After all the reconciliation and promises of eternal love between our main pairs, you just know what"s coming is going to be heart-wrenching.  . . Here we are at the start of the final story arc! It looks like it will be set at the border between China and Myanmar (reminds me of When a Snail Falls in Love) and feature some old foes as well as new ones in order to tie up loose story lines. Are you ready for it?

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Chapter 99

When Jian Yao woke up, she saw the thin face of the person beside her.

It was dawn, and the world outside the window seemed to be shrouded in a fine mist. This was a small town in Yunnan, the mid-point of their journey. In this moment of tranquility, she reached out a hand to touch his sleeping countenance.

Several years had pa.s.sed by in the blink of an eye. He had not seemed to change at all, just that he was a bit thinner. Looking at the serenely sleeping face of the person beside her, the memory came to her of that Mr. Bo whose outward appearance was cold and arrogant, but who was warm inside, standing in a villa in the mountains . . . her heart ached a little.

Her fingers moved along his face: the jut of his eyebrows, the bridge of his nose, his cheekbones, his chin . . . all of a sudden, he caught hold of her. With his eyes closed, he said, "You"re still the same, an expert in teasing and provoking."

Jian Yao did not say anything, but laughed in spite of herself. She withdrew her hand, only to have him grab it and bring it to his lips for a kiss. After a while, he touched her cheeks and said with a little sigh, "You"ve lost weight, but this is chubby." Jian Yao laughed but did not speak. She slipped her hand under the blanket and stroked down his body. When she reached his abdomen, she also gave a little sigh and said, "Oh, no, the muscles that you were developing are gone, too."

Bo Jinyan was momentarily silent before saying, "When we get back, my first priority will be to regain my fitness." Jian Yao smiled and brought his hand to rest on her own abdomen, saying, "On the other hand, I have muscles now." Previously, her stomach was always soft. Now, Bo Jinyan touched supple and smooth lines. He clicked his tongue and continued to grope her while exclaiming in admiration, until Jian Yao"s face flamed.

So it was that on this early morning, with war just around the corner, the two of them, husband and wife, both intelligent and tenacious detectives, were cosying up in bed, touching each other, holding each other, talking in a leisurely manner, for a long time.

It was now thoroughly bright.

Jian Yao finished washing up and walked into the living room, clean and neat. Bo Jinyan was standing next to a pile of dossiers, looking pensive. Jian Yao got straight to the point as she asked, "What"s your plan?"

Bo Jinyan turned his head. Under his sungla.s.ses, his face was as cold as jade.

An amazingly detailed map was slowly displayed before them.

Bo Jinyan said, "After the attacks on the Special Cases Unit, the police were continually unable to trace the masked killer gang. Now, about eight months later, the energy and effort used to trace leads has gradually diminished. At the very least, on the surface, it looks as if this effort has lost its urgency. Moreover, to outside eyes, "Bo Jinyan" has been unable to recover from this setback, and his whereabouts are unknown. The cases I helped with in Xun City had top level confidentiality. Only Shao Yong and a few others knew my true ident.i.ty; besides, they are absolutely trustworthy, and would not divulge information to anyone not in the know."

Jian Yao nodded. So, this was one of the starting points of his plan? Everyone thought that the genius Bo Jinyan had fallen from grace and was incapable of bearing the double blow of losing both his sight and his closest friend. He also did not return to the Beijing Major Crime Division or to her side. However, in reality, he had already returned to this battlefield with his walking stick and his sungla.s.ses.

What"s more, he had recovered very well.

Jian Yao suddenly recalled what Fang Qing had said to her on the day they had been reunited with Bo Jinyan. He said, even though Bo Jinyan was blind, he was still persisting on being in the front line when solving cases. This was something even the most toughened criminal investigator had difficulty accomplishing. Bo Jinyan was more manly than most.

"However, the tracing of leads has always been ongoing, and it has been even more painstakingly and covertly done than in the past," he said. "Just two months ago, we found information pertaining to the masked killer gang or its accomplices."

Jian Yao was taken aback. "What was it?"

Bo Jinyan felt among the dossiers for a while before he extracted one and pa.s.sed it to her. Jian Yao hurriedly skimmed through it once, and was transfixed.

It was a case that had occurred at the ChinMyanmar border. To be precise, it had taken place outside the country. A group of thugs had killed another group of thugs; more than 10 people had died. Jian Yao noticed that seven of them had been beheaded, and the forensic investigators had identified the murder weapon as an axe.

"For the past year, An Yan has been secretly following up on all the clues pertaining to the masked killer case," Bo Jinyan said. "He obtained the specimen DNA data from this case and determined that the axe the killer used still bore the remnants of the DNA from the victim in the masked killer case in the US 10 years ago." *

*T/N  I think what this means is that the masked killer is using the same weapon (and obviously hasn"t cleaned it properly, ugh), both in the US 10 years ago and recently in the killing of thugs at the ChinMynamar border. How did he bring an axe from the US to China? Hmmmmm

Jian Yao said, "That means to say . . ."

Bo Jinyan"s lips curled up in a small, mocking smile. "What else does it mean? What else is a better hiding place than to hide water in water? The masked killer hid himself in a criminal gang and continued to kill, but using another method. As a result, the police could never locate him. Who would have thought that he would infiltrate a criminal organisation at the border? This n.o.ble serial killer is a.s.sociating with common thugs, and what"s more, is taking pleasure in it. I reckon that, in his eyes, these criminals are no more than playthings. Of course, this arrangement is also highly ingenious. Since he is at the border, he can disengage at any time and escape from China."

Jian Yao asked, "Then . . . why doesn"t he simply leave China altogether?"

Bo Jinyan was quiet for a while, then said, "He vanquished this country"s greatest criminal psychology expert, and all the efforts made by the police to capture him came to naught. If I were him . . . huh, I would be reluctant to leave."

Jian Yao stilled for a heartbeat before saying, "He did not vanquish you. You are so bright, so open-hearted and magnanimous, and he used me and Fu Ziyu to hurt you. How can this be called vanquishing you?"

Bo Jinyan unexpectedly smiled as he said "Jian Yao, it"s never fair between light and darkness. Light is wherever we can see, but darkness can reach depths beyond the reach of light. But, what you"ve said is true. No one can vanquish me. Since they call me Simon King, in this lifetime, I will have to be the Simon King that they dread."

These words were uttered in an especially tranquil tone. Clearly, this was what he truly thought, without any fancy prose. She felt a rush of heat in her chest. As she looked at his face, she wanted to say something, but ultimately stopped herself and just held his hand. She said, "Well, okay. I"ll wait for when you think the time is right to tell me more about your plans. I won"t ask again or make guesses, because I know that your plan is without doubt the best plan. You have your comprehensive plan, and I will not disrupt any of it. I will simply follow after you and protect you. Then, she laughed briefly and said, "You are the most intelligent, most steady, and most shrewd man I have ever met. No matter what happens, I won"t be angry with you. I will only believe you."

Bo Jinyan muttered, "I . . ." Unexpectedly, his face turned red. After a brief pause, he replied softly, "Okay."

Jian Yao was just about to continue asking him about the case, when he pulled her towards him and into his arms in one swift move and proceeded to kiss her. He kissed her so heatedly that his fingers were entwined in her black hair and she was making soft humming noises before he finally released her.

"Then, why are we visiting that border city at this time? Why do you have to go personally?" Jian Yao asked.

Bo Jinyan said, "The gang he"s hiding in is called "Buddha"s Hand". They are extremely secretive, and up till now the police have been unable to collect evidence of their crimes or locate their hideout. However, the captain of the criminal investigative team there, Zhu Tao, has recently gotten his hands on a detailed doc.u.ment containing important clues to this criminal gang. Through the coordination and communication of the higher-ups, I have already made an appointment with him. He will personally hand me the doc.u.ment, and we will talk in depth."

Translator: shl

Editor/ Proofreader: Anks