The Same Fate Awaits All Sins Chapter 21

Worship – 06

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Gu Yanta immediately relayed the order to thoroughly investigate Li Wenli's interpersonal relationships.

On an early summer night, a cool breeze drifted through the air. After a day of running around under the scorching sun, everyone was utterly exhausted. Gu Yanta felt his shirt sticking to his body from sweat. Now, with the night breeze brushing against him, he felt quite refreshed. Squatting by a small creek, he scooped up a handful of water with both hands and rubbed it vigorously over his face.

It must have been a summer like this, perhaps even hotter. His father, stationed with the army for years, was seldom home. His mother worked during the day, so by the time he was ten, Gu Yanta had long learned to take care of himself. But those two years were when the serial killer was most active, and fear gripped all of Yuchuan. His mother couldn't bear the thought of him being alone at home during the day, worried he might go out and play and encounter danger. She arranged for him to stay temporarily at his grandmother's house in the suburbs. Every day, she commuted two hours to drop him off in the morning and pick him up in the evening, never considering that she, too, was a vulnerable woman and a potential target for the killer.

The area around his grandmother's house was picturesque, with mountains and water. For a city kid like Gu Yanta, who rarely had the chance to experience such things, it was paradise. He spent his days climbing hills to catch birds and wading through streams to fish with his cousins, playing to his heart's content. He wasn't particularly keen on his mother picking him up every evening, but back then, even city-wide telephone access was rare, let alone in the suburbs where his grandmother lived. His mother couldn't confirm his safety unless she saw him daily, and for a mother, this is the most tormenting and unbearable thing.

One evening, his mother had to work late and missed the last bus between the city and the countryside. She had no choice but to cycle to fetch him. Although summer nights stayed light for longer, it was already dark by the time the two of them rode back into the city. Gu Yanta remembered sitting on the back of the bicycle, holding onto his mother's waist. He could clearly sense her body growing tense, and she began to pedal faster and faster, her shirt soon soaked with sweat.

"Mom, why are you in such a hurry? It's only just gotten dark," Gu Yanta asked, puzzled.

"Children don't understand, it's not safe lately, we need to get home before it's completely dark," His mother answered him, out of breath.

But as they parked the bicycle and started walking home, they encountered a drunk man. The man staggered and laughed, hurling something to the ground with a loud crash. The sound of a beer bottle shattering pierced the air. Despite her petite frame, Gu Yanta's mother summoned a strength he'd never seen before. She hoisted the ten-year-old Gu Yanta onto her back and ran! He didn't know how long they ran, but eventually, they reached the entrance of their building. Gu Yanta could vividly remember his mother's trembling hands as she fumbled with the keys to unlock the door. Once inside, she locked it securely and finally broke down. That was the most vulnerable side of a woman he had ever seen. She held onto ten-year-old Gu Yanta and cried for a long time. When she had calmed down, she quickly wiped away her tears, stood up, and began tidying the house and doing the laundry.

The ten-year-old boy couldn't describe the emotions in his heart, he hated his father and himself. He hated his father for not being by his mother's and his side to protect them, and he hated himself for not growing up fast enough to become a strong man who could protect his mother.

Gu Yanta was lost in thought. Absent-mindedly, he picked up a stick and began knocking the tree trunk by the riverbank. This habit had developed back then, whenever he and his mother had to walk at night, he would knock on something to make noise, hoping to muster courage for the both of them. Over time, it became a way to relieve his frustration, knocking objects seemed to ease his irritability.

"You're here?" Lu Zheng's signature cold voice sounded behind him, then his tone shifted into a question, "Why are you hitting the tree trunk by yourself?"

"Eh... ah... I was just taking a walk by myself," Gu Yanta quickly hid the stick behind his back and took the opportunity to toss it aside. "It's nothing, just a habit I developed as a kid, knocking things when I'm upset, I knock just for fun."

"Don't worry, it's different from twenty years ago, criminal investigation methods are so advanced now, we'll definitely catch the killer." Lu Zheng, aware of how troubled Gu Yanta was by this case, offered a word of comfort.

"Mhmm, I know. I just feel so powerless sometimes," Gu Yanta sighed. "Ah, forget it."

"Go on, talk about it, you'll feel better once you let it out. I can be your listener."

Gu Yanta sat down with his back against the tree, while Lu Zheng took a seat on a stone opposite him.

"During those two years when the serial killer was on a rampage, I was on summer holiday, and my mom thought it would be safer in the countryside, so she left me at my grandmother's house during the day. But who could have known that the bastard would dump a body in the fields near her village? My mum was terrified. She cried as she called my dad, begging him to take leave and come home. Like any woman, she just needed to vent. But my dad? All he said was, 'A soldier always obeys orders from the organisation.' Not a single word of comfort. At that moment, I hated myself, I hated that I didn't have the power to punish bad people and protect my family."

"When it came to university entrance exams, my dad wanted me to apply to a military academy. I was dead set against it, I insisted on applying to the police academy because I wanted to become a police officer. But you know what? Around a hundred homicides happen every year in Yuchuan. After catching a hundred murderers this year, next year, there are just as many waiting to be caught. I've been a criminal investigator for years, and every year it's the same number of criminals. What's the point of being a police officer!?" In frustration, Gu Yanta grabbed a stone and hurled it. The stone arced gracefully through the air and landed in the river with a plop, sending up a small splash of water.

Lu Zheng pondered for a moment before speaking in a calm tone. "It's not like that. Think about it, each year, you catch a hundred murderers. That brings solace to the victims' families. If these hundred killers weren't brought to justice, there would be even more victims in society. Your work has already made the world a little bit better, hasn't it?"

Lu Zheng lifted his gaze to the night sky. Tonight was clear, with not a cloud in sight. The moonlight poured down unrestrained, casting a soft glow on Lu Zheng's profile. After seeing him through the "spring rain filter" before, Gu Yanta now noticed that under this "moonlight filter," Lu Zheng's aura wasn't actually cold, it was gentle. It was like the difference between stone and jade, both were equally hard, yet one was icy and the other warm.

Gu Yanta's heart stirred. Admittedly, the hormonal rush when he first met Lu Zheng had led to some inappropriate thoughts, but after spending time with him, he didn't dare act impulsively. He feared breaking the unspoken boundaries and ruining even their friendship. Despite his casual jokes and playful words, he was cautious about their relationship. Yet at this moment, under such beautiful moonlight, Gu Yanta suddenly wanted to kiss Lu Zheng!

As Gu Yanta spiralled into wild thoughts, trying to figure out what to do next, Lu Zheng abruptly stood up and patted the dust off his trousers. "Let's go."

Gu Yanta suddenly came back to his senses and pinched himself to sober himself up, thinking to himself, restraint! Control yourself! Not to mention whether Lu Zheng would even accept it, after running around crime scenes all day, he probably reeked enough to drive anyone away. He pretended to cough, wanting to change the subject, "What about you? Was there anything unresolved in your childhood?"

"I remember I've mentioned it to you before, I grew up in boarding schools after starting school. I don't remember anything from when I was younger," Lu Zheng replied, his figure now hidden in the shade of a tree, making it impossible to see his expression.

"Your father went abroad for business, what about your mother?" Gu Yanta asked.

"She passed away a long time ago," Lu Zheng's tone was flat, as if recounting someone else's story.

"Ah... I'm sorry..." Gu Yanta felt awkward, unsure how to respond.

"It's fine, death is the ultimate destination for everyone. Whether we're willing or not, it's something we'll all experience and face one day."

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

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Translator Notes

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

Translated: December 14, 2024 by Angel

Edited: January 14, 2025 by Angel