Love..and it’s many forms. The love of a psychopath – who thinks love means killing the object of love so they can die together, the love of a mother – who will go to any lengths to save her child, the love of a lover – who will rescue an estranged loved one at all costs, and the love of a husband – who feels the unbearable pain of seeing his wife in distress. Isn’t it wondrous how Ding Mo manages such profound insights in what , one would think, is just a detective novel ?
The temperature on the mountainside dropped lower, the sky was gloomy and heavy, and snowflakes started drifting down.
"Little lady, open your mouth."
At her silent and futile attempt at resistance, Lin Qingyan's eyes glinted with laughter. He was just about to force the contents of the bottle down her throat, when he heard Yao Meng, behind him, laughing: "Ha . . . Didn't you say you wanted a child, that you liked children? Once a psychopath, always a psychopath, you would even kill a pregnant woman. I rejoice that I never got pregnant. If I were pregnant, the child would also be poisoned by you . . ." As she finished speaking, her tone became distressed.
Yao Meng was in agony. She took a deep breath, and held his gaze: "Then, let her go. I beg you, let her go! We don't have any children. Take it that you have freed/released our child."
Yao Meng and Xu Xu both looked at him. They felt as if a knife was being twisted in their hearts, but could only cry silently. Even the surroundings were still.
After a brief moment, Lin QIngyan lifted his head. There were tears in his eyes, but his expression was calm.
"Since you like this child . . . kill her, then the child can also die together with us."
——
The thorny undergrowth amidst the tangle of trees was recklessly trampled, and the vast snowy land bore witness to their wild rush. However, the wilderness was still and quiet in all directions. With the snow swirling around them, obliterating any possible traces, the two men were unable to confirm whether the direction they were heading in had any hope of success.
Ji Bai nodded.
Ji Bai raised his head. He could only see the entire sky filled with swirling snowflakes, and the mountains and forest towering over them like malevolent spirits.
As Xu Xu had mentioned before, Lin Qingyan had invested a lot of emotional energy in his first two victims. The third case had been Tan Liang's doing, crudely and impetuously carried out, and the chosen victim had been ordinary, with nothing to write home about. How could Lin Qingyan endure the total disparity between the third case and the other two?
Every psychopath has his or her own inclination or prejudice. Lin Qingyan was near death, and he would definitely want to rectify this mistake.
——
Behind him, Yao Meng burst out in a pained cry: "Xu Xu . . . I'm sorry! I'm sorry . . ."
Xu Xu also smiled wanly and gently: "Wait a minute, Lin Qingyan. After I drink the potassium cyanide, I will die painlessly, but the baby/foetus will feel tremendous pain. Do you know, when a mother is poisoned, what symptoms the foetus will experience? You can ask Yao Meng, we learned about it in police academy, and the effects were clearly written written up in similar cases we encountered. Are you sure this is what you want?"
In actual fact, the police academy had never taught them about such specialised situations, neither had they ever encountered any such cases. Even though Yao Meng could not discern Xu Xu's intention, her expression did not change, and she just smiled sarcastically: "Do you care? Do you really care about the pain the baby/foetus will experience? Then, let me tell you, it's not the same as what an adult would experience. The toxin will slowly diffuse into the amniotic fluid, he will feel his throat tightening and experience breathing difficulties. He will spasm, convulse and vomit, his circulatory system will break down, his organs will fail, and then, finally, he will suffocate to death . . ."
You should know, even if I don't kill you now, I cannot let you go. This forest is huge, we are deep in the mountains, and it is bitterly cold (天寒地冻 – cold weather, frozen ground). By the time the police find you, you would already have frozen or starved to death and become a corpse. Moreover, this process will be very long, and very painful.
Xu Xu shook her head despondently: "No, this is what I want. I know I cannot avoid death, and there is no point in delaying any further. Potassium cyanide will give me an easy death, but the baby will suffer. As a mother, I am willing to choose a means of death that will cause me excruciating torment, as long as my baby dies easily. This way, because of my exhaustion and organ failure, the baby will slowly slip into a deep sleep, from which he will not awake. He won't have to feel any pain, and this, for me, is enough. Don't you have this hope as well?"
Lin Qingyan paused briefly, put down the medicine bottle, and replied softly: "All right. I will first send Yao Meng off, and then return to accompany the baby. The three of us will be together forever."
——
The two men clasped their guns and moved forward, noticing that there was a crease on one side of the blanket, and a mess of footprints next to it. Despite the dim light, Ji Bai could tell with one look that the smallest of the footprints had been left behind by Xu Xu.
While Da Hu was still hesitating cautiously, Ji Bai charged forward in a flash, speeding forward like an arrow to the back of the tree!
Ji Bai ripped off the tape in one swift move, while Da Hu took out a dagger and nimbly cut the ropes cleanly. Xu Xu's body slid limply into Ji Bai's arms: "Third Brother . . ."
Da Hu watched them with his eyes full of tears: "Everything's ok, everything's ok."
Ji Bai and Da Hu were both shocked/started, and looked in the direction she was pointing towards.
Ji Bai was silent for an instant, and his arms encircling Xu Xu tightened briefly. He pressed his hot, sweaty cheeks lightly to her small, icy cold face, then released her.
The snow gradually stopped falling, and the footprints on the ground were clearly visible. Ji Bai followed the footprints, which were shallow at times and deep at others. After he had tramped through the forest for more than 10 minutes, Da Hu and Xu Xu had been left far behind.
Finally, upon reaching a low hillock, he could vaguely make out several figures seated on the ground in the forest in front of him, and could hear the distant sound of voices.
Ji Bai immediately ducked behind the hillock, and silently craned his head to look.
Opposite them, behind a thick tree trunk, sat another person. There was a pool of blood on the snow under this person, who was wearing the uniform of a forestry worker. The figure was tall and straight. As the back was facing Ji Bai, he could not make out who it was.
Ji Bai was shocked. He took another look at the person, and could just make out a bloody hole in his left shoulder, which had to be a gunshot wound. He panted slightly: "I could not die, otherwise, would there ever be the day when your crimes, the crimes of such an immoral and despicable person (衣冠禽兽 – dressed up animal i.e. an immoral and despicable person), would come to light? Now I am willing to die."
Yao Meng's long hair was in disorder, and her face was daubed with bloodstains – whose, it was impossible to tell. Her voice was extremely hoarse: "Why? Lin Qingyan, what is the point of all this?"
Translator – Shl
Editor – Librismuse