you did," she said.
Chen Zhaoci’s face darkened.
"Stand up," You Mingxu ordered. "Hands behind your head. Move outside."
He rose slowly.
You Mingxu’s hatred for him burned. Glancing outside and seeing no backup yet—only Yin Feng—she slammed the butt of her gun hard against his head. Chen Zhaoci cried out in pain, collapsing onto the table, blood streaming down. Still furious, she grabbed his head and smashed it against the table several times, her voice icy. "Are you even human? Fan Jia trusted you and took you to turn yourself in. Now she’s gone! She was only 24! Are you fucking human? You monster!"Chen Zhaoci lay slumped over the table, motionless for a long while, offering no resistance or struggle. You Mingxu raised her gun to point at him again, only to hear him emit a sound somewhere between a sob and a laugh. After a few soft "heh heh" sounds, he said, "I had already taken her on a detour, but that mad dog still caught up. I didn’t want to kill her. All these years, she was the only woman I didn’t want to kill, and yet she still died by my hand."
You Mingxu froze for a moment, but the hatred in her heart remained hard to dispel. She said coldly, "Let’s go. The law awaits you."
He was silent for a while, then said, "You might not believe it, but these past few days, I’ve been thinking—if I had met her earlier, if she had said those words to me sooner, maybe… I wouldn’t have killed anyone."
You Mingxu’s heart grew even heavier.
But there were no "what ifs."
Guilty people had no "what ifs."
Those who died because of crimes had no "what ifs."
At that moment, Chen Zhaoci straightened up and laughed to himself, "But I’ve already been judged. You can’t take me away. I’ve already been reborn."
You Mingxu was taken aback, wondering if he had already lost his mind.
Just then.
Chen Zhaoci suddenly turned and lunged toward the barrel of her gun. Startled, You Mingxu quickly dodged, her other hand grabbing for his collar.
Behind her, the curtain rustled softly as someone rushed out. A chill ran down You Mingxu’s entire back, and she swiftly turned around.
It was too late.
Something heavy struck her head. She crashed into the table and fell to the ground. Chen Zhaoci, holding a dagger, took two steps back, but another gun was now pointed at her forehead.
The newcomer was dressed entirely in black, tall and imposing. He wore a black windbreaker, black trousers, short boots, and a baseball cap pulled low, revealing only his chin.
An intense, déjà vu-like feeling surged in her heart. You Mingxu’s body felt as if it were slowly being encased in a layer of ice. He lifted his head.
His eyes were profoundly deep. Compared to a few months ago, his face had thinned considerably. Yet, with just one glance, memories that had long faded rushed back into You Mingxu’s mind.
The boundless wilderness, a gloomy rainy night, the man staring at her through the car window; him and her sitting by a tent, gazing up at the starry sky together; him lighting a cigarette, sitting on a piece of dead wood, saying: I’ve decided to become a serial killer, to kill five, or more.
Gu Tiancheng was also looking at her, his expression neither sorrowful nor joyful.
After a long moment, You Mingxu laughed.
He laughed too.
Witnessing this scene, Chen Zhaoci was confused. But he understood the predicament clearly—this policewoman was a major problem. Seeing her knocked down by Gu Tiancheng, Chen Zhaoci quietly gripped his dagger, intending to approach, when he heard Gu Tiancheng speak: "Stay where you are. What kind of trash are you, to dare lay a hand on her?"
You Mingxu glanced back.
Chen Zhaoci was startled, filled with resentment and anger, but under Gu Tiancheng’s icy gaze, he slowly lowered the dagger and retreated to the side.
You Mingxu’s hand rested on her gun. If she were facing anyone else, she would have confidence in seizing the initiative and taking a gamble. But with Gu Tiancheng, she couldn’t act recklessly.
Gu Tiancheng stared into her eyes, as if she were the only one he saw, and said softly, "Finally, it’s quiet. Mingxu, we can finally talk properly."
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