Lin Fan immediately regretted her words. "You should go to sleep. I'll sleep too."

"I had a girlfriend before."

In the dark, Lin Fan recalled the woman's appearance. She was very beautiful. Having an ex-girlfriend means they've kissed, right? She rubbed her nose, pulled the blanket back, and looked at Qin Feng sitting beside her. "Why did you break up?"

"My job requires me to be on call 24/7. Not many people can handle that." Qin Feng looked into her eyes. "You still have a chance to back out."

Lin Fan bit her lip and shook her head.

Qin Feng had just said it out of courtesy; he never planned to let her go. He stroked her hair and, after a moment of silence, asked, "What did Mr. Xiansheng talk to you about that day?"

"He talked about extending life. He seemed to know everything, but he wouldn't say much when asked." Lin Fan looked up. "I—Is it really okay for us to be together?"

"It's okay." Qin Feng originally planned to sleep at Lin Fan's place but decided against it when he saw her clear eyes. "Go to sleep early."

He got up and headed for the door. Lin Fan clutched the blanket. "Qin Feng."

Qin Feng stopped and turned around. "Yes?"

Lin Fan's throat tightened. "Nothing, good night."

"Good night."

Lin Fan rarely had trouble sleeping, but that night she tossed and turned until dawn. At 6:30, she got up and dressed. With huge dark circles under her eyes, she went downstairs to the restaurant. Halfway through her breakfast, her phone rang. Seeing it was Qin Feng, she answered, "Brother Qin."

"Where are you?"

"Having breakfast downstairs."

Soon, Qin Feng and Xiao Wang entered the restaurant. Qin Feng glanced at Lin Fan to make sure she was okay before getting his breakfast and sitting in front of her. "Why are you up so early?"

Lin Fan kept her head down, drinking porridge. "Couldn't sleep."

"We're going to investigate the case soon. Are you coming?"

Lin Fan immediately looked up. "Can I go if you take me?"

Qin Feng looked up and saw her dark circles, frowning. "Did you sleep last night?"

Lin Fan rubbed her red eyes and lowered her head again to drink porridge. "Couldn't sleep."

Xiao Wang came over with his porridge, and Qin Feng stopped asking. Lin Fan ate her rice grain by grain, while Qin Feng quickly finished and tossed the car keys to Xiao Wang. "You go get the car. We're leaving soon."

"Okay."

Xiao Wang left first. Lin Fan and Qin Feng walked behind. Qin Feng reached out to feel Lin Fan's forehead. She was startled and tried to pull away, but Qin Feng held her back. Her forehead was still cool, not below normal.

"What's wrong?"

"What?"

Qin Feng put one hand in his pocket and walked with long strides. "Why couldn't you sleep?"

Lin Fan glanced at him, and he caught her, staring back. "Hmm? Why?"

Is she jealous? Looking careless, yet she asked that bold question last night. "I don't know, just couldn't sleep."

Qin Feng stood at the hotel entrance, waiting for Xiao Wang to bring the car around. He rubbed Lin Fan's head, lifting her to face him. "Don't overthink. Tell me if something's bothering you."

Lin Fan's big eyes blinked, looking at him again.

"Lin Fan." Qin Feng called her name, his face serious.

"Lower your head."

Qin Feng glanced around. Seeing no one, he bent down. "Wha—"

Lin Fan suddenly hugged his neck and kissed his lips, then quickly let go. Her face was burning. "I'm very conflicted, my mind is a mess."

Xiao Wang drove out, honking the horn.

"Captain Qin, Xiao Lin."

Qin Feng stood up straight, coughing with his hand over his mouth, and saw Lin Fan rushing to the car and closing the door. The rising sun bathed the city in golden light.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

Qin Feng didn’t want her to feel more awkward, so he sat in the passenger seat.

They first went to the county police station for a meeting, then split up. By noon, they found out that the guard at the time was named Xu Youcai, a cousin of one of the company's partners, living in the county.

They immediately moved to arrest him, and by 3 PM, they caught Xu Youcai at a mahjong table and took him to the police station.

Xu Youcai, a 45-year-old former soldier, had been brought to guard the mine by his cousin after leaving the military. After two years, the mine was exhausted, and the company withdrew. The mining industry had been in a slump, and he had been unemployed since.

"Why are you all here for me? Such a big scene."

"Do you know this person?" Qin Feng showed him a photo of Song Liang. Xu Youcai shook his head. "No."

"Look again."

Xu Youcai frowned and looked for a while, shaking his head. "No."

"In July 2010, you were working at the East Mine?"

"Yes, what's the crime?"

"Do you recognize this place?" Qin Feng handed him a photo of a dirt pit with a skeleton. Xu Youcai's face changed.

"Recognize it?"

Xu Youcai's eyes started to wander, sweating. He remembered the fool who was beaten to death. They asked him about his accomplices, but he said nothing.

"How many of you were there? How did you kill him? How did you dispose of the body?"

Xu Youcai didn't speak, and neither did Qin Feng. The interrogation room was silent. The fan whirred, and each person weighed their thoughts.

"Do you know his name? His name was Song Liang."

"I didn't kill the guy!" Xu Youcai suddenly raised his head, swallowing hard. "I really didn't kill him! I just slapped him a couple of times. It was Mengzi who killed him."

"What's Mengzi's full name?"

"Let me think." He rubbed his face vigorously. After all these years, the incident had finally come to light. Everyone had forgotten about the fool who was killed. They thought the bones would decay, and no one would ever know. But now, with the police in front of him, they had found him. The bones had been unearthed, exposing their guilt to the world.

"Meng Wei."

Meng Wei was brought in at 6 PM that evening. At first, he refused to talk, but later he started confessing. Six people were involved in the case. They caught Song Liang, tied his hands, and started beating him. They beat him to death, waited for his blood to dry in a small dark room, and then buried him in a pit.

Why not bury him near the mine? Fear. Because they had night shifts at the mine, and they were afraid of ghosts seeking revenge if the body was buried nearby. Moreover, if the body was found near the mine, the police would immediately suspect them.

They found a familiar yet distant place to bury the body, thinking the matter was over. It resurfaced when they caught Luo Long stealing ore again. They were planning to hand Luo Long over to the police when he brought up this incident.

"That little hoodlum Luo Long extorted money from us. If you think about it, he's the real mastermind. We didn't intend to kill anyone, but he deliberately led that fool to his death. If it weren't for him, why would the fool come to steal things? Why would he be beaten to death? He used the fool as a tool to make money."

They went to identify the scene. The place was now overgrown with weeds, and the mine had been emptied. The house was dilapidated, probably torn down by nearby residents, leaving only the walls.

"It was right here. There were six of us, and we beat him..."

Lin Fan walked to the riverbank and looked into the distance. The blue sky and white clouds were reflected in the clear lake. Lin Fan put her hands in her pockets and said, "If there's an afterlife, I hope he can be reincarnated as a smart person. Not to be bullied or insulted."

Qin Feng stood behind her, gazing into the distance.

Lin Fan sighed. "I've never understood why retreating makes you more of a target for bullying. Grandma said we should be tolerant and considerate, be kind, and have good intentions. But why are there so few people like that? He was already like that, so was it fun to bully him? To beat an incapable person to death." Lin Fan was the same. When she was in school, she wanted to be friends with everyone, to get along peacefully, just to blend into the new environment, and to be reciprocated with goodwill.

But no, they just thought you were weak and easy to bully.

Qin Feng rubbed her head. "It's just a small part. Most people still have good intentions. All we can do is restrain ourselves and not forget our original intentions."

Lin Fan turned around, and Qin Feng looked into the distance again. It took a while before his gaze fell back on Lin Fan. "Justice may be delayed, but it will never be absent."

Song Liang's remains were buried next to his father's grave. Lin Fan bought some paper money and burned it for Song Liang. Xiao Wang went back first. Qin Feng and Lin Fan followed, driving to Jiangcheng. Lin Fan was feeling complicated.

Qin Feng had to report to the bureau. He dropped Lin Fan off at the entrance of her community and turned to leave. Lin Fan went to the nearby supermarket to buy vegetables. As she walked back, she suddenly felt palpitations, her mind went blank for a moment. She could only hear her heart pounding loudly. Lin Fan closed her eyes, her body swayed, and a hand appeared on her shoulder.

Lin Fan quickly snapped back, turning sharply to shake off the hand on her shoulder. There was something eerie and cold about him, like a snake. Lin Fan disliked such people.

Ouyang Yu wore a pure black shirt, his face pale as jade, his black eyes fixed on Lin Fan. "You won't have a good outcome with him. Don't you believe me?"

Lin Fan became cautious, clutching the bag in her hand as she stepped back, quickly scanning her surroundings. "Ouyang Yu, stay away from me. I'll call for help, believe it or not?"

Ouyang Yu, dressed in a black shirt and black suit pants, was too pale, and his white skin seemed a bit neurotic under the black. Lin Fan turned and walked away quickly, and Ouyang Yu frowned, his gaze becoming eerie. "Miss Lin."

Lin Fan turned back, her expression showing disgust, word by word, "I find you utterly repulsive."

In an instant, Ouyang Yu's face became terrifying. His eyes stared at Lin Fan like a snake.

Lin Fan felt chills all over her body. She felt uncomfortable here. "I don't know what you're up to, but I'm telling you, you won't succeed. Give it up."

"I can give you your life, and I can take it back."

Lin Fan suddenly stopped, tightened her fingers, what's going on? He gave her life? Wasn't it Grandma?

What's going on exactly? Lin Fan's back suddenly felt cold. Ouyang Yu walked up to her, slightly bent over, staring into her eyes, "You belong to me, remember that."

"You're insane!" Lin Fan swung her hand, almost hitting him in the face with the convenience bag in her hand, creating distance, "Do you have schizophrenia?"

She didn't know what Ouyang Yu was up to. Did he want to kill her? It's impossible to look at her, Lin Fan is not a fairy. Ouyang Yu is so rich, what beautiful woman can't find? Find her bean sprouts? There was no previous intersection, and suddenly he was interested in her? It must be because he wants to kill her.

"Whether you're messing around with that cop or not, don't do anything real." He straightened up, his gaze cold and sinister, lifting his overly delicate chin, word by word, "Otherwise, I will take his life."