Girl, you form the head.

Chapter 60 You Should Get Over This Too (6K)

Welcome back, summer!

Congratulations on your discharge!

"You little rascal, you've only been in the hospital for a few days and you've already gotten this fat!"

The Hanguang Police Station was filled with a rare atmosphere of jubilation.

The Han Kuang Police Station has been having a really tough time lately. From Liang Rong to Monster, and with Ito Kou in between, a series of major cases have left the officers breathless. So now that everything has come to a close, the Han Kuang Police Station naturally wants to find a way to give the officers a break.

Just then, taking advantage of the summer and the return of several other officers from their injuries, the police station held a small celebration party, allowing the officers, who had been under so much pressure for so long, to relax and have some fun without disrupting their work.

Although they were all injured, Xia Tian, ​​as the only woman and junior, provided crucial information in the monster case. This combination of factors made her receive more support than the other injured.

The constant stream of flowers and small gifts almost brought Xia Tian to tears of joy.

But besides being moved, there was also surprise.

Because she actually saw Bai Chi in the welcoming crowd.

Surprisingly, why would Senior Bai Chi participate in this kind of event? Shouldn't he be sitting alone in his office working at a time like this?
Could it be that this was just to welcome me?

No, no, no, summer? How could that be...?

"Welcome back, Xia Tian." At this moment, Bai Chi had already come up to Xia Tian and handed her an exquisitely wrapped gift box. "This is a gift for you. I specially went to the new district to pick it out for you. I hope you like it."

Summer was surprised.

It really was for me!

Although Xia Tian remembered that Bai Chi had said he would give her a gift, she didn't expect that Bai Chi would actually remember it, and the gift looked quite valuable, which made her hesitate for a moment: "Can I really accept this?"

“Of course.” Bai Chi nodded. “I specially went to the new district to pick this out for you.”

Xia Tian wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but it seemed like Bai Chi kept emphasizing that the gift was bought in the new district, but it didn't seem like he was emphasizing it to her, but rather to the police officers next to him.

It must be an illusion.

"Can I open it and take a look?" Xia Tian asked with a smile.

“Of course.” Bai Chi nodded again. “I specially found someone in the new district to customize this. This style can’t be found anywhere else.”

Uh, why did you emphasize it again?
Xia Tian was a little puzzled, but her attention was soon drawn to the small print on the packaging box: "Fusheng Jewelry".

Jewelry?!
Summer was stunned for a moment.

No way, is there really jewelry in here? Why would my senior give her something so valuable?
Could it be that the senior treated her...?

Summer almost stopped breathing, especially when she opened the box and saw the sparkling diamond lying inside; her body trembled.

It really is!
What does it mean when a man gives a woman diamonds?

What should she do?! Should she accept it? But she's only known her senior for less than half a month, and she's spent a significant portion of that time in the hospital. This is progressing way too fast!

However, having already shared life and death experiences, their relationship should indeed develop faster than that of ordinary people.

So, do I still have to accept it? And what happens after I accept it?
Whose house are we staying at tonight?
Summer's mind was in a mess, and she didn't know what to do for a moment, so she could only absentmindedly continue to look at the diamond in front of her.

This diamond is really big and sparkly, and it even has a beautiful tail.

Hmm, wait a minute, a suffix? How can a diamond have a suffix?

Summer paused for a moment, then opened the box a little further and sure enough, she saw a beautiful fox tail tied below the sparkling diamond.

Fox...tail?
There was a "pop" sound.

Summer closed the box.

I must be dreaming.

she thought.

……

That's strange, doesn't she like the gift I gave her?
Back in his office, Bai Chi looked at Xia Tian, ​​who seemed distracted, and felt a little puzzled.

That shouldn't be the case. Isn't this the style of scarf that women like in the summer? And I upgraded it by replacing the pendant with diamonds, which are something all women love.

Shouldn't liking two things together be doubled?
Why was Xia Tian's reaction so indifferent... oh no, it wasn't indifferent, it was eerie. It was exactly like the reaction of a jewelry store owner upon hearing that they were going to modify a diamond like that.

I really don't understand.

Bai Chi shook his head almost imperceptibly.

Forget it, if I can't figure it out, I won't think about it anymore. Anyway, I've already achieved my goal: to make everyone believe that I went to the new district to pick out a gift for Xia Tian, ​​and not for anything else.

Although it might not be of much use, Bai Chi had already promised to give Xia Tian a gift, so he might as well combine them.

It's a pity the effect wasn't very good. It would have been better if people could wear the scarf in public during the summer so that everyone could see the diamond.

But we can't force it; if Xia Tian isn't willing, then so be it.

Bai Chi quickly turned his attention back to the documents in his hands.

Currently, the clues from Blood Mist have pointed to two military industrial enterprises, Hancheng Industrial and Hanjiang Heavy Industry. These two enterprises are far beyond the scope of an investigation by a mere police inspector like Bai Chi, and they are not even located in City C.

But this raises a question: if they weren't in City C, how did they manage to harm Ni Xue back then?

Therefore, in Bai Chi's view, the relationship between those two companies and City C was far from innocent on the surface. Their influence had likely already penetrated the city, as intricate and complex as the deep roots of a giant tree.

They certainly wouldn't call it Hancheng Military Industry or Hanjiang Industrial Park.

As we all know, large military industrial enterprises cannot only produce military products; their outstanding technical capabilities enable them to be highly competitive in other fields as well.

For example, car manufacturers, chemical companies, and home appliance manufacturers.

Apart from chemical companies, other companies generally don't attract much attention, so for the past twenty years, Baichi has never delved into this area. But now things are different.

Bai Chi found a map of the area around Ni Xue's house from twenty years ago and examined it carefully.

In Bai Chi's eyes, Ni Xue was just a six-year-old girl, and her parents were too busy with work to take her far away. So the only places Ni Xue could come into contact with were the seemingly ordinary businesses near her home.

Fenjin Bicycle Factory, Sanleng Automobile Factory, Hongtai Pharmaceutical.

Bai Chi marked these locations one by one. He had already investigated Hongtai Pharmaceutical many times and found nothing unusual.

So the focus then falls on these two car manufacturers?

Looking at the map, Bai Chi pondered for a moment and then circled a department store called "Sanfeng".

Although the probability of military enterprises investing in department stores is not very high, it is not entirely impossible. Bai Chi remembered that Ni Xue's parents often took Ni Xue to that department store to buy things, and Ni Xue would secretly share the snacks they bought with Bai Chi.

My memory is a little hazy.

Bai Chi looked at the yellowed map again. There were actually quite a few suspicious locations on it, but most of them had already disappeared.

After all, twenty years have passed, and Ni Xue's old house, along with a large area of ​​old buildings nearby, has been demolished. It will definitely be very difficult to investigate now.

Therefore, it's better to do some screening in advance.

Bai Chi glanced at the time, then got up and went out.

Bai Chi's sudden action startled Xia Tian, ​​making her tremble. She instinctively tensed up, fearing that his next move would be to make her put on the fox tail.

But Bai Chi did nothing. He simply said, "I have to leave for a while," and then left, leaving Xia Tian alone in the archives room to breathe a sigh of relief.

Thankfully, the senior hadn't gone so far as to attack her directly in the office.

But after feeling relieved, I was still resentful.

Wait a minute, he's already given me this, why isn't he doing anything... no, explaining anything at all?!
What do they take her for?! A pushover who dares not fight back?!

Summer grew angrier the more she thought about it, and couldn't help but puff out her not-so-wealthy chest.

She couldn't let him bully her like this. Even if he was a senior, she had to...

"Summer," Bai Chi turned back and said to Summer, who was practicing standing up straight, "come out with me."

Summer immediately shrank back like an ostrich, stammering, "Okay, okay."

Oh no, my senior is really going to attack me!

Summer thought desperately.

……

Even after getting on the bus, this feeling still lingered in Xia Tian's mind, so much so that he couldn't help but glance at Bai Chi every few seconds.

"Is there a problem?" Bai Chi asked.

"Uh, where are you taking me?" Xia Tian asked, forcing herself to be brave.

Bai Chi was silent for a moment, then said, "Help me handle some of my personal matters."

Private, private matter?

Summer became even more panicked, wondering if the "private matters" mentioned here referred to sexual matters.
This is not possible!

Even if she was shy and timid, Xia Tian could only grit her teeth and say, "I think you've gone a bit too far," in this situation.

Bai Chi was slightly puzzled: "Excessive? What's excessive?"

Still pretending!
"Yes, the gift you gave me." Xia Tian decided to be direct. "Don't you think it's a bit inappropriate?"

"Oh, you mean that?" Bai Chi nodded. "It is indeed somewhat inappropriate."

So you do know something!
Xia Tian was about to press for more information when Bai Chi casually said, "But you really don't need to worry about it. Although this item is quite valuable, you are more than worthy of it. After all, you helped me a lot back then, so this is my way of repaying you."

Summer was stunned for a moment, and then her anger rose rapidly.

Good grief! So you actually think I've been unfair, huh?! You said it was to repay me? Is this how you repay someone?!
People say that giving someone diamonds means you treat them like a treasure, while giving them sex toys means you treat them like a prostitute.

So what am I then? A bastard's bitch?!

Just as Xia Tian was about to explode, Bai Chi said, "Of course, I'm not sure if that's your favorite style. After all, you sent me a lot of clothes back then. But none of them were really suitable for diamonds, so I chose this one."

Summer was taken aback.

What do you mean I sent it to your house? When did I ever send anything to your house... huh?

Summer suddenly remembered something, and her mouth opened wider and wider.

No way, right?

Didn't you tell me to buy that from that store?!

Summer felt there was some misunderstanding, but she didn't know where to start asking. After hesitating for a while, she decided to get straight to the point: "Do you know what that tail is for?"

"What's it for? It's just a scarf."

summer:"……"

I finally know where the problem lies.

She still underestimated Bai Chi.

"What? Isn't that a scarf?" Bai Chi also noticed something was wrong. "If it's not a scarf, then what is it?"

This really stumped Xia Tian.

What should she do? Should she tell him the truth? But isn't it inappropriate for a pure young girl who's only just turned twenty to know so much about this kind of thing? Anyway, she really couldn't bring herself to say those two words.

But if she doesn't say anything, what if Bai Chi gives her another one in public next time? Then she might have to consider changing jobs.

After weighing the two options, Xia Tian could only say with difficulty, "This is indeed not a scarf, but something rather private. Although I don't know exactly what it is, but... these kinds of things are usually given to couples."

Bai Chi understood: "Like a rose?"

You actually know that couples should give each other roses?

“They’re similar in nature,” Xia Tian said. “However, this is more…private than roses; you can’t just give it away casually.”

It turned out to be the case.

Bai Chi felt that he had gained useful knowledge.

Seeing that Bai Chi really didn't know what this thing was for, Xia Tian breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Thankfully, my senior isn't a real pervert, so I won't be... cough cough, I won't be subjected to any strange things today.

"So you mean I shouldn't have added that tail, and I should have just given you the diamond directly?" Bai Chi asked.

Xia Tian nodded subconsciously, but quickly realized something and immediately shook her head: "No, no, no, diamonds shouldn't be used either."

Are diamonds also private?

“It is indeed very private, but it is a different kind of privacy from the other kind…” Xia Tian felt that her words were becoming more and more complicated, so she quickly added, “Besides privacy, diamonds are too precious to be suitable for ordinary colleagues like us.”

Bai Chi casually replied, "Really? But I don't think our relationship is just ordinary."

Xia Tian opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, Bai Chi said, "You're still my direct subordinate."

...So that's what makes it special?

Summer is truly exhausting because of the incandescent bulbs. It's like being teased to the point of no return only to realize that the incandescent bulbs are just casually tapping away.

Wait, why is my brain filled with nothing but lewd nonsense?!
"If you really feel guilty, please do me a favor later."

Bai Chi gripped the steering wheel with one hand and took out his phone with the other. On the phone screen was a middle-aged woman with a sorrowful face.

"What is this?" Xia Tian asked, puzzled.

“A victim’s mother,” Bai Chi said. “I need to get some information from her.”

"I see." Xia Tian then realized that Bai Chi had brought her out on important business, not to deal with her. "Then what can I do?"

"Comfort her."

"what?"

“The victim is a little girl, and the mother loves her daughter very much and has never been able to get over her daughter’s trauma,” Bai Chi said. “Every time I ask her about the situation, she cries uncontrollably and it takes a while to comfort her. But I’m not good at that kind of thing.”

Summer was surprised.

You actually know you're not good at comforting people?

Xia Tian mentally grumbled for a moment, then nodded: "Okay, I'll try my best to calm her down. But I haven't heard of any cases around here recently. How long ago was it?"

"Twenty years ago."

"……what?"

Next, Bai Chi took Xia Tian to a very nice residential area, which, judging from its conditions, should be the best in Hanguang District.

Through Bai Chi's introduction, Xia Tian learned that this mother divorced the child's father shortly after the accident. The child's father left City C, while the mother formed a new family several years later, but was unable to conceive.

In other words, she still hasn't been able to get over the trauma of losing her beloved daughter twenty years ago?
Recalling the photo of the woman, full of exhaustion and sadness, that Bai Chi had just shown her, Xia Tian couldn't help but sigh in her heart: Motherly love is truly great.

After sighing, Xia Tian secretly resolved to cooperate with her seniors to solve the case and prevent the mother from suffering any more heartache.

A few minutes later, the two arrived at the mother's address and knocked on the door.

Soon, the door opened, and it was this mother—Ms. Ding Lan—who opened it.

Xia Tian was stunned for a moment when he saw the other person.

Because the other person looked very different from the one in Bai Chi's photo. Although their facial features were roughly the same, their demeanor was completely different. They weren't filled with sorrow and grief like in the photo; instead, they were radiant and, as they opened the door, they called out to the house, "Alright, alright, be quiet, you brat, Mom will be back soon... Oh, excuse me, who are you?"

Summer heard the energetic sounds of a little boy playing inside the house, and then, recalling what Bai Chi had just said about the other party not having children, she realized that Bai Chi's information was from a long time ago.

Seriously, can't the seniors be a little more reliable?

She mentally scoffed for a moment, but at the same time smiled and said, "Ms. Ding Lan, hello, we are police officers from the Hanguang Branch. This is Inspector Bai Chi from our station..."

"Incandescent?" An incredulous glint flashed in Ding Lan's eyes. She blurted out, her voice filled with astonishment, "You...you are that 'Incandescent'?"

Xia Tian blinked, looked at Ding Lan, and then at Bai Chi.

I have a feeling that she's not needed here.

……

A few minutes later, in the living room, Ding Lan made hot tea for the two of them, while the noisy little boy from before was hiding behind the wall, peeking over.

“I never expected it to really be you.” Ding Lan said with a faint smile. “That little boy who had no home twenty years ago has grown up so fast. Not only did he survive, but he also became a policeman. Fate is truly amazing. If Xue were still here, she would be very happy.”

A little boy without a home? Are you referring to a senior?

Summer glanced at Bai Chi again.

Bai Chi then said to Ding Lan, "I came here today to ask you about some things."

"Is it still about Ah Xue?"

Bai Chi nodded.

Xia Tian's heart leaped into her throat, because Bai Chi had told her that Ding Lan would burst into tears whenever her daughter was mentioned. So she was prepared to rush to comfort Ding Lan the moment she showed any signs of distress.

However, Ding Lan was not as sorrowful as Bai Chi had described. Instead, she sighed and said, "A few years ago, my ex-husband contacted me and said that the little guy who used to play with Xue had actually chosen police academy and had been asking him about Xue ever since. At the time, I didn't quite believe it. You and Xue were just ordinary friends... No, that's not right. A three-year-old kid and a six-year-old girl, they didn't even know what friendship was, how could you go to such lengths for Xue? But when I saw you today, I realized that my ex-husband hadn't lied to me."

She paused.

"Little Bai, it's been twenty years, hasn't it? You still haven't given up looking for Xue?"

Ding Lan's words contained a huge amount of information, so much so that Xia Tian didn't react for a long time.

What do you mean?
Is the senior an orphan? Is that little girl his childhood friend? Did the senior choose to become a policeman for the sake of this childhood friend, and have been pursuing her ever since?!
“We have a direction now.” Facing the two men’s gazes, Bai Chi’s expression remained largely unchanged, as if it were a matter of course. “I hope you can provide some new clues.”

Ding Lan was silent for a moment, then said, "Xiao Bai, Xue is dead."

“I know, but we can still do it for her…”

"I reject."

Bai Chi was taken aback: "What?"

“I said I refuse to provide any clues,” Ding Lan said. “If you insist on asking, then please leave.”

Bai Chi was silent for a moment, then said, "I don't understand."

Not to mention Bai Chi, Xia Tian was also confused. They were chatting happily just now, so why did he suddenly refuse to provide any clues?

Ding Lan gestured to the little boy in the kitchen and said, "I already have a child."

"Does this have anything to do with your unwillingness to provide clues?"

“Yes, Xiaobai,” Ding Lan said softly. “After Xue’s accident, I cried for many years. Back then, just hearing someone mention Xue would make me faint from crying. So much so that the police officers who came to question me had to bring a kind-hearted policewoman or a psychologist to give me more than twenty minutes of psychological counseling before I would have the strength to answer questions. This policewoman, you must be here for the same reason, right?”

“Uh…” Xia Tian didn’t know how to answer.

“Those were long days. My ex-husband couldn’t stand me and left. I even considered suicide,” Ding Lan said. “Until I met my current husband, and with his loving care, I gradually emerged from the shadows. Then it took me some time to conceive my current child. So, I don’t want to go back to the past, do you understand, Xiaobai?”

“People have to look forward. Ah Xue is dead. I am her mother. I have already moved on.”

"So, you should move on too."

(End of this chapter)