HH Chapter 56

Fang Yuan crouched, looking up at the window, “You mean the killer might strike again?”

“Just a guess,” Pei Qinghuai replied.

By nine or ten at night, the neighborhood was mostly quiet. Cheng Ye turned off the car lights, adjusted to a comfortable position, and lay back.

“Any suspects?” Cheng Ye asked.

“No, not a single clue,” Fang Yuan sighed, shaking his head, “Every time we find a lead, it ends up being nothing.”

He cursed, “Cameras, cameras! Why don’t these old neighborhoods install cameras?”

By eleven, nearing midnight, even the streetlights were off. Just as drowsiness crept in, a flickering white light appeared in the distance.

Cheng Ye instantly became alert, lowering himself further to observe. In Building 10, only two apartments had lights on, one being Chen Xiaonuan’s.

Chen Xiaonuan had intentionally left her curtains open, making the interior visible from outside. The flickering white light drew nearer. The three officers crouched low. The person moved slowly and eventually stopped right in front of their car.

Their hearts pounded. Pei Qinghuai nearly wedged himself under the car, while the other two struggled in the cramped space, Fang Yuan showing a pained expression from being contorted.

Fortunately, Cheng Ye’s car windows were tinted, making it hard to see inside. The person outside seemed to be checking their reflection in the window, a radio on their waist broadcasting a story.

A: “Why are you touching me, you bad man?” B: “How can I resist such a beautiful lady? I’m a man, after all!” A: “Go die! Jump into a lake, hit a wall!”

The person fiddled with their hair, standing there for almost a minute before finally walking away.

“Feng Daqiang?” Pei Qinghuai whispered from his corner.

“You know him?” Cheng Ye asked, pulling himself up.

Pei Qinghuai nodded, “Saw him at noon, he’s the security guard here.”

Fang Yuan stretched, “This security guard is quite dedicated.”

After the brief encounter, the neighborhood fell silent again, except for the occasional insect chirp. About half an hour later, Chen Xiaonuan called.

“Any movement?” she asked.

“None,” Fang Yuan replied, looking up as Chen Xiaonuan leaned out her window to hang clothes.

“I’m going to sleep. I’ll report any changes,” she said, closing the window.

Cheng Ye stretched, “We’ll take shifts tonight, two hours each.”

“No problem,” Fang Yuan agreed.

“You?” Cheng Ye looked over, surprised to see a few black lines forming on his forehead.

“Pei Qinghuai!” Cheng Ye called.

Pei Qinghuai jolted awake, “Something happening?”

“You’re on first watch, two hours,” Cheng Ye assigned.

Pei Qinghuai rubbed his eyes, “You guys sleep, I’ll watch.”

Cheng Ye, though uneasy, finally relaxed after several checks on Pei Qinghuai. They took turns through the night, but aside from Feng Daqiang’s incident, nothing happened. The next morning, with dark circles under their eyes, they picked up Chen Xiaonuan.

“Any movement last night?” Cheng Ye yawned.

“No,” Chen Xiaonuan leaned against the car window, “Just lots of mosquitoes.”

Fang Yuan, looking haggard, turned his neck, “I’ll get breakfast. Wait here.”

By the time Fang Yuan returned, Pei Qinghuai was already asleep. Fang Yuan, eating a bun, whispered, “Is this plan really going to work? Feels a bit far-fetched.”

Cheng Ye took a bite, “We’ll see after a few days. It’s only the first day. What result are you expecting?”

Chen Xiaonuan, grinning, leaned forward, “Captain, I’ve never seen you support Teacher Pei like this before. When did you change your opinion?”

Fang Yuan, feeling wronged, looked at Cheng Ye, “Yeah, you used to back me up.”

“I’ve supported all of you,” Cheng Ye said, starting the car, “We’re teammates. Helping each other is a given. No suspicion among us.”

Chen Xiaonuan leaned back, smiling, “Got it, Captain. I was very welcoming to Teacher Pei from the start.”

Cheng Ye, slightly embarrassed, opened the window. Pei Qinghuai, eyes half-open, saw Cheng Ye’s face in the rearview mirror and smirked.

The next night proceeded similarly. Feng Daqiang sat idly in the security booth, eyes wandering. Suddenly, a bright spot caught his attention. He opened the window, “Hey, your boyfriend didn’t drop you off today?”

Chen Xiaonuan, startled, turned and smiled, “No, he’s busy. I work nearby, so I didn’t need a ride.”

Feng Daqiang waved, “That’s irresponsible. You know, the girl who died before lived alone too. She had a boyfriend, just like you. Look at what happened to her!”

Realizing his blunder, Feng Daqiang stood to apologize but bumped his leg on the booth’s table, grimacing, “Sorry, I didn’t mean that.”

Chen Xiaonuan forced a smile, “It’s okay, be careful.”

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Three days passed with no activity. Even Cheng Ye grew anxious as public pressure mounted. He turned to Pei Qinghuai, “Are you sure this will work?”

“Let’s give it one more day,” Pei Qinghuai’s voice was subdued.

Cheng Ye, at a loss for words, was silent. Then, Fang Yuan suddenly exclaimed, “Look, is that a reflection?”

The three turned their attention to the opposite building. In the dark, a small white light flickered from the unoccupied 402, barely visible in the darkness.

“It seems they’re making a move,” Pei Qinghuai said.

“Do we act now?” Fang Yuan asked urgently.