At first glance, this porridge looked like it could serve three or four people, and it came with several disposable bowls. Meng Zhao scooped out a bowl with a spoon.
The claypot porridge was richly filled with ingredients. Even though Meng Zhao didn’t have much of an appetite at the moment, after swallowing a mouthful mixed with plump shrimp meat, he had to admit this was much tastier than the gutter oil meals he usually ate.
The hot porridge slid down his esophagus into his stomach, which had been empty and nearly numb all day, gradually warming back to life.
News alerts began to appear about Zhao Yunhua’s suicide by jumping off a building. Meng Zhao opened and skimmed through them; most sources still referenced the earlier public account, but the media’s wording was more cautious, saying that online rumors suggested Zhao Yunhua had accidentally killed Zhou Yan.
Could it really have been an accident? Meng Zhao looked at the news article, and the image of Zhao Yunhua’s foot slipping before she fell flashed through his mind—
“He deserved it!”
“I saw it, I saw it…”
“I clearly heard it…”
“He’s the murderer, he’s the one who forced Zhao Tong to death!”
Tears streaming down her face, Zhao Yunhua was still adamant before dying that Zhou Yan was the culprit. What had she seen? What had she heard? Meng Zhao pushed the remaining porridge aside and fell into thought. Although the case seemed closed, there were too many unsolved mysteries, and he didn’t feel any sense of closure.
“Brother Zhao, I’m back!” Just before the end of the workday, Zhou Qiyang pushed the door open.
He immediately noticed the takeout packaging on Meng Zhao’s desk: “Wow, Brother Zhao, you’re really getting promoted and getting a raise, upgrading your consumption ahead of time!”
Meng Zhao glanced at him: “What promotion? Don’t spread baseless rumors.”
“No… then why order such expensive takeout? This one meal could feed me several times, and there’s still so much left… wasteful!”
“Take these down and share them later,” Meng Zhao changed the subject, “How’s the surveillance? Found the person he mentioned?”
“We searched the meeting spot he gave us and checked all the high-speed rail station cameras. There was no one there all afternoon. On the way back, I thought maybe this person’s goal was to lure us away by using Zhao Yunhua’s phone location, to buy time. Otherwise, if we had tracked Zhao Yunhua from the start, she might never have succeeded in committing suicide… So, who exactly wanted Zhao Yunhua to kill herself?”
“And who predicted for sure that Zhao Yunhua would commit suicide…” Meng Zhao rubbed his temples.
“You mean Zhao Yunhua’s suicide was probably not spontaneous…” Zhou Qiyang quickly caught on, “Someone lured her to kill herself?”
“I mean,” Meng Zhao stood up and walked to the window, “maybe from the very beginning, Zhao Yunhua strangling Zhou Yan was all planned.”
Zhou Qiyang was stunned: “Huh?”
“Just a guess,” Meng Zhao shook his head and turned around. “Let’s go back inside and interrogate that thief again.”
*
“No one? How is that possible?” When told there was no one at the agreed meeting place at the high-speed rail station, the thief almost jumped out of his seat. “He really came to find me! That five thousand yuan is still with me, I haven’t touched a penny!”
“Don’t get worked up, we’re not saying you’re lying,” Zhou Qiyang gestured for him to calm down. “But if someone told you to meet at the high-speed rail station for a hand-to-hand exchange, and that person didn’t show up, you were probably scammed.”
“You locked me up here all afternoon, who can wait that long!”
“Don’t say that. I checked the surveillance from noon to after 4 p.m. at the place you said. No one ever stood there. Did that person leave you any other contact info?”
The thief insisted, “No.”
“Then give me the address where he told you to meet at noon. I need to check the cameras to verify if what you said is true.”
The thief gave the address and muttered, “Is there even surveillance there…?”
After recording the address, Zhou Qiyang glanced toward the one-way mirror.
Meng Zhao said into his earpiece, “Alright, leave the phone theft to the police station. Have them come pick him up.”
After finishing the interrogation, Zhou Qiyang came out: “Brother Zhao, just let him go like that?”
Meng Zhao hummed in agreement.
Judging by the thief’s expression, his anger after learning no one appeared at the high-speed rail station meeting spot was genuine, not faked.
“Alright then,” Zhou Qiyang said, carrying the large box of porridge from Meng Zhao, “Should I really take this down and share it?”
“Go ahead,” Meng Zhao nodded.
“Has Director Xu said anything yet?” Before leaving, Zhou Qiyang asked with some concern. Rumors were circulating in the bureau that Director Xu assigned Meng Zhao to this case as a pretext for his promotion. But now that Zhao Yunhua had committed suicide, public opinion was divided. Compared to methodically solving the case, this was hardly a good outcome.
“Don’t know, isn’t he still at a meeting in the province?” Meng Zhao cared more about whether the many mysteries involved in the case could be solved than about promotion rumors.
It was already after work hours. Meng Zhao pushed open the office door. A few people who hadn’t left yet were sharing the porridge. Everyone had barely eaten a proper meal all day.
“Captain Meng,” Ren Bin came over holding a disposable bowl, “Are we still going to check that lousy lead? Surveillance and all? I was ready to pull an all-nighter tonight.”
“Let’s wait for news from Zhao Yunhua’s side first,” Meng Zhao said after thinking it over.
Ren Bin pointed outside: “Then should I go pick up my son from kindergarten?”
“Go ahead, Brother Bin.”
Sensing something was off with Meng Zhao’s mood, Ren Bin took a few steps out, then came back and patted Meng Zhao’s shoulder: “You’ve already solved this case pretty timely. From my perspective, there’s no unnecessary step. No one could have predicted the outcome earlier. Don’t take it too hard.”
“I know, it’s just…” Meng Zhao hesitated, “If only we’d been one step earlier.”
“You think one step earlier might have changed things, but maybe no matter how early, this would have been the result.”
Meng Zhao looked up at him: “You think so too…”
“Yeah, this case isn’t as simple as it looks,” Ren Bin smiled. “I’m not good at controlling the whole situation, but don’t doubt my investigative skills. Let’s keep digging, don’t rush.”
After Ren Bin left, the other colleagues gradually went home.
The sky darkened, and the office was left with only Meng Zhao. He didn’t turn on the lights, sitting at his desk with the bluish glow of the computer screen illuminating his face.
Meng Zhao looked at a photo on Zhou Yan’s homepage. Zhou Yan had delicate features, and because his lips naturally curved slightly upward, even when not smiling, he looked like he was. He had a likable appearance.
According to Zhou Yan’s friends, although he always loved music, he was afraid he couldn’t support himself with it, so he never dared quit his stable job. About a year ago, Zhou Yan decided to change his life completely, quitting his job despite objections, focusing solely on music. Unexpectedly, his music gained a lot of fans.
The house in Yuhu Bay was rented by Zhou Yan three months ago. He had always wanted to rent a big place where all his friends could gather. Now that idea had finally come true, but unexpectedly, he met with an accident.
Meng Zhao scrolled through Zhou Yan’s life moments recorded over the years. Zhou Yan had mentioned “Auntie” many times on Weibo—
“Auntie’s birthday is tomorrow. How about I give her this cervical massager? Not an ad, not an ad. Anyone who’s used it, please share your experience!”
“Auntie cooks so well… I’m stuffed, lying flat.”
“Auntie brewed me some fat sea chrysanthemum tea. Feels like I can do a livestream tonight!”
Zhou Yan’s Weibo interactions had surged in the past year. Two years ago, he was still mostly talking to himself.
Meng Zhao searched the keyword “Auntie.” The earliest post was from four years ago, which read—
“Today I hired a housekeeper for the first time. Unexpectedly met my high school classmate’s mom. Seeing her current life situation, I feel…
I feel really bad inside. But… could this be a chance from heaven for me to make amends for my mistakes?”
Making amends… Was Zhou Yan truly the real culprit who drove Zhao Tong to death, or was he just blaming himself too harshly for not intervening when Zhao Tong was bullied at school?
If this was an accidental killing, then the way Zhou Yan died is truly tragic. Meng Zhao looked at the few posts Zhou Yan had published on his screen with a complicated expression. What exactly did Zhao Yunhua see and hear to harbor such hatred that she strangled Zhou Yan to death, and even up to the last second before her suicide insisted that Zhou Yan was the murderer who caused Zhao Tong’s death all those years ago…
The phone rang; it was a colleague waiting at the hospital for news about Zhao Yunhua.
“How is it?” Meng Zhao answered the call and walked to the window to ask.
“Captain Meng, Zhao Yunhua… has passed away.”
Meng Zhao clenched the phone tightly. For a moment, his whole body stiffened, and a buzzing filled his mind. After a while, he exhaled deeply: “Thank you for your hard work. Try to contact Zhao Yunhua’s family and see if they can come pick her up tomorrow.”
After turning off his computer, Meng Zhao stood still for a long time before leaving the city bureau. Despite working in criminal investigation for so many years, he still couldn’t calmly face life and death.
Especially… Zhou Yan’s death reminded him of his uncle’s case back then.
Perhaps because, like Zhou Yan, Meng Xiangyu was also once mistaken for the culprit, this case made Meng Zhao feel even more sorrowful.
Meng Zhao walked to his car and bent down to check the front of the vehicle. The collision with Lu Shichen’s car in the afternoon wasn’t too serious, but there was a noticeable dent and two spots where the paint was scraped off.
Looks like I’ll have to take it to the dealership first thing tomorrow morning. I don’t know how many days it will take to get it back. Meng Zhao got into the car, planning to visit the elderly Mr. Zhou Mingsheng at the hospital while he could still drive.
Like Lu Chengze, Lu Shichen’s father, Zhou Mingsheng was the criminal defense lawyer for Meng Xiangyu’s case back then. Moreover, Zhou Mingsheng was also Lu Chengze’s university mentor. The two of them joined forces and managed to overturn what seemed like an ironclad case, saving Meng Xiangyu from prison.
In theory, Zhou Mingsheng and Lu Chengze were benefactors to their family, but over the years, Meng Zhao’s contact with Zhou Mingsheng never ceased. He would visit during holidays, but as for Lu Chengze—Meng Zhao always felt that some aura from Lu Shichen came from him, creating a certain distance.
Meng Zhao bought some nutritional supplements at a supermarket near the bureau. Just as he was about to start the car, he received a message from Meng Ruoshu: “Brother, Old Meng cooked fish tonight. Come home for dinner.”
He didn’t know when Meng Ruoshu’s way of addressing Meng Xiangyu changed from “Dad” to “Old Meng,” but it wasn’t surprising. Meng Ruoshu was always spoiled and unruly in front of Meng Xiangyu.
“I’ll be back later. You guys eat first. Save some for me,” Meng Zhao replied, then tossed his phone aside and started the car.
The rush hour traffic had passed, but there were still quite a few cars on the road. Meng Zhao drove at a leisurely pace, recalling Meng Xiangyu’s case from years ago.
He remembered clearly—it was the first day of high school. He had played basketball with some former middle school classmates on the playground, and it was already dark when he went home.
Worried that his uncle and aunt were waiting for him to eat, Meng Zhao ran all the way home. But as soon as he entered, he heard Meng Ruoshu crying. At the same time, the gloomy atmosphere in the house made Meng Zhao keenly sense that something had happened.
Meng Zhao closed the door and noticed that the crying wasn’t just Meng Ruoshu’s; his aunt seemed to be crying too. Meng Xiangyu paced anxiously in the living room.
“Uncle,” Meng Zhao instinctively lowered his voice and pointed to the inner room, “what’s wrong?”
Meng Xiangqing finally noticed Meng Zhao had come home. He didn’t explain but shook his head, telling Meng Zhao to go back to his room and do his homework.
That night, sensing the wrong atmosphere at home, Meng Zhao wisely didn’t ask more. But the next day, his uncle Meng Xiangyu was taken away by the police on suspicion of a crime.
Meng Zhao later guessed what had happened because Meng Ruoshu, who was usually close to him, suddenly resisted his approach. When he tried to ask what was going on, Meng Ruoshu screamed in terror.
When Meng Zhao visited Meng Xiangyu at the detention center, Meng Xiangyu thought it over and chose to confess the truth to Meng Zhao: Meng Ruoshu had been molested by an adult man.
That day, Meng Ruoshu had just started a new class and wasn’t familiar with her classmates yet. After school, most students had left, but Meng Ruoshu stayed in the classroom doing homework. Since Meng Xiangyu finished work late, he told Meng Ruoshu to wait in the classroom for him.
At that time, a boy came over and said the homeroom teacher wanted Meng Ruoshu to go somewhere to talk. Meng Ruoshu mistakenly thought the boy was a classmate and followed him. Only when they reached an abandoned storage room did she realize something was wrong, but an adult man dragged her inside without explanation.
Meng Xiangyu rushed to pick up Meng Ruoshu after work. When he found she wasn’t in the classroom, he hurriedly asked around if anyone had seen her.
By the time he arrived, Meng Ruoshu’s clothes had been torn by the man. Meng Xiangyu lunged at the man and struggled with him, but the man was clearly more skilled. Meng Xiangyu tried to restrain him but ultimately failed, and the man escaped.
After reporting to the police, Meng Ruoshu cried fiercely and resisted Meng Xiangyu’s comfort. Meng Xiangyu was at a loss, not knowing how to handle the situation or soothe his traumatized daughter. He could only take Meng Ruoshu away from the scene to find his wife, Song Ning. After handing Meng Ruoshu to Liu Min, he returned to the crime scene, only to find the adult man who molested Meng Ruoshu dead in the storage room, with multiple stab wounds.
When the police arrived and searched the crime scene, they found Meng Xiangyu’s fingerprints on the murder weapon and his shoe prints on the victim’s body. Because the evidence was sufficient and the motive clear, Meng Xiangyu was quickly identified as the suspect.
In the first trial, Meng Xiangyu was sentenced to fifteen years in prison for intentional injury. The family was devastated; Aunt Song Ning soon fell ill, and young Meng Ruoshu developed selective mutism due to the trauma, refusing to go to school or communicate. The family’s burden fell entirely on Meng Zhao.
After the first trial, Meng Zhao was desperate and sought help from Lu Chengze, Lu Shichen’s father. Later, in the second trial, Lu Chengze and his mentor Zhou Mingsheng jointly defended Meng Xiangyu, successfully arguing for his innocence based on reasonable doubt, sparing him from prison. However, the real murderer remained at large…
The traffic light turned red. Meng Zhao stepped on the brake and gripped the steering wheel so tightly that veins bulged on the back of his hand.
After the college entrance exam, when filling out his university preferences, he chose the Public Security University as his first choice, hoping to catch the real culprit from back then. But the case was too old, and he never found an effective breakthrough.
The car stopped in the hospital’s underground parking lot. Meng Zhao got out and went to the inpatient building following the address sent earlier by the professor’s wife.
When Meng Zhao was at Public Security University, Zhou Mingsheng was a guest professor invited to give several lectures. Meng Zhao had attended a few. Although Zhou Mingsheng wasn’t his teacher, Meng Zhao always respectfully called him “Teacher.”
Over the years, Zhou Mingsheng would periodically send messages to check on Meng Zhao’s situation, and Meng Zhao happily shared important moments in his life with him—whether it was being admitted to the university or later joining the city bureau.
Until recently, Zhou Mingsheng suddenly had a stroke and was hospitalized. Fortunately, it was caught in time and didn’t cause severe brain damage.
Meng Zhao approached the ward and knocked on the door.
The door opened, and Zhou Mingsheng’s wife peeked out: “Little Meng, come in, come in. Have you eaten?”
Meng Zhao handed her the nutritional supplements: “I’ve eaten, Mrs. Zhou.”
“You always bring something when you come. I told you not to, but you don’t listen,” Mrs. Zhou scolded him lightly and let him in.
Because of Zhou Mingsheng’s stroke, Mrs. Zhou, who was usually energetic, now looked a bit tired.
Mr. Zhou Mingsheng was sitting on the hospital bed. Seeing Meng Zhao, he raised his hand and waved: “Little Meng, you’re here.”
Although his body was mostly fine, he was still recovering, and his legs and speech were a bit uncoordinated.
Meng Zhao walked over and greeted, “Teacher,” then looked at the bowl on the table: “Mrs. Zhou even made you chicken soup. So nourishing.”
Mrs. Zhou came over, picked up the bowl, and fed Zhou Mingsheng while asking Meng Zhao, “You really ate? This chicken soup I just brought from home. The old man can’t eat much, and there’s still a lot left. Why don’t you have some too?”
“I really ate. I just came to see the teacher. He seems to be recovering well.” Meng Zhao looked at Zhou Mingsheng. This wasn’t a lie, but there were still some hidden emotions he didn’t express.
In the past, whenever he encountered difficulties in solving cases, he would come to chat with the old gentleman for a while before leaving.
Not only because Zhou Mingsheng was a doctoral advisor with rich life experience who could offer him different perspectives, but also because just talking to Zhou Mingsheng for a few sentences reminded Meng Zhao of the darkest times back in high school. If he could get through those, then the current situations really didn’t warrant despair. Everything would eventually clear up and come to light.
"Is the case hitting a snag again?" Zhou Mingsheng took a few more sips of porridge, motioning for his wife not to feed him yet, and turned to chat with Meng Zhao.
"Not exactly a snag," Meng Zhao said, "Still investigating, just encountered some unexpected developments."
"Do your best and leave the rest to fate," Zhou Mingsheng said, patting Meng Zhao’s arm.
Zhou Mingsheng moved slowly and spoke with effort. Seeing he was getting drowsy, Meng Zhao didn’t want to disturb him further, so after a short while, he said goodbye and prepared to leave.
As he stepped outside, Meng Zhao had only taken a few steps when the teacher’s wife hurried after him. "Hey, Xiao Meng, wait a moment."
Meng Zhao stopped and turned to look at her. "Take your time. What’s up?"
"Weren’t we packing to move before? I found some materials related to your uncle’s case in your teacher’s folder. It’s no use keeping them here, but I was afraid you might need them, so I brought them over before you left today. I almost forgot again just now," the teacher’s wife said, handing the file bag to Meng Zhao.
Meng Zhao took it and pulled out the materials inside. They were case files from back then about Meng Xiangyu. Actually, he had already asked someone to get the files from that case, so these might not be very useful.
But he still took the papers out and flipped through them, thanking her. "Thanks, Teacher’s wife. On the way here today, I was still thinking about that case—" Before he finished, a piece of paper slipped out from the materials. It was about 32 centimeters in size, covered with writing.
Meng Zhao bent down to pick up the paper and flipped it over. It detailed the clues from the Meng Xiangyu case in an itemized manner.
He was slightly stunned, not because of the content recorded on the paper, but because the handwriting looked familiar. It wasn’t Zhou Mingsheng’s handwriting; it looked more like… Lu Shichen’s handwriting.
