Chapter 25: Holding the Emperor Hostage

Ji Wangan wasn’t a child—who would turn themselves in just because of a book?

That’s what he thought.

But as he kept reading, he saw Raskolnikov’s long-premeditated crime in a desperate situation, saw his mental breakdown and the rebirth it inspired. Suddenly, he empathized with him.

He had always gotten whatever the wind blew his way or the rain brought since childhood, worlds apart from Raskolnikov. But Pine City was crawling with nobles by birth. Why could he only strut around relying on the Ji Family name?

Because his older brother bore the surname Ye and was called Ye Lian. They were blood brothers from the same mother, and the Ye Residence should have been his maternal family too. Yet they treated him like garbage.

He felt a bit lost, bewildered as to why the Ye Residence despised him. Back then, Grandma had comforted him, cursing the Ye family as ungrateful white-eyed wolves and saying his father had died harboring resentment because the Ye family wouldn’t lift a finger.

Seeing how harshly Grandma and Mom treated Ye Lian had strangely balanced things out in his heart. But that balance didn’t last long before shattering—Ye Lian had come to Pine City from Locust City, and Shen Qie, catching the scent, had approached him under some pretext, all to canvass for investment in front of Ye Lian.

He wanted to prove he was more than just Ye Lian’s little brother, that he wasn’t inferior to Ye Lian. But the direction he chose to prove it went wrong.

He and Raskolnikov weren’t alike at all—yet they were so very alike.

—

Jiang Xiaoyu arrived at the hospital, but Ji Wangan was still in the operating room. Ye Lian stood by Ye Lan’s side like a towering mountain.

He glanced over and, seeing they hadn’t noticed him, walked up to Jin Ge with his head down. “Master, how’s the situation?”

“Stable enough.” Jin Ge patted his head, then familiarly slung an arm around his shoulders. “Criminal Investigation has already made their move.”

“So fast?”

“Not fast,” Jin Ge said flatly. “I’ve waited long enough for this day.” Although the key testimony still needed Ji Wangan awake to nail it down, Shen Qie had clearly panicked like a cornered dog, hiring someone to ram Ji Wangan. Now Criminal Investigation had him by the throat on that alone.

“Even if we can’t pin Zhou Xu’s murder on him yet, this charge alone is enough to make him sweat.”

“You’ve worked hard these days.” Jin Ge lowered his voice. “Sneak away in a few days.” The words had barely left his mouth when he keenly sensed a gaze. He whipped his head around, meeting a pair of amber eyes.

He was a cop, moreover a Leopard Shapeshifter—his instincts sharper than any ordinary person’s. That instant of eye contact gave him the eerie illusion of being eyed by a predator. Cold sweat beaded in Jin Ge’s palms, his nerves taut enough for even Jiang Xiaoyu to notice something off.

Puzzled, he called out, “Master?”

“Officer Jiang, long time no see.” Ye Lian curved his eyes and walked over to them. “Is Officer Jiang here today to investigate a theft?”

Jiang Xiaoyu wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but he saw a teasing glint in those beautiful amber eyes. His ear tips flushed red, and he ducked his head, not daring to look. “No, I came to…”

Jin Ge quickly covered for him. “This is my apprentice. I brought him along to learn how to handle this kind of situation.” Suppressing his doubts, he feigned surprise at their acquaintance. “How do you know Mr. Ye and Little Yu?”

“Um—” Ye Lian lowered his gaze slightly to Jiang Xiaoyu’s head, where a cute little whirl swirled amid the dark hair like night. “The Ye Residence had something stolen not long ago. Officer Jiang handled the case after we reported it.”

They exchanged a few polite words, but Jin Ge couldn’t shake the sensation of being watched by a beast. It was too similar to the pressure that man gave off, stirring irritability in him. “Little Yu, you’re in charge here. I’m heading back to the station.”

Jiang Xiaoyu watched him hurry off in bewilderment, but as always in public, he stayed quiet and leaned against the wall, eyes on the operating room.

“Is Officer Jiang always this aloof?” Ye Lian chuckled lightly.

For some reason, Jiang Xiaoyu felt unnatural around him. As the man approached, he silently shifted a step aside. “Does Mr. Ye need something?”

Ye Lian found his feigned composure amusing—ears red as blood, face pretending serenity. Seeing Ye Lan’s probing gaze drift over, he lost interest in teasing and asked, “Has the car crash suspect been identified?”

Down to business, Jiang Xiaoyu perked up. Before he could speak, Ye Lan cut in: “It’s Shen Qie, isn’t it!”

Even if true, suspects were innocent until proven guilty. He replied softly, “Sorry, I can’t disclose case details at this stage.”

But Ye Lan seemed furious, her bun loosening with strands falling by her face, the phoenix eyes so like Ye Lian’s slanted in anger as she cursed, “I know it’s him! He wanted to kill Wangan so no one could testify against him!”

The other Criminal Investigation officer on standby exchanged a look with Jiang Xiaoyu. He asked, “Did Mr. Ji tell you anything?”

She hesitated briefly, but glancing at the red light over the operating room, she gritted her teeth with resolve. “Wangan told me Shen Qie killed someone.”

“And he… helped Shen Qie dispose of the body…”

—

Ye Lan was taken back to the Police Station by Jiang Xiaoyu to give a statement. Ye Lian sat alone on the hospital chair, legs crossed, spotting an orange cat amid the swaying tree shadows outside the building.

Yan Feilang drove up hurriedly with Chen Yiqu. Anxiety creased the face of the stern old man past fifty. “How’s the Second Master?”

Facing them, Ye Lian revealed his unmasked nature without pretense. “Situation stable.”

Chen Yiqu breathed a sigh of relief, instructing Yan Feilang to pick someone up from the Ji Family before sitting beside Ye Lian. “The Madam must be heartbroken. You… take good care of her.”

Ye Lian’s fingers tapped on his leg. “I don’t see it that way.”

Chen Yiqu disapproved but couldn’t bear to rebuke the child he’d raised. He urged gently, “My lord, there’s no overnight grudge between mother and son. Besides, the Madam sent you to the old master out of sheer necessity, right?”

Even Chen Yiqu, who’d watched him grow up, thought he’d care about that. Ye Lian sneered inwardly. “Never mind that. Third Brother will be coming soon.”

Only then did Chen Yiqu learn Ye Yuzhi was transferring to Pine City. Surprise and delight mixed in his voice. “Is Young Master Yu here on a business trip?”

“Newly appointed executive deputy mayor.” Ye Lian glossed over it lightly.

From Locust City to Pine City—it sounded like a promotion, but the locales weren’t comparable. Unaware of the intricacies, Chen Yiqu hesitated. “A demotion?”

Ye Lian only smiled, uninterested in explaining the future economic shift. His phone rang just then, and he picked up.

“Hello?”

“Mr. Ye, you sure throw your weight around. It took major strings pulled to get your private number.”

“Not as lively as Mr. Shen Qi.”

Shen Qi was livid—his son in custody, and the culprit brushed it off so casually. “How’s Mr. Ye’s brother?”

“Thanks to you, he barely clings to life under your son’s ‘care.'”

“Ye Lian! Don’t push your luck—had you not dithered on deciding, Shen Qie wouldn’t have gone near your brother! Ji Wangan’s mess is all your doing!”

Back then, Shen Qie had suggested approaching via Ji Wangan to bridge families and sway Ye Lian. He’d initially refused, as intel showed Ye Lian’s ties to the Ji Family weren’t great. But blood was blood, so after a brief hesitation, he’d relented. Who knew Shen Qie would veer off course, using a crime to bind Ji Wangan and leverage Ye Lian.

And Ye Lian proved heartless as ever, unyielding even now, until Ji Wangan turned on them.

“Watch your words, Mr. Shen. I never held a knife to your son’s throat. Reflect on your own lax parenting.”

He spoke breezily, enraging Shen Qi into a tirade. Ye Lian lounged half-lidded, utterly relaxed. In the distance, that orange cat lurked in the tree, eyeing a little bird. A breeze stilled the leaves; it pounced, snatching its prey with blood staining its mouth.

The surgery light turned green. Ye Lian hung up, and the cat began its feast.