Chapter 53: Reading the Mind
◎Is there anyone who has never told a lie?◎
In the Jinlian Lake Police Station, Zhao Xiangwan met an acquaintance.
Zhou Rulan still had a bandage on her right hand, and she looked thinner, but her look was full of heroic spirit and energy, which made people's eyes light up.
Seeing Zhao Xiangwan and his group coming to the police station, Zhou Rulan was very enthusiastic and personally took them to the archives room to look up all the archival materials on Wei Qingwan's missing case.
It was a long way from the office to the archives room. In the long corridor, Zhou Rulan spoke to Zhao Xiangwan intimately: "My mother is in much better health now and can eat porridge. Xinxin is now staying in the hospital every day. I will go back to take her place after get off work. The doctor said that she will be discharged in two weeks. My mother said she would like to treat you to dinner..."
Zhu Feipeng had sharp ears. After hearing the last sentence, he smiled and interrupted, "It's not just Zhao Xiangwan who helped your family. I personally delivered the paternity identification samples to the Liaoning Provincial Criminal Technology Center. For your sake, several comrades from our Serious Cases Unit went to the mountain village in northwestern Hubei and brought Liu Fumei and her son to Xing City. Oh, and our Captain Xu and Director Peng are also very worried about your family's affairs. If you want to treat us to a meal, I think you should invite all the people from our Serious Cases Unit."
He Mingyu rolled his eyes at Zhu Feipeng and said, "We are police officers, and we are responsible for doing these things. Zhao Xiangwan was still in school, and it was she who raised the alarm in time that saved Zhou Rulan's life. Do you want to take credit for this? You are a senior brother in vain."
The case of Wu Jianshe was solved because the Serious Crime Unit did the most. Zhou Rulan smiled and nodded, "Okay, after my mother is discharged from the hospital, I will invite Zhao Xiangwan to dinner alone, and then invite all of you from the Serious Crime Unit. It is my honor to invite Captain Xu and you."
Zhu Feipeng laughed and gave her a thumbs up: "That's great! I like it!"
[This girl is so funny. Why didn’t I realize that there is such a lovely policewoman hidden in Jinlianhu Police Station before? ]
Zhao Xiangwan's eyes swept across Zhu Feipeng's face. This guy was very playful and was completely a child who had not grown up. Senior Sister He Mingyu liked him, so she would probably suffer a lot.
After interning in the serious crime unit for such a long time, Zhao Xiangwan has a good impression of the gentle and kind He Mingyu. She has the ability to read minds and knows that He Mingyu has a crush on Zhu Feipeng. The last time Zhu Feipeng was injured while investigating the murder of a driver, she was more anxious than anyone else and stayed by Zhu Feipeng's side.
But looking at Zhu Feipeng's attitude today, it was obvious that he had developed a crush on Zhou Rulan. Zhao Xiangwan pulled Zhou Rulan away and glared at Zhu Feipeng before leaving.
Zhu Feipeng was inexplicably stabbed by Zhao Xiangwan. Seeing Zhao Xiangwan and Zhou Rulan walking quickly in front of him, leaving only the two proud backs, he couldn't help but feel a little uneasy and looked at He Mingyu: "She, what's wrong? What did I do wrong?"
He Mingyu pursed her lips and smiled: "Who wants you to beg for food? You are just being disliked."
Zhu Feipeng cried out, "God is my conscience. I am just trying to show off for our serious crime unit. How long have we been busy with the Wu Jianshe case? This case is not only complicated and serious, but also very nerve-wracking. We are working against the deputy director in charge of criminal investigation. If the news leaks out, I am afraid we will all be fired. We can't always be unknown heroes, right? We have to fight for some benefits for ourselves when necessary.
If Zhou Rulan is reluctant and refuses to treat us, then I will. I haven’t had the chance to use the 20% discount gold card that Mr. Ji gave me last time, so this time is just right, I will treat everyone to a good meal. Last time I was injured and I was not allowed to eat this or that. My mother saw the injuries on my face and was afraid that I would be scarred and disfigured and I would not be able to find a wife in the future. Tsk! A real man is afraid of this? "
He Mingyu's eyes stayed on Zhu Feipeng's face. For some reason, her cheeks felt hot. She lowered her head and said softly, "Don't be afraid."
Zhu Feipeng didn't hear her words clearly, so he moved closer and asked, "What did you say?"
He Mingyu's heart was pounding. He raised his hand and slapped him hard on the arm: "Stay away from me!" After that, he quickly caught up with Zhao Xiangwan.
Zhu Feipeng was left scratching his head in confusion: "Hey, wait for me——"
Zhao Xiangwan and the other two received the case file of Wei Qingwan's disappearance and discussed it while reading it.
According to the testimony of neighbors at the time, Wei Qingwan was missing between 5:30 p.m. on September 23, 1990 and 8 a.m. on September 25. Tan Xueru proved his innocence with a train ticket from Xingshi to Zhushi at 2 p.m. on September 21, a train ticket from Zhushi back to Xingshi at 9 a.m. on September 27, and an accommodation invoice issued by Hongxia Guesthouse, which clearly stated the check-in and check-out times.
Zhu Feipeng frowned: "Leaving Xing City on the 21st does not mean that Tan Xueru cannot return by train on the 23rd."
He Mingyu nodded and added, "Yes! Xing City and Zhu City are more than 100 kilometers apart. The night we drove to find Qiao Xiaohong, it took about three hours to drive along the provincial highway. If we took the train, it would depend on how far they live from the train station to see if it would be convenient."
Zhou Rulan picked up the copy of the invoice, glanced at the name of the guesthouse on it, and whispered, "Hongxia Guesthouse... Here's the front desk phone number for the guesthouse. I'll ask."
After the call, Zhou Rulan's expression became serious: "This guesthouse is right next to the train station, about seven or eight minutes' walk away."
Zhu Feipeng slammed the table and said, "Tan Xueru is a suspect! He walked from the passenger station to the train station, bought a ticket to Xingshi, and returned early the next morning without anyone noticing. I'll go check the train schedule at the time. I remember there were quite a few green trains passing from Zhushi to Xingshi."
He Mingyu picked up a testimony and reminded him: "Tan Xueru has a roommate who proves that they slept in the same room that night." In the case file, there is also a testimony written by Lai Kuan, the deputy director of the sales department who went on a business trip with Tan Xueru. The two of them stayed in a standard room in the guesthouse and stayed together day and night. Lai Kuan proved that they slept in the same room on the night of the 23rd and Tan Xueru did not leave Zhushi.
Zhu Feipeng shook his head: "As long as there is a human witness, there may be loopholes. Have you forgotten that Pan Guoqing used his master to prove that he was drunk and asleep? Lai Kuan might be used by Tan Xueru, or he might be induced by him to give false testimony. In short..." He looked at Zhao Xiangwan.
Zhao Xiangwan understood what he meant and nodded: "Okay, let's ask Lai Kuan again." Whether he was lying or not, one could tell by reading his mind.
Zhu Feipeng rubbed his hands and took the initiative to ask for a break: "Xiang Wan, don't tell me the conclusion yet. Let me observe his expression and see if I can tell whether he is lying or not."
Zhao Xiangwan is pleased to see that the study of micro-expression behavior has moved from theory to practice: "Great."
Zhu Feipeng was slightly excited: "If Lai Kuan lied, then it means that Tan Xueru has something to hide. The person who met Wei Qingwan at dawn on the 24th was definitely him! Wei Qingwan has disappeared since she met him, and it is very likely that she was killed by Tan Xueru. Qian Yong reported that Tan Xueru said he killed someone after getting drunk, so that's true!"
Zhou Rulan was not a criminal police officer and had not handled the Wei Qingwan missing case, but she became interested when she heard them talking about the old case. She helped sort out the photos, testimonies, and the notes of Zhu Feipeng and others in the case file, and pointed to one of them and said, "Liang Chenghong said that Wei Qingwan went out on a bicycle. She is missing, but where is the bicycle?"
He Mingyu's eyes lit up: "Yes! This is also an important clue." In the 1980s and 1990s, bicycles were an important means of transportation for families. After purchasing a bicycle, one had to register it at the vehicle management office, have it stamped with a steel stamp, and obtain a bicycle license as a proof of discovery if it was lost.
Zhou Rulan looked at the photo of the black hollow flower dress and black sandals for a moment and sighed, "Wearing such cool and sexy clothes, riding a bicycle on the street in the middle of the night, if night walkers saw it, they would have been impressed. It's a pity that Liang Chenghong kept it a secret at the time, otherwise we should be able to find the place where they had a date by following this clue."
That's true.
If Liang Chenghong hadn't concealed anything, the clue that Wei Qingwan rode a bicycle out late at night would definitely provide strong help in solving the case. Unfortunately, nearly two years have passed, the bicycle has changed hands several times, and the memory of the witnesses has gradually blurred, so this important clue is estimated to have been lost long ago.
Alas, what a pity! Zhu Feipeng sighed and shook his head.
After leaving the Jinlian Lake Police Station, the three went to the shoe factory where Tan Xueru worked.
Lai Kuan is now the head of the sales department of the shoe factory. When he saw the police officers, he was very attentive. He served them tea and water and turned on the fan for fear of neglecting them. Zhu Feipeng frowned and said, "Okay, don't be so busy. We have some questions for you."
Lai Kuan traveled extensively in sales, and was as smooth as a businessman. He smiled and said, "You go ahead, please go ahead."
Zhu Feipeng said sternly: "We took Tan Xueru away today, did you know that?"
Lai Kuan nodded and bowed: "Such a big thing in the factory, of course I know about it."
Zhu Feipeng began to observe Lai Kuan's reaction: "Do you know what it is about?"
Lai Kuan was still smiling, but his smile did not reach his eyes. To use Zhao Xiangwan's words, although the corners of his mouth were raised, the muscles around his eyes were not involved in the movement, which made his mouth look a little square when he smiled, commonly known as a "fake smile."
"Police comrade, I just heard about it. It was said that Qian Yong reported Tan Xueru for murder. Although Tan is not a regular employee, he has always performed well in the sales department. He never complains about being tired when traveling with me. His shortcoming is that he has too many girlfriends, but that's because he is handsome and popular. Murder? I personally think it's unlikely."
Lai Kuan was very careful with his words, and it was obvious that he didn't want to offend anyone.
朱飛鵬等他說完，這才問道：“1990年9月23號晚上，你在做什麽？”
賴寬的瞳孔陡然一縮，頸脖變得僵硬，眼珠子一轉，視線停留在右上方。朱飛鵬在腦海中搜尋趙向晚提到的微表情行為學理論——人在腦海中構建畫面和聲音的時候，眼球會朝向右上方。
這狗東西打算說謊！
朱飛鵬疾言厲色：“說實話！”
賴寬吓得一個激靈：“警察同志，我說的都是實話。現在是92年7月，時間過去差不多兩年了，你讓我想一想嘛。”
朱飛鵬冷笑：“那一天對你很重要，我一說你就應該能夠想起來。你在派出所親口說過，還簽字按下了手印，你不會忘記的。”
賴寬一拍腦袋：“唉呀，你看我這個記性，是那一天啊，我記得我記得。我是21號和譚學儒一起出差到珠市的，27號才回來。23號晚上就在招待所睡覺，什麽也沒幹。”
【媽呀，警察是不是發現了什麽？為什麽又重新調查起這個案子。老子好不容易出差，肯定要去耍一耍的嘛，珠市那裏的小姐挺多，我家母老虎又不在身邊，多好的機會。譚學儒這小子也上道，早早就和我商量好，各耍各的，明面上是開了一間标準間，但其實老子那幾個晚上都是另開房間另出錢，到時候發票開在一起報銷，神不知鬼不覺。】
趙向晚聽到這裏，眸光一閃，看向朱飛鵬。
“你在說謊！”
朱飛鵬有點着急。他能看出賴寬在說謊、在編故事，但是應該如何戳穿，怎樣逼他說出實話，這點他就做不到了。
做銷售的人讨價還價是常态，賴寬一看就知道朱飛鵬底氣不足，臉上的笑容明顯真心多了：“警察同志，我真沒說謊。我們銷售人員出差，白天跑斷腿，到了晚上都累得要死，睡得死沉死沉的。半夜裏譚學儒我不知道，但我睡覺的時候他肯定還在，早上我醒來的時候，他在刷牙洗臉。我當時的證詞好像就是這樣寫的，對吧？”
朱飛鵬當然知道賴寬的證詞裏是怎麽寫的，關鍵是他不相信這份證詞，偏偏又沒辦法找出漏洞來。
突然感受到了與趙向晚的差距，朱飛鵬将求助的目光投向趙向晚。
趙向晚站起身來。
朱飛鵬頓時松了一口氣，眉開眼笑将自己的位置讓出來，沖着賴寬一瞪眼：“涼茶呢？怎麽不倒杯涼茶來？”
賴寬有點摸頭不知腦，警察不是按資排輩嗎？趙向晚明明看着比朱飛鵬更年輕，應該資歷更低，怎麽朱飛鵬對她這麽殷勤？難道她是什麽大人物不成。心裏一邊琢磨，賴寬起身從辦公室角落桌上的陶瓷水壺裏倒出三杯涼茶，端端正正擺在三位警察面前。
“這是我自己用菊花、金銀花、農家茶泡出來的涼茶。剛才也不知道幾位警察同志喝不喝得慣，沒敢端上來。天氣熱，喝得解解渴，也是好的。”
趙向晚低頭看茶水紅紅的，散着股涼意，比剛才賴寬泡的龍井綠茶解暑多了，便端着杯子一口飲盡。七月天是暑熱最盛的時候，這涼茶喝得透心涼，正好。
喝完茶，口幹舌燥的感覺略減，趙向晚這才擡起頭，認真看着賴寬，用拉家常的口吻，輕松開始詢問。
“賴科長，你結婚了嗎？”
“結了。”
“孩子上幾年級？”
“馬上要上四年級了。”
“男孩女孩？”
“男孩。”
“長得像誰？成績好不好？”
“虎頭虎腦的，像我。成績挺好的，班級前三。”
“看來你妻子很會教養孩子？”
“是！我老婆是小學老師，管孩子很有方法。”
聊到這裏，朱飛鵬與何明玉聽得一頭霧水，趙向晚這是要做啥，怎麽和賴寬聊上了？賴寬越聊态度越輕松，眼神清明，顯然沒有說謊。
“你妻子今年多大？”
“今年……三十四、五、三十六吧？”
“你連她多少歲都不确定？”
“我是男人，一天到晚出差，這些小事情哪裏記得住。”賴寬有點不好意思，打了個哈哈，心虛地移開視線。
趙向晚的聲音很冷淡：“看來，你和妻子感情并不好。”
聽到一個陌生人如此評價自己的夫妻感情，好脾氣的賴寬不知道為什麽有些煩躁，臉轉向一旁：“沒有，我們挺好的。”
趙向晚繼續刺激他：“感情好，你會記不住她的年齡？在乎妻子的感受，會樂此不疲地出差？”
賴寬努力控制着不斷往上冒的脾氣，但聲音由剛才的殷勤客氣變得生硬許多：“我幹的就是銷售工作，不出差怎麽可能？我也是為了生活，沒辦法的。我要養家糊口的，警察同志。”
【這個女警察在搞什麽名堂？什麽都不懂在那裏亂講話。我和衛紅哪裏感情不好了？我的工資都交給她，回到家裏拼命幹活，說得不好聽點，衛紅晚上的洗腳水都是我倒，還有什麽不好的？就是記不住歲數嘛，有什麽了不起？老夫老妻了，哪個記得那麽清楚！】
成功幹擾了賴寬的情緒之後，趙向晚目光變得淩厲：“你在珠市出差，為什麽要替譚學儒遮掩？是有把柄落在他手裏吧？”
賴寬聽到趙向晚這話，雙臂抱住，眼睛瞪大，眉心上提，嘴角向下耷拉，整個人進入防禦狀态。
朱飛鵬腦子裏冒出兩個字——恐懼。
賴寬在害怕，趙向晚猜對了！
趙向晚加重了語氣： “你有什麽把柄在譚學儒手上？”
“沒有，我沒有。”賴寬連聲否認。
趙向晚緊緊盯着賴寬的表情，逐漸加快了語速。
“兩人一起出差，你能做出什麽見不得人的事？賭博？”
“沒有，我沒有。”賴寬長籲一口氣，再一次否認。
趙向晚點點頭：“嗯，看來不是賭博。行賄？”
不必賴寬回答，趙向晚直接否認：“看來也不是。你們是銷售人員，即使給回扣、送禮，也是共同進退，不存在把柄之說。”
趙向晚嘴角勾起一個嘲諷的笑容：“涉黃吧？”
賴寬的額角有冷汗涔涔而下，辦公室有吊扇，正呼呼地轉着，明明有風，他卻覺得全身上下都燥熱得不行。
“夫妻感情好，忠誠是第一位。你這一到招待所就開始招妓，只怕不是一次兩次，而是慣犯。如果我把這事告訴你妻子……”
聽到趙向晚冷淡的聲音，賴寬不自覺地被她帶入到設定的場景之中，吓得一個激靈，大聲叫了起來：“不要，不要告訴她！”
“如果不想讓我說出去，那就跟警察說實話！”趙向晚的聲音陡然提高，清冷而強硬。
賴寬早已被她攻破心防，完全生不出反抗之力，頹然坐倒，臉皮抽了抽。他擡手用手背抹了一把額角的汗，哀求地看着趙向晚。
“我說，我說，只是……你們一定不要把這事告訴我老婆。她是小學老師，文化程度比我高，本來就有點看不上我，如果讓她知道我在外面有過其他女人，哪怕是技女，她也絕對不會原諒我。我，我就是好奇，我豬油蒙了心，我該死！”
他戲劇性地打了自己一巴掌，清脆的掌聲聽得趙向晚眉心跳了跳。
剛才的語言對戰太激烈，朱飛鵬手掌一直緊張地捏着，聽到賴寬打了自己一巴掌，心知審訊已經進入尾聲，擡起手掌重重拍在桌面，在光滑的桌面上留下一個濕漉漉的手掌印。
他興奮地沖何明玉示意：“準備做好筆錄。”
何明玉早就準備好了筆錄本，只是剛才被趙向晚與賴寬的對戰吸引住，一時之間忘記下筆，爽快答應了一聲“好”，開始記錄。
賴寬覺得趙向晚的眼神太銳利，仿佛能夠看進他的靈魂，再不敢有絲毫隐瞞，老老實實交代。
“9月21號下午，我和譚學儒一起到珠市出差，坐火車大概是三個多小時。我們就在車站附近的紅霞招待所入住，那裏的老板我關系蠻熟，一般出差到珠市我都會住那裏。
按照單位的報銷标準，我和譚學儒在二樓開了個标間，當天晚上我就讓老板找了個年青女的，在三樓開了間單人房玩了一個晚上，到早上才回标間。譚學儒看我一夜未歸，又衣衫不整，心知肚明，開了幾句玩笑。不過他很會做人，笑着說會幫我遮掩，讓我安心去玩，回單位之後絕不透露半個字。
22號我休息了一天，23號那天晚上，我又招了技。和譚學儒一起吃過晚飯後就分開來，他回房休息，我晃到酒吧找了個女人，到第二天早上九點才回來。警察後來找我問的時候，我的确是說了謊，晚上六點到第二天早上，我并不知道他在哪裏。”
趙向晚問：“你回來的時候，譚學儒在做什麽？”
賴寬思索了半天：“他洗了個澡，臉有點紅，哦，對了，他剛見到我的時候好像有點氣喘，兩只手有點發抖，我還笑他是不是做了見不得人的事，這麽累。”
朱飛鵬追問：“他怎麽回答？”
賴寬努力回憶：“好像，沒有回答吧。他就是笑了笑，反問了我一句昨天玩得嗨不嗨，是單飛還是雙飛。”
何明玉從鼻子裏發出一聲冷哼，将筆錄本推到他面前：“行了，你看看對不對，沒問題的話就簽字吧。”
賴寬拿起筆簽字，猶豫半天再一次擡對懇求朱飛鵬：“警官同志，我老實交代了，能不能不要告訴別人？我不想讓我老婆知道。我以後一定改，保證改！”
朱飛鵬盯着他按了手印，不屑地說了一句：“早知今日，何必當初？你在外面招技的時候，就沒想過老婆在家裏帶孩子辛苦？想不讓老婆知道，唯一的辦法就不要沾！”
賴寬滿臉羞愧，連連點頭。
三人走出銷售科辦公室，一拉開門，正看到門口圍着一圈人。皮鞋廠就這麽大，辦公室是棟二層小樓，隔音效果不好。看到三個身穿制服的警察走進辦公室找賴寬，好奇心驅使着一群人在聽壁角。
賴寬一擡眼看到門口圍了七、八個人，其中還有好幾張熟悉的面孔，不由得面如土色。完了！這些人可都是長舌婦，最喜歡東家長西家短，誰家有一點醜事，恨不得傳得全世界都知道。現在知道自己在珠市招技，恐怕分分鐘傳到老婆耳朵裏。
“你們……你們在這裏做什麽！”賴寬吼了起來。
門口站着的人哄堂大笑起來。
“做什麽？聽你的光榮事跡呗。”
“你可真忙啊，隔一天找個漂亮妹妹，身體吃得消？”
“衛紅還天天跟我們說，賴科長是個多麽多麽負責的好老公，沒想到背地裏是這麽個人……哈哈！”
“賴科長，什麽叫雙飛？給我們答答疑、解解惑？要不然，演練一下給我們瞅瞅？”
賴寬一張臉脹得通紅，紅得要滴出血來。丢人！太丢臉了！
人群裏忽然有人喊了一嗓子：“衛紅老師是個好人，不能讓她給賴寬給騙了！”
幾個嫂子連連點頭。
“對對對，走！我們去找她，讓她和賴寬離婚！”
“衛紅老師長得漂亮、有文化，要不是看姓賴的老實，哪裏會嫁給他？離婚好，我馬上給她介紹個更好的對象。”
“我兄弟有個同事，在開關廠當領導咧，去年死了老婆，重情重義得很，有個十歲的女兒，想找個性格好、有文化的老婆，我這就幫衛紅打聽去。”
賴寬一個頭兩個大，恨不得兩巴掌抽死自己。
朱飛鵬咧開嘴笑了，大聲道：“賴科長，這事可不是我說出去的。”說完，排開人群領着何明玉、趙向晚往外走。
回到車上，朱飛鵬啓動吉普車往市局進發。
何明玉與趙向晚坐在後排，搖頭笑着說：“這個賴寬真是活該！”
趙向晚：“是啊。”
要想人不知，除非己莫為。賴寬嘴上說在乎妻子，卻連最基本的忠誠都做不到，那還談什麽在乎？
何明玉若有所思：“如果我以後結婚了，丈夫敢出軌，我立馬離婚，絕不原諒。”
趙向晚“哦”了一聲。
何明玉問她：“你呢？”
趙向晚挑了挑眉：“哈？”
前面開車的朱飛鵬哈哈一笑：“趙向晚識破謊言的能力那麽強，她的丈夫哪敢做對不起她的事？就算連心裏想一想，趙向晚都能把他揪出來！”
趙向晚不怒不笑，沒有接朱飛鵬的話。
朱飛鵬感覺後背的視線有些冰冷，打了個寒顫。趙向晚雖然好，但眼光太厲害，沒人能對她撒謊。
試問這世上，有哪個人從來沒有撒過謊？
如果內心全部對外敞開，一絲隐私都沒有，那……那太可怕了！
朱飛鵬所思所想，盡數被趙向晚聽到，她側過臉看向窗外，沒有說話，但緊抿的雙唇、微暗的眸光，将她內心的失落表達出來。
從擁有讀心術的那一刻起，趙向晚便知道她的人生不會平淡。
——知人知面不知心；
——人心叵測、人性複雜；
——唯太陽與人心，不可直視。
這樣的話，無不在告訴趙向晚：懂人心，是件痛苦的事。
有些人，嘴上說的是仁義道德，但內心全是男盜女娼；
有些人，臉上笑眯眯和藹可親，但內心滿是詛咒憎恨。
有些人，看見你時尊敬愛戴，獻盡殷勤，但轉過背卻掏出刀子捅得你鮮血淋漓。
更不用說，男女戀愛，那些愚蠢卻甜美的情話底下，有可能藏着不屑、輕視、控制與算計。
世人皆醉我獨醒。
這不是獎賞，而是懲罰。
趙向晚之所以報考公安大學，就是見過太多陰暗、灰色的人心，她想尋求一份公正、一份力量，支撐她繼續向前。
想到這裏，趙向晚伸出右手，輕輕撫上左手臂章上的金色盾牌。耳邊響起一首大街小巷到處流傳的歌曲——
“金色盾牌，熱血鑄就，危難時刻顯身手。”
剛才的失落感漸漸消散，趙向晚難得開了句玩笑：“放心，我會裝糊塗。”
何明玉、朱飛鵬愣了一秒，突然笑了起來。
三人回到市局，停車場剛停好車，正遇上準備回家的劉良駒。劉良駒已經安頓好先前他們送過來的梁成洪，詢問道：“到飯點了，你們是打算提審梁成洪，還是先休息？要不要我留下來幫忙？”
朱飛鵬早就餓得前胸貼後背，将車鑰匙一收，擦了擦頭上的汗：“吃飯、吃飯，我快餓死了。老劉你只管回家，明天再提審，不着急。”
劉良駒沖他們揮揮手，騎上他的自行車，高高興興下班了。
“你們先去吃吧，我收好東西就來。”何明玉做事細心，記挂着手中從金蓮湖派出所借出來的案卷資料、剛剛調查做好的筆錄本，打算回辦公室把資料全都收進鐵皮櫃，上好鎖之後再去食堂。
趙向晚說：“好，師姐我陪你。”季昭應該還在辦公室等她，如果她不過去，恐怕他連吃飯都會忘記。
朱飛鵬直奔食堂，何明玉則與趙向晚回辦公室。
穿過長長的走廊，趙向晚剛剛推開門，鼻端便萦繞着濃濃的松香味，再一擡頭，一幅絢爛多彩的油畫便出現在眼前。
和趙向晚在腦海裏看到的一模一樣，綠草如茵的草地，野花盛開。紅的、黃的、藍的、白的……五顏六色，缤紛燦爛。
這是一幅讓人一看，就心情愉悅的圖畫。
趙向晚嘴角的笑容越來越深，漸漸咧開嘴笑了起來，露出雪白的牙齒，如陽光一般亮眼。
何明玉停下腳步，呆呆地看着這幅畫，半天才驚呼一聲：“季昭，這是你畫的？太漂亮了！”哪有女人不愛花的？這麽美麗的鮮花同時在眼前綻放，這種震撼感真的很強烈。
季昭右手手指、衣袖、下擺都沾着顏料，但他眉眼彎彎，黑色瞳仁亮晶晶的，讓人不由自主受他情緒所感染，也歡喜起來。
【你讓我畫的，我畫好了。你喜歡嗎？】
清潤的少年之音在腦海中響起，趙向晚點頭：“喜歡！”
【你喜歡花，喜歡五顏六色的花。】
趙向晚微笑：“是。”
【那我就讓它們一直開着。】
趙向晚與季昭目光對視，奔波一天忙于審訊所帶來的疲憊一掃而空。或許朱飛鵬說得對，這世上沒有人不撒謊，包括趙向晚自己，也會使詐也會說一半留一半。
但季昭卻是不一樣的存在。
他從小自閉，內心世界封閉，不對外敞開。他有語言障礙，不用語言與人交流。或許別人會覺得季昭無法溝通、生活在一起痛苦無比。但趙向晚卻覺得他挺好的。
因為自閉，所以他的世界純粹而真實。
因為有語言障礙，所以他沒有謊言。
和季昭在一起，趙向晚不必忍受兩道聲音同時在腦海中響起，不必費心猜測真與假，不必裝糊塗。
這樣的季昭，趙向晚感覺相處輕松而自在。
想到這裏，趙向晚伸出手輕輕觸碰那幅油畫，朵朵綻放的花瓣在陽光下映照出蓬勃的生機。
趙向晚贊嘆了一句：“季昭，你畫得真好啊。”
和季昭那雙養尊處優、漂亮得出奇的手相比，趙向晚的手并不算完美。因為小時候幹農活比較多，手掌大、手指粗、指尖肌膚粗糙。可是季昭目光停留在趙向晚那只觸碰油畫畫面的手，毫不掩飾他的喜歡與渴望。他的眼睛裏有着孩童般蠢蠢欲動的意味，仿佛看到極度想要的玩具。
季昭慢慢擡起右手，漸漸往前伸。
橫刺裏插過來一只大手，一把鉗制住季昭那蠢蠢欲動的手。
趙向晚與季昭同時看向來人。
許嵩嶺扣住季昭手腕，往下一拉，沒好氣地說：“季昭你要做什麽？”
季昭的神情有些茫然，但他沒有反抗，乖乖地後退半步，轉了轉手腕，目光認真地看着趙向晚。
【He is unhappy, why? 】
Zhao Xiangwan didn't know how to explain it, so he soothed him softly, "He is my master, please be more considerate."
【Oh, okay.】
Ji Zhao listened to Zhao Xiangwan very much. Since she said she would give in to Xu Songling, then she would give in.
Ji Zhao once asked Zhao Xiangwan what a master is. Zhao Xiangwan told him that a master is an elder who brings you into the industry, teaches you things, and cares about your growth. It feels like a father, right?
【Okay, then I forgive him. 】
The little skylark squatted on the branch, pecking at its own feathers, its black bean-like eyes shining.
Zhao Xiangwan wanted to laugh, but when he looked up and met Xu Songling's serious face, his smile faded.
Xu Songling said to her, "Come home with me for dinner tonight. Your teacher Zhou said he hasn't seen you for a long time."
[I haven't agreed to their relationship yet, but they dared to touch my hand in front of me. How can this be tolerated? This is outrageous! Xiang Wan is young and doesn't know anything. We can't let her associate with this autistic boy, otherwise she will suffer in the future.]
Hearing Xu Songling's dissatisfaction, Zhao Xiangwan felt helpless and warm at the same time. Only someone who truly cares about her would consider her in every way: "Okay, Master."
Ji Zhao had just raised his head when Xu Songling had already instructed He Mingyu: "Take Ji Zhao to dinner, and I will take Xiang Wan back to the dormitory after dinner."
Xu Songling was nicknamed "Xu Black Face" because he had dark skin and not much flesh on his face. When he was serious, his face looked stern and scary, and everyone was afraid of him.
He Mingyu glanced at Xu Songling and said in silence: "Yes!"
After being in the serious crime squad for a long time, Ji Zhao gradually got familiar with the team members because of Zhao Xiangwan, and was not as repulsive as before. He Mingyu lived in the same dormitory as Zhao Xiangwan and often appeared in front of him, so it was not a problem for her to take Ji Zhao out for dinner.
Before Zhao Xiangwan and Xu Songling left together, he glanced at the pitiful Ji Zhao and said with a smile, "My master and I will be back after dinner. It will probably be around nine o'clock. You can go with my senior sister to eat, and then go back to the dormitory. If you are tired, go to sleep first."
The little skylark flies in the sky, its voice ethereal and joyful.
The scene was so beautiful. Zhao Xiangwan, who was sitting on the side seat of the police motorcycle, had a smile on his face the whole time. This made Xu Songling, who was a little angry, not sure whether to praise him or scold him.
The sun sets and the sky is filled with sunset glow.
Motorcycles sped by on the city roads, bringing with them a gust of wind. The wind blowing against his face brought a cool feeling, and Zhao Xiangwan was in a good mood.
It was still the familiar Public Security University family building. Teacher Zhou Qiaoxiu came out wearing an apron and greeted with a smile: "Xiang Wan is here, come and sit down. I have another dish ready. Pour yourself a cup of cold tea first. The tea is in the earthenware jar on the low cabinet at the door."
Xu Songling turned up the ceiling fan. The wind was blowing, but the room was still a little stuffy.
Seeing that he looked unhappy, Zhou Qiaoxiu gave him a reproachful look and said, "You are so impatient. Drink some cool tea first, then wash your face, and it will cool down naturally. Why are you in such a hurry?"
Zhou Qiaoxiu's gentleness finally calmed Xu Songling's anxious heart. He held the baby and played with him for a while, then helped to serve the dishes and rice. The family finished dinner in harmony.
Xu Songling winked at Zhou Qiaoxiu: Hurry up and talk to Zhao Xiangwan.
Zhou Qiaoxiu nodded in understanding, pulled Zhao Xiangwan to sit on the bed in the bedroom, and handed her a registered letter: "The paper you wrote has been accepted. This is the acceptance letter sent by the magazine."
Zhao Xiangwan quickly opened the letter and saw the acceptance letter with the magazine's official seal. He smiled happily: "Great!"
After school started, she spent two months working on her thesis, "A Preliminary Study on the Application of Micro-Expression Theory in Case Detection," and she never expected it to be accepted by the "China Public Security" magazine!
The happiness and sense of accomplishment of having his hard work recognized and his theoretical research adopted were so strong that Zhao Xiangwan, who was usually introverted, couldn't help but jump up and waved his hand holding the acceptance letter in the air: "I didn't expect that I was accepted! The magazine said that it will be published in the 10th issue, and three sample copies will be sent to me in three months."
Zhou Qiaoxiu was also happy for Zhao Xiangwan, with a big smile on her face: "You can summarize while practicing, combining case detection with micro-expression theory, which is very innovative. It is normal for your paper to be accepted. In our school, publishing papers is basically the job of professors. You are an undergraduate student, and you can publish a paper in a high-quality journal in your freshman year. This is an honor for our class. Just wait, I guess the school will commend you."
Zhao Xiangwan was a little embarrassed: "Being able to publish my paper is the greatest recognition for me. I am satisfied. There is no need for any commendation or anything like that, right?"
Zhou Qiaoxiu patted her arm and said, "This commendation is not just for you. It is also an honor for our 91 Criminal Investigation Department. It must be given."
The weather was hot, and Zhao Xiangwan was wearing a short-sleeved shirt with her arms exposed. In Zhou Qiaoxiu's impression, Zhao Xiangwan was averse to physical contact, so she carefully placed her hand on Zhao Xiangwan's upper arm through her short-sleeved shirt, not daring to touch her skin.
Zhou Qiaoxiu was delighted to find that Zhao Xiangwan's attitude was much more natural and his body was not stiff. This was a good thing for Zhao Xiangwan, who was cautious, calm and self-controlled.
Zhou Qiaoxiu asked gently: "Are you in love now?"
Zhao Xiangwan hesitated for a moment, then raised his eyes and met Zhou Qiaoxiu's gaze, neither confirming nor denying.
Zhou Qiaoxiu is Zhao Xiangwan's homeroom teacher and knows her very well. Seeing her expression, she immediately felt something was wrong. If Xiangwan wasn't in love, she would have quickly denied it, but she wasn't, which meant that she recognized Ji Zhao in her heart.
Xu Songling came back specially at noon today and talked a lot with Zhou Qiaoxiu, the general meaning of which was to ask Zhou Qiaoxiu to persuade Zhao Xiangwan not to fall in love with Ji Zhao. The reason was simple: Ji Zhao was not a normal person.
Zhou Qiaoxiu had never seen Zhao Xiangwan and Ji Zhao's daily interactions. Her impression of Ji Zhao was still stuck on the quick glance she got at the Four Seasons Hotel. She only thought that Ji Zhao was a handsome, introverted, cold son of a wealthy family, an autistic genius painter, who couldn't speak and would climb to terrifying heights when he was unhappy.
Thinking of this, Zhou Qiaoxiu asked tentatively: "I heard from your master that you get along well with everyone in the serious crime team. There are many outstanding young men in their city bureau, don't you like any of them?"
Zhao Xiangwan smiled and said, "Look, I've found one."
Zhou Qiaoxiu was a little nervous: "Which one?"
Zhao Xiangwan admitted openly: "Ji Zhao."
Before Zhou Qiaoxiu could say anything, Xu Songling came over anxiously and shouted, "No! I don't agree."