Chapter 184 The video Xu Nian mentioned is a clue...
Guan Xia looked at Ning Ping'an's condition. Although he was thin, looked numb and listless, he had no obvious external injuries. Even if he had to undergo a physical examination and cooperate with the Anjiang District Branch for injury assessment, he would not stay in Baofeng City for long. Who knew that by the time they really left Baofeng City and returned to Shangshuang City, it was already September 12th.
Although Ning Ping'an had no obvious external injuries, she suffered from severe psychological trauma, severe malnutrition, and moderate anemia. The doctors at the Children's Hospital did not give them a good look after receiving the test report and immediately arranged for her to be hospitalized without any refusal.
Guan Xia and the others naturally couldn't tell anyone about the unfinished case, not even Ning Ping'an's attending physician. So during the time Ning Ping'an was hospitalized, everyone, including Lu Tingfeng, had seen the doctor's expression.
Fortunately, although the doctor has a bad temper, his experience and work ethic are very professional.
During the hospitalization, Ning Ping'an became visibly healthier. Although her skin was still a little pale, it was no longer as pale as when she was first rescued. Perhaps because she had been locked up in the basement for so long, the 9-year-old now particularly liked the sun and was afraid of the dark. She slept with the lights on every day. No matter how strong the sun was at noon, she would still walk and jump in the sun, as if she was getting to know the world for the first time and was full of curiosity about everything.
She likes to look at flowers, grass, and people, especially children younger than her. It seems like she is curious about how there can be children younger than her in the world. Whenever she meets one, she will stare at them intently.
Ning Ping'an was a big eater. At first, Guan Xia thought she was afraid of being hungry, so she forced herself to eat a lot at every meal. Her stomach was bulging, and she felt uncomfortable and wanted to vomit. Every time she vomited, Ji An and another person who was responsible for taking care of her that day would be scolded.
Guan Xia and the others were very worried about the child, so no one dared to ask. Only Pang Le couldn't help but ask. One night, after being scolded by Ning Ping'an's attending doctor, she hesitated for a while, and finally squatted at the head of Ning Ping'an's bed and asked quietly, "Ping'an, tell me Aunt Pang, why do you force yourself to eat so much even though you are full? Every time you eat too much, you vomit. Don't you feel uncomfortable?"
Perhaps due to the contact they had these days, Ning Ping'an had grown a little bolder, and answered quietly, "Because, because only by eating more can you grow taller, gain weight, and gain strength."
When Guan Xia noticed Pang Le's sneaky behavior, she had been paying attention to her. At this time, she was standing by the window not far from the two of them and eavesdropping. Guan Xia could not see Pang Le's expression, but she felt very uncomfortable in an instant.
She almost immediately understood what Ning Ping'an meant. She despised herself for being too weak and longed to be as tall and strong as an adult. So even though it was uncomfortable, she forced herself to eat a lot every day, hoping to grow faster and faster.
Pang Le had her back to Guan Xia and was facing Ning Ping'an. Although Guan Xia couldn't see her expression, she could tell from her voice that she was also very moved and sad.
Pang Le sniffed and said in a muffled voice, "Where did you hear that, Xiao Ping'an? Was it on TV? What they say on TV isn't entirely true. You should eat well, not too much. Look at your Aunt Pang, isn't she tall and strong? That's because your Aunt Pang eats meat and vegetables, eggs and milk every day. Most importantly, your Aunt Pang exercises every day, so she can run fast and has the strength to beat up bad guys. Do you want to be like your Aunt Pang, Xiao Ping'an?"
Under the dim light in the ward, Guan Xia's eyes lit up when she saw Ning Ping'an lying on the bed. She answered eagerly, "Yes."
"That's right," Pang Le smiled and touched Ning Ping'an's little head. "Then promise Aunt Pang, okay? Be like Aunt Pang and just eat well, not eat too much. When our little Ping'an gets better, follow Aunt Pang, Aunt Ji, or Aunt Zhong to run and practice boxing. That way, when you grow up, you can be as good as your Aunt Pang."
Ning Ping'an listened very carefully, and the look in his eyes became more eager, but he asked uncertainly, "Really?"
"Of course it's true," Pang Le gently stroked Ning Ping'an's head again and again, saying, "Your Aunt Pang never lies. Your Aunt Pang is a world champion, how could she lie to you? How about this, Aunt Pang show you the championship medal you won?"
It was rare for Pang Le to squat at the head of the bed so patiently and chat happily with a skinny little child. The two talked about which meat was delicious, and also about how as long as you keep running, you can run away from bad guys even if you can't beat them.
Guan Xia smiled and watched for a while, then quietly left the ward and walked over to Ji An, who was standing at the door, smiling and looking at him, reluctant to look away. She said with a smile, "I never thought Pang Le was actually an invisible child king. Ping An, this kid, talked more to Pang Le tonight than he did to me all these days combined."
"Thank you so much," Ji An suddenly said, "Really, Guan Xia, thank you. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to find Ping An so quickly. I feel like I'm still dreaming every day. I never thought that even after Ning Xin died, I could still find Ning Ping An."
The case that had been investigated for more than four years suddenly had a result. One of the two missing people was found alive. Even Guan Xia sometimes felt like she was dreaming. Everything was beautiful, just like in novels and TV dramas. Even though she could see Ning Ping'an every day, it still felt a little unreal.
Guan Xia didn't speak immediately, but hugged Ji An quietly for a while, then smiled and said, "We are friends, Sister Ji. We are friends who have risked our lives together, so how can we still say thank you? You can say it to me, but don't say it to Pang Le. I'm too lazy to listen to her nagging."
Ji An knew that Guan Xia was deliberately trying to make her laugh, and she tried hard to hold back her emotions, but ultimately failed. She relaxed her head on Guan Xia's shoulder and softly replied, "Yeah, okay, I won't say thank you anymore."
After staying in the hospital for ten days, not only Ning Ping'an was eager to be discharged, but Guan Xia and the others also wanted to return to Shangshuang City all the time. So on September 12, they were discharged in the morning and appeared at the airport in the afternoon.
By the time they returned to Shangshuang City, it was completely dark. But to their surprise, Guan Xia and her friends saw two gray-haired old men at the airport exit. They didn't know how long they had been waiting. The two men leaned against each other with their hands clasped, looking inside nervously and expectantly.
There was no need for Guan Xia and the others to call for help. The moment Ji An appeared at the exit holding Ning Ping'an, the old man, whose eyesight was already a little blurry, suddenly widened his eyes, and then he couldn't control his emotions and shed tears. He wanted to say something, but he was choked with sobs and couldn't utter a word. He could only cover his mouth with one hand and wave the other hand excitedly at them.
Ji An was also very excited. He carried Ning Ping'an in his arms and walked quickly through the crowd. As he walked towards the two elderly people, he whispered to Ning Ping'an in his arms, "Ping'an, Ping'an, look who those are. Do you remember? Those are your grandparents. Your favorite candied apples when you were a child were made by your grandpa. Your grandma also made you a little bunny doll, a white bunny with red eyes and long ears. Do you remember?"
After these days, Ning Ping'an has become more fluent in speaking. After hearing this, he thought carefully and said in a low voice: "Ping'an remember, the candied apple is delicious and sweet, and the bunny doll is cute."
After finally walking through the isolation tape, the elderly couple immediately came forward. Looking at Ning Ping'an in Ji An's arms, they wanted to hug her, but just as they reached out their hands, they pulled them back. In the end, they didn't really hug her. They just forced a smile and said, "Ping'an, do you still remember grandma? Grandma has always missed you."
Grandma Ning, who was trying hard to control her emotions, suddenly remembered something and quickly took out a small bunny doll from her small bag. She held it in front of Ning Ping'an with an expectant expression and said with a smile, "Look, what grandma brought you, a bunny doll, a small bunny doll. Do you like it, Ping'an?"
Grandpa Ning was squeezed aside by Grandma Ning and wanted to interrupt very much, but he couldn't find the opportunity. He just stared at Ning Ping'an.
Ning Ping'an snuggled up in Ji An's arms, looking at Grandma Ning, then Grandpa Ning. After several minutes, he nodded and said, "Cute, Ping'an likes it."
Hearing these words, the tears that Grandma Ning had been trying so hard to hold back could no longer be held back and burst out.
But the next second, she remembered that it was not appropriate to cry in such a situation, so she wiped her tears while stuffing the rabbit doll into Ning Ping'an's hands, choking and saying incoherently: "As long as Ping'an likes it, Ping'an, as long as you like it, that's good."
When Grandma Ning cried like this, Grandpa Ning also burst into tears. He looked at Ning Ping'an with tears in his eyes, as if he was looking at her, but also as if he was recalling someone else through her.
The two old people surrounded Ning Ping'an and cried bitterly until Ning Ping'an tentatively called out the names of grandma and grandpa. Only then did they calm down a little, and with tears in their eyes, they smiled and asked everyone to go home.
After meeting again after five years, Guan Xia and the others naturally would not disturb them at this time, so after sending the four people back to the community where the two elderly people lived, they planned to return to the hotel.
After being busy for almost a month and a half, he finally has some free time. Although there is still some follow-up information about some cases that he wants to know, Guan Xia really can't muster the energy. He originally planned to have a good sleep and talk about it tomorrow.
Unexpectedly, just as they got back to the car, Lu Tingfeng was fastening his seat belt when Xu Nian suddenly bent down and called out to Guan Xia through the open car window, "Guan Xia, wait, I have something to say."
Guan Xia turned around and glanced at him unexpectedly. After a moment's thought, she thought he had received some news about her sister again. She was about to go to a secluded corner to talk like last time, but before she could even get up, she saw Xu Nian looking at Lu Tingfeng again and said, "Old Lu, come too."
Unexpectedly, there was also the matter of Lu Tingfeng. Guan Xia subconsciously exchanged glances with Lu Tingfeng. Although she didn't know what Xu Nian was going to say, the fact that Lu Tingfeng was there meant that it had nothing to do with her blood sister, and it must be about the case.
Sure enough, the two followed Xu Nian to the side and saw Xu Nian pursed his lips first, looked at Lu Tingfeng with a complicated expression, and then said, "Old Lu, I just received a message from the special task force. When they were thoroughly investigating the Wu Xingxian case, they found something on the deceased assistant Dong Yihong."
Guan Xia looked at Lu Tingfeng, then at Xu Nian. She always felt that Xu Nian was acting strangely at this moment. Normally, after working together for so long, news like this would usually be shared with Guan Xia first. But today, Xu Nian acted out of character. He skipped Guan Xia and talked directly to Lu Tingfeng.
There was also that rare complex expression on his face. Guan Xia had a vague premonition of something and stared at Xu Nian's face, seeing sadness, sympathy, heartache, and helplessness in it.
Lu Tingfeng was such a smart man. Guan Xia realized something was wrong, and he soon realized it too. He had a somewhat nonchalant expression on his face, but within a few seconds, it quickly changed, becoming more and more serious and tense. After a few minutes, as if he had figured it out, he asked in a hoarse voice that was a little nervous and a little incredulous, "Are you talking about...my sister's...case?"
Lu Tingfeng spoke with some difficulty, staring at Xu Nian without blinking, waiting for an answer.
Xu Nian's expression became more complicated. His neck seemed rusty. He nodded stiffly and said with difficulty, "Yes, they recovered some data from Dong Yihong's phone and found several videos."
When things got to this point, Guan Xia suddenly understood and her eyes widened in disbelief.
Lu Tingfeng's eyes also widened, as if he had heard some shocking news. His lips trembled slightly and his eyes quickly turned red, but there were no tears or excitement in them, only a look of hatred that seemed to want to cut the person into pieces.
It was the first time that Guan Xia saw such a ruthless expression and eyes on Lu Tingfeng's face. She was stunned until Lu Tingfeng turned around and jumped into the car without saying a word. Only then did she realize what was going on and subconsciously raised her legs to chase after him.
But how could a person be faster than a car? Guan Xia had just run a few steps when Lu Tingfeng started the car, stepped on the accelerator, and quickly disappeared from everyone's sight.
Guan Xia and Xu Nian had serious expressions, but everyone else looked bewildered. Pang Le and Zhong Xiaoyu exchanged a bewildered glance, then turned to Guan Xia and asked, "What's going on with Lu Tingfeng? He was fine, so why did he suddenly drive off? Did Xu Nian have a fight with him? That shouldn't be the case. Isn't Xu Nian the one who gets angry more easily?"
As Pang Le spoke, he turned his head and glanced at Xu Nian's expression. It was obvious that he wanted to say something sarcastic, but he swallowed it back.
Jiang Yingyao and Qi Bai, who had been chatting casually on the side of the road, joined them. Seeing this, they looked in the direction Lu Tingfeng had left, then turned back to Xu Nian. They couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong, Captain Xu? Is there something urgent that requires Brother Lu to act alone at this hour, or have you given him some special mission?"
Xu Nian still looked at the direction where Lu Tingfeng drove away, shook his head and said, "No, the task force was investigating Wu Xingxian's case and found clues to his sister's case."
Qi Bai looked at Jiang Yingyao in surprise, then immediately realized, "So, he's in such a hurry to go to the Nanping Branch?"
Xu Nian nodded.
Qi Bai immediately started shouting, "Then what are we waiting for? Let's get in the car and go. Brother Lu's sister's case is our case. Ping An has been found, and the task force won't need us for a while. So why don't we hurry up and solve Brother Lu's sister's case as well?"
Qi Bai said as he jumped into the car in a hurry. Seeing that no one was moving, he couldn't help but stick his head out again and urged, "What are you guys still standing there for? Get in the car quickly."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yingyao and the others got into the car one after another. Only Guan Xia, Xu Nian and Pang Le, who knew Guan Xia very well, remained standing where they were.
Guan Xia just felt that her mind was a little confused, and the words Xu Nian had just said flashed through her mind frequently.
Mobile phone, video, Assistant Dong, flashed through Guan Xia's mind and she recalled the night Wu Xingxian was killed. One of the six survivors, a young woman named Tian, gave a confession to the task force. She couldn't remember the exact words, but she clearly remembered that Assistant Dong was said to be an elderly person close to Wu, and was said to have brought him with him before coming to Shangshuang City.
Guan Xia thought about the relationship between Wu Xingxian, Wu Yang and the criminal organization, as well as the time when Lu Tingfeng's sister was murdered that Pang Le had found out. His mind became clearer and clearer, and he gradually formed a guess that Xu Nian had not said yet, but was very likely very close to the truth.
Wu Xingxian's assistant, Dong Yihong, was the murderer who killed Lu Tingfeng's sister. At that time, he had just followed Wu Xingxian to Shangshuang City for development not long ago, or when Wu Xingxian came, he was still secretly helping Wu Xingxian to clean up the mess. Somehow he saw Lu Tingfeng's sister, and for some unknown reason he tortured and killed Lu Tingfeng's sister.
If Guan Xia's guess is correct, the video mentioned by Xu Nian is both a clue and evidence, and it is also the whole process of Lu Tingfeng's sister being murdered.
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