When Lu An went to make tea, Lu Hui, who was floating contentedly in the swimming pool, availed himself of the presented opportunity to drag Wei Congjia, who was sitting at the poolside, into the water.
“My shirt!” Wei Congjia angrily smacked Lu Hui’s hand away and paddled to the side of the pool.
Lu Hui grabbed his arm, not letting him leave, lowering his voice as he said: “Give me the case file, or I’ll drown you.”
“Just drown me, then.” Wei Congjia didn’t struggle. He floated in the water, having acknowledged his fate.
Now that Lu Hui had him at his wits’ end, he softened his tone and let go: “I need to work.”
“A rotten corpse. How many of these kinds of cases can really be solved?” Wei Congjia advised rather maternally, “No one’s asking you to solve every case handed to you.”
“Bullshit, you’re just a coward.” Lu Hui said, “I have a lead, so why shouldn’t I investigate? What hunter would rather watch the rabbit escape without releasing the dogs?”
“I just don’t want you to be so rash!” Wei Congjia lowered his voice, “I know more than you, far more than you, about this case.” He flattened his lips, “The risk is too great.”
“You’re going to let a crime go unsolved?” Lu Hui’s eyes widened.
Wei Congjia’s lips twitched: “It’s just a delay tactic!”
“Do you think I’m going to believe you?” Lu Hui swam to the side of the pool and grabbed his phone, which was vibrating nonstop, “Hello?”
“Chief Lu, is Xiao Ji with you?” Rao Feifei’s anxious voice came through the phone’s speaker.
Lu Hui’s brow furrowed: “He went back to Linhua City yesterday. What’s wrong?”
“He didn’t come to work this morning.” Rao Feifei said, “Director Gao’s freaking out.”
“He didn’t come in for work?” Lu Hui’s heart thumped in his chest. He fought to keep his emotions steady, “I’ll ask around here.”
Lu Hui put the phone down, looking at Wei Congjia solemnly: “Ji Fanyang is missing.”
Wei Congjia choked: “Missing?!”
“Shouldn’t you be giving me that case file now?” Lu Hui climbed up the ladder and got out of the swimming pool, grabbing a towel to dry himself, “We’re all in the same boat.”
Wei Congjia did not respond, almost as if he was still immersed in the shock waves of the ‘Ji Fanyang is missing’ bombshell.
“Young man, Congjia.” Lu An walked into the space. With a glance at Lu Hui’s expression, she said, “What happened?”
“Ji Fanyang is missing.” Lu Hui said. With his towel wrapped around him, he looked like a fluffy cat, “We have to go take a look.”
Lu An nodded, her expression serious: “I’ll go with you both.”
“Sis, you…” Lu Hui wanted to stop her, but Wei Congjia interrupted him: “Alright, we’ll go together.”
“I heard that he’s the son of someone high up.” Lu An said, “You all change your clothes. I’ll wait for you in the living room.”
Wei Congjia grabbed a towel and spoke as he dried his hair: “If you can find Ji Fanyang, I’ll give you the case file.”
Lu Hui curled his lip: “Are you coaxing a child?”
“Yup.” Wei Congjia nodded his head matter of factly, rendering Lu Hui speechless.
After they changed their clothes, they walked into the living room, where Lu An was sitting on the sofa waiting for them.
“Call Zhongchuan City’s Public Safety Bureau.” Lu Hui said, “The car Ji Fanyang used was lent to us by the one surnamed Huang. He would definitely return the car first, then go to the train station or bus terminal.”
“Are you sure Huang is the one who lent you the car?” Wei Congjia pulled out his phone and dialed a number, “Hello? This is Wei Congjia.”
“Captain Wei?” Officer Huang answered.
“Mm. Lu Hui borrowed a car from you two days ago. Did someone return it to you yesterday?” Wei Congjia asked.
“A young man did. He had a great attitude, far, far better than Lu Hui’s.”
“…” Wei Congjia couldn’t help but laugh, then corrected himself, “That young man has gone missing.”
“Missing?” Officer Huang was astonished, “He said that he’d purchased a ticket for the intercity railway.”
“Intercity railway? Okay, we’ll go investigate right away.” Wei Congjia hung up the phone, then said to Lu Hui, “Let’s go to the train station.”
Lu Hui lowered his head to look at the time displayed on his phone: 10:15 AM. He agreed: “Mm, let’s go.”
The three of them left. Wei Congjia sat in the driver’s seat, and Lu An and Lu Hui sat in the back seat.
Wei Congjia started the car and drove from the resort toward the train station.
Lu An covered Lu Hui’s hand with her own: “It’s okay to look anxious.”
“I’m not…” Lu Hui frowned, evidently a bit perplexed, “Why would I be anxious?”
“Because Ji Fanyang is your new friend.” Lu An said, “You haven’t had a friend in so long.”
“Anxiousness won’t solve the problem.” Lu Hui said.
“Looking anxious is only to help you appear as less of an asshole.” Wei Congjia explained, shrugging, “Everyone does it, after all.”
Lu Hui nodded understandingly.
Wei Congjia released a breath. He’d known Lu Hui for many years; rationalizing emotional difficulties was the best way to persuade Lu Hui.
Lu An shook her head helplessly: “You will understand it one day.”
“I don’t want to.” Lu Hui shut his eyes, covering his emotions with the arch of his eyelashes.
…
The car stopped in the train station’s parking lot. Lu Hui got out, holding his thick down jacket close to his body like a tottering brown bear.
Lu An walked beside him. Wei Congjia followed after locking the car, and the three of them entered the train station.
They went directly to get the surveillance footage.
“There’s quite a bit.” Wei Congjia, “At least six hours of footage.”
Lu Hui sat down calmly and started sifting through the footage.
3:40 PM.
Lu Hui’s phone rang with an unknown phone number.
“Lu Hui?” Based on the voice, the speaker was a middle-aged man.
Lu Hui frowned: “Who are you?”
“I have your team member.” The man said.
Lu Hui’s expression grew tense, his voice remaining cold and even: “And?”
“The factory by Zhonglin Highway. Used to be a paper mill.” The man said, “I trust you’ll be able to find me soon.”
The man hung up.
Lu Hui gripped the phone and said: “No need to go through the footage. We’re going to the paper mill by Zhonglin Highway.”
“…Wait.” Wei Congjia grabbed Lu Hui’s arm, “They’re after you.”
“I know.” Lu Hui’s expression was composed, not shifting so much as an eyebrow, “But I have to go.”
“We don’t even need to guess what’ll happen next.” Wei Congjia said, “They’ll ask for a trade, you’ll agree, and you’ll both die together.”
“Do I have any alternative?” Lu Hui stood up straight, “I don’t, so I’m going.”
“Because Ji Fanyang’s your friend?” Wei Congjia asked.
Lu Hui hesitated for a moment, then said: “Because he’s Commander Ji’s son.”
“Nonsense.” Wei Congjia’s temper flared.
Lu Hui spoke with stirring fearlessness: “What point is there in exploring my relationship with Ji Fanyang now?” He shook off Wei Congjia’s hand, putting on his down jacket, “Notify Linhua City’s and Zhongchuan City’s Public Safety Bureau. Zhongjin Highway is on the border between the two jurisdictions and difficult to partition.”
Lu An said: “I’ll drive you there while Wei Congjia goes to notify Zhongchuan City’s Public Safety Bureau.”
Wei Congjia was dazed for a moment, then said: “Alright.”
The pair of siblings walked out of the office. Lu Hui pursed his lips: “Sis, do you support it?”
“Since you admitted that Ji Fanyang is your friend, then you should assume the responsibility of being a friend.” Lu An said, her beautiful eyes as biting as a cold spring, “Regardless of how you choose to express this kind of friendship, you should give it a try.”
Lu Hui nodded, his dark eyes filling up with an indistinct, persevering sentiment.