Frightening Joke: Above the Mist
Chapter 137: Life and Death

Chapter 137: Chapter 137: Life and Death

Bai Yanliang greeted everyone, then walked over to He Yige and said with a smile:

"Mr. He, what a coincidence."

He Yige also smiled and said, "I received a commission to draft a contract for Ye City Media Company today. Who knew I’d walk into a police-municipal barricade right when I arrived."

And then... stood right inside the police line so naturally? Although he’s a criminal lawyer, generally speaking, lawyers are not law-authorized investigators and do not possess investigatory expertise; he should not be allowed into the crime scene like the public.

But clearly, there is something in this story that Bai Yanliang doesn’t know.

Just then, Lin Wan hurried over.

She glanced at Bai Yanliang, quickly nodded, and then looked at the information in her hand and said, "The deceased Ai Qing was a broadcasting host at Ye City Media Company, responsible for a two-hour radio program from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. The surveillance shows she left the media building at 1:12 a.m., like she usually does."

"Is the surveillance reliable?"

Ren Wudao asked.

"After technical inspection, there are no traces of tampering."

Lin Wan replied.

Bai Yanliang listened to their conversation while carefully examining the body.

Suddenly, he asked, "Has Jiangbei Third Middle School’s uniform never changed?"

Everyone paused, then seemed to understand something.

It was Yang Wanlong who answered Bai Yanliang, perhaps because of Yang Yiyi, he had a considerable understanding of the school’s uniform.

"No, it’s always been this set, for almost ten years now."

Bai Yanliang paused for a moment and said something that surprised everyone: "Love murder, investigate the men she dated in high school."

Everyone was astounded, even He Yige, who always wore a faint smile, raised his head in surprise to look at him.

"Mr. Bai." The young policewoman Tang Guo wore an expression of intense admiration and confusion, "How do you know the murderer’s... motive?"

This was what everyone wanted to know.

Bai Yanliang approached the corpse standing rigidly at the entrance of the building and suddenly said, "Don’t you think the deceased’s pose... is quite beautiful?"

This strange remark made everyone look at Bai Yanliang differently, and the young officers nearby were reminded of the various rumors about him.

"The deceased’s off-duty time is 1 a.m., a female anchor working at a media company would definitely wear makeup." Bai Yanliang touched Ai Qing’s facial skin with his hand, "Yet after getting off work at midnight, she hurriedly removed her makeup."

Everyone followed Bai Yanliang’s words and looked closely at Ai Qing’s face.

Indeed, she wasn’t wearing makeup.

"Wait a second."

Lin Wan suddenly spoke out, then quickly ran to the side, and after a while, came back with an answer.

"Mr. Bai’s right; Ye City Media’s employees said Ai Qing was wearing makeup last night."

Lin Wan went to verify.

Although their initial meeting hadn’t been friendly, Bai Yanliang really appreciated her thoroughness.

Such people might not be likable, but they are indispensable.

Bai Yanliang nodded to Lin Wan and continued, "Also, she had no jewelry, and even the nail polish was scraped clean."

"If Ai Qing was meeting someone after work, someone she couldn’t wear makeup in front of, there’d be no point in putting on such perfect makeup before work." Ren Wudao chimed in.

"Yes." Bai Yanliang nodded.

"Therefore, it was the murderer who removed her makeup, took off all her jewelry, scraped off her nail polish, put on the high school uniform, and even... restored Ai Qing’s hair to the simplest ponytail style." Bai Yanliang glanced at everyone and said, "So I think the murderer was someone who was deeply infatuated with Ai Qing in high school, maybe even someone she had a relationship with."

It must be said, Bai Yanliang’s conjecture was quite reasonable...

Although everyone was puzzled when he abruptly suggested investigating Ai Qing’s high school connections, his explanation had convincingly won them over.

The makeup, hairstyle, nails, uniform... When all these irrationalities are pieced together, a coherent hypothesis emerges.

He Yige’s eyes shined as he looked at Bai Yanliang, and, being noticed, he didn’t avert his gaze but smiled even more brightly at him.

The clueless Bai Yanliang just returned a smile.

At this point, the general direction of the case investigation was set, and next was a step-by-step screening process.

Bai Yanliang came quickly, left quickly, and before the police were ready to wrap up, he planned to sneak away. There wasn’t much of value left here; truth be told, and he wasn’t very interested in this case. After all, this wasn’t a peculiar case; it was a plain crime of passion, and the only reason he came was on account of Yang Wanlong.

However, just as Bai Yanliang was about to slip away, someone suddenly called out to him.

"Bai Yanliang! Wait."

Ren Wudao?

Bai Yanliang stopped in his tracks. Being caught trying to sneak away is quite an awkward situation.

Fortunately, it happened to someone who doesn’t feel awkward—Bai Yanliang.

"Mr. Ren, what’s the matter?" Bai Yanliang asked, not thinking there was anything worth discussing between them.

Ren Wudao quickly walked up to him, leaned close to Bai Yanliang’s ear, and whispered, "Fog Gathering."

Bai Yanliang’s pupils contracted as he suddenly looked up at Ren Wudao without speaking.

Ren Wudao just quietly watched him, then spread open the palm of his left hand.

There... lay a pure black key silhouette.

"Yu Sheng is dying." Ren Wudao’s voice was calm, but Bai Yanliang noticed that his right hand was clenched tightly as he said those words.

Similarly, when Bai Yanliang abruptly heard these words, his heart was clenched tightly, much like Ren Wudao’s right hand.

"What’s wrong with her?"

When Bai Yanliang spoke, he realized his voice was not as calm as he had imagined.

"It’s nothing; her spine has an innate defect, with paraplegia as the direct symptom. Her lifespan... is very short and now is probably nearing its end."

Ren Wudao’s usually calm and wise voice sounded somewhat lost.

As a doctor, he should have been accustomed to death.

In fact, Ren Wudao sees it very clearly; after all, from birth, people are gradually moving toward death. Instead of worrying about its inevitable arrival, it’s better to live life fully and fill it with more meaning.

After all, what we can have is neither life nor death but life between them.

But when death approaches one’s own family, the one he loves the most, Ren Wudao felt lost.

If possible, he’d pay any cost just to...let Yu Sheng live.