Chapter 25.2

The first team dinner for the Special Cases Unit started off with a slightly strange atmosphere.

The dinner had been arranged by Jian Yao. Since new colleagues were joining the unit, she thought it would be good to welcome them at a communal dinner. Moreover, she had heard that . . . ahem, ahem . . . the people had been ‘strong-armed’ by Bo Jinyan to join them.

An Yan was not really concerned about the whole situation. As long as the food was good, he was happy.

Fu Ziyu was highly puzzled. If they were going to have a get-together, then go ahead. Why did they have to invite an outsider like him? Jian Yao, however, had spoken very persuasively, mentioning that they had not gotten together for quite a while. You know An Yan, so you’re not an outsider. Besides, the newcomer is someone like us.

Fu Ziyu had always been open to persuasion, and he easily agreed.

As for Fang Qing . . .

Although he felt that Bo Jinyan’s method of ‘forcible seizure’ was not cricket, in his heart, he was somewhat tempted by the work of the Special Cases Unit. In addition, although he was a straightforward and outspoken person, he had also had enough experience with the ways of the world. Since he had been transferred to this unit, he would just have to bear with it. As for Jin Xiaozhe . . . well, he would have to think hard of another way to pursue her.

Thus, everyone was seated in the fish hot pot restaurant. Bo Jinyan and An Yan were calm and unperturbed, and Jian Yao was attentive to the others. Contrary to what one might have expected, Fu Ziyu and Fang Qing were laughing and chatting comfortably with each other.

“How should I address you?” Fang Qing asked.

Fu Ziyu enthusiastically held out his hand. “I’m Fu Ziyu, a doctor.”

Fang Qing said, with sudden realisation, “Oh, so you’re the unit’s forensic pathologist.”

Fu Ziyu said, “No, I’m not.”

Bo Jinyan smiled faintly as he lifted his head and said, “You will be, very soon.”

Fu Ziyu replied, “F**k off.”

An Yan turned around. “Juvenile. Sister-in-law, please get

me another plate of sweet potato chips. A little sweeter, please.”

Jian Yao said, “Ah, okay.”

The hot pot* was quickly served.

*火锅 (huo guo) – lit. ‘fire pot’. This is a Chinese cooking method where ingredients are cooked in a simmering pot of soup stock placed in front of diners, who can choose the ingredients they like and cook it themselves. See Jinyan, Jian Yao and Fu Ziyu were quite decorous while eating. Even when eating fish, Bo Jinyan remained the epitome of good manners – eating neither too quickly nor too slowly – although he could actually finish a whole fish in an instant.

However, with the addition of An Yan and Fang Qing, the rhythm of eating abruptly changed! Fang Qing was an ‘iron man’ criminal investigator who had always gulped down his food. Moreover, there was no one to drink with him at the dinner, so he lowered his head and got down to the business of eating. His chopsticks flashed and he filled up an entire bowl with hot pot ingredients and finished it in the blink of an eye. Just a short while later, another bowl had been filled and emptied.

An Yan saw this and panicked. All the delicious food he wanted to eat had been s.n.a.t.c.hed up by Fang Qing. Thus, this otaku* who had not eaten a good meal for a few days revved up his engine. Their chopsticks darted in and out of the large pot in rapid succession.

*宅男(zhai nan) – a guy who stays at home all the time, typically spending a lot of time playing online games; from the j.a.panese ‘otaku’

Bo Jinyan was busy picking the bones out of his piece of fish. Suddenly, his face sank as he asked, “What happened to the two pieces of fish I just dropped into the pot?”

No one answered him. There was no need to talk about two pieces of fish when two entire plates of fish had already found their way into ‘someone’s’ stomach.

Fu Ziyu bit back a smile. He leisurely munched on the white cabbage from the hot pot that no one cared about. Jian Yao laughed as she

she patted Bo Jinyan on the shoulder, saying, “I’ll order another fish for you.”

“No,” Bo Jinyan said coldly, “Just give me my own pot.”

……

For some unknown reason, everyone ate well at this meal.

When the hot pot was taken away, everyone just sat on the sofa . . . resting. Rubbing her stomach, Jian Yao thought, if all the dinners the team ate together had this kind of atmosphere, she would definitely put on weight.

Fu Ziyu requested a pot of tea. Everyone slowly sipped at their tea, idly chatting.

Bo Jinyan asked Fang Qing, “Why did you want to come to Beijing?”

Fang Qing smiled and replied, “Personal reasons.”

Fu Ziyu said seriously, “I’ve heard that Fang Qing is a highly experienced criminal investigator, and he’s here to be your deputy team leader. This is excellent. Jinyan, your team is fully functional.”

Bo Jinyan smiled slightly, “Indeed, it is.”

Fang Qing half smiled, while An Yan and Jian Yao smiled wholeheartedly.

“The weekend starts tomorrow. Fang Qing, you should rest well and come to the office next week,” Jian Yao said. “If you need help with anything in Beijing, just call us anytime.”

Fang Qing smiled and nodded. “Thanks.”

An Yan swiftly dug out a few vouchers from his pocket and placed them on the table. “Team leader and sister-in-law treated us to dinner, I’ll treat you to something else.”

“What are these?” Jian Yao took up a ticket.

An Yao replied, “Admission tickets to the Beijing Blueberry International Animation Festival.”

Bo Jinyan murmured, “Oh . . .”

Fu Ziyu coughed and said, “Xiao An, these tickets are great. However, I’m a single, old man, so I wont be going. I’m not particularly interested in animation.”

An Yan looked at Jian Yao, who looked at Bo Jinyan. Bo Jinyan’s mouth turned up at the corners, and he was just about to say something, when An Yan suddenly spoke. “The Animation Festival will feature a lot of romantic and amusing scenes, highly suitable for lovers. Otherwise, where were you planning to go on a date this weekend? To the morgue, or to the prison?”

That question was too blunt. Before Bo Jinyan could say anything, Jian Yao seized the tickets and placed

and placed them in her pocket. “Thanks, An Yan. We’ll go, we’ll definitely go.”

Bo Jin Yan kept quiet. Jian Yao had grabbed his hand under the table and dug her fingernails in lightly, so he had yielded and not spoken.

Everyone looked at Fang Qing.

Fang Qing took a cigarette from his pocket, rolled it between his fingers and smiled. “Thanks, but I won’t go, as I have something on.”

What animation festival? That’s for kids.

He had heard the news that the newly crowned movie superstar, Jin Xiaozhe, would be filming in the Beijing suburbs this weekend.

He wanted to visit her on the movie set.

   ——

The first communal meal of the Special Cases Unit finally ended on a pleasant note.

Early in the evening, when the street lamps lit up, everyone went their separate ways. An Yan took a ride home with Bo Jinyan, and Fang Qing took the public bus to have a ‘tour’ around Beijing. The last person to leave was Fu Ziyu. He drove down the ring road, with its twinkling lights, towards home.

However, this kind of idle weekend was really boring, so he turned into a street in the commercial district.

This street was not far from his home. There were a lot of people, and it was very lively. He parked the car and walked along the brightly lit sidewalk, meandering forward.

……

Maybe he should seriously consider Bo Jinyan’s suggestion and change line to be a forensic pathologist?

The absurd suggestion flashed into his mind, and he was the first to laugh at himself.

……

The shops were a dazzling sight with their bright lights. He walked past the gla.s.s store fronts, looking here, there, and everywhere. This world was bustling and full of gaiety, but he seemed oblivious to all of it.

Was life like this?

Everything was perfect, but there was always disappointment and loss.

There was always joy, yet there was neither great sorrow nor great happiness anymore.

He laughed at himself. It was probably because his life was too smooth-sailing and blessed that he was like an immature kid*, spouting inopportune epithets**.

*毛头小子 (mao tou xiao zi) – 毛头 = feathery hair i.e. the hair on a newborn baby’s head. The phrase isThe phrase is used to indicate someone young and immature.

** 为赋新词强说愁 (wei fu xin ci qiang shuo chou) – a line from 丑奴儿·书博山道中壁, a poem written by 辛弃疾 (Xin Qiji), and refers to how, when desiring to find a new way to describe something, the persona instead dwells on the bitterness of sorrow. Today, it is used to refer to an action or speech that is ill-timed, behind the times, or inopportune. See 为赋新词强说愁

Without realising it, he walked towards a women’s dress store and stopped outside, his heart strangely warm.

This was once Han Yumeng’s favourite brand. The clothes were fashionable and elegant.

Fu Ziyu’s gaze swept over the beautiful dresses on display and finally ended up at the entrance of the fitting room.

A woman was standing there, with her back towards him.

She was wearing a new, sky-blue dress. Her hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall, and her skin was snowy-white. Such a slender and supple waist, such full and exquisite curves. Fu Ziyu was instantly transported to a time, many years back, when he had stood behind Han Yumeng as she looked at herself in the mirror while trying on clothes. The same pretty figure, the same alluring skin. The only difference was, at that time, Han Yumeng had preferred a more delicate shade of red.

Fu Ziyu had no idea why, but looking at this lady made him feel despondent.

After a while, the woman turned her head and continued browsing through the rack.

Fu Ziyu observed her, motionless.

It seemed as if a bolt of white light, which pierced through the quiet and beautiful night, rushed towards him mercilessly. His mind suddenly went blank. The only image remaining was that of the distinct, beautiful, and familiar side profile.

   ……

The woman did not notice the gaze of the person outside the window.

Fu Ziyu stared for a long time, then raised his hand and shielded his face. Tears fell from between his fingers.

Is that you, Yumeng?

Is that you, home at last?

Do you know how long I have waited for you?

I have been waiting for the miracle that I had thought would never come true in this lifetime. That day has come.