Chapter 258: I Demand a Re-Sleep

Qu Tuotuo gazed at him with tender affection and gave a small nod.

"Is it the two of us sleeping in this room?" Yu Dazhang felt it necessary to confirm once more.

In two lifetimes he had never run into such good fortune—he had to be careful.

When he said the word "sleep," he deliberately increased the weight of his tone.

"Mm."

Qu Tuotuo's voice was low as a mosquito's hum, her eyes slightly dazed.

Then it's all correct... Yu Dazhang's palms broke out in sweat, his heels went numb, he was nervous as could be.

Her expression was clearly shy, nervous, and with just a hint of anticipation.

After all those years of studying micro-expressions, he wouldn't misread it.

"I'm going to take a shower?" Yu Dazhang asked tentatively.

Qu Tuotuo's face flushed red in an instant:

"Okay."

A Lin Daiyu fallen from the heavens... Yu Dazhang strode quickly into the bathroom.

Soon the "splash splash" of water came from inside, accompanied by his singing.

"I'm going to plant lots of seeds, da-la di da-la~"

"It can bear the fruit of love, with magical power~"

"They say every girl wants to have it~"

"Get ready now, oh yo, let's play together~"

Qu Tuotuo sat on the bed, listening to his singing, feeling something was off.

Why had she never heard this song before?

And clearly it was a pretty cheerful song—how did it become so awkward coming from his mouth?

A touch of roguish, lecherous, shameless.

She took off her outer garment, changed into the hotel's disposable slippers, leaned against the headboard, and closed her eyes to listen to his singing.

Qu Tuotuo had indeed come to discuss the project.

But it wasn't strictly necessary for her to come.

When she heard this project was coming to be negotiated in Tin City, she took it on almost without hesitation.

Only because this city held a person she missed.

She had been excited on the way here, but after seeing Yu Dazhang, Qu Tuotuo suddenly felt she had no strength left in her whole body.

Only this man could give her such a feeling...

Peace of mind.

Yu Dazhang showered very quickly—in less than ten minutes he came out of the bathroom wearing a bathrobe.

"You..."

The scene before him made him freeze in place.

He saw Qu Tuotuo with her eyes closed, leaning against the headboard, her breathing even, her sleeping face serene, her long hair draped loosely.

Looking at her like this—had she fallen asleep?

Involuntarily, Yu Dazhang took a few steps toward her, wanting to see if she was just pretending to sleep to tease him.

Drawing closer, feeling the rhythm of her breathing and the expression on her face...

She was really asleep!

How untrustworthy!!

We agreed to sleep together, and you fall asleep first—what kind of behavior is that?

I've already goddamn scrubbed myself squeaky clean.

At this moment Yu Dazhang truly wanted to grab Qu Tuotuo's shoulders and shake her awake.

You can't treat people like this!

Yu Dazhang stood by the bed, stared at Qu Tuotuo and stewed for a while; seeing no sign of her waking, in the end he could only sigh helplessly.

Early the next morning.

Qu Tuotuo woke from her sleep, and in her drowsy haze felt as though she was nestled against a sponge.

Soft, warm, and carrying the sweet fragrance of shower gel.

"Mm?"

Startled, she immediately sprang up from the bed.

But the next second...

"You're awake." Yu Dazhang lay on the bed, looking at her weakly.

"Ah, how did I fall asleep yesterday?" Qu Tuotuo checked herself—her clothes were properly on her body, no problem at all.

"I was about to ask you the same thing." Yu Dazhang said peevishly:

"Didn't you say you wanted to sleep with me? How come you fell asleep first?"

Qu Tuotuo looked at him in that state, the corner of her mouth curving into a faint smile:

"Didn't we sleep together last night? What other way did you want to sleep?"

"How can that be the same?!" Yu Dazhang said through gritted teeth:

"I don't care, I demand a re-sleep."

That was said in anger—in fact, Yu Dazhang had also slept very soundly last night. Holding Qu Tuotuo's soft body, breathing the faint fragrance on her, feeling the soft and warm touch of her body—that was already enough for him.

He felt as though he had had a very beautiful dream.

Still, is there any person who isn't greedy?

"Next time, next time." Qu Tuotuo said while straightening her clothes:

"I have a meeting about a project this morning, so once I'm done washing up it'll be about time."

Good, as long as she's scared… Yu Dazhang watched smugly as she went into the bathroom.

Another day passed.

Ma Jian sent word that, through investigation, he had uncovered another wrongful case.

That deceased member of the small group had been involved in a murder case sixteen years earlier, and had only been cleared after the real culprit was caught.

Some cases simply can't withstand scrutiny.

As long as one can raise a reasonable doubt, the requirement for a complete chain of evidence isn't met, and overturning the case naturally follows.

!

Back then, there was no such thing as a complete chain of evidence.

This is the progress of the rule of law, and a necessary stage in the development of a society that respects human rights.

Things weren't going so smoothly on Liu Miao's end.

The man with stomach cancer refused to cooperate, dodging every question Liu Miao put to him.

When pressed, he'd use feeling unwell as an excuse to chase Liu Miao out of the hospital room.

After hearing Liu Miao's report, Yu Dazhang was also at a loss.

For a dying man like this, the methods available are extremely limited.

Force won't work, so the only option is to try to move him into talking through persuasion.

If the other party is dead set on staying silent, then there's really nothing to be done.

Besides, he must have a murder case on his record too; that mastermind must have used some method to keep his mouth shut.

Most likely by threatening his family, making him dare not betray them even at death's door.

"Investigate his criminal record and dig up that wrongful case from back then."

Yu Dazhang couldn't think of any other approach for now, so he could only arrange it this way:

"Ma Jian's investigation is almost wrapped up; I'll have him go support you shortly."

After hanging up, Yu Dazhang sorted through the known information about that small group in his mind.

Counting Liu Miao's, eleven people have now surfaced in the police's sights.

And not a single one of them has met a good end.

Nine went mad, one died, one got a terminal illness.

Just one left.

Yu Dazhang had a premonition that this case was about to enter its final wrap-up stage.

Next, he had to do the same thing as the suspect.

Find that last mastermind!

If the suspect found them first, this serial finger-cutting case would very likely become a cold case.

Given the other party's ability and methods, hiding would be no trouble at all.

The fact that they could evade the provincial bureau's experts shows the suspect knows the police's investigative methods extremely well.

"The enemy is in the dark, we are in the light."

Yu Dazhang even had a feeling…

The suspect had already noticed him.

Since getting involved in this case, what he'd been doing was actually not much different from the suspect's.

Both had focused their attention on the victims.

And what Yu Dazhang was doing looked even more like cleaning up after the suspect.

Before driving the victims mad, the suspect made them confess the crimes they'd once committed.

Yu Dazhang, in turn, extracted that information and gradually overturned the cases of those wrongfully convicted.

As if guided by fate, they completed one collaboration after another.

Sometimes things are just that ironic.

One is a criminal, one is a police officer — two complete strangers at that — yet cooperating in this very way.

Each was doing what they believed was right.

Yet they were destined to meet different ends.

(End of Chapter)