Chapter Twenty-Eight: Sister, It's So Big

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In Deqing in 1998, Mingpin Garden was considered a high-end residential complex. At that time, wealthy people were few and far between, so anyone living there was certainly not an ordinary person. Hou Fei had spent the entire morning wandering around the area, looking at what needed to be seen, asking what needed to be asked. The occupants of Unit 402 in Building 18 had already moved out. Alone, he walked up to the door of 402, pulled a cigarette from his pocket, ready to light it, when the elevator arrived.

Sure enough, it was Zhuo Nan, accompanied by Lan Qian and Sun Yan. Hou Fei greeted Zhuo Nan with utmost respect. “Nan, you’re here…”

But someone was not pleased. “Hou Fei, what are you doing here? What’s with ‘Nan’? What’s your relationship with Zhuo Nan?” There was no need to ask; this righteous voice could only belong to Sister Lan.

With his back to Lan Qian, Zhuo Nan quickly switched to the obedient expression befitting a well-behaved child. He turned around, smiling brightly. “Sister, so you two know each other? That’s great! We’re all familiar then, no need for introductions.”

He had hoped to muddle through, but seeing Lan Qian standing with crossed arms and a stern face, Zhuo Nan had to confess honestly. “Actually, Hou Fei is someone I met during those few days in detention. We don’t have the key, so I thought of Hou Fei and asked him to help.”

Hou Fei, guilt-ridden, barely dared to breathe in front of Lan Qian, now could only force a smile. “Officer Lan, Nan called me here to help, just to help…”

“Shut up. Zhuo Nan, come here.” She dragged Zhuo Nan aside. “Zhuo Nan, you need to understand, what we’re about to do is illegal. We’d be trespassing.”

“Shh… Keep your voice down, it’s just the four of us. Hou Fei’s here to unlock the door; he won’t say anything. Sun Yan is one of the parties involved, she won’t talk either. I’m the one orchestrating this whole thing, I definitely won’t turn myself in. As long as you don’t say anything, who will know? Who will know…” Zhuo Nan started to argue.

“Just because no one talks doesn’t mean it’s not illegal. Zhuo Nan, I warn you, don’t do anything reckless.” Lan Qian was truly angry.

If you’re angry, does that mean I shouldn’t be? “Sister, I’m telling you, today I’m definitely having Hou Fei open the door so we can see what’s inside. If you think all three of us are breaking the law, then take us all in.” With that, he turned to Hou Fei. “Open the door!”

Hou Fei glanced at Lan Qian, then at Zhuo Nan, and pulled his tools from behind him. The police were intimidating, but out here, you always listen to the boss…

“Hou Fei, don’t you dare! If you open it, I’ll arrest you on the spot.” She stepped forward and grabbed Hou Fei by the neck from behind. Don’t be fooled by Lan Qian’s gender; her skills were real, hard-earned at the police academy.

Sun Yan, anxious, stomped her feet beside them, inwardly cursing Lan Qian for being so rigid. But she couldn’t say anything; after all, her boyfriend was the main figure in the case.

“Hey, Officer Lan, easy, easy…” Apparently, Lan Qian’s grip was strong enough to make Hou Fei grimace.

Seeing Lan Qian resort to force, Zhuo Nan tried to reason calmly. “Sister, think about it. If we really find something today, it could reveal a wrongful conviction. Imagine how your colleagues would see you, how your superiors would see you, how your family would see you. Would they still let you sit in the office reading the paper? When you see Old Liu, would he still make you drink tea and read the news? When you get home, you could proudly tell that old man, ‘See, if it weren’t for me, your subordinates would have wronged an innocent person…’”

Lan Qian’s resolve wavered. Yes, if they succeeded in overturning the case and found new evidence to prove Du Fanhao’s innocence, she would finally hold her head high in the team. When she saw Old Liu, he wouldn’t dare make her sit idle. At home, she could boast to her father: “Look, if not for me, your men would have falsely accused someone…”

But what if there was no evidence inside? No, she absolutely couldn’t let Zhuo Nan and the others go in…

“Zhuo Nan, enough. If you leave now, I’ll pretend nothing happened…” Lan Qian shook her head coldly.

Zhuo Nan was frustrated. This woman, how did she suddenly wise up? If persuasion doesn’t work, I have no choice—sorry…

He stepped forward and suddenly hugged Lan Qian from behind, shouting, “Hou Fei, open the door!”

With nothing restraining his neck, Hou Fei got to work immediately…

“Zhuo Nan, let go of me, now, or I’ll arrest you too…” Zhuo Nan, though younger than Lan Qian, was much taller and easily lifted her off the ground.

Lan Qian’s feet dangled, her body writhing as she tried to break free. “Let go, Zhuo Nan, let go…” Being lifted from the back, she was helpless. She could have elbowed Zhuo Nan, but feared hurting him, so she endured.

Sun Yan watched the siblings in shock, thinking, “This is over the top—especially the way Zhuo Nan’s hands seem misplaced…”

A loud clack rang out as the lock opened. Hou Fei entered first, then Zhuo Nan carried Lan Qian inside, Sun Yan followed last and closed the door.

“Zhuo Nan, put me down! I’ll arrest all three of you!” Though Zhuo Nan had her under control, Lan Qian’s threats continued.

Ignoring her, Zhuo Nan instructed Hou Fei, “Check the bedroom.” He turned to Sun Yan, “Check the bathroom.”

Once tasks were assigned, Zhuo Nan said, “Sister, I’ll let you go, but you can’t arrest us now. Since we’re here, let’s investigate. If we find nothing, you can take us all in.”

“Stop talking and let me go—you see where you’re grabbing?” Her voice was low, but Zhuo Nan heard clearly. Things had happened so quickly he hadn’t paid attention—is it possible…?

Sure enough, what he was holding was soft… Lan Qian’s heart skipped. This scoundrel even squeezed twice…

Zhuo Nan thought, This is bad, and quickly let go of Lan Qian, though he was still puzzled—wasn’t he holding her waist?

“Nan, how did it feel?”

“It’s you…” Zhuo Nan was startled. So it was his subconscious controlling him in that moment.

“Nan, opportunity, opportunity, such a great chance…” Before Zhuo Nan could get angry, his mind started to rationalize.

“At least you have a conscience. But honestly, it’s really big, so bouncy…” Zhuo Nan mused inwardly.

Lan Qian was mortified. She was a woman, a police officer, but had never encountered anything like this. Not even a boyfriend in the academy. Her hand had only ever been held by her father—now this naughty younger brother had grabbed her breast, and even squeezed twice. Now he was standing there grinning mischievously—unforgivable, absolutely not.

A resounding slap echoed through the room—a slap so crisp and forceful, it could only be described as a masterpiece among slaps. The sharp sound revealed the full extent of her rage and humiliation, transmitted directly to Zhuo Nan.

Poor Nan was left like a monkey on display. Hou Fei from the bedroom and Sun Yan from the bathroom both rushed over at the sound, wanting to see what had happened. Seeing the clear handprint on Nan’s left cheek, they glanced at each other and quietly returned to their search.

“Sister, I swear it was accidental…” Zhuo Nan pleaded pitifully. “It must have been the urgency of the moment…”

“And you squeezed?” Lan Qian blurted out in her anger, but her face quickly flushed red.

Zhuo Nan replied timidly, “I was just confirming.”

“Confirmation isn’t allowed,” Lan Qian retorted angrily.

“Oh, I understand…”

Seeing the red mark on Zhuo Nan’s face, Lan Qian’s heart softened. She walked over and gently touched his face. “Does it hurt?”

“Sister, I’m fine. I’m sorry, I was wrong.” Hearing his earnest apology, Lan Qian’s anger melted away.

“Now that we’re inside, let’s search carefully. Maybe we’ll discover something.” Lan Qian smiled.

“You’re not stopping us now, sister? That’s great, thank you!” Zhuo Nan was jubilant. Seeing his happiness, Lan Qian realized she cared about his feelings.

She shook her head, smiling at Zhuo Nan. “Hurry up and search, let’s split up and use our time wisely.”

“Right, by the way, sister, there's something I want to tell you.” Zhuo Nan suddenly spoke.

Lan Qian asked curiously, “What is it?”

“Sister, they’re really big.”

“Are you trying to die, you rascal!” She raised her hand as if to slap him again.

Zhuo Nan quickly raised his hands. “Sister, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, don’t hit me.”

Lan Qian lowered her hand. “Rascal, if you say that again, I’ll really get angry. And I warn you, stop associating with people like Hou Fei.”

“Got it, got it.” Then he called to the others, “Come out, everyone.”

Hou Fei and Sun Yan emerged from their respective rooms, staring blankly at the siblings.

“Hou Fei, tell us what you found out this morning.” Zhuo Nan, now in character, exuded authority. Watching him, Lan Qian felt a sudden stir—there was something inexplicably attractive about this boy.

Hou Fei cleared his throat and began. “Nan, before you arrived, I spoke with the other residents. The people in 402 moved out right after the incident. According to neighbors, they took nothing with them.”

“Good. Sun Yan, let me ask you—did you and Du Fanhao’s family employ a housekeeper?” Zhuo Nan turned to Sun Yan.

Sun Yan answered immediately. “Yes, but after Fanhao’s incident, she returned to her hometown. I was so caught up in Fanhao’s situation I didn’t follow up on her.”

The analysis was spot on. Zhuo Nan said nothing—the rest matched his brain’s deductions. With the others watching, Zhuo Nan walked to the refrigerator, opened it, and examined the contents. “Sister, come look. What’s this?”

Lan Qian was intrigued, walked over and peered inside. On the third shelf was a small stain. “What is it?”

Zhuo Nan smiled. “If I’m not mistaken, it’s semen…” Lan Qian’s face flushed instantly, thinking, This guy… “Are you sure?”

“I’m not, but you are. You can send it for testing.” Zhuo Nan grinned.

Lan Qian nodded. Though his mind was full of nonsense, his case analysis was reasonable.

“Sister, I bet there’s more in this apartment, maybe elsewhere.” Zhuo Nan continued.

“You’re certain?”

“Absolutely!” His reply was resolute. Turning to Hou Fei, he said, “Hou Fei, check the bathroom trash can for condoms!”

Three lines of exasperation appeared on their foreheads… Lan Qian thought, Zhuo Nan, you’re such a pervert… Sun Yan wondered, Nan, what’s going on in your head… Only Hou Fei wasn’t as calm as the others. Nan, are you messing with me? The bathroom trash… just the thought is revolting, and now I have to dig through it? Oh, my god…

The three waited in the living room while Hou Fei rummaged in the bathroom. After about two minutes, Hou Fei shouted, “Nan, there really are condoms!”

Zhuo Nan gave Lan Qian a satisfied glance. “Sister, now you see? The rest is up to you…”

At this moment, Lan Qian shed her embarrassment, threw her arms around Zhuo Nan. “Brother, you’re brilliant…”