Chapter 481: He Was An Expert In Sophistry Since He Was Young
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

“I’ll go with you. Since I’m involved in this case, I need to know every detail during the investigation,” said Qi Youxuan with a serious expression, an expression which Wei Muran and Zhang Ming were not familiar with.

Jiang Yuecheng remained silent and departed for Jiao University. Qi Youxuan walked alongside Wei Muran, trying to put some distance between Jiang Yuecheng and them without making his intention obvious before winking at her.

“Why did you work here all of a sudden?” asked Wei Muran softly.

“I promised my dad to return to the company at twenty-seven years old. One year left till the deadline.” The gaze Qi Youxuan gave Wei Muran was deep.

A year left to place Wei Muran under his protection.

Qi Youxuan was worried when Wei Muran went to study in the police academy initially. It was extremely dangerous to work as a police officer, especially when she wished to work in the criminal investigation department.

Qi Youxuan had minored in criminal psychology even though he could not work as a police officer, and was shameless enough to beg Wen Xu so that he could learn martial arts together with his master. Although he was not as skillful as Wen Xu, he was taught personally by a martial arts master from the Wen family. Thus, he was much stronger than normal people, and even the students who received proper training in the police academy.

Qi Youxuan graduated successfully and started working in the company, but he made a deal with his father to take leave and protect Wei Muran once she graduated from the police academy. Qi Chenglin agreed to it on one condition—Qi Youxuan must return to the company after one year.

One year. That was more than enough for Wei Muran to gain experience and get used to the hectic life of the police force. That way, she would gain the ability to protect herself from harm in the future.

Qi Youxuan utilized his time after work to make his crime-solving skills well known while Wei Muran was studying in the police academy. Many were aware that someone had solved a few major crime cases but had no idea who that someone was; exactly like what happened in the police department at this moment. Those in the police forces knew that the major case in Huai City was solved by an expert, but his identity remained a mystery except to a few in the upper management. That was more than enough as long as they could grant Qi Youxuan a favor when needed.

That was the busiest moment of his life. Qi Youxuan did not even have much time to cotton up with Wei Muran. Moreover, Wei Ziqi took guard of his precious daughter very vigilantly and devoid him of any chance to get close to Wei Muran.

Wei Muran stared at the side of Qi Youxuan’s face as her mind wandered. He treated her very kindly and loved to play with her during their childhoods, and even joked that he was going to marry her after they grew up.

Well, they were adults now, but Qi Youxuan made no attempt to raise this issue again, and Wei Muran found it embarrassing to initiate the discussion on this topic too. Moreover, this was a joke made in their youths; she could not truly take it seriously.

However, Qi Youxuan came looking for her rather frequently recently, and she had no idea how to respond appropriately to this man at present.

All of a sudden, Qi Youxuan turned unexpectedly and looked at Wei Muran while she was lost in her own thoughts.

Qi Youxuan raised his eyebrows curiously. “Can’t turn your gaze away from me?”

“…” Wei Muran’s cheeks were kissed pink as she replied defiantly, “Shameless bastard. Do you think it’s possible when I’ve been watching you for the past twenty-three years? I was…thinking about some issues just now!”

“It’s alright to admit that you can’t turn your gaze away from me; I know I’m charming and I ain’t a stingy person either,” Qi Youxuan responded while smiling faintly and even winked at her.

“…” The tease induced embarrassment and annoyance in Wei Muran. “You’re out of your mind!”

Jiang Yuecheng turned around and looked at them, presumably disturbed by their conversation. Wei Muran was trying to stomp on Qi Youxuan’s foot initially but had to put her foot down awkwardly at this instant. She then ignored Qi Youxuan and walked forward.

…

…

The first person the trio visited after reaching Jiao University was the counselor in Zheng Xiaorui’s class.

The counselor was taken aback after realizing their true intention. “Zheng Xiaorui? She took leave.”

Jiang Yuecheng had a bad feeling about this instantly and Qi Youxuan’s expression became stern and serious at this moment. “How long?”

“Five days if I’m not mistaken.” The counselor was unsure about the time frame and flipped a book on the table before confirming. “Yes, I’m right. She applied for leave last Thursday and left school the next day, stating that she’d return on Monday.”

“Today is Tuesday but she hasn’t returned yet. Did you call her family members?” asked Wei Muran with a stern expression.

The counselor was startled by the question and smiled. “This isn’t a primary or secondary school and everyone who turns eighteen years old is considered an adult, so there’s no need to be so strict with the students. Who knows why they apply for leave? There are many students in this university and I’ve to manage several classes alone, so how can I possibly take care of every single issue? She’s responsible for her own actions since she’s an adult now. I can’t always keep an eye out for her like she’s a child, right?”

Wei Muran smirked and remained silent.

“Why did she apply for leave?” asked Jiang Yuecheng.

“Feeling under the weather and in need of medical consultation,” answered the counselor.

It was fairly obvious that Zheng Xiaorui made up this excuse simply and the counselor was aware of it too, but it was none of her concern.

“Please provide a name list of Zheng Xiaorui’s classmates and roommates to us,” replied Jiang Yuecheng.

This information was stored in the counselor’s computer, so she printed the name list and passed the document to them.

When the trio was about to leave, Qi Youxuan turned around and said, “Zheng Xiaorui was involved in a homicide. In my opinion, she’s a victim and a murderer. If anything happens and this case is exposed, the reputation of this university will be affected and they’ll put the blame on you for not performing your duty well. Good luck and take care of yourself.”

The blood drained from the counselor’s face in an instant. Qi Youxuan was satisfied by this outcome and followed behind Wei Muran cheerfully.

“You’ll question Zheng Xiaorui’s classmates and we’ll ask her roommates,” instructed Qi Youxuan after the trio exited the counselor’s office.

“Mr. Qi, I’m grateful for your assistance in the investigation, but I’m the investigative lead. I should be one giving orders,” Jiang Yuecheng complained in a deep voice.

“Can you solve the major crime case in Huai City if you’re the investigative lead?” Qi Youxuan grinned and appeared as if he was showing off.

“…” Jiang Yuecheng was at a loss for words.

“Follow my instructions if you can’t.” Qi Youxuan grabbed Wei Muran and walked away without giving Jiang Yuecheng any chance to protest.

Wei Muran turned around anxiously and glanced at Jiang Yuecheng, who was fixing his gaze on her. After meeting Wei Muran’s gaze, Jiang Yuecheng shook his head with a smile and walked away.

Then, Wei Muran turned around again but was pulled into Qi Youxuan’s embrace all of a sudden. Her cheek was bumped into Qi Youxuan’s burning hot chest since his shirt did not provide good heat insulation due to thin fabric material. His heartbeat echoed in her ears like a drummer sending strong and steady beats into her tympanic membrane.

“Mumu, what were you looking at? He’s not as handsome as I am.” Qi Youxuan’s voice traveled to Wei Muran’s ears, embarrassing in her at this moment, unsure if it was due to some psychological effects.

This man would normally have a frivolous tone in his speech, but his voice sounded surprisingly mellow and deep at this instant. The masculinity in his voice caressed her ears, seeping into the bloodstream and flowed to the apex of her heart.

Wei Muran’s ears were flushed red as if blood was going to ooze out of them. The helixes quivered uncontrollably when Qi Youxuan’s breath flowed through the fine hairs gently.

Wei Muran did not dare to lift her gaze and check how close Qi Youxuan was to her at present. Thus, she did not notice his triumph expression and an amused grin that revealed a row of perfectly carved out dazzling teeth.

Qi Youxuan swallowed his saliva and inhaled deeply, trying to breathe in all the warmth and fragrance on Wei Muran’s body into his nostrils.

He could not even resist the temptation and stuck his tongue out, but hesitated due to a lack of courage.

The anxious Wei Muran tried to push Qi Youxuan away. Her physical strength increased tremendously after receiving proper training in the police academy, but her body felt weak and drained of all energy whenever she was in Qi Youxuan’s embrace for some inexplicable reason.

Even so, Wei Muran pushed Qi Youxuan away while backing off. Then, something wet and warm brushed against her ear helix gently when her head was leaned backward, and before she could figure it out, the sensation had disappeared into thin air. It could be an illusion, but she could not ignore the strange sensation that persisted on her ear.

Qi Youxuan released his grip on Wei Muran, whose face became the color of a ripe strawberry. Wei Muran glanced at him doubtfully but found nothing suspicious on him except for the fact that he was rubbing his chest repeatedly. “Mumu, that collision was painful.”

“…” Wei Muran was left speechless.

Since when did Wei Muran collide with Qi Youxuan? It was this man who pulled her into his embosom initially.

He was an expert in sophistry since he was young, and the ability persisted despite the advancing age.

“Let’s go!” yelled Wei Muran before running forward.

“Hey, wait for me!” Qi Youxuan yelled and followed closely behind her.

Wei Muran could feel Qi Youxuan’s presence beside her at a very close distance. Occasionally, there would be accidental physical contact when she was not paying attention to her gait.

Everything felt natural before this, but blush burned through her body like a hot oven at the current moment.

Subconsciously, Wei Muran touched her ear helix, trying to locate the source of the previous strange sensation. Qi Youxuan’s eyes turned into crescent moons at the sight of Wei Muran’s action and even licked the inside of his lips stealthily to enjoy the aftertaste.

Qi Youxuan did not mean to lick Wei Muran’s ear just now. It was an accident since Wei Muran’s movement was sudden and totally unexpected at all.

However, Qi Youxuan had made an assumption. This was destiny!

Qi Youxuan made several phone calls to Zheng Xiaorui’s roommates based on the information provided in the A4 paper and asked them to wait in the dormitory for their arrival.

Wei Muran had regained her cool after Qi Youxuan hung up the phone calls and took a surreptitious look at him before asking, “You told the counselor that Zheng Xiaorui was a victim and a murderer just now. What do you mean?”

“Zheng Xiaorui went missing right after Zheng Wentao’s disappearance, that isn’t a coincidence. We can assume that their disappearances are related and they may be held captive together. The stab wounds on Zheng Wentao’s chest were a mess, which proved that the murderer was panicking during the assault. The third stab was the lethal blow, but the murderer was unaware of it in panic and stabbed the deceased three more times. This explains that the murderer is inexperienced and may not intend to kill Zheng Wentao after all. If the murderer wanted Zheng Wentao dead, the killing blow would be swift and direct.”

“The murderer may be torturing the victim, right?” asked Wei Muran subconsciously.

The corner of Qi Youxuan’s lips curled up confidently as he answered calmly, “The stab wounds wouldn’t be focused at the same place if the intention was to torture. It was obvious that the murderer wanted him to die immediately but failed due to inexperience. Have you heard of an ancient torture technique called The Lingering Death[1]? The executioner will remove portions of the body methodically over a period of time before delivering the last stab right into the heart, but if the person dies before the last stab, it’ll be the executioner’s fault punishable by death. If the murderer really intended to torture Zheng Wentao, he should’ve stabbed other body parts first.”

“If the murderer is Zheng Xiaorui, I’m guessing that she was forced to kill Zheng Wentao. Her life must be at stake if she was forced to murder her own grandfather.”

“Even if you say so, that sounds extremely ridiculous and unbelievable. If what you have said is true, how horrible will it be for Zheng Xiaorui to kill her own grandfather just to survive? I really wish whatever you mentioned just now is wrong.” Wei Muran shook her head in response.

Qi Youxuan made no attempt to protest. He spoke the truth yet wished that it was not.

The duo reached the dormitory and the dorm keeper permitted their entries after Wei Muran showed her identification card.

There were two young ladies in the dormitory room. According to one of them, the third young lady who worked in the canteen was currently on her way back to the dormitory and would be arriving soon.

Then, the door to the dormitory opened momentarily and a young lady darted into the room with a smoke and fire scent lingering on her body.

During the self-introduction, Han Qi stared at Qi Youxuan’s handsome and elegant face, lost in her own thoughts.

Other than the celebrities on television, Han Qi had never seen such a handsome man standing right in front of her in her entire life. Thus, this pleasant sight gave her quite a shock and she could not even shift her gaze away from him afterward.

“Ahem!” Wei Muran cleared her throat while moving toward Qi Youxuan, trying to stand in front of him to block Han Qi’s gaze without making her attempt too obvious.

However, Wei Muran’s attempt proved to be futile since she was too slim and short in comparison with Qi Youxuan.

Qi Youxuan was exhilarated after noticing Wei Muran’s subconscious act. He brushed his nose gently with his finger while placing his other hand on Wei Muran’s waist naturally, removing it almost instantaneously before Wei Muran could react to it.

His movement was so swift that he seemed to have done nothing at that moment, but the softness his palm experienced just now had sent him into euphoric bliss.

Wei Muran, who was standing beside Qi Youxuan, failed to notice the jubilation on his face. The trio opposite them, on the other hand, witnessed everything and expressed their understanding, assuming that both Wei Muran and Qi Youxuan were couples.

Wei Muran stared at the trio’s peculiar expressions doubtfully and shifted her gaze to Qi Youxuan, who had resumed his stony expression as if fully prepared to solve the crime.

Wei Muran grunted in confusion and shifted her gaze elsewhere while the trio brought stools for them quickly.

“Zheng Xiaorui normally stays in the dormitory?” asked Qi Youxuan.

Han Qi nodded. “She’ll only return home during weekends and holidays. It’s a two-hour drive back home from university, so she’s rather reluctant to waste time on such a long journey.”

“She applied for leave with your counselor last Thursday. Did you notice anything strange about her before that? Any behavior or emotional fluctuations that seemed suspicious or unusual?” asked Qi Youxuan while observing the trio’s reactions.

Liang Xuelei was slightly startled and Qi Youxuan caught it immediately. “Anything went wrong?”

“I… I don’t know, but Zheng Xiaorui was absent since last Tuesday. She had probably skipped classes for two days and didn’t want to apply for more leave. I’m not sure if this was related but the fact that she went to apply for leave felt strange to me,” answered the confused Liang Xuelei.

“Why’d you say so?” asked Wei Muran.

“The management isn’t stern, especially toward the fine arts course. To be honest—” Liang Xuelei pouted in embarrassment before continuing, “The fine arts course is lacking in discipline and it’s normal for the female students not to return to the dormitory at night. The university doesn’t really care about the fine arts and music courses, so if we want to skip classes, there’s no need to apply for leave on purpose; the counselor won’t even ask questions about it. Some lecturers like to check for attendance but we can just ask someone else to take the absentee’s attendance. Our seniors even mentioned that they had never applied for leave if they skipped classes and the counselor wasn’t bothered at all. Everyone has reached a consensus about this. Even though Xiaorui lived in the dormitory, she would stay out late frequently but had never applied for leave previously, so I wondered why she’d apply for leave with the counselor when she’d never done this before?”

Wei Muran understood the reason why the counselor seemed unconcerned when Zheng Xiaorui did not return to the university on time.

“Staying out late. Did she have a boyfriend?” Wei Muran concentrated on the crucial point.

The corner of Qi Youxuan’s lips curled up with satisfaction when he glanced at Wei Muran, and his delighted expression appeared as if his little girl had finally grown up. This gave the trio goosebumps but Wei Muran seemed to be unaware of it.

“Yes, I’ve heard that he’s the son of a rich entrepreneur who studied in University C,” replied Liang Xuelei.

“Have you seen him before?” questioned Wei Muran.

“He came to fetch Zheng Xiaorui previously but he parked his car in front of the main entrance and we merely saw him from afar, so we couldn’t get a clear view of him,” answered Liang Xuelei.

Wei Muran glanced at Qi Youxuan, who remained silent and merely gestured to her to continue the questioning. “Was there anything unusual about her before she left the university?”

Kong Jing shook her head in response. “No, she was the same as usual.”

“Did she inform you of the reason why she applied for leave?” asked Wei Muran again.

“She would normally inform us that she would be out for a few days with her boyfriend without giving us further details,” replied Han Qi.

“She received a lot of harassing phone calls a week before she left the university. I’m not sure if this was considered unusual. To be honest, we usually received quite a few cold calls and they’d end the calls fairly quickly, but the phone calls Xiaorui received at that period were persistent and the phone numbers would be different each time, so it was impossible to block them all. Whenever she accepted those calls, the caller would just keep quiet too. We merely assumed that someone was pranking her at that time. After that, she got annoyed and wanted to inform her boyfriend in hope that he would be able to find that bastard. Perhaps the reason why she applied for leave was related to this?” said Kong Jing all of a sudden.

Wei Muran acknowledged this information and nodded. “Do you have her boyfriend’s contact details?”

Han Qi shook her head in response. “She took extreme precautions in this matter to prevent her besties from having an affair with her boyfriend, so she wouldn’t give us any chance to communicate with him. Besides, that’s her boyfriend and we aren’t closely acquainted, so there’s no need for us to ask for his contact details too.”

After their questions had been answered, Wei Muran then said, “Thank you for your cooperation. We’ll return if there is further confusion.”

The trio nodded anxiously and asked, “Is Xiaorui all right?”

“Not sure yet,” answered Qi Youxuan coldly before leaving with Wei Muran.

The duo joined Jiang Yuecheng at the main entrance. Jiang Yuecheng did not acquire much useful information due to the unfamiliarity between Zheng Xiaorui and her classmates, unlike her roommates who knew more about her after living together for a period of time.

“We can safely assume that Zheng Wentao and Zheng Xiaorui were kidnapped together.” In the car, Qi Youxuan tapped his knee with his long and slender finger repeatedly.

Wei Muran was immersed in her own train of thoughts on Qi Youxuan’s previous assumption at the moment too, but both of them did not explain this issue to Jiang Yuecheng.

Qi Youxuan instructed after they returned to the police station, “Please show me the video recording of Zheng Wentao’s wife’s inquisition session this morning.”

“Why? Are you worried that our questions weren’t complete?” mocked Xing Jiadong, who was unhappy about Qi Youxuan’s sudden involvement in the investigation.

Qi Youxuan merely solved the major crime case in Huai City; was that supposed to make him a well-reputed individual?

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Notes:

[1] Lingchi (Chinese: 凌遲), translated variously as the slow process, the lingering death, or slow slicing, and also known as death by a thousand cuts, was a form of torture and execution used in China from roughly 900 CE until it was banned in 1905. In this form of execution, a knife was used to methodically remove portions of the body over an extended period of time, eventually resulting in death. The body is sliced like fish scales (鱼鳞割), hence the knife’s name 鱼鳞刀.