Chapter Sixty-Five: A Chance Encounter with Luigi

When Ding Mulan returned to the living room, Qin Ruonan was sitting alone, lost in thought. Upon seeing her, Qin Ruonan offered a gentle smile.

Ding Mulan dragged a chair and placed it at some distance from Qin Ruonan. She sat down slowly, her face adorned with a faint smile, though it seemed forced, almost perfunctory.

"Your colleague said he’d be back after smoking a cigarette outside," she told Qin Ruonan, then lowered her head, rubbing her rough hands together.

Qin Ruonan nodded calmly, but inwardly she questioned the motive—An Changpu, who never smoked, suddenly stepping out for a cigarette. What was he hiding?

She concealed her doubts, and after a moment’s silence, she asked Ding Mulan, "Has everything been alright lately? Are you managing okay?"

Ding Mulan looked up, her expression tinged with surprise, uncertain if this concern was meant for her. When she saw Qin Ruonan’s attentive gaze, she realized it was, and her lips twisted bitterly as she sighed softly, "There’s nothing I can’t manage. I’ve always been the one taking care of things in this house, so nothing’s really changed. It’s just… sometimes my heart feels empty. In the past, people would come and go, but now—no, not now, from now on, they’ll never return."

Her words were slow and quiet, lacking overt emotion, but they struck a chord in Qin Ruonan’s heart.

"Lu Min never truly cared for you while he was alive. Do you still miss him?" Qin Ruonan could imagine the feelings behind Ding Mulan’s words, but found it hard to understand them rationally.

"One day as husband and wife is worth a hundred days of kindness. He was the man I chose, the one I wanted to marry. There’s nothing to complain about." Ding Mulan spoke as she turned away, her gaze drifting out the window. Her eyes were unfocused. "I don’t know if I’ve sinned by doing this. If I hadn’t been so determined to marry him, or if I’d given him a son early on so his parents would let him go, maybe things wouldn’t have ended like this."

"And what would have happened instead? You’d be raising a child alone, and he’d finally be free to become a woman?" Ding Mulan’s words made Qin Ruonan frown. She couldn’t help but be blunt, cutting straight to the heart of the matter.

Her question struck Ding Mulan’s pain. Ding Mulan stared at her for a long moment, then sighed. "You’re right. Even if I’d had a son, it wouldn’t have changed anything. I shouldn’t have insisted on marrying him. I ruined myself, and I trapped him. It was a doomed fate, truly doomed."

Qin Ruonan was at a loss for how to respond. Ding Mulan’s marriage to Lu Min had been a tragedy; she’d known his strange desires yet still married him, binding herself and her children to a future of trouble and sorrow. But what use was it to say so now? Time couldn’t flow backward; what was done could not be undone. Once a misstep is taken, all one can do is try not to stray further. No one can return to the beginning.

As an observer, offering objective commentary would not ease Ding Mulan’s pain; it would only make her feel worse. Better not to touch the wound at all.

Besides, Qin Ruonan understood all too well that matters of the heart defy reason and self-control.

So after a pause, she shifted the subject. "How are your two daughters lately?"

"My eldest is fine. She has a husband and a home—I’m not worried about her." Ding Mulan’s tone was flat as she spoke of her oldest daughter, Lu Anju. But when she mentioned her younger daughter, Lu Anmei, her eyes brimmed with concern. "It’s the youngest I worry about. Her temperament is like mine—not easy to please people. I fear she suffers outside and doesn’t tell me!"

"Has Lu Anmei come home recently? How’s her work?" Qin Ruonan avoided mentioning the difficulty in contacting Lu Anmei, instead asking after her wellbeing.

"It should be alright," Ding Mulan replied vaguely. Seeing Qin Ruonan’s puzzled look, she explained, "With her character, no matter how hard things are out there, she wouldn’t tell me. I can’t get anything out of her. If she really can’t stay somewhere, she’ll let me know when she moves. As long as she doesn’t call, I just assume everything’s fine."

"She hasn’t contacted home at all lately?"

"The last time I saw her was at your police station." Though she claimed not to worry, Ding Mulan’s face betrayed her anxiety, for she hadn’t seen her younger daughter in many days.

Qin Ruonan found herself at a loss for words, unsure whether to press further—too much questioning might arouse Ding Mulan’s suspicion. She recalled hearing, during idle moments in the Major Crimes Unit, that Tian Mi’s fiancé could read people’s mannerisms and expressions with uncanny accuracy, practically a living lie detector. If only she had his skill now, she wouldn’t have to fret about the truth of Ding Mulan’s words.

The two women sat in silence, facing each other, until An Changpu returned from outside. Seeing them quiet, he seemed unsure what was happening, and simply sat beside Qin Ruonan.

Qin Ruonan sniffed—there was no trace of cigarette smoke.

Ding Mulan glanced at him numbly, then shifted her gaze back to the window. Suddenly, she stood up, tense, looking outside. An Changpu followed, and saw someone walking through the gate—it appeared to be Lu Ji, the eldest son-in-law.

"Is your son-in-law here? You don’t want him to come?" Qin Ruonan also saw the visitor and noted Ding Mulan’s reaction.

"It’s not that I don’t want him here..." Ding Mulan glanced to see where Lu Ji was, then turned back, speaking quickly, "He’s been urging me to move in with them. I don’t want to. I’m afraid he’ll try again today."

"Living with your daughter and son-in-law is a form of support. If you don’t like it, you can always move back," An Changpu suggested.

"If I move in, they’ll want to sell my house. If I end up unhappy there, I’d have nowhere to go. I don’t want that." Ding Mulan replied expressionlessly.

As they spoke, Lu Ji opened the door and strode in, immediately raising his voice, "Mom, have you made up your mind yet? Hurry up—I’ll have someone come look at the house in a couple of days!"

But as soon as he entered the living room and saw An Changpu and Qin Ruonan, he stopped abruptly. After a brief pause, he feigned not recognizing them and turned to Ding Mulan, "Mom, you have guests? I’ll go, then. We’ll talk another time!"

Before he finished speaking, he turned to leave.

"Lu Ji, don’t rush off! We actually wanted to talk with you," An Changpu called after him, "You’re not so busy you’ve forgotten us, are you?"

Lu Ji was too close to ignore An Changpu’s call. He turned, pretending to have just recognized them, and greeted them with exaggerated delight, his hands extended, "Oh! Two officers! Look at me—didn't even notice you before!"

An Changpu played along, smiling and shaking his hand, while Qin Ruonan remained aloof, refusing to shake hands, merely nodding.

"How long have you two been here? Mom, look at you—serving plain water! Didn’t I bring tea last time? Brew some for the officers!" Lu Ji was undeterred by Qin Ruonan’s coldness. He glanced at the cups of water and began bustling about, directing Ding Mulan, "Go boil some water—the tea won’t be fragrant unless it’s hot enough! Don’t waste it!"

"No need, water is fine," An Changpu said.

Ding Mulan resignedly headed to the kitchen, but Qin Ruonan stopped her.

"This is your home. Host your guests however you wish. You don’t need to listen to anyone else," she said, making no effort to hide her words.

Lu Ji blinked, pretending not to understand who Qin Ruonan’s remark was aimed at.

"What brings you two here today?" Though he feigned ignorance, when he spoke again, he tactfully addressed An Changpu.

An Changpu smiled, "It’s hard to say what brought us, but it’s your arrival that kept us here. If you hadn’t come, we might have left already."

"Oh, am I holding up your plans? If you have business, don’t let me delay you. Whenever you need me, just call, and I’ll be at your service!" Lu Ji spoke smoothly.

An Changpu waved him off, "No need. Today’s as good as any."

Lu Ji, hearing this, sat down nearby. Within seconds, he called to Ding Mulan, "Mom, if the officers don’t want tea, that’s fine. Boil water and make me some—I’m parched!"

Ding Mulan quietly left for the kitchen. The three in the living room fell silent.

"Lu Ji, how’s business lately?" An Changpu asked casually.

Lu Ji scratched his head and chuckled, "It’s alright, alright."

An Changpu nodded. "After paying off those high-interest loans, you haven’t gone looking for more, have you?"