Ever since the city had recorded memories, the Tongxi Municipal Public Security Bureau had stood like a general guarding this realm.
Stepping through those iron gates, Liao Ran finally realized that the group holding them captive were not bad people.
Walking down the familiar corridors, the police officers he met along the way greeted him warmly.
“Doctor Liao, you’re back!”
“Thank goodness. After searching for so long, we finally found you.”
“Which damned bastard has the guts to touch someone from our department?”
“Doctor Liao, you’re finally back. Without you, several cases have been stuck and unable to move forward.”
The officers all had dark circles under their eyes. They had mobilized almost the entire police force day and night to investigate this missing person case. Thankfully, their efforts paid off.
Looking completely bewildered, Liao Ran wanted to help Fu Chong remember his identity in this familiar environment.
As Tongxi’s recognized most brilliant forensic doctor who assisted the police in solving countless major cases, how could he possibly have any connection with a criminal suspect?
A police officer’s duty was to uphold the law and protect every citizen’s rights. Under this understanding, Liao Ran sat in the interrogation chair looking very calm.
It made him look somewhat like his usual self.
Sitting across from him was Qin Jiu, the captain of the Major Crimes Unit One. He had insisted on personally investigating this case, and the raid had been planned by him.
Receiving a message from Fu Chong last night after investigating Bai Ji’s background, he had deployed a heavy police presence at locations where Bai Ji might appear, finally yielding results.
Seeing for himself that Liao Ran was healthy allowed him to finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Qin Jiu poured a cup of coffee, specially brewed from beans taken from Liao Ran’s office.
Liao Ran took a sip. The rich, warm liquid slid down his throat. “Good.”
Instead of sitting in a chair like a standard interrogation, Qin Jiu leaned against the side of the table with a smile, maintaining a very relaxed posture.
“Old Liao, don’t feel pressured. This questioning is just a casual chat between the two of us. Normally, it won’t be recorded on the official file.”
Suddenly, there was a commotion outside the door.
“Let me in!” Restless and anxious, Fu Chong tried to barge into the interrogation room but was blocked by the duty officer.
Qin Jiu opened the door to see his clothes crumpled and his tie askew. The once suave and polished intellectual now looked completely disheveled.
“Forget it, let him in.”
He knew Liao Ran didn’t have many friends, and this Fu Chong was one of the few names Liao Ran had mentioned. Furthermore, throughout the entire missing person case, they owed a lot to the crucial clues Fu Chong provided.
“You can observe, but do not interfere with my work, or I will have to ask you to leave,” Qin Jiu instructed.
Fu Chong had eyes only for Liao Ran. He walked over and stood beside him.
Qin Jiu cleared his throat. “Seminal samples were collected from your body.” He paused slightly. “The DNA was damaged, so we now need your testimony to identify the suspect.”
Standing nearby, Fu Chong looked as though someone had grabbed his throat. Unsteady on his feet, he squatted down, grabbing his head and covering his ears. He couldn’t believe what he had heard, hoping it was just a nightmare.
Since it didn’t disrupt the conversation, Qin Jiu ignored him and continued, “Do you know Bai Ji?”
“I know him.”
Liao Ran answered crisply, showing that his cognitive abilities were not impaired.
“When did you meet him, through what channels, and how long have you been in a relationship?”
Faced with this string of questions, Liao Ran shook his head. “I don’t know. I don’t remember.”
His answer exceeded Qin Jiu’s expectations. “Then what is your relationship?”
Though they had a fake certificate, the things they had done were extraordinary. Liao Ran rubbed his forehead. “Perhaps we are lovers.”
Fu Chong leaped up, grabbing the back of the chair and shaking it fiercely. “No! He kidnapped you, did unspeakable things to you, and violated you! He is a madman! Don’t be fooled by him.”
Liao Ran flatly denied it. “No, he didn’t kidnap me. He said the handcuffs were just for foreplay.”
Qin Jiu stepped forward to pull away the emotionally agitated Fu Chong, motioning for him to step back.
“You mean you voluntarily went to Quzhou Island with him and had intimate relations?”
Liao Ran hesitated, realizing he had no memory of boarding the island.
He would never abandon his work, distance himself from his family, and live with a man. This was not something he would do. So what was wrong with him?
“I have a question. Is my body normal right now?”
Liao Ran gazed at his old partner and taciturn teammate.
Qin Jiu nodded. “I understand. Let’s arrange a comprehensive physical examination and psychological counseling for you first. I will look for a breakthrough from Bai Ji’s end.”
Through round-robin interrogations, Bai Ji was given no breathing room, yet his expression never changed.
He repeated the same narrative over and over again like a pre-programmed machine, devoid of any emotional fluctuation. It was utterly abnormal.
For the first time in his many years in the profession, Qin Jiu felt completely helpless.
All they could do was wait for the results of Liao Ran’s examination.
Routine hospital screenings failed to reveal any abnormalities, showing normal function across all bodily systems.
Liao Ran’s father, Liao Qishi, had no choice but to pull strings and assemble an expert panel from the Academy of Sciences for a consultation.
After multiple rounds of testing and data analysis, they found an abnormality in one of his physical metrics.
Data showed that the proportion of microorganisms in his body was slightly higher than average, experiencing a marked surge particularly at night before returning to normal during the day.
Liao Ran received his physical report.
“Xiaoran, I believe that given your academic background, I don’t need to explain. You should know what this means.” Microbiology professor Huang Yi had rushed back from overseas specifically for his beloved disciple.
“These tiny organisms release magnetic fields in my body, stimulating cellular dopamine secretion, so there is no such thing as love.” Liao Ran tried his best to steady his shallow breathing.
“Yes, it even affects your brain’s functional operations and consequently controls your emotions.” Huang Yi confirmed his deduction.
Liao Ran shook his head. “No.”
As a disciple who was also gifted in the field of technology, skilled at spotting problems from sharp angles, Huang Yi had always regretted his transition into forensic medicine. “What is it? Did you find something else?”
“It is him. He controlled my emotions. This is Gu.”
Liao Ran realized that these so-called microorganisms were raised personally by Bai Ji. The day he fainted was because he suffered backlash from the Gu worms.
Standing outside the dust-free room’s glass window, Liao Qishi watched his close friend Professor Huang Yi walk out with his head lowered.
As a father, his primary concern was whether these microorganisms had impacted his son’s health.
Huang Yi scratched his head. “If they truly are Gu worms, losing their host’s control means they will continuously erode Liao Ran’s body until he exhausts his life force and dies.”
Hearing this, Fu Chong, who had been waiting anxiously nearby, grew frantic. “Can’t they be extracted?”
“It’s difficult. They have already infected thirty percent of his cells. Destroying the Gu worms will simultaneously damage Liao Ran’s body. The loss outweighs the gain.” Huang Yi had already evaluated this option.
“Is there really no other way?”
Professor Huang Yi hesitated, words failing him.
“Yes. Send him back to Bai Ji.”
Liao Qishi clenched his fists. “Before that brat caused trouble, I thought he was the hope of the Academy of Sciences. I never expected my judgment to be so wrong, playing these crooked tricks to harm my child.”
The old man was deeply unwilling, yet he didn’t want to watch his son die either.
Fu Chong pressed his hand against the glass window, wanting to stroke the reflection of Liao Ran’s face. They were clearly close enough to touch, yet completely out of reach.
The police held Bai Ji for forty-eight hours. Lacking further conclusive evidence, they had no choice but to release him.
During those three days, he had only drunk a cup of water and hadn’t slept at all.
His eyelids felt heavy as lead, his steps weighed down, as he finally returned to his apartment.
Entering the code, the moment the front door pushed open, a heavy kick slammed into his back.
Weak as he was, Bai Ji was sent sprawling forward, his ribs crashing against the marble tiles. His chest grew tight and constricted, sending him into a fit of coughing.
“Get up!” Fu Chong flipped him over, grabbed him by the collar, and hurled him away with a powerful punch.
The world spun before Bai Ji’s eyes as he rolled off the sofa, steadying himself only by grabbing the coffee table.
After tasting the bitterness in his mouth and recognizing who had broken in, Bai Ji let out a loud laugh. “Heartbroken? Liao Ran is indeed wonderful. As for the things between him and me, I actually have to thank you. If it hadn’t been for taking revenge on you, I wouldn’t have tasted him either.”
Fu Chong’s bloodshot eyes widened. Everything Liao Ran had suffered was genuinely because of him. He had never reflected on what he had done at Mount Weier before, because he had successfully secured the fame, fortune, and status he wanted, qualifications he felt matched his beloved. But at this moment, he regretted it.
Bai Ji had no intention of stopping. Supporting his weak body, he slowly stood up and advanced step by step toward the dazed man.
“Do you know what he’s like in bed? Not as noble, aloof, and cold as usual.” Bai Ji patted Fu Chong’s cheek with extreme provocation. “Liao Ran is so slutty. He hooked his waist around mine and told me he wanted…”
“Shut up! Stop talking!” Fu Chong brushed away his hand and lunged forward to choke Bai Ji’s neck.
He was pushed away by Bai Ji. Leaning against the wall, his heart now filled entirely with guilt toward Liao Ran, Fu Chong growled, “Shut up. You don’t deserve to say his name.”
Bai Ji sneered. “I don’t deserve? Do you? You’re a murderer.”
“Then come at me!” Fu Chong roared. “I was the one who pushed you into the Myriad Gu Tomb, monopolized the new species you discovered, and stole the glory that belonged to you. I can return all of this to you. Just let Liao Ran go! He never did anything to wrong you.”
Bai Ji narrowed his eyes. “He matters that much to you? Fine, I can agree to let him go. The premise is that you turn yourself in, make your actions public, and issue an apology statement to me through the media. If you can do that, I will clear the Gu worms from Liao Ran’s body.”
Fu Chong took a deep breath, swallowing his resentment. “It’s a deal. As long as I can save Liao Ran, I’m willing to do anything.”
“Then I’ll wait for your news.”
As Fu Chong reached the door, Bai Ji reminded him, “However, you’d better hurry. Liao Ran can’t sleep unless he’s in my bed. I wonder how many nights he can endure.”
Fu Chong paused, biting his lower lip as if having made a resolute decision.
Bai Ji was not exaggerating. If separated from the host for too long, the Gu worms would gradually spiral out of control.
At night, the blood in Liao Ran’s body boiled. His heart felt as though it were being chewed by ten thousand insects, pulled apart, torn, cramped, and drained of blood. Alongside the pain was a bone-gnawing, maddening itch. He craved the touch of that person, his willpower being tortured in purgatory.
Fu Chong watched the bloody scratch marks and dense pinpricks on his arms, traces left behind by Liao Ran using self-harm to numb the pain when no one was watching.
As dawn broke, the Gu worms fell into a brief dormancy.
Fu Chong watched his sleeping face from afar: a pale complexion, dark circles under his eyes, looking as though his vitality had been drained away, withered and devoid of human warmth.
“Don’t be afraid. I won’t let anyone get close to you ever again. Anyone who bullies you will die.”