NOS Chapter 51
by VolareGuan Ning’s scream from the toilet saved Guan Yao. He scrambled out of bed and, without looking back, said, “I’ll go see what’s wrong.”
This was practically a flight in disgrace, a clumsy and flustered escape. He knew that if Yu Chunming knew what he was thinking, he would certainly sneer at him. But Guan Yao still chose to rush out of the room and close the door tightly behind him.
“Uncle,” Guan Ning said when he reached her, “there’s a house centipede on the toilet wall.”
Guan Yao breathed a sigh of relief. He touched his neck, which still had a slight chill, and walked over, saying, “It’s okay, I’ll help you kill that thing.”
When he returned, Yu Chunming was already asleep—or at least, he seemed to be.
The person who had just been feeling guilty breathed a sigh of relief and cautiously lay down. Then, his gaze unconsciously drifted towards Yu Chunming’s peaceful sleeping face.
This wasn’t the first time Guan Yao had gazed at Yu Chunming in his sleep. In the office, in the hospital, and even in the car during a stakeout, Guan Yao had looked at him so intently. It was hard to say why, but it seemed that ever since they had first met, Guan Yao couldn’t help but focus his gaze on that handsome face.
Perhaps it was just because he was good-looking, Guan Yao thought in a daze, he murmured in his heart. But they were both grown men, what did it matter if someone was good-looking?
He wanted to use this reason to convince himself, but soon, Guan Yao realized that this reason simply didn’t hold up, because he was once again reacting to Yu Chunming.
“Damn it.” In the quiet room, Guan Yao clearly uttered a low curse.
Killing a house centipede couldn’t alleviate the suddenly aroused desire. He tried to take a deep breath to resist the tension rising from below, but once desire was ignited, it became difficult to extinguish. Guan Yao swallowed hard, realizing that his whole body was burning.
Then, at that moment, Yu Chunming’s body, curled up in the quilt, suddenly moved.
“Do you want me to help you?” he asked softly.
A loud buzzing sound erupted in Guan Yao’s brain, and the already precarious sanity instantly collapsed.
The person beside him probably laughed, but Guan Yao didn’t hear it clearly, because at this moment, he inexplicably recalled Officer Yu in the crime scene, wearing a leather jacket and holding a cigarette between his fingers. Officer Yu raised a pair of bright and beautiful eyes, looking at him with a smile that wasn’t a smile: “Captain, what’s wrong with you?”
The captain couldn’t speak.
“Do you want me to help you?” Yu Chunming asked again.
Guan Yao tried to turn over and get out of bed, but the next second, his forearm was pressed down by a cold hand. He looked back at Yu Chunming and said in a hoarse voice, “Don’t touch me.”
“Why can’t I touch you?” Yu Chunming sat up slowly. He lifted his quilt, and then crawled into Guan Yao’s quilt. “Do you see what’s embroidered on this satin?”
What was embroidered? A pair of large red mandarin ducks, exactly the same as those on a wedding quilt.
Guan Yao didn’t know how he came to be covered with this quilt. He clearly remembered that this was what Guan Qiang and Xiao Liwen used when they got married, and it had been in a box under his bed for many years. Why was it suddenly on him? Guan Yao was confused, he didn’t quite understand if this was a dream or reality.
“It’s okay,” the person who seemed to know everything sighed softly. He pressed on Guan Yao’s shoulder and leaned halfway over him. “I can help you, if you want, I can help you for the rest of your life.”
After speaking, he lowered his head and gently kissed Guan Yao’s forehead.
From the forehead to the tip of the nose, then from the tip of the nose to the corner of the mouth, then the Adam’s apple, collarbone, chest… and the lower abdomen.
Guan Yao suddenly tensed up. He asked, “How are you going to help me?”
Yu Chunming raised his head, blinked his eyes, and showed an innocent smile that could never appear on this face: “Guess.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Guan Yao felt something light and soft licking his hip bone.
“No, you, don’t do that…”
Yu Chunming didn’t listen to this insincere plea. He opened his mouth and gently enveloped Guan Yao.
Swish—
The curtains were drawn open, and the person who was still immersed in his dream suddenly opened his eyes.
“It snowed heavily last night, there’s a layer of snow on the ground,” Yu Chunming said, smoothing his hair, as he stood by the window.
Guan Yao stared at him blankly for a long time, then suddenly remembered his dream. He gasped and slowly felt the heat in a certain place.
“The shacks in your compound really need to be repaired,” Yu Chunming said casually. “What if they collapse under heavy snow? They don’t look reliable.”
Guan Yao sat up stiffly, trying to use a twisted posture to cover up his current strangeness.
Fortunately, Yu Chunming didn’t notice. He was focused on studying the residential building opposite, which had already been identified as a dangerous building: “Guan Yao, if you sell this house, can you get 50,000?”
There was no reply in the room. Guan Yao had already fled to the bathroom in a panic.
That morning, they made dumplings, ate, and then sent Guan Ning to the train station. During this time, Guan Yao was always avoiding direct contact with Yu Chunming. He visibly dodged and evaded, and even Guan Ning noticed that something was wrong.
“Uncle, is there something on your mind?” the little girl asked before entering the station to board.
Yu Chunming was standing next to Guan Yao. Could he say what was on his mind? Therefore, he had to deal with it vaguely: “We have to go back to handle the case this afternoon, don’t dawdle, or you’ll miss the train.”
“Miss the train?” Guan Ning said unwillingly. “You insisted on sending me two hours early. The train is still in the shop, and you are rushing me to go watch their ass. Can I add firewood to the engine, or help the train attendant sweep the floor? Uncle, don’t you think it only takes fifteen minutes on the way? Even if I run out of battery on my phone, I won’t miss the train!”
“Then go in and play with your phone.” Guan Yao handed the luggage to Guan Ning. “Go quickly.”
Guan Ning stood still. She rolled her eyes and moved closer to Yu Chunming: “Uncle Yu, is my uncle in love? He looked strange the last time he sent me off.”
“He…”
“In love, my ass!” Guan Yao immediately shouted. “Stop talking nonsense, hurry up…”
“He’s not in love, he’s still secretly in love,” Yu Chunming interrupted Guan Yao. He said with a smile, “Otherwise, why would he be so anxious and strange every day?”
Guan Ning suddenly understood. She looked at Guan Yao, her eyes wide: “Uncle, who are you secretly in love with?”
Guan Yao took a breath and reluctantly pushed Guan Ning into the station: “I’m secretly in love with the stone lion at the entrance of my unit, okay?”
“Does your unit have stone lions at the entrance?” Guan Ning asked, turning her head.
Yu Chunming smiled without saying a word.
After the two returned to the car, Guan Yao opened his mouth to curse, but Yu Chunming spoke first: “I suddenly remembered something on the way here.”
Guan Yao glared at him: “What is it?”
“You said that since Wang Xinsheng is He Wang’s friend, could he be Xu Wen?” Yu Chunming said thoughtfully. “Have you seen Wang Xinsheng’s photo? I remember Xu Wen had a big round face.”
Guan Yao paused and didn’t speak.
“We only know one thing about this Wang Xinsheng: that he has a close relationship with He Wang. This person suddenly wanted to leave the country in April last year. Do you think something happened then?” Yu Chunming said slowly. “Ai Hua said he couldn’t recognize He Wang. Do you think Ai Hua’s mother, Ai Xiuhong, can recognize him?”
Guan Yao raised his eyebrows: “Ai Xiuhong?”
“And Jiang Min,” Yu Chunming paused. “Do you think Jiang Min can recognize him?”
Before Guan Yao could answer, his phone, which he had thrown aside, rang. Yu Chunming saw the name on the caller ID at a glance: Wang Zhen.
Shunyang had already compiled and sent the report on Wang Xinsheng’s disappearance to the Za Mu Er City Branch Bureau this morning. The investigation into Wang Xinsheng’s social relations was also included. Wang Zhen carefully compared them all morning and found a trace of unusual clues.
“Huaicheng, this Wang Xinsheng worked in Huaicheng more than ten years ago, and he was also the boss of the Huaicheng Tianyun Metallurgical Factory for a period of time.” Wang Zhen placed the relevant documents in front of Guan Yao and Yu Chunming. “I just asked a friend in Huaicheng to roughly check the information of this metallurgical factory, and then found that ten years ago, Wang Xinsheng sold the factory to a woman named Yang Xiaowei. Do you know where this Yang Xiaowei came from?”
Yu Chunming and Guan Yao looked at each other.
Wang Zhen laughed: “Yang Xiaowei, fifteen years ago, she was a hostess in the No. 13 bar on Ulrich Street in Songlan. Jiangwen District swept her during the ‘Strike Hard’ campaign that year. She was detained for a few days, and the person who paid the fine and signed for her was called He Wang. Last year, the city bureau’s comprehensive information network was connected, and we immediately found her criminal record.”
“He Wang?” Guan Yao was surprised.
“The document is here, the fax just sent from the Jiangwen District Branch Bureau.” Wang Zhen shook a piece of paper.
The two took it and looked at it. Sure enough, He Wang’s name was printed on it, and the relationship column was filled with two words: Friend.
“Probably boyfriend,” Wang Zhen said. “I just asked the community police in Jiangwen District to check. Yang Xiaowei’s address hasn’t changed, it’s still on Heping Street. I’ve already sent the police officers under my command to stake out that place. If there are any gains, I’ll go back to Songlan tonight. Guan Yao, do you want to come with me?”
These words made the two who were flipping through the documents stunned. Yu Chunming looked at Guan Yao, but Guan Yao didn’t dare to look at him. This person frowned and asked, “Why do you want me to go?”
“Why do I want you to go?” Wang Zhen laughed. “I’ll let whoever I pick go with me, is that not allowed?”
Guan Yao wanted to refuse after hearing this, but Wang Zhen continued: “But the main reason for letting you go is because you were the police officer from Za Mu Er who investigated He Wang for us last year. Compared to others, you know him better.”
Guan Yao was silent.
“And,” Wang Zhen said “and,” he patted Guan Yao on the shoulder and said with a smile, “And, you can also go to our Songlan City Bureau’s Criminal Investigation Detachment to see, if you think it’s suitable…”
“It’s not suitable now,” Guan Yao refused before Wang Zhen finished speaking. “I’m just a police officer from the Forest Farm Police Station, and I’m only temporarily transferred to the task force. This kind of work of following the leader on a business trip should be done by colleagues in the task force.”
Wang Zhen was rejected and his expression was a little embarrassed. He asked in a low voice, “Is Chunming not letting you come?”
“I didn’t say that.” Yu Chunming put down the document and replied coolly, “He can go wherever he wants, it’s none of my business.”
After speaking, this person smiled leisurely and strolled out, preparing to return to the Linchang Police Station.
Guan Yao wanted to chase after him, but Wang Zhen grabbed him: “Hey, where are you going? You’re not going on a business trip with me, and you’re not planning to work at the City Branch Bureau? The criminal technology team has been waiting for He Wang’s account to go online so they can locate the IP address. If you’re not here, where are you planning to go?”
Guan Yao’s gaze followed Yu Chunming all the way until that person disappeared around the corner. Only then did he turn his head: “Has He Wang’s account not gone online yet?”
Logically speaking, the operation to arrest the snakehead at the patrol station this time was kept very secret, and it happened suddenly. Even if He Wang had the ability to reach the sky, he couldn’t possibly know that “Wu Jiao,” whom he hired, had fallen into the hands of the police, just like last time when he knew that Lin Zhimin was dead. Especially now that the “meeting” date that Ai Hua had confessed to was less than a day away, was he held back by something, or did he notice the abnormality here?
Ai Hua insisted that it was definitely not because he had noticed the abnormality, but because his “customer” was held back by something. He said: “This person seems to be hiding from someone all the time, drifting around.”
“Hiding from someone?” Guan Yao, who was in charge of the interrogation at the time, retrieved a surveillance screenshot from his phone. “Is he hiding from this person?”
Ai Hua leaned over and looked at it. The screenshot that Guan Yao showed was the cleaner “Yi Jun” who had face-to-face communication with him outside He Wang’s residence, or rather, the suspect in the Mopan Mountain dismemberment case. But Ai Hua looked at it for a long time and couldn’t recognize who this person was. He shook his head and said, “I don’t recognize him.”
“Then do you know why this person is hiding? Did he offend someone, or did he have a feud with someone?” Guan Yao asked.
“This…” Ai Hua still couldn’t say clearly. “I’m just an employer-employee relationship with him, how would I know so much about him? I said he seems to be hiding from someone all the time because he’s very careful in his work, it seems… he doesn’t want to leave a single trace of himself, so I had such a guess.”
“Very careful, unwilling to leave a single trace.” Guan Yao stroked his chin and suddenly remembered the new discoveries made by the trace examiner and forensic doctor a few days ago:
The bloodstains in the corridor of the Three Mine Family Compound did not belong to the elusive “tenant,” but to the suspect in the Mopan Mountain dismemberment case who escaped from K7629 by jumping out of the window. The evidence brought back from the Shibalitun Health Center confirmed this. In other words, the two people who had a conflict outside Grandpa Zhang’s door had a completely different confrontation relationship from what the police had speculated. The attacking party was actually the “tenant,” who was highly suspected of being He Wang, while the defending party was the suspect “Yi Jun,” who seemed to be chasing He Wang all the time.
“Should we tell Yu Chunming about this discovery?” Guan Yao couldn’t help but ask after the interrogation.
“Why tell him?” Wang Zhen replied casually. “They’re just two enemies who want to fight to the death. Does it matter who the defending party is?”
After speaking, he asked Han Chen: “Is there any news from the operator?”
“No,” Han Chen shook his head. “I was thinking, if this is really two enemies who must fight to the death, then now that He Wang has been slow to go online, and we have not been able to find the trace of the other person on the three lines given by Chunming, could it be that one of them has been killed by the other?”
“That’s hard to say. First of all, the image data left by ‘Yi Jun,’ who carried out the explosion a year ago and may have also carried out the Mopan Mountain murder, is too little. The experts from the Provincial Department can only give a suspected profile.” Wang Zhen sighed. “If we can confirm this person’s identity, the case will be much easier to handle, at least it’s better than chasing a ghost.”
“The ghost sent a letter to Yu Chunming.” Guan Yao suddenly said.
Han Chen was surprised, wondering why he suddenly mentioned this matter.
But then he heard Guan Yao continue: “Ge Xiaopei’s arrest confirmed that there must be a hidden reason behind that letter. Even though the information provided by Ge Xiaopei cannot help us point to the murderer, what about Yu Chunming? Have you thought about why the murderer would send him a letter?”