Chapter 269 - 268: The Dust Settles

Li Xiufang sat by the bed, holding Chen Dinglai’s hand. Tears slid silently down her face, but she stubbornly refused to cry out loud.

Chen Mingli put away his phone and turned to Yang Xun, lowering his voice. "Mr. Yang, we really owe you this time. If you hadn’t saved him, we definitely wouldn’t have been able to crack this case."

"You’re too polite, Captain Chen," Yang Xun said, waving his hand dismissively. "You should arrange an escort for Ms. Li to leave as soon as possible. Once the Jin family finds out Chen Dinglai is awake, they definitely won’t let this go."

"I’ve already made the arrangements." Chen Mingli nodded. "She’ll leave this afternoon for a county town down south. We have a contact point there and will set her up with a new identity. No one will be able to find her."

Hearing this, Li Xiufang said through tear-blurred eyes, "I’m not leaving! I want to wait until my husband recovers before I go."

"Chen Dinglai is a criminal, so you can’t stay in the ward to keep him company anyway," Chen Mingli gently persuaded. "You’re better off leaving early. Even if it’s just for your child’s sake, you shouldn’t stay here."

"Honey, just go. All I ask is that you and the baby stay safe," Chen Dinglai said weakly, tears continuously rolling down his cheeks.

The couple choked with emotion, rendered speechless. After a moment, Li Xiufang finally nodded. She looked at Yang Xun and Chen Mingli, her red, swollen eyes filled with gratitude. "Thank you."

Yang Xun’s tone softened a bit. "Take good care of yourself and your child from now on. You should go."

Li Xiufang lowered her head and gently stroked her flat stomach. With a soft murmur of agreement, she turned and left.

Lying in bed, Chen Dinglai watched her retreating back, a single tear finally escaping his cloudy eyes. He opened his mouth, his voice so hoarse it was almost inaudible. "Xiufang... live well."

That afternoon, two female officers escorted Li Xiufang out through the hospital’s back entrance. They transferred her into an inconspicuous gray sedan and headed toward the station.

Meanwhile, at the Shunping City police station.

Upon obtaining the video recording, Chen Mingli immediately applied for an arrest warrant. The footage clearly documented the entire process of Jin Shilong instructing Chen Dinglai to dispose of the corpses. Every frame served as ironclad evidence, firmly nailing the charges against Jin Shilong.

When the police mobilized, Jin Shilong was just preparing to leave the city. He was intercepted at the entrance to the airport’s VIP lane, still wearing sunglasses and carrying a black duffel bag. Seeing the officers swarm in, his face instantly fell.

"Jin Shilong, you are suspected of intentional homicide and the destruction of corpses to eliminate evidence. You are hereby under arrest," Chen Mingli declared, personally leading the team. His voice was loud and forceful.

As he was pinned to the ground, Jin Shilong went completely limp, as if all the bones had been extracted from his body. Struggling to lift his head, he screamed hoarsely toward a distant spot, "Dad! Save me!"

Jin Zhenhai stood behind the glass wall on the second floor of the terminal building. Through the transparent barrier, he watched expressionlessly as his son was escorted into a police cruiser. There was no visible emotion in his aged eyes, but his trembling hands betrayed his true feelings.

Only after the police cruiser drove away from the airport did he slowly turn around and enter the adjacent VIP lounge.

A lawyer in a dark gray suit quickly approached him. "Mr. Jin, I’ve already contacted the best criminal defense team in Shunping City. As long as we handle this right, there’s still a chance Young Master Jin can get a lenient sentence."

Jin Zhenhai gritted his teeth. "The evidence is ironclad. How can the sentence be lenient?"

"That video recording... although the footage is clear, it was secretly recorded by Chen Dinglai. We can attack the legality of the evidence..."

"Enough." Jin Zhenhai interrupted him and slowly sank into the sofa. Crossing his wrinkled hands over his knees, he remained silent for a long moment before finally speaking. "In short, you must save Shilong’s life. Find a way to make his days on the inside easier."

The lawyer froze for a second, quickly understanding the implication. He replied softly, "Understood."

Jin Zhenhai didn’t say anything else. He simply stared out the window at the bleak, gray sky, his gaze as deep and dark as a bottomless well.

On the other side of town, at the hospital.

Zheng Peiyuan had just finished his shift and was preparing to leave. He barely made it to the parking lot before two plainclothes officers blocked his path.

"Zheng Peiyuan, you are suspected of attempted intentional homicide. Come with us."

Zheng Peiyuan’s face instantly drained of color. With a THUD, his briefcase dropped to the ground. He wanted to run, but his legs had turned to jelly, rendering him unable to take a single step. The two officers flanked him, grabbing his arms on either side and dragging him into the nearby police cruiser.

That night, the Shunping City police station was brightly lit.

Chen Mingli interrogated Jin Shilong overnight. Faced with the ironclad evidence, Jin Shilong finally lowered his head. He gave up making pointless resistance, simply repeating over and over again, "My dad didn’t know about this. I did it all by myself from start to finish."

He repeated this sentence no less than ten times in the interrogation room.

Looking at his ashen face, Chen Mingli merely replied coldly, "Whether your dad knew or not isn’t for you to decide."

Meanwhile, at the Zhaos’ villa.

Yang Xun was sitting on the windowsill of Zhao Linglong’s bedroom, holding a cup of hot tea. He gazed out at the lotus pond, its surface rippling in the night breeze. Zhao Linglong was curled up on the sofa hugging a throw pillow, her gaze resting on the profile of his face.

"Dr. Yang, do you think... those wronged souls can rest in peace now?"

"The killer has been caught, and their grievances have been washed away." Yang Xun turned his head and smiled gently. "Once their remains are buried and their souls are cleansed, they should be able to move on."

"Then let’s go see them off tomorrow, okay?" Zhao Linglong’s voice was very soft, carrying an earnest plea. "I want to offer a stick of incense for them. It’s just a small token of respect from someone who actually ’saw’ them."

Meeting her amber eyes, Yang Xun gave a slight nod.

Early the next morning, on a quiet hillside in the West Suburbs of Shunping City.

Five black coffins were laid out side by side, surrounded by white chrysanthemums. A faint floral scent mixed with the smell of damp earth permeated the air. There weren’t many mourners present. Aside from Yang Xun and Zhao Linglong, there were only a few police officers involved in the case and a handful of villagers from around Bluestone Town.

Several elderly folks stood at a distance, looking at the five coffins and silently wiping away tears.

The ceremony was simple, without lengthy eulogies or lavish displays. Holding three sticks of incense in her hands, Zhao Linglong walked step by step toward the five coffins. She bowed deeply three times and gently placed the incense into the censer.

Yang Xun stood a short distance behind her. When the incense had finished burning, he stepped forward and pressed his palms together. He didn’t chant any sutras; he merely closed his eyes slightly and released a wisp of True Qi from his palm. It transformed into an invisible barrier, enveloping the entire hillside.

A sudden mountain breeze blew up from the valley floor. It swept up fallen leaves and white petals from the ground, swirling them through the air before they slowly drifted back down.

Watching the white petals dance in the wind, Zhao Linglong suddenly felt a surge of warmth rise from the bottom of her heart. The heavy, lingering chill that had coiled in her chest for days was finally fading away, bit by bit.