Gan Hongyi was Gan Hong’ying’s only brother. Their parents died early, leaving the siblings to rely on each other since childhood.
Gan Hongyi had always been a good student, raised by his sister who was ten years his senior. Gan Hong’ying stayed in their border hometown, running a small convenience store to make ends meet. Two years ago, Gan Hongyi was admitted to a university in Kunming and was currently in his sophomore year.
Last month, Gan Hong’ying was raped and murdered, her store burned to the ground.
When Gan Hongyi rushed home, all he found was a horrifically charred corpse.
Guo Xing, working as an undercover agent, hadn’t killed anyone but failed to prevent the crime. According to Jing Ping’s intelligence, Guo Xing had asked his superiors to donate several months of his salary to the young man. Whether the two had any other private interactions remained unknown. However, Guo Xing and another accomplice were officially listed on the case’s wanted list.
Gan Hongyi and his accomplices all confessed. His two companions expressed deep remorse—as university students, they had acted on impulse, driven by righteous anger after hearing Gan Hongyi’s story about avenging his sister.
In the interrogation room, Gan Hongyi remained remarkably calm. According to his statement, after his sister’s death, he had printed out the wanted notices of the two culprits and carried them with him daily. However, he had never seen the other suspect.
As for Guo Xing, Gan Hongyi had accidentally encountered him at his sister’s grave and kept track of him since then.
“That wasn’t your only meeting before you killed him, was it?” Xu Mengshan probed.
Gan Hongyi’s expression finally changed slightly. “…No.”
“What else?”
After a moment of silence, Gan Hongyi said, “I tried to kill him once last month, but failed.”
It happened outside a bar, a few days after his sister’s death. Gan Hongyi had followed Guo Xing, waiting until he was alone before attacking with a dagger. Though athletic and agile at school, Gan Hongyi found his blade caught before it could touch Guo Xing’s body, and he was quickly pinned to the ground.
Upon recognizing him, a flash of guilt crossed Guo Xing’s eyes before he released the boy, saying coldly, “Don’t try this again! Or I won’t let you off next time.”
Gan Hongyi’s eyes reddened as he grabbed his dagger and fled.
But what kind of feeling was that? His desire for revenge and intense hatred were only made more painful by that glimpse of guilt in the man’s eyes.
You shouldn’t feel guilty, you should be a heartless demon. You destroyed all I had left of my family.
Yin Feng’s deduction was correct—Gan Hongyi was an extremely clever child. After failing his direct attack, he knew he couldn’t win by force and opted for cunning instead. He even recruited two or three street children in his hometown to watch the gang’s usual gathering spots and Guo Xing’s home. No one, not even criminals, would suspect children.
After learning of Guo Xing’s secret journey north, he obtained the train schedule through a hometown classmate and discovered his arrival in Xiangcheng. He immediately followed.
Then came the planned murder at the fish restaurant.
…
You Mingxu wondered if Guo Xing had known all along about the boy’s surveillance but hadn’t taken it seriously, perhaps even deliberately making contact. Or was it because of his guilt? Or perhaps Guo Xing himself was seeking some form of unspoken solace from this child?
And Gan Hongyi? From his behavior and statements about Guo Xing after his arrest, You Mingxu could tell he had seen Guo Xing’s guilt and softness. That must be why he jumped into that pond. As an incredibly perceptive and sensitive child, what made him so certain that Guo Xing would save him?
But no one had anticipated—surely not even Guo Xing himself—that an undercover agent who had endured so much and carried such crucial intelligence would die not by the hands of criminals or unknowing colleagues, but by the hand of a victim’s family member he had tried to protect.
Leaving the interrogation room, You Mingxu leaned against the railing to catch some air.
Whenever she felt down, she needed a cigarette.
She took out her lighter and was about to light the cigarette in her mouth when someone appeared beside her.
Jing Ping also gazed into the distance, saying nothing.
You Mingxu patted his shoulder. “Old Jing, feel like hitting someone?”
Jing Ping’s lips twitched. “Yeah, but we can’t even give him a good beating. If I were Old Guo, I’d be jumping out of my grave with anger.”
You Mingxu said, “But you’re not him.”
Jing Ping turned to look at her. “What’s the difference?”
You Mingxu replied, “Don’t know, just feel you two are different somehow.”
After a moment of silence, Jing Ping smiled bitterly. “Don’t even know who to blame for this mess.”
“Blame the drug trafficking organization,” You Mingxu said. “Otherwise, why would Old Guo have to carry false charges without being able to defend himself?”
“Mm.” Jing Ping lit a cigarette for himself, then extended his hand to light You Mingxu’s. She didn’t resist, lowering her head to bring the cigarette closer. Her lips were beautiful—small but full, red lips holding the white cigarette, showing just a hint of teeth. Jing Ping looked for a moment before putting away his lighter.
“Still haven’t found that missing evidence?” You Mingxu asked.
Jing Ping answered, “No. Gan Hongyi and his two accomplices didn’t notice anything special. They only took cash from Guo Xing. We’ve searched all their belongings and residences but found nothing. I believe they’re telling the truth. I think even if they had taken it, they wouldn’t have known what it was.”
You Mingxu thought for a moment before asking, “Could Old Guo have hidden it somewhere?”
Jing Ping said, “Possible. That’s troublesome.”
You Mingxu said, “As long as it hasn’t fallen into the criminal organization’s hands, there’s still hope. We have to find what he gave his life to protect.”
“Mm.”
After a moment of silence, Jing Ping said, “Could you stop calling me Old Jing?”
You Mingxu glanced at him. “Then what should I call you?”
Jing Ping asked, “What does Xu Mengshan call me?”
Brother Jing.
For some reason, You Mingxu didn’t want to use that name, feeling uncomfortable saying it. Though reluctant to mention that person, she said, “Doesn’t Yin Feng also call you Old Jing?”
Jing Ping smiled, tilting his head slightly. “Oh, so are you following Yin Feng’s lead, or Mengshan’s?”
You Mingxu gave him a look and turned to leave. “Whatever, I don’t care. Brother Jing, it is then.”
“Mm.” His voice was soft, acknowledging with a hint of cigarette smoke in his tone. For some reason, You Mingxu smiled, knowing this clever man had probably noticed things weren’t right between her and Yin Feng. He was just teasing her.
But speak of the devil—just as You Mingxu was heading back to the office, she saw Yin Feng coming out of the bathroom, wiping his hands with a tissue.
They crossed paths, You Mingxu walking straight ahead without a sideways glance.
Yin Feng looked at Jing Ping in the distance and clicked his tongue softly.
You Mingxu stopped and turned around. “What the hell are you clicking about?”