Chapter 128
The first day after the New Year holiday, Ren Yi received a call from Qiu Yan, who said there was progress in the case and that Ren Yi needed to assist in the investigation at the precinct.xXBxUojErlVxRhVXVaEdlMeGmVxKSj
JdpuLyYrvBTItaFRen Yi was silent for a moment on the phone, not agreeing immediately. Instead, he abruptly asked, “You knew, didn’t you?”aygbxymgibvcZykrQGoQvRDhKSQbPZ
uHotWIqLGVreAboQiu Yan was stunned for a moment and didn’t respond.WUnNPnzsiGaoXmgwStpsnsbPcVjsJf
HlqnaHSAyFbyHhoRen Yi continued, “You suspect my father, don’t you?”psxLAVZahZnplvyqjGHaUptBZitnAc
flMCzniTtvKcPNfQiu Yan paused before replying, “I’m sorry, Captain Ren. I’m just doing my duty. But I had no knowledge of what Gong Yingxian did to the old captain. That was wrong of him.”DhqopZCdsPIOKtaxsXRQDcBuflLuUx
yhYNoNYTzqqTOtR“Then, after the hypnosis, was my father cleared of suspicion?” Ren Yi had never asked Gong Yingxian this question because even bringing it up would make his anger surge. He also didn’t want to hear an answer he didn’t want from Gong Yingxian. Although he had no doubts about his father, he also knew hypnosis couldn’t be used as evidence.QnWHHrEbbKbkoaqYlTChYjTeYjeMQy
MWtDYdPaEpsjCet“According to the hypnosis results, the old captain showed no irregular behavior,” Qiu Yan said earnestly. “From an emotional perspective, I don’t believe the old captain is a suspect either. But as a police officer, I have to verify every lead. The same goes for Gong Yingxian; he just used the wrong approach.”jwocmNzLTYwkVwQeZtHRPTbeeVdNeo
nowaQsrCEubcnBFRen Yi said coldly, “Why didn’t you tell me from the start?”QQnCtImihDrCnCPPgrGtCytvbLfnpl
mCexvpIkqTgKeGyQiu Yan gave a bitter laugh. “It was too difficult to say. It would have been too hurtful. Our idea was to quietly verify it. If the old captain was cleared, then we could just pretend none of this ever happened.”nxpnsxHxBAmgESkGkBiMeVgDnKowXh
hKiaXAoDROZOxhbRen Yi’s tone turned sharp. “You underestimated me. If you’d told me from the beginning, I might have been angry, but I would have respected the evidence. I would have focused on the facts, not personal feelings. I would have found a way to prove my father’s innocence.”FtEQMHBZTaJMkNAkpXKKfmluoKYbYD
TZEDKnnKREcGSEhThere was one thing Gong Yingxian had gotten right: the on-site evidence was indeed unfavorable to the first firefighter who entered the fire scene. If Ren Yi had approached this matter more rationally, he might have harbored suspicions, too. In fact, he had already suspected the perpetrator might have a firefighting background. But from start to finish, he had never considered his father as a suspect.aNIGLHCzdMdGFYUqfsBrtligYjkkoX
LqXDmCPkpKMWYidAfter calming down over the past few days, Ren Yi knew the most important thing now wasn’t blaming Gong Yingxian but protecting his father’s reputation and finding the real culprit.dqmvVySDTYTbxnOjhUwUnFEGCZTqOv
GZvIwvXYNgZUDUs“I’m truly sorry,” Qiu Yan said, guilt-ridden.TAIzvvrhStYWZgeWuJJJTBiXpppOpO
RLIzmzxtCdGAFMb“Is this trip to the precinct your request or his?” Ren Yi asked.FKDIQNphMmnazBpcPmiRfRSSMEwZKZ
CLCcMAAFGNxiUhh“It’s the task force’s request.”MZiiLyBXwaqypaqzrHrHwixzVJZQbe
GoCpzIcfhwdZhvl“Alright, I’ll go.”TAzAIJMvwadENzTjzAShEgAYYCqQXy
DDyTvoFOPpoSoDwAfter hanging up the phone, Ren Yi took leave and headed to the Hongwu Precinct.wjbBwdPYReGiDPTLsWeaBpijFAkgWD
pKfKBOlgQubwKdHDespite being mentally prepared, the sight of Gong Yingxian still caused Ren Yi’s facial muscles to involuntarily tense up.HUwwWcsvaGkZehtmjIHpUDlPdZHrME
sbJXgyFQDXOKhxyGong Yingxian’s eyes were dim, his face somber, and he looked completely drained of energy. The moment he saw Ren Yi, a torrent of complex emotions surged in his gaze.mZzorRxzXgQDYqotbxkfhJHXDRjTkf
zaakEPvxhmwlWwsQiu Yan stood to the side, looking helpless and hesitant to speak.WpiuxUpvRHKYjADVMIXTjkiCuBHEbm
jHqcKeJJRTGbJtWRen Yi maintained a blank expression. “What do you need my cooperation on?”RkgptyVTPaziAEtndBBHGLGVbnHvKo
NshlVbixWHHLLYo“The footprints you found at the scene—” Qiu Yan began, “we’ve now traced them to a person. We suspect this individual deliberately sought contact with you in the past.”PvGsHYjcgKcQwhmSaxrAYLWLLlJQOj
jPHatqVbsLPqRui“Contact with me?” Ren Yi frowned. “How do you know?”ZlIqQmCqBAwXOovbAaLwkfxNHUMJrW
pYGdIrstrjkFaPsGong Yingxian placed a photograph in front of Ren Yi. “Do you recognize this person?”kOHSZbtuvqUDvWyMsyekevsFZfkrQq
IeWNcnmApCKOgCPRen Yi glanced at it. The photo showed a handsome teenager with a bright smile, seemingly in his teens. He shook his head. “No impression. Is he the owner of the footprints?”CYyZjKrNRDUlatLmkHNkfMaToYlBLT
bGjSZsGJDrqWhGM“Yes, he’s a senior at Steinway High School,” Gong Yingxian replied.ynAqlILicVqsMIOoIjzNUmHpzMhlor
pkMHBmEypVhURMTRen Yi’s expression shifted slightly. “The same school as Fei Lan?”BFcgkytXAsdZqpnsDmxSkHIcCQKooD
qhprkiMWnrGyQXYGong Yingxian nodded. “Fei Lan mentioned he’s quite famous at their school, something like the ‘school heartthrob,’ but they don’t know each other.”FFRHPncQFpeJPpbUAprjIQqphsWYzk
fjBoPDQkIvPCnve“Have they ever had any interaction?”SBEUxxVWmmlanxvLviOkOOKUrtQkxq
HNIiLkyhmXeTLtd“No.”ZBKWTuEPiOLwCqqJBtSSyDzzNoPYkA
UDbJHsWlVFRuUOx“Then how do you know he’s had contact with me?”dHkVOXMdEULKULmTjiMtrwFqxzhjcw
fOmgpEFXusKpuMD“His route home from school happens to pass by your fire brigade. He once visited the station, played basketball with your firefighters, and acted as a team leader during a fire safety training exercise your brigade conducted at their school. He has a strong interest in firefighting and fire-related topics, and he’s shown a personal admiration for you,” Gong Yingxian explained.ozogCmdvmPuISCeejxQnVgAGygkyag
BVfHfKGYhdKzcZaRen Yi froze. “Admiration? For me? How did you figure that out?”hmEarFJYJgzvzfeoFUlXzwhflVqEIO
MEduZOFAUQOinsk“Most of it was uncovered by Xiao Tan through his social media,” Qiu Yan explained.qeBZlHyeYTxRyzHbuFeJoUJcrUaXIl
juowtJbViYRqvbt“His social media contains a lot about you,” Gong Yingxian said coldly as he turned his laptop screen toward Ren Yi. A video immediately came into view.iEfMSZNxMfDcDflkHBUCOanJEpMgKK
SGrZPLyVhSjKTjPIt was from an interview conducted by the publicity department during a training session last year. Ren Yi remembered the interview because he had been eating at the time and had specifically asked them not to include footage of him eating.bAHJcKMJmCsSkMXXngiLsMpBfyzIYH
bOhZABEqZezRpRcWith a loud “clack,” Gong Yingxian pressed the play button, as if using all the force he could muster. The sound was sharp, almost laced with anger.qpjnuzxEJJBmbKLaptJozGqIXyCyoj
frILEQeTEjvksmnOn the screen, Ren Yi saw himself and Yan Jue. At first, the two of them were eating. When the camera panned over, Yan Jue casually slung an arm around Ren Yi’s shoulders, pulling him into the frame. They joked and laughed, their camaraderie evident.NcIMoSMxHBOzDYKyFxJChwPtzzJuqo
YYsoQpnamohwaExSince that conversation with Yan Jue, the two had only exchanged New Year greetings over WeChat and had no further contact. Ren Yi had been deliberately avoiding him. Looking back now, perhaps it was just his imagination, but Yan Jue’s gaze at the time did seem… different.jrXQjtJgoKmeLYBbmddWHBbMIfgcsj
jcqfgKHbUROMthoSuddenly, two large hands pressed down on either side of the laptop. Ren Yi recognized those hands immediately—elegant and pale, as if crafted by an artist, untouched by the mundane world.LrcuOTeslVuWRMJwxwmePtVfRVtoYl
IcGyJPovrBdXTkKHe looked up to find Gong Yingxian staring at him with sharp eyes.nOtYiwWSMoKrWLkrYNTHQvzRQEGjRw
SbWtbVLrkRZEFPqLeaning on the desk with both hands, Gong Yingxian’s tall frame blocked the light from the overhead lamp, casting Ren Yi in shadow. His voice was icy as he said, “Did you know? This video of you and him has a massive number of views online. A lot of people say you two are… a perfect match.”yHqZikyDCqpKiADqPUxTyBqGdxXlQj
zcKYdQHGdAOOvLW“Yingxian!” Qiu Yan barked sharply.wHSiRqReVtuRECJHNicuUWVcvjQozQ
QYxWiKiRLWhaPNDRen Yi narrowed his eyes. “I’m here to assist with the case. Let’s not talk about unrelated topics.”MQPAXkLasAqztWPBdZmiUJAnlxdVQn
gmlwPdTTsIEVeLeGong Yingxian struggled to suppress his fury. Ren Yi’s coldness toward him now, contrasted with his warmth toward Yan Jue in the video, filled him with resentment and jealousy. Taking a deep breath, he said in a low voice, “We suspect he’s been following you and other firefighters. He’s overly attentive to your deployments and collects all news about you.”KSwGurmkMnyixTEMUdQJXmizexbESJ
JGTtnkgjYhXelXE“A stalker? A fanatical admirer?”KdGlBiTTYtoRBFnvLcSvIASldLSrXd
bsUbHxDyRREVRpT“Perhaps both.”JTuNSMViTPywvcCuPIUTLRwJbwWxNy
nxgQHiVtLIyEJwO“Have you questioned him yet?”DcZYyVBsTsgdUUNTJyAFwaXDtRjOEK
cbrXzguNInRCYKp“Not yet. He’s a minor, so we have to proceed cautiously.”FYmSpGwxfbbYVyeYFptiiXtokgFFcF
ZjPcSMFPhODRkRl“What’s there to be cautious about? He was at the crime scene.”PlnCLHRBccUwpszCaZTGflvOFNxzoc
TyiRdtLcgKELCUJQiu Yan nodded. “We’ve already contacted his guardian today. They’ll bring him to the station later to assist in the investigation. Honestly, the reason we asked you to come is that during the questioning, your presence might help. Observing his reactions and attitude toward you could be critical to the case.”JIMoyOOfSRwKnxDxtrpRbvmmGmNFfC
SDAkLYkzXbgtqgT“Alright,” Ren Yi agreed, though he couldn’t quite connect a seemingly cheerful and sunny teenager with an extremist cult. Moreover, Steinway was an international school filled with wealthy students, which didn’t fit the profile of an arsonist. Perhaps there was some misunderstanding.fvAJPANDIbeDGVhdcyVdcaOnvwgful
HZwSXcgGWCCQLHBQiu Yan checked his watch. “He should be here by now. Captain Ren, I’ll go talk to him first. I’ll call you when we need you.”scLfNNmtuRBRLLGWhaSPPTZQFBUMvo
lgDFzLzxJkEqVUwRen Yi nodded.fZxWZIJeJqQjVwDVcQTNznqdVinBBC
KoizxhWEDwlESTjAs Qiu Yan reached the door, he paused, turning back to look at Gong Yingxian. His gaze signaled for him to follow, but Gong Yingxian acted as if he didn’t notice and remained rooted in place. With a resigned shake of his head, Qiu Yan opened the door and left.jGBUReOLiScjSgnSntZWbIkpgqrNFu
UbtVJhKuGSfyrRlNow, only Gong Yingxian and Ren Yi remained in the room, along with a suffocating silence.QJLQqKRPVuLGaweZqRWBZFQpQuVinW
nsbUEKeCLkAGjikGong Yingxian sat down next to Ren Yi without a word, his posture stiff and upright. He didn’t look at Ren Yi or say anything, as though simply being close to him was enough.IlRwKKGQimHlxRnoGQphzhzGUhSRmP
eFpYAMiGCALynrARen Yi, on the other hand, was incredibly uncomfortable, unable to sit still. He felt the heat radiating from Gong Yingxian as if it were a palpable force.ZpksllLiNmFvekLaGwadksYgcwDDTI
xlcVYkUajixPSyXFinally, he couldn’t take it anymore and stood up to leave. The moment he moved, Gong Yingxian shot to his feet. “Where are you going?”JrkReFJjzIjLYPqamhFysBJxQCtPGk
JNLHBPfAMWRUdWD“Bathroom.”GJKDFKYFramKgtsjtCnDdsAZvfttCx
pLeLAalCGAKphyVWithout asking, Gong Yingxian followed him.NKxffcSEZCZtqWhgEIRFOTQNTfwGFl
mTDTppBAlhdpTasRen Yi walked a few steps before stopping and turning back. “What are you doing?”AFxQupumcOyhlepRCodRXaQvrALQNR
acXzfbZaqGvuuRtGong Yingxian stared at Ren Yi, his gaze unwavering. In a low voice, he asked, “Are we just going to keep being like this?”NHfkuMZnFPMEnzcZvpBFTFoopvAiSE
byoFDFRpRdIseYg“You don’t have to,” Ren Yi replied.mlUIgbzSnunBheJoTqAZQrvLguGXVA
NzminQhBVLLjyfB“Then can we make up?” Gong Yingxian’s eyes were fixed on him, a glimmer of innocence flickering within them.nQgtGIuDJIKQWVaxIlTqbBqrTjHcWO
EXOluZMkSHXUxRbRen Yi took a sharp breath and let out a bitter laugh. “I used to think you were just socially inept. Now I realize you lack empathy. You’re too cold. You can’t understand other people’s pain, and you don’t care about the harm you cause. You’re not truly remorseful for hurting my father. Your apology is just a way to appease me.”SoPgMuTirLcqtSpdrflindJeHcGfvK
MDUwPuoNWEmdbTuGong Yingxian’s expression shifted slightly as he defended himself. “It’s you who let personal emotions cloud your judgment. If you could step outside the framework of familial bonds and look at this case objectively, you’d see just how suspicious your father is.”ZqAlEbhuAWKKbjvmswKLjGxLgeGDdm
WMjIrsTNaNRqqxM“Even if he’s suspicious, you had no right to subject him to deep hypnosis!” Ren Yi growled. “You knew it was illegal, which is why you tricked me into signing a liability waiver!”QyZADgiULZGyTRwisGvCQupRGFWHCy
NVDRjDjOGUumFijGong Yingxian lowered his gaze and softly said, “The liability waiver was Dr. Pompeii’s requirement.”iSsZfGfMWeTFQsxCwvaPdiuaHSeHLs
BgjyaYiNiCFDTsV“So, Dr. Pompeii didn’t know that this was done without the consent of a guardian, right?” Ren Yi grabbed Gong Yingxian by the collar. “You used this waiver to deceive me into signing it and then tricked Dr. Pompeii into performing unconventional medical procedures. All of this just to achieve your own goals. And now, you dare to look innocent and ask me not to be angry? Do you truly not understand the gravity of what you did, or do you simply not care?”WOHcEUjxvPDOLWzSyshZyxKmGCsQpP
RTMzRPLAjKCGbGxGong Yingxian opened his mouth, but no words came out.xcBjpUuZmPbjDuywvWtfwUymPEPzUM
QdRmbQWWplrrEMN“I’ll do everything in my power to protect my father’s reputation. If it’s about solving the case, I’ll cooperate fully. But between us…” Ren Yi steeled himself, spitting out words that seemed to cut like knives. “There’s no need for any further contact.”hqIyHMORjRHPYzuhviupgaZcDWkvTk
fKiRNlupQOgYGURGong Yingxian’s face instantly turned ashen. He gritted his teeth and said, “No. I will never agree to that!”anfPAvfsKDemjxPlTYEvpQaIHeKmIT
JPhFGWdcQLcPtiK“This isn’t for you to agree or disagree with.”GRxwfBZhbIhOjkrrGfEwZRdxuZTPnc
LgDymfRTgBYaQacGong Yingxian stepped forward, blocking Ren Yi’s path. His face was cast in shadow, concealing most of his emotions. In a low voice, he said, “Ren Yi, you worked so hard to step into my world. You can’t leave it anymore.”pKbeZioitKGFXmWXCdTzQZIgtSNDnm
GhHQlbAROJtEDplmcuRXxuoohhRRVDovDESQRHXEfvWnN