“Yes, I made Xiao Xun find me a house in the countryside. Since it’s been found already, I would like to move there today. Thank you so much for your help all this while.”
“The conditions in the countryside are not that good. Why not move there after the child is born?”
Mo Li shook her head. “It’s okay, I’m not a delicate person, I won’t find it hard. In a place like the countryside, I guess no one will be able to recognize me. I’ll be able to have more freedom.”
“Since you insist, then I won’t force you to stay. Have a meal first before you leave.”
“Okay.”
After eating, Mo Li and Mo Xun left the place together, heading to a village near mountains and rivers at the countryside.
One year’s worth of rent had already been paid for the house. Mo Li stood at the entrance, looking around the courtyard. She felt that it was kept very tidy, and the interior of the house had also been cleaned up.
All the necessities had also been fully prepared.
Mo Li instantly liked this quiet little house.
“Sis, the only bad thing about this place is the water. It’s winter now, so the pipes are frozen and there’s no water. I heard the water pipes are connected to a dam that was moved here. Since it’s the cold winter now, the water can’t run through, so the villagers have to get water from the well in the village. But, it’s alright, I’ll come once in a few days to get you water in the water tank.”
Mo Li nodded. “Sure, this place’s fine. There’s even a fireplace in the house. With the fire on, the house will definitely be warm.”
Mo Xun pointed to a shed in the courtyard. “There’s firewood here. I bought it from the farmers in the village. To get past winter, they’ll always chop firewood from the mountains and collect them first. They knew we were new here and didn’t have these, so they were willing to sell some to us.”
Mo Li patted his shoulder. “Xiao Xun, you’re really attentive. Okay, I’ll stay here then.”
“Sis, get some rest first. I’ll go on the streets to buy some vegetables and rice.”
“Alright, be careful.”
“I know.” With that, Mo Xun’s figure disappeared out the door. Mo Li went before her bed and laid the bed properly, then carried some firewood into the house and lit up the fire. She sat on a stool and placed both her hands over the fireplace to warm them. This serene place would be her home from now on.
—
An Xiaoning made a trip to her clothing store before heading to the police station.
Just as she reached the office, she received good news.
The butler confessed to the murder.
“Didn’t he refuse to confess?”
Pan Zhenghui replied with a grin, “We tricked him. He finally opened his mouth and confessed.”
“What trick?”
“I told the investigator to tell him that we found the maid’s body already and to ask him what he had to say. We didn’t expect him to just confess like that. After he confessed, he then learned we tricked him. He was boiling with rage, but it was too late. Our men already went to look for the body according to the location he claimed to have buried it in. I’m sure we’ll find it soon.”
“Oh, I see. Then, Chief, what will his sentence be?”
Pan Zhenghui made an act of slicing his throat. “It’s this of course. Also, we’ve already informed Liu Yingying’s parents. Depending on the court’s judgement, we’ll also retrieve an amount from the butler’s bank account to compensate the victim’s family. The rest will be confiscated.”
An Xiaoning lamented, “This case is finally closed now. I had to be locked up for half a month because of it.”
“What a close shave.” Pan Zhenghui instructed, “Luckily, we had sharp eyes and didn’t malign you. Xiaoning, you musn’t let down the trust the Head Officer and I have towards you. Continue cracking more cases, okay?”
“Chief, you’re really good at claiming credit. Wasn’t this incident resolved because our team leader cleared her own charges…” Ma Jianguo interrupted as he cracked some melon seeds.
Pan Zhenghui’s mouth twitched and he made an act of threatening to hit him. “What nonsense are you talking about? Alright, those in our industry all hope for peace in the world. That way, we won’t have so much trouble.”
“Chief, if there’s peace in the world, do you think the higher-ups will still need us to come to work?”
“That’s true. Anyway, there are always endless cases to investigate. It’s like that all the time. Everyone, get your spirits up. You’ll all have a new case soon.” With that, Pan Zhenghui left.
An Xiaoning got up and closed the door. Reaching out to grab a bunch of melon seeds, she sat on the chair and stared at her other three members. “So, during this half a month when I was locked up, what were the three of you busy with?”
“We had to work for the Serious Crimes Investigation Unit.” Ma Jianguo sighed. “Even then, we were still despised by them. Team Leader, when you were locked up, do you know what Officer Zhang, the team leader of the Serious Crimes Investigation Unit, said about it?”
“What did he say?”
Ma Jianguo replied in a low voice, “He was full of bitterness towards you, and his tone was completely pessimistic about your situation. He said you were in a big mess and our group would be disbanded.”
“Oh? I see,” An Xiaoning replied lightly. “Don’t take it to heart, let him say what he wants. We’ll use our actions to prove to him that this group will not be disbanded.”
“Yes, Team Leader is the most powerful!”
“Give me a break. Let’s wait for the Chief to give us a new case, then we’ll need to start working again after a short rest.”
“Team Leader An, there’s someone looking for you.” The door was pushed open, and a police officer came to inform her.
“Who?”
“It’s Mrs. Jin.”
At present, news of Mr. and Mrs. Jin’s divorce was not yet known to the public. She placed the melon seeds on the table and walked out.
Outside, she saw Mrs. Jin’s figure.
“Why are you looking for me?”
Mrs. Jin looked at her and found it difficult to open up. She hesitated for a long time. An Xiaoning already expected what she wanted to say, so she did not hurry her either and just stood there waiting.
“That… Xiaoning…” Mrs. Jin still opened up eventually. “If you can get him out, I won’t interfere in your and Qingyan’s relationship anymore, regardless of whether you can have children or not. I won’t meddle in it anymore.”
“…” An Xiaoning placed her hands in her pocket. She did not find what she said enticing at all. “Although you’re still Qingyan’s mother, you’re no longer the Madam of the Jin family. I haven’t married him yet, but even if I do, your words won’t have any effect. If there’s nothing else, I’m going back in.”
“Can you just take it that I’m begging you?”
“I’m sorry, the case has already been set in stone. I can’t do anything about it.” An Xiaoning turned to leave. Regarding this matter, she had nothing much to say.
“Xiaoning…” Mrs. Jin stood there in disbelief. It seemed like the end of the world to her. She had gone to find everyone she could, but the result was still the same.
An Xiaoning had her gaze fixed ahead as she walked back in, very soon disappearing amongst the people in the cafeteria.
—
After hiring two nannies who took turns to look after her child twenty-four hours a day, Chi Rui’er could finally take it easy.
She also had time to doll herself up and go shopping.
Gu Dongcheng had just left for work, and she was about to head to the beauty parlor for some beauty treatment to take care of her face.
Just when she had changed and was about to go out, her stepfather arrived.
“Yes, I made Xiao Xun find me a house in the countryside. Since it’s been found already, I would like to move there today. Thank you so much for your help all this while.”
“The conditions in the countryside are not that good. Why not move there after the child is born?”
Mo Li shook her head. “It’s okay, I’m not a delicate person, I won’t find it hard. In a place like the countryside, I guess no one will be able to recognize me. I’ll be able to have more freedom.”
“Since you insist, then I won’t force you to stay. Have a meal first before you leave.”
“Okay.”
After eating, Mo Li and Mo Xun left the place together, heading to a village near mountains and rivers at the countryside.
One year’s worth of rent had already been paid for the house. Mo Li stood at the entrance, looking around the courtyard. She felt that it was kept very tidy, and the interior of the house had also been cleaned up.
All the necessities had also been fully prepared.
Mo Li instantly liked this quiet little house.
“Sis, the only bad thing about this place is the water. It’s winter now, so the pipes are frozen and there’s no water. I heard the water pipes are connected to a dam that was moved here. Since it’s the cold winter now, the water can’t run through, so the villagers have to get water from the well in the village. But, it’s alright, I’ll come once in a few days to get you water in the water tank.”
Mo Li nodded. “Sure, this place’s fine. There’s even a fireplace in the house. With the fire on, the house will definitely be warm.”
Mo Xun pointed to a shed in the courtyard. “There’s firewood here. I bought it from the farmers in the village. To get past winter, they’ll always chop firewood from the mountains and collect them first. They knew we were new here and didn’t have these, so they were willing to sell some to us.”
Mo Li patted his shoulder. “Xiao Xun, you’re really attentive. Okay, I’ll stay here then.”
“Sis, get some rest first. I’ll go on the streets to buy some vegetables and rice.”
“Alright, be careful.”
“I know.” With that, Mo Xun’s figure disappeared out the door. Mo Li went before her bed and laid the bed properly, then carried some firewood into the house and lit up the fire. She sat on a stool and placed both her hands over the fireplace to warm them. This serene place would be her home from now on.
—
An Xiaoning made a trip to her clothing store before heading to the police station.
Just as she reached the office, she received good news.
The butler confessed to the murder.
“Didn’t he refuse to confess?”
Pan Zhenghui replied with a grin, “We tricked him. He finally opened his mouth and confessed.”
“What trick?”
“I told the investigator to tell him that we found the maid’s body already and to ask him what he had to say. We didn’t expect him to just confess like that. After he confessed, he then learned we tricked him. He was boiling with rage, but it was too late. Our men already went to look for the body according to the location he claimed to have buried it in. I’m sure we’ll find it soon.”
“Oh, I see. Then, Chief, what will his sentence be?”
Pan Zhenghui made an act of slicing his throat. “It’s this of course. Also, we’ve already informed Liu Yingying’s parents. Depending on the court’s judgement, we’ll also retrieve an amount from the butler’s bank account to compensate the victim’s family. The rest will be confiscated.”
An Xiaoning lamented, “This case is finally closed now. I had to be locked up for half a month because of it.”
“What a close shave.” Pan Zhenghui instructed, “Luckily, we had sharp eyes and didn’t malign you. Xiaoning, you musn’t let down the trust the Head Officer and I have towards you. Continue cracking more cases, okay?”
“Chief, you’re really good at claiming credit. Wasn’t this incident resolved because our team leader cleared her own charges…” Ma Jianguo interrupted as he cracked some melon seeds.
Pan Zhenghui’s mouth twitched and he made an act of threatening to hit him. “What nonsense are you talking about? Alright, those in our industry all hope for peace in the world. That way, we won’t have so much trouble.”
“Chief, if there’s peace in the world, do you think the higher-ups will still need us to come to work?”
“That’s true. Anyway, there are always endless cases to investigate. It’s like that all the time. Everyone, get your spirits up. You’ll all have a new case soon.” With that, Pan Zhenghui left.
An Xiaoning got up and closed the door. Reaching out to grab a bunch of melon seeds, she sat on the chair and stared at her other three members. “So, during this half a month when I was locked up, what were the three of you busy with?”
“We had to work for the Serious Crimes Investigation Unit.” Ma Jianguo sighed. “Even then, we were still despised by them. Team Leader, when you were locked up, do you know what Officer Zhang, the team leader of the Serious Crimes Investigation Unit, said about it?”
“What did he say?”
Ma Jianguo replied in a low voice, “He was full of bitterness towards you, and his tone was completely pessimistic about your situation. He said you were in a big mess and our group would be disbanded.”
“Oh? I see,” An Xiaoning replied lightly. “Don’t take it to heart, let him say what he wants. We’ll use our actions to prove to him that this group will not be disbanded.”
“Yes, Team Leader is the most powerful!”
“Give me a break. Let’s wait for the Chief to give us a new case, then we’ll need to start working again after a short rest.”
“Team Leader An, there’s someone looking for you.” The door was pushed open, and a police officer came to inform her.
“Who?”
“It’s Mrs. Jin.”
At present, news of Mr. and Mrs. Jin’s divorce was not yet known to the public. She placed the melon seeds on the table and walked out.
Outside, she saw Mrs. Jin’s figure.
“Why are you looking for me?”
Mrs. Jin looked at her and found it difficult to open up. She hesitated for a long time. An Xiaoning already expected what she wanted to say, so she did not hurry her either and just stood there waiting.
“That… Xiaoning…” Mrs. Jin still opened up eventually. “If you can get him out, I won’t interfere in your and Qingyan’s relationship anymore, regardless of whether you can have children or not. I won’t meddle in it anymore.”
“…” An Xiaoning placed her hands in her pocket. She did not find what she said enticing at all. “Although you’re still Qingyan’s mother, you’re no longer the Madam of the Jin family. I haven’t married him yet, but even if I do, your words won’t have any effect. If there’s nothing else, I’m going back in.”
“Can you just take it that I’m begging you?”
“I’m sorry, the case has already been set in stone. I can’t do anything about it.” An Xiaoning turned to leave. Regarding this matter, she had nothing much to say.
“Xiaoning…” Mrs. Jin stood there in disbelief. It seemed like the end of the world to her. She had gone to find everyone she could, but the result was still the same.
An Xiaoning had her gaze fixed ahead as she walked back in, very soon disappearing amongst the people in the cafeteria.
—
After hiring two nannies who took turns to look after her child twenty-four hours a day, Chi Rui’er could finally take it easy.
She also had time to doll herself up and go shopping.
Gu Dongcheng had just left for work, and she was about to head to the beauty parlor for some beauty treatment to take care of her face.
Just when she had changed and was about to go out, her stepfather arrived.
