Chapter 43
Murder

When Xie Qing got into her car, she received a call from Li Ke.

“Qing Qing, are you at the dorm?”

“I just finished dinner with my brother and was about to head back.”

“Perfect, I forgot to bring in my clothes. Can you help me with that? I’ll bring you some treats when I get back.”

“I’ll do it even without treats.”

“Haha, I know. My mom just returned from Beijing and brought a lot of dried fruits and snacks. I’ll bring extra for us to share.”

“That’s great, thank you.”

“Alright, I’ll hang up now.”

…

Xie Qing started her car and was about to drive off when she saw a young man get out of a nearby Xiali car and stand by the roadside, staring at her maliciously.

The parking lot was well-lit, and they were only three to five meters apart. She could clearly see the ill intent in his eyes. She thought she had seen him somewhere before. As she released the handbrake and accelerated out of the parking space, the man whistled and made a provocative gesture.

Xie Qing suddenly remembered, “It’s that guy from Peach Blossom Town.”

At that moment, the Xiali car also pulled out, blocking her path and speeding off. In such a big city, she unexpectedly encountered this hooligan twice.

Xie Qing felt a mix of surprise and unease. She often trusted her instincts—better safe than sorry. So, she accelerated and followed the car.

The car headed east, quickly passing the city bureau and entering the development zone.

Xie Qing remembered that Tan Yi often took this route, and Chai Yu lived in the same neighborhood.

This couldn’t be a coincidence, right?

She slowed down slightly, took out her phone, and called Tan Yi. The phone rang several times before being answered.

“Qing Qing, what’s up?”

“Brother Chai, there’s a Xiali car following you. I’m right behind you.”

“Are you overthinking this, sis?”

It was 8:15 PM, and there were quite a few cars on the road. Just as Xie Qing was about to speak, Tan Yi’s voice came through, “Xiao Xie, I see it. It’s a blue Xiali car.”

“That’s the one.”

“I’ll keep an eye on it. You should head back and stay safe.”

“Alright, I’ll turn at the next intersection.”

Xie Qing put the phone aside and glanced at the upcoming traffic light.

Green light…

At that moment, a large truck turned from the opposite direction, swerving towards the front cars. Judging by the position, Tan Yi was about to cross the intersection.

The Xiali car accelerated. Their intention was clear—they wanted to trap Tan Yi from both sides. Even if he didn’t die, he would have to brake suddenly and collide with the car behind him.

A collision would be an accident—a police officer driving under the influence, causing an accident, would inevitably lead to disciplinary action.

The Xiali car revved its engine again.

Xie Qing couldn’t do anything in time. She held her breath for Tan Yi, turned the steering wheel, and prepared to swerve out of the traffic.

“Beep~”

“Bang!”

After a horn sounded, the Xiali car crashed into the rear of the turning truck, making a loud noise. The truck was moving fast, probably braking hard, overturning.

A full load of sand spilled onto the ground…

The small car in the right lane had already braked urgently, narrowly avoiding disaster. The front of the Xiali car was crushed, and the driver’s condition was unknown.

Xie Qing turned on her hazard lights, stopped the car, and looked at the left lane. Tan Yi’s Santana had also stopped by the roadside.

Drivers from the cars behind her and those coming from the opposite direction got out and ran towards the Xiali and the truck, talking as they went.

“Damn, was the truck driver trying to kill someone? Didn’t he see he couldn’t turn left?”

“Exactly, and the Xiali too. The car in front could have turned left to avoid it, but he had to accelerate and crash. Was he in a hurry to die?”

“Hey, stop talking and help save people.”

…

Xie Qing opened her car door and looked at the north side of the road, seeing Tan Yi gesturing for her to take a call. Her phone rang, showing Tan Yi’s number.

She answered.

Tan Yi said, “This isn’t a case. You’re just a passing driver, understand?”

Xie Qing understood, “Got it.”

Tan Yi hung up.

Not being a case meant they wouldn’t handle it for now, leaving it to the traffic police. Tan Yi wanted to cast a long line to catch a big fish.

The other party was in the dark, so this method might not work, but it was worth a try.

Xie Qing locked her car and quickly walked towards the Xiali. Although the Xiali driver had ill intentions, as a forensic doctor, she couldn’t just watch him die. When she got closer, the driver had already been pulled out of the wrecked car. He looked about twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with a severe head injury and blood covering his face, but he was conscious, muttering, “Call the police, call an ambulance.”

A middle-aged driver said, “Don’t worry, brother, we’ve called the police and an ambulance.”

Another added, “Brother, what happened? If you wanted to commit suicide, you should have left the car at home. It’s worth a lot.”

“Yeah, why were you driving so fast at the intersection?”

The Xiali driver, still conscious, looked around, “Where’s the car in front of me, the Santana? It can’t get away. If it hadn’t turned suddenly, I wouldn’t have crashed.”

The middle-aged driver said, “Brother, are you out of your mind? If it hadn’t turned, you would have killed both of you.”

A young man who hadn’t spoken said, “The Santana driver is amazing. That skill could compete in F1.”

“Hey, here he comes.”

“Brother, your driving skills are impressive. Where did you learn?”

Tan Yi smiled politely, “Just lucky. I’ll go check on the truck driver.”

Xie Qing wanted to follow but changed her mind and approached the Xiali driver, “I know some medical skills. How do you feel? Any discomfort?”

The Xiali driver said, “I’m dying. Everything hurts. Sigh, sigh…” He closed his eyes and sighed repeatedly. His head injury was severe, but without bandages, it couldn’t be treated. Internal injuries were beyond her help. Since he wasn’t in immediate danger, Xie Qing let it be. She glanced towards the truck’s cab and saw the driver jumping out, seemingly uninjured.

Soon, police cars and ambulances arrived. The traffic police began investigating the accident scene to determine responsibility.

The truck driver said, “Officer, I didn’t sleep all night and was exhausted. I forgot to brake at the traffic light. It’s all my fault.”

The Xiali driver, lying on a stretcher, argued, “It’s the Santana’s fault. I followed it, so I didn’t see the truck. Officer, it’s all his fault.”

The traffic police officer laughed, “What, your poor eyesight is his fault?”

“Exactly, he didn’t accuse you of attempted murder. Stop complaining.”

“Yeah, if it were me, I’d slap you silly.”

“Officer, you should investigate. This guy was speeding all the way. Something’s fishy.”

The Xiali driver’s face turned pale, and he kept moaning about dying.

The traffic police didn’t delay, coordinating with the ambulance to take him away.

Tan Yi had no responsibility for the accident and drove towards Zui Long Bay. Xie Qing also got into her car and was about to turn around when she received a call from Tan Yi.

“Xiao Xie, go home for now. It’s best not to go out tonight.”

“Understood.”

“Chai Yu and I owe you our lives.”

“Captain Tan, you’re exaggerating. With your driving skills, you would have been fine even without my warning.”

“No, if you hadn’t warned me, I wouldn’t have been so alert. When I saw the truck not slowing down, I guessed their plan.”

“This…”

“Alright, let’s leave it at that. I have other things to arrange.”

Tan Yi hung up the phone.

Xie Qing shrugged, “As a police officer, saving lives is part of the job. Why take it so seriously?”

She started her car and headed towards Wolong Bay. The Development Zone was quiet, with few cars on the road. Xie Qing didn’t notice any signs of being followed. After entering the community, she parked outside a six-story building in Wolong Bay. She sat in the car for a while, not seeing any cars following her, then turned around and left—Xie Chen wasn’t home; Xie Xun was probably asleep, and she had nothing to say to Chen Yuehua, so she didn’t want to go home.

After leaving Wolong Bay, Xie Qing drove to Binhai Road.

As the name suggests, Binhai Road is a coastal highway. She parked by the roadside, just a few meters away from the roaring sea.

It seemed to be high tide, with the waves coming unusually close to the road, one after another. The fat half-moon cast its silver light on the sea like mercury falling from the sky. No tourists were on the early winter coast, not even a single pedestrian. The ancient willow trees swayed, their crowns seemingly hiding countless restless souls.

Considering what had just happened, Xie Qing didn’t get out of the car. She closed her eyes and went over the entire incident again.

…

Tan Yi and Chai Yu returned to Zui Long Bay together.

During the drive, Tan Yi called Wang Zheng, instructing him to immediately send people to the city hospital to closely monitor the Xiali driver, Guan Chong, and the truck driver, Zuo Zongyi.

The car stopped at Chai Yu’s house.

Chai Yu said, “Come on up. I’m a bit shaken and want a drink.”

Tan Yi shook his head, “No, I have things to do.”

Chai Yu reached over and pulled out the car key, “Stop being stubborn. If something happens to you, your parents might handle it, but your grandfather won’t. Come on up!” He opened the door and got out.

Tan Yi sat for a moment, then got out of the car.

They went inside.

Tan Yi didn’t let Chai Yu turn on the lights. Instead, he cautiously looked out the window for a moment before pulling Chai Yu into the small dining room—where the light couldn’t be seen from outside.

Chai Yu said, “Isn’t this a bit much?”

Tan Yi glared at him, “If you don’t take it seriously, you might lose your life.”

Chai Yu took two bottles of beer from the fridge, opened them, and took a big gulp, “Damn, that was terrifying.”

Tan Yi’s drift almost threw him out of the car, and the Xiali crashed into the truck. The whole ordeal nearly scared him half to death.

Tan Yi was about to speak when his phone rang.

Chai Yu glanced at it, “It’s our lifesaver calling.”

Tan Yi answered, “Hello?”

Xie Qing said, “Captain Tan, I noticed the Xiali following you because I saw someone outside the hotpot restaurant. I had seen him in Peach Blossom Town…”

After hearing the details, Tan Yi said, “This information is crucial. I’ll send someone to investigate immediately.”