Make up. Take your time to think about it. ”

"Um……"

Ji Bai looked at her red face and wanted to tease her, but he heard hurried footsteps. Zhao Han almost strode to the door.

"Boss, I just received news that a third body was found in the woods. The preliminary time of death was determined to be last night."

Ji Bai and Xu Xu were both shocked and looked towards the interrogation room across the corridor at the same time.

Lin Qingyan was in there all night, and the third body appeared at this time.

☆、60v Chapter

The vast mountains are green and endless. However, the mountain road was not as quiet as usual.

Cars with signs saying "XX TV" or "XX Newspaper" kept passing by. There were also groups of college students riding or walking up the mountain, and the atmosphere was noisy and tense.

Ji Bai frowned and asked, "What's going on?"

Zhao Han hung up the phone and replied, "I have found out: it was a group of students who first discovered the body, and the deceased was also a college student. Now the whole Lin City has heard about it. These are volunteers from several universities who want to go up the mountain to participate in the search. Da Hu and the others are already trying to persuade them."

Although the police stopped most people at the foot of the mountain, many people still went up the mountain before the police set up roadblocks. Several media vehicles blocked the narrow mountain road, and groups of college students could be seen everywhere.

It was already afternoon when Ji Bai and others "broke through the siege" and arrived at the crime scene. Reporters and students were blocked outside the blockade and were making a lot of noise. When they saw Ji Bai and others, the flash lights kept flashing. Another student asked loudly: "When will the police catch the serial killer?"

Ji Bai kept a sullen face and did not answer. He led a few senior detectives and Xu Xu to the corpse-discharging site.

——

This is a secluded cave. The police searchlight illuminates the interior of the cave. The body lies deep in the cave, in the same posture, with the same peaceful face.

Da Hu had been running around the forest area these days. When he saw everyone, he immediately stepped forward and said, "The deceased is Shen Hongmiao, a senior student at Lin University."

Da Hu briefly explained the reason: It turned out that Chen Hongmiao was a member of Lin University's outdoor sports club, and ten days ago he went into the mountains alone for an outdoor hiking trip. The forest area was so large that the patrolmen didn't know where she entered the mountains from. Two days after her scheduled return date, her classmates found that they could not contact her, so they spontaneously organized a search and rescue team to go into the mountains and contacted the local police. Unexpectedly, her body was found soon. I don't know which villager told me that more than one person had died, so the matter became a big deal.

Ji Bai, Old Wu, and Xu Xu walked towards the corpse. The forensic doctor had done a preliminary appraisal and told them: "The preliminary determination of the time of death was between 8 and 10 last night. Like the previous two bodies, he died of potassium cyanide poisoning, and the other injuries were basically the same."

Xu Xu asked: "Is it possible for the murderer to delay the time of death?"

The forensic doctor shook his head, "Impossible. Potassium cyanide is a special toxin. It causes instant death within 5-8 seconds after ingestion, and there will be specific reactions in the skin, eyelids, etc. These reactions will not change due to environmental factors such as temperature and humidity, so the estimation of the time of death is relatively accurate."

Everyone was silent. Looking at the body again, he saw a lot of messy footprints scattered in the mud around it. Da Hu frowned and said, "They were left by the students."

Old Wu was an expert in tracking footsteps. He squatted down and carefully checked along the edge of the body. After a while, he raised his flashlight and pointed at the ground beside the waist of the body: "Look, does it look familiar?"

I saw a shallow footprint in the half-hard and half-loose mud. Xu Xu immediately took out the photo of the footprints next to the second body from the information bag. Old Wu explored for a while and nodded: "The length and pattern of the footprints are exactly the same. They were left by the same person."

Da Hu looked at Ji Bai and said, "Boss, it seems that it is not Lin Qingyan?"

Before Ji Bai could answer, Old Wu stood up and said, "That's not necessarily the case. There are two possibilities: one, Lin Qingyan is indeed innocent; two, Lin Qingyan has an accomplice."

Xu Xu frowned, staring at the corpse and said, "This possibility is too small... How could this happen?"

Everyone looked over and heard her say in a very serious tone: "From the murderer's modus operandi, it can be seen that he attached great importance to establishing a close relationship with the deceased. This relationship is personal, private, and exclusive. And from the criminal history, such psychopaths almost always work alone. Sharing is meaningless to them.

But if Lin Qingyan has no accomplice, that means there is a second person who completely fits the profile of the criminal. In other words, at the same time, in the same place, and in the same case, two people who fit a specific profile appeared? This probability is really..."

Before she finished, Ji Bai interrupted her in a deep voice: "Xu Xu, let's get back to the physical evidence."

Xu Xu's heart trembled, and he looked around calmly and said, "This case is quite complicated. Let's not make any assumptions for now, as this will mislead our thinking. Let's just look at the evidence.

What I know now is: 1. Judging from the time of the crime, the person who killed Shen Hongmiao must be another person. 2. Chen Hongmiao entered the mountain ten days ago and his body was found today. During this period, our police forces stationed around the mountainous area did not find any suspicious vehicles entering or leaving. This means that the house where the murderer imprisoned her was in the mountains.

I will immediately request police force to search the entire mountain area. Once we find the murderer's lair, everything will come to light. ”

Everyone was shocked, and Xu Xu also suddenly understood. At this time, Ji Bai's cell phone rang. He picked up the phone and said, "Director...Yes, I understand. I'll be right there." He hung up the phone and said, "I have to go to the province to report this case directly to the governor and the provincial public security bureau. Old Wu, you will take charge of the case for me temporarily. In addition, the provincial criminal investigation team should take over this case."

Everyone nodded, and Zhao Han asked, "The bureau said that Lin Qingyan's detention time has expired, so they can only release him first."

Ji Bai nodded calmly, turned around, walked a few steps, then turned back and glanced at Xu Xu. Xu Xu nodded at him, indicating that he would take good care of himself, and then he strode away.

——

Not long after Ji Bai left, the criminal police had just finished surveying the scene when they received news: the captain of the provincial criminal police team would personally take charge of the case, and Ji Bai would be his deputy.

When the provincial team captain and his men arrived at the scene, it was already dark. Carloads of police were also transferred from other cities and counties. The captain conveyed the director's order: Everyone should be mobilized, and the murderer must be found even if it means searching the entire mountain area.

In the evening, Xu Xu, Lao Wu and others hurriedly finished their meal and began to equip themselves with bulletproof vests, batons, etc. Xu Xu looked at the thick bulletproof vest—tracking in the mountains required long periods of intense running. After a moment of silence, she did not put it on, but went to the provincial team captain's command car in front to find him.

As soon as I walked to the front of the car, I saw the captain holding a mobile phone and making a call: "Why didn't you tell me earlier that your wife was pregnant? I thought it was something urgent and you called me in a hurry. OK, I understand. I asked her to stay behind and be responsible for logistics..."

Xu Xu was slightly startled, a warm feeling surged in his heart, and he turned around and walked back.

——

It was already the next night when Xu Xu saw Ji Bai again.

The mountains seemed much quieter that day, and the students had been persuaded to leave. The media was also under control, with only dozens of newspapers and magazines allowed to enter the mountains and operate in specific areas. The provincial department also hopes that they can make some objective and positive reports to calm the emotions of the citizens.

Hundreds of police officers are scattered in the mountains and fields, tracking the suspect without sleep. However, the mountainous area stretches for thousands of kilometers, and it is impossible to conduct a thorough inspection without ten days or half a month. There was no progress for a while.

It was late at night and Lao Wu and the others were all out. Xu Xu lived in a row of farmhouses temporarily requisitioned at the foot of the mountain. Police logistics personnel and media personnel all stayed there overnight. She was half asleep and heard Ji Bai talking on the phone outside the house: "...Yes, I just arrived at the foot of the mountain. OK, then I'll wait for your car to pick me up."

Xu Xu sat up immediately and saw Ji Bai push open the door and walk in. The moonlight dimly reflected on his face. He looked very tired, but his eyes were bright and sharp.

"I'll rest for a while and leave soon." His voice was a little hoarse.

Xu Xu got out of bed and poured him a glass of water. Ji Bai hugged her in his arms, drank the water in one gulp, and asked softly, "Are you okay these two days?"

"nothing and you?"

"What can I do?" He smiled.

The two of them were silent for a while, and Xu Xu said, "I have been thinking about this murderer for the past two days, but I still can't figure it out."

Ji Bai had been on the road for the past two days, and was also reporting on his work at the provincial department. He had no time to think deeply about the case. After hearing what she said, he simply nodded: "We still have some time, let's analyze it carefully. Where's the paper and pen?"

Xu Xu immediately pulled out a pen and paper from under his pillow, and also took out a few photos of the murder. Ji Bai thought about the baby in her belly and could only smile bitterly in his heart and touch her head.

Xu Xu listed the previous screening conditions for the murderer one by one. Ji Bai looked at them intently, pondered for a moment, and looked up at her: "What does that sentence say? Eliminate all the impossible, and the remaining one, no matter how incredible it is, is the truth of the fact."

Xu Xu nodded.

Ji Bai: "So, even though you said that the probability of two people who fit the description appearing at the same time is very small, this is the fact. The second person definitely exists. If we catch him, Lin Qingyan's problem and the truth of the case will be solved."

He took the pen from her and ticked off the items one by one: "I have always believed that the screening criteria you mentioned last time are correct. You see, some conditions are listed in parallel, but some cannot be screened. For example, we can compile a list of 'people who have recently suffered from serious illnesses', but we cannot compile a list of 'people who have recently suffered a major setback in their careers'. So this person must have been missed here."

Xu Xu's heart was shocked, and his mind was working fast. Before he finished marking on the paper, he blurted out: "So, this person is a forum expert who has recently suffered a huge setback in his career. He was probably still a college student when the 'Angel Case' happened. We don't have any records of him frequently going in and out of the forest area in the past few months because he lives in the forest area and is very familiar with it! And you said yesterday that he also has a house in the forest area!"

When she finished speaking, Ji Bai had just finished marking on the paper. They both looked down at the paper, and it was exactly the same as what she said!

The two looked at each other and saw the excitement in each other's eyes. Ji Bai stood up and made a phone call: "I'm Ji Bai, check it out right away: working and living in the mountainous area, between 22 and 26 years old, college graduate, recently demoted or punished male, size 42 feet, with a work car and independent housing, possibly a forest ranger, mountain teacher, firefighter, patrolman or other public servant..."

On the other end of the phone, the police officer in charge of information technology in the bureau was a little confused: "Captain Ji, who are you looking for? You know everything so clearly..."

Ji Bai: "Give me the answer as quickly as possible."

After hanging up the phone, he was silent for a moment and said, "I'm leaving."

Xu Xu: "Be careful."

He glanced at the environment outside the door. It was a small farmyard. It was quiet and dark at midnight. He turned to look at Xu Xu and said, "The identity of the murderer is unknown right now. It's safer here with the police patrolling. Try to stay in the house and don't walk around casually."

Xu Xu nodded.

☆、Chapter 61v

Two days later at noon.

The autumn sun is warm and bright. The mountains appear even greener, deeper, vaster and more boundless.

Xu Xu spent the entire morning in a farmhouse at the foot of the mountain, sorting out case information with a few colleagues. It was almost noon when she returned to her room to rest, only to see a text message on her phone.

It was Yao Meng: "Are you at the farmhouse at the foot of the mountain? My colleagues and I are also in the mountains, and we would like to come and talk to you later. Are you free?"

Xu Xu understood - Yao Meng's magazine was also allowed to enter the mountainous area for interviews. She called immediately, but the line was always busy.

——

Yao Meng is talking to Lin Qingyan on the phone.

She went into the mountains early this morning. Her magazine focuses on women's health and lifestyle, and this serial killer case will be a hot topic. She is a criminal psychologist by training, so she can certainly reach more profound and accurate conclusions than ordinary reporters when she leads the interview.

She also has selfish motives. If the existence of the mountain killer is true, it will clear Lin Qingyan of suspicion. So subconsciously, she also held her breath and wanted to do this for him.

But Lin Qingyan didn't know she was coming to the mountainous area in advance and thought she was working overtime at the company. When the phone call came at this moment, he realized something was wrong, and there was displeasure in his voice: "Why did you go there? I heard that the murderer has not been caught yet. It's too dangerous."

Yao Meng was sitting in an interview car with two colleagues. They were in an open space at the foot of the mountain, which was temporarily used as a parking lot. There were cars and people everywhere, and it was very noisy. She smiled and replied, "It's okay. My colleagues and I are in a safe place. The police won't let us go to unsafe places." Then she changed the subject and softened her voice: "Have you taken your medicine on time?"

Lin Qingyan was silent for a moment, and then he calmed down: "I ate it. Honey, please come back early. It's not safe in the mountains, I'm worried."

Yao Meng had not yet completed her interview task, but when she heard his whispers at this moment, she felt pity and pain in her heart, and had an urge to see him immediately. She looked at the sky and saw that it was still early, so she answered, "Well, I'll be back now."

“Take the main road and keep your phone on.”

"good."

After hanging up the phone, Yao Meng said to his two colleagues, "I'm going back to the city first, you guys continue with the rest. Call me anytime if you have any questions."

She drove away from the foot of the mountain and drove on the mountain road for a while. She saw a police roadblock ahead and was about to drive onto the main road. She wanted to report to Lin Qingyan that she was safe, so she took out her cell phone and saw a missed call from Xu Xu.

"Xu Xu, I was on the phone just now."

Xu Xu was worried because he couldn't get through to her on the phone, and was about to call the district patrol to look for her. Only now did he feel relieved.

After Xu Xu finished talking with Yao Meng last time, he saw Lin Qingyan’s confession, in which he admitted that he approached Yao Meng with ulterior motives. Although she was not sure whether Lin Qingyan was related to the case, she always felt uncomfortable when she thought of this person. She felt the need to remind Yao Meng again, but she had been busy with a case in the mountains since then. Now that Yao Meng had found her, she replied, "It's okay. When are you coming over? I have something to tell you, too."

Yao Meng originally wanted to say that he was going back to the city, but when he heard her tone change, he stopped talking and asked, "What do you want to tell me? It doesn't matter, just say it."

Xu Xu paused, then explained the relationship between Lin Qingyan and Feng Ye, and then said, "I think you need to know this."

Yao Meng was silent for a while, then answered, "Thank you, Xu Xu. But Qingyan told me about this matter when he came back from the police station that day. He... told me everything. Now I just want to spend the last moments with him."

Xu Xu: "But I still think you should be careful about him."

Yao Meng felt a little uncomfortable, but she held back and said, "How about this, let's talk in person. Where are you?"

Xu Xu thought she was not far from the mountain area, so he told her the address. Yao Meng said, "Okay, I'll call you when I get there."

Xu Xu: "Okay. I'll pick you up at the farmhouse."

——

At this time, Ji Bai was sitting in the woods halfway up the mountain with a dozen policemen, drinking water and chewing the dry food they brought with them. Everyone's face was gray and dusty, but the coldness and determination in their eyes were exactly the same.

"Are you done eating? Let's go." Ji Bai stood up and said in a deep voice, but at this moment his cell phone rang.

It was a colleague from Lin City's Information Technology Department, and his voice was filled with uncontrollable excitement: "Captain Ji, we really found someone who meets the requirements!"

"explain!"

"Tan Liang, 25 years old, graduated from a forestry university. At the beginning of this year, he was transferred from the county forestry department to the forest area as a forest ranger. He must have made a mistake at work. He has a work car, lives alone in the mountains, and his shoe size is 42 on the labor protection supplies registration form. By the way, the victim of the second case was in the area he was responsible for, and he is still in the mountains..."

Tan Liang's photo and residential address were quickly transferred to Ji Bai's mobile phone. The man in the photo was wearing a dark green ranger uniform and a pair of glasses. He was handsome, young, and fair-skinned. His eyes were very calm and there was nothing unusual about him.

Ji Bai: "Send the photo to the captains of each search team and ask them to keep an eye out for this person. We don't have any evidence yet, so if you see him, detain him first."

——

Tan Liang's solitary house is on a high mountain. The huge courtyard was silent, and a few green cement houses were filled with sunlight.

Ji Bai led the group and carefully surrounded them from all directions. At his command, everyone rushed in with guns - but they found the house empty, and there was no sign of Tan Liang.

Ji Bai looked around carefully. The furnishings in the house were very simple, clean and tidy, and there was nothing unusual to see. A criminal police officer hung up the phone and said, "The Forestry Department said that they couldn't contact Tan Liang since yesterday."

If everyone didn't quite understand why Ji Bai locked on Tan Liang as the suspect at the beginning, now that they saw this man disappearing for no reason, they began to suspect him.

At this time, another criminal police officer finished checking the traces in the yard and ran over to report: "Captain Ji, judging from the wheel marks, he drove a forestry work vehicle down the mountain."

Ji Bai shouted in a deep voice: "Chase!"

——

Ji Bai led his team down the mountain and met a team of patrol police on the mountainside. After communication, they said that they did see a forest ranger's work vehicle passing by three hours ago.

Ji Bai looked at the direction they were pointing, and his heart suddenly tightened - the farmhouse where Xu Xu was was in this direction.

He got into the patrol car, took out his cell phone and called Xu Xu, but the line was always busy. The signal in the mountains was intermittent and later we couldn't get through.

The foot of the mountain was no longer peaceful at this moment. Several police cars were running back and forth, tracking down Tan Liang's whereabouts. The patrol car had just arrived at the farmhouse gate, and before it had even stopped, Ji Bai pushed the door open and jumped out, rushing into the yard in two or three steps.

There were supposed to be two policemen on duty in the hospital, but they were nowhere to be seen. Xu Xu's door was slightly ajar, and it was quiet inside. Ji Bai's breathing stopped instantly. He strode over and pushed the door open with a clang.

The sun was still and there was no one around.

Ji Bai felt his heart drop. He turned around and looked at the policemen who followed him in: "Where is she? Where is she?"

No one could answer, so Ji Bai rushed out with a livid face, took out his cell phone and continued to dial her number. Unexpectedly, it worked this time. Ji Bai stopped suddenly and heard her voice: "Ji Bai..." The voice was a little trembling.

"Where are you? Is everything alright?"

"I'm on the mountain road, I'm fine." Xu Xu's breathing seemed to be a little sluggish, "But Yao Meng might have been in trouble."

——

Ji Bai rushed to the place Xu Xu mentioned. This is a remote mountain road, and there are already more than a dozen police officers gathered there. Xu Xu was standing in the crowd, her face pale - when she received the photo of Tan Liang sent by the team, she could no longer contact Yao Meng.

There was a forest ranger's work vehicle parked beside the mountain road. The license plate number was Tan Liang's, but there was no one inside at the moment. There were two traces of sudden braking on the ground next to it. A criminal police officer came over and said to Ji Bai, "Boss, look at the wheel marks. They match the BMW driven by Yao Meng."

Several hours had passed since Tan Liang came down the mountain, which meant that Yao Meng had probably been held hostage for some time.

Ji Bai looked at the wheel marks on the ground: "Notify everyone to track this car!"

——

After an unknown amount of time, Yao Meng gradually regained some consciousness. But my head still felt heavy and I couldn't open my eyes. She knew it was the aftereffect of the anesthetic.

Some fragmentary memories also emerged in her mind: she turned the car around and walked back... a green work truck rushed out from the roadside... she got out of the car to check the condition of the car, and a handsome and fair-skinned stranger walked towards her in the opposite direction, wearing a forest ranger uniform, and smiled at her politely and apologized...

Then her chest felt numb - it was the tranquilizer gun! Rangers all have tranquilizer guns!

Where is this? In a trance, she saw a dark rock wall. Was it a cave?

She tried hard to open her eyes, but felt someone pinching her chin, and then a light sweet liquid was poured into her.

No...don't...

She had read the information about the Angel Killer case. It smelled like a Japanese aphrodisiac...

Her consciousness gradually became more and more blurred, and she felt her body getting hotter and hotter. She heard a familiar voice moaning, and after a while, she realized that it was herself. Then she felt a pair of strong hands hugging her. A strange, warm body covered her, and the man entered her fiercely.

This process was extremely long for Yao Meng. Most of the time, she was in a coma. When she woke up occasionally, it was pitch black around her. Coupled with the effect of the drugs, she couldn't see anything clearly. She seemed to have said a lot of words, but she couldn't remember a word. The only impression she had was that the man tossed her over and over, as if he would never be satisfied.

Later everything finally stopped. There was no light in the cave, and she felt the man standing in the darkness, looking down at her. She could only say in a daze: "Don't kill me... I can't die... Qingyan save me... Qingyan save me..."

☆、Chapter 62v

The mountain in front of us is majestic and silent. It is said to be the most dangerous and highest mountain nearby. Even local people rarely go up there.

Several teams surrounded the mountain from all directions. The vanguard had already rushed to the middle of the mountain, and several bright white flashlights were flashing in the night.

The criminal police tracked Yao Meng's car and found this place immediately, but about six hours had passed since she was kidnapped.

Ji Bai also led a team of people, climbing up along the dark path. His face was tense and silent - when the news of Yao Meng's accident came, the entire criminal police team felt deeply saddened.

After climbing over a steep rock wall, a deep forest appeared in front of us. Several special police officers who had arrived earlier were searching in the forest. Suddenly, someone shouted loudly: "Here!"

The flashlight cast a blurry light and shadows in the forest, and I saw a figure crouching motionless in the low muddy ground ahead. She was only wearing a shirt that barely covered her thighs, and many red and purple marks could be seen; her long hair fell like a waterfall, revealing half of her beautiful face - who else could it be but Yao Meng?

The special police surrounded her, all in silence. Ji Bai squatted down beside Yao Meng, picked up her wrist, and suddenly looked up: "She's still alive!"

——

Xu Xu and the others stayed at the foot of the mountain and waited.

She was very worried. According to her judgment, the suspect's mentality had already shown some signs of madness. He was at the end of his rope at this moment, and Yao Meng would only be seen by him as his last feast.

After waiting for a while, I suddenly saw a group of people running down the mountain road ahead. One of them was holding someone in his arms. Xu Xu's heart was in his throat, and he hurried over with the others.

"Doctor!" "Doctor!" many people were shouting.

Yao Meng was put into the ambulance and wrapped in a blanket. The accompanying doctor quickly checked and breathed a sigh of relief: "It's okay, he fainted."

At this moment, Yao Meng woke up, opened her eyes and looked at everyone. Her gaze hesitated for a moment, and suddenly her face darkened, with pain in her eyes that could not be concealed.

"It's okay, you're okay." Xu Xu held her hand.

Yao Meng stared at the gray roof of the car, tears falling from her eyes. Seeing this, the policemen beside the car remained silent and walked aside.

Xu Xu's tears also fell silently. After a moment of silence, she said softly, "Don't think about anything, have a good rest, I'm here with you."

Yao Meng met her gaze and remained silent for a moment.

She didn't escape on her own.

The residual effect of the drug had not yet worn off, and her head still felt heavy. Her memory of escaping from the cave was also vague and fragmented.

She remembered that when she woke up, there was a candlelight in the cave. At a glance, she saw the ranger from before, with his lower body naked, lying on a small bed next to her. Her hands and feet were bound with chains, and she was lying on a blanket on the floor beside the bed, looking miserable.

She was terribly frightened, but she couldn't break free from the chains; she wanted to kill him, but she had no strength left in her body.

Just then, she saw a tall figure walking in from the cave entrance. She watched him approach in a daze. He was wearing half-worn clothes of a forestry worker and a baseball cap with the brim pulled down low. He had a beard and her features could not be seen clearly. He took a bunch of keys from the table, walked up to her, and after a few tries, he opened the chain.

She suddenly fell into his arms, and his strong arms held her tightly, so tight that it was a little hard for her to breathe, and he supported her and walked out of the cave.

After they got out of the cave, he held her hand and walked with her until they could vaguely see the light of a flashlight in front of them. He suddenly let go of her and slipped into the woods nearby. The back figure looked strange, yet familiar. Where had she been seen before? So impressive?

"Are you..." she asked hoarsely, "You are not dead... why..."

The man paused, but walked faster and soon disappeared. But she was exhausted and fell to the ground again after taking a few steps.

…

Yao Meng slowly struggled to get up, and Xu Xu quickly supported her. She pointed to the silent mountain ahead and whispered, "He's in a cave. I can't remember the exact location... It should be in a forest in the west, near the top of the mountain."

——

Xu Xu wanted to go with the doctor to send Yao Meng to the nearest hospital, but Yao Meng firmly refused.

“No need.” Her face was expressionless, and her eyes were a little empty. “I want to wait here. Xu Xu, I want to be alone.”

Without waiting for Xu Xu to say anything else, she closed her eyes and stopped looking at her.

——

The forest becomes increasingly cold in the middle of the night, and the shadows of the trees sway like ghosts in the moonlight.

Ji Bai led a team of people and slowly approached the cave under the cliff in front.

The cave is quiet and deep, looking like a black hole. There was a faint glow of fire coming through the cave entrance, and there was someone inside.

More and more police gathered outside the cave. Da Hu received the news from the rear, walked to Ji Bai's side, and said in a low voice: "Yao Meng has woken up, and the direction she said was also this way. It should be this cave."

Ji Bai waved his hand with a serious face, and a man behind him holding a searchlight suddenly shone it into the cave. Sure enough, there was a figure standing in the cave. Perhaps startled by the light, he quickly turned sideways and stuck to the rock wall. Behind him, one could vaguely see a small bed, a table and chairs, a low cabinet, and several chains hanging on the ground.

"Tan Liang, you are surrounded, put down your weapon and come out immediately!" someone shouted.

A figure flashed in the cave, and Ji Bai shouted in a low voice: "Be careful!" Just as the voice fell, two "bang bang" sounds were heard, and the person inside seemed to laugh softly.

"It's a tranquilizer gun!" Da Hu was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat. Fortunately, no one was injured.

There was a "clang" sound, and Tan Liang threw something on the ground, and then a figure slowly walked out of the cave.

Everyone was standing ready with guns in hand. Ji Bai concentrated his gun and aimed at his forehead. If there was any abnormal movement, he would be shot immediately.

He stepped gradually into the light. The ranger's uniform was a little messy, but his expression was calm. The bright light shone on his face, revealing a strange and creepy white. And those beautiful eyes were black and bright.

"Put your hands on your head and lie down!" Da Hu shouted.

A smile suddenly flashed across Tan Liang's face.

Ji Bai's heart was shocked, but it was too late. A trickle of blood had already flowed from the corner of Tan Liang's mouth, which was a sign of potassium cyanide poisoning, and the smile in his eyes became even more intense.

"This world is unfair." His voice was gentle. "At least my life has not been lived in vain."

Everyone watched him fall to the ground with his face up.

——

The light illuminated the entire forest where the cave was located, making it as bright as day. Police officers kept coming out of the cave, holding evidence bags and reporting to Ji Bai:

"Residues of potassium cyanide and aphrodisiacs were found."

"There was some women's hair in the cave, which has been collected."

"A receipt for a city car rental was found among the sundries - he rented the car using an alias and fake ID."

"There are some women's clothes in the closet, as well as Johnson's shower gel, razors, etc."

…

Ji Bai stood at the entrance of the cave with his hands behind his back, silent and solemn. People were coming and going around, the atmosphere was tense and solemn, only Tan Liang, his body covered with white cloth, was lying quietly on the muddy ground.

——

The news quickly spread down the mountain, and the entire foot of the mountain was in an uproar. More and more police from other areas gathered here, and the media staying in the farmhouse also flocked here. They were stopped by the police at the periphery, but their flashlights almost lit up the night.

Xu Xu had been sitting in a police car waiting. After receiving the confirmed news, she got off the car, walked through the noisy crowd, and went straight to Yao Meng who was not far away.

Yao Meng had already stood up and was sitting in the back of the ambulance, wrapped in a blanket and holding a cup of hot tea. Her emotions had calmed down, but her eyes were still red and her gaze was still empty.

Xu Xu walked up to her and whispered, "Tan Liang is dead."

Yao Meng's shoulders trembled slightly, and he nodded, with a sarcastic and cold smile on his lips.

Xu Xu wanted to say something, but nothing she said could alleviate the hurt she felt. Looking at her shrunken shoulders, Xu Xu's eyes welled up with tears again, but in the end he could only remain silent.

At this time, a person came to the car. It was Yao Meng's colleague. He handed her the phone and said softly, "It's Mr. Lin's call."

Yao Meng was silent for a moment, then she took the phone and put it to her ear. The tears that had already dried up welled up again: "Well... I'm here. Okay, I'll wait for you." After hanging up the phone, she raised her eyes and looked at Xu Xu.

"Qingyan will be here soon." She took a deep breath, her eyes becoming a little colder. "Now the murderer is dead, and I am like this too. Xu Xu, do you still insist on doubting Qingyan? Do you believe now that you were wrong? I shouldn't have turned back then..."

Before she finished speaking, Xu Xu felt a sharp pain in his chest, and his whole body became a little stiff. The two were silent for a moment, and Xu Xu whispered, "I'm sorry."

Yao Meng said nothing more and turned to look aside. Xu Xu said "I'm sorry" again, turned around and walked away silently.

——

When Ji Bai went down the mountain, it was already bright. There was a huge crowd of people, all very excited, wanting to see how the perverted serial killer died.

Feeling a little tired, he walked around the crowd and searched the parking lot for a while. Then he saw a familiar little figure standing next to a police car with his head down.

Only when he saw her did his hard heart soften. Ji Bai walked over quickly and stopped in front of her.

Looking at her red and wet eyes, Ji Bai did not ask any more questions, but gently held her in his arms.

Xu Xu felt upset and remained silent.

After a while, Ji Bai saw that she was looking behind him, so he turned around and looked over there.

It was an ambulance, with bright lights inside. Lin Qingyan's suit and hair were a little messy. He sat inside holding Yao Meng. His handsome face was tense and ashen, his eyes were cold and silent, and he didn't move at all.

Ji Bai withdrew his gaze calmly, staring at her with his clear black eyes: "Don't think about it, go home and rest first. I know what's going on."

Xu Xu said nothing, his eyes passed over his body and still stayed on Lin Qingyan. At this moment, as if he noticed her gaze, he slowly turned his face to the side and his eyes met hers.

The look was cold and painful, like every man who was angry and sad because of his lover's misfortune.

Xu Xu stared at him stubbornly.

After a while, the sadness in his eyes slowly subsided, and his slender eyebrows became calm. And the corners of those thin lips suddenly curled up into a smile.

No one looked in this direction at this moment, and no one noticed the change in his expression. Only Xu Xu's heart was shaken, with blood surging in his chest.

She had been exhausted these past few days, and now she was so angry that she couldn't utter a word. Her eyes went dark and she fainted in Ji Bai's arms.

☆、Chapter 63v

When Xu Xu woke up, he saw a small yellow lamp above his head and the gray ceiling looked unfamiliar.

Ji Bai sat in a chair beside the bed and slept with his clothes on. Outside the window was the dark, swaying night; his face looked particularly handsome and quiet under the light.

The air in the early morning was very cold. Xu Xu's throat felt a little dry and he couldn't help but cough softly under the quilt. Ji Bai immediately opened his eyes and stood up, touching her cold little face with his big hand: "Are you awake?" While pouring her some water, he said: "It's nothing serious, your blood sugar is a little low, and you've been given an IV. This is the township clinic, take a rest for a night, and we'll go back to Lin City tomorrow."

"Yeah." Xu Xu sat up and took the cup of water. The warm water flowed from the mouth into the body, making the whole person feel much more comfortable.

Ji Bai pulled the chair closer, staring at her with his dark eyes, with a faint helpless smile: "You are so angry..."

Xu Xu was silent for a moment, then answered: "Aren't you angry?"

Ji Bai grabbed her hand and sent