Chapter Sixty-Four: The Disappearance of Lu Anmei

Early the next morning, when Qin Ruonan and An Changpu happened to run into each other at the entrance to the Major Crimes Unit office, Qin Ruonan looked a little embarrassed. The night before, feeling upset, she had unjustly taken out her frustrations on An Changpu, making him an unwitting scapegoat. After she had calmed down at home, she realized that leaving with a sullen face was inappropriate, but even after much hesitation, her pride prevented her from sending a message or making a call to apologize. Now, running into him so early and so directly at the office door, she found herself at a loss for words.

"I wasn't upset with you last night, don't take it to heart," she finally blocked An Changpu at the door, deciding she owed him an explanation. After all, she had taken out her anger on him for no reason and changed her attitude without warning; pretending nothing had happened was simply not in her nature.

An Changpu, however, seemed completely unconcerned. He reached out and gave her shoulder a hearty pat, laughing, "It's fine! Among all the women I know, you're definitely not the most capricious one! If you’re ever feeling down, don’t bottle it up—there are so many men in the Major Crimes Unit, surely we can handle a little emotional storm!"

"So, it sounds like you have quite a bit of experience with women!" Qin Ruonan shifted her shoulder slightly, shaking off his hand, her cheeks tinged with a deeper blush.

An Changpu didn't notice, his mind already drifting to work. "By the way, you go pick up the lab results on the rat poison. I’ll handle the analysis on the bricks and clay. That way, we’ll save some time!"

Qin Ruonan agreed at once. The two of them entered the office, set down their belongings, and went off to complete their respective tasks.

Over half an hour later, they both returned to the office, each bringing back their findings to share with the other.

First was Qin Ruonan’s report on the rat poison. Although they had already compared the poison An Changpu had collected from the Lu family home with the residue found in Lu Min’s body, she hadn’t been entirely satisfied. Not only had she examined the packaging, but she had also considered the specific ingredients in detail. Even though the main component was the same, was every rat poison on the market truly identical in composition? She was doubtful. So before heading to County T, she had asked someone else to purchase several different brands of rat poison for further testing, hoping to obtain a definitive answer.

The report confirmed her suspicions: while the major ingredient was consistent across brands, the proportion of other components varied from one to another.

The various packages of rat poison purchased in City C’s urban area all shared the same primary component as that found in Lu Min’s body, but there were still subtle differences.

Therefore, to use the rat poison as a clue to identify the murderer, the first step was to narrow down the specific source of purchase.

By comparison, An Changpu’s findings, though they still required further investigation and verification, were much more straightforward. The bricks used to weigh down the upper half of Lu Min’s body in the river were traditional clay bricks, their surfaces dusted with efflorescence. Lab analysis revealed the clay used for firing the bricks was mixed with lime and quartz powder, among other things. After consulting with experts, they learned that such additives were most likely used to neutralize a high sodium salt content in the clay.

Qin Ruonan had already done her homework on the number of traditional solid clay brick factories around City C before visiting County T. Even if they had to trace the brick’s origin by elimination, the workload wouldn’t be overwhelming.

The rat poison, however, posed a trickier challenge. Many small vendors peddled it door-to-door, and tracking down the exact source would require not just time, but likely some outside assistance.

After discussing their investigation strategy, An Changpu said to Qin Ruonan, "You should give Lu Anmei a call. Like you, I really hope this has nothing to do with that girl, but we still have to get to the bottom of it."

Qin Ruonan quietly pulled out her phone and dialed Lu Anmei’s number. Her expression grew grave almost immediately.

"Her number’s been deactivated," she said, hanging up and reaching out to An Changpu. "Give me the car keys! I’m going to the supermarket to look for her!"

"Forget it, it’s no use. If she’s gone so far as to cancel her number, there’s no way she’s still working at her old job." An Changpu didn’t have much hope for Qin Ruonan’s plan.

But Qin Ruonan refused to give up, her outstretched hand unmoving.

With a sigh, An Changpu handed her the keys, which he’d been holding onto since Qin Ruonan had been injured a few days ago. She took them and hurried out of the office.

On the way, Qin Ruonan drove fast, so anxious that she almost ran a red light and was scolded by a traffic officer. She couldn’t shake the worry that if Lu Anmei wasn’t at the supermarket and had vanished without a trace, the implications would be all too clear.

Knowing Lu Anmei’s upbringing and family circumstances, Qin Ruonan couldn’t help but feel sympathy for the girl’s inner struggles. All the more reason she wished desperately to avoid the worst-case scenario.

Yet reason told her An Changpu’s intuition was likely correct: the chances of finding Lu Anmei were slim.

However small the chance, Qin Ruonan was determined to see for herself.

She parked in front of the supermarket where Lu Anmei had worked, rushed inside, and came out ten minutes later, heavy-hearted. The manager and other employees said Lu Anmei had abruptly quit a few days earlier. Since she hadn’t completed a full month’s work, the manager told her she’d lose half a month’s wages if she left immediately, but Lu Anmei insisted on leaving anyway. No one knew where she had gone.

Back in her car, Qin Ruonan called An Changpu to report Lu Anmei’s disappearance. He wasn’t surprised; instead, he told her to come back to the station and pick him up so they could go together to the Lu family home and ask Ding Mulan about the youngest daughter’s whereabouts.

They’d been to the Lu house more than once and knew the way well. On the drive, Qin Ruonan was silent, and An Changpu, understanding her mood, didn’t disturb her. When they arrived, they found the Lu family’s gate unlocked and walked straight in.

With autumn deepening, the little courtyard, already neglected, now looked even more desolate. At the doorstep, An Changpu paused and gave a polite knock on the door.

Soon, Ding Mulan opened it, peering out. She looked even thinner than before, as if she might wither away along with the autumn foliage.

"Oh, it’s you," she said, surprised to see An Changpu and Qin Ruonan. "Has something happened?"

"Nothing in particular. We’re just in the area on an investigation and thought we’d stop by," An Changpu quickly replied before Qin Ruonan could speak.

Qin Ruonan nodded in agreement, suddenly realizing that, though they’d graduated from the police academy in the same year, An Changpu was far more tactful than she was. If he hadn’t spoken first, she might have blurted out their true purpose and asked directly about Lu Anmei’s whereabouts.

One approach was tactful and indirect, the other blunt and straightforward. More often than not, An Changpu’s strategy avoided resistance and achieved results more smoothly.

This was evident in the way Ding Mulan visibly relaxed.

She welcomed them in without suspicion and offered them water, but when she picked up the thermos, she realized it was empty and hurried to the kitchen to boil some.

Qin Ruonan looked around and noticed the house was dustier than ever. The living room mirror, once only lightly coated, was now so clouded with dust that reflections were barely visible. On the corner dining table sat a plastic bag with a few hardened, moldy steamed buns—clearly untouched for a long time.

When Ding Mulan came back with two cups of hot water, she caught Qin Ruonan’s gaze lingering on the buns. She handed them the cups, then quickly grabbed the bag, forcing a bitter smile. "Look at me, didn’t even realize the food’s gone bad."

She turned and hurried to the kitchen to throw them away. An Changpu stood up, left his cup on the table, and followed her.

Feeling someone behind her, Ding Mulan turned, puzzled. An Changpu took out a half-empty pack of cigarettes and a lighter, smiling as he gestured to the small door leading outside. "Mind if I step out back for a smoke?"

She hesitated, glanced out the window, then nodded and opened the door for him.

"I’ll be quick and make sure the butt is out, don’t worry. Meanwhile, you go talk with my colleague," An Changpu said, standing in the doorway with a cigarette between two slender fingers, the lighter poised in the other hand. Seeing Ding Mulan still watching him, he added reassuringly.

She pressed her lips together, said nothing, and turned to head back to the living room, leaving An Changpu alone in the back.