Chapter 49: After all, there is no escape
It was New Year's Eve, early in the morning. Yu Hao woke up early as usual, but instead of getting out of bed, he stared blankly at the cracks in the ceiling. It struck him that the pattern resembled the floor plan of the Star-Moon Hotel, winding its way into a knot. His phone vibrated beside his pillow. He picked it up and glanced at it. It was a New Year's greeting from the group chat. Luo Xin's profile picture was still pinned to the top, but there were no notifications. Yu Hao felt a pang of emptiness inside. His fingertips hovered over the chat box, typing and deleting, until only a blank space remained. Last New Year's Eve, they had spent it together. Luo Xin was busy making dumplings, while Luo Xue fiddled with her new clothes, grinning like a cheerful little sparrow. He sat on a small stool, helping to peel garlic. The pungent smell made his eyes sore, but his heart felt warm. But this year, all of this had left him, never to be relived. Yu Hao shuddered and forced himself to get out of bed. He couldn't let this emotion consume him. He had much to do. After a quick wash, he donned his police jacket, grabbed the gifts he'd prepared the night before, and headed out. Many residents of the urban village have lived here for generations. While demolition wasn't far off, the approaching Lunar New Year has seen more people return, and some who had left have returned. Many houses have been decorated with spring couplets and hung with red lanterns. Though the village is run-down, the festive atmosphere is far stronger than in the city beyond. Yu Hao visited the homes of Uncle Zhang, Aunt Liu, and Aunt Yu, among other elders, to pay their respects and offer New Year gifts. He then went to a suburban cemetery to burn incense for his deceased parents. By the time he finished, the sun was already overhead. Yu Hao rolled down the window, bracing himself against the crisp sea breeze as he aimlessly drove along the coastline. Before he knew it, he'd turned onto the road to the police station. He parked the car mechanically, unsure of his own whereabouts. Old Wang, munching on an apple in the duty room, was startled when he saw him. "Captain Yu? You're not taking a break during the Lunar New Year?" "Come and take a look." Yu Hao curled his lips, and without stopping, he headed straight for the office building. The corridor was silent. The voice-activated lights lit up as he passed, then slowly dimmed behind him. He'd assumed the team was empty, but the moment he pushed open the office door, he was stunned. Zhang Min sat at her desk, staring intently at her computer, checking a video. Her hair was casually tied up, a few strands falling across her face. Black-framed glasses perched on her nose, her eyes gleaming with concentration. When she heard the noise, she turned, a flicker of surprise in her eyes, then she regained focus...
New Year's Eve, early morning.
Yu Hao woke up early as usual, but did not get up immediately. Instead, he stared blankly at the cracks on the ceiling.
He suddenly felt that the pattern looked very much like the floor plan of the Star-Moon Hotel, winding and tangled into a knot.
The phone vibrated beside his pillow. He picked up the phone and took a look. It was a New Year's greeting from the group.
Luo Xin's avatar was still at the top, but there was no message reminder. Yu Hao felt empty inside. His fingertips hovered over the dialog box, typing and deleting, leaving only a blank space.
They spent last year's New Year's Eve together. Luo Xin was busy making dumplings, while Luo Xue kept fiddling with her new clothes, smiling like a happy little sparrow. He sat on a small stool and helped peel garlic. The spicy smell of garlic made his eyes sore, but his heart was warm.
But this year, all of this has left me and can never be relived.
Yu Hao shuddered and forced himself to turn over and get out of bed. He couldn't let this emotion consume him. He still had a lot of things to do.
After a quick wash, he put on his police uniform, picked up the gift he had prepared last night, and walked out the door.
Many people in the urban village have lived here for generations. Although there is not much time left before the demolition, as the New Year approaches, the number of people in the village has increased. Some people who have left have returned, and many houses have posted couplets and hung red lanterns. Although the village is dilapidated, the New Year atmosphere is much stronger than that in the city outside the village.
Yu Hao visited the homes of Uncle Zhang, Aunt Liu, Aunt Yu and other elders to pay their respects and present New Year's gifts. He then went to a cemetery in the suburbs to burn incense for his deceased parents. When he finished, the sun was already overhead.
Yu Hao rolled down the car window, facing the crisp sea breeze, and aimlessly drove the police car along the coastline. Before he knew it, he turned onto the road to the police station.
The police car drove into the police station compound and he parked the car mechanically, not even knowing why he came here.
Old Wang in the duty room was chewing an apple. He was startled when he saw him: "Captain Yu? You're not taking a break during the New Year?"
"Come and take a look." Yu Hao curled his lips and walked straight to the office building without stopping.
The corridor was quiet. The voice-activated lights lit up as he walked past, and then slowly went out behind him.
He thought there was no one in the team, but when he pushed open the office door, he was stunned.
Zhang Min was sitting at her desk, staring intently at the computer while watching the video.
Her hair was casually tied up, with a few strands hanging on her cheeks. She wore black-framed glasses on her nose, and her eyes behind the lenses were bright and focused.
When she heard the noise, she turned her head, a flash of surprise in her eyes, and then she regained her composure: "Captain Yu?"
"Why are you here too?" Yu Hao closed the door and the heater dispelled some of the coldness from his body.
Zhang Min pointed to the video on her computer. "My home is out of town. It would be troublesome to go back, so I'd rather sort out and review the case materials here." She paused. "Captain Yu, why are you back too?"
Yu Hao poured a cup of tea and said, "Nothing. I was thinking about the case and came here unconsciously."
Zhang Min didn't say anything else and turned around to continue watching the video. The office was quiet, with only the occasional gurgling sound of the radiator.
The sound of firecrackers outside the window became more and more frequent, and the coldness in the office formed a sharp contrast with the hustle and bustle outside.
Yu Hao glanced at Zhang Min. He had recruited this girl when she was first recruited at the police academy, because he had noticed her serious personality and independent thinking ability.
Over the years, the girl's growth impressed him and he put forward many groundbreaking ideas in solving cases.
Thinking of this, Yu Hao couldn't help but feel relieved.
"How was the video?" Yu Hao asked.
Zhang Min turned her head and said, "I've just gotten some clues." She took off her glasses, rubbed her eyes, and continued, "I always feel like someone is following Luo Xin."
Hearing the name "Luo Xin," Yu Hao's heart trembled. He knew that Zhang Min must have been targeting the known prostitutes. Besides investigating their relationships, she was also investigating their travel destinations and contacts. This was the Zhang Min he knew.
After all, he had tacitly agreed to this idea at the end of the previous meeting. He also knew that even if he opposed it, Zhang Min would privately investigate along this line of thought as long as she felt it was correct.
He couldn't hide Luo Xin's affairs from any angle. In fact, when he was talking to Luo Xin, he had already made a difficult decision.
He knew about the stalking, but nothing similar happened afterwards, so he didn't take it to heart.
"Oh, I know." "You know?" Zhang Min was obviously a little surprised.
Yu Hao nodded. "I heard about it. He seemed to be an alcoholic or something."
Zhang Min looked at Yu Hao and frowned.
"What? Was I wrong?" Seeing Zhang Min's expression, Yu Hao realized that she did not agree with what he said, and couldn't help asking.
"I don't know if he's an alcoholic, but judging by his condition, it doesn't seem like it. He has dark skin and a tall build, and his travel history overlaps with Luo Xin's on multiple occasions and at different times."
Zhang Min's words immediately caught Yu Hao's attention. He stood up and walked to Zhang Min's side.
"Captain Yu, look, I've checked all the videos of Luo Xin, Xiao Fang, and Yang Lian going in and out of places. I found that wherever Luo Xin appears, there's always someone else who shows up as well." Zhang Min opened a folder containing video screenshots. "Captain Yu, look."
She then gave a few examples. In the places where Luo Xin appeared, such as the vegetable market, bus station, KTV, hospital, store, etc., a tall man would appear from time to time. The moment Yu Hao saw this man, he frowned because he knew this man.
It was Sun Yong.
What's going on?
From the perspective of the video, the time when the two people appeared in the same place did not match completely. There was always a gap of five or six minutes, which did not seem like stalking.
If it is a coincidence, the repeated occurrence of "coincidence" has exceeded the concept of coincidence. Obviously, there is a problem here.
However, seeing how Zhang Min was able to find such character relationships from such a large amount of clueless videos, I couldn't help but marvel at her concentration and observation skills.
Yu Hao nodded and said, "I know this man. He's from the village, his name is Sun Yong. As for why this happened, I will find out."
Zhang Min glanced at Yu Hao and asked, "Should this person be included in the scope of investigation?"
"Can."
Zhang Min wrote down the name "Sun Yong" in her notebook.
At this moment, Yu Hao's cell phone rang. He opened the text message and found it was from an unfamiliar number.
"Captain Yu, I'm Sun Yong. I'd like to invite you to have dinner with me on New Year's Eve at 7 p.m. Our new home has just been renovated, so let's just warm up the pot."
Yu Hao frowned slightly. Just when he was talking about him, he received a message from the other party. Some things were really indescribably wonderful.
In previous years, Yu Hao had never received his invitation. Even before the murder, he and Sun Yong had only met a few times. Although they lived in the village at the same time, when Sun Yong moved in, Yu Hao had already become a criminal policeman. Apart from going home to sleep, he rarely stayed in the village.
What happened today? Was he guilty, was it related to the case? Or had he noticed something?
That shouldn’t be the case. I only found out a few minutes ago that he was following Luo Xin.
Yu Hao couldn't figure it out, but he didn't want to refuse the invitation. First, he had nowhere to go on New Year's Eve anyway. Although Sun Wei had invited him that morning, he felt it wasn't appropriate, as New Year's Eve was a time for family reunions. Second, he wondered if Sun Yong was truly connected to Luo Xin and the case.
"Okay, thanks for the invitation, see you tonight." Yu Hao replied with a thoughtful look on his face.
"What's wrong, Captain Yu? Is there something wrong?" Zhang Min looked up and asked when she saw Yu Hao's expression change.
"Oh, it's just a little thing. I'll tell you later." Yu Hao put on his coat and turned to Zhang Xian and said, "Go home early. Today is New Year's Eve. Have a good rest."
Zhang Min smiled slightly, "Okay Captain Yu, you too, happy new year."
"Happy New Year." Yu Hao said, turned and walked out of the office.
*
Just after seven o'clock, Yu Hao stood at the door of Sun Yong's house.
The original wooden door has been replaced with a brand new anti-theft door. The "Fu" character inlaid with gold edges and the couplets on both sides exude the atmosphere of the Spring Festival.
He knocked on the door and soon there was a response from inside.
"Here it comes!" Sun Yong's voice came mixed with the roar of the range hood.
The moment the door opened, the aroma of stewed meat gushed out, mixed with the flavor of chopped green onions and soy sauce, dispelling most of the coldness in the corridor.
"Captain Yu, come in quickly." Sun Yong, wearing an apron with the words "Peace is a blessing" printed on it and clutching a spatula, said, "I was just about to call you."
Yu Hao walked in sideways, his eyes unconsciously sweeping across the living room.
What was originally supposed to be two small rooms has now been connected into a spacious living room. The walls are freshly painted white, the floor is covered with light-colored composite boards, and the radiator in the corner is wrapped with wooden grilles, on which is placed a pot of green ivy with shiny green leaves.
"Well-prepared." Yu Hao placed the gift in his hand on the shoe cabinet. "It took a lot of thought."
"It's just a mess." Sun Yong rubbed his hands and laughed, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes squeezed together. "I always thought it was okay to just make do with it, but Lei Zi said he wanted a proper home, so I just renovated it." He nodded towards the kitchen. "Hurry and sit down, the TV is on, watch it."
Yu Hao felt that Sun Yong was a little different today than usual. He seemed to be much more talkative, and there was an indescribable excitement on his face.
There were already five or six dishes on the table. The tail of the braised fish was sticking up high, the braised prawns were bright red, and there was also a plate of smashed cucumbers sprinkled with sesame seeds and chili oil. It looked refreshing.
Yu Hao sat down on the sofa, the leather cushions still smelled of new furniture.
"Lei Zi!" Sun Yong called from the kitchen. The sound of the range hood suddenly stopped. "Captain Yu is here. Come out and say hello."
A "hmm" sound came from the inner room, and then the door was pushed open a crack.
Sun Lei sat on a small stool by the window, with a piece of wood on his knees. The carving knife in his hand was flying up and down, and wood chips fell on the black cloth like snowflakes.
Hearing the noise, he raised his head and blinked his eyes behind the glasses: "Captain Yu."
"Are you busy?" Yu Hao's eyes fell on the piece of wood. He could vaguely see the shape of a butterfly, and the patterns on its wings were already taking shape.
"Hmm." Sun Lei lowered his head, the carving knife making a small sound as it scratched the wood. "It's almost done."
Sun Yong came out of the kitchen carrying a plate of stir-fried vegetables and put it on the table: "This kid only knows how to tinker with these things."
Yu Hao smiled and said, "It's a good hobby."
He wanted to help Sun Yong do something, but after being rejected by Sun Yong with a smile, he sat back on the sofa.
The TV was playing the warm-up program for the Spring Festival Gala. The loud singing and dancing made the house even quieter.
"By the way," Sun Yong came out of the kitchen, wiping his hands, "there will be guests soon, all of them acquaintances, it will be lively and lively."
Yu Hao hummed, not asking any further questions. He guessed it might be a neighbor from the village, or perhaps a friend of Sun Yong's, and his fingers unconsciously rubbed the rim of the teacup.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
"He must be here." Sun Yong was pouring vinegar into the pot, unable to move his hands. "Captain Yu, please open the door."
Yu Hao stood up and walked to the door. The door chain unfastened with a "click". He opened the door and the smile on his face froze instantly.
Standing at the door were Luo Xin and Luo Xue.
This was something he had never expected. He was a little surprised and a little happy at the same time.
Luo Xin was wearing a beige down jacket, her hair was tied into a low ponytail, her cheeks were red from the cold, and she was holding a thermos in her hand.
Luo Xue hid behind her and poked her head out. When she saw Yu Hao, her eyes lit up: "Uncle Yu!"
Time seemed to stand still at this moment. Yu Hao could hear his own heartbeat, which was particularly clear in the empty corridor, louder than the gongs and drums on TV.
He opened his mouth and wanted to say "Happy New Year", but found that his throat seemed to be blocked and he couldn't utter a word.
Luo Xin's eyes were also a little flustered, and his fingers gripping the thermos tightened, turning white.
The two were silent for a moment, but they said at the same time, "Why are you here?"
There was another awkward moment.
"Brother Sun invited us to dinner." Luo Xin's voice was very soft, as if he was afraid of disturbing anything. "He said it was a lively New Year, so he asked my mother and I to come over and sit with him."
The kitchen range hood started to sound again, and Sun Yong's voice came through the door: "Is that Luo Xin? Come in quickly, it's cold outside!"
Yu Hao stepped aside to let them in, his eyes falling on Luo Xin. Her down jacket was zipped up high, almost covering half of her face. Only her eyes, gleaming with complex light in the warm light, seemed to contain a thousand words, yet she couldn't utter a single word.
"Uncle Yu, Uncle Yu, it's great that we can celebrate New Year's Eve together again." Luo Xue jumped into the house, "Wow, it's so beautiful." She couldn't help but sigh when she saw the decoration inside the house.
Luo Xin didn't have the heart to check the layout of Sun Yong's new house. He just lowered his head slightly, walked to the dining table, and put the thermos on the table.
Perhaps hearing Luo Xue's voice, Sun Lei walked out of the house.
"Sun Lei, what are you doing?" Seeing Sun Lei, Luo Xue walked over from Yu Hao's arms.
Sun Lei raised his head and when he saw Luo Xue, the corners of his mouth curved up in a rare gesture: "Carve a butterfly."
Yu Hao stood at the door, looking at the scene in the living room - Luo Xin put the thermos on the table, Sun Yong poked his head out of the kitchen to talk to her, Luo Xue circled around Sun Lei's small stool, and the singing and dancing on TV were still loud.
The scene was as warm as a painting, but it made him feel like an intruder, and he didn't know where to put his hands and feet.
It turned out that the guests Sun Yong was talking about were them.
I can’t escape this New Year’s Eve after all.
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