Chapter 21: Unhappy Mid-Autumn Festival

Ji Feng's heart sank, and self-blame and regret filled his mind. It was the first time he realized that he had indeed neglected Hua Ailing this time. Perhaps, more than this time, this was unfair to her. He didn't reply to her WeChat message. Instead, filled with deep remorse, he called her.

"Something unexpected happened just now. I was a little flustered and forgot to tell you." His tone was full of self-blame. "President Lu is going to celebrate with his family tonight. The party is cancelled, and I forgot to inform others. How about... we come out and sit down?"

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a few seconds before she sighed softly, "Oh, forget it. You've finally come back, so why don't you go home and spend the Mid-Autumn Festival with your parents? I'm planning to go back and see them, too."

This emotionally intelligent response only deepened Jifeng's guilt. Yet, beneath the deepest guilt, a subtle crack quietly opened in his heart, and a wisp of warmth seeped through it, like a thawed stream in early spring, silently flowing over the desolate riverbed, gently soaking every inch of the frozen earth. The feeling came from deep within his soul, as if some long-forgotten instinct was gently awakening—a primal and pure whisper of motherhood. It combined the delicate gentleness of a woman with the generosity and tolerance of a mother, leaving him momentarily dazed. He sat in the car, a mixture of gratitude and unease swirling within him for a long time.

I remember Xin Xiao told me that Hua Ailing didn't have a very close relationship with her parents because of her. After a long silence, she said, "That's fine... I'm sorry, please give my regards to your uncle and aunt."

"Ji Feng..." Hua Ailing hesitated, her voice soft and gentle, yet with a barely perceptible tremor. Ji Feng sensed something was amiss, and his heart tightened.

"What's wrong with you? Are you okay?" he asked with concern.

After a few seconds of silence, she whispered, "I'm fine. You should go back soon. I'm about to get off work too."

"I originally wanted to stay a few more days, but the case has changed again. I have to go back early tomorrow morning. I will come back when I have the chance. If you have time, you can come to Lan Valley to find me." His tone was gentle, but there was a subtle apology hidden between the lines, although it felt like a case of mending the barn door after the horse has bolted.

"Okay, happy Mid-Autumn Festival." She suddenly raised her voice a little, and her tone became formal and distant, as if she was deliberately keeping a distance.

"Happy Mid-Autumn Festival," Ji Feng whispered in response, slowly hanging up the phone. A sense of inexplicable melancholy welled up in his heart. He started the car and slowly drove along the deserted road toward home. The once pleasant roar of the car seemed extremely exaggerated, extremely discordant, and extremely abrupt in the quiet street.

As dusk deepened, the lights that lit up one after another in the buildings shone like stars upon the world. From behind every window wafted the aroma of food, the warmth of home. Standing downstairs for a moment, gazing upward, a flood of emotion suddenly welled up in my heart.

The moment he opened the door, a warm breeze mingled with the aroma of food washed over him. Under the soft light, steaming dishes filled the dining table. His mother's eyes lit up with love as she saw him enter. She turned and headed back to the kitchen, "I was afraid it would get cold if you cooked it too early. I've been waiting for you." The spring breeze in the autumn air caressed his heart, quietly melting away the day's fatigue.

Ji Feng quickly pulled his mother out of the kitchen. Indeed, what could be more precious than a family reunion? Even if a full banquet were laid out before them, it would only serve as a garnish of deep affection, having long since become a supporting role in the reunion night. His mother, looking at her son's dark, thin face, felt a pang of distress, nagging him to stop working too hard and to take care of himself.

Joyful moments are always fleeting. The bright moon, delicious food, fragrant tea, fine wine, mooncakes, and gentle whispers weave a long, tender scroll of Mid-Autumn night. As the night deepens, the courtyard becomes a wash, and a warm atmosphere quietly permeates the air. Before you know it, it's already late and the dew is heavy, but the warmth of reunion lingers.

It was late at night, and everything was silent. His parents had already fallen asleep. Jifeng lay in bed, scrolling through his social media feed. As sleepiness washed over him, a post from Hua Ailing quietly caught his eye:

The cicadas are crying sadly, it is late at the long pavilion, and the sudden rain has just stopped.

I have no mood to drink in the capital, and the orchid boat is urging me to leave.

We held hands and looked into each other's tears, but were speechless and choked with emotion.

Thinking of the past, there are thousands of miles of smoke and waves, and the dusk is heavy and the sky is vast.

People who are sentimental have always been sad about separation, and it is even more unbearable to be left alone in the cold and lonely autumn festival!

Where will I go to wake up from my drunken stupor tonight? Willow bank, morning breeze and waning moon.

After so many years, the good times and beautiful scenery are all gone.

Even if there are thousands of styles, who can I tell them to?

The poem "Rain Bell" was like a gentle tap, awakening his dormant heart. He knew it was a classic masterpiece by the Northern Song Dynasty poet Liu Yong, but it also seemed to express the unspeakable feelings in his heart.

He slowly stood up, walked barefoot to the balcony, and lit a cigarette. The smoke rose up, swirling into vague thoughts in the night.

His gaze passed through the city lights, resting on the large, bright silver disk in the sky, where moonlight shone like mercury. The night breeze was cool, brushing against his cheek with a touch of chill, just like the glances she occasionally cast, gentle yet unsettling.

Their relationship wasn't love, but it was more than friendship. Her concern, like a spring breeze, quietly seeped into the cracks of his life; her care, like flowers in the mist, was elusive. Like an invisible thread, it gently entwined the softest part of his heart. That emotion wasn't the fiery passion of love, nor the gentle warmth of friendship, but rather an ambiguous teetering on the edge, a bond that was difficult to articulate. It was like a butterfly about to emerge from its cocoon, gently flapping its wings at the edge of its emotional shell, yet never finding the courage to break through the thin layer of cocoon.

The balcony glass reflected his own figure. He stared at the unyielding figure in the mirror. Beneath the tough exterior lay a coward, a wimp, an emotional liar! He dared not touch, dared not cross, dared not face it! The detachment, the extreme, the wild, the uninhibited, the boundless... all that he had once flaunted now seemed so ridiculous.

A clown deep within me kneels, gazing up at Master Hongyi, his majestic figure half hidden and half visible through the half-open temple gate. A frail figure in a kimono gazes helplessly and despairingly at the patched garment. No tears, no brokenness. Only a single plum blossom, perched proudly on its branch, peeks out from the ancient temple's red walls...

For years, their relationship, like a small boat in a stormy sea, has always struggled between hesitation and desire, between reason and emotion. It is a journey with no end, always heading towards the other side, but never reaching the shore.

Perhaps I should be like a thuja tree, alone on a high cliff, enjoying its own rain, snow, wind and frost... What nourishes its unyielding and strong body is the fleeting moment of light that falls...

In the early morning, a faint light filtered into the room through the gaps in the curtains. The sound of birds chirping outside the window woke him from his sleep. Jifeng stood by the window, took a deep breath, and tried to slowly let go of the depression in his heart.

The Lan family was about to set off again, so he didn't want to delay too long. He packed his bags, said goodbye to his parents, and set off on his journey home.

Behind him was a warm home, and ahead was an unknown destiny. He walked with a firm step and a sharp gaze, carrying the unfinished thoughts of last night, to meet the new challenge.

Dean Lu's promise to ask the British police for assistance in the pursuit became the only gain of this trip back home; the Lan family's trip again disrupted his plan; and his ambiguous relationship with Hua Ailing made his already unresolved heart knot even more complicated.

He rolled down the window, letting the howling wind outside pour in without a care, ruffling his hair and brushing against his tense face. It tried to sweep away the chaotic thoughts in his mind, but ultimately it couldn't dispel the worries in his heart.

The pink supercar sped down the highway. He took the wheel, recalling the three trips the Lan family had taken; each had left him in a state of utter confusion and nervousness. And then there were the text messages he'd received earlier, combined with the six months of fruitless activity. He couldn't help but be filled with suspicion. Could all this have been orchestrated by the Lan family? He felt as if he were being controlled by an invisible hand, like Monkey King, unable to escape the Buddha's palm.

After speeding all the way, when the "Kazlan" finally calmed down, the clock had already pointed to eleven o'clock in the morning.

As he pushed the door open, he immediately sensed an unusual atmosphere. Jiang Bo sat in the middle of the conference room, his expression grave, and the room was thick with smoke. Upon seeing him enter, several young detectives stood up and greeted him. Ji Feng's heart tightened, and his gaze swept across the crowd, landing on Xin Xiao.

Xin Xiao said, "Captain Ji, you're back so soon?"

"There was nothing to do at home, so I came back early." The conversation with Xin Xiao did not alleviate Ji Feng's doubts at all.

"What a coincidence! Captain Jiang just told us not to call you for fear of disturbing your holiday," Xin Xiao said.

"What's the matter?" Ji Feng looked at Jiang Bo, his eyes filled with gratitude but also with questions.

"The Lan family is back again. They canceled their flights before transiting in Shanghai and simply shipped the goods to the UK." Xin Xiao answered Ji Feng's question on behalf of Jiang Bo.

"What! They're back again? What the hell are they doing?!" Ji Feng said as he sat down, feeling like he had become a big question mark.

"It seems like they are playing a conspiracy against us. We don't have any evidence of their crimes, but they are openly transferring their assets overseas in the name of exhibitions, and we can only watch. I think this is a provocation or contempt for us." Jiang Bo, who had been silent, said.

"Yes, Captain Jiang, we can only watch." Ji Feng said helplessly, no longer as eager as before. "However, I did gain something from my return to the academy this time. Dean Lu promised that once the Lan family is confirmed to be involved in the case, even if they have fled to the UK, we can ask the British police to assist in the investigation. While they can't extradite them, they can seize or freeze their assets. Then we can find a way to force the Lan family to return home."

"Well, this is the only way. Thank Dean Lu for me when you get the chance. However, what I just said is not the main point. The main point is that Ji Chuan and Xiao Zheng made a breakthrough in their investigation some time ago - Lan Renxuan is suspected of murder!"