Chapter 65. She's really a big girl now.
Zhu Qing enrolled Fangfang in a fencing class.
Aunt Ping took care of all the chores for her—picking her up after school, making sure she ate her meals, and hailing a taxi at the last minute to take her child to class.
The spare time was arranged perfectly, completely silencing the children's endless complaints of boredom.
When Fangfang first went to kindergarten, Zhu Qing took her. Now, for her first extracurricular class, Zhu Qing made a special trip to pick her up.
After leaving the police station, the SUV turned two blocks and stopped.
Zhu Qing caught a glimpse of the neon sign of a surgical clinic around the corner.
She recalled Dr. Cheng's conclusion.
The edges of the amputated toe are extremely neat and smooth, which is achieved by professional medical instruments and is difficult for ordinary people to do.
Hospital surgeons, clinic owners, dentists, veterinarians, senior surgical nurses...
The scope of the investigation is too broad, and so far no suspicious individuals have emerged around Lin Tingchao.
"Ding, ding, ding—"
Zhu Qing shifted her gaze to the direction diagonally opposite.
An old man was sitting by the roadside, chiseling open a block of maltose.
More than a decade ago, one afternoon at the orphanage, Sister Xin Xin mysteriously pulled out a piece of malt candy wrapped in a tissue from her school uniform pocket.
That was the first time Zhu Qing had ever tasted Dingding candy. It wasn't very sweet, but it was sticky and coated her loose baby teeth. In the end, the candy and her teeth were stuck together in her palm.
If Sheng Fang finds out, he'll have something on him...
Zhu Qing suddenly realized she was laughing.
Those fragments of memories that were once considered useless now feel warm when recalled.
She bought a bag of Ding Ding candy and headed towards the fencing center.
Aunt Ping was peering through the glass window.
The little boy inside, dressed in his fencing uniform, looked quite the part. The young master of the Sheng family had previously learned fencing, but Zhu Qing thought he had almost forgotten it all, so she only filled out the basic class when registering.
Fangfang came reluctantly, but unexpectedly, she defeated the other children in this class. While the other children were wiping away tears with pouting lips, Fangfang puffed out her little chest and belly, held the sword behind her back, just like the invincible swordsman Dugu Qiubai in a martial arts movie.
These kids are totally clueless—
Why doesn't anyone call him "Young Hero"?
Aunt Ping looked regretful. The young master was incredibly handsome. She should have brought a DV camera to record this scene and brought it home for Qingqing to see.
Just as she was thinking this, she noticed Zhu Qing's figure out of the corner of her eye. She was about to call out to her when she was stopped by a gesture.
Just as the class ended, parents rushed into the classroom to wipe their children's sweat, give them water, and change their clothes. Zhu Qing made a "shh" gesture, and Aunt Ping immediately understood and nodded.
Fangfang was having so much fun, especially when the coach said he could help him collect all the fencing badges in the future; his eyes practically sparkled with excitement. But the moment he stepped out of the training room and saw Qingzai—
His small shoulders slumped, and the corners of his mouth drooped.
Zhu Qing leaned against the door frame with her arms crossed, a look of utter surprise on her face.
She had said when she first met this young master that he was like a little movie star.
The baby looks so dejected now; where is the fierce spirit that he was just now?
Zhu Qing pinched his little face.
"What's wrong?" Sheng Fang pouted one corner of her mouth, almost reaching the back of her ear.
“Happy switch—” she flicked the tip of the child’s nose with her finger.
Zhu Qing conjured up a candy from her other hand and, taking advantage of his momentary daze, popped it into his little mouth.
Fangfang's eyes lit up as she savored the moment.
What kind of candy is this? I've never had it before...
She was clearly happy, but she had to suppress the smile on her face and pretend to be aloof.
It doesn't matter whether Qingzai comes to pick me up or not, and it doesn't matter even more whether she brings candy or not.
The car had just started and hadn't even moved yet when a seaside park appeared not far ahead, where dogs were playing on the lawn.
The puppy ran happily to the car.
Fangfang lowered the car window, rested her chin on the window frame, and gazed at it intently.
"Little puppy, little puppy, carefree little puppy..."
"You're lucky, you don't have to go to kindergarten or attend classes."
“Dogs don’t understand, you should say to it—” Zhu Qing interrupted him, “Sniff sniff sniff.”
"Don't you know who I'm talking to?" Fangfang gave him a meaningful look.
Zhu Qing pretended to be focused on reversing the car, holding the steering wheel and playing the role of a professional driver, taking them home.
In the rearview mirror, Aunt Ping was laughing so hard she almost cried.
Looking out the window, she felt as desolate as when she saw the world's illusions in kindergarten that afternoon.
...
After getting off the bus, Shengfang walked ahead by herself.
He was still sulking about the extracurricular class, but his steps were light and quick, completely unaware that his good mood had been betrayed by his cheerful little back.
Aunt Ping watched his retreating figure and couldn't help but shake her head and laugh, "This little devil, I don't know where he learned his cleverness from. Even at this time, he's still haggling with you."
"Actually, the master arranged even more courses for him before, with a full schedule, but he didn't make a fuss back then."
"When the tutor arrived, Marissa took him to his private classroom for lessons. I don't know if it was because he was too young to understand before, or because he knew you loved him."
Zhu Qing understood what Aunt Ping meant.
When Fangfang first came home with Zhu Qing, he was much more well-behaved and sensible than she had imagined. Even though he lived in the small and hot Huangzhukeng Police Academy, he never complained. He would stand in front of the dilapidated electric fan and compete with it in head-shaking.
Now, Fangfang knows that Zhu Qing loves him, and the little boy has learned to put on a stern face and resist.
"It's so nice like this now," Aunt Ping said softly.
“Yes, that’s better,” Zhu Qing replied gently.
The gloomy minor villain in the original storyline had his nature distorted through repeated repression.
At this moment, the child under the streetlight, hands on hips and puffing out his cheeks, has all his little thoughts written on his face and in his clear eyes.
"Qingqing, the Second Miss's case..."
"Nineteen years," Zhu Qing said. "Murder plus illegal disposal of the body."
At the outset of the trial, the Sheng family's defense team requested a closed-door hearing in an attempt to keep the proceedings low-key. However, given the serious nature of the case and in accordance with the principle of judicial transparency, the court rejected the defense's request.
The legal team then filed for a media restraining order, making the entire process a protracted and complex legal battle. Ultimately, the Hong Kong court restricted media coverage of the case, but because Zhu Qing was a relative, she was still notified.
It is said that Ho Ka-yee's parents insisted on being present at the scene. In the courtroom gallery, the mother clutched her daughter's photo and cried until she was hoarse.
Sheng Peishan has lost a lot of weight and is no longer as elegant and composed as before. Sitting in a wheelchair, she was unable to bow and apologize, but she kept her head down, and tears of regret kept falling.
The little girl who used to follow the young lady around has now become a prisoner. Aunt Ping couldn't quite describe the feeling in her heart; she could only sigh repeatedly.
Why do this?
"This can't be right, this can't be right..."
Only now has the case of the skeletons at the Half-Mountain Fireplace finally come to a complete end.
Zhu Qing is now focusing more of her energy on the case of Kuang Xiaoyan's disappearance.
After arriving home, she called Zeng Yongshan.
After dinner, she went to pick up Fangfang ahead of time, while her colleagues were still working overtime to finish up their work.
Zeng Yongshan is now home, leisurely munching on something. It's probably a late-night snack after working overtime, as the sound of chopsticks lightly tapping against the rim of a bowl can be heard from the other end of the conversation.
“After you left, we found Kuang Xiaoyan’s birth certificate. The household registration department has it on file, and she is indeed Kuang Wei and Gan Chunlan’s biological daughter. Inspector Liang even said that the household registration department finally didn’t hold us back, saving us from having to do a big investigation again. In addition, the blood type registration at birth is also one of the supporting evidences, and it’s stamped with the official seal.”
"Hao-zai went to Fuk Hop Street again. The Kwong family's old tin shack has been turned into a medicine shop. The old lady in the shop is not familiar with them, but she remembers that Kwong Siu-yin is just as beautiful as her mother, like they were made from the same mold."
"This means that our guess was wrong."
Just that afternoon, when the DNA comparison results came out, the Major Crimes Unit had a heated discussion about another possibility.
If we set aside the "life-swapping" angle for now and consider the secrets of wealthy families, could Kwong Siu-yin be the illegitimate daughter of Lam's father?
After all, the success rate of bone marrow matching even among unrelated individuals is only one in tens of thousands.
And the two of them happen to look somewhat alike.
But now, the ink stains on the birth certificate and the testimonies of the neighbors remind them that such speculation is unreasonable.
“Kwong Siu-yin has never actually had her DNA compared with Kwong Wai. If she looks like him, it’s only because she looks like her mother,” Tsang Wing-shan said. “But to nitpick like that is really far-fetched. After all, there is no evidence to suggest that Kwong Siu-yin is not a biological child of the Kwong family.”
“But how can we eliminate the existing doubts?” Zeng Yongshan pondered.
“Unless it is confirmed that the bone marrow match is definitely not Kuang Xiaoyan,” Zhu Qing said.
On the other end of the phone, dishes clinked lightly, as if Zeng Yongshan had put down her late-night snack.
“Yes,” Zeng Yongshan’s voice suddenly brightened, “to verify it?”
"I'm coming to pick you up now!"
They need to go to the hospital to get their statements.
According to regulations, two people must be present for professional testimony.
Zhu Qing arrived home less than ten minutes ago, and before she had even changed her clothes, she turned around to grab her car keys and head out.
Turning around, I saw that Shengfang was already sitting on the shoe-changing stool in the entryway.
He had put his little shoes back on, and was swaying them from side to side with the heels against the floor, looking quite pleased with himself.
He guessed that if we were to investigate a case, we should go together.
"Young master, Qingqing has to work, be good." Aunt Ping took out a hardcover children's book from the house. "We bought a new storybook at the bookstore yesterday, Aunt Ping will read it to you."
Zhu Qing took her car keys and stepped out the door.
The night wind lifted the stray hairs on her forehead, and when she turned around, there was a pitiful little child sitting on the shoe-putting stool.
Fangfang's eyes were wet, like freshly washed black grapes.
"Aren't you coming?" Zhu Qing raised an eyebrow.
Shengfang opened her eyes wide and exclaimed, "You're here!"
What should be paid attention to when investigating a case?
"Of course, you should close your mouth!" Fangfang raised her index finger and pressed it against her mouth, but couldn't hide the little dimples at the corners of her mouth.
Their voices faded into the distance. Aunt Ping shook her head and smiled, still holding the fairy tale book in her hand.
She stood by the door, watching the uncle and nephew's hurried figures disappear into the distance, and glanced at the time; it was not yet 7:30.
Zhu Qing has always given children as much freedom and tolerance as possible.
It's good that she takes her son out to work overtime at this time; the child needs to go to bed early, which at least guarantees that Qingqing will be back within two hours.
Aunt Ping was somewhat moved.
Actually, Fangfang is being raised very well, but it's his niece who's always risking her life, which is worrying.
From now on, he'll have to rely on his son to keep an eye on his niece.
...
At 7:40 p.m., Zhu Qing's car came to a steady stop in front of Zeng Yongshan's house.
The car window slowly rolled down, and Zeng Yongshan bent down and peeked out, immediately spotting Sheng Fang sitting upright in the back seat.
The child's deliberately serious expression is so endearing.
"Wow, we have a little detective today?" She opened the car door and teased him with a smile.
These words were extremely pleasing to the young master of the Sheng family.
Shengfang couldn't hold back any longer; her little face broke into a smile, and she waved the small notebook in her hand.
Although Fang Fang doesn't have a police ID or a gun, he still needs a bit of a show when he goes out.
This was bought for him by Qingzai. The cover had four big, crooked characters written on it: "Case Investigation Notes".
He held her tightly in his arms, like a young police officer on an important mission.
Zeng Yongshan fastened her seatbelt, turned around and winked at him: "Madam Zeng specially approved you to be today's recorder."
The officers from Major Crimes Unit B were no strangers to the hematology department of this hospital.
After checking the records, the on-duty nurse gave the same answer as before.
"The girl who danced ballet, I remember her. Back then, many people in the hospital knew about this case."
"Two madams, the donor and the patient are really not sisters."
“The donor is anonymous, and the surgical procedure is completely standardized. If you confirm that the missing person has not undergone matching, then you can rule it out, and the blood type does not match.”
Zeng Yongshan: "Why donate anonymously?"
"This is a very common practice. After all, it involves surgery, and some people may regret it after a successful match or not want to have too much contact with the recipient."
“The probability of a successful match is already very small. Even if someone is a match, they might back out at the last minute. So at the time, everyone in our department said that this ballet girl was incredibly lucky to have met such a kind stranger as a donor.”
The nurse repeatedly emphasized that it was just luck and there was no need to overcomplicate it.
Police officers' professional habits make them prone to suspicion, but there really was no conspiracy involved in bone marrow donation.
“I don’t know the specifics either,” the nurse said, noticing a middle-aged doctor approaching. “Dr. Nie was in charge of that surgery back then; you can ask him for details.”
Zhu Qing, Zeng Yongshan, and the young detective followed Dr. Nie into the office.
"That surgery was like a miracle; they found a matching donor so quickly."
Zeng Yongshan took out her notebook: "Does the doctor remember what happened back then?"
Shengfang, who was looking around, noticed the sound of her opening her notebook and immediately opened her own notebook as well.
The young officer didn't have a pen yet, so he took out a pencil from his breast pocket and began taking notes with great seriousness.
"Of course I remember. At that time, Miss Lin was so young and an excellent ballet dancer. Everyone was proud of her and felt sorry for her."
"She was always crying, afraid that she would never be able to dance again."
The pencil tip, full of life, scribbled and recorded on the paper.
Zhu Qing glanced at him and saw that he was drawing a crying girl.
“Her family kept it from her, but she knew the truth in her heart and often came to my office to ask about the real condition.”
"Before the surgery, she said she would 'recognize' me if it was successful," Dr. Nie laughed. "I think she meant she would send me a banner."
Did you receive a banner of appreciation later?
"No, but it's alright. The surgery went very smoothly, and that's the best reward." Dr. Nie straightened up, his tone filled with pride. "Seeing patients recover is the greatest comfort for us doctors."
"However, she did write a thank-you note."
Zhu Qing immediately pressed, "Is that letter still preserved?"
"I have treasured all the thank-you notes from my patients."
Dr. Nie squatted down and took out an old iron box from a drawer under his desk.
He quickly found the letter that Lin Tingchao had personally handed to him from the neatly arranged letters.
The envelope had several large characters neatly written on it—
"To Dr. Nie"
Zhu Qing gently unfolded the letter.
The letter was short, but it was filled with sincere gratitude.
Lin Tingchao wrote that it was these medical staff who gave her a second life.
There were a few blurry ink stains on the letter paper, probably from tears that fell while writing it.
"Actually, I often feel that there are still more good people than bad in the world," Dr. Nie said. "The anonymous donor and Ms. Lin's gratitude after being given a new lease on life are proof of the beauty of this world."
The little girl rested her chin on her hand, watching intently as the adults talked.
He neatly wrote the words "good person" in his notebook and drew a thumbs-up next to it.
I got home just after nine o'clock.
After everyone returned to their rooms, Zhu Qing sat at her desk, repeatedly reading the thank-you letter.
She had "borrowed" this from Dr. Nie and would have to return it after the case was over.
Looking at the sincere and touching words on the letter, Zhu Qing simply couldn't equate Lin Tingchao, who wrote these words of gratitude, with the person who might have been involved in imprisoning others and superstitiously believed in "life-swapping."
"Qingzai".
The door was gently pushed open, and a chubby little hand grabbed it, followed by a small head peeking in.
He held up a newly written business plan and blinked at her.
"Qingzai, Qingzai, two training classes a week is the most we can have."
"You have to eat one bite at a time, and you can't learn everything at once, okay?"
Zhu Qing: ...
I wonder where this child learned such advanced vocabulary.
"Achieve success in one fell swoop?"
“Alang taught me.”
It seems that Dr. Cheng has won the favor of this young master, as even the way he addresses him has become more intimate.
Zhu Qing took the revised plan from him.
It was a bit shorter than the previous one, but as long as it contained characters that could be written, the handwriting was surprisingly neat and beautiful.
Aunt Ping laughed as she watched: "Young master really thinks you're going to enroll him in a calligraphy class."
Although the child's handwriting is neat, the variations in the pressure and speed of the strokes reveal the fluctuations in their mood.
Zhu Qing stared at Fang Fang's childish handwriting, then turned to look at the letter Lin Tingchao had written to the doctor three years ago on the table.
"There should be natural fluctuations when a person writes, with slight differences in force and angle each time."
Yesterday at the dance center, Zhu Qing was the one who handed the transcript to Lin Tingchao and asked her to sign it to confirm.
At this moment, Zhu Qing closed her eyes.
She recalled Lin Tingchao's signature from yesterday and compared it with the signature on this letter.
She murmured to herself—
I vaguely remember that it was like a copy, with the pressure applied exactly the same.
Unfortunately, she didn't have the original document on hand at the time, so she couldn't make an accurate comparison.
Sheng Fang suggested to her niece: "Submit it to the handwriting analysis department."
“There’s no such department.” Zhu Qing flicked his forehead. “It’s the document identification team at the government laboratory.”
Fangfang blinked: "Wow, your police station has so many positions."
"Just like our tea restaurants."
Zhu Qing stared at the handwriting, a vague intuition rising in her heart.
However, Inspector Mok emphasized that investigations must be based on evidence.
She folded the letter, her brow relaxing as the investigation found a new direction.
Even the little one could tell that my niece was in a good mood.
Sure enough, Zhu Qing relented and said, "Okay, we'll do it your way, two extracurricular classes a week."
Shengfang immediately imitated a line from a TV drama, drawing out her words, "Thank you for your mercy, Qingzai!"
...
DNA comparison results showed that the severed toe did not belong to Kwong Siu-yin, which forced the investigation to turn to other missing women.
However, the severed toe was still wrapped with the date of birth, the date of birth, and the newspaper, so the police narrowed down their search.
"After screening the missing persons records of the past five years, no woman whose birth date and time match have been found yet."
"However, based on the degree of calcification of the toe bone, the age is at least consistent. In other words, the woman with the missing toe is about the same age as Kuang Xiaoyan." Xiao Sun flipped through the documents.
After careful consideration, the officers finally pinpointed the breakthrough to three years ago.
To be precise, it was three and a half years ago—
Lin Tingchao was hospitalized for surgery and then went to study in the UK.
That was a crucial period.
“Even if the severed toe has nothing to do with Kwong Siu-yin, I still believe that this case is inextricably linked to Lam Ting-chiu.”
"After all, there's still no news about Kuang Xiaoyan."
The discussion was interrupted by a sudden phone call.
Mo Sir pressed the speakerphone button on the internal phone, and Weng Zhaolin's voice came through.
"Preliminary results have been obtained in handwriting analysis—the existing samples cannot rule out the possibility of forgery, and more original handwriting samples are needed for comparison."
"By the way, who impersonated me and applied for expedited testing?"
Zhu Qing kept her head down, organizing the documents, pretending she knew nothing.
Mo Zhenbang noticed her movements and was both amused and annoyed. Where did this newcomer learn to disregard procedures?
"Strange," Zeng Yongshan said, frowning as she stared at the computer screen. "Take a look at this email. Is it because my English isn't good enough, or is my comprehension flawed?"
Liang Qikai suddenly leaned forward and braced himself on the edge of Zeng Yongshan's table with one hand.
Mr. Leung was standing too close; in that position, he was practically trapping her inside the office chair.
Zeng Yongshan's back stiffened, and she gripped the mouse tightly.
This is a reply from the Julian Ballet School in Manchester.
"Lin Tingchao postponed his enrollment by six months because his rehabilitation treatment was not completed?" Liang Qikai asked in surprise. "But the hospital clearly issued a certificate of recovery."
Colleagues gathered around.
"You've fully recovered, why aren't you going to school?"
"Is it for recuperation?"
What exactly happened during that six-month hiatus?
With this question in mind, the police visited the Lin family again.
The huge villa was only occupied by Wu Ma and a few servants.
"The gentleman went to the company early this morning."
"Madam... you should be busy at the beauty salon at this time. The shop is very busy, and you often don't come back until seven or eight o'clock in the evening."
"Miss and her partner take turns looking after the dance center; it's her turn this afternoon," said Aunt Wu while wiping a vase. "The dance center is doing very well."
"You mean what happened during Miss's recovery period?" Aunt Wu put down the rag. "At that time, Miss had just had surgery, and my daughter-in-law suddenly gave birth. We were really too busy at home. My wife and I took a long leave to go back to our hometown to take care of our grandson. We were gone for more than two years."
"When I returned, Miss had already gone abroad to study."
"Is there anyone else who can provide clues?" Zeng Yongshan asked.
"Probably not." Aunt Wu shook her head. "Madam is very picky about who she hires. Over the years, I've been the only one left."
Zeng Yongshan lowered her head to take notes: "Have you noticed any unusual behavior from Miss Lin over the years?"
“Abnormal behavior?” Aunt Wu said, “It’s normal for someone who has been through a near-death experience to have some personality changes.”
As Wu Ma continued wiping the vase, she turned back and asked, "Madam, why are you suddenly asking this? Are you still investigating the girl who was peeping in the courtyard back then?"
Uncle Li pointed in one direction and asked, "What's that basement usually used for?"
"It was originally the young lady's practice room, but later the husband and wife said the ventilation was not good, so they locked it."
"Officer, you have a sharp eye. You can even tell that."
Zeng Yongshan asked directly, "Is it convenient for me to go in and take a look?"
"I don't even know where I put the keys," said Wu Ma, looking puzzled. "Officers, what do you want to see the basement for?"
...
The officers split into several groups and began their investigation.
Mo Zhenbang and Zhu Qing drove to the middle school where Lin Tingchao used to study.
Sunlight streamed through the car window, casting shadows on the photograph in Zhu Qing's hand.
That's a group photo taken seven years ago when Lin Tingchao won the ballet competition.
After registering, they went to the principal's office first.
"Of course I remember. This is Lin Tingchao. Back then, a TV station even came to interview her," the principal said with a smile. "She was the pride of our school back then."
Zhu Qing pointed to the edge of the photo: "And what about this person?"
In the corner, a blurry figure was staring intently at the podium.
The longing in those eyes contrasted sharply with the cheering classmates around them.
"This..." The principal took off his glasses and wiped them. "Who is this? I don't know her. Is she also a student at our school?"
They asked almost every faculty and staff member in the school.
Everyone had the same reaction: first they were drawn to the dazzling light of Lin Tingchao in the center of the crowd, and only after being reminded did they turn their attention to the corner.
"Who is this person? I've never seen him before."
"Something looks off."
"I don't know him. There shouldn't be anyone like that at our school."
"Isn't this a photo from backstage at the competition? It might be a contestant from another school."
Zhu Qing and Mo Zhenbang walked on campus.
“If we can’t get any leads from the faculty and staff, we’ll start with the students,” Mo Sir said. “We can’t miss any of the graduates or transfer students from that year.”
One inquiry after another, one disappointment after another.
Zhu Qing's notebook was filled with crossed-out names.
"Looking for a needle in a haystack like this isn't a solution," Mo Zhenbang said, rubbing his temples.
At this moment, Zhu Qing walked towards the end of the corridor and stopped a cleaning lady who was mopping the floor.
"Auntie, excuse me. Have you seen—"
"Make way." The aunt waved her hand without looking up. "Don't cause trouble here. The academic affairs office is urging us to finish before 2 o'clock. Someone is checking."
Before the words were even finished, the mop handle was suddenly grasped by a fair hand.
The next second, Mo Zhenbang looked at his decisive subordinate and almost burst out laughing.
She deftly helped the aunt mop the floor, and handed the photo over with her other hand.
"Have you seen her?" Mo Zhenbang added, pointing to the figure in the corner, "Have you seen this girl at school?"
The aunt squinted, revealing deep lines at the corners of her eyes.
Zhu Qing came prepared, taking out a pair of reading glasses from her pocket with a smooth and effortless motion.
"Where did you get your reading glasses?"
"Aunt Ping's."
“I’ve seen her before.” The cleaning lady stared at the photo. “That day she was loitering around the dormitory entrance and asked me if one of my classmates lived in this room.”
Mo Zhenbang immediately pressed, "Are you asking about Lin Tingchao?"
"I can't remember the name," the cleaning lady said. "It's been so many years..."
"Is this girl a student at your school?" Mo Zhenbang asked, pointing to Kuang Xiaoyan's blurry figure in the photo.
"Anyway, I remember she was wearing a school uniform."
School uniform? Zhu Qing and Mo Zhenbang exchanged glances.
How did a sixteen-year-old girl who had just dropped out of school and was living in a cage home manage to get her hands on a custom-made school uniform from a prestigious private school?
Seven years ago, Kwong Siu-yin did indeed take the initiative to approach Lam Ting-chiu.
This discovery excited Mo Zhenbang and Zhu Qing, prompting them to accelerate their investigation.
However, no one recognized Kwong Siu-yin in the photo afterward, and no further information could be provided.
Just when the investigation reached a stalemate, a head of student affairs suddenly remembered—
“Back then, a female classmate was inseparable from Lin Tingchao, so she might know about it.”
"What's her name?" Zhu Qing asked.
The head of student affairs wrote the female student's name on a sticky note.
“Su Leyi.” Zhu Qing stared at her for a while.
This name...
She seemed familiar.
"Zhu Qing, lend me your phone to call back," Mo Zhenbang said.
As the boss, he actually had to borrow a phone from his subordinates to answer calls.
Mo Sir secretly planned to report to his wife when he got home and ask her to buy a mobile phone.
The call connected, and the other end delivered the information they had just found.
After a brief call, Mo Zhenbang handed the cell phone to Zhu Qing.
“Before studying in the UK, Lin Tingchao had a record of secretly leaving the country once.” He slowly raised his head, “under the guise of rehabilitation treatment, with his destination being a country in Southeast Asia.”
It turns out that Kuang Xiaoyan met Lin Tingchao at school.
Rong Zimei did not lie, but Lin Tingchao... deliberately concealed this fact.
But since Lin Tingchao dares to admit that he was followed by Kuang Xiaoyan, why doesn't he dare to mention that Kuang Xiaoyan once appeared at the school?
Mo Zhenbang's instructions were clear: do not alert the enemy for the time being.
The police must proceed with caution until they ascertain the true purpose of Lam Ting-chao's secret departure from the country after the bone marrow matching surgery.
...
At 4 p.m. on Friday, Zhu Qing appeared at the entrance of Weston Kindergarten.
Fangfang hadn't come out yet, and Zeng Yongshan's voice was still echoing in my ears on the other end of the phone.
“We’re with Lin Tingchao; she’s shopping today.”
"They bought so many dresses without even blinking... These rich people don't even need to look at the price tags when they buy things!"
"No, I forgot you're rich too!"
Yesterday, Uncle Li discovered a basement in the Lin family villa.
Kuang Xiaoyan's whereabouts remain unknown...
Uncle Li wanted to apply for a search warrant, but the evidence was insufficient and the higher-ups wouldn't approve it.
"Where are you going now?" Zeng Yongshan asked.
After receiving the reply, Zeng Yongshan reminded him on the other end, "Inspector Mo said to investigate discreetly, so you must not expose yourself."
"Okay, I understand." Zhu Qing put away her cell phone and glanced at the kindergarten gate.
The school bell rang, and the children rushed out.
Fangfang carried a backpack bigger than herself, which was empty inside. When she jumped around, the backpack bounced up and down happily.
Shengfang stood in front of Zhu Qing, tilting her little head to the left and then to the right, her eyes sparkling.
The sun rose in the west, and Qingzai actually had time to pick him up from school!
"What brings you here!"
"Come on, I'll take you somewhere." Zhu Qing took Zai Zai's hand.
As before, there's no need to ask the children any further questions.
Just follow along, anyway, Qingzai won't sell him.
Ten minutes later, Zhu Qing's car stopped downstairs at the "Tingchao Dance Art Center".
"Should we go up and investigate?"
Fangfang raised her little hand and cheered: "Undercover operation!"
This wasn't Fang Sir's first time working undercover; he was experienced and never gave himself away.
It was rare for his niece to pick him up from school and even help him solve a case. Fangfang walked with a light and carefree air, even the strands of her hair seemed to radiate joy.
Happiness came too suddenly.
Today is definitely his lucky day!
The sound of a piano drifted from the practice room, its melodious strains echoing down the corridor.
The young master's head bobbed rhythmically as Zhu Qing gently pushed him into the reception room.
"Sit still and don't run around."
Fangfang tiptoed, innocent and obedient, and whispered in Zhu Qing's ear.
"Just like that healing session, no problem." He made an "OK" sign with his chubby little hand. "Old policeman."
Zhu Qing had just sat down when the door was pushed open.
Lin Tingchao's partner walked in.
Zhu Qing only remembered this morning that the first time she came to this dance center—
I once saw a name on a business license hanging on the wall: Su Leyi.
That is, the female classmate who was inseparable from Lin Tingchao during their student days, as mentioned by the head of the teaching department.
At this moment, Zhu Qing came specifically for this female classmate.
This was also the first time she had met Su Leyi in person. She was young and gentle, with a perfectly polite smile on her lips.
"Sorry." Su Leyi sat down in front of her and gently placed a flyer on the coffee table. "I was directing rehearsals just now, I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long."
They quickly began to talk.
Fang Sir swung his little feet on the sofa.
As a professional undercover agent, he knew that if he didn't understand something, he shouldn't interrupt.
"The elite class is the most sought-after..."
"The inter-school competition champion also chose our organization."
Twenty minutes passed, and he kept listening intently.
The other party had already talked about their original intention in establishing this dance institution, as well as the difficulties they faced in the early stages of starting their business.
Zhu Qing suddenly noticed that the pager in her pocket was vibrating continuously.
Buzz, buzz, buzz.
Only colleagues would make such repeated calls in an emergency.
What were they reminding her of?
"I heard you've only been open for three months," Zhu Qing replied calmly. "It's really not easy to achieve results in such a short time."
Fangfang tilted her head back, looking at Zhu Qing like a kind little elder.
Qingzai is so good at chatting today, she's really a big girl!
"There were indeed many difficulties at that time."
"But we persevered, taking it one step at a time."
Fangfang, the undercover agent, quietly munched on the cookies served to the guests.
"It's definitely a long-established institution with a stable clientele," Zhu Qing casually remarked. "Like the Golden Ballet next door?"
“You know about Golden Ballet?” Su Leyi said. “They had problems recruiting students at the beginning, but the Golden Ballet next door is packed with people every day.”
“I’ve heard about it from a friend.” Zhu Qing picked up a cookie from the coffee table and gently broke it open. “But I think your current student body is quite good.”
These words seemed to hit Su Leyi's pride.
"Actually, we surpassed them in just three months."
"To be honest, when I first saw their enrollment figures, I was so jealous that I couldn't sleep."
Su Leyi spoke candidly: "My partner said that instead of being jealous, it's better to replace someone."
Zhu Qing suddenly looked up.
Fang Sir didn't understand what she had found out, but he opened his eyes wide to cooperate.
She put the remaining cookies into the child's mouth.
This undercover agent is overacting.
Su Leyi's eyes shone with pride: "As expected, we did it."
"The class is now full, and there is only one spot left in the elite class."
With a click, the door to the reception room was pushed open.
Zhu Qing looked up and finally realized why her pager had been ringing incessantly.
As instructed by Inspector Mo, the investigation must be conducted secretly and cannot be exposed...
At this very moment, Lin Tingchao, who shouldn't have been at the dance center, was standing at the entrance.
"Why are you here?" Su Leyi asked in surprise.
Lin Tingchao held a silk scarf in his hand: "I suddenly remembered I need to use it for my outfit tomorrow."
Zhu Qing stared at her, and in that instant, it was as if she saw her again—
In that group photo from seven years ago, Kuang Xiaoyan was seen greedily watching from the corner.
Instead of being jealous, take their place...
"Exchanging lives"—whose life is being exchanged?
If one person is jealous enough, can they steal another person's life?
"Madam, what are you doing here?" Lin Tingchao's gaze fell on Zhu Qing's face.
Su Leyi was stunned: "Madam?"
The air condensed.
Zhu Qing patted Fangfang's head: "Sign up the kids in your family for dance classes."
The blooming was astonishing.
How could Qingzai treat him like that?!
"Fangfang, is it really you?"
At that moment, a soft, sweet child's voice suddenly broke in.
Little Coconut rushed into the reception room, grabbed the young master of the Sheng family, and dragged him away: "You're here to learn ballet too, that's great!"
Fangfang: "..."
A few seconds later, the young master stood in the practice room looking utterly hopeless.
Amidst a group of chubby baby swans, he was forced to raise his "swan wings".
He really wants to buy a mobile phone—
Hello, is this 999? Arrest Qingzai too.
There are more and more bad adults in the prison!
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