Go To Your Death Chapter 12

Codename

The incense in the study had burned out, leaving only a faint, lingering wisp of smoke in the air that vanished with the slightest breeze.

Mu Huacheng gazed at the deep night sky outside the window and waved his hand dismissively toward Chen Jin without turning around. Feeling a sense of relief, Chen Jin immediately bowed and withdrew, quietly closing the door behind him.

Mu Huacheng sat alone in the study for a while, his eyes as deep and dark as the midnight sea outside.

Eventually, he turned off the lights and walked toward the bedroom.

Only a warm yellow bedside lamp remained lit in the bedroom, its dim glow reflecting off one side of Lin Jinyao’s face.

He was sleeping on his side, legs curled and arms wrapped around himself, his breathing steady.

Due to extreme exhaustion, his brow remained slightly furrowed even in sleep, as if he were unable to find true peace.

Mu Huacheng vaguely remembered reading somewhere that this sleeping posture was a sign of insecurity.

The silk duvet had slipped down to his waist, revealing the ambiguous marks on Lin Jinyao’s back. The spots on his thighs looked like a fatal temptation.

Mu Huacheng walked silently to the bedside and sat down. He reached out, his movements light and gentle, as he smoothed the furrow in Lin Jinyao’s brow.

If it had been years earlier… His low voice was almost inaudible, and the rest of the sentence vanished against his lips.

Mu Huacheng slowly lifted the covers and lay down, carefully pulling the sleeping man into his arms.

Lin Jinyao struggled unconsciously in his sleep, letting out a blurred murmur, Mr. Mu…

Be good.

Mu Huacheng felt the body in his arms gradually relax as Lin Jinyao instinctively pressed closer to the source of heat. He tightened his arms, pressed a light kiss to the soft crown of the younger man’s head, and slowly closed his eyes.

The next morning, Lin Jinyao woke up slowly. Recalling Mu Huacheng’s beastly behavior from the night before, he couldn’t help but curse the insatiable old man a thousand times in his heart.

But curses aside, the fact that the man had granted him two days of permission to leave Xiling Island was real.

This small concession allowed his gloomy mood to brighten slightly.

Lin Jinyao forced himself out of bed to wash up. In the bathroom, seeing his body covered in hickeys, he cursed the man once more.

When he went downstairs after changing, Mu Huacheng was sitting at the dining table reading a financial newspaper. A cup of black coffee sat by his hand. His posture was elegant and composed, a completely different person from the man last night.

A wolf in sheep’s clothing, a beast in a suit! Lin Jinyao thought.

Awake? Mu Huacheng put down the newspaper, his gaze lingering for a moment on Lin Jinyao’s pale face. The helicopter is ready. Have breakfast, and then Chen Jin will take you.

Lin Jinyao gave a low hum of acknowledgment and sat down to eat in silence, doing his best to avoid eye contact.

The dining table was quiet, save for the slight clinking of utensils. It wasn’t until Lin Jinyao was almost finished that Mu Huacheng spoke again. Where do you plan to go?

Lin Jinyao’s hand holding the spoon paused. He answered vaguely, …Just around Hai City.

Mhm. Mu Huacheng didn’t ask further, simply handing over a black gold card. Stay safe. Contact Chen Jin anytime if something happens.

Lin Jinyao didn’t even look at the no-limit supplementary card; he simply nodded. Mu Huacheng had always been generous when it came to material things.

An hour later, the helicopter roared as it slowly ascended, gradually moving away from Xiling Island.

Lin Jinyao watched the outline of the island grow smaller through the window, a sense of near-illusory freedom rising in his heart.

But he knew this freedom had a time limit.

Mu Huacheng’s eyes—Chen Jin—was currently sitting across from him.

Lin Jinyao kept his eyes fixed on Chen Jin. Chen Jin returned the gaze with a smile. If you have any issues with me, Mr. Lin, feel free to speak plainly.

Lin Jinyao looked away, his tone cold. You’re overthinking it.

Chen Jin didn’t mind his attitude, maintaining his smile. There’s no need for Mr. Lin to harbor hostility toward me. Mr. Mu was unaware of what happened a year ago.

Since he was unaware, why does Assistant Chen feel the need to bring it up again?

I only hope you can feel more at ease.

I am quite at ease.

Chen Jin’s smile deepened. Is Mr. Lin truly at ease?

Of course.

Hearing this, Chen Jin said no more.

This seemingly cryptic conversation actually referred to an embarrassing incident from a year ago.

At that time, to get close to Mu Huacheng, Lin Jinyao had gone to the Glazed Palace club in Xijing and posed as a high-end escort under the codename Celadon.

Chen Jin had been ordered by Mu Huacheng to investigate Lin Jinyao and had almost confirmed his identity. He hadn’t expected that Lin Jinyao would be sent directly to Mu Huacheng’s bed that very night.

At the time, Chen Jin’s scalp had gone numb and his blood had run cold. He had wanted to kill the blind little owner of the Glazed Palace, and he had immediately turned around to report the situation to Mu Huacheng.

Thus, the person Lin Jinyao thought he had painstakingly designed a way to approach ended up being Mu Huacheng by a stroke of accidental luck.

Lin Jinyao had been truly surprised back then. After all, sometimes the flowers you plant don’t bloom, but the willow you stick in the ground grows into shade.

When he woke up again, he had already been taken by Mu Huacheng to his private territory—Xiling Island.

More than a year had passed since then.

The helicopter landed on the helipad of a top-tier hotel in Hai City called the Sleepless Hotel. A private car had been waiting downstairs for a long time.

Inside the car, Lin Jinyao stared out the window at the rapidly passing cityscape, lost in thought.

Chen Jin sat in the passenger seat, quietly observing Lin Jinyao through the rearview mirror.

He knew in his heart that this trip to “relax” was not as simple as it appeared on the surface; otherwise, Mr. Mu wouldn’t have sent him to follow personally.

Mr. Lin, shall we go to the hotel to rest first, or do you have other arrangements? Chen Jin spoke to break the silence.

Not the hotel. Lin Jinyao retracted his gaze, his voice still light. Go to the Time Cafe on Binhai Road.

Time Cafe was the location Zhou Xuan had passed to him through a secret code.

Understood. Chen Jin replied, his attitude impeccably submissive.

Lin Jinyao glanced at him and said nothing more.

He didn’t believe Chen Jin didn’t know what he was going to do, but since Mu Huacheng had permitted it, he wasn’t going to play riddles with them!

After driving for half an hour, the car stopped in front of a cafe with elegant, retro decor.

Lin Jinyao got out and turned to Chen Jin. Wait outside.

Alright. Chen Jin instructed the driver to park the car right at the cafe entrance.

Lin Jinyao pushed the door open. The soothing jazz music in the cafe was pleasant to the ear, and the air was filled with the unique aroma of coffee beans.

His appearance drew a few glances from the people in the front hall.

A waiter was about to step forward to welcome him, but Lin Jinyao reached out to stop the waiter. With a quick scan, he soon spotted Zhou Xuan in the innermost booth by the window.

He walked over quickly.

Zhou Xuan looked even more haggard than when they had last met at the cemetery. There were dark circles under his eyes and his stubble was untrimmed, but his gaze was exceptionally sharp. It was likely he hadn’t rested well during this period.

As soon as he saw Lin Jinyao, he stood up and signaled. A-Yao, over here.

He kept his voice low. Once Lin Jinyao sat down, he said urgently, You were right. Zhang Ming’s car accident was definitely intentional!

Lin Jinyao took the tablet Zhou Xuan handed him. The photos, videos, and data analysis caused his heart to sink bit by bit.

And this, Zhou Xuan pulled up another document—bank statements and communication records. Before Zhang Ming died, he didn’t just receive a massive remittance; he also had several calls with an overseas number. I traced it, and the number was bought on the black market, but the last location the signal appeared… was in Hai City.

Hai City? Not Xijing? Lin Jinyao was somewhat surprised and looked up at him.

Why did you think it would be Xijing? Zhou Xuan frowned.

Lin Jinyao was silent for a moment and didn’t answer. After a while, he pulled the Hetian Jade Pendant from his pocket and placed it in front of Zhou Xuan.

Zhou Xuan recognized it instantly. This is Xiao Bai’s pendant. I’ve seen her wear it.

Zhou Xuan’s attention was entirely on the pendant, so he didn’t notice the slight unnaturalness in Lin Jinyao’s expression. Indeed, he had never shown this pendant to Zhou Xuan before; the only time he had brought it out, it had been taken by Zhou Xubai.

Where did you find this? Zhou Xuan looked up and asked.

From Mu Huacheng. Lin Jinyao didn’t hide it.

A-Yao… Zhou Xuan suddenly grabbed his wrist, his grip incredibly strong. Do you… do you really like Mu Huacheng?

… This question caught Lin Jinyao off guard, the words he wanted to say getting stuck in his throat.

Lin Jinyao couldn’t give him an answer because he didn’t know if every word of this conversation would find its way back to Mu Huacheng’s ears. He simply gave a tactful reminder. I need more concrete evidence. Furthermore, I suspect Xiao Bai’s death might involve something else.

Zhou Xuan’s eyes instantly became sharp. Something else? What else could it be besides silencing her?

He lowered his voice and leaned forward, staring intently at Lin Jinyao. Xiao Bai… she was just an ordinary office worker who had just entered the workforce. she was warm, cute, and lived her life happily without a care in the world. What kind of shocking secret could she have come into contact with?

Lin Jinyao’s palm closed over the cool jade pendant. His eyes were downcast, and he didn’t answer immediately.

Because he couldn’t tell Zhou Xuan yet that perhaps this jade pendant was the key that brought about the fatal disaster.

Moreover, this pendant originally belonged to him.

The soothing music in the cafe felt distant now, as if separated by an invisible barrier.

After a long time, Lin Jinyao spoke in a low voice. Xuan, if it were just to silence her, there are many ways. Driving a girl to suicide is not Mu Huacheng’s style. If he truly wanted to get rid of someone, he would make them disappear without a trace. He would never use some black market number and leave a trail leading to Hai City. Besides, Mu Huacheng’s foundation is primarily in Xijing. Logically, it doesn’t make sense.

Lin Jinyao’s calmness was like a bucket of cold water, slightly cooling Zhou Xuan’s agitation.

Maybe he did it just to throw us off the scent! Zhou Xuan continued to argue, but his tone carried a hint of uncertainty.

Throwing someone off the scent has a cost, especially with this kind of cross-border operation. Intentionally leaving bank statement trails looks more like a transaction, or someone framing him. Lin Jinyao looked up, his gaze profound. Furthermore, the fact that this jade pendant appeared in Mu Huacheng’s study is strange in itself. If he were the killer, why would he leave such an obvious ‘trophy’ somewhere I could easily reach?

Zhou Xuan was stunned, his brow furrowed tight. You mean…

I don’t know, Lin Jinyao said honestly. But I feel something is wrong. Everything is too convenient.

Zhou Xuan took a deep breath and leaned back against the seat, tiredly rubbing his temples. Then what do we do now? The lead on Zhang Ming is dead.

Keep investigating that number, Lin Jinyao said decisively. Find out which places and people it contacted in Hai City. Even if it’s a black market number, as long as it was used, it will leave a trace. Keep following the bank statements as well. Dig out the ultimate source of the remittance; don’t just stare at the intermediary accounts.

This will take time, and the difficulty is high…

I know. Lin Jinyao interrupted him. Be careful. Safety is the most important thing. I feel… the thing we’ve stumbled upon might be more dangerous than we imagined. He paused, then added, I will keep an eye on things on Mu Huacheng’s end.

Zhou Xuan looked at Lin Jinyao with a complex expression.

He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he only nodded heavily. Fine. You… you be careful too. Mu Huacheng is unfathomable. Staying by his side is like walking on the edge of a knife.

Lin Jinyao gave a faint hum, put the jade pendant back in his pocket, and stood up. I can’t stay too long. Use the old method to contact me if there’s news.

By the way, no matter how bad your relationship with your parents is, go home and see them since you’re back. After saying this, he turned and walked toward the door, his back looking cold and determined.

Pushing open the cafe door, the sunlight was somewhat piercing.

Lin Jinyao squinted slightly and saw that Chen Jin was already standing by the car, holding the rear door open for him. His face still wore that impeccably gentle smile, as if he had never left and knew nothing of what had happened inside the cafe.

Mr. Lin, where would you like to go next? Chen Jin asked with a smile.

Lin Jinyao sat in the car and buckled his seatbelt. Looking at the busy streets outside the window, he remained silent for a few seconds before saying softly, Back to the hotel. I’m a bit tired.

Understood. Chen Jin signaled the driver to start the car.

Back in the hotel room, he took out his phone and looked at the encrypted message Zhou Xuan had sent.

A moment later, he dialed a number he hadn’t contacted in a long time. His voice was low. J, help me look into something. Regarding the Zhou family in Hai City a year ago…