After Life

S City Police Station.

"Let's start with Fu Ling first." Gu Xingfeng said. "Fu Ling's mother died when she was ten years old, and her father remarried. Her father and stepmother had children. Her stepmother is nice to her even though she isn't her own daughter. When there is a family gathering on her stepmother's side, she's also invited." He said. "Her father's name is Fu Keqing. Her stepmother is Xu Chuxin."

"'Xu'…" Hao Baiyun said.

"Yes. She is related to Xu Wenrong." Gu Xingfeng said.

Hao Baiyun frowned. He wasn't present during the interrogation earlier, so he didn't observe how Xu Wenrong acted.

Gu Xingfeng answered his problem. "He acted like he didn't know her." He said and went to the computer on the side. Then, he opened a video. It was the recording of the interrogation earlier. There were cameras on all sides, so they can observe the microexpressions the suspects make. But, when it was Xu Wenrong…

"One would believe his lies." Hao Baiyun said as he watched Xu Wenrong answer question per question of Gu Xingfeng in the video.

"He really looked like a harmless old man." Gu Xingfeng agreed. When they moved in front of the computer, he let Hao Baiyun sit while he stood behind Hao Baiyun and watched the video together with him. Thus, their proximity is too close now…

Hao Baiyun acted like there was nothing wrong. His expression is calm as he watched the video in full attention. "You suspect it was him who killed Fu Ling?" he asked after the video finished playing. He turned and saw Gu Xingfeng was staring at him. "What?" he asked.

Gu Xingfeng looked away and reached the mouse to play the video again. Doing so, it looked like he was enclosing Hao Baiyun in his arms. He then turned, and their faces became close once again. His eyes darkened as he stared at Hao Baiyun's face that didn't show any reactions. "Yes." he answered.

"How can you say that?" Hao Baiyun asked.

"Xu Wenrong may look harmless, but he has a secret." Gu Xingfeng answered.

"Everyone has a secret." Hao Baiyun said.

Gu Xingfeng didn't ask him what is his secret. "Xu Wenrong is a pedophile." He said.

Hao Baiyun's calm expression cracked. "What?" he said.

"Xu Wenrong is Xu Chuxin's uncle. But, they were estranged." Gu Xingfeng continued, ignoring the ugly expression on Hao Baiyun's face. "Xu Wenrong is also divorced. His wife and children is now living abroad." He added.

"You don't mean…" Hao Baiyun said.

"Maybe. Maybe not." Gu Xingfeng said. "Who knows how one's mind thinks, and the ways of their heart?" he asked.

Hao Baiyun didn't comment. He just asked. "How did you know this information?" he asked. This is a private matter.

"Xu Wenrong's relationship with Fu Ling can be easily investigated. You just have to look at their family register." Gu Xingfeng said. "About Xu Wenrong's secret… how will you know about it if you won't ask a person who knows the secret other than the owner of the secret?" he said. He didn't wait for Hao Baiyun to ask another question as he continued. "My subordinate inquired a servant of the Xu family. Who knows that servant is loose-lipped?" he said.

"You mean to say – " Hao Baiyun said.

Gu Xingfeng nodded. "Everyone in the family knows Xu Wenrong's inclinations, thus, not only Xu Chuxin was estranged to him, but also the other people in the household." He said.

"Then, Fu Ling…" Hao Baiyun said.

"Maybe during one of their family gatherings, Xu Wenrong fancied her." Gu Xingfeng answered and he looked at Fu Ling's picture. His face showed disgust when he remembered the forensic report of her corpse. "Xu Wenrong fancied her too much he even had followed her here." He said.

Hao Baiyun fell silent. He remembered that during the interrogation, Xu Wenrong said he was taken in by Ji Shao's parents and then he started to live in unit 141. "From the reports, Fu Ling and Huo Ling's death only differed with only a small amount of time." He said.

Gu Xingfeng understood what he meant. "Xu Wenrong must have planned to pin Fu Ling's death on the delivery man after he found that Fu Ling ordered for food." He said, then looked at Huo Ling's picture. "It could be anyone, but it just so happened to be Huo Ling, who Su Rong met and killed." He sighed.

"Coincidences." Hao Baiyun quietly said. Silence fell. "What about Tan Yu, Wei Jing and Wu She?" he asked. He's referring to the corpses found in unit 203, which is Tan Yu's unit.

"We have found drugs in the unit." Gu Xingfeng said. "It seems like they killed each other while they were high on drugs." He said. "Given the date of their death, Ji Shao's parents are still alive at the time. They might have killed the group after they took the drugs." He explained.

"I thought their death would also be related to Huo Ling." Hao Baiyun joked, his muscles gradually relaxing.

"Well, no – " Gu Xingfeng said. " – but, Wen Jing is related to Huo Ling. He is Huo Ling's former senior at work." He told him.

Hao Baiyun almost choked on his saliva. Huo Ling was related to He Furong and He Xiaozhu after he was mistakenly (almost) killed by He Furong as He Xiaozhu. He was related to Li Lingling when he saved Li Lingling before. Su Rong is his murderer. And Fu Ling – he delivered food for her, yet he was killed. Now, he's also related to Wei Jing – who was his former senior at work. Huo Ling is related to almost all of the occupants of the apartment building. The only ones who aren't connected to him are Ji Shao and Xu Wenrong. But, after his death, Ji Shao and Xu Wenrong's crimes surfaced.

Coincidences are really scary.

The sun has finally sunk back behind the mountains, but the rain continues to fall. "There's a thick Foul surrounding the old man?" Huo Ling asked after he heard what Yi Bing said.

Yi Bing nodded. "The Soul Eater's core is inside his unit." He told Huo Ling.

"So the old man is a bad guy?" Huo Ling said. He had a strange expression on his face. "No wonder… I felt he's slightly different from the others." He said.

Yi Bing didn't say anything. He looked at Su Rong's door. "We still have no clue for his motive of killing you." He said. "Let's go to the police station. Maybe the chief inspector might know something." He told Huo Ling.

Huo Ling nodded. "Good idea." He said. There's a lump in his forehead. It was from Yi Bing. He hit him earlier after he heard what he said. "So you can actually touch souls even if we have a transparent body." He said.

"Shouldn't you know that after I pulled your 'tail'?" Yi Bing said. Huo Ling didn't speak. "Feeling better?" Yi Bing asked. "The reason why people is afraid of death is because they thought there's no life after it." He said. "But, there is. It's just another form of life." He said and looked at Huo Ling. "That's why it's called the 'afterlife'."