Chapter 78 Something's not right...

Cheng Xinglang stood in front of the instrument table, the scalpels clanging crisply as he deftly put each tool back in its place. The second hand of the clock on the wall ticked away, the sound exceptionally clear.

As Ben passed by, he stopped and leaned against the door frame, glancing into the corner.

The young master of the Sheng family was sitting cross-legged on the ground, intently playing with the evidence bag. Cheng Xinglang, good at coaxing children, filled the bag with water and sealed it. The little guy squeezed the bulging evidence bag, his face scrunched up, clearly worried about getting splashed with water, entertaining himself with a whole drama, his eyes sparkling as he played with great enthusiasm.

“I knew it.” Ben walked in, lowered his voice, and teased, “You suddenly became so diligent, so you stayed at the police station to babysit someone’s child.”

Cheng Xinglang didn't even look up. The metal tweezers made a crisp sound as they fell into the tray.

They may seem to have been placed casually, but they are actually clearly categorized.

Ah Ben leaned against the side.

Everyone in the forensic department knew that Cheng Xinglang never worked overtime. But in the past few months, he not only submitted reports to the major crimes unit ahead of schedule, but also went to the forensic department to expedite DNA comparison results. He was either checking and compiling medical records of patients in a vegetative state, or taking his three-year-old child for a ride on his motorcycle…

"Otherwise, why are you so fond of that person's uncle?" He raised an eyebrow.

Cheng Xinglang looked up: "Maybe you just have a natural liking for taking care of kids?"

“Sure,” Ben said. “I’ll talk to Elly and have her twins sent to your office when they come over for summer vacation.”

Cheng Xinglang chuckled softly and didn't reply.

He knew best what was going on in the name of friendship, and what was happening involuntarily.

“The case from back then is long closed.” Ben patted him on the shoulder, his tone unusually serious. “We can’t keep ourselves stuck in the forensic office forever because of a case that might not be reopened, can we?”

The adults spoke in low voices, but the sound of their hands patting their shoulders was very loud.

Little Fangfang was playing with the evidence bag like a balloon, skipping and hopping over, trying to pat it like Ben did. Unfortunately, Fangfang was too small; even on tiptoe, she couldn't reach his shoulder. Her little hands reached his broad back, like she was knocking on a door.

"Little brat." Cheng Xinglang squatted down and pressed down on the top of his head: "You learn so quickly."

He looked up and met Ben's meaningful gaze.

"The rest is up to you." Cheng Xinglang said, picking up the child and leaving.

Only Ben remained standing there: "Hey—"

Shengfang knew that her son Qingzai was so busy he lost track of time. He didn't rush him, and neither did Dr. Cheng; the two of them were having a great time together.

Zhu Qing didn't rush to the forensic office until the clock struck 7:30.

At this moment, the little one was sitting cross-legged in an office swivel chair, holding a professional book that she had just randomly picked up from the bookshelf. She pretended to flip through it, occasionally nodding with a furrowed brow as if she understood, but her ears were perked up.

The younger uncle was thinking—

Their Qingzai is so tactful. She apologized for taking up Dr. Cheng's rest time.

"It's nothing." Cheng Xinglang leaned against the desk, his gaze sweeping over the child pretending to read a book, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Anyway, I'm free, and the little devil keeps me company."

Fangfang unconsciously wiggled her little feet.

I knew it; he and Dr. Cheng were friends!

The little one secretly observed Zhu Qing's expression.

Silly Qingzai, you were just saying "he's finished" when you were so busy that you forgot to deal with him.

Zhu Qing reached out to take the child's hand: "Then let's go first—"

"Want to have dinner together?" Cheng Xinglang suddenly asked.

The incandescent light was glaring, but Dr. Cheng's gaze was gentle and sincere.

There seems to be no reason to refuse.

The three of them eventually sat down at a small shop called "Sister's Seafood Hot Pot" on the street corner.

The ingredients come directly from the fish market, and the chilled fish are still jumping when they are served.

When the dishes were served, Zhu Qing picked up a piece of almost transparent fish.

"Six seconds is enough," the shop assistant reminded her. "A second longer and you'll look old."

Shengfang counted down earnestly: "Five, four, three..."

Why aren't you eating?

Fangfang said in a childish voice, "We've already eaten!"

Zhu Qing was taken aback.

She was all alone here and forgot to eat.

The fish melts in your mouth, fresh, fragrant, and warm.

Towards the end of the meal, Fangfang and Dr. Cheng had a competition to see who could cook the meat and seafood just right.

Finally, all the blanched ingredients were placed in Zhu Qing's bowl.

Paying the bill was a matter for the two adults. Watching their backs as they walked away, I put down the phone that my little one was holding, which was also holding Qingzai's phone, and dialed a number.

He found Sheng Peirong's number on the recent calls page.

While having hot pot at "Sister's Seafood Hot Pot", I couldn't help but miss my older sister.

"Big sister, how are you today?"

Sheng Peirong chuckled on the other end of the line. Her daughter had just called, and now her younger brother's voice rang out.

Fangfang's sweet, childlike voice is soft and sweet, and she has so much to say.

Suddenly, the eldest sister grasped the key point and became even more interested.

"You mean you had dinner with Dr. Cheng?"

What were they talking about?

"They're settling the bill." Fangfang stood on tiptoe to look into the distance. "Qingzai said 'I'll pay,' but Dr. Cheng was quick and won."

Shengfang, like a little movie star, mimicked their lines perfectly.

"Then what?"

"Dr. Cheng asked Qingzai if she was free to go to the movies."

On the other end, his older sister said in a very long, drawn-out tone, "Oh—"

What did Coco say?

She said of course she was busy.

Sheng Peirong was speechless.

Qingzai is busy solving a case, she doesn't have time for that.

Fangfang raised her hand and shouted, "I'm not busy, you can ask me out."

Sheng Peirong: ...

...

The uncle and nephew returned home, each with their own thoughts.

Shengfang thought that since the movie was so good, he could go in place of his niece!

Zhu Qing's thoughts were completely absorbed in the case.

Zhou Yongsheng was not particularly handsome; he was of medium build and exuded a refined and scholarly air. However, his talent was undeniable. In his early twenties, he made his stunning debut film, and his later work, "Lunar Eclipse," became a classic.

Over the course of ten years, three women entered Zhou Yongsheng's life.

Three relationships may not seem like many, but they've become a tangled mess. A whiteboard long forgotten in the storage room is brought out by Zhu Qing and put to good use.

On the soft carpet, Zhu Qing sat cross-legged in front of the whiteboard, holding a marker, and popped the cap off with a "click".

The children sat down, their little hands neatly placed on their knees.

Zhu Qing wrote the first name on the whiteboard.

Zhou Yongsheng's first wife, Jiang Xiaowei, with whom he had a son. They met when she was being harassed by a male actor on a film set, and the director stepped in to help her out.

"Coming from an ordinary family, burdened with the livelihood of the whole family, she was mediocre and lackluster..." Zhu Qing recalled Jiang Xiaowei's original words.

Meanwhile, the children were also busy.

He drew a little figure in a white dress next to the first message. His niece said that when they took Jiang Xiaowei's statement, she was wearing a long white cotton-linen dress.

Fangfang is a junior police officer recognized by all his colleagues in the police station, and he has his own tools for handling cases.

The paintbrush in his hand was colorful. After finishing the white dress, he lowered his head and carefully selected other colors.

Zhu Qing continued by listing the second piece of information.

According to crew members, Gu Niman, the lover, was a delicate girl who always looked up to the director. She needed his care in so many ways, even requiring a body double for nude and dangerous scenes.

Fangfang's little hands gripped the colored pencils, forming round little fists.

He had seen Gu Niman's plays, and inspiration struck him, so he drew a television set next to her message.

"The third one is Shu Yingying," Zhu Qing said softly.

Aunt Ping sat on the sofa folding clothes: "Winning and losing at the same time, is it a win or a loss?"

Zhou Yongsheng's current wife is shrouded in mystery. Ping Chau Island residents say she doesn't go out during the day, only taking walks with her husband at night. She is frail and wears long sleeves even in the sweltering summer. Zhou Yongsheng gives her the utmost tenderness and patience; sometimes, watching their figures nestled together, even the neighbors envy their companionship.

From a double suicide to murder, the case is permeated by a complex and tangled web of emotions.

Zhu Qing frowned in thought. What did these three women have in common?

At that moment, she caught a glimpse of two long sleeves drawn next to the three characters "Shu Yingying" in her peripheral vision.

Zhu Qing ruffled his hair.

This little kid who loves to join in the fun doesn't have to draw if there's nothing to draw.

Aunt Ping carried the folded clothes to the bedroom and looked at the uncle and nephew on the carpet.

The little boy had snuggled into his niece's arms without her noticing, like a warm little stove. Zhu Qing rested her chin on the top of his fluffy hair, her thoughts swirling around the case.

Fangfang happily swung her little feet, holding the yellow marker high in the air.

A small sun was drawn on the whiteboard, and as the sunlight shone down, everyone felt warm.

Zhu Qing stared at it, then suddenly thought of something.

The story of Zhou Yongsheng and the three women may not be a simple entanglement.

At the beginning of each story, they are standing in the shadows.

Zhou Yongsheng was always the one who reached out and pulled them out of the shadows.

...

In the early morning in the CID office, Zhu Qing closed the case file and presented Zhou Yongsheng's previous interview report to her colleagues.

By starting from the very beginning and sorting through these materials, we can summarize the great director's first love affair.

Colleagues passed the documents around, their voices rising and falling in discussion.

"I had no idea until I was told that the female lead in Zhou Yongsheng's first movie was based on his first love?"

“I remember that movie. I rented it from a video store before. It was very well made, unlike what you'd expect from a new director.”

“I remember, she was a girl from the performing arts academy. He paid her tuition, accompanied her to auditions, and taught her how to memorize lines. On the surface, it seemed like a mutually beneficial relationship.” Zeng Yongshan turned a page and frowned.

"The media presented this story in a romantic way back then, but now it seems to have certain limitations due to the times."

Below this column is a record of that girl's interview from back then.

"She said... he wanted to control everything, and eventually she had no choice but to run away."

"The media reports all suggest that this girl is ungrateful. They even said that if she had cherished what she had back then, she wouldn't be in such a sorry state now."

"Life has just settled into a routine, and I haven't become a wildly popular actress." Uncle Li chuckled. "Is that what you call being down on your luck?"

After the morning analysis meeting, Zhu Qing and Xu Jiale drove to Jiang Xiaowei's residence together again.

Along the way, I flipped through the interview reports from back then, highlighting key information.

Jiang Xiaowei and Zhou Yongsheng spent several years together, from their first meeting and falling in love to his suicide.

No one knows Zhou Yongsheng's upbringing better than her.

“When he was a child, his family was in a terrible state. His father was an alcoholic, and his mother was always in tears. Even when Yong Sheng was very young, he knew how to stand in front of his mother. He always said that he was a ‘little man’ back then.”

Jiang Xiaowei often gets lost in memories of the past.

For her, this relationship was completely severed, forcibly split in two. One part was the husband who used to shelter her from the storms of life, and the other part was the famous director who ultimately chose to "die for love" with someone else—like two completely different people.

She remembered explaining to her relatives and friends countless times that "we are fine," but all she received in return were pitying smiles. They never argued back, only responding with perfunctory tones, as if she were stubbornly clinging to her last shred of dignity.

Ten years have passed, and the hatred has gradually faded, leaving only a lingering sense of bewilderment. Jiang Xiaowei still doesn't understand what happened to this marriage, why it came to this.

Which one is the real him?

"Later, he treated me the same way, always standing in front of me without hesitation. Sometimes I felt that his protection made me feel at ease, but he himself... I watched him running around for family matters, and I always felt that he was working too hard."

“But Yongsheng never thought that way. He was willing to solve all the troubles in the family and did it happily.”

"But people grow up. I've matured and am a mother myself now. How can I always be the little girl hiding behind him?"

As Jiang Xiaowei finished speaking, she smiled wistfully, faint lines appearing at the corners of her eyes.

Even after the police were seen out, she remained in low spirits, her eyes downcast, seemingly lost in thought.

Xu Jiale held back his words the whole way, but shook his head once they were a distance away: "That Zhou Yongsheng is a real scoundrel. If he wants to be with someone else, can't he at least get a divorce certificate first?"

Back at the police station, Xu Jiale quickly walked towards the restaurant as soon as he got out of the car.

He took three steps at a time, turning back to urge, "The timing is just right, let's eat!"

At lunchtime, the police station canteen was packed with people.

Ben discovered that a cycad had quietly blossomed.

Dr. Cheng sat down next to Zhu Qing with his tray in hand. At this moment, the discussion at the Major Crimes Unit's table was the most heated.

"Shu Yingying, who bought her ticket at the same time as Zhou Yongsheng, appears to have no connection with him on the surface."

"Moreover, Shu Yingying's profile shows that she is married."

Zhu Qing munched on her sandwich. Although she still preferred convenience for lunch, influenced by her uncle, she was quite particular when ordering, and specifically asked Sister Xiao to add double portions of crispy fried luncheon meat.

She opened the notebook and pushed it in front of Cheng Xinglang: "Take a look at this..."

The police station does have collaborating mental health professionals, but Zhu Qing's first thought was Dr. Cheng. Are all doctors' professional skills interconnected?

Perhaps he can see the commonalities in the way the three women interact with Zhou Yongsheng?

Cheng Xinglang leaned forward slightly, listening attentively to what she had to say.

“Maybe it’s just a lack of security,” Liang Qikai interjected. “When a person is used to ‘charging into battle’ from a young age and puts being needed first, they will start to feel uneasy once they are no longer needed.”

Zeng Yongshan looked up at him.

"How is this kind of mentality defined professionally?" Zhu Qing asked, biting into her sandwich.

Cheng Xinglang pondered for a moment and said, "A rescuer-type personality? A dependent rescuer, leading to a pathological manifestation of a desire for control."

"Wow!" Ben exclaimed dramatically, "You even know this!"

"Yes," Zhu Qing replied casually, continuing to flip through her notes.

Cheng Xinglang: ...

Ah Ben gave him a look—

Don't worry, we're all brothers, we'll help you.

...

Time passes day by day, seemingly repeating itself, yet each day holds subtle differences.

For example, right now, Shengfang, a child, took a fruit basket to visit his older sister on Sunday.

He told Sheng Peirong that when he was handling the case of the fake dancer, his niece was so busy that she didn't even have time to eat. That's how he and Aunt Ping came to visit, bringing fruit along.

She visited her older sister on her behalf and also visited her niece's mother on her behalf.

Sheng Peirong had just finished rehabilitation and was eating fruit brought by her younger brother to replenish her strength.

"A real or fake dancer?" she exclaimed in surprise. "Such a bizarre case?"

The child waved his hand, saying, "I have no comment on the details of the case."

Fangfang's little face was tense and serious.

Police officers are police officers. Even when dealing with family members, they must distinguish between public and private matters, and there is no room for sentimentality.

Aunt Ping leaned close to the young lady's ear and whispered, "Actually, the young master himself doesn't know either."

The eldest sister and Aunt Ping both laughed, and Fangfang puffed out her cheeks to express her dissatisfaction.

He's been bullied terribly since Qingzai wasn't around!

In the rehabilitation ward of the sanatorium, while others came for treatment, Sheng Peirong seemed to be there to work overtime.

My schedule is packed with rehabilitation courses from morning till night, and there are thick stacks of company reports spread out on my bedside table.

Shengfang knows that her older sister is working hard to return to the Sheng family as soon as possible, while Qingzai is busy catching the criminals.

As for himself, he took a rare Sunday off to relax, lounging on the soft sofa, munching on an apple with a contented expression.

He said he came to keep his older sister company, but it was more like his older sister was keeping him company.

Sheng Peirong's body had not fully recovered, and by 2 p.m., she was too sleepy to stay awake any longer and started yawning.

Little Fangfang jumped off the sofa: "Big sister, are you seeing the guest out?"

Sheng Peirong finally understood why Keke wouldn't let him watch TV.

Where did you learn all these lines from?

As we left the sanatorium, little Shengfang murmured contentedly that if every day off were like this weekend, he would never complain. He was so happy he was practically skipping around, and even when crammed into a minibus, he didn't grumble, his little face pressed against the window, watching the scenery rush by.

Shengfang recognizes some of the roads she frequents.

As the minibus turned into Mong Kok, he raised his little hand and called out to the driver, "Excuse me, I'm getting off!"

Aunt Ping quickly replied, "We haven't arrived at the station yet."

But the driver had already applied the brakes.

Fangfang walked to the car door and jumped down with a "thud".

He weaved through the crowds in Mong Kok and finally slipped into a market.

After Aunt Ping saw the market sign clearly, she looked up and happened to see the young master take out a black card from his pocket and tiptoe to the counter.

"Young master!" She rushed forward in one stride. "Qingqing told you not to buy a mobile phone!"

She remembered the last time her son accompanied Zhu Qing to buy a mobile phone. The little tyrant had argued quite confidently that he wanted to meet up with his classmates for tea. What an absurd reason! The other kids didn't even have pagers!

Aunt Ping once again fulfilled her supervisory duties, leading Sheng Fang by the hand: "Young master, be good, let's go home first."

The little girl blinked her eyes and said generously, "I bought it for you."

Aunt Ping was at a loss, waving her hands and shaking her head repeatedly: "This won't do."

The young master is impulsive. A mobile phone is too valuable; she can't accept it.

Aunt Ping was pulled by Sheng Fang to look at the mobile phone models, but she remained as steady as a mountain, not moving an inch.

Letting the little ones play is like playing a tug-of-war. If they accidentally lose their strength, Aunt Ping will turn around and run away.

After taking care of the child for several months, Aunt Ping's health improved. She would run out of the market and then turn back to check if the young master had lost his way.

She ran a few steps, then stopped a few steps, like playing a game of tag, until she finally stopped at the corner across the street.

Aunt Ping bent over, supporting herself on her knees as she gasped for breath.

Sheng Hua's face was flushed, whether from anger or from running away, it was hard to tell.

Let out a sigh.

The small boss's words were useless; it seems we still need to call for reinforcements.

"I don't want to talk to you, Aunt Ping!" The young master said, hands on his hips. "I'm going to buy something else!"

...

Zhu Qing and her colleagues from the Major Crimes Unit B kept moving around, searching everywhere, but they still couldn't find any trace of Shu Yingying.

They couldn't even find her, let alone investigate her connection with Zhou Yongsheng.

The traces of life in the white house in Ping Chau are clearly visible. Two pairs of indoor slippers by the door, a long dress in the wardrobe, pairs of bowls and chopsticks in the kitchen... it's obvious that a woman once lived there. But now, the woman's whereabouts are unknown. This "current wife," who had a romantic entanglement with Zhou Yongsheng, is key to solving the case by piecing together Zhou Yongsheng's complete ten-year history.

"Over the past decade, Zhou Yongsheng has used different pen names to create his works. After all, he was once a talented director, and even if he lived in anonymity, he was doing quite well."

“This ‘new wife’ must know his true identity, otherwise why would she be willing to live a secluded life with him on an outlying island?”

There are very few clues at present.

Shu Yingying is married and childless. If she really is with Zhou Yongsheng, how does she manage to juggle the relationship between the two men?

Mo Zhenbang divided the police officers into two groups: one group was to track down Shu Yingying's whereabouts, while the other group, led by Uncle Li, was to investigate her legal husband.

"Could it be... that Shu Yingying's husband killed Zhou Yongsheng? It's a love triangle, so it's not surprising that he killed someone for love."

"But then again, if this Miss Shu is really Zhou Yongsheng's lover, she is quite audacious. Zhou Yongsheng has a wife and children, and she herself has a husband and is also responsible for a murder... She still dares to get together with him."

"Perhaps for them, love means going against the whole world? The more unacceptable the relationship, the more they feel they are fighting against the world. Isn't Zhou Yongsheng's 'Lunar Eclipse' also about this kind of forbidden love?"

The police did their best to investigate Shu Yingying, but found very few traces related to her.

Shu Yingying had no occupational record or registered relatives. Her plane ticket was issued almost simultaneously with Zhou Yongsheng's at the same travel agency, but they were purchased separately, not by him.

Is it out of caution, or a tacit cover-up?

“According to the travel agency’s records, Shu Yingying bought the ticket with cash,” Haozai reported. “We found the contact number she left, but when we called it, we found it was a public phone booth on the street. This Shu Yingying is intentionally making it impossible for anyone to contact her.”

He was clearly a living, breathing person, yet it seemed as if he was deliberately erasing his own traces.

"If all else fails, we'll just go to Kai Tak Airport next Wednesday and block them out," Hao Zai said. "Anyway, there are only a few days left. We'll just block off the security checkpoints at Kai Tak Airport, and they won't be able to escape."

"Wait until next Wednesday?" Mo Zhenbang glared at him, annoyed. "Do you think Inspector Weng agrees to us waiting around like this?"

The police officers, who had been on the job all day, returned empty-handed.

On the way back to the police station, the atmosphere inside the car was somber, and someone couldn't help but complain in a low voice.

In critical moments, Inspector Mo is always the backbone that stabilizes morale.

He sat in the passenger seat and turned around to reassure her, "Investigating a case isn't that easy, take it slow..."

Before he could finish speaking, his cell phone suddenly rang.

Liang Qikai's voice came through the receiver.

“Mr. Mok! Records from a private hospital in the New Territories show that they once treated a patient named ‘Shu Yingying’.”

"Which hospital?" Mo Zhenbang immediately sat up straight.

"that is--"

Before the words on the other end of the phone had even finished, and before the superior had given the order, the car suddenly turned around and made a sharp turn.

Mo Zhenbang quickly gripped the handrail inside the carriage to avoid being thrown to one side by inertia.

Zeng Yongshan and Haozai in the back row had already grabbed the handrails, their expressions unchanged.

It wasn't the first time my partner had gone to the event, and the moment I heard the phone ring, I was already prepared.

“You—” Mo Zhenbang sat up straight.

"Mr. Mo, shall we go to New Territories Hospital?" Zhu Qing asked, stepping on the gas.

Mo Zhenbang: ...

If she didn't become a police officer, she could switch careers and become a race car driver.

They can win the championship.

...

This new lead brought a turning point to the investigation, making things go smoothly.

Shu Yingying's name is very unique, especially her surname, which is very memorable.

“I remember her,” a nurse at a private hospital in the New Territories recalled. “When I registered her, I even complimented her on how nice her name was. But when I looked up and saw her injuries, I couldn’t smile anymore.”

"That happened two years ago?" Mo Zhenbang flipped through the medical record and asked, "Was she seriously injured back then?"

“In the middle of summer, she came to the clinic wearing long sleeves and pants, with her collar buttoned up tightly, as if she was afraid of being seen by acquaintances.”

"So at the time we guessed that she must have deliberately avoided the nearby hospitals and traveled a long way to get here."

Hearing the nurse's words, Zhu Qing and Zeng Yongshan exchanged a glance.

This matches the description given by residents of Ping Chau of the woman who always wore long sleeves.

"The injuries... are more than just severe. Fractured ribs, soft tissue contusion in the wrist, bruises on the face, and even a piece of scalp is missing. It looks painful."

"After the doctor treated all her wounds that could be bandaged, he specifically told her that he could help her contact a social worker. But she just shook her head and said she didn't need it."

“Many victims of domestic violence are like this,” the nurse added softly. “They are clearly injured, but they are still afraid to fight back, and they don’t even know how to protect themselves. They just endure it like this, when will it ever end?”

Mo Zhenbang: "Domestic violence?"

“Her injuries were consistent with those of a victim of domestic violence, yet she insisted that she had fallen down the stairs. But in fact, the bruises on her forehead clearly indicated that she had been grabbed by the hair and slammed against the wall.”

"In other words, from a medical perspective, these injuries could not possibly be from a fall..."

The officers fell silent for a moment, the only sound the rustling of medical records turning in their ears.

Zhu Qing noticed the blank space for contact information in the medical record.

Is there any way to contact her?

The other person shook their head helplessly: "She didn't fill in an address or leave a phone number, probably because she doesn't want us to find her. In a situation like this, even if we wanted to help her, we simply wouldn't know where to begin."

At that moment, the slightly ajar ward door was gently pushed open.

Another nurse came out with a logbook.

"Are you asking about Ms. Shu from a couple of years ago?" she said. "I remember Ms. Xiang from the women's shelter came to hand out brochures, and I stopped to chat with her for a bit. I think... I even gave her my business card."

Twenty minutes later, the officers arrived at the women's shelter that the nurses at the private hospital had described.

In the office, after hearing the police's purpose, volunteer Ms. Xiang got up and pulled a file out of the cabinet.

“I gave the business card to Ms. Shu. Actually, I didn’t have high hopes at the time because she avoided eye contact. Even with such obvious injuries on her face, she still insisted that she had fallen on her own.”

“She first came to us a year and a half ago.” Ms. Xiang opened her notebook. “It was raining heavily that day. She was soaked to the bone and was shivering. She still said she had fallen and injured herself, but I found that her back was covered in bruises.”

“Ms. Shu told us that her husband wasn’t like this at first,” she said softly. “The first time he hit her, he knelt on the ground and begged her for forgiveness, saying that he had just drunk too much and swore he would never do it again. At that time, he would buy her flowers and chocolates to make her happy, and he would rush to do housework at home, pretending to be a model husband.”

"And then what?"

"Later, he said that he was under a lot of work pressure, and beatings and verbal abuse became commonplace. After hitting him, he would not even apologize."

“In the past year, he has been going to the mainland to take on projects and only comes back once every few months. Every time he comes back, Ms. Shu has new injuries.”

"Didn't you call the police?"

“She tried calling the police,” Ms. Xiang said with a wry smile. “Every time the police came, she would apologize in a low voice, saying that some of the injuries were from her own falls, and some were due to his impulsive actions. In addition, her parents were constantly being manipulated…”

"It wasn't until the beginning of this year, when both elderly people passed away, that Miss Shu..."

“It’s been many years. Like many women here who need help, it’s been a long journey from fear to understanding, then back to fear, then to acceptance and forgiveness… and finally facing the truth. But some people always manage to get through it, and that’s the meaning of our persistence.”

“It took her a lot of effort to make up her mind to leave her husband.” Miss Xiang hesitated for a moment, “Please…please don’t alert anyone.”

Zeng Yongshan immediately turned around and said to Mo Zhenbang, "Boss, quickly tell Uncle Li not to contact her husband!"

The somber atmosphere was broken by Mo Sir's laughter.

"You all still treat me like a boss? You've all learned to give orders."

Despite saying that, Mo Zhenbang still took out his mobile phone and immediately notified Uncle Li.

Haozai's pen glided across the notepad, jotting down dense text.

"During these ten years, her husband frequently traveled between the two places? Did the couple not live together often?"

Ms. Xiang checked the file and confirmed, "That's right, he only settled there permanently in the last six months. Ms. Shu said she suspects he has two families, but even so, he's unwilling to set her free. Divorce—she's mentioned it many times, and her husband has even threatened her with a knife..."

Zeng Yongshan mentally calculated the timeline.

If Shu Yingying is indeed that woman from Pingzhou, this period of being single is certainly enough to develop a secret relationship.

“Zhou Yongsheng? Qin Wen?” Miss Xiang frowned in thought, then slowly shook her head, her voice filled with certainty, “Miss Shu has never mentioned these two names.”

"Based on my understanding of her, that's unlikely. You haven't seen it... I've seen it too many times, Miss Shu coming to the shelter covered in wounds."

How can someone who has been hurt so deeply dare to place their hopes on another man?

After a brief silence, Miss Xiang suddenly remembered something.

"By the way. I know she's been secretly learning Spanish. Miss Shu has a cousin who immigrated a long time ago, and she's always wanted to leave, but she can't bear to leave her parents behind."

Zhu Qing listened quietly, her brow furrowed.

Something's not right, absolutely not right.

The volunteer described Shu Yingying as a woman who tried every means to break free from her shackles. Even amidst the fog of uncertainty, she struggled to find her way out. But Zhou Yongsheng—he was always portrayed as the savior.

When purchasing the plane ticket, Shu Yingying deliberately did not leave her contact information, probably just to avoid being tracked down by her husband.

It wasn't to hide any identity or secret.

"Is it possible to contact her now?"

Miss Xiang hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded: "It should be possible."

When they left, Haozai and Zeng Yongshan went straight to Shu Yingying's current residence.

Zhu Qing and Mo Zhenbang drove back to the police station.

"Could it be just a coincidence that the tickets were issued at the same time?"

Mo Zhenbang paused for a moment: "It is indeed possible that they went through the procedures and bought plane tickets at different counters of the same travel agency one after the other."

But if that's the case, where did that mysterious "new wife" go?

The street scene outside the window receded rapidly.

Mo Zhenbang said slowly, "If Zhou Yongsheng and his 'new wife' truly have a deep affection for each other—"

"Will she still leave Hong Kong as planned?" Zhu Qing continued his question.

Mo Zhenbang raised his eyebrows.

The young police officer, who had just graduated from police academy a few months ago, quickly gained experience, became more composed, and accurately grasped the pace of solving cases.

News of Zhou Yongsheng's murder spread like wildfire, causing a great uproar.

If they were truly as loving as the neighbors described, how could the current husband have left Hong Kong as originally planned?

She will stay.

“We shouldn’t be checking passengers on the same flight,” Zhu Qing said. “We should be checking the ticket refund records.”

"Those who got refunds are the real fellow travelers!"

Team B immediately launched a new round of operations.

When Zhu Qing and Mo Zhenbang rushed back to the police station, the case investigation had made new progress.

"Only one woman on this flight cancelled her ticket after Zhou Yongsheng died."

"It was captured on surveillance footage."

The officers immediately gathered around the computer.

In the blurry airline surveillance footage, a short-haired woman walks quickly past with her head down.

The camera only captured her image for three seconds.

Although the image is extremely blurry, you can see that she is wearing large sunglasses that almost cover half of her face.

...

"Huang Jiewen, 31 years old." Haozai read out the identification information from the refund record.

Mo Zhenbang made a decisive decision: "Check her detailed information and retrieve her ID photo."

“Go to the airline.” He picked up his car keys again. “The staff who processed the refund should remember her.”

Xiao Sun sighed deeply. Before he could even sit down properly, another round of non-stop work began.

Despite their complaints, the truth was right in front of them, and the group still rushed out of the office.

As Zhu Qing hurried downstairs, she spotted a familiar figure not far from the public parking space.

"Aunt Ping?" She stopped in surprise.

Aunt Ping made a "shh" gesture to her lips and winked in another direction.

Following her gaze, Zhu Qing saw a round little figure.

Clearly, the children came specifically to "bump into" the place.

The dazzling entrance scene was completed with the cooperation of Aunt Ping.

At this moment, Shengfang, wearing children's sunglasses, was riding a brand-new baby bicycle, with the bell hanging on the handlebars ringing incessantly.

"Ring ring... Ring ring..."

In the afterglow of the setting sun, Fangfang casually rode past Zhu Qing, her short legs pedaling with tremendous effort.

When he stopped, he looked proudly at his niece.

The clueless niece looked puzzled.

Three-wheeled bicycles are not afraid of falling over at all, so what's there to be so proud of?

Shengfang pushed up her sunglasses on the bridge of her nose with one finger.

Two little feet remained firmly planted on the pedals.

He said calmly, "I can ride a bicycle now."

As soon as she finished speaking, Shengfang turned her adorable little face around.

Waiting for Qingzai to praise him!