Pristine Darkness - Chapter 71

Xun city was not large, so they quickly arrived at the entrance of the mall that Nie Shijun often went to. Jian Yao and Fang Qing pulled open the car doors and got out, An Yan’s fingers tapped on the steering wheel.

“You’ll wait in the car?”

“Mhm,” answered Bo Jinyan.

Everyone left the car, and the car’s interior was quiet again. Bo Jinyan sat for a little while, feeling the sunrays traversing through the car window, shining on his face, it was a little warm. However in his head, he remembered every sentence from the conversation he had just had with Jian Yao.

It was an inexplicable kind of warmth. In the past year, he had used a callous and cool attitude to seal himself away. He didn’t want anyone to get close to him. But ever since the first moment he encountered her again, his heart had already started to surge like a wave. He already could almost not control himself, and wanted to embrace her in his arms, furiously kiss her. Alas, this was his wife, his wife that he could not reach out and embrace because he was so far away for a year.

He wanted her, wanted her kisses, wanted her forgiveness and understanding, wanted her tenderness.

——

Jian Yao and the two others returned very quickly. Although Nie Shijun had used cash to make her purchases, she had registered a points card at the mall, so inquiring about her purchase records was a very easy task.

Fang Qing held in his hands the stacks of long receipts that had been printed, pulled open the rear car door, and was stunned.

Bo Jinyan had moved himself to the back seat.

The proud yet calm appearance, both hands leaning on his walking stick. Fang Qing could not hold back his smile, and glanced at Jian Yao. Jian Yao was looking at Bo Jinyan, and did not move. Fang Qing gave her a little push, seating himself in the front passenger seat. An Yan smiled slightly, and started the car.

Just a stone’s throw away, an entire body permeating the cold aura of a scholar was right beside Jian Yao. As soon as she lifted her head, she could see the cuff of his black suit, and the clean and slender fingers. She could even see the thin scarring on one finger.

“How are the results of your inquiries?” Bo Jinyan asked.

Fang Qing flipped through the purchase records, and lightly responded, “Every month, Nie Shijun seems to almost always have one or two purchases: lipstick, skin care products, accessories, women’s clothing…. She has it all. I looked, and during times like the Mid-Autumn Festival and the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year), the things she bought were a little more expensive.”

An Yan asked, “So what does that mean?”

Jian Yao said, “But Nie Shijun herself was a very simple person, she didn’t use these things. Last time after interviewing Feng Yuexi, we searched their apartment and didn’t find any of these things.”

She had just finished saying these words when she suddenly gave a start.

Because Bo Jinyan had grasped her hand tightly without batting an eyelid.

“She must have bought them for other uses.” Bo Jinyan lightly said. The morning sunshine shone on his face; as the car moved along, the rays and shadows interlaced, his pale and wan face was like a quiet statue.

Jian Yao wanted to pull her hand out, but the grip of his fingers was very firm, so she couldn’t.

Fang Qing said, “Maybe she bought these things to hide them? A few days ago, I saw a news broadcast, a girl always went to the mall to steal brand-name items, but she never wore them outside, only wearing them to look at herself in the mirror. When she went outside, she would only wear a cheap t-shirt and jeans.”

This conjecture was a bit interesting, but even Bo Jinyan could not come to a conclusion right now. Yet whether this detail and her death had any link, no one knew where to find out.

“Could it be that she bought all this for her mother?” An Yan said.

Fang Qing replied, “Are you dumb? These are all brands that young girls use, how could she have bought them for her mom? And which girl gives her mom gifts every month?”

Jian Yao’s heart shook a little, she felt that what Fang Qing said touched at something, but she couldn’t be sure. Her hand was still firmly grasped by Bo Jinyan, she couldn’t pull it out even if she wanted to.

Yet in Bo Jinyan’s heart at this moment, he had a gushing feeling of satisfaction. Feeling that she wanted to escape, he decided to pretend that he didn’t know. Instead, he used his thumb to gently scratch the back of her hand. She then lowered her head, no longer moving.

Bo Jinyan’s heart had an inexplicable surge of a wave of blood. He sat quietly for a long while, before opening his mouth to speak, “Let’s invite Feng Yuexi back to ask some more questions.”

His casually stated sentence caused Jian Yao and the others to give a slight start. Feng Yuexi’s image floated into their minds – wearing brands from head to toe, a face with exquisitely applied makeup. In comparison to Nie Shijun’s abnormal living habits, would there be a connection?

Yet when Feng Yuexi was invited back to the police station, she clearly expressed that she had no inkling of all of this.

Compared to the shock and sorrow she had when she was last brought to the police station, the Feng Yuexi today appeared to be a lot more calm and quiet. However, she also seemed kind of gaunt, both eyes had dark circles; it was evident that she did not sleep well.

“I’m not sure,” Feng Yuexi clasped her hands together, at a loss as she spoke, “We would sometimes go to the mall together to buy some things, but I didn’t know she bought this many, and I’ve never seen her use them ah.”

Fang Qing asked, “Could it be that she bought them for someone else?”

“I’m not sure.”

Fang Qing changed his line of questioning, “Then did she ever gift you with these kinds of things?”

Feng Yuexi was silent for a little before replying, “Yes. When I celebrated my birthday, she gifted me with an outfit, for New Year she gifted me a tube of lipstick. But when she celebrated her birthday, I also bought her a cake and gave her presents.”

The police also interviewed Nie Shijun’s family members and colleagues, but they all expressed that they had no knowledge of Nie Shijun’s purchasing habits, in line with what Feng Yuexi said. This trail ended here as there temporarily wasn’t any worthwhile information. Bo Jinyan and Shao Yong both thought that if they continued to investigate, they should look into Nie Shijun’s university days and see if they could find a breakthrough. Thus, Shao Yong also dispatched a team to follow this lead, and in the end, there was actually a reward, but that’s a story for later.

Night had fallen, they had finished their initial inspection of those who lived in the houses close to Nie Shijun without finding an obvious suspect.

The full moon was like a silver plate giving off light, hanging in the sky. Jian Yao had finished organising the investigative notes of the officers and taken them into the office, when she saw Bo Jinyan sitting there by himself, using the finger reader to “read” the files, Fang Qing and An Yan both were not there.

Jian Yao was speechless.

Reminiscing over what happened in the car earlier, it was only when the car arrived at the police station that he let go of her hand. Yet her thoughts were a mess, and she had immediately exited the car. In truth, she didn’t know what she was trying to resist, but she would unconsciously resist him trying to get closer.

Bo Jinyan originally was preoccupied with reading the files when he heard her enter, unexpectedly, he did not lift his head. It was as if they were still in Beijing, in their cozy home, him reading his dossiers, and her accompanying him.

“Jian Yao,” he suddenly began speaking, “Can you describe for me the appearance of the victim, Nie Shijun? Your impression of her.”

Jian Yao gave a slight start, “Did An Yan not tell you?”

“He did, but his observation skills are crude, and lacks perceptiveness towards human nature, nothing like how detailed you are.” He paused for a bit before continuing, “Often, it is only you whose impression is the same as mine.”

Jian Yao was silent for a bit, then said, “Alright. Looking at Nie Shijun…. She seems peaceful, quiet, introverted; she has flat eyebrows, the bridge of her nose is quite high, her lips are thin. Looking at her, she seems plain and uninteresting, but… personally, I feel like she’s not some easily-bullied, delicate character. The expression in her eyes seem a little gloomy, as if she was hiding something, giving me a bit of a weird feeling.”

Bo Jinyan thought for a bit, he knocked his fingers on the table, then slowly said, “Right now in my heart, I have some guesses. But I am still missing some details to confirm it. The amount of details I can “observe” is too little.” He paused for a bit before continuing, “If I could see Nie Shijun’s face, if I could more accurately determine her behavioural characteristics, then I can confirm my inferences.”

Jian Yao didn’t say anything.

After a while, he said, “Jian Yao, I am sorry.”

He said, “I will return, but not right now.”

He said, “I promise I will bring back the corpses of these killers.”

Jian Yao teared up, she lifted her head, only to see his pale, stubborn, yet handsome face. The black night sky was behind him, and so was the starlight. In the dimness, he seemed to have become a portrait of eternity, frozen in her field of vision. Then he stood up, his hand supported by the table, slowly feeling his way towards her. He took off the sunglasses he was wearing, closed his eyes, and lowered his head to kiss her. Jian Yao had never rejected his kisses before, and in this instance, she could not reject them either. His lips moved along her face, her tears shifted, like a bomb that had been buried for a long time, one that was on the verge of exploding within their bodies. His kisses became more and more intense, the grip of the two hands on her shoulders became tighter and tighter.

After a long while, his lips finally moved away. Jian Yao’s two hands caressed his pair of eyes, tears streaming down her face.

At that moment, someone burst inside, it was Fang Qing. Looking at the scene, he stared blankly for a little, then said, “They found a second body, it’s the Butterfly Killer again!”