Chapter Ten: The Strange Young Lady

After soothing Qian Yuling’s emotions, Qin Ruonan returned home close to midnight. Perhaps she had been hungry for so long that the feeling had passed; she no longer had any appetite. She changed into pajamas and lay in bed, her mind haunted by the words Qian Yuling had spoken that evening.

It wasn’t that she felt overwhelming sympathy for Qian Yuling—she did feel for this divorced mother—but at this critical juncture, when the details remained unclear, everyone connected to Fang Wan could be innocent, yet equally suspect. Each person warranted attention.

Qin Ruonan was not skilled at reading people’s faces; her judgments stemmed from daily experience rather than professional expertise. Therefore, she dared not draw conclusions based solely on Qian Yuling’s expressions. All she could ascertain was that Qian Yuling’s worry about her child’s disappearance and her fear of losing him were genuine. In contrast, when she spoke of her marriage to her ex-husband Fang Da, whether angry or sorrowful, there was a certain bravado to her words.

Before Fang Wan disappeared, he hadn’t seen his mother for many days, so Qian Yuling knew little of his recent circumstances—one could even say she knew almost nothing. In her eyes, her son was an innocent, well-behaved, and lovable child, starkly different from the image Qin Ruonan had gathered from other sources.

According to descriptions from others, Fang Wan was clever but mischievous, often unruly in school and classes; both his homeroom teacher and the two coaches at the fitness center had mentioned this. The elderly person who helped excuse Fang Wan from school was, after communicating with his parents, essentially confirmed to be Fang Da’s parents, Fang Wan’s grandparents. Qian Yuling’s own relatives mostly lived elsewhere, and Fang Wan’s relationship with his maternal family was rather distant. Fang Da’s parents, however, doted on their only grandson, indulging him in every way.

But this was just Fang Da’s assessment, echoed rarely by Qian Yuling, and not further verified. The main reason was that Fang Da’s parents were elderly. Upon learning of the child’s disappearance, Fang Da only called to test whether Fang Wan had visited them. After receiving a negative answer, he dared not reveal the truth, fearing they would not withstand the shock, and thus asked the police to refrain from questioning the elders for now, hoping to find the child before they noticed.

Fang Wan’s allowance was given weekly, with little extra expenditure. Fang Da had not found anything missing from the house. Thus, Fang Wan was unlikely to have much money or valuables on him, making it impossible for him to support himself for long, further reducing the likelihood of a runaway.

Fang Da mentioned that Fang Wan had a mobile phone, the SIM card registered using his ID. But the phone had been off—whether because it was out of battery, lost, or switched off by someone else was unclear.

Whether voluntarily or not, Fang Wan was likely being kept somewhere. Otherwise, a ten-year-old child without enough cash could not disappear without a trace for so long. Qin Ruonan silently reached this conclusion. Then she wondered, if Fang Wan was being hidden or detained, what was the purpose? During today’s conversation with his parents, neither could think of any possible enmity.

Aside from the uncertainty of the existence and motive of whoever might be hiding him, the question of whether Fang Wan was willingly hidden was crucial. If he was willing, then the chances of his safety were much higher; if not, the outlook was grim.

Supposing Fang Wan was hiding voluntarily, why would he do so, causing his parents and family to frantically search for him? Was it to attract their attention, to obtain the care and concern he lacked?

Such a possibility was not unlikely, especially for a child like Fang Wan, whose parents had divorced and who was somewhat neglected—such thoughts might easily arise.

With these doubts swirling in her mind, Qin Ruonan lay in bed for a long time, finally drifting into a restless sleep. Early the next morning, before the alarm even sounded, she awoke—not because the case weighed heavily on her mind, but because she hadn’t eaten for two meals. Her stomach was empty, and the hunger had made her sleep uneasy.

She got up early and, upon opening the refrigerator, found nothing convenient to eat. She washed up, changed, and left ahead of schedule, buying breakfast on her way to work.

Carrying her breakfast into the office, Qin Ruonan discovered she wasn’t alone in her morning routine. Tian Yang sat at his desk, holding a straw, about to pierce a cup of soy milk.

“You didn’t eat breakfast either, huh?” Tian Yang heard someone enter, saw it was Qin Ruonan, and noticed her breakfast, laughing.

“There was nothing to eat at home, so I grabbed something on the way.”

“I was ignored at home—no one had time to feed me. Tian Mi’s about to get married, so my mom puts all her energy into wedding preparations. Even when she remembers me, it’s just to complain that her son’s wedding is happening after her daughter’s!” Tian Yang dug at his ear, grumbling.

Qin Ruonan smiled, a faint envy in her heart. Then she thought of her own family and couldn’t help but sigh inwardly, guessing that the storm yet to arrive would soon break.

“By the way, Ruonan, you and Changpu went to school together, right? Were you close? Any insider secrets to share?” After a few casual exchanges, Tian Yang suddenly switched to gossip.

Qin Ruonan was startled, about to reply when realization dawned on her, making her laugh.

“You two really are close friends—are you fishing for information for him?” She guessed Tian Yang must have heard about the bet she had with An Changpu.

Tian Yang, seeing his intentions exposed, didn’t mind. “You caught me! Is it too late to switch sides? I’ll join your camp from now on. Tell me, what was the issue between you two that made your relationship so tense at first? Even though you get along now, I’m dying of curiosity!”

Qin Ruonan was amused by Tian Yang’s fence-sitting. As the group’s famed gossip, his digging was likely motivated by genuine curiosity as much as by helping An Changpu.

“All right, I’ll tell you: he owed me money and refused to pay.” Qin Ruonan replied with utmost seriousness.

Tian Yang paused, then shot her a look of mock disdain. “If you’re going to mess with me, at least pick a believable reason. Trying to fool me is an insult to my intelligence!”

Qin Ruonan laughed but didn’t pursue the subject. Her initial friction with An Changpu was due to unresolved issues from the past, and partly because she was angry at herself for still caring after so long. Now, after a period of working together and getting to know him better, she felt at ease. Some things couldn’t be forced; holding onto them only made herself miserable.

Watching Qin Ruonan’s silence, Tian Yang suddenly seemed enlightened.

“You wouldn’t happen to… you used to…” he ventured, unsure how to articulate his guess.

His words were vague, but Qin Ruonan blushed instantly—a reaction more convincing than any answer.

Having guessed the general situation, Tian Yang didn’t joke but spoke earnestly. “I won’t ask for details, but I should say, An Changpu may seem sharp, but when it comes to feelings, he can be pretty clueless. Your feelings—he might not have any idea at all! Relationships are mutual; one hand can’t clap by itself. I think you’re straightforward and not someone who can’t let go. Maybe you two just had some misunderstanding?”

“He probably knows—after all, I let… Never mind, I won’t talk about it. You’re right, relationships are mutual. I must have been out of sorts when I first arrived. Thinking back, I almost feel like I owe him an apology for my attitude then.” Qin Ruonan said with some regret.

“No need to apologize specially; you didn’t really do anything to him. He’s a grown man—his inner world isn’t that fragile.” Tian Yang joked, mostly to comfort her.

“What we’ve just talked about…”

“Secret! I’ll never mention it to anyone, not even the person involved!” Tian Yang held up his hand in oath.

Just then, someone entered from outside. Thinking it was a colleague, they tacitly dropped the topic and turned to look, only to find a completely unfamiliar young woman.

“Hello, can I help you?” Tian Yang quickly asked. A stranger visiting the Major Crimes Unit so early always felt a bit unsettling.

The girl blinked, looking around, then smiled at Tian Yang, dimples showing. “Excuse me, are you An Changpu?”

“I’m not. Are you here for An Changpu? He hasn’t arrived yet—would you like to wait?” Tian Yang invited her to sit, then turned to Qin Ruonan, mouthing silently, “Who is she?”

Qin Ruonan shook her head, equally puzzled. Could she be Fang Wan’s stepmother? But asking for An Changpu by name didn’t fit.

Who was this young woman, after all?