Liu Wei reminisced about the thirty years of her life. Her mother was an exceptionally gentle woman, and among the three children, Liu Wei was the most beloved. Her mother used to embrace her, telling her fairy tales. When her mother unexpectedly passed away when she was twelve, Liu Kai changed drastically. She believed that in the river of her life, there were at least two people who genuinely loved her—her mother and Fan Zhe. Fan Zhe’s tenderness resembled her mother’s, breaking down the emotional walls Liu Wei had built step by step.
Looking at the man sitting behind the table, who had the same face as Fan Zhe but not the same name, Liu Wei uttered, “You are not Fan Zhe.”
“Unfortunately, he is,” Lu Hui replied. He wasn’t a sentimental person. In his eyes, there was little difference between men and women. He wouldn’t retreat because of a woman’s weakness or submit because of a man’s toughness. He held a cold and skeptical view of everyone, with a touch of sarcasm. “He is a cop. Quite cool, isn’t he?”
Ji Fanyang took a sip of tea. “Whether I’m Fan Zhe or not, Miss Liu has her own answer.”
“You watched Fan Zhe being taken away and knew he wouldn’t survive, but you didn’t save him,” Lu Hui said, his casual tone turning serious. “In the end, you only cared about the Fan Zhe who died at Liu Kai’s hands, because a dead person brought you more peace of mind, right?”
“Are you blaming me for not saving him?” Liu Wei’s gaze turned to Lu Hui. “Do you think I didn’t want to save him?”
“You saved him?” Lu Hui put down his cup, tearing away the indifference of the past few days. “You acted like he owed you something, even dared not to violate your father’s orders. What evidence do you have to say you hate Liu Kai? Based on your sneaky actions, guiding your brother to his doom? In the end, you’re just a coward. Don’t mention anything about being a miss from the Liu family. You’re just a pitiful creature manipulated by power.”
“I love him.” Liu Wei’s emotions fluctuated dramatically. “But he betrayed my love.”
“Nonsense. You ‘love’ him while watching him die without making a move. Feeling betrayed when you knew he was an undercover agent. Let me tell you, if he had shown interest in you, I would have gouged out his eyes directly,” Lu Hui said, slapping the table. “You claim to love him, but you let him die. You felt betrayed when he was an undercover agent. I tell you, if he had taken an interest in you, I would have directly blinded him.”
Ji Fanyang looked at Lu Hui’s commotion with an accommodating gaze. He enjoyed seeing Lu Hui getting angry for him. Stripping away the cold and aloof exterior, revealing a soft soul, made Ji Fanyang feel an inexplicable sense of pride.
“I forgot that foolishness and self-deception always go hand in hand,” Lu Hui said, finishing the tea. He snatched Ji Fanyang’s cup and gulped down the water as if extinguishing a fire.
“So, this interrogation is meaningless?” Liu Wei asked.
“Yes.” Ji Fanyang nodded. “We don’t hold much hope for the information you provided.”
“Why waste time then?” Liu Wei looked at Lu Hui with disgust. Knowing her emotions were deceived, she still couldn’t feel repulsed by Ji Fanyang’s face.
“Because the ‘Team leader Lu’ wanted it.” Ji Fanyang shrugged. “I unconditionally follow all his ideas.”
Lu Hui squinted satisfactorily, putting two empty cups into Ji Fanyang’s arms. “Go get two glasses of water.”
Ji Fanyang stood up, took the two cups, and walked out of the interrogation room.
“After all the useless talk, let’s discuss something useful,” Lu Hui resumed his carefree posture. “The first corpse, the one I found during the operation against the Wenhu Gang, the one that didn’t belong to the gang. Did you kill him?”
“It was Liu Huairui.” Liu Wei seemed somewhat disheartened. “He accidentally shot the wrong person; it was a mistake.”
“Did you kill Wang Jing?” Lu Hui asked.
“Yes.” Liu Wei nodded.
“Why wasn’t Du Huanyue killed?” Lu Hui asked.
“Wanted to find out the whereabouts of the ledger, didn’t want unnecessary complications,” Liu Wei replied.
Lu Hui made a few notes in the book, then capped the pen. He took the tea offered by Ji Fanyang and said in a deep voice, “Congratulations, you’ve finally discovered the truth.”
“Alright, let’s go,” Lu Hui closed the notebook.
“Wait a moment,” Liu Wei stopped them. “Fan Zhe,” she called out, with a hint of hope in her voice, “Did you ever love me, even a little bit?”
“No, Miss Liu,” Ji Fanyang answered gently. “And besides, Fan Zhe is dead. I am Ji Fanyang.”
Lu Hui and Ji Fanyang walked out of the interrogation room, and the closing “click” of the door left Liu Wei in the silent room.
“You’re ruthless enough,” Lu Hui said, “Heartless man.”
“Not as much as you, old scoundrel,” Ji Fanyang couldn’t help but smile. “What’s your next move?”
“Wei Congjia’s people are helping us with the interrogation, so let’s go find Dadou,” Lu Hui was eager. “Let’s go to the hospital.”
“See Liu Kai?” Ji Fanyang weighed the options. “Don’t provoke him.”
“I’ll try my best,” Lu Hui quickly responded, obviously not too concerned. “But before that, let’s have lunch.”
“Canteen or outside?” Ji Fanyang asked.
“Canteen,” Lu Hui said. “You go get the food.”
“…You’re just not good with your hands,” Ji Fanyang said, disdainfully.
The two mutually disdainful individuals walked towards the canteen. Lu Hui picked a table, took out his phone, and waved to Ji Fanyang. “Come here!” Then he lifted his phone and took a picture, sending it to Huang Zili. [Image: Success]
[Huang Zili: ?????]
“What’s with that guilty look?” Ji Fanyang interrupted their conversation as Wei Congjia walked over, his suspicious gaze shifting between Lu Hui and Ji Fanyang. “I heard some rumors…”
“It’s true,” Lu Hui said, and Ji Fanyang smiled.
Wei Congjia stared in astonishment. “You two aren’t pulling another prank, are you, or making some bet?”
“Guess,” Lu Hui finished his rice bowl, took a sip of tea, “We’re doing something big this morning.”
“Oh, did you break up with Liu Wei?” Wei Congjia asked.
“Yeah, Ji Fanyang almost made his fiancée cry,” Lu Hui distorted the facts.
“Former fiancée,” Ji Fanyang emphasized.
“I think it’s you who almost made someone cry,” Wei Congjia made it clear he didn’t believe.
Lu Hui sneered, “Either way, it’s my fault.”
“True,” Wei Congjia agreed wholeheartedly. “A good person like Little Ji wouldn’t make someone cry.”
Lu Hui laughed sarcastically, not bothering to argue.
