[He never called her ‘Aunt’]
Lu Ting’an had known all along that Zhou Wanxi hadn’t met a peaceful end, but he put on a perfectly shocked expression. “Wanxi used to tell me her family treated her very well. How has so much time passed and her brother and sister-in-law still haven’t arranged her funeral?”
The old lady adopted a mysterious look. “Her family treated her well? Did she tell you that personally?”
“Yes.” Lu Ting’an’s smile was sweet and gentle, but the light in his eyes quickly dimmed. “Wanxi and I knew each other for a long time. I never expected something like this to happen to her.”
In this era, being a showgirl or a dancer was considered a lowly profession. They might earn a lot of money, but the public’s evaluation of them was absolutely foul. The more insular a place, the more gossip there was. It didn’t take a genius to guess how much fuel Zhou Wanxi’s death had added to the conversations of these elderly neighbors.
However, out of respect for the dead, the group restrained their looks of disdain. The talkative old lady even made a show of a pained gesture, touching her forehead. “Family scandals shouldn’t be aired in public. Perhaps the girl was too embarrassed to tell you what was really going on at home.”
Lu Ting’an bent his knees and crouched beside her, whispering, “Could you tell me about it?”
The old lady had rarely chatted with such a handsome young man. She dragged her chair closer and immediately opened the floodgates of gossip.
“I live here on the first floor. Daqing’s family is on the third,” she said, pointing a finger upward. “But they haven’t always lived here. For many years after Daqing got married, he and Wanxi lived at the end of the alley. That house was a wreck—it’s a condemned building now.”
“Daqing used to be very good to Wanxi. He married early and had a kid early, but he still saved money to send her to school. Sadly, Wanxi wasn’t the academic type and dropped out after two years. Though if you ask me, it’s just as likely ‘Big Mei’ wouldn’t let her study.”
“Big Mei?”
The old lady waved a hand dismissively. “Daqing’s wife. What was her name again?”
A bystander chimed in, “Xue Meimei.”
“Right, right, Xue Meimei. That woman is a real stingy one. Let me tell you, we neighbors have to deal with her temper every day. You can’t even touch the drying rack on her balcony. If you accidentally hang something on her rack, she’ll throw your wet clothes right onto the dirt! We live in the same building, but she never says hello. Hmph, as if anyone cares!”
“She was terrible to Wanxi, too. When that girl was younger, she lived and ate at Daqing’s place, and she had to walk on eggshells around her sister-in-law for everything.”
As they chatted, the old lady suddenly dropped a bombshell. “And there’s something else, but you can’t tell anyone I told you. Over ten years ago, Xue Meimei hated how poor the Zhou family was. She actually abandoned Daqing and the child and ran off for a whole year.”
Lu Ting’an played along, his eyes widening. “Then how did she end up back here?”
The old lady gave a sly grin. “Who knows? Word is, the man she ran off with was a small business owner who was about to marry her, but then he fell for another woman—an opera singer. Since Xue Meimei was a woman who had already been married, she had to come crawling back once she was dumped. That’s why her attitude toward Wanxi got even worse once Wanxi joined the Baihui Club. Even we outsiders couldn’t stand to watch it!”
Xue Meimei’s reputation in the building was clearly abysmal. As soon as the old lady finished, an old man nearby picked up the thread.
“It’s a sin. Zhou Wanxi’s money might not have been ‘clean,’ but she used a massive chunk of it to support her brother’s family. Look, this apartment upstairs was bought by Wanxi. During the year Xue Meimei ran off with that man, it was Wanxi who looked after the son. Who would’ve thought she’d turn out to be such an ungrateful white-eyed wolf?”
Lu Ting’an straightened slightly, rubbing an ear that felt like it was growing a callus from the gossip. After all that bashing of Xue Meimei, they had finally mentioned the invisible son.
He subtly nudged the conversation toward Zhou Daqing’s son. “I think I heard her mention a nephew once. The two of them were quite close, weren’t they?”
The old lady didn’t hesitate. “Oh yes, Jinyao used to follow Wanxi everywhere when he was little.”
“No, no, that’s not right!” The old man countered loudly. “Later on, the relationship soured. I’m always sitting down here, so I often saw Wanxi and Jinyao coming down from upstairs together, but I never once heard Jinyao call her ‘Aunt.’ Sometimes he’d just stare at her with a look like he wanted to hit someone.”
“Daqing and his wife don’t know how to raise kids. Wanxi turned out wild, and Jinyao was taught by his mother to not even recognize his own family.”
The others shook their heads in agreement.
Lu Ting’an had gathered the information he needed from these snippets of gossip. He stood up and brushed off non-existent dust. “Thank you for telling me about the hardships Wanxi faced. We’ll head upstairs now. We won’t disturb you any longer.”
The elderly group looked at each other, momentarily stunned. On this street, they were used to hearing shouting and seeing men unzip their flies to pee against walls. They had never met a young man as refined and well-mannered as Lu Ting’an; they suddenly felt that their previous suspicions about him were quite presumptuous.
Lu Ting’an didn’t wait for a response. He crossed the small corridor and stepped onto the stairs. The stairwell was narrow, the handrails greasy from years of use, and the walls were shedding plaster. He walked right down the middle, careful not to touch either side.
Gu Yingzhou followed unhurriedly. As they rounded the first landing, he spoke. “Do you still think Zhou Jinyao is the killer?”
Lu Ting’an pursed his lips and gave a calm “mm.”
Before, it had just been a suspicion based on the stranger’s face in his dream, compared against the features of the parents. But after hearing the neighbors, he was certain.
Lu Ting’an’s tone was cold as he asked a counter-question: “Officer Gu, do you think Zhou Jinyao refused to call her ‘Aunt’ because he hated her?”
Gu Yingzhou considered it. “It’s possible. A mother’s words and actions have a profound impact on a child.”
Lu Ting’an slowed his pace and gave a cold scoff. “Have you ever heard the saying: When a younger man won’t call you ‘Sis,’ his heart is probably wandering into the abyss?”
“Younger man?”
Lu Ting’an shook his head, offering no further explanation.
This meme was mostly used on the internet to tease romantic relationships between older women and younger men, usually in a lighthearted way.
Lu Ting’an regretted the analogy as soon as he made it. Zhou Jinyao’s psychology and emotions were fundamentally unhealthy. His obsession with Zhou Wanxi couldn’t be described by the word “wild”—it was sickening, it was malicious. Just thinking about it made his skin crawl.
…
The Zhou residence was on the left side of the third floor. It was impossible to miss coming up the stairs; the entrance was swept clean, and couplets were pasted on the door.
The soundproofing in these old buildings was poor. Standing in the hallway, they could hear people arguing inside. However, the moment Lu Ting’an raised his hand to knock, the voices stopped abruptly.
When no one came to the door after half a minute, Gu Yingzhou pulled Lu Ting’an behind him and pounded firmly on the door frame. His voice was low and stern. “Police. Open up!”
There was another silence inside before footsteps finally approached.
Xue Meimei opened the door. As it swung halfway, her pinched, sour face poked out. “Really, sir? Didn’t you already investigate yesterday? If you can’t catch the killer, are you going to come every single day? We have lives to live.”
While she grumbled, Gu Yingzhou produced his ID and flashed it in front of her. “Routine check. Is Zhou Jinyao home? We suspect him of involvement in a homicide and a kidnapping.”
At the mention of Zhou Jinyao’s name, Xue Meimei immediately became defensive. “That’s impossible! Our Jinyao is very honest and obedient. He’s not home.”
Hearing the commotion, Zhou Daqing walked over from inside. His attitude was slightly better as he pulled the door open and let the two men in. “Officer, is there some kind of misunderstanding?”
Gu Yingzhou fixed his gaze on him. “Where was Zhou Jinyao the night before last and last night? Did he come home?”
Zhou Daqing stood with a hunched back. “He lives at the orchard. Sir, the fruit is almost ripe and there have been thieves lately. Someone has to watch the place.”
Gu Yingzhou glared at him coldly. “Are you certain he didn’t leave for even a moment?”
Zhou Daqing hesitated for half a second before nodding decisively. “He didn’t.”
Gu Yingzhou didn’t press further, instead turning to give Lu Ting’an a look.
Both of them knew it for a fact: Zhou Daqing was lying.
When people lie, they often subconsciously raise their volume to sound more convincing. Because they feel guilty, their eyes dodge, and they develop small tics like touching their face or pinching the seams of their trousers. Unluckily for him, Zhou Daqing was doing almost all of them.
Lu Ting’an looked around, scanning the apartment which appeared to be about sixty square meters. Since they had arrived unannounced, the couple hadn’t had time to hide anything. A stack of photos was scattered across the narrow coffee table.
Lu Ting’an walked over and saw that the photos were of various women. They were in color, showing women of different heights and builds. The only common thread was that they were dressed plainly—even a bit frumpy—and weren’t particularly beautiful. Aside from a few who were memorably plain, most were average faces that would get lost in a crowd.
“Who are these people?” Lu Ting’an asked.
Xue Meimei rushed over and snatched the photos away. “This is a private family matter. Sir, surely this has nothing to do with the case!”
She moved so fast that Lu Ting’an was caught off guard, and the sharp edge of a photo sliced a small cut onto his hand. He let out a soft hiss of pain.
Gu Yingzhou’s brows knitted as he glared at her, barking, “Let me remind you once more: Zhou Jinyao is a criminal suspect! If you don’t want to cooperate, you can come back to the station with me. We have plenty of ways to make you cooperate.”
Only then did the couple settle down. “These… these were sent by a matchmaker. Photos of potential blind dates. Officer, going on a blind date isn’t a crime, is it?”