The noon sunlight was warm, casting a slanting glow over half of the office. Lu Hui lay on the desk, arms folded, eyes closed, resembling a lazy gray wolf.
Ji Fanyang sat in front of the computer, organizing the images and text materials returned by Rao Feifei and Yang Jie into a logically coherent report.
In the quiet office, only the rustling sound of writing echoed in the air.
“Sis, you work so hard; there’s no need to come every day,” Liu Huaizhou had just stepped in the door before leaving work at noon, and upon looking up, he saw Liu Wei sitting on the sofa. He took off his coat and handed it to his wife. “How is Xiaoyue?”
“Xiaoyue is Xiaoyue. Do you really treat her like your own daughter?” Liu Wei sneered, “How did the Liu family produce a waste like you?”
“Had a couple of bites of food.” Liu Huaizhou’s wife, Ning Qing, said, “Taking a nap.”
“I brought two chicken legs; we’ll make fried rice later.” Liu Huaizhou patted his wife’s shoulder, “Xiaoyue is too thin.”
“Enough of pretending to be a harmonious family in front of me.” Liu Wei frowned, “Did you find out what you were asking about?”
“What to ask? Du Huan Yue doesn’t even want to eat with us; can she tell us something so important?” Liu Huaizhou’s temper was mild but not without an edge. He poured himself a glass of water but didn’t offer one to Liu Wei. “If Sis has nothing else, you should leave. We’re about to have dinner.”
“Liu Huaizhou, let me tell you, if the Liu family falls, you won’t have a good life either.” Liu Wei threatened, “Do you think you’re living in utopia, young master?”
“I’m not some young master; I’m just a high school teacher.” Liu Huaizhou sat calmly on the other side of the sofa, took a leisurely sip of water, “As for you, Sis, have your misdeeds caught up with you? Why so anxious?” He picked up the remote, turned on the TV to Chuan TV, “I saw in the news yesterday, they pulled out a female corpse from Houshan Lake.”
“What are you trying to say?” Liu Wei forced an air of confidence.
“Just bringing up a topic.” Liu Huaizhou glanced at Liu Wei, “People should focus on their own lives.”
“Team Lu, what’s for lunch?” Ji Fanyang put down his pen and stretched lazily.
Lu Hui, lying on the desk, didn’t want to move. “Meat.”
“I read an article; middle-aged men who eat too much meat become greasy.” Ji Fanyang teased.
“Middle-aged men will die if they don’t eat meat.” Lu Hui glanced at the young man, “Hurry up and prepare lunch for your uncle.”
Ji Fanyang sighed. He looked at Lu Hui’s messy hair and had the urge to reach out and ruffle it. Whether Lu Hui was thirty-five or fifteen, he felt like he was dealing with a five-year-old.
“Made an extra bowl, sis, stay for lunch.” Ning Qing walked out of the kitchen with a plate and placed the food on the table.
“Sis isn’t used to home-cooked dishes.” Liu Huaizhou said, with a hint of urgency in his words, “Sis must have a lunch appointment this afternoon, right?”
“I’m leaving; you better find out soon.” Liu Wei stood up, her bag over her shoulder. “Using your job as a guarantee.”
Hearing the threat, Liu Huaizhou’s face slightly cooled. “No need to see you off.”
Liu Wei briskly walked out of the living room, slamming the door, and the loud closing echoed in the corridor.
“… Let’s eat.” Ning Qing pulled out a chair and sat down.
Liu Huaizhou sat down at the dining table and said to his wife, “I’m sorry.”
“Why are you apologizing?” Ning Qing stuck a spoon into the fried rice. “Xiaoyue has been living with us for over four months, and you haven’t talked to her much.”
“I’m afraid of scaring her.” Liu Huaizhou took a spoonful of rice. “On my way back from work, on Xin’an Street, you know, a new pastry shop opened. I’ll bring some back for you in the afternoon.”
“Xin’an Street, alright. Xiaoyue likes puff pastry.” Ning Qing said.
Liu Huaizhou smiled, “She hasn’t talked to you, and you know?”
“I observed it,” Ning Qing said. “I placed a plate of snacks in the small bedroom, and all the puff pastries were gone.”
“Hahaha, the little animal observation diary,” Liu Huaizhou laughed.
Ji Fanyang went to the canteen and brought back two chicken legs and two boxed meals. He placed them on Lu Hui’s desk, saying, “Time to eat.”
“So thoughtful.” Lu Hui took a chicken leg, took a bite, and squinted in satisfaction. “Tastes good, coated with honey.”
“Yeah, honey-glazed chicken legs.” Ji Fanyang bit into a chicken leg. “Crunchy and crispy.”
“I knew you could get good food when buying lunch.” Lu Hui, feeling disgruntled, hummed. “Whenever I go, I never manage to grab a chicken leg.”
“That’s not my fault.” Ji Fanyang innocently blinked, “They left it for me.”
Lu Hui jumped up and snatched the chicken leg from Ji Fanyang, taking a bite. “Alright, today you don’t need to eat chicken legs; they’re all mine.”
“…Are you even an adult?” Ji Fanyang looked helplessly at Lu Hui savoring the two chicken legs. “Behave like a grown-up.”
Lu Hui buried his head in eating the chicken legs, pretending not to hear the young man’s words.
Liu Huaizhou went to work with his bag, leaving Ning Qing at home to look after Du Huan Yue.
Ning Qing was an editor at a magazine, and she brought her work home to keep an eye on Du Huan Yue.
Liu Huaizhou and Ning Qing had long wanted a child but hadn’t succeeded. Liu Huaizhou felt they were still young and not in a rush, but Liu Kai was impatient. The Liu family needed an heir, whether a son or a grandson, and Liu Kai urged Liu Huaizhou relentlessly, even attempting to find him another woman to bear children.
Due to the child matter, Liu Huaizhou and Liu Kai had several arguments. Liu Huaizhou moved out, but he couldn’t escape Liu Kai’s harassment.
Thinking about these things, Ning Qing sighed. She organized the papers, placed them on the right side, and looked up. The little girl timidly stood by the door, saying, “Auntie… I want a pen and a notebook.”
Surprised, Ning Qing quickly grabbed a pen and a notebook and handed them over. “Here you go.” She didn’t dare to ask more, afraid of scaring the girl away.
“Thank you.” Du Huan Yue took the pen and paper back to the small bedroom, lying on the desk, and began to write.
In the gentle afternoon sunlight, Lu Hui propped his chin with one hand, watching Ji Fanyang organize the materials, occasionally exchanging a few words with him.
“Did they cremate Liu Huairui’s body?” Lu Hui asked.
“Yeah, Liu Kai is not without caution in his actions,” Ji Fanyang said. “The case seems to have reached a dead end.”
“Let’s wait a bit longer,” Lu Hui said, showing considerable patience.
“This afternoon, Xiaoyue talked to me.” Ning Qing stood at the doorway, helping Liu Huaizhou hang his coat on the rack. She proudly informed her husband, “She asked me for a pen and a notebook.”
“Oh, that’s a pleasant surprise.” Liu Huaizhou kissed his wife’s cheek and placed a paper bag on the dining table. “Pineapple pastries, flower cakes, and egg yolk pastries. Try them, see if they taste good.”
Ning Qing picked up a flower cake and took a bite. “Not bad. Get two for Xiaoyue to try.”
“Sure.” Liu Huaizhou took the paper bag to the small bedroom door and knocked. “Xiaoyue, can I come in?”
The door opened, revealing the girl’s petite face. She pursed her lips, took a step back, letting Liu Huaizhou in, and then closed the door.
This action surprised Liu Huaizhou. Du Huan Yue was more guarded against him than against Ning Qing. In the past, when he walked in, Du Huan Yue would always leave the door wide open.
Du Huan Yue lifted her hand, holding the notebook she had been writing all afternoon. “For you.”
Liu Huaizhou took the notebook, opened it, and the crooked handwriting looked particularly childish and cute. However, the content made him uneasy — it was an internal ledger of the Liu family, using abbreviations to record various shady dealings, big and small.
Sitting on the bed, Liu Huaizhou flipped through the notebook from start to finish. There weren’t many pages, just three or four, but the fate of the Liu family was carried within those few pages of wrongdoing.
“Today didn’t yield much.” Lu Hui stood up, putting on his coat. “I’m going home after work.”
Ji Fanyang followed suit, wearing his coat. “You owe me a chicken leg.”
“Oh, I’m deaf.” Lu Hui pretended to be unresponsive.
A female police officer pushed open the door. “Someone is looking for you.”
“Don’t block my way home from work,” Lu Hui said.
“Who is it?” Ji Fanyang asked.
The policewoman ignored Lu Hui’s words, choosing to answer Ji Fanyang’s question, “A man with a child.”
“Let them in,” Ji Fanyang said.
“Are you plotting to seize power?” Lu Hui glared at him.
“Because you ate my chicken leg,” Ji Fanyang said.
Soon, a man led a little girl into the office. The man introduced himself, “I am Liu Huaizhou, and she is…”
“Du Huan Yue?!” Lu Hui and Ji Fanyang exchanged glances. Lu Hui walked over and closed the office door. “Looks like there’s progress today.”
