Chapter 66 (1/2)
Killer Nights
Chapter 66: Looking for the Black Spots at Night
A-Jiao and Jiang Zhengkai finished eating their meal. As always, A-Jiao inconspicuously left a cash payment for her meal underneath her bowl. She wasn’t actually serious when she told Uncle Cai she expected free noodles from now on. After all, it wasn’t easy for an elderly person to come all the way to the city to open up a noodle shop.
“Ziyuan, are you sure you want to go to the alley?” asked Jiang Zhengkai once the two of them had stepped out of Uncle Cai’s noodle shop. “Let me take you home instead. I promise I’ll be back before midnight,” he said as he stood firmly in front of her.
“No! I want to go with you,” responded A-Jiao. Her demeanor was very calm when she spoke. It looked like this time, she had truly mentally prepared herself to face her past. Ever since she’d gone with Jiang Zhengkai to the sub-bureau after her last hospital check-up, her heart had been feeling quite conflicted. Her decision to visit the alley today was the result of much careful consideration. Ultimately, the person who had compelled her to make this decision was actually A-Tao. In her mind, A-Jiao was still worried that A-Tao would harm Jiang Zhengkai. She was already prepared to sacrifice her own life for Jiang Zhengkai, so naturally before that moment came, she would be willing to do many other things for him as well.
“Alright!” When Jiang Zhengkai saw the resolve behind A-Jiao’s answer, he felt quite happy, inside even if he didn’t say it out loud. After all, having A-Jiao proactively offer to help him solve the case was something that he had dreamed of for a long time.
“Shall we get going then?” A-Jiao leaned into Jiang Zhengkai’s side and gently grabbed his arm. “What are you thinking about? Are we not going?”
“Yes, we are!” Jiang Zhengkai replied, before holding A-Jiao in his embrace. To be honest, it would be a hard thing to make her go back to that alley again; doing so was part of his job, but by now, his love for A-Jiao was already greater than his love for his profession. He took A-Jiao’s face in his hands. “Ziyuan, are you sure you’ve thought this through?”
“Let’s go already!” A-Jiao’s eyes flashed brightly as she looked at Jiang Zhengkai with longing eyes. “I won’t be afraid to go anywhere, as long as I’m with you.”
Hearing that, Jiang Zhengkai pulled A-Jiao close and held her tight. He didn’t want to say any more. Although he had accomplished his goal, his heart nevertheless felt empty inside. At this very moment, he was starting to question whether it was worth it for the woman he loved to make sacrifices for his career…
“Inspector Jiang, you’re early!” politely greeted a police officer as he saw Jiang Zhengkai and A-Jiao approaching the crime scene. He was guarding the scene of the sixth murder.
“That’s right!” laughed Jiang Zhengkai. He then turned around and pulled the bashful A-Jiao forward. “Take a seat and make yourself comfortable, Ziyuan.”
“Whoa, is that your new a.s.sistant, Inspector Jiang?” As soon as the police guard saw A-Jiao, he immediately pulled out a chair for her. “Sit here, miss!” No matter his profession, a man will always eagerly show a beautiful woman the proper courtesy.
“Thank you!” said A-Jiao as she gently smiled at the police guard. “But I don’t feel like sitting. I want to…” She paused, turned around, and tenderly looked at Jiang Zhengkai, but did not finish her sentence.
“Then… let’s go over to the windows,” said Jiang Zhengkai. He saw A-Jiao looking at him, so he placed one hand on her back as his other hand lifted up the chair that the police guard had just set down. He took the chair and walked with A-Jiao to the window. “Sit here and take a look at the night scenery. The alley is quite beautiful at night!”
“Uh-huh!” A-Jiao cutely replied, before following Jiang Zhengkai’s suggestion to sit down on the chair. Her gaze s.h.i.+fted from the layout of the room to the world outside. Indeed, the night scene outside the window was quite beautiful. With street lights adorning the narrow alley, it did exude something of a rustic charm.
About half an hour later, Zhang Nan, Mu Mingyuan, Lu Xiaoqiang, and several other officers from the local police station arrived at the crime scene. As soon as they entered the room, the ever-observant Mu Mingyuan was the first to spot something unusual. He looked at A-Jiao’s back. “What do we have here, Inspector Jiang? Did the Old Man give you another a.s.sistant?” he said, glancing over at Lu Xiaoqiang. “That Old Man Yao is far too partial towards you! I can’t believe he gave you a pair of a.s.sistants, and opposite genders no less!”