Captured By The Cold Detective (BL)-Chapter 615: The Villain

The door swung open, bringing He Juan out of his reverie. He reflexively turned his head but instead of Captain Li, he seemed to see Mu Yuze stepping in, his whole body exuding bone-deep coldness. The image was so fleeting that it was gone once He Juan blinked his eyes, but the impact lingered, leaving his mind reeling.

The base of his skull pounded with a dull ache. What was with that sense of déjà vu? The memory of the past He Juan?

He showed no signs of discomfort on his face, though. Instead he offered a smile once Li Zhi settled into his seat, but it seemed like the man had no intention of reciprocating geniality at the moment. A tinge of helplessness flickered across He Juan’s eyes. Not that he could blame the man for that...

Li Zhi placed a recording device on the table and spoke gruffly, "Our conversation will be recorded. Anything you say can be used against you in court, so think carefully before you answer."

"Sure, Captain Li," He Juan replied goodnaturedly, unfazed by the other person’s mildly hostile demeanor.

"Name."

"He Juan."

"Age?"

"Thirty-three."

"Date of birth?"

He Juan thought for a while before replying, "April 25th—"

"How strange," Li Zhi interrupted him with a thoughtful hum as he flipped through a document, tapping on it with a pen in his hand. "The last time you sat there, you told us that your birthday was on the 30th of December."

He Juan blinked, taken aback by that remark which came out of nowhere. It took him one full second to realize that Li Zhi must be talking about ’him’ who entered the police station due to a murder case a few months back. So they were really going to make a mountain out of a hill over every single detail, huh? He Juan couldn’t say that he was amused about it. Nonetheless, he still went out of his way to explain, "I’m sure you are aware, Captain Li, but the person you were talking to back then was me who had no memories whatsoever. Now, on the other hand, I have recollected almost everything, so shall we drop the formalities? We both know that I didn’t come here as He Juan, but XIU."

Li Zhi’s stare bore down on him for two full seconds, his jaws clenched. But He Juan stood his ground with a polite yet distant smile. The tension seemed to heighten in that one suspended moment, until Li Zhi slammed the document shut with more force than necessary and spat out, "Fine."

He set aside the document and grabbed another one. A series of portraits were then laid out in front of He Juan. Most faces were total strangers to him – or at least, within the capacity of his brain’s recollection – except for one that looked awfully familiar...

"Seven years ago, the Violent Crime Unit received a tip about XIU’s whereabouts," Li Zhi began. "The designated location was an abandoned warehouse near the sea. The former Captain, Yi Peizhi, took the Director and a team of experienced officers with him to ambush XIU. But in the end, none of them returned alive, and the informant who provided the information vanished into thin air..."

With each sentence that came out of Li Zhi’s mouth, He Juan’s smile slowly faded from his face and beads of sweat began forming on his brows. The tragedy Li Zhi was talking about was the day he had desperately tried to bury in the graveyard of his mind – it was the day his entire world crumbled apart.

Yet Li Zhi just forced the memory to the forefront of his mind, forcing him to relive his deepest and darkest nightmare.

"Do you remember that day, XIU?" Li Zhi asked through gritted teeth, but He Juan took no notice of it as he was sinking into the vortex of memories.

"Why? All this time... why did you lie to me? Why?!"

"To think that I’ve trusted you with all of my heart, to think that I’ve always treated you as my brother! But you... do you ever take me as your brother?"

"How are you any different from Mom and Dad’s murderer!"

"G–Ge, it hurts..."

He Juan jolted back to his senses at the sound of faint commotion outside the door. He seemed to hear Mu Yuze’s voice, but he couldn’t be certain – not with the loud ringing in his ears. He raised his head and met Captain Li Zhi’s scrutinizing gaze, a humorless, almost baleful smile spreading across his face. "Yes, I remember. Of course, I do. After all, I am the one who killed them all," he admitted in a matter-of-fact tone, just like how a villain would.

No, that’s not right. He was the villain— in these people’s eyes, he was a criminal and a great sinner who ought to be executed for the crimes he had committed.

CRASH!

Li Zhi shot up to his feet, toppling the chair over. He reached across the table and seized He Juan by the collar, the rims of his eyes reddening in fury and agitation. "I knew it... That operation was nothing but a trap for you to dispose of them all!"

Ah, how familiar, He Juan found himself thinking as he gazed into Li Zhi’s eyes. This was it. This was what he deserved after everything he had done. This was but his punishment due a long, long time ago.

"I will never forgive you, XIU. This time, I will make sure you can’t escape any more!" Li Zhi growled. "I’m going to bring you before the law. I’m going to make you rot in jail forever, even if it kills me to do so!"

Contrary to Li Zhi’s fiery outbursts, He Juan remained calm— calm to the point of sending chills down others’ spine.

In a short period of time, his mask of composure solidified once more as he offered a tight-lipped smile. "Don’t worry, Captain Li. I have no intention of escaping. But don’t you think you’ve got your priorities all messed up?" Before the man could react, He Juan spelled out, "The Boss of Xuanlong, Luo Xuan, and his right-hand man... the Master Manipulator..."

Li Zhi was stunned when he heard those words, and He Juan seized the chance to peel the man’s grip on him, straightening his rumpled shirt. He continued to say, "They don’t take the police seriously at all, but I’m sure you’re already aware of it, aren’t you? Instead of focusing on me, you should bring the two of them down first." he showed a mocking smile. "After all, I have been told countless times that I am... rather soft-hearted compared to them."

Li Zhi’s ability to control himself was commendable, He Juan had to admit. In a blink of an eye, the Captain managed to rein in his emotions and sat back down as though he had not lost control of himself in the first place. His gaze on He Juan was cold and calculating. "You want to cooperate with the police." It was a statement rather than a question.

"Exactly," He Juan replied with a nod. It was so satisfying to talk to smart and quick-witted people because he did not need to convey his intention directly for them to understand it.

Li Zhi’s eyes narrowed sharply. "And why should we agree?"

"Because you can’t do it without me," He Juan responded with confidence. Leaning forward, he laced his fingers beneath his chin, his smile nothing but enticing. His words were persuasive, just like the devil’s whisper. "I want the two of them dead. But that won’t do, for I have learned that death is the easiest punishment there is in the world. That’s why you should make them regret it, rot in jail... like you said you would do to me. Trust me when I said that I am an excellent ally as I am a horrible enemy. As the saying goes, the enemy of an enemy is a friend. And after everything is over, you’re free to throw me behind the bars. What do you say about that offer, Captain Li?"