Chapter 37: Occupying an Important Part of Her Thoughts

Yu Bai’s low voice echoed through the ward once again, this time directed at Zhou Hui. She raised her eyes, her deep, pitch-black gaze settling on Zhou Hui.

“If Officer Zhou doesn’t mind, perhaps I can assist you.”

With those words, she offered a smile and walked toward where Zhou Hui stood.

Zhou Hui had no objection to her doing so.

She harbored no doubts about Yu Bai’s expertise. Earlier at the hospital, she had already sensed Yu Bai’s uncanny sensitivity to criminal cases—far beyond the ordinary.

When dealing with someone like Jiang Jiwen, Yu Bai’s approach might prove more effective. Besides, Zhou Hui wanted to witness her abilities firsthand.

Over this period, she had heard far too much about Yu Bai’s past from Han Wei: the time two years ago when she had taught at the Provincial Police University, the fragmented snippets of history between her and Ji Shen, her existence in the gray areas, and her unpredictable movements. All of it stirred Zhou Hui’s burning desire to uncover the truth.

She had to admit it—Yu Bai had a mesmerizing quality. Her enigmatic aura, her shadowed history, the unclear and indefinable facets of her life—they all exerted a powerful pull on Zhou Hui.

Like a black hole at the universe’s deepest core: pitch black, devoid of time or dimension, a presence that defied all logic. Yet it had burst into her life, claiming an important place in her thoughts.

Jiang Jiwen’s blurred vision still couldn’t discern the approaching figure, but his body began to tremble almost imperceptibly.

He would never forget that voice. Just hours earlier, in the dim underground room, its owner had issued a cold warning.

“I want you to tell the police everything—how you murdered Shao Yuan and his family of five two years ago…”

~~~

“Then what makes you think I’ll let you go… Do you have family?”

~~~

“For your family’s sake, you had better do exactly as I say. Otherwise, you know what I’ll do to you.”

~~~

Those warnings reverberated endlessly in his ears, as if they hadn’t yet faded. Jiang Jiwen hadn’t anticipated their next encounter would come so soon.

Yu Bai dragged over a stool and sat beside the bed, fixing Jiang Jiwen with a meaningful look. Her low voice sounded again. “Jiang Jiwen, one last chance. Where were you between 1:30 and 3:30 a.m. on May 17th?”

She lifted her wrist to check her watch, a smile tugging at her lips as she warned him. “Mr. Jiang, you have two minutes to think it over. Remember—this is your final opportunity.”

Taken alone, Yu Bai’s warning held no menace. But when it reached Jiang Jiwen’s ears, an involuntary shiver ran through him.

He understood her meaning all too well. Back at the Alice Club’s underground shooting range, she had spelled it out clearly enough. His entire family’s lives were now stakes on the table; he didn’t dare to roll the dice.

Everyone had moments of cowardice. When an opponent’s leverage crushed one’s mental defenses, fear took hold. It was simple human nature—living in the world meant there were always people and ties one couldn’t sever.

Any problem, once you targeted the right weakness, unraveled effortlessly.

Yu Bai had pinpointed those inescapable human frailties, handling Jiang Jiwen with complete mastery. She had sealed off every escape, steering events precisely along her desired path.

As expected, Jiang Jiwen broke. After less than a minute of silence, he spoke. “Yes… yes… that morning… I wasn’t home watching the game… I… I was drinking at home with Xu Wenliang.”

Yu Bai followed up patiently. “Who is Xu Wenliang?”

Jiang Jiwen stammered, “The… the victim who made the hot searches a couple days ago.”

“What was your relationship with him?” Yu Bai smiled faintly, taking her time. “Or perhaps I should ask—why did you kill him?”

“I… I didn’t mean to kill him… I swear, I just hit him once with the shovel… I really didn’t mean to…” Jiang Jiwen said, his voice trembling.

Yu Bai let out a soft chuckle. “That’s not quite right, is it, Mr. Jiang? The forensic exam shows at least ten blows to the indentation on Xu Wenliang’s occiput. What grudge could you possibly have harbored against the victim to slaughter him in such a brutal, inhumane fashion?”

Jiang Jiwen steeled himself and replied, “Xu Wenliang… he was threatening me. He was going to… expose what happened two years ago, when… the six of us killed that undercover cop…”

Zhou Hui: “!!!”

Han Wei: “!!!”

Han Wei couldn’t help exclaiming in shock. “Two years ago? Shao Yuan?”

Jiang Jiwen resignedly closed his eyes. “Yes. That police officer named Shao Yuan and his family of five—we killed them.” With that, Jiang Jiwen suddenly snapped his eyes open and roared like a madman. “That idiot Xu Wenliang came to me saying he was going to spill everything we did back then. He forced me into it! He forced me!”

Zhou Hui watched the interrogation unfold from the sidelines, a nagging sense that something wasn’t right gnawing at her. This back-and-forth questioning felt too much like they were simply plugging in answers they already knew. She frowned faintly and shifted her gaze to Yu Bai.

Uncertainty flickered in Yu Bai’s eyes. As she raised them, they met Zhou Hui’s clear, piercing stare. She froze for a split second, then broke into a graceful smile. “Officer Zhou, the rest is your department now. I need to head home and get some rest.”

Without delaying a single minute, she rose and headed for the door of Ward 316.

Zhou Hui hurried after her, blocking her path just outside. Narrowing her eyes, she fixed Yu Bai with a steady look. “Yu Bai, do you know something?”

Yu Bai offered another warm smile, her expression unchanging. “Of course… no.”

Zhou Hui’s face hardened. “Then tell me—where were you tonight?”

Yu Bai’s smile softened just a touch as she met Zhou Hui’s gaze, lying through her teeth without a hint of shame. “Ha, I saw you happily peeling those apples all by yourself, Officer Zhou. Didn’t want to interrupt, so I went downstairs for a bit of fresh air!”

Zhou Hui: “………”

Watching Zhou Hui’s expression darken, Yu Bai decided to push her luck a little further.

Leaning in close to Zhou Hui’s ear with a mischievous glint, her warm breath grazed the other woman’s skin. “What’s wrong? Does Officer Zhou want some company?”

Zhou Hui shoved her away in a burst of fury, glaring daggers. “Yu—Bai—”

“Right here!” Yu Bai leaned casually against the wall, grinning as she added, “Next time Officer Zhou wants my company, just say the word. I won’t turn you down.”

Zhou Hui stared her down, yanking irritably at her collar. “Yu Bai, you…”

Yu Bai gazed at her with mock regret, batting her eyes with exaggerated sincerity. “But not right now—I’m beat. Officer Zhou, you’ll give me a ride home, won’t you?”

Zhou Hui: “……”

What Zhou Hui had really wanted to say was that Yu Bai must be out of her mind, flying off the handle every other day like this.

The words caught in her throat, emerging instead as a growl laced with anger. “The doctor hasn’t cleared you for discharge. What’s the rush to go home?”

“Does going home need a reason? If not tonight, then tomorrow.” Ignoring Zhou Hui’s simmering rage, Yu Bai kept up her cheeky grin. “Officer Zhou, I’ll give you two minutes to think it over. Want to drive me home?”

Zhou Hui spat the word through clenched teeth. “Scram!”

Yu Bai looked positively delighted. She waved at Zhou Hui with feigned disappointment. “You just missed out on some quality time with me.” Then, with a sly smile, she tacked on, “But… you’ll always have another shot.”

Zhou Hui: “……”

Yu Bai had done it again—successfully worked Zhou Hui into a towering fury. Over their time together, she’d gotten the measure of the Criminal Investigation Team captain’s temper all too well. At Zhou Hui’s level, she didn’t stand a chance. A couple of well-placed jabs, and the woman would blow up like clockwork. Utterly defenseless.

Once she’d shaken off Zhou Hui, Yu Bai hailed a taxi at the hospital entrance, gave the driver the address to the Ji Family Villa, and fell silent for the ride.

Twenty minutes later, the cab pulled to a smooth stop in front of the villa’s gates. Yu Bai let herself inside and collapsed onto the sofa, not bothering with the lights. She sat there in the enveloping darkness.

Only the faint moonlight filtering through the floor-to-ceiling windows cast a silvery glow across the floor, lending the pitch-black room a touch of ashen pallor. Yu Bai stared out toward the window, her gaze lingering on the withered peach tree beyond. She lost herself in it for a long moment.

Suddenly, the quiet night was broken by the low rumble of an approaching car. Two beams of bright yellow headlights pierced through the wrought-iron bars of the gate.

Zhao Min had arrived.

Yu Bai remained seated in the shadows, unmoving, until her phone buzzed. She answered. “Come on in. Door’s unlocked.”

Moments later, Zhao Min appeared in the courtyard, striding quickly toward the house. She pushed the door open, and the absolute darkness inside gave her pause, a flicker of unease tightening her chest. “Yu Bai? You in here?”

Yu Bai reached over and flicked on the floor lamp beside the sofa. A soft, warm orange glow bloomed—not too bright.

Her voice emerged, low and steady. “I’m here. Come over.”

Hearing it, Zhao Min exhaled in relief. With the light came a grounded sense of security, like solid earth beneath her feet.

She walked over to Yu Bai and saw her sitting on the sofa, her face showing no trace of anger. Mustering her courage, Zhao Min called out to her. “Yu Bai.”

Yu Bai spoke indifferently. “I’m a bit tired today, so I won’t pour tea to entertain you.”

Zhao Min could tell that her condition tonight was indeed off. Having overheard Yu Bai’s conversation with Jiang Jiwen in the ward earlier, she had already sensed something was wrong—Zhou Hui had picked up on it, and of course, she had too.

Without waiting for Zhao Min to reply, Yu Bai continued coolly. “Shouldn’t you explain to me what happened tonight?”

Zhao Min didn’t try to hide anything; there was no point in concealing it from Yu Bai. “It was an order from the Provincial Department. I had no choice but to carry it out… Yu Bai, we were only trying to protect you.”

Yu Bai asked, “The bodyguards by my side—they were replaced by people you arranged too?”

Zhao Min was taken aback. “You knew?”

Yu Bai’s face remained impassive. She let out a soft chuckle. “You’ve been taking matters into your own hands more and more lately.”

There was a hint of tension in Zhao Min’s voice. “I’m worried about you.”

Yu Bai said nothing.

Gazing into the profound depths of Yu Bai’s eyes, Zhao Min couldn’t help but frown. For the first time, she locked eyes with her and demanded, “Yu Bai, how has your mental state been lately? Are you still taking your medication regularly?”

At last, a flicker of irritation appeared in Yu Bai’s gaze.