Chapter 49: Cemetery

Chapter 49: Memorial Park

Shen Qingye looked at Gao Zhengming's bewildered expression, her smile faltering slightly. "You said it yourself in front of so many reporters that day—You don't remember?"

Gao Zhengming looked genuinely surprised. "Did I? Did I really say that?"

Shen Qingye widened her eyes. "Yes! I heard it! And so did everyone else there—they all heard it!"

Gao Zhengming scratched his ear. "Who are 'they'? Don't just talk; as a police officer, you need to back it up with evidence."

Shen Qingye stared at him for a while, her cheeks puffing out in frustration. "How can you be like this? You're going back on your word, breaking your promise!"

Seeing her puffed-up expression, Gao Zhengming felt both guilty and amused. He was about to say more when Bai Xiuyu, who had been watching, couldn’t hold back anymore. She pulled Shen Qingye aside. "Alright, alright, don't listen to your Uncle Gao's nonsense, okay? We'll definitely get it done for you. If he doesn't do it, I'll make sure he does!"

As she spoke, she glared at her husband. "He's being annoying; let's just ignore him!"

Shen Qingye leaned into her embrace, hugging her tightly, and couldn't help but snort at Gao Zhengming, cooing, "Auntie Bai is the best!"

Gao Zhengming, watching from the side, couldn't help but touch his nose. "I was just teasing Xiao Feng..."

"Teasing, teasing, let's see how you like it when I tease you tomorrow!" Bai Xiuyu glared at him, then gently stroked the hair of the girl in her arms. "Auntie Bai will stand up for you; we won't play with him!"

Completely forgetting that she had been teasing the child just moments ago.

Shen Qingye nodded eagerly, giving Gao Zhengming a sly smile.

Shen Linyue, seeing this, knew full well that her daughter was putting on an act and couldn't help but sigh. "Xiuyu, don't spoil her too much—look how she's taking advantage of you."

Bai Xiuyu replied, "What are you saying? Xiao Feng is so well-behaved and sweet. If she were my daughter, I'd hold her in the palm of my hand." Unfortunately, she only had a son, and with Gao being a public servant, having another daughter wasn't an option.

Shen Linyue could only shake her head helplessly.

As they were talking, there was a knock at the door. Bai Xiuyu glanced at Gao Zhengming. "It's probably the Song family. Aren't you going to open the door?"

Gao Zhengming, who had little say at home, sighed and said, "Alright, alright, I'm coming."

The door opened, and sure enough, it was Detachment Leader Song and his family. Shen Qingye sat up straight, maintaining her composure. She greeted them politely, along with her mother, before sitting down with everyone.

Song Lianfeng smiled. "What were you all talking about? It sounded so lively and fun. We could hear the laughter before we even came in."

Bai Xiuyu chuckled, glancing at Gao Zhengming out of the corner of her eye. "It's your Director Gao's doing—he managed to upset Xiao Feng."

"Oh?" Song Lianfeng was surprised. "Xiao Feng has such a good temper. What did Old Gao do to upset her?"

Gao Zhengming couldn't help but mutter, "What good temper? That little troublemaker is full of tricks."

Shen Qingye wrinkled her nose. "It's clearly you who broke your promise, and now you're trying to shift the blame!"

Gao Zhengming snorted, almost laughing out of frustration. Bai Xiuyu, standing by, couldn't help but smile as she explained the situation to Song Lianfeng. Upon hearing it, he burst into laughter:

"Is that all? I thought it was something serious." He looked at Shen Qingye and said, "Don't worry, your Uncle Gao is just a bit stubborn with his words, but he really cares about you! After he came back that day, he told me to submit all the documents, and now it's in the process."

Shen Qingye already had an idea, but she still narrowed her eyes, feigning doubt. "Really?"

Gao Zhengming waved his hand. "No!"

But Shen Qingye immediately laughed, quickly moving closer, smiling brightly. "I knew it, Uncle Gao definitely cares about me!"

Gao Zhengming put on a stern face, waving his hands as if facing a great enemy. "Don't! I didn't say anything!"

Shen Qingye smiled sweetly: "It's okay, you don't have to say anything, I understand!"

Hearing this, everyone burst into laughter, even Bian Peiyun, the wife of Detachment Leader Song, couldn't hold back her laughter.

Gao Zhengming pretended for a while longer but ultimately couldn't maintain his serious expression. He raised his hand and tapped her forehead: "You ungrateful girl, how could I go back on my promise to you? I even thought about how much you love brisket and specially went to the market to buy a lot for you."

Shen Qingye obediently said, "It's all mine, Uncle Gao. Don't worry, today even if I stuff myself, I'll finish all the brisket and not let your kindness go to waste."

Gao Zhengming chuckled, unable to hold back his laughter.

The families didn't often get together, making small talk. Shen Linyue looked around the room and asked, "By the way, hasn't Rui Yang come home yet?"

Bai Xiuyu said, "He's been coming home a bit later recently. He said that since the exams are approaching, the teachers stay at school for a while after work, and students can ask them questions, which is more effective than studying at home."

She glanced at the sky outside: "But I told him Xiao Feng is coming today, so he should be back earlier."

Shen Linyue nodded and added, "Speaking of which, has the exam date been moved up this year?"

Bai Xiuyu replied, "Yes. It used to be in July, but this year it's been moved up by a month, so it's in June."

Shen Linyue said, "That's good. July is way too hot; June's at least a bit cooler."

Bian Peiyun chimed in, "It's not that much cooler. Last year in early June, the average temperature was already over 30 degrees Celsius. Now it's only April, and the weather is already heating up."

Bai Xiuyu also said, "The weather has indeed been getting hotter in recent years. How are we supposed to survive July and August?"

Shen Linyue nodded in agreement: "Speaking of which, Rui Yang is about to take the exams. How's his recent academic performance? Is he doing okay?"

Bai Xiuyu said, "That kid's always been laid-back. From what I see, he's not too stressed. His grades are decent too. In the last few city-wide practice exams, he was consistently in the top hundred."

Bian Peiyun praised, "That's a good result. If he keeps it up, he can basically choose any university in the country, right? Has he thought about what major he wants to study?"

Bai Xiuyu said, "From what he's said, he wants to study forensics."

"Forensics?" Shen Qingye was a bit surprised but then thought it wasn't that strange: "He used to like reading books and watching TV shows about criminal investigations. I thought he would aim to be a criminal police officer, but now that I think about it, he seems more interested in the bodies themselves than the process of solving crimes?"

Bai Xiuyu shook her head: "That's what he said too. He said that criminal police deal with the living, while forensic doctors deal with the dead. The dead don't lie..."

She sighed: "His dad doesn't have any objections, but I'm a bit worried. But since he's so passionate about it, I'll let him follow his interest. We'll see what he decides to study after the exams." She looked at Shen Qingye and said, "But that kid's grown up and doesn't share much with us anymore. He's always looked up to you since he was a kid. When he comes back later, talk to him."

Shen Qingye decisively agreed: "Okay."

She'd spent a lot of her childhood at the Gao family's house and had practically grown up with Gao Ruiyang. They weren't related by blood, but they were as close as siblings.

Bai Xiuyu smiled with relief.

As they were talking, they heard the door unlock. Everyone turned to see a tall, sturdy teenager step into the house, holding the door handle:

When he saw Shen Qingye in the living room, his eyes lit up: "Xiao Feng!"

Gao Ruiyang took off his shoes, hung his bag on the nearby rack, and happily walked over. He greeted the elders first, then sat down next to Shen Qingye, eagerly asking: "Xiao Feng, I heard you've transferred to the criminal police? Is that true?"

Shen Qingye nodded: "Yes, how did you know?"

Gao Ruiyang excitedly said, "My dad told me! He also said that the bank robbery suspect from the other day was subdued by you! He said you and the Major Case Division team worked seamlessly together. First, you executed a perfect shoulder throw, followed by a series of fluid moves, and before anyone could react, you had the suspect pinned to the ground without any casualties! You have no idea, my dad has been praising you non-stop these past few days!"

Shen Qingye smiled deeply: "Really? What has he been saying?"

"He said you're incredibly skilled, decisive, and that you made a huge contribution!"

As soon as Rui Yang finished speaking, Gao Zhengming couldn't help but cough heavily twice. Rui Yang looked over curiously, "Dad, what's wrong? Have you been so busy that you got sick?"

Gao Zhengming was momentarily speechless and could only retort, "I'm perfectly fine!"

"Kid, stop talking so much!"

Rui Yang rolled his eyes and turned back to Shen Qingye, "Ignore him, I think the old man is just going through menopause, acting all weird!"

After saying that, without looking at Gao Zhengming's expression, he moved closer to Shen Qingye, "By the way, sis, can you tell me more about the cases you've been involved in? Were they all so dangerous and thrilling?"

Seeing Gao Zhengming's dark expression, Shen Qingye barely held back her laughter and said, "It's not always dangerous and thrilling. Most of the time, it's just repetitive interrogations, investigations, and various field surveys."

She briefly recounted a few case-related incidents, and Rui Yang listened with admiration, "Although it's not as tense and exciting, isn't the process of solving cases quite fulfilling? When the truth finally comes out, it must be very satisfying, right?"

Moreover, he looked at her with sparkling eyes, "Sis, don't all the cases you've participated in have a 100% solve rate?"

Shen Qingye paused, realizing belatedly that it was indeed true.

She smiled, "What's so special about that? I've only participated in a few cases. With such a small base, the solve rate naturally seems high."

Rui Yang insisted, "But that's still amazing, isn't it? Hehe, if I can achieve your solve rate in the future, I'll be satisfied!"

Hearing this, Shen Qingye looked at him and asked, "By the way, I just heard from Xiao Feng that you want to study forensic medicine?"

Rui Yang nodded, "Yes."

He explained proactively, "You know, since I was a kid, I've watched my dad deal with victims, perpetrators, and even their families, and I realized I just can't handle that kind of work. But forensic medicine is different. It deals with the dead, not the living, and you don't have to worry about being deceived. It is what it is, and that's that. It's quite liberating."

"I've already decided, after the college entrance exam, I'll go to the forensic team at the Municipal Bureau to learn for a while, broaden my horizons, and gain some experience. After all, reading thousands of books is not as good as traveling thousands of miles."

Shen Qingye asked again, "Have you thought about which university you want to attend?"

Rui Yang nodded, "Huaiyang University. I've done my research. There aren't many universities in the country that offer forensic medicine, and among the better ones are Huaiyang University and the People's Public Security University. But the People's Public Security University is in the capital, which is a bit far from here. Anyway, the teaching resources at both schools are similar, and Huaiyang University is in our province, so it's more convenient for me to come home during holidays or for internships."

Considering practical factors, since his father is the head of the Municipal Bureau, it would undoubtedly be more convenient for him to intern locally during university.

Shen Qingye nodded, "The forensic department at Huaiyang University is indeed good. You've thought it through well."

Rui Yang chuckled, "I've been researching for a long time and asked a lot of people. I even went to Huaiyang University during the summer break to check it out. I've already agreed with my classmate that, barring any surprises, we'll definitely go to this school."

"Classmate?" Shen Qingye raised an eyebrow, "Is she also studying forensic medicine with you?"

"Yes," Rui Yang nodded and continued, "Sis, you don't know, but my classmate is really amazing. Her academic performance is excellent; she's always been at the top of her class in high school. In the recent city-wide joint exams, she's always been within the top three!"

"Not only is she academically strong, but her psychological resilience is also outstanding! We both have an interest in forensic medicine, so we often discuss related topics and sometimes watch educational videos together during breaks. Some of those scenes are quite gruesome, and even I can't handle them, but she remains completely unfazed, as if nothing happened!"

Shen Qingye was amazed, "That's really impressive." Fear of the deceased is hard to avoid, and even medical students need extensive psychological preparation to handle corpses. Even Shen Qingye sometimes feels uncomfortable when seeing particularly gruesome corpses. For someone so young to be completely unafraid is truly rare.

Rui Yang said, "Yes, she's really amazing! She's the only person I truly admire!"

Seeing his excited, glowing eyes, Shen Qingye suddenly asked, "Is she a boy or a girl?"

Rui Yang answered without hesitation, "A girl."

Shen Qingye drew out her words, "A girl, huh?"

Rui Yang quickly realized and hurriedly said, "Oh, sis, don't get the wrong idea. I just, I just really admire her, that's all. We're just classmates!"

Shen Qingye looked innocent, "What wrong idea? Did I say anything?"

Rui Yang went quiet for a moment.

The elders present were also watching the commotion and couldn't help but laugh at the sight.

Rui Yang, young and easily embarrassed, couldn't stick around and bolted to his room.

Bai Xiuyu, watching him leave, called after him, "Hurry and change, dinner's almost ready!"

Rui Yang mumbled, "Got it."

The laughter around the room grew louder.

Once the bedroom door closed, Bai Xiuyu turned to Shen Qingye and said, "I've seen that girl too. Once, I had to come back home in the middle of work and found a young girl sitting shoulder to shoulder with him, the TV on. I thought the kid might be dating, but then I saw the TV showing several corpses with people in lab coats walking around. I was horrified!"

Bai Xiuyu shook her head with a smile, "Later, I asked if they were dating, but he said no, they were just friends studying together."

Shen Qingye also smiled, "He's still young, probably doesn't get it yet."

But judging by the way he talked about the girl, they might not be just ordinary friends.

Bai Xiuyu nodded, "But the girl is really nice, fair-skinned and pretty, calm and collected, and very polite. I quite like her."

If she really were her son's girlfriend, she'd be quite pleased.

Shen Linyue held her hand and said, "Why worry about this so early? It's still a long way off."

Bai Xiuyu relaxed and smiled, "You're right, let the kids figure it out on their own."

"Alright, the beef brisket's ready! Everyone, up you get, wash your hands, and let's eat!" Gao Zhengming's shout made everyone rise, and the room became lively.

...

After dinner, the families chatted for a bit, and it was late by the time they got home.

Shen Qingye went to bed after getting back. The next day was Qingming, and she got up early to buy some things with her mom and headed to the cemetery.

When her father was killed, aside from a severed hand sent by the criminals to taunt the police, no body was ever found. At the time, her father's colleagues and superiors knew the criminal group was still lurking in the shadows. To keep the mother and daughter safe, they arranged for them to live undercover in Pingjiang with fake identities, letting them live peacefully for over a decade.

Now, to outsiders, Shen Qingye's father was just a regular factory worker who died in a car accident when she was six, leaving the mother and daughter to fend for themselves.

And here, at this spot, was where her supposed father was buried. In reality, there was no body, just some of her father's old clothes.

It was a memorial grave.

Yet, every Qingming and New Year, Shen Qingye would always come to pay her respects. Sometimes, when she felt troubled or lost, she'd come here to talk, and after speaking with her father, she'd feel much better.

Today, on Qingming, the cemetery was packed. Shen Qingye walked to her father's grave, first burning paper money as usual, then sat before the tombstone, touching the name that had stayed unfamiliar for over a decade, and slowly told him about recent events:

"At New Year, I told you I graduated from university and now work at the city's Criminal Investigation Detachment, but just in an administrative role..."

"But now it's different, in the past two months, I've been involved in several cases! The detachment has praised me for my talent and ability. Especially this time, without exaggeration, your daughter has made a significant contribution..."

"Uncle Gao originally didn't agree with me being a criminal investigator, but I can see his attitude softening. Especially after the recent case, he has relented and is helping me apply to transfer to criminal investigation... hehe, your daughter will soon be a criminal investigator like you! I wonder if I can use the same badge number as you... I guess that's a bit of a stretch..."

"By the way, I also received a case-solving bonus, totaling over ten thousand, the first time your daughter has earned so much money! In a couple of days, I'll buy my mom a dress, she'll be so happy! Are you jealous? Jealousy won't help..."

"...Don't worry, my colleagues at the detachment are all very nice, they take good care of me..."

"Also, the canteen food is quite good! Recently, I found a nice restaurant, but it's too late today, I'll bring you something next time!"

"Rui Yang is about to take the gaokao (the Chinese college entrance exam), and he said he wants to be a forensic pathologist. I think it's great; after all, it's all within the same system. But he really has a lot of courage..."

She chattered away, from work matters to everyday life, even mentioning what delicious food she had eaten.

Shen Linyue watched her from behind, her gaze soft, tinged with nostalgia, as if she too remembered that tall, brave, yet endearingly silly man who used to be by her side.

"...Alright, I won't talk to you anymore. If I say too much, you'll probably find me annoying! I know you must be missing your dear wife, so I'll leave the spot for you two!"

Shen Linyue slowly came back to her senses and saw Shen Qingye standing up, brushing off her clothes. She smiled at her and said, "I've said everything I wanted to say. You two can take your time to talk. Don't worry, I won't eavesdrop!"

Seeing her daughter's playful wink, Shen Linyue paused, then shook her head helplessly, "You cheeky thing..."

She watched her daughter's figure recede into the distance, then turned her gaze back to the tombstone. Finally, she bent down and sat just as Shen Qingye had.

After a moment's hesitation, she spoke:

"Everything has been going well lately..."

...

Shen Qingye had initially planned to wait in the car, giving her parents some private space. But before leaving the cemetery, she spotted a vaguely familiar figure out of the corner of her eye.

The figure was tall and slim, with sharp features, standing in front of a tombstone, carefully and gently wiping it.

Shen Qingye paused, realizing this person... was Lin Xiaofeng.

The boyfriend of Zhou Meihua, the victim in the first case she had worked on.

Remembering what Luo Kaiyang had told her about Zhou Meihua's younger brother stealing his money, Shen Qingye hesitated for a while, then decided to step forward.