Captured By The Cold Detective (BL)-Chapter 609: How?!

"You..." Mu Yuze was so shocked that he immediately shot up to his feet. "You met him? Qin Zhen’s lover? How?!" 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

At this moment, Mu Yuze’s instinct as a crime investigator reared its head, his gaze sharpening in a way that seemed capable of piercing into someone’s soul. "Does it have something to do with the Master Manipulator? You mentioned that he’s an expert in human psychology. What if it’s all his plans to trap you?"

He Juan almost let out a sharp whistle. Goodness, he had no idea that a capable and serious man at work could be so attractive, but it could also be because he was biased toward his little rabbit.

Chuckling, he pressed Mu Yuze back into his seat. "Calm down," he said. "Don’t worry, I’ve also taken into account that this is a trap. That’s why I told Chen Youzhi to keep an eye on him. Moreover..." he paused for a beat and carefully observed Mu Yuze’s reaction as he broke the news to him. "Don’t be too surprised, Xiao Ze. He is actually someone you know."

"Someone I know?" This one revelation shocked Mu Yuze more than the fact that He Juan had been in contact with the missing link of their case. He reflexively sifted through his memory, but he couldn’t think of anyone who could possibly be Qin Zhen’s lover. "Who? If he knew me, why didn’t he seek me out?"

He Juan shrugged, as he was none the wiser. There were so many suspicious points about Zhong Yun that he had no idea where to start.

He had believed it was already an impossible feat for the man to evade Ku Jin’s evil clutches and survive until now. Yet as it turned out, he managed to slip under the police radar too? Was he an extremely skilled hacker or something, capable of eradicating his presence without a trace? Even if he did possess such skills, could he still manage to work in his current condition?

Investigating Zhong Yun was akin to opening a pandora box; he had no idea whether the man would bring him benefit, or he would eventually lead them to their downfall. And to make matters worse, he even had to involve Mu Yuze – the one person he’d sworn he would never fail to protect.

Alas, he had no other choice.

For starters, Mu Yuze was an investigator who was directly involved in the case, so hiding it from him would do him more harm than good. Moreover, he and Zhong Yun were friends – or at least they used to.

If it was Mu Yuze, perhaps... Zhong Yun might trust him enough to disclose some vital information in no way he would do to He Juan.

Of course, He Juan always had the option to torture the man to extract information from him, but... something told He Juan that it would be futile. The intense hatred and overwhelming despair in Zhong Yun’s eyes clearly conveyed that the young man feared not getting his revenge more than he feared death. In such circumstances, it would be better to approach him by trust than coercion.

Was it a wise decision for him to allow Mu Yuze to approach the person who might be under Ku Jin’s close watch? He Juan truly did not know. But if Mu Yuze’s earlier explanation of the cases were any indication, Ku Jin had most likely discovered their relationship. And it was only a matter of time until Luo Xuan caught wind of it too.

He Juan supposed he had to be thankful that the omega was still confined in the hospital.

Releasing a sigh, He Juan massaged his aching temple with one hand and reached for his phone with the other, "I really hate to do this, but I guess I’ll have to rely on you, Officer Mu. I will bring you to him. No matter what you decide to do with him in the end, I will respect your decision."

***

When they exited the residence, night had begun its descent, painting the sky in a rich blend of blue, pink and purple hues.

He Juan dismissed the guards and chose to drive himself. Despite Mu Yuze’s persistent questions, he was adamant on not disclosing the identity of the other party, leaving Mu Yuze to stew in his own confusion for the rest of the journey.

Twenty minutes later, they arrived at an old district in the Capital where the buildings were tightly packed like Lego and all sorts of businesses merged together. For instance, next to the ramen shop was a chinese acupuncture service, and so on. Chen Youzhi had already been waiting for them at the appointed location, and surprise was an utter understatement to describe his expression when he noticed that He Juan was not alone.

"This is...?" he scanned Mu Yuze from head to toe, though he immediately averted his gaze away once He Juan’s warning smile entered his sight. "You look familiar. Have we met before?"

"Yes," Mu Yuze pulled out his business card and offered it to the man, who appeared visibly alarmed at the sight of the police emblem. "My name is Mu Yuze, from the Violent Crime Unit in Yuyang Municipal Bureau. Nice to meet you again, Mr. Chen."

He Juan pulled him closer by the waist, startling the two of them. He had an exceedingly gentle and proud look on his face as he gazed at Mu Yuze, "Just to remind you, Chen’er, he is our dear Xiao Ze, the little boy who briefly lived with me ten years ago. Hasn’t he grown up so well? And oh, one more thing— he’s also my mate."

Mu Yuze, who had not seen this introduction coming, could feel his face reddening. Even then, he still tried to maintain a professional tone and added, "I’ve once visited your workplace, Heping Nursing Home, when I was investigating a case that involved the elderly under your care. I hope that can jog your memory."

With each revelation, Chen Youzhi’s eyes grew wider and wider, and he could only gape at both of them in surprise.

He Juan let out an amused snicker and whispered to Mu Yuze, "I have never seen him so shocked before in the years I’ve known him. Thank you for your meritorious service, Officer Mu." It was clearly a formal title, but the way He Juan said it felt like teasing, and Mu Yuze couldn’t help but pinch his arm in retaliation, huffing and puffing. Why did Juan-gege like to tease him so much?!

After Chen Youzhi recovered from his shock, the three of them walked deeper into the district, weaving their way through the interconnected alleys. The dim glow of streetlights illuminated their way, casting their shadows over the old brick floors.

"How is it?" He Juan inquired. "Have you found out anything from him?"

Chen Youzhi’s expression turned grim as he nodded. "Quite a lot. I have recorded everything, but..."

"But what?" He Juan raised a brow, sensing that something was amiss.

Chen Youzhi sighed, "His condition... is not good."

They only realized what Chen Youzhi truly meant by ’not good’ when they arrived at a seven-story apartment building, descended the staircase leading to the underground, and heard muffled groans and grunts in the air. "Don’t worry," Chen Youzhi reassured them as he retrieved a ring of keys from his pocket, choosing one. "I have rented the whole space, so no one will come here except for us."

The door made a soft click before swinging open. "Come in."

With their division being close brothers with the Anti-narcotics next door, Mu Yuze could tell right away that the person behind the door was a severe drug addict who was experiencing a withdrawal. He couldn’t recognize their identity based on all the incomprehensible sounds, so he immediately took the lead to enter after receiving He Juan’s nod of approval.

The light from the hallway flooded into the room, allowing Mu Yuze to spot the man with his hands and legs being tied to the bed, mouth stuffed with a cloth. The pungent scent of sweat, urine and secretions assaulted his senses, but his eyelids did not even twitch. That was, until he caught sight of the other person’s face.

It was an impossibly familiar face, yet also foreign at the same time for how twisted and gaunt it was.

"Impossible..." he whispered, his voice shaking in disbelief. "How... How could it be you? Zhong Yun!"