Chapter 1 Snowy Eve
It was December, Qindao. The sky was dim, the evening breeze was crisp. A snowstorm was about to arrive. Yu Hao took a deep drag on his cigarette, stubbed out the butt, and crushed it hard with the tip of his shoe. The green-painted wooden door of Room 103 was closed tightly, the paint cracking, revealing the dark red underneath. "Dong, dong, dong." He raised his hand and knocked lightly three times. The old hinges groaned softly. ... No one answered. There was a rustling sound from inside the house, and the faint sound of water from the shower could be heard. "Bang, bang, bang!" He knocked harder. "Who?" A woman's voice came through the door, soft and gentle, but with a hint of alertness. "It's me, Yu Hao." "Wait a moment." The woman's voice became cheerful. A moment later, the door opened. Luo Xin stood behind the door, her wet hair tied up behind her head, a few strands hanging down her neck, and water droplets slid down her fair skin into her collar. She was wearing a gray cotton nightgown, the soft fabric faintly outlining her graceful curves. "Come in, it's cold outside." Luo Xin stepped aside, and Yu Hao could smell the faint scent of shower gel, mixed with her unique scent. He lowered his head and stepped over the threshold, placing the deli bag on the coffee table. The living room was still simply furnished: a set of faded fabric sofas, a wooden coffee table, and an old-fashioned TV on the TV cabinet. The kettle on the iron stove was spewing white steam and making a "humming" sound. "I was just taking a shower and didn't hear the knock on the door." Luo Xin casually let down her bund up hair, and water droplets splashed on the old floor. She tilted her head and wiped the ends of her hair casually with a towel. "You sit down first, I'll go blow-dry my hair." "Okay." Yu Hao walked to the iron stove and picked up a few pieces of charcoal with tongs and added them to the furnace. The fire crackled, and the temperature in the room seemed to rise a few degrees. When Luo Xin reappeared, her wet hair had transformed into smooth, straight black hair, cascading down her shoulders like a waterfall. She came over with a cup of tea and a plate of melon seeds, sat down on the sofa opposite Yu Hao, and elegantly crossed her legs. The hem of her nightgown slipped down, revealing her fair, slender calves, with a small butterfly tattoo on her ankle. "Why do you have time to come here today?" Luo Xin asked, skillfully peeling melon seeds. Her nails were neatly manicured and painted with clear nail polish, giving off a healthy sheen under the light. Yu Hao picked up the teacup and took a sip. The tea was lukewarm, with a faint scent of jasmine, a taste he loved. He put down the teacup, his eyes unconsciously falling on the photo on the wall - Luo Xin was hugging her nine-year-old daughter, Xiaoxue, with a bright smile. The photo was of him three years ago...
December, Qindao.
The sky was dim and the evening breeze was crisp. A snowstorm was about to come.
Yu Hao took a deep puff of his cigarette, extinguished it, and crushed it hard with the tip of his shoe.
The green-painted wooden door of Room 103 was tightly closed, and the paint had cracked, revealing the dark red base underneath.
"Knock, knock, knock." He raised his hand and knocked three times. The old hinge groaned slightly.
…
No one answered.
There was a rustling noise coming from inside the house, and the sound of water running from the shower could be faintly heard.
"Knock, knock, knock!" He knocked on the door harder.
"Who?" The woman's voice came through the door, soft and gentle, but with a hint of alertness.
"I'm Yu Hao."
"Wait a moment." The woman's voice became cheerful.
After a moment, the door opened.
Luo Xin stood behind the door, her wet hair tied up behind her head, a few strands of hair hanging down around her neck, and water droplets slid down her fair skin into her collar.
She was wearing a gray cotton nightgown, the soft fabric vaguely outlining her graceful curves.
"Come in, it's cold outside."
Luo Xin moved aside, and Yu Hao smelled a faint scent of shower gel mixed with her unique scent.
He lowered his head, stepped over the threshold, and placed the bag of deli food on the coffee table.
The furnishings in the living room remain simple: a set of faded fabric sofas, a wooden coffee table, and an old-fashioned TV on the TV cabinet.
The kettle on the iron stove was spewing out white steam and making a humming sound.
"I was taking a shower just now and didn't hear the knock on the door." Luo Xin casually let down her hair, and water droplets splashed onto the old floor.
She tilted her head and casually wiped the ends of her hair with a towel. "You sit down first, I'll go blow dry my hair."
"good."
Yu Hao walked over to the iron stove and used tongs to pick up a few pieces of charcoal and put them into the furnace. The fire crackled and the temperature in the room seemed to rise a little.
When Luo Xin appeared again, his wet hair had turned into smooth, shiny black straight hair, hanging down on his shoulders like a waterfall.
She came over with a cup of tea and a plate of melon seeds, sat down on the sofa opposite Yu Hao, and crossed her legs elegantly.
The hem of her nightgown slipped down, revealing her fair and slender calves, with a small butterfly tattoo on her ankle.
"Why do you have time to come here today?" Luo Xin asked while peeling melon seeds skillfully.
Her nails were neatly manicured and painted with clear nail polish, giving them a healthy sheen under the light.
Yu Hao picked up the teacup and took a sip. The tea was just the right temperature, with a light jasmine scent, just the way he liked it.
He put down his teacup, his eyes unconsciously falling on the photo on the wall - Luo Xin was hugging his nine-year-old daughter Xiaoxue, smiling brightly. He had taken the photo three years ago.
"Nothing, just came to see you and Xiaoxue."
"Everything is fine." As Luo Xin spoke, the dimples on her face were faintly visible.
She pushed the peeled melon seeds in front of Yu Hao and said, "You, are you still so busy?"
"good."
Yu Hao withdrew his gaze from the photo, took out a manila envelope from his pocket, and gently placed it on the coffee table. "Buy some school supplies for Xiaoxue."
Luo Xin glanced at the envelope, shook his head, and pushed it back.
A faint smile appeared on her lips. "You should think about your future. It's time to find a good girl and start a family."
Her voice was soft and gentle, and she spoke nonchalantly, but it was like a blunt knife, slowly cutting Yu Hao's heart.
The room fell silent for a moment, the only sound being the hum of the fire. Outside the window, the wind grew stronger, slapping against the glass.
"Take it." Yu Hao's voice was so low that it was almost inaudible.
Luo Xin met his gaze, raised the corners of his mouth, and sighed: "Okay, I'll listen to you."
She picked up the envelope, stood up, and walked towards the bedroom.
The moment the curtain was lifted, Yu Hao caught a glimpse of the neatly made bed in the bedroom and the award certificates covering the walls, all of which were from Xiaoxue.
Luo Xin came back soon, holding a tin box with a faded peony pattern printed on it.
"I'll keep it for you," she put the envelope into the box and locked it. "It will be a gift for you when you get married."
The corner of Yu Hao's mouth twitched, but in the end he said nothing.
Luo Xin put the box away and unconsciously glanced at the wall clock - 17:50.
"Xiaoxue will be back from school soon, right?" Yu Hao asked when he saw her looking at the time.
"It's almost done." Luo Xin refilled his tea, and Yu Hao took it and drank it all in one gulp.
The two of them fell into silence. This silence had become their norm recently, like an invisible wall separating them.
Luo Xin continued to peel the melon seeds, his nimble fingers flying up and down, and soon a small mountain of melon seeds piled up in front of Yu Hao.
Yu Hao leaned back on the sofa with his eyes closed. He could smell Luo Xin's faint body fragrance, and could clearly hear the crisp sound of melon seed shells cracking and her light breathing.
The room temperature seemed to rise gradually with the passing of every second.
When the hour hand pointed to 18:00, Luo Xin looked at the clock again and frowned slightly.
"Is there something wrong?" Yu Hao keenly caught the change in her mood.
"Oh, it's okay." Luo Xin pushed all the peeled melon seeds in front of Yu Hao and stood up. "You sit down for a while. I'll go cook. You can have dinner with Xiaoxue tonight."
"Are you going out?" Yu Hao sat up straight, his eyes unconsciously looking at the cooked food he brought with him - he specially bought three servings.
"Something."
"Would you like me to go with you?"
"No, it's no big deal." Luo Xin's tone was relaxed, but Yu Hao still noticed that her fingers were unconsciously twisting the hem of her nightgown.
Years of experience as a criminal police officer have made Yu Hao habitually analyze: if someone is going out after taking a shower, he is probably going to meet an important person.
The thought made him feel bitter.
"No need to cook. I brought some cooked food. Let Xiaoxue eat it herself. I have something to do later." Yu Hao pointed to the bag of cooked food on the coffee table.
Luo Xin nodded and sat down on the sofa again, seeming a little absent-minded. After a while, he took out his mobile phone and swiped the screen quickly a few times.
Yu Hao glanced at her seemingly casually. She seemed to be looking at something like a surveillance camera with jumping red dots on it, and the two red dots were very close to each other.
Luo Xin's shoulders relaxed slightly.
Just then, the door was pushed open and a little girl with a pink schoolbag rushed in like a gust of wind.
"Uncle Yu is here too!" Luo Xue shouted happily, threw her schoolbag on the sofa, and threw herself into her mother's arms.
"Don't be disrespectful." Luo Xin gently scolded, her fingers gently combing her daughter's messy hair. "Be more dignified."
"What? Being dignified is for outsiders to see. Uncle Yu is not an outsider." Luo Xue pouted and turned to Yu Hao for support. "Right, Uncle Yu?"
"Xiaoxue is right." Yu Hao couldn't help laughing.
"Look!" Luo Xue proudly buried herself in her mother's arms again, rubbing against Luo Xin's neck like a coquettish kitten.
"Just spoil her." Luo Xin shook her head helplessly, but her fingers gently stroked her daughter's long hair.
Twelve-year-old Luo Xue has grown into a graceful young lady, inheriting her mother's delicate facial features and slender figure. She is a real beauty.
She skipped to sit opposite Yu Hao, her eyes sparkling: "Uncle Yu, I still want to hear the story of solving the case!"
Yu Hao smiled and started chatting with her.
Luo Xin went back to her bedroom to change her clothes. When she reappeared, Yu Hao noticed that she was wearing an old coat that had been washed out and had frayed cuffs.
If you are meeting someone important, why not dress appropriately?
"Going out now?" Yu Hao asked.
"Yes, you can chat with Xiaoxue for a while."
Yu Hao stood up: "No, I have something to do too, let's go together."
"Okay." Luo Xin nodded and turned to his daughter, "Remember to add more charcoal at home. There is cooked food bought by Uncle Yu on the table. Remember to eat dinner."
"I know!" Luo Xue curled her lips regretfully, "Uncle Yu, I can only listen to your story next time."
"Okay, I'll definitely do it next time." Yu Hao patted her shoulder gently as he passed by her.
As he walked out of the room, Yu Hao heard the sound of the door being locked behind him.
After sending Luo Xin to the village entrance and watching her get on the bus, Yu Hao turned around and returned to the village.
Dusk has completely enveloped this urban village, and the scattered street lights are swaying in the wind and snow, like candles that may go out at any time.
The small building Luo Xin rented was originally the classroom building of the village primary school. The gray cement walls were covered with cracks, and the iron bars on the windows were rusty.
After being bought out and divided into pigeon-cage-like rental houses, they became the last refuge for workers in the glamorous city of Qindao.
The residential area north of the teaching building was even more crowded. The crooked "handshake buildings" were practically touching each other, the narrow alleys were filled with debris, and a spiderweb of electrical wires crisscrossed overhead.
This urban village, which is called "urban dog-skin plaster" by urban construction experts, is where Yu Hao grew up - Nan'an Village.
Passing through the old house with the word "demolition" written all over it, Yu Hao arrived at the wonton shop at the corner.
The shop was empty, with no customers. There was only a little boy of about eleven or twelve sitting at the door, concentrating on carving something.
The boy didn't react at all to Hao's arrival. He just lowered his head and busied himself with his work in the dim light of the shop.
His fingers were too rough to be like a child's, but they were extremely dexterous. The carving knife flew across the wood block, and wood chips fell down.
When Yu Hao's eyes fell on the boy, he felt vaguely that he was also observing him from the corner of his eye. His eyes were dark and shiny, revealing a calmness that was inconsistent with his age.
What an interesting little boy, Yu Hao thought to himself.
"Xiaohao is back?" Aunt Liu poked her head out from the kitchen, holding a bowl of steaming soup in her hand.
"Aunt Liu, as usual, give me a bowl of chicken wonton soup." Yu Hao chose a table where he could see the door clearly and sat down.
As he took the hot soup, Yu Hao asked, "Aunt Liu, whose child is that at the door?"
"The Sun family, you've met his dad, Sun Jun. He runs a stall at the night market." Aunt Liu smiled, her eyes wrinkling. "That kid is really weird. He just carves wood all day and doesn't play with other kids."
Yu Hao remembered. The little boy's dark skin and silent personality were indeed like the Sun Yong he remembered.
The boy carved with great skill, and sawdust fell between his fingers.
Yu Hao narrowed his eyes, trying to see clearly what he was carving.
Aunt Liu served the wontons, chopped green onions floating on the steaming broth. "Eat them while they're hot."
"Okay, Aunt Liu." Yu Hao scooped a spoonful of soup, and the familiar taste spread on his tongue.
Aunt Liu pulled out a wooden stool from under the dining table and sat down, looking as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.
"Aunt Liu, is there something wrong?" Yu Hao put down the soup spoon and said with a smile.
"Xiaohao, there are indeed some things." Aunt Liu rubbed her hands.
"Aunt Liu, just tell me. If I can help, I will do my best."
Hearing Yu Hao say this, Aunt Liu lowered her voice, "It's not a big deal, it's just that there have been a lot of thieves in the village recently. Your uncle Zhang's house was robbed the day before yesterday. Although nothing valuable was stolen, I still feel uneasy..."
Yu Hao was aware of this, but the complexity of the matter was far from simple enough to explain.
He put down the bowl and said in a gentle but firm voice, "Aunt Liu, I've also heard about this. Don't worry, I will do my best to protect everyone's safety."
"That's good." Aunt Liu's face was filled with relief. "I often tell people that our village is blessed to have a great policeman."
Yu Hao smiled bitterly and shook his head.
He was in a bad mood today precisely because of this incident - he had reported the security issues in the urban village to the local police station many times, but all he got in return were a few perfunctory patrols.
What's worse, yesterday when he was catching a pickpocket on a bus passing through the village, he broke the pickpocket's arm in anger because the pickpocket resisted fiercely, and as a result he received a disciplinary notice.
Today is the first day of his suspension for reflection.
While he was distracted, he heard a "ouch" sound at the door - the boy was knocked down by a man who was walking in a hurry.
"I'm sorry, little boy." The man helped the boy up, picked up the fallen wood carving and handed it back to him.
Yu Hao narrowed his eyes and finally saw clearly that it seemed to be a wooden handle similar to the lid of a pot.
The man was wrapped up tightly, his scarf covering most of his face. He asked something in a low voice, his voice very low. With his back to Yu Hao, he couldn't see his face clearly.
The boy gave a brief answer and ran away. The man also hurried away and soon disappeared at the end of the alley.
"You're not from the village, are you? It's so cold, and you're still running around outside." Yu Hao muttered to himself and continued drinking his wontons.
After eating, he exchanged a few words with Aunt Liu and left the wonton shop.
It was completely dark outside, and fine snowflakes began to fall, like countless secrets quietly descending, covering every corner of the city.
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