The sun was shining brightly on Lin City this weekend. The warm spring breeze washed across the city as if it could not wait to warm up every inch of the place.
However, the people of the City Criminal Police Force were too preoccupied to enjoy the beautiful spring breeze. This was because two more razor injury incidents occurred just three days after the Ye Zixi case. The City Criminal Police Force was now leading the investigation on the four incidents.
It was important to note that apart from Ye Zixi, the other victims were not very badly injured. One of them only got a small cut on his hand where the victim did not even think about reporting the case. They would not have known about the case if not for the police who called each and every one of the parks. Furthermore, there were no serious casualties nor extensive harm that came as a result of this series of crimes. Therefore, it did not cause any public panic.
Nevertheless, the police still took it very seriously. The station chief had specially requested additional police patrols around the parks to help track down the criminal.
However, two days had gone by and they had found nothing. This was not just because the criminal did not leave behind any clues, but that the criminal had stopped planting razor blades altogether.
On this particular Sunday afternoon, Xu Xu sat in the Criminal Police Force conference room. She was staring at the pictures spread out over the large whiteboard and was lost in her thoughts as she frowned to herself.
Since Ji Bai was on a vacation, the station chief instructed him not to involve himself in the case. Instead, he was told to leave it to his colleagues. Yao Meng, in turn, had followed her instructor, Officer Wu, out for an investigation. Meanwhile, Xu Xu had told the team that she wanted to attempt to create a profile of the criminal. Thus, she had been working alone.
Xu Xu was playing with the pen in her hand as she stared at the photos and maps on the whiteboard. It wasn't long before she began muttering to herself.
Ruiying Park, Fangting Park, Chaoyang Park, Yumin Park... these parks were all around the residential area where she lived. These were parks specially built by the government for the CBD. Moreover, the parks had been funded via donations from many financial groups. Fangting Park in particular, had been built to be tall and magnificent. Therefore, it was known as the symbol of the CBD.
The razor blades used by the culprit were very common. A large packet of it could be bought on the internet for a little under ten dollars. These razor blades had been combined to form a five-pointed star in every one of the incidents.
The blades had been buried under the grass twice. Even the green paint used was very common. However, colleagues from the Forensics Department found that there were other trace components in the paint. One of these was water that was shown to have been taken from the city's river. Moreover, they also found a very strange component in one case. After an investigation, they found that it was actually from a spicy hotpot soup. They found that the soup had been made with common ingredients found in the market. Spicy hot pot soup was very famous in Lin City and the number of ingredients sold daily was very large. Therefore, this clue likewise led to nothing.
In addition to this, the timing of the incidents did not seem to follow any distinct pattern. Some of them occurred on working days whilst others occurred on rest days. They happened in the morning, afternoon, as well as evening.
Xu Xu was lost in her thoughts when she suddenly heard a gentle voice behind her. "Officer Xu?"
It was Ye Zixi.
It was almost evening as the sunlight painted the empty office a light auburn. Ye Zixi wore a spotless white dress and stood gracefully in front of Xu Xu. The smile on her face was mild yet friendly.
In all honesty, Xu Xu did not pay attention to her appearance during their last encounter. She could only recall that she was a relatively thin and calm woman. Even though there was blood splattered all over the ground at the time, she did not panic. Instead, she maintained her composure throughout the entire time she was receiving first-aid treatment.
Now that Xu Xu was looking at her face to face, she finally had an idea of what she looked like.
She had a slender figure and thin eyebrows. However, because her gaze was extremely clear and sharp, she seemed to have a cold temperament.
Xu Xu nodded and waited for her to speak.
She smiled and shook Xu Xu's hand. "Xu Xu, I've come to thank you in person for saving my life. Thank you." She said very slowly. The speed at which she uttered those words also made her seem very sincere.
Xu Xu smiled. However, she was not used to having physical contact with other people. Thus, she quickly withdrew her hand. "There's no need for that. Has your wound healed?"
Ye Zixi nodded and showed Xu Xu the scar on her wrist.
"Do you have time to spare tonight? I want to treat you to a meal." Ye Zixi asked gently.
Xu Xu shook her head. "I'm sorry, I'm not free at the moment. Thank you though, I appreciate your offer."
Ye Zixi knew that Xu Xu had work to do after spotting the wall full of photos and notes. She put her hands on Xu Xu's shoulder and sighed dejectedly. "Please give me a chance to treat you to a meal when you are done with this case."
Xu Xu was once again disturbed by her intimacy and tried to free herself with exaggerated movements. Ye Zixi stared at her for a moment before smiling. "I will not bother you then, good luck."
Xu Xu walked her to the door before going back to the whiteboard to ponder. After a while, she received a text message on her phone. "Someone asked me for your contact information, but I didn't give it to him. If he wanted to see my savior, he should have to go through some trouble, right?"
Xu Xu glanced at her phone then threw it to one side so that she could continue focusing on the case. It wasn't long before she completely forgot about the message.
During dinner time, someone sent food to the Criminal Police Force addressed to Xu Xu. It was exquisite food from a restaurant based in Guangzhou. Xu Xu figured that her brother was being considerate, so she did not pay it too much attention.
However, her brother had remarked to her that he had been in a meeting the whole afternoon over the phone. Therefore, he did not have time to act as a caring brother.
Xu Xu instantly understood and muttered to him, "Then it was Ye Zixi."
Xu Juan seemed to be surprised and asked her, "Which Ye Zixi?"
"That Ye Zixi."
"Tsk-tsk-tsk… Why did she order take-out for you?"
Xu Xu explained to him how she had saved Ye Zixi a few days ago whereby Xu Juan gasped in shock. "Are you okay?"
Xu Xu rolled her eyes. "Of course I am okay."
"What about Ye Zixi?"
"It was quite serious at the time, but she's alright now."
Only then was Xu Juan relieved. He went on to joke about how the first lunchbox his sister ever received was sent by a woman. Then he went on to say that he heard that Ye Zixi was a famous intellectual and asked Xu Xu about her opinion on her. Xu Xu frowned before making an excuse that she was very busy and hung up.
However, who would have expected Ye Zixi to actually order fine lunch and dinner to be delivered to Xu Xu for the next two days as well? In addition to this, she sent her a huge box of fresh fruits that was large enough to feed the entire Criminal Police Force.
This alarmed even the station chief. He soon paid the Criminal Police Force a "special visit" to eat a few mangosteens in the afternoon.
Xu Xu did not like to be in the limelight, so she made a call to Ye Zixi. However, Ye Zixi brushed her off and told her gently but resolutely that she wanted to show her gratitude after seeing Xu Xu work so hard. Moreover, she had already paid for food and fruits for the entire month which could not be refunded.
Xu Xu's focus was on the case, so she shrugged it off and let her be.
However, there still had not been any breakthroughs in the case.
In addition to the increased patrols around the parks, the force planned to begin an investigation into the city's unemployed citizens as well as high-risk groups with criminal records.
Xu Xu had likewise decided to return to the crime scene to examine it further.
During the afternoon of a working day, there were very few people in the park. A few elderly pensioners were the only visitors. They sat there quietly playing chess in the gazebo. Xu Xu walked to the lakeside slope where Ye Zixi had been injured on that day. However, she soon saw a man sitting under the blazing sun smiling at her.
It was the man who had accompanied Ye Zixi that day: Ye Zixiao.
Compared to the casual suit that he wore the last time, he now wore a pair of white and gray sportswear. It made him look much fairer and younger. His short black hair rested neatly on his forehead and the lively gleam in his slender long eyes was very beautiful. All in all, he looked like a model from the magazines.
"I've been waiting here for five days, and you've finally come." He brushed the blades of grass off his body, stood up and walked towards Xu Xu. His tall figure instantly cast a shadow on her. "I want to have dinner with you tonight."
Xu Xu frowned and looked at him extremely oddly. "I'm not in the mood to eat. Please move." Then, she walked past him before crouching down to stare at the grass under his feet.
Ye Zixiao was dumbfounded for a few seconds before coming back to his senses. He had been very coldly ignored.
He was well aware that he was very attractive to women.
Moreover, he had dressed up before leaving the house due to the possibility of meeting the woman he was interested in again.
Although he was prepared for rejection, he was confused as to what the expression on her face was. There was not a hint of any shyness, nervousness, tension or hesitation.
This was not a normal reaction that a woman should have while being pursued by a handsome man.
Ye Zixiao calmly studied her from top to bottom. She wore a black trench coat today with a white shirt underneath which showed her exquisite curves. However, she was also very petite. She looked like a small ball of wool when she squatted down beside him.
To think, a small ball of wool had actually rejected him.
Ye Zixiao decided to approach her using a different method. "What are you busy with? Are you investigating the case?"
Xu Xu did not even look at him. "The police is working on a case. Please move away and stop interfering with my work." Then, she stood up and swept her gaze across the surrounding environment.
Xu Xu remembered Ye Zixiao because he had left an impression on her that day. He had been rude and kept talking while she was busy trying to give his cousin first-aid treatment.
Thus, in her eyes, the current situation was that a long-winded, narcissistic, and arrogant man had suddenly appeared.
He "wanted" to have a meal with her, so, obviously, Xu Xu ignored him.
Ye Zixiao kept quiet for a moment before turning around and leaving. Xu Xu heard his footsteps getting further and further away and felt as though her surroundings had suddenly become much more peaceful.
She soon decided to leave after making one last sweep of the park. However, she thought about Ye Zixiao before she left, so she took a look at the area where he had wandered off to. As expected, he was really gone. Great.
However, after taking a few steps towards the front gate of the park, she suddenly heard some suspicious footsteps trailing behind her. When she turned around, she spotted Ye Zixiao who was now following her with both of his hands tucked into his trousers' pockets and a calm look on his face.
"Do you need anything?" Xu Xu kept her cool and stopped walking.
"I want to have a meal with you."
"I refuse."
"Oh."
Xu Xu stopped looking at him and turned around to continue walking. The slow footsteps behind her started at almost the exact same moment. When she turned around, he stared at her while laughing. There was a playful look in his eyes accompanied by a subtle smugness.
Xu Xu had never encountered someone so stubborn before, so she could not understand his logic. It was useless to reject him directly but she likewise did not want to entertain him. Therefore, she continued to ignore him.
There were not that many people on the train. Xu Xu found a corner and stood there. Before long, she saw Ye Zixiao appear in front of her. He leaned against the wall of the train which was just one meter away from her and stared at her with his arms crossed in front of him while looking very calm and composed. Meanwhile, Xu Xu looked out of the window indifferently.
However, the people around her were not as calm as Xu Xu.
Ye Zixiao was very tall and had long limbs. He occupied a large space just by standing there, which gave him a very large presence. In addition to this, his features were too eye-catching. It was the kind of arrogantly beautiful face that made it seem as though he was the only lively splash of color in the otherwise muted train. Everyone around him subconsciously kept their distance from him and several young girls glanced at him from time to time.
Then, people naturally noticed that this beautiful young man had been staring at Xu Xu. Therefore, many curious gazes slowly turned towards her as well. Xu Xu's face began to get a little warm as she shot a cold glance at Ye Zixiao before getting out as soon as they arrived at the next station. Obviously, Ye Zixiao immediately got off the train and followed her closely. When he saw her cold yet blushing face through the busy stream of people, his mood instantly perked up.
Ye Zixiao had been following her for some time now. While Xu Xu was wandering around the park, he would sit on a nearby bench. He would stare at her figure without letting her leave his sight. When Xu Xu was taking the train, he would look at her affectionately despite them being in public view. If Xu Xu took a taxi, he would pay a hundred yuan to the driver to sit in the passenger's seat. Then he would look at her from the rearview mirror.
Initially, Xu Xu was very anxious about being disturbed. Her eyes made it very clear that she wanted to murder him. She had even repeated the same line to him n-number of times, "Get lost."
Nonetheless, Ye Zixiao showed his persistence by replying her with the same sentence every time, "I want to have a meal with you."
Xu Xu then decided to just ignore him and focus on investigating the crime scene.
It was already past 10:00pm and the area was closed by the time she arrived at the fourth park. Xu Xu took out her work permit and asked the staff member to open the door for her. When Ye Zixiao tried to follow her, Xu Xu calmly turned to the staff member and said, "I don't know this person. Don't allow anyone else to come in without a work permit."
The staff member noticed Ye Zixiao's refined clothing and they did not shoo him away angrily. Instead, he asked him to leave politely. Ye Zixiao looked at Xu Xu's petite figure as she walked towards the dark path and said with a cold tone, "Can you be a little more observant? She's my girlfriend."
As soon as the staff member started hesitating, Xu Xu's even colder voice sent chills down their spines. "If you let him in, I will charge you with obstructing official investigations."
Consequently, Ye Zixiao was kept outside.
The park was very big. After standing by the front door for a while, Xu Xu's figure disappeared. The staff member looked at him curiously and asked, "Is the police officer really your girlfriend?"
Ye Zixiao shrugged and answered cooly, "Sooner or later."
The staff member smiled and Ye Zixiao threw him a pack of cigarettes. The two of them chatted for a while as Ye Zixiao sat down on a bench by the front door.
When Xu Xu came out from the front door of the park, she saw the staff member wink at her and shoot hints with his eyes. She looked in the direction that the staff member was gesturing to and saw Ye Zixiao sitting on a bench a few steps away from her. He was leaning with his head against the back of the chair and his eyes closed. He sat there motionlessly, with only his chest heaving steadily.
The washed-out moonlight cast a dim glow over the brown benches. This made Ye Zixiao look as though he was a statue in a deep sleep. It softened the lines and enhanced the beautiful contours on his face. Xu Xu was in a good mood because she had some new ideas regarding the case. At that moment, his peaceful sleeping face did not seem as annoying.
"Officer, it is cold. If he falls asleep here, he will fall ill. Wouldn't it be better to wake him up?" Asked the staff member.
Xu Xu looked at him and waved. "Goodbye." Then, she swiftly headed towards the subway station.
As soon as she left, Ye Zixiao opened his eyes and stood up. He looked in the direction which she had headed off in without saying a word. This woman was not even slightly fazed. Was she not a police officer? She should have had some sympathy if she saw someone sleeping in the streets, right?
He ignored the staff's teasing gaze and zipped up his jacket. His body shrunk dejectedly underneath the warm layers. It was really cold tonight.