CM | Chapter 18

Gu Yao narrowed her eyes, staring at Xu Shuo with an unpleasant expression.

By her professional judgment, she had already formed a preliminary psychological profile of this man. That profile was based on his words, actions, demeanor, and manner of speech.

Only a moment ago, Gu Yao had still categorized Xu Shuo as the type of person who was “meticulous,” “clear-thinking,” and “impenetrable.” But by now, three words had suddenly shot through her mind and instantly drowned out all those rational analyses.

“Mad, psychotic bastard.”

This man really had a talent for it. With just a few words and a few actions, he could easily stir up the anger she had finally managed to suppress.

He must have been a hellion as a child, and only picked on others, never himself, which was why he was lucky enough to have lived to this day and become scum harmful to society.

Then, dealing with this grown-up hellion meant she could not use a normal person’s way of thinking.

Gu Yao took a breath and said, “Mr. Xu, before you tell your story, I have two questions I want to get clear first.”

Xu Shuo gave her a smile. “Ask. I’ll tell you everything I know.”

Gu Yao said, “You kidnapped me and illegally detained me. I’m very curious, when I call the police in the future, have you arrested, and sue you in court, how are you going to defend yourself?”

Leaning against the sofa back, Xu Shuo lifted a brow with calm ease. “On that point, I can give you a little legal advice. The so-called crime of kidnapping should include two parallel situations: first, abducting another person for the purpose of extorting property; second, abducting someone as a hostage in order to achieve the kidnapper’s subjective goal.”

“Simply put, it means I hold you as a hostage, and use your safety and personal freedom as leverage to demand that you or your family hand over a certain sum of money within a certain period. Tell me, Miss Gu, have I ever asked you for even a single cent? On the contrary, you even had a meal at my expense.”

“As for the crime of illegal detention, well, that one is indeed harder for me to defend. So, to give myself a few extra points, and in hopes that Miss Gu will show me some mercy in consideration of my good attitude when admitting fault, how about I set a time with you…”

Xu Shuo deliberately paused, picked up his phone and glanced at the time. “…Let’s set it for ten hours later. When you leave my place tomorrow morning, if you want to go to the police station or find a lawyer, I won’t stop you. Of course, if you want me to go with you and conveniently turn myself in and plead guilty, I can also be your free driver. What do you think?”

Gu Yao patiently listened to Xu Shuo finish his rambling, feeling her temper climb several levels in just these two brief encounters. By the time Xu Shuo stopped speaking, a possibility suddenly flashed through her mind.

She did not follow his little act of playing hard to get, but instead said, “I remember you just said you wanted to make a bet with me, that once I safely left, I definitely wouldn’t report you. With your personality, you’d only be so certain if you had already thought out your escape route… Could your escape route be in this notebook?”

The moment she said that, a subtle change appeared on Xu Shuo’s face.

Gu Yao caught that instant precisely. “I was right.”

Xu Shuo clicked his tongue twice. “Miss Gu, do you know how Yang Xiu died?”

“He brought it on himself.”

Xu Shuo shook his head and laughed. “With a smart girlfriend like you, and yet the mask on Zhu Shengxi’s face still hasn’t been torn off by you. Is it because he’s on a much higher level, or because you willingly blindfolded yourself?”

Gu Yao instinctively retorted, “If you mean him drinking with Tian Fang at Jeane Bar, I don’t think that counts as hiding anything. He has work social engagements, there’s no need for him to report everything to me. But if I asked him, he would definitely tell me. Besides, I only looked at that photo twice before you wiped it away. I never even had the chance to send it for testing. Who knows if it was edited?”

This time Xu Shuo did not take up the thread. Instead, he changed the topic. “Didn’t you say you had two questions? What’s the second one?”

Gu Yao looked him straight in the eye and enunciated clearly, “You investigated me, monitored me, secretly photographed my boyfriend, showed me Tian Fang’s resume, mentioned the Jiangcheng Gene case, and now you’ve illegally detained me. You did all this just to tell me a story?”

“That’s right.”

Xu Shuo answered very readily, which instead made Gu Yao feel that the matter was even less simple.

“Even if you didn’t detain me this way, you could still tell a story.”

“This story is very long. It requires patience.”

“Whose story is it?”

“That’s for you to judge yourself.”

Gu Yao was stunned.

Xu Shuo picked up the notebook again, crossed one leg over the other, and put on the air of hosting a reading session. “Remember to use your imagination and analytical skills when listening to the story. You’ll like what’s in here.”

The contents of this notebook were told in the first person, using “I,” so rather than a storybook, it was more like a diary.

Xu Shuo soon began reading one of the entries.

…

200x, March, windy.

Today, the police came to our house. They talked with the adults for a long time, and also questioned us. All their questions were about Xiao Feng.

Xiao Feng, he left three years ago, but I never counted what number he was. In any case, over the years, there were always some children older than us who left here.

I even asked Big Brother then, when would we leave?

Big Brother said that once we became adults, no longer needed guardians, and had the ability to go out into society to earn money, we could leave.

Big Brother thought I also wanted to leave early, and even promised me that a few years would pass in a flash.

But he didn’t know, I didn’t want to leave at all.

As for that Xiao Feng, actually I wasn’t very familiar with him. He was fifteen or sixteen when he left, older than all of us.

The only interaction he ever had with us was when he smashed my toy. Big Brother was very angry and rushed over to fight him. Later, Big Brother lost a tooth, and Xiao Feng got bruised up too.

I remember that scene very clearly. I remember sunlight spilling into the courtyard, one beam of it a beautiful golden purple. The air was thick with the scent of kapok flowers. I looked at my own hands, so dirty. I looked at Big Brother’s knee, already rubbed raw and bleeding.

I ran to wash my hands, then came back to treat Big Brother’s wounds.

I asked Big Brother if it hurt.

Big Brother said that if I couldn’t even endure this little bit of pain, then I was timid. How would I ever dare to go out and adventure, to explore the outside world in the future?

I knew nothing about the outside world Big Brother talked about. I was very scared. I felt that staying at home was pretty good, and it wasn’t necessary to go out.

Big Brother was someone with a strong sense of adventure. He was three years younger than Xiao Feng, but he had a lot more nerve, and he was also smarter than Xiao Feng.

Xiao Feng must have known that too, so he would consciously or unconsciously keep competing with Big Brother.

For example, my Big Brother could dig into mouse holes. Xiao Feng was clearly scared of getting bitten, but he still had to learn to do it.

For example, my Big Brother could climb walls, even agilely getting onto the roof and jumping down outside along the edge. Xiao Feng was clumsy, and even though his face had gone pale from fear, he still insisted on learning. In the end, he fell from above and broke his leg.

And for example, my Big Brother dared to talk back to Uncle Yang, the man responsible for cleaning the courtyard.

Uncle Yang looked fierce and ugly, his build as tall as a mountain, his voice like it had been ground down with sandpaper. Someone like him would give you nightmares just from catching a glimpse of him from far away. The girls often used Uncle Yang to threaten each other, saying, “If you do that, Uncle Yang will come looking for you tonight!”

And my Big Brother was the only one who dared to confront Uncle Yang head-on.

Xiao Feng was very afraid of Uncle Yang, but he couldn’t resist the other kids egging him on, so he tried to imitate my Big Brother too. In the end, he was scared unconscious by just one expression from Uncle Yang.

In short, Xiao Feng was really hateful. I hoped he would disappear quickly.

Maybe God heard my wish. Not long after that, Xiao Feng left.

The day Xiao Feng left, he was especially smug. He said his future parents were very remarkable people.

The way he looked then, I will never forget.

I cursed Xiao Feng in my heart.

Over the next three years, there was no news of Xiao Feng, and the adults never mentioned him.

It wasn’t until the police came today that I overheard what they said and learned that Xiao Feng had gone missing two years ago. His adoptive parents had reported it to the police, but nothing came of it.

Only recently did the police discover some bones in the sewer. Tests confirmed that they were Xiao Feng.

…

By the time the diary entry reached here, Xu Shuo lifted his eyelids and casually turned his gaze to Gu Yao, who was listening intently.

Gu Yao moved her lips and asked, “And then?”

But Xu Shuo had no intention of continuing. He smiled and said, “Did you forget what I just said? Following a serialized story is a very exhausting thing. It requires patience, as well as analytical skills and imagination. You have to know how to fill in the rest of the plot yourself.”

Gu Yao paused, then understood. “You want me to use my professional knowledge to help you analyze this diary?”

Xu Shuo said, “Smart.”

Actually, Gu Yao could have said that Xu Shuo should go find another psychiatrist, because she wasn’t interested.

But she didn’t.

She could not deceive herself. Whether it was based on human curiosity by nature, or on her own personality and occupational habit, the first story in this notebook had absolutely attracted her.

She very much wanted to know what came next.

But Gu Yao did not intend to yield so easily. “You trust my expertise? Maybe I’m just a half-baked amateur.”

“I watched the entire process of your conversation with Chen Feiyu. Your ability is far beyond my investigative estimate.”

“But why should I help you analyze it? What’s in it for me?”

“You only get to hear the rest if you agree to my condition. For you, this kind of thrilling content is the biggest ‘benefit.'”

Xu Shuo paused for a second, then gave a silent laugh and continued, “Your parents and boyfriend have been raising you like a little white rabbit for a year. They wouldn’t let you touch exciting cases, only gave you some trivial matters to handle, and even the case you accidentally got involved in, like Chen Feiyu’s, was spoiled by Wang Meng. He even followed your father’s instructions and reported this matter to the association, forcing you to leave. Now you’ve not only been kicked out of the association, the psych clinic has also given you a long leave to rest. Do you really enjoy this kind of idle life?”

What?

The matter of the psychological association had something to do with her father?

Every single fact out of Xu Shuo’s mouth was enough to shock Gu Yao.

She could not believe that Gu Chengwen had done so much behind her back, and her reason was also reminding her that Xu Shuo was going for the heart, that he was using lies to shake her resolve.

But her intuition was also telling her that this was absolutely Gu Chengwen’s style. Otherwise, the association would not have targeted her so quickly, without even trying to keep her. After all, she had once sponsored the association before, and their attitude of turning hostile without the slightest hesitation was just too fast.

Gu Yao fell silent. She lowered her eyes, forcing herself to accept these facts.

Xu Shuo then said, “Now, I’m offering you a chance to put your professional strengths to use. You can choose to accept, or reject it. Ten hours later, you’ll leave here safely. If you accept, before you go I’ll give you all the information I’ve investigated on Zhu Shengxi. But if you reject it, I guarantee that from now on you won’t hear another word of the story in this diary. And no matter what questions you have about Zhu Shengxi in the future, even if you come looking for me, you will not get a single piece of information from me.”

Gu Yao said nothing.

She knew these terms were truly as fair as they could be. How much he had investigated, she really did want to know.

Of course, she also believed things were definitely not as simple as he said. Every time she agreed to one condition, it was like taking one more step into the pit he had dug. Getting in was easy, getting out was hard. What kind of devil was waiting for her inside, she still did not know.

But then again, if she refused to step into the pit, could she really manage to ignore everything from now on, pretend today had never happened, move on and continue living? Once a seed was buried in her heart, it would only sprout and take root, and sooner or later become her inner demon.

Gu Yao slowly interlaced her hands on her knees. A few seconds later, she loosened them again, and when she looked up, she said, “Fine, I accept your terms.”

Xu Shuo smiled lazily and lifted his chin. “Then let’s begin.”

Gu Yao took a breath and began to lay out her reasoning. “This story most likely takes place about eleven or twelve years ago, in an orphanage.”

Xu Shuo said, “Oh? Why do you say that?”

“This ‘home’ has a lot of people, and a lot of children, but there are also many conflicts and clashes among them. The children’s lives aren’t prosperous, but there is someone specifically responsible for cleaning the courtyard. The boy called Xiao Feng even mentioned his future parents when he left, so they were probably the people adopting him, though I don’t understand why someone would adopt a child that old.”

“The ‘I’ telling this story is clearly a girl. She’s timid, so she should have grown up in this orphanage since she was little, which means her concept of ‘home’ is different from that of children outside. Her Big Brother might not be her biological older brother.”

As Gu Yao spoke, Xu Shuo listened quietly and intently. The smile on his face deepened and lightened in turns, as if in agreement.

Gu Yao’s train of thought was very focused, completely immersed in her own profession. “Xiao Feng left the orphanage at fifteen or sixteen, disappeared a year later, and two years after that his bones were found in the sewer. This is a deliberate homicide case. The police’s first line of investigation should be his adoptive parents. They must have found it strange that someone would adopt such an old child, how he disappeared after only one year of adoption, and whether there had been any conflict before he went missing. I’m guessing the police later came to the orphanage to investigate because the adoptive parents’ testimony confirmed that after being adopted, Xiao Feng still cared deeply about the orphanage and often sneaked back. That means Xiao Feng did not identify with his new family. He may have felt lonely, unable to fit in, so he instinctively wanted to find a sense of belonging again.”

Gu Yao said this much, took a sip of coffee, then continued, “If that’s the case, then the police would have reason to suspect that Xiao Feng disappeared while sneaking back to the orphanage. After all, when he went missing, he was already sixteen or seventeen, not the age to be trafficked by kidnappers. So the person who killed him was very likely after money, or had previously clashed with him. Maybe the killer had long-standing resentment toward Xiao Feng, or maybe the killer was also in the emotional stage of adolescence. So the next main target for questioning would be the ‘Big Brother’ the girl mentioned.”

After that, Gu Yao stopped.

Less than two seconds later, a few claps sounded from across the table, Xu Shuo applauding her.

Gu Yao did not feel proud because of it. Instead, she gave him a somewhat annoyed look. “I’m done analyzing. You can continue the rest.”

Who would have thought Xu Shuo would say, “Since you’ve already guessed that this is an orphanage, can you also guess who this ‘Big Brother’ is?”

Gu Yao froze.

Who is Big Brother?

Xu Shuo suddenly asking this had to mean something…

Could this ‘Big Brother’ be someone she knew?

But among the people she knew, there was only one who came from an orphanage…

The air suddenly congealed.

Silence began to spread.

Gu Yao stared hard at Xu Shuo. It felt as if something had tightened around her throat, while her blood rushed all at once to the top of her head.

That Big Brother’s identity also became obvious.

Gu Yao moved her lips, asking with some difficulty, “It’s… Zhu Shengxi?”

Xu Shuo laughed. That smile was extremely sly. He picked up the notebook and patted the cover with one hand. “Actually, the owner of this diary is your boyfriend’s younger sister from Lixin Orphanage. Every story in here is related to them, and one is more exciting than the last.”

Author’s note:

There’s another chapter later, and together they make a super fat chapter of over ten thousand words. The red envelopes will continue, mwah-mwah.

…

Thank you all very much for your support. I’ll keep working hard!