Yu Jingzhong called for a car to pick up the jumping corpse, while Zhou Hui went out and, like a lord, called the Liao family relatives back into the villa. Old Master Liao had finally caught his breath but was still recovering from the shock, being old after all. Supported by his guard, he tried to grab Zhou Hui’s hand. “Team Leader Zhou, thank you so much for today, you’ve done a great job…”
Zhou Hui snatched his hand back. “Are you confused? If you have senile dementia, you should have been sent to the hospital long ago.”
The old man couldn’t catch his breath again, and his filial sons and grandsons immediately rushed over, shouting and patting his chest to help him breathe.
Zhou Hui sauntered back up to the second floor to find Chu He sitting on a chair by the bed, monitoring the jumping corpse while eyeing the pile of s*x toys on the bed with the air of a scientific researcher. Yu Jingzhong, probably intending to figure out the cause of the bar boy’s death, was wandering around the bedroom, occasionally flipping through decorations and bookshelves, with a nervous Liao Liang following closely behind him.
“When did you buy this villa?”
“J-just in the last two years.”
“Must have been expensive, huh?”
“It was alright,” Liao Liang humbly stated a number. “The land price wasn’t as high two years ago as it is now.”
Yu Jingzhong’s face twisted as if he had a toothache. He looked up and met Zhou Hui’s eyes. Both of them simultaneously thought they should have charged more; six million for one kick was letting them off too easy.
Liao Liang would be a fool not to want to get on their good side, so he considered adding a little more to the price. But the payment had already been transferred, and abruptly offering more money might make them suspicious—gift-giving has its own etiquette, and even with good intentions, if not phrased correctly, it could create resentment and be counterproductive.
He scanned the room and thought, Maybe I should let them take the jade cabbage and beeswax Buddha’s hand citron from the cabinet. At least they’re from an auction. I’ll just say later that I’m borrowing the Special Affairs Department’s boundless Buddha light to exorcise the evil from them.
But before he could speak, he heard Chu He suddenly ask, “—After this incident, do you still plan on living in this house?”
Liao Liang remembered how they had been adding increments of twenty and how Chu He had opened with a non-negotiable two million per person. Cold sweat dripped down his back.
“I—this is the only property I have for now, and it’s con—convenient for getting to the company, so—”
Chu He said, “Oh,” seemingly a bit disappointed, and turned back to stare blankly at the pile of sex toys on the bed.
Liao Liang was utterly terrified, thinking, What does he mean by that? He wants the house, and since he can’t have it, he wants a couple of BDSM toys as consolation? How am I supposed to give those? “Team Leader Feng Si, I heard you like BDSM. Here are a couple of toys, a humble gift.” I’d be kicked to death by that guy surnamed Zhou.
Fortunately, he didn’t have to fret for too long. Yu Jingzhong picked up an inconspicuous photo frame from the desk. “Is this from when you were in school?”
The frame held a yellowed old photograph of Liao Liang in a bachelor’s gown with another young man. Strangely, there was a tear mark between the two of them, as if it were a composite photo.
An unnatural expression flashed across Liao Liang’s face.
Yu Jingzhong glanced at him. The eyes of a long-time agent were incredibly sharp. The complex mix of sadness, fear, nostalgia, and pain in his eyes was as clear as an X-ray, with nowhere to hide.
“This was my lover from university…” Liao Liang coughed, then stammered, “We broke up… after graduation. There was a lot of pressure from my family… I heard he went to America later, and I lost contact…”
Zhou Hui said breezily, “You’re quite the sentimental one.” He took the photo frame and swiped his thumb across the other man’s image.
Yu Jingzhong was close enough to see that in the instant Zhou Hui’s finger passed over it, the man’s face turned pale and vacant, dripping with blood, his eyes glinting with venomous resentment.
But in a flash, the photo returned to normal, as if nothing had happened.
Liao Liang hadn’t seen the momentary change. He stood to the side with a bitter smile. “Thinking back now, we never even had a photo of just the two of us. I guess we were too optimistic back then, probably thought we had a long time ahead of us. Who knew it would end in the blink of an eye.” He reached for the frame and placed it back on the desk with great care. “I’ll be at ease as long as I know he’s doing well now.”
“You’re living quite comfortably yourself now, having a drink, a casual hookup. How many poor couples wish they had your standard of living but don’t,” Zhou Hui mocked mercilessly, completely ignoring Liao Liang’s embarrassed face. He turned and called out affectionately, “Fourth Brother, let’s go. Stop looking, there’s nothing to see. I’ll let you play with them all you want when we get home.”
With four million in hand (including his ex-wife’s share), Zhou Hui left the Liao residence, satisfied. He helped Yu Jingzhong load the jumping corpse into the car to be transported to the Special Affairs Department and handed it over to Situ Yingzhi, the leader of Team Three, for research.
Team Leader Situ was a jiangshi who had cultivated into a hanba, and then a hou, making him a man at the top of the corpse food chain. His expertise in the culinary methods and variety of edible corpses was number one in the six realms. For the former, he could outdo Nicholas Tse on foot, and for the latter, he could laugh in the face of Bear Grylls. The combination of both had reached the level of a five-star chef. Therefore, although he had never taken a forensic science course, handing this matter over to him was no problem at all. The only drawback was that the jumping corpse might be casually eaten by him after the autopsy.
In the car, Yu Jingzhong pondered, “There’s something fishy about this. That ex-lover of Liao’s, could he be dead?”
“He’s dead,” Zhou Hui said casually.
“Didn’t he go to America?”
“The photo would only change if he died locally and within the last month. I was just wondering if that young man saw Liao’s decadent lifestyle, and his vengeful spirit, out of jealousy, transformed into a fierce ghost and took the life of the bar boy.”
Before Yu Jingzhong could agree that it was a possibility, Chu He spoke from the back seat. “Not necessarily.”
Both men turned to look at him. Chu He shook his head. “Liao doesn’t have that kind of charm.”
His expression was perfectly serene, as if he saw nothing wrong with that statement. A vein throbbed on Yu Jingzhong’s forehead. Just as he was about to retort, he heard Zhou Hui enthusiastically agree, “Exactly! I think so too! He’s not good-looking enough to warrant it!”
“…” Deputy Chief Yu felt as if a herd of grass mud horses had just galloped over his head.
“Anyway, there are too many strange things about Liao. His insistence on staying with us to catch the jumping corpse was probably for a reason, perhaps he was afraid we’d find something in his house. And he’s not even willing to move out after such an incident. This guy’s courage is unusually large; he doesn’t seem like such a tough person.”
Zhou Hui stroked his chin and added, “I have a very bad feeling about that photo of his. His first love probably died a violent death, and his resentment is extremely strong. He might still be lingering in the human world.”
“Is there a way to find the location of the incident?” Yu Jingzhong asked casually.
“Yes, but we need the victim’s name and birth date. So, have someone start by checking missing persons. That ‘red third-generation’s’ university first love should be easy to find.”
Deputy Chief Yu turned and looked expectantly at Zhou Hui.
The latter was lying across the back seat of the SUV, his head resting on Chu He’s thigh as he played Candy Crush. His shameless and comfortable appearance made one want to take off a shoe and slap him across the face.
“This is not within the scope of my contract. I want overtime pay.” Under Deputy Chief Yu’s eager gaze, Boss Zhou finally lifted an eyelid and said lazily, “Ex-wife, name a price.”
Yu Jingzhong’s hair stood on end, terrified that the next words out of his mouth would be, “Two million, each…”
Chu He was chatting with someone on WeChat. He looked up and smiled faintly.
“I heard you’re making pigeon soup for young Yan,” he said slowly. “Give us each a bowl.”
Yu Jingzhong deeply felt that the two million he had earned was not worth it. Not only was he dragged into a case involving a ‘red third-generation’s’ one-night stand and a dead body, but he also got inexplicably involved with a violently deceased first love. After being subjected to a strong public display of affection by Zhou Hui, he now had to set aside a portion of the soup he was making for the two of them.
He used to be an elite red agent back in the day. How had he fallen to this state? Yu Jingzhong stood in the kitchen, a cigarette dangling from his lips as he washed dishes, feeling utterly perplexed.
Yan Lanyu was eating in the dining room. His digestive system must have been very poor; he ate like a kitten, taking a long time to finish half a bowl of soup. He brought the empty bowl to the kitchen, knocked gently on the door, and asked, “Do you need any help?”
The young man was wearing a light gray pullover sweater. He was very thin, his collarbones jutting out, with obvious bluish-red marks on his neck. Deputy Chief Yu looked up and immediately averted his gaze as if he’d been shocked. “Ah, no need. You go rest.”
Yan Lanyu silently came over, put the bowl down, and left.
Yu Jingzhong watched his back disappear into the bedroom, a cigarette held between his fingers, stunned and unsure how to react.
The next day, Chu He calculated the deceased’s name and birth date based on the appearance Zhou Hui remembered. Yu Jingzhong brought the rest of the pigeon soup in a thermos to the State Security Special Affairs Department. As a result, Chu He drank half a bowl and left with a nosebleed.
Curious, Zhou Hui stirred the contents of the thermos with a spoon and flew into a rage. “How can you use five-hundred-year-old ginseng like this! I told you a thin slice is enough! Have you ever seen a ‘thin’ slice that’s three centimeters thick?!”
Yu Jingzhong: “…”
“A man!” Zhou Hui berated him. “A man who finds a partner more than ten years younger than himself is destined to bear the responsibility of grocery shopping, cooking, washing clothes, and taking care of children! A poor civil servant shouldn’t be playing out idol drama fantasies of dining at five-star restaurants. Take up your household duties first! What’s the use of you if you can’t even cook properly?!”
“…Your Majesty Zhou,” Yu Jingzhong asked with sincere earnestness, “how do Your Majesty and Her Majesty the Empress usually divide the household chores? Who cooks?”
His Majesty Zhou said, “Although the Empress is more than ten years older than me… of course it’s me! Do you think Fourth Brother knows how to do chores? At most, he’s in charge of breathing fire when grilling steaks, and even then, I have to watch him to make sure he doesn’t turn the steak into charcoal! Hmph, ever since Maha was born, he’s only cooked for the child. The child gets a Manchu-Han Imperial Feast baby meal, while the two of us gnaw on steamed buns with cold water…”
Wiping his nose, Chu He walked out of the pantry attached to Zhou Hui’s office, his voice thick with a nasal tone. “That’s not what happened, don’t listen to his nonsense. He was feeding Maha vodka mixed with chili sauce. I couldn’t stand it, so I punished him by making him eat steamed buns with cold water. I even ate with him for several meals.”
Deputy Chief Yu’s mouth twitched. “No wonder your son Da Mao wanted to commit patricide…”
Zhou Hui hummed and sat behind his large desk, shamelessly propping his long legs on the edge. He casually took out a tortoise shell from a drawer to play with. Yu Jingzhong recognized it as something he used for divination. It seemed capable of figuring out anything, even whether the potato chips hidden in his drawer were taken by Situ Hou San or the leader of Team Five. It was very magical.
“Based on the deceased’s appearance I remembered, Fourth Brother calculated that the unlucky first love is named Lu Xiaochen, twenty-seven this year. He appeared on the Four Evil Realms’ register of the dead a month ago, but his soul didn’t fall into the Hell Path. This person’s life was a mix of good and bad. While he wouldn’t ascend to heaven, he also wouldn’t fall into the realms of hungry ghosts or animals. So, the fact that he didn’t report to the Hell Path is very strange.”
“Still lingering in Beijing?” Yu Jingzhong asked.
“Definitely. The incident occurred within a thirty-kilometer radius of the Liao family’s home. I can’t see the specific details of the place, but the building is dilapidated with a red roof, it’s dark inside, and covers a large area, like an abandoned warehouse.”
Zhou Hui used the tortoise shell to sketch the rough appearance of the building on a piece of paper, but it was just a common-looking single-story building.
“The Liao family’s identity is sensitive. I’ll have someone secretly investigate similar buildings in the surrounding area immediately. The cause of this Lu Xiaochen’s death should be related to the appearance of the jumping corpse.” Yu Jingzhong turned to leave, then paused when he saw Chu He. “Hey, Feng Si, how about you do another calculation? A more precise direction would save us from making too much noise during the investigation and alerting that Liao kid.”
Chu He grunted in acknowledgement and went to get the tortoise shell.
However, Zhou Hui pressed down on his hand and turned on Yu Jingzhong. “Go, go, go! Get those freeloading brats to investigate! Why do you make Fourth Brother do everything?”
Deputy Chief Yu was stunned. He saw Zhou Hui take a breath and say coldly, “Calculating life and death requires opening the heavenly eye. Do you think it’s that easy? Fourth Brother’s body is weak. Don’t make him do it if you can avoid it. If we alert Liao and he gets eaten by Maha, it’s all over.”
Chu He gave him an apologetic gesture.
Yu Jingzhong said dejectedly, “Fine, fine…” Then he cupped his hands towards Chu He and left.
Fortunately, Deputy Chief Yu had some connections in the criminal police force, and he quickly obtained the deceased’s file.
The young man named Lu Xiaochen had graduated from a prestigious university in Beijing and was Liao Liang’s classmate. It was unclear what their relationship was like during their school years. What was worth noting was that six months ago, after completing his Ph.D. abroad, Lu Xiaochen had applied for a job at a company opened by Liao Liang.
Lu Xiaochen’s major was very niche, and there were only a few companies in his professional field where he could seek employment. He probably didn’t know that one of them was opened by his first love before submitting his resume—because after passing the interview, he suddenly withdrew his application. This was likely because he discovered Liao Liang’s identity and didn’t want to get entangled with his ex-boyfriend again.
Then things started to go off track.
The other companies Lu Xiaochen had applied to had all initially expressed great interest in the young American-educated Ph.D., but then one day, they all coincidentally rejected him politely. Lu Xiaochen was very confused by this situation and asked his former classmates to inquire within the industry, only to find out that Liao Liang might have had a hand in it.
Up to this point, it was a normal urban melodrama. If Lu Xiaochen were a girl, it might have evolved into an overbearing CEO romantic light comedy.
But unfortunately, tragedy often happens in an instant, feeding on jealousy, sprouting roots and growing with startling speed.
“Lu Xiaochen had a boyfriend,” Zhou Hui took off his sunglasses, staring thoughtfully at the photo in his hand. “And he came back from the US with him. They were already registered as married in Las Vegas.”
In the cafe below Liao Liang’s company, Zhou Hui sat on a sofa in the corner, his long, strong legs spread wide. A luxury brand shirt hugged the lean, powerful muscles of his upper body, honed in the wild.
Anyone dressed like this, with a Vacheron Constantin watch, A. Testoni calfskin shoes, and the Mercedes-Benz keys on the table, could attract hordes of admirers, not to mention he had a handsome face that constantly radiated intense hormones like a Hollywood star on the red carpet.
Chu He hid his face behind the menu, finding it almost unbearable to face the overwhelming wave of male hormones. “Didn’t you tell Deputy Chief Yu to get the ‘freeloaders’ to investigate this?”
“It was you who didn’t want to stay in my office and insisted on going out for a walk.”
“That’s because…” Chu He suddenly stopped, staring at the menu without a word.
Zhou Hui laughed triumphantly, rubbing Chu He’s calf with the tip of his foot while lowering his voice dangerously. “You’re not happy with the door closed in the office. Be careful, if I drag you onto a public bus, then you’ll know fear.”
Countless fiery and jealous gazes immediately shot towards Chu He, from men and women, young and old, and even a balding uncle in his late forties at the next table. If looks could turn into arrows, Chu He would have been riddled with holes by now, beyond the help of his own phoenix tears.
However, CEO Chu had, after all, been in the business world for several years and had seen his share of big scenes. He managed to maintain a calm expression even under such harsh living conditions, only discreetly pulling his leg back. “—Where did you get the photo?”
“Hmm, I have my ways,” Zhou Hui put down the photo and smiled. “Alright—it turns out young Yan is our excellent inside man by Deputy Chief Yu’s side. I just hinted that the two of us were very interested in this matter and wanted to go out for a run, and he graciously brought me the relevant files from Deputy Chief Yu’s desk… Of course, it’s also possible he just wanted fewer people in the office so as not to disturb his romance.”
The photo showed Lu Xiaochen grocery shopping with another man. They were of similar age and looked good together. Ignoring their gender, they were indeed a fine couple. His new boyfriend’s attire was clearly not as luxurious as a ‘red third-generation’ like Liao Liang, but he was neat and energetic. He was laughing while talking to Lu Xiaochen, and one could clearly see harmony and deep affection in their eyes.
“This person is called Bo Chao. He graduated from the same university in the same year as Lu Xiaochen and Liao Liang, just in a different major. Coincidentally, Lu Xiaochen went to the US with him after graduation, and when they returned to China together, they were already in a registered marriage.”
Chu He asked, “Is he dead too?”
“Dead,” Zhou Hui said lightly. “Within six months, two young Ph.D.s who returned from abroad both died bizarrely.”
A blushing waitress came over to ask if they wanted to order anything else, her voice trembling, pitifully and cute. Zhou Hui politely said they didn’t need anything, then turned to Chu He and asked with deep affection, “Would you like anything else to eat, fiancée?”
“…” Chu He closed the menu, handed it to the waitress, and sighed, “Latte.”
The waitress left, filled with disappointment, her expression so downcast she looked like she was about to cry.
“You know what?” Chu He looked at the strong muscle lines under Zhou Hui’s shirt and his shamelessly spread legs, and said with a straight face, “That sitting posture is very provocative. It kind of makes me want to get on top of you. Is this your subtle new way of saying you want to be on the bottom?”
He thought his words had the flavor of Zhou Hui. After all, after so many years, even if he hadn’t eaten the pork, he’d seen the pig run; he should be able to mimic a line or two. Who knew that Zhou Hui only laughed upon hearing this, saying with great interest, “I only accept one way of being on top—riding… but do you know how? Every time, you get so soft you’re about to melt into a puddle. I doubt you could move on your own.”
Chu He stared at the table, not saying a word.
This look was the most stimulating prize for the victor, its allure almost indescribable. Zhou Hui’s lips curled into a wicked smile. He glanced back at the female owner behind the counter who was watching her subordinate make coffee, then turned back and leaned closer to Chu He. “After Lu Xiaochen’s resume was rejected by all the companies, he once met with Liao Liang to talk. They met right here. Subsequently, Lu Xiaochen’s boyfriend, Bo Chao, was arrested by the local police station and detained for fifteen days for fighting. I’m going to ask this owner about the situation now, see if I can find any clues among these three people. Since you’ve declared you want to get on top of me, why don’t we make a bet?”
He lowered his voice, husky with a seductive ambiguity:
“We’ll each go talk to her, try to get her to tell us what happened back then, and see who can dig up more clues. The bet is what I asked for that day but you adamantly refused. If you win, I don’t mind you doing that to me—how about it? I’ll let you go first.”
Chu He stared at him. They were so close that even their hot breaths intertwined.
A moment later, Chu He stood up and said coldly, “It’s a bet.”
He turned and walked towards the cafe’s restroom, closing the door. Three minutes later, the door clicked open again. Chu He walked out, and Zhou Hui instantly spat a mouthful of water all over the table—
The Phoenix Wisdom King’s determination was so firm and intense that in this small cafe, he had actually used his true form, one of the ten great beauties of the Heavenly Dao!
As he approached step by step, the surrounding noise quickly subsided, and miraculously, a moment of silence fell. Many people stared at him blankly, holding their coffee but forgetting to drink. Someone even spilled a glass of water all down their clothes.
When one is so stunningly beautiful, they often forget their own advantage in appearance due to habit, or don’t take their specialness too seriously, but the shocking effect on others is not diminished by this.
Chu He walked to the counter, took out his wallet from his pocket, and gently pressed two large bills under the tip jar. “Hello,” the light in his eyes shifted, and he asked the owner with great style, “May I ask you about something? Would five minutes be alright?”
