Insights Chapter 106: Cohabitation

Volume 7: Mansion 13

Chapter 106: Cohabitation

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

Two days later, Gu Yanchen applied for early discharge from the hospital. The doctors didn’t dare to outright refuse the request from the hospital director’s son. So, after a comprehensive examination in the afternoon confirmed good healing progress, Gu Yanchen finally completed the discharge procedures and regained his freedom.

The attending doctor repeatedly reminded him, “The wound hasn’t completely stabilized yet, so don’t engage in strenuous activities. You might have a fever at night; I’ve also prescribed fever-reducing medicine for you, make sure to change the dressing and take the medicine on time.”

Gu Yanchen nodded repeatedly. Then he went home with Shen Junci. After dinner, Gu Yanchen took Wuliang for a simple stroll. Meanwhile, medical examiner Shen took Snowy and moved some simple and lightweight daily necessities to the opposite door. During this time apart, the little cat had grown a bit bigger, with big round eyes and tender pink paws.

The two of them played with the cat for a while. They placed Snowy’s cat bed at the other end of the balcony, facing Wuliang from afar.

Afraid that the cat might get stressed, the pet shop specifically advised, “For the first two days, keep the cat in the cage first, and let him out after he gets used to it.”

The little cat meowed inside the cage, looking at the new environment. Wuliang crouched outside the cage, wagging his tail, looking affectionately at this new neighbor. After a while, Wuliang reached out his paw towards the cage, and the little cat extended its paw too.

Seeing them getting along fine, Shen Junci felt relieved. After settling the pets, he went to the opposite door to move some more things.

Gu Yanchen wanted to help, but Shen Junci was afraid of him hurting his wound again, so he didn’t let him work. “Behave, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to show yourself in the future. Do you still want to move back in right after getting discharged?” Then Shen Junci added, “Anyway, since we’re so close, I can handle the heavy lifting myself.”

Because they hadn’t been home for a few days, many places needed cleaning. By the time they finished everything, it was almost bedtime.

Shen Junci laid out some medicine boxes and placed a thermometer on the bedside. He earnestly reminded Gu Yanchen, “Your wound hasn’t healed yet, so don’t be careless. If you feel unwell at night, call me.”

Gu Yanchen said, “It’s really not that serious; I can handle it.”

After freshening up and lying on the bed, Gu Yanchen turned off the lights. He turned on a small night light, fearing that Shen Junci wasn’t familiar with the environment. Both of them lay quietly, unable to fall asleep. Gu Yanchen slept on the outer side, his wound located on the right side of his abdomen, not hurting much as long as it wasn’t pressed.

Shen Junci slept on the inside. After a while, he spoke up, “I heard that after He Wenlin’s arrest, he cooperated extensively and confessed to a lot of information.”

Gu Yanchen was also awake. He murmured, “It seems like the task force went to arrest several planners and wiped out several places. They’re currently investigating related cases.”

This time, both the Hetu Trading Association and the cleaning company were dealt heavy blows. For them, it was good news, but it was a hard-won victory.

After a moment of silence, Gu Yanchen remembered something and said to Shen Junci, “Oh, by the way, I have something to tell you tomorrow.”

Shen Junci closed his eyes. “I also have something to tell you.”

After a moment with his eyes closed, Shen Junci opened them again. He still couldn’t sleep, thinking about a lot of things—about his acquaintance with Gu Yanchen, about those things from five years ago when he was Lin Luo, and then about the present and recent events. He was Lin Luo, but he wasn’t Lin Luo. He had cut off a part of his childish arrogance and gained a resolute part.

Sharing a bed with the person he had been thinking about day and night, Shen Junci gently asked Gu Yanchen, “Why do you like me?”

Gu Yanchen’s breathing was calm. After a pause, just when Shen Junci thought he wouldn’t get an answer, Gu Yanchen spoke, “I think everyone must have gone through a lot to become who they are today. No matter what kind of past you have, I like you because of those experiences, which have led you to who you are today.”

The room was dimly lit, not completely dark. Gu Yanchen’s voice was deep and magnetic as he continued, “And I especially like…”

At this point, Gu Yanchen turned to look at Shen Junci. With Gu Yanchen’s back facing the night light, Shen Junci looked at his brows and eyes, as dark as ink. At that moment, Shen Junci felt like there were thousands of words he wanted to say, but he didn’t know how to express his feelings. It felt like he could only truly open up by opening his chest and revealing his still-beating heart.

He said, “I’ve liked you for a long time too.”

Gu Yanchen reached out his right hand and held Shen Junci’s hand. Their skin-to-skin contact transmitted warmth. The room quieted down, with only the shallow breaths of the two of them. Gu Yanchen suddenly sat up, his left hand caressing Shen Junci’s ear, and he gently kissed Shen Junci’s lips.

After a while of kissing, he looked at the person beside him. Gu Yanchen’s fingertips grazed over Shen Junci’s ear, from the lobe to the tip, then down to the white bandage around his neck, and the white jade-like collarbone. Then Gu Yanchen took Shen Junci’s hand and kissed the wound on his fingertip.

The newly healed wound tingled slightly. Looking up at him, Shen Junci blinked.

After kissing for a while, Gu Yanchen whispered in his ear, “I missed you so much.”

This longing seemed to have multiple meanings, whether it was the moments they were apart now or the five years they were separated in the past.

In the warm and cozy room, they embraced each other. Gu Yanchen kissed the person beneath him gently, as if wanting to melt him away and slowly consume him. Shen Junci found it hard to describe this kiss; it was completely different from the one they shared in the alley when they were hiding.

Gu Yanchen controlled the rhythm of their breathing and kisses. Careful yet passionate, their kisses were deep and lingering. Like gentle rain falling on a spring night, like dewdrops on autumn leaves. Like floating in the air, yet like diving deep underwater. The oxygen seemed insufficient.

In the midst of their exploration, Gu Yanchen’s hand moved down and embraced Shen Junci’s waist. Shen Junci felt his body gradually relaxing, becoming softer. He suddenly remembered a line from Hugo, ‘The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved; loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves.’

Love was indeed beautiful, capable of dissipating all troubles. At this moment, they were happy. Shen Junci suddenly wished he could control time, to infinitely extend this moment before them.

When the kiss finally ended, Shen Junci reminded Gu Yanchen to follow the doctor’s advice. Only then did Captain Gu refrain from continuing. After a while, the passion finally subsided, and both of them fell into a deep sleep.

In the middle of the night, moonlight spilled in. This is when ordinary people have already fallen asleep, but for some others, the night’s pleasures have just begun. In a core area of Penang, there stands a complex of buildings, a massive interconnected mansion. This place used to be an old warlord’s mansion, called the Shi Family Mansion. Later, it was renovated by later generations and changed hands several times over the years.

Now, because this mansion is located at number thirteen on this street, it’s called the Mansion 13. With the city’s development, real estate in Penang’s city center is highly valued, and this Mansion 13 has also been renovated inside and out, decorated luxuriously.

A few years ago, it was bought at a high price of several hundred million yuan and became a private club that does not operate publicly.

The current owner of this club was Gao Shixuan, the nephew of the wealthy businessman Sheng Qiancheng from Penang. He has befriended some wealthy heirs and treated this place as a high-end entertainment venue. Tonight, the mansion’s parking lot was filled with various luxury cars and sports cars. There was a small party being held here tonight.

Music is playing in the yard, and Gao Shixuan has specially invited several DJs, using luxurious sound systems and flashing lights. The dancing crowd made this place feel like a nightclub. Food, wine, deafening music, girls in short skirts, and various handsome guys carrying trays of drinks passed by. Among them were several young people in their twenties. They are dressed stylishly, wearing branded clothes and accessories.

Under the influence of alcohol, those people indulged, laughed loudly, and some even directly pulled girls and headed into the rooms of the mansion. Others gathered together, drinking who knows what. Perhaps feeling unhappy, one of the men in a white T-shirt suddenly slapped one of the girls, followed by kicking her. The girl was kicked in the chest, the glass in her hand shattered on the ground, spilling wine everywhere. The glass shattered into shards.

The man didn’t stop there, he went up to the girl and started punching and kicking her, pressing her face against the glass. The girl cried and begged incessantly, completely powerless to resist.

A middle-aged man who looked like a manager hurriedly came out to maintain order. “Young master Jiang, calm down. This girl just arrived and doesn’t know the rules. She didn’t serve properly. Please be more tolerant.”

This man’s name is Li Yiyang, the actual person in charge here. Giving him face, the young man named Jiang Shao stopped. After beating the person, he returned to his seat. Soon, someone stepped forward to help the girl away and cleaned up the mess on the floor. A few people glanced in that direction, but everyone was accustomed to such things and continued with the party as usual.

This young master Jiang, whose full name is Jiang Song, came from a family that runs urban power supply, and the streetlights in several nearby cities were from his family. The Jiang family was very wealthy, and Jiang Song was also generous, but he had a bad habit: he liked to hit people when he’s angry. There are rumors that some girls have been beaten and disabled by him, and there are also rumors that some women who have dated him have disappeared later. Anyway, with money at home, problems can be solved with money.

These are gossip rumors known in the circle, so they are not surprising.

As the night deepens, people become intoxicated. Jiang Song took out his phone, opened an app, and looked at it intently.

Li Yiyang settled other areas of the venue and approached Jiang Song, who had just hit someone. “Young master Jiang, why aren’t you playing anymore?”

The one called young master Jiang held his drink, frowned at the nearby men and women, and said, “Boring, they’re all so overplayed.”

“Xiao Cheng recently hooked up with some students from the film and television academy…”

Young master Jiang waved his hand, “Same old stuff, really uninspiring. Anything new?” He pointed to a girl in the fish tank on his phone and asked, “Can you get me this one from the fish tank? Money is not a problem.”

Li Yiyang said, “This one is really possible… but the price is a bit high. Let me make a call.”

Then he went out to make a few phone calls. One hour later, a girl in a dress was pulled out of a car, wearing a simple nightgown. She looked to be in her early twenties, with a pure and sweet appearance.

“Yes, it’s her.” Jiang Song looked at the trembling girl, smirked maliciously under the influence of alcohol…

At this moment, the girl had no idea where she had been taken, her face full of panic. Most of the people in the courtyard had already left, ignoring the girl’s cries for help.

Jiang Song stepped towards the girl, reaching out and pulling her into his arms. “Manager Li, please give my regards to your boss.”

This was destined to be an extraordinary night.

One hour later, a black car pulled into Mansion 13. A middle-aged man in black clothes got out of the car, carrying a silver box in his hand, followed by a woman of similar age, carrying a slightly oversized backpack. These two didn’t look like the typical clientele for such an upscale club. They walked all the way to the entrance, where a doorman opened the door for them, leading them into the magnificent hall.

Li Yiyang had been anxiously waiting there. Seeing the two, he asked, “Is your business still secure these days?”

The man replied, “Of course, although several planners have been caught in the company, they are separate from us. Otherwise, Boss Mu wouldn’t have let us out.”

Li Yiyang said, “That’s good.”

The three took the elevator upstairs, passed through a long corridor, opened a password-protected door, and arrived at a hidden place behind. Li Yiyang directly led them to a bedroom. It was a suite with a bathroom, about a hundred square meters, with wine, glasses, and some fruits on the table. The room was in a mess at the moment, obviously having just experienced a fierce fight, with bloodstains on the floor and shattered glass splattered everywhere.

Walking around the bed, one could see the corpse of a young woman lying on the floor, the same girl who had been brought to the mansion tonight. The man in black squatted down and examined the corpse. It was still warm, obviously having just died not long ago.

Li Yiyang, familiar with the routine, asked him, “Same as usual?”

The man said, “Don’t worry, leave it to us. You didn’t disturb the scene, right?”

Li Yiyang replied, “No, the guests have already left.”

After that, Li Yiyang exited the room, making sure to lock the door behind him. The man and the woman in black then armed themselves fully. They put on rain boots, wore transparent raincoats, and donned masks and gloves. The man cleaned a spot in the bathroom, then laid down a thin film on the floor and placed the corpse on top of it.

The woman began cleaning the room, meticulously removing the broken glass from the floor, wiping away all fingerprints and bloodstains, not leaving a single hair behind. Afterwards, she sprayed Luminol and checked for any traces. The man continued to deal with the corpse, taking out pliers and systematically removing each tooth as if he were a dentist. Then he took out a bottle of chemical reagent from the box and poured it onto the woman’s face.

A foul smell filled the room, followed by a hissing sound as the liquid burned the woman’s face. Her once beautiful features gradually dissolved under the corrosive effects of the chemicals, revealing charred areas. Next was the removal of fingerprints. All fingerprints on the woman’s fingers and toes were wiped clean. After completing these tasks, the man began examining the woman’s body. Wherever he found birthmarks or wounds, he used reagents to destroy them. External processing done, it was time for internal. He made a horizontal incision from the chest downwards, removed the stomach, and emptied its contents into the toilet.

Approximately two hours later, the corpse had been dismembered into several segments. Features that could easily identify the corpse, such as the face and fingerprints, were completely destroyed. The body parts were wrapped in plastic and placed into three large, multi-layered plastic bags.

Carrying the bags, the woman meticulously cleaned the bathroom once again. Once everything was taken care of and they were ready to leave, they opened the door again.

Li Yiyang was standing nearby.

The man in black said, “Everything’s taken care of. Remember, bury each bag in a different location.” He paused and added, “Don’t get caught by those here.”

Li Yiyang nodded. “Don’t worry, we have leverage over them. Unless they want to die.”

The man and the woman left with their belongings, reminding, “Remember to transfer the other half of the payment to the company’s account.”

“Don’t worry,” Li Yiyang replied before returning to the room to inspect.

The room was spotless, except for some odors, showing no signs of the crime scene. A living person disappeared into the dust of the world like this. Now, as long as these body parts are buried, everything will end cleanly, and no one will be able to find any connection between them and the murder case.

Li Yiyang then made various arrangements for the aftermath. Three cars left the mansion, heading in different directions towards Penang. Today’s weather was sultry, even though the club had air conditioning, Li Yiyang still felt uneasy.

An hour later, he received a phone call. “Mr. Li, we’ve buried the corpse.”

Li Yiyang thought it best to report to Gao Shixuan. He picked up his phone and dialed his number.

After a moment, someone answered lazily, “Hello?”

“Mr. Gao, something has happened here…” Li Yiyang said, “Tonight, a fish in the aquarium jumped out and died.”

“Which tank was it?”

“Tank number four.”

“Such a pity, I quite liked that fish. It was beautiful and had a good figure. Who did it?”

“It was the young master from the Jiang family…”

“I knew that kid would get into trouble sooner or later. But it’s not a big deal. Just get the cleaners to take care of it.” Gao Shixuan yawned, seemingly annoyed by Li Yiyang’s fuss, disturbing his good dream.

“We’ve already taken care of it,” Li Yiyang swallowed, still unable to hide his nervousness, “But recently, the police just investigated the foundation, and then arrested some planners. Shouldn’t we be more careful? Mr. Gao, do you think we should suspend online operations for a few days?”

Gao Shixuan chuckled, “What’s there to fear? Those matters are already over, they can’t touch us. Here, everything continues as usual.”

.

In the early morning, at Gu Yanchen’s home, it was quiet. Half asleep, Gu Yanchen felt Shen Junci’s body move suddenly. He opened his eyes to find Shen Junci sitting up, his right hand propped beside Gu Yanchen’s head, his left hand reaching for the thermometer on the bedside table. The night light in the room cast a faint glow, making Shen Junci’s face appear serene and beautiful like porcelain under the moonlight.

Gu Yanchen watched Shen Junci, feeling a warm current flow into his body. Still groggy, Shen Junci persisted in reaching for the thermometer on the table, his body lightly brushing against Gu Yanchen’s.

Sensing things might escalate, Gu Yanchen lightly coughed and grabbed Shen Junci’s hand, “Stop looking, I really don’t have a fever.”

Shen Junci seemed a bit doubtful, but gave up searching for the thermometer. He then leaned down… Gu Yanchen watched as Shen Junci approached, caught off guard, their foreheads touched, a slightly cool sensation. Gu Yanchen held his body with his left hand.

In the darkness of the night, Gu Yanchen felt a fire ignite, enveloping his entire being. Normal temperature.

Shen Junci finally believed it, separated after a moment, still not fully awake, his voice hoarse, “No fever, no need for medicine, you go back to sleep.”

Medical examiner Shen finished speaking, rolled over, and soon breathed calmly, falling back asleep. Leaving Gu Yanchen staring at the ceiling, wide awake, devoid of sleepiness.