Chapter 36 Who's so annoying...?
Zeng Yongshan was a chatterbox. When she answered the phone, besides work-related matters, she also chatted casually. She talked about the address of the deceased and Li Ziyao's new house, saying that after work, she would go there to eat a claypot rice before returning to the police station.
"I went with Xu Jiale in the morning. I was looking forward to it all night, but Yangji Claypot Rice was still closed."
"Their rice is cooked over charcoal, and the preserved meat rice is served with an egg inside. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water!"
Zeng Yongshan always manages to balance work and life well. The elders in the family all said that she should learn from these other people's "children" and make more of a balance between work and rest, so Zhu Qing readily accepted her invitation.
"It's a deal then, see you tomorrow!"
"Okay, see you tomorrow."
The sounds outside the door were too faint, and with Aunt Ping also present, Zhu Qing didn't pay much attention to them.
However, after hanging up the phone and turning the corner of the living room, she suddenly heard someone calling out "pretty girl".
What new game is that weird kid playing now? Is he trying to sit down like a waiter at a tea restaurant?
Zhu Qing stepped forward and stopped at the entrance, where she saw Li Ziyao.
It turns out that the child was being made more vigilant and wanted to distance himself from his niece.
Li Ziyao stood at the door and smiled at her.
They don't seem as indifferent as they were a few days ago.
"These pastries were given to us by the social worker when we were little," Li Ziyao said, lifting the pastry box in her hand. "They were just a small piece; back then, we'd each have half. Do you remember?"
Zhu Qing watched her from a distance that was neither too close nor too far.
Those things that are unfamiliar, familiar, or even lost and regained, are all intertwined at this moment, making them difficult to distinguish.
Another long silence followed.
Li Ziyao tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her eyes dimming slightly: "Did I come at the wrong time?"
Aunt Ping was a clean freak and a worrier. Zhu Qing and the young master had already cleaned the kitchen, so she had to do it again. She had been keeping an eye on the children out of the corner of her eye, and seeing the situation had reached a stalemate, she wiped the water off the back of her hands and quickly walked out.
"Have we had some guests?"
"Please come in, would you like some tea or lemonade?"
Shengfang squinted and scrutinized the scene as he shuffled back to his room with his short legs and took out his favorite laser gun.
The toy gun was bigger than half his body. The child carried it with a righteous expression, and perhaps because his niece was beside him, his tense little face had relaxed. After all, he had a protector; with Madam at home, he wasn't afraid of danger.
However, the children were still not completely relaxed and remained vigilant.
Aunt Ping spoke up, inviting her inside. Li Ziyao smiled slightly, "Thank you, I'll have some—"
"No need, Aunt Ping," Zhu Qing interrupted her calmly and firmly.
The smile on Li Ziyao's face froze.
“Although your suspicion has been cleared,” Zhu Qing said, looking at Li Ziyao, “it is best for the police and those involved to avoid private contact during the investigation.”
Li Ziyao was slightly taken aback, tightened her grip on the pastries, forced a smile, and looked helpless.
For a fleeting moment, Zhu Qing seemed to see Xin Xin from her childhood again.
The older sister who knelt down and gently taught her how to tie her shoelaces.
"I see."
Zhu Qing: "I'll walk you downstairs."
Li Ziyao nodded.
Zhu Qing was still in her pajamas and was going back to her room to change into some clothes for going out. She waited at the door, closely watched by the child.
After a moment, Zhu Qing came out.
Fangfang listened as they walked to the elevator, heard the elevator "ding" as it arrived at the floor, and heard them enter the elevator.
"Aunt Ping." The uncle put down the laser gun and made a crisp, cool gesture. "Follow!"
When Shengfang put on the little shoes, Aunt Ping was completely unaware of what was going on.
Fortunately, the clever child explained it clearly in just a few words.
It turns out that this woman was not a guest, but a suspect in a murder case.
Just as Aunt Ping was feeling a wave of fear, the child changed the subject again—
At the same time, she was also a friend of Zhu Qing from the orphanage when she was a child.
"Protect Qingzai!" Shengfang rushed into the elevator.
Aunt Ping hurried after her, muttering, "If that's the case, how sad Qingqing will be..."
Shengfang paused, turning back in confusion.
Will Qingzai be sad?
This is something little children wouldn't think of.
...
The streetlights cast long shadows of the two people.
Zhu Qing never imagined that one day, many years later, she would be walking side by side with Sister Xin Xin.
At night in Yau Ma Tei, pedestrians came and went, and the sounds around them were noisy. Although it wasn't so noisy that they couldn't hear each other, they didn't speak for a long time.
"Later I realized that the peach shortbread that the social worker treated us to was actually nearby." Li Ziyao opened the pastry box. "Try a piece."
Zhu Qing did not refuse again.
Thirteen long years have passed, time has become a distance, and even this peach shortbread has changed its flavor.
When we were little, the social workers didn't give treats to every child. Xin Xin, being an older child, helped move books and other odds and ends, and that's how she received a fragrant peach shortbread as a reward. She hid the shortbread and took it to share with Zhu Qing. The two little girls hid in a secluded spot, each taking half. When the other children discovered them, they stubbornly insisted that they hadn't eaten anything, but the crumbs of the shortbread on their lips had already betrayed them.
"Actually, when we first met again, I pretended not to know you," Li Ziyao said softly. "I was with Songsheng, feeling embarrassed and awkward, and I was too ashamed to acknowledge you."
She wasn't doing well, and she and her little sister from childhood were from two different worlds. She felt awkward talking to her, so she simply stopped acknowledging her.
“The second time we met, I was already involved in a murder case, and you were a police officer,” Li Ziyao continued. “I never expected you to actually become a police officer. That’s amazing.”
As a child, Zhu Qing was a little girl who hated evil.
When older children bullied someone, she would raise her fist and hit them. After hitting them, she would threaten them, saying that she was a police officer and would arrest them all.
These fragmented memories have long since faded.
"I don't even remember it myself."
"You were still young then."
Zhu Qing never expected that when she was a child, she would always talk about being a police officer, just like Inspector Sheng.
"Even the police can't hit people." Zhu Qing's lips curled up slightly.
“Yes, what the police should do is to be impartial and incorruptible. You have done that now that you are grown up, and you have done it very well,” Li Ziyao said. “The first few times we met, I didn’t know how to face you. But now, I have finally cleared my name and can stand in front of you with my head held high.”
Li Ziyao said that she has no friends and has a lot to say, but she doesn't know who to confide in.
“Actually, I want to live a stable life with Songsheng,” she said softly. “He’s a good man, just a bit old. He’s raised our daughter alone all these years, and in the end, she still doesn’t understand him.”
Zhu Qing: "Doesn't Fang Yayun understand him?"
“The relationship between the father and daughter is not as good as it seems on the surface,” Li Ziyao said. “Fang Yayun almost got married, but was broken up by Song Sheng.”
"Actually, none of this is anything new."
"Everyone has a motive, but is it really necessary to kill someone?"
At this point, Li Ziyao suddenly stopped and turned to look at a coffee shop at the end of the street: "It's not convenient to go into Madam's house, is it okay if we sit in a public place?"
A warm summer breeze gently caressed Li Ziyao's face and ruffled her loose hair.
The night lights softened her heavy makeup as she stared at Zhu Qing, her gaze filled with a mixture of probing and genuine affection.
"We'll talk about it after the case is closed," Zhu Qing said.
“Actually, we shouldn’t have recognized each other.” Li Ziyao suddenly laughed. “The Xin Xin you remember shouldn’t look like this, so vulgar.”
Before anyone could respond, she had already turned around: "I'm leaving now, maybe another time..."
Zhu Qing: "I don't care."
Li Ziyao's back stiffened for a moment.
The voice that came from behind was restrained but not indifferent.
"Seeing you safe and sound is enough."
Only those who have experienced it truly understand how difficult it is to grow up alone.
No matter what she looks like, as long as I know she is safe and sound, that's enough.
After Li Ziyao left, Sheng Fang, who had been following behind, wanted to go forward.
Aunt Ping stopped the young master: "Let her have some peace and quiet."
Aunt Ping said that Zhu Qing probably just wants to be alone for a while now.
Perhaps in other people's eyes, Li Ziyao was just a passerby from her childhood whose name she could recall.
But in reality, it may have been the only warmth and comfort in Zhu Qing's cold childhood.
...
When Zhu Qing returned home, Sheng Fang and Aunt Ping were already there, as if they hadn't gone out at all.
The child was still lying on the floor, playing a stealth attack game, with a laser gun sticking out from the side of the sofa as he crawled forward.
He threatened, "Who goes there? Don't move!"
Unfortunately, he encountered a true expert.
Ginger is still spicier than madam.
She turned around, grabbed the wrist of the man holding the gun with her right hand, and pressed down on his shoulder with her left.
The child was completely subdued.
"Qingzai, what kind of move was that just now?"
"Teach me!"
Sheng Fang sat in front of her niece, holding a laser gun, and rubbed her hands together.
Qingzai doesn't want to teach grappling techniques, but she's willing to hold an awards ceremony for the kid.
The child is so clever; he knows not to reveal his identity and to guard the first line of defense at his doorstep.
"An awards ceremony?" Sheng Fang's eyes widened as she suddenly remembered, "Qingzai, you still owe me the Good Citizen Award!"
The commendation ceremony for my niece and uncle was held in the living room.
Fangfang stood upright, her little feet bare, on the edge of the sofa.
This is his podium.
Aunt Ping was very supportive, watching the two of them fooling around and couldn't help but laugh. They thought it was over, but it turned out there was more. Zhu Qing went back to her bedroom, looked for something, and when she came out, she had hung a medal around Zai Zai's neck.
Shengfang was completely stunned, holding the glittering medal in her two little hands.
"Qingzai, what is this?!"
"The Wong Chuk Hang Police Academy's First Class Medal of Honor is awarded to only one person per year in the entire academy."
"First-class honor! Is it really going to be given to me?"
The children stood at attention and saluted, their faces flushed with excitement.
The child was overjoyed to receive the first-class honor medal and pestered Qingzai all night, asking her to tell him how to obtain this honor.
Zhu Qing needs a whiteboard, like the one in the police station's conference room, to record case clues and details.
Since there was nothing at home, she could only find a blank sheet of paper.
The sound of my uncle's sweet, childlike voice never stopped playing in my ears.
Is it possible for only one person to receive the medal of honor each year?
"Qingzai, how did you get it!"
"So it turns out no one can beat you!"
"I want one too..."
"When I grow up, I'll give you a medal of honor! A first-class one!"
The blank sheet of paper was covered with scattered clues.
It was difficult to make connections in a short time.
"Qingzai, Qingzai!"
"Wait a minute." Zhu Qing held a pen in her hand, delaying Zai Zai.
"How long?"
"Soon, one hundred seconds."
Shengfang nodded obediently: "One hundred, ninety-nine, ninety-eight..."
Zhu Qing: ...
Can't he stay quiet for a moment? Does he have to keep chattering away?
...
These past few days, Aunt Ping has sometimes gone back home, and sometimes stayed with Zhu Qing and the young master.
She had never been married. The money she earned in her early years was all used to support her elder brother's children's education, with the promise that he would take care of her in her old age. But now her nephew has been out of school for over a decade, and forget about taking care of her in her old age, even a holiday greeting is a luxury. Aunt Ping has nowhere to go, but fortunately, she is open-minded and doesn't like to make things difficult for herself. She doesn't dwell on unpleasant things and lives her life contentedly.
"Qingqing, eat your noodles before you go. It's hot wonton noodles, the broth has been simmering all night."
"It's too late!"
As usual, Zhu Qing grabbed two steamed buns and left, but the younger elder was still worried and insisted on chasing after her to the stairwell to give her a bottle of milk.
When he returned, he looked at Aunt Ping, then shook his head and sighed.
"This child, isn't he afraid of ruining his stomach by going hungry?"
"The noodles are freshly cooked and piping hot. It's so comforting to drink the soup afterward."
“Our Qingzai has been like this since she was little.”
Aunt Ping sighed, and Shengfang also sighed.
The child's innocent voice was completely different from the adult's, yet their topics coincided perfectly.
"I'll stew a pot of old duck soup tonight to nourish Qingqing properly."
"We really need to give Qingzai something nourishing..."
At home, Shengfang's children wake up early in the morning and enjoy a leisurely day of eating popsicles while dangling their little legs.
Zhu Qing, upon arriving at the police station, immediately took the files and sat down in the conference room. After leaving the conference room, she and Hao Zai re-verified Li Ziyao and Dai Feng's alibis, without stopping for even a second.
"I feel like Li Ziyao deliberately went to see her ex-boyfriend on Tuesday night. Dai Feng said they had broken up two months ago, and they hadn't been in contact with each other for a while, but why on the night before Fang Songsheng died?"
"It's like arranging a witness for yourself."
"The alibi was also a bit deliberate, from five to six o'clock, as if it was calculated precisely. The hotel lobby surveillance cameras captured clear faces, the convenience store employee recognized the two of them, and even the complaint from the guest in the next room coincided with this exact time."
“I checked the episode of ‘True Heart’ that the TV station aired that night. It was between 5 and 6 o’clock, and it really was the episode where Ah Ling broke up with her boyfriend.”
Zhu Qing was still going through Dai Feng and Li Ziyao's notes, over and over again, without getting tired of it.
Zeng Yongshan chuckled: "You've watched it so many times since yesterday... You must have memorized their testimonies by now!"
Mo Zhenbang leaned over and stared at the hotel's surveillance footage on the computer screen.
“A perfect alibi,” he mused. “Just a coincidence?”
...
Before noon, Zhu Qing and Zeng Yongshan went to the home of the victim, Fang Songsheng, as planned.
Zeng Yongshan had just been to this place yesterday and knew it like the back of her hand.
She was even more familiar with Yangji Claypot Rice, a restaurant she had carefully selected.
Zeng Yongshan originally planned to eat after finishing work, but seeing that the restaurant was full of people and that she would have to get a queue number if she stayed any longer, she grabbed Zhu Qing's arm without saying a word.
"Investigating the case is important, but eating a full meal is even more important." Zeng Yongshan pulled Zhu Qing into the shop. "Boss, two servings of claypot rice with preserved meat, extra soy sauce."
The owner poked his head out from the kitchen: "Freshly squeezed sugarcane juice, sweet and cooling, would you two ladies like to try some?"
"Two drinks too!" Zeng Yongshan shouted.
Yang Ji Claypot Rice was almost full at noon. Zeng Yongshan pulled Zhu Qing to sit down in an empty corner. The claypot rice hadn't been served yet, but they had already taken chopsticks to prepare.
Not long after, the waiter brought the clay pot to the table. As soon as the lid was lifted, steam and aroma wafted out.
"Try it!"
"How was it? How was it?" Zeng Yongshan's eyes lit up.
Zhu Qing scooped up a full spoonful and put it in her mouth. Before she could swallow, she slurred with her cheeks puffed out, "Delicious."
Zeng Yongshan visited the deceased's home yesterday morning.
They just didn't run into Fang Songsheng's mother.
"The old lady isn't home; Fang Yayun took her to see a doctor."
"There was only the nanny at home. She showed us around, but she couldn't answer any questions."
"Why?" Zhu Qing took a sip of sugarcane juice. "A nanny should know best about the trivial matters of family life."
“She’s new,” Zeng Yongshan said. “Because the nanny is new, Fang Yayun was worried about letting her accompany the old lady to the hospital for her regular check-up, so she took her along herself.”
"We need to hurry, otherwise the old lady might take a nap, and we'll have made a wasted trip." Zeng Yongshan glanced at her watch. "Have you finished eating?"
"Right away." Zhu Qing quickly shoveled down the last bite of rice with her spoon, then gulped down the sugarcane juice. "Let's go!"
Zeng Yongshan covered her mouth and laughed out loud.
"It tastes so good!" She quickened her pace. "It's just ahead. The gatekeeper recognizes me; I don't need to register."
Fang Songsheng was very generous and bought this apartment specifically for Li Ziyao, registered it in her name, and decorated it entirely according to her preferences. His only requirement was that they must live with his mother after the marriage.
Li Ziyao and her future mother-in-law didn't get along, so she thought she could put it off for as long as possible and continued to live in the rented house.
"Knock knock knock—"
After Zhu Qing and Zeng Yongshan knocked on the door, they stood outside and waited. Not long after, the nanny opened the door.
Footsteps came from inside the house. Fang Yayun came out and said in surprise, "Two madams, what brings you here again?"
Yesterday, after accompanying her grandmother to the doctor, Fang Yayun heard from the nanny that the police had come by.
From the time the incident occurred until now, only a few days have passed, and she is slowly emerging from her grief.
"After all, I have to take care of Grandma," Fang Yayun said. "I can't afford to collapse first."
She said she was staying here temporarily for the next two days to keep her grandmother company.
The living room was spacious, clean, and comfortable. Fang Yayun invited the two police officers to sit down and asked the housekeeper to make tea.
"This is the house that my dad and Li Ziyao used to get married. I used to think that I wouldn't come here often."
"To be honest, if it weren't for Grandma..."
“I’m afraid that if Grandma goes out, she might overhear the neighbors’ gossip. I feel more at ease if she stays with me.”
As they were talking, the nanny brought over two cups of tea. Fang Yayun gestured with her chin toward the coffee table, indicating that she should put them down.
"How's the investigation going with Li Ziyao?" she asked.
Zeng Yongshan is more experienced than Zhu Qing in communicating with the victims' families.
She was discussing the case with Fang Yayun, while Zhu Qing's gaze was discreetly sweeping over the newlywed suite.
On the dining table, several exquisite wedding cake gift boxes remained unopened, stacked in the corner, with gold-embossed wedding invitations lying quietly beside them. The living room was already decorated, with double happiness paper-cuts neatly pasted in every corner, and even the chandelier was wrapped with thin red ribbons, exuding the joy of wedding preparations everywhere.
Zhu Qing stood up and paced around the living room. On the display cabinet next to the television, several photo frames were neatly arranged, including sketches and hand-drawn portraits that had been printed on the invitations, as well as several wedding photos of the newlyweds.
But the most eye-catching thing was the photo placed next to the wedding photos.
Zhu Qing: "This is—"
Fang Yayun looked over and smiled helplessly: "It was my grandma who put it there. The old lady insisted on giving Li Ziyao a lesson."
That's a photo of Fang Yayun with her grandmother when she was a child.
The photo was taken at the entrance of the Cultural Center Grand Theater. It's quite old. In the photo, a young girl is nestled in her grandmother's arms, grinning, and missing a few baby teeth.
“Back then, everyone called me ‘Leaky Girl.’ They didn’t realize how ugly I was, laughing so happily even though I had no teeth.” Fang Yayun’s eyes softened as she got up and walked over, stroking the old photo. “Grandma said that if there’s a stepmother, there’ll be a stepfather. So this photo is here so that Li Ziyao can look at it carefully after she comes in. Once she sees it, she’ll know that Grandma loves me and definitely won’t dare to bully me.”
“Really,” she said. “I’m not a child anymore. Do I need her to make decisions for me?”
Zeng Yongshan smiled and said, "No matter how old she is, in Grandma's heart, she will always be her little granddaughter who needs to be protected."
Zeng Yongshan has a sweet smile and is very approachable.
Fang Yayun also unconsciously relaxed.
"But actually, if the wedding goes smoothly, once Li Ziyao moves in, she'll definitely put the photos away. She might even throw them away, who knows?"
"Grandma is getting old after all. If she really had to fight Li Ziyao, she might not be able to win."
"Where is the old lady?" Zhu Qing glanced at the closed bedroom door. "We have some questions for her."
"No, you can't. If you have any questions, just ask me directly." Fang Yayun said firmly without thinking. "Grandma doesn't know about Dad. Her blood pressure is unstable. Don't upset her."
With a creak, the door opened.
Zhu Qing looked in the direction the sound came from and saw an elderly man with a full head of white hair coming out of the bedroom.
Time waits for no one, and Fang Yayun's grandmother is no longer as upright as she appears in the photos.
"Ya Yun, is your father back?"
Fang Yayun quickly ran over and helped her up, saying, "Grandma, didn't I tell you? Dad's away on a business trip, he won't be back so soon."
Fang Yayun is still keeping the news of her father's death from her grandmother.
She simply couldn't bear to let the elderly person suffer the pain of a parent outliving their child.
"You're getting married soon, and you're still always running around. Leave the business trips to the younger people at the music store," Grandma Fang said, looking at Zhu Qing and Zeng Yongshan. "And who are these two?"
“Grandma Shen?” Zeng Yongshan stepped forward.
Fang Yayun's expression turned cold, and she gave her a warning look.
“We are from the Piano Association,” Zhu Qing said. “We’ve been organizing Mr. Fang’s teaching records recently and would like to know his schedule on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.”
Fang Yayun's complexion improved.
Zeng Yongshan chimed in, "Yes, Grandma Shen, we'd like to know if Teacher Fang had any appointments on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings? We left him a pager message, but he didn't reply."
Grandma Chen thought for a moment, then turned to her granddaughter to confirm, "Is the shop closed on Wednesdays?"
"Grandma Chen, you have such a good memory," Zeng Yongshan asked with a smile. "Did Teacher Fang mention the itinerary to you those two days?"
“The night before, someone called Songsheng and asked him to come to the store on the day it was closed.”
Zeng Yongshan and Zhu Qing looked at each other.
Fang Yayun hurriedly asked, "Grandma, are you sure?"
"Your dad started ironing clothes right after he finished the phone call."
Fang Yayun: "Which phone?"
"Are there two telephones at home?" Zhu Qing asked.
The police checked the call records of Fang Songsheng's home phone, pager, and music store office.
But to his surprise, he applied for two landline lines in this new house.
When pressed by the two police officers, Fang Yayun dodged the question.
In the end, it was the old lady who spoke.
"The phone number in the living room is printed on Song Sheng's business card."
"The wiring in the bedroom was for the telephone he installed for his new wife."
Zeng Yongshan: "Grandma Chen, did you hear whether the person on the phone that day was a man or a woman?"
At this moment, Granny Shen asked in confusion, "Why are you asking this?"
"That's about it," Fang Yayun interrupted them. "Just ask the music school about the course schedule; my grandma doesn't know."
"If there's nothing else, my grandma needs to rest."
Fang Yayun spoke in a firm tone, escorting the two police officers to the door with a guarded posture, clearly unwilling to let them stay a moment longer.
Grandma Chen stood there, leaned slightly forward, and asked the nanny in a low voice, "What's wrong?"
"If these questions worsen my grandmother's condition, I will file a complaint with the police!"
Zeng Yongshan frowned, about to bring up the "police-community cooperation" rhetoric, when two words drifted into her ears.
"what ever."
Zeng Yongshan: ...
...
Long after leaving the deceased's house, Zhu Qing muttered, "Yongshan, don't you think—there's a smell in his house?"
"The smell?" Zeng Yongshan recalled, "I know, it's the smell of the liniment on the old man's body. I used to go to my grandparents' house every weekend, and it was this familiar smell."
“You clearly made up an identity as a piano association employee, so you could have just gone along with Fang Yayun’s words. Why did you have to provoke her?” Zeng Yongshan drawled, wrinkling her nose. “If she really complains, will you write the self-criticism report, or will I?”
"Let's go with Officer Mo," Zhu Qing said.
Zeng Yongshan was taken aback at first, then burst out laughing: "Not bad! You've only been in the team for a few days, and you've already learned how to make Mo Sir take the blame!"
"Hurry up." Zhu Qing quickened her pace. "Today's clues are enough for us to work two more hours."
The communication station's registration system still uses outdated paper records.
Every time the police checked a number, the staff had to search through it again. As a result, they never discovered that Fang Songsheng's family had applied for two telephone lines.
This unexpected discovery became the breakthrough in the case.
When Inspector Mo came out of his office again in the afternoon, the investigation had made new progress.
“We checked the call log of the phone in Fang Songsheng’s bedroom. At 8:32 p.m. on Tuesday, someone called and the call lasted for 43 seconds.”
"That was the phone call his mother mentioned. After hanging up, Fang Songsheng started ironing a shirt that was already perfectly smooth. On the shop's day off, he wore that white shirt to the music store early in the morning to keep his appointment."
"We found the address from which that call came; it was an old-fashioned phone booth on King's Road in North Point."
Street surveillance cameras are not yet widespread.
Fortunately, this old-fashioned telephone booth was located directly opposite the ticket office of the Silver Metropolitan Theater.
"I called the theater and asked about the location of the ticket office. They have a CCTV camera installed!"
The officers from the Major Crimes Unit B immediately went to the Silver Theatre in North Point to retrieve the CCTV footage from that night.
The surveillance video was blurry and extremely grainy. Because it had a precise time, everyone held their breath when the time in the lower right corner of the videotape jumped to 8:31.
Then, at 8:32, someone entered the phone booth.
The man was wearing a black trench coat, his back to the camera the entire time, his back hunched, his baseball cap pulled low, and his profile completely obscured by shadow.
"Is it a man or a woman?" Liang Qikai asked in a low voice.
Mo Zhenbang suddenly pressed the pause button.
Uncle Li raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "Woman."
"How did you figure that out?"
“Her figure. She walks with her shoulders hunched over, unnaturally. And her fingers are long and her nails are neatly trimmed—I can’t be wrong about that.”
"A woman deliberately dressed up as a man?"
"If you can't even see their faces, isn't this like looking for a needle in a haystack?"
Zhu Qing: "Is it Fang Yayun?"
Zeng Yongshan suddenly realized and said in a daze, "This back view does look a bit like it."
...
Li Ziyao mentioned that Fang Yayun's relationship with her father was not as harmonious as it appeared on the surface.
At noon at Fang Songsheng's house, she deliberately stopped her grandmother from mentioning that there were two telephones in the house. Looking back now, her expression seemed very unnatural, perhaps not just because she was worried about the elderly woman's health.
"You mean, Fang Yayun almost got married? And was broken up by Fang Songsheng?" Mo Zhenbang frowned.
Zeng Yongshan said, "The way you put it, it seems like we rarely hear any gossip about Fang Yayun's love life."
“However, given the relationship between Li Ziyao and Fang Yayun, she’ll definitely have a lot to say about her,” Haozai said. “But, the fact that they almost got married and were broken up… there’s no smoke without fire.”
Mo Zhenbang had been a policeman for over a decade and had extensive connections.
A few minutes after he returned to his office, he came out again and tossed a sticky note to me.
Inspector Mo is incredibly resourceful; a string of numbers was written on the sticky note.
“The reporter who interviewed Fang Yayun is a friend of Qiyun. Give her a call and see if you can get some information out of her.”
Zhu Qing took the note: "Inspector Mo, how do I put it on?"
"Do I have to teach you this?" Mo Zhenbang glanced at her.
Zhu Qing took a deep breath and dialed the reporter's number.
I thought that getting information out of someone required some skill, and that my first attempt was just to gain experience. But who knew that it was Mo Sir playing me for a fool.
Inspector Mo had already made arrangements with the other party.
"A CID agent, right?" The other person's tone was cheerful and easy to talk to. "I know, Qiyun called me."
This reporter interviewed Fang Yayun before she became famous.
"Unlike her cautious demeanor now, she was very candid back then, answering almost every question."
"Entertainment interviews like ours are basically about digging up gossip. Who cares what industry awards a third-rate pianist has received? Nobody cares. So, I basically ask all sorts of sensational relationship questions."
"That relationship was at least seven or eight years ago; it was her first love. The story is quite cliché: the other person was a poor boy, and Fang Yayun's father looked down on him. Teacher Fang spoke with the boy privately several times, advising him to leave his daughter."
"Pianists are proud, and since the other party was determined to leave her, she certainly wouldn't try to stop him. Later, that man quickly got engaged to someone else. As for Fang Yayun... she never dated again."
"Actually, she had quite a few suitors, including fellow pianists and investment bank elites... but she didn't even glance at them. Fang Yayun was completely heartbroken, but her father started to get anxious later on."
"I heard that man later became very successful. If it weren't for Teacher Fang's insistence on separating them, they probably would have—"
The reporter was very talkative and even mentioned that the interview was recorded with a voice recorder.
"However, I don't know where the copy is; I'll have to look for it. I can bring it to you if you need it."
"Is tomorrow convenient?" Zhu Qing asked.
The reporter laughed: "Madam, in such a hurry?"
The reporter set the meeting time for tomorrow after get off work, at a Western restaurant in Causeway Bay.
Before hanging up, she half-jokingly said, "Madam, I've moved from the entertainment section to the social news section. Remember to keep an eye out for me if you have any exclusive news."
...
After 7 p.m., Qingzai still hadn't gone home, and her uncle knew that she was staying at the police station to work overtime again.
Since Aunt Ping came, the child has become increasingly unreliable, not even bothering to call and let us know when he's not coming home.
Give the kids a break and give my niece an extra thirty minutes.
Thirty minutes later, she still hadn't returned, so he sat on a small stool in the entryway and put on his shoes.
"The old duck soup with tangerine peel is made with Xinhui tangerine peel, red dates and Chinese yam. It is warm and nourishing."
"Pan-fried dace, stir-fried clams with black bean sauce and chili, and steamed meatloaf."
"It's just warmed up, young master, let's go!"
The blooming flower fell into deep thought.
How did Aunt Ping know he was going to the police station? She actually saw right through him.
Even a three-year-old needs to save face.
Fangfang's face fell, she turned away and said in a low voice, "No need to heat it up, the police station has a microwave."
"Oh, I see!" Aunt Ping immediately understood and readily agreed, "Young master, you really know the police station's equipment inside and out!"
An old man and a child went out.
Aunt Ping was carrying a thermos and an insulated lunchbox.
They strolled to the Yau Ma Tei Police Station, as if they were going home, and walked all the way to the CID room without anyone stopping them.
He could already hear the voices of Qingzai's colleagues from afar.
Zhu Qing's colleagues also smelled the aroma of the food.
"Qingzai! Your uncle has brought you lunch!"
Three minutes later, three dishes and a soup were laid out on the workstation.
It was still steaming.
This kind of treatment is something most people can't get.
Mo Zhenbang came out of the office: "Let's call it a day. Go home and have dinner first."
Several colleagues sighed.
"There's no more dried tangerine peel duck soup at home."
"My parents aren't as good at cooking as Aunt Ping."
"Try to look on the bright side. It's your own fault for not having an uncle—"
My uncle got praised.
Shengfang raised her chin proudly, unable to hide her smugness.
My colleagues said goodbye and left one by one.
In the police station corridor at night, only a few lights remained.
As soon as Zhu Qing finished the last bite of her meal, Aunt Ping immediately stepped forward to tidy up the thermos and lunchbox.
Zhu Qing, however, had to stay behind to do some finishing touches.
Aunt Ping: "Where is the young master?"
Fangfang: "Do you even need to ask!"
In order not to be kicked out, Sheng Fang obediently stayed next to her niece and watched her work.
However, he didn't stay still for long; a little while later, he slipped into the conference room.
Hold the marker firmly in your little hands and draw marks on the blank back of the whiteboard.
It was like organizing a meeting; the little one cleared his throat and was having a great time playing by himself.
Unfortunately, he forgot to bring his toy friends.
Next time you come, have Iron Man, Spider-Man, Thor, and Ultraman sit in a row on folding chairs and pretend to be his subordinates from Team C!
When Zhu Qing finished her work, she saw Fangfang baby in the conference room giving instructions.
"We're home now, let the police go."
"Right away." Sheng Fang made an "OK" sign with her thumb and forefinger, then said to her subordinate with a stern face, "Meeting adjourned."
The uncle and nephew turned off the lights, closed the door, and went downstairs.
It's already nine o'clock.
"Officer, aren't you being a bit too serious? Are you scaring the guys?"
"No, we're just friends in private."
Zhu Qing couldn't help but laugh and flicked his forehead.
"Dr. Cheng's car is still parked there." Zhu Qing glanced at the open-air parking space out of the corner of her eye. "I'll go to the forensic department again!"
My niece was in a hurry again.
Her uncle really couldn't do anything with her; why didn't the child know how to rest?
The forensic department is located in the building behind the main police station building.
As Zhu Qing went up to the second floor, she glanced back at the bottom of the stairwell, where the door signs were still lit.
She covered Fangfang's eyes with one hand.
“I know it’s the morgue,” Sheng Fang said. “I’m not afraid.”
Why would a policeman's uncle be afraid of a corpse?
Shengfang, the little girl, still remembers where Dr. Cheng's office is, and points to it from afar.
Cheng Xinglang had already changed out of his white coat and was about to leave when he noticed Zhu Qing and the child and stopped.
"Why are you here?"
“Yesterday you said that the sleeping pills in the deceased’s body had strange components and that they needed to be sent to the government laboratory for further testing.”
"I got the report." Cheng Xinglang walked into the office, turned on the light, and pointed to the report on the table.
Zhu Qing: "What was the result?"
"Preliminary assessment indicates that these are sleeping pills circulating overseas, and there are no records of their sale in Hong Kong."
"Overseas?"
My niece and Dr. Cheng were discussing business in the office when little Shengfang was strolling down the corridor. When she looked up, she met a smiling stranger's face.
It's the forensic technician who shows a lot of teeth when he grins.
He always liked to make inappropriate jokes.
"Little friend, aren't you scared to come to the forensic department so late? Our autopsy room is for performing autopsies."
He deliberately lowered his voice and pointed to the end of the quiet corridor: "That's where they cut open the corpses' bellies..."
Zhu Qing turned away with a cold expression, putting down the test report.
Who's being so annoying, scaring their kids?
Cheng Xinglang leaned against the wall: "Ben, don't bully the child."
The young master obediently tilted his little face up.
“There’s someone behind you.” He raised his finger.
The little boy, innocent and naive, blinked his eyes and stared straight at what was behind him.
Ah Ben suddenly felt uneasy.
He touched the tip of his nose: "Impossible."
Cheng Xinglang suppressed a laugh.
A madam, protective of her child, quietly slipped over and, like her little devil, puffed out her cheeks and carefully blew air.
"call--"
A strange, eerie wind suddenly blew by.
Ah Ben suddenly covered the back of his neck.
Shengfang's voice was clear and melodious.
"The person behind you..."
The chubby-cheeked baby stuck out his tongue and rolled his eyes: "This is what I look like."
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