DF Chapter 27

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He didn’t respond directly, just stared at her drink. “Are you going to finish that?”

“I trust you wouldn’t mess with it,” Zhen Yi said, raising the glass, “but it’s always better to be cautious.”

Unbothered, he took the glass from her and downed it in one gulp. “Did you tell the police all this?”

Zhen Yi didn’t answer, studying his expression instead. “The killer wanted revenge, so they wouldn’t have drugged him to the point of losing consciousness. Otherwise, the torture and castration would lose all meaning. And Lin Ziyi couldn’t have climbed the stairs without anyone noticing if he was completely out of it. So, the drug in his drink wasn’t a sedative—it was an aphrodisiac. He was castrated while, you know, aroused. Quite creative, don’t you think?”

Her tone and choice of words were unsettling. He calmly placed the glass down, listening to her continue her reasoning.

“You would’ve had easier access to this kind of drug than Tang Yu, and it would’ve been harder to trace. But since she bought it, that means she acted alone at first. After all, you didn’t have a strong motive to kill Lin Ziyi. I’m guessing you helped Tang Yu clean up the scene afterward. If that’s the case, I suggest you come with me to confront her. Confessing now might get you a lighter sentence. If she cooperates, I’ll even help her with her case.”

“Fine. I’ve got nothing to say. Let’s go,” he said, spreading his hands as if he had accepted his fate.

Meanwhile, in the car parked by the roadside, Si Gui turned to look at Tang Yu.

“You heard it all, right?” She waved her phone. “I’m not officially on duty right now, so if you confess, it’ll count as turning yourself in. That’s why Zhen Yi brought you with me instead of leaving you at the station.”

Tang Yu stared wide-eyed in shock, then exploded, “He’s lying! I didn’t do anything, and I don’t know anything! I bought that drug for me and him! I didn’t expect to run into Lin Ziyi that day.”

Run into him? Si Gui was startled. A planned murder depends on the victim being present, right? Wait a minute—wasn’t it the store manager who knew Lin Ziyi’s bar schedule better than anyone?

A cold sweat broke out across Si Gui’s forehead. She jumped out of the car and sprinted down the street toward the end.

…

“Call my number for me. I can’t find my phone,” Suo Lei bent down, rummaging under the bar counter.

Zhen Yi ended the call with Si Gui and dialed his number. A phone rang.

“Found it.” He slipped the phone into his pocket. “Let’s go.” He flipped off the pendant lights above the bar, plunging the place into darkness.

Zhen Yi was startled, immediately turning on her phone’s flashlight. In the narrow beam of light, the bar on the other side was empty—just rows of bottles at varying heights. Her scalp tingled as she heard a low voice behind her, “Still not leaving?”

Her heart raced, and she forced an awkward smile. “Didn’t expect it to be this dark during the day.”

“It’s because the walls are thick—no windows,” he explained, though in this atmosphere, it sounded eerily off.

As they walked out of the club and down the long hallway, there were no lights, making it feel endlessly deep.

“When I came in, there were staff here,” Zhen Yi remarked, glancing at the now-empty reception desk.

“They were on day shift. They’ll be back in the evening.”

Suo Lei locked the door to the small bar behind them and asked, “Can I ask what made you suspect Tang Yu in the first place?”

Zhen Yi realized she hadn’t mentioned this earlier. “Wu Zhe.”

“Wu Zhe?”

“Yeah. He dreamt of a scene similar to the crime scene. The police thought it was because he’d seen Screaming Soul, but I think it’s because Tang Yu had someone admit him to the mental hospital. She realized the layout of Ecstasy and the movie set were similar and planned to kill Lin Ziyi here. She probably hinted at it to Wu Zhe beforehand, which is why he kept dreaming about it. Tang Yu was trying to divert attention because the police would immediately suspect Wu Zhe…”

Zhen Yi stopped abruptly, her eyes wide as she stared into the darkness ahead, frozen in place. “No… Tang Yu wouldn’t frame Wu Zhe.” Her voice came out twisted, barely audible. A lot of things didn’t add up, but suddenly, she was overwhelmed by a chilling realization…

Cold fear crept up from her feet.

Behind her, the man’s voice was low. “Oh? So, what then?”

Zhen Yi’s lips trembled, unable to make a sound. Finally, she whispered, “The one who killed Lin Ziyi wasn’t Tang Yu… it was you.”

Si Gui sprinted through the empty streets, reaching the end. There were several locks on the door, but only one had been secured. She took a few steps back and kicked the door open. Inside the club, it was pitch black, with only a few dim lights on and no one in sight.

Suddenly, a scream pierced through the darkness—Zhen Yi’s voice.

Si Gui immediately ran toward the sound, rushing down one corridor after another. The footsteps ahead grew louder, as if they were about to collide head-on. Si Gui could barely see, but she lashed out with a kick. The person reacted instantly, blocking her with a counter-kick that sent her stumbling.

That… wasn’t just police station combat training, was it?

After a brief second of silence, “Zhen?”

“Si Gui?”

The next second, they both blurted out, “What are you doing here?”

“I’m looking for you!”

“I’m chasing someone!”

“You go first.”

“No, you go first.”

Zhen Yi burst out laughing, shining her phone’s flashlight directly into Si Gui’s face. “Useless cop. Instead of guarding the suspect outside, you’re running around in here, messing everything up. Great, now the guy got away, all thanks to you.”

Si Gui rolled her eyes. “I came in to collect your corpse.”

“Roll your eyes all you want! Go ahead, roll me right into the Pacific Ocean while you’re at it!”

Si Gui’s expression changed. “Zhen, you’re bleeding from your forehead!”

“It’s nothing.” Zhen Yi reached up to touch her forehead, wincing. “Ouch. I hit my brow bone. That punk Suo Lei sure is strong.”

“He’s a guy, after all. Could you stop thinking you’re invincible?” Si Gui sighed. “I told you not to push him too hard or say too much. If he got desperate and killed you, who would you cry to?”

Zhen Yi smiled, knowing Si Gui was worried. “Who knew he’d be so smart? He didn’t say anything. I just wanted to get more out of him.”

This was Si Gui’s first time leading a case, and Zhen Yi wanted her to succeed. Si Gui understood this too. The two of them kept silent but understood each other perfectly. As they neared the entrance, Si Gui suddenly smacked her forehead. “Crap, Tang Yu must’ve escaped.”

“Idiot!”

They sprinted down the street as fast as they could, running like they hadn’t run in years. To their surprise, Tang Yu was still sitting quietly in the car, completely still, her eyes vacant. Si Gui brought her back for questioning, while Zhen Yi headed to the hospital to get her injury treated.

On the way, she got a call from Song Yi’s assistant. Song Yi had injured her leg while filming a stunt. The surgery went well, but she needed a lawyer to negotiate compensation with the production team. Zhen Yi sighed. She couldn’t understand how many times she’d told Song Yi that she was a criminal lawyer.

She passed the matter on to Yang Zi to handle.

Zhen Yi calmly walked into the hospital, blood still dripping down her face, drawing countless stares.

Injuries to the brow always look dramatic, with blood pouring everywhere, but in reality, it wasn’t that serious.