Upon hearing this, Fu Zhuang, seated in the back, leaned forward in shock: “What a coincidence! No way, I thought this guy was bad, but he’s killed someone? I even fought with him! It makes my skin crawl…”
This news also left Wen Yifan incredulous.
But upon deeper reflection, she realized this was indeed something Che Xingde was capable of doing.
“We don’t know the specifics yet,” said Qian Weihua. “We haven’t caught him yet. He might have caught wind of it and fled, but his associates have all been taken in for questioning. The burial site was revealed by Che Xingde’s elder sister.”
Wen Yifan pondered for a moment, then asked, “Who reported it, and what recording?”
After hearing Qian Weihua’s full account, Wen Yifan slowly pieced it together.
The woman who reported to the police station was named Zheng Lin, Che Yanqin’s daughter-in-law and Wen Ming’s wife. A few weeks ago, one night, she was molested by a drunken Che Xingde, which caused a huge family uproar.
All the neighbors and locals knew about this incident.
It was only after Che Yanqin’s tearful plea that Zheng Lin reluctantly agreed not to report the matter to the police station. But that night, the couple moved out of the house, seemingly cutting off all ties, and never returned home.
Because of this, Che Yanqin contacted Wen Ming multiple times, trying to mend the relationship between mother and son.
After one of these calls ended, Wen Ming hadn’t hung up properly. Later, Che Yanqin got into an argument with Che Xingde, and in her anger, she revealed many details about what had happened back then.
She said Che Xingde was incorrigible, that he had previously raped and killed the girl from the neighboring Guo family, causing death, and she had to clean up after him. Now he was even biting the hand that fed him, molesting her daughter-in-law.
Zheng Lin, who was nearby, immediately recorded this conversation. Later, Wen Ming told her that he knew the Guo family’s daughter, and if he remembered correctly, she had indeed been missing for several years.
This made the conversation even more credible.
Although they had left the Wen family, Zheng Lin couldn’t swallow the insult of being harassed and molested by Che Xingde. After careful consideration, she chose to report the case to the police station.
Wen Yifan remained silent as she continued typing on her keyboard.
She should have known this girl from the Guo family, who lived near Wen Liangxian’s house. Her name was Guo Ling, a tall and pretty girl with a solitary and quiet nature, but extremely kind-hearted.
Once, when Wen Yifan was on a bus without her transit card, Guo Ling noticed and silently paid the fare for her.
Before that, they had never spoken a word to each other.
Afterward, they had no further interaction.
This business trip came up suddenly, so Wen Yifan didn’t go home, only bringing some basic luggage she kept at the office. On the way, she found time to send a message to Sang Yan, explaining that 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 on duty at the entrance.
Qian Weihua got out of the car and communicated with the police, but they all maintained an air of confidentiality. The three could only take some general photos of the surrounding area before driving to a nearby police station.
On the way, Fu Zhuang still found the whole thing absurd and detestable: “So Che Xingde’s sister even helped him dispose of the body? If it weren’t for this daughter-in-law, how long would that girl have stayed in that wilderness…”
Qian Weihua sighed: “There are all kinds of people in this world.”
Wen Yifan’s mood wasn’t good either.
Beiyu was a small city with relatively backward facilities and equipment. Apart from the previous tunnel collapse, there hadn’t been any major incidents. In this case, most of the police force had been deployed from Nanwu.
After a full day, the group hadn’t learned much new information.
But coincidentally, at the police station, Wen Yifan met the female police officer who had taken her in years ago.
Several years had passed, but the female officer’s appearance hadn’t changed much, only with a few more strands of white hair at her temples. Seeing Wen Yifan, the officer quickly recognized her, though she seemed to have forgotten her name.
Wen Yifan smiled and greeted her proactively: “Aunt Chen, I’m Yifan.”
Aunt Chen’s eyes were kind as she smiled back: “It’s been so many years since we last met. You’re a reporter now, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I’m here on a business trip. I work as a news reporter at Nanwu Radio Station,” Wen Yifan said. “How have you been?”
“Very well, very well,” Aunt Chen chatted. “Chen Xi is doing well too. She just got engaged and will be married soon. Weren’t you two quite close back then? After you left, she thought about you for quite a while, always mentioning you to me.”
“I saw it on her social media,” Wen Yifan smiled. “I’ll come to her wedding.”
“Good, you must come then,” Aunt Chen raised her hand to pat Wen Yifan’s head. “Girl, you’re doing well. I was worried you wouldn’t be able to move on back then, who knew you’d become such an impressive reporter.”
Wen Yifan paused, her eyes inexplicably warming: “Don’t worry, that incident didn’t affect me much.”
Aunt Chen smiled again: “That’s good. Take care of yourself.”
…
After leaving the police station, it was already late.
The three decided to find a small guesthouse nearby to stay the night, planning to interview Guo Ling’s family or neighbors the next day. In the car, Fu Zhuang curiously asked, “Sister Yifan, did you know that female police officer?”
Wen Yifan nodded: “I lived here for two years before.”
Fu Zhuang made a sound of realization and didn’t ask further.
Back at the guesthouse, Wen Yifan flopped onto the bed, not rushing to take a shower. She dug out her phone from her bag, turned it on, and saw a message from Sang Yan: [Call me when you’re done with work]
Wen Yifan immediately dialed his number.
He answered quickly.
Sang Yan’s voice came through the receiver, more magnetic than usual: “At the hotel?”
Wen Yifan: “Yes. We booked a guesthouse.”
“Tired?”
“Not really,” Wen Yifan hugged a pillow to her chest and said softly, “Sang Yan.”
“What is it?”
“Something happened with Che Xingde. He’s now a murder suspect and on the run,” Wen Yifan cautioned. “Though it might be me overthinking, I’m worried he might come looking for you. Be careful when you go out these days.”
Hearing this, Sang Yan was silent for a few seconds: “You’re in Beiyu for this?”
Wen Yifan made a sound of agreement.
“Alright, got it. Why are you always worried about this big guy getting into trouble?” Sang Yan found it amusing. “Wen Shuangjiang, shouldn’t you be the one being careful? Listen to the voice recorder more often.”
Hearing his assurance, Wen Yifan finally relaxed: “Why would I listen to the voice recorder when I have the real person?”
Sang Yan: “Isn’t it a bit sentimental to say it directly?”
Wen Yifan couldn’t help but laugh, not insisting.
After all, she had listened to those words in the voice recorder so many times she could recite them backward.
“Sang Yan, I met a female police officer I used to know today. It was when I reported the incident back then,” Wen Yifan shared her day’s events. “Later, when I moved out of my uncle’s house, this officer took me in for a while.”
Sang Yan listened quietly: “Mm.”
“I never thought I’d meet her again, I’m quite happy about it,” Wen Yifan’s lips curved into a smile. “Her daughter Chen Xi happened to be my high school classmate, she took good care of me back then too.”
“Is that so?” Sang Yan said, “Then we should find an opportunity to visit them together.”
“Mm. We can go together when Chen Xi gets married,” Wen Yifan said. “I saw her social media post a while ago, her boyfriend proposed, so they should be getting married soon.”
As soon as she said this, Sang Yan’s end went quiet.
Wen Yifan continued: “But I don’t know exactly when it will be, we’ll have to see if you have time then.”
Sang Yan drawled an “Oh” and laughed: “Wen Shuangjiang.”
Wen Yifan blinked: “What is it?”
His tone carried a hint of playfulness: “Are you hinting at something?”
“…” Wen Yifan didn’t quite catch on, “What?”
“Isn’t your birthday coming up soon? Remember to make a good wish this time,” Sang Yan chuckled softly, speaking leisurely and confidently. “Don’t worry. As usual, I’ll help you make it come true.”
After hanging up the phone.
Wen Yifan lay on the bed, pondering for a good while, remembering what Sang Yan had said to her on her birthday last year.
— “What did you wish for?”
— “If you don’t tell me, how can I help you make it come true?”
At the time, she had casually brushed it off, saying it was about her work.
Then Sang Yan had said.
— “Oh, I thought you wanted me to be your partner.”
Wen Yifan scratched her head, thinking about what she had just said that made Sang Yan use the word “hint.” After several seconds, she suddenly remembered mentioning Chen Xi’s upcoming wedding.
Wedding.
Catching onto this word, Wen Yifan’s expression froze.
Her face instantly flushed.
–
The next day, the three went to Guo Ling’s parents’ house.
At this time, the emotions of the victim’s relatives were generally in turmoil, and they had no mood to deal with media reporters. They thought they would be turned away as usual in every interview, but after hearing their purpose, Guo’s father was silent for a moment, then stepped aside to let them in.
Throughout the interview, Guo’s father was exceptionally cooperative.
He recounted the circumstances of the day Guo Ling went missing, according to his memory.
Guo Ling’s mother had passed away early, and she had always been raised by her father alone. But Guo’s father had a volatile temper and didn’t know how to get along with a girl of Guo Ling’s age, so the relationship between father and daughter had always been strained.
The last time Guo’s father saw Guo Ling was at home.
Guo Ling and her father had a fierce argument over something. With reddened eyes, Guo Ling angrily spat out, “I’ll never come back to this home again!” before slamming the door shut as she left.
As he recounted this, Father Guo lowered his head, covering his eyes with one hand. Despite his tall and robust build, he suddenly seemed to have aged ten years at that moment. “…I never imagined that after she said those words, she would truly never return.”
“…”
“All these years, I’ve been thinking she was just angry with me, unwilling to come back and see me,” Father Guo’s voice choked with emotion. “If only that were the case… How could something like this happen to my daughter…”
The others were at a loss for words.
At that moment, any words of comfort would have felt heavy.
“I heard from the police that they still haven’t caught that beast,” Father Guo suddenly grabbed Wen Yifan’s arm, pleading, “Please, could you put that beast’s photo on television? Let everyone be on the lookout, so my daughter can rest in peace…”
Wen Yifan reassured him, “We will report the facts as they are.”
…
After leaving the Guo family home, the emotions of all three were affected.
After a while, Fu Zhuang finally spoke up, “Ah, it’s too painful.”
“…”
“It seems Father Guo was so cooperative with the interview because he wanted us to spread Che Xingde’s photo more widely. But we can’t put that on the news, it would alert the suspect and cause panic,” Fu Zhuang said. “But it’s not easy to explain that to him.”
Wen Yifan stared at the bus stop outside the window, somewhat lost in thought.
Qian Weihua said, “Let’s just do what we can.”
“Mm.” Wen Yifan came back to her senses and spoke slowly, “We can’t help much in this regard. We can only wait for the suspect to be caught, and once the truth comes to light, make it public.”
Hopefully, this would be another way to bring peace to the victim’s spirit.
The three stayed in Beiyu for a few more days.
They interviewed Che Xingde’s friends and colleagues from that time, and after several more interactions with the police, they returned to Nanwu. According to their colleagues handling the situation in Nanwu, it was clear that Che Xingde was still on the run.
Che Yanqin was being detained for the crime of harboring a criminal.
All his relatives had become key subjects of observation.
After returning to Nanwu, Wen Yifan was also called to the police station to give a statement. Then she had to continue with follow-up reports on this incident, keeping her busy with various tasks throughout the entire National Day holiday, without a single day off.
Wen Yifan received a call from Zhao Yuandong one day during this period.
Perhaps because of the major incident, Zhao Yuandong wanted to mention something to Wen Yifan. But she was busy at the time and couldn’t answer promptly, and didn’t call back afterward.
These days, Wen Yifan had been getting home very late.
After a quick shower, she would immediately close her eyes to sleep, then get up and head out again, leaving little time to spend with Sang Yan. He didn’t complain about this at all, nor did he try to talk to her, only urging her to go to sleep quickly.
After the National Day holiday, Wen Yifan was finally granted one day off. Sang Yan’s holiday ended at the same time, and their schedules were perfectly misaligned.
Wen Yifan could only catch up on sleep at home for an entire day, sleeping so deeply that she didn’t even notice when he returned from work. When she woke up, she groggily left her room to find Sang Yan sitting on the sofa, drinking water.
Noticing her presence, Sang Yan looked up, “Awake?”
Wen Yifan mumbled an affirmative and walked over to drape herself over him like a koala. Her thoughts were still clouded by lingering drowsiness, making her speech slow, “When did you get back?”
“Just now, not long ago,” Sang Yan hugged her back, continuing to drink his water. “How long have you been sleeping?”
“Don’t know, waking up and falling asleep on and off,” Wen Yifan said. “Have you had dinner?”
“Mm,” Sang Yan replied. “Will you be able to sleep tonight?”
Hearing this, Wen Yifan’s eyelids twitched, and she looked up to emphasize, “I have no energy.”
“…” Sang Yan immediately understood her meaning, both annoyed and amused. “What did I say to make you have no energy?”
“Oh,” Wen Yifan honestly admitted her mistake. “Then I misunderstood.”
“What kind of person do you take me for?” Sang Yan pinched her cheek, staring at the dark circles under her eyes. “Alright, if you’re still tired, go take a shower and sleep. Isn’t it just one day off?”
Wen Yifan remained draped over him, “Mm.”
The two stayed like this quietly for a while.
Suddenly, Wen Yifan spoke up, “Sang Yan.”
Sang Yan: “Hm?”
“Where do you think Che Xingde has gone? It’s been so long,” Wen Yifan’s thoughts were drifting, and she muttered softly, “He has no money, and no one to help him now, how come they still can’t catch him?”
“They will catch him,” For some reason, Sang Yan had a bad feeling and added, “Don’t go home alone during this time.”
“Mm.”
“Wait for me to pick you up.”
–
With the suspect still at large and the police continuing to withhold information, there was no way to proceed with the case. The team could only put this report on hold and move on to other topics.
Although she longed every day for scum like Che Xingde to be brought to justice soon, Wen Yifan couldn’t put all her energy into this matter.
Saturday afternoon.
Because he had to make up for the extra day off during National Day, Sang Yan also had to work today. Near six o’clock, Wen Yifan received his WeChat message, asking as usual what time she would get off work.
Glancing at her remaining workload, Wen Yifan estimated a time: [8:30.]
Sang Yan: [Okay.]
On the other side.
Noticing it was about time, Sang Yan grabbed his car keys and left the company. He habitually drove to the Shang’an area, intending to find a parking spot near the TV station building.
But for some reason, the flow of people in Shang’an was particularly heavy today, with few parking spaces left.
Sang Yan circled the area, slightly raising his eyebrows, considering whether to park the car on Fallen Street when he suddenly noticed a small alley nearby. Although he didn’t have much hope, he still started the car and drove in.
Before he could enter, Sang Yan suddenly noticed a man standing by the wall.
The man was not tall, with a chubby build. On such a hot day, he was still wearing a hat and mask, covering his appearance thoroughly. He seemed to be hiding from someone, but also looking for someone, occasionally peeking towards the entrance of the TV station.
Sang Yan’s fingers tapped lightly on the steering wheel.
The alley was narrow, and noticing the car, the man instinctively moved to the side to make room.
In this movement, Sang Yan caught a glimpse of his familiar eyebrows and eyes.
Gradually, it matched the guess in his mind.
It was Che Xingde.
Sang Yan’s expression slightly tightened, his anger rising again. He quickly grabbed his phone from the side and dialed 110. He turned his head away, speaking in a low, calm voice to describe the situation, and then hung up. Noticing that the car had been stationary for a while, Che Xingde slowly began to sense something was wrong. He took a few steps closer, and upon recognizing Sang Yan’s face inside the car, immediately retreated two steps.
Then he turned and ran.
Afraid he would escape, Sang Yan also got out of the car and chased after Che Xingde.
Being taller than Che Xingde, it didn’t take long for Sang Yan to grab his arm from behind and restrain him. His chest heaving, he pinned Che Xingde against the wall, extremely angry: “What are you doing here?”
“Fuck you! You son of a bitch!” Che Xingde’s face was pressed against the cement wall as he struggled violently. “Don’t fucking touch me! What’s wrong with you?!”
Sang Yan’s fear gradually subsided, extremely grateful that he had come. He stared at Che Xingde, not angered by his vulgar language: “Hey.”
Che Xingde strained to turn his head and look at him.
“You must be tired after running for so long. Why give yourself more trouble?” Sang Yan lowered his eyes, enunciating each word, “Wouldn’t it be better to go to jail peacefully?”
Hearing this, Che Xingde’s expression changed instantly: “You’re the one who should go to jail, I’m not going to any fucking jail!”
Sang Yan couldn’t be bothered to waste more words with him. He fixed Che Xingde’s arms and forcefully dragged him towards the alley exit.
Che Xingde was no match for his strength. After hurling a few more insults, he began to plead: “Please, I haven’t done anything! I didn’t do anything! I’ve been wrongly accused!”
“That,” Sang Yan said lazily, “is something you can tell the police.”
“…”
Seeing that he was about to be dragged out of the alley, Che Xingde became increasingly panicked, his desire to escape unleashing his potential. In a moment, he forcefully shook off Sang Yan’s hand.
Sang Yan stepped back accordingly, and in the process, something fell out of his pocket, rolling a few times with a faint sound. Sang Yan was facing him and instantly met his malicious gaze.
“You fucking bitch!” Che Xingde pulled out a knife from his pocket and lunged towards him, the silver blade gleaming in the streetlight. “Let’s see who’s going to suffer now!”
–
After tidying up her things, Wen Yifan smiled and habitually called Sang Yan.
But this time, unlike usual, it wasn’t picked up after just one ring.
As Wen Yifan waited, she glanced at her desk and suddenly noticed she had forgotten to take her voice recorder. She instinctively picked it up, and at the same moment, the call was answered.
She was about to speak when an unfamiliar female voice came through: “Hello?”
Wen Yifan paused: “Hello, may I ask who this is?”
“Ah, I just picked up this phone,” the woman said. “The phone’s owner just caught some criminal and got stabbed, he’s been taken to the hospital now. Are you his friend? Do you want me to bring you the phone?”
Wen Yifan blankly uttered a sound, as if she hadn’t understood: “What?”
The woman: “I don’t know the details either, but there was quite a lot of blood left…”
After a few seconds of silence, Wen Yifan’s voice trembled slightly: “Is the injured person called Sang Yan?”
“I don’t know,” the woman said. “He’s tall and thin, and seems quite handsome.”
Hearing this, Wen Yifan pinched her palm with her fingertips and started running out: “Where are you now?”
…
Arriving at the alley the woman had mentioned, Wen Yifan glanced inside and immediately saw the bloodstains on the ground. Her whole body went cold, her disbelief throughout the journey suddenly becoming real, her mind blank. She took Sang Yan’s phone that the woman had picked up.
The screen had several cracks, and the edges were stained with dust.
Wen Yifan lit up the screen and could still see their photo together on the Ferris wheel.
After asking a few more questions about the situation, Wen Yifan softly said “Thank you.” She turned and saw Sang Yan’s car parked at the entrance of the alley. She continued walking forward, hailed a taxi at the roadside, and got in to go to the city hospital.
All the terrifying thoughts rushed into her mind at this moment.
Making her utterly afraid to imagine.
Wen Yifan thought of the day her father 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 believed in Sang Yan’s promise, trying hard to control her emotions, but her hands were still trembling uncontrollably. She tightened her grip, her vision gradually blurred by mist, and tears fell one by one onto the back of her hand.
Ice cold.
In this hot weather, it seemed to penetrate her skin, freezing her to the bone.
Her vision blurred into a haze.
Wen Yifan stared at the voice recorder and Sang Yan’s phone in her hand. At this moment, not knowing which button on the recorder she had touched, the quiet car suddenly filled with a man’s cold and arrogant voice.
— “Wen Shuangjiang, be careful at work. Your boyfriend tells you to come home safely.”