Murder Call

“Xia Yin’s death dealt a severe psychological blow to Wan Shu. She often dreams of scenes related to that day. Cake, blood, and death frequently appear in her dreams, so much so that whenever she sees these things, her mind replays Xia Yin’s death. These elements repeatedly suggest to her that cake, blood, and death are inseparable.

Thus, when she decided to kill Liu Yun, her mind automatically associated it with cake. At the same time, she would hypnotize herself into believing that as long as Liu Yun died, her nightmares would end. Therefore, she treated killing Liu Yun as a farewell ceremony, meticulously preparing a cake for Liu Yun and feeding it to her.”

When Mo Lin was analyzing Wan Shu’s psychology, the corners of his mouth slightly curved up. At that moment, it was as if he was Wan Shu, and Wan Shu was him.

“From the design of the plan, to its implementation, and then to the kidnapping, she adapted all the way through. She had moments of hesitation, regret, and nightmares. By the final moment, Liu Yun’s death had become an inevitable event in her mind. If the result differed from her imagination, she would find it hard to accept.

She was unwilling for the plan to become a bubble; she hated Liu Quan, hated Liu Yun, and hated Ding Gao! So she made a decision—to personally kill Liu Yun and complete your plan! At that moment, she was blinded by hatred, believing that only death could end everything!

She eliminated all the correct options, stubbornly walking down a path of no return. When she killed, she didn’t feel fear. On the contrary, she felt a sense of inner relief. The feeling of controlling Liu Yun’s fate fascinated her. She enjoyed the thrill of the weapon piercing the other’s flesh, repeatedly experiencing the pleasure of destruction.

Meanwhile, all the grievances and harm she had suffered from Liu Yun surfaced, making it impossible for her to stop her actions. After completing the plan, she felt incredibly empty, as if her soul had been extracted. She thought about dying but would find reasons to live. She hadn’t yet seen those she hated receive their punishment! Thinking of this, she was invigorated again.”

Mo Lin paused for a moment after speaking, slowly withdrawing from the empathy, and then continued to Zhou Ziming:

“She mistakenly thought that no one would know you attended the birthday party, thus revealing a flaw. When I asked who took the photos, she immediately concealed you, showing she had long planned to exonerate you. She had taken psychology courses and knew how to use psychological suggestions to interfere with police investigations.

She threw a green dress stained with guinea pig blood into the trash can downstairs at your house, intending for the police to assume the dress was related to Liu Yun’s death. To reduce your suspicion, she only used guinea pig blood.

At first, I was curious why Wan Shu eagerly added the police on WeChat. Later, I realized she did it so the police would see her wearing that green dress. When the police discovered the two dresses were the same style, they would first suspect her. The more the police suspected her, the less they would suspect you.

Then, during an argument with Liu Quan, she revealed her motive for the crime. To avoid the police discovering her intent, she deliberately exonerated herself, saying there were two dresses. She tried to show hostility towards you, making the police think you couldn’t have collaborated, so they identified you as the murderer, but the reasoning was weak.”

Hearing this, Zhou Ziming’s whole body went limp, collapsing into the chair. He stopped speaking, just staring blankly at the table. Mo Lin watched his reaction, his gaze deepening, leaning forward to Zhou Ziming:

“For immediate benefits, you sacrificed her, pushed her to Secretary Wen, and step by step pushed her into the abyss. But you didn’t expect she always put you first.”

Zhou Ziming’s eyes became hollow, as if his soul had been extracted.

•

When Wan Shu learned that Ding Gao had confessed to kidnapping Zhu Jin, her expression slowly became calm. She had finally completed her plan. Facing the questioning about footprints, Wan Shu confessed to all her actions without reservation.

“The kidnapping and murder were all done by me. That day, I wore Liu Yun’s dress, dressed up as Liu Yun, and walked out of the villa. The suitcase didn’t contain luggage; it was Liu Yun. I knocked her out and took her all the way to an abandoned warehouse in Xiaoxi Town, where I kept her for two whole days.

I wanted her to go to the police station and confess, but she refused, so I killed her.

On the night of the incident, I forged an alibi, booked a room at a KTV, and invited many classmates over. After setting up the room and hosting everyone, I found an excuse to slip away for two hours.

During this time, I went to the supermarket and retrieved the package Zhou Ziming had stored there. Initially, I wanted to negotiate with Zhu Jin, but he was unyielding, so I used a stun gun to knock him out and notified Wen Tao to clean up the mess.

I drove to Xiaoxi Town and fed Liu Yun a piece of cake. She was a bit deranged, with cake all over her hair. Seeing her like that didn’t make me happy. I hesitated about whether to kill her, but she spat the cake in my face.

Even when crazy, she couldn’t change her nature of bullying and mocking others! She deserved to die; only her death could ease the hatred in my heart!”

•

The rain poured heavily, and the surroundings were hidden in the downpour. It was late at night, but Gu Yuan couldn’t sleep, propping up a phone and idly scrolling through the screen.

Mo Lin saw him still browsing Wan Shu’s social media moments and asked, “What are you thinking about?”

Gu Yuan didn’t look up, continuing to scroll through Wan Shu’s moments: “Every one of her posts is positive and sunny, every expression is happy. Why did she end up killing?”

Gu Yuan tried to understand a criminal’s true thoughts, his mind filled with questions.

Mo Lin chuckled, sitting beside him: “The emotions humans can bear are limited. Some can bear more, while others can’t bear too much. When emotions reach their limit, people lose control.”

Gu Yuan pondered for a moment: “I don’t seem to have that problem.”

Although Gu Yuan’s condition had improved, allowing him to feel some different emotions, it was still limited to those he cared about. The joys and sorrows of strangers remained as pale as before.

“That’s good. No need to worry about what others think, just be yourself.” Mo Lin looked at Gu Yuan with affection. “Leave the rest to them. Let’s go home.”

The car drove down the empty road. The rain poured heavily, and Mo Lin drove leisurely. There were few pedestrians, and the windshield wipers scraped the glass. Gu Yuan felt drowsy.

Just as they were about to reach home, he fell asleep. Mo Lin parked the car, walked to the passenger side, and opened the door, resting a hand on the door frame, quietly observing Gu Yuan’s sleeping face.

His world suddenly became very peaceful, the dark door in his heart closed, as if a beam of light had entered his world.

After watching for a while, he leaned closer to Gu Yuan and softly asked, “Do you want me to carry you up?”

Gu Yuan opened his eyes to see Mo Lin’s face close to him, his mind a bit foggy. He groggily got out of the car, reflexively walking towards the elevator, looking dazed as if sleepwalking.

Once inside the elevator, he didn’t press a floor button, leaning against the handrail with half-closed eyes, as if he could fall asleep at any moment.

Mo Lin stood close, supporting Gu Yuan’s slender waist to prevent him from dozing off and falling. His gaze wandered over Gu Yuan’s cheeks and ears, asking, “Are you that sleepy?”

Gu Yuan replied with a faint “mm.”

Mo Lin: “What should I do? I miss you a lot tonight.”

After a moment, Gu Yuan blinked: “Aren’t I right beside you?”

Mo Lin chuckled, his gaze filled with desire landing on Gu Yuan’s lips. They were already very familiar with each other, with no need to hide their true thoughts: “I want you!”

When Mo Lin said this, he placed his palm on Gu Yuan’s back, the warmth jolting Gu Yuan awake.

Mo Lin noticed Gu Yuan’s face turning red at a visible speed. It seemed he understood.

“Do you miss me?” Mo Lin hugged Gu Yuan, burying his head in Gu Yuan’s shoulder, greedily absorbing the warm scent.

Gu Yuan hesitated: “I don’t know.”

Mo Lin seemed a bit disappointed. Although he understood why Gu Yuan said this, he was still unprepared for the sting.

But then Gu Yuan added: “I don’t know if I miss you, just that it feels like we haven’t seen each other in a long time, and that feeling makes me uncomfortable.”

Mo Lin’s heart trembled, the feeling of disappointment instantly vanished, replaced by a sweet sensation bubbling up.

Despite being married for so long, Gu Yuan had never confessed to him. Every time, it was Mo Lin who initiated, who said he liked him, who sought affection.

Although it was just a simple description, Mo Lin heard how much Gu Yuan missed him, so much that it affected his mood.

Although he didn’t want Gu Yuan to be unhappy, at that moment, he was very happy.

Gu Yuan didn’t know how to express his emotions, swallowing his words back down. He changed into slippers, took off his coat, and prepared to shower.

Just as he took a step, Mo Lin pulled him back, pinning him against the wall, gazing at him. Gu Yuan didn’t realize how much his previous words had affected Mo Lin, bringing both heartache and sweetness. He quietly looked at Mo Lin, his eyes devoid of any distractions.

“If it’s that uncomfortable, it seems I need to make it up to you properly!”

Mo Lin’s light eyes were filled with deep affection, like a clear pool or a lake.

Gu Yuan only felt Mo Lin’s eyes were captivating, and his tone made him intoxicated.

“Wait for me two more months. Once I complete my tasks, I’ll give you all my free time. I’ll satisfy whatever you want to do!”

Gu Yuan’s eyebrows moved slightly: “No need, I can manage on my own.”

Mo Lin laughed for a while before saying: “I mean… I’ll make sure you’re satisfied!”

Gu Yuan wanted to leave again but was pressed back: “Why are you avoiding?”

Gu Yuan: “You’re driving.”

Mo Lin mischievously smiled, lowering his head to kiss Gu Yuan.

Mo Lin’s lips were cool, and the moment they touched, it felt like an electric shock, making Gu Yuan tremble uncontrollably.

He kissed fiercely and dominantly, as if trying to convey all his emotions to the other.

Gu Yuan was forced to endure the sudden kiss, instinctively wrapping his arms around Mo Lin’s waist, returning the kiss with equal force.

Mo Lin seemed to kiss more earnestly than ever, his kisses trailing down to Gu Yuan’s neck, only to return reluctantly, as if unwilling to miss any inch.

Gu Yuan gently pushed him: “Shower first.”

Mo Lin scooped him up horizontally: “It won’t delay.”

※

The sound of rushing water came from the bathroom. The chubby orange cat woke up, crawled out of its nest to find water to drink. Its bowl was empty, and hearing the little owner’s voice drifting from the bathroom, it trotted over.

The little owner usually closed the door when showering, but today it was slightly ajar. It pawed at the door, which obediently opened. The bathroom was filled with white mist, the white tiles covered in water droplets, each droplet sliding down the wall, trembling as they curved.

The cat’s tongue licked the water droplets on the tiles, its whole body lying on the tiles, ears picking up the low, hoarse breathing. It immediately perked up its ears.

Through the frosted glass, it saw a faint shadow. Two slender fingers were tightly intertwined, pressing against the misty glass.

The chubby orange cat didn’t know what was happening, staring curiously with wide eyes. The little owner let out another low hum, sounding like they were enduring something, or perhaps crying. After this sound, there was even more movement inside.

“I didn’t hear clearly, what did you just call me?” Gu Yuan seemed to be thinking, or perhaps he had no time to think. When Mo Lin’s arms tightened, a “Brother Lin” suddenly slipped out.

Gu Yuan then realized that calling him Brother Lin was useless. Not only useless, but somewhat counterproductive.

“Think carefully, what should you call me…” Mo Lin lightly bit his ear, his husky voice teasing, seemingly enjoying the process immensely.

Gu Yuan’s lips parted slightly, sweat trickling down his body, his hearing becoming somewhat dull. But when Mo Lin’s fingers brushed his lips, he still heard it. His tongue curled slightly, lips pursed, and two words echoed in Mo Lin’s ear, like a gentle breeze, powerless yet stirring up a storm. Simple words were enough to drive Mo Lin crazy again.

The chubby orange cat listened to the commotion inside, puzzled. In its world, the little owner’s voice was always pleasant, even when crying.

Suddenly hearing a rough voice, it was startled, its tail standing on end, forgetting about drinking water, and dashed out of the bathroom, climbing to the top of the cat tree. It curled up in its nest, only its eyes peeking out, watching the bathroom, ears collecting the sounds from inside.

Eventually, it listened until it fell asleep.

***

A thunderclap sounded overhead, followed by the urgent ringing of a phone. Wang Yue answered the call, Li Meng’s voice coming through the receiver:

“Captain, there’s a problem at Port B. Witnesses saw someone taking a yacht out to sea the night before last!”

Li Meng and his team went to the place Ding Gao mentioned but found nothing. The empty coast didn’t even have a bird, but he noticed marks on the rocks as if something hard had hit them, and near the water, there were ropes for mooring boats.

If Ding Gao was telling the truth, then this sea area likely had a private yacht. The yacht collided with the rocks, leaving some marks. It seemed Ding Gao was probably telling the truth.

Going out to sea at this time, with the storm and typhoon, survival chances were slim. But if it was an experienced sailor, they should have returned to the coast after receiving the orange storm warning. They might be hiding somewhere to avoid the rain.

Li Meng left people to search house by house in the storm and finally found Zhu Jin and a group of people preparing to smuggle in a small inn. He brought everyone back, and after a day and night of interrogation, the group finally confessed, revealing a large smuggling organization.

A week later, the TV reported a shocking smuggling case. The report immediately overshadowed the murder call case from a week ago, with over a hundred people arrested, involving more than ten countries.

The Yanhai City Criminal Police Brigade received commendations from higher-ups, and Director Zheng’s attitude towards Wang Yue improved.

While the brigade celebrated solving the case, news came from overseas. Interpol, while investigating the smuggling case, discovered a pyramid scheme organization, and one person named Zhou Wen was involved.

It was said that Zhou Wen sent messages, leading the police to take down the pyramid scheme. However, Zhou Wen was shot while covering for others to escape. He’s still in the hospital, but fortunately, there’s no life-threatening danger.

After this incident, many netizens spoke up for Zhou Wen online, and the former murderer was cleared overnight.

Mo Lin brought this news to Zhou Ziming and Wan Shu.

Through an iron window, Wan Shu’s lips curled slightly. “I won’t appeal, not because I think I did wrong.” Wan Shu’s calm face carried despair. “I’ve achieved the result I wanted and am willing to accept legal punishment.”

Before leaving, Mo Lin handed her a birthday gift. “This is from your Uncle Zhou.”

Wan Shu opened the gift packaging, finding a delicate necklace inside. It was a necklace popular among girls two years ago. Wan Shu liked it back then but never bought it because it was too expensive. She eventually forgot about it.

Two years later, the necklace finally reached her hands.

“Your Uncle Zhou can’t get out of bed yet. He asked me to tell you that you deserve the best things in the world. He’ll find you a lawyer to try to reduce your sentence.”

Wan Shu tightly gripped the necklace in her palm, unable to control her emotions, crying heart-wrenchingly through the iron window.