Five Cases – Chapter 48: Death

Lu Hui was languishing on the sofa, his legs propped up on a stool as he watched TV with half-closed eyes. Lions and giraffes dashed by on the TV screen; the nature channel was always a pleasure to watch. 

The key turned in the lock, and Ji Fanyang walked in. He said solemnly: “Chief Lu, do you remember Xi Junhong?”

“Young Master Xi, how could I forget.” Lu Hui munched on some popcorn, his puffed cheeks making him look like a giant squirrel. 

Ji Fanyang said, removing his shoes: “He’s dead.”

“He’s dead…” Lu Hui shifted his gaze from the lions to Ji Fanyang, “How did he die?”

“Flash flood.” Ji Fanyang said, “He was saving a little girl.”

“Was the little girl saved?” Lu Hui asked. 

Ji Fanyang shook his head: “No.”

Lu Hui put the bag of popcorn down on the table, his gaze returning to the TV screen: “How’s Rao Feifei?”

“She didn’t come to work.” Ji Fanyang answered, sitting beside Lu Hui, “Do you want to go check on her?”

“No.” Lu Hui refused. He opened a bag of chips, “I’m very curious about the outcome of our bet.”

“Lu Hui.” Ji Fanyang frowned slightly, “You don’t like yoghurt-flavored chips.”

Lu Hui stared blankly at the bag of chips in his hand, then passed them to Ji Fanyang: “Then what’d you buy them for?”

“What I mean is,” Ji Fanyang placed the bag of chips on the coffee table, “You don’t have to hide your feelings.”

“What feelings? Should I scream and cry?” Lu Hui started to munch on the popcorn again, leaning back against the sofa, “If Rao Feifei likes him ‘cause he died, then she’s actually braindead.”

“If you want to know the outcome of the bet, go see Rao Feifei.” Ji Fanyang said, “I recall you wagering two hundred bucks.”

“You did, too.” Lu Hui raised his eyelids, “You go.”

“I’m not down two hundred bucks. You are.” Ji Fanyang said. 

Lu Hui was silent for a moment, then grabbed the remote to turn off the TV: “We’ll go together.”

Ji Fanyang lifted the corners of his lips softly: “Alright.”

Lu Hui put on his jacket, the freshly laundered clothing carrying the scent of detergent. Ji Fanyang passed him his phone, and the two of them walked out of the door. 

In front of the elevator, Lu Hui asked: “How’s the investigation going?”

“Have you remembered anything?” Ji Fanyang asked in return. 

“We communicated through that phone.” Lu Hui said, “Someone brought us food.”

Lu Hui spoke breezily, but his dreams were far from such a notion. 

A knife was passed through the bars on the small window. Wang Yinyin scrambled up to grab the knife and faced him, her dirtied face twisted with a smile and strewn with tears: “I can’t die! I can’t die!”

He picked up the receiver. The speaker ordered coldly, their voice distorted with a voice changer: “Kill her.”

“I know that you’re a policeman.” Wang Yinyin held the knife, trembling, “You can’t kill someone. I can.”

“The elevator’s here.” Ji Fanyang said, “Team two said that they haven’t found any new leads at the moment.”

Lu Hui and Ji Fanyang walked into the elevator, pressing the button for the ground floor. 

“I hope you don’t remember.” Ji Fanyang said. His tawny eyes reflected the dim yellow light, as warm as a candle flame, “You shouldn’t be the one burdened by nightmares.”

“I’ve killed someone, Ji Fanyang.” Lu Hui said, “Regardless if coerced or not, I killed them.”

“You’ve killed two people.” Ji Fanyang said, “Why do you only take Wang Yinyin’s death to heart?”

“I don’t know, ask my memory.” The elevator doors opened. Lu Hui walked out followed by Ji Fanyang. 

The two of them walked to the car, one behind the other. Ji Fanyang sat in the driver’s seat, starting the car. 

“Have you called Rao Feifei?” Lu Hui asked. 

Ji Fanyang shook his head: “No.”

“I can’t comfort people.” Lu Hui fastened his seatbelt, “Don’t count on me comforting her.”

“That’s why I’m coming with you.” Ji Fanyang tossed him a look, “So you don’t anger her to death.”

“I’ll do my best.” Lu Hui looked out the window at the passing trees, “I thought of my sister.”

“Hmm?” Ji Fanyang hummed, the tone rising. 

Lu Hui narrowed his eyes: “I might have killed Wang Yinyin because of my sister.”

“…Is that why you didn’t want me to let her know that you’re alive?” Ji Fanyang asked. 

“Possibly.” Lu Hui nodded. Tree after tree streamed by the window as Lu Hui watched, his eyes cold and vacant. 

“Almost there.” The car stopped at the security station at the entrance of a gated community. Ji Fanyang rolled his window down, “Hi, we’re here for Miss Rao Feifei.”

“Please show me your ID.” The security guard pointed at the security camera, “Look here.”

Ji Fanyang did as instructed, and Lu Hui likewise pulled out his ID. Five minutes later, the two of them drove into the residential area. 

The car parked in front of a free-standing villa. Ji Fanyang got out of the car while Lu Hui sighed with feeling: “Rao Feifei is truly a daughter of fortune.”

“Isn’t your sister pretty much the same?” Ji Fanyang rolled his eyes, interrupting Lu Hui’s feigned fussiness. 

A middle-aged woman walked out of villa: “Hello, I am Mr. Rao’s housekeeper.”

“We’re Rao Feifei’s coworkers.” Ji Fanyang said, “Hoping to discuss some things with Rao Feifei.”

“Mr. Ji and Mr. Lu, correct?” The housekeeper asked. 

Lu Hui nodded. 

“Follow me, please.” The housekeeper said. 

Ji Fanyang and Lu Hui followed the housekeeper into the villa. They went up to the second floor. The housekeeper gestured, and Lu Hui knocked on the door: “Rao Feifei?”

The sound of footsteps came from behind the door. The door opened, revealing Rao Feifei, her face somewhat wan: “Chief Lu.”

“Can I come in?” Lu Hui asked straightforwardly. 

Rao Feifei stepped aside to let them in, shutting the door behind them. 

“Xi Junhond is dead.” Lu Hui did not dilly-dally, “What do you think?”

“…Chief Lu’s very concerned about you.” Ji Fanyang smoothed it over so the atmosphere wouldn’t be so awkward, “Feifei, you know how he is.”

Rao Feifei rubbed her eyes, sitting on the bed: “I don’t know what I should do…”

“It wasn’t your fault.” Lu Hui said, “I let him come along with us, I brought him when we were solving cases, I…”

“And then you were injured, and he went to become a volunteer.” Rao Feifei said. The young woman raised her head, meeting Lu Hui’s gaze, “He wanted to be a good person. You changed him.”

“You’re the one I admire the most, Chief Lu.” Rao Feifei said, “You’ve changed so many people in your own way. That narcissist Xi Junhong even met his end trying to save a little girl.” The young woman cried as she smiled, “I’m grateful to you, now more than ever.”

Ji Fanyang passed her a tissue. Lu Hui stood in place, speechless.

 “Uncle and Auntie Xi have their pride. Their son is a hero.” Rao Feifei said. 

Lu Hui said with difficulty: “Then, do you like him?”

“I like heroes.” Rao Feifei inhaled, then said, “But he’s not my hero.”

Lu Hui let out a breath. He patted Rao Feifei on the shoulder: “Attagirl.”