Chapter Thirty-Four: Misfortune Befalls the Family

As they drove away from the Public Security Bureau, there was barely more than an hour left until the end of the workday. Calculating the distance ahead, it was clear that the two of them had no hope of clocking out on time. Fortunately, An Changpu and Qin Ruonan had already discussed this before setting off, and neither minded in the least.

On the way to Jiangkou District, the two sat in the car—one focused on driving, the other quietly riding along, neither breaking the silence. With an injury to her waist, driving was out of the question for Qin Ruonan, so An Changpu naturally took the wheel. Qin Ruonan settled into the passenger seat in as comfortable a position as possible, lost in thought.

“What are you thinking about?” After sneaking glances at her for some time, An Changpu couldn’t contain his curiosity any longer and finally asked.

Qin Ruonan’s cheeks flushed abruptly. She glanced up to find An Changpu watching her, quickly averting her eyes. “Nothing, just thinking about the Lu Min case.”

An Changpu’s attention shifted back to the steering wheel, entirely oblivious to her embarrassed struggle and reddened face. Her words, however, stirred up his own curiosity. “You know, speaking of Lu Jun—the one we’re about to see—I’ve always had an odd feeling about him.”

“What sort of odd feeling?” she asked.

“These past few days, I’ve been thinking. In Lu Min’s family, whether it’s his wife Ding Mulan, his two daughters, or even his son-in-law Lu Ji, no matter how much they say they support him or don’t mind, there’s always that instinct to keep family scandals from becoming public. Even if they can’t accept it, they’ll try to save face in front of outsiders. But Lu Jun is truly peculiar. From the first time we met him, he’s never hidden his disdain or rejection of his younger brother Lu Min—he even goes out of his way to criticize him, as if airing family shame means nothing to him.” An Changpu glanced at her. “Don’t you find that strange?”

After adjusting herself, Qin Ruonan’s complexion had regained its usual composure. She nodded in agreement. “Strange, indeed. But what I find even stranger is why, after the brothers cut ties, Lu Jun stormed off to confront Lu Min. Their falling out over Lu Min selling the family burial plot and using all the money for his gender reassignment surgery was well known to both families. But later, when Lu Jun sought Lu Min out, he made a deliberate effort to avoid everyone else. So I suspect that Lu Jun’s show of hostility toward Lu Min in front of us isn’t just about the burial plot and the surgery.”

“That does make things interesting. They made a scene over money, and both families know the whole story. But whatever happened later, only the two of them know. Seems to me, this time it wasn’t about money.”

“How is Lu Ji’s business doing?” Qin Ruonan asked.

“No idea yet. It’s just a small operation. The substation doesn’t know much about him. I’ve already asked them to look into it. We should have news soon,” An Changpu replied.

The conversation ended there, and silence settled over the car once more.

While Jiangkou District was far from the city center, it was densely populated. Lu Jun’s house was closer to the bustling areas than Lu Min’s, with many neighbors nearby. When they arrived, their unfamiliar car drew plenty of curious stares. It seemed the neighbors couldn’t help but speculate about the visitors’ identities and purpose.

Qin Ruonan had barely stepped out of the car before the open, probing gazes of the bystanders made her uneasy. She couldn’t help but think to herself how fortunate it was that neither their car nor their attire bore any obvious police insignia during the investigation—otherwise, the spectacle would have been far greater.

Because of the large bruise on her side, Qin Ruonan could not move quickly or take large strides. An Changpu was mindful of her condition, so their pace was leisurely. They hadn’t yet reached Lu Jun’s yard when a warm-hearted neighbor called out, “Old Lu! You’ve got visitors!” in a voice loud enough for the whole neighborhood.

The sudden shout startled Qin Ruonan, who frowned and was about to turn around to see who was so nosy. An Changpu nudged her arm and whispered, “No harm meant, I’m sure. Don’t scare the innocent with that stern look.”

She shot him a displeased glance but abandoned her intention to glare.

The neighbor’s bellow must have been heard clearly inside, for soon the door swung open and Lu Jun hurried out—wearing long trousers, a vest, and a light jacket draped over his shoulders. He showed no sign of surprise at their arrival, merely smiled in recognition and beckoned them inside.

From the outside, Lu Jun’s home did not appear any better off than Lu Min’s. The difference was that it had clearly been well cared for. A cement path led from the gate to the house, bordered by garden plots edged with bricks—some held flowers yet to wither, others green onions and vegetables. Opposite the house, across the yard, stood a small storage shed, a few simple farm tools neatly arranged beneath the eaves.

“My home’s nothing fancy—you’ll have to excuse me,” Lu Jun said, a bit awkward as he noticed them taking in the courtyard.

“You’re too modest. The place is well kept—much neater and cleaner than Lu Min’s,” An Changpu replied, offering a compliment and mentioning Lu Min.

At once, a look of disdain crossed Lu Jun’s face. He said meaningfully, “A household needs a man to hold it up. You can’t compare a home with a man to one without.”

“Did you expect us to visit today?” Qin Ruonan asked suddenly.

Lu Jun was taken aback, shaking his head in confusion. “How could I have known?”

Then, as if realizing why she’d asked, he slapped his forehead in sudden comprehension and pointed to the window by the door. “I heard old Sheng’s loud voice just now, so I looked out and saw you arriving. I’m not some clairvoyant, after all!”

“Is this a convenient time for you? We’d like to ask you a few more questions about your brother Lu Min,” An Changpu said from the doorway, seeking permission before entering.

Lu Jun didn’t refuse—whether out of politeness or genuine willingness, it was hard to say. He opened the door and invited them inside, a mixture of helplessness and irritation on his face.

“I have nothing else to do, and it’s not as if the police would come for any reason other than Lu Min. Having such a relative is truly a family misfortune!” Lu Jun heaved a heavy sigh as he followed them in, gesturing toward the living room. “Please, have a seat.”