Chapter 112: Blood Ties

2022-05-20

Liu Yinyan wasn’t left-handed—after spending a few days with him, it was clear to all of us. Liu Feier’s mother wasn’t left-handed, either. She always used her right hand for chopsticks. Oddly enough, their daughter Liu Feier was a lefty. It felt off, but hardly counted as hard evidence.

Guan Zengbin puffed out his cheeks, thinking for a moment before saying, “Genetics is only part of it. We know the brain controls our hands in a crisscross fashion. Left brain controls the right hand, right brain controls the left. Sometimes during pregnancy, external factors can affect development—if the left brain doesn’t develop fully, the child might become left-handed.”

Though he sounded pretty thorough, Guan Zengbin’s explanation didn’t actually say much. I pressed further, “So in other words, we can’t draw any firm conclusions right now?”

“Yeah, that’s about it,” Guan Zengbin replied after a moment of silence.

I snapped my fingers and grinned at the two of them. “But we have DNA testing! If we want to find out whether they’re related by blood, it’s simple. Liu Yinyan’s body is still in the morgue, and we have one of Liu Feier’s severed fingers. Even if my guess is wrong, no harm done.”

Guan Zengbin nodded, looking at me. “I can handle that, but even if they’re not related by blood, Liu Yinyan’s already dead. We’ve all seen your report—before he died, Liu Yinyan truly loved Liu Feier with everything he had.”

He spoke the truth. Liu Yinyan’s final words gave me a whole new perspective on life. When I was young, I always thought that if you had money, you had everything—life would always be happy. Only now do I realize that money isn’t everything.

It’s kind of like being trapped in a fortress—those inside want out, and those outside want in. We envy each other, we look down on each other, but in the end, no one really finds themselves.

“Alright,” I sighed and turned to Guan Zengbin. “I’ll leave this with you. Gu Chen, come with me.”

Guan Zengbin’s eyes went wide. He stared at me in confusion. “You’re sending me off alone? Then what are you two up to?”

There was one person who once told me something important, something I hadn’t cared about at the time. But as soon as things started to feel off, I thought of them right away. A few months ago, there’d always been two people following Liu Feier—one was Song Zhe, the other was a mystery man.

Back then I just assumed it was one of ‘those guys.’ But after that tense showdown in the shop floor last night, I realized something. If it had been one of them, he’d have a sharp sense for counter-surveillance. No way he’d let someone trail him so easily.

Plus, Song Zhe had spotted right away that this person was different from an ordinary man—he was a lefty too.

For the first time, all the clues seemed to fit together. The scattered pieces of this case had started to form a clear picture. Maybe it was finally time for things to come to a close. Excitement bubbled up—I could practically feel that old thrill of piecing clues together return. But then I remembered what Wu Zui had said, and the fire in my chest was instantly doused.

I shook my head and said to Gu Chen, “Let’s go. Maybe we’ll turn up something new.”

After saying goodbye to Guan Zengbin, Gu Chen and I walked down the street.

Gu Chen must’ve noticed how down I looked. “Wu Meng, I’m not one to share how I feel, but we’ve been on this task force for a while now. The first time I met you, you just radiated confidence.”

I glanced over. Gu Chen’s eyes were full of sincerity as he went on, “I still remember our first case together. With just a single look, you could spot all sorts of possibilities and pick the right track. But after a few cases, it feels like you’re not as confident anymore.”

“Really?” I wanted to ask myself that too.

Ever since that late-night talk with Zhao Mingkun in the tomb, I’ve felt this gnawing sense of anxiety. It leaves me with a deep helplessness, like nothing matters and everyone’s just using me. Little by little, I’ve lost the drive to crack cases.

Team Leader Shao taught me well, but sometimes it feels like tearing someone’s secrets out into the open is too cruel.

Gu Chen pulled out a box of cigarettes and handed me one, lighting it for me too.

I smoked quietly while he kept talking. “Yeah. I don’t know what you’re scared of, but what is there to fear? Back in the shop floor, you didn’t even bat an eye at death—what could possibly scare you now? Let me see the you I met that first day, the one who wore pride like armor and could back it up.”

“Even if you looked like someone people wanted to punch,” Gu Chen said, “that was the real you.”

After that, neither of us said a word, letting our cigarettes send thin wisps of smoke curling upward.

An hour later, we arrived at Song Zhe’s university.

Song Zhe was just the way I remembered—people’s temperaments rarely change overnight. The moment he learned Liu Feier had been rescued, he nearly dropped to his knees to thank me. In Song Zhe’s eyes, Liu Feier was an angel: sweet, kind, and beautiful.

I said to Song Zhe, “Liu Feier may be safe for now, but that doesn’t mean she’s out of danger. The man you saw before still hasn’t been caught. This is your test.”

“My test?” Song Zhe took a step back the moment he heard the word.

I couldn’t help but sigh. “Yeah. You and Liu Feier are classmates. She’ll probably be back to deal with her leave of absence in the next day or two, and that guy might show up again. Keep an eye out—if anything happens, call me right away. You remember my number, right?”

Song Zhe nodded quickly. “I thought you were going to ask something else. If it’s about Liu Feier, I’ll do my best! As long as she shows up, I’ll be on her like a cheetah stalking a lamb. Don’t worry—she won’t slip past me.”

The look of fanatical determination in Song Zhe’s eyes sent a chill down both mine and Gu Chen’s spines.

I’d hate to imagine Song Zhe’s reaction if he ever found out what I’m thinking about Liu Feier.

Still, I trusted Song Zhe wouldn’t let us down. That middle-aged man following Liu Feier didn’t seem like a stranger. With Liu Yinyan dead and the housekeeper busy handling the funeral, if Liu Feier wanted to sneak out and see him, now would be the perfect time.

“I’ll let you know as soon as Liu Feier leaves. Keep your eyes sharp,” I said, patting Song Zhe on the shoulder. “Don’t lose her.”

With everything arranged, Gu Chen and I headed back to Liu Yinyan’s villa.

Outside the once grand and solemn villa, strings of white lanterns swayed in the breeze, and a black coffin rested at the door. By custom in Liu Yinyan’s village, the coffin has to stand at the entrance for seven days before burial.

Death is never a pretty thing—it lays wounds bare for all to see.

Forcing a daughter to face something this bloody is cruel. At last, Liu Feier finally stepped outside.

“Where are you headed? Need me to drive you?” I asked.

Liu Feier waved me off. “To school. The driver will take me. Don’t worry about it.”

Watching her leave, I texted Song Zhe.

“You think it’ll work?” Gu Chen scratched his head, then rephrased. “Do you really think Liu Feier’s involved? Her dad just died. Isn’t it harsh to suspect her?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know. Even so, I’m trusting my instincts this time. Liu Feier isn’t simple—she’s nothing like the innocent girl we think she is. Maybe no one who grows up in a place like this stays innocent for long.”

I looked at the huge, silent villa and the bleak surroundings. It seemed like a world apart from the rest of Dongxing City. Finding such a remote spot in this city couldn’t have been easy. It was almost as if two different worlds existed side by side—just like the people here, living separate lives.

Not long after, Guan Zengbin called. The first thing she said was, “Wu Meng, the results are in. According to the DNA comparison, Liu Yinyan and Liu Feier’s genes are way too different. There’s no direct blood relation. In other words, Liu Feier isn’t Liu Yinyan’s biological daughter.”

I let out a breath. The test confirmed my suspicions. That meant my next hunch was probably right, too. Liu Feier never was Liu Yinyan’s daughter. And that left-handed middle-aged man trailing her might actually be her real father.

I couldn’t imagine how Liu Yinyan would feel if he knew the truth. His motto for life was “Repay virtue with even greater virtue, repay wrongs with justice.”

Yet he spent his life, and his fortune, on someone who wasn’t even his daughter—someone who might’ve been plotting for his money all along. Looking back, Liu Yinyan was already fifty when he had Liu Feier.

So maybe he knew? Or maybe he never suspected?

Who can say?