Chapter 67: Seen Through

The Children's Palace was not particularly large, and the teachers' office facilities were limited. While not exactly dilapidated, the space was quite plain. Many desks were packed into a single office, and with so many people inside, the atmosphere was slightly noisy.

"The two of you, please take a seat. I'll pour you some water. Just wait here for Teacher Cong; if he comes in today, his first stop will definitely be the office," Mi Tengwu said, gesturing for Qin Ruonan and An Changpu to sit by his desk. He then picked up a thermos from the windowsill, preparing to go fetch some hot water.

An Changpu stopped him. "Don't trouble yourself, there’s no need to go out of your way for us."

Seeing his insistence, Mi Tengwu didn't press the matter and sat down as well. The three of them fell silent. Fortunately, there were others in the office, and the general clamor meant no one paid them any mind.

After a long while, Mi Tengwu seemed to find the silence awkward and attempted to find a topic of conversation.

"Chai Xiu mentioned to me a few days ago that she wondered if there was any news about that little boy who disappeared after leaving the fitness center where she works. I wanted to ask when I saw you earlier, but I felt hesitant. I was afraid of asking something inappropriate; after all, your profession is quite unique." Mi Tengwu spoke with great tact, clearly signaling that he would not ask anything out of line and leaving the choice of whether to answer up to them. He also saved face for himself, emphasizing that he didn't want to be intrusive or cause trouble, ensuring that even if they chose not to answer, he wouldn't appear unreasonable.

"There hasn't been any progress yet," Qin Ruonan replied honestly, as that was the literal truth. She then remembered the scene she had witnessed at the gym. "By the way, has that Zhang Lei given Chai Xiu any more trouble?"

"Trouble... I suppose you could call it that," Mi Tengwu said with a troubled smile. He seemed conflicted about discussing it. He paused before continuing, "I don't know much about Zhang Lei. My wife says he has a nasty temper and can be a bit of a bully. How should I put it? He’s young, and it’s normal for some to have a short fuse. After that unpleasant incident, the fitness center reassigned Chai Xiu’s shift to avoid any overlap with his, ensuring they wouldn't run into each other. We are satisfied with that arrangement. Zhang Lei is a relative of the boss and quite strong; sometimes the best solution is to avoid those you can't afford to offend. Otherwise, I’d be ashamed—as her husband, if Zhang Lei really decided to get physical, I’m afraid I’d only be good for taking a beating for her. I don't have the capacity for anything more."

After finishing, Mi Tengwu gave a self-deprecating laugh, rubbing his somewhat thin arms covered by his sweater and shirt.

An Changpu had once "sparred" with Zhang Lei and had heard about the incident from Qin Ruonan. After hearing Mi Tengwu, he frowned, a look of concern crossing his face.

"I’ve had a few run-ins with Zhang Lei; his temper is indeed volatile and he lacks patience. That is a problem. Don't worry, I will keep an eye on him. If he does anything that threatens your wife’s personal safety, I hope you will contact the police immediately rather than trying to handle it through private channels," he said solemnly.

Mi Tengwu nodded gratefully, appearing more reassured, but then sighed heavily. "I’ve actually considered asking Chai Xiu to find a new job, because I feel that as long as she is there, there will always be a chance of running into him. If one day she can't avoid it... even if we could hold him legally responsible afterward, the psychological trauma would be indelible. But Chai Xiu refuses. She may have a gentle temper, but she can be incredibly stubborn. She says she loves children, and that job allows her to be a fitness instructor while still being around them. She’s very happy there. Last time I tried to persuade her, she got angry and argued that it’s Zhang Lei whose personality is ill-suited for children, asking why she, who has done nothing wrong, should be the one to leave. I didn't know how to answer. Sigh, she’s right, but what can you do? Zhang Lei is the boss's relative. Such are the times..."

He sighed, shaking his head with a look of helplessness.

"Chai Xiu has a point. If she doesn't want to leave, don't force her. We'll find time to go over and check on the situation. Don't worry," Qin Ruonan comforted him.

"No, no, that won't be necessary. You are busy enough; I shouldn't add to your troubles," Mi Tengwu replied quickly.

"Judging by your accent, you're a local, right?" An Changpu suddenly interjected with a question entirely unrelated to the previous topic.

Mi Tengwu, who had been discussing his wife with Qin Ruonan, was caught off guard. It took him a moment to process the question. He shook his head and smiled, saying, "I'm actually not from the city, but it's not far. The accents in the surrounding areas are all quite similar."

"So you're not from H Province!" Qin Ruonan realized, noting that Mi Tengwu’s accent lacked the H Province flavor. "No wonder I thought your accent was different from Chai Xiu's. She told me she was from H Province and moved here due to her husband's job transfer; I assumed you were both from there."

"I went there to work after graduating from university and met her there," Mi Tengwu said, a look of contentment on his face. Speaking of Chai Xiu seemed to make him very happy.

"Oh, Teacher Cong, didn't you just get discharged? Why are you back to work today?"

A voice from the other end of the office reached An Changpu. He and Qin Ruonan turned to see a man walking in—gray-haired, thin, and slightly hunched over.

"The man himself has arrived! That is Teacher Cong Zhengping, the person you came to find!" Seeing Cong Zhengping, Mi Tengwu knew it was time for them to get to work and stood up tactfully. "You two talk; I'm going out to buy some cigarettes."

He left immediately, offering a warm greeting to Teacher Cong as he passed, to which the teacher gave a faint, perfunctory nod.

"Teacher Cong, hello. We are the ones who called you earlier about coming by," An Changpu said, standing up to meet him and shaking his hand. He didn't explicitly state his police identity, knowing Cong would understand. Since You Xiaoyang was his student and had been missing for so long, the situation was dire; he didn't want to cause unnecessary public pressure for the teacher by making a grand announcement.

Cong Zhengping understood immediately and offered a smile, though it looked weak—likely because he hadn't fully recovered from his illness.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting," Cong Zhengping said. He had a stern appearance, and although he had softened his tone for the police, he couldn't hide the strict demeanor he had cultivated over years of teaching.

"Not at all, we just arrived and were sitting here with Teacher Mi Tengwu for a moment," Qin Ruonan said. Recalling the interaction between the two men, she probed, "Your relationship with Mi Tengwu is..."

Before she could finish, Cong Zhengping understood the implication and quickly denied it. "No, there's no unpleasantness. We’re just not very close. I am a tenured teacher, while he is a contract teacher who has only been here for about a year. We have many teachers like him who come and go. I’m old and my memory isn't what it used to be, so I don't really keep track."

His expression remained flat, but his tone carried a note of pride in his status as a senior, tenured educator.

Qin Ruonan nodded, not wanting to waste time on this. Seeing that no one else was paying attention to their conversation, she went straight to the point. "We would like to ask you about You Xiaoyang. We heard he studied the accordion with you for many years, so you must know him well."

"I suppose so. Among the students I've taught, You Xiaoyang has been with me for a long time. Ask whatever you like; if I know, I'll tell you. If I don't, I certainly won't make things up." Sensing they were getting to the real business, Cong Zhengping straightened his posture and nodded solemnly.

"We heard that You Xiaoyang was a well-behaved, exemplary student. Can you tell us about his time studying the accordion with you?" An Changpu intentionally omitted the boy's true behavior, sticking to his public image to see if he had been as good at maintaining a facade in front of his teacher as he had been at home.

Upon hearing this, a sneer immediately appeared on Cong Zhengping's face.

"Heh, heh, heh," he chuckled derisively. "I don't know about 'exemplary'—I'm not his academic teacher. But as for being 'well-behaved'... I don't think those words have much to do with You Xiaoyang. No matter how much he acted the part in front of others, they might have bought it, but I didn't. I saw right through him a long time ago."