Secret Incident (BL) - Chapter 8

The narrow, winding alleyway felt like a giant storage chest—trapping heat, sound, and whispers within its stone walls.

The summer air clung to their skin, thick and heavy, while cicadas hummed lazily above.

The heat was tolerable.

But the restlessness?

That was something else entirely.

So stifling that even the rhythm of their own heartbeats felt unignorable.

Liam Jun didn’t explain himself.

And he didn’t react to Ethan Fane calling him a “master manipulator.”

He skipped over all of that and simply asked, “What kind of porridge do you want tomorrow?”

The moment the words left his mouth—

Ethan, who had been leaning casually against the wall, suddenly slipped downward.

Liam had been the one exposed.

And yet, he was the one smiling.

Meanwhile, Ethan—

Didn’t look so composed anymore.

Ethan schooled his expression back into a blank slate.

“You’re definitely not a cop,” he stated. “Otherwise, you wouldn’t have avoided them earlier.”

His voice carried a sharpness that wasn’t present before.

“So… who are you? And what exactly are you doing in Pening Harbor?”

Liam’s answer came smoothly. “That’s not something I can disclose.”

He realized immediately that his response sounded too stiff.

So, after a pause, he added—

“You’re pretty sharp.”

It was the kind of compliment a boss might give an employee.

Or a senior might give a junior.

Or an adult might give a child.

Ethan clicked his tongue. “Tch.”

Then, turning on his heel, he walked away—casually flipping his cap back around to let the brim shadow his face.

Just before exiting the alleyway, he tossed out a careless warning:

“Just don’t let me find out you’re up to something shady.”

Liam kept a measured distance between them—one arm’s length apart—as they left the alley.

Then, after considering for a moment, he offered a simple explanation:

“It’s just a normal job.”

Ethan didn’t seem interested in pressing further.

He glanced at Liam once, then looked away as if it didn’t concern him.

Liam’s phone was vibrating non-stop.

For something supposedly “normal,” there sure were a lot of urgent matters to handle.

But instead of answering immediately, he matched Ethan’s pace.

It was, perhaps, a subconscious gesture.

Like the way he kept adjusting the flavors of the porridge each morning—

An unspoken kind of attention.

“It’s nothing illegal,” Liam added.

Ethan’s response was unimpressed. “Oh.”

Then, as if dismissing the conversation entirely—

“As long as it doesn’t affect our filming, I don’t care.”

Liam assured him, “It won’t.”

Another Goodbye—Or Not?

When they reached the hotel entrance, Liam stopped.

“I have something to take care of,” he said, watching as Ethan stepped inside.

For a moment, he stood there—watching Ethan walk away.

Then, finally, he answered the call.

The second he placed the phone to his ear—

He heard the fast, urgent sound of footsteps.

Turning back, he saw Ethan—back at the entrance.

Ignoring the yelling in his earpiece, Liam lowered the phone.

Ethan pointed toward the docks. “So? Is your ‘normal job’ done now? Are you leaving?”

Liam met his gaze and replied evenly, “No.”

“It’s just getting started.”

Because at this moment—

They had only just proven the existence of a possible serial murder case.

Because of a one-in-a-million possibility…

Qiu Wei had hacked into the cloud storage of all 37 surveillance cameras in Pening Harbor.

Jiang Lai had flashed a fake police badge while conducting interviews with the families of 24 unsolved missing persons cases.

Liam had spent three days tracking their suspect, personally inspecting every single manhole cover in the area, and deliberately spreading rumors at the marketplace—using his monotone, factual voice to explain how drains could become breeding grounds for deadly bacteria.

By carefully orchestrating a domino effect of whispers and speculation, the town’s concerns about the “sewer stench” had ultimately reached the suspect’s ears.

If there truly was a murderer, then that person would inevitably return to the scene to check on the body.

This was their strategy—

A way to reduce the probability of error from one in a million to one in a hundred.

The corpse had been found.

But proof of serial murder?

Still missing.

Once Ethan finally went inside, Liam returned to his call.

Jiang Lai’s yelling practically burst through the speaker:

“What the hell is wrong with you?! You’re acting like some lovestruck teenager! A BODY WAS JUST FOUND, LIAM! Can you stop flirting for FIVE MINUTES?!”

Liam cut her off smoothly. “And yet, you still have time for beauty treatments.”

Jiang Lai gasped. “You absolute bastard.”

Then—a sharp turn.

“That kid is way too young for you. You better be careful, or you’ll end up getting played instead.”

Liam ignored her entirely. “Give me an update.”

Jiang Lai seethed for a moment before finally giving in.

“We found a missing person.”

“Vanished six months ago. Last contact with his family was the night he disappeared. The records show he stopped at a gas station for a business meeting before heading home.”

“And guess what?

That same night, that same gas station—

Had a payment record from Cheng Guosheng.”

Liam’s voice was calm. “And the car?”

“Dumped halfway up a mountain.”

“The missing guy was bankrupt. They assumed he committed suicide—drove into the woods and disappeared. His family refused to accept it, saying that since no body was found, there was still hope he was alive. So the case was left open.”

Liam asked, “Did the gas station have surveillance footage?”

“They only store footage for three months.”

“What about the car’s dashcam?”

Jiang Lai continued, “Checked. Nothing. The car was parked overnight—didn’t capture anything except a few moths flying by. Maybe the guy turned into a moth and flew away.”

Liam’s steps slowed.

At the turn of the street, he saw a few police officers ahead.

Then, instinctively, he glanced toward the hotel.

And—

There, standing on the balcony of Room 510, in broad daylight—

Ethan Fane.

Holding a pair of binoculars.

Not even pretending to hide.

Jiang Lai was still talking. “I’ll send you the case file.”

Liam, still watching Ethan, added, “Jiang, get to Pening Harbor sooner. I’ll triple your pay.”

Jiang Lai’s suspicious silence lasted half a second before she responded,

“Okay, now I’m worried.”

“Just three times the pay?” Jiang Lai scoffed.

Liam Jun replied evenly, “Qiu Wei isn’t getting anything.”

That was enough to trigger Jiang Lai’s competitive streak. She accepted without hesitation.

The call ended.

Immediately, someone stepped forward to shake his hand.

“Liam Jun, right? We’ve met before.”

The man spoke with familiarity.

“Seven years ago, the overseas organ trafficking case—your task force came to the provincial department for a briefing. I was just an errand boy back then, shadowing Captain Wang for a while.”

Liam recognized “Little Chen” but, seeing the police uniform on the man now, realized that calling him “Little Chen” was no longer appropriate.

He couldn’t recall his full name at the moment, so he settled for a polite greeting: “Officer Chen, nice to see you.”

Chen waved a hand dismissively.

“Just call me Little Chen. Or Old Chen. ‘Officer’ feels way too formal. I’m still just running errands, just in a different place now.”

Then, lowering his voice, he continued, “Last night, I got a call from Captain Wang, telling me to bring my team to dig up the sewers at the docks. I thought Wang had developed some godlike ability to solve cases from a distance, but turns out—it was you. So, what are you investigating? Can you give me a hint?”

Just then, someone entered the alley.

Liam didn’t answer. Instead, he stepped aside, widening the space between him and Chen.

Chen caught on immediately, shifting his focus to the newcomer, questioning them about their residence, whether they had noticed anything suspicious, and other routine inquiries.

By the time Chen finished, Liam had already left the alley on his own.

Liam didn’t head toward the docks.

Instead, he took a detour to the marketplace to buy groceries.

Pening Harbor’s market was the largest in the area, operating daily. Mornings were the busiest, filled with fresh produce stalls, while afternoons and evenings were dominated by restaurants and wholesale suppliers.

Because of its proximity to the docks, most of the eateries specialized in quick and affordable stir-fry dishes.

Despite the gruesome corpse discovery earlier that day, life moved on.

Locals were more interested in complaining about how the docks being shut down would affect their businesses than discussing the actual murder.

Liam spent a long time browsing the remaining vegetables and fruits at the market.

By evening, only the leftovers remained—wilted greens, overripe tomatoes, bruised melons.

After carefully picking through the options, he finally bought ingredients for tomorrow’s shrimp porridge.

Then, instead of heading straight back, he stopped at a quiet little stir-fry restaurant to eat dinner.

Meticulous Habits

Liam was picky.

He requested a private booth and meticulously questioned the server about the ingredients.

What cut of beef was used?

What kind of fish was in the soup?

Did they use MSG or chicken stock?

He took his time seriously eating a proper meal.

Just as the dishes were served, Chen entered from the booth next door.

No greetings. No pleasantries.

Straight to the point—

“Estimated time of death exceeds five months. Our local resources aren’t enough to pinpoint an exact time or cause of death.”

“Two security cameras that could have caught the scene were damaged—partially functional, but no clear footage.”

“For now… the case is being ruled as an accident.

“Pening Harbor gets heavy rain in February and March. That part of the docks flooded that season. Multiple sewer covers went missing—this could just be another misstep into the water.”

Chen kept talking.

Meanwhile, Liam set down his chopsticks, expression darkening.

“Too much seasoning.”

Completely ignoring Chen’s report.

Chen wasn’t fazed.

“But if even Captain Wang is involved, that means this isn’t a simple case.”

“Which means it’s definitely not an accident.”

Liam wiped his mouth with a napkin, took a sip of water, and then—finally—responded.

“It’s simple. We already have a suspect.”

He unlocked his phone and turned it toward Chen.

A photo of Cheng Guosheng appeared, along with a detailed dossier.

“The only issue?” Liam said smoothly.

“No motive. No evidence.

Not even a legally established crime.”

Alongside Cheng Guosheng’s personal records, Liam showed Chen a collection of missing persons cases connected to the suspect.

He also pulled up surveillance footage from the streets of Pening Harbor.

One particular camera feed stood out—the one facing Cheng’s apartment building.

That building housed many construction workers.

Fights and arguments were common, which was why security cameras had been installed.

Liam and his team had been using them to monitor Cheng.

But—

“Everything you’re seeing here?

“It only proves that I could be the criminal.”

Chen had been shaking his head in disbelief.

Now, he blinked. “Wait… I heard about why you left the force—”

He hesitated, careful with his words.

Then, after some thought, he said simply, “It’s a shame.

“But I believe you.”

Not wanting to say the wrong thing, he immediately shifted topics.

“Since Captain Wang is backing this, what’s your next move?”

“Do you want to come with me? I can arrange for you to examine the body. Don’t worry—I’ll cover for you.”

But then, Chen frowned.

“Honestly, though… what if you’re wrong?

“What if this isn’t a serial case?

“If we push too hard, we’ll end up making fools of ourselves.

“And if it is a serial killer, that means another victim could already be in danger. Shouldn’t we detain the suspect now?”

“No evidence.”

“Detaining him would be pointless. We’d have to release him in 48 hours—and that would only alert him.”

Liam flipped through the menu, preparing to reorder food.

As he discussed seasoning preferences with the waiter, he also casually outlined the key points of the case to Chen.

Chen remained skeptical.

The theory was insane—

Unrelated missing persons.
Scattered “accidental” deaths.
An ordinary truck driver connecting them all.

To turn this into a legitimate serial murder case was a stretch.

And yet—

His mentor trusted Liam.

Captain Wang was supporting the investigation.

So he couldn’t afford to dismiss it outright.

Returning to the hotel, Liam borrowed the kitchen fridge to store his groceries.

In the living area, Zhao-jie’s family was gathered around the TV, watching a drama while eating dinner.

Liam paused.

Onscreen—

A young prince, played by Ethan Fane, delivered a performance filled with restrained ambition—hiding his true desires while pretending to be a puppet of his uncle’s family.

It was a brilliant scene.

Then—the next shot appeared.

The prince entangled in a passionate scene with a stunning courtesan.

Liam turned away immediately.

His expression worse than when he ate an over seasoned dish.

As he climbed the stairs, he heard Ethan’s voice from below—

“I went for a walk. Oh—you’re watching my show? How embarrassing.”

Liam stopped.

Then, just as he reached the landing—

Ethan appeared.

Tossing a fruit up and down, looking as smug as ever.

Liam’s gaze followed him.

Ethan smirked.

Slowly, deliberately—

He pressed the fruit into Liam’s hand.

The brief contact was barely there.

And yet—

Somehow, it lingered.