The Same Fate Awaits All Sins Chapter 44

Suspicion – 14

---

After fussing around for half the night, the two finally returned home. As soon as they got home, Gu Yanta rushed into the bathroom to have a shower, while Lu Zheng looked around at the cluttered environment with no space to step, shaking his head helplessly.

Although Gu Yanta was a bit careless, he usually paid great attention to the cleanliness of the house. However, with everything that had happened over the past few days, he had been coming home in the middle of the night every day, so he had no time to tidy up. At the moment, dirty clothes were thrown on the sofa, and the coffee table and carpet were littered with various items.

Lu Zheng silently tidied up the mess, turned on the vacuum cleaner to clean the carpet, and then walked straight to the bathroom with the dirty clothes. With a click, he opened the bathroom door.

"Ah!!!" A scream, reminiscent of a pig being slaughtered, erupted from inside...

Gu Yanta, who had just finished showering, was standing naked in front of the bathroom mirror, grooming the stubble on his face. Startled by Lu Zheng barging in, he collided with him head-on and, in the process, accidentally nicked his face. A small stream of blood flowed down his jaw...

"What are you screaming for? You're not a delicate young lady! I came to start the washing machine..." Lu Zheng was unfazed and calmly walked over to the washing machine, beginning to wash the clothes as if nothing had happened.

"You... you..." Gu Yanta's face was covered in foam, and blood was still trickling down his neck. For a moment, he didn't know where to put his hands.

Lu Zheng crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked Gu Yanta up and down with a teasing expression, nodding seriously as if evaluating him. "Hmm... not bad... but your abs could use a little work. People usually have eight, why do you only have six?"

"Lu Xiaozheng, you... my body is one in a million, how could you be so ungrateful after taking advantage of me?" Gu Yanta was so angry he nearly exploded. He quickly grabbed a towel and wrapped it tightly around himself. "Stop staring, it's embarrassing with just the two of us!"

"Next time, remember to lock the door if you don't want anyone to see, Miss Gu!" Lu Zheng turned and left, a barely noticeable smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

A little while later, Gu Yanta emerged from the bathroom fully dressed. The house, which had been in disarray, was now neat and tidy. Gu Yanta, feeling a little embarrassed, said, "I've been too busy these past few days to clean up. Don't worry, Lu Xiaozheng, I'm not that messy of a person, once you marry... "

Before he could finish, two sharp eyes were fixed on him.

Gu Yanta hastily changed his words, "Oh... no... after marrying you, I definitely won't let you lift a finger to do any chores..."

Lu Zheng nodded in satisfaction and continued drinking his beer and eating his peanuts. He tossed a peanut into the air and caught it perfectly in his mouth with a crisp crunch as he started chewing.

Gu Yanta had never seen Lu Zheng like this before and couldn't help but laugh. "Are you a kid? Who eats peanuts like that?"

"I'm used to it, don't you think they taste better this way?" Lu Zheng clapped his hands and stood up, "I'm going back to take a shower, you enjoy your food."

"I'll walk you out."

"Are you crazy? Why do you need to send me home when I'm right across the hall?"

"Ah... you helped me clean up the house, I should at least show some appreciation!"

"Just knock on my door tomorrow morning to wake me up!" Lu Zheng waved his hand, got up, and left.

Gu Yanta thought about how cowardly he had been earlier and wished he could dig a hole to hide in. For a brief moment, he genuinely doubted his life choices. Perhaps in this relationship that was about to begin, he might really end up being the bottom... Gu Yanta pinched his arm hard, muttering to himself, Gu Yanta ah, Gu Yanta, you can't be a coward any more. Sure, it's right to spoil your wife, but you mustn't compromise on principles!

Ah... it's two a.m.! Stop overthinking and get to sleep. I still have to interrogate Bai Xiaoting in the morning! Wait a minute! That guy saw everything today, he didn't react at all? No, I have to test him... Ai, forget it. It's the middle of the night, and he's been running around with me for days now. His sleep's already poor. Should I go check on him and bring him a cup of warm milk or something, to show how virtuous I am... What? Virtuous? How could I use this word? After all, I'm still a pure top...

With these chaotic thoughts swirling in his mind, Gu Yanta eventually drifted off to sleep. However, his late-night nonsense led to a night full of messy dreams. By the next morning, he groggily opened his eyes before six a.m. After fruitlessly struggling to go back to sleep for ten minutes, Gu Yanta climbed out of bed.

"Hiss..." The moment his feet hit the ground, he banged them against the edge of the bedside table, letting out a sharp gasp of pain. Gu Yanta thought to himself, I really need to be more careful in the future and try to get injured less often. After all, I'm already in my thirties, not some seventeen or eighteen-year-old kid!

Gu Yanta tidied up, lifted his wrist, and glanced at his watch, it was six-thirty. At this point, Lu Xiaozheng was probably still asleep. Should I make some breakfast and bring it over? This is an advantage of being a criminal police officer, once he decided on something, he got straight to it. Gu Yanta put on an apron and began preparing a heartfelt breakfast.

With a sizzle, a golden egg hit the pan, releasing a tantalising aroma. Due to his busy work schedule and living alone, Gu Yanta rarely cooked, often relying on instant noodles or takeaways. However, cooking was a skill that required talent, and he was actually quite talented at it. No matter what dish he tackled, it always turned out decently edible.

In no time, Gu Yanta was carrying two bowls of congee, a couple of side dishes, and two round, plump sunny-side-up eggs as he knocked on the door next door.

As always, Lu Zheng appeared with his signature bedhead and sleepy eyes. He stared at the enticingly aromatic breakfast in Gu Yanta's hands and secretly swallowed a gulp of saliva. Still, he maintained an outward air of composure. "So early?"

"Ah... I couldn't sleep, so I made some breakfast. Luckily, there were a few eggs left in the fridge, otherwise, even a good wife couldn't make something out of nothing..." Gu Yanta set the breakfast down on the dining table. "Once this case wraps up, I'll need to restock properly, I'll show you my skills some other day."

"Mhmm... it's good to admit you're a good wife." Lu Zheng picked up a sunny-side-up egg and took a bite. The soft yolk oozed out like quicksand. "Not bad, your egg skills are pretty decent."

Gu Yanta finished his own share in a few quick bites before realising his slip of the tongue. "I misspoke! I meant a good husband! A good husband!"

The corners of Lu Zheng's mouth curled into an almost imperceptible smile.

After the two finished their meal, Gu Yanta stood up to put the dishes in the sink. Aiya, let him think what he wants, there's nothing wrong with spoiling your wife! He rolled up his sleeves, ready to clean up, but Chen Chen's call came, "Boss! Get to the bureau right now! I've made a major discovery!"

"Let's go!" Lu Zheng stood up, "I'll clean up when we get back tonight."

City bureau.

Chen Chen had two massive dark circles under his eyes. "Boss! There was a technical failure with the surveillance system in the cold storage area of the Prosperity Food Factory. I worked through the night and called in a genius classmate of mine from the Public Security University's information technology department to help restore it. We've found new clues, come and have a look!" After saying that, he let out a long yawn before adding, "You'd better pay me overtime, I'm dead tired."

Gu Yanta opened the video. Chen Chen had already adjusted the video to the correct timestamp, ten-forty p.m. on the night of July second.

A man and a woman appeared in the corner of the footage. The man was dressed in black sportswear, with his back to the camera, making his face unclear. The woman wore a white chiffon blouse and a blue denim skirt. She stepped out from the corner and faced the camera directly. It was clearly Ouyang Xue, who had mysteriously died in the cold storage that very night!

The video showed the two of them pushing and shoving each other, seemingly in a heated argument.

"Liu Le said Ouyang Xue was supposed to go on a date with her that night, why is she here with this man?" Yu Tiantian poked her head out from the side. She had spent the night at the hospital and just swapped shifts with Ma Qin. Also sporting dark circles under her eyes, she added, "Who is this man? He doesn't look like a student, and he seems older."

"Liu Le's account isn't reliable, she's clearly hiding something for Ouyang Xue," Lu Zheng's expression was grave. His eyes were locked on the man in the video, who was dressed more like a professional. Suddenly, he felt that the man's silhouette seemed somewhat familiar.

The man and woman in the video escalated from shoving to a full-blown physical confrontation. Ouyang Xue frantically punched and kicked the man. At first, he didn't fight back, but then he shoved her to the ground. Ouyang Xue sat on the floor, beating her chest and crying loudly. The man suddenly grabbed her long hair and dragged her a few metres down the corridor. Ouyang Xue kicked and scratched, but she couldn't land a single blow on him. The man opened the cold storage door with one hand and shoved Ouyang Xue inside before locking the door behind her. He stood at the entrance, took out a cigarette, and lit it.

After finishing his cigarette, the man turned back to the cold storage door and appeared to try opening it. However, despite several attempts, the door wouldn't budge. The man was obviously a little panicked, he began banging and kicking the door, repeatedly attempting to force it open, but to no avail. After about ten minutes, the man sat on the floor for a moment, then got up, seemingly ready to leave. He turned his head and glanced at the surveillance camera. His face was captured clearly...

No wonder the silhouette seemed familiar, it was Manager Wang, the on-duty manager of the food factory who had received them on the first day!

Even Gu Yanta was momentarily stunned. "This Manager Wang... what exactly is his relationship with Ouyang Xue?"

"That's clearly not a normal relationship between a man and a woman!" Chen Chen gritted his teeth. "That guy is ruthless. It was just an argument, and he threw the woman into the cold storage to freeze to death. What a scumbag!"

"Look at his reaction in the video. At first, he didn't intend to kill her. After pushing Ouyang Xue into the cold storage, he didn't leave immediately, instead, he waited a few minutes and tried to open the door again. It was probably a moment of impulse, he wanted to teach Ouyang Xue a lesson. Who would've thought the cold storage door would malfunction, trapping her inside?" Lu Zheng analysed.

"Keep watching, there's more excitement to come!" Chen Chen urged.

At exactly eleven p.m., a slender figure appeared in the video, it was Bai Xiaoting. She walked toward the cold storage area, seemingly hearing some noise. She leaned against each door, listening for a while, then she shook her head and walked away.

"Bai Xiaoting should have heard Ouyang Xue's cries for help, but by this time, Ouyang Xue was likely semi-conscious, her cries might have been very faint. Plus, the cold storage doors are made of heavy steel. Bai Xiaoting might have thought she was imagining things and missed the chance to save her," Lu Zheng remarked as he watched the footage.

"There's more!" Chen Chen alerted.

Just after Bai Xiaoting left, Manager Wang appeared with a tall, slender "boy." Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Liu Le! Liu Le opened a toolbox and fiddled with the cold storage door for a while. The door gradually began to move, and the two of them entered the cold storage. A minute later, they emerged one after the other. The two seemed to exchange some words. Liu Le then pulled out a cloth from the toolbox and carefully wiped down the cold storage door. After that, Liu Le pointed to the surveillance camera, made a downward chopping gesture with her hand, and said something. Manager Wang nodded, and the two headed toward the monitoring room.

"Who would've thought Liu Le had this kind of skill!" Yu Tiantian was shocked.

"Destroying the surveillance footage was probably Liu Le's doing. In most cases, recovering regular deletion or shredding is a piece of cake for me. It seems this Liu Le is a tech expert!" Chen Chen adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and said seriously.

"We also need to clearly investigate the relationship between him, Liu Le, and Ouyang Xue. Liu Le is still in a coma, and the reason for the suicide attempt is yet to be confirmed. It's highly likely related to this person," Gu Yanta said.

"Boss..." Yu Tiantian, who had been taking a call outside, walked in with a sombre expression. "I just got off the phone with Ma Qin. Liu Le passed away at eight a.m. this morning despite emergency efforts to save her."

This time, it was Lu Zheng's turn to look surprised. "I asked the doctor before, and they said her life wasn't in danger, how could this suddenly..."

"I'm not entirely sure of the details. It seems it wasn't directly caused by her jumping off the bridge, they said Liu Le had a tumour in her brain that suddenly ruptured, causing a brain haemorrhage or something..." Yu Tiantian sighed heavily. "Ai... How could someone be gone just like that..."

"What about Bai Xiaoting? How is she doing?" Lu Zheng asked.

"She's stable, she's already on her way for interrogation," Yu Tiantian replied.

"Consultant Lu, Bai Xiaoting is in your hands now. We can only get to the bottom of the truth from her." Gu Yanta stood up. "Everyone else, gather in five minutes, we're heading out to apprehend this Manager Wang from the video!"

"Yes!" everyone responded in unison.

Interrogation room

Bai Xiaoting had changed out of her hospital gown and into the white T-shirt she always wore. She sat silently at the table with her head lowered, her fingers twisting together nervously. The dim light in the interrogation room made her already pale face look even more lifeless.

Lu Zheng sat opposite Bai Xiaoting. "I think, after a night of calm, you've thought it through. Tell me everything, the whole story."

Bai Xiaoting lowered her head even further. Two silent tears fell onto the front of her shirt. After a long while, she spoke in a hoarse voice. "I lied."

"I know." Lu Zheng looked at Bai Xiaoting with sincere eyes. "So, from now on, can you guarantee that what you say will be the truth?"

"The person who secretly filmed wasn't Liu Le, it was me. On the contrary, Liu Le was the one who discovered it." Bai Xiaoting nodded, biting her lip hard as tears streamed down her face. "I was the one who killed Wang Shan, but I didn't harm Ouyang Xue."

"I expected that," Lu Zheng said calmly, nodding. "But you still need to explain the specific situation truthfully."

"On the night of July second, Wang Shan and I did split up to look for Ouyang Xue. While I was in the cold storage area, I heard intermittent sounds that sounded like someone shouting 'Help!' I pressed my ear against the cold storage doors one by one, but I didn't hear anything unusual. I thought I was imagining things, so I went back. After that, it happened just as I said before, Liu Le questioned where we had been, and we had an argument," Bai Xiaoting continued. "Who would've thought the next day we'd hear that Ouyang Xue had frozen to death in the cold storage? I was so scared that I didn't say anything."

"That night, Wang Shan bought some incense and paper money, saying she wanted to burn some for Ouyang Xue on the mountain behind the dormitory. Something went wrong during that time, and since I'm easily frightened, I told Wang Shan about what had happened. But Wang Shan... she didn't believe me..." Bai Xiaoting's voice grew quieter as she spoke, and by the end, she was sobbing uncontrollably.

On the evening of July third, at nine p.m., the two girls stood by the cliff at the back of the mountain, paying tribute to their deceased roommate. While burning paper offerings and murmuring prayers, hoping their late roommate could find peace, a sudden gust of sinister wind blew. A spark landed on Bai Xiaoting's skirt, and flames flared up instantly. "Ah!!!" Bai Xiaoting screamed and frantically slapped at the fire with her hands until it was extinguished, leaving a large scorched hole in her skirt.

Bai Xiaoting has always been timid and is very afraid of ghosts, and she immediately mumbled under her breath, "Xiao Xue! Please don't come looking for me! I didn't do it on purpose! I really didn't hear clearly!"

Hearing this, Wang Shan asked suspiciously, "What's going on? Didn't you say earlier that last night you didn't find her or see any trace of her at all?"

Bai Xiaoting had to change her story. "Yesterday, when I passed the cold storage area, I did hear someone calling for help, but the sound was so faint. I really didn't know it was Xiao Xue!"

"Then why did you lie earlier? Is it because you have a guilty conscience?" Wang Shan snapped.

Wang Shan was a person with a strong sense of justice. As the dorm leader, she believed it was her responsibility to maintain harmony within the dorm. Just like when Ouyang Xue and Liu Le had suspected Bai Xiaoting of secretly filming them without evidence, Wang Shan had stepped up to defend Bai Xiaoting.

"I didn't... I really didn't... You have to believe me!" Bai Xiaoting anxiously defended herself.

"Bai Xiaoting, you've completely let me down! I even stood up for you back then. But I know this, because of that incident, you've always held a grudge against Ouyang Xue and Liu Le! You dare to honestly say you didn't intentionally stand by and let her die?" Wang Shan pressed Bai Xiaoting relentlessly. "I'm going to the police station right now to tell them everything!"

"Don't... don't go... Wang Shan, I'm begging you!" Bai Xiaoting cried out. "You know my family's situation. If that incident from before comes to light and the school finds out, they'll expel me, I'll be finished!"

"So you're admitting that you really were behind that incident!" Wang Shan said angrily.

"I... I..." Bai Xiaoting stammered out of guilt. "But Ouyang Xue's death really has nothing to do with me! You have to believe me!"

"Let's set aside the previous matter for now. But this is different, this is a human life. Whether I believe you or not doesn't matter, go to the police station and tell them the truth yourself!" Wang Shan angrily turned to leave.

Sensing the situation spiralling out of control, Bai Xiaoting lunged forward and grabbed Wang Shan, intending to drop to her knees and beg. But who knew she would pull too hard, leading Wang Shan to stumble, slip, and fall backwards toward the cliff's edge. "Ah!!! Help!!!"

Bai Xiaoting wanted to reach out and pull her back, but it was too late. Wang Shan fell over the edge of the cliff, and a few seconds later, a dull thud echoed from below.

Bai Xiaoting froze, sitting in stunned silence for a long time. Then, it suddenly hit her, she had killed someone. And it was undeniable that she had been with Wang Shan when the accident happened. To avoid suspicion, Bai Xiaoting used the iron bucket they'd brought for the ritual to hit the back of her head, causing it to bleed, then called a teacher, found a bush, and pretended to have fainted. She lied and claimed that she and Wang Shan had been attacked.

"That's everything that happened that day," Bai Xiaoting sobbed. "Later, when I heard Liu Le had committed suicide, I thought she was dead. So, I made up that story to frame her in order to clear myself of the suspicion of secretly filming and causing Wang Shan's death."

"What was the relationship between Liu Le and Ouyang Xue?" Lu Zheng asked.

"Liu Le and Ouyang Xue were on good terms, but not in the way she claimed. It seemed Ouyang Xue met some rich man through Liu Le, but I'm not clear on the details," Bai Xiaoting continued, sobbing. "I let Wang Shan down, but I didn't mean to harm her."

After hearing Bai Xiaoting's confession, Lu Zheng had a clear picture in his mind. With a sharp snap, he closed his notebook and said softly, "We will continue investigating the cause of Ouyang Xue's death."

"Will... I be sentenced to death?" Bai Xiaoting suddenly leaned onto the table, crying uncontrollably. "I... I'm so scared..."

"Weren't you ready to jump off a bridge and commit suicide yesterday? You had the courage to commit suicide yesterday, and now you're afraid?" Lu Zheng's gaze was like a torch.

"I'm afraid my mum will be heartbroken... She's had such a hard life..." Bai Xiaoting was now sobbing so hard she could barely breathe. "I've been so ungrateful... always resenting her... doing bad things for money... and now I've caused such a terrible mess..."

"What you did will be judged by the law. Instead of regretting it now, you should have been nicer to your mother!" Lu Zheng gave a bitter smile, stood up, and left the interrogation room. Behind him, Bai Xiaoting's heart-wrenching cries echoed through the hallway.

Meanwhile, Wang Dong, the regional manager of Prosperity Food Processing Factory, was leisurely sipping tea in his office. Ouyang Xue was dead, and Liu Le had been driven to suicide by him. Even if she had miraculously survived, she wouldn't dare reveal the truth. After all, they were in the same boat. If Liu Le stayed silent, who would suspect her distant cousin? No one would ever find out about his extramarital affair with Ouyang Xue, let alone the accident that occurred that night.

Wee woo, wee woo, wee woo, wee woo~~~!

The shrill sound of police sirens blared nearby, making Wang Dong's heart tighten. He quickly reassured himself, Don't be so paranoid. They can't possibly be coming for me. No one could have connected this to me.

However, just two minutes later, his office door was forcibly kicked open, and five or six police officers stormed in. Leading them was a tall, handsome detective with a healthy, wheat-toned complexion. The man reached behind his waist, pulled out a pair of handcuffs, and snapped them onto Wang Dong's wrists. "Wang Dong, we now suspect you of being heavily involved in the 7.3 frozen corpse case. You have the right to remain silent, but anything you say can and will be used as evidence in court!"

The 7.3 frozen corpse case at the food processing plant was officially solved with the arrest of the suspect, Wang Dong. Faced with overwhelming evidence, Wang Dong quickly confessed to the crime. It turned out that Liu Le was his distant cousin, who had come to this province to attend university. Wang Dong had taken good care of her and, through her, had met the pure and charming female university student, Ouyang Xue. Wang Dong had fallen for Ouyang Xue at first sight. Ignoring the fact that he was married, Wang Dong began fervently pursuing her.

Coming from a well-off family and having achieved modest success in his career, Wang Dong was extremely generous with Ouyang Xue financially. As a young university student with little worldly experience, Ouyang Xue was quickly swept off her feet by his sweet words and romantic gestures. Even though she knew Wang Dong was married, she still chose to become his mistress.

Shortly before the incident, Ouyang Xue realised her period was late, and her worst fears were confirmed, she was pregnant. What followed was a clichéd "mistress uses pregnancy to force her way in" scenario, the kind of storyline beloved by every eight p.m. soap opera, but it ultimately led to a chain of tragic deaths.

On the night of the incident, Ouyang Xue sought out Wang Dong to discuss the matter. Wang Dong urged her to terminate the pregnancy, but Ouyang Xue refused. This led to a heated argument. According to Wang Dong's confession, in a moment of impulsiveness, he only wanted to teach Ouyang Xue a lesson to stop her from confronting him again. However, who knew the electronic door of the cold storage would malfunction and could not be opened from the outside? He had no choice but to contact his cousin Liu Le, who was an expert in this area. However, by the time they managed to enter the cold storage again, Ouyang Xue was already dead.

Terrified, Wang Dong sought Liu Le's help. Liu Le assisted in destroying the evidence, believing it was foolproof and that the police would undoubtedly classify the case as an accidental death. However, the mutual suspicion between Ouyang Xue's two other roommates escalated into another murder, causing the situation to become more and more serious. When it became clear that the police were beginning to suspect Liu Le, Wang Dong grew fearful that she might betray him. Knowing that Liu Le's parents were conservative in their views, he threatened to reveal her sexual orientation to them unless she kept silent. Unexpectedly, Liu Le jumped off a bridge to take her own life, which was exactly what Wang Dong wanted.

By this point, Wang Dong stopped denying or making excuses, admitting to his crimes in full detail. However, from beginning to end, he insisted that he had not intended to kill Ouyang Xue, claiming that he would not have returned to rescue her otherwise. Whether this was true or not, only Wang Dong himself knew. Ultimately, it would be up to the law to deliver a fair judgement.

Bai Xiaoting was convicted of causing injury through negligence. Given her sincere confession, remorseful attitude, and the letter of forgiveness provided by Wang Shan's parents, which her mother had earned by kneeling outside their door for a full day and night, the court showed leniency in her sentencing. During her transfer to the detention centre, Bai Xiaoting knelt down before her mother for a long time, refusing to rise, a sight that moved all who witnessed it.

It was as if time had rewound to the late summer of 2016. Eighteen-year-old Bai Xiaoting stood alone at the entrance of Yuchuan Agricultural University. After over a decade of hard work, she had finally stepped into the university campus she had dreamed of. She could hardly contain her excitement as she glanced at her dormitory number: Building 23, room 505.

Dragging her half-human-sized luggage, she struggled up the stairs. Just as she reached the second floor, she encountered a warm-hearted girl.

"Let me help you!" The girl offered as she helped lift the suitcase from behind.

"Thank you!" Bai Xiaoting wiped the sweat from her forehead when they finally reached the fifth floor.

"Don't mention it, it's only right for classmates to help each other," the girl said with a bright smile. "By the way, which dorm are you in?"

"I'm in 505."

"What a coincidence, me too, let's head in together!"

Looking at the girl's genuine expression, Bai Xiaoting couldn't help but smile back.

Pushing open the door to room 505, they saw that the other two roommates had already unpacked their luggage and were sitting on their beds, chatting. Upon seeing the two enter, the girls enthusiastically stood up to introduce themselves.

"Hi, everyone, I'm Ouyang Xue, eighteen years old. My hobbies are dancing and playing the piano," said a girl with long, flowing hair and an exceptionally sweet appearance.

"Hi, I'm Liu Le, eighteen years old. My hobbies are electronics and internet technology," a tall, slender girl dressed in a tomboyish style said next.

"Haha! Hello! I'm Wang Shan, and she's Bai Xiaoting. From now on, we're a family!" Wang Shan said with a smile, revealing her two cute little tiger teeth. "I'm a repeat student, a year older than all of you, so I'll shamelessly take on the role of dorm leader! Let's take care of each other for the next four years!"

"Okay!" The other three replied in unison.

"It's almost lunchtime, let's head to the cafeteria and grab some food!" Wang Shan suggested.

"Let's go!"

"Hey, Liu Le, wait for me!"

"Hurry up and catch up!"

"Hahaha..."

The four girls walked out of the dorm, their laughter ringing like silver bells in the air.

End of case three

———

Although September should have brought the crisp and refreshing autumn weather, Yuchuan's heat showed no sign of fading away. And now, after eating half a chilled watermelon that Gu Yanta had brought over, Lu Zheng had gloriously ended up with acute gastroenteritis.

"I told you I'd eat it myself, but you insisted on taking some! Now look at you! Vomiting and diarrhoea!" Gu Yanta scolded Lu Zheng while stirring porridge in the kitchen.

Lu Zheng lay weakly on the bed, playing on his phone. After making more than ten trips to the bathroom in one day, he had no energy left to argue with Gu Yanta.

Gu Yanta angrily brought a bowl of plain congee to the bedside. "Drink some congee, at least get some energy back. How is your stomach so fragile? I am fine no matter what I eat!"

Lu Zheng shook his head. "I don't feel like drinking it, I'm not hungry."

"You still need to drink some!" Gu Yanta picked up the bowl, scooped up a spoonful of congee, blew on it lightly, and held it in front of Lu Zheng's mouth. "If you don't eat, I'll feed it to you!"

Lu Zheng couldn't avoid it. He looked at the spoonful of congee in front of his nose and could only open his mouth to swallow it.

"Have you taken your medicine?" Gu Yanta continued stirring the congee in the bowl. "You need to take it on time. Huoxiang Zhengqi water is three times a day, and the Belladonna Vitamin U Aluminium tablets are twice a day..."

"Alright, alright, stop! Why are you acting like Deputy Jiang possessed you?" Lu Zheng protested, his tone full of dissatisfaction.

"What? You're annoyed? Isn't this all your fault for having such a fragile stomach? You're here alone, if I don't take care of you, who will?" Gu Yanta retorted, holding another spoonful of porridge to Lu Zheng's face. "Eat some more!"

"What? Fragile stomach?!" Lu Zheng helplessly opened his mouth. "By the way, my dad's coming back from the States soon, he'll be coordinating some company matters with my brother. I'm planning to invite them over for dinner, would you be willing to help with hosting?"

Gu Yanta was shocked. He had heard before that Lu Zheng's father was conservative and very concerned about appearances, was he really about to meet him? "Why am I going? Meeting the parents?"

"Mhmm, I want to introduce you to them." Lu Zheng replied indifferently.

"This... I'm not mentally prepared..." Even someone as thick-skinned as Gu Yanta felt flustered in the face of Lu Zheng's directness.

"Didn't you say that throwing five million at you was nothing?" Lu Zheng said, chewing his food expressionlessly.

"Well, I still need to prepare, what if your dad looks down on me?" Gu Yanta fretted.

"He won't, he's become much more open-minded now. Besides, even an ugly daughter-in-law has to meet her in-laws eventually!" Lu Zheng smiled.

"Lu Xiaozheng! You..." Gu Yanta was speechless. After thinking for a while, he said, "How about this, why don't you meet my parents first?"

"Eh, didn't you say you fell out with your parents when you came out?"

"That was ten years ago, okay?"

"Okay..."

"So, are you going or not?" Gu Yanta coaxed.

"Fine! Since my dad isn't arriving until next week, we can go see your parents first in the meantime." Lu Zheng agreed seriously.

"Really?" Gu Yanta didn't expect Lu Zheng to agree so quickly. His face immediately lit up with delight. "Haha! Great! Then let's go tomorrow when your body recovers!"

Lu Zheng nodded and silently took another sip of his congee.

The next day, Lu Zheng spent an hour in front of the mirror, fussing over his appearance. He kept trying on his designer suits, one after another. Gu Yanta sat on the sofa, watching him helplessly.

"You're meeting my parents, not attending a press conference! Why are you dressed so formally? Aren't you hot in that?" Gu Yanta stared at Lu Zheng, who was dressed in a suit and tie.

"Is my face a little too pale..." Lu Zheng was looking into the mirror again. "Ai, there's nothing I can do about it, I just recovered today, who told you to schedule this so quickly?"  

"How could I not be in a rush?" Gu Yanta chuckled. "You gave the order, so of course, I rushed to arrange it, what if you changed your mind?"  

Lu Zheng shot Gu Yanta a glare. "Am I that kind of person?"  

"Look at how you're dressed, you're making me look like some gangster," Gu Yanta glanced down at his oversized shorts. He stood up, grabbed Lu Zheng's suit, and threw it into the closet, then rummaged through it and pulled out a pair of gym shorts with a similar style. "No, no, you have to wear a couples outfit with me."  

"Get lost!" Lu Zheng snapped, furious, snatching the shorts and tossing them back into the closet. "Stop messing around!"  

"Then wear this." Gu Yanta pulled out a white short-sleeved shirt and a pair of light blue jeans. "This looks great, fresh and youthful. It's the middle of summer, and you're wearing a suit, aren't you afraid of scaring my parents? They might even think there's something..." Gu Yanta pointed to his temple and gave it a small tap.  

"Really? Is it that strange?" Lu Zheng asked, hesitating as he took the clothes Gu Yanta had chosen for him.  

"It is! Trust me. This is perfect!" Gu Yanta nodded firmly, his expression full of conviction.  

"Fine..." Lu Zheng reluctantly changed his clothes, and the two of them finally stepped out.  

But they hadn't even made it out properly before bumping straight into Father Gu and Mother Gu. The older couple stood at the door, holding large bags of goods, just about to knock. They froze when they saw their unfilial son running out of the opposite door, followed by a refined and handsome young man. Their faces went red from the roots to the ears.  

Gu Yanta was anxious and blurted out, "Dad, Mom! Didn't we say we'd meet at the restaurant? Why have you come here?"  

"Ah... Your father happened to drive past your neighbourhood, so we thought we'd bring up the pork ribs and hairtail we bought for you, along with some vegetables and fruit. You're always running around and don't seem to have time to look after yourself," Mother Gu was in her early fifties but looked about forty, thanks to her excellent self-care. Dressed in an elegant jade-green silk suit, she exuded grace and sophistication. It was clear that Gu Yanta had inherited his striking features from her.  

"Ahem..." Father Gu pretended to cough lightly. Years of service in the military had left him, even in his sixties, with a tall and upright posture. Though his temples were streaked with grey, it was hard to hide the sharp and resolute lines of his face, his chiselled features hinting that he must have been quite the handsome man in his youth.  

The four of them stood there awkwardly, staring at each other. Lu Zheng subtly nudged Gu Yanta with his elbow, snapping him out of his daze. Gu Yanta finally stammered, "Ah... This is Lu Zheng, the one I told you about. And these are my parents."  

"Hello, Uncle and Auntie." Even though Lu Zheng blushed, his voice was still calm. "I live right across the hall."  

Little brat, you still know how to get the moon before the water! Living together and only telling us now! Mother Gu looked at the fair and refined Lu Zheng, her eyes narrowing into a pleased smile. "Good, good... Xiao Lu, hello!"  

"Hello," Father Gu replied politely to Lu Zheng, then turned to Gu Yanta with an angry glare. "You little brat, why haven't you opened the door, how long do you intend to let your mom and I stand out here?"  

"Ah... I..." Gu Yanta hurriedly fished the keys out of his pocket and slipped out from between the three of them like a fish, quickly unlocking the door to his home.  

Once inside, Father Gu and Mother Gu settled on the sofa while Gu Yanta busied himself organising the pile of groceries, and Lu Zheng got up to make some tea for the two elders. Hearing that Father Gu enjoyed fine tea, Lu Zheng, not knowing what kind of tea was good, had raided Lu Cheng's office earlier, figuring that his older brother wouldn't have anything cheap.

"Excellent tea!" Father Gu was indeed a connoisseur. As soon as he tasted it, the refreshing aroma of the tea immediately spread across his palate. "This is top-grade Xueshan Maojian! You brat, where did you get this from?"  

Gu Yanta poked his head out from behind the fridge. "Lu Zheng specially got it to show his respect for you!"  

The young man before him was strikingly handsome, had an outstanding temperament, and, most importantly, was kind-hearted and knew how to show respect to his elders. It seems that the brat had a good eye! When he first discovered his son was different from others, Father Gu's reaction was no different from many other parents, he was furious and even stopped talking to his sons for a few years. A few years ago, when he retired from the military and took up a deputy secretary position in the municipal government, he refused to acknowledge the situation publicly, wary of his reputation. But in the past couple of years, having stepped down from his post entirely, his perspective had shifted. As a parent, what he wanted most was for his son to be happy. Whether his child's partner was a man or a woman no longer mattered to him, so long as they could provide a good home.  

Father Gu nodded at Lu Zheng with satisfaction.  

"Let's go," Gu Yanta finally finished organising the ingredients.  

The group rose and headed for the restaurant in a harmonious atmosphere. Walking at the back of the group, Gu Yanta nudged Lu Zheng playfully. "See? Didn't I say my mom and dad were easy to talk to? You're so good-looking, you don't need to wear anything overly formal!"  

"Alright..." Lu Zheng smiled faintly. "I admit I am quite good-looking."  

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

Previous Chapter | TOC | Next Chapter

Translator Notes

Please feel free to comment any mistakes I made so I can improve and do better as I go through the book.

Translated: January 26, 2025 by Angel

Edited: February 18, 2025 by Angel