When we came out of the hotel, the midday sun shone on our bodies, making us a bit blinding.
Zhou Zhimo turned his head and happened to see Yuan Lanshan's side face, a quarter of which was blocked by the frame. The golden sunlight cast a shimmer on the outline of his face.
Yuan Lanshan probably felt his gaze, turned around and looked at him with a smile.
The two smiled at each other and walked down the steps side by side.
Yuan Lanshan asked him: "Would you like to go to the river to have a look?"
Zhou Zhimo looked at the river embankment not far away: "Let's go."
The two of them walked forward slowly, the shadows behind them making their waists and legs more slender.
Watching the slowly flowing river water, sparkling in the warm sun, swaying over little by little, hitting the beach, and then retreating.
Yuan Lanshan leaned against the railing, leaning back slightly, looking at Zhou Zhimo and asking him: "The epidemic is gone, and everything seems to be getting better."
"But the problems that followed slowly emerged."
"As the pressure in people's lives increases, some people tend to go to extremes, and your workload will also increase."
He paused and continued: "Learn to relieve the pressure in your heart and don't bear it."
"If you have something, don't keep it in your heart."
Zhou Zhimo raised his head, closed his eyes and felt the cool breeze blowing across his face.
After graduation, they were all scattered in various industries, and only a few of them were still working in the public security system.
Yuan Lanshan said to him: "If you need any help, just ask."
"This world is never black and white."
Zhou Zhimo turned to look at him and smiled: "Remember."
He knew very well that over the years, Yuan Lanshan had always been helping behind his back from time to time.
He asked Yuan Lanshan: "Have you been to your relatives?"
Yuan Lanshan nodded: "I went to meet him this morning."
"You are busy with work, I will go back in the afternoon and we will meet again during the Chinese New Year."
He suddenly remembered that Zhou Zhimo had to be on call locally during holidays: "I will come to you during the Chinese New Year. I will ask whoever has time to bring it together."
Zhou Zhimo felt warm in his heart and smiled, showing his white teeth: "Okay."
"This matter is a bit tricky. I don't have time to spend with you."
Yuan Lanshan looked into his eyes: "Work is important, and I am very happy to see you persist on this path."
"After all, many people's ideals have been crushed by reality."
He patted the dust on his hands and said, "Let's go, I'll take you back to the unit."
Zhou Zhimo returned to the work unit and started working day and night again.
In everyone's eyes, he is a complete workaholic.
It used to be peaceful, although busy, with more trivial things.
During this period of time, the smile on Zhou Zhimo's face was obviously much less frequent.
Xiao Qin found Xiaofang's contact information and address from Huang Xusheng. She happened to be at home when Zhou Zhimo and the others rushed there.
Zhou Zhimo stood at the door and showed his ID to her: "We are the police. Are you Xiaofang?"
The woman in front of her was less than thirty years old, with a thin body and a face that looked like she had been lacking nutrition for a long time. Her skin looked yellow and stretched.
She held on to the doorframe and looked at them with wide eyes: "I am. What do you want from me?"
Zhou Zhimo put away the certificate and told her: "We are investigating You Yuhuan's case. There are some situations that require your assistance in the investigation."
Xiaofang was stunned for a moment, then took a step back and stood against the wall: "Then you come in."
Zhou Zhimo was followed by Liang Yinuo and Xiao Qin. The three of them entered the room and sat down.
The room was small, with a set of sofas and a few armchairs in the living room.
The three of them sat down. Xiaofang then closed the door and came over to sit down. She put her legs together and held her knees tightly with her hands. She asked them timidly: "What do you need me for?"
Zhou Zhimo comforted him: "Don't be nervous, we are just here to ask you some questions about You Yuhuan's past."
Xiaofang nodded: "Oh."
"Huang Xusheng also asked me, but I really don't know where she went."
"I also borrowed money from her but haven't paid it back. I can't find her, and she hasn't looked for me either."
Zhou Zhimo told her: "You Yuhuan was killed five years ago. We received a report two days ago and went to the scene and found her bones."
Xiaofang looked at him in horror, her words unclear: "She, she was killed?"
When she heard the news, her whole body felt like she was having a high fever. Her hands were holding on to her pants so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
The already thin body looked even more pitiful.
Zhou Zhimo also didn't expect that Xiaofang would be frightened like this.
Liang Yinuo took the thermos bottle from the ground, poured some hot water into the cup, handed it to Xiaofang, and whispered to her: "Don't be afraid, drink some hot water."
Xiaofang took the water and took two big sips, then slowly put down the cup, hugged her knees, shed tears and cried: "She was a good person, why did she die short?"
Liang Yinuo, who was closest to her, took out a tissue and handed it to her, letting her cry.
After a while, Xiaofang's mood stabilized. She crumpled the tissue she was using to wipe her tears into a ball and held it in her hand: "How did she die?"
Zhou Zhimo told her: "When a family was repairing their yard in the old street, the wall fell down and a corpse was found piled in the gap."
"Based on the physical evidence left by Huang Xusheng when he reported the crime, we compared it and found that it was You Yuhuan."
He told Xiaofang the general situation: "Forensic examination showed that the time of death was five years ago."
"The cause of death is not yet clear. Only bones and hair are left. There are no injuries on the bones."
"After testing, no poison ingredients were found."
"Now, based on You Yuhuan's social circle during his lifetime, I will eliminate them one by one to find the real culprit."
Zhou Zhimo looked at Xiaofang: "If you know any clues, tell us."
Xiaofang stared at the table, as if in a daze: "If someone wants to harm Yuhuan, it will only be her."
Zhou Zhimo asked her: "Who are you talking about?"
Xiaofang wiped the tears on her face with the back of her hand: "It must be Fu Yuying."
"Back then, a few of us were young ladies together."
"Yuhuan is the most beautiful and has a stubborn streak. Many people like her."
"Fu Yuying started working earlier than us and knows more people."
"We had a good relationship at the beginning. She also helped Yuhuan a lot and taught her many things."
"Later, Yuhuan gradually became more and more popular, and even Fu Yuying's old customers became obsessed with it."
"Fu Yuying began to feel unhappy. She spoke in a strange and irritable manner."
Xiaofang recalled the past: "Once, we were drinking together. That day, she drank too much, so she asked Yuhuan how to repay her?"
"Yuhuan said: In this life, as long as Fu Yuying asks her to do anything, she will definitely do it."
"Fu Yuying said harshly at that time: Did I tell you to die?"
