Chapter 205: Cooperation and a Tainted Reputation

"Do you know what it is used for?" he asked.

She explained in detail, leaving out any knowledge of what Bai Ye Qing could need it for.

"Why did you give him these drugs?" he asked. He saw as Jia Ai's eyes shifted as she looked for an explanation.

"I… you know… he… has a way with women. He forces them to do stuff," she said quietly. Yes, this was a claim made against him by Yun Qian Meng and Mo Yize. She knew this clearly.

If Bai Ye Qing was going down, she was not going to follow him. Yes, she loved him, but not enough to go to jail for him.

"Oh." It was clear that the officer didn't believe her. But he gave her the benefit of the doubt. "What do you think Bai Ye Qing will use it for?"

"I don't know…" she whispered. He watched the officer closely.

"Has he asked you for this drug before?" She remained silent. "If we find out that he has and you are hiding it from us, you will be charged with obstruction of justice and misleading the police. There is jailtime for it," the officer told her helpfully.

Facing such incriminating charges, she didn't hold back. She could deny most of it because Bai Ye Qing had never told her what this medicine was for.

"He did," she said finally. "About a year or so ago, he asked me for the medicine," she admitted.

"And you never asked him what it was for?" the officer asked incredulously. "You know what will happen if you lie," he warned.

She clammed up for a second. "He never told me anything. He shouted at me if I tried to ask. I just… don't know. I suspected something, but I never had the courage to speak up." Tears squeezed out of her eyes and the officer watched, bemused.

"What did you suspect?" he asked.

"His… brother passed away shortly after," she said. "His heart stopped beating." And she cried her eyes out.

"And what do you suspect?" the officer asked.

"I think he injected his brother with a lethal dose," she admitted. "But I don't know," she amended quickly.

The officer nodded. He tried a variety of questions but nothing stuck. In the end, he didn't have enough evidence to arrest Bai Ye Qing. He could only continue to tail the man.

On the other hand, this Jia Ai was an interesting character. She denied knowing everything. But he couldn't allow her to go out and tell Bai Ye Qing that he was being watched or that someone suspected him of foul play.

So, she was warned and sent back. Only for the short run.

So, the officers in charge really thought about it. They were suspicious of one murder and another one being attempted but none of the files they had would lead to a conviction.

Then… there was only one way.

The officer sighed.

"We will call Bai Yu secretly and talk to him," he announced. Everyone was happy with the plan.

Talk to Bai Yu and Chen Yue. Get them wired for interactions. They would figure out who was the bait and who Bai Ye Qing spoke freely to. After that, they could slowly build a case against this man.

He had gambling, debts, extortion, drug abuse, drug trafficking, and a hundred others charges they were investigating him for. Once they had enough evidence, they could put him behind the bar for the rest of his life.

The officer called the one who was tailing Bai Ye Qing. "What is his location?" he asked.

"He is in the apartment. I have not seen any movement yet. It looks like he has hit the bed for the night. Should I come back?" he asked.

The officer quickly responded. "No. He has lethal medicine on his hand. He is waiting to use it. We can't leave him alone even for a second. Stay on his tail at all cost. I'll send someone else to accompany you."

"Understood, Boss," the other said before hanging up. With the sandwich in his hand, he kept his eyes trained in front of him. He kept watching to make sure nothing was amiss.

The night passed without worries. Even Jia Ai, who was supposed to come home didn't return.

When Bai Ye Qing called her in the morning, she picked up after a long time.

"Why didn't you come back?" he asked.

Jia Ai contemplated if she should tell him anything before the warning played over in her mind. She gulped and steeled her heart. She couldn't go to jail.

"Oh, a colleague fell sick. I just picked up her shift. I don't know when I will be back," she said softly.

Bai Ye Qing sensed something was amiss. "I told you not to think about it too deeply. There is nothing wrong, understood?" he assured her.

She hummed, though her voice was still strained but didn't say anything further.

"I'll meet you in a few days. It's going to be hectic. Don't call me unnecessarily."

"Okay," she responded immediately.

She turned to look and found a man glancing at her. They had placed someone beside her in the name of protecting her from harm, but really, they were making sure she didn't talk to Bai Ye Qing or act suspiciously.

She understood this.

The people around her kept their distance, sensing that something was amiss with Jia Ai and her situation. Some asked if she needed help with trouble, others who disliked her just assumed she had made trouble for herself.

Her reputation was now tainted. But at least she was not going to jail. That was all she had to thank for. Even if Bai Ye Qing remained free, he wouldn't know she had tattled on him. He would still be with her. If he did get locked up, she wouldn't be ruined with him. Life would be harder without the extra money, but not as hard as living in jail for a considerable amount of time.

She shuddered to think.

Cooperate. She would cooperate.