From far down the corridor, Qin Yi’s shouting could already be heard. Her voice was an octave higher, full of volume and confidence. No matter how bold a person normally was, entering a police station usually made them feel somewhat restrained, yet her small one-meter-sixty frame acted as if she had arrived at her own home.
“How many times do I have to say it? I saw him steal my phone with my own eyes and put it into his own backpack.” She pointed accusingly at Bai Ji, who was sitting to one side.
His gaze was lowered, and his fingers tapped rhythmically on the tabletop without refuting her, seemingly waiting for something.
“It is him, yet he still sophistically argues and frames others. Big Brother Police Officer, arrest him!” The girl tugged at Officer Lao Li’s sleeve, practically acting spoiled.
Officer Qin Jiu manually muted her. “Stop stirring up trouble. Just say what you know and leave it at that. You are getting in the way of people doing their jobs.”
Qin Yi pulled away the hand covering her mouth, stomped her foot, and sat back down in the witness seat, glaring fixedly at Bai Ji.
Reluctantly, she nudged the thin man beside her with her elbow. “You say something too. You are being falsely accused and you do not even make a sound.”
The man was still trembling, in a very uneasy state. He raised his head to glance at Bai Ji, then lowered it again.
Qin Jiu had originally intended to step in and mediate, but the moment he saw the suspect’s face, he did not know what to do. As a formally trained botanist with a promising future, why was Bai Ji stubbornly targeting Liao Ran and walking on the edge of the law? Although his intuition told him that Bai Ji probably would not commit petty theft like taking someone else’s belongings, since the matter did not happen within his jurisdiction, he decided to use this opportunity to observe with cold detachment and learn more about this person.
However, he never expected that the first person Bai Ji would call for help when trouble struck would be him.
Liao Ran appeared at the door in his striped shirt. Qin Jiu was stunned, freezing in place.
“Doctor Liao, you are here.”
Officer Lao Li eagerly stepped forward to shake his hand. Previously, their Northern District had discovered a decomposed corpse, and thanks to Liao Ran identifying the resin material on the victim’s teeth, they followed the clues to find that the killer was a dentist who had filled those teeth, solving a major problem for them.
Liao Ran shook back, nodding politely.
The man following closely behind him stared intently at their touching hands, his eyes sharp as thorns.
Liao Li felt as though he had been pricked and awkwardly released his grip. “I heard you were being held hostage earlier. How are you able to throw yourself back into work so soon? Is your physical recovery going well? And has that bold suspect been caught? All the officers in our Northern District can help.”
Touching upon a sore spot, Qin Jiu glanced at Bai Ji.
The person who had remained aloof until now suddenly had burning eyes, locking gazes with Liao Ran as if they were the only two people in this space.
The two of them possessed a distinct magnetic field and atmosphere that outsiders could not possibly enter.
Seeing this, Fo Chong gritted his teeth and uttered a single sentence that shocked everyone present.
“The person who kidnapped Liao Ran is sitting right in this room.”
“It is me.” Bai Ji curved his lips into a wicked smile and slowly stood up. “Liao Ran, come to my side.”
His voice was deep and bewitching, like foxtail grass brushing against Liao Ran’s heart, producing an unbearable, tingling numbness.
Liao Ran tried his best to steady his emotions, yet he still could not withstand the physical torment.
Seeing cold sweat on his forehead and his figure swaying, clearly indicating a physical problem, Fo Chong worriedly wanted to support him.
Liao Ran pushed away the caring hand. “Do not push your luck.” The cold warning carried immense intimidation.
Whether it was meant for anyone in particular, Fo Chong’s hand hung awkwardly in the air before he withdrew it and clenched his fists.
Bai Ji sat back down, leaning against the back of his chair with his tongue licking his lower teeth, tilting his head back with an amused expression.
In a corner where no one was looking, the black Qi winding around his fingertips vanished.
Liao Ran’s brow quickly unfurrowed as he let out a long breath of relief.
The curious gazes of the onlookers switched back and forth between the two of them like bouncing pendulums.
“Ha! You got caught, did you? You even have a criminal record. For someone with such a handsome face, you are full of bad intentions.” The woman’s shrill voice echoed throughout the police station, growing more energetic as she circled around Bai Ji to lecture him. “You even dared to provoke Doctor Liao. My older brother does not even dare speak loudly to him. Such an outstanding and perfect person, how could you bear to harm him? Such a wicked heart.”
“Qin Yi.” Liao Ran spoke up to stop her, afraid that she might anger Bai Ji and prompt him to do something to the girl.
Fortunately, Bai Ji was calmer than he had imagined and did not seem to care, merely explaining blandly, “I am not the one who stole your things.”
“If not you, then who?”
“I said it before, no one believes me.” Bai Ji raised an eyebrow, pointing at the opposite man who was as thin as a skeleton and had remained silent throughout.
Then he looked at Liao Ran, exposing a feigned, pitiful gaze asking for help.
“Officer Li, I would like to understand the cause and effect of this matter.”
Faced with Liao Ran’s inquiry, Lao Li reacted for a moment before recounting the general sequence of events.
The incident occurred during the evening rush hour on the subway. The aisle was crowded with people and the air was stuffy, so Qin Yi had leaned against a handrail to doze off for a while. When she woke up, she found that her clothes pocket had been slashed open and her phone was missing.
She immediately began searching nearby, and the skeleton-like man beside her kindly reminded her that Bai Ji, who was standing nearby, had previously reached out to steady her when she lost her balance.
Qin Yi snatched the backpack off his shoulder and successfully found her missing phone in the outer compartment.
She called the police and shrewdly made the good-samaritan skeleton-man stay behind as a witness.
“Wanting to know who took the phone is actually very simple.” Liao Ran immediately reached a conclusion after listening.
Qin Jiu knew he was usually not so careless, so he strongly followed up to cooperate. “Of course. Doctor Liao is our police force’s most authoritative and insightful forensic pathologist and forensic expert. No trace can escape his piercing eyes. Not to mention petty theft like this, even murder cases are easily solved.”
Liao Ran looked at the displayed evidence. “Qin Yi, your phone model is the ib-2590p. It has been on the market for less than two months.”
“This is the latest model. My brother bought it for me to celebrate my university graduation,” Qin Yi said with immense pride.
Liao Ran walked over to the witness seat. “Do any of you know the biggest selling point of this phone?”
Qin Yi tried to recall the advertisement slogan, but her mind went completely blank. The skeleton-man beside her also shook his head.
Bai Ji wore a smile, tilting his head up to gaze at Liao Ran’s profile. When he drew closer, he brought a refreshing coolness that made one feel revitalized.
Noticing the gaze, Liao Ran swallowed and continued. “The new model incorporates a trace element called Thydehou into the original titanium alloy shell. This substance can stimulate the pineal gland to secrete melatonin, thereby improving insomnia problems.”
“Really? After using it, I feel like I sleep much better than before, and I do not even dream.” Qin Yi believed whatever he said was right.
Privately, Qin Jiu scoffed. His younger sister was simple and carefree, never keeping matters on her mind. She practically never suffered from sleeplessness and mostly just liked to sleep in late in the mornings.
“This trace element seeps into the human body through the skin upon contact, so anyone who has touched your phone will have residue left on their hands. This substance becomes extremely obvious under ultraviolet radiation.”
Refusing to believe it, Lao Li dug a banknote detector out of his toolbox.
Qin Yi raised her hand high. Under the purple light, a layer of green fluorescence coated her palm, looking exceptionally glaring.
“Wow!” The surrounding police officers crowded closer, exclaiming in awe as they widened their horizons.
Liao Ran took the banknote detector and, under everyone’s watchful eyes, took hold of Bai Ji’s hand.
Like an electric current piercing through his chest, the gu-insects inside his body were baked until they scurried in all directions. It had been a long time since Bai Ji had felt the existence of his own heart, bounding and leaping like notes in a symphony, striking a fluttering chord of emotion. In a dark and damp corner, bright spring vitality sprouted, and flowers bloomed.
An excitement he had never experienced before frightened Bai Ji. He shrank back, but Liao Ran caught his fingers.
Liao Ran pressed the switch, and the purple halo spilled across his face, blurred like an illusion, feeling somewhat unreal.
The lines on Bai Ji’s palm were distinct, clean, and dry.
“This is enough to prove he is innocent.” As expected, Liao Ran stepped beside the other suspect. “Very well, mister, please raise your hand and let us test it to prove your innocence.”
Hearing him say that, the skeleton-man hid his hands deeper inside his sleeves.
Liao Li stepped forward and grabbed his shoulders. “Why are you dragging your feet? Once we shine the light on it, we will know if it is you.”
The skeleton-man suddenly stood up, forcefully shoving Officer Li away. He drew a dagger and stretched his vicious claws toward Qin Yi on the side.
With lightning speed, Liao Ran grabbed the girl’s shoulders, spun around, and shielded her in his arms.
At that moment, the skeleton-man wrapped an arm around Liao Ran’s neck.
Liao Ran instinctively pushed the woman to a safe location. She fled into Qin Jiu’s embrace, still shaken with fear.
The skeleton-man’s hand trembled uncontrollably as the sharp blade pressed a mere fraction of a millimeter from Liao Ran’s cheek.
“Stop shaking,” Bai Ji said impatiently.
After comforting his younger sister, Qin Jiu stood in front of Bai Ji, terrified that he might do something detrimental to Liao Ran or resort to killing with a borrowed knife.
“Comrade, let us talk things through. If you hurt Doctor Liao, your charges will be even heavier.”
Fo Chong stepped forward anxiously. “Let him go. I will be your hostage.”
“Do not come over! Do not blame me for being impolite. Get a car ready for me. Let me go, and I will release him.” The skeleton-man edged toward the door.
Officer Li ordered his subordinates to make arrangements according to the man’s demands.
A few minutes later, an off-road vehicle was ready outside the police station.
As the skeleton-man stepped outside, he locked the front door. Taking advantage of this opening, he drove away with Liao Ran.
The officers smashed open a window intending to pursue them by vehicle, but no matter what they tried, the engine would not start. After over ten minutes of troubleshooting, they discovered a layer of tiny flying insects clinging to the surface of the ignition coil. The moment the cover was opened, they scattered into the air and disappeared.
By the time they readjusted and got into their vehicles, the culprit had already vanished.
Watching Liao Ran get taken hostage once again right before his eyes, Fo Chong slammed both hands onto the hood of the car, consumed by remorse and self-blame.
Sharing the exact same mood was Qin Jiu.
“Is something going to happen to Doctor Liao? Oh no, it is all my fault for mistaking a bad guy for a good guy. What if he flies into a murderous rage and retaliates against Doctor Liao?” Qin Yi could only think of the worst-case scenarios.
Qin Jiu had never been a serious person, but at this moment, his gaze was as fierce as an eagle’s. Exchanging a few words with Officer Li, the two districts intended to join forces to track down Liao Ran’s whereabouts.
Amidst the tense crowd, Bai Ji looked completely out of place.
“Can I leave now?”
Qin Jiu nodded. “Thank you for your cooperation with the police. There is nothing more for you here.” Although this matter had nothing to do with him, he always felt that Bai Ji gave off a bone-chilling vibe. “I advise you not to do anything illegal again, or I will definitely arrest you.”
“Goodbye.”
Bai Ji swaggered out of the police station. As he passed an alley entrance, a shadow followed closely behind him all the way.
“Come out.”