Hearing this, Fu Zhuang, who was sitting in the back, leaned forward in shock: "What a coincidence! No way, I knew the guy was bad, but he actually killed someone? I even fought with him before! I’m seriously creeped out..."
This news also left Wen Yifan feeling incredulous.
But upon deeper reflection, she realized this was exactly the kind of thing Che Xingde was capable of.
"The specifics aren’t clear yet," Qian Weihua said. "He hasn’t been caught. He might’ve fled after catching wind of it, but everyone around him has been taken in for questioning. The burial site was exposed by Che Xingde’s sister."
Wen Yifan thought for a moment before asking, "Who reported it? What recording?"
After Qian Weihua explained the entire situation, Wen Yifan slowly pieced it together.
The woman who reported it to the police station was named Zheng Lin, Che Yanqin’s daughter-in-law—in other words, Wen Ming’s wife. A few weeks ago, one night, she was sexually harassed by a drunken Che Xingde, which caused a huge uproar in the family.
All the neighbors and locals knew about it.
Only after Che Yanqin tearfully begged her did Zheng Lin reluctantly agree not to take the matter to the police. But the couple moved out that very night, seemingly cutting ties with the family, and never returned home afterward.
Because of this, Che Yanqin repeatedly contacted Wen Ming, trying to mend their relationship.
After one such call ended, Wen Ming failed to hang up properly. Later, Che Yanqin got into another argument with Che Xingde and, in a fit of anger, revealed many past incidents.
She said Che Xingde was a dog that couldn’t stop eating shit—that he had raped and killed the girl next door from the Guo family, taken a life, and she’d had to clean up his mess. And now, he was repaying her kindness by harassing her daughter-in-law.
Zheng Lin, who was nearby at the time, recorded the entire conversation. Later, Wen Ming mentioned that he knew the Guo family’s girl and, if he remembered correctly, she had indeed been missing for years.
This made the recording even more credible.
Though she had left the Wen household, Zheng Lin couldn’t swallow the humiliation of being harassed by Che Xingde. After much deliberation, she decided to report it to the police.
Wen Yifan remained silent, continuing to type on her keyboard.
She probably knew the Guo family’s girl—she lived near Wen Liangxian’s home. Her name was Guo Ling, a beautiful and tall girl with a quiet, introverted personality, but an exceptionally kind nature.
Once, when Wen Yifan forgot her bus card, Guo Ling silently paid for her without a word.
Before that, the two had never spoken.
Afterward, they had no further interactions.
This assignment came up suddenly, so Wen Yifan didn’t return home, only bringing some simple belongings she kept at the office. On the way, she found time to send Sang Yan a message, informing him she was going on a business trip to Beiyu.
Qian Weihua drove the car to the back mountain where the body was discovered.
The scene had already been cordoned off, with two police officers stationed at the entrance.
Qian Weihua got out and tried to communicate with them, but the officers remained tight-lipped. The three could only take general photos of the surrounding area before driving to the nearby police station.
On the way, Fu Zhuang couldn’t shake off the absurdity and horror of it all: "So Che Xingde’s sister helped him dispose of the body? If not for the daughter-in-law, how long would that girl have been left in that wilderness..."
Qian Weihua sighed. "There are all kinds of people in this world."Wen Yifan wasn't in the best mood either.
Beiyu was a small town with relatively backward facilities and equipment. Apart from the previous tunnel collapse, there hadn't been any major incidents. For this case, most of the police force had been transferred from Nanwu.
After a whole day, the team hadn't uncovered any new leads.
But coincidentally, Wen Yifan ran into the female officer who had taken her in years ago at the police station.
Several years had passed, but the officer's appearance hadn't changed much, except for some additional white hair at her temples. She quickly recognized Wen Yifan, though she seemed to have forgotten her name.
Wen Yifan smiled and greeted her first: "Aunt Chen, it's Yifan."
Aunt Chen's eyes crinkled kindly as she smiled back: "It's been so many years. You've become a journalist now?"
"Yes, I'm here on assignment. I work as a news reporter at Nanwu Radio Station," Wen Yifan said. "How have you been?"
"Good, very good," Aunt Chen chattered on. "Chen Xi is doing well too—she just settled down with her boyfriend and will be getting married soon. You two were quite close back then, weren't you? After you left, she missed you for a while and kept talking about you."
"I saw her post about it on social media," Wen Yifan said with a smile. "I'll definitely come to her wedding."
"Good, you must come then," Aunt Chen said, reaching up to pat her head. "You've grown up well, girl. Back then I was worried you wouldn't be able to move on, but look at you now—such an accomplished journalist."
Wen Yifan paused, her eyes inexplicably growing warm: "Don't worry, that matter didn't affect me much."
Aunt Chen smiled again: "That's good. Take care of yourself."
...
By the time they left the police station, it was already late.
The three of them decided to stay at a small nearby guesthouse and interview Guo Ling's family or neighbors the next day. Once in the car, Fu Zhuang asked curiously: "Yifan-jie, did you know that policewoman earlier?"
Wen Yifan nodded: "I lived here for two years before."
Fu Zhuang made an understanding sound but didn't press further.
Back at the guesthouse, Wen Yifan flopped onto the bed without rushing to shower. She fished her phone from her bag and turned it on, just in time to see a message from Sang Yan: [Call me when you're done with work]
Wen Yifan immediately dialed his number.
He picked up right away.
Sang Yan's voice came through the receiver, more magnetic than usual: "Back at the hotel?"
"Mm. We booked a guesthouse."
"Tired?"
"Not really," Wen Yifan hugged a pillow to her chest and said softly, "Sang Yan."
"What?"
"Something's happened with Che Xingde—he's now a murder suspect and still at large." Wen Yifan cautioned him, "I might be overthinking this, but I'm afraid he might come after you. Be careful when you go out these next few days."
There was a brief silence before Sang Yan responded: "You went to Beiyu for this case?"
Wen Yifan hummed in affirmation.
"Alright, got it. Why are you always worrying about something happening to me, a grown man?" Sang Yan sounded amused. "Wen Shuangjiang, shouldn't you be the one being careful? Listen to the recording more."
Hearing his agreement, Wen Yifan relaxed: "Why would I listen to the recording when I have the real you here?"
Sang Yan: "Wouldn't it be too cheesy to say it directly?"
Wen Yifan couldn't help laughing and didn't insist.After all, she had listened to the recording so many times that she could recite it by heart.
"Sang Yan, today I ran into a female police officer I knew before. Actually, I called the police back then." Wen Yifan shared the day's events with him. "Later, after moving out of my uncle's house, this officer took me in for a while."
Sang Yan listened quietly. "Hmm."
"I never thought I'd see her again, so I was really happy." Wen Yifan's lips curved into a smile. "Her daughter, Chen Xi, happened to be my high school classmate and took good care of me back then."
"Is that so?" Sang Yan said. "Then let's find a chance to visit them together."
"Yeah. We can go when Chen Xi gets married." Wen Yifan added, "I saw her post on social media recently—she got engaged, so it should be soon."
At these words, Sang Yan fell silent on the other end.
Wen Yifan continued, "But I don't know the exact date yet. We'll have to see if you're free then."
Sang Yan drew out his response with a lazy "Oh," then chuckled. "Wen Shuangjiang."
Wen Yifan blinked. "What?"
His tone carried a hint of amusement. "Are you hinting at something?"
"..." Wen Yifan was momentarily confused. "What do you mean?"
"Your birthday's coming up, isn't it? Make sure you wish for something good this time." Sang Yan laughed softly, his voice smooth and unhurried. "Don’t worry. As always, I’ll make it come true for you."
After hanging up, Wen Yifan lay on her bed, replaying the conversation in her head. She thought back to last year’s birthday, when Sang Yan had asked her:
—"What did you wish for?"
—"If you don’t tell me, how can I make it happen?"
At the time, she had brushed it off with a vague answer about her career.
Then Sang Yan had said:
—"Oh, I thought it might be about wanting me to be your boyfriend."
Wen Yifan scratched her head, trying to figure out what she had said to prompt Sang Yan’s "hinting" remark. After a few seconds, it hit her—Chen Xi was about to get married.
Married.
The word struck her, and her expression froze.
Her face instantly burned with embarrassment.
The next day, the three of them visited Guo Ling’s parents’ home.
Given that the victims’ families were often emotionally shattered and unwilling to speak to the press, they had expected to be turned away, as usual. But after hearing their purpose, Guo Ling’s father fell silent for a moment before stepping aside to let them in.
Throughout the interview, Guo Ling’s father cooperated fully, recounting the events of the day his daughter disappeared.
Guo Ling’s mother had passed away early, leaving her to be raised by her father alone. But Guo’s father had a volatile temper and struggled to connect with a girl her age, so their relationship had always been strained.
The last time he saw Guo Ling was at home.
They had a heated argument over something, and Guo Ling, her eyes red with anger, shouted, "I’m never coming back to this house again!" before slamming the door behind her.
At this point, Guo’s father lowered his head, covering his eyes with one hand. A tall and burly man, he suddenly seemed to have aged a decade. "...I never imagined that after saying those words, she really never came back."
"..."
"All these years, I thought she was just angry and didn’t want to see me." His voice cracked. "If only that were true... How could something like this happen to my girl..."
No one else could find the words to respond.At this moment, any words of comfort felt heavy.
"I heard from the police that the beast still hasn't been caught," Mr. Guo suddenly grabbed Wen Yifan's arm and pleaded, "Please, could you show that beast's photo on TV? Let everyone be on the lookout, so my daughter can rest in peace sooner..."
Wen Yifan reassured him, "We'll report the facts as they are."
...
After leaving the Guo residence, all three of them were visibly affected.
It took Fu Zhuang a long while before he finally spoke up: "Sigh, this is too heartbreaking."
"..."
"Seems like Mr. Guo only cooperated with the interview because he wanted us to spread Che Xingde's photo more widely. But how can we put this on the news? It would just alert the suspect and cause public panic," Fu Zhuang said. "But we can't exactly tell him that either."
Wen Yifan stared blankly at the bus stop outside the window.
Qian Weihua said, "We just need to do what we're supposed to do."
"Yeah," Wen Yifan snapped out of her daze and spoke slowly, "There's nothing more we can do to help here. We can only wait until the suspect is apprehended and the truth comes to light, then make it known to the public."
Hopefully, this would be another way to bring solace to the victim's spirit.
The three of them stayed in Beiyu for a few more days.
They interviewed Che Xingde's former friends and colleagues, had several exchanges with the police, and then returned to Nanwu. According to updates from their colleagues handling the case in Nanwu, Che Xingde was still at large.
Che Yanqin was also being detained for harboring a criminal.
All of Che Xingde's relatives had become key surveillance targets.
After returning to Nanwu, Wen Yifan was summoned to the police station to give a statement. She then had to continue following up on the case, leaving her entangled with various tasks throughout the entire National Day holiday without a single day off.
During this time, Wen Yifan received a call from Zhao Yuandong.
Perhaps because of the major incident, Zhao Yuandong wanted to talk to Wen Yifan about it. But Wen Yifan was busy at the time and missed the call, and she didn't call back afterward.
These days, Wen Yifan returned home very late every night.
After a quick shower, she would immediately close her eyes to sleep, only to get up and leave again the next morning. She hardly had any time to spend with Sang Yan. Surprisingly, he didn't complain at all, nor did he try to engage her in conversation—he only urged her to get some sleep.
After the National Day holiday, Wen Yifan was finally granted a day off. Coincidentally, Sang Yan's vacation also ended, perfectly misaligning their schedules.
Left to herself, Wen Yifan spent the entire day at home catching up on sleep, drifting in and out of slumber so deeply that she didn't even notice when he returned from work. When she finally woke up and stumbled out of the bedroom, she saw Sang Yan sitting on the couch, drinking water.
Noticing her, Sang Yan glanced up. "Awake?"
Wen Yifan hummed in response and walked over to drape herself over him like a koala. Her mind was still foggy with lingering drowsiness, making her words slow. "When did you get back?"
"Just now, not long ago," Sang Yan wrapped an arm around her and took another sip of water. "How long have you been sleeping?"
"Not sure. I kept waking up and falling back asleep," Wen Yifan murmured. "Have you had dinner yet?"
"Yeah," Sang Yan replied. "You think you'll be able to sleep tonight after this?"
At this, Wen Yifan's eyelids fluttered slightly as she lifted her head to emphasize, "I don't have any energy."
"..." Sang Yan instantly understood what she meant, torn between amusement and exasperation. "What did I even say for you to not have energy?""Oh." Wen Yifan admitted her mistake honestly. "Then I misunderstood."
"What kind of person do you take me for?" Sang Yan pinched her cheek, noticing the dark circles under her eyes. "Alright, if you're still tired, go take a shower and sleep. Don't you only have one day off?"
Wen Yifan remained sprawled on him. "Mhm."
The two stayed like that quietly for a while.
Suddenly, Wen Yifan spoke up: "Sang Yan."
Sang Yan: "Hmm?"
"Where do you think Che Xingde ran off to? It's been so long," Wen Yifan murmured, her thoughts drifting. "He has no money, no one helping him now—how hasn't he been caught yet?"
"He'll be caught." For some reason, Sang Yan had a bad feeling and added, "Don't go home alone during this time."
"Okay."
"Wait for me to pick you up."
With the suspect still at large and the police withholding information, the case couldn't progress further. The team had no choice but to shelve the report and focus on other assignments.
Though she hoped every day that scum like Che Xingde would be brought to justice sooner, Wen Yifan didn't devote all her energy to it.
Saturday afternoon.
Due to making up for the extra holiday day during National Week, Sang Yan also had work that day. Around six, Wen Yifan received his usual WeChat message asking when she'd be off work.
Glancing at her remaining tasks, she estimated: [8:30.]
Sang Yan: [Got it.]
Meanwhile.
Noticing the time, Sang Yan grabbed his car keys and left the office. Out of habit, he drove toward Shang'an, planning to park near the TV station.
But for some reason, the area was unusually crowded today, with barely any parking spots left.
After circling the block, Sang Yan raised an eyebrow, considering whether to park on Street of Vice when he suddenly noticed a nearby alley. Though doubtful, he still drove in.
Before entering fully, he spotted a man standing by the wall.
The man was short and slightly overweight. Despite the heat, he wore a hat and mask, covering his face completely. He seemed to be hiding from someone while also searching, occasionally peeking toward the TV station entrance.
Sang Yan tapped his fingers on the steering wheel.
The alley was narrow, and noticing the car, the man instinctively moved aside to make room.
In that moment, Sang Yan caught a glimpse of his vaguely familiar eyes.
Gradually matching the suspicion in his mind.
It was Che Xingde.
Sang Yan's expression darkened, fury rising again. He grabbed his phone and quickly dialed 110. Turning away, he calmly reported the situation in a low voice before hanging up. Noticing the car hadn't moved, Che Xingde slowly sensed something was wrong. He took a few steps closer, but upon recognizing Sang Yan inside, immediately backed away.
Then bolted.
Afraid he'd escape, Sang Yan got out and chased after him.
Taller and faster, Sang Yan soon caught Che Xingde from behind, gripping his arm and slamming him against the wall. Breathing heavily, he demanded furiously: "What are you doing here?""Fuck your mother! You son of a bitch!" Che Xingde's face was pressed against the concrete wall as he struggled violently. "Don't fucking touch me! Are you out of your damn mind?"
Sang Yan's initial fear gradually faded, replaced by immense relief that he had come. He stared at Che Xingde, no longer angered by the man's vulgar insults. "Hey."
Che Xingde strained to turn his head and look at him.
"Must be tired after running for so long, huh? Why make things harder for yourself?" Sang Yan lowered his gaze, enunciating each word deliberately. "Wouldn’t it be better to just quietly go eat prison food?"
At these words, Che Xingde's expression instantly twisted. "You're the one who should rot in jail! Fuck your mother’s prison!"
Sang Yan couldn’t be bothered to waste more words on him. He secured Che Xingde's arms and forcefully dragged him toward the alley’s exit.
Che Xingde was no match for his strength. After a few more curses, he began to plead. "Please, I didn’t even do anything! I’m innocent! I’ve been framed!"
"Save it," Sang Yan said lazily. "Tell that to the cops."
"..."
As he was nearly pulled out of the alley, Che Xingde grew increasingly panicked, his desperation to escape fueling a burst of strength. In one sudden movement, he managed to wrench free from Sang Yan’s grip.
Sang Yan took a few steps back, and in the process, something fell from his pocket, clattering lightly as it rolled a short distance. Sang Yan faced Che Xingde directly, instantly meeting his venomous glare.
"You fucking bastard!" Che Xingde pulled a knife from his pocket and lunged forward. The silver blade gleamed under the streetlight, flashing ominously. "Let’s see who’s really gonna suffer now!"
After packing her things, Wen Yifan smiled and habitually dialed Sang Yan’s number.
But this time, unlike usual, the call wasn’t answered after the first ring. As she waited, her eyes drifted to the desk, where she suddenly noticed she’d forgotten to take the recorder. She absentmindedly picked it up just as the call connected.
Before she could speak, an unfamiliar woman’s voice came through. "Hello?"
Wen Yifan paused. "Hello, who is this?"
"Oh, I just found this phone," the woman said. "The owner caught some criminal and got stabbed. He’s been taken to the hospital. Are you a friend of his? Should I give the phone to you?"
Wen Yifan let out a confused "Huh?" as if she hadn’t understood. "What?"
"I don’t know the details, but there was a lot of blood..."
After a few seconds of silence, Wen Yifan’s voice trembled slightly. "Is the injured man named Sang Yan?"
"I don’t know," the woman replied. "Tall and thin, seemed pretty handsome."
Hearing this, Wen Yifan dug her nails into her palm and ran outside. "Where are you now?"
Arriving at the alley the woman had described, Wen Yifan scanned the area and immediately spotted bloodstains on the ground. Her entire body turned cold, the disbelief she’d clung to during the journey now solidified into horrifying reality. Her mind went blank as she took Sang Yan’s phone from the woman.
The screen was cracked in several places, the edges smudged with dust.
Wen Yifan turned it on and saw their photo together on the Ferris wheel.
After asking a few more questions, she softly thanked the woman. Turning, she noticed Sang Yan’s car parked at the alley’s entrance. She continued forward, hailed a taxi, and headed to the city hospital.All the terrifying thoughts flooded her mind at this moment.
She didn't dare to make any connections.
Wen Yifan thought of the day her father had passed away.
But that day, on the journey, she had Sang Yan by her side.
This time, she was all alone.
Wen Yifan didn’t want to scare herself. She trusted Sang Yan’s promise and tried to steady her emotions, but her hands still trembled uncontrollably. Her grip tightened as her vision blurred with tears, drop after drop falling onto the back of her hand.
Cold.
In the sweltering heat, it seemed to seep through her skin, chilling her to the bone.
Her sight turned hazy.
Staring at the recorder and Sang Yan’s phone in her hands, she must have accidentally pressed a button on the recorder. The quiet car was suddenly filled with a man’s indifferent, arrogant voice.
—"Wen Shuangjiang, be careful at work. Your man wants you home safe."
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