Chapter 19 Drowned in the Bathtub

“Up ahead is Xu Jin’s house. Go a bit faster,” Yan Yu said anxiously from his seat on the motorcycle.

Master Cao shook his head repeatedly. “No can do. The speed limit here is thirty. My license was just revoked—if I get caught, I’m done for!”

Master Cao rode his little motorcycle at a snail’s pace, carrying Yan Yu toward Xu Jin’s house.

Why not go to Li Kang’s home?

Yan Yu knew that Zhao Qingqing’s targets for revenge were escalating step by step. The person she hated most was Li Kang, so she would leave him for last.

First was He Qing, and now, it was Xu Jin.

But when the two arrived at the villa district, they found Xu Jin’s house surrounded by several police cars. The officers had already cordoned off the area. Outside the tape, neighbors gathered to watch the commotion; inside, a couple sobbed uncontrollably while a police officer seemed to be comforting them.

Seeing this scene, Yan Yu felt a chill run through him. He was too late.

“Someone really died!” Master Cao’s face changed as he recalled Yan Yu’s earlier words. He now realized this was likely a genuine ghost murder.

“Stop here. Let’s find out what happened,” Yan Yu said grimly.

His worst fears had come true...

The more people Zhao Qingqing killed, the deeper her obsession and the stronger her power became. Yan Yu had managed to restrain her before, but now with Xu Jin dead, he feared he wouldn’t stand a chance against her.

Master Cao shook his head. “I really can’t linger here…”

“What do you mean?” Yan Yu asked in confusion. Suddenly, a police officer broke away from the crowd and strode toward them.

Seeing the officer, Master Cao forced a smile uglier than crying and awkwardly greeted him, “Hey, isn’t this Officer Chen? What a coincidence…”

“Cut the act!” Without hesitation, the officer grabbed Master Cao’s arm and said warily, “What are you doing here? Stealing again?”

“Hey! Officer Chen, you know I’ve been clean for a while now. These days I’m just a motorcycle driver!” Master Cao’s mind raced for explanations.

“If I remember right, this is the thirteenth time you’ve ‘gone clean,’ isn’t it?” The officer sneered. “You two, come with me to see Captain Wang. If you’re innocent, we won’t make things difficult.”

Master Cao sighed and winked at Yan Yu, as if to say: See, I told you I shouldn’t stay here long.

Yan Yu, though bewildered, sensed an opportunity. If he could get close to this Captain Wang, perhaps he could learn what had happened to Xu Jin.

The two were ushered inside the cordon and brought before an upright police officer who looked to be in his early thirties.

“Captain Wang, I found these two sneaking around outside!” the officer explained.

Captain Wang turned, instantly recognizing Master Cao. “Old Cao?”

“Heh, Captain Wang Mo.”

“Old Cao, you’re a regular at our station. Petty theft and scams are one thing, but this time someone’s died. If you’re involved, you’d better tell me now, or else…” Wang Mo’s sharp gaze suggested he was no fool.

Master Cao protested, “I really don’t know a thing! After I left the station last time, I started driving a motorcycle taxi. This guy asked me to bring him here. If you don’t believe me, you can check the surveillance—we just came from Rongcheng No. 1 High.”

“Oh?” Wang Mo raised an eyebrow and fixed his gaze on Yan Yu. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m Xu Jin’s classmate. I just happened to come by to see him… By the way, what happened here? Is Xu Jin okay?” Yan Yu asked, feigning curiosity.

Wang Mo deliberately avoided Xu Jin’s parents and spoke quietly, “Xu Jin is dead.”

“Dead?!” Yan Yu looked shocked and afraid.

At that moment, a forensic doctor in a white coat emerged from the villa and said to Wang Mo, “Preliminary assessment: Xu Jin must have touched the Bluetooth speaker while showering, got electrocuted, and fainted in the tub. He drowned as a result.”

Though the forensic doctor kept his voice low, Yan Yu’s keen hearing caught everything.

“That simple?” Wang Mo was skeptical.

“There are no fingerprints or footprints at the scene. All the doors were locked from the inside, ruling out foul play. It sounds odd, but that’s the reality…” Even the forensic expert found Xu Jin’s death frustratingly inexplicable.

“I understand,” Wang Mo nodded and told the forensic doctor to take a break. He then called the officer over. “This murder has nothing to do with Old Cao and his friend. Let them go.”

“Yes, Captain!” The officer saluted and waved Yan Yu and Master Cao out. “You two can leave.”

“Heh, thanks, Officer Chen!”

“My name’s Chen Chuandong. Stop calling me Officer Chen!” the policeman glared at Master Cao.

Freed from the cordon, Master Cao took a deep breath. “Master, that Xu Jin kid really was killed by that female ghost, wasn’t he?”

“What do you think?” Yan Yu replied, his eerie smile making Master Cao shudder.

Master Cao didn’t say anything, but inside, he was terrified. He resolved never to be Yan Yu’s driver again—he didn’t want to risk getting entangled in anything supernatural and losing his life for nothing.

The two mounted the little motorcycle, and Yan Yu asked Master Cao to take him back to Jiangbin Road.

Seated on the back, Yan Yu fell into deep thought.

There was no doubt: Zhao Qingqing was now more powerful and vengeful than ever. The next time he encountered her, he likely wouldn’t even have the chance to speak.

Anyone who tried to hinder Zhao Qingqing’s revenge would become her target, and then it would be a fight to the death.

Fortunately, tonight, Zhao Qingqing shouldn’t trouble Li Kang—but tomorrow night, Li Kang would likely meet his end.

Yan Yu still hoped Zhao Qingqing could explain the cause of his mother’s death. If he just watched Zhao Qingqing descend further into darkness, she would eventually forget everything, becoming a ghost driven only by obsession and hatred, leaving no one to help Yan Yu.

So, even though Yan Yu hated Li Kang as much as Zhao Qingqing did, he had to find a way to keep Li Kang alive.

By the time Yan Yu returned to Zhou Xiaowan’s house, it was past one in the morning. The living room was empty; after showering, Yan Yu lay on the bed, pondering his plan for tomorrow.

Suddenly, someone knocked on his bedroom door. Yan Yu opened it to find Zhou Xiaowan, dressed in pajamas and hugging her pillow and quilt, standing outside.

“What are you doing?” Yan Yu’s expression changed as he hastily covered himself.

Zhou Xiaowan shot him a glare, then said quietly, “Xu Jin is dead. Did you know?”