Chapter 96: A Ghostly Tale

Chapter 96: A Ghostly Tale

Xiao Yu was lost in thought.

He stared at the first-class merit medal lying inside a red box in his hand.

He stood there, dazed, for about ten minutes…

Had he achieved another feat?

Yes.

The National Security personnel had delivered the medal, along with a piece of news.

Ku Shi had been executed!

Xiao Yu let out a long, relieved sigh.

People like him living only amounted to an affront to humanity.

If he weren’t dead, Xiao Yu’s heart would never be at ease!

With Ku Shi’s death, the special case was officially closed!

Just as Xiao Yu was about to resume his investigation into the prison break,

his sister arrived…

……

Xiao Yu devoured his bento noisily, his eyes fixed on the tablet in his hand.

“Enjoy your meal,”

Mu Qingwu, who had delivered the bento for her brother, teased softly.

“Mm,”

Reluctantly, Xiao Yu set down his tablet and looked at Mu Qingwu.

Her face, untouched by makeup and as smooth as a peeled egg, was flawlessly fair.

Ever since she became a ‘340’, she exuded the refined beauty of a carefully chiseled statue.

One glance was enough to make him unwilling to tear his eyes away from that breathtaking face.

“What are you staring at?”

In public, Mu Qingwu always carried an air of graceful detachment.

Yet his intense, appraising gaze made her blush.

“Because you’re pretty,”

Xiao Yu grinned mischievously and ate quickly.

Once he finished, Mu Qingwu used a tissue to carefully wipe his mouth, “Don’t overwork yourself.”

That was the mark of a thoughtful woman.

She never complained or clung on unnecessarily.

Just a few words could warm the heart.

Outside the City Bureau,

Xiao Yu embraced Mu Qingwu, who was ready to head home.

“Back to work,” he said.

Mu Qingwu replied softly, “When you have time, think of me.”

“I can’t even think about that,”

Xiao Yu shook his head, a naughty smile lighting up his face.

“Why?” Mu Qingwu asked, puzzled.

“Because whenever I think of my sister…”

Xiao Yu said seriously, “My mind is filled with images of our fierce, blood-soaked battles!”

“Ah?!” Mu Qingwu blushed, feeling a mix of shame and anger.

In a playful burst of irritation, she bit her mischievous little brother on the neck.

“Haha!”

Xiao Yu laughed heartily, and his sister, reluctant to cause him real pain, let go, “Sis…”

“What?”

Mu Qingwu pulled away and nestled into her brother’s arms.

“In this life, you can only love me.”

Xiao Yu threatened, “Or I’ll beat you up!”

“Ha…”

Mu Qingwu burst into laughter, “Mm!”

“Have you ever thought…”

Xiao Yu’s eyes grew serious. “If one day I can’t make it home… what will you do?”

“I’ve thought about it,”

Mu Qingwu lifted her serene face into a gentle smile, “You’ll definitely come back!”

“Why?” Xiao Yu asked, stumped.

“Because you’ll always have me in your heart,”

she replied confidently, her radiant beauty affirming her words, “No matter what, you’ll return!”

Xiao Yu hugged his sister tightly, as if to merge her into his being.

Then, he recalled a ghostly tale.

Legend has it that in the ghost world there is a peculiar custom:

if a ghost fixates on a person,

it entrusts its ashes to that person,

almost as if handing over its very life…

“Sis, wait for me at home. I won’t be long!”

“Mm!”

……

At the entrance of a house,

Xiao Yu raised his hand and knocked on the door.

Shortly after, a woman’s voice asked from within, “Who is it?”

“Police,”

he replied, flashing his badge at the peephole.

The door opened, revealing a woman standing before him.

She appeared to be in her thirties, with above-average features and a puzzled look as she observed Xiao Yu and the two detectives behind him.

“Sorry for disturbing you so late. We have a case and require your assistance with the investigation,” she said.

Her confusion was genuine. Xiao Yu smiled and asked, “Is now a good time?”

This woman was none other than Shen Qi, the girlfriend of escapee Ma Hexuan.

A 30-year-old high-ranking executive from a local company,

she had come under investigation, yet the police found nothing suspicious.

Her story didn’t quite match Xiao Yu’s suspicions, so he came to see for himself.

“A case?”

Shen Qi’s expression shifted slightly, “Is it because of… Hexuan?”

“Mm,” Xiao Yu nodded.

“Didn’t you visit this afternoon?”

Shen Qi frowned, “What more do you want to ask?”

“Well, here’s the thing,”

Xiao Yu explained, “We’d like to ask about your past relationship with Ma Hexuan.”

“Relationship?”

Shen Qi’s face grew complex once again as she stepped aside, “Come in.”

Xiao Yu motioned for the two detectives behind him to stand down and entered Shen Qi’s home alone.

Inside the living room,

Shen Qi courteously poured a glass of water for Xiao Yu, who sat on the sofa, before taking a seat herself.

Xiao Yu observed her expression keenly.

From the moment he stepped through the door, her behavior had seemed perfectly normal.

There were no unusual micro-expressions…

Yet that very normalcy stirred a strange feeling within Xiao Yu.

According to the investigation,

Shen Qi had known Ma Hexuan for six years.

Even when Ma Hexuan had been detained at the Detention Center recently, they had not broken up,

due to strict information control.

At that time, Shen Qi still had no idea that her boyfriend had killed someone and escaped!

“We’ve known each other for six years,”

Shen Qi explained without prompting, “As for our relationship… when I first met him, he had so many advantages. But later, obsessed with developing some software, he went almost mad—investing all his money and changing completely. Still, he always treated me well.”

“What about your best friend and him?”

Xiao Yu pressed on, not wanting to add salt to old wounds, but certain questions had to be asked.

“…”

Shen Qi’s face darkened, a flash of resentment in her eyes. “I suppose I was blind—my best friend tried to steal my man, but failed. At that time, Hexuan was so absorbed in his software that he barely paid attention to me… how could he ever force himself on her?”

Xiao Yu understood.

He nodded slowly.

Men like Ma Hexuan were all about coding.

In short, he was just another programmer—a type notorious for their peculiarities.

So peculiar that even if a woman dropped her pants in front of them, they’d only exclaim, “404!”

Why are most programmers so fixated?

With no room for romance in their hearts, drawing their swords comes naturally!

Completely absorbed in coding for five years, he even threw in 20 million.

His mind was clearly set on his software. Accused by his girlfriend’s best friend, Ma Hexuan was set free for lack of evidence. And that video in the best friend’s possession…

It was nothing more than a staged shot after Ma Hexuan got drunk and his clothes were pulled off.

“Ma Hexuan was detained for injuring your best friend,”

Xiao Yu continued, “Your best friend claimed that when she confronted him, he grabbed a fruit knife in anger and stabbed her. Do you really believe that’s what happened?”

“Isn’t it so?”

Shen Qi asked, confused, “Otherwise, how could Hexuan have been sentenced to just three months of detention?”

This woman truly knew nothing.

Xiao Yu felt as though he were wasting his time.

“Thank you for your cooperation.”

Xiao Yu stood up, preparing to leave.

At that moment, Shen Qi’s expression suddenly turned strange, and her voice trembled as she asked,

“Is my best friend… dead?!”

“Hm?”

Xiao Yu’s face froze.

“How do you know?”