A Lunatic Says He Loves Me: Chapter 32

Chapter 32: Mother and Daughter 3

Ding Ding picked up the autopsy report, read it carefully, and said, “But we didn’t find Lu Qi’s fingerprints on Lai Fengxia’s body.”

“In fact, after you left, I re-examined Lai Fengxia’s personal clothing,” Bai Xinhui handed over a lab report. “I detected PCP on her scarf.”

“This is a hallucinogenic chemical often used as an anesthetic by veterinarians. When used on humans, it’s equivalent to a drug called Angel Dust. A moderate dose of PCP can cause extreme violent tendencies and a loss of self-control.”

“Wait a minute,” Ding Ding picked up Lu Qi’s file, “Lu Qi is a member of the W Foreign Chemical Research Institute.”

Yuan Fei let out a surprised “Ha,” exclaiming, “Breaking Bad?”

Bai Xinhui stated, “We can’t rule out the possibility that she manufactured and injected the drug herself.”

“Wait, wait, wait…” Yuan Fei raised his hand, “Are we going to end up handing her over to the Narcotics Unit?”

Ding Ding also looked eagerly at Ling Feng, “Boss, are we going to let someone else take credit again?”

Ling Feng said helplessly, “What can we do? Call our friends in the Narcotics Unit and tell them we received a tip from a concerned citizen, suspecting an employee at the W Foreign Research Institute of possessing illegal substances. Have them bring Lu Qi in for inspection. If it turns out she made PCP herself, we’ll bring her back to the Serious Crimes Unit for questioning.”

Han Rong added, “We can’t rule out the possibility that Lu Yan might take the blame for her daughter, insisting she committed the murder and that Lu Qi had nothing to do with it. You guys handle the rest of this case. I need to rest for a while.”

Suddenly, he felt utterly exhausted and left the police station without saying a word. Ji Yan followed closely, holding his hand, which was cold as ice.

“Doctor, two sayings suddenly came to mind,” Han Rong’s mouth curved slightly, but his eyes showed no trace of joy. “The first one is ‘Parental love is selfless.’ The second is ‘Pitiful people must have something detestable about them.'”

Ji Yan listened quietly, without speaking or offering any opinions. He knew that any words of comfort at this moment would be futile.

He understood that Lu Yan’s case reminded Han Rong of his own mother, another person willing to sacrifice her life for her child.

“An overdose of PCP can cause hallucinations, leading to schizophrenia, and even turning someone into a paranoid maniac. Lu Qi knew that no one in this world would ever love her more than Lu Yan. She also obsessively believed that no one could love Lu Yan more than she did.”

“But,” Han Rong took a deep breath, “they shouldn’t tarnish the sanctity of maternal love.”

“Maternal love is the greatest, purest, and most sacred love in the world.”

“It must not be violated!”

Han Rong suddenly choked up, still smiling brilliantly, his eyes brimming with tears like dew. “But seeing Lu Yan forcibly smiling to please Lu Qi, I feel a bit envious.”

“The person who loved me most in this world is no longer here.”

Ji Yan pulled Han Rong into his embrace, trying to warm him with his own body heat.

“The song ‘Mother is the best in the world, a child without a mother is like a piece of grass,’ I heard it growing up, but I truly understood it only when I lost my mother.”

“It really hurts.”

Like a tree suddenly uprooted, floating like duckweed, beaten by the rain.

“You still have me,” Ji Yan’s voice was cool and steady, bringing comfort. “I will always stay by your side.”

Han Rong smirked casually, “Actually, sometimes I think that the most secure lover is probably a paranoid psychopath. At least you don’t have to worry about them leaving you first.”

Ji Yan responded by tightening his embrace.

****

It was almost midnight when they returned to the apartment. The virtuous Dr. Ji headed into the kitchen to heat up some milk for his darling. Han Rong took a bath and, glancing around, noticed several psychology books on the wall shelf: “Genius and Madness: A Thin Line,” “Which Type of Psychopath Are You?” “Stockholm Syndrome,” “Paranoid Delusions,” and “How to Deal with Being Stalked by a Lunatic.”

Ji Yan waited outside for a while. When Han Rong didn’t come out, he brought the milk in. Han Rong was holding the book “Stockholm Syndrome,” reading it with interest. Hearing footsteps, he looked up and smiled, waving the book. “I bought these when I was having an episode. Do you think another part of me sensed my abnormality and tried to self-medicate by reading? They say doctors can’t treat themselves, but I’ve read about many patients successfully treating themselves. Doctor, do you think a mentally ill person can cure themselves?”

Ji Yan didn’t answer directly. Instead, he asked, “If someone immerses themselves in a world of their own making and acts like a normal person, is that considered a cure?”

Han Rong shrugged, putting the book back on the shelf. He turned and smiled, “So you mean it only counts as a cure if an outsider witnesses this world.”

Ji Yan’s throat tickled from Han Rong’s smile, making him turn his head to cough a few times. His voice was hoarse, “Come out now. Soaking too long isn’t good for your heart.”

“Alright.”

Han Rong leaned against the bedside table and logged into the Jinjiang Literature City app. A’du Shisan’s novel hadn’t been unlocked yet. Fortunately, his phone had cached the previous content. He read “The Blind Detective” from the beginning again. Perhaps the warm milk took effect, as he grew sleepier and sleepier. The tiny characters on the screen seemed to join hands and dance, and before long, his eyelids drooped, and he fell asleep.

Han Rong dreamed once more of the vast palace of memories. The corridors were winding, the rooms many, and all the doors were tightly closed. He climbed the stairs layer by layer and stopped on the 20th floor. A nearby door had a rusty bronze lock.

Grinning mischievously, Han Rong raised his long leg and executed a perfect spin kick, sending the door and its lock flying. The hundred-pound door spun a few times in the air before crashing to the ground with a loud “bang.”

When Han Rong saw the scene inside, he was stunned.

On the podium stood a young man, about twenty years old, wearing a white shirt and jeans. He had a pair of teasing eyes that seemed to hold a hint of affection when he looked at people. He smiled at Han Rong and said, “Hey, classmate, did you eat some spinach?”

The class burst into laughter.

Han Rong looked up at the sign on the door: “Criminal Investigation Class 1, Group 3.” Suddenly, someone pushed his shoulder from behind, and he heard a long-lost familiar voice, “Classmate, why are you just standing there?”

Han Rong’s heart skipped a beat, and he slowly turned around.

Chen Sheng looked a few years younger, his handsome face still full of youthful energy, smiling as he brushed past him.

“You’re late,” said the person on the podium.

Chen Sheng gave him a charming wink, “Mr. Han, I’ll accept any punishment you decide.”

“Ugh,” came the knowing murmurs from the class.

“Alright, everyone settle down, it’s time for class,” the person on the podium said, giving him a playful glance before picking up a piece of chalk and carefully writing a phrase: 【Bipartite Classification of Crime】.

A round-faced junior sister pulled the still-standing Han Rong to the seat next to hers and whispered, “You’re here to audit the class from another department, right?”

Han Rong asked, “Who is the person giving the lecture?”

“He’s Han Rong, an outstanding summer exchange student from XX University and also Professor Mo’s assistant,” she explained.

Han Rong put down the chalk, turned around, and with one hand in his pocket, began speaking eloquently, “When a profiler takes on a case, they first categorize the case and the criminal into ‘organized’ and ‘disorganized’. Organized criminals typically have high IQs, have received higher education, and are part of the social elite, whereas disorganized criminals are the opposite… Serial killers almost always have similar traits. For instance, most have had an unhappy childhood and distorted sexual fetishes… Alright, that’s it for today’s lesson. If you have any questions, feel free to raise your hand.”

The junior sister raised her hand and asked, “Senior, I heard you recently helped Professor Mo solve a cold case using criminal profiling. Is that true?”

Han Rong playfully winked at her, put a finger to his lips, and whispered, “It’s a secret.”

After the bell rang, the students gradually left the classroom. Han Rong watched as Chen Sheng, who was sitting in front of him, eagerly approached the podium.

The Han Rong on the podium straightened his materials and looked up, asking, “Why are you here?”

Chen Sheng smiled and replied, “To learn, of course.”

“Cut it out. You have no interest in this stuff.”

“I’m just worried my wife might get snatched away. I heard ‘Senior Han’ gets love cakes from junior sisters every day. I’m so envious!”

Han Rong gave a knowing look, “I get it. It’s your legendary cousin ¹ who tipped you off again.”

“Hello, cousin!” At that moment, a tall guy, about 1.85 meters, walked in from outside. He was wearing a blue sports shirt and carrying a basketball in his left arm. He extended his right hand to Han Rong and said cheerfully, “Hi, Senior Han. Let me introduce myself. I’m Ling Feng, as graceful as a jade tree in the wind!”

Han Rong looked at the two of them and smiled, “You two cousins don’t look very much alike.”

Ling Feng chuckled, “A cousin from three thousand miles away!”

Han Rong also smiled and asked, “How old are you, cousin?”

“I just turned 17!”

“Just started college, huh.”

“Yes ah!”

Han Rong smiled and, with a hint of envy, said, “It’s great to be young.”

“You’re not old either ah!”

“I’m already a senior, graduating in a year!”

“You’re so talented, why not come to our school for graduate studies ah?”

“No, I’m planning to join the military.”

The young Ling Feng looked at Chen Sheng and asked, “Cousin, what about you?”

Chen Sheng smiled as he wrapped his arm around Han Rong’s shoulder, “Isn’t it obvious? Of course, I’ll follow wherever my wife goes!”

…

Han Rong was suddenly woken up by the cold. Ji Yan was nowhere to be found, not in bed. The blanket had fallen completely onto the floor, and the cold wind made him shiver. His whole body was sticky, with cold sweat soaking through his pajamas.

Han Rong wiped his face and then covered his eyes with his hand. He didn’t understand the meaning of this dream. Why did it feel so real, so lifelike? During his years at 717, he was constantly splitting; his lucid days were far fewer than his episodes. He was always in a daze, unable to figure out if his memory was faulty or if someone had tampered with it.

How could he have met Ling Feng—how could he have forgotten?

How could Ling Feng be Chen Sheng’s cousin?

And how could a mentally sound Han Rong teach criminal psychology so well?

Who exactly was he?

Han Rong suddenly felt a splitting headache, with a persistent sense that he had forgotten many things, many important details.

—

Author’s note:

So many, many foreshadowing elements.

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Translator Notes

1. 表弟[biao di] – Younger male cousin from the female line[↩]