Chapter 171
Ren Yi had been sitting in silence for an entire day. Since he woke up in the hospital, he hadn’t said a word, hadn’t drunk a drop of water, just stared blankly.nmBhaRXYQKKHtZwkcVNVYNFOrRYCja
LXCKJMjBWnSZSNDYet, his mind was constantly racing. His body and soul seemed to have been forcibly torn apart; one was rigid, the other functional, but they could not coexist, even repelled each other—because his heart could not believe everything his eyes saw.RNlPuoGRghqGWTjeVhkKBLAOGKwJJT
cgTqvBeUPRuJvdXHe had been shot. Although the bullet was stopped by his bulletproof vest, the close range had cracked two of his ribs, leaving a large bruise on his lower ribs, as if he had been poisoned, spreading outward from that point. Even the slightest action of breathing brought waves of dull pain.weGdbfdrQwSiCFMsJGBuahnlQFCuMZ
zvYbzIuoPWKZwTFBut these were trivial compared to everything he had experienced.XgrvLJHkAKtTRniqSFcozzPAhtcmNZ
XcIRuaKJttJzufVQiu Yan was dead. She died on the spot after being shot, not even making it to the hospital.upwzjsDCKQDsYFmKNVrRnqTxxGnQGv
bZqOWQtutcaKrfKThe first question he asked upon waking was about Qiu Yan, and the answer he received was like a bullet to his brain, leaving him dazed and in unbearable pain.wkUKxiHnypshRRbrlmpAGQrDCfgEfM
RNITniMztagXtiJHe could not believe it, could not believe what was happening now, could not believe that Gong Yingxian would disregard Qiu Yan and his own life just to capture Purple Flame.eoQhneBVFWcWLsHlWjYnYowBNyzXOv
sFvJEiUYvTVmhQTHe did not believe that person was Gong Yingxian; he absolutely did not believe it, did not believe it!UZSulhoiTXddfhTJEDKTEIMcpVlmLr
UYPUJDIYrgBTyWGNot long ago, he and Gong Yingxian were still whispering sweet nothings, dreaming of the future. The more perilous the road ahead, the more precious their hopes became, and all their hopes for the future rested on each other.ftxOwcFdMURxycuJipWpGknCGGPOOa
nMJZDEnMcoImBbBWas he the only one who thought so? Had he overestimated his importance in Gong Yingxian’s heart from the beginning to the end?BDNvXiHbioYWRZDxiHBueEsPmnabLH
fOTCJAqUNOCqucnPerhaps Gong Yingxian hadn’t lied; the affection was real, but it was also insignificant, at least compared to his obsession, something that could be abandoned at any moment.jBARfGqITOTvkpFDQvGYhdZnKAiCRD
RMhcMHJYKmhqFLpIs that so, Gong Yingxian? So you don’t care about hurting me, don’t care about abandoning me…yAuRThcFKXtZqJRfSmxNUoKFEljlJc
UfhkPAsDkHzCENJBut what about Qiu Yan? Wasn’t she family to you? How could you bear to watch her perish?EoyZVppHWrIvLfibwcvMphojazDglT
OGdEFRItInWZvvZGong Yingxian, what have you done?!dPgMpJOwOnnWYzqazQnKkDKHyyYwCp
AOeaJTdfotvxCYKRen Yi felt like an apple, with a few colors left on the outside, but the inside was already crawling with worms, just like his pain silently spread within him, gnawing at his flesh and blood every second.SWazbIKQTQMjfpsHlnutqMlMHagujh
XAPnzRZLvaEMrJXHe neither ate nor drank nor slept, just kept replaying what had happened that night, as if possessed. The struggle between reason and emotion was tearing him apart, and he even began to lose track of reality and illusion.KLmGjpKygJImttVbZSnRIzTYZRyNki
yagaEuvuwpZmDkkHe knew that in the past two days, people had been coming to see him. Those who cared for him, like Qu Yangbo, Yan Jue, and the brothers from the squad; those concerned about the case, like Captain Zhao and Zheng Pei. He could see their expressions and hear their words, but he could not respond, did not dare, did not want to respond. What could he say? How could he answer others about things he himself could not comprehend?yomzzUkGAjgoYYLOAgeSoeviSQVzYv
kDWXJSKwCHYaVeYWhy did Gong Yingxian do this?MoIYAfKRoJkngawAPLhxwrowgZryOt
AXfHPaHEvLoJMVSYes, why? Why were these people still asking him why? He wanted to know more than anyone else in the world!myOMBffzRgbMgRExoQYtbfXuXxZJcb
YJbbyMAImIgzxHxWhy did Gong Yingxian allow the bad person to shoot at Qiu Yan and himself?sWhZSvLqctgyLyzSbOARpcSGSDnlyK
vEscCzxhOntMXPRWhy did Gong Yingxian disregard their lives in order to capture Purple Flame and seek revenge?HlcSvuvydHbErJckwBbwaVKSBjxhua
vikxJfGnIEIxrjKWhy could Gong Yingxian be affectionate one moment and cold-hearted the next?KaxAoIgDUdAWjXQTKcarONUDFRqxRD
GGgyyjAdyPiuGFtAll the complicated and chaotic plots and images gradually faded, leaving only Gong Yingxian’s eyes, which became clearer and clearer in his mind.EgZVBOMyncIwiYEshxQeeixkbzGvbu
iNHkAbcNqTzVTHnThose eyes had shown arrogance, shyness, deep affection, as well as ruthlessness, coldness, and madness. Gong Yingxian was multifaceted; he thought he loved all aspects of this person, but now he realized that the one who could shoot and kill without hesitation, who could swiftly wield a dagger to slit throats, had already exceeded his understanding of the one he loved, ultimately becoming an unbearable nightmare.uHrhcIejnKSAWTeqGQJVZeUsxWpnSw
urNLXsMQQnfDEWv“I’m sorry.”BTciXQMLtQsLGFeoOhxycLKeEfjVZr
zBidJMbkayNpEHWThis was the last thing Gong Yingxian said to himself.FQbUPZQFEKBDpIuIMahKLGYgJlSKXH
JCrIjkVqSqQNLzMThese were the most jarring three words he had ever heard in his life.brRalsctYaVWqTfoYONaGNHNAmSfgy
IlolzLUaNNlIiLJIt turned out that when pain and fear became unbearable, a person truly just wanted to escape. Ren Yi “escaped” into his own shell, curling up and cutting off contact with the outside world.RVjgcKpVZnpBZtlCHsozRQWwqWiTtG
YSHPWneeqrlzbftBy the next day, Zheng Pei finally lost his patience, grabbing Ren Yi by the collar and shouting at him, trying to “wake him up.”ggdYLReQXdsgkKNiDyyFYPREOXlUbn
rMtBzdFOggPVYAiQu Yangbo rushed forward, and if not for someone nearby advising him, he would have almost fought Zheng Pei.MeJrLyyiJXxaYFbpFeyHAoNycACYWh
pbCWCmLfusJxBIDRen Yi’s protective shell was cracked open, and he finally looked Zheng Pei in the eye, with a dazed and murky gaze, and said wearily, “What do you want to ask?”tzittOJIvWIoBXCfEyzHfcnxCrzzmR
WTWYOLSLjRPZfscZheng Pei straightened his clothes and said angrily, “I thought you could pretend to be stupid forever.”rjVWgSQePmZsyeJsNaBCHUIqhPOpzK
PeAhVbSCfioInpFRen Yi said in a low voice, “Is there… news about him?”NsGmeqXgwLmaQjAejeiTjGrxqQAalI
NMkwHyGBZbzNMKV“That’s exactly what I want to ask you,” Zheng Pei said coldly. “You helped him evade police capture, helped him exchange hostages, and ultimately helped him escape again. You don’t know where he is?”dzpBKZTjYuccsRCdCuCOFJXnXfyyna
zChQfwADXfeCEea“He went to find Purple Flame,” Ren Yi murmured.SiHGsJdmtYbdlTXQrHBoCERlcDdKJN
gOpXtHkUGNnNgHv“Clarify what happened that night.”KixOgLTJqIJTOqLpMSxMIyrhdebeJu
RJnLpgKuEofxoAVRen Yi glanced at Zheng Pei with his swollen eyes, then looked at the worried Qu Yangbo, realizing he could not continue like this. He could hide for a moment, but not for a lifetime; sooner or later, he would need to confess, whether to himself or to the police.CpeRYjsIXnevJMcWnmFtUnylTxezvH
BWYVaJliCoZXQkaHe hoarsely said, “Give me a glass of water.”dzTuElTbLXAwLWJigjjvAkIdttOihu
wCKOfAvqPtQZpVYQu Yangbo poured a glass of water, fed it to Ren Yi, and then voluntarily left the ward.DMlQuYmnpCZfwGEjZsFqDgqCYDYMOb
asfWLnYrFcAVUUoOnce only Zheng Pei and Ren Yi were left in the room, Zheng Pei stood at the head of the bed, looking down at Ren Yi—despite the chair being right beside him, Zheng Pei had no intention of sitting down, instead using his height to exert invisible pressure on Ren Yi: “Speak. If you don’t open your mouth now, you probably won’t have the chance later.”srIfcKbBUVieYMmBfvbqPOQCnbcrJy
uerIarxrhtRsZYn“What do you want to know?” Ren Yi knew he still wouldn’t speak freely to Zheng Pei, but this time it wasn’t for Gong Yingxian; he was also worried that Zheng Pei had ulterior motives. Not knowing what to say and what not to say, he at least wanted to keep his cards close to his chest.npEeucAbkwrTkNpKORtOfvnCPdReSH
xTOqDXezeUfXCec“Everything,” Zheng Pei emphasized. “Everything you know.”HIWSBhhcTInIjVWNBOvFsyqYnlknSk
SYXOLILnKCFhZNbRen Yi looked at Zheng Pei, his gaze somewhat hollow. “I don’t know where to start.”WGwwXphCglSlZCysXNvEnmIPIMmPrS
CWZBOCTSUnvPwzV“How did Captain Qiu die?”CGHrOVqnXIWzCXuxofzrVVflswRBSu
yjnvlBdusgsulmS“…” Ren Yi didn’t expect Zheng Pei to stab him with the most painful question right from the start. He was instantly at a loss, pain and regret surfacing on his face.tLTKtRRvJDCNMvyTWBllazRqeFHUpT
OJFdSYPdtkkkmNAZheng Pei said coldly, “Feeling guilty? Feeling self-reproach? You know in your heart that if it weren’t for you sheltering and assisting Gong Yingxian, Captain Qiu should still be alive.”oHWlYZeplwwRFpQLFRAlJvJGXkBmTZ
nneLFMybFNWZGhtRen Yi’s body began to tremble, guilt cutting through his heart like a knife. It was true; even Qiu Yan appearing in that warehouse was because he had actively sought her out.KhFAwRbwzfHjizhCAsgGSrRWElXYjZ
wqOCJejsiWKEGyrHe had been too clever for his own good, only thinking of Gong Yingxian, ultimately harming others and himself.PHjQeiUINzzWYehJjAOxAtnliIejhY
nkjqAQlbSEFIVsB“If you don’t want to repeat the same mistakes, answer all my questions,” Zheng Pei said sharply. “First, tell me how Captain Qiu sacrificed herself.”PQNAOfHWgJiZTKfwxsqGBdMIqzFpEl
OXtVDXkSUfZjCrkZheng Pei gave Ren Yi no chance to catch his breath, pressing him relentlessly. Ren Yi could only answer with difficulty, “Shot by Huang Yan… killed.”hQgCUtpEbEfMuXHfwpwPFEyhnjbjlf
JtRyutIejJqcEOT“What about the bullet you took? Was it also Huang Yan?”cvlSqHfSQTrNIaPQhfJETiacUCvCAg
AnSHotVAimNbYMhRen Yi nodded and roughly described what had happened that night.hXjmuMsTKiqPMLteVYEgotdemXEbqB
KQPvTUAQNyzoGrFAfter listening, Zheng Pei fell silent for a long time before saying, “Both of you were shot, but Huang Yan, Bai Yan, and Gong Yingxian left. If it were you, how would you interpret such an outcome?”SDAxlRdaGLFKSqtfiKjixRYKHmStlY
GpGIchENupEFYjx“…”GSgheJAmOobUYYIrlWBsTvoWIbwVqV
PEwFWSOitkFWsLz“Why did Gong Yingxian leave with them?”PZWOqJlljUVttKWbyEpYHpOOVmLjTH
tmToAphvrRKhHhG“I said, he went to meet Purple Flame.”FLVIBTpKtNLSxICGLMaAPwRoTXFeiv
aVljQdMzxISHWEF“Isn’t Purple Flame mysterious and elusive, with no one having seen his true face? Did Bai Yan really contact Purple Flame?”qbsXTvaGcFJVwdXSREpnouzuSFgLQL
UiAQTXiLqIfnzlG“I don’t know. Even if that was a fake Purple Flame, we couldn’t tell.”VoICKRyKLWdmGFSFimSjZLAUYFZeUL
YUqcWPwsXKQxtdW“How did those six people in the factory die?”zofhMuUHqiUZaYzfnQMvfizkDrLFaf
lmGhJkeSYCNgbxy“…Six?” Ren Yi was taken aback, repeating in surprise.nQZxbwCKGqDFYxrNAYqHlUKCHRlkiE
CEhLsqppAkQOhEc“Yes, six. Didn’t you know?”SwdEeCqhxsCirwleDUCstOYKvaolgy
RWcyjbWZHIwZMPrRen Yi recalled that if six had died, it meant Purple Flame had at least sent five people, plus the two posing as hostages and Huang Yan, making a total of eight. Only Huang Yan and the last person they subdued were still alive.ueGOUdwzUXtWmvPPsdKPHNeSweGDgX
WMksDPgBlbcuFaxRen Yi said, “From what I saw, Gong Yingxian shot two, subdued one; the other three, I don’t know. Maybe they were… taken out by Captain Qiu.” He felt some doubt in his heart; could Qiu Yan handle so many people by herself?hCCIZIjrlWxOVnqNyVQNURkcpQtSCy
gMcGXnfmfJqFkMU“Which area were you mainly active in at the time?”AYNHswiWeSisFDokSzKjigTFvavqYM
gKxnsICrLLjuyqo“The southwest.”OTpfgjCRRylggBDgNjNGJtdghrkcpq
EocsXGAkYFTrjSI“Aside from the body found in the storage area, the other few were scattered in different areas. The captured criminal said they came with five people in total. Based on your activity range, at least two were killed by Captain Qiu,” Zheng Pei squinted, revealing a thoughtful expression.yJcFndRXuuIYqeHAlaQbHCEQFUOEWR
nGwSKxaIegZLRqDRen Yi felt a mix of emotions.QkFSQSonGIUXszUfMDXhWJRqcgYhUY
cyMCzAciMXWpbzp“But Captain Qiu’s gun wasn’t found at the scene. Whose gun did she use? Her gun had already been surrendered during her suspension.”jHeOHfaauRxSIEoziwYlIXqqTwNRze
sSMtKydDEzoXlcQ“The criminal’s. One of the hostages, who was the first to be shot by Gong Yingxian, Captain Qiu took his gun.”mdvhqPttkUSNhoSSjUsKfqbGNlJLUt
ZvzUBdmXjMaNYBh“That was a Smith 9mm pistol; they all used this type of gun. But why did this gun disappear?”cvksvxVezhpbxbtLCRscDpzkZBMqXJ
bsWckGrrITffymd“…Maybe Huang Yan took it.”StfocMULeRWMxJtmbaSWhqVrStztbB
dkvVokQbPPyVpQC“Huang Yan had already kidnapped her; there was no need to take her gun. The other criminals’ guns at the scene were also not taken, so clearly he had no need to destroy evidence. Why did only Captain Qiu’s used gun disappear?”fRyzGwQmiCdEyoiClBhneYniFXRlya
GTEHBzZkTcVUlEmEvery time Zheng Pei brought up Qiu Yan, Ren Yi was forced to recall her death. He wearily said, “I don’t know. Is this important?”UBsnVQgghXIoJiNArjTqFylMIIFMHC
mwvsalFEwaEOsOI“Of course it is important. Any illogical detail at the scene could be the key to the case.” Zheng Pei stared at Ren Yi. “Are you hiding something from me?”ZsBFainxcPhEmmWPSxIQFwqbykFlWz
rytSlIlNcLmjgjDRen Yi looked at Zheng Pei expressionlessly, neither answering nor denying.YVyWgUehTbEUoyXoxNwpjMNpHsXXlA
jsiHcQjHpFCCVjE“At this point, what else are you hiding from me?” Zheng Pei said in a deep voice. “Do you still believe in Gong Yingxian?”fORXiDyKPqGUkSYJFjIblhxJocTLPN
gbvUlLKjpPWhwGi“Even if I don’t believe him, should I believe you?” Ren Yi said softly. “Why are you so intent on obstructing their retrial?”vMObAkuxXXAkKWPHiSEUupZICTtgPa
zflOLphebSKqdImZheng Pei took a deep breath and said calmly, “You’ve been brainwashed by Gong Yingxian. I’m not necessarily trying to obstruct their retrial; I was sent to investigate all possible misconduct in their entire case. This is separate from whether the case from nineteen years ago should be retried. Gong Yingxian has been using you, over and over again. You’ve become his best helper, his best defender. Why do you help him like this, even now that he disregards your life and death to achieve his goals, you still protect him?”CQRvxEzKUWAlnHHsTfGGWOpADQRQwN
uGbWJJTQvlreRRA“I don’t!” Ren Yi suddenly shouted, “I want to know more than you what he’s really thinking, what he’s really doing!”giQwwZvjicwalCIxNtHqgRDNQDsegY
SaNkfOqgIQcnFFiHe wanted to know how much of Gong Yingxian was real and how much was fake. He wanted to know if everything he had believed in the past was an illusion. He wanted to know if Gong Yingxian truly only saw him as a tool?!yEYpBKIEApaMqGheLpJpMPaMxkcbxu
EYUmArxfhvJOVoDldhmfURbwxneSbMIbjXHqbsGBCmbeU