The closer they got to the mountainous area, the colder the temperature became. In the gloomy twilight, a thin layer of snow covered every mountain peak, and the snow in the forest was even thicker. It was so cold that they could not see the end of it.
Ji Bai slammed on the brakes and stopped the car in front of a three-way junction. Da Hu immediately jumped out of the car, and after he hurriedly checked the tracks on the ground, he remained silent.
This was the main road not long after they entered the mountainous area. There was a lot of traffic, and the wheel tracks on the snow were messy and impossible to distinguish. If they continued forward, they would enter the vast forest that stretched for thousands of kilometers. The mountain roads were crisscrossed, and most of them were not monitored, so Lin Qingyan could have taken Xu Xu in any direction.
Moreover, even if Ji Bai was given 300 police officers like the last time they arrested Tan Liang, it would still take a few days to thoroughly investigate the entire mountainous area. Moreover, the reinforcements were still on the way.
Da Hu returned to the car and looked at Ji Bai's slightly reddened eyes. Even though the current situation made him feel cruel and desperate, he had no choice but to ask this extremely difficult question to Ji Bai. "Boss, what should we do now?"
Ji Bai looked at the dark mountains, and his hands were like iron pincers on the steering wheel.
As time passed, the deepest part of his heart seemed to collapse faster and faster, and the pain was getting worse. It had collapsed to a bottomless place. Moreover, he had a faint premonition that from now on, his heart would sink into it, and he would never be able to hold hands with her again.
However, he ignored this pain and did not care about it. He let it suffer silently and let it run its course. He only had one thought, and that was to find her.
However, there were no traces to investigate, and there was no logic to follow. He, Ji Bai, could deduce the characteristics of the murderer from a footprint, but how could he reverse the situation now?
At this time, Da Hu asked tentatively, "Should we go to Lin Qingyan's villa in the mountainous area? That's where he's staying, maybe he'll … "
Ji Bai did not say anything.
This was because he suddenly remembered a conversation that Xu Xu had once said.
It was not long after the Tan Liang case ended, and Xu Xu was on leave to recuperate at home. When he came back from work, he saw her sitting on the sofa, and there were several photos of Lin Qingyan and Yao Meng on the wall opposite her.
When she heard the movement, Xu Xu turned her head in a daze. "What kind of feelings do you think Lin Qingyan has for Yao Meng?"
What kind of feelings?
Love and hate? Lin Qingyan's fiancée was killed by Feng Ye, and Yao Meng was Feng Ye's former lover. That was why he hadn't made his move yet.
Or perhaps he didn't have any feelings for Yao Meng at all, and it was only because of her relationship with Feng Ye that he chose her as his final target.
However, Xu Xu shook her head. "It's not like that, Third Brother." She took a photo from the wall and handed it to him. In the photo, the man and woman were hugging each other in the night. They looked so intimate and well-matched.
"You can't use the logic of a normal person to understand the thoughts of a psychopath." She said very seriously, "The love and hate that ordinary people think is important, they might not feel it at all. Not many mature, psychopathic killers like him would kill out of hatred. His inner world was much quieter, clearer, and more resolute than ordinary people thought. It's just that the standards of that world are different from ours. He committed a crime because he needed it. "
"He needs it?"
"Yes. Just like what Lin Qingyan did to Yao Meng, he had countless opportunities to kill her. Even if he had to be the last one to kill, there was no need for him to keep this ex-cop by his side. However, he had established a real intimate relationship with Yao Meng.
Therefore, no matter what the reason was, he must have given Yao Meng some special and sincere feelings and meaning in his heart. This is what I meant when I said to think like a psychopath. "
…
Yes, she said to think like a psychopath.
Regardless of the reason why Lin Qingyan kidnapped Xu Xu, with the twisted logic and standards of a psychopath, where would he take her to kill her?
Ji Bai raised his head and met Da Hu's anxious gaze.
"We're not going to Lin Qingyan's villa." He said quietly, "We're going to another place."
Among the countless possibilities, he could only make one choice. If he made the wrong choice, he might drift further and further away from Xu Xu and say goodbye to her forever.
When Xu Xu woke up, it was dark in front of her. She immediately felt that there was a heavy layer of cloth covering the surface of her body, so there was no light at all.
Chills rose from the bottom of her heart, but she remained motionless and maintained her original position.
She could feel that her wrists and ankles were tied tightly with ropes. Her clothes were still on her body and she did not feel any discomfort, which made her feel slightly relieved. Below her body, there was a soft fabric that was slightly moist and cold air seeped through the fabric into her skin. She could even hear the rustling of the leaves in the wind and the occasional chirping of birds.
Sure enough, Lin Qingyan had brought her to the snowy forest.
At this moment, she heard a soft gasp from a woman next to her, followed by intermittent moans. The man and woman's rapid breathing intertwined as if they were intimately entangled.
Xu Xu had goosebumps all over her body when she heard this.
After a while, the movement gradually quieted down and the man asked softly, "Are you cold?"
The woman's voice was weak. "No … I'm not cold."
Although she had expected this, Xu Xu was still shocked. It was Lin Qingyan and Yao Meng.
At this moment, Lin Qingyan said softly, "Wife, look at how beautiful the snow is. But after I die, I can't hug you like this anymore. "
Yao Meng replied, "I don't want you to die … I can't bear to …"
Lin Qingyan laughed. "Really?"
"Of course it's true. You're the most important person to me and this will never … never change. "
Lin Qingyan was quiet for a while and Xu Xu could only hear Yao Meng's slightly rapid breathing. Suddenly, Lin Qingyan laughed softly again. His voice was very happy. "Then let's prove this point, okay?"
"… Okay. How are you going to prove it? "
Xu Xu's heart sank when she heard this. Sure enough, she heard the sound of Lin Qingyan getting up and his footsteps getting closer. The cloth that was covering her body was suddenly torn off.
The first thing Xu Xu saw was the quiet sky and the dark forest. Then, she saw Yao Meng and Lin Qingyan sitting a few steps away from her. Beneath the three of them, there was a huge white carpet. She was originally curled up in a corner and was covered by the blanket.
The surrounding terrain was a little familiar. She had been here before.
Lin Qingyan actually brought her to this place.
Lin Qingyan held Xu Xu's arm and gently pulled her up. "Can you get up?"
Xu Xu did not dare to disobey him. She sat up on the ground and happened to meet Yao Meng's eyes. Both of them were shocked.
Yao Meng's hands and feet were also tied with ropes. She was wearing a loose cotton plaid shirt and a dark blue puffy long skirt. She looked very messy. A few buttons on her shirt were undone and her skirt was rolled up to her knees. It was the sign of Lin Qingyan's intimacy earlier. She was obviously a little tired and looked haggard. Lin Qingyan did not know if she was drugged by Lin Qingyan or if he did something else.
Lin Qingyan looked at the two of them silently looking at each other and a smile flashed across his eyes. He pulled Yao Meng into his arms and said softly, "You see, she was the one who called you that day and made you turn around. You were humiliated by that idiot Tan Liang. Haven't you always hated her? "
Yao Meng's face became paler. Xu Xu remained silent.
Lin Qingyan continued, "Wife, you've always hated her. Indeed, I feel like you're an eyesore with her around. " He took out a black gun from the bag next to him and handed it to Yao Meng. "I'm going to die soon. If you kill her, of course, it'll be on me. You won't get into any trouble."
Yao Meng was silent for a moment. She did not take the gun, nor did she look at Xu Xu. Instead, she looked up at Lin Qingyan. "I hate her, but this has nothing to do with my love for you. Qingyan, I don't have to kill her … to prove my feelings for you. I don't want to kill anyone either. "
Lin Qingyan reached out and pinched her chin. "Wife, don't lie. You know it's related. "
Yao Meng's body stiffened.
Lin Qingyan gazed at her tenderly: "If you kill her, I can leave without regret. I'll leave all my assets to you and the person you hate is dead. You'll live a happy life in the future. Wife, don't hesitate. You're only one step away from happiness. " He stuffed the gun into her hand and whispered in her ear, "Wife, don't make things difficult for me. You know someone has to die today. If you don't kill her, what should I do? "
After he said that, he pushed her forward so that she could hold the gun and face Xu Xu. He took out another gun from his bag and gently pressed it against the back of Yao Meng's head. "This process will be quick. Don't be afraid. Once you shoot, both of us will be free."
Yao Meng's body began to tremble slightly and she became stiff. However, Lin Qingyan pushed the gun forward again, causing her body to sway.
"Shoot!" His voice finally revealed a hint of ruthlessness.
Yao Meng looked at Xu Xu with a pale face. She raised the gun with trembling hands and aimed it at Xu Xu's head.
The night was cold and the wilderness was silent. Xu Xu's whole body was cold. The child in her belly seemed to have sensed her silent fear and was gently kicking her. Xu Xu forced herself to calm down. She did not look at Yao Meng but stared at Lin Qingyan. "Wait. Lin Qingyan, even if I die, let me die with peace of mind. "
Yao Meng immediately lowered the gun in her hand and her breathing became more and more rapid. Lin Qingyan looked at Xu Xu with a smile in his eyes. "What do you want to know?"
Xu Xu's heart was beating faster and faster, but her tone was calm. "The first two cases were committed by you, and the third one was committed by Tan Liang. But I don't understand, when did you guys contact each other? "
Lin Qingyan smiled slightly. "It's not good to ask when you already know the answer and delay. But it doesn't matter, I'll still answer you — Tan Liang found the second corpse and we all know what he did to it. However, he didn't know about me at that time. Later, when the third case came out, I knew it was him. It's not right if I don't find him to take the blame. "
Xu Xu's heart skipped a beat. After the third case, Lin Qingyan was released. During that time, the entire case was taken over by the Provincial Department. The people who were originally arranged by Ji Bai to follow Lin Qingyan were all transferred back and everyone was sent to the mountains to search. It turned out that Lin Qingyan took advantage of this time to find Tan Liang.
"The price you paid for convincing him was to use public opinion to bring down his original leader?" Xu Xu continued to ask. "Are there any other conditions?" At that time, there was news on the Internet that Tan Liang's original leader had been punished, so Xu Xu had already guessed it.
Lin Qingyan nodded. "You're very sharp. I also anonymously gave a sum of money to his old mother. He's a filial son, but his methods were too crude. He also knew that he would definitely die, so he took the blame for me, so he died a worthy death. "
As the two of them exchanged questions and answers, Yao Meng stood motionless with her back facing Lin Qingyan. However, tears kept falling from her pale face.
At this moment, Xu Xu changed the topic. "You were also involved in the Hong Kong case, right? Is Feng Ye another scapegoat? "
Yao Meng's body stiffened. Lin Qingyan glanced at her with a smile in his eyes and answered, "Yes."
Xu Xu wanted to ask again, but Lin Qingyan reached out and hooked his arm around Yao Meng's shoulder. "That's enough, you're scaring her."
Xu Xu's heart sank.
Because of this, he stopped talking.
Once again, a stalemate arose. Lin Qingyan raised his gun and aimed it at Yao Meng. Yao Meng slowly raised her gun at Xu Xu like a zombie.
A myriad of thoughts flashed through Xu Xu's mind. She forcefully suppressed her fear and panic, then clenched her fists and met Yao Meng's desperate gaze.
"Shoot, Yao Meng." She said softly, "He's right, this is your only choice. I won't blame you. "
Yao Meng's beautiful face was so tense that it was almost stiff, and her voice was choked with sobs. "You won't blame me?"
Xu Xu took a deep breath. "I won't blame you. Shoot. "
In the dead of night, the cold wind blew through the snow, making a rustling sound. Xu Xu shivered in the cold wind. Yao Meng's tears had already dried up, and her hair was unkempt like a crazy woman. Lin Qingyan held the gun with one hand and coughed continuously from the cold wind.
Xu Xu and Yao Meng looked at each other silently.
Xu Xu looked at Yao Meng's pained eyes, but Lin Qingyan was coughing behind her and did not look at her.
Xu Xu shook her head at her so softly that it was almost inaudible.
'No, Yao Meng, you can't act rashly. You have to shoot.
It's okay, just shoot. '
A resolute look flashed across Yao Meng's eyes. She suddenly turned around and shot at Lin Qingyan. "You pervert!"
"Click, click, click." The trigger sounded a few times, but there were no bullets in the gun.
Xu Xu's heart sank, and Yao Meng's body stiffened. Lin Qingyan slowly raised his head and looked at Yao Meng with a gloomy face.
Time seemed to have stopped at this moment.
Yao Meng's hands were tied, so she raised the gun and hit Lin Qingyan's head! However, she was already drugged, so her movements were weak. Lin Qingyan laughed, a very sad laugh. He grabbed her wrist, twisted it, and took away her gun. Xu Xu was a few steps away from them, and she was tied up, so she could not save her in time.
Lin Qingyan panted as he pulled Yao Meng into his arms, and pointed the gun at her head. "This is your love? This is what you give me — pervert? So you've been coaxing me all these days, hehe … Do you really think I can't bear to kill you? Can't bear to?! "
Yao Meng cried bitterly, and her body went limp in his arms. Her voice was hysterical. "Love? I'm blind to fall in love with you! Kill me, kill me! Why don't you go and die? You're worse than a beast! "
Xu Xu felt a sharp pain in her heart as she stared at the two of them, and tears fell down her cheeks.
She had expected that Lin Qingyan would not kill her with a gun since he brought her to this place. After listening to the conversation between him and Yao Meng, she had already guessed that this was a test in his heart for Yao Meng — to see if Yao Meng would really accept him as a criminal, and at the same time, to force Yao Meng to stand on his side.
That was why she asked Yao Meng to shoot.
Yao Meng was already in a trance, and she was extremely weak. Xu Xu did not expect her to cut off all means of retreat at this moment, and her courage was stimulated. However, this was undoubtedly pushing herself onto the road to death — Yao Meng would not be able to live!
At this time, Lin Qingyan's expression gradually returned to normal, but there was no longer a smile in his eyes, only coldness. He put the gun aside, hugged Yao Meng's waist again as if there was no one else around, and lowered his head to kiss her. Yao Meng tilted her head, wanting to avoid it, but he held her head, and she could not move.
"Okay, if that's the case, we have no other choice." Lin Qingyan's voice was extremely gentle, but there were tears in his eyes. "I'll kill her first, and then I'll take you with me." After he said that, he let go of Yao Meng, got up, and took out a small black bottle from the bag on the ground, then walked toward Xu Xu.
"Don't kill her!" Yao Meng shouted. A smile appeared on Lin Qingyan's face.
Xu Xu watched as he got closer and closer, but her heart kept sinking to the bottom of a pit of dead silence and despair.
Ji Bai drove as fast as lightning, and they were the only sound that could be heard in the night.
Seeing that they were getting closer to their destination, Da Hu could not help but ask, "Will they really be here?"
Ji Bai remained silent with a blank expression.
They were almost at the foot of the mountain, and the forest was dense and the shadows of the trees were deep. There seemed to be a faint light on the mountain, but at the same time, it seemed like there was nothing there.
Ji Bai stopped the car steadily, then jumped out of the car with Da Hu.
"It's here." He seemed to be talking to Da Hu, but it also seemed like he was talking to himself.
They must be here, the corpse of the third case.
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