When Zheng Tianming arrived at the hospital, Sun Hui had already passed away. The hearse arrived quickly. Liang Dawei, dressed in a proper uniform, was squatting by the wall, holding a hat to cover his face.

"Brother Liang."

This kind of pain is something that those who haven't experienced it cannot truly understand.

Liang Dawei had been holding back because there were so many people around, but now that there was no one around, he couldn't take it anymore.

"I will never see her again in my life." Liang Dawei cried out in anguish. He had lost the love of his life, and no matter what he did, she would never appear before him again.

Such an optimistic, cheerful, and kind person, just left like that, leaving him all alone. In the last moments of her life, he couldn't even stop to stay by her side.

She said that if there is a next life, she would still marry him, but if there really is a next life, he hopes she can marry a good person and never meet him again.

Perhaps even God knew that he was not worthy of such a good person, so before he could finish his life, he took her back halfway.

Zheng Tianming squatted down next to Liang Dawei. He didn't try to persuade him, but just quietly stayed with him until he had cried enough, then he handed him a cigarette.

Losing a lover is painful enough, just breaking up is painful enough, let alone death.

Liang Dawei rubbed his eyes and lit a cigarette: "In this life, in the end, I didn't even let your sister-in-law have a single good day."

“A good life doesn’t just mean living in a big house and buying pretty bags. How do you know your sister-in-law isn’t living a good life?” Zheng Tianming patted Liang Dawei on the shoulder.

Liang Dawei took a deep drag on his cigarette: "The case still depends on you, get back to work."

"I won't stand on ceremony with you, I'm really busy." Zheng Tianming said, standing up. "If you go to see your sister-in-law now, she'll definitely scold you."

Liang Dawei waved his hand. He did want to go with her, but he had a responsibility to bear, and he would wait until he was too old to do so.

After leaving the hospital, Zheng Tianming sent Xu Mengyu a video. For some reason, he really wanted to see her now.

Xu Mengyu was practicing her acting, and her teacher was standing by watching.

She stopped with a grin: "Teacher, I'm going to take a video call..."

"Everyone says that you entertainers have nothing good about men. If you don't work hard now, do you expect them to support you in the future?" After saying that, the teacher waved his hand and said, "Go away, go away, you're useless."

Xu Mengyu took her phone and walked out. She regretted not doing something to Zheng Tianming when he came back last time.

Sitting in the car, Zheng Tianming gripped the steering wheel. After the video call connected, he stared at it for several seconds: "Miss, I miss you. I miss you so much."

Xu Mengyu covered her phone. Oh my god, she was still in the corridor. The employee in front of her turned around and glanced at her. She acted as if nothing had happened, putting her hands behind her back and turning the volume down to the lowest setting.

Back in her office, she carefully put her phone down and turned the volume up to maximum: "If you want to think about it, just think about it. Why are you yelling?"

Zheng Tianming looked at Xu Mengyu's slightly flushed face: [You're already shy? Aren't you usually pretty thick-skinned?]

Xu Mengyu glared at her: [Oh, so that's what you think of me?]

Zheng Tianming shook his head: "No, I really miss you." He then pointed to his heart: "I miss you here."

Xu Mengyu squinted: [What happened to your arm? Why is it wrapped in gauze?]

Zheng Tianming pointed, then tore off the gauze: "I'm injured."

Xu Mengyu stood up in shock: "Have you been vaccinated? Let me tell you, don't think you're safe. If it really flares up, it's a death sentence, there's no cure."

Zheng Tianming couldn't help but laugh: "Miss, look closely, this is a human bite. What kind of vaccine do you need?"

Xu Mengyu was too anxious just now and didn't have time to look closely. Now that she looks at it, it does seem to be a human bite: [That vengeful spirit bites people like that, how come no lightning struck him dead?]

Zheng Tianming didn't dare tell Xu Mengyu that it was Xiao Moli who bit him, otherwise she would be even angrier.

Xu Meng's tone was extremely harsh: "I'm not trying to be mean, but with your height, couldn't you have slapped him a couple of times? If it hurt, he'd naturally let go!"

Zheng Tianming nodded: "Next time, I'll do as Miss says."

Xu Mengyu took a sip of water: [Stop grinning like that. Hurry up and bandage your wound. I'm not here, otherwise I would definitely bite back and eat him. He's so annoying, he's not even a dog.]

For the next few minutes, Xu Mengyu kept cursing, wishing she could get revenge for him right then and there.

Zheng Tianming slumped over the steering wheel, his shoulders trembling slightly. How could the young lady be so likable?

Xu Mengyu stopped yelling after she was tired: [How's your case going? When are you coming back?]

Zheng Tianming looked at his phone: [There's been progress, but I don't know when I can go back yet.]

Xu Mengyu snorted twice, knowing that he had no choice in the matter, so she didn't press him any further.

Zheng Tianming placed his finger on the phone screen. He really wanted to hug her right now, and it would be a lie to say he wasn't afraid at all.

Xu Mengyu glanced at the time: [I can't go now, I have to go back to class, the teacher is waiting for me.]

Zheng Tianming was reluctant, but didn't want to take up any more of her time: [Okay, let's talk again tonight.]

Xu Mengyu was a little puzzled. Why had he suddenly become so clingy? He wasn't usually like this...

After the video call ended, Zheng Tianming sent Xu Mengyu a message: "Because of my stupidity, we've missed so much time together. I think this time when we go back, we should spend quality time together, and I promise I'll take good care of you."

Xu Mengyu looked at the text message she received. Why was everything so strange today? She replied: "I really want to know, did you come back to me because you know I gave birth to Lulu, or...?"

She felt that if she didn't ask, she would always have a hurdle in her heart that she could never overcome.

When Zheng Tianming received the message, he almost cursed: "Xu Mengyu, I liked you before Lulu even existed! I came back to you because I faced my own heart. I know I can't live without you, I'd die without you! What do you mean 'because of Lulu'?!"

Xu Mengyu was stunned when she saw the text message. What did he mean by "I'd die without her"? Who says sweet nothings like that? And then there was: "[You swore, you yelled at me...]"

Zheng Tianming took a deep breath: "I was wrong."

The apology must be given quickly, or it will be too late.

Xu Mengyu couldn't help but laugh. She could imagine Zheng Tianming's expression when he sent the message—he was probably helpless, yet had no choice but to reply immediately.

What, do you think getting married is that easy?

When the teacher saw Xu Mengyu return cheerfully, she shook her head: "You couldn't act it out when I asked you to..."

Xu Mengyu was a little shy. As a girl in love, she couldn't act it out at all just now. But now, after exchanging a few messages with Zheng Tianming, she roughly knew what it felt like.

That kind of heart-fluttering feeling, that involuntary urge to smile, that sweetness... Oh no, I'm totally doomed, my love-struck brain has sprouted!

After the teacher left, Xu Mengyu simply lay down on the floor and sent Zheng Tianming a message: "Spring cat, and Xu Mengyu."

Zheng Tianming was handling a case, accompanied by his teammates. He looked very serious. Among the bodies recovered was a boy's body, which, judging from the degree of decomposition, was no more than half a month old.

This orphanage has serious problems.

After receiving the text message, Zheng Tianming pulled off his gloves: [Wait for me to get back.]

He understood it, of course, but now was not the time to talk about it; he felt very heavy-hearted.

Zheng Tianming gathered all the children together and verified their identities one by one. Some of them had indeed been taken away, but the whereabouts of the "pretty" children were unknown.

Those who remained were children like Xiao Moli, some with physical defects, some with facial defects, and some with marks on their faces.

A teammate standing to the side couldn't help but curse, "Even though it's a private school, why didn't anyone investigate it carefully back then?"

“Because we can’t investigate them all.” Zheng Tianming flipped through the files: “When this family was first established, it may not have been solely for the purpose of adopting children.”

The teammate looked at Zheng Tianming: "They lured him into having a child, then used the excuse of not being able to raise it to send the child here in exchange for money..."

“Hmm.” Zheng Tianming said, pointing, “Look, the children nowadays don’t match the records at all.”

“But I checked the dean’s account and there was nothing unusual.” The teammate said, scratching his head. He had only been dealing with child trafficking, but the more he investigated, the more alarmed he became.

He even began to doubt human nature.

Zheng Tianming patted his teammate on the shoulder: "Check the dean's comings and goings, especially when she's carrying a big bag."

With advanced technology, few people use cash anymore, but that doesn't mean nobody uses it.

"Captain, I feel chilly after get off work now. How about I make do with you?" He was genuinely scared. He didn't have a girlfriend and went back to his rented room by himself every day after get off work.

Zheng Tianming slapped him on the back of the head: "Get lost."

If they're afraid, then there's really no hope for them.

His teammate rubbed the back of his head: "What did your wife see in you? You're always hitting people and swearing at them..."

At this moment, another teammate walked over and said, "You don't know this, do you? The captain doesn't dare to yell at his wife, he just calls her 'Miss' all the time."

As a result, the two of them walked away rubbing the back of their heads.

"Can you take a look? I was hit twice, and I feel a bulge."

“...”

The children were playing in the yard. I don't know why they were all called out, but as long as there was good food and fun things to do, that was enough.

That evening, Zheng Tianming went to the interrogation room, but the dean didn't say a word.

Zheng Tianming leaned back in his chair, his legs propped up on the table: "Aren't you afraid of retribution? These kids, the oldest is seven or eight, and they can't even recite a complete poem. I'd like to know, what are you going to do when they all grow up?"

These children have absolutely no survival skills.

It is very likely that she had to adopt him in order to avoid suspicion from outsiders.

She not only supplies children to traffickers, but she also sells them, selling children to families who do not meet the adoption criteria.

No one knows what the situation is like for those children now, and there's no way to find out.

The dean looked at Zheng Tianming, staring at him with a deep gaze, then smiled and said, "Let's make a deal. You let me out, and I'll have them release your son. How about it?"

Zheng Tianming squinted.

The dean stretched his wrist as he spoke: "Your son is really handsome. He fetched tens of millions at the auction before, otherwise those idiots wouldn't have exposed their whereabouts. But now, do you know how much he has?"

Zheng Tianming swung his toes, looking as if they weren't together.

The dean held out his hand: "Eighty million, and that's just the first sale price. He can sell it a second time, a third time, until he dies."

Zheng Tianming raised an eyebrow: "Oh? You really think you have that ability?"

The dean smiled and said, "On October 21st, your son wore a white shirt and gray pants. Those shoes were really valuable; they were a limited edition, costing 700,000 yuan a pair."

Zheng Tianming shrugged: "And then?"

Seeing this, the dean pointed and said, "You have to find a way to let me out. As long as I'm safe, no one will dare to touch your son, but you have to protect what I've done."

Zheng Tianming suddenly couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Aiding and abetting evil?"

Seeing that Zheng Tianming showed no fear whatsoever, the dean said, "It will be too late for you to worry when your child is lost."

Zheng Tianming took out a cigarette and lit it: "You may not know me very well. I never do things by the book. Little Jasmine is not related to you by blood, you know that?"

The dean remained silent.

Zheng Tianming exhaled smoke: "I've always wondered, Lily, why did you send the child here after the accident? According to the rules, it should have been sent to a designated location."

What are you trying to say?

"Do you know why he kept Lily with him but not Jasmine? Don't you know if your own child is intersex?"

The dean suddenly struggled: "What do you mean!"

Zheng Tianming gestured: "Why are you so agitated? Sit down. Weren't we having a good chat just now?"

The dean roared, "What did you just mean! Tell me!"

Zheng Tianming took out a photo from his pocket: "I live across from him. He said that Lily's mother died in childbirth, and later Lily was bullied, so he went crazy and chopped people up."

“Even tigers don’t eat their cubs. Why doesn’t Lily speak up? Because she knows that her father is the culprit who abducted children. He thinks that this way he can hide in a mental hospital.” Zheng Tianming said, lighting another cigarette.

The hospital director pointed at Zheng Tianming: "Nonsense! The doctor told me on the day my child was born that he was intersex. How could I not know that!"

Zheng Tianming stood up: "He not only has these two children, but Xiao Moli is also his biological daughter. However, unfortunately, Xiao Moli was born with a defect, and he needs a healthy child who is not the focus of attention to cover it up."

The people outside were completely bewildered. What did the captain mean by this? Why couldn't they make any connection?

Dean: "..."

Zheng Tianming, with a cigarette between his fingers, said, "He asked you to help him silence you, and you killed your own daughter with your own hands. As for Xiao Moli, you both love and hate her. You love her because she is your child, and you hate her because she has a physical defect and cannot help you keep the man you love, watching him with other women."

“He’s right, his wife did die in childbirth because she gave birth to Jasmine, not Lily.”

Those outside were even more confused. What was all this about? Who exactly was "he"?