Chapter 47: Suspicion

Chapter 47: Suspicion

Whether it was the uneasy mood left by their previous conversation or the weight of the case on her mind, Qin Ruonan fell silent. An Changpu was not one to chatter endlessly, and since the journey back to You Xiaoyang’s home was short, neither spoke again before they arrived. Their earlier topic had ended abruptly with a joke, and An Changpu didn’t even notice Qin Ruonan’s unusually flushed face beside him.

Not long after the two police officers had left, they returned, prompting You Zhou to frown in surprise. Snapping out of his daze, he quickly greeted An Changpu and Qin Ruonan warmly, a hopeful expression on his face. It seemed he believed that the officers’ swift return meant they had good news to share.

Several of You Zhou’s relatives, who had been crowded into the house earlier, watched anxiously as well, their eyes full of anticipation and tension, waiting for the officers to speak.

Qin Ruonan felt the weight of their stares and wasn’t sure how to begin. Should she tell them they had already visited the school but found nothing? Aside from learning that You Xiaoyang was not the exemplary, obedient child that You Zhou and Lan Xinli had described, but rather someone obsessed with online games who often sneaked out at night by climbing out the window to play?

An Changpu clearly shared some of her concerns. After a moment’s hesitation, he wore an apologetic expression and addressed You Zhou. “Mr. You, we just realized there are a few questions we forgot to ask you and your wife.”

You Zhou’s hopeful look instantly turned to disappointment, a trace of displeasure flashing in his eyes. He seemed to regard these two young officers as unreliable, their abilities casting doubt in his mind.

Feigning ignorance of You Zhou’s mood, An Changpu gestured for Qin Ruonan to enter You Xiaoyang’s room. You Zhou followed, with Lan Xinli nervously trailing behind.

“I want to ask, does your police station have a shortage of manpower? Are there no others who can help search for the boy, or was this case assigned solely to the two of you from the start?” As soon as they entered, You Zhou asked sharply, his tone tinged with skepticism toward the officers’ competence.

“Of course, there are more people assisting the investigation. But we are the primary officers responsible, so errands and legwork fall mostly to us,” An Changpu replied calmly, unperturbed by the implied insult.

“Officers, have you been to Xiaoyang’s school? What did his teachers and classmates say? Has anyone seen him recently?” Lan Xinli, unable to contain her anxiety, hurried into the room and asked eagerly. The urgency of the situation made her desperate to gather any clue of their son’s whereabouts.

Qin Ruonan avoided her question. Pulling a small evidence bag from her pocket, she pointed to the game recharge cards on the table. “May we take these with us?”

You Zhou looked at her suspiciously but nodded slowly. “What do you need to take these for?”

“Do you know what these are used for?” An Changpu inquired.

“Aren’t they just bookmarks or cards that come with snacks?” Lan Xinli glanced at the cards Qin Ruonan was sealing into the bag, looking puzzled. “Xiaoyang used to like collecting little trinkets that came with snacks. Aren’t these similar?”

“Enough,” You Zhou interrupted his wife, a bit displeased. His expression grew uneasy, worry creasing his brow. “I don’t know what these are for, but once Xiaoyang came home playing with them. I asked where he got them, and he said he found them on the street because they looked nice. I didn’t think they were valuable, so I didn’t ask further.”

Qin Ruonan secured the recharge cards and listened to You Zhou’s explanation before asking, “How much allowance do you give You Xiaoyang each month?”

“We used to give him two yuan per week. It wasn’t much, but enough for daily expenses like meals or snacks. Later, since sometimes he didn’t come home on weekends, his mother and I agreed that he was old enough to be trusted as a middle schooler. So we switched to giving him eight yuan monthly. If the school had extra fees, he would ask us. If he didn’t spend it all, we wouldn’t ask him to return the leftover.”

“Alright, that’s helpful. Sorry to trouble you again.” An Changpu thanked You Zhou and Lan Xinli politely. Qin Ruonan prepared to leave, but Lan Xinli looked helpless while You Zhou insisted on escorting them out. Qin Ruonan exchanged a few courteous words, while An Changpu did not resist. He allowed You Zhou to accompany them downstairs.

Once they were a fair distance from the house and out of hearing range of the window, An Changpu finally stopped and looked back at You Zhou, as if waiting for him to speak.

You Zhou’s worry and anxiety were now blatant, no longer hidden.

“Officer An, please be honest with me. Is Xiaoyang’s disappearance… not as simple as just being lost?” His voice was hoarse, revealing deep concern. “If there were no other possibilities, you wouldn’t be taking his belongings back to the station, right? Am I correct?”

His expression was difficult to read—his facial muscles tensed awkwardly, stiff and strange. The question came out of his dry throat, and the answer that followed seemed to both frighten and give him hope.

An Changpu paused, then said, “Our objective in gathering evidence and investigating is to consider all possibilities. We hope to rule out the less optimistic ones.”

You Zhou was momentarily stunned. An Changpu’s tactful response seemed to confirm his fears on one level, while simultaneously offering a lifeline—the chance that the worst outcome could still be avoided. This gave him a flicker of hope.

“Then thank you for your efforts. My wife and I will keep our phones on 24/7. Please, no matter what news you have, inform us immediately,” You Zhou’s tone softened slightly. Whether this was because he realized the officers’ return was not due to negligence, or because An Changpu’s words had comforted him, he seemed less harsh.

“I will. Your family needs you as well. You should go back now,” An Changpu nodded and agreed. Waving farewell, he and Qin Ruonan headed toward the parking lot.

“Please wait a moment…”

They had barely stepped a few meters away when You Zhou called out again. Turning around, they saw the middle-aged man still standing in place.

“Is there something about Xiaoyang… that we don’t understand? Something unclear to us?” You Zhou asked slowly, as if even uttering this question took great effort.

An Changpu let out a soft sigh. Whether it was natural temperament or the wisdom age had granted him, You Zhou’s sharp intuition had led him to suspect much from their behavior and the few questions they had asked.

“The important thing now is to find the child and confirm his safety. Everything else can be understood later,” An Changpu replied vaguely, not wanting to add more worry to the couple’s hearts at such a painful moment. Without looking back, he walked on.

The reactions of You Zhou and Lan Xinli left An Changpu and Qin Ruonan feeling heavy-hearted. They silently reached the parking lot and got into the car. An Changpu rested both hands on the steering wheel, lost in thought for a moment before sighing deeply.

“Compared to this, Fang Wan’s parents, though somewhat frustrating, aren’t nearly as heart-wrenching,” he murmured.

After waiting a moment with no response from Qin Ruonan, he glanced over to find her furrowing her brows while scrolling on her phone.

“What are you looking at?” An Changpu leaned over to see that she was searching online for the prices of the model sets found at Fang Wan’s house.

“I feel awful about all this. The more upset I am, the more I want to push forward with the investigation and evidence collection, to bring these two cases to a conclusion. That way, we can give the children’s families some closure,” Qin Ruonan said, finally looking up at An Changpu. He had just finished sharing his thoughts from the driver’s seat. As she turned her face to him, she caught him in a close-up glance, causing her to blush and quickly shift away. She handed the phone to him. “Take a look. There are quite a few sellers online for these models, but prices vary widely depending on the maker and quality. I read that an authentic set can cost around a thousand yuan, quite expensive. The genuine models have several distinctive details and marks. I think we need to visit Fang Wan’s house again. The last time, I only took photos and didn’t pay enough attention to these models. No matter what, this visit is necessary.”

Her words tumbled out quickly, her heart pounding as if it would leap from her throat, her speech rushed from nervousness.

An Changpu didn’t read too much into her haste but was a little surprised by the speed of her speech. Smiling, he said, “I know you’re eager to solve the case, but no need to rush your words so much. Luckily, my hearing is good enough to keep up! Come on, let’s go now. You call Fang Da.”

Chapter 47: Suspicion