By the time He Yunqin drove the car to the police station, sure enough a large group of officers were coming out, led by Commissioner Bai and Yu Chongyi, about to split up and search the western mountains and the eastern district.
He Yunqin spotted Yu Chongyi in the crowd, and deliberately slowed the car down.
Yu Chongyi saw He Yunqin’s car slowly passing by the entrance of the police station and knew something was up. He simply told his colleagues he was going to look across the street, and while they weren’t paying attention, slipped into the secluded lane opposite.
He Yunqin, Hongdou, and the others were indeed waiting inside. As soon as he arrived, He Yunqin rolled down the window and relayed the deduction he and Hongdou had made earlier. Yu Chongyi’s face lit up. “I’ll go lead people to search these few places near the theater right away.”
Her brother was gone for two whole hours after that. Midway, He Yunqin got out of the car, and was gone a long while without returning. Hongdou and Wang Bide had nothing to say to each other to begin with, and this only made time feel like it was crawling by even more slowly.
After resting her chin on her hand and waiting a while, He Yunqin still hadn’t gotten back in the car. She finally grew impatient waiting, so she pushed open the car door, intending to walk around the lane a bit to ease the anxiety in her heart.
He Yunqin was indeed standing behind the car smoking. Seeing Hongdou come out with a face full of worry, he snuffed out the cigarette and said: “There’s a sour plum soup vendor over there. Are you thirsty, Miss Yu? Should I go buy you a bowl?”
Hongdou looked toward the mouth of the lane and indeed saw a small stall. Knowing he was always courteous to people, she figured this was probably just a casual offer, and hurriedly patted her chest and said with a smile: “You’ve already bought me food twice now. This time it’s my turn to treat.”
So saying, she walked over and asked the vendor to fill three bowls of sour plum soup.
After the vendor filled the bowls, she was just about to take money from her pocket to pay, only to find her pocket completely empty — not a single coin.
She thought back — she’d just bathed at home, and in her rush to bring the handkerchief to her brother, she’d hurried downstairs without thinking to put money in her newly changed clothes. If she’d known, she wouldn’t have offered to treat in the first place. Now there was no graceful way out of it. She could only console herself with the thought that if they really managed to find Cousin Yuqi safely, she’d properly thank He Yunqin — perhaps she and her brother could formally treat him to a meal some other time.
Thinking this, she was about to swallow her pride and go find He Yunqin, only to find he’d already come over, seeing her fail to pay for so long. Likely worried she’d be embarrassed, he calmly took out money and paid without a fuss.
Hongdou lowered her head and quietly watched him resolve the awkward situation for her, her heart pounding so hard it wouldn’t settle.
If it had been Qin Xuekai, she would have thanked him openly right away to smooth things over. But today she felt strangely embarrassed. She thought to herself — someone this considerate and well-mannered, no wonder so many women liked him.
Having paid, He Yunqin caught sight of her ears still red, and knew she still felt embarrassed. He simply picked up one of the bowls of sour plum soup and drank it all in one go, then set the bowl down and smiled brightly. “Thank you for the sour plum soup, Miss Yu.”
Hongdou knew he probably wasn’t fond of roadside sour plum soup, and that he’d said this purely to give her an easy way out. She quietly let out a breath of relief, gritted her teeth, picked up the other bowl and drank it silently, then finally smiled sweetly, looking up at him. “You’ve been troubled these past few days, Mr. He. Whenever you have the chance, please do me the honor of letting my brother and me properly treat you sometime.”
She tried to act mature, but when she smiled, a pair of round dimples appeared, unwittingly adding a touch of soft, youthful charm to her whole face.
He Yunqin looked down at her, only feeling that her skin was unbelievably fair and delicate, his palm itching — he nearly raised his hand to pinch her plump, jade-smooth cheek.
Fortunately his reason held; though the thought crossed his mind, he didn’t act on it. He thought of his sister — though the two of them often leaned close together to talk, he realized he’d never studied his sister’s face this closely before.
Seeing she sincerely meant to treat him, he smiled and said: “Since it’s an invitation from Miss Yu and Mr. Yu, there’s no need to speak of imposing. Just let me know the time and place, and I’ll be there.” So saying, he began walking toward the car.
Hongdou carefully held the bowl of sour plum soup meant for Wang Bide, and walked alongside him.
They walked a stretch, and He Yunqin glanced at her and suddenly asked: “Miss Yu seems especially concerned about Pan Yuqi’s safety — you’ve stayed up several nights in a row now for the sake of solving this case. I imagine you sisters must be very close.”
Hongdou shook her head. “My family experienced something similar in the past, which is why, when we heard my cousin had gone missing, everyone in my family became especially anxious.”
He Yunqin was mildly surprised. “Has someone gone missing in Miss Yu’s family before too?”
Hongdou’s expression darkened. “It was my aunt — and it wasn’t exactly a disappearance. By the time we found out, she was already gone.”
The topic was too heavy; she didn’t want to continue, and was about to change the subject when a commotion arose across the street. The two of them walked to the mouth of the lane and, in the light of the setting sun, looked across to see that group of police who’d left the station earlier had returned. Before long, Yu Chongyi got out of the police car and ordered his colleagues to escort someone into the station.
Hongdou stood on tiptoe, trying to make out the person’s face, but couldn’t. Still, a vague premonition filled her with an excitement she couldn’t suppress.
Neither of them had any more mind for idle chat, and simply returned to the car to wait.
Wang Bide had just finished his sour plum soup when Yu Chongyi indeed came striding over quickly, his face full of joy. “At Cheng Family Garden — Chen Jinsheng had rented a place there earlier, originally meaning to have his wife run some kind of business. When we got there just now, he was in the middle of stuffing Chen Baidie and my cousin into sacks, with a rickshaw already prepared, clearly planning to move the two of them away under cover of night.”
Hongdou held her breath and asked: “Is my cousin still alive?”
Yu Chongyi wiped the sweat from his forehead. “Still alive, just with some external injuries. She’s already been sent to the hospital.”
Hongdou covered her mouth and let out a low cry, overjoyed beyond words.
Wang Bide seemed to relax considerably as well, and looked at He Yunqin with a satisfied expression. “You’d think this Chen Jinsheng was clever enough, but he was just unlucky enough to run into the two of us.”
Hongdou glanced at him — it was clearly she and He Yunqin who had worked together to guess Chen Jinsheng’s hiding spot, yet somehow, coming out of Wang Bide’s mouth, it had all become entirely his own achievement. Fortunately, she was in too good a mood over finding her cousin to bother arguing with him right now.
Yu Chongyi said sincerely: “This time we really do owe Mr. He our thanks. If it weren’t for you, Mr. He, we probably wouldn’t have gotten the two victims back alive.”
He Yunqin smiled with perfect fairness. “Your sister helped a great deal too.”
Yu Chongyi, not wanting to praise his own sister in front of outsiders, simply gave an awkward, honest smile. “She’s been able to memorize things at a glance since she was little. With this business with Yuqi, I figured she might be able to help some, which is why I let her tag along running around with us.” Worried the topic would drag on too long, he quickly turned serious. “Chen Baidie was Chen Jinsheng’s second offering. The formation required the sacrifice site to be in the western mountains, so Chen Jinsheng specifically hid her at the Lu family villa on Mingquan Mountain, originally planning to act once the appointed hour arrived tonight. But yesterday, two separate groups searched Mingquan Mountain one after another, and fearing Chen Baidie might accidentally be discovered, he immediately used the car to move her down the mountain. Because he left in such a hurry, he accidentally left behind one of Chen Baidie’s bloodstained garments.”
He Yunqin looked at Hongdou. “So the person hidden in the trunk of the car last night must have been Chen Baidie without doubt.”
Recalling that the two female students had smelled a bloody odor from the trunk, and knowing now that Chen Baidie hadn’t died, he still asked: “Which hospital is Chen Baidie at now? Was she seriously injured?”
Yu Chongyi said: “Both of them were sent to the Red Cross hospital, though I expect that once people from the film company arrive, they’ll likely have Chen Baidie transferred to a private hospital.”
He Yunqin nodded. “We need to go to the Red Cross. Since the murderer’s been caught and both victims found, everything else can be left entirely in your hands, Mr. Yu.”
Yu Chongyi glanced at Hongdou, and said bashfully: “I really don’t have time right now — I must trouble you, Mr. He, to see my sister home.”
He Yunqin said: “There’s no need to stand on ceremony, Mr. Yu. It’s on my way regardless — no trouble at all.”
He drove the car out of the lane.
On the way, Hongdou quietly watched He Yunqin’s profile.
She’d already been suspicious of why He Yunqin had gotten involved in this case in the first place, and now, seeing how much he cared about Chen Baidie’s safety, her doubts only deepened. But if it really was true, as Wang Bide said, that there was nothing romantic between the two of them, then what reason could he possibly have for caring so much whether Chen Baidie lived or died?
When they reached Tongfu Lane, He Yunqin parked the car, and seeing Hongdou lost in thought, reminded her: “Miss Yu, we’re home.”
Hongdou looked at He Yunqin, then at Wang Bide. The missing women had been found — from now on, she probably wouldn’t have many more chances to interact with these two. Earlier, spending time with He Yunqin hadn’t felt like anything special, but now that the case was actually closed, a faint sense of wistfulness rose in her chest. She sat in silence for a few seconds, and seeing neither of them said anything, she slowly got out of the car. “Thank you, Mr. He.” She smiled and nodded at him, then turned and went into the lane.
He Yunqin watched her through the car window. The girl walked slowly at first, but before long, as if she’d suddenly remembered something happy, she perked right up again and walked briskly inside, full of cheer.
He didn’t understand why she’d been unhappy before, nor what she’d suddenly remembered that made her happy again — he’d simply rarely seen anyone so skilled at self-regulating their own emotions, and found himself secretly marveling at it.
Wang Bide, seeing He Yunqin staring after Hongdou’s retreating figure in a daze, coughed loudly. “Seen enough? Weren’t we supposed to go to the Red Cross to question Chen Baidie?”
He Yunqin felt he’d been entirely aboveboard regarding Hongdou — yet somehow, coming out of Wang Bide’s mouth, it always sounded like he had ulterior motives. He gave him a cool glance, initially meaning to offer some explanation, but on second thought, the more he explained such things, the more confused they’d become — far better to simply brush it off with a laugh.
Wang Bide smiled with ill intent. “What, Miss Yu throws a little tantrum in front of you and you don’t say a word, but I nag you a couple sentences and you already find me annoying?”
Seeing He Yunqin thoroughly unimpressed, Wang Bide spread his hands. “In Germany, you were busy with your studies and didn’t like dealing with foreign girls — not falling in love then was understandable enough. But now that you’re back, even if you’re not in a hurry to date, your family’s probably pressuring you to get married, aren’t they? Otherwise why would your mother be throwing such a grand banquet, specially inviting all those St. John’s students? I remember you once said you didn’t like naive, childish girls, and would never go for someone your sister’s age. Yet these past few days, you run into someone a bit clever and quick-witted, and I can tell you’re rather taken with her.”
He Yunqin cut him off with a cold laugh: “Detective Wang has been talking far too much these past few days.”
When Hongdou got home, before she even had the chance to tell her mother the wonderful news, Mrs. Yu came out from the inner room, holding a gold-flecked pink invitation card, and handed it to her. “A young lady surnamed He from your school dropped this off — said there’s a birthday banquet at her family and she’d like to invite you. I noticed this girl is quite good-looking, and bears some resemblance to Mr. He — I was wondering if the two of them are siblings. I know you haven’t been in the mood to socialize with classmates these past few days because of your cousin’s situation, but since she came all the way here personally to deliver the invitation, you should probably go. I’ve left the invitation here for you. By the way, is there any news about your cousin?”
These past few days she’d raised her hopes countless times only to have them dashed just as many times. Afraid of being disappointed yet again, though desperate to ask about Yuqi’s whereabouts, she found herself timidly unable to ask.
Hongdou deliberately feigned calm as she walked up to her mother, and only once she’d wrapped her arms around her mother’s neck did she tilt her head back and laugh, giving her mother a big kiss. “These past few days I really wasn’t in the mood to go out and have fun, but now I am! Mom, Cousin Yuqi’s been found!”
Author’s note: Remember there was a red packet last Hong Dou Sheng Min Guo – Chapter — normally the author sends it within 24 hours by default, but past 24 hours, the author won’t check the comments section again. Tomorrow there’ll still be a second update. Muah.