Chapter 18 You Deserve Better
The school bell rang in the twilight, and children poured out of the school gates like a tide, their laughter condensing into white mist in the cold air. Yu Hao stood at the entrance of Yucai Primary School, a few snowflakes falling on his black windbreaker, his eyes anxiously searching the crowd for a familiar figure. "Uncle Yu!" A crisp voice cut through the noisy crowd. Yu Hao turned and saw Luo Xue squeeze out of the crowd, carrying a pink backpack, her little face flushed with cold. She waved goodbye to a few classmates behind her, then ran towards Yu Hao like a happy deer, her ponytail swinging happily behind her head. "Slow down, be careful not to slip." Yu Hao reached out to catch Luo Xue who was rushing towards him, and took the backpack from her shoulder. A wooden bird pendant hung on the pink backpack, shining warmly under the streetlight. "How are you feeling today?" Yu Hao squatted down, carefully studying Luo Xue's face. The shadow of yesterday's fainting still lingered in his mind. "Much better!" Luo Xue blinked her big eyes and turned around on the spot. "Look, I'm full of energy now!" Yu Hao reached out and brushed away the snow in her hair, and his heart finally relaxed a little. "Let's go, get in the car." When turning to get in the car, Yu Hao suddenly caught a glimpse of a thin figure silently watching them in the shadow in the corner of the school gate. Sun Lei stood there with his schoolbag, like a silent sculpture, out of tune with the classmates who were playing around. "Sun Lei." Yu Hao waved at him, "Let's go back together? I'll take you there." "Yes, Sun Lei, let's go together. Uncle Yu's police car is big and comfortable." Luo Xue also noticed Sun Lei standing in the corner and invited him with a smile. Sun Lei's gaze stayed on Luo Xue's face for a second, then he lowered his head and said in an almost inaudible voice: "No need. " His back as he turned and left was as thin as a fallen leaf, and quickly disappeared in the snowy twilight. Seeing this, Luo Xue tugged at the corner of Yu Hao's clothes, "Uncle Yu, don't mind it. Sun Lei has always been like this, but he is actually a very good person." Yu Hao looked at the direction where Sun Lei left thoughtfully. There was an inexplicable sense of disharmony about the lonely boy. He shook his head, "Let's go, your mother must be waiting anxiously." * The car turned the alley, and from a distance, a warm yellow light could be seen coming through the windows of the house. Pushing open the door, the rich aroma of food hit the face, dispelling the coldness on the body. Luo Xin, wearing a floral apron as usual, poked her head out of the kitchen, "Are you back?" She wiped her hands, "Dinner will be ready in five minutes." As she spoke, the spatula collided with the iron pot, and the soup pot on the stove gurgled...
The school bell rang in the twilight, and children poured out of the school like a tide, their laughter condensing into white mist in the cold air.
Yu Hao stood at the gate of Yucai Primary School, a few snowflakes fell on his black windbreaker, and his eyes were eagerly searching for the familiar figure in the crowd.
"Uncle Yu!" A clear voice pierced through the noisy crowd.
Yu Hao turned around and saw Luo Xue squeezing out of the crowd with a pink schoolbag on her back, her little face red from the cold.
She waved goodbye to several classmates behind her, then ran towards Yu Hao like a happy little deer, with her ponytail swinging happily behind her head.
"Run slower, be careful not to slip." Yu Hao reached out to catch Luo Xue who was rushing towards him, and took the schoolbag from her shoulder.
A wooden carved bird pendant hangs on the pink schoolbag, emitting a warm luster under the street light.
"How are you feeling today?" Yu Hao squatted down and carefully examined Luo Xue's face. The shadow of yesterday's fainting still lingered in his mind.
"Much better!" Luo Xue blinked her big eyes and turned around on the spot. "Look, I'm full of energy now!"
Yu Hao reached out and brushed away the snowflakes in her hair, and his heart finally relaxed a little.
"Let's go, get in the car."
When turning around to get into the car, Yu Hao suddenly caught a glimpse of a thin figure silently watching them in the shadow of the corner of the school gate.
Sun Lei stood there holding his schoolbag, like a silent sculpture, out of tune with the classmates who were playing around him.
"Sun Lei." Yu Hao waved at him, "Let's go back together. I'll take you both off."
"Yes, Sun Lei, come together. Uncle Yu's police car is big and comfortable." Luo Xue also noticed Sun Lei standing in the corner and invited him with a smile.
Sun Lei's gaze stayed on Luo Xue's face for a second, then he lowered his head and said in an almost inaudible voice, "No need."
His back as he turned and left was as thin as a fallen leaf, and soon disappeared in the snowy twilight.
Seeing this, Luo Xue tugged at Yu Hao's clothes and said, "Uncle Yu, don't mind it. Sun Lei has always been like this, but he is actually a very good person."
Yu Hao looked thoughtfully in the direction Sun Lei left. There was something inexplicably strange about the lonely boy. He shook his head and said, "Let's go. Your mother must be getting impatient."
*
As the car turned the corner, I could see a warm yellow light coming from the windows of my home in the distance. I opened the door and was greeted by the rich aroma of food, which dispelled the chill.
Luo Xin, wearing her floral apron as usual, poked her head out of the kitchen. "Are you back?" She wiped her hands. "Dinner will be served in five minutes."
As he spoke, the spatula and the iron pot made a crisp sound, and the soup pot on the stove was bubbling with steam.
Luo Xue cheered, rushed over and hugged her mother's waist, pressing her cold little face against Luo Xin's back. "Mom, you smell so good!"
"Go do your homework first." Luo Xin smiled and patted her daughter's hand, then turned to Yu Hao and said, "You should take a rest too, you'll be ready soon."
Yu Hao had no appetite, but nodded anyway, his eyes involuntarily following Luo Xin's busy figure.
The curve of her neck when she bent down to taste the soup, the arc of her wrist when she stir-fried, every movement was so familiar, yet seemed to be separated by an invisible barrier.
The phone vibrated in my pocket, and Lu Chao sent a message saying that the arrest operation was about to begin.
"Thinking about the case again?" Luo Xin's voice brought him back to reality. She was scooping up a spoonful of chicken soup with a spoon, blowing on it gently, and passing it to Yu Hao's mouth, "Taste the saltiness."
This natural and intimate gesture made Yu Hao's heart tremble. He lowered his head and took a sip from Luo Xin's hand, the delicious soup blooming on his tongue. "Just right."
"That's good. You go and accompany Xiaoxue first. The meal will be ready soon." Luo Xin turned around and said with a smile.
Yu Hao didn't leave the kitchen immediately, but stood at the door. After a moment, he asked, "Um, are you... familiar with Liu Feng?"
Luo Xin paused, the spoon making a crisp sound as it touched the edge of the pot. "Manager Liu from our store?"
"Yes, that's him."
She turned her back to Yu Hao and said calmly, "He's a nice guy and takes good care of his employees. Why are you asking this all of a sudden?"
Yu Hao stared at the tense lines of her shoulders and didn't answer directly. The aroma of mushroom stewed chicken filled the kitchen, but it couldn't hide a certain invisible tension. "I'm wondering," he said, choosing his words, "in a place like Gold Coast, should I change jobs?"
Luo Xin paused as she turned off the stove. She slowly turned around, a stubborn expression familiar to Yu Hao on her face. "I'm the same wherever I am." She poured a bowl of soup and handed it to Yu Hao. "I'm just singing."
Their eyes met, and Yu Hao saw the complex emotions flashing in her eyes. He wanted to say something, but was interrupted by Luo Xue's voice.
"Mom, hurry up, is it time to eat? I'm starving!" Luo Xue ran out of the room holding her homework book with an expectant smile on her face.
"Okay, okay, clear the table."
*
Dinner began under the warm lights. The braised pork glowed with an alluring sauce, the stir-fried vegetables were juicy green, and the chicken broth was dripping with golden oil.
Luo Xue ate voraciously, occasionally looking up at Yu Hao with her sparkling eyes.
"Uncle Yu, please tell us another case!" She asked vaguely with her mouth full of braised pork, "We haven't finished talking about the serial murder case last time."
"Why does a girl always like to listen to these things?" Luo Xin put a chicken drumstick in his daughter's bowl and gave Yu Hao a spoonful of mushrooms. "You're not afraid of nightmares."
"I'm not afraid!" Luo Xue straightened her back. "It's because of policemen like Uncle Yu that bad people dare not do bad things. I want to be a policeman in the future!" She imitated the salute and almost knocked over the soup bowl.
Yu Hao smiled, steadying his bowl as he began to recount the case. As he described the unique pattern on the suspect's shoe soles, discovered through surveillance, Luo Xue suddenly lowered her voice and said mysteriously, "By the way, something strange happened in our class today..."
"What's wrong?" Luo Xin put down his chopsticks and frowned slightly.
"Lin Xiaoyu was scratched on the face." Luo Xue lowered her voice, "It was in the playground storage room. There was a lot of blood."
Yu Hao's chopsticks stopped in mid-air. "What exactly happened?"
"During physical education class, she went to the storage room to get a jump rope," Luo Xue described vividly. "Suddenly, the lights went out, and someone came from behind..." She made a scratching motion. "When the teacher arrived, she saw her sitting on the ground crying, covering her face. She had already run away."
Luo Xin's expression turned serious: "How could this happen?"
"Hmph, you deserve it!" Luo Xue blurted out, then quickly covered her mouth, realizing her mistake. Under her mother's accusing gaze, she quietly defended herself, "Who told her to accuse me of stealing her notebook last week... and she found it in her own desk hole, and she didn't even apologize..."
Luo Xin knew about this, so she went to find their class teacher.
Yu Hao and Luo Xin exchanged a glance. Luo Xin sighed and smoothed her daughter's hair. "No matter what someone did wrong, violence is never the solution."
"I know I was wrong..." Luo Xue lowered her head, twisting the corner of her clothes with her fingers, "But Uncle Yu, many people in our class hate her, and many people are suspects."
"Do you hate her?"
"Me?" Luo Xue didn't know how to answer Yu Hao's question for a moment. After a moment, she slowly raised her head and said, "I hate her too, but I won't hurt her." Yu Hao put down his bowl and chopsticks and said in a gentle voice, "Xiaoxue, pay attention to safety at school. Don't go to remote places alone. Learn to protect yourself. We don't hurt others, and we must not be hurt by others."
"I wouldn't be like her!" Luo Xue raised her head. "Lin Xiaoyu is so arrogant just because she has a group of followers and a few boys around her every day."
Her voice suddenly dropped. "I'm different from her. I just want to study hard... and get into college so Mom won't have to work so hard."
The room fell silent for a moment, with only the occasional crackling sound of the fire.
Luo Xin reached out and hugged his daughter in his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head, and did not speak for a long time.
Yu Hao looked at the mother and daughter, feeling a heavy weight on his chest. "How's the school investigation going?" he asked, breaking the silence.
"The principal is going crazy." Luo Xue raised her head from her mother's arms. "Lin Xiaoyu's parents came to the school and made a scene. All the students who were in the playground at the time were called in for questioning."
"You went too?"
"Well, our group was cleaning at the time." Luo Xue counted on her fingers, "Me, He Xiaoxiao, Xia Yan, Wang Dandan, and..." She paused, "Sun Lei."
Yu Hao's eyebrows twitched imperceptibly. "Sun Lei is here too?"
"That's right." Luo Xue nodded, "But we all said we didn't see anything. The storage room is a blind spot for surveillance, so we can't find anything."
Luo Xin looked at his daughter worriedly: "From now on, you should go to clean together, don't go alone."
"Don't worry, Mom!" Luo Xue patted her chest, "I'm very careful."
The three of them ate quietly. Luo Xue ate quickly and put the empty bowl on the table in a short while. "Mom's cooking is so delicious. I'm full."
Yu Hao and Luo Xin looked at Luo Xue, who had a satisfied look on her face, as if a ray of light had dispelled the haze in their hearts.
Luo Xue turned to Yu Hao, a hint of curiosity flashing in her eyes again, "Uncle Yu, will the police take care of this kind of thing?"
"If it was an accident, the school will handle it." Yu Hao chose his words, "If it is confirmed to be intentional injury..." He was interrupted by Luo Xin.
"Xiaoxue, it's time to review tomorrow's lessons." Luo Xin stood up and cleared the dishes. "Let your Uncle Yu rest for a while."
Indeed, at this moment, Yu Hao's face seemed to be filled with the word "tiredness".
Luo Xue said "Oh" reluctantly, dragged her feet towards the desk, and did not forget to turn around and make a face at Hao.
In the kitchen, the sound of running water was heard.
Yu Hao stood at the door, watching Luo Xin wash the dishes. Her shoulders trembled slightly, and her fingers scrubbed the dishes vigorously, as if trying to thoroughly clean some invisible stain.
"Are you okay?" he asked softly.
Luo Xin didn't look back, but just shook her head. A drop of water slid down her cheek, and it was hard to tell whether it was tap water or tears. "It's okay..." Her voice was so light that it sounded like a sigh, "I'm just a little tired."
Yu Hao wanted to reach out and comfort her, but stopped mid-air. It was as if there was an invisible wall of ice between the two of them. They were so close, yet they couldn't touch.
At this moment, the phone vibrated in his pocket. Lu Chao's message was brief and heavy: "Liu Feng has been brought to justice."
Yu Hao's heart sank. "I have to go," he whispered, picking up his coat draped over the back of a chair.
Luo Xin turned around and wiped his wet hands on his apron: "Be careful on the road."
Her eyes looked particularly deep under the dim light of the kitchen, filled with emotions that Yu Hao could not understand.
When he walked out the door, Yu Hao couldn't help but look back. Luo Xin was standing in front of the window, snowflakes were flying outside the window, and her figure formed a blurry silhouette on the glass.
For some reason, this scene made Yu Hao's heart tighten, as if something important was slipping through his fingers.
"Mom, why are you crying?" Luo Xue's voice came from the inner room.
"It's okay, I choked on the fumes." Luo Xin wiped his face hastily, "Hurry up and do your homework."
Yu Hao stepped into the snowy night. The red and blue lights of a police car flashed in the distance, like an uneasy heartbeat.
He took one last look at the warm window, turned and walked into the darkness, snowflakes falling on his shoulders, cold and silent.
Inside the window, Luo Xin watched Yu Hao's departing figure, tears finally bursting out. "I'm sorry..." she said silently, her fingers tightly gripping the windowsill, "You deserve better..."
Luo Xue came to her side at some point and gently wiped away the tears from her mother's face with her little hands.
"Mom, don't cry." Her childish voice carried a maturity beyond her years. "Uncle Yu will always be with us, right?"
Luo Xin held his daughter tightly in his arms and didn't answer. The fire gradually dimmed, and the snow outside the house fell heavier, covering all the tire tracks on the way in.
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