Cherish You as My Life - Chapter 20

Chapter 20
After returning the flowers to Ji Yao, Han Xi locked her door and grabbed the door key.
When Ji Yao saw Han Xi was going towards his house, he hurriedly went there, took the key out of his pocket, and opened the door.
Then he bent slightly and made a gesture to invite Han Xi in.
“The slippers are new, and no one has worn them.” Ji Yao bent down and carefully laid a pair of red slippers at Han Xi’s feet after taking them from the shoe rack. He wanted to help her wear the slippers, but fearing she would get angry and return home, he surpassed his thought.
“Thank you,” Han Xi said after changing her shoes.
With a smile that was typical of a gentleman, Ji Yao said, “It is my honour to serve a beauty.”
Han Xi entered the house and looked around it. Ji Yao said it was his cousin’s house, and the cousin’s mother was also living there. But Han Xi noticed there were no signs of an elderly person in the house.
The entire décor was quite modern, opulent, and exquisite.
At this time, a small dog bolted from the bedroom. First, it seemed afraid of approaching Han Xi. After observing the person for a while, the dog ran to Han Xi and rubbed against her feet.
Kneeling, Han Xi picked up the dog. “Ashe.”
The puppy was waiting to be petted, its head stretched into her arms.
Han Xi carried Ashe to the living room and said to Ji Yao, “It has gained weight.” After that, she checked the spot on its leg where it was hit by the barbecue stall owner.
“This stupid dog is a pig,” Ji Yao said with a smile while taking out a bottle of red wine from the wine cabinet. “If you like it, come often and play with it. I think it likes you a lot. The last time Jingjing came, he was almost killed by Ashe.” He poured two glasses of wine and put them on the dinner table.
Han Xi raised her head and asked, “Deputy Captain Zhao?”
“Well, he is a relative of my aunt,” Ji Yao said without changing his expression. After saying that, he turned around and took out a candlestick from the cupboard and lit the candle. “I promised you a candlelit dinner last time.”
Han Xi thought for a moment and asked, “Did I agree to that?”
“Why are you more rebellious than me?” He actually wanted to pinch Han Xi’s nose, but he knew he couldn’t do that yet.
Then he took Ashe from Han Xi’s hands and tossed it on the couch beside him.
“Please be gentle,” said Han Xi.
“Can you stop talking like this?” Ji Yao asked, feeling quite powerless. He felt uncomfortable and itching because of Han Xi’s words.
The two sat at the dining table.
Ji Yao brought the steak and helped Han Xi to cut it.
While Ji Yao was cutting the steak, Han Xi looked at Ji Yao.
There was only the light of candles in the room. The small dancing flames were connected with the moonlight outside the window, and the candlelight reflected on the man’s face.
This was the first time Han Xi had looked at Ji Yao closely.
The light and shadow showed his face in a three-dimensional manner. Under the straight bridge of his nose, he had an almost perfect lip shape. The most beautiful and charming thing was his eyes.
The eyes were formed like a peach blossom. Under the long eyelashes, there was a blurred look, which looked like he was drunk.
Ji Yao felt the woman’s gaze. He stopped his work and raised his head with a smirk. “Do I look good?”
After getting caught, Han Xi looked away and looked at the burning candle on the candlestick.
Ji Yao cut the last piece, pursed his lips, and smiled while looking at her.
Han Xi met Ji Yao’s eyes and felt that the man’s bottomless pupils were like two fireballs that were trying to hook people’s souls into them.
“This is my first time cooking for a woman,” Ji Yao said, setting the cut steak in front of Han Xi. “I hope you will enjoy it.”
After taking a bite, Han Xi said with a smile, “Thank you. It’s delicious.”
“Oh,” he responded.
She didn’t expect that someone like him could cook and that his cooking skills were pretty good.
Ji Yao looked at her and said, “It seems Director Ye didn’t deceive me.”
Ye Yanqing made him master these cooking techniques, claiming that even though his family was wealthy and could employ any chef, it would be good if he could cook for someone he loved.
Han Xi took a sip of red wine and asked, “Director Ye from the Municipal Bureau?”
Ji Yao nodded and responded, “Well, Uncle Chen’s wife, who I have told you about before, is Director Ye. Let’s go to see her next time.”
“It’s not appropriate for me to go with you,” Han Xi said.
She was not used to getting too close to others, and Ji Yao was already an exception.
Ji Yao helped Han Xi pour some more red wine, then sat down. “Director Ye and Uncle Chen were busy at work after their child was born. Unfortunately, the baby was kidnapped by human traffickers while she was with her grandparents at a park. The two elderly people couldn’t bear the pain and the guilt, and…they took poison to end their lives three days after the tragedy.” Ji Yao sighed before continuing. “Later, Uncle Chen vanished, and Director Ye has been alone since then. I’ll go over and visit her when I have time.”
Han Xi recalled that when she reported to the City Bureau on her first day, she met Director Ye once and had a quick interview with her. “Let’s visit when we have a chance.”
With his glass raised, Ji Yao said, “Come, beauty, drink to our great love.”
After hearing the man’s words, Han Xi put down the glass she was holding.
With a helpless smile, Ji Yao walked around to Han Xi’s side, touched her glass on the table with his own, and drank a drink of his love.
Looking up at him, Han Xi said, “Please don’t misunderstand anything.”
“Oh! Then why are you blushing, huh?” Ji Yao asked her as he leaned on the edge of the table.
“It’s because I’m drinking,” Han Xi said, touching her face. “That is the reason.”
Leaning down, Ji Yao placed the wine glass on the table and seemed to encircle Han Xi’s entire body with his arms.
Just as his tip of the nose was about to touch her forehead, the man moved her head and blew into the woman’s ear.
People’s sanity could be confused by the combination of the masculine hormones and the subtle scent of wine, so Han Xi felt a numb sensation on her body. She wanted to open her mouth to scold Ji Yao, but no words of rejection escaped from her lips.
She turned her head and stretched out her very beautiful neckline.
Seeing that, Ji Yao’s mouth felt very dry.
After setting down her fork and knife, Han Xi got up and blurted out, “Thank you for the dinner; I’ll go back first.” She said that, then hurriedly walked towards the door.
In the faint candlelight, Ji Yao watched Han Xi change her shoes.
Because she was anxious, she wore her shoes the wrong way, and then she removed the shoes and put them on again correctly.
While he was looking at the scene, he recalled that she was always strict and cold when she was working.
“I’m going.”
Ji Yao walked to the door, looked at the woman, who was turning her back for him, and said lightly, “Han Xi.”
Hearing that, Han Xi turned around.
Meeting her panicked eyes, Ji Yao grinned. “Good night.” As he said this, his voice was low as if he was reciting poetry about love.
****
Ji Yao was humming a tune when he arrived at work on Monday.
“Captain Ji, you are in such a good mood. Are you getting married?” Zhou Li asked him as she turned to face Ji Yao.
As he leaned on the table beside him, Ji Yao made a handgun gesture against Zhou Li’s head and said, “You know too much.”
Zhang Xiang, who was already in working mode, reported, “Captain Ji, Qiao Jiang’s mother, and his brother, Qiao Sen, were unwilling to come, saying they had to take care of Qiao Jiang’s funeral affairs and were too busy to come.”
Ji Yao returned to his seat and replied, “They have to cooperate with the police whether they like it or not. They have to come here by themselves or we will enforce it. Let them choose.”
After a moment, Zhang Xiang put down the phone after making a call. “They will arrive in two hours.”
Zhou Li turned on the computer and turned around. “If it is really as Captain Ji analysed, to repay his father’s debt, how did the murderer know that Qiao Sen might not be Qiao Zhen’s biological son?”
“This signifies two things,” said Zhao Jingjing, who entered carrying a briefcase. “Either the killer or someone close to them, such as the mother of Qiao Jiang and the biological father of Qiao Sen, is aware of the inner story. Or the killer is an outsider with extraordinary abilities.
Ji Yao nodded. “Judging from the background and worth of the killer Liu Qiangshan, the mastermind behind the scenes has some background. Ordinary people don’t have the means to hire a killer of that level even if they have money.”
The fact that Qiao Zhen vanished for six years, more than 20 years ago worried Ji Yao more. He was especially sensitive to this period because of Officer Chen, who also vanished 20 years ago.
****
Two hours later, Qiao Jiang’s mother and brother arrived, and this time Ji Yao received them in the interrogation room.
“Who is Qiao Sen’s biological father?” Ji Yao asked directly, holding the DNA report.
It was clear that Qiao’s mother was shocked. She was unable to comprehend the DNA test report and was unsure of how the cops found out.
As Qiao’s mother was silent, Zhao Jingjing pointed and showed the key factor in the report to her.
“Does this have anything to do with Xiao Jiang’s death?” Mother Qiao asked, lowering her head. “He would not murder Xiao Jiang. He passed away almost ten years ago.”
With patience, Zhao Jingjing stated, “You just need to tell us what you know.”
After a while, Mother Qiao quietly said, “Xiao Sen is indeed not Qiao Zhen’s biological child.” There was silence for a few seconds before she started talking again. “I got married to Qiao Zhen while I was pregnant with another man’s child,” she said. “He showed no concern for me and my kid after he was born and often beat us. When Xiao Sen was five years old, Qiao Zhen went out with others to work and didn’t come back for several years.”
Ji Yao raised his eyelids and questioned, “Where did he go at that time, and with whom?”
Mother Qiao said. “Xinqiao County, with… with Zhang Zhixin.”
Ji Yao asked, “Zhang Zhixin? Qiao Sen’s biological father?”
Mother Qiao gave a slow nod. “Zhang Zhixin returned by himself shortly after they left, stating that they met some gangsters on the way and only he escaped. And Qiao Zhen was dead.”
Ji Yao took a quick look at the security camera.
Zhang Xiang, who saw that, contacted someone to verify Zhang Zhixin’s details.
Mother Qiao went on. “I thought Qiao Zhen was dead at that time, and I lived with Zhang Zhixin for a few years, but I didn’t expect Qiao Zhen to come back again. Cough…”
Mother Qiao received a glass of water from Zhao Jingjing. “Zhang Zhixin passed away later,” Mother Qiao said, holding the glass of water. “On the highway, a big truck hit him. But there was no sign of the driver.”
At this time, there was a knock on the door, and someone came in and gave Ji Yao a stack of information about Zhang Zhixin and Mother Qiao.
According to that, Zhang Zhixin passed away nineteen years ago.
Ji Yao stared at Mother Qiao with sharp eyes and asked in a serious tone, “Are you sure you don’t know who killed Zhang Zhixin?”
Mother Qiao held the water glass tightly, with her palms sweating. “No, no… I don’t know.”
After looking at Mother Qiao seriously, Ji Yao said, “The murderer is Qiao Zhen, right?”
Mother Qiao’s head dropped. For almost a decade, she had kept this a secret, afraid to notify anybody or call the police. She felt a startling sense of relief as the cops revealed her, as though the stone that had been crushing against her heart had been shattered into the ground.
“I found out later that when they went out to work, they didn’t encounter any gangsters at all. It was Zhang Zhixin who pushed Qiao Zhen off the top of the mountain.”
Ji Yao: “Where did Qiao Zhen go and what did he do during the six years he disappeared?”
This was his biggest concern.
Mother Qiao shook her head and said, “I asked, but he didn’t answer. Later, when I asked again, he grabbed a knife and threatened to murder anyone who dared to ask the same question in the future.”
Ji Yao: “After Qiao Zhen came back after so many years, what changes have there been?”
Mother Qiao: “He had changed a lot; he became easily angry, irritable, and frequently awakened from nightmares. Before he vanished, he didn’t have the heart to kill anyone, but after returning, he killed Zhang Zhixin.”
She became more and more nervous. Her voice gradually got louder, and her lips trembled, as if she wanted to vent all the fear that had been in her heart for more than ten years. “I think he… killed someone during that period.”
The small interrogation room echoed with Mother Qiao’s hysterical shouting.
End of chapter 20