Chapter 1

I'm a police officer's child.

But a criminal raised me.

My father is a genius at hunting down killers.

I was born bad. I've killed more people than I can count.

I don't look much like a murderer.

By day, I run a café.

By night, I take murder orders online.

Oh, and my café is directly opposite a police station.

I usually wear my hair in a high bun and a spotless white dress as I make coffee for customers.

Naturally, my most regular customers are the officers across the street.

“Xinyue, things aren't too safe lately. You should close early for the next few days.”

Young Officer Meng gave me the warning as I set down a freshly made coffee.

I tilted my head innocently.

“Why? Has something happened?”

He glanced awkwardly at his mentor, Officer Shen, sitting opposite.

I smiled faintly.

Officer Shen and I had a little history, as it happened.

When Shen gave no sign of objecting, Meng lowered his voice.

“Another murder last night. A family of three. All dead.”

I widened my eyes and covered my mouth, looking suitably horrified.

“How could that happen? That's terrifying.”

“We've just come from the scene. We have to head straight back to the station. Third case this month. Anyway, be careful.”

I pressed my lips together and tried to sound light.

“My café's right across from you. Can't you protect me?”

Soon after they left, the case shot up the city's trending searches.

Blurred photographs of the family's grisly deaths spread online.

All three had been stripped and hung from the ceiling.

Before long, commenters unearthed something from a year earlier. The family had indirectly caused a death.

Their child had pulled off a woman's swimsuit at a swimming pool. Caught in the act, none of them apologized. They argued shamelessly instead.

The mother brought relatives to beat the woman they had harassed.

The father brought thugs to make trouble at her workplace.

She was the victim, yet they drove her into a corner with no way out.

Their crimes, however, had nothing to do with me.

I had merely been paid to do a job.

People online never saw it that way.

Many applauded. Some thought I was dispensing heaven's justice.

I snorted.

Did they think they were reading a novel? They even called me the “Light of the City.”

All I wanted was to satisfy my desire to kill.

I was born with an antisocial personality.

I had simply promised someone that I wouldn't casually kill innocent people.

Funny, really.

Such a hollow promise.

Was anyone truly innocent?

Look hard enough, and everyone had a flaw.

Any flaw could become a reason to kill them.

Couldn't it?

“Still troubled by scum the law can't punish?”

“Still furious at cowards hiding behind their keyboards?”

“Still crying out in despair at the dark corners sheltered by power?”

“Didi Murder. At your service.”

“Didi~”

As night fell, orders poured in.

Let's see.

Someone wanted an unfaithful lover dead.

Someone wanted an enemy killed.

Others preferred not to explain, but offered particularly high prices.

My rule was simple. Give me a reason, and I was more likely to accept. You might even get a discount.

No reason? Then attract me with money.

Sometimes I took those jobs.

Especially when the café was losing money.

Today's order was particularly interesting.

Parents wanted their former son-in-law dead.

A few months earlier, their pregnant daughter had burned to death in a house fire.

Devastated though they were, they accepted it.

Then, just weeks ago, the supposedly grief-stricken husband announced he was marrying again.

The new woman was young, beautiful, and a month pregnant.

He had never been wealthy, yet suddenly he spent with extraordinary generosity.

They became suspicious.

After investigating, they learned that their daughter's death had brought him a large payout from the property management company and a huge insurance settlement.

He had never mentioned either.

Never given them a penny.

They began to suspect the fire hadn't been an accident.

Months had passed. The evidence was long destroyed. Reporting it to the police would achieve nothing.

Human nature was amusing. Once suspicion took root, guilt was established.

Perhaps it was a perfect crime.

Perhaps it was only a coincidence, made ugly by a fickle heart.

It didn't matter to me.

I had accepted the order.

He would die.

I openly left for a few days, saying I needed to buy supplies.

A week later, I found my opportunity.

It happened to be the anniversary of his former wife's death. He went alone to the cemetery to pay his respects.

I didn't even need a complicated method.

Burning a person to death was very simple.

First came the smell of fabric burning. Then scorched flesh. Then the foul odor of a body charred black.

Disgusting, in short.

I couldn't linger at the scene.

Enjoying murder didn't mean my senses had stopped working.

After spending a week enjoying myself at my supposed supply destination, I returned to the café.

As I wheeled my suitcase back, I happened to meet Officer Meng buying coffee.