Seeing Crime Scenes in My Sleep

Jiang Li looked at Hu Ping’an, her heart in turmoil. She opened her mouth, but no words came out.

Jiang Li walked forward and hugged him.

Hu Yuanyi’s attending physician came out, watching the scene with sorrow. He then walked over and patted Hu Ping’an’s head. "My condolences."

When Luo Binglin received the news and rushed over, he saw Hu Ping’an sitting on a chair, holding the urn with Tang Xiaomei’s ashes.

Luo Binglin’s steps immediately slowed. He felt he couldn’t face Hu Yuanyi and Hu Ping’an.

If he had been a little earlier, perhaps Hu Yuanyi wouldn’t have passed away with regrets.

Hu Ping’an, clutching his mother to his chest, looked up at Luo Binglin. Luo Binglin opened his mouth, but found it difficult to speak.

"Uncle Luo, thank you."

That one sentence was enough to break Luo Binglin’s composure. With reddened eyes, he stepped forward and hugged Hu Ping’an. "I’m sorry. Uncle Luo was too useless. Uncle Luo let you down."

Hu Ping’an buried his face in Luo Binglin’s arms, his muffled voice coming from within the embrace.

"Dad said Uncle Luo is a good person. He said Uncle Luo has already done more than enough.

Dad said he trusted Uncle Luo, and that he had no regrets."

As Hu Ping’an spoke, tears started streaming down his face. His dad had told him that Uncle Luo was the best of the best, a truly good person.

If Uncle Luo hadn’t been helping them all this time, this whole affair would have been over long ago.

Luo Binglin held Hu Ping’an and sat with him in the hallway all night.

As soon as day broke, Luo Binglin rushed back to the police station. Lu Zhi was black and blue from Wang Qiao’s beating, with several new scratch marks on his face.

Luo Binglin clenched his fists, utterly unreconciled. A worthless life in exchange for two decent ones was simply not a fair trade.

Luo Binglin was seething, a war raging in his mind between reason and emotion.

Yu Huannian came up from behind, pushed open the door, and went inside.

Luo Binglin froze. A moment later, a blood-curdling scream came from inside.

"AHHH! A cop is hitting someone! He’s hitting someone!"

"I’m not a cop."

Yu Huannian lifted Lu Zhi with one hand and started laying into him.

Jiang Li took Hu Ping’an to have Hu Yuanyi’s body cremated. When she offered to help find a burial plot, Hu Ping’an refused.

"Auntie, I want to spend more time with Mom and Dad."

Hu Ping’an hugged the urns. His family was finally together again.

Jiang Li nodded and didn’t press the issue.

Luo Binglin used his connections with the mayor, and that afternoon, the three-year-old case was retried.

Cradling the urns, Hu Ping’an looked at Lu Zhi on the opposite side. This was the first time he had ever seen the man.

Lu Zhi panicked and started shouting, "Your Honor, they assaulted me!"

The judge looked over at Luo Binglin’s group. Luo Binglin said with a deadpan expression, "Your Honor, that’s slander. The one who did the hitting was Lu Zhi’s accomplice, his mother. It had nothing to do with us."

"Bullshit! It was that tall guy!" Lu Zhi shouted, pointing at Yu Huannian.

Yu Huannian raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms, saying nothing. ’It’s not like I killed him. What’s all the fuss about?’

"Do you have any proof? How can you prove he was the one who hit you? Without proof, this is just slander."

It was as if a bucket of cold water had been thrown on Lu Zhi’s anger, extinguishing it instantly.

’Dammit, what fucking proof would I have?’

"Surveillance! Don’t you have security cameras in your station?"

Hearing this, Luo Binglin simply submitted the surveillance footage of Wang Qiao and Lu Zhi fighting and cursing at each other. In their argument, they had laid out the entire sequence of events perfectly clearly.

Only then did Lu Zhi realize what a stupid thing he’d done. He wanted to argue further.

"Order!"

The entire courtroom fell silent. All that could be heard was the judge announcing the sentence: life in prison.

Lu Zhi was stunned for a moment. It wasn’t the death penalty. He snapped his gaze toward Luo Binglin, feeling that things weren’t that simple.

It wasn’t until he heard the name of the prison he was being sent to that Lu Zhi instantly understood Luo Binglin’s intentions.

The people locked up in that place weren’t normal. If he went in there, it would be a fate worse than death.

The corner of Luo Binglin’s mouth lifted slightly. This was the last thing he could do for them.

With the case closed, Luo Binglin looked at Hu Ping’an. "Ping’an, would you be willing to come live with Uncle Luo?"

Hu Ping’an looked at Luo Binglin, walked over to hug him, and then went to Jiang Li’s side.

"Uncle Luo, Auntie said she’ll help me find an orphanage."

Hu Ping’an smiled at Luo Binglin. He’d overheard the adults saying that if it weren’t for his family, Uncle Luo would have already gotten married and had his own baby.

’I’m a burden. I can’t go with Uncle Luo.’

Luo Binglin hadn’t expected Hu Ping’an to refuse.

"Officer Luo, don’t worry," Jiang Li said. "I’ll help Ping’an find an adoptive family. If we can’t find one, he can stay with me."

Jiang Li stroked Hu Ping’an’s head. ’It’s not like I can’t afford to raise him, anyway.’

"If you find an adoptive family, please let me know."

"Okay."

Jiang Li led Hu Ping’an away.

"Jiang Li, since we’re already here, let’s stay and have some fun for a couple of days," Wu Ming said, looking at Jiang Li. "The weather is great, the scenery is beautiful. Let’s look around."

’She’d wanted to come here for ages. Since we’re here, we might as well enjoy it for a few days before heading back. Besides, someone else is footing the bill. It’d be a waste not to take advantage of it.’

The next day, Wu Ming led Jiang Li to a famous local tourist spot.

"Jiang Li? You guys are here too? What a coincidence," Ning Sinian said, looking at the group feeding seagulls.

Jiang Li looked at Ning Sinian and Ning Rou and greeted them politely.

The moment Ning Rou saw Yu Huannian, she couldn’t look away.

She hadn’t seen him in a while, and Yu Huannian had changed. The thuggish air about him had lessened, his skin was paler, and he looked handsome and well-built.

Yu Huannian glanced at her for only a second before looking away.

"The doctor said Little Rou’s problem is psychological, so I brought her out to take her mind off things," Ning Sinian said with a gentle smile, though his face showed a hint of exhaustion.

Ning Rou had been abducted for two years. With the Yu Family protecting her, she hadn’t suffered much physical torment, but she had significant psychological problems. The doctor said it was due to trauma.

Perhaps from seeing and hearing too much, her psyche had become twisted over time.

Yu Huannian was like her lifeline. That’s why after she got out, Little Rou felt insecure and just wanted to cling to him, to find a sense of security from him.

A faint smile played on Ning Sinian’s lips as he gently stroked Ning Rou’s head. ’My sister’s abduction was my failure. I’m willing to be the lifeline she clings to, even if it suffocates me.’

After exchanging greetings, Jiang Li was pulled away by Wu Ming to go on a boat ride.

Ning Rou stared blankly at their retreating figures. "Brother, why am I the one who’s trapped?" ’Why did it have to be me?’

Ning Sinian smiled and changed the subject. "Little Rou, didn’t you want to take photos in traditional ethnic clothing? I made an appointment at a shop with a really good stylist. I’ll take you."

After three days of non-stop fun, Jiang Li was completely wiped out. She looked on in admiration at her energetic companions. ’The moment I step outside, my battery dies.’

"Jiang Li, look, this one and this one are great. This group photo is nice too." Wu Ming spread the developed photos all over the table, happily sharing them with Jiang Li.

"Xiao Ji really fit the part. He didn’t even need to rent a costume. People were asking him where he rented it from."

Wu Ming said with envy, looking at a photo of the fair-skinned Miaojiang youth carrying a small basket on his back.

Jiang Li glanced at it and nodded in agreement. "You look great too. We look so full of good fortune in these clothes."

Jiang Li looked contentedly at herself in the photo. She’d put on a little weight, which made her look more blessed.

"Hahahaha, you’re right!" Wu Ming said, then lowered her head and went back to sorting through the photos. ’This trip was so worth it.’

Luo Binglin drove the group to the airport. He looked at Hu Ping’an and gave him a few parting words of advice.

"Ping’an, if you ever want to come back, just call Uncle Luo. Uncle Luo will come pick you up."

"Okay." Hu Ping’an hugged Luo Binglin, reluctant to let go.

Then, he followed Jiang Li and the others onto the plane and departed.