Overly Intense [Criminal Investigation] 40

Chapter 40: The Cold Winter Cannot Hide the Heat Wave

Shen Yiyi’s stomach had been unwell ever since Xu Meng had left.

After giving birth to Shen Yiyi, Xu Meng had never left her daughter’s side. Shen Yiyi’s food, clothing, housing, transportation, education, and extracurricular interests were all personally handled by her mother.

When Paopao was two, Shen Qinwen had also tried to persuade Xu Meng.

The two of them, plus their parents, could take care of Shen Yiyi. He wanted his wife to return to society, to avoid focusing too much on their daughter, in case she developed depression at home, a disconnect between society and family.

But Xu Meng had not listened to him. She was devoted to her daughter.

So when Xu Meng was brutally murdered and suddenly disappeared, Shen Yiyi, whose entire life had been occupied by her mother, suffered an unprecedented blow.

The blow was fatal. For at least half a year, Shen Yiyi had barely eaten or slept. During that time, Shen Qinwen not only had to face the pain of losing his wife, but also his daughter’s increasing emaciation.

Later, with his guidance and a great deal of intervention, her attention slowly returned, and Shen Yiyi’s normal life was able to continue.

Besides the shadow, the stomachache was also a lingering problem.

Shen Yiyi herself couldn’t tell if it was a stomach spasm, gastroenteritis, or something else.

She didn’t want Qin Luo to make a fuss, to disturb her dad with a phone call, who would then nag her endlessly, and it would be impossible for him to let the two of them be alone during the winter vacation.

Being alone was a small matter. Being stuck with Shen Qinwen was a big one. She would rather die than make that call.

Jiang Yan also had occasional stomachaches.

She would always say to Qin Luo, “All my problems are from when I gave birth to you.”

And then she would add, “Why did I marry a man like your dad, who doesn’t even know how to take care of me when I have a headache or a fever?”

It wasn’t until Qin Luo had poured her hot water, gotten her stomach medicine, and prepared a hot water bottle that Jiang Yan would smile and say, “A daughter is still the best. A daughter is the best in the world.”

So Qin Luo had been forced to undergo sixteen years of pre-employment training.

Training on how to take care of herself, how to take care of others, and how to turn a deaf ear to the decay of her family.

Winter was too cold, and the pain would take away some of her body heat. Qin Luo sat on the edge of the bed and covered Shen Yiyi with a winter blanket, asking in a low voice if she was cold.

Shen Yiyi buried her head in the pillow and shook her head, then nodded. The stomachache made her feel numb, unable to distinguish between cold and warm.

Qin Luo advised her to see a doctor if the pain was severe, but Shen Yiyi insisted on not going.

Qin Luo was helpless against Shen Yiyi’s stubbornness. She had to go and boil some hot water first, fill a hot water bottle and put it in the blanket, and then stay by the bed, gently patting Shen Yiyi’s back.

This patting lasted for half an hour.

Shen Yiyi’s pain subsided. She turned over. The winter sun shone in from the windowsill, and the hot water bottle warmed the bed.

The feeling on her back had a unique rhythm, taking her back to a summer fever. It was as if she could see her mother by her side when she opened her eyes. Her nose was filled with the smell of cooling oil, and mosquitoes were buzzing in her ears. In her delirium, she opened her eyes. Besides a sense of security, there was nothing left in her burning body.

That day, Shen Yiyi was woken up by the heat.

Although she had slept all afternoon and had many dreams about her mother, she was not stung by pain when she woke up.

Usually, such afternoon dreams would make her cry.

Perhaps it was because the blanket Qin Luo had covered her with was too thick, and the high body temperature had caused a feverish heat. The discomfort of being wrapped in hot sweat had ended her dream prematurely, and the intermittent sense of reality had delayed the sadness.

Shen Yiyi didn’t see anyone. She got out of bed and pushed open the door, smelling the aroma of porridge.

She quietly walked to the living room and saw Qin Luo with her back to her, cooking porridge in the kitchen.

The sun had set outside, and the living room was dark, with only the kitchen light on.

Shen Yiyi looked up. Qin Luo was illuminated by the light, her tall back overlapping with the person in her dream again and again. The deep sleep had left a winding heat mark on her.

She hadn’t slept so soundly in a long time.

Shen Yiyi reminded Qin Luo in the darkness, “I’m awake.”

Qin Luo was so scared she turned around and looked at Shen Yiyi from a distance across the living room.

At that time, Qin Luo was already wearing glasses. She could see the world even in the darkness.

The Shen Yiyi standing in front of her had recovered her color, her temples were damp with sweat, her hands were hanging by her sides, and she was looking at her quietly.

Qin Luo was embarrassed by the stare and turned back to ladle a bowl of plain porridge.

Qin Luo came out with the bowl, placed it on the dining table, and pulled out a stool for her. “What do you want to eat tomorrow? I’ll make it for you.”

“You can cook?”

“Of course.”

“Hmm… can you make the mixed vegetables that Auntie made last time?”

Qin Luo nodded. “I can learn.”

As for taking care of herself, Qin Luo had been learning since she was a child.

When it rained heavily in junior high and no one was there to pick her up, she had started to check the weather forecast to remind herself to bring an umbrella. When her grandmother had a fever and couldn’t cook, she had made a plate of scrambled eggs with tomatoes from memory. She had learned about sex education from extracurricular books, and Liu Jia had bought her sanitary pads with her. She could even plan her allowance well. Besides buying books, she had also saved money to buy a Walkman.

So learning to make mixed vegetables was a piece of cake for Qin Luo.

“I called your uncle.” Seeing Shen Yiyi start to eat the porridge, Qin Luo sat beside her and said truthfully, “He said to let me…”

Hearing that she had called, Shen Yiyi was so scared she dropped her spoon. “What did he say?”

Qin Luo said, “Your uncle said I should stay here.”

…

Shen Yiyi didn’t move, just blinked.

Qin Luo added, “I know you don’t like to be disturbed, so I’m planning to make dinner and then go home after you’ve eaten.”

Shen Yiyi let out a breath, calmly picked up her spoon, and stuffed a large mouthful into her mouth. After swallowing, she said, “It’s too late for you to go home like this. It’s not safe. Why don’t you just stay here? It’s almost the New Year anyway, so you won’t be staying for long.”

Qin Luo was still hesitant. “It’s fine. It’s almost the New Year, and many shops are open until ten. It’s quite safe to walk at night.”

“If you stay here, you can learn other things at night.” Shen Yiyi stared at the plain porridge, having lost her appetite again. “I don’t think it’s a bother.”

“Then where will you sleep?”

“On the floor, like last time.”

Hearing the word “floor,” Qin Luo shook her head. “Forget it. I’d rather come early and leave late.”

Shen Yiyi’s eyes darkened, and she said involuntarily, “I’m afraid of being alone.”

Compared to thinking about troubling others, Qin Luo was more likely to fall into the trap of pleasing others.

This was the experience Shen Yiyi had summed up after observing Qin Luo for a short time. She thought this might be the only way to get Qin Luo to stay.

Sure enough, Qin Luo fell for her big move.

“Okay, then I’ll have Uncle Shen call my mom and tell her. I’ll move in tomorrow.”

***

After Qin Luo left that day, Shen Yiyi received a call from Shen’s father.

Shen Qinwen first criticized her for her bad habit of not seeing a doctor when her stomach hurt, and then asked if Qin Luo had decided to stay. He was really worried about Shen Yiyi’s ability to take care of herself. He said that if Qin Luo didn’t stay, he would definitely come back to supervise her eating.

Shen Yiyi replied impatiently, “She’s staying.”

Shen Qinwen was relieved. “I promised you that I wouldn’t disturb your studies, but you also have to promise me to be safe. You have to be careful with the water and electricity at home. Remember to lock the door before you go to bed. Qin Luo will sleep in your bed, so you can sleep in my bed. I’ll occasionally come over with some groceries to check on you.”

“I’ll just sleep on the floor.”

Although his daughter was still cold, this winter vacation was particularly comforting for Shen Qinwen.

In previous years, the father and daughter would have been running back and forth between their grandmothers’ houses during the vacation. One was for the New Year reunion, to stay with the elders for a few days to cultivate their relationship. The other was to let his daughter interact with people more, so she wouldn’t just be staring at him all day.

But this year was different. Shen Yiyi had made many breakthroughs.

She had not only gone to someone else’s house for dinner for the first time, but she had also shared the interesting things that had happened with him afterward, talking eloquently about the big yellow dog and the taste of the food. She had even taken the initiative to suggest that Qin Luo come to their house to study.

Visiting…

Shen Yiyi’s impatience in social situations had always been Shen Qinwen’s biggest headache.

He was very afraid that Shen Yiyi’s lack of interest in people would make her an isolated island in a group, unseen and unheard.

So when he heard that Qin Luo was coming to their house to study, and that the two would even eat together in the morning and at noon, he packed his bags overnight, leaving enough social space for the two of them to get along.

He was glad that Qin Luo had appeared at this time.

A gentle girl had burst into the father and daughter’s lives, forcefully digging open the tomb buried deep underground, filling the missing corner, and letting him see hope again.

He had even imagined the two girls chatting at night.

They would fantasize about the moon, talk about the throbbing of adolescence, discuss their favorite dramas, curse their teachers behind their backs, and dream of a beautiful future.

He couldn’t help but remind her, “The floor is cold in the winter. Remember to lay a few more layers of blankets. And ask Qin Luo what she wants to eat tomorrow. Give me a call, and I’ll buy it and bring it over.”

“No need. We’ll go buy it ourselves.”

Shen Qinwen was amazed. “You can buy groceries?”

“Qin Luo can.”

Not only could Qin Luo buy groceries, but she could also bargain.

But she wasn’t very skilled at it. The vegetable vendors would only knock off a few cents for her.

Shen Yiyi drank her soy milk, holding the groceries with one hand and following behind Qin Luo.

She didn’t like the market environment. The floor was covered in black marks, and it was sticky when you stepped on it, which made her feel stuffy.

But Qin Luo’s clumsy bargaining skills were really interesting. Shen Yiyi watched, buried her head and took a sip of soy milk, and then completely forgot about the dirty vegetable leaves she was stepping on.

Qin Luo always took meticulous care of Shen Yiyi.

She would buy her favorite vegetables at the market, and she would always ask her how salty she wanted her food before cooking. She could remember that she didn’t like cilantro.

But before she was eighteen, she had attributed all these trivial details of Qin Luo to her personality, to the unique delicacy of women, to her being as resilient and generous as a mother.

***

The winter in the south was cold and damp.

Once it rained in the winter, the lingering water vapor would be like darts, constantly stabbing at your face, until your cell walls separated.

Shen Yiyi had a warm constitution and was originally not afraid of the cold. She never turned on the electric blanket when she slept in the winter. But the floor was different from the bed.

The floor would be cold. The cold air would rise from the cracks in the marble tiles, soaking the blankets and seeping into the bed. No matter how thick a blanket she covered herself with, her hands and feet would not get warm.

Shen Yiyi had slept on the floor for two days, and her whole body was sore, her throat tight.

Qin Luo was afraid that Shen Yiyi would catch a cold and specially made her ginger soup before bed to ward off the cold.

When Shen Yiyi came out of the shower, she happened to see Qin Luo standing in front of the pot in her thin pajamas, stirring the pot with a small spoon.

Qin Luo’s plaid pajamas were very ordinary, but Shen Yiyi was fascinated. The boiling pot of soup created a hot mist in the cold and damp space. From a distance, she also seemed to be covered in the spicy smell.

For some reason, it was as if she had X-ray vision. Through the thick fog and the plaid pajamas, she saw a naked waist.

She had seen Qin Luo’s naked back.

The skin there had no pretense or concealment. It was like dry wood meeting a wildfire. Shen Yiyi’s gaze climbed up Qin Luo’s back, to the nape of her neck, and then wandered to the front of her chest.

And so she thought of her mother again.

But no one could clearly remember the scene after they were born, how they had hidden in their mother’s womb, how they had fallen asleep in her arms, and how they had drunk milk in large gulps.

She stood outside the kitchen, staring blankly for a long time, until Qin Luo turned around with a bowl.

“I’ve made ginger soup. Drink it while it’s hot.”

Shen Yiyi felt that it was not a spicy soup to ward off the cold, but a replica of amniotic fluid.

A bowl of calming medicine that could accommodate her.

The cold winter could not hide her heat wave. Shen Yiyi took the bowl and said, “The floor is too cold. I’ll get the electric blanket from my dad’s room. Let’s sleep together tonight.”