NASAY CH 68
by SuxxiThe fruit candy was sweet and slightly sour. The small remaining piece was no longer as round as when it was first unwrapped—it had become a little sharp. Huo Xingzhou rolled it with the tip of his tongue, as if he could still taste a faint trace of Luo Xing’s saliva.
Luo Xing’s face was slightly flushed. He blinked twice and, whether intentionally or not, asked, “Does it taste good?”
“Which one are you asking about?”
Huo Xingzhou bit down on the candy with a crunch, narrowed his eyes, and smiled.
“The saliva… or the candy? Not bad, huh? You’re getting bold, daring to flirt with me like this.”
“O-Of course, I meant the candy.”
Luo Xing quickly glanced around at the other students before retracting his gaze. He blinked innocently.
“How is this flirting? I was just giving you some candy.”
Huo Xingzhou suddenly let out a vague hum, as if something had crossed his mind.
“I want to eat something else. Feed me some more?”
“What?”
“Meat.”
“What kind of meat?”
Huo Xingzhou looked at Luo Xing’s completely clueless expression and realized he hadn’t caught on to the suggestive joke. He coughed, forcibly suppressing the thought, waved his hand, and said,
“Just do your exercises. I’ll read for a bit.”
“Xingzhou?”
Ye Qiaoqiao suddenly stood up and furrowed her brows, calling his name. However, since her voice wasn’t very loud and the classroom was noisy, he didn’t hear her.
She wrote a note and asked the student behind her to pass it forward. When it reached Feng Jia, he paused, glanced ahead, and saw that it was from Ye Qiaoqiao. He quickly handed it over to Huo Xingzhou.
“What’s this? Passing notes between front and back seats? Are you sick?”
Huo Xingzhou was still annoyed about the whole Chen Yiyi situation. Seeing Feng Jia’s slightly guilty expression while handing him the note, he assumed it was an apology and sarcastically snapped at him.
“It’s from the class rep! Xingzhou-ge, forgive me, okay? People don’t know what they don’t know, QAQ!”
Feng Jia blinked rapidly, trying to make a pitiful expression.
Huo Xingzhou found it disgusting and kicked him. “Talk properly.”
“Wuwuwu, you’re bullying me! I’m ignoring you now!”
Feng Jia pretended to wipe non-existent tears, looking heartbreakingly dramatic, then turned back to his game.
“…”
Huo Xingzhou unfolded the note. There was only one sentence written on it.
—Your phone is off? My dad is looking for you.
Huo Xingzhou froze. Only then did he reach for his phone—only to realize it was gone.
Thinking back, he remembered having his phone with him when he went out earlier. He had only met Chen Yiyi and then returned straight away. He hadn’t gone anywhere else, so did he lose it then?
“What’s wrong?”
Luo Xing noticed him patting his pockets and suddenly frowning deeply, as if something was wrong.
“My phone’s missing.”
Huo Xingzhou furrowed his brows, trying to recall. He hadn’t taken his phone out while talking to Chen Yiyi, and they hadn’t even had any physical contact. So where could it have gone?
“It’s okay. Lend me your phone for a second.”
Luo Xing unlocked his phone and handed it over. He watched quietly as Huo Xingzhou logged into WeChat. A few messages from someone saved as “Shang Shushu” (Uncle Shang) popped up on the screen. They flashed by quickly, so he didn’t get a clear look.
Shang Qingming: I just got back today and heard that Zhao Jiulan turned herself in. Did you know about this?
Shang Qingming: You didn’t threaten her again, did you?
Shang Qingming: Enough is enough. You already have something that keeps her in check. As long as she stops bothering you, that’s all that matters. If you push her into a corner, who knows what she might do? It’s been so many years—there’s no way to gather solid evidence anymore. It’s hard to convict. Don’t act rashly.
Shang Qingming: During the evidence collection process, someone will come to the school to talk to Luo Xing. Tell him to be prepared.
Huo Xingzhou’s brows furrowed so tightly it seemed like he was about to bore holes into the screen. He recognized every word individually, but strung together, he couldn’t make sense of them.
Zhao Jiulan turned herself in?
What did that have to do with him?
Ever since that time Zhao Jiulan visited him during winter break, he hadn’t seen her again. They hadn’t even crossed paths.
And now she went and turned herself in? Was she crazy?
Huo Xingzhou stared at his phone, unable to reply for a moment.
But he suddenly recalled the last time Zhao Jiulan had visited his house—how she had hesitated as if she had something to say but didn’t know how to. Had she already started regretting back then?
That day, she had glanced upstairs anxiously. When Huo Xingzhou asked if she wanted to see Luo Xing, she had refused almost immediately, saying she didn’t want to see him and even told him not to mention that she had been there.
It was indeed strange—restraining the desire to see someone but also fearing to meet them—before finally fleeing in a panic.
But just turning herself in? That was it?
All the things she had done to Luo Xing back then—would facing legal consequences really be enough? Would it be written off just like that? Dream on.
Huo Xingzhou let out a cold chuckle. What a clever little scheme.
He lifted his fingers and typed a reply to Shang Qingming:
“Her turning herself in has nothing to do with Luo Xing. I didn’t do anything, so she can do whatever she wants. But if you happen to see her, pass on a message from me—if she wants Luo Xing’s forgiveness, she can wait for her next life.”
The law could punish her, but could it give back everything Luo Xing had lost? Could it heal his ears? Could it make him unafraid of the dark?
It couldn’t.
Even if Zhao Jiulan died, she would never be able to make up for the harm she had caused Luo Xing.
“Is something wrong?”
Luo Xing noticed that Huo Xingzhou’s frown was deepening, so he tugged at his hand in concern.
Huo Xingzhou hesitated for a moment, thinking that this wasn’t his matter to decide. So he simply said,
“Your mother turned herself in.”
Luo Xing was stunned, his mind freezing as he blankly repeated, “…What?”
“From the sound of it, she regrets what she did to you back then.”
Huo Xingzhou added,
“Uncle Shang said that in the next few days, someone from the school might come to ask you about your childhood abuse. He wanted you to be prepared.”
Then, he suddenly stopped and turned to look at Luo Xing’s dazed expression. He asked seriously,
“If… if your mother truly regrets it, would you forgive her?”
Luo Xing’s fingers tightened slightly.
Zhao Jiulan was different from Luo Zhiyuan.
Luo Zhiyuan had never shown him the slightest bit of love. He had ignored his existence for seventeen years, only wanting to see him when he was dying.
Whether it was for an organ donation or simply to die without regrets, in the end, it had all been for himself.
“I want to do my homework.”
Luo Xing averted his gaze and refused to look at Huo Xingzhou again. But the slight tremor in his hands betrayed his emotions.
“Go ahead, then. I’m heading out for a bit.”
Huo Xingzhou returned the phone to Luo Xing, stood up, and then, as if remembering something, smacked Feng Jia.
“What?” Feng Jia asked.
“I’m going out for a bit. If I don’t come back before evening self-study ends, don’t wander off—walk back to the dorm with Luo Xing.”
“Where are you going?”
Feng Jia looked puzzled. It had been a while since he’d seen Huo Xingzhou skip class.
“Got something to take care of.”
Huo Xingzhou didn’t bother asking Cheng Limin for permission. It wasn’t an official reason, and the teacher wouldn’t approve it anyway. So instead of wasting time, he just climbed over the school wall.
Child abuse cases like Zhao Jiulan’s weren’t handled by the city’s criminal investigation team, but he didn’t know any community police officers. His only option was to find Shang Qingming.
He needed to figure out what Zhao Jiulan was planning. She couldn’t just act however she pleased. Sure, she had given birth to Luo Xing, but that didn’t mean she could control his entire life.
What a joke.
As he jumped down from the wall, he nearly landed on an old man’s head. Startled, he quickly shifted to the side and barely managed to keep his balance. He steadied himself, heart still pounding, and blurted out, “Whoa! Grandpa, why are you standing there?”
The elderly man turned around and looked at him.
“Student, are you a senior?”
Huo Xingzhou sized him up. His hair was white, slightly swept back, and he looked even older than his own grandfather. His posture was slightly hunched.
“Yeah. Are you looking for someone? What’s their name? I’ll see if I know them.”
The old man thought for a moment, hesitated for a long time, and then finally, as if he had just recalled something, said, “Luo Xing!”
By the time Huo Xingzhou arrived at the city’s criminal investigation team, it was almost closing time.
The security guard at the entrance was dedicated to his duty—he took one look at him and refused to let him in. No matter what Huo Xingzhou said, the answer was still no.
After arguing for twenty minutes, Huo Xingzhou lost his patience.
“I’m Shang Qingming’s son. Twenty years ago, he had a relationship with a village girl near Daming Lake. I’m here to acknowledge my long-lost father.”
The security guard nearly laughed out loud. Who didn’t know that the rough-and-tumble criminal investigation captain only had a daughter? Now this kid was showing up here to recognize some long-lost father? He waved him off impatiently.
“You think this is a place for nonsense? Get lost!”
Huo Xingzhou fell silent.
His phone was missing, and he had been in such a hurry to get here that he hadn’t stopped to replace it. Now, he was stuck at the entrance with no way in.
“How about this, sir?”
He tried again.
“Let me make a call to Captain Shang. If he refuses to come out, I’ll leave immediately. This is really urgent.”
The guard studied him for a moment. He did seem serious. If it really was a family emergency, the guard didn’t want to be responsible for delaying it. Finally, he relented. “Fine, but make it quick.”
Huo Xingzhou wasted no time, stepping inside and picking up the landline phone. He quickly dialed the number.
A woman answered. “Hello?”
…
Huo Xingzhou instinctively hung up.
Before the security guard could yell at him to get lost, he immediately redialed.
The same woman answered again.
“Hello, who are you looking for?”
Huo Xingzhou was stunned. He looked down at the number displayed on the phone and double-checked it several times.
It was correct.
“Is this Mr. Shang Qingming’s number?”
Huo Xingzhou asked cautiously.
“Yes, he’s in a meeting. Do you need to speak with him?”
The female officer on the other end paused and then asked,
“Wait, this number… is this the security guard’s phone from our entrance?”
Huo Xingzhou quickly replied,
“Yes, I’m Captain Shang Qingming’s long-lost son. I came to find my family. Could you please let me in to wait for him?”
The female officer was instantly intrigued. Never mind the rules—she quickly said,
“Stay at the entrance and don’t leave, I’ll come get you.” Then she hung up.
Standing at the gate under the watchful eyes of the security guard, Huo Xingzhou calmly observed the Criminal Investigation Unit’s building, unaware that he had just sparked a dramatic tale of
“Shang Qingming’s past love affair and his abandoned son, who grew up alone and traveled far to reunite with his father.”
A while later, the security guard saw the only female officer in the unit rushing out like the wind, her high heels clicking on the pavement like rollerblades.
She pulled open the door of the guardroom, glanced up and down at Huo Xingzhou, and couldn’t hide the gossiping excitement on her face.
“It’s you?”
Huo Xingzhou greeted her politely, “Hello, sister.”
Zhou Wei, who was already 35 and accustomed to high school students calling her “auntie,” was taken aback. The unexpected “sister” delighted her so much that she covered her mouth and laughed. “Oh my, what a sweet talker. Come with me, Captain Shang should be finishing his meeting soon.”
As they walked, they chatted. Just before they entered the office, Zhou Wei casually asked,
“By the way, kid, what’s your name?”
Huo Xingzhou responded without hesitation, “Xia Ziwei.”
Zhou Wei: “???”
When Shang Qingming finished his meeting, he noticed that all his subordinates were looking at him as if he were some notorious heartbreaker. Frowning, he glanced around and saw Zhou Wei bringing Huo Xingzhou inside with a strange expression on her face.
“You? What are you doing here?”
Shang Qingming asked, surprised.
Before Huo Xingzhou could answer, Zhou Wei interjected with a cold tone,
“He’s here to act in My Fair Princess.”
“???”
Huo Xingzhou narrowed his eyes and gave a slight smile, then turned to Zhou Wei apologetically.
“Sorry, sister, I had no choice. The security guard refused to let me in no matter what.”
Now, the word sister sounded off to Zhou Wei.
Shang Qingming couldn’t help but chuckle, then led Huo Xingzhou into his office, casually tossing some documents onto the desk.
“Alright, what do you want?”
Huo Xingzhou sat properly on the couch and said,
“I came to ask you about Zhao Jiulan in detail. But before that, I have something to tell you. When I left school earlier, I ran into Luo Xing’s grandfather.”
“His grandfather?”
Shang Qingming paused, looking up.
“How do you know his grandfather? Last time you went, you didn’t see him, right?”
“I didn’t see him then, but earlier, he approached me at the school gate asking about Luo Xing. He said that Luo Xing’s grandmother recently passed away in an accident, and he himself has been diagnosed with terminal liver cancer—he doesn’t have much time left.”
Huo Xingzhou frowned, not daring to speculate on Zhao Jiulan’s thought process. That’s why he had come to ask Shang Qingming for details.
“To be honest, I’m not entirely sure either.”
Shang Qingming checked the time and said,
“It’s almost the end of the day. I’ll take you to the precinct where she turned herself in and ask.”
“Thanks, Uncle Shang.”
Huo Xingzhou and Shang Qingming headed to the local police station. Since they couldn’t officially interfere with another district’s case, they only hoped to gather some information.
Surprisingly, thanks to Shang Qingming’s connections and street-smart tactics, they even managed to read Zhao Jiulan’s statement.
“She really does seem remorseful,”
Shang Qingming said, analyzing the document. As a seasoned investigator, he could tell at a glance whether someone was lying or not.
Huo Xingzhou remained silent, his mind replaying the contents of the statement. From what was written, it seemed that Zhao Jiulan’s regret stemmed from her encounter with Luo Zhiyuan.
She had spent years loving and hating this man, only to realize he had long since become unrecognizable.
In the end, she wasn’t even sure if she still loved or hated him, or if she had simply been clinging to that hatred to justify her past choices.
Eighteen years without returning home, without seeing her parents—only to meet them again for the last time.
She had broken ties with her family for a man who didn’t love her, wasting eighteen years of her life. After handling her mother’s funeral, she was now about to face her father’s impending death.
Her obsession with unattainable love had changed her beyond recognition, and now… she planned to suddenly wake up from it all?
Huo Xingzhou thought back to the pain and suppressed sorrow on her face that day. She had probably wanted Luo Xing to accompany her to handle her mother’s funeral, but maybe she assumed he wouldn’t agree and didn’t dare to face him.
“Xingzhou.”
Shang Qingming turned his head to look at Huo Xingzhou, who was almost as tall as him. This boy, whom he had watched grow up and whom he considered no different from his own child, sighed and said,
“You’re still just a kid. There’s only so much responsibility you can bear, and besides, this is a matter between a mother and son. You can’t make decisions for them.”
“I know.”
Huo Xingzhou had never intended to decide for Luo Xing whether to forgive Zhao Jiulan. Everything depended on Luo Xing. Whether he forgave her or not, he was still his little one.
He just felt heartache for everything Luo Xing had endured. Even if the wrongdoer was punished, it wouldn’t erase the pain he had suffered.
“I’ve handled a lot of cases. Since I work in the city’s criminal investigation unit, most of them involve homicides and serial murders, rather than family disputes. But in the end, there’s no real difference—every case stems from some form of entanglement.”
“A murderer—should they die for their crime? Of course. No matter the circumstances, no one has the right to take another’s life.”
“But many of them have also endured unimaginable suffering as children. I once worked on a case where a mother, suffering from depression, constantly wanted to end her life. But she couldn’t bear to leave her child behind, so she repeatedly tried to take him with her.”
“The child lived under the shadow of death every day. There were razor blades in his food, shards of glass in the washbasin. He had sought help from teachers, neighbors—but no one helped him. He lived in constant fear, never knowing when his own mother would end his life.”
Shang Qingming paused, sighing heavily.
Huo Xingzhou asked, “And then?”
After a moment’s silence, Shang Qingming turned on the car’s interior light and continued,
“Then that child killed seven people. They were all patients with depression. He believed they were the scum of society and would eventually harm others. He thought he was acting on behalf of justice. At the same time, he was also terrified—seeing them reminded him of his own past trauma.”
Huo Xingzhou furrowed his brows tightly.
Shang Qingming chuckled slightly and went on,
“Did those seven people deserve to die? Of course not. But if just one person—just one—had shown that child a little kindness, maybe he wouldn’t have turned out this way. So, who’s really to blame? Maybe everyone shares a bit of the fault.”
“Honestly, it’s incredible that Luo Xing grew up into such a kind person despite everything.”
Shang Qingming turned to look at Huo Xingzhou, setting aside his usual roguish demeanor and revealing, for once, the true air of a seasoned criminal investigator.
“If he still carries kindness in his heart, why push him to turn that kindness into hatred?”
Huo Xingzhou understood.
He had been so focused on hating Zhao Jiulan for everything she had done to Luo Xing, for all the years she had hurt him. But at the end of the day, Luo Xing had never truly hated her—that’s why he remained kind.
If he had harbored the same resentment as that boy in the case, then he would have been the one to suffer the most from it.
In the end, everything depended on Luo Xing’s choice.
Huo Xingzhou exhaled, relaxing a little.
“I understand now. Thank you, Uncle Shang.”
Seeing that he had gotten through to him, Shang Qingming grinned and returned to his usual carefree tone.
“Alright, let’s get you back to your dorm.”
It was a long way from the city police bureau to South Second High School, and because of a multi-car accident, traffic had been backed up all the way from the overpass to the city center. By the time they reached the dormitory, it was already close to 11:30 PM.
After thanking Shang Qingming, Huo Xingzhou hurried toward his dormitory.
His phone had been lost, and he hadn’t had time to replace it. He had no idea if Luo Xing had been waiting anxiously for him, and that worried him.
He rushed across the campus in long strides, and when he reached the dormitory building, he saw Feng Jia craning his neck, anxiously looking around like a statue waiting for its lost master.
“Yo, what kind of drama are you acting out here?”
Huo Xingzhou was amused, teasing him,
“Did you lose your wife or your husband?”
The moment Feng Jia saw him, he almost dropped to his knees, grabbing Huo Xingzhou’s hand in a panic.
“Bro, just kill me now.”
“Oh?” Huo Xingzhou helped him up, half-laughing.
“Why would I kill you? What have you done behind my back this time? Broke something?”
“No,” Feng Jia shrank back, looking like he was about to cry. He avoided making eye contact and muttered,
“I… I lost Luo Xing.”
“What do you mean?”
Huo Xingzhou’s brows furrowed sharply. A bad feeling struck him, and he immediately grabbed Feng Jia’s arm.
“Lost him? What do you mean?”
Feng Jia flinched at his sudden anger and stammered,
“N-no, it’s just—when you left this afternoon, didn’t you tell me to stick with him no matter what?”
“You forgot about him?”
“No!” Feng Jia hurried to explain but hesitated under Huo Xingzhou’s intense gaze. The growing frustration in Huo Xingzhou’s eyes made him even more flustered.
“Speak!” Huo Xingzhou demanded.
“We had dinner and then went back to evening self-study. He was doing his homework at first, but during the break after the first period—around 7:30 PM—he said he needed to step out for a bit.”
“And then?”
Huo Xingzhou’s heart sank further. He clenched his fists tightly, barely restraining his anger as he waited for Feng Jia to continue.
“He said he was going out for a moment. I figured it was just to the bathroom—what else could he be doing during evening self-study? I even asked if he wanted me to go with him, but he said no.”
Feng Jia hesitated, then took a step back and whispered,
“I thought maybe he was going out to meet you, so I didn’t follow him. But when evening study ended, he still hadn’t come back. His phone was off. Li Lefan, Lu Qinghe, and I searched everywhere, but we couldn’t find him.”
Huo Xingzhou’s heart tightened painfully. His brows furrowed deeply as he took a slow, heavy breath, suppressing his rising panic. He pointed a finger at Feng Jia.
“You—”
“I’m sorry, I really didn’t expect this! If I had known, I wouldn’t have let him out of my sight for even a second. I’m so sorry, bro—just hit me if you want!”
Feng Jia apologized frantically, speaking so fast his words tumbled over each other.
Huo Xingzhou turned away, his whole body radiating tension. Without another word, he strode off, seething with anger.
Feng Jia chased after him, still apologizing, feeling wracked with guilt but not knowing what else to say.
Huo Xingzhou stopped abruptly, gave him a look, and took a deep breath.
“I don’t blame you. No need to apologize. Just focus on finding him.”
He clenched his fists, trying to push down the fear rising in his chest. He gritted his teeth and said,
“He’s afraid of the dark. And he can’t hear. We need to find him fast.”
Feng Jia nodded hurriedly and ran off in search of Luo Xing, silently vowing that even if he had to turn the entire school upside down, he would find him.
But the school was so big, with so many classrooms.
If it were someone else, at least they could call out and wait for a response.
But Luo Xing couldn’t hear.
Huo Xingzhou, filled with anxiety, searched every classroom one by one. His thick winter coat was already soaked with sweat. He carelessly stripped it off, continuing his search in nothing but a thin knit sweater.
Luo Xing.