A Lunatic Says He Loves Me: Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Cat 3

“Ji Yan!” Han Rong raised his voice to call out to him, “Let’s go to the supermarket together later ah!”

It seemed Ji Yan didn’t hear him; he hurriedly walked into the elevator. Demolition’s round head peeked over Ji Yan’s shoulder, its blue eyes staring at Han Rong without blinking, as if feeling a bit wronged and seemingly not liking being with the doctor.

Han Rong couldn’t help but laugh, raising his hand in a wave, “I’ll come find you at Cuifeng Park later!”

Ding—

The elevator descended.

Han Rong stepped aside to let Chen Sheng in. “Have a seat.” He went to the kitchen to pour a glass of water, placed it in front of Chen Sheng, and sat on the sofa opposite him, asking calmly, “What do you want to say?”

Chen Sheng’s brows furrowed tightly. He and Ling Feng both had sharp brows that, when knitted together, looked like a menacing blade. In this state, they seemed somewhat like cousins.

Chen Sheng took a long time to respond, starting off-topic, “Can we start over?”

“No.”

Deliberately avoiding his heartfelt gaze, Han Rong looked away and said, “It’s over.”

Chen Sheng’s expression turned pained, so much so that even the usually stone-hearted Han Rong was slightly moved. But the expression lasted only a moment. Chen Sheng quickly regained his composure and, in a calm voice, said, “Whether you believe it or not, I never betrayed you.”

Han Rong had always been straightforward and detested deceit, feigning civility ¹, and lies. So, after a brief moment of softening, faced with Chen Sheng still hiding things from him, he coldly asked, “So what?”

“Does liking someone need a reason? Does disliking someone need a reason? I feel sick seeing you now. Please get out of my sight and stop disturbing the life Ji Yan and I have together!”

Han Rong’s temper was indeed not good. Faced with his sharp words, Chen Sheng didn’t react impulsively as he might have in the past. Maintaining his composure, he calmly said, “You still have feelings for me. My intuition tells me you can’t let go of me.”

Ha!

This was hands down the worst joke of the year.

Han Rong laughed in anger at Chen Sheng’s shamelessness. “Where do you get this confidence?”

“Back then, your family moved because of your father’s business, and you transferred to our middle school. Although we weren’t in the same class, we were on the same basketball team. Later, we found out that our fathers were in the same army unit, and our families were close.”

“Feud, thank you,” Han Rong corrected. “They were arch-rivals in the army.”

Chen Sheng continued, “What I meant is that we’ve known each other for a long time. I understand your temperament very well. You were pampered by your family since childhood and wouldn’t tolerate any loss. If you didn’t care about me at all, you wouldn’t even bother to respond to me.”

Han Rong was momentarily speechless, thinking, after not seeing him for so long, Chen Sheng’s shamelessness seemed to have grown thicker with age. Just as Han Rong decided that words were useless and contemplated resorting to physical action, Chen Sheng stood up and prepared to leave.

Han Rong didn’t plan to see him out and remained seated. As Chen Sheng reached the door, he suddenly turned and said, “Don’t trust that young boy from the Ji family too much.”

Han Rong’s temper, which he had just managed to suppress, flared up again, and he sneered, “Why should I?”

Chen Sheng’s deep voice echoed in the apartment.

“Because he is someone I found.”

This ambiguous statement, left without explanation, was accompanied by a meaningful look from Chen Sheng before he departed, leaving the true purpose behind his instruction for Ji Yan to approach Han Rong a mystery.

Han Rong leaned back on the sofa, taking a long time to recover from the shock, laughing in disbelief.

He felt as if everyone around him knew what was going on, except for him, left in the dark like a fool. Han Rong wiped his face, grabbed his keys, and walked out.

****

The entrance to Cuifeng Park’s back gate was located opposite the residential area. Retirees often came here to exercise and walk; on weekends, it was mostly families having picnics and outings. Most people came in pairs, but Ji Yan was sitting alone on a bench, with Demolition napping on his lap. Occasionally, young girls passing by would cast envious glances at him.

Ji Yan was oblivious, his left hand mechanically stroking Demolition’s back, somewhat absent-minded. Perhaps his actions hurt the little kitten, as it suddenly woke up, raising its head to look at him in a daze. Ji Yan always felt that this cat was spiritual and could understand human speech. It resembled an old toy cat he once had, as if that toy had been given a soul.

He asked, “Do you believe in fairy godmothers?”

His voice was devout and gentle, like a priest in a church or a devout believer.

“I believe in them,” Ji Yan said to himself. “It’s the fairy godmother who brought him to me.”

“He’s so good. I don’t know what I would do if I lost him. I’m so afraid of him leaving, yet I’m also afraid of him staying.”

Han Rong, who had been looking for Ji Yan, overheard this. He stood behind Ji Yan, looking at his back. Ji Yan’s posture was straight, resembling the “handsome jade tree” described in books, looking very elegant and poised, but also so solitary and aloof.

Han Rong suddenly thought that Ji Yan seemed to have no friends.

Demolition seemed to sense something. It stopped licking its paws, suddenly alert, and jumped off Ji Yan’s lap, running towards the back.

Han Rong bent down, catching the leaping Demolition in his arms.

Ji Yan turned around and saw Han Rong’s eyes filled with warmth. He heard Han Rong laughingly say, “Why are you stealing my lines? These are my concerns. Doctor, you’re good-looking, cook delicious food, have excellent work skills, come from a good family, and you’re great in bed. I’m the one who should be worried about you leaving me.”

Ji Yan lowered his eyes slightly and said in a low voice, “I’m not good. Not at all.”

His voice seemed to tremble.

Seeing Ji Yan’s vulnerable, almost confessional demeanor, Han Rong felt an inexplicable heartache.

He thought, as long as Ji Yan doesn’t deceive him and treats him sincerely, no matter what Ji Yan did, he would forgive him.

“Let’s go,” Han Rong said, pulling Ji Yan’s hand. “Demolition is hungry. Let’s go home.”

“Meow!” Demolition raised its head and meowed softly at Ji Yan, as if echoing Han Rong’s words.

“Okay.” Ji Yan smiled slightly, tightly holding Han Rong’s hand. “Let’s go home.”

****

Ding Ding and Yuan Fei handed over the items they took from Zhu Rouqiang’s house to Ling Feng and then rushed to Renxin Hospital to visit Qin Jiadong’s father, Qin Sen, ostensibly to check on him but also to gather evidence subtly.

About six months ago, Qin Sen was diagnosed with stomach cancer and had been hospitalized ever since. Everything at home, including living expenses, was taken care of by his wife, Lin Qin.

“My brothers in the Anti-Black Group have also sent some feedback.” Yuan Fei looked at his phone and said, “Three months ago, Pianzi Zhang was running the game at the underground casino in Fankou, and Qin Jiadong lost a large sum of money there.”

Ding Ding speculated, “Lin Qin controlled the family finances. With no source of income, Qin Jiadong had to ask for money at home. Did they have a dispute over money, which led him to kill Lin Qin in a fit of rage?” He then corrected himself, “Whether it was a momentary lapse or premeditated is hard to say; the legal consequences differ greatly.”

“We’ll ask his father later, but I doubt we’ll get much. His father hasn’t been home for the past six months.” Yuan Fei shrugged.

Qin Sen’s mental state was already very poor. Even after explaining their intentions and showing their police IDs to the nurse, they were denied visitation. Thus, Ding Ding had to settle for observing Qin Sen without disturbing him. The nurse led them to the doorway of the hospital room, where they could watch through the transparent window on the door.

“Qin Jiadong is in there too,” Ding Ding said, prompting Yuan Fei to immediately peer inside.

Qin Jiadong sat on a chair, reading the newspaper to his father. Qin Sen, who was hooked up with tubes and had an oxygen mask over his mouth, was unable to sit up. He suddenly blinked his left eye, and Qin Jiadong immediately put down the newspaper, moved the oxygen mask slightly, grabbed the water bottle from the bedside table, and inserted the straw into Qin Sen’s mouth. After he finished drinking, Qin Jiadong put the oxygen mask back in place.

Ding Ding and Yuan Fei watched for about five minutes before the nurse urged them to leave. On the way back, neither spoke until they got in the car. Yuan Fei then said, “Qin Sen only blinked, and Qin Jiadong knew exactly what he needed. Such understanding can’t be developed without years of care. I think Qin Jiadong must have been taking care of his father frequently.”

“Yeah.” Ding Ding responded, receiving a WeChat message from Ling Feng on his phone.

“Bai Jie found Lin Qin’s fingerprints on the clothes in the wardrobe at Zhurou Qiang’s house… All evidence suggests that Zhurou Qiang was Lin Qin’s secret lover.”

“The handwriting experts re-examined the symbols left at the crime scenes. Though the handwriting differed, all three symbols were likely made by the same person.”

Yuan Fei asked in surprise, “Why?”

“Everyone has their own writing habits. The strokes of the three symbols all curve upward at a 30-degree angle to the upper right. The boss suspects the killer intentionally altered the handwriting to mislead the police into thinking there were three different perpetrators.”

“Then Pianzi Zhang, Lin Qin, and Zhurou Qiang were all killed by the same person?”

Ding Ding nodded, “That’s what the boss and Han Rong are guessing. They’re waiting for our report at the police station.”

“What’s there to report? They’ve already figured it out.” Remembering the emaciated Qin Sen on the hospital bed, Yuan Fei fell silent, leaned back in his seat, and after a while, sneered at himself, “Life is not worth it.”

Ding Ding focused on driving and didn’t respond. Yuan Fei, bored, watched the scenery flashing past outside the car window for a while before suddenly asking, “Comrade Ding, why did you become a police officer?”

“To make life worth it.”

His voice was firm, like someone who had burnt their boats and was determined to succeed. Yuan Fei dryly remarked, “High ideals.” After a while, he spoke to his reflection in the car window, “When I was a kid, my sister was raped and killed by a serial killer. That killer has never been brought to justice. The officers in charge of the case have been replaced over and over, and in the end, the cases became cold cases. I struggled to get into the Police Academy, all to avenge my sister. When I find that killer, I will tear him to pieces!”

“In the end, they assigned me to the Anti-Porn Unit. Ha!” Yuan Fei laughed dryly, a bit helpless, and gritted his teeth.

Ding Ding said, “When assigning jobs to outstanding graduates, the Police Academy conducts political reviews, including family environment, growth background, and social relations. If you have close relatives involved in criminal cases, whether as perpetrators or victims, it will affect your assignment. In other words, it’s impossible to enter the core departments.”

“I know, they’re afraid we’ll use our positions for personal revenge.” Yuan Fei smiled self-deprecatingly.

Ding Ding glanced at him, seeing a hint of dejection on his face, “You don’t need to take it too hard. Many people are in similar situations, and they’ve managed. At least you’re in the Serious Crimes Unit now. Maybe one day the boss can request to reopen an old case for you.”

Yuan Fei half-jokingly said, “Who else is that unlucky?”

Ding Ding replied, “As far as I know, your team leader Lu Xin and Bai Jie are in similar situations.”

Yuan Fei was stunned.

Ding Ding continued, “Lu Xin’s older sister was an undercover agent in the Anti-Black Group. She posed as a prostitute and became the mistress of a gang leader, but she died in the line of duty. The police suspect the gang leader found out her true identity and killed her, but there has never been any evidence. And Bai Jie’s younger brother… was also raped and murdered. The killer has never been found. Because of this, Bai Jie graduated as the top student in the Forensic Science Department at the Police Academy, but she wasn’t assigned to the core departments; instead, she was sent to the Traffic Division to be a clerk.”

Yuan Fei exclaimed in astonishment, “Then our very unique Sister Bai went and got an embalmer’s license to do makeup for corpses at a funeral home?”

Ding Ding nodded, “Yes. She’d rather cry over corpses than smile at cars.”

Yuan Fei, puzzled, asked, “Why is the Police Academy so cautious? Do they completely reject someone just because of an unfortunate family background?”

Ding Ding explained, “Experts have conducted studies showing that police officers with a history of family members being victims have a significantly higher likelihood of committing crimes. Moreover, it’s especially difficult to gather evidence against such insiders.”

Time passed unnoticed as they chatted. Near dusk, the official car pulled into the police station. Han Rong was sitting in the courtyard with the disassembling cat, watching the sunset, while Ling Feng was writing materials, scratching his bald head. Han Rong joked, “I finally understand why you have so little hair!”

Ling Feng frowned, biting his pen, and racking his brain, “I can’t write the report; I’ve scratched all my hair off!”

Ding Ding read from his notes, reporting formally, “While investigating Pianzi Zhang’s social connections, we discovered that Qin Jiadong owed a debt at an underground casino. Pianzi Zhang was a professional swindler at that casino. We speculate that Pianzi Zhang set up a rigged game to cheat Qin Jiadong out of his money. Qin Jiadong went home to ask for money, was stopped by Lin Qin, and killed her in a fit of rage. He then discovered Lin Qin’s relationship with Zhurou Qiang and, holding a grudge, killed Zhurou Qiang as well. Afterward, when Pianzi Zhang pressed him for the debt, he killed Pianzi Zhang too.”

Ling Feng casually asked, “Did Qin Jiadong go mad?”

Ding Ding hesitated before saying, “Qin Jiadong’s father has late-stage cancer.”

“They have a very good father-son relationship. Qin Jiadong gambled to try to win money for his father’s medical expenses, but ended up losing everything, including his father’s savings.”

“So he went insane?”

Han Rong added, “I think Qin Sen remarried to give Qin Jiadong a complete family, but didn’t expect his wife to cheat while he was sick. Qin Jiadong couldn’t accept it. Of course, for someone who can kill three people in one go without remorse, the police must ensure such a person is locked up for life to maintain social stability.”

“Mr. Han understands our police work well,” Ling Feng said to Ding Ding. “Proceed as Mr. Han suggested and summon Qin Jiadong.”

Ding Ding replied, “We currently have no direct evidence proving Qin Jiadong committed the murders.” After he finished speaking, he, Yuan Fei, Ling Feng, and Bai Xinhui all looked at Han Rong.

Han Rong, holding the disassembling cat, took several steps back and exclaimed, “Why are you looking at me? This serial killer must be psychologically twisted; I can’t handle that.”

Ling Feng said, “I didn’t mean to ask you to bring out your other self to face this twisted criminal. I just thought you looked particularly handsome today.”

Han Rong, half-smiling, asked, “Ling Sir, do you know the idiom ‘trying to cover up makes it worse ²’?”

Ling Feng touched his nose and said, “I don’t know.”

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Translator Notes

1. Hypocrisy[↩]
2. 欲盖弥彰 – Trying to hide it makes it more conspicuous.[↩]