Chapter 9

“Divorce?” Tears welled up in Zhong Qing’s eyes as she forced a bitter smile, saying, “In the first year of our marriage, he pretended to be normal, but except for a few days in the middle of the month, we rarely shared a bed. Later, when I became pregnant, he told me to focus on nurturing the fetus and seldom slept with me. I logged into his computer and found some photos of men. I tearfully told my biological mother about this, and her first reaction was, ‘This matter must not be known to others.’ As if it were some scandal that couldn’t bear the light.”

“At first, I didn’t understand my mother. I felt that even my closest people wouldn’t let me make decisions for myself. I cried all day at that time. Later, I realized that my mother’s words were not entirely wrong. Do you know how people react when they find out I married a homosexual? They first think that I must be an undisciplined woman. Otherwise, why would he insist on marrying me instead of someone else? Even though he was the one at fault, in the eyes of others, I’m also sinful, dirty, and sick!”

Zhong Qing’s smile was bitter, and the long-suppressed words finally came out, “Those friends and relatives who knew about this not only didn’t help me but also thought I was foolish, believed that I deserved it, thought I was abnormal. But actually, I am the victim! I didn’t do anything wrong except marry a man who didn’t love me!”

“You’re right; I’ve wanted a divorce, not just once or twice. But if I could divorce, I would have done it a long time ago. Old people, life, my son, family – when everything is intertwined, it’s not as simple as wanting to leave.”

“You probably aren’t familiar with a term called “Tongqi” right? You won’t know what kind of group this is or what kind of life we lead. Don’t project your shallow understanding onto us. The lives of Tongqis are far more miserable than you can imagine.” Saying this, she tried to smile again. The gentle woman seemed to have disappeared, replaced by a bitter woman, a bit hysterical. “After he died, I felt more relieved than sad…”
*Tongqi – heterosexual wife of a gay man. The word combines 同 tong from 同性戀 (tongxinglian, homosexuality) or 同志 (tongzhi, a slang for gay) with 妻 qi (“wife”). The male equivalent is tongfu(同夫) which combines 同 tong with 夫 fu (“husband”).

As Zhong Qing spoke these words, her shoulders trembled, seemingly releasing all the pressure of the past decade. This time, her tears weren’t for Lin Zhenghua but for her life over the past ten years. She seemed to cry for a while before realizing her loss of composure, covering her face and saying, “I’m sorry, may I go to the restroom?”

Without waiting for Song Wen and Lu Siyu to answer, she got up and walked toward the restroom on her own.

The two men fell silent for a moment. They were not unfamiliar with the term “tongqi.” Every homosexual person of a certain age seemed to face this dilemma – choosing to marry a woman or continuing to choose the person they loved. Only a minority could marry abroad, and if they didn’t marry, regardless of whether they had a stable partner, this de facto marriage might never be recognized for a lifetime. Some homosexuals compromised, turning straight spouses into victims.

Lu Siyu sat aside, bowed his head for a moment, then suddenly spoke in a low voice to Song Wen, “Captain Song, can I ask you something?”

Song Wen, familiar with Lu Siyu’s current expression, raised his wristwatch to check the time. Sure enough, it was past noon again. He somewhat helplessly guessed what Lu Siyu wanted to do and furrowed his brow, saying, “Little ancestor, you’re not thinking of reheating lunch at the funeral home, are you?”

Lu Siyu nodded, shaking the high-quality Japanese bento box in his black backpack.

“…” Song Wen felt extremely helpless. “Ancestor, what time did you go to bed last night?”

“I didn’t check the time, probably around two or three.” Lu Siyu was someone who couldn’t save on three meals a day, and he was also a person who couldn’t resist hunger, with an incredibly accurate biological clock. Just as it was mealtime again, he seemed like an airless inflatable doll, completely devoid of vitality.

Seeing him almost collapsing onto the table, Song Wen felt extremely helpless. Suppressing his temper, he spoke to him kindly, “Wait a moment; can we go to a convenience store?”

“Or I can go by myself…” Lu Siyu suggested.

“…How were you trained at the police academy? There must be at least two people present during law enforcement.” Song Wen pulled him aside, then glanced at the time. “Alright, I’ll speed up. Just endure for another half an hour, just half an hour…”

Song Wen, while saying this, felt truly aggrieved as a leader. Clearly, he was a captain of the criminal investigation team, but now, the job he was doing seemed more like that of a babysitter. However, no matter how commanding and decisive he usually was, when those beautiful eyes of Lu Siyu locked onto him, it felt like encountering a natural enemy, leaving him defenseless.

After some bargaining, Lu Siyu nodded.

Just as the two reached an agreement here, Zhong Qing emerged from the restroom. Song Wen walked up to her and asked, “Ms. Zhong, how did you get here?”

“I just took a taxi. I can’t drive…” Zhong Qing had just washed her face, but there was a hint of panic in her demeanor, no longer as calm as before. As she spoke, she ran her wet hand through her disheveled hair.

“Can I give you a ride home and visit your place?” Song Wen asked.

“Um…” Zhong Qing hesitated for a moment. “My home is a bit messy…”

This was a tactful refusal. Pretending not to understand, Song Wen said, “It’s on our way; it won’t take long. My colleague is in a hurry to eat.”

Glancing at Lu Siyu, who was massaging his stomach on the side, Zhong Qing didn’t say anything more and reported an address. If the police wanted to go, what could she, a woman, do to stop them?

The three got into the police car, with Song Wen driving, Lu Siyu in the passenger seat, and Zhong Qing in the back. It seemed that this woman was still immersed in the emotions of a moment ago. Occasionally, low sobbing sounds came from the back seat.

Zhong Qing’s residence is not too far from the funeral parlor, approximately a fifteen-minute drive, neither close nor distant from the previous rented house.

Song Wen is most familiar with the topography of Nancheng. In his mind, he drew a map, and the location happens to form an equilateral triangle with Lin Zhenghua’s company. All these places could be reached by car in about ten minutes.

This house is a six-story old building, with the residence on the fourth floor. It’s quite spacious, with three bedrooms, two living rooms, a kitchen, and a bathroom. There’s a balcony in the front and back. After changing into disposable slippers, Zhong Qing led them inside. She went to the side, poured two glasses of water, and seemed to have recovered from her deceased husband and the recent questioning. She spoke casually, “Not many guests visit home, so it’s a bit messy.”

This statement was overly modest; the house was extremely tidy. Throughout the entire residence, there were few traces of Lin Zhenghua.

“This is my room; my son stays in this one. Lin Zhenghua doesn’t come back often. If he does, he stays in the guest room.” Zhong Qing gave a brief introduction. Although they are a married couple, they live more like two tenants under the same roof.

Song Wen walked in, looking at the photo wall in Lin Shang’s room. Several pictures were hanging on the wall, all family portraits of the three. There were pictures of them going to the amusement park when the child was young, visiting the museum when he grew up, and one of Zhong Qing and Lin Zhenghua celebrating Lin Shang’s birthday. In comparison to ordinary families, there was nothing abnormal in these family photos.

Lu Siyu also approached and carefully examined the pictures. One of the photos was slightly crooked, and he blinked his eyes before reaching out to straighten it.

Zhong Qing explained, “He didn’t have much affection for me, but he was good to our son. After all, he’s his father. Until today, I held onto a glimmer of hope and hadn’t told our son about his father’s death. I don’t know how to bring it up.” At this point, Zhong Qing’s face showed a troubled expression. After all, it was not a glorious matter.

Song Wen’s gaze fell on Lin Shang’s desk. There were study materials on it, and several certificates were stuck to the side.

Lu Siyu glanced around for a moment but seemed to lose interest. He floated to the kitchen with his backpack on his back and pointed to the countertop, asking, “There used to be a juicer here, right?” The countertop had aged over the years, showing some yellowing. In one spot, the color was different from the rest, and even a curved mark could be seen.

“Oh, there used to be a juicer. I bought it to make juice for my son. Lin Zhenghua used it a few times, liked it, and took it away. I don’t know where he took it. I’ve been meaning to buy another one, but I always forget.” Zhong Qing provided a detailed and seamless answer.

In Song Wen’s mind, it became clear that the juicer that used to be here, judging by its size and shape, was likely the same one found at the crime scene. He watched as Lu Siyu continued to peer around in someone else’s kitchen. Once inside, there seemed to be no intention of coming out, as if the next second he would ask, “Can I borrow your microwave to heat up a meal?” Song Wen was genuinely concerned about the impact on the glorious image of the People’s Police.

Seeing that it was about time, Song Wen took out a business card from his pocket and said to Zhong Qing, “Alright, we won’t disturb you further. This is my business card. If you remember any relevant clues, feel free to call the station anytime or come to the police station. According to regulations, the body needs to be preserved for some time before cremation…”

Lu Siyu had seen enough and took the initiative to walk towards the door. When he reached the entrance and started changing his shoes, he suddenly stopped.

Meanwhile, Song Wen was still talking to Zhong Qing. She nodded as she received the business card, and then, out of the corner of her eye, she looked towards Lu Siyu. The handsome young detective was now bending down, putting on his shoes. Both of these policemen seemed a bit tricky, as if they had already seen through everything.

While in the middle of putting on his shoes, Lu Siyu suddenly looked up, smiling at her. Zhong Qing, who hadn’t expected this, found him even more charming when he smiled. For a moment, she seemed entranced.

Lu Siyu extended his hand, seemingly casually. His slender fingers brushed over a pair of men’s shoes on the floor…

At that moment, Song Wen happened to turn around. He didn’t see it, but behind him, Zhong Qing seemed to have suddenly remembered something. Her face turned instantly pale as paper…

TN:

Your honor… She did it! Is this what that scene with Siyu in the bathroom was alluding to? The forgotten thing. I love how Siyu doesn’t give a f*ck about the place or situation when it comes to food lmao.