Chapter 64 03

Chapter 64.03

He Lin crouched down, meeting the child's gaze, and patiently asked, "Your brother hasn't been home lately. Do you miss him?"

The child stared at him with wide eyes and nodded vigorously.

"We're police officers from the city, and we're here to find your brother," He Lin continued gently, coaxing him. "Do you know where your brother went?"

The child shook his head, his already downcast head sinking even lower.

He Lin reached out and ruffled the child's hair, his voice soft as he continued to prompt him: "Then do you know why your brother argued with your dad? Don't rush, just think slowly."

Though sun-tanned, the child's eyes were clear and bright. After a moment of hesitation, he spoke: "They've been arguing for a long time. My dad said studying away from home made him wild. My brother could have gone to a better university originally…"

He trailed off, leaving the thought unfinished. The child's words were halting, but it was clear the family conflict wasn't as simple as his mother had made it seem.

"What happened after that? Why did he end up at Yuncheng University?"

The child whispered, "My dad secretly changed his university choices… He made my brother work to pay his own tuition. Later, when my brother said he wanted to go to grad school, my dad got even angrier…"

Li Shang, listening nearby, frowned. What kind of parents would alter their child's future so drastically by changing his college application? That Lian Xuan hadn't cut ties with his family immediately and only left years later showed remarkable patience.

He Lin looked at the child before him, took another piece of toffee from his pocket, and placed it in the child's dirt-streaked palm. "Was it really your dad who drove your brother away?"

The child's eyes lit up at the sight of the candy. He quickly unwrapped it and popped it into his mouth, his cheeks bulging. Shaking his head vigorously, he mumbled, "My brother left on his own."

He Lin maintained eye contact with the child, his gaze full of patience. "Can you tell us exactly what happened?"

The child stole a glance toward the house. Seeing his mother hadn't noticed he'd slipped out, he gathered his courage and continued, "After my brother started university, he kept tutoring and gave money to my parents. But they still thought it wasn't enough. They went to his school to see him a few times."

"Then one time when my brother came home, he said he wanted to go to grad school. Dad argued with him and wouldn't allow it. Later, my brother made a list showing how much money he'd given the family over the years. Dad got so angry he tore it up. My brother said thank you for raising him, kowtowed three times to them, and left."

Hearing this, He Lin and Li Shang exchanged a glance. This version was completely different from what the mother had told them.

From the child's account, it sounded more like Lian Xuan had deliberately severed ties with his family, refusing to yield to their excessive demands.

The details in the child's story—making a list, kowtowing—didn't seem like something a young child could fabricate. Clearly, this version was more credible.

He Lin pressed further, "Is there anything else you know?"

The child shook his head, a hint of sadness in his eyes. "At home, they won't let us talk about my brother." Then, blinking his watery eyes, he asked hopefully, "Can you find my brother?"

He Lin gently patted the child's head and said firmly, "We'll do our best. You should know, we're pretty good at this—we've found lots of missing people."

Just then, the mother's voice called out from inside the house. The child glanced back at them, reluctant to leave, before turning and running back inside.

After leaving Lian Xuan's home, He Lin and Li Shang went to the village office to briefly speak with the local officials.

Once their inquiries were complete, the two walked side by side toward the outskirts of the village.

They had arrived eager to uncover the truth, but now, burdened by the family situation, their moods had grown somber.

"His family didn't want him to go to grad school…" He Lin sighed deeply, lamenting, "Even if he got in, no one would have been happy for him. Now that he's missing, no one's worried. His family isn't concerned, no one's looking for him—only his little brother still misses him."

Li Shang murmured in agreement, his fingers unconsciously brushing against the candy in his pocket.

Thinking of Lian Xuan's plight, he couldn't help but feel sorrow for the missing young man.

When they reached the car, after a long day, He Lin noticed Li Shang's pale face and offered, "I'll drive back. You should rest a bit."

Li Shang nodded without protest and took his usual seat in the passenger side.

As He Lin got into the car, he glanced unintentionally at his partner.

Li Shang was looking out the window. Even sitting quietly, he carried a unique aura—reserved and distant, yet composed.

He Lin had noticed early on that Li Shang always sat perfectly straight, whether in a car, at the office working on a computer, or even during team dinners. His back was always ramrod straight.

When they first met, He Lin thought he was too rigid, unable to blend in or understand how to relax.

But as they grew closer, He Lin's opinion changed.

Like now—though Li Shang still sat with perfect posture, He Lin could easily tell he was relaxed.

One hand was tucked in his jacket pocket, fiddling with something, and there was a subtle tenderness in his expression that was easy to miss.

For a moment, He Lin was distracted.

"What is it?" Li Shang had tried to ignore it, but He Lin's gaze was too direct to overlook.

"Nothing," He Lin collected himself and started the car. "I was just thinking about when you first joined the team. You said you had a great memory, and I thought you were just saying that. But after working with you, I've had to believe it."

Though He Lin didn't specify, Li Shang knew exactly what he was referring to.

If it were back when he'd first joined, Li Shang would have responded like this:

"There aren't any similar cases in recent files. When I had some free time lately, I went through the archives from previous years." Then, worried He Lin might misunderstand, he'd add, "I only skimmed through the basics, so I have a general impression."

But now, Li Shang simply raised an eyebrow, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Lively and authentic.

Initially, He Lin had been more curious than admiring of Li Shang. But as time went on, his opinion of the newcomer kept improving. Now, that admiration was mixed with an unspoken appreciation.

He Lin wasn't just thinking about keeping Li Shang on the team—he wanted to keep him by his side.

Though He Lin still didn't fully understand where this strange thought came from, he wasn't in a rush. He just wanted to spend more time with Li Shang, certain he'd figure it out eventually.

Despite his proud demeanor, Li Shang's words were much more humble: "I just look into things when I have time, thinking it might come in handy later and make future work easier."

Then he looked up at He Lin, a faint, meaningful smile tugging at his lips. "But compared to these clumsy methods, I'd rather learn from you, Captain He, how to properly investigate missing persons cases."

He Lin almost laughed at Li Shang's attitude. He knew full well there was teasing in his tone, but the words were so flawlessly delivered that He Lin couldn't find an opening to retort.

For a moment, the atmosphere in the car lightened, tinged with an ambiguous, hard-to-define emotion.

One was confused, the other playing dumb.

After the brief exchange, Li Shang turned serious again and asked He Lin earnestly, "How did you figure out earlier that the mother was lying?"

He Lin gathered his thoughts and explained, "When she spoke, she kept blaming the child, her eyes were evasive, and she seemed unsure of herself. Usually, that's a sign of guilt. Plus, her subtle actions—constantly rubbing her hands, picking at her nails—all hinted at her inner unease."

"Then why would she say all that?"

"With so many children at home, she has to maintain her authority as a parent, especially in front of the other kids. Even though her eldest son is missing, she has to make it seem like they were the ones who cut ties, not that the child left on his own. Otherwise, it would affect how the other children see her."

He Lin continued from a psychological perspective: "Also, narrow-minded people often suppress those who are more capable than them, and that applies within families too. With many children, parents play favorites. These parents are average and dislike clever children—being bookish made him disliked. From their attitude toward Lian Xuan going to grad school, it's clear they'd rather he started earning money early instead of continuing his studies."

Li Shang nodded thoughtfully, agreeing with He Lin's analysis.

"But they really haven't seen Lian Xuan for a long time, which clears the parents of suspicion. Although the mother was lying, some of her words were sincere and revealing, with hidden meaning."

He Lin then went into detail analyzing the mother and children's words, actions, and expressions for Li Shang, not missing a single detail.

"The mother said he was 'obsessed,' and the child said he insisted on leaving home. This indicates a sharp change in Lian Xuan's attitude. Many people are dissatisfied with their families and feel trapped, but few ordinary people would completely cut all ties. I infer that Lian Xuan must have his own social circle, one we haven't found yet."

"You mean... there's outside influence supporting him, encouraging him to make this decision?" Li Shang frowned slightly, thinking for a moment before asking, "Who do you think it might be?"

"Maybe someone online, a good friend in real life, a classmate, or perhaps just one person or even a group. Those people would know what he's thinking and understand him best." He Lin paused here, his gaze fixed intently on the road ahead. "They might know why he disappeared."

As they reached this point in the conversation, Li Shang turned to look at He Lin, his eyes firmly fixed on him. "You can discern everything in the world and read people's hearts just by listening..."

"What?"

He Lin was thrown off by Li Shang's sudden remark—wasn't that giving him too much credit?

He coughed a few times, somewhat embarrassed, and said, "Don't give me too much credit. Isn't this just standard case analysis? Besides, I still have a long way to go. Some people's thoughts I just can't figure out."

As he spoke, he sneaked a glance at Li Shang.

Li Shang was also looking at him.

Since getting to know him, Li Shang often looked at him this way, and He Lin had trouble describing that look.

He always felt as if Li Shang had something to tell him or something he wanted to do.

Like just now, he sensed that Li Shang probably had more to add, but Li Shang always stopped there, as if those intense looks were just his imagination.

Moreover, for some reason, whenever he saw Li Shang recently, He Lin's heart would inexplicably flutter. It wasn't until Li Shang fell silent that his heartbeat gradually returned to normal.

The car got quiet for a while before Li Shang proactively started discussing the case with He Lin. The two went back and forth sharing ideas, from case details to potential clues.

After their last case together, He Lin cherished this chemistry even more during their discussions. After all, not just anyone could create this kind of chemistry with him.

As they chatted, they gradually headed back to Yuncheng from the village.

Though only about a hundred kilometers apart, the two places felt like entirely different worlds.

One was a village held back by traditional values, the other a city full of opportunities and challenges.

During this time, the others had also made some progress.

Lao Wu and Fang Jue had been busy traveling around, asking among Lian Xuan's classmates and asking Professor Xu in detail about his impressions of Lian Xuan.

They returned to the municipal bureau first, and Fang Jue quickly compiled the records.

Cheng Xiaoyi also posted some digital files in the work group.

Li Shang sat in the car, using his tablet to sort through the information while reading it out to He Lin.

His fingers swiftly scrolled through the screen, searching for details. When he came across Lian Xuan's electronic spending records, he suddenly let out a soft exclamation.

Hearing the sound, He Lin asked curiously, "Did you find something?"

Li Shang replied, "Right around the time Lian Xuan cut ties with his family, he suddenly spent a large sum of money. 3,988 yuan."

This was even higher than his annual accommodation fees. For a poor recent graduate who could only take odd jobs, saving such a large amount would have taken a long time, making it highly unusual.

This expense was indeed strange. He Lin immediately said, "Did he sign up for some study program? Have Cheng Xiaoyi look into it."

Li Shang quickly screenshotted the information and sent it to Cheng Xiaoyi.

A short while later, Cheng Xiaoyi responded: "I found out—this payment was made to a cram school for postgraduate entrance exams."

Li Shang and He Lin exchanged a look. It seemed just as He Lin had analyzed earlier: Lian Xuan had his own circle. Another piece of the puzzle had fallen into place.