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Due to some procedural issues, the couple, Zhao Yuanjiang and his wife, were currently staying at a hotel not far from the Lanjing City Police Department, having booked a flight for the day after tomorrow. Taking advantage of Captain Li's absence while he investigated Ma Youshan's case, we decided to pay a visit to Zhao Kaifang's parents. This case felt particularly complex, with many underlying issues involved.
The four of us left the Police Department and headed straight for the hotel. It was conveniently located nearby. Upon arriving at the hotel and identifying ourselves, the front desk informed us that Zhao Yuanjiang and his wife had rented a suite, Room 302, which was the best suite in the hotel. This indicated that the couple was quite well-off.
We reached Room 302 and knocked on the door. A woman in her forties answered. Her attire and demeanor suggested she was an educated woman; she must be Huang Limei. Upon seeing us, she slightly furrowed her brow, but it quickly faded as she asked, "Who are you?"
"We're police officers," I said, pulling out my Police Badge to show her. "I believe you know why we're here."
Huang Limei nodded and opened the door wider to let us in. At that moment, Zhao Yuanjiang also stepped out. He had some gray at his temples but still appeared energetic, wearing black-framed glasses. He offered us tea and water as we entered.
From their actions, it was clear they were polite and friendly people. However, I couldn't detect any signs of grief on their faces; the young officer certainly wouldn't deceive us. We settled onto the sofa outside the suite while Huang Limei and Zhao Yuanjiang sat across from us. Zhao Yuanjiang asked Huang Limei, "Who are these people?"
"I'm Shao," I quickly replied, "and these are my police colleagues." Hearing Zhao Yuanjiang's question prompted me to add, "We're here mainly to inquire about Zhao Kaifang's abortion when she was fifteen. I know this may seem abrupt, but given that the deceased deserves respect and the killer is still at large, there are matters we cannot ignore."
To my surprise, Zhao Yuanjiang and his wife did not react strongly to my words. Instead, Zhao Yuanjiang said calmly, "We understand; however, you don't need to tire yourselves too much. To be honest, we aren't particularly concerned about the outcome of this case. Please don't overexert yourselves."
This request was something I had never heard in my years as a detective. Usually, victims' families would plead with us to catch the killer as soon as possible; no one ever advised us to take care of ourselves or not rush the investigation. The young officer was right; it seemed that Zhao Yuanjiang and his wife were indifferent about capturing the killer. How deeply had Zhao Kaifang hurt them for her parents to become so detached?
An awkward silence fell over us as we exchanged glances. I cleared my throat and noticed that Zhao Kaifang's urn was carelessly placed in a corner of the living room without any incense or offerings—almost as if it had been forgotten. While such rituals might be considered superstitious by some, they serve as a form of remembrance for the deceased. The absence of these gestures made her passing feel particularly lonely.
"It's alright; catching criminals is our job," I said to them gently. "I hope you won't take offense when I ask why your attitude towards Zhao Kaifang seems so cold. It almost feels like she wasn't your biological child. Please don't be upset; just bear with me."
Zhao Yuanjiang waved his hand dismissively and replied, "To be honest, it's been five or six years since that incident; it's faded somewhat in our minds. Yet it remains a knot in our hearts. While we haven't completely severed ties, it's close enough. Since you're police officers, we won't hide anything from you: when Zhao Kaifang was fifteen, she started dating a boy from her class."
We nodded as we listened attentively to Zhao Yuanjiang continue his story.
Taking a sip of water and sighing as if preparing for a long conversation, he began: "Back then, when Zhao Kaifang was fifteen and in her third year of junior high school during the second semester, she started dating a boy from her class. Her mother noticed it immediately."
As Zhao Yuanjiang spoke, he glanced at Huang Limei, who nodded and said to us, "That's right. As a mother, I can certainly notice any emotional issues my daughter has right away. At first, I didn't tell her father; instead, I had a good talk with her, hoping she would focus on her studies and not get involved in a relationship at such a young age."
"I initially didn't pay much attention to it, thinking that this long conversation would help Kai Fang return to her normal academic life," Huang Limei continued. "But later, I realized my talks were ineffective, so I informed Kai Fang's father. He had spoken to her and even talked to that boy, but it was still futile."
Zhao Yuanjiang let out a bitter laugh and said, "This situation is quite frustrating. Before Kai Fang turned fifteen, she was such a good girl. In Junior High School, she was always the top student in every exam. However, after she started dating, her grades began to decline, and she seemed to change completely. She used to be cheerful and lovely, but ever since she got into a relationship, she became gloomy and withdrawn, often getting into heated arguments with us."
"In the later stages, she even started staying out at night," Zhao Yuanjiang's expression turned pained as if recalling some sorrowful memories. "Kai Fang became increasingly rebellious; we couldn't control her anymore. We are educated people and couldn't restrict her freedom. She was already fifteen, and we had given her a lot of freedom. We thought we had given her all our love..."
At this point, Zhao Yuanjiang sighed deeply as if he could say no more.
"I'll continue," Huang Limei said as she patted Zhao Yuanjiang's shoulder. "Later on, Zhao Kaifang became pregnant. At that time, there was only a month left until the High School Entrance Examination, but Zhao Kaifang was already two months along. She came back crying and told us that the boy abandoned her after learning about the pregnancy."
"No matter what happened, Kai Fang is still our daughter," Huang Limei forced a smile and continued. "Sometimes young people take wrong paths; they just need to correct their mistakes. No matter what our children do in this world, we are still their parents, and we forgave her. We took her for an abortion and transferred schools in hopes that she could return to a normal life."
I nodded; up until this point, Zhao Kaifang's parents seemed quite open-minded. I wondered when they had become so cold.
"But then," Huang Limei finally shifted the tone of the conversation, "for half a month after that, Kai Fang behaved relatively well. After transferring schools, she was again the top student in her class; she remained our pride. But after the High School Entrance Examination one time, Zhao Kaifang didn't come home and said she was at classmate Zhao Ke'er’s house. Zhao Ke'er is a classmate from Kai Fang's transition class to high school; they would be in the same class for three years in high school. I don't know if you know her?"
"Yes, we know; we've heard she's Zhao Kaifang's best friend," I replied.
"Exactly," Huang Limei nodded and continued. "But when we called over there, we found out that Zhao Kaifang hadn't stayed overnight at Zhao Ke'er's house at all. This girl is somewhat shy but kind-hearted. Zhao Kaifang asked Zhao Ke'er to lie for her about staying over at her place, but this kind girl still told us the truth."
Huang Limei took a sip of water and sighed. "Zhao Kaifang wasn't at Zhao Ke'er's house that day; even Zhao Ke'er didn't know where she went. When Zhao Kaifang returned the next day, of course we had to ask her about it. And it turned out that she had gone looking for that boy—the one who got her pregnant!"
Hearing this part made Zhao Yuanjiang interject angrily: "We never expected that Kai Fang would end up like this! She actually went looking for that boy! What does it say about a girl who does something like this? That day was the first time I hit Kai Fang; she ran away from home."
"She was gone for over a week," Zhao Yuanjiang continued. "I was worried and filled with regret. Her mother and I searched for her for quite some time until we finally learned from one of her Junior High School classmates where she might be. But when we found her, she was lying naked on a bed with two boys! At that moment, I was furious—I could not accept having such a daughter."
Huang Limei said, "Kai Fang has completely changed; she's become someone we don't recognize. We've given up on her and don't want to care anymore. At that time, she made a request. She asked us to not only support her schooling but also to give her two hundred yuan a day until she turns eighteen. After that, she would cut off all ties with us and have nothing to do with us ever again!"
"Our hearts were shattered, but she was resolute," Huang Limei continued. "We agreed to Kai Fang's demands, and from then on, she never returned home. We had no idea what she was doing outside, but we heard her academic performance was quite good. She eventually got accepted into Lanjing University. By the time Kai Fang turned eighteen, our relationship with her was completely severed. If it weren't for this situation, perhaps we would never have seen each other again."
As she spoke, Huang Limei took out something from her bag. I looked over and saw several documents. Upon closer inspection, they turned out to be legally binding agreements. The agreement stated that before Zhao Kaifang turned eighteen, Zhao Yuanjiang and his wife were responsible for her education and would provide her with two hundred yuan for living expenses each day. There were signatures from Zhao Yuanjiang and his wife, as well as a notarization.
"What was that boy's name?" I returned the documents and asked.
Zhao Yuanjiang replied, "Yan Helun, a classmate of Kai Fang's from Junior High School."
This name had indeed appeared in the little policeman's records, but he had also mentioned that he even contacted Zhao Kaifang's Junior High School homeroom teacher, who did not recognize this classmate. However, I heard that Zhao Kaifang transferred schools later; could it be that the little policeman found information from her later school?
I continued to ask, "What was the name of this Yan Helun's school?"
"Kaiyang Tianxiang Middle School," Huang Limei said slowly as she looked at us.
An unsolved mystery: a 21st-century Airborne Troops mysteriously appeared in North America, rescuing an Indian Red-Haired Beauty, enjoying the company of a Blue-Eyed Busty Blonde, dominating Wall Street, amassing wealth across America, and initiating the Han Ethnic Colonial Global Model.
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