Chapter 71: The Return of the Evil Curse
Sunlight streamed through the skylight, illuminating an empty cell. In the center stood a ladder reaching straight up to the skylight.
With a creak, the cell door swung open. Lu Hehuan led Lin Shaoliang inside, unlocked his handcuffs, and, without a word, turned and left.
Lin Shaoliang frowned in confusion. Suddenly, his gaze fell on a corner nearby, and he was startled.
In the shadowy part of the cell, a pair of eyes glared at him. A wolfdog growled low and advanced toward him.
Outside the cell, Lu Hehuan signaled Bao Kang and Ying Xi to observe through a small window.
Bao Kang snorted contemptuously and slowly leaned against the window to peer inside.
Lu Hehuan shouted to Lin Shaoliang, “The skylight!”
Lin Shaoliang understood and slowly edged toward the ladder leading up. Suddenly, Lu Hehuan blew a whistle; the wolfdog, as if provoked, lunged at Lin Shaoliang. Lin Shaoliang darted to the ladder, desperately trying to climb, but his hands seemed unable to grasp the rungs, and he couldn’t get up.
The wolfdog snapped at his calf. Lin Shaoliang leapt up, grabbing the ladder, but soon slipped back down. The wolfdog began tearing at his trousers as Lin Shaoliang struggled, but he could never make it up.
Outside, Lu Hehuan whistled again, and the wolfdog instantly calmed, retreating to the shadows.
Lu Hehuan looked at Bao Kang and Ying Xi. “Didn’t you notice his arms are disabled? A man who can’t climb a ladder—how could he have entered Mary’s bedroom on the second floor? We’ve investigated: given Mary’s loathing for Lin Shaoliang, it’s impossible she would willingly let him into her room.”
Bao Kang and Ying Xi were momentarily speechless.
Lu Hehuan continued, “So, Commissioner Bao, relying on forced confessions to solve cases won’t work.”
When Lu Hehuan finished, Ying Xi glanced at him in terror, then at Bao Kang. As expected, Bao Kang erupted in anger, glaring furiously at Lu Hehuan. “If it weren’t for you, useless as you are, failing to crack the case, would I have resorted to rough tactics on suspects? You can’t solve cases, but you sure know how to undermine your own team. If you were so capable, you’d have caught the killer already!”
“Commissioner Bao, that’s unfair. Hehuan has been working hard to find clues. Ultimately, it’s evidence that solves cases,” Ying Xi couldn’t help but defend Lu Hehuan.
Bao Kang immediately turned his wrath on Ying Xi, “You too! Always loafing around, yet so quick with your mouth! Both of you, go scrub the toilets! Reflect properly!”
Ying Xi and Lu Hehuan were dumbfounded. “Again with the toilets?”
Bao Kang roared, “Now! Immediately! Right this instant!”
As the sun set, the staff at the precinct had all gone home. Ying Xi and Lu Hehuan, each clutching a toothbrush, squeezed into the restroom to scrub.
Lu Hehuan watched Ying Xi’s practiced right hand. “Your injury’s healed?”
Ying Xi smiled, “Thick-skinned, tough-fleshed.”
Lu Hehuan looked at Ying Xi, who was head down scrubbing, “You’re practically a pro at this.”
Ying Xi laughed, deftly cleaning.
In the evening, the two emerged from the restroom, rubbing their backs, faces full of suffering.
Ying Xi glanced up, suddenly spotting Ah Hua, the chicken, sneaking peanuts from his chair. He shouted and charged at Ah Hua, “You beast! Stealing my peanuts!”
He kicked Ah Hua aside, frantically grabbed the paper bag, and found it empty. He glared hatefully at the limping chicken, then turned to Lu Hehuan, “Help me deal with it!”
The two scrambled after the chicken. Ying Xi, furious, flung his toothbrush to hit Ah Hua. Unexpectedly, Bao Kang appeared, and the toothbrush struck him squarely in the face.
Bao Kang stood stunned, wiped his face, and bellowed at both, “You can hit me, but you may NOT hit my Ah Hua!”
Seeing this, Ying Xi grabbed Lu Hehuan and dashed away.
Morning light poured through the tall windows of the church. Mary lay in a simple dress, surrounded by fresh flowers in her coffin. Her expression was peaceful, the corners of her mouth gently smiling.
The priest, holding his cross, stood beside her coffin, praying, “With heavy hearts, we bid farewell to Mary, as beautiful as a flower. You will continue to live happily in heaven. Amen.”
Beside him, Gordon supported Mary’s weeping mother, both faces steeped in grief.
Ying Xi, Lu Hehuan, Bao Ying, and their colleagues queued to pay their respects, each placing a flower in the coffin.
Afterward, Mary’s friends, also carrying bouquets, lined up to view her remains.
Among them were two classmates: Song Xiaowan, dressed in black, and Wen Hui, in white. They approached Mary’s coffin to pay their respects.
Song Xiaowan’s features were delicate, her beauty marked by a small mole on her nose. Wen Hui was more reserved, her deep dark eyes half-shut.
Song Xiaowan looked sorrowfully at Mary, “Mary, may you rest in peace.” She placed her flowers in the coffin.
Wen Hui came next, “Mary, may you rest in peace…” She paused, suddenly noticing Lu Hehuan standing nearby.
Wen Hui nudged Song Xiaowan, “Did you see? Lu Hehuan!”
Song Xiaowan nodded, “I saw him already.”
“Come on, let’s go over.”
Song Xiaowan and Wen Hui approached Lu Hehuan. Bao Ying, standing nearby, smiled, hoping to greet them, but they ignored her. Embarrassed, Bao Ying withdrew.
Song Xiaowan feigned surprise at meeting Lu Hehuan, “Hehuan, it really is you!”
Wen Hui followed suit, “Hehuan, it’s been a long time.”
Lu Hehuan looked at them, thinking for a moment before recalling their names. He pointed at Song Xiaowan and then Wen Hui, “Wen Hui? Song Xiaowan?”
Song Xiaowan smiled, “I’m Song Xiaowan.”
Wen Hui smiled, “I’m Wen Hui.”
Lu Hehuan scratched his head, embarrassed, “Sorry, I mixed you two up.”
They both replied, “No problem.”
Lu Hehuan smiled, then suddenly remembered something and fixed his gaze on them, “I recall you were close with Liu Sixue as well, weren’t you?”
Wen Hui nodded, “We were, back in school.”
“Do you know who Liu Sixue’s boyfriend is in America?” Lu Hehuan looked at them, eager for an answer.
Song Xiaowan eyed him suspiciously, “Hehuan, are you interested in Liu Sixue?”
Lu Hehuan shook his head, “Just asking.”
Misunderstanding his intent, jealousy flared in Song Xiaowan’s and Wen Hui’s eyes.
Song Xiaowan pouted, “After she went to America, we rarely kept in touch. Just know she’s open-minded, bold, had lots of boyfriends there, and lived quite a wild life.”
Wen Hui nodded, “Right, I heard she had an abortion just before returning home.”
Lu Hehuan was taken aback. If Liu Sixue had just undergone an abortion, it would be impossible for her to become pregnant again so soon. He frowned, suspecting Liu Sixue had disappeared, rather than eloped.
Nearby, Ying Xi glanced at Lu Hehuan, then at Song Xiaowan and Wen Hui, whose eyes were filled with longing for him, full of disdain.
Sunlight filtered through the dense roadside leaves, scattering in patches across the ground. On the path, Ying Xi and Lu Hehuan walked side by side.
Ying Xi tossed peanuts into his mouth, feigning casual interest, “Who were those two girls?”
“My classmates from secondary school.”
“They’re interested in you.”
Lu Hehuan glanced sideways, “No way. Detective Ying, don’t make things up.”
Ying Xi patted Lu Hehuan’s shoulder, “I’ve met more women than you’ve ever seen. Trust me, there’s something in their eyes when they look at you.”
“What is it?” Lu Hehuan was baffled.
Ying Xi frowned slightly and uttered, “Admiration.”
Lu Hehuan thought Ying Xi was making it up and sighed, “Ridiculous.”
“Are you calling me names?” Ying Xi was annoyed.
“I’m complimenting you.”
“Then use words I can understand,” Ying Xi said, believing him.
Lu Hehuan looked at him earnestly, “Detective Ying’s insight is truly sharp!”
Ying Xi squinted in pleasure.
Lu Hehuan changed the subject, “But please use that sharp insight to solve cases, OK?”
Ying Xi shrugged, taking another peanut from the bag, only to find it empty. He tossed the bag aside. “I’m just warning you not to bring disaster.”
“How have I brought disaster?” Lu Hehuan was perplexed.
“To Ling Yan and Mary.”
Lu Hehuan stared at Ying Xi, incredulous, “You’re not seriously suspecting I killed them, are you?”
“Not killed, but cursed. I had someone check your birth chart—you’re destined to bring misfortune to your wives. Any woman bound to you faces mortal danger.”
Lu Hehuan rolled his eyes, “Superstitious nonsense.”
“Nonsense? Think about Ling Yan and Mary—they both died after forming a bond with you.”
Lu Hehuan retorted, “In that case, I’ll never marry, never harm anyone!”
“Don’t be hasty—there is someone whose chart is compatible with yours.”
“You?” Lu Hehuan joked.
Ying Xi clicked his tongue in displeasure, “I’m a man, what good is compatibility with you?”
“You don’t mean Bao Ying, do you?”
Ying Xi snapped his fingers, delighted, “Detective Lu, always sharp—you guessed it before I said it.”
Lu Hehuan smiled, “That’s because I have sharp insight too.”
Ying Xi grew serious, “I’m analyzing this for real. Think about it: women close to you either run off at critical moments or die at home. But Bao Ying has always been by your side, safe and sound. Her birth chart must be strong…”
As they spoke, Bao Ying caught up from behind. “Detective Ying, Hehuan, I’m heading back to the station as well. Let’s go together.”
Ying Xi grinned, “Bao Ying, you’re just in time.”
Bao Ying looked at him, puzzled, “Are you discussing the case?”
“More important than the case,” Ying Xi said solemnly, stroking his beard.
“Don’t listen to Detective Ying’s nonsense,” Lu Hehuan interjected.
Bao Ying blinked, still confused.
Ying Xi picked up his earlier thread, “Bao Ying, you were classmates with Ling Yan and Hehuan. If you two were together, I think Ling Yan’s spirit would rest in peace.”
A faint blush crossed Bao Ying’s cheeks as she explained to Ying Xi, “Detective, I’ve thought it through—let things take their natural course.”
Lu Hehuan coughed, awkwardly changing the subject, “Bao Ying, let’s focus on the case.”
Bao Ying cooperated, embarrassed, “Alright.”
Night had fallen, the mist had not yet lifted, and Lu Hehuan and Ying Xi walked toward the tavern.
They climbed to the tavern’s second floor and sat by the window. The waiter hurried over to serve them.
Through the foggy glass, lights flickered from the cinema across the street. Lu Hehuan wiped the condensation, staring pensively outside.
A decade ago, the cinema was not so lively. As a child, Lu Hehuan and friends crowded at the entrance, fighting to peek through a stereoscope.
Ling Yan, as a young girl, appeared, “What are you looking at?”
“Oh…” Lu Hehuan was flustered, “Nothing…”
Ling Yan pushed past him, peered into the viewer, and discovered a series of swimsuit pictures. She looked away, angry, “So this is what you’re up to!”
She turned and walked off. Lu Hehuan hurried after her.
“Ling Yan, don’t be mad—they made me look, I…”
She, still furious, smacked him on the head.
Lu Hehuan was stunned, unhappy, “Don’t hit my head!”
Ling Yan hit him again, “Serves you right for looking at everything!”
Lu Hehuan pinched her cheek in anger, she retaliated, and they tussled. In their scuffle, both tumbled into a roadside mud pit.
Recovering, the two stared at each other, then burst out laughing.
Back in the tavern, Ying Xi shouted, “Hey, what are you thinking? Drink up!”
Lu Hehuan turned, raised his glass, and drank with Ying Xi.
Halfway through the night, Lu Hehuan gazed at the fog outside, lost in thought.
Early the next morning, Lu Hehuan and Ying Xi stumbled into the precinct. Seeing Bao Kang standing at the office door, glaring at them, they sobered up at once.
Bao Kang snorted, “If you’re so capable, don’t come back!”
Ying Xi approached with a grin, “Commissioner Bao, we know we messed up. We’ll apologize to Ah Hua in person another day…”
“No need!” Bao Kang cut him off. “There’s been another report—another murder. The victim is Song Xiaowan, the only daughter of the Old Dam Bank’s president.”
Lu Hehuan was shocked, “Song Xiaowan?!”
Bao Kang muttered in frustration, “Why do these tricky cases keep cropping up…”
Ying Xi nodded, “Commissioner, we’ll head to the crime scene at once.”
Bao Kang warned them, “Listen: the chief inspector is untouchable, and so is the bank president. Both cases must be solved quickly—find the real culprit fast!”
Ying Xi and Lu Hehuan responded in unison, “Yes!”
At dawn, the mist still lingered over the outskirts. Song Xiaowan’s body lay in a patch of grass, her face covered in talismanic markings, her carotid artery severed. Her white cheongsam was soaked in blood; her death mirrored that of Ling Yan and Mary.
When Lu Hehuan and Ying Xi arrived, Bao Ying was already examining the body.
They approached, and Ying Xi clapped Lu Hehuan on the shoulder, “Told you you’re cursed—before Song could express her feelings, she met a tragic end.”
“Detective Ying, this isn’t the time for that,” Lu Hehuan said, annoyed.
Bao Ying finished her examination and looked at Lu Hehuan, “It’s another primary scene. The method matches Ling Yan and Mary. Time of death is around midnight yesterday.”
Lu Hehuan’s brows furrowed, “The killer is taunting us.”
Ying Xi bared his teeth, “What killer? With this kind of evil, it has to be the ‘Bloodied Garment Curse!’ We should get a master to check this out!”
Lu Hehuan ignored him, bent down to inspect the wet grass, flicked a leaf, and scattered its dew.
He muttered thoughtfully, “Last night was another heavy fog…”
Bao Ying added, “The fog rolled in around eleven last night.”
Ying Xi looked at her curiously, “How do you know?”
Bao Ying smiled, “Lately I’ve been insomniac, often sleeping after midnight.”
Ying Xi glanced meaningfully at Lu Hehuan and murmured, “All your fault.”
Lu Hehuan understood, displeased, “Detective, I think investigating the scene is more important than gossip.” With that, he walked off.
As Lu Hehuan carefully searched for overlooked clues, he suddenly spotted a shadowy figure lurking behind a thicket.
He shouted, “Who’s there?”
The figure, realizing it had been seen, bolted. Lu Hehuan and Ying Xi gave chase.