Chapter 60

He waited downstairs. The moon was like a piece of brilliantly shining jade, suspended over the skyscrapers.

They say that a woman’s heart is fickle, and difficult to understand. He finally came to understand that after having loved her for these past several years.

He rested his hand on the car door and fidgeted while lighting a cigarette. After quite a while, he finally heard the sharp, clear sound of footsteps. It was her, walking down gracefully.

In the deep night, she was so beautiful, like a sprite who had not returned home. He smiled when he saw her, and all his vexation retreated to the back of his mind.

What is love, really? These days, who could explain it clearly?

In any case, she had already become the centre of his thoughts these many years, and the habit of loving her was deeply etched into his bones. If he was unsuccessful, his feelings would really be in the pits.

“It’s so late, why are you here?” she chided him.

This is exactly what he both loves and hates. Her attitude towards him is forever stuck between treating him as a lover and treating him as a friend.

He held her hand and said, “Stay with me.”

She instantly flushed, blinked her eyes and looked at him. “What happened to you today?”

She was always this perceptive and intelligent; he had indeed encountered a lot of frustration at work today. However, he didn’t feel like answering her, and asked in return, “Do you still think of him?”

She bowed her head and said, vaguely, “Not really . . .”

Today, she was unexpectedly meek and agreeable. When he drummed up enough courage to kiss her cheek, she not only didn’t get angry or run away, she even turned red. He was ecstatic, and his heart thumped noisily in his chest.

“You . . . you’re really willing to do anything for me, huh?” she asked softly in the dark night.

“Yes,” he almost immediately answered.

She gently held his fingers without speaking. Actually, there was a trace of melancholy and helplessness concealed in her face.

……

When he drove away, he raised his eyes subconsciously. He once again saw that pair of eyes in the building.

That pair of eyes, hidden in the darkness, was looking at him with bitter resentment, staring at him.

He smiled coldly and resumed facing forward.

There was heavy traffic on the road, and the neon lights rippled off the glass. At some point, he stopped at a traffic light. A butterfly flitted here and there before landing on his car. He looked at the butterfly, which also seemed to look at him. Then, it flapped its wings and took off again.

He was shaken. That was the butterfly he had seen in his dreams.

——

Xun City was located in the southern hinterland. It was not a very big city, but the scenery was beautiful, and the climate was mild and pleasant for living in.

The head of the city’s criminal investigation team was Shao Yong, an old man nearing 50 years in age. Although he was getting on in age, he was in robust health, and his features were upright and honourable. He always wore a black jacket, and he was just as active and energetic as the other younger investigators. Anyone looking at him would consider him a very handsome man. Old, but handsome. An old general.

This morning, before work officially started, Shao Yong had been sitting in his office eating xiaolongbao*. At the same time, he had been playing chess – right hand versus left hand. It had been a snatched moment of leisure, a time for him to enjoy himself quietly.

*小笼包 (xiao long bao) – a type of steamed Chinese bun. The skin is translucent rather than doughy, and it is usually filled with minced pork and vegetables in ‘soup’ (actually gelled aspic). Drool over more information here.

A clerk ran in to give his report. “Team Leader Shao, the person-in-charge is working out the procurement order for the next quarter. I will include the additional shirts, socks and shoes for the team members, as per your previous note.”

Shao Yong did not look up but said, “Good.”

“Anything else to add?”

Shao Yong retired a pawn, and said, “Ah, that’s right, allow the canteen to procure some fresh fish, to be served regularly to our criminal investigation team.”

“All right.”

The clerk left. Shao Yong played chess for a while more before lifting his head to look out of the window. Clouds floated quietly in the azure sky. The green hills in the distance were just like a man, looking down in silence at the small city from a height. Heaven was really great; last month, they had cracked a murder case, and had even captured, without planning to, a Class A fugitive who had escaped to the city from another province. There were no major cases this month, and the world was too peaceful. These were the lazy and carefree days that all criminal investigators loved, and which were hard to come by.

However, in this world, how was it possible to have days which were truly free from worry?

Not long after, a colleague hurriedly knocked at the door. “Chief, we have a case. A female corpse has just been discovered in Wangjiang Park.”

Shao Yang put the chess board away and put his hands behind his back. “Come, let’s go and see.”

——

Wangjiang Park was situated in the western part of Xun City. It occupied a vast area, and was the place the city’s residents most loved to visit. Usually, there were so many people in the park that they resembled the crawfish, crowded together in the river, but, this morning, even before the park could open, it had been sealed up. In all probability, the park authorities had also been badly spooked by the sudden appearance of the corpse. However, when Shao Yang arrived, he praised the park authorities for doing a good job.

Wangjiang Park was surrounded on all sides by high walls, and it was simply not possible for an ordinary person to surmount them. There were four entrances, located north, south, east and west. Moreover, the corpse had been discovered in a grove in one of the most remote locations deep in the park.

The sun was already high in the sky, and the police officers had formed a tight ring around the grove. Shao Yong squatted by the side of the corpse and frowned in concentration.

In front of him was a cobbled path which extended into the grove from the distant main road. There was no scenery of note here and it was quite deserted*. Hence, the likelihood of the corpse being discovered was very low.

*人迹罕至 (ren ji han zhi) – lit. men’s footprints are rare; fig. off the beaten track; deserted.

The female corpse was lying on the cobbled path.

She was wearing a white, short-sleeved T-shirt, black exercise shorts and sports shoes. She was of average height, skinny, and of ordinary build. She looked to be in her twenties, with short hair, fair skin, a delicate nose with a high bridge, slightly plump lips, and a sprinkle of freckles on her face. She was the type of person who would not attract much attention when thrown into the general mass of people.

A mass of purple bruises encircled her neck. Apart from that, for the moment, there seemed to be no other trauma.

If it had been merely this on the body, it would not have caused the police force to react with such a big hue and cry.

Shao Yong put on gloves, and gently touched the girl’s hand. Both hands had been bound with rope and fastened to the top of her head. Both ankles were also bound. Then, all of them had been painted with black oil paint.

A smooth stone slab was under her body. Two huge black wings were painted on it with the same oil paint. Pink decorative designs were painted on the wings, making it look as if the compound eyes of many insects were blinking and staring at everyone.

And, it really seemed as if the person was a soft grub, trapped in their midst.

“Just like a butterfly . . .” exclaimed a young criminal investigator at one side.

Shao Yong felt a chill run through his entire being. He looked at the criminal investigator and stood up.

“Chief, is the murderer a psychopath?” the young criminal investigator asked hurriedly.

Shao Yong replied, “We can’t rule out any possibility at the moment.”

“Since we may be dealing with a psychopath, then do we want to . . . ask that person to come?”

Shao Yong thought briefly, but smiled and said, “No, no need. Don’t tell him for the moment. Make a call to Beijing and ask the criminal psychologists for help.”

——

In the evening, Jian Yao sat alone in front of the window, staring blankly into the twilight.

At this time, the office of the criminal investigation team was quiet as everyone had gone out to eat. It seemed as if, with the passing of each day, Jian Yao correspondingly preferred to be alone. This quiet and solitary state helped her to feel at peace. It helped her to feel as if she had received something, and could secretly hope for something.

Fang Qing pushed open the door and walked in. His forehead was beaded in sweat, and his wet shirt was stuck to his back. After that case, the left side of his face had gained a new scar which would never fade. This caused the originally handsome man to look even more grim.