Chapter 6

The day after her 80th birthday last year, the still-spry Zhao Guoying quietly packed her belongings and moved into the cadre nursing home without seeking permission. Her reasoning? Plenty of retired colleagues there, so it was lively. The younger generations tried reasoning with her, but in the end, they had no choice but to agree.

That summer, considering the old house had aged poorly, the family gathered and decided to purchase a split-level townhouse in Bincheng Jingyue, Lingkou District. The community was designed with livability in mind, boasting low building density and lush greenery. The roughly six-meter double-height ceilings in parts of the floors let fresh air and sunlight in at any time.

This summer, they officially moved into the place that had sat vacant for six months after renovation. Five bedrooms, two living rooms, two bathrooms, and a study. Nie Fanxin and Wan Yi’s rooms were on the second floor, with the other three on the first.

The night deepened. Nie Fanxin turned the key and deliberately made a small noise with Wan Yi. A sliver of light from Nie Zhiyan and Wan Tong’s room near the balcony went out instantly.

The heating was on full blast, so the two quietly changed shoes and passed the dining room. A figure on the sofa stirred and sat up.

“Bei, Fanxin and the others are home. Let’s go to bed.” The speaker was Nie Zhilan, now in her sixties. Retirement suited her, and she kept active, looking barely fifty. She gently patted the shoulder of the person whose head rested in her lap, her voice even gentler.

“Mm, okay.” Gu Bei rolled over, slipped on her slippers, and took two steps before instructing, “It’s already 11. When you two shower, have half a bowl of congee each, no more. Too much isn’t good for digestion.”

“Mom, we know. Go to sleep—you can barely keep your eyes open.” Nie Fanxin gently massaged Gu Bei’s shoulders. “Good night.”

Wan Yi likewise said good night.

The next morning, the working household rose early. By 7:10, Nie Fanxin had finished washing up and came downstairs to find four people already at the table.

Zhao Guoying called, “Fanxin, come here.”

“Grandma.” Nie Fanxin wrapped her arms around Zhao Guoying affectionately.

“Eat first.” Zhao Guoying smiled and patted the hands on her shoulder. “Xiaoyu’s already finished.”

“That’s fine, Old Wan will join me.” Nie Fanxin chuckled and pulled out the chair beside Wan Yi. Across from them, a person in a white shirt and dark blue uniform had indeed just started eating.

Some habits never changed after decades: sleeping in, for example, and pet names.

“Yanyan will ride with you later. I’ve got something to do and can’t drive her.” Back in the day, Wan Xiaotong had grown rapidly to fill Nie Zhilan’s shoes, tackling backlogged cases and leading her officers through major and complex investigations. Only her temperament never changed. Nie Zhiyan often said she was even more childish than Wan Yi, though she couldn’t help indulging it. Occasionally, when her inner child took over, she would horse around with her for a while.

Nie Fanxin was efficient in most things but a slow eater. It took her eight minutes to finish a single low-oil pancake. She suddenly asked, “Old Wan, why isn’t the municipal bureau sending support to Nanyun? They trust us that much?”

Wan Tong took the straw Nie Zhiyan handed her and responded with a question: “Don’t you have confidence?”

“Hard to say.”

“I have faith in Hanhan.” Wan Tong caught a glare identical to Gu Bei’s and amended, “And in you too. As for Xiaoyu, no need to say more. She takes after Yanyan.”

But Nie Zhiyan—the very person Wan Tong had mentioned—had at some point swapped her cooking apron for outdoor clothes and reminded them, “Time to go.”

“The undisputed master of keeping everyone happy. I’m impressed.” Nie Fanxin grabbed the milk carton she’d only half finished and hurried to join the two waiting by the door.

As the door closed behind them, Wan Yi seemed to remember something. With distance between them, she raised her voice: “Grandma, don’t rush back to the nursing home. Stay a few more days. After New Year’s, we’ll take you back.”

“Alright, alright. Whatever you say. Drive carefully.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Nie Fanxin called back, tugging the leisurely Wan Yi toward the elevator.

At nine sharp, after a brief meeting, everyone dispersed. Chu Wanning took Chen Anyou and Nie Fanxin with a search warrant to the sixth floor of Honghuai Yuanyang, the home of Lu Zhenglin and Lan Hui.

Chen Anyou drove while the two women sat in the back. Nie Fanxin occasionally glanced over at Chu Wanning’s well-defined profile, which carried the same stubborn determination as always.

Wan Tong had once mentioned Chu Wanning’s childhood dream: to become a teacher and educate others. Then she’d grown older and learned of her father’s sacrifice, gradually understanding the weight of the police profession. In her final year of high school, despite her mother’s fierce objections, she had applied to police academies.

Apparently, it had driven a wedge between mother and daughter. Chu Wanning’s mother had moved back to their hometown. Nie Fanxin wondered if their relationship had improved.

Nie Fanxin stared out the window as buildings passed steadily by and people went about their lives. She thought, Everyone has reasons for their hustle, just as I became a cop for love of it, and because of Wan Xiaoyu. What about Sister Wanning? Fulfilling Uncle Tao’s legacy? Must be exhausting. Does she need someone by her side when she’s tired, even just to talk?

She didn’t know, but she was willing to try.

She hoped Chu Wanning wouldn’t find her annoying; hoped that she, with her warmth and her warm home, could bring warmth to Chu Wanning.

“Fanxin?” Chen Anyou had already gone ahead. Chu Wanning noticed the empty space and turned back to find her. “You okay? Your face is bright red.”

“No, no. Just got hot in the car.” Chu Wanning was so close that Nie Fanxin could see the fine hairs on her face moving as she breathed. Nie Fanxin felt herself blush without realizing it.

Chu Wanning remained oblivious, puzzling over the question. “But the AC wasn’t on.”

“Stuffiness.” Nie Fanxin took a deep breath, got out, and shut the door. “Let’s go, Sister Wanning.”

Honghuai Yuanyang Phase One was a luxury mixed-use apartment building completed last year. The units were larger than average, with premium finishes—move-in ready. Twenty-six owners had installed private saunas. Lan Hui and Lu Zhenglin’s apartment was on the sixth floor. The three took the elevator up. It was Ye Jun who answered the door. The husband had been dead barely two days, and his wife’s lover was already making himself at home.

“Xiaohui has work at the kindergarten, so she asked me to be here.” Ye Jun walked to the kitchen island and asked casually, “Water?”

Chu Wanning declined. “No.” Institute trace examiners had already arrived and entered the sauna room.

“Xiaohui is scared of watching a chef kill a fish. She’d never kill anyone. Don’t waste your time.” Ye Jun followed Chen Anyou and Nie Fanxin into Lu Zhenglin’s study. A wall of bookshelves with texts neatly arranged. Gloved, Nie Fanxin began searching the drawers. She found two photo albums and flipped through page by page. In every class photo, a girl had been circled in red ink, and the name on the back had been circled too.

“Gu Yuan. Wasn’t she the student who exposed Lu Zhenglin’s molestation on Weibo?”

Chen Anyou, standing beside her, said, “Why don’t I remember?”

“It’s her.” Nie Fanxin pulled up the Weibo post to confirm. “Where’s the list of other victims we found yesterday?”

“I’ve got it.”

The two sat at the desk and began cross-referencing.

“Zhang Lu.”

“Confirmed.”

“Chen Siyu.”

“Not on the list.” Five victims were all among the girls circled in the album. “There are four other named girls who haven’t reported.”

“Got it. I’ll look into them.”

“Wait.” On the last page of the second album, a class graduation photo from Aolin Middle School, Class of 39, caught her eye. The fifth girl from the left in the second row had also been circled in red ink.

“Isn’t that Lu Zhenglin?” Chen Anyou pointed to the second boy from the right in the second-to-last row. Then he continued, “The girl’s name is Li Juan. This bastard started molesting classmates ten years ago?”

Nie Fanxin’s fist clenched involuntarily, her molars digging into her cheek. She said nothing while Chen Anyou rambled on with a string of curses.

“What a pervert! Collecting trophies. He deserved to die.” “Why didn’t anyone report it back then? Should’ve locked him up ages ago.”

“Find something?” Chu Wanning overheard Chen Anyou’s curses from the next room and came in carrying three photographs.

Chen Anyou briefed her. The two women fell silent, lost in thought. As women, they felt it viscerally. No matter how angry Chen Anyou got, his outrage was superficial compared to theirs.

After a long pause, Chu Wanning sighed and placed the photos on the desk. “Lu Zhenglin, Wang Gede, and Hu Hua were high school classmates and roommates. Close friends. That’s why Lu Zhenglin kept this group photo in the nightstand drawer closest to his bed.”

Nie Fanxin, having recovered somewhat, added, “The albums have lots of photos of them too.”

“Three years ago, Wang Gede fell off a cliff. By the time search and rescue found him, he was dead. Two years ago, Hu Hua opened an after-school tutoring school, and Lu Zhenglin referred students to him for a cut. A year ago, Hu Hua got married. His wife kept a tight grip on the finances, but Hu Hua would rather fight with her than let Lu Zhenglin lose out.”

Chen Anyou asked, “Then why hasn’t Hu Hua made a peep since Lu Zhenglin died?”

Chu Wanning speculated, “The exposure of Lu Zhenglin’s molestation scandal probably affected him too. Fanxin, your thoughts?”

Nie Fanxin was staring at a news article she’d just pulled up. She read it aloud, each word heavy: “June 6, 2039 (the day before the college entrance exam). Aolin Middle School senior Li Juan jumped to her death from a building. She died on the spot.”