Cherish You as My Life - Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The forensic office was brightly lit as Ji Yao approached. He could hear someone talking on the phone inside.

“The requirement is to be close to the City Bureau on Jiefang Road. I’m looking for an area around 60 square metres with one or two bedrooms…Yeah, I am available to check houses after 6 p.m. on weekdays.” 

Hearing Han Xi was looking for an apartment closer to work, Ji Yao had an idea. He knew the best place according to Han Xi’s requirements. It was none other than his community, Xiangxue Pavilion. It had a great environment and was the safest option in all aspects.

He entered the room and asked, “Looking for a house?”

Han Xi hung up the phone, glanced at Ji Yao and nodded.

Ji Yao pretended not to have any ulterior motive and asked, “Which agency are you using?” Then he added, “I have a friend who works at a real estate company. Maybe they can help you out.”

Han Xi politely declined, saying she didn’t need any assistance.

So Ji Yao tried another approach, saying, “Actually, I have a friend who is also looking for a house but doesn’t know which agency to use. Could you recommend one?”

Han Xi gave a name.

Ji Yao studied Han Xi for a moment. He had already seen through this woman’s facade. She may seem cold, but she was actually kind and always willing to help others.

Han Xi placed her phone on the table and noticed the wound on Ji Yao’s arm. “Didn’t you apply medicine?”

Upon hearing that, Ji Yao raised his arm and said in a sad voice, “Doctor, take a look. It’s all red.” Then he raised her eyebrows and added, “Have you been waiting for quite some time?”

“I didn’t wait specifically for you.” Han Xi turned around and opened a box, taking out a bottle of alcohol and a cotton ball with tweezers. She pointed to a chair and said, “Please have a seat.”

Ji Yao sat down and extended his arm. The red marks on his skin were fading, with some areas slightly broken.

The cool sensation of the alcohol-soaked cotton touching his skin made Ji Yao take a deep breath. “Ouch… that hurts.”

Hearing that, the force on Han Xi’s hand became very light. 

Ji Yao felt a ticklish sensation through the pain as the cotton ball lightly touched his damaged skin. Not only his skin, but his heart also felt itchy. 

After disinfecting his wound, Han Xi advised Ji Yao. “Be sure to keep it clean and avoid water for now.” She looked up at Ji Yao and asked, “Why are you smiling?”

Ji Yao lowered his head and blew on the dampness remaining from the alcohol. “I’m not smiling…” 

Han Xi ignored his response. ‘This man’s behaviour is definitely not normal.’

He walked towards the window to take a look at the rain outside. “Are you done with your work? I can give you a ride home if you want,” he said. Then he remembered he took public transport today. 

Han Xi put back the first-aid box in the cupboard and closed the door. “No, thank you,” she replied. 

Ji Yao returned to the office and took out the umbrella that Han Xi threw at him yesterday.

When he got downstairs, Ji Yao opened his umbrella and said, “Let’s go.”

Han Xi took the umbrella from his hand and stepped out into the rain.

As Ji Yao was left standing there, he thought to himself, ‘She just walked away without a word. I thought she was kind.’ Ji Yao stopped her before she could leave. “Han Xi, did you forget something?”

Han Xi, who was confused by Ji Yao’s words, turned around. 

‘A beauty, a black umbrella, the night, a light, and a vast rain curtain… What a scene.’ Ji Yao raised the corners of his lips and smiled. 

Han Xi stood under the umbrella and shook her head. She said “no” and then walked towards the gate. She wasn’t used to being very close to people and didn’t like being near a man. But as Ji Yao was going to run into the rain, Han Xi quickly changed her mind and said, “Let’s leave.”

Ji Yao took the umbrella from her hand, smiled, and said in a gentle tone, “I knew you loved me the most.”

Han Xi glanced at him and said indifferently, “Don’t think too much; your hand cannot get wet.” She said it because she was a doctor; nothing else. 

‘She said it is because of my wound. Hehe, isn’t it because she cares about me?’ Ji Yao said, “Isn’t that the same thing?”

Han Xi didn’t speak.

Seeing half of her right shoulder getting wet from the rain, Ji Yao raised the umbrella. “Don’t worry. I’m not a person who takes advantage of the rain. I’m not that cheap,” he said with a smirk. 

Han Xi looked at Ji Yao, and her eyes said, ‘You aren’t?’

Ji Yao: ‘This woman is naturally cute but also has a cold sense of humour. She doesn’t try to annoy people on purpose, but she often makes them laugh or cry.’

They both waited on the side of the road for a taxi. It was chilly, and Han Xi hugged herself to keep her warm.

Ji Yao looked down and asked the woman under the umbrella if she was cold.

Han Xi: “I’m not cold.”

Thankfully, a taxi arrived just in time. 

Ji Yao helped Han Xi to open the door. When she got in, he gave her the umbrella and closed the car door. 

Han Xi opened the car window a little and handed out the umbrella, saying, “You can’t get your wound wet.”

Ji Yao didn’t take the umbrella. He waved Han Xi with a smile and ran into the City Bureau. By the time he got there, his white shirt was sticking to his skin. 

Han Xi clutched the umbrella in her hand. She didn’t know if it was because she hid in the car, but she suddenly didn’t feel so cold anymore.

 ****

Ji Yao ran to the door of the security booth in one breath. 

Old Liu handed out an umbrella and said, “Just bring it back tomorrow.” 

Old Liu had seen what happened between Han Xi and Ji Yao just now, and he could understand the situation. 

As a member of the City Bureau, he knew how to maintain a good atmosphere here.

 ****

Ji Yao went home and took a shower. After he changed his clothes, he grabbed a box of tea and went to the neighbour’s door on the opposite side. 

“Sister Liu, the work unit distributed some tea. I’ll give you some,” he said with a shy smile. 

The person who opened the door was a woman who was in her fifties. She smiled when she saw the good-looking neighbour who lived across from her apartment. “Why are you so shy?”

Ji Yao asked directly, “Sister Liu, I want to ask you something. Do you plan to sell this house?” He said, “I have a friend who wants to buy a house in this community, and she has fallen in love with your house type. So she asked me to ask you.”

The aunt looked at the fancy tea brand on the box and said, “I heard from the property management a few days ago.” She said, “There is a building at the back that is for sale. Why not tell your friend to go there and find out about it?”

She had renovated this house for her daughter and son-in-law as a wedding house, so she didn’t plan to sell it.

‘The building next door won’t work; it’s too far.’ Ji Yao was too lazy to deal with it anymore, so the next day, he negotiated with the woman , bought the house at twice the market value, and signed the contract overnight.

Wedding houses could also be sold as long as the price was reasonable.

****

The next day, Ji Yao had a meeting with his team to review a case.

Zhao Jingjing said, “The person Ding, who was arrested for being homeless and committing a crime, admitted to stealing, but strongly said he didn’t commit the murder.”

Ji Yao wrote a few words on the whiteboard. 

Reason for the crime.

If the homeless man is a murderer, why did he do it? If he gets caught for stealing, he might even kill someone. But he doesn’t have to set up the scene like he is making fish soup.

Looking at the words on the board, Zhou Li commented, “Zhou Tong is not a very nice person as we know. What if that homeless man got caught when he was stealing and got into a fight with Zhou Tong? As a result, Zhou Tong got killed.”

Zhang Xiang: “Ding He has been wandering since he was a child, begging for a living. He has received little education and does not understand anatomy. Besides, if he really has that ability, how could he be so stupid to leave that fruit knife at his home waiting for us to investigate?”

Ji Yao leaned on the edge of the table next to him and pondered for a while before saying, “I agree with Zhang Xiang’s view. The real murderer is someone else.”

At this time, Zhao Jingjing received a call from Han Xi, saying that there was a new discovery. She said a piece of pig hair was found in the gap between the plastic handle of the fruit knife.

Hearing that, Zhang Xiang analysed. “The living environment of homeless people is poor, so it’s not surprising that there are pig hairs on the knife.”

Ji Yao patted him and said, “Have you ever seen pigs running around on the street? We raised pigs for food, and they are so fat that they can’t walk on the road. Nanquan City is not a pig farm.”

Zhang Xiang scratched the back of his head and smiled sheepishly. ‘I became a fool in front of my idol.’

Pig, pig hair, pig farm, slaughterhouse. Ji Yao wrote those words on the board and instructed, “Zhang Xiang, you investigated all the pig farms and retail households raising pigs in Nanquan City, including suburban counties and rural areas. Oh, and the slaughterhouses. Zhou Li lead people to focus on investigating the area near the deceased Zhou Tong’s home. Markets, supermarkets, and butcher shops.”

“Jing… Deputy Zhao, you continue to interrogate Ding, okay?”

After Ji Yao finished speaking, he raised his hand and threw the pen in his hand at Zhou Li: “Zhou Li, you won’t die if you don’t eat for a while, right?”

Zhou Li swallowed the candy in her mouth and pretended that she hadn’t eaten anything. She ran to pick up the pen on the ground and held it up with both hands. “Your Majesty, I deserve to die for my crime. I will go and atone for my sins.” After saying that, she bent down and retreated.

After everyone in the conference room left, Zhao Jingjing said, “Auntie called me yesterday and told me that your iron tree is about to bloom. There may be someone in your heart. Who is this person?”

Ji Yao leaned against the table and crossed his long legs. He folded his hand, looked at him sideways and asked, “Who do you think it is?”

Zhao Jingjing: “I think it’s Han Xi. But I didn’t say it to your mother.”

Ji Yao cast an approving look at him. “Comrade, you have a very discerning eye. It’s poisonous.” He was noticed before he even started to take action. Ji Yao raised his chin and asked, “How did you see it?”

‘I’m not blind. Even Uncle Liu can see the problem. How can I, a criminal police officer, not see it?’Zhao Jingjing said, “I can smell the scent of spring coming from someone afar.”

Ji Yao took out a bottle of banana milk from somewhere, put a straw in it, and held it in his mouth. His light brown eyes narrowed slightly, and the corners of his lips were slightly raised.

Zhao Jingjing knew as soon as he looked at Ji Yao’s cheap look that he had no serious intentions and couldn’t help but feel worried for Han Xi.

 ****

At the same time, Han Xi got a call from the real estate agency. They said they found a good house near the City Bureau in Xiangxue Pavilion that matched what she was looking for. The owner of the house was going abroad, so she was in a hurry to sell it. The price was very good, so she should come to take a look.

End of chapter 10