S.C.I Mystery Series Volume 2 Chapter 26

The Innocent Murderer 26 – The Innocent Murderer

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"Uncle An had a son?" Bai Yutang asked Zhan Zhao.

"That's right." Zhan Zhao nodded, "You heard what the old man said just now."

"Hmm..." Bai Yutang shook his head and waved to Zhan Zhao. He found a rock by the side of the road and sat down, "Cat, let me digest this."

"You haven't eaten anything, what are you going to digest?" Zhan Zhao said a very cold joke, and Bai Yutang responded coldly.

"What does that mean?" Bai Yutang asked, "Uncle An gave birth to two children? One boy and one girl? That's not right. It's impossible for the old man to not mention that."

Zhan Zhao stretched his hand out and dragged him, "Let's go back to the police station. I have to prepare to meet the book club and I need to check some information."

Bai Yutang stood up and saw the yellow flower field next to him, "Cat, we haven't had a spring trip for a long time."

"Hey, when this case is over, I will take you out to enjoy the sun." Zhan Zhao dragged Bai Yutang by the sleeves and walked forward.

"Cat, you can't walk too fast, your leg has just healed!"

"Then you can carry me."

"Hmm, back or hug?"

"On your back."

Bai Yutang walked in front of him and crouched down.

On the ridge between the two flower fields, Bai Yutang walked forward with Zhan Zhao on his back. Zhan Zhao used his coat to shade them from the sun as he wiped the sweat from Bai Yutang with a tissue.

Eventually, they returned to the police station. Before it was time to eat lunch, Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao walked into the office. They saw Bai Chi at the table and didn't know what he was busy with. Zhao Zhen was laying down on the sofa, asleep.

On the side, Luo Yang was sitting on a small bench, and there was a large bench in front of him with summer homework on it. Luo Yang has recently started his summer vacation and is tired of being in the SCI office all day. He usually does not want to do his summer homework, so he goes to the shooting range to practise with the guns. Sometimes Zhao Zhen will teach him tricks when he is free. Otherwise, he would read books recommended to him by Zhan Zhao or accompany Jiang Ping while he works in the office. Once he even ran off to go watch Gongsun do an autopsy. When everyone found out and went to save him, they say Luo Yang was watching bravely and even asking Gongsun lots of questions. Even Gongsun couldn't help but admire him. This kid, his future is limitless!

Looking at the others, they were all slumped on their desks listlessly, staring at Bai Chi who was busy.

"Bai Chi, what are you doing?" Zhan Zhao saw Bai Chi pressing a blender and making something brown.

"Chi Chi is making iced coffee." Zhao Zhen rolled over and opened his eyes. "I just tried making it at the practice studio but couldn't do it. Even my manager was defeated by it."

"Iced coffee..." Zhan Zhao looked up and saw that Bai Chi was pouring the milkshake made of coffee, milk, and ice into the cup and squeezing the fresh milk into it.

Bai Yutang leaned over to take a look and said, "Add a spoonful of condensed milk after the milk is in, it will be smoother and more delicious."

"Really?" Bai Chi blinked, and Wang Chao rushed downstairs to the cafeteria to find condensed milk.

"Hey." Bai Yutang glanced at Zhao Zhen who was lying on the sofa. "Are you okay?"

"Huh?" Zhao Zhen raised his eyebrows, "What's wrong?"

Zhan Zhao also felt that something was wrong, "Zhao Zhen, your face is so pale and you are abnormally thin."

Zhao Zhen turned over and put his arms around the pillow, "Fortunately, I will perform tomorrow, and then I won't have to suffer like this anymore."

Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao turned to look at Bai Chi, and saw Bai Chi shaking his head worriedly. Everyone was excited to see Zhao Zhen's magic tomorrow. What kind of magic was it?

The condensed milk was quickly brought in. Bai Chi poured some into each cup, then inserted a straw into each one and distributed it to everyone. The cup for Luo Yang had a regular milkshake. Bai Chi made it specially for him. He added two spoons of condensed milk, and the little guy was smiling. A sip of a cold drink... everyone sighed comfortably...it's so refreshing!

At this time, Gongsun wandered in with a document. When he saw iced coffee, he pounced on it. After drinking it, he said to Bai Chi, "Put some watermelons in and beat them together. Then put in some walnuts. It's delicious and nutritious, the colour is beautiful, red and white, and some mustard sauce..."

Everyone imagined the picture and taste together and collectively had the same thought – Evil~~

"By the way, the results of the comparison between the hair you two found and An Lingli's DNA have come out. The two have nothing to do with each other!" Gongsun handed the documents to Zhao Hu and Ma Han.

"As expected." Zhan Zhao took the information and looked at it. He stretched his hand out to pat Zhao Hu and Ma Han with satisfaction, "So smart!"

The first reaction of Zhao Hu and Ma Han was to remember what Bai Yutang had said at the same time, "For a cat, as long as there are good things to eat, they will always be smiling."

Zhan Zhao took the coffee and rushed to the reference room to check the information. Bai Yutang followed, and everyone else started talking about Uncle An. Seeing that everyone was about to start working, Zhao Zhen got up and prepared to leave.

"Are you going to practise tonight?" Bai Chi caught up with some worry.

"I won't go tonight. I'll have a good rest tonight and perform tomorrow." Zhao Zhen touched Bai Chi's head. "I always find a place to be alone before major performances. You don't need to follow me today."

"But..." Bai Chi was still worried.

"No one has ever followed." Zhao Zhen grinned, "Only a lover can follow. Are you my lover?"

Bai Chi looked at Zhao Zhen and said, "Then... you should be careful."

Zhao Zhen nodded, showing a little disappointment in his eyes. He turned to leave, but Bai Chi grabbed him and took something from his own neck.

"What is it?" Zhao Zhen looked at the silver-white necklace that Bai Chi pulled out. He went up on his tiptoes to place it around his neck. The pendant on the necklace was a small cross.

"My grandmother's relic." Bai Chi whispered, "It will keep you safe. It's very effective!"

Zhao Zhen raised his eyebrows, "You're giving me such an important thing?"

"Who said it was given to you?!" Bai Chi glared, "It's a loan, you have to return it to me after you perform! You have to return it to me personally!"

Zhao Zhen smiled and put the necklace under the collar of his T-shirt. He leaned in front of Bai Chi, and said, "Xiao Chi Chi, can you give me a lucky kiss?"

Bai Chi blushed, "What?"

Zhao Zhen said casually, "Kiss me. It's a blessing to keep me safe."

Bai Chi thought for a while, checked left and right to make sure no one was around, and leaned forward quickly. Muah~~ Then he said, "Be careful. I will be backstage to see you tomorrow!" He turned and ran after speaking.

Zhao Zhen gently touched the place on his cheek where Bai Chi had just kissed. He smiled weakly, shook his head, and turned away.

Luo Yang was lying on the windowsill holding the milkshake cup, shook his head, and looked down at Luo Tian who was looking down at the information, "Dad, Zhao Zhen is so pitiful."

"Huh?" Luo Tian looked up at Luo Yang in confusion, "What are you talking about?"

Luo Yang stared at Luo Tian helplessly for a while, then suddenly said, "Dad, find me a stepmother. It has to be a woman!"

"Ahem..." Not only Luo Tian, the others choked collectively.

......

Zhan Zhao flipped through the information in the reference room for a while. Bai Yutang leaned over curiously, "Cat, what are you looking at?"

Zhan Zhao answered the wrong question, "Xiao Bai, do you remember that there was a pervert case a long time ago?"

"Cat, there have been lots of perverts over the years, which one? A long time ago?" Bai Yutang raised his eyebrows and leaned over to read the information.

"There was one who was arrested a long time ago. The murderer was actually a woman. She just faked the scene as a rape and murder case so that she was not suspected." Zhan Zhao asked. "The case that caused a lot of turmoil because of the gender issues."

"Oh..." Bai Yutang nodded, "That case happened a long time ago, it's been six or seven years. Wasn't your first paper about this case? You won an award and it was published by the magazine."

"That's right." Zhan Zhao nodded, "Do you remember it?"

Bai Yutang stared at Zhan Zhao for a while, frowning, "Cat, don't tell me that this matter is related to your paper!"

Zhan Zhao whispered, "I... remembered something."

Bai Yutang sighed and sat next to Zhan Zhao, "What should I do with you? Why is everything linked back to you?"

"Listen to me." Zhan Zhao patted him and said, "At that time, before I went abroad, didn't I publish a series of papers?"

"Mhmm." Bai Yutang nodded.

"In that article, I still remember that the main research topic was the issue of gender disorder. Some were born males, but they felt that God had made a joke with them that they should have been a woman. Of course, some women felt that they were born wrong and should be a male."

"Mhmm." Bai Yutang nodded again.

"Then, my point of view is that this has nothing to do with the quality of the person themself. It is completely accidental and can be faced directly." Zhan Zhao said, "This era is actually very open and you can be true to yourself without caring about others. Even if we are facing a lot of difficulties now, in a few years, along with the development of science, it will definitely be respected and recognized by more people."

"Ah..." Bai Yutang nodded, "The typical cat-like answer that makes people feel like they have unlimited hope and live in a beautiful world."

"Go away." Zhan Zhao glared at him and said, "I remember now that back then, there was a little girl who came to the campus and waited for me!"

"What?!" Bai Yutang frowned, "Why don't you tell me?"

"What are you thinking about? It was just a little girl who was only thirteen or fourteen years old." Zhan Zhao glanced at Bai Yutang. "She was holding the article I published in the magazine."

"Is this the kind of report for such a young child?" Bai Yutang asked.

"I was also very surprised. The little girl only asked me one thing." Zhan Zhao paused and said, "She asked, 'Is it true? That kind of person is not sinful and they can continue living? And they will eventually be recognized by others?'."

Bai Yutang frowned slightly. He was silent for a while, then asked, "What then? What did you say?"

"I said, 'Yes'." Zhan Zhao replied.

"Just one word?" Bai Yutang looked at Zhan Zhao.

"Mhmm." Zhan Zhao nodded. "She was a child with a limited range of understanding and memory. Wouldn't she have gone with the purpose of hearing that one word?"

"Heh..." Bai Yutang shook his head. He leaned against the bookshelf shelf and said, "Cat, do you think about it now and think that little girl was actually a little boy?"

Zhan Zhao was shocked and laughed, "Xiao Bai, you are so smart! Guess what made me think of it?"

Bai Yutang said, "You saw those old photos at the old man's house this morning. There was a little girl in it... No, to be precise, it was a boy dressed as a girl."

Zhan Zhao nodded repeatedly, "Yes! If you think about it this way, the whole case will make sense!"

Bai Yutang's face was slightly stern, "Cat, what you mean is that the unnamed suspect who has appeared on the videos throughout the whole case is the real son of Uncle An? At that time, he wore a mask in the hotel to kill Pang Xiaoqin and An Lingli. He was also the one who sent you the letters and called the office to remind us? He was the one that did that? Is he the murderer? Or is he one of the murderers?"

Zhan Zhao smiled slightly and said, "Xiao Bai, you are half right."

"What do you mean?" Bai Yutang looked at Zhan Zhao in confusion.

"He is indeed a murderer... but, he is an innocent murderer!" Zhan Zhao blinked mysteriously at Bai Yutang. He reached his hand out and pulled him up, "Let's go find the evidence and catch all the murderers!"

Bai Yutang was dragged out and kept muttering, "Innocent murderer... innocent..."

When he walked to the parking lot, Bai Yutang opened the door of the car and suddenly said, "Ah!"

Zhan Zhao smiled and looked at him, "What's wrong? Do you finally understand?"

Bai Yutang nodded, "Innocent murderer, huh... Cat, you are too smart!"

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

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Translator Notes

Bai Yutang carrying Zhan Zhao between the flower fields in the countryside is such a cute image to picture. (*˘︶˘*).。.:*♡

Please feel free to comment any mistakes I made so I can improve and do better as I go through the book.

Translated: March 18, 2021

Re-edited: December 21, 2023