HH Chapter 7

Pei Qinghuai smiled without saying a word. After Cheng Ye left, Zhang Yibao let out a sigh of relief as if he had narrowly escaped danger. “Professor Pei, our Captain Cheng is just like that. He’s actually a very kind person…”

“I know,” Pei Qinghuai said slowly, looking in the direction of the door. “It must have been something that happened three years ago. It probably hit him hard.”

Zhang Yibao was a bit surprised. Pei Qinghuai continued, “Director Zhang told me.”

Hearing this, Zhang Yibao’s expression stabilized, though he seemed unwilling to recall the past.

“Back then, Li Jiang and Captain Cheng were the best partners in the bureau and were very close. Li Jiang didn’t have to sacrifice himself, but the suspect suddenly rioted, grabbed a nearby officer’s gun, and charged at Captain Cheng. In the critical moment, Li Jiang shielded Captain Cheng without any time to react.”

After finishing, Zhang Yibao quickly remembered the task Cheng Ye had given him. Smiling, he said to Pei Qinghuai, “Professor Pei, I have to get back to work.”

An hour later, Tian Mingwei’s only family member, his daughter Tian Yunxin, arrived, with Pei Qinghuai accompanying her.

“Have you confirmed it?” Yan Ya’s voice softened unconsciously as she looked at the somewhat frail girl in front of her.

“Yes…” Tian Yunxin’s voice was barely audible. Behind her, the door creaked open, and Pei Qinghuai walked up to her. After a few seconds, he asked, “Have you been crying?”

Tian Yunxin blinked, looking at Pei Qinghuai, her lips twitching. “No… we just finished a school play, and I haven’t had time to remove the makeup.”

Pei Qinghuai led her out and handed her a cup of water. He asked, “Your relationship with your father wasn’t very good, was it?”

Tian Yunxin lowered her eyes, taking a small sip of water. “It was okay. I’ve been studying away from home since I was little and rarely went back.”

“Has your mother been taking care of you?” Pei Qinghuai asked gently, watching her hands.

Tian Yunxin gripped the cup. “No, it was my grandmother who took care of me before. Now it’s just me.”

Seeing her hands trembling slightly, Pei Qinghuai softened his tone. “I was also raised by my grandmother. She passed away just a few days ago.”

“She loved you very much, didn’t she?” Tian Yunxin looked up, her eyes slightly red.

Pei Qinghuai’s eyebrows twitched subtly. “Very much. She would secretly give me red envelopes during festivals, save my favorite food for me…”

He paused as Tian Yunxin began to cry. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought this up.”

“It’s okay.” Tian Yunxin sniffed, trying to steady herself. “I just can’t accept it all at once.”

“What about Tian Mingwei?” Pei Qinghuai suddenly changed the topic. “What kind of person was he in your eyes?”

At the mention of Tian Mingwei, Tian Yunxin froze, her hand paused in mid-air, then slowly lowered it, taking another sip of water.

“My dad… I’m not sure. He was never home, and I was always away at school. If I had to describe him, I’d say he loved money a lot.” She took another sip.

Pei Qinghuai nodded and stood up. “Thank you for telling me this.”

As the conversation was about to end, Tian Yunxin wiped her tears and stood up, smiling at Pei Qinghuai. “No problem. Helping the police is the right thing to do.”