Chapter 19 Do you regret it?
Zhu Qing took the copy of the faxed document from Mo Zhenbang.
The paper still carried the residual warmth of the machine, and the smell of ink lingered in the air. She watched quietly, without saying a word.
Those traces of the past flashed through my mind.
The mottled walls of the welfare home, fingers red and frozen from being immersed in the kitchen sink in winter, a night when he worked three jobs to save money for tuition until he had a high fever...
The director found her on the steps at the entrance of the welfare home.
At that time, she was still an infant, and even her cries were so weak that there was no possibility that a playful child would accidentally get lost in a crowd. It was obvious that her family had abandoned her.
When she was little, Zhu Qing often stood at the school gate and watched her classmates' parents come to pick them up from school.
Parents hold their child's little hand and ask softly if she has eaten enough at school, if anything fun has happened, or if she has done her homework well. But Zhu Qing can never picture her parents in her mind. She only knows that she is an unwanted child and was not expected to come into this world.
Therefore, she neither cares nor craves warmth.
But Zhu Qing never imagined that she wasn't born abandoned.
She has a mother, that poor woman lying in the ward of the Canoan Sanatorium... She also has a father, Professor Cheng, who was still asking around about her until his death.
Zhu Qing neatly folded the paper in half.
She spent so much effort investigating this case, only to find out in the end that it all started with her.
The office was unusually quiet.
The little bloomer seemed unaware of the seriousness of the matter.
He had been crookedly slumped over his workstation, chewing on a ballpoint pen, but as he watched his niece's expression gradually turn serious, he slowly sat up straight.
The other officers looked at Zhu Qing with expressions that were neither shock nor regret, but they knew it wasn't envy.
Having watched so many TV dramas, Zeng Yongshan knows that this is how melodramatic shows are always told: a character struggling with life accidentally discovers the secret of their past and rises to the top of their life. Audiences love watching this kind of thing.
But the truth is, the rookie police officer struggled desperately to gain a foothold, only to be suddenly told that fate had played a cruel joke on her, and her life should have been a smooth road ahead. This cannot be easily glossed over with the phrase "a windfall."
“Zhu Qing.” Zeng Yongshan held her cold hand.
"It's nothing." Zhu Qing's throat tightened; she still didn't know how to respond to this kind concern. She met Mo Zhenbang's equally hesitant gaze. "Mo sir, shall we go to the interrogation room now?"
...
This was Zhu Qing's second interrogation of Sheng Peishan.
The surveillance light behind the one-way glass was on. Sheng Peishan was mentally prepared for Zhu Qing's questioning, anger, or even breakdown... but nothing happened. Zhu Qing simply placed the case file flat on the interrogation table and then calmly sat down.
Just like that day, Chen Chaosheng was found dead in the study of the villa halfway up the mountain.
The other officers looked at her with pity, but Zhu Qing stood before her with her notebook in hand, completely professional. During the questioning, her questions were always precise, without a single superfluous word. As if by some strange twist of fate, Sheng Peishan inquired about her age. After Zhu Qing answered, she remarked that it was rare to see such a young officer with such decisiveness.
That evening, Sheng Peishan handed over the policewoman's information to the private investigator, along with the water glass the woman had drunk from.
Finally, she personally brought that absurd past to a close.
“You and your mother are very alike,” Sheng Peishan said with a touch of nostalgia. “When she was young, she was just as calm as you. Back then, we—”
"Can we begin the formal statement taking now?" Zhu Qing interrupted her crisply.
Sheng Peishan paused slightly, then nodded.
“The first time I saw my sister lose her composure was probably that day. She was helped out of the car by her brother-in-law, holding the half-burnt baby shoe in her hands, tears streaming down her face.” Sheng Peishan paused for a moment, “The whole thing… should start from a week ago.”
In the Sheng family, Sheng Peishan was as insignificant as a speck of dust, and almost no one paid her any attention.
Originally, only her older sister truly cared about her, but after Coco was born, even her sister stopped paying attention to her.
“During that time, my driver, Ah Shui, would take me to the music school every day after school.”
“Ah Shui is a quiet person and hasn’t seen much of the world. Maybe that’s why I’ve become more talkative.”
Huang Ashui would only answer when she asked a question, and each time she would think for a long time and carefully choose her words.
But there were very few people who could chat with Sheng Peishan. She longed to listen and be listened to, so she kept asking questions.
A week before the incident, they talked about Huang Ashui's childhood in the car.
He told Sheng Peishan that his biological father had passed away when he was a child. He and his mother had endured a long period of hardship, but the hardship they faced was different from the second young lady's. It was a life of uncertainty, with no guarantee of where their next meal would come from. At first, Huang's mother had no intention of remarrying; she only hoped to raise her son. But on that day, she took her son to deliver goods in Kowloon Walled City.
“The alleyways there were like a maze. Ah Shui’s mother was carrying cash for her goods. When she wandered into the alley, she encountered a pickpocket. When she chased after him, Ah Shui was snatched away by human traffickers.”
Mo Zhenbang: "Kowloon Walled City was a notorious 'no man's land' back then."
“An uncle who sells wonton noodles brought Ah Shui back.”
"After some time, this uncle became his stepfather."
Huang Ashui said that even though life later proved that her stepfather was lazy, pretentious, and full of flaws, and the marriage ended in divorce, Huang's mother always remembered that when he returned her son to her, he was like a true hero.
At this point, Sheng Peishan remained silent for a long time.
As if she were struggling to speak, she finally managed to find her voice: "I also want to be a real hero."
She desperately wanted to prove herself.
If she returns in triumph with her lost and found baby, perhaps she will be seen.
Sheng Peishan meticulously planned that "disappearance case".
Every Saturday, my sister and brother-in-law go to the horse racing club, and the child is cared for by the family's nanny.
“Coco looks like a little angel when she’s asleep. When the nanny wasn’t looking, I gently picked her up and took the baby shoes that were lying on the side with me.”
“Ah Shui took me and Coco to the abandoned textile factory next to the Yau Ma Tei pier. He said it was safe there.”
They agreed that Huang Ashui could leave as he pleased, while Sheng Peishan would linger outside until evening.
When she returns with the baby, it will be as if she has snatched the child back from the driver.
"Ah Shui needs money to open his own car repair shop."
"And I... no longer need to worry about money, even if I am not valued."
At first, it was like playing house.
Before Huang Ashui left, Sheng Peishan threw him the baby shoes and the jade pendant as proof of her efforts to protect the child.
"When they snatched the child, they even managed to break free of her shoes and jade pendant?" Mo Zhenbang chuckled. "Didn't you consider what would happen if Sheng Wenchang or Sheng Peirong called the police? Even if it went smoothly, could Huang Ashui really escape?"
Sheng Peishan's fingertips traced the disposable water cup on the table: "We were too young to have thought things through so thoroughly."
What a ridiculous plan.
Mo Zhenbang suppressed the rebuke that was about to spill out.
Seventeen and twenty years old, they're not young anymore... two idiots.
"The only thing I didn't expect was that there would be rats in the factory."
When a gray squirrel scurried past her feet, Sheng Peishan screamed and retreated, hastily placing the swaddled baby on top of the container.
As she dodged and made noises to scare away the rats, her elbow accidentally bumped into the side door of the warehouse. The rusty iron door slammed shut, and the automatic latch went off.
She screamed, cried, and screamed until she was hoarse.
Two hours later, a passing dockworker finally opened the gate.
"There was nothing on the container, but someone took it away."
During those two hours, Sheng Peishan would sometimes cry for help and sometimes collapse into a slumped position.
Perhaps someone passing by thought it was an abandoned child.
That day, Sheng Peishan lingered outside until very late before returning home.
Butler Cui assumed she was just late practicing the piano and didn't ask any further questions.
Late at night, her older sister, brother-in-law, and parents brought back the devastating news that Coco had been burned to death.
“How could she have been burned to death? I was the one who lost her…” Sheng Peishan’s nails dug into her palm. “But I dare not say it, so I can only choose to go along with the mistake.”
Her little niece "died," and the older sister lost all her edge overnight.
The entire Sheng family was plunged into grief, but she alone escaped punishment.
“Ah Shui will take all the blame by himself,” Sheng Peishan said. “Let’s just say he was only after money…”
Zhu Qing: "Butler Cui is Huang Ashui's biological father."
An uncontrollable look of astonishment appeared in Sheng Peishan's eyes.
Butler Cui is actually Ah Shui's father... No wonder he always stammers when talking about his deceased biological father. No wonder Butler Cui suddenly went berserk today.
"You've also found out what happened later."
If she could, she wouldn't want to be "seen," at the cost of her sister's death.
But that's how it happened, and no matter how unwilling you are, you can only accept reality.
Seventeen-year-old Sheng Peishan kept that past event hidden in her heart.
She felt heartbroken for her sister, and occasionally she would try to comfort herself by thinking that they could have another child in a few years.
Later, she stood on the stage of the Miss Hong Kong pageant.
Sheng Peishan has never received so much attention before. It turns out that once you shed your naivety, even an ugly duckling can become a swan.
"In the following years, I acted, dated, got married..."
"It's boring, nothing special."
The turning point began ten years ago.
Everything suddenly went off track.
“Someone suddenly went to visit my sister.” She pursed her lips.
Mo Zhenbang looked up and pushed forward a photo of He Jia'er from before her death: "Is it her?"
Sheng Peishan closed her eyes, unwilling to look at the photo.
“They have no plans to have another child. Coco is irreplaceable to my sister and brother-in-law.”
“My sister’s mental state is getting worse and worse. My brother-in-law contacted the Jianuoan Sanatorium for her. I visit her whenever I have time, but she doesn’t want to talk.”
“We hired the best doctors to treat her… but my brother-in-law said it was a psychological problem, and my sister could never get better.”
“Until that day ten years ago…” Sheng Peishan’s voice turned cold, as if she were telling someone else’s story while she herself was just an observer. “The nurse told me that a girl had sneaked into the nursing home with a volunteer. She was going to see my sister. The nurse was worried that she was a paparazzi. By the time I arrived, the girl had already left. My sister was holding a dark green notebook and happily told me that Coco was still alive.”
Professor Cheng had been sponsoring students from impoverished families for a long time. He Jiaer recognized him by chance at an event of the Hong Kong News New Talent Program, but dared not approach him. Later, she overheard someone talking about the misfortunes that had befallen Professor Cheng's family, and she kept it in mind.
Not long after, her father gambled away money, and red paint was splashed on the front door of their house. He Jia'er was forced to sell alcohol at a nightclub on Portland Street to pay off her gambling debts.
Unexpectedly, at the nightclub, she uncovered clues about the fire that occurred in Wong Tai Sin Village years ago. This journalism student decided to follow this lead and investigate further.
“You wouldn’t understand how afraid I am to face my sister since that incident,” Sheng Peishan said. “Although my sister is depressed, she is still lucid… She knew I participated in the Miss Hong Kong pageant, knew I was in a relationship and got married, and she even gave me her blessings. She will never be radiant again. I feel so guilty. I stole her brilliance.”
"But what I fear more than losing my luster and becoming the ugly duckling I used to be is my sister discovering the truth about what happened back then."
On the interrogation table, the two rings were placed into separate evidence bags.
One gleamed with a chilling light, while the other, having been repeatedly burned in the fireplace, had lost its luster.
These aren't couple rings at all; to be precise, they're a pair of sister rings.
Mo Zhenbang: "Is it to get closer to her?"
Sheng Peishan nodded: "I investigated He Jiaer's background, created opportunities to bump into her, and catered to her interests during our conversation. We became instant friends. Back then, it was fashionable for best friends to exchange jewelry..."
"And clothes, shoes, handbags... I've never been stingy with them."
“I tried to extract the clues He Jia’er had, but she pretended to be materialistic, but actually… she was also testing me.” Sheng Peishan smiled bitterly. “She’s smarter than me.”
“I need a place to have a proper talk with Jia’er. The villa on the hillside is still under renovation, disturbing the neighbors night after night. I contacted Master Gan and asked him to choose an auspicious day to move on the grounds of changing the feng shui of the house. This means that the construction team can leave earlier at night.”
"Who would have thought? The once unremarkable second daughter of the Sheng family could actually persuade her father." Sheng Peishan sneered.
"He Jia'er confronted me."
“I begged her not to tell my sister, pointing to the plot of land on the hillside and promising that she could have any building she wanted. But He Jiaer told me that the bottom line for journalists is the truth.”
Sheng Peishan still clearly remembers He Jiaer's expression at that moment.
The female college student, who had nothing and relied on others' financial aid to attend school, looked at her with the most contemptuous and disdainful eyes.
Sheng Peishan stood behind He Jiaer, forgetting when she had picked up the hammer from the trunk.
“My reaction made He Jia’er even more certain that there was something fishy about what happened back then. I kept begging her, but she never turned back.” Sheng Peishan’s breathing became heavy and rapid. The images in her mind seemed to come to an abrupt end. She said painfully, “I killed someone.”
If time could turn back, back to when she was seventeen, Sheng Peishan would never have planned that pointless prank. Or perhaps, the prank had spiraled out of control, and even kneeling before her parents and sister, she would have told the truth. Sending someone to find Coco back then might not have been too late.
However, time only pushes her forward relentlessly.
In the blink of an eye, she stood in a pool of blood, with the innocent He Jia'er in front of her.
Sheng Peishan was completely at a loss. She had no idea how to handle the situation, and the only thing she could think of was to call her husband, Chen Chaosheng, immediately.
"It was almost dawn, and there was no time to move the body. He calmly dealt with the scene and left with me. On the way home, he casually mentioned that he wanted to do well at Sheng's."
At that time, Chen Chaosheng had already joined the group, but he was not valued by Sheng Wenchang.
It was after He Jia'er's incident that he gradually rose to the top of the board of directors and gained a certain degree of influence within the Sheng family.
"So Chen Chaosheng is blackmailing you?" Zhu Qing asked.
“That’s what I thought too,” Sheng Peishan said. “But later, he always treated me well, so maybe I misunderstood him.”
Zhu Qing: "He was meticulous in his actions, but when disposing of the body, he didn't remove the ring that belonged to you. This was not an oversight."
"It's so that if things come to light one day, we can leave evidence and also have a way to save our own lives." Mo Zhenbang added, looking at Sheng Peishan, "Chen Chaosheng didn't commit suicide; it was Butler Cui who did it."
In recent years, rumors have circulated that the second daughter of the Sheng family has been making headlines by establishing multiple charitable foundations and working behind the scenes, sending her husband to various private dinners to secretly cultivate allies. But in reality, it is Chen Chaosheng who has been secretly building his network of connections.
He endured for many years, working humbly and patiently, until his parents-in-law passed away, until his eldest sister, who was truly capable of taking over the Sheng family business, became a vegetable, until his disabled wife was about to be imprisoned, and until his younger brother was still young... He was just a little bit away from truly taking over the entire Sheng family business, but unfortunately, in the end, he died at his desk in his study.
That was the study of the Sheng family's decision-maker, which he had always longed for.
Sheng Peishan only realized this now.
After the initial shock, she gave a silent laugh, a laugh tinged with unspeakable sarcasm.
"Where were we?" she asked absentmindedly, then answered herself, "Ah, it was about murder... I can't sleep. When I close my eyes, all I see is He Jia'er's eyes before she died. One day, I drank a whole bottle of whiskey, and those images became even clearer. Later, I drove out alone—"
Sheng Peishan pointed to her leg: "That's it."
That car accident left Sheng Peishan in utter despair.
But after the despair, her mindset gradually calmed down... She had done wrong, and she used painful lessons as atonement, but she didn't know if that was enough.
Sheng Peishan told herself that life is long and she must let go.
Meanwhile, she hired a private investigator to secretly investigate Coco's whereabouts. Although she knew the hope of finding her child was slim, she was still searching, just to keep a glimmer of hope.
"Ever since she got that dark green notebook, Sheng Peirong had been waiting for news of He Jia'er. Her spirits improved briefly for a while, and after hearing about your car accident, she even went back to the Sheng family to visit you." Zhu Qing paused for a moment, "She never imagined that she would never hear from He Jia'er again."
"Yes." Sheng Peishan's hands landed on her knees, the shackles clanging together with a crisp sound.
“He Jia’er never contacted her brother-in-law; she contacted her sister first.”
“My sister carried that notebook with her every day, and later my brother-in-law began to suspect that maybe Coco really wasn’t dead yet.”
“My sister waited for days, months, years… He Jia’er never appeared again. Her body couldn’t take it anymore, and she suddenly developed stress-induced cardiomyopathy… I took this opportunity to burn that notebook, pretending it was lost when we moved the hospital room.”
“Until three years ago, my brother-in-law also passed away.”
When asked what was written in her notebook, Sheng Peishan shook her head blankly.
Ironically, that notebook cost Ho Ka-yee her life, yet ten years later, the murderer had forgotten what was written in it.
Presumably, that wasn't any crucial evidence at all.
Covering up the truth was too important to Sheng Peishan, so important that she was willing to pay any price to bury that secret forever.
Before she turned seventeen, she was an insignificant shadow over her older sister's glory.
After she turned seventeen, she took a wrong step in a panic, and the more she tried to correct her mistake, the deeper she sank into it.
Mo Zhenbang asked her—
Do you regret it?
Tears welled up in Sheng Peishan's eyes.
If it weren't for her momentary lapse of judgment, Coco would have grown up at home, and perhaps she would be having afternoon tea with her now, affectionately calling her "Auntie"...
Sheng Peishan looked at Zhu Qing, her lips moved as if she wanted to say "I'm sorry".
However, before she could speak, Zhu Qing stood up.
"Once the statement is confirmed to be correct, you can sign it."
Sheng Peishan took the statement that she was given.
Zhu Qing lowered her head to organize the case files, her gaze once again sweeping over the Sheng family's old family photos.
In the oil painting in the villa on the hillside, there is an abrupt blank space next to Sheng Peirong and Cheng Zhaoqian.
When Zhu Qing first noticed this detail, she heard the second young lady say that the spot was reserved for the child who had not yet returned home.
Who would have thought that twenty years later, this empty space would finally find its owner?
But it was all too late.
...
The case of the skeleton in the fireplace and the murder of Chen Chaosheng have finally been solved. Compared to the team's jubilant state after the last mix-up, everyone is much calmer this time. Perhaps it's due to continuous overtime work; no one is without fatigue at this point. Furthermore, the fact that the cases are related to a baby abduction case from twenty years ago inevitably adds a somber touch.
“Sheng Peishan’s only contribution in this case was her superb acting skills. She admitted that she asked the police to let her stay overnight in order to clear her name. However, Chen Chaosheng was very dissatisfied with this, as he was not an actor and was worried that he would give himself away.”
“Sheng Peishan always wanted to live like her sister… even in her marriage. Whether Chen Chaosheng was sincere or not, she was willing to believe him. She even thought that Chen Chaosheng really died for her, but left a flaw because he didn’t think things through, so he forged that suicide note.”
Several police officers wore expressions that were hard to describe.
"Alright," Mo Zhenbang said. "Everyone go back and review the case details again, and submit a report tomorrow. If there are no problems, we can proceed with the case closure process."
When Weng Zhaolin entered the criminal investigation team's office, his steps were incredibly light.
Everyone remembers how Inspector Ong pointed at Mok Sir's nose and yelled "crazy" last time, but this time it's different. He put his arm around Mok Chun-pong's shoulder and called him "Ah-pong" warmly.
Mo Zhenbang did not take all the credit. He first praised the outstanding performance of all the officers in Group B in protecting Sheng Peishan, and then specifically mentioned Zhu Qing's keen observation skills.
She discovered that the murderer in He Jia'er's case was someone else, and she also noticed the unusual behavior of Butler Cui... He had previously said that investigating a case could not rely solely on intuition and reckless courage, but he underestimated this newcomer.
“Of course.” Mo Zhenbang changed the subject, “Most importantly, it is the wise leadership of Inspector Weng.”
These words were so well-said that no one was dissatisfied.
The police officers gestured with their lips and joined in the commotion.
"Shouldn't Inspector Weng throw us a celebration banquet?"
"Let's treat everyone!"
Weng Zhaolin cleared his throat with his hands behind his back: "Didn't we already do it last time? We'll skip it this time."
The CID room was completely silent. Even if someone wanted to complain, they had to wait until this important figure left.
However, a cocky, childlike voice broke the silence.
"That's too stingy."
The room fell even quieter.
Liang Qikai and Zeng Yongshan immediately covered Sheng Fang's troublesome little mouth at the same time.
The young master shook his round head, angrily shook off their hands, and puffed out his cheeks in disgust.
It's filthy!
...
As his superior and senior, Mo Zhenbang gave Zhu Qing a few reminders before wrapping up work.
"It's normal that you find it hard to accept reality because it happened so suddenly. We'll give you two days off after the case is closed so you can handle this matter properly."
Zhu Qing hadn't had time to think about her own affairs while working non-stop, let alone make any plans for the next step: "What should I deal with?"
"Sheng Wenchang and Qin Lizhu have been gone for 100 days, but their wills have not yet been formally read. The law firm will definitely set another time."
"The orphan of a wealthy family who inherits a huge fortune is a little lamb. The Sheng family is truly legendary. Even if there is only a three-year-old child left, there is still a show to be performed."
Zhu Qing had heard before that if no one in the family could act as the child's guardian, the Social Welfare Department would eventually intervene.
Of course, he will not be sent to a regular welfare institution. The trust fund will ensure that the assets are not misappropriated, and his daily care will be entrusted to a foster family, but the child will still be subject to government supervision.
That's quite troublesome.
"As for your mother..."
This title was completely unfamiliar to Zhu Qing.
She paused for a moment, then said, "I will go to the Canoan Sanatorium."
"Don't think too much about it, go back and rest first," Mo Zhenbang said. "Is this child going back with you today?"
Without waiting for her niece to speak, Shengfang nodded her little head in a very rhythmic manner.
Yes, yes, yes!
...
This was the first time in his life that the young master of the Sheng family had ridden a minibus.
The last bus was almost empty. He sat by the window, his youthful face reflected in the glass, his eyelashes casting faint shadows under his eyes.
Shengfang, dangling her short legs, suddenly asked, "What's your home like?"
Zhu Qing sat down beside him.
What could a school dormitory be like? She advised the child not to have any expectations.
After the conversation ended, no one spoke again.
This was the most dramatic day Zhu Qing had ever had. Her brain had been working at high speed since she opened her eyes in the morning, almost rusting, and becoming sluggish due to excessive fatigue.
She adjusted to a comfortable position and gently closed her eyes.
Minibuses shuttle through the streets of Hong Kong, their neon lights dazzling.
Shengfang wasn't sleepy at all; her eyes were wide open.
He glanced furtively at the sleeping Zhu Qing, whose two chubby little hands were unconsciously clasped together, her expression serious.
Zhu Qing is a light sleeper, especially during her commute; she can wake up at the slightest sound.
But today was different. She was pulled into the complete original storyline, and everything that happened in the dream was terrifyingly real.
The dream was bizarre and fantastical; it was the world after her death, the world of the beloved supporting female character.
She saw Sheng Peirong in the sanatorium, the familiar original female lead, and...
Zhu Qing suddenly opened her eyes and almost instinctively turned her head to search for the small figure beside her.
Its round head rested on its small, lotus-root-like arms as it leaned against the car window, contemplating life.
Noticing the movement, he turned his small face and looked at her with confusion.
"I had a nightmare," Zhu Qing said, turning her face away to look ahead.
The feeling of being in full bloom is not pleasant; I feel somewhat lost.
He can stay for a day or two... but can his niece take him in for a hundred years? The future is truly uncertain.
"Really?" the child asked absentmindedly. "What did you dream about?"
“I dreamt that…” Zhu Qing frowned, “that you were a minor villain.”
In the original storyline, the child's upbringing and ultimate fate terrified Zhu Qing.
The young master remained melancholy, waving his hand in circles on the condensation on the car window, and casually asked, "Is this McDonald's?"
Zhu Qing: "?"
“Apple pie, taro pie…” Sheng Fang said sentimentally, “and now there are little villains.”
The times are changing so fast.
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