But Yin Feng suddenly changed course, asking: “Did he ever tell you why he helped you seek revenge? Did he say it was just because he couldn’t stand seeing criminals escape legal punishment, that the police were powerless, and he wanted to help you achieve justice?”

Xiang Rong’s face reddened slightly as he remained silent.

Yin Feng’s voice was cool and clear: “But you’re a businessman – you know there’s no such thing as a free lunch. He guided you, and tempted you, gradually transforming you from a grieving, bitter father into a serial killer. Just like what you did to Liu Ruyu and Li Biran. But then he turned around and sold you out to the police. If they hadn’t tipped us off, how could we have noticed you? Your revenge is almost complete. What do you think he did all this for?”

Xiang Rong’s voice trembled: “What for?”

Yin Feng leaned forward, a posture designed to convey pressure and authority, and said in a seductive whisper: “You’re not the first. In another case, we discovered him inducing and grooming others to commit crimes. In the end, his people personally shot that criminal. Identify, groom, assist in crimes… then judge and punish – whether by their own hands or through the police, they simply raise you all into serial killers, only to kill you themselves.”

Xiang Rong’s face flushed red: “No! Impossible! How could this be!”

Yin Feng leaned back, saying coolly: “You’re a smart man. Think about it yourself – isn’t this exactly how it is? If you keep covering for them, there will just be a second and third version of you, puppets in their hands.”

The room fell into a long silence.

Through the glass, You Mingxu wasn’t watching Xiang Rong’s gradually lowering head, but rather the man across from him. After his intense psychological manipulation and persuasion, he appeared extremely patient, lounging there with an expression both cold and somewhat lazy and mocking. He looked as if he cared about nothing, yet knew exactly what he wanted and was certain he would get it.

Xiang Rong spoke hoarsely, looking up: “I don’t know his real name. He was probably in his early thirties. He had me call him Brother Yu.”

Brother Yu?

Yin Feng asked: “Which ‘you’ character?”

Xiang Rong shook his head: “I never asked.”

Yin Feng took out his phone, found a photo, and showed it to him: “Is this him?”

Xiang Rong’s expression didn’t change at all. After looking for a moment, he shook his head: “No. I don’t know this person.”

Yin Feng glanced at the glass. You Mingxu could see it was Gu Tiancheng’s photo, but Xiang Rong didn’t recognize him.

Could the organization’s contact with Xiang Rong have been someone else? The early thirties, with “you” in his name or nickname?

However, no matter how Yin Feng pressed, Xiang Rong couldn’t provide more information about that person, only describing his physical features. He admitted the man had given him some drug or new synthetic narcotic to secretly administer to the two children, and acknowledged receiving extensive criminal coaching from him. The man had always initiated contact, maintaining a one-way connection.

“Why did you trust him?” Yin Feng asked.

Xiang Rong smiled slightly, answering: “Because when he first found me, he told me my first enemy, Chen Kaize, was in Guizhou, trapped in the mountains.”

—

You Mingxu immediately called the provincial department to request a sketch artist, to draw the man’s facial features based on Xiang Rong’s description.

After the call, she left the interrogation room just as Yin Feng emerged from the opposite side. Their eyes met briefly before both fell silent.

You Mingxu turned to go downstairs, with him following a few steps behind.

You Mingxu said: “Thanks.”

He replied coolly: “It was nothing.”

You Mingxu didn’t want to engage with him further, but her mind drifted to the past You Yingjun, who would always proudly stick his head close after helping her solve a case, either pleased with her praise or looking for a reward.

You Yingjun had truly been like a small sun, always warm and bright.

Nothing could be more absurd than the current situation. You Mingxu found the man behind her utterly distasteful, yet thoughts of his former self filled her heart with warmth and sweetness.

“How do you plan to thank me?” Even Yin Feng was surprised by his own words. Perhaps it was because of her cold attitude – despite his help, she showed no warmth. Having said it, he decided to follow his instincts and see how she would respond.

You Mingxu finally turned to look at him properly, her tone still icy: “How would you like me to thank you?”

Yin Feng’s gaze lingered on her moving lips, inexplicably recalling their intense, arousing kiss at the hospital that had nearly made him lose control. This wasn’t a good sign – did his body still remember her? Even now, just thinking about it made his heart race with excitement.

Yin Feng looked away, saying: “We’ll save it for later.”

You Mingxu thought the current Yin Feng was truly more devious, deliberately making her owe him a favor despite their clear incompatibility. She turned and left. Seeing her irritation, Yin Feng felt satisfied and smiled slightly.

A police officer hurried toward them – one You Mingxu had previously sent on an errand. He glanced at Yin Feng behind her, and You Mingxu said directly: “Speak.”

The officer reported: “Sister You, as you instructed, we investigated Xiang Rong’s movements before the youth exchange murders. We haven’t found footage of him meeting anyone specific, but in the three months before the incident, he frequently visited a small restaurant. We found from surveillance footage that another person also went there often. Sometimes their visits overlapped.” The officer looked at You Mingxu: “This person… Sister You, you know him.”

You Mingxu took the surveillance photo and froze. Despite the blurriness and the baseball cap the man wore, half his face was visible, and she immediately recognized him as…

Yin Feng also stared at the photo. He couldn’t remember who the man was, but he seemed familiar. Simultaneously, intense disgust and hatred rose from deep within him.

This man had taken something from him.

The thought emerged automatically from his heart. It must have been during his period of memory loss. His expression darkened as he snatched the photo from You Mingxu’s hands, staring at it with dark eyes: “Who is this? Surely not someone good.”

You Mingxu glanced at him, took back the photo, and suddenly smiled faintly, saying: “Oh, this is my ex-boyfriend, Luo Yu.”

Brother Yu – could it be Brother Yu?

You Mingxu never imagined that all the suspicious elements would point to the seemingly unrelated Luo Yu.

Could it be that beyond being an elite lawyer and a corrupt lawyer, Luo Yu had a third face?

Thinking of his persistent, purposeful pursuit of her, You Mingxu’s expression darkened. She and Yin Feng had solved case after case, caught criminal after criminal. But why did she now feel like everything was just beginning?