Eating Melons in the Police Station

Chapter 8

The little child who had claimed her eyes were about to close was immediately captivated by a small train running on the floor as soon as they entered the mall. She insisted on dragging Zhong Jin to ride it twice. She even wanted to sit in the train's driver seat, holding the steering wheel with both hands and reminding her "dad" behind her, "We're turning, please hold on."

Zhong Jin, with his long legs awkwardly folded, sat in the colorful cartoon train. As the only male passenger and with his strikingly good looks, his presence was impossible to ignore. To mask his embarrassment, Zhong Jin wore a slightly displeased expression.

Finally, the train ride came to an end. Xiao Tong (Zhong Yuntong) shoved a small object into Zhong Jin's hand and said, "Help me hang this up."

In his palm was a small Crocs keychain from a McDonald's Happy Meal. Xiao Tong had seen a big sister with a plush toy hanging from her bag and wanted to do the same with her new toy.

She was still carrying the small knitted bag that Rao Shishi had given her as a gift with a yogurt purchase. The knitted bag, prone to losing its shape, was now stretched out and barely recognizable.

Zhong Jin's gaze lingered on the words "Berry Yogurt" printed on the bag for a moment. Instead of hanging the keychain, he picked up the child and walked into a nearby bag store.

The store clerk greeted them warmly, complimenting the child's cuteness, but regretfully informed them, "Sir, we don't carry bags for children this small. I'm sorry."

Zhong Jin carried Zhong Yuntong out of the store, glanced around, and then went back inside. "Could you tell me where I can find a bag like hers?"

Following the clerk's directions, they found a large children's clothing store that sold everything from clothes to shoes and bags. Zhong Jin breathed a sigh of relief, glad they wouldn't have to wander around aimlessly.

The clerk led them to the bag section and brought out several adorable options. Zhong Jin, unable to decide since they all looked similar, let Xiao Tong choose for herself.

Zhong Yuntong pointed at a backpack hanging on the wall. "That's Peppa Pig. I want that one." She had recently watched the animated series on a tablet at the police station and had become a fan.

Zhong Jin looked at the pink, chubby pig backpack and couldn't see the appeal. It seemed bulky and impractical, stuffed with cotton to give it a three-dimensional shape.

As he questioned the child's taste, Xiao Tong, with the clerk's help, had already put on the pink Peppa Pig backpack. Seeing it on her, Zhong Jin changed his mind. The unattractive backpack, when worn by the adorable child, somehow became cute.

Zhong Yuntong remembered the Crocs keychain and wobbled over with her new backpack, asking Zhong Jin to hang it for her.

A little later, she came running back, looking as if she had made a groundbreaking discovery. "Come quick! I found something!"

She dragged Zhong Jin by the hand through the aisles until they reached the shoe section. Pointing at a pair of shoes, she exclaimed, "Look! Its parents are here!"

In front of them was a wall of Crocs sandals. Xiao Tong, thinking she had found the "parents" of her keychain, was thrilled.

Zhong Jin played along. "Should we take its parents home too?"

"Yes, yes! And those next to them are its brothers, sisters, and siblings. Let's take them all home!"

Zhong Jin replied, "...We can only take one."

Xiao Tong blinked her big eyes, looking slightly disappointed. "Oh."

Zhong Jin relented, "...Fine, two at most."

After wandering around the store for a while, Xiao Tong's energy was nearly depleted. She clung to Zhong Jin, dozing off. Following the clerk's recommendations, Zhong Jin bought a few sets of clothes, carried the sleeping child in one arm, and held shopping bags in the other as they left the mall.

Back at the hotel, Zhong Jin's phone rang. He answered, exchanged a few words, glanced at Zhong Yuntong lying on the bed, and said to the caller, "Could you come up for a moment?"

About ten minutes later, there was a knock at the door. Zhong Jin opened it to find a young woman in her twenties standing outside. She wore a simple T-shirt and jeans, her posture upright, and her bright eyes gave her a refreshingly confident air.

Seeing Zhong Jin, she smiled and greeted him, "Captain Zhong." Back when Zhong Jin was in Jing City, he had served as the captain of the municipal police department's criminal investigation unit, so people from Jing City still referred to him as "Captain Zhong" out of habit.

"Dr. Du, long time no see."

Zhong Jin walked back into the room, retrieved two toothbrushes sealed in evidence bags from his suitcase, and handed them to her at the door. "As I mentioned on the phone, could you expedite the DNA testing for these two samples?"

"Sure, I'll have the results to you by noon tomorrow," Du Xin replied, aware of Zhong Jin's profession and not asking further questions.

"Send me the bill, and I'll transfer the payment."

Du Xin smiled again. "Alright. Why didn't you ask my mentor? He usually handles your samples."

"This is a personal matter, so I didn't want to involve the forensic center. Thanks for your help," Zhong Jin expressed his gratitude once more.

"No trouble at all. I'm just doing my job," Du Xin said, waving the evidence bags. "Captain Zhong, if there's nothing else, I'll head out now."

"Alright, take care."

*

The next morning, Zhong Jin was jolted awake by an insistent ringing. He pushed aside Zhong Yuntong, who was sleeping on his chest like a little pig, and fumbled for his phone on the nightstand. Seeing the caller ID, he answered,

"Yu Feiyang."

The person on the other end was breathing heavily, his voice shaky, as if he were running. "You're back in Jing City and didn't even let me know?"

Zhong Jin closed his eyes and let out a small yawn. "Yeah."

"How long are you staying this time?"

"Two days. I'm leaving before Monday."

"Let's meet up before you go. Don't be a stranger, Zhong Jin. Where are you? I'll come find you."

Zhong Jin sat up, slipped on his slippers, and walked into the bathroom. "Didn't Du Xin tell you where I'm staying?"

"No, she knows the rules. She only mentioned you were back and left it at that."

Zhong Jin squeezed toothpaste onto his brush with one hand. "Alright, I'll send you the address."

Yu Feiyang was Zhong Jin's childhood friend. They had attended elementary and middle school together, then both enrolled in the police academy—Zhong Jin in criminal investigation and Yu Feiyang in forensic medicine. After graduation, they joined the city police department together. Their interests aligned, and their life paths were nearly identical.

Even later, when Zhong Jin's cases required forensic expertise, Yu Feiyang was always the one handling them. Du Xin, who had come to collect the toothbrushes the previous night, was Yu Feiyang's protégé. He had mentored her during her internship, though she hadn't yet joined the forensic center and was currently working as a doctor in the identification department of a high-end private hospital.

By the time Yu Feiyang arrived at the hotel, Xiao Tong was already awake, brushing her teeth with hair that looked like it had been struck by lightning.

Standing on a chair in front of the mirror, she haphazardly moved the toothbrush around her mouth. Zhong Jin stood by the bathroom door, offering guidance,

"Brush up and down in parallel strokes."

Xiao Tong, her mouth full of toothpaste foam, mumbled, "What's parallel?"

Yu Feiyang, watching from the side with a furrowed brow, grew increasingly anxious. He stepped into the bathroom, took the toothbrush, and began brushing her teeth himself.

Once finished, Yu Feiyang gently held the child's chin. "Open wide, let Uncle take a look."

Xiao Tong obediently opened her mouth wide. "Ah."

Yu Feiyang examined her teeth carefully. "Hmm, based on the development of the central incisors, lateral incisors, canines, and first and second molars, I'd estimate her age to be between three and four."

Zhong Jin, who was tidying up the bed, grabbed a pillow and threw it at Yu Feiyang. "Get out."

Given the nature of their work, they were accustomed to keeping certain case details confidential. Zhong Jin didn't offer any explanation about the unfamiliar child by his side, and Yu Feiyang didn't ask a single question. It was as if they were simply old friends reuniting. Yu Feiyang drove Zhong Jin and Xiao Tong through the familiar streets and alleys of the city, heading to a small noodle shop they used to frequent.

The noodle shop was tucked deep within an old alley, a place only locals would know how to find.

Zhong Jin and Yu Feiyang chatted about this and that, while Zhong Yuntong was busy struggling with a bowl of noodles that was bigger than her head. The bowl was so large that it was hard to handle, and the noodles were particularly long. After much effort, Zhong Yuntong managed to pick up a long strand of noodles. She opened her mouth to bite it in the middle, but before she could even taste it, the slippery hand-pulled noodles slipped right out of her mouth.

Yu Feiyang glanced at her and said, "Start eating from the top, not the middle. If you start from the top, you'll be able to eat it properly."

After saying this, he turned to ask Zhong Jin, "Do you remember Qiu Rong from high school? The one who was really good at sports. Last month, she committed suicide over a love affair. She jumped into a lake. I was the one who handled the identification."

Zhong Jin was stunned for a moment. He remembered Qiu Rong. Back in high school, Qiu Rong had been very close to his ex-wife, Qiu Sheng. The two girls often went to the restroom together. Zhong Jin had even expressed confusion about why girls always went to the restroom together. Wasn’t it awkward?

"Life is unpredictable. Who would have thought that at our age, almost thirty, one of our classmates would commit suicide over love?" Yu Feiyang sighed, his eyes flickering toward Zhong Yuntong. Suddenly, his voice rose sharply, "Hey, you little troublemaker, what are you doing?"

Zhong Yuntong was grabbing two strands of noodles and placing them on her head, smearing oily meat sauce all over her face and hair.

"Zhong Yuntong, what are you doing?" Zhong Jin grabbed some tissues to wipe the noodles off her head, his tone a bit harsh.

Zhong Yuntong blinked her eyes, then pointed firmly at Yu Feiyang and loudly accused, "He told me to eat from the top!"

Yu Feiyang, "..."

Zhong Jin, "..."

Zhong Yuntong patted her head in confusion, "Ugh, how am I supposed to eat this?"

Zhong Jin received a message from Du Xin, which included an electronic copy of an identification report. He opened the image and scrolled straight to the end to check the result. As expected, the result was what he had anticipated. He transferred the identification fee to Du Xin and turned off his phone.

After finishing the noodles, Zhong Jin said to Yu Feiyang, "Do you have work today?"

"No, it's the weekend. I finally have a day off."

"Alright, then can you watch her for a while? I need to go take care of something." Zhong Jin picked up Zhong Yuntong and handed her to Yu Feiyang.

Yu Feiyang looked at Zhong Yuntong, then called out to Zhong Jin, "Where are you going? I can drive you."

Zhong Jin waved him off and hailed a taxi by the roadside. Before getting into the car, he said to Yu Feiyang, "Take her to wash her hair."

Yu Feiyang adjusted the chubby child in his arms and said, "Alright, I’ll take you for a haircut then."