Chapter 4

Luo Wenzhou let out a cold laugh, turned around, and walked away: "Keep up—what are you staring at, Lang Dayan? If you want to see the pretty boy go home and look for yourself, don’t waste time here!"

Unable to interject any further, Tao Ran finally could no longer endure: "Alright, you two, this is never-ending!"

Fei Du stared at the crescent-shaped scar on the young man's temple in the photograph, slowly furrowing his brow

Luo Wenzhou: "Taoran, why are you still dawdling!"

It turned out that Officer Tao Ran had a simple style; the bag he carried was likely produced during the Qing Dynasty. It was indeed old and poorly maintained, and the zipper would often split open on its own depending on its mood. Fei Du did not pay attention and could not distinguish the front from the back of that worn bag. Carelessly, he let the mouth of the bag open, and a folder slipped out, scattering several photographs haphazardly onto his lap. The face of the corpse appeared particularly pale and fanged under the dim light

Milk candy is quite an old brand, and it hasn't been seen on the market for several years. Feidu always thought the manufacturer had gone out of business, not knowing where Taoran found it from

"No blood." Tao Ran sighed wearily, "If you are not afraid of the ghostly figure Luo Wenzhou, why would you be afraid of the dead?"

However, Luo Wenzhou could not possibly keep Tao Ran from leaving indefinitely; the results of their day's work were clear and there was indeed not much more to add.

"As public servants, we do not eat while the murderers remain at large; how can we have the audacity to eat?"

He turned on the speaker and replayed the song that had made Tao Ran frown in an endless loop, sitting quietly for a while

Feidu stacked a small boat with the tickets, comfortably leaning back in the seat with the air conditioning on, leisurely looping an English song in the car fragrance. By the time it looped for the eighth time, Taoran had come out

Feidu withdrew his gaze with indifference: "Oh, perhaps it is to prevent a false resurrection"

Tao Ran's hand on the seatbelt paused for a moment, and then he looked at Fei Du, saying seriously: "If I could just earn a higher salary and have fewer shifts, I would have married a wife long ago, and by now, I might even have a child who can walk."

Is this not spacious enough? Mr. Fei, you must absolutely avoid experiencing the transport vehicle; it will guarantee that you won't even be able to stretch your arms.

Tao Ran responded, "Hmm, however, the investigation is still ongoing, and the details of the case cannot be disclosed."

"Alright, next time I will keep my distance, isn't that better during menopause?" Fei Du took over his bag, "Do you want to drive or would you prefer to be a passenger?"

I... a heartfelt phrase was on the tip of my tongue, but suddenly it took a sharp turn, "What the hell is this!"

Just as Tao Ran was about to walk over to speak, Luo Wenzhou, who had been silent all along, suddenly reached out and grasped his elbow, raising his chin towards the person and saying: "Fei Du, what are you doing here?"

Luo Wenzhou drove the police car like it was Chang'e 3, charging forward and flying back to the city bureau, while that seemingly cumbersome large SUV was able to leisurely follow behind them all the way.

He pondered seriously for a moment in accordance with Fei Du's words, and then asked thoughtfully: "So what do you think it means to stick a note on someone's forehead after killing them?"

Feidu: "Taoran, let me treat you to a meal"

Tao Ran turned around and glared at him: "You should say less too!"

Feidu rolled down the car window, and the looping "You Raise Me Up" eagerly escaped through the gap of the window, flying into the night with a whoosh, spreading melodiously.

With great anticipation, he went to meet someone, only to find that the other person thought it would be better if he were dead. Fei Du stared at the zipper head for a while before starting to fiddle with it.

Before Tao Ran had a chance to respond, Luo Wenzhou coldly interrupted him: "Have I said that work is over? You two will come back to the bureau with me immediately. We need to report the progress to Director Zhang as soon as possible, and we also need to hold a case discussion meeting."

Tao Ran: "... ..."

Luo Wenzhou saw Fei Du parking in front of the municipal police station through the rearview mirror, and directly called the neighboring traffic police team: "There is a car parked illegally in front of our station, you should hurry and issue a ticket, that guy has plenty of money, so stick a few more tickets on his car."

Taoran made a trip to He Zhongyi's rented place, quickly reviewed the location where something happened: "No."

Luo Wenzhou: "What happened?"

Tao Ran listened to this song, but his expression suddenly changed for some unknown reason. However, before he could say anything, Fei Du casually turned off the speaker.

This arduous task left Fei Du silent for five minutes. After a while, he suddenly asked: "Was it murder?"

Didn’t we just say "Let’s talk about it tomorrow"!

At this moment, they have just arrived at their destination, and Tao Ran has parked the car: "What you mean is... the deceased deliberately dressed up while alive, so it is very likely that he met a woman?"

After taking a few steps, he instinctively turned around and, as expected, saw Fei Du standing still at the original spot, watching his retreating figure. Upon seeing him turn back, Fei Du seemed to have anticipated this moment, suddenly smiling, he pressed two fingers against his lips and then lightly flicked them towards Tao Ran.

Tao Ran is not a particularly fastidious person, carrying a worn briefcase slung over his shoulder, with disheveled hair and shoes that have clearly not been polished for several days. A band-aid is stuck to his chin, and his face bears the marks of exhaustion, presenting a far cry from the image of a charming and alluring figure. He approached and tapped on Fei Du's car window: "Haven't you moved yet?"

The garment has already been investigated; it was sold at a nearby small shop. Both the shop owner and the surveillance footage confirm that the deceased indeed purchased the clothing themselves

Feidu shrugged: "The wear marks on the left shoe are quite evident—there are certainly cases where a person's dominant hand and foot are not on the same side, but I believe the greater possibility is that these shoes are borrowed"

Feidu gasped in shock; had he not been wearing a seatbelt, he might have jumped up directly. "Is this footage of a dead person? Why does it look so terrible?"

"The video of you two fighting has been uploaded online, and I happened to see it," Fei Du got out of the car and pointed to the band-aid on Tao Ran's chin, "I’m a bit worried about you, are you alright?"

Tao Ran pondered for a moment and then asked, "What if it is not covering the entire face? For instance, it could just be a small piece of paper, stuck in the deceased's hair, covering only the small area between the forehead and the eyes."

That person has a tall and slender figure, wearing a black shirt and well-pressed trousers, with hands in pockets and legs casually crossed in front. Long hair falls over the shoulders, and whenever someone makes eye contact with him, his gaze immediately radiates two bowls of laughter, generously and indiscriminately offered as if for free

Forehead? Elders admonish children, strong individuals bully the weak, punish pets... all may strike the forehead—this could also represent a label, something sold in the market is tagged, what is written on the note?

I don't know, a single word is too few, and excessive interpretation can easily lead to misunderstanding. Fei Du smiled and said, "Tao Ran, I've arrived at your home."

Only after finishing a whole piece of candy did he rise to switch to the driver's seat. Just as he moved, he noticed that a photograph had been left in the car.

Neither of the two elderly gentlemen could be offended, so Officer Tao could only roll his eyes at the innocent night sky and quickly catch up with Luo Wenzhou

Tao Ran gave a wry smile—dealing with ten incidents of public brawls is not as exhausting as being caught in the middle of Luo Wenzhou and Fei Du

Excuse me, that 'menopause' is on the same level as me. " Tao Ran opened the car door and got into the driver's seat, " Why did you change the car again? "

"I didn't say it was the killer who put it on. Does killing someone require putting on an extra piece of clothing?" Fei Du chuckled, "Wearing new clothes without cutting the tags is likely because the price of the clothes is relatively high, exceeding his spending capacity. He might want to wear it once for some occasion and then return it. Some students who are not very well-off tend to do this when they first start interviewing—Is he left-handed?"

"Aren't you complaining that my few cars are too noisy?" Fei Du casually walked around to the passenger seat, "So I bought another one, which is both inexpensive and stable, specifically for picking you up in the future."

Although he spoke ambiguously, he remained seated in the car without moving

Tao Ran: "Hmm?"

Feidu was momentarily taken aback, his gaze slipping for a moment: "You are inviting me to your home? Aren't you afraid that things are progressing too quickly?"

Tao Ran turned back and gave her a subtle glance, signaling her not to bring up any sensitive topics, but it was already too late

"Um," Feidu said, "didn't you take a separate photo of the deceased's outer garment? The tag on it hasn't been cut off yet"

Lang Qiao cautiously glanced at him and asked, "Boss, are we still having the meeting?"

After a moment, Fei Du smiled with a hint of annoyance, withdrew his gaze, and turned to Tao Ran: "Tao Ran, get in the car. If we don't leave soon, Team Leader Luo will issue me a ticket."

The young traffic officer said, "Oh, he gave me one thousand, saying he wanted to stop another eight hundred."

Fei Du carefully stuffed the scattered photos and documents into a file bag, shielding his eyes with one hand. He cautiously glanced over and, indeed, saw no blood. Only then did he let out a slight sigh of relief, gingerly picking up the disordered documents as if defusing a bomb, and putting them back in their proper places

How?

However, according to the testimony of the campus security guard, the person who met He Zhongyi before his death was likely a familiar male, probably a fellow townsman, and may even have been a relative—otherwise, he would not have used the dialect

Fei Du let out a lazy sigh: "The menopause of the boss is truly one of the tragedies of the human world. How about this, Tao Ge and that beautiful police sister can ride in my car, and I will take you back to the city bureau. After a hard day's work, you might as well sit in a more spacious car and stretch your legs."

Lang Qiao endured for a long time but could not help but blurt out, "Who is that young hunk? The driving is really smooth."

"If you don't want to come, just say you don't want to come; after all, it doesn't matter to you anyway." Tao Ran grasped the car door, slightly bent down, and said, "Extend your hand."

Feidu retracted his long legs and lifted his eyelids to glance at him: "Oh, I apologize, I did not know this piece of land was surnamed Luo"

After a while, a young traffic officer nervously called him back: "Captain Luo, I issued a ticket, telling him 'Illegal parking, fine of 200'"

It was a very small identification photo that fell into the gap of the seat and was not noticed during the cleanup

Lang Qiao still has not figured out whom he has offended

Unfortunately, Deputy Tao is blind

Feidu silently watched him walk into the somewhat old-fashioned tube building, then lowered his head to look at the items Tao Ran had given him. It was the card he had tucked in while delivering flowers that morning, the scent of perfume still lingering, along with a handful of milk candies

Fei Du inexplicably extended his hand, and Tao Ran took out something and stuffed it into his palm: "When you want to dive into the ocean, the best way is to change into proper clothes, swim a few laps yourself, rather than clinging to a life buoy while soaking your feet on the side— you don't want to bend me, so stop messing around, I'm going home now, drive slowly on your way back."

Luo Wenzhou: "Nonsense!"

Taoran seems to have a bit of a toothache

Feidu's eyes are not purely black; the color is slightly lighter, especially shimmering in the dark. When he stares intently at someone, his eyes seem to have something to say, drawing people in involuntarily.

It is also possible that after committing the murder, one regretted it and subconsciously imitated others' gestures to express respect and sorrow for the deceased

Lang Qiao has grown up so much, yet has never seen a man deliberately flaunting himself at the entrance of the police station: "Deputy Tao, is he your friend?"

Thank you for the reminder, Tao Ran. I have made a reservation at the Western restaurant near your office. Even if I have to work overtime, I should eat first right

Tao Ran: "... ..."

Tao Ran was taken aback: "What do you mean?"

Feidu let out a sound of "oh," and indeed did not ask any further. He returned the folder to its place, re-clipped it, and lowered his head to study the broken zipper on the bag in the faint light, casually saying: "Pitiful."

Feidu fixed his gaze on him for a moment, nodding in a particularly "clever" manner, while of course rubbing his hands together to warm them: "Alright, for your sake."

Tao Ran: "... ..."

Money

Lang Qiao was very perceptive and immediately sensed that something was off in the atmosphere, and inexplicably asked, "What is it?"

Luo Wenzhou: "... ..."

Tao Ran came to his senses and realized that he had discussed too much with him. He pushed open the car door and was about to leave when he suddenly remembered something and turned back to ask: "Have you eaten? Come up for a while, I will make you a bowl of wontons."

That is important information, do not touch it, quickly tidy it up for me

Luo Wenzhou squinted his eyes expressionlessly, while Fei Du looked at him with a half-smile, leaving Lang Qiao, who was completely bewildered, with an inexplicable sense of a tense and hostile atmosphere.

I know, "Feidu rested his elbow on one side of the car window, turned his head to smile at him, 'Look at those kids who are crazy about stars, spending money and time all day long, without any particular purpose, just to make themselves happy. My kindness towards you is also the greatest enjoyment of this day. You have cared for me for so many years, so just bear with me.'"

It is not necessarily the case. Although he put effort into borrowing clothes and shoes, his attire leans towards being conservative and formal. I see him more like someone preparing for a job interview or meeting someone he holds in high regard. If he were to meet a girl, she should be someone he is meeting for the first time through an introduction. Fei Du opened and then zipped up the old briefcase again, gently tugging at it, and indeed it did not come apart again. He handed the bag to Tao Ran, saying, "The zipper pull was loose, so I tightened it for you—like if I were to come out to meet you, I wouldn't wear a three-piece suit, I would just spray a little extra perfume."

Fei Du stiffly held his neck upright, resolutely refusing to lower his head and meet the gaze of the corpse at his feet: "No, no, I can't, I faint at the sight of blood"

If the international community were to establish an award for Huahua Gongzi, he might have already won the Nobel Prize

Lang Qiao : `` ... ... ''

It could also be expired candy left over from before, as the bulk packaging does not display the production date

Feidu turned on the built-in car lights and picked up the identification photo belonging to the deceased. Unlike the previous corpse with a green face and sharp teeth, this time he clearly saw the appearance of the deceased

Fei Du raised an eyebrow, his long brows nearly slanting into his temples, giving him an air of cold and striking handsomeness

"Seeing you is enough to satisfy me." Tao Ran freed one hand and pressed it lightly on Fei Du's head, "Who is calling 'Tao Ran'? Don't be so disrespectful with me."

Feidu peeled open a piece and ate it—an inexpensive item from the past, with a rough texture, sticky to the teeth, but fortunately sweet enough

"Ah, beautiful lady, have you considered changing careers to join our company?" Fei Du Chonglang Qiao tilted his head in a "dominant CEO" manner, "It would be a waste of your talents to become a police officer. I can offer you five times the salary."