The next morning, Yi Shi walked into Caiyun Photography with Lian Jingyuan, linking arms with him. He wore a mask and black-framed glasses on his nose. As expected, Lu Caiyun didn’t recognize him as the customer who had just come yesterday and didn’t notice that the tall beauty was actually a man. She treated them as a newlywed couple.
Lian Jingyuan played the role of a very dominant husband, who wanted to know every detail and was in charge at home. Yi Shi linked his arm, speaking in a soft voice, “You talk to my husband; he can decide what he likes.”
Seeing the situation, Lu Caiyun took a seat next to Lian Jingyuan, talking to the one who could make decisions. Yi Shi pretended to be obedient for a while, then made an excuse to go to the restroom, stopping at the stairway to look up.
Sounds came from upstairs, mixed with an old person’s voice. His hand rested on the metal stair railing, feeling a slight tremor. Gardenia might be nearby at the stairway.
Yi Shi bent his index finger and lightly tapped twice on the railing. The clear sound echoed through the hollow metal pipe. The next moment, a small head peeked out from the stairway, big eyes looking down.
Yi Shi took off his glasses and slowly pulled down his mask. The pair of eyes upstairs widened like copper bells, and the girl immediately rushed down.
“Teacher, teacher.” She dashed into Yi Shi’s arms, her slender and fragile body trembling lightly. An old lady followed closely behind, holding a broom. She was about to scold someone when Yi Shi spoke first, “Your child is really cute.”
The old lady had her words stuck in her throat, so she could only nod awkwardly and reluctantly call out, “Tao Tao, come here, don’t cling to the auntie.”
Gardenia shook her head repeatedly, gripping the woolen skirt tightly. Yi Shi took her hand, saying, “There’s paint upstairs; how about I take you to wash it off?”
After saying this, he picked the child up. The old lady looked her up and down and saw that “she” was a gentle and beautiful girl who liked children, so she didn’t stop them and silently followed behind.
The old lady swept the ground outside while Yi Shi held Gardenia with his left hand and turned on the faucet with his right. The sound of water masked his low voice as he whispered, “I’ll find a way to save you. You need to look for opportunities to save yourself and pass on the message that you’re trapped. In a few days, some police uncles will come to investigate; they know your brother.” He paused, recalling Jian Ru’s appearance, “One of them wears metal-rimmed glasses, has single eyelids, and has a mole on the left side of his mouth.”
“Is my brother okay? What should I do?”
“Use the simplest and most direct method between you.” Yi Shi rubbed Gardenia’s little hand in his long fingers, washing off the colorful paint. “This paint dissolves in water, and it’s easy to wash off.”
Gardenia’s eyes instantly sparkled as she nodded vigorously. Yi Shi patiently washed every finger, softly asking, “Why were you sent here?”
“I don’t know; they said the blood type was wrong, but it can still be used. AB can be exchanged with any blood,” Gardenia’s nose wrinkled, almost crying. “I don’t want to be cut open and thrown in the street. I don’t want to die…”
Yi Shi’s mind exploded with thoughts. According to the blood transfusion principles, type O can donate to any blood type, while AB can receive any blood type. That day in the clinic, Xie Gang had made it very clear. How could there be such a bizarre discrepancy by the time it reached them?
Due to the confusion about the professional knowledge, these people had misunderstood the transfusion principles between donors and recipients, thinking that AB type Gardenia could match any blood type, accidentally hitting the right one.
This was really absurd. Such a discrepancy was no longer unexpected but incomprehensible. What if a different blood type had been labeled? What other strange events would occur?
Yi Shi turned off the faucet and dried Gardenia’s hands. As they stepped out, they bumped into Lu Caiyun, who hurriedly took Gardenia from him. “Oh, I’m really sorry; you’re the customer, and you’re still helping to take care of my child.”
Yi Shi smiled lightly, “Your daughter is very obedient.”
Lu Caiyun chuckled and instructed the old lady to take the child upstairs. Gardenia walked slowly, turning back three steps, reluctantly returning upstairs.
Once she was locked back in her room, she knelt alone on the cold floor for a while, gathering the scattered small stones and tightly holding them in her palm.
—
In late February, as the school start date approached, Lian Jingyuan had to return to Shengzhou. Before leaving, he made all the arrangements, leaving the keys with Yi Shi, telling him he could stay as long as he wanted and to call him anytime if he encountered difficulties.
The two shook hands in farewell. Lian Jingyuan dragged his suitcase to the high-speed train station, leaving Yi Shi alone in the large room, the air returning to the coldness he had felt when he first arrived.
In the following days, Yi Shi frequently visited Guibei Mountain. He didn’t take the route from the police station but instead circled around to the back, using a little-traveled path. This was a road previously taken by Pang Daozi’s uncle when they captured Zhao Chenghu; on that day, the team split up, with one group guarding this path.
Recently, Pang Daozi had not gone out at all. Zhao Chenghu would come over each time, staying for an hour or two before leaving. Zhao Chenghu had also not met with Tu Laogui, often going to the bathhouse or bar to have fun before returning to the homes of his subordinates in Jinghe and the campus.
Both of these main suspects were avoiding contact with Tu Laogui. Did they trust each other so much that such a significant case could be settled solely over the phone? Yi Shi felt puzzled, vaguely sensing that there was something amiss at Pang Daozi’s home, but he couldn’t get too close to investigate. Lin He arranged for the two to stake out nearby; if they were spotted, it would surely raise suspicions.
It seemed he could only extract information from Zhao Chenghu. Yi Shi made up his mind, opting for the most efficient method—putting on a wig and changing into women’s clothes. For the first time in many years, he experienced the benefits of this face; at least there were no obstacles in switching roles, and he could accomplish many things alone.
He found a fruit knife from the kitchen, sharpening the blade until it gleamed. After folding it, he placed it in his pocket and took a taxi to the bar where Zhao Chenghu often visited. As night fell, Yi Shi entered the bar, lifting the heavy door curtain. The metallic noise overwhelmed him, buzzing in his ears. He frowned slightly but quickly regained his composure, walking in calmly.
Young men and women were dancing wildly in the dance floor. Yi Shi chose a spot at the bar, facing the entrance, where he could clearly see the crowd coming and going. The bartender, wiping a highball glass, noticed Yi Shi’s unfamiliarity and asked, “Hey, beauty, first time here? What would you like to order?”
“No need.”
The bartender understood; she was waiting for someone to buy her a drink, but she was dressed too conservatively for this place. All the girls here were showing their waists and legs; how could she expect to catch a man like that?
Not wanting to be questioned further, Yi Shi added, “I’m waiting for someone.”
Could it be a cheating situation? The bartender started to let his imagination run wild; after all, he had seen all kinds of strange happenings in the nightlife industry and found it hard not to think in gossip terms. From his experience, the quieter and more submissive they seemed, the more explosive they were. He needed to keep an eye on her to prevent any disturbances that could lead to the police.
Soon, Zhao Chenghu swaggered in. He was a regular here; the manager would call him “Brother Hu.” Passing the bar, he rattled off a string of drink names and had them sent to a private room. Yi Shi changed to a more convenient spot to observe him, seeing him indulge with two women, and before long, he was drunk.
“Beauty, sitting here alone is so boring. Let me keep you company for a chat?”
Yi Shi turned around to see a slick-haired, heavily made-up man next to him, forcing a kind smile as he handed him a freshly made Manhattan cocktail. “This is on me.”
“Are you sure?” Yi Shi asked lightly.
“Of course! Just give it a try, and if you like it, I’ll get you another.”
Yi Shi glanced at his right hand as he pushed the cup toward him; powder from his palm drifted into the cocktail. The familiarity of his actions revealed that he was undoubtedly a seasoned criminal. Unfortunately for him, he had crossed paths with the police today.
Yi Shi kicked his leg hard, forcing him to kneel on one knee. Then, he grabbed his chin, forcing his mouth open, and stared down at him coldly as he poured the cocktail straight down his throat.
Everything happened too quickly for the man to even struggle; his screams were drowned out by the deafening metal rock music. The bartender showed no interest in intervening; as long as things didn’t get too out of hand, he was more than happy to watch the show during his downtime.
After pouring about half the drink down his throat, Yi Shi splashed the remaining half onto his (ZCH) face, casually sitting back down and wiping the moisture off his (YS)fingertips. An inadvertent glance caught his eye and connected with a pair of dark, deep-set eyes.
It was Lin Heyu.
Yi Shi turned back, quickly identifying that Yu Maoqiu was also among the crowd; they had clearly come together to follow Zhao Chenghu.
There was no time to lose. Yi Shi squeezed through the crowd just as the dance party kicked off; the lights in the bar went dark. Seizing the opportunity, he rushed to the VIP booth, dragging the drunken Zhao Chenghu into the women’s restroom.
Click. He locked the stall door with one hand, pinning Zhao Chenghu against the wall. Zhao Chenghu’s eyes were bleary, having lost his ability to think straight; all he knew was that there was a woman in front of him, and he instinctively began to tease, “Hey, babe, why don’t you come home with me and sleep?”
“Where is Tu Laogui?”
“What ghost (Since gui means ghost)? I’m not afraid of any ghost…”
His speech was slurred and incoherent, making normal conversation impossible. Yi Shi smiled slightly, removing his mask and leaning in closer to whisper in his ear, “Not yet, I promised Pang Daozi I would accompany him first.”
Zhao Chenghu’s hand instinctively wrapped around his waist, and he slurred, “No worries! Just stick with me… Brother Pang, Brother Pang can’t come, he’s busy!”
“Is that so? Where is he? Why don’t we just go find him together?”
Upon hearing that there were three of them, Zhao Chenghu became excited, his large hand roaming over his back but refusing to disclose a specific location. With people coming and going outside, Lin Heyu would soon realize that he was missing and would come looking for him. Yi Shi had no time to waste on false pleasantries; he slipped his hand into Zhao Chenghu’s pocket, pulled out his phone, and unlocked it.
There were no message records between them, and all calls were made using virtual numbers. When they first caught Zhao Chenghu, his phone had already been thoroughly examined by tech experts, and nothing had been found. That was why they needed someone outside the official investigation to apply pressure. Yi Shi was well aware of this, so he opened the photo gallery first.
The screen was filled with inappropriate photos and videos. Yi Shi flipped through them expressionlessly while Zhao Chenghu, feeling uneasy, pressed closer, prompting him to pull out the fruit knife. “Don’t move.”
Amidst the risqué photos, a few scenic pictures caught his eye. One particularly stood out, featuring a long, slender chimney that immediately made him recognize it as the Nanyi Mechanical Factory.
Carefully scrolling through the mountain scenery, he noted that none of them captured the factory’s full appearance, only bits and pieces. Below the chimney was half a river, and Yi Shi squinted, suddenly realizing which mountain could provide such angles.
He shoved the phone back into Zhao Chenghu’s pocket, opened the window above, and stepped onto the toilet bowl. Zhao Chenghu hugged his waist, causing a sharp pain in his palm that forced him to step back. Warm blood trickled down, splattering onto the white floor.
Yi Shi sneered, too annoyed to ask another question. He jumped out of the window and quickly left the dim alley. In his estimation, Zhao Chenghu was likely to blackout and, by tomorrow, would forget how he got hurt.
He took a taxi to the small clinic, where Xie Gang was packing up the counter, preparing to close for the night. The clinic had the advantage of serving as a medical office at the front and a bedroom in the back, allowing him to sleep there whenever he didn’t want to go home, living a carefree and enjoyable life.
“Beauty, we’re closing up, so I can only give you some medicine. If you need anything else, come back tomorrow.”
Yi Shi removed his mask. “Have they contacted you?”
That voice was incredibly familiar. Xie Gang squinted to get a better look, exclaiming, “Whoa, isn’t that the fierce big guy? Why are you dressing like a woman? Is this some peculiar kink of yours?”
Moreover, the skirt didn’t look out of place on him at all. How was he managing that?
Yi Shi grew impatient, tapping on the table. Xie Gang snapped back to reality. “Oh, they did call, just scheduled to come by in the next couple of days. They might show up at any moment, so I decided not to go home and just sleep in the back.”
Gardenia should have been picked up by now. Yi Shi contemplated for a moment, formulating a plan. In front of Xie Gang, he began to unzip his skirt and take it off.
Xie Gang was so startled that he stepped back repeatedly, stammering, “W-What are you doing? Just tell me directly; you don’t have to seduce me! I-I can’t get hard for men!”
“…” Yi Shi took off one sleeve, exposing his right arm, and sat on the stool. “I need a painkiller injection.”
“You’ve got a fracture; it’s not suitable for an injection. Just take your time to heal.”
“I know it can relieve pain.”
“Uh, it can definitely relieve pain, and the effect lasts a long time, but it’s not the first choice for treatment; it—”
Yi Shi waved his hand, uninterested in his further explanation. The long-term effects on his treatment weren’t within his considerations; he just needed to ensure that his immediate actions wouldn’t be affected.
After the injection, Yi Shi changed out of his cumbersome women’s attire and donned black clothes and a mask, transforming into someone who looked like they had just emerged from ink, his fair skin appearing even more translucent. It was close to midnight, making it difficult to get a taxi. The medication wouldn’t take effect immediately, so he lay down on the sofa to rest. As soon as he closed his eyes, Lin Heyu filled his mind.
He had never expected to feel such intense emotions because of someone.
Ahhhhhhhhh so Yi Shi was the woman who passed on the clue at the very beginning!!!