Chapter 107 Do you know what pain is? I do.

He paused slightly, then clearly uttered three words:

"Crescent Moon".

Crescent moon!

These three words were like a spell, instantly striking Su Xiaonuan!

She felt a tingling sensation in her back molars, then her vision went black for a moment, becoming blurry and dizzy. She seemed to hear Ji Xianjun's dying words echoing in her ears, and the eerie red moon drawn with dried blood that she had seen under the bridge at Xuehu Park that night, along with that string of bloody numbers—

She understood everything!

Why did Han Ming find her so accurately? Why did he know so much about her? Why did he extend an olive branch to her time and time again?

That chance encounter at the Cultural Square was no coincidence at all; it was a carefully planned test!

He was testing whether Zhao Liyue, who was next to her, was an undercover police officer!

Zhao Liyue's subconscious protectiveness and professional demeanor confirmed his suspicions, which is why he laughed it off and left easily!

What he wanted to confirm was not her cooking skills at all, but the extent to which she cooperated with the police!

After Han Ming finished speaking, the private room fell into a deathly silence.

An Ran looked blankly at Han Ming, then at Su Xiaonuan, whose face was pale but whose eyes were sharp as knives. Suddenly, she felt a chill run from the soles of her feet to the top of her head.

Su Xiaonuan forced herself to break free from the dizziness. She took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in her heart, and met Han Ming's seemingly smiling but unfathomable peach blossom eyes. Her voice was somewhat hoarse and cold due to her extreme restraint:

“Mr. Han, I appreciate your ‘appreciation’.” She deliberately emphasized the word “appreciation” with a strong sense of sarcasm. “However, before considering any invitations, I have a question I must ask you.”

Su Xiaonuan's cold question echoed in the quiet private room, carrying an undeniable firmness.

Her gaze was fixed on Han Ming, and she asked, word by word:

"What exactly is the purpose of your 'Crescent Moon'... serial killings?"

Han Ming seemed to have expected her to ask this question. There was no surprise on his face. Instead, he chuckled and leaned back on the sofa, relaxed, as if the witty conversation had never happened.

He picked up his coffee and took another sip, his tone becoming somewhat distant:

"Before answering this question, Miss Su, would you be interested in hearing a story from me?"

Su Xiaonuan frowned but did not answer. However, her tense body and fixed gaze showed that she was listening.

Han Ming didn't seem to care. His gaze seemed to pierce through the rising steam of the coffee, looking towards a distant past. His tone was calm, almost indifferent, as he began to speak:

“I was born into a… fairly wealthy family. Perhaps because of that, from the time I can remember, I seem to be particularly ‘attractive’ to kidnappers.” He twitched the corner of his mouth, revealing a self-deprecating smile. “At five, I was abducted at the kindergarten gate; at six, I was taken away after being separated from my group in an amusement park; at seven, I was stuffed into a sack on my way home from school… In total, there were probably four or five times.”

His tone was so calm, as if he were talking about someone else's business, but Su Xiaonuan and An Ran could both imagine how terrifying that experience must have been for a child.

"It's quite a coincidence, or perhaps it's just the way fate is playing tricks on us." Han Ming's gaze shifted to Su Xiaonuan, his eyes filled with something complex and hard to decipher. "Every time, the person who rescued me from those kidnappers was the same policeman—your adoptive father, Su Guangming, Senior Su."

Su Xiaonuan's pupils contracted slightly, and her fingers tightened around the cup.

Her adoptive father's image flashed through her mind—that man who always had a hearty smile and a strong sense of justice.

Han Ming continued, his voice still calm, but upon closer listening, one could detect a very subtle tremor: "Every time he found me, he would pat my head and say, 'Kid, don't be afraid, it's alright.' He had a reassuring scent about him... like pine wood that had been baked in the sun."

Su Xiaonuan's gaze towards Han Ming became extremely complex.

She never expected that this seemingly righteous yet wicked man, connected to a mysterious organization, would have such a connection with her adoptive father.

"Until the very last time." Han Ming's voice deepened, and the air in the private room seemed to freeze. "That time, my sister was kidnapped along with me..."

He paused for a long time, so long that Su Xiaonuan thought he wouldn't continue.

He finally spoke again, his voice terribly hoarse:

“Those people… they’re a bunch of beasts. They did that to my sister right in front of me…” He seemed to be trying hard to remain calm, but his hands, resting on his knees, unconsciously clenched into fists, his knuckles turning white. “I had my ribs broken, my mouth gagged, and I was tied to a chair. I couldn’t do anything… I could only watch… and listen…”

An Ran's face turned deathly pale instantly. She instinctively covered her mouth, her eyes filled with terror and reluctance.

Han Ming took a deep breath, as if trying to suppress that unbearable memory. When he raised his head again, his face had regained its previous calm, but his peach blossom eyes no longer held any smile, only icy hatred and emptiness.

“My sister didn’t make it to Senior Su’s rescue… She died in that abandoned factory.” He forced a grimacing smile. “Since then, some things have taken root in my heart and I can never get rid of them.”

He looked at Su Xiaonuan with a sharp gaze: "This is why I joined 'Crescent Moon'."

“Crescent Moon is not some insane organization that indiscriminately kills innocent people.” He said firmly, “Our purpose is ‘purification’.”

He stared into Su Xiaonuan's eyes and said, word by word, "The two cases you came into contact with before, Xuehu Park, Youming Hotel... those two 'victims,' the files they had contained more than five lives. They deserved to die."

Su Xiaonuan was completely stunned.

She never imagined that behind those two brutal and seemingly random serial murders lay such a reason and logic.

Han Ming's narration, and the unfathomable pain and hatred in his eyes, did not seem fake.

Her shock and vigilance were mixed with a complex mix of emotions that were hard to describe.

She understands the extreme thoughts that can arise from the pain of losing a loved one, witnessing a tragedy and being powerless to stop it.

but……

Han Ming looked at her changing expression, his features softened a little, and his tone became sincere: "Su Xiaonuan, you are the adopted daughter of Senior Su Guangming. He is the person I admire most in my life. He taught me what justice is and what it means to protect. I believe that you, who were raised by him, have the same passion and integrity flowing in your veins as he did."