"But! Sister seems to be giving me the cold shoulder lately! I heard that if someone wants to break up with their girlfriend, the best way is the cold shoulder," Xing Yuan said resentfully.
"I'm not, I just... I've been a bit busy with work lately, so I haven't been able to pay attention to A Yuan. I'll be more mindful in the future," Ling Chenyue promised.
She had indeed been trying to avoid reality recently, but it was because she didn't know how to face Xing Yuan. Yet, she truly didn't want to break up.
There were even many times when she had wavered, regardless of Xing Yuan's identity or what she had done! She just needed to know that A Yuan was her girlfriend.
However, the teachings she had received since childhood and her ambitions constantly told her that what she was doing was wrong, which ultimately led to the current situation.
"Alright! I believe you, Sister. Why are you so serious?" Xing Yuan stuck out her tongue with a smile, gently swirling her wine glass, her eyes holding a depth that her words didn't convey.
Ling Chenyue was stunned by Xing Yuan's reaction and said softly, "I was afraid you'd misunderstand."
"Cheers! To celebrate our reconciliation," Xing Yuan raised her glass and said softly.
Ling Chenyue chuckled lightly, her fair hand lifting her glass to clink with Xing Yuan's. Then, she drank it down in one gulp.
Perhaps it was also a way to drown their sorrows, as they drank glass after glass, eventually becoming tipsy. What followed was only natural.
The next day, when Ling Chenyue went to the police station, she accidentally stumbled upon a live broadcast of a killer murdering someone on her computer. In it, the killer expressed extreme admiration for a senior named "Butcher."
The killer said that this senior was extremely decisive in their killings and skilled with various weapons, but their most proficient weapon was a dagger. No matter who they killed, they would always slit the victim's throat with a dagger as a mark.
And no matter how others tried to imitate their killing method, only a very few could replicate the exact same mark.
The first reason was that her dagger was very special, with serrations, but this wasn't impossible to replicate.
The second reason was the crucial one. She would only make one cut when slitting the throat, but this single cut would sever the victim's trachea. Moreover, the external skin was thick at the top and thin at the bottom, a very distinctive trait. Currently, no more than three people could imitate it.
However, killers never refused to admit who they had killed. Everyone had their own killing habits, as it made it easier to prove that the person had died by their hand when handing over the job.
After watching the live broadcast, Ling Chenyue fell into deep thought. This habit, how could it so closely match the deceased?
She then shared her findings with the forensic doctor, and Wang Yubei's wound indeed matched.
This gave Ling Chenyue a ninety percent certainty that the person codenamed "Butcher" was the killer. With her intentional search, more and more information flooded her mind, gradually forming a simple framework.
Because she had some doubts about Xing Yuan's identity, she clicked on an article that speculated that the killer codenamed "Butcher" was a woman.
The article provided well-reasoned analysis of Butcher's physique and habits. While a voice changer could alter their voice, their physique and habits could sometimes betray them subconsciously.
Ling Chenyue grew increasingly alarmed as she read, realizing that some of the habits described perfectly matched Xing Yuan's. This meant that she could very well be the so-called Butcher.
But even she had heard of how Butcher was a mad killer, which was completely inconsistent with the gentle Xing Yuan she knew!
Ling Chenyue silently shut down the computer, deciding to conceal her findings. After all, it was just speculation. With such meager evidence, how could she casually condemn someone?
Xing Yuan took some time to meet An Xun Jie, choosing a location near an old residential area.
"You... you wanted to see me?" An Xun Jie's lips parted, but he still couldn't bring himself to say the two intimate words.
Xing Yuan didn't mind, only stating calmly, "I'm leaving! I'm leaving this city, and I might not come back. I'll leave them in your care!"
"What?" An Xun Jie's expression was stunned, then he anxiously asked, "Where are you going?"
"I can't say for sure! But I don't think I'll ever return here. I've already prepared the living expenses; they'll be deposited into your account in a few months. The rest is up to you." Xing Yuan remained calm, her eyes devoid of emotion.
"They..." An Xun Jie stared into Xing Yuan's eyes for a while before finally relenting.
"Alright! I know you have your own difficulties."
"Mm. You can pretend you never met me, because I might bring you some trouble. But don't worry, no one will know our true relationship," Xing Yuan added after some thought.
"Then, one last hug? As a farewell," An Xun Jie smiled with relief and opened his arms in an embrace.
Xing Yuan stepped forward and hugged him, whispering, "Thank you."
Thank you for being willing to wait for her for so long.
An Xun Jie clearly didn't understand the meaning of this thank you, merely smiling brightly and waving goodbye to Xing Yuan.
This was their last meeting in this lifetime.
Xing Yuan, always meticulous, later contacted a friend and, through connections, obtained the child's ashes. She then arranged for someone to transport them to her hometown, where another person would help bury them together.
Afterward, Xing Yuan quietly waited for Ling Chenyue's arrival, but she waited the entire night, and there was no movement from the police station.
She frowned in confusion. She should have sent all the visible clues to her sister. Why hadn't she come to question her yet? She was already prepared to tell her the truth.
Ling Chenyue returned the next day.
Although her attitude towards Xing Yuan was the same as usual, Xing Yuan noticed that Ling Chenyue's gaze towards her was evasive.
However, it wasn't fear, but rather more complex emotions.
But this made Xing Yuan's heart feel heavy. Her sister knew, yet she still treated her as her girlfriend.
She was the gentlest and kindest person in the world, always indulging her. It was precisely because of this that she was even more unwilling to see her sister sacrifice for her again. She had made a mistake once, and there would never be a second time.
Xing Yuan continued to act as if she knew nothing. After Ling Chenyue left, she organized her documents and, under her sister's name, sent her suspicions to her superior.
Then, Xing Yuan also provided a photo taken from a passerby's perspective, showing her appearing near the crime scene.
Instantly, she successfully became the prime suspect. Coupled with the threat of her moniker, many people in the police station were dispatched.