It was night when a bunch of tulips were placed where Xu Fa died. The flower-presenter stood in the darkness and said towards the empty space, "We’ve known each other for so long, but you still passed away before me. Although I normally don't like you very much, as a friend, I will miss you... Dying in such a way can be considered a kind of release. Don't worry, I will avenge you!"

"Miss Ling!" A voice came from the dark.

Ling Shuang was startled and saw Chen Shi, Gu You, Sun Zhen and kk walk out from the darkness. They had already been lying in ambush there. Chen Shi had guessed that someone would come to pay respects, and it was as he had expected.

The four people surrounded Ling Shuang. She was unprepared, so she frowned and didn’t say anything.

Chen Shi glanced at the tulips on the ground, and said, "Xu Fa decided to commit suicide to prevent his client from being arrested. From a criminal's point of view, he is a good role-model."

"Stop acting like a cat weeping for a dead mouse!"[1] Ling Shuang said in disgust. "Did you come as a policeman today or as an 'old friend'?"

"Of course it's as an 'old friend'. I thought there would be two people who would come to pay their respects, but you are the only one." Chen Shi said disappointedly. However, it was unsurprising. Ling Shuang's identity was still clean, unlike Zhou Xiao, who was a wanted criminal.

"Teacher Ling!" Although Ling Shuang was younger than Gu You, Gu You still addressed her respectfully. "I have read all your works. I admire your contributions towards the fields of social psychology and reflex regulation, but I also know your other identity. Just treat it as if I’m talking too much. I hope you can mend your ways and not walk towards annihilation together with that person. His doom is already foreordained, but you’re different. You can still turn back."

"Thank you for your kindness!" Ling Shuang said stiffly. She looked around at the four people, "Let me ask you something. Who killed Zhou Tiannan?"

"Even if I told you that it wasn't us, you wouldn't believe it, so just pretend that we did it!" Chen Shi said.

Sun Zhen said, "Back then in the forum, you were also a person I admired very much. Why did you have to get mixed up with Zhou Tiannan and the others? You have a successful career, unlike them.

Hearing that Sun Zhen could say the name "Zhou Tiannan", Ling Shuang said with interest, "Your brainwashing has been undone?"

"Miss Gu helped me. She is as good as you are." Sun Zhen said proudly.

"So you guys came today to instigate me to switch sides?"

"We don’t need you to help us catch Zhou Xiao. We just hope you won’t continue making mistakes. You must have committed crimes previously, but fortunately, the police have no evidence. You can still live a normal life. The ship 'Zhou Tiannan' is about to sink. You don't need to be destroyed together with it." Chen Shi said.

“Haha!” Ling Shuang laughed. “Everyone has ambitions. Back then in the forum, everyone discussed criminal techniques and played crime simulation games to show that they were rebellious and uninhibited. In fact, we are all the same kind of people in our bones, it’s just that you guys did not dare to cross that line. Once you cross the line and have a taste of it, you’ll be unable to stop. That’s the meaning of my existence. Have you heard the story of ‘The Frog and the Scorpion’?[2] Some people are born as scorpions. That’s my nature even if I know that I’ll be doomed. You can kill me here, and be done with it, just like how you plotted Zhou Tiannan’s murder and forced Xu Fa to die!”

“We will not become someone like you!” Chen Shi said, “We didn't kill Zhou Tiannan either! If you commit a crime in the future, we will assist the police in arresting you, using proper methods!”

“How boring it is to be proper!” Ling Shuang smiled, turning around to leave. Sun Zhen met Chen Shi's meaningful glance and stepped aside to let her go.

Ling Shuang disappeared into the night, and the four of them fell silent. Chen Shi took the lead to break the silence. "I know what you’re all thinking, but it’s definitely not possible. Today was just a face-to-face meeting, we won’t do unnecessary things."

"Will she retaliate against us?" kk said worriedly. He had been scared speechless by Ling Shuang's aura just then.

"It’s hard for people to change. Sooner or later, she will plan a crazy crime as the closing number for her criminal career." Gu You sighed.

"We don't have to be afraid of them. They’re afraid of us!" Chen Shi said firmly.

Half a month later, Chen Shi and Lin Dongxue were staying at home on a rare day off. The sun was just right that day. Chen Shi placed a small potted plant on the balcony. Lin Dongxue leaned on him and said, "It’s sprouting!"

These seeds had been found in a password-encrypted box in Xu Fa’s house. They were so carefully hidden that they seemed to be something important. Chen Shi had given them to Peng Sijue for testing. Peng Sijue had said, “How can I test the seeds? Plant them yourself and see what they are!"

Now that the seeds have grown, it seemed that they weren’t opium poppies or marijuana based on the seedlings, but just ordinary plants.

At that moment, Lin Dongxue received a text message that read: "Someone jumped off a building. Do you want to go over?"

"They also need me for cases where people jump off a building?"

"The one who jumped off the building was Wang Mengqi."

"Really? Let's go!"

Wang Mengqi had jumped off the building where Geng Qing lived. When they rushed to the scene, the police were collecting the body, and he had already been confirmed dead.

Why did Wang Mengqi jump? Was it someone’s revenge? Or did something happen to Geng Qing?

With all these doubts, the two went upstairs. The door was locked. Chen Shi pried the door open directly. The house was deserted, enveloped in an ominous atmosphere. When the two went into the bedroom, Lin Dongxue cried out in fright.

A rope made from a twisted bed sheet looped around Geng Qing's neck and she hung from the window frame. When the two of them took her down, they found that she had already been dead for some time.

"Suicide?"

"Here’s a suicide note..."

Chen Shi picked up the suicide note on the bedside. It was indeed Geng Qing's handwriting. The long suicide note was filled with details. It turned out that when Geng Qing was sorting through her father's drawer, she had found a paternity test. It said that Geng Zhangle and Wang Mengqi were father and son.

Putting together Wang Mengqi's several summons by the police and the changes in his attitude after the incident, this sensitive girl had guessed who killed Geng Zhangle. It was difficult for her to accept the truth so she chose to end her life.

After reading the suicide note, the two of them fell silent. The follow-up investigation revealed that Geng Qing had indeed committed suicide. Wang Mengqi had opened the door and saw the scene. After staying alone in the house for a few hours, he resolutely committed suicide by jumping off the building. Just like he had said, he couldn’t live without Geng Qing.

On the icy autopsy table, the pair who were both siblings and lovers lay together. Peng Sijue had confirmed their suicides, so there was no need for further autopsies. They were spared the fate of being dissected.

Wang Mengqi’s lawyer called the police, saying that he had sent a letter to the lawyer before his death. Anyone who settled the funeral arrangements for him could get his estate, but on the condition that he and Geng Qing must be buried together and as husband and wife.

"It was destiny." Facing the two corpses, Chen Shi said empathetically.

Lin Dongxue felt doleful. She said, "Old Chen, is this considered true love?"

"I think so, I hope they can..." Chen Shi didn't know whether to say he hoped they would be lovers or siblings in their next lives. He could only say, "I hope they will be happy in their next lives!"

1. Idiom for hypocritical pretense of offering condolences/crocodile tears.

2. A reference to the story they had mentioned in the early chapters.