Chapter 18: The Weight of a Promise

Two hours later, inside the police station.

“Do you still remember what happened then?”

“Officer, I truly can’t recall anything.”

In the dimly lit room, the man faced the police’s interrogation, a tense expression etched upon his face.

“I was merely passing by when I heard the sound of someone being slapped. I admit I harbored the thought of watching the spectacle, but I genuinely am not the culprit.”

“What did you see after you went inside?”

“It seemed to be a man and a woman… Right, after my eyes met with the girl’s, I felt my head grow dizzy, and then I couldn’t remember anything at all.”

Upon hearing this, Bai Chen, who had been standing outside the room, was the first to step away, having wasted half an hour there with almost no useful information.

The only actionable intelligence they had gleaned was that Libelle possessed the ability to hypnotize people using her eyes.

‘Why didn’t she use it when I captured her?’

‘Surely it can’t be because I’m a special individual, and her ability is ineffective against me.’

Bai Chen chuckled self-deprecatingly, not believing himself to be some one-in-ten-thousand genius.

****

“Leaving already?”

“Let’s go. They don’t need us here anymore.”

Su Wanghai, who had been waiting by the door, immediately spoke up upon seeing Bai Chen emerge.

They couldn’t leave just yet; they still needed to return to the crime scene to search for any trace of the perpetrator.

This marked the first contact the branch had made with the killer since the series of murders began.

“Perhaps I shouldn’t have let you go on patrol in my stead.” Along the way, Su Wanghai couldn’t help but grumble, unsure whether to call Bai Chen’s luck bad or good, for he had encountered the serial killer almost immediately after stepping out.

“It’s fine, don’t you see I’m perfectly alright?” Bai Chen replied with a smile.

“You really did capture her?”

“Yes, but I let her get away.”

“Libelle, you said?”

Su Wanghai stroked his chin, lost in thought.

“To think the demon committing these acts is humanoid, and a beautiful girl at that.”

All the victims’ bodies had been torn to pieces, as if savaged by a wild beast, leading them to believe the culprit was a bestial demon lacking reason.

“So, our investigative direction was completely reversed. No wonder we found nothing. When we get back, you’ll certainly have a good reason to claim credit from Manager Cheng; your contribution can’t be overlooked once this case concludes.”

Right up until they reached the crime scene, Bai Chen remained preoccupied, barely registering what Su Wanghai was saying.

Thoughts of self-reproach lingered in his mind, and the more he dwelled on them, the more regret he felt.

Mo Qiu still hadn’t been found.

Even if he had captured Libelle, he hadn’t managed to pry Mo Qiu’s whereabouts from her. In retrospect, Bai Chen believed Libelle hadn’t spoken truthfully; the cunning demon was utterly untrustworthy.

Bai Chen had also tried to convince himself to think positively, that perhaps Mo Qiu had truly escaped, or even gone to the hospital on her own.

‘No,’ another voice quickly negated this idea.

Mo Qiu was someone who disregarded her own well-being, and Bai Chen could easily picture her placing herself in harm’s way.

“You two are from the Demon Hunter’s Guild, aren’t you?” A police officer approached them as soon as they arrived.

“Is something the matter?” Su Wanghai asked.

“We found an injured person. She’s over there, and she refuses to leave.”

“Such a stubborn person, Bai Chen, let’s go take a look.”

“Alright.”

Agreeing offhandedly, Bai Chen’s mind remained a chaotic jumble.

‘Recalling the past two days we spent together, I intentionally kept my distance from her. If I hadn’t done that, would this tragedy not have occurred?’

Self-reproach, like a rising tide, threatened to engulf him entirely; tonight would surely be a sleepless one for Bai Chen.

“There she is, is that her?”

Hearing Su Wanghai’s voice, Bai Chen looked up, and his entire being froze.

The young woman sat on a long bench, dressed in a Fengling Middle School uniform, her black hair flowing freely, her eyes dull and lifeless, like a tranquil sea.

Even though the crime scene was cordoned off, it was bustling with activity—the sounds of police at work, the chatter of passersby—yet she alone made no sound, sitting in perfect stillness.

The moment their eyes met, the girl’s eyes remained as calm as the sea, but Bai Chen’s pupils trembled violently.

“Hey, little girl over there, you—”

“Mo Qiu!”

Bai Chen’s shout nearly pierced Su Wanghai’s eardrums, who watched, utterly stunned, as Bai Chen bolted forward.

‘I’ve never seen this guy so desperate, and for a woman, no less?!’

Running to Mo Qiu, Bai Chen frantically gripped her shoulders, his words tumbling out like a machine gun:

“Where did you go? Are you hurt? Why did you come back?”

No sooner had the words left his lips than he noticed his right hand was damp, his palm stained crimson with blood.

“I’m sorry!”

The light was too dim; Bai Chen hadn’t even seen the wound on her arm.

Upon closer inspection, he realized she wasn’t entirely unscathed; she bore fresh wounds, and her cheek was also marred.

“You two know each other?” Su Wanghai peered over, curious.

“Ah… yes.” Bai Chen suddenly felt awkward. “I told you about her.”

Hero saving the beauty, the bento, and the fantasy turned reality. Su Wanghai’s eyes widened instantly as he scrutinized Mo Qiu from head to toe.

“So it’s her, she’s really pretty, isn’t she?”

“Don’t stare at her as if she’s an exhibit in a museum.”

“Well then, I won’t bother you two anymore. It looks like they need my help over there, bye-bye~”

Su Wanghai departed quite swiftly, leaving only Mo Qiu and Bai Chen.

To alleviate the awkwardness, Bai Chen coughed forcefully, “I hope you don’t mind, he’s a friend of mine.”

“It’s fine.”

Mo Qiu seemed utterly unconcerned, at least, she still wore her usual lifeless expression.

A great weight lifted from his heart, and Bai Chen met those dull, unlit eyes once more, asking softly:

“Where did you go?”

“Bai Chen, did you look for me?”

“I’m very sorry about our arrangement, but after what happened to you, I searched for you for a long time.”

“Really?”

“I’m not lying. You were attacked by a demon, right? Was it a very beautiful humanoid demon, one who always smiles?

“Yes.”

“I gave her a good beating for you.” Bai Chen rubbed his nose, a hint of pride in his gesture.

“Is that so.” Mo Qiu didn’t seem particularly interested.

“It’s true, I beat her until she knelt and begged for mercy. To dare commit evil on the street, she truly had a death wish. It’s a pity she still managed to escape in the end.”

“Then… try harder next time.” The corner of Mo Qiu’s mouth twitched imperceptibly.

“I promise, if I meet her again, I’ll return everything she did to you, tenfold.”

“…Thank you.”

After a moment of silence, Bai Chen spoke again:

“Since you escaped, why did you come back?”

“Because of this.”

Mo Qiu patted her knee, where a folded shirt lay on her lap.

Her slender fingers brushed over the fabric of the garment as she continued, “I thought you might not find me, Bai Chen, so I waited for you here.”

“Just for this?”

“Also, I needed to return your clothes.” At this, Mo Qiu paused, her eyelids drooping. “But now they’ll need to be washed again.”

Bai Chen was rendered speechless, realizing his predictions had all been correct. She was someone overly fixated on others, neglecting her own feelings.

“With such severe injuries, why didn’t you go to the hospital?”

“I told you already.” The girl tilted her head.

“This is different, Mo Qiu.” Bai Chen grew agitated again. “Do you really think an arrangement is more important than your life?”

“It’s very important to you.”

Mo Qiu cradled the shirt, her voice firm.

“If I didn’t keep my word, you would be very sad, and I don’t want to see you upset. Bai Chen, we made an arrangement.”

The last few words, like a heavy hammer, struck deeply at Bai Chen’s heart.

Those familiar words brought back the scene of him bidding farewell to his parents. They too had made an arrangement with him then, but they had not kept it.

Mo Qiu was not joking, and Bai Chen did not want this to be a joke.

When Bai Chen spoke again, his voice trembled slightly:

“Can I… can I hug you?”

Mo Qiu paused at his words, then opened her arms, allowing him to embrace her.

Bai Chen did not hold her tightly, instead, he gently savored the softness of her body, accepting the warmth that emanated from her.

Greedily inhaling her scent, he allowed himself to be fully immersed in her embrace.

“I’m truly sorry for being late.”

“It’s alright, I don’t blame you.”

Bai Chen held her more tightly, but Mo Qiu did not struggle; instead, she gently patted his back.

‘This girl, and I actually suspected her of being a demon?’

Bai Chen felt ashamed of his despicable thoughts; she treated him with sincerity, yet he responded with suspicion.

They had only known each other for a few days, yet she was willing to risk her life to uphold their arrangement, doing something his own parents had failed to do.

She wasn’t a demon; she was a genuine human being, and a good girl at that.

‘Bai Chen’s heart is beating so fast, is it because of me?’

Mo Qiu thought this as she rested her chin on his shoulder.

‘Bai Chen felt like a pathetic little animal, cradled in her arms; such a person hardly evoked the image of a world-saving hero.’

‘No, only I can do this.’

‘Holding him on a tight leash, toying with him in the palm of her hand.’

In a corner Bai Chen couldn’t see, the girl’s lips curved upward, her smile chillingly sinister.

As if sensing something, Bai Chen ended the embrace, only to see her familiar poker face.

Remembering she was still injured, he quickly released her, asking with concern:

“I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

Mo Qiu shook her head.

‘Even if it did hurt, she wouldn’t necessarily say so.’

Bai Chen stood up, “I’ll go get some healing supplies for you, wait for me. This time, I won’t be late again.”

“Mm, I believe you.”

Watching his retreating back, Mo Qiu tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, crossed her legs, and wore a playful expression.

She raised her hand, aimed it at his receding figure, and then slowly closed her fingers.

‘Tonight, the weather is quite nice.’