The Brain Science Case 160

Chapter 160: The Outsider – 3

Yingli quietly composed her smile.

“I don’t know how you see her.” As they entered the underground parking lot, Lian Huizhu’s voice echoed from all sides. “But she definitely has some feelings for you that go beyond friendship. And… there are some things between you that outsiders can’t participate in. Even though the three of us were drinking and chatting together, you two still have your own little circle.” She shook her head. “I want to join, but I can’t…”

“Help me look. The car number is…” Yingli recited Jinglin’s license plate number, “a small, white, three-door sedan. I don’t know where she parked, so we’ll have to look slowly.”

Lian Huizhu’s response was to glare at her.

The small white car was relatively conspicuous in the parking lot. The two of them found the car and were about to leave when they heard Yingli say, “The connection between me and Officer Zhou is indeed a little special.”

The engine started, and Lian Huizhu gazed at Yingli.

“Before, I would have refuted you, that there was no emotion between me and Officer Zhou other than that of colleagues—that was a lie.” Yingli stepped on the gas, and the car smoothly entered the driveway. “My feelings for her are very complicated. We sometimes have big fights over a case, or we argue about our views on an incident, but I have also been with her through the low point of her life after her mother’s death… we can fight like we’ve had a grudge for a long time, and we can also hug each other and draw comfort from each other’s warmth. So… you say that there is a very special emotion between us, and I can’t refute that.”

Lian Huizhu’s eyes welled up, and in the next second, she was quietly shedding tears.

Yingli quickly entered the address of the shop they had just been to, and with the help of the navigation, she smoothly returned to the bar entrance.

After a lot of effort to get Jinglin into the passenger seat, Yingli first thanked the owner, and then she said to Lian Huizhu, who was standing on the side, “Let’s go. I’ll take you to the MRT.”

“No need. Officer Zhou is drunk, and it’s not convenient to get in and out.”

“You can get in from the driver’s side…”

“It’s fine.” she interrupted, discreetly wiping the tears from her cheeks, “I’ll take the car myself… you drive carefully, senior.”

Lian Huizhu’s gaze was always averted, and she had to give up on persuading her. “Then send me a message when you get home.”

“Yes.”

She slowly drove away from the bar entrance, and it wasn’t until the car had turned a corner that she heard Jinglin say faintly, “Did you make her cry?”

“How could I?” she frowned and glanced at Jinglin, “you were pretending to be asleep.”

“When you two went to get the car, I took a short nap. My body is still drunk, but my mind is very clear.” Jinglin sat up straight. “What did you two talk about on the way?”

“Nothing.”

“You’re lying.” Jinglin pouted and glared at her. “Hey, Tang Yingli, I found that whenever you’re a little insincere, your expression becomes even colder than usual.”

“Even colder, how so?”

“You just deliberately don’t smile. Not even the corners of your mouth move, or your eyes just stare straight at the other person.” She lightly patted Yingli’s left arm. “That flick on my forehead just now really hurt.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Let me focus on driving.” Yingli stared straight ahead, her foot on the gas pedal very careful.

Jinglin snorted and reclined her seat again.

“You can drive slowly. I can… take a nap.”

“Yes.”

Half an hour later, Yingli received a message from Lian Huizhu that she had arrived home.

**

For a criminal detective, there was almost never a time when they could truly let go of their responsibilities. The cases in the Criminal Investigation Division, big and small, were still there, and in the midst of it all, whether it was a rookie or a veteran, it was inevitable that they would long for a break and to relax.

Staring at the photo on his phone, Fang Zijun was in a daze during office hours for a rare moment.

In the photo, he was holding his son on a swing in a park, and his wife was taking the picture for them. This was the only photo he had with his son on his phone.

The last time he had seen his son, he had just learned to say “daddy”—that was two years ago. His wife had sent him a photo of their child doing morning exercises before, and it was now his phone’s wallpaper.

Putting away his phone, there was still a half-eaten bento box on his desk. But thinking of his afternoon appointment, he immediately cleared his desk and waved at Chen Huomu.

“Chief, you were looking for me?” he put down his coffee.

“I have to go out for a bit. There’s an interrogation of Wu Jianxiong scheduled for later, right?”

“Yes, the teacher is in charge.”

Fang Zijun glanced at Tang Yingli’s back and nodded. “Okay, you keep an eye on things. I’ll be back soon.”

Fang Zijun is leaving the office during work hours? That’s so rare. Chen Huomu thought, but seeing that Fang Zijun was in a hurry, he could only wave him off.

“Take care, Chief.” his loud voice drew the attention of many detectives. Having unintentionally revealed Fang Zijun’s whereabouts, he quickly explained, “he’s just going to buy some coffee. Work, work.”

**

It had rained in the morning, but the big sun at noon had raised the temperature by several degrees.

Yan Mengru chose to wait in a corner coffee shop with air conditioning. She was flipping through the gossip magazines in the shop, bored, until a man in sunglasses and a brown jacket came over.

She recognized the jacket. She had bought it. Yan Mengru packed her bag and walked to the entrance of the shop, waving at him.

Fang Zijun took off his sunglasses. “I’m sorry, it took me a while to find a parking spot… have you been waiting long?”

“Not really.”

He took out a white envelope from his jacket, and Yan Mengru took it, confirming the thickness of the stack of bills with her fingers, and immediately put it in her handbag. “Thank you.” she smiled, clearly relieved.

“You’re not going to order anything?”

“No need, I trust you.” Yan Mengru took the initiative to open a folding umbrella. “By the way, you haven’t seen Ah Sheng’s kindergarten yet, have you?”

His wife was standing in the sun, and the gesture of holding the umbrella was like an invitation to him. Fang Zijun was taken aback for a moment. “Of course not.”

“He has a full day on Tuesdays, and I’m going to pick him up now. Do you want to come with me?”

He, who had originally wanted to go straight back to the office, only hesitated for a moment. “Okay.”

Walking into the range of the umbrella, Fang Zijun took the initiative to take the umbrella. She glanced at him and did not say anything, but her eyes seemed to be smiling.

“I saw the news.” Yan Mengru was the first to speak. “I know you’ve always been busy with work, and I didn’t expect you to be involved in such a big case… last time, it was probably that serial killer who killed the little girl last year, right? Ah Sheng was just about to start kindergarten at that time, and I was so scared.”

Yan Mengru had no understanding of his work, so she had immediately jumped to the case that had been investigated last August.

“Yes, that case was all over the news.”

“You weren’t hurt, were you?”

“No.”

“That’s good.”

There was a bit of a distance from the alley to the kindergarten entrance, and Fang Zijun walked very slowly to match Yan Mengru’s pace. Although it was just a basic greeting, it was enough for him to feel his wife’s concern.

This kind of happiness, which should have been so easily obtainable, when had it become so distant?

“How has your work been recently?”

“It’s a family business, so it’s the same as always. I’m actually thinking of quitting… but I’m almost forty, and it’s not so easy to find a job after having a child, so I can only bear with it.”

“Ah Sheng… has he been good recently?”

“He’s very active.” Yan Mengru smiled, a complicated smile mixed with hardship and sweetness. “My parents are sometimes almost driven crazy by this little rascal. They’re very against letting children play on tablets, and they think it’s bad for their eyes, but sometimes everyone is busy, and I can’t help it…”

“As long as he doesn’t get nearsighted.”

“Actually, he already has pseudomyopia. I’ve started to strictly limit his time on tablets and TV.” Yan Mengru took his arm, which was holding the umbrella. “When he sees you later, he might not recognize you at first. Don’t get too close. He’s active, but he’s a little shy.”

“Okay.”

“Also, the Dragon Boat Festival is coming up. You were just promoted to the head of the Criminal Investigation Division last year, and you haven’t seen your parents all year. Let’s make a time and bring Ah Sheng back to see them.”

His in-laws, he had almost always just sent gifts and not gone himself last year. “I will. I’ll arrange for leave as soon as I get back.”

“Yes.”

The railings outside the kindergarten were painted in bright colors. Fang Zijun listened to the laughter of the children playing outside, and through the railings, he could clearly see a teacher playing eagle and chicken with the children.

“It’s the sheep class.” Yan Mengru’s voice was filled with a hint of excitement. “Do you see? Ah Sheng is right there.”

He widened his eyes to look, but unlike Yan Mengru, who had recognized him at a glance, he searched back and forth twice, but still couldn’t find his son.

He wanted to ask, but then he realized that it would be too embarrassing not to recognize his own son, so he had to pretend he had seen him. “Oh, oh.”

“The fifth one from the back, in a black and white checkered shirt and long pants.”

Fang Guosheng, his son.

Fang Zijun stared at the child Yan Mengru was pointing to, and after the person before him and the face in the photo completely overlapped, he couldn’t help but shed a tear.

While they were waiting outside the railings, other parents arrived one after another. The kindergarten teacher then led the children in other games, and Fang Zijun’s gaze never left his son.

Until another woman, who was familiar with Yan Mengru, approached. “Miss Yan, you’re here so early… who is this?”

Yan Mengru tugged at him twice. “Let me introduce you. Mrs. Lin, this is my husband.” and she said to him in a low voice, “this is Mrs. Lin, and her daughter is in the same class as Ah Sheng.”

“Hello.”

“Ah, so this is the one you were talking about before, the one who’s a police officer.” Mrs. Lin had a sudden realization and couldn’t help but look Fang Zijun up and down. “He’s in great shape. And he’s quite handsome, not like my husband…”

The woman “casually” complained about her own husband’s appearance, and Yan Mengru, as if she were used to it, did not answer, but just smiled faintly.

When other parents saw her, they would also mostly take the initiative to greet her, and those who were familiar would chat for a bit. “I didn’t expect you to be so popular.”

“What do you mean, popular?” Yan Mengru shook her phone. “Now that I’m a mother, the work I have to prepare is almost more than the child’s. The teachers have to join a group, and the parents also have to join a group. Before Ah Sheng even started school, there were suddenly six or seven call groups. Usually, if someone is not free, they will ask other parents to help pick up their children, or they will privately ask the teacher about their child’s social situation. Some parents will even ‘organize’ group purchases. That’s how we all get to know each other.”

For the sake of their children, adults have to deal with so many extra interpersonal relationships. She heard her say again, “Oh, if we don’t get a spot next year, we’ll have to go to a private school, and the whole year’s network will have to be changed again.”

“So that’s how it is… you’ve worked hard.”

Yan Mengru just shook her head with a smile.

The outdoor games were over, and there were only ten minutes left before school was out. The teacher urged the children to move their chairs into the classroom and gave out the contact information for tomorrow. Some parents were already rushing in to help their children pack their backpacks.

“You’re not going in with them?”

“I always let him pack himself. I can’t do everything for him.”

Following Yan Mengru into the kindergarten, and looking at the slide and other playground equipment, Fang Zijun was still lamenting the changing times when the bell for the end of school finally rang.

As Yan Mengru had said, he was very active, and his son was the first to run out. “Mommy.”

“Ah Sheng, today’s snack?” turning, Yan Mengru was already holding her son, “why didn’t you eat it?”

“Chen Youquan had a stomachache and went home early, so he didn’t eat. The teacher said that whoever wanted it had to play rock-paper-scissors, and I played with five other people, and I won in the end.”

“So amazing.”

Fang Zijun approached the mother and son, and suddenly remembered Yan Mengru’s warning, so he stopped behind her. “Hey, Mommy, someone is looking.”

Yan Mengru held his hand. “Ah Sheng, you don’t remember your dad? Didn’t I show you a photo before?”

The desire to touch his son reached its peak when their eyes met. Fang Zijun knelt down. “Ah Sheng.”

“It’s Daddy.” Fang Guosheng smiled, but he still did not leave his mother’s embrace. “Why are you here?”

“I came… to see you.” He reached out to take his son’s hand, and only then did he realize that his hands were empty. “I should have bought something. Ah, candy, snacks, I should have brought them.”

“It’s fine, we have them at home. How about a hug with Daddy?”

Fang Guosheng approached with a pudding, and he couldn’t hide his excitement as he put his hands on his child’s shoulders and looked him up and down.

He pouted. “Mommy said you’re very busy, busy catching bad guys.”

“That’s right.” He gently stroked Fang Guosheng’s face. “Did Mommy show you the news? Daddy was just commended yesterday.”

Fang Guosheng shook his head. “Mommy said the news is very messy and I shouldn’t watch it. What’s a commendation?” he turned and asked Yan Mengru with his eyes.

“A commendation is… when you do something amazing and you’re praised by a lot, a lot of people.” she explained, “Zijun, do you still have time? Can you drive us back?”

“Oh, oh, let’s take Daddy’s car.”

Actually, the time had long since passed his expectations. But when he met his son’s expectant gaze, he couldn’t bear to refuse. “Okay, I’ll take you back and then I’ll rush back to the office.” he patted his son’s hair and said kindly, “that’s right, let’s take Daddy’s sports car for a ride.”

Fang Guosheng raised his hands in excitement. “Yay, yay.”

He forcefully picked up his son. “I haven’t held you in a long time. You’re a little heavy.”

“I’m sixteen kilograms. Mommy hasn’t held me in a long time.”

“Because I can’t carry you.” he smiled and looked at Yan Mengru.

Just as they were about to leave the kindergarten, a man in a denim jacket suddenly appeared at the main entrance. He was wearing a baseball cap, and his eyes were fixed on a specific target. Fang Zijun noticed, and his years of experience as a detective told him that something was not right with this person.

He followed the man’s line of sight and found a boy with a backpack sitting on a seesaw. There was no mistake, he was looking at that boy.

“Mengru, look…” he pointed at the boy, “do you know him?”

“That seems to be from the squirrel class next door. I’m not very familiar with him… what’s wrong?”

“Oh, that’s Yue Riteng.”

Fang Zijun looked at his son. “You know him?”

Fang Guosheng nodded. “Although he’s in the class next door, he sometimes gives me candy. I brought a bulldozer before, and he played with me.”

At that moment, a woman who looked like a teacher walked a few steps away from him. “…The teacher is going to the restroom. I’ll be right back. Don’t run around.”

As soon as the man saw the teacher leave, he immediately lowered the brim of his hat and slipped in, walking straight toward the boy.

The man approached the boy from behind and, without warning, he lifted him from the seesaw. “Wow.”

Most of the parents had already left after picking up their children, and the boy’s cry did not startle too many people. The man, who was holding the child, intended to escape from the main door, so Fang Zijun stepped forward to block him.

“Where are you going with this child?”

The man was carrying the boy on his shoulder, and regardless of the boy’s struggle, he roared in a harsh voice, “Get out of my way.”

“Mengru, go and notify the kindergarten teacher.” he ordered in a deep voice, “put the child down.”

“Why should I listen to you?” he held the child to his chest, “get out of the way.”

The man tried to charge at Fang Zijun, but he, who had been well-trained, did not easily retreat, but instead used a jiu-jitsu move that forced him to put the boy down.

“Ugh.”

“Who are you? Why are you sneaking into a kindergarten to kidnap a child during school hours?”

“Uncle Yue?” Fang Guosheng, who was on the side, shouted after he had clearly seen the man’s face, “aren’t you Uncle Yue?”