Chapter 35: ◎Yu Bai? Where Did You Run Off To This Time?◎

“Remember now?” Yu Bai tilted her head slightly, a scornful chuckle escaping her throat. “We’ve never actually met face-to-face, but you’ve definitely seen my photo. I’m the target you were supposed to assassinate, aren’t I?”

The man’s gaze drifted blankly for a moment as memories from two years ago resurfaced—that person handing him two photographs and saying, “Find the people in these photos.”

The people in those photos had been Ji Shen and Yu Bai.

“Good that you remember. Makes things much simpler.” Yu Bai arched an eyebrow, rising from the floor. She tapped the baseball bat against the ground rhythmically, circling him twice.

“What’s your name?”

“…” The man remained lost in profound terror, his entire body shaking.

Clang, clang—

The club struck the ground twice right before his eyes.

“Speak.” Yu Bai’s tone edged with impatience.

“Jiang… Jiang Jiwen…”

“Very good.” Yu Bai squeezed her eyes shut for a second before smiling at Jiang Jiwen. “Mr. Jiang, let’s get properly introduced.”

Towering over him, she declared, “Yu Bai, wife of former detective Ji Shen.”

“You… you’re really… you’re not dead?”

“What do you think?” Yu Bai’s smile lingered, but a chill gleamed in her eyes. “Two years ago in Pingling, you failed to kill me. In America, that pack of incompetents failed too. I really don’t know what to say about you lot.”

Jiang Jiwen stammered through chattering teeth, “I… we never meant to kill you… really… we just… just wanted to take you away…”

“Save it, Mr. Jiang. At this stage, do you honestly think I’ll let you walk?” Yu Bai narrowed her eyes, her voice thick with sarcasm and fraying patience that was on the verge of snapping.

Jiang Jiwen panicked even more, babbling excuses. “It’s true, we really didn’t want to kill you. Please believe me…”

“What’s the difference? My husband is dead!” All the rage Yu Bai had bottled up for so long finally exploded. She swung the club down onto his back.

“Ah—” Jiang Jiwen unleashed a piercing scream.

Yu Bai gasped for breath, stepping back as she lowered her gaze to him. Her parched throat managed those final words, leaving her speechless afterward.

The flickering lights induced a brief daze. In that fleeting moment, long-buried fragments of memory replayed in her mind like scenes from a film.

…

“Ji Shen, come home early tomorrow at noon. We’ll go visit Aunt together.” Yu Bai concentrated as she knotted his tie.

His features softened; he stroked her hair and murmured tenderly, “All right. I’ll be back.”

Yu Bai ducked her head with a smile, looped her arms around his neck, and rose on tiptoe to brush her lips lightly against his.

…

“Yu Bai, where are you? Get back here now.”

…

“Listen to me—stay put and don’t go anywhere, or even you won’t be able to wash this off your hands.”

…

“Did Ji Shen say anything to you before he left? I know it’s hard to accept, but the truth is the truth. No matter how much you deny it.”

…

The shattered recollections left her struggling for air.

“It wasn’t me who killed him, really, it wasn’t…”

Jiang Jiwen’s cries yanked her back to the present. Yu Bai shut her eyes, then burst into laughter. “Of course I know you didn’t kill him.” She opened them again and shook her head. “But as far as I’m concerned, you’re all the same.”

“Don’t… please, no, no…” Jiang Jiwen pleaded desperately as the club descended toward him once more.

Buzz—buzz—

Her phone rang at that precise moment.

“Damn it.” Yu Bai froze mid-swing, frustration boiling over as she hurled the club aside. It crashed against the floor with a resounding clang, startling Jiang Jiwen into a flinch.

Keeping her glare fixed on Jiang Jiwen, Yu Bai fished out her phone.

“Hello!”

“Madam, the police are here! They’re almost at the Alice Club entrance.”

Yu Bai jolted. “How the hell did the police show up?”

She immediately regretted the pointless question and hung up.

After a beat of silence, she looked down at Jiang Jiwen and said coldly, “You killed someone a couple of days ago, didn’t you?”

“You… how did you…”

“I know exactly who it was. A nobody like that—dead is dead. You know what to tell the cops, right?”

Jiang Jiwen blinked in shock, then caught on. “Yeah, yeah, I do…”

“You really do?” Yu Bai quirked an eyebrow with a smirk before her face hardened ominously. “Then tell the police exactly how, two years ago, you butchered Shao Yuan and his family of five.”

Jiang Jiwen shook his head in horror. “No, I can’t. If I do, the police will never let me go…”

Yu Bai sneered. “Then on what grounds do you think I’ll let you off?”

A faint, almost imperceptible smile suddenly curved her lips as she asked casually, “Do you have any family?”

Jiang Jiwen’s face drained of color in an instant.

“Looks like you do.” She pocketed her phone and squatted down, patting his cheek with a smile. “In that case, for their sake, you’d better do exactly as I say. Otherwise, you know full well how I’ll deal with you.”

With that, she rose to her feet and strode toward the door. She yanked open the basement door to find several bodyguards standing rigidly outside, while David lounged against the wall, smoking a cigarette.

“The cops are here,” Yu Bai snapped irritably at him. “Handle it. Now.”

David snapped to attention, flicking away his cigarette butt. “Holy shit! How the hell did the police get here so fast? Where are they?”

Yu Bai’s brows remained furrowed as she smoothed back her hair. “They’re almost at the door! Have the guys up front stall them.” She jerked her chin toward Jiang Jiwen in the basement. “Pour some booze down his throat and say he came here drunk and started trouble. Hand him over to the police!”

“Sister Yu, you finished questioning him?”

Yu Bai ignored the question, turning to David instead. “You head out the back door too. No direct contact with the cops. Leave the rest to the underlings.”

David didn’t press for reasons. He flashed a knowing smile. “Got it. Whatever you say, Sister Yu.”

They slipped out the back door just as the wail of police sirens cut off at the front entrance. Yu Bai waved David ahead. “You go back to the bar first!”

David nodded in understanding, sensing she still had unfinished business.

“Madam, should I pull the car around?”

Yu Bai’s reply was curt. “Take me back to the hotel.”

In the hotel suite, Yu Bai made a beeline for the window and parted the curtains just a sliver. Three police cars sat parked outside the Alice Club, their lights flashing amid a growing murmur of onlookers. The chaotic buzz filtered through the glass.

The club was at its busiest hour in the evenings, teeming with patrons. The sudden arrival of the police had sparked immediate pandemonium; even a basic search would take time and effort. Yu Bai lingered by the window for a moment.

Sure enough, she watched as the officers hauled Jiang Jiwen out into the open. Everything was unfolding precisely as she had orchestrated.

Perfect.

Satisfied there was nothing more to see, she started to let the curtain fall—only for a familiar figure to catch her eye.

Dressed in a police uniform, her long hair pulled back into a ponytail, she emerged alongside the other officers, trailing just behind Jiang Jiwen.

Zhao Min.

What was she doing here?!

Yu Bai released the curtain and frowned in thought for a moment. Then her gaze sharpened, and a slow smile spread across her lips.

She’d truly underestimated the woman.

Yu Bai returned to the sofa and sank into it, lightly massaging her temple. In a low, ominous voice, she asked, “Who knows about what went down tonight?”

“Just the four of us.”

“You sure about that?” Her hand dropped, and she lifted her head, her eyes shadowed and inscrutable. “Then how did the police show up? Hmm? Which one of you decided to play traitor?”

Terror flickered across all four faces.

Yu Bai waved a hand dismissively, her lips twisting into a smirk that never reached her eyes. “No rush. Go home and think it over. Figure it out, and come tell me. If you can’t…” She paused deliberately, her gaze turning vicious. “Then crawl back to whatever hole you came from!”

With that, she retreated to the bedroom, changed back into her hospital gown, and hurried downstairs to the waiting car. They sped off toward City Hospital.

Only when they reached the hospital entrance did Yu Bai pull Zhou Hui’s number out of her blacklist. As she headed toward Ward 316, her phone rang before she’d even gotten close.

She hadn’t wanted to answer—her mood was foul enough already—but the relentless ringing left her no choice. She hit accept and held the phone at arm’s length. A second later, Zhou Hui’s roar exploded from the speaker. “Yu Bai? Where the hell have you run off to this time?”

Yu Bai waited until the tirade ended before bringing the phone closer, rubbing her assaulted ear. Her expression remained impassive. “Officer Zhou, I’m just making a call. No need to get so worked up.”

But after those words, she suddenly had no desire to return to the ward. She’d just reached the top of the second-floor stairs when she pivoted and headed back down. “Anyway, I’m downstairs getting some fresh air. We’ll talk later. Bye.”

Her evening had been a disaster. First, Jiang Jiwen’s mess had soured her mood, and then Zhao Min had swooped in with the police to raid her turf. The two headaches combined were more than enough. Right now, she wanted nothing to do with Zhou Hui or any conversation. She just needed a quiet moment alone.

She went downstairs and walked aimlessly for a few steps before finally stopping by the flower bed in front of the inpatient building. The bed brimmed with roses in every shade—red, pink, yellow, white—blooming vibrantly in the darkness, their petals a dazzling riot of color. The area was well-lit, with a streetlamp right beside the flower bed, its bulb shining brightly. Moths flitted around it, battering the glass again and again. Plenty of people passed by nearby: family members strolling with patients after dinner, chatting idly as they wandered. It was a safe spot, free from any worries about security.

When she wasn’t being tailed by anyone, aside from heading home, Yu Bai preferred places like this, teeming with people. The bustle let her loosen her taut nerves for a bit, push aside the dangers and constant vigilance, and steal a rare moment of ease. She savored that fleeting relief.

But not tonight. Even here, her nerves stayed wound tight, laced with irritation and gloom. She fished a cigarette from her pocket, lit it, and drew in deeply. Nicotine flooded her mouth and nostrils, slowly unwinding the tension.

Yu Bai always kept a pack in her pocket, whatever the situation. She’d refrained in the hospital, especially around Zhou Hui, but old habits died hard.

Right now, she was grateful for it.

“Smoking’s bad for you. Cut back.” Zhou Hui’s voice came suddenly from behind her—mild and even-tempered, not harsh, with just the right soothing edge.

“I…” Yu Bai nearly let loose a curse but bit it back in time.

She turned, flicking a hand toward Zhou Hui and lifting her gaze. “I figured you’d just yank it out of my hand.”

Zhou Hui’s even keel dulled some of Yu Bai’s edge, softening her tone.

Zhou Hui’s hands were stuffed in her pockets. She let out a small sigh and met Yu Bai’s eyes. “That was the plan, but I thought better of it.”

“Why?” Yu Bai frowned, waving away the smoke curling before her face without looking over.

“No point. You’d just light another.” Zhou Hui stared straight ahead, avoiding her gaze.

“Ha!” Yu Bai barked a real laugh and nodded. “Spot on!”

From there, they mostly stood in silence. Zhou Hui let her eyes drift forward, catching sight of two people in hospital gowns strolling past the flower bed. They looked like a couple, hands linked as they passed by and melted into the shadows beyond the warm glow of the lights.

Some vague feeling stirred in Zhou Hui. She glanced sideways at Yu Bai, who was still smoking away. Outwardly, she seemed no different from usual.

Only Yu Bai knew better. She wasn’t nearly as calm as she looked. She was waiting for a call—from the Police Bureau, confirming they’d nabbed Jiang Jiwen.

At last, as her second cigarette burned out, Zhou Hui’s phone buzzed in her pocket.

“Hello?”

“Captain Zhou, we’ve got the killer from the fifth case!”