Chapter 21 The day has finally come.
Since meeting her niece, Sheng Fang has broadened her horizons. Her pants are worn out from washing, she eats a char siu bao for dinner at the police station, and has to wait a long, long time for the minibus to get home, changing buses one after another, and it takes a very long time to finally get home—if that steamy place can be called home.
The old dormitories at Wong Chuk Hang Police Academy were completely uninhabitable.
To take a shower, you have to walk a long way to the bathroom in the new dormitory building. The toilet is also communal, located at the end of the corridor in the old dormitory building. The corridor lights are malfunctioning; sometimes they are bright, sometimes they go out, and they make a faint electrical noise, which is quite scary.
Shengfang has lived in a hillside mansion since birth. The entire third floor is his playground; as long as he doesn't run around outside, he can even drift his go-kart around several bends in the backyard. The little boy stretched out his short arms and silently measured in his mind that Zhu Qing's "steam room" was less than half the size of Marissa's room.
Therefore, Shengfang wanted to buy an apartment for her niece.
That way, she won't have to go through so much trouble. The round trip by minibus takes three hours; if she just goes to the airport and buys a plane ticket, she can even fly to Singapore!
The young master of the Sheng family only has money, lots and lots of money.
His only worry was that the upright and incorruptible police officer would not accept his gift.
As soon as she finished speaking, Shengfang looked up at Zhu Qing with her tender little face, feeling uneasy.
If she doesn't want this floor, then he will—
"Really?" Zhu Qing narrowed her eyes and casually asked, "You mean it?"
The young master of the Sheng family opened his mouth into an "o" shape, all the prepared words stuck in his throat.
The minibus arrived, and the passengers in line leaned forward.
Before Shengfang could react, her mouth moved faster than her brain, and she said in a childish voice, "There are conditions!"
The minibus station was bustling in the early morning, with people coming and going. Zhu Qing boarded the bus with the flow of people, while the children followed closely behind. The sound of the wind rushed past their ears, and the sounds of footsteps, conversations, and the roar of the engine mingled together, drowning out the words that Sheng Fang had finally managed to say after much difficulty.
He shouted very hard, but his voice was drowned out by the noise.
The child kicked a small pebble at his feet in frustration.
He said, "If you buy an apartment, can you please not abandon me?"
He didn't want to be left behind again.
"Get a seat!" The minibus driver opened the door and honked the horn loudly, "Hurry up."
"Jordan, isn't it?" The ticket seller collected the money. "Hold on tight!"
The passengers were already seated, and a few elderly women were chatting about today's market vegetable prices. Just before the manual folding door slammed shut with a loud "bang," Zhu Qing pulled Sheng Fang onto the bus, grabbing the handrail with her other hand. As the minibus braked suddenly, her body swayed.
The young master of the Sheng family finally understood why his niece had agreed so readily.
Zhu Qing had truly experienced poverty. This was her daily routine; she was never awake, always ready for the journey in the early morning, with one trip after another that seemed endless. Sometimes, to save on fares, she would rather walk a few blocks further.
Having a stable place to settle down is her only wish.
How could I possibly refuse?
However, although her niece did not refuse, she did not take it seriously either.
She clenched her two little fists together.
He really will buy it!
...
After finally squeezing onto three morning rush hour buses and standing in front of the Yau Ma Tei Police Station, Sheng Fang had already missed the best opportunity to negotiate with Zhu Qing.
The child drew a big picture of buying a house for Zhu Qing, but now she has nothing, and her stomach is rumbling.
It's like calling out to your niece, asking her to be more perceptive.
The child's stomach was growling like a symphony, so Zhu Qing had no choice but to take him to the police station cafeteria. Only when ordering did she realize that she had been so busy these past two days that she had forgotten to bring lunch. Normally, Zhu Qing would bring her own lunch. The food at the Huangzhukeng Police Academy cafeteria was cheaper, so she would take extra, divide it into two portions, and temporarily use the cafeteria's refrigerator to take it with her to work the next day.
In fact, Zhu Qing's life is much better now than before. As a civil servant, her salary is not low, but she hasn't even seen a glimpse of her paycheck since starting work less than a month ago.
The lady at the police station canteen saw this child yesterday. Liang Qikai brought him there, and she asked the kitchen to make him a special children's milk tea. The child still remembers how delicious that drink was and swallowed hard.
"Kid, what do you want to eat today?"
She stood on tiptoe, staring at the menu.
Sheng Wenchang values education, and no matter how mischievous the child is, he never misses a single family lesson. The young master's literacy lessons weren't for nothing; although he doesn't know all the characters, he can use common sense and a combination of guessing and deduction when ordering, communicating with the clerk without any problems.
"One serving of ham and macaroni!"
"Should the macaroni be cooked soft or firm?"
"Soft! And add a scrambled egg toast!"
"Then how about scrambling the eggs a little softer and spreading plenty of butter on the toast?"
"I also want fried dough sticks and a glass of iced lemon tea." Sheng Fang said like a little adult, "Lemon tea, less sweet."
The woman taking orders behind the counter burst out laughing.
Zhu Qing raised an eyebrow: "Are you that hungry?"
The young master of the Sheng family always has a lot of choices when it comes to food. When he is at home, Sister Ping will cook a table full of dishes, and he will pick and choose. He will eat more of the dishes that he likes and push the ones he doesn't like aside.
But now, nobody pampers him; the kids are directly assigned tasks.
"I don't want any of those." Zhu Qing looked at the chalk writing on the menu on the blackboard. "Two pineapple buns and a cup of hot milk."
The children had no choice but to accept the food. The next second, his niece was already carrying the plastic tray filled with breakfast to a corner.
During breakfast hours, the restaurant is crowded, and police officers usually finish their meals quickly and leave. The restaurant's TV was playing the morning news. Zhu Qing, head down, ate a pineapple bun while reviewing the report she had written the night before.
Shengfang sat on a plastic stool, her short legs unable to reach the ground.
The little boy caught the crumbs that fell off the pineapple bun, and while watching TV, he put a piece of frozen butter inside. After putting it in, the young master wasn't in a hurry to eat it. He swung his toes, took a sip of hot milk, and waited for the butter to melt.
When the children finally started eating, Zhu Qing was looking down at the report, revising the annotations.
“That won’t do.” Sheng Fang adopted the airs of an elder. “You should eat slowly and chew your food properly, and not worry about work.”
The child pretended to be experienced, opening his mouth slightly and speaking in a soft, sweet baby voice. He took a big bite of pineapple bun, stuffing his mouth full. When he looked up, he looked at his niece with a serious expression and shook his head in disapproval.
Zhu Qing eats like a rocket, devouring a meal in a flash, and would never waste her time on such mundane matters. However, even though she'd finished breakfast, she couldn't leave yet; she had to sit and wait for her to slowly finish the last sip of milk.
"Can you hurry up?"
"Qingzai." The young master put down his milk glass and said earnestly, "Investigate cases quickly, but eat slowly."
A burst of laughter came from behind me, coming from a table of uniformed police officers.
Shengfang took out a tissue, wiped her mouth in a serious manner, straightened her back, and announced, "Okay, let's go."
...
Mo Zhenbang is the head of Team B. He's not exactly known for his discipline, and his subordinates are equally unruly. His superiors have warned him many times, but this team is all about solving cases, so no one can really do anything about it. But now, a new recruit bringing a child to work seems a bit too much.
Inspector Weng had just been reprimanded by the Sheng family's kid last night, and before he could even settle the score with him, this guy walked right into the line of fire.
He tugged at his suit jacket, cleared his throat, and said seriously, "This child—"
He had barely opened his mouth when the other officers jumped out.
“Officer, the boss instructed me to keep a close watch on the Sheng family’s children.”
"This kid is the heir to the Sheng family's estate. Most of the servants at the villa on the hillside have already run away. If we send him back now, aren't we afraid it'll make the headlines tomorrow?"
"The case is almost closed; we can't afford for something to go wrong at the last hurdle."
These words completely outmaneuvered Inspector Weng Zhaolin.
The new policewoman remained quietly standing at the back of the crowd, while the little devil from the Sheng family was secretly laughing. He met her gaze and made a face that was incredibly annoying.
Weng Zhaolin gritted his teeth.
The people Mo Zhenbang trained are even more difficult to deal with than he is. The newcomers have only been here a few days, and everyone's already protecting their own?
After the group worked together to get rid of Inspector Weng, Zeng Yongshan slipped away to Zhu Qing's side.
Sunlight streamed through the window of the CID room, falling on Zeng Yongshan's face.
The original female lead in this story had eyes that curved into crescent moons when she smiled, radiating energy and making her incredibly endearing—a true ray of sunshine for the Major Crimes Unit B. Until that one case destroyed her family, and from then on, in the subsequent storyline, this warm-smiling girl forever lost the light in her eyes.
"It's alright." Zeng Yongshan thought she was worried, so she patted her shoulder. "The child can stay here without worry until the case is officially closed."
Zhu Qing quickly glanced at the calendar.
The original timeline was too vague, and she didn't know exactly which day the serial murders in red on a rainy night took place. She frowned slightly and tried her best to recall.
"Yongshan," she suddenly asked, "has the work schedule for next month been released yet?"
"Huh?" Zeng Yongshan turned around to look at the schedule. "Let me see..."
...
"Zhu Qing, it's perfect that you're here." Mo Zhenbang poked his head out of his office. "Go to the forensic department to get the case report, and also get a copy of Chen Chaosheng's cause of death report. We'll compare it with the poison Cui Fuxiang put in the drinks and tea when the case is closed."
As soon as he finished speaking, Shengfang's eyes lit up.
Mo Zhenbang said that Zhu Qing's presence here was perfect, precisely because of this young master of the Sheng family. Yesterday, the little boy visited the police station for the first time and wanted to take photos everywhere, but everyone was too busy to accompany him. Now that there was a chance, Mo Sir asked Zhu Qing to take him to the forensic department.
The police officers had a hard time dealing with this little guy yesterday, even trying to scare him with the forensic doctor, but the young master was quite bold and took a step straight in front of Zhu Qing.
“Mr. Mo,” Zhu Qing said, “if I’m free this afternoon, I’d like to go to the Jianuoan Sanatorium.”
The case unfolded like a rollercoaster, with several unexpected twists and turns. No one anticipated the incredible coincidence that the Major Crimes Unit B encountered: the Sheng family's youngest daughter, missing for twenty years, turned out to be a newly transferred junior officer in the unit. Everyone understood; Zhu Qing appeared calm, but her biological mother was lying in a nursing home, and she hadn't been able to visit her last night due to work commitments. It was perfectly understandable that she wanted to make time to visit her today.
Mo Zhenbang readily approved her leave, but the young master, who was standing at the end of the corridor with his hands behind his back, was already getting impatient.
Should we go to the forensic department or not?
Zhu Qing gestured with her chin in another direction: "Over here."
"..." Sheng Fang remained expressionless, silently turning back to follow, "Then let's go."
...
The forensic department is located on the second floor of a separate area behind the main police station building.
Because Zhu Qing was wearing a police badge on her chest, the child followed her without any hindrance.
After entering through the iron gate and passing through a corridor, Sheng Fang saw a metal sign that read "Forensic Medicine Department" hanging on the wall and pointed with her little finger: "This is it."
Incidentally, he also glanced down into the stairwell: "What's that?"
"The morgue."
These three words aren't scary; what's more hurtful is his niece's extremely cold and sparing attitude!
The door to the forensic office was ajar. Zhu Qing knocked lightly and explained her purpose.
"Dr. Ye has taken a long leave of absence to go skiing with his wife."
"Both cases involving the Sheng family have now been handed over to Dr. Cheng."
The other person turned around and rummaged through the files on the messy desk. After a moment, he turned back and said with difficulty, "However... the drawer key is with Dr. Cheng. He's at the headquarters laboratory these days. If you're in a hurry, you can go to this address and I'll call Dr. Cheng to let him know."
Zhu Qing's colleagues in the forensic department gave her a business card; it contained the address of the government laboratory headquarters.
The Sheng family's case is already in the closing process, and only the forensic department's closing report is missing. The young master of the Sheng family ran errands for his niece, and when he came back, he was so happy that his mouth almost stretched to the back of his ears.
"Mr. Mo said to go to the laboratory!"
Children are small but big, taking their little legs like they're going on an adventure. This trip is especially enjoyable because it takes place during the day.
Upon arriving at the laboratory at He Wentian's headquarters, Zhu Qing pushed open the glass door, placed her slender finger to her lips, and gestured for Sheng Fang to be quiet.
"Shh!" Sheng Fang nodded vigorously, his voice quite loud, and some people in the hall looked up.
Zhu Qing made an apologetic gesture with her finger and pressed the child's head down with her other hand.
It was like playing whack-a-mole. When she pressed it, the little one instinctively shrank his neck and shut his mouth completely.
Zhu Qing took the business card and asked someone about it.
Forensic doctor Cheng came for the clothing fiber report of the dismemberment case next door. He didn't know where they were now. There was a waiting room on the second floor. The two of them, one adult and one child, went upstairs, and Zhu Qing stood outside the door looking around.
The little girl sighed softly.
He already said that his niece should learn to relax.
"You wait here." Zhu Qing turned around. "I'll go check the pager number."
Sitting idly in the laboratory's waiting room is a complete waste of time.
When Zhu Qing went downstairs, she stopped a lab technician, but the technician led her back.
"You mean, Dr. Cheng is inside?" Zhu Qing stood at the door of the lounge, and before she could even push the door open, she heard a "ding-dong" electronic sound.
On the long sofa at the far end of the lounge, a man's long legs were propped up on the edge of the coffee table, swaying to the rhythm of the game.
His white lab coat was casually draped over the back of the chair. He was sunk into the sofa, playing the latest Tetris handheld game console, his long, slender fingers moving across the buttons. The screen light shone on his face, and two unruly strands of his short stubble made his eyes appear even brighter.
Meanwhile, the children curled up in a ball on the soft sofa.
His little face was tense, but his gaze was clearly fixed on the game console screen. The tiny boy's hair clung to the man's black shirt, making the man's shoulders appear even broader.
When the three rows of blocks in the game console were eliminated at the same time, the man's lips unconsciously curled up, revealing a hint of smugness.
"Dr. Cheng." The lab technician knocked twice on the door. "Madam from the Major Crimes Unit needs to speak with you."
"Want to play?" he said, turning to the unknown child. "The loser buys a soda."
What new and exciting things haven't you seen before?
His eyes were practically glued to the screen, yet he still said aloofly, "Not interested."
The man wasn't annoyed. He casually tossed the game console onto the sofa and said to Zhu Qing, "Madam, I don't have the key."
Shengfang stared at the unfinished game on the screen, her gaze still fixed on Dr. Cheng's smile...
It's like teasing a child, done on purpose!
The little one turned his head away with a stern face.
Zhu Qing: "Not here?"
"Your colleagues in the forensic department were going to call you, but they couldn't get through," Dr. Cheng shrugged.
The children stared intently at the game console, their faces serious.
My dear niece, technology changes lives, and pagers are really important.
...
It was a misunderstanding. When Zhu Qing returned to the police station, the forensic colleague who had handed her the business card apologized profusely.
She took the report and handed it to Inspector Mok, and went to the Canoan Sanatorium as planned.
Xiao Shengfang remained incredibly calm, knowing his niece would definitely take him with her.
"Why?"
"Because you're afraid of awkward silences."
This was the first time Zhu Qing had met her mother.
The young master of the Sheng family only had memories of his eldest sister, Sheng Peirong, from the family photo. When he finally saw her in person on the hospital bed, he thought he had entered the wrong room. He didn't recognize his sister, looked at her again and again, and frowned.
"How come..." Sheng Fang asked cautiously, tilting her head for a long time, "It's different from the photo?"
Zhu Qing had seen Sheng Peirong's photos more than once. In the pictures, she always looked radiant, her eyes sparkling with sharpness and confidence, as if she possessed boundless energy. However, now, years of depression had long since extinguished her spirit, and she later suffered a sudden attack of myocarditis, becoming a vegetable, lying in bed for many years, her vital signs maintained only by a ventilator…
Zhu Qing couldn't help but recall that day when Butler Cui said that Sheng Peirong was standing in the pouring rain, carrying an empty urn of ashes.
Was she this haggard back then?
Fate was cruel to Sheng Peirong.
At this moment, her eyes were closed, her face pale, and her once jet-black hair lay dry and scattered on the pillow. Zhu Qing couldn't reconcile the image of the decisive and efficient iron lady that was rumored to exist. It was even harder to imagine that, as Butler Cui had said, she had once gently stroked her forehead and sang lullabies over and over again.
What kind of melody is a lullaby? Zhu Qing was somewhat dazed.
It's unknown whether a person in a vegetative state can hear external sounds.
I heard that for many years, Sheng Peishan would always sit by her sister's bedside and read the newspaper to her.
In the original storyline, several years later, Sheng Peirong quietly passed away due to a lung infection. The child who had been missing for twenty years remained in her memory until the very last moment of her life.
Zhu Qing lowered her eyes: "Is there any hope that she will wake up?"
The nurses at the sanatorium were completely baffled by what had been going on with the Sheng family lately. The television was broadcasting news daily: the gentle and kind Second Miss Sheng had been arrested, sparking much speculation. Now, the young master of the Sheng family had arrived, bringing with him… Marissa, who had appeared before?
The head nurse clearly remembered that this was how the little boy had addressed her when he came a few days ago. Now, this "Marisa" was showing concern for Sheng Peirong's health.
"It was a sudden case of myocarditis. My heart stopped beating during the resuscitation. Although I survived, but..."
"Actually, a few days ago, the patient's fingers moved slightly, but then returned to normal. It should just be a spinal reflex and has nothing to do with the restoration of consciousness."
"Dean Luo said that Ms. Sheng's chances of waking up are not high, but miracles can happen in medicine."
"What can we do?" Zhu Qing asked.
"Talk to the patients more when you have time, like Miss Sheng Er—" The nurse coughed lightly, awkwardly skipping the topic, "Talk about things she cares about, maybe it can stimulate her to regain consciousness."
For many years, Miss Sheng the Second stayed by Sheng Peirong's bedside, patiently reading books and newspapers to her. However, unexpectedly, in the blink of an eye, she was taken away by the police... The truth and falsehood within the wealthy family are so complex that even they themselves cannot see clearly, let alone outsiders.
After quickly giving instructions, the nurse pressed the call button on the bedside table: "I'm going to do my rounds now. Call me anytime if there's anything wrong."
Zhu Qing sat awkwardly by the hospital bed, wanting to read the newspaper like Sheng Peishan, only to find the bedside cabinet empty.
She didn't know what to say. Just like Shengfang said, if it were just the two of them together, it would really be awkward.
The head nurse's footsteps gradually faded into the distance.
Zhu Qing had been holding it in for a long time, but couldn't utter a single word.
The only sound in the room was the monitor's audio.
"Tick-tock, tick-tock".
And when it blooms, inspiration suddenly bursts forth—
"Big sister!"
"Open your eyes and see who's here!"
The head nurse's footsteps suddenly stopped.
"?" Zhu Qing was stunned and immediately covered the child's mouth.
Last night, when the original male and female leads covered his mouth, the young master of the Sheng family was so annoyed that he was about to explode. But today, he gave Zhu Qing different treatment. Even with his mouth covered, he wasn't unhappy. He turned his head away and continued to call for his older sister.
"Coco's here!"
"Big sister, your daughter Coco is here!"
The head nurse's ears were perked up very high.
Others at the nurses' station also quickly peeked in, trying to get closer to the ward.
The TV in Shengfang's room is practically on 24/7. Even if he hasn't watched the Cantonese movies closely, he's heard them by heart. The little boy's performance was so dramatic, it was like a grand family reunion ceremony. Zhu Qing's mind was buzzing; she couldn't stop him, she simply couldn't.
"It's the daughter you've been searching for half your life!"
"Coco is finally home!"
Finally, the little one said he was tired and rested by his older sister's bedside.
Having finally caught his breath, he took a deep breath and prepared to gather his strength again when he suddenly approached the younger generation with a puzzled expression.
"Niece," the curly-haired baby tilted her head, asking innocently, "Why are you blushing?"
Zhu Qing raised both hands aloofly, pressing the backs of her hands against her burning cheeks: "Enough nonsense."
...
The case has officially entered the closing process, and everything has finally come to a close.
A once happy family was torn apart. The police officers couldn't hide their sorrow when discussing the case. Some wondered if the car accident that happened to Sheng Peishan was a setup orchestrated by Chen Chaosheng. Perhaps he tampered with the braking system, or secretly encouraged her to drive under the influence… But that happened ten years ago. The evidence disappeared along with the totaled vehicle, and Chen Chaosheng is dead. This speculation will forever remain an unsolved mystery.
Butler Cui learned the whole story. Twenty years ago, his son, Huang Ashui, needed money to leave the Sheng family and open his own auto repair shop. Huang Ashui had kept this dream hidden deep in his heart, never uttering a word to his father. And before he even got the money, it cost him his life. Now, recalling it all, Cui Fuxiang felt it was all a cruel twist of fate. His gaze was blank as he murmured to himself, asking why…
Clearly, it wasn't a dead end from the beginning; that accident could have been avoided.
Together, Zhu Qing and Zeng Yongshan handed the photo from the Hong Kong News New Talent Program to He Jiaer's parents.
This was the first time they had seen the photo. He Jiaer looked radiant and confident, captured in the frame. On the banner at the event, a slogan about journalists seeking truth and being pragmatic was particularly eye-catching.
Just as Ho Ka-yee emphasized to Sheng Pui-shan before her death, the bottom line for journalists is the truth.
Zhu Qing told them that He Jiaer was not blinded by expensive handbags, nor did she ever think of taking shortcuts.
Mr. He was filled with remorse, blaming himself for a moment of weakness when he went to the casino, ruining his daughter's life. If He Jia'er hadn't been there to pay off his gambling debts, she would never have learned about the Sheng family at the nightclub, and none of what happened afterward would have occurred.
Mother He stared blankly at her daughter's bright smile in the photo, and it took her a long time to find her voice.
“War correspondent…” Mother He’s eyes were old, filled with expectation, as if she had grasped at the last piece of driftwood. “Officer, what is a war correspondent?”
Later, Zhu Qing explained to them.
The poor old lady listened very attentively, and when she finally understood her daughter's dream, tears welled up in her eyes.
“I’ll just imagine my child is a war correspondent…” the old lady said.
While He Jiaer is currently in some corner of the world...
Speak up for the vulnerable.
The case is closed, but the officers in Team B are still trying to persuade the stingy Inspector Ong Siu-lun to treat them to a Wagyu beef feast with sake.
Meanwhile, the young master of the Sheng family had not yet been settled and had been following Zhu Qing to and from work these past two days. Perhaps knowing that he could not cause trouble for his niece, Sheng Fang was very obedient at the police station, but he couldn't help but shake his head when he heard the police officers making a fuss.
Wagyu beef feast, sake... it was just so-so. It wasn't even as good as the canned luncheon meat and egg rice with a glass of cream and fresh milk that you could get to go!
The young master of the Sheng family works in the West Kowloon Major Crimes Unit. During the day, besides trying his best to be a good boy who doesn't cause trouble for his niece, he also has important things to do.
He sat in a swivel chair, his short legs dangling in mid-air, while his other hand held a marker he had taken from the whiteboard in the conference room, making marks on the real estate section of the newspaper.
If you promise to buy an apartment for your niece, you must keep your word.
Sheng Fang moved closer to Liang Qikai: "Liang sir, how's it here?"
Liang Qikai glanced at the words on the newspaper and the carefully edited building plans by the developer.
"Ping Chau, an outlying island? The environment is nice."
Uncle Li: "It's good, but you have to take a boat to get there."
The young master's face scrunched up, and an X was drawn on it with a marker.
That far? Cross that out!
It was at this moment that the news from the law firm arrived.
"This Saturday at 3 p.m., the will left by Mr. Sheng Wenchang will be read aloud in the Sheng family mansion in the hillside."
Besides this news, the issue of guardianship of the young master of the Sheng family also needs to be resolved.
The young master's head drooped at his workstation.
The day has finally come.
...
Zeng Yongshan loves buying novel trinkets. The old calendars with actor posters are outdated; this time, she's replaced them with singer covers. She placed the old calendar on Zhu Qing's desk, counting on her little fingers until she finally confirmed that tomorrow is Saturday.
In the dormitory at the Wong Chuk Hang Police Academy, the young master of the Sheng family always complained—
This is no life for a human being.
But now, he really has to go back to the Sheng family.
The little boy's lips drooped down; he was certain that once he moved back to the Sheng family, his life would only get worse.
The happy times for the criminal investigation team will soon be over for him.
Shengfang overheard several police officers holding up a duty roster and arranging a time for a gathering.
Inspector Yung couldn't be stingy anymore, and in the end, Inspector Mok couldn't stand it anymore and invited everyone to his house for a get-together. On the third day after the case was closed, everyone was quite free. Zeng Yongshan tugged at Xu Jiale's sleeve privately and nodded her chin in Liang Qikai's direction with great interest.
“Pretty boy,” Xu Jiale said.
Zeng Yongshan pretended to hit someone: "Shut up!"
"Mr. Mo said he'll be having a barbecue on his rooftop tomorrow, and his wife will be making her best honey-glazed char siu for us."
"I finished work at eight o'clock and rushed over, just in time to snag some oysters for the second half of the event."
"Zhu Qing, you've finally come this time, haven't you?"
Everything felt like it had returned to the very beginning.
Zhu Qing shook her head: "You guys have fun."
Zhu Qing carefully recalled the details of the case in the original plot.
When she arrived at the team, Zeng Yongshan was the first colleague to speak to her. She was always smiling, and her eyes always curved into crescent moons. In the original story, it was that case that led Zeng Yongshan's fate in a completely different direction. From then on, her life was torn into pieces that could never be pieced back together, and she lived in the shadows for the next few decades.
In the original storyline, the plot points concerning the original female lead—
It was the case of the tragic deaths of her parents and brother.
A series of murders in red on a rainy night.
However, details about this case in the plot are glossed over, only used as a turning point in the original female lead's personality to drive the plot forward.
"Then it's settled. See you at Mo Sir's house tomorrow."
"I brought lychee soda; it was my daughter's favorite drink last time—"
"Tsk tsk tsk, you're the best at flattering Inspector Mok and his wife!"
There was a lot of noise in the CID room of Yau Ma Tei Police Station.
Suddenly, a loud "clattering" sound came from outside the window. The window and the windowsill were knocking together. The office worker leaned over to close the window, her brows furrowed into a deep frown.
"This weather is so unpredictable, it changes faster than turning the pages of a book. They're definitely going to issue a thunderstorm warning soon."
"No way! Another massive traffic jam is coming!"
The clock on the wall pointed to five o'clock; it was time to leave work in the blink of an eye.
Bad weather is always a hassle; it can change in an instant. Zhu Qing hadn't even prepared an umbrella and stood outside the police station with Sheng Fang, waiting for the rain to stop. The little child didn't seem to realize how much such heavy rain would disrupt their commute; their delicate little hands stretched out from under the eaves of the police station, catching the fine, dense raindrops.
Large raindrops fell into my palm.
A car stopped in front of them. Mo Zhenbang honked the horn and leaned out of the window: "I'm going to Wan Chai Old Bakery. I'll give you a ride on the way."
It was a rare treat not having to squeeze onto three minibuses to get back to the dorm, and the young master's eyes lit up. The little guy happily went to open the car door, jumped into a puddle, splashing water, and then nimbly slipped into the back seat.
Zhu Qing had heard Uncle Li say how much Mo Zhenbang doted on his wife and daughter.
Mo Sir, who usually presents a tough guy image, can't stop talking about his wife and daughters. He even took a long detour just to bring them pastries.
“One wants to eat wife cake, and the other wants to eat red bean pancake. Do you think they’re difficult to please?” Mo Zhenbang laughed.
Shengfang swallowed hard: "Is the red bean pancake delicious?"
"I'll get you one in a bit."
"Officer Mo, could you please add another wife cake?"
A smile unconsciously crept into Zhu Qing's eyes.
The little boy not only asked for red bean cakes and wife cakes for himself, but also cleverly racked his brains to get one for her too. He was certainly being generous by giving her two portions of pastries.
"I don't want to," Zhu Qing said.
"Have some." Sheng Fang nudged her with his elbow. "Mo Sir said it smells delicious."
“Even my little girl gave it a thumbs up!” he added.
The three-and-a-half-year-old really thinks of herself as an adult. When Mo Shazhan's "Nannan" is mentioned, she doesn't even call her "sister."
He seemed to have no idea that his daughter was several years older than him.
Outside the car window, torrential rain poured down, and the wipers scrambled rapidly across the windshield, making a mechanical noise.
The street scene became blurred in the heavy rain, pedestrians hurried by, and the rain, instead of increasing, decreased and continued unabated.
Zhu Qing turned her head to look out the window.
This kind of weather feels strangely familiar.
There was even a sense of unease, as if something was about to happen.
When the pager beeped, Mo Zhenbang said, "It must be that Nannan can't wait any longer and has no patience."
As he spoke, he reached into his pocket.
When the pager was held up in front of him, Mo Zhenbang frowned and stepped on the brake.
“Inspector Mo.” Zhu Qing’s expression turned serious. “Was that a call from the police station?”
...
Yellowed police tape has been put up outside a dilapidated tenement building in Sham Shui Po.
Shengfang was left in the car, while Mo Zhenbang and Zhu Qing got out.
The young master's face was pressed against the fogged-up car window.
He pressed his little hand against the glass, breathing out warm air, making everything blurry and further obscuring the view outside the window.
The ground was slippery, and the heavy rain washed away the city's sweltering heat of the past few days. Other colleagues were already on their way. Mo Sir walked ahead with a solemn expression.
Zhu Qing followed behind him and put on her police badge.
Beyond the cordon, the shutter of the breakfast stall at the foot of the old building was half-open, and the area had been sealed off.
In the torrential rain, someone was holding a black umbrella and squatting beside a large pool of blood.
"The deceased was male, between forty-five and fifty years old."
"There were obvious ligature marks on the neck. Judging from the marks, the force and the depth of the ligature marks were uniform and circular. It was mechanical asphyxiation, and the time of death was about 3 to 4 a.m.
"Red paint chips under my fingernails—"
The man moved the black umbrella aside and pointed to the paint on the shop's door frame.
It was at this moment that his gaze met Zhu Qing's, and he nodded slightly: "Madam, we meet again."
Mo Sir: "You know him?"
"Dr. Cheng from the forensic department," Zhu Qing introduced.
Dr. Cheng was a completely different person from when we met at the headquarters laboratory that afternoon. Now, she no longer held the handheld game console like a child.
Wearing rubber gloves, he hovered his fingertips over the deceased's neck, observing intently. He would pause for a moment after pointing out each detail, waiting for the forensic assistant to record it.
"The deceased's face..." Dr. Cheng said calmly, "was carefully made up."
Zhu Qing stared at the deceased's face.
His eyebrows were shaved clean, leaving him with no eyebrows, and his cheeks were exaggeratedly red, making him look strange.
"Her cheeks were covered in blush, and her lips were painted with lipstick. The edge of the lipstick extended to the corners of her mouth and turned upwards, like she was smiling."
A middle-aged man in his fifties died in a breakfast shop in the early hours of the morning. The murderer took advantage of the rigor mortis stage and arranged him in a sitting position at the table.
"Is the person who accurately calculated the rigor mortis time an expert, or someone with exceptional mental fortitude?"
The victim's rough skin and large pores made his carefully applied makeup look even more jarring. The pale pink blush on his pale cheeks was chilling.
Zhu Qing could almost hear her own heart beating.
She held her breath.
"Who is that kid outside looking for?"
Finally, a voice broke the suffocating silence.
Everything around me instantly came alive.
Following the direction from which the sound came, Zhu Qing turned around to look.
The rain is still heavy.
Outside the cordon, children are arguing with the officers guarding the cordon.
He held the umbrella he found in the car, and after trying to explain things to the other person for a long time, he turned his head angrily and stood on tiptoe.
"Qingzai".
"Sunny Girl?"
The rain was too heavy, and the younger generation couldn't stand seeing their niece working without an umbrella.
What should I do if I catch a cold from being caught in the rain?
Shengfang, speaking in a soft voice and carrying an umbrella bigger than herself, used several different names for herself.
Finally, they managed to get the cold-faced madam, whose ears were bright red, to speak.
“Ah Qing…”
"Hey, Qingqing!"
The young police officer in charge of cordoning off the scene asked politely, "Senior, this kid seems to be looking for you. Do you know him?"
"Hmm." Zhu Qing nodded, forcing a smile. "I—"
The curly-haired young master looked serious, tilting his head to the side.
“My uncle,” Zhu Qing said resignedly.
Young Master Sheng: !
The child finally called out!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com