Chapter 55 Chapter 55 Madman, Blind Man, Liar
Harbor City, evening.
"The murderer has been caught, ahahaha!"
"Really? That's great! Where did you get the news?"
"My brother works at the police station, and he told me! It's true!"
“…”
Qiu Tingxuan was scrolling through the news on his phone, and the first piece of news was: "Hong Kong serial gland injury case solved, murderer apprehended."
Clicking on it, he saw a censored picture of the prisoner. But even with the censorship, Qiu Tingxuan could tell it was Gong Wen.
After scrolling up and down for a while, he put the phone aside.
Meng He was drinking juice nearby, looking a little absent-minded.
"Are you thinking about Gong Wen?" Qiu Tingxuan's voice was very calm, and no emotion could be heard.
Meng He seemed startled, snapping back to his senses. His fingertips trembled, and the juice in the glass sloshed out, a few drops of orange liquid splashing onto the table. He frantically wiped the table with a tissue, avoiding Qiu Tingxuan's gaze. "No, no... I'm just a little surprised. I didn't expect it to be him..."
Qiu Tingxuan put away his phone and looked at Meng He's obviously uneasy face. He did not continue to ask about the news, but changed the subject: "You didn't eat much tonight, are you feeling unwell?"
Maybe I’m a little tired…” Meng He lowered his head and his voice became smaller and smaller.
Qiu Tingxuan looked at him like this, silent for a few seconds, then stood up and picked up the coat draped over the back of the chair: "Let's go, let's go home."
"Go home?" Meng He raised his head, with a hint of confusion in his eyes.
"Well," Qiu Tingxuan had already walked out first, "You're not feeling well. Maybe you've been too tired from your recent shifts. This place is not far from our home."
Meng He followed hesitantly, his steps a bit unsteady. Walking down the cool night street, a short, silent distance separated them. The streetlights stretched their shadows far out.
As they approached the apartment building, Qiu Tingxuan suddenly spoke, his voice melting in the night breeze, his emotions unrecognizable: "The Gong Wen case has concluded. The murderer has been apprehended. Aren't you happy?"
Meng He suddenly stopped and looked at Qiu Tingxuan in surprise.
"No...I'm quite happy..."
Qiu Tingxuan didn't look at him, but took out the access card and swiped the door to open it. Warm yellow light shone through the hall.
"Let's go," he turned sideways, his tone still calm, "I'll go upstairs and give you a hot cup of milk. You need a good sleep."
Meng He looked at Qiu Tingxuan's calm profile, and finally said nothing. He silently followed Qiu Tingxuan into the house.
It only takes a few minutes to heat a cup of milk.
Qiu Tingxuan handed it to Meng He and said, "Be careful, it's hot."
"Thanks……"
Meng He took the cup of warm milk. His fingertips could feel the perfect warmth of the porcelain cup, but he was inexplicably hesitant and did not drink it immediately.
"Why don't you drink? Didn't you say you were tired and wanted to drink so you could sleep better?" Qiu Tingxuan's voice came from the side, as steady as ever, with no sound unusual.
"It's a little hot. I'll drink it later." Meng He smiled and put the cup on the coffee table in front of him.
A little hot steam came out of the milk and floated straight up.
Qiu Tingxuan glanced at him and said nothing. He just naturally reached out and picked up the glass of milk, and took a small sip from the rim of the glass where Meng He's lips might have touched just now.
"It's a little hot," he said after tasting it. He handed the cup back to the table, rubbed the rim of the cup, and said in a normal tone, "Then you can drink it later."
Seeing that he was fine after drinking it, Meng He's vague doubts dissipated. He took the cup and began to drink it in small sips. The warm liquid slid into his stomach, bringing some comfort.
The two chatted idly, and the topic inevitably came back to the case.
"I really didn't expect it to be him," Meng He sighed, his fingers unconsciously stroking the wall of the cup, "I can't tell at all..."
Qiu Tingxuan looked at him, his eyes deep behind his glasses. "Come to think of it, I went to the lab to look for you on the day of the incident. Why didn't you tell the police? Maybe I'm a suspect, too."
Meng He laughed out loud as if he had heard something funny, and subconsciously took another sip of milk: "Are you kidding? You're my husband, how could I doubt you? Besides, how could you be that kind of person?"
"Do you trust me so much?" Qiu Tingxuan's voice was very soft, with a strange tone.
"Of course." Meng He felt his eyelids getting heavy, thinking it was sleepiness that was coming on. He forced himself to stay awake, his tone full of dependence and self-righteousness, "If I don't believe you, who will I believe..."
Before he could finish his words, a strong feeling of dizziness suddenly hit him, and the cup in his hand almost slipped. He shook his head vigorously, trying to stay awake, but found that the scene in front of him began to spin and blur.
"I... I feel dizzy..." His voice became weak and his body fell to the side uncontrollably.
Qiu Tingxuan reached out and supported him in time, gently laying him down on the sofa. His movements were still gentle, but they made Meng He feel extremely unfamiliar.
Meng He used up his last bit of strength to grab his sleeve, and shock and fear instantly gripped him: "Milk...you...what did you do..."
Qiu Tingxuan leaned over, his cold lips almost touching his ear, his voice low and tender, yet filled with a creepy paranoia: "Don't be afraid, go to sleep. When you wake up... we can be together forever, and no omega or beta can take you away from me..."
“!”
Before his consciousness completely sank into darkness, Meng He only remembered Qiu Tingxuan's pair of extremely calm eyes that were so close to him.
After an unknown amount of time, Meng He woke up with difficulty in the smell of disinfectant.
He felt a cool sensation on the back of his neck, as if something had been applied. He opened his eyes suddenly and found himself lying on a cold, operating table-like surface.
He subconsciously tried to move, but found that his limbs were fixed by soft bandages. Turning his head in horror, he was shocked to see an unconscious omega lying on another table next to him.
The person standing between the two tables, wearing a sterile surgical gown, a mask and gloves, and fiddling with some precision equipment with his head down, was none other than Qiu Tingxuan!
"Tingxuan!" Meng He screamed, his voice distorted by fear. "What on earth are you going to do?! Let me go!"
Qiu Tingxuan raised his head when he heard the voice, and his eyes were calm, as if he was just preparing for an ordinary operation.
"Awake?" His voice came through the mask, a little muffled, but very clear. "Don't move, you'll be fine soon."
He walked towards Meng He, his tone even holding a chilling gentleness: "I'm just replacing your omega's gland with his." He pointed to the unconscious omega next to him, "This way, I can mark you forever, and we'll never be separated again."
"His name is Ana Shen. Although his pheromone level is not very high, it is enough compared to those omegas before."
Meng He's pupils contracted violently due to extreme fear, and his voice was hoarse and broken, almost incoherent: "So you killed all those omegas?! It was really you..."
Qiu Tingxuan continued to adjust the instrument calmly, as if discussing an ordinary academic question. "Initially, I didn't want them to suffer too much. Anesthetics can reduce fear and struggle, and the glands obtained will be more complete. But later I discovered that anesthetics will more or less affect the transient activity of glandular cells and the purity of pheromones."
He raised his eyes and looked at Meng He. His eyes were filled with an almost pious yet spine-chilling concentration. "So I can only give up anesthesia. Although the process will be a little painful, this is for the ultimate perfect result. I am doing this for you, Ah He."
"Madman! You're a lunatic!!" Meng He struggled frantically, the restraints digging deep into his wrists and ankles. "What do you mean by for me? You killed so many people just for me?! Let that omega go! Qiu Tingxuan!"
Meng He kept yelling during this period, but Ana Shen showed no intention of waking up.
Qiu Tingxuan ignored his struggle and instead picked up a sedative and slowly injected it into Meng He's vein: "Don't get excited, Ah He. Soon, everything will be over."
As the cold liquid flowed into his body, Meng He felt his strength rapidly draining away. He looked at his lover, who was both familiar and unfamiliar to him, tears and cold sweat streaming down his face. "I'm an alpha, and I love you too...Qiu Tingxuan. We've been doing well these past few years, haven't we?"
"Very good?" Qiu Tingxuan finally stopped what he was doing. He leaned over and gently stroked Meng He's face, which was trembling with fear, with his cold fingertips. His eyes were filled with a possessive desire that Meng He had never seen before, so strong that it was twisted. "Not good at all."
"Two alphas can't mark you permanently! I can't stand the way those omegas and betas look at you, I can't stand you smiling at them, or even just having a normal conversation with them!" His voice remained steady, but the content was filled with paranoia and chilling. "You are mine, Ah He, from head to toe, inside and out, you should belong to me and only me."
"They are just my friends!" Meng He accused almost in tears.
"So, this is the perfect solution." Qiu Tingxuan's eyes flashed with a fanatical brilliance. "Turn you into an omega, mark you, make you completely dependent on me both physically and mentally, only sensing my pheromones, and generating heat just for me... Then we'll never be apart again, ever."
He picked up the scalpel, and the cold metal light stung Meng He's eyes.
"No...don't..." Meng He's pleading became weaker, the effect of the medicine and despair swallowing him up together.
Qiu Tingxuan checked all the equipment one last time, and the eyes on his mask curved up as if he was smiling.
"Go to sleep, Ah He. When you wake up, you will have an omega gland, and we will be together forever."
The cold scalpel slowly approached the back of Meng He's neck. At the same time, the numbers on the instrument next to him showing Shen Yan's vital signs began to fluctuate unstably.
"Bang--!"
A sharp gunshot suddenly ripped through the dead silence of the basement. The ceiling light exploded, sending shards flying everywhere! The glaring red emergency light instantly lit up, stained the entire space with an ominous blood-red hue.
"Qiu Tingxuan! It's never too late to turn back."
Pei Shuyu's cold voice came from the entrance. He rushed in first with a gun in hand. Behind him, several fully armed special police followed in one after another. The infrared aiming point instantly locked onto Qiu Tingxuan beside the operating table.
Qiu Tingxuan's body suddenly stiffened, and he gripped the scalpel even tighter. He turned his head in disbelief and looked at Meng He, whose face was pale on the operating table. For the first time, a crack appeared in his eyes, and his voice was hoarse: "You...you betrayed me?!"
Meng He's lips moved, but no sound came out, only tears flowed silently and madly.
"Qiu Tingxuan, put down the scalpel and come back with me honestly." Pei Shuyu approached step by step, pointing the gun steadily at him.
After a brief moment of shock, the pain in Qiu Tingxuan's eyes was quickly replaced by an extreme madness. He suddenly leaned over and scooped Meng He up with astonishing speed. The cold blade instantly pressed against Meng He's exposed carotid artery!
"Don't come over here!" he roared, his arms shaking slightly with excitement, "Everyone, stand back!"
His crimson eyes glared at Pei Shuyu, filled with deep resentment: "You guys are damned... You're always like this... You always come out to sabotage me when I'm about to succeed!"
Then, he lowered his head, his lips almost touching Meng He's ear, and his voice suddenly became unusually gentle, yet more chilling than any roar, like the whispers of lovers, and questioned with tears in his eyes: "Why? Meng He, tell me why? Why do people always want to break us up? We two alphas want to be together forever, what's wrong?!"
Pei Shuyu's brows were furrowed, the muzzle of his gun didn't waver at all, and his voice was calm: "Then why didn't you change your glands to please him? You said you did it for Meng He, but in fact, you are selfish."
"Shut up!" Qiu Tingxuan looked up as if he had been stabbed by the sharpest needle. He suddenly raised his head and interrupted sharply, his emotions completely out of control. "What qualifications do you have to criticize me? Didn't you cause the scar on Lu Hean's gland? If the operation is successful and legal, have you ever thought about it?"
The knife in his hand moved closer, and drops of blood rolled down Meng He's neck.
Pei Shuyu hadn't expected that he would know about the conversation in the corridor that day. Explaining more was pointless now; Qiu Tingxuan had gone mad.
Meng He was clearly aware of this. He turned his head with difficulty and looked at Pei Shuyu, who was standing at the door with a gun in hand and a stern expression. The corners of his mouth pulled up an extremely bitter and helpless arc: "Shuyu... I really didn't expect that I would let you see such a joke..." His voice was weak but clear, "That omega... take him for a check-up first, don't delay..."
"You're still thinking about other omegas at this time?!" Qiu Tingxuan seemed to be completely hurt by these words, and growled crazily, "Okay! Okay! Then we will die together! No one can separate us!"
To Qiu Tingxuan's surprise, Meng He calmly closed his eyes and uttered a single word: "...Okay."
This overly calm obedience caused Qiu Tingxuan's frantic movements to pause abruptly, and the scalpel moved slightly away. He stared intently at Meng He's pale, resolute face, as if trying to find even the slightest trace of falsehood in it.
After a brief moment of dead silence, Qiu Tingxuan suddenly raised his head and shouted at Pei Shuyu and the surrounding police officers who were on high alert: "Everyone retreat! Everyone retreat to the door! Clear the way!"
Several armed special police officers hesitated slightly and looked at Pei Shuyu.
After a moment, Pei Shuyu gestured and said in a deep voice, "Do as he says and make way for the door."
The police slowly retreated as instructed, leaving a passage leading to the door.
Xiao Qingyang and another team member quickly stepped forward and carefully lifted up Ana Shen, who was still "unconscious" on the operating table next to them, and prepared to take him away.
Unexpectedly, just as he helped the man up, Shen Yan's eyes suddenly opened, and he stood up by himself. He patted his chest with lingering fear, and his voice trembled but he spoke very quickly: "Oh, I was scared to death, I can walk by myself, it's okay, it's okay..."
Xiao Qingyang was startled by his sudden "resurrection" and blurted out: "Oh my god! You just..."
Ana Shen looked scared, secretly glanced over there, lowered his voice and quickly explained: "They were arguing like that just now, how could I dare to wake up! I can only continue to pretend to sleep!"
Xiao Qingyang: "..."
The basement door closed heavily behind him, temporarily isolating him from the suffocating madness and bloodiness inside.
Pei Shuyu had just walked out of Qiu Tingxuan's house and had no time to catch his breath. When he looked up, he saw two people walking towards him quickly - Lu Hean and Gong Wen with a serious expression.
"Why are you here?"
Lu Hean rushed to Pei Shuyu almost instantly, and scanned him from head to toe quickly and nervously. After confirming that he had no obvious external injuries, he let out a barely perceptible sigh of relief and said in a low voice, "I was worried you might be in danger."
Pei Shuyu didn't have time to delve into it, so he simply replied, "I'm fine."
Gong Wen's eyes were fixed on Meng He, who was staggering out while being held at knifepoint by Qiu Tingxuan.
As for Qiu Tingxuan, the moment he stepped out of the room and his eyes met Gong Wen, he felt like he was bitten by a poisonous snake. His whole body trembled violently, and his emotions suddenly became more excited and out of control!
"It's you! Gong Wen!" Qiu Tingxuan roared, "This is all because of you! It's you who always haunts him!"
His logic was completely confused, and he poured all his paranoia and madness onto Gong Wen who suddenly appeared, as if Gong Wen was the culprit of all these tragedies.
Facing this crazy accusation, Gong Wen simply took a step forward. His eyes behind the glasses were very gloomy, but his voice was calm and steady: "Qiu Tingxuan, look at you now. Let go of Meng He, and don't make any more mistakes."
"Wrong? What did I do wrong?!" Qiu Tingxuan laughed crazily, but his eyes were fixed on Gong Wen, full of resentment. "It's all your fault! You forced me to do this!"
"That night you went to see Meng He, and I went too." Gong Wen pushed his glasses and stared at the emotionally distraught Qiu Tingxuan. "I told him that you've been acting strangely lately and told him to be careful and wary of you."
He paused, his gaze sweeping across Meng He's shocked and pained face before finally returning to Qiu Tingxuan. His tone carried a bitterness and mockery that had been suppressed for years: "In fact, from the very beginning of your relationship, I told him to stay away from you. But he wouldn't listen. He always said...that I was his best friend and that he hoped I would accept you and bless you."
Gong Wen's lips curled up in an extremely bitter arc. "Best friend? How is that possible? Qiu Tingxuan, I've liked him for so many years. How can I be willing to be just a good friend? How can I truly accept you?"
His voice gradually rose, filled with long-suppressed resentment and unwillingness. "So, when I discovered your actions, I even shamefully felt a hint of joy."
"But what comes with it is worry." Gong Wen's eyes suddenly became extremely sharp. He stepped closer to Qiu Tingxuan, "I'm afraid you'll hurt him, afraid you'll drag him into an abyss of no return! Just like now!" He stood in front of Meng He, ignoring the trembling scalpel, and said in a heavy voice: "Qiu Tingxuan, look at what you're doing now! Look at the blood on Meng He's neck! Is this the love you always talk about? How deep are you going to drag him into this madness?"
Not only Pei Shuyu was shocked by these words, Meng He also widened his eyes and looked at Gong Wen in disbelief.
Gong Wen's confession, which tore through all disguises, was like the last huge rock that completely crushed Qiu Tingxuan's already shaky mental defenses.
He suddenly pushed Meng He away from his arms. Meng He staggered and fell to the ground, looking up in shock.
The next second, Qiu Tingxuan, holding the blood-stained scalpel, roared like a dying beast and pounced on Gong Wen.
"Then die together!"
Gong Wen's face changed and he stepped back quickly.
Pei Shuyu, who was closest to the scene, reacted very quickly. He immediately stepped forward and tried to grab the out-of-control Qiu Tingxuan from behind to stop his actions.
However, in this split second, something no one expected happened - Gong Wen, who had been retreating, suddenly snatched the service pistol from the waist of a special police officer next to him with a sharp look.
There was almost no aiming.
"Bang--!"
A deafening gunshot tore through the air again!
The bullet accurately and fiercely pierced Qiu Tingxuan's left wrist holding the knife!
"Ouch!" Qiu Tingxuan let out a painful groan, and the scalpel fell to the ground with a clang. He fell forward due to the impact and severe pain, half-kneeling on the ground, his right hand tightly grasping his wrist which was constantly bleeding, and his body trembled violently with pain and despair.
The whole world seemed quiet for a moment.
Qiu Tingxuan raised his head with difficulty, his bloodshot eyes looking over everyone, especially at Pei Shuyu. He suddenly smiled, a bit self-deprecatingly, and spoke with difficulty: "Pei Shuyu, I am your lesson. Even if you and him didn't get to this point today, you will definitely not have a good ending..."
Pei Shuyu clenched his fists tightly and did not respond to him.
Finally, Qiu Tingxuan looked deeply and desperately at Meng He, who fell to the ground with a pale face and tears in his eyes.
No one knew when he picked up the scalpel. Then, before anyone could react, he used up all his remaining strength and slashed it towards his neck without hesitation!
Blood gushed out instantly.
Qiu Tingxuan's body fell heavily to the ground, twitched twice, and finally became completely motionless.
Everything happened so fast.
Deathly silence enveloped everyone, leaving only the thick smell of blood.
Pei Shuyu was still lost in Qiu Tingxuan's words when he suddenly felt his arm tighten and someone pulled him back violently, and he fell into a warm and slightly trembling embrace.
Lu Hean hugged him tightly from behind, his arms so tight that it almost hurt. His warm breaths pounded on his ears and neck, carrying a sense of fear as if he had lost something and then found it again.
"I won't be him." Lu He'an's voice was low and hoarse, with an imperceptible tremor, and he buried his face in his shoulder. "He will never become a lesson for us, so don't be afraid."
This sudden hug and straightforward words made Pei Shuyu, who had just experienced a high level of tension, stiffen his body suddenly, and his brain even went blank for a moment.
Pei Shuyu hesitated and hugged Lu Hean back, slowly closing his eyes.
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The author has something to say: Did you guess right? [dog head]
I've been typing too much and was thinking of doing some separate work, but now I think I can take a day off tomorrow? (Just asking!
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