Chapter 53 "Hunger Strike Protest".
The children sat in Cheng Xinglang's large office chair, listening intently as they discussed the case.
Zhu Qing said she vaguely remembered hearing the receptionist call to confirm a patient's appointment time when she left the mental health clinic. Furthermore, the young patient who had just finished his appointment, with red eyes, also made an appointment for his next visit at the reception desk.
Dr. Cheng's work did not require direct communication with his "patients," but he was certain that Xu Mingyuan's use of a private number to contact You Minmin was indeed unprofessional.
Ben, who was standing to the side, hesitated several times before finally finding an opportunity to interject.
“Didn’t you just say that the nurse mentioned the deceased hadn’t had a follow-up appointment for two weeks? Many patients are giving up treatment because of the cost.” Ben joked with a smile, “Looks like business is tough at clinics these days, even doctors have to personally solicit clients.”
As soon as Ben finished speaking, three pairs of eyes turned to him.
Whether it's Cheng Xinglang, Zhu Qing, or the young master of the Sheng family—
They all looked at him without any expression.
"Not funny?"
He coughed lightly and continued, "Actually, the murderer has already confessed, and the chain of evidence is complete. According to convention, it's highly likely that your boss won't delve into other details. If, after verification, it's confirmed that these call records are unrelated to the time of death, the case is basically closed."
"The investigation will continue unless there are doubts about the manner of death or insufficient motive for the murder."
Zhu Qing turned her gaze to Cheng Xinglang.
Cheng Xinglang nodded slightly: "You should be more familiar with the procedures of the Major Crimes Unit than we are."
Indeed, regarding the case of You Yikang murdering You Minmin, the evidence is conclusive, and the murderer has confessed to the crime. The new clues that exist will not affect the conclusion of the case.
However, in Zhu Qing's mind, this case should be divided into two parts: You Yikang murdering You Minmin is one thing, and why You Minmin took the path of suicide is another.
Shengfang looked at his niece with loving eyes.
When Qingzai starts talking about work, she gets completely absorbed in it again.
"What kind of sweet soup is this?" Ben stood up and reached out. "I want some too."
Dr. Cheng didn't even look up: "Only one copy."
Zhu Qing's thoughts were interrupted, and she came back to her senses: "Do I have one too?"
"Of course, it's at your workstation." The uncle looked incredulous. "This was made especially for you; it was just something I did for everyone else!"
Even now, Sheng Fang still leans against Cheng Xinglang's office chair like a junior boss.
He liked Dr. Cheng's office; it was a private space, with even a corner where a folding bed could fit. In comparison, Qingzai's workstation was much less impressive, a tiny little corner without even a cubicle. Ultimately, it was because Qingzai was a newcomer to the workplace, and her uncle was secretly planning her career advancement. He himself wasn't in a hurry to become a senior inspector, but his niece needed to get promoted as soon as possible.
After all, Zhaolin's office looks pretty good.
On the way back to the criminal investigation team with Fangfang, Zhu Qing said, "Inspector Weng treats you like a confidant, but you're eyeing his office?"
"Qingzai, what does 'covet' mean?" Shengfang asked innocently.
Zhu Qing: ...
He's still just a child.
He couldn't understand if the adults used slightly complicated words.
"Wait a minute." Cheng Xinglang's voice came from behind.
The uncle and nephew stopped and turned around, only to find that the thermos flask containing the child's belongings had been left in Dr. Cheng's office.
This morning, I dropped my child off at kindergarten for a day trip. Unexpectedly, during tea time, we were able to make our own sweet soup. My child wanted to bring some for Qingzai, so I immediately begged and pleaded with Teacher Ji to call Aunt Ping. Aunt Ping is always efficient; she called a taxi and rushed over, bringing a thermos.
The ice-cold sweet soup was actually kept in a thermos. He had been worried about storing it there, fearing it would affect the taste of his sweet soup, and he had been fretting about it all the way. Now, he couldn't wait to take Qingzi to try his cooking. He grabbed the thermos and pulled Zhu Qing away without looking back, not even giving Dr. Cheng a chance to say goodbye.
Cheng Xinglang watched their departing figures and couldn't help but chuckle.
This child changes his mind faster than turning the pages of a book, completely unlike his well-behaved self when we were out for a drive.
Heartless brat.
...
As the children recognized Dr. Xu's phone number, they inadvertently revealed a little secret they had been keeping hidden in their hearts.
He had been secretly planning a memorable birthday surprise for Coco. After all, it was his niece's first birthday, and he wanted to make it a special occasion. Unfortunately, she had found out about it.
Fangfang felt a little annoyed when she thought about it, but unexpectedly received praise from Zhu Qing.
Qingzai was touched that he remembered this day, because even she herself had never specifically remembered this belated birthday.
"You memorized a number after just one glance?" Zeng Yongshan exclaimed in surprise. "You're so smart!"
The child waved his hand dismissively, as if holding a stinky fart.
Of course he knew he was a very smart kid, and that was nothing new.
The largest portion of sweet soup was placed in front of Zhu Qing.
The little boy stretched out his two tiny hands, emphasizing that he had peeled all the fruit in the sweet soup himself. This time, Qingzai, unusually, didn't ask him if he had washed his hands while peeling the fruit, but instead savored each small bite with relish.
"Thank you for letting me go." Zhu Qing's voice softened.
Shengfang grinned, "Why are you thanking your uncle? It's delicious, isn't it!"
Zeng Yongshan, who was at the next workstation, burst out laughing, and her other colleagues followed suit.
The murderer in this case, You Yikang, has been arrested and brought to justice. The tense atmosphere in the CID room, which had been tense for many days, has relaxed. Haozai, holding the order card from the tea restaurant, slumped into a swivel chair, squinted his eyes, and dragged out the ticks as he did so.
"Sister Zhen, I'd like an iced lemon tea, not too sweet, with pineapple bun and condensed milk, and a satay beef instant noodle."
"Uncle Li is still the same as always, ordering shrimp wonton noodles, not drinking iced drinks, and keeping hot tea in his thermos."
"Yongshan is hot milk tea and also—"
Zeng Yongshan asked, "Zhu Qing, what about you?"
“I have this,” Zhu Qing said with a smile, pointing to her sweet soup.
It blooms proudly, chest puffed out.
The sweet soup he makes by hand is definitely much healthier and more hygienic than the ones in tea restaurants, that's what Aunt Ping said!
After ordering afternoon tea for the entire team, Hao Zai turned to find Mo Sir. Uncle Li gave him a suggestion: to quietly stand at the door of Weng Zhaolin's office and slip the order card inside.
The young people hit it off immediately, held their breath and tiptoed around. Before they could even slip the order card under the door, they saw Mr. Ong open the office door.
Inspector Weng's expression was no longer gloomy.
Now, his mood brightened, and he smiled broadly: "Chen's Afternoon Tea, please? Order whatever you like, it's on me."
As soon as he finished speaking, his gaze swept over the blooming flowers.
This is a frequent visitor to the Major Crimes Unit B.
Ong Siu-lun added, "Add another serving of French toast, with extra honey, and place your order quickly."
The group immediately exchanged glances.
The young man was so popular that even the stingy Mr. Ong took the initiative to order for him!
"Did you also send sweet soup to Inspector Weng?" Zhu Qing asked in a low voice.
Fangfang said smugly, "Is that even a question?"
The kindergarten was having a day-end party, so they gave us a half-day off in the afternoon. Before afternoon tea was served, Fangfang stayed close to Qingzai.
But work is work, and although Inspector Weng is extremely lenient with him now, they can't go too far. Letting the child stay here for an entire afternoon would be outrageous. While Sheng Fang was eating his milk-flavored French toast, Zhu Qing called Aunt Ping and asked her to come and pick up the child.
"Aunt Ping," Zhu Qing said, "there's a document on the coffee table, it's a pager communication list, bring it with you."
Twenty minutes later, the pager call log arrived, and it was time to let the little one go home.
When it was time to leave, Shengfang was reluctant to part. Why couldn't he stay?
One day, he too will graduate from Wong Chuk Hang Police Academy and be transferred to the Yau Ma Tei Police Station's Major Crimes Unit!
Sheng Fang clenched her fist with great ambition and vowed, "When that time comes, I will be their colleague!"
“By then they will have retired,” Aunt Ping said with a smile.
Shengfang clearly hadn't considered this, and showed a slightly shocked expression.
“Just kidding, young master.” Aunt Ping led him out of the police station building.
It's only a little over ten years at most, and by then, his future colleagues won't even be of retirement age.
Shengfang stopped and turned around, gazing at the solemn police station building standing tall in the sunlight—
You must wait for me!
...
On Zhu Qing's work desk lay You Minmin's pager call log from the previous month.
She read it again from beginning to end, and among the densely packed numbers, the number of psychologist Xu Mingyuan only appeared once.
Logically speaking, doctors shouldn't give patients their personal phone numbers.
She checked the date again and found that the phone call in the record had occurred ten days before the incident.
The case was once again in its final stages, and the physical evidence had not yet been collected. Zhu Qing flipped through her diary again; the handwriting was sometimes neat and sometimes messy. Psychological therapy had not improved her condition; on the contrary, her emotions fluctuated extremely violently.
What exactly happened during that time?
Perhaps, You Minmin didn't have to go this far.
The intermittent sounds of my colleagues' discussions drifted to my ears.
“You Yikang grew up with his parents since he was a child, and he even pretended to be innocent after getting the benefits. You Minmin must have always disliked him.”
"I guess You Minmin saw through him a long time ago."
“She is his own sister. From the moment she was brought home, they have been together day and night. I’m afraid she already knew her brother was hypocritical and didn’t care about his cheap kindness. In the end, what You Minmin really wanted was just her parents’ love.”
Perhaps You Minmin doesn't care about her brother, sister-in-law, and nephew.
What she truly longed for was nothing more than her parents' love.
Zhu Qing turned around, paying attention to their discussion.
This is also what she doesn't understand: when exactly did You Minmin's "dislike" turn into such a high concentration of extreme hatred?
Is it because You Yikang is always scheming to take advantage of her house?
She should have known perfectly well that if something happened to her, her brother would inevitably seize their grandfather's house. You Minmin fought, argued, and even fiercely accused others, clearly showing no intention of backing down. How could she suddenly decide to commit suicide, handing over the property that should have been hers to someone else?
Colleagues were looking through You Yikang's statement.
"Here he said that after killing someone, he found ice in the freezer and added it to the bathtub to delay the time of death. He said he saw it on TV by chance, and that's how it's portrayed in crime dramas."
"Are even murderers learning criminal techniques from TV now? If this continues, one day we'll have to ban crime dramas."
"How did You Minmin know that DNA could be transferred through a toothbrush? That's much more sophisticated than using ice to interfere with forensic examination."
"Is it also a TV series? I've watched old dramas countless times, I can recite them by heart, but I don't think I've ever seen a plot like this before."
"Have you watched every single show?"
"We'll never know..."
In Yu Yikang's statement, the police asked him if he had noticed Yu Minmin's suicidal tendencies before.
He just shook his head.
My sister is dead. He ended her life with his own hands. Afterwards, when I think of her, many images related to her are blank in my mind.
Just like everyone says, You Minmin is an invisible person, always hiding in the shadows in a corner, hazy and gray.
Outside the empty interrogation room, Mr. and Mrs. You sat there blankly.
They couldn't speak to You Yikang. After the interrogation, the police officers took him away directly. Their son, who had gone to work smartly in a suit that morning, was now in handcuffs. They pleaded and shouted, asking why, but only received empty echoes in the corridor.
Wen Qiu stayed by their side.
The two elderly people were distraught. Fearing something might happen to them, she had no choice but to temporarily entrust Bobo to the care of a neighbor. Bobo's grandparents, who used to love him dearly, now seemed to have completely forgotten their grandson's existence, staring blankly at the end of the corridor.
At this moment, Wen Qiu also sat there blankly, filled with sorrow and fear, but no tears could flow.
As Zhu Qing and Zeng Yongshan passed by, You's mother suddenly stood up.
During their several encounters, she learned that Zeng Yongshan was easier to talk to, so she reached out her thin hand and tightly grasped the policewoman's sleeve.
“In the past, when Minmin’s bicycle broke down, Yikang would fix it for her.”
“His company provides her with toiletries, and he asks us to deliver them to her. He knows she doesn’t earn much and is reluctant to spend money on many things.”
"And also, the white sugar cake that Minmin loved to eat when she was little was also found for her by Yikang who searched all over Hong Kong. He's already married and has a family now, but he still remembers what his little sister used to like to eat the most..."
Zhu Qing discovered that although they kept saying how much You Yikang loved You Minmin, they couldn't give any more specific examples. They just kept repeating the same few things over and over again.
As I recall, they mentioned that when Minmin was little, her brother helped her fix her bicycle, and after she fell, she assumed he had deliberately loosened the chain. Everyone says You Minmin is a sensitive girl; perhaps many years ago, she had already discovered You Yikang's true colors.
Unfortunately, no one believed her.
Ironically, at the beginning of the case, the family members kept repeating why Minmin refused to believe in their love for her.
But now, the one who has never truly gained trust is You Minmin.
Only You Minmin.
Even more tragically, even though You Yikang has now confessed to murdering his sister, his parents are still pleading for leniency for their son.
"Yikang really loves Minmin."
"He'll only make this one mistake, officer..."
"Was Minmin too impulsive and said something that angered her brother?"
"Will Yi Kang...go to jail?"
Zeng Yongshan frowned and withdrew her hand.
She looked at the two confused old people, not knowing what to say, only feeling sorry for You Minmin.
"Do you know why You Minmin ended up like this?" Zhu Qing asked. "Especially this past year, has she shown any suicidal tendencies? Or any unusual behavior?"
The parents looked bewildered.
They shook their heads.
"I don't know."
No abnormalities were found.
Only Wen Qiu hesitated before saying, "For a while, she seemed a little happier."
How ridiculous that the person who claims to love the deceased the most is actually the one who understands her the least.
On the way to the forensic department to file the report, Zeng Yongshan, who is usually cheerful, was uncharacteristically silent and kept her head down.
She had suspected that You Yikang's parents, who lived with him, might know what he had done. But after witnessing their reaction, that suspicion was dispelled.
She didn't know how long she had walked when she suddenly stopped: "Zhu Qing, do you think if they really knew... would they help our son?"
Zhu Qing did not answer immediately.
When she thinks of You Minmin now, all she can think of is the figure in the corner of the graduation photo and the corpse in the bathtub.
They only truly got to know her after her death, piecing together her short, ordinary life from scattered fragments.
Perhaps until the moment of her death, You Minmin was still searching for the feeling of being seen, loved, and cared for.
Zeng Yongshan felt it was unfair to the deceased: "It's too much."
It's true that Mr. and Mrs. You lost weight after their daughter's death, but it's also true that they loved their son even more.
If forced to choose, they would not hesitate to stand by You Yikang's side.
"If they knew that You Yikang was the one who killed You Minmin, would they have sided with their son and helped him cover for him?"
Zeng Yongshan really wanted to know if You Minmin had figured things out when she decided to give up and end her own life.
"Don't make things difficult for yourself with hypothetical questions," Zhu Qing said softly.
Zeng Yongshan nodded helplessly.
As she herself said, many questions have no answers.
...
In the final stages of the case, Zhu Qing submitted her communication records to Inspector Mo.
At the time, Leung Kei-kai and Sun happened to be in Central. Mo Chun-pong called them and asked them to stop by the mental health clinic on their way to get Dr. Hui's supplementary notes as usual.
Zhu Qing rested her chin on one hand as she flipped through the transcript, while unconsciously twirling a red pen in her other hand.
Dr. Xu was very cooperative. His statement indicated that because You Minmin was in extremely poor condition during her last treatment, he suspected that she had suicidal tendencies. That's why he made an exception and contacted her using his private number, hoping that she would come back to continue receiving treatment.
The police did not overlook the clue that the psychologist had contacted You Minmin privately.
During the investigation, they would not investigate the communication records of unrelated individuals without cause, unless there was clear evidence pointing to their involvement. The officers from the Major Crimes Unit B investigated whether Yu Yikang had any contact with Dr. Xu, and there was reason to believe that they were complete strangers, meaning that Dr. Xu could not possibly be his accomplice.
Zeng Yongshan leaned closer: "Doctors shouldn't use personal numbers to contact patients, but the value of life is paramount, no matter what. Dr. Xu is young and not one to stick to such conventions, so it's understandable."
"Am I overthinking this?" Zhu Qing closed the notebook, her gaze shifting back and forth between the medical records and the diary.
You Yikang's motive for murder was the legacy left by the old man.
However, the deceased's suicidal tendencies appeared suddenly.
This diary has been filled with entries on and off since a long time ago, before my brother and sister-in-law moved out.
Although You Minmin was melancholy in her earliest works, there was still a faint strength in her writing.
"There was an extra egg in the lunchbox. Arou said the boss added it on purpose."
"I passed by a flower shop today, and the roses smelled wonderful."
These small moments of happiness sustained her.
However, since she began receiving psychotherapy, her emotions have been fluctuating. Although You Minmin never mentioned the treatment in her diary, these fluctuations coincided with the treatment dates.
Is this psychologist really okay?
Dr. Xu charges exorbitant fees, and You Minmin even hesitates to add an egg to her boxed lunch, so how could she be willing to pay such high medical fees?
Indeed, she gave a large portion of her hard-earned savings to Chui Shui Hui because she loved him.
Does You Minmin truly know how to love herself? This is a contradiction.
The medical records show everything is normal, with no signs of any inducement.
Without evidence, the police have no right to conduct an in-depth investigation into a well-known psychologist.
Taking rash action will only alert the enemy.
But those doubts still lingered in Zhu Qing's mind, refusing to go away.
Why do the emotional changes in the diary seem so unexplained, yet they coincide with the treatment times in the medical records?
Why would an extremely frugal girl be willing to spend a lot of money to see a psychologist?
Zhu Qing slowly placed the deceased's diary into the evidence box and sealed it.
The case must be closed; the overt investigation is about to end.
But she will continue to investigate, using more covert methods.
...
This semester, Ms. Ji took over a new toddler class, and a hint of worry always lingered in her eyes. But today, the children were unusually well-behaved, leaving her pleasantly surprised.
The young master of the Sheng family didn't cause her any trouble, and Teacher Ji almost wanted to give this little tyrant a thumbs up.
The second thumbs up goes to Coconut Baby, who is also quiet and has regained her soft and cuddly appearance today.
As for the third member of the trio, it is the kind-hearted little Jinbao.
Most of the time, Jinbao plays the role of a little follower, his short legs darting back and forth, running around happily. He rarely causes trouble unless Shengfang and Xiaoyesi take the lead.
The three children sat in a row, and unusually, they didn't do anything out of the ordinary.
Teacher Ji's brow finally relaxed, and she looked at them with satisfaction.
"The children in our class are so adorable, they melt my heart," she told the teaching assistant.
Although Shengfang ultimately didn't accept the tuition fee, since he had promised Jinbao he would be a tutor, he kept his word.
Jinbao, a good and ambitious child, placed his hands on his knees and said to Shengfang, "Shall we talk in English now?"
His nouveau riche parents said that to practice a language, you have to use it a lot. That's why they sent their baby to this bilingual kindergarten, where there are several English classes every day.
"OK!" Little Coconut enthusiastically joined the lesson, blinking her big eyes as she asked, "Jinbao, what's your English name?"
Jinbao fell into deep thought: "It seems like I should call him—brother something?"
“Golden!” Shengfang reminded her.
Jinbao immediately nodded his little head like a chick pecking at rice: "Yes, yes, yes!"
“Yes!” Teacher Sheng looked at Xiao Yesi.
Coconut Baby raised its little hand and said, "Yes!"
Jinbao's eyes gradually became blank.
What will we learn?
Let's decide what snacks to have this afternoon.
Little Coconut arranged the teaching content for Teacher Sheng.
She's a teaching assistant!
Jinbao: "What should we eat this afternoon?"
Coconut Baby said softly, "I don't know!"
Another "No"?
Jinbao's head and shoulders slumped down: "I don't want to study anymore."
He kept hearing "Yes" and "No," but he couldn't understand.
English is too difficult.
The young master of the Sheng family shook his head, put his arm around Jinbao's shoulder, and earnestly lectured him—
My niece once said, "You can't give up easily when you've done something!"
...
The case has finally been settled.
Weng Zhaolin has recently been walking out of his office with a beaming smile and light, cheerful footsteps.
This "ghost call" case caused quite a stir, with even the old lady at the newsstand at the street corner and the old man repairing shoes at the end of the street offering at least three or four supernatural theories. Now that the case has been solved so brilliantly, even the Commissioner of Police praised them by name at the morning meeting.
Normally, Weng Zhaolin would complain that Mo Zhenbang was too unruly and that Uncle Li, as a senior, was too lazy and that the new recruits under his command were not proper... But now, he put aside all his dislikes, greeted everyone with a smile, and even affectionately put his arm around Mo Sir's shoulder, praising him as a good leader who could train an elite team.
In any case, everyone likes to hear nice things.
They were all beaming with joy after being coaxed by Inspector Ong, and then he suddenly added an even bigger surprise.
"Celebrate! We must celebrate!" Inspector Weng slammed his hand on the conference table. "Everyone is coming to my Repulse Bay villa this weekend. I've invited the Peninsula Hotel's culinary team to prepare a private banquet."
Even Zhu Qing, who was usually engrossed in the case, looked up to gossip.
Zeng Yongshan leaned close to her ear and said, half-covering her ear, "You didn't expect that, did you? Mr. Yung lives in a villa in Repulse Bay! Where do you think he got all those luxury watches? Mrs. Yung is a formidable character, incredibly capable!"
"What a wonderful day it is, Sir Weng, that you're being so generous?"
"Is it really the Peninsula Hotel's culinary team?"
Weng Zhaolin waved his hand, leaving the rest of his sentence unsaid.
Actually, it was because his wife's younger brother was getting married next month, and they were going to do a food tasting, so they decided to hold a celebration banquet at the same time.
"Oh, by the way," Inspector Weng casually turned to Uncle Lai, "I called Madam Yu from the Organized Crime and Triad Bureau to come along."
Zhu Qing looked at Zeng Yongshan curiously: "Madam Yu?"
"Uncle Li's ex-wife," Zeng Yongshan said in a low voice, "They've been divorced for many years!"
Uncle Li acted as if it were none of his business.
The entire Major Crimes Unit B immediately perked up their ears and stared at Weng Zhaolin with gossipy eyes.
"If you want to hear some gossip, come to my house this weekend," Mr. Weng said, keeping everyone in suspense.
Zeng Yongshan looked at Zhu Qing with a shocked expression.
I heard that Madam is Uncle Li's ex-wife, and she didn't even ask why they divorced.
How could you possibly endure that? That's unbelievable!
After leaving the meeting room, Zhu Qing sat back down at her workstation.
She had reported her suspicions about the psychologist to Mo Zhenbang. Mo Sir said that he could investigate, but everything was still based on speculation, and they should speak only when there was actual evidence.
Zhu Qing retrieved the complaint files from the Medical Affairs Committee.
Has Dr. Xu Mingyuan received any complaints from patients or their families during his career? If he truly induced the deceased You Minmin to commit suicide, this should have happened more than once.
In addition, Zhu Qing had a pile of case files borrowed from the archives in front of her, and she was using her spare time to look through the medical records of suicide cases from the past five years.
As Haozai passed by her workstation, he said, "Cross-referencing suicide complaint records with medical records of suicide cases within the past five years? This record is longer than a foot binding!"
Zhu Qing looked relaxed and pulled out a case file from 1990: "Just treat it like watching a TV series."
Haozai hissed.
Hey, who wants to watch this kind of melodramatic case file like a TV series?!
...
Zhu Qing found no clues in these files and records.
In the afternoon, Yu Minmin's former colleague, Arou, came to the police station, clutching a cardboard box tightly in her arms.
The tape on the edge of the cardboard box was peeling off, clearly indicating that it had been repeatedly opened and closed.
“This whole box contains her collection of defective records, which have been sitting in the warehouse. The owner said they should be returned to her family,” Arou said.
“Minmin loved listening to music. There were some scratched records in the store, and the sound quality wasn’t very good. Since they couldn’t be sold anyway, the owner would give them to her because he saw how much she liked them. She didn’t have a record player at home, so she would often come to the store early to secretly play these songs in the record store.”
“They’re all sad love songs… I don’t know why Minmin likes them so much.” Arou sighed softly. “Madam, could you please give these to Minmin’s family?”
Zhu Qing took the worn-out cardboard box and heard the faint sound of records clinking inside.
Ah-rou's eyes were a little red: "This morning, Ming Pao published details of the case...that's how I found out..."
"Her brother probably pushed her into the bathtub when she was trying to kill herself. In the last period, because of what happened with Chui Shui Hui, I was also very cold to Minmin. If... if I had asked one more question, listened to what she had to say, maybe I could have stopped her."
Zhu Qing silently opened the cardboard box.
The records were covered in scratches and had labels on them. She recognized the handwriting; it was the handwriting of the deceased, You Minmin.
The records underneath were wrapped in newspaper.
The edges are neat and even, showing how careful the person who wrapped it was.
"Don't these records have their original packaging anymore?" Zhu Qing's fingertips brushed against the newspaper wrapping the records.
“No, they’re all defective products, meant to be scrapped anyway,” Arou said. “These records below are her favorites. Minmin cherishes them, wrapping each one carefully in newspaper. Actually, I often tell her that newspaper will only scratch the records more, but she just can’t bear to—”
“We will hand it over to her family.” Zhu Qing said, and was about to reseal the cardboard box when she suddenly caught a glimpse of a small advertisement for a spiritual healing society in the corner of the newspaper.
[Theme: Reshaping Life Energy]
[Time: Every Monday at 19:00.]
Address: Unit A, 22nd Floor, Kang En Medical Center, Central.
Zhu Qing stared intently.
After Ah-rou completed the registration, she left behind this record.
Zhu Qing copied the address from the newspaper into her notebook.
Spiritual Healing Session
Did You Minmin notice the advertisement at that time?
...
It was a rare day without working overtime, and she got home before it got dark, with computer game sounds coming from the children's room.
"I'll be laughing in my dreams tonight..." Fangfang's voice drifted into the entryway.
The little one was having a great time when he heard his niece coldly announce—
"Shengfang, the computer cannot be in your room."
Fangfang couldn't believe it. She pulled her little hand away from the mouse, stared intently at her niece, and silently accused her with her astonished little eyes.
Listen to what she has to say!
"Say it again?" Fangfang pouted.
"The computer needs to be moved."
Say it again!
"The computer needs to be moved, the computer needs to be moved..." Zhu Qing was very accommodating and repeated it a full ten times.
The uncle and nephew had a fight, and Aunt Ping quickly came out of the kitchen.
"Why!" Sheng Fang stood on the children's bed, her little face tilted back so much that her neck ached.
"You'll sneak in some games," Zhu Qing said. "What kind of behavior is it for someone so young to be so addicted to video games?"
"Then should I put it in your room?" the baby said, feeling wronged. "That's not fair!"
"Talk it over, talk it over..." Aunt Ping quickly tried to mediate, "It's not a big deal, you two—"
Zhu Qing: "It's fine to put it in Aunt Ping's room."
"How do we plug the cable back in after we move it?" Fangfang was still making a last-ditch effort. "I need to call the owner of the computer mall."
He put his hands on his hips and said, "I didn't get his business card!"
"You don't need to worry about that."
For the next twenty minutes, Shengfang sat sadly on the children's bed.
He hadn't expected Qingzai to be so amazing; she could do everything. The cables on the back of the computer were all different colors, but his niece only glanced at them once, and after moving the computer to Aunt Ping's room, she actually managed to reconnect them.
Press the power button once, and the screen gradually lights up.
Then, Zhu Qing swiped the mouse and clicked to shut down the computer.
Aunt Ping was somewhat moved.
Life is so good... we even have a computer in the house.
I just don't know how to use it.
"We can only play on weekends from now on," Zhu Qing said.
"I'm not eating today." Little Sheng Fang flopped onto the bed with a "thump," declaring, "I'm going on a hunger strike."
Zhu Qing gently closed the door to the children's room for him: "Okay."
Watching the children's room door being gently closed—
Shengfang sprang up from the children's bed, silently reopened the door, and followed her out.
Qingzai is very strict. When we first moved, Fangfang would sit in front of the TV playing video games every day, so Qingzai confiscated the game controller.
Now, after playing Monopoly for several days in a row, his mouse has been confiscated.
He was clearly the uncle, but he dared not speak out because of his niece's authority.
The young master pouted, turned his head, and listened to the background noise coming from the television.
Zhu Qing always likes to have the TV on while eating.
Living alone for so long used to feel so lonely and desolate. But now, the background noise from the TV, Fang Fang's soft, sweet voice, and Aunt Ping's warm nagging all blend together to create the atmosphere of home.
A Cantonese feature film is being broadcast on television.
The story of the female protagonist, who is betrayed by her husband, ventures to Hong Kong alone with her child and strives for self-improvement, unfolds slowly on the screen.
Sheng Fang's hunger strike failed, but Aunt Ping's cooking smelled delicious. He sat at the table, burying his head in his rice, his little ears perked up.
He was listening intently to the plot.
"She's had a really tough time too."
"Every little bit helps!"
"I will not admit defeat. How many decades does one have in a lifetime? The most important thing is to live life to the fullest!"
A powerful and resounding voice came from the television.
Zhu Qing watched the young master eating angrily.
Why is he even interested in the dialogue of Cantonese feature films?
"In full bloom".
The young master of the Sheng family lazily raised his eyelids.
Who cares about her? The grudge over confiscating the computer hasn't been settled yet.
"After we finish eating, would you like to go somewhere with me?" Zhu Qing asked.
Before the words were even finished, Shengfang raised her little hand as if she were in kindergarten: "Yes!"
After dinner, Aunt Ping tidied up the kitchen, and Zhu Qing took Sheng Fang out.
"Qingzai, where are we going?"
"Central." Zhu Qing glanced at her notebook. "Kang En Medical Center."
...
The elevator doors opened silently on the 22nd floor.
The corridor was quiet. Zhu Qing had already checked before coming that this spiritual healing center was a properly registered organization; otherwise, she wouldn't have brought Fangfang along.
As the glass door opened automatically, the young woman at the front desk looked up.
She smiled and asked, "Did you two come because you saw the newspaper ad?"
“We offer one-on-one psychological counseling.” The receptionist handed over a brochure. “As for the healing sessions advertised in the newspaper, they are only held on Monday evenings.”
The list of names on the promotional page did not include the doctors' names, only their surnames.
Zhu Qing carefully browsed through the list and discovered that there were two doctors surnamed Xu among them.
"Can you provide the doctor's qualifications?"
“Of course.” The receptionist pushed a form towards you, speaking professionally. “Please fill out this form first, and the team will match you with a professional physician based on the assessment results.”
The other party led her and Shengfang into the reception room.
The interior is decorated in a soft beige tone. The doors to several consultation rooms are closed, and a few visitors are sitting on the sofa in the waiting area outside.
"Please wait a moment, I'll go prepare some tea for you."
Zhu Qing picked up her pen and filled in the information on the form.
Name: Sheng Shala.
It's Sarah from the game, the princess Sarah.
As soon as the young master saw that she had filled in a pseudonym, he immediately understood. He sat up straight, his eyes sparkling.
So they were here as undercover agents. Why didn't they say so sooner?
Zhu Qing continued filling in the form, reaching the section on marital status.
“Single—” Fangfang, recognizing characters, tilted his head and asked, “Single what?”
Zhu Qing: "I'm single."
“I’m a single mom!” Fangfang said in a soft voice.
He put the lines from the Cantonese movie he had just watched into practice—
"It's not easy for a woman to raise a child alone!"
Zhu Qing also lowered her voice: "Isn't that taking advantage of you too much..."
He is, after all, an elder. Wouldn't it be too much to endure humiliation by doing this?
With her pen gliding across the paper, Zhu Qing quickly filled out the form.
Two knocks on the door...
When the receptionist brought the tea, he took her documents with a look of tender sympathy in his eyes.
"You're so young, you must have experienced something incredibly terrible..."
"You must have put in a lot of effort to raise your child to be as lively and cheerful as he is now."
Zhu Qing felt a little guilty.
The baby really got the short end of the stick.
Receptionist: "Luckily, you have such an adorable baby to keep you company."
Fangfang blinked her eyes, curled up into a little ball, and nestled obediently against Qingzai.
There's no other way; when you're undercover, you always have to make sacrifices.
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