Chapter 94 Baby

The rental house is very tidy, and everything is neatly and cleanly stored, making it easy to see at a glance.

Gong Weiguo and others searched all the drawers and cabinets, even under the bed, pillowcases, and clothing pockets, but found nothing.

After hearing Gong Weiguo's report, Xia Mufan remained silent.

Why is Ke Lu so cautious?

Did he burn all the letters?

If this is the case, then we can only start the investigation from the mailroom of the mailing address.

The little Shiba Inu finished eating the dried meat, licked the dog dish clean with satisfaction, and followed Xia Mufan's feet wagging its tail.

[Where is the master?] 】

[Why doesn’t he come back?] 】

[He doesn’t want me anymore?] 】

Xia Mufan saw a trace of fear in its eyes and asked, "Did your owner pick you up on the street, or did he buy you at a pet store?"

The little Shiba Inu blinked his eyes.

[My mother was run over by a car and no one wanted me. 】

[My master picked me up.] 】

[The master is very good to me.] 】

Just like the original Shiba Inu, Ke Lu picked it up on the roadside and took it home to raise. The difference is that he was young back then and had to raise it secretly, so he couldn’t provide the Shiba Inu with very good conditions. Now that he has grown up, he can be adopted openly and given the best care.

Xia Mufan never picked up a dog with an owner. He just bent down and touched its head, saying gently, "Your owner is busy. You should wait for him at home."

As for whether Ke Lu can come back, it depends on whether strong evidence can be found within 24 hours.

The little Shiba Inu was very close to Xia Mufan and let her stroke its head. It was so well-behaved that Feng Xiaoyu, who was taking notes nearby, was secretly envious. However, Xia Mufan has always had a connection with animals, and the Serious Crime Unit 7 has gotten used to it.

Although the little Shiba Inu is only half a year old, it knows how to read humans' expressions because it has been wandering outside for a long time to survive.

There was an aura about Xia Mufan that made it submit, which made it naturally accept her caress and feeding.

What are you looking for? 】

[The master’s treasures are all hidden.] 】

[The master said that he would leave all his treasures to me from now on.] 】

The little Shiba Inu's words made Xia Mufan fall into deep thought.

What is Ke Lu’s treasure? Where is it hidden?

Why does he say that all his treasures will be left to the Shiba Inu in the future?

Gong Weiguo asked: "Team leader, what should we do next?"

Xia Mufan asked him in return: "Are these letters treasures to Ke Lu?"

Gong Weiguo nodded without hesitation: "Of course. We have been writing to pen pals for seven or eight years. Even if we write once a month, there are nearly a hundred letters accumulated. Ke Lu and Cui Lebang are both dark-hearted people. They don't have many friends. Writing to pen pals is the only way to confide in them. These letters should be a very important treasure in their minds, right?"

Xia Mufan continued to ask: "If it is a treasure, where would he hide it?"

Gong Weiguo thought for a moment and said, "It should be a very suitable place. After all, if more than a hundred letters are packed in a bag, I'm afraid it will take a large woven bag to hold them all."

Sun Xianbing said: "Anyway, there is nothing in the rental house, not even a letter."

Yu Jing asked: "Is it possible that it was in a coffee shop?"

Feng Xiaoyu joined the discussion: "There are so many people coming and going in the coffee shop, it's impossible for Ke Lu to leave the letter there."

Gong Weiguo gritted his teeth and said, "This guy is too cunning. He asked Cui Lebang to send the letter back to him. Did he intend to destroy all traces? A few pieces of paper, a fire, everything turned to ashes."

The others looked at each other in confusion. If it really caught fire, there would be nothing they could do.

Xia Mufan was still thinking about what the little Shiba Inu said: "The master said that all his treasures will be left to me from now on."

For Ke Lu, he trusts animals more than humans.

He has deep affection for the Shiba Inu who has been with him for two years, but he hates and resents his mother who raised him for four years.

He was sad and angry about the innocent death of the cat, but was indifferent to Wei Qiaozhen who was abused to death.

If he accumulates wealth in the future, he will definitely leave it to his beloved dog.

If he had any treasure, he would never give it to anyone, even if it was for burial.

Buried with the deceased?

An idea suddenly occurred to Xia Mufan.

If the correspondence with Cui Lebang was the only bright spot in his gloomy life, then these letters, which witnessed his friendship that started from the message in the bottle and continued to this day, must be his treasures.

He absolutely couldn't bear to burn it!

He will leave these treasures that accompanied him through his youth to his most beloved Shiba Inu, so that it can accompany the old Shiba Inu to rest in peace in the ground.

Xia Mufan's eyes lit up and he looked at his teammates: "Where is Lao Chai buried?"

The topic jumped too fast, and everyone couldn't react for a while: "What?"

Xia Mufan's voice was urgent: "These letters are Ke Lu's treasures, and the old Chai Chai is also his most precious treasure. If we find Chai Chai's tomb, we can find those letters!"

Gong Weiguo's eyes widened with joy: "Team Leader! What on earth is wrong with your brain? It's amazing!"

Sun Xianbing also perked up: "It's possible, it's really possible! If Ke Lu is reluctant to burn these letters, then burying them underground is indeed a safe method."

Yu Jing said: "What are you waiting for? Go quickly."

Feng Xiaoyu reminded everyone: "The problem is, Ke Lu can't possibly tell us where Lao Chai is buried."

Xia Mushi bent down and touched the little Shiba Inu again: "Has your master ever taken you to see his previous dog?"

The little Shiba Inu blinked his eyes and answered Xia Mufan's questions honestly.

[The dog the owner had before was also called Shiba Inu.] 】

[Old Chai Chai was buried in a forest.] 】

He took me there. 】

There's hope!

Little Shiba Inu has been there.

Xia Mufan asked again: "Do you still remember that place?"

The little Shiba Inu wagged its tail and said, "Remember, I pass by there every night when I take a walk."

Xia Mufan smiled, took the dog leash from the shoe cabinet, and put it around the little Shiba Inu's neck: "Come on, I'll take you for a walk, and you take me to see the old Shiba Inu."

Puppies are at an age when they love to play and make noises. When they heard that they could go out, they immediately became excited and rushed to the door while barking loudly.

[Go out and play.] 】

[Go out and play.] 】

Take me out to play! 】

Xia Mufan winked at his teammates and said, "Xiaoyu, Yujing, you stay here to handle the follow-up procedures. Weiguo, Xianbing, you two come with me to walk the dog."

Under the gaze of the landlord and neighbors, Xia Mufan led the dog downstairs, followed closely by Gong Weiguo and Sun Xianbing.

The landlord looked at Feng Xiaoyu and said, "Well, police comrades, you are really good people. You love animals so much."

The neighbor had no idea what was going on and was completely confused by the situation. He asked curiously, "Do police officers help people walk their dogs?"

Feng Xiaoyu suppressed her laughter, took out the transcript she had just made, and motioned for them to sign it: "Police and citizens are like one family, it's only natural."

--

The next morning.

It's scorching hot in July, and only a little cool in the morning.

Ke Lu was taken to the interrogation room again.

This time, the interrogators he faced were different. Xia Mufan was the presiding judge, Yue Yuan was sitting nearby, and Sun Xianbing was responsible for taking notes.

However, they are still all acquaintances of Ke Lu.

Although he couldn't sleep well because of the changed place, and his back felt sticky and uncomfortable because he didn't take a shower or change clothes, Ke Lu still kept a faint smile on his face.

After asking for some simple personal information, Xia Mufan did not get straight to the point, but asked a question: "Kelu, do you love Shiba Inu very much?"

Ke Lu nodded: "Yes."

Xia Mushige asked: "Why?"

Ke Lu thought for a moment and said, "It was abandoned by its mother just like me. It accompanied me to sleep and go to school, licked my wounds, and listened to my crying. It never left me. I was the only one in its world."

Xia Mufan raised his eyes to look at him, his voice became cold and hard: "It's so good to you, why did you abandon it?"

Ke Lu was stunned for a moment: "I was still a child at that time. I couldn't take it with me on the train, so I had to leave it behind."

Xia Mufan laughed sarcastically: "You had to? Well, you had to when you were a child, but what about after you went to college? After you started working? After you came to Hui City? Why don't you go back and look for it?"

Ke Lu was silent for a long time and did not speak.

In fact, he had asked himself this question.

Shiba Inu has been waiting for him at Zheng'an Town Railway Station for sixteen years. What has he been doing during these long sixteen years? Why have you never thought of going back to find it?

He can deceive others, but he cannot deceive himself.

Xia Mufan stared at Ke Lu with piercing eyes: "Because you can't face the abandonment you once had, right? Because you are afraid of what you will have to face when you see Shiba Inu again. It might starve to death, become a restaurant meal, or become someone else's pet!"

It was as if a sharp arrow had shot towards me and hit me right in the heart.

Ke Lu felt a sharp pain in his chest, so severe that he couldn't breathe.

Ke Lu raised his head suddenly and met Xia Mufan's gaze: "I didn't expect it would wait for me all this time! I know dogs are very loyal, but I really didn't expect it to live alone until the age of eighteen. I also didn't expect it to only recognize me as its master in its entire life. I was wrong, really, I know I was wrong."

Xia Mufan's lips curled slightly: "After Shiba Inu died, you got another dog that looked very similar to it, right?"

It seemed that the police had already investigated his residence. Ke Lu nodded: "Yes."

Xia Mufan asked again: "Why do you have a new lover when you are the only one among Shiba Inu?"

Ke Lu never expected Xia Mufan to ask such a question. He was speechless for a moment and replied after a long while: "I am a human being. Who stipulates that I can only have one pet in my life?"

Xia Mufan leaned forward, his eyes slightly raised, showing a kind of intimidating charm: "Okay, please remember what you just said."

Ke Lu didn't know what Xia Mufan was going to do, but his intuition told him that there was a trap in her words. He looked at Xia Mufan warily: "What?"

In order to make Ke Lu hear more clearly, Xia Mufan spoke slowly and his words were very clear.

"First sentence: You had no choice but to abandon the firewood."

“Second sentence: No one stipulates that you can only have one pet in your life.”

When Ke Lu heard it clearly, Xia Mufan said, "This is what you just said, right?"

The words were still ringing in his ears, and Ke Lu could not deny it, so he could only nod: "Yes."

"Very good." After receiving Ke Lu's affirmative answer, Xia Mufan's voice became low: "Your mother, Wu Jing, graduated from high school at the age of 18. As soon as she arrived at the military factory, she was raped and imprisoned by Ke Zhigang. She tried to commit suicide several times but failed. She felt extremely humiliated as she was young and ignorant."

Ke Lu became nervous: "Nonsense! My father told me that they were in a free love relationship. She despises the poor and loves the rich. She is a stinking ninth grader who looks down on the working class."

Xia Mufan laughed sarcastically: "You also believe the words of that incompetent man who only knows how to go crazy after drinking?"

Ke Lu turned his head away, firmly not looking at Xia Mufan, expressing his resistance with his attitude. Unfortunately, I couldn't plug my ears, so every word Xia Mufan said came into my ears.

"The story I'm telling you now is the true version. What Ke Zhigang told you was just to cover up the crime he committed."

"Wu Jing found out she was pregnant. She had never been a mother before and she didn't want to give birth to the baby. The father of the baby was Ke Zhigang, a rapist she hated, a drunkard she despised, and a domestic violence man she looked down upon."

The muscles on Ke Lu's face began to twitch, his teeth clenched, and he raised his hands to cover his ears.

However, there was a voice telling him to listen, listen again, maybe what his father said were all lies, and what Xia Mufan said today was the truth he had been looking for!

"But the baby is growing slowly in her belly. He burps, rolls over, and kicks his legs. Every fetal movement reminds Wu Jing that this is a living being."

"When the child was born, Wu Jing's heart softened as she looked at the child who was made of her own flesh and blood. Her mother's instinct made her love him very, very much."

Tears flashed in Ke Lu's eyes.

"Wu Jing thought, at least they have a child together, otherwise she should just accept her fate and live a good life with Ke Zhigang."

"She took good care of the children, tried to communicate with Ke Zhigang, and took care of the housework attentively. She even thought that although it was not started out of love and although she hated Ke Zhigang, she was willing to slowly cultivate feelings for the sake of the children."

The hands that were covering his ears slowly dropped down, and Ke Lu listened intently to Xia Mufan's story.

"But some people are born as inferiors."

"Ke Zhigang did not soften because of Wu Jing's attitude. He still beat her. He saw that Wu Jing loved the child and even threatened her with the child's life to force her to submit."

"Wu Jing couldn't stand such a life. One day, when she got up from the cold floor, she looked at her wrist that had been twisted into a habitual dislocation, her body covered with scars, and Ke Zhigang sleeping soundly on the bed. Her heart was completely cold."

"She was only in her early twenties at the time, and there was no way she could survive with her son."

"She had no choice but to abandon her son and run away alone."

At this point, Xia Mufan stared at Ke Lu and said word by word: "Please remember the first sentence you said just now, I had no choice."

Ke Lu opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Countless angry words were churning in his heart, but he couldn't say a single word.

He had no choice but to abandon Shiba Inu.

His mother also had no choice but to abandon him.

Why is it excusable for him to abandon his beloved dog, but unforgivable for his mother to abandon him in order to survive?

Xia Mushige continued to speak.

"After leaving Ke Zhigang, Wu Jing's life entered a new chapter."

"She fell in love with the doctor who helped her. He was a gentle gentleman who respected women and was willing to support her in pursuing her career. They formed a new family and had a child, Wei Qiaozhen."

Xia Mufan looked at Ke Lu: "Please remember the second sentence you said just now. Wu Jing is also a person, right? No one stipulates that she can only give birth to one child in her life, right?"