Chapter 36

Chapter 36

“So, did you find any useful information?” Nan Mu followed eagerly behind Wen Miao. “Let’s share what we have.”

Wen Miao turned back, looking surprised. “What did you think I came here to investigate? I’m here to find out why you’re looking into Su Yu and Xiao Shu, and who you actually are.”

She paused, watching him with a look of calm amusement. “Nan Mu, my investigation is already over. What else is there to share?”

Nan Mu: “…”

Curse this year 2022. He felt so restricted in everything he tried to do here. But Wen Miao was right about one thing-Wen Xin was a computer expert. With that kind of technical support, his investigation would be much easier. At the very least, finding Zhaodi wouldn’t be like searching for a needle in a haystack.

“Fine,” Nan Mu said, signaling his surrender. “I’ll tell you why I’m here. After that, I hope you’ll help me with the investigation.”

Wen Miao’s expression shifted to one of triumph. She turned back expectantly. “Deal. Go ahead.”

Nan Mu asked, “You know about Gu Zhishu’s disappearance, right?”

Wen Miao nodded. Gu Zhiyu had called her back in April, and she had tried to look for Gu Zhishu a few times herself, but those efforts eventually led nowhere.

Nan Mu sighed. “In the year 2032, someone accidentally found Gu Zhishu’s body. He was murdered.”

“Murdered?!” Wen Miao’s face paled with shock.

“Yes. The autopsy report showed that Gu Zhishu died from a blow to the back of the head with a blunt object. The body was buried in the middle of nowhere. Perhaps due to heavy rain washing away the soil, two hikers accidentally discovered him while climbing the mountain.”

Wen Miao found it hard to process. Gu Zhiyu had always said that Gu Zhishu ran away from home because he didn’t want to continue his treatment…

That was Gu Zhishu’s choice. Although she had tried to contact him, she respected his decision. But if he had been murdered while she believed he was simply missing, that was too much to bear. And knowing that his body had been buried for ten whole years before seeing the light of day again made her feel even worse.

“Then… when did he die?” Although she already suspected the answer, she still held onto a sliver of hope. “Is it… too late now?”

“Yes.” Nan Mu felt the truth was cruel. “Six months ago… he was already killed.”

“Six months ago… isn’t that right around the time he first went missing?”

Nan Mu nodded.

“So… he was murdered from the very beginning? That’s why he couldn’t come home?” Wen Miao was in disbelief. “He was dead… yet we all thought he had chosen to run away?”

Wen Miao felt the bitter irony of it all.

She wanted to ask for more details, but footsteps sounded from outside. Nan Mu made a gesture, signaling for her to take her people and leave first. They would talk in detail after meeting at the hospital.

Wen Miao agreed and told Nan Mu to wait in the study.

After a moment, Nan Mu heard the sound of the front door locking downstairs. Then, he saw three figures exit through the iron gate. Wen Xin even thoughtfully looped the chain lock back onto the gate.

Nan Mu: “…”

Unbelievable. They got to walk out the front door, while he had to climb over the wall.

***

Nan Mu waited a while, estimating that Wen Miao and the others had left, before timing his exit.

Lacking the lock-picking skills of Wen Miao’s group, he had to scale the iron gate and leap down from the top. The moment he hit the ground, he spotted a figure standing in the shadows under a large tree across the way.

“Who’s there?”

He asked in a low, alert voice. The dark shadow beneath the tree slowly stepped out, looking up at the 2.8-meter-high iron gate. “So, that’s how you got over…”
Wen Miao asked curiously, “Have you trained before?”

Seeing the familiar figure, Nan Mu finally relaxed his combat-ready stance. “Why are you still here?”

“Waiting for you,” Wen Miao replied. Her tone suddenly shifted, becoming cold and sharp. “Not bad, Nan Mu. Jumping all over the place with a concussion-do you think you’re some kind of hero?”

=

At two in the morning, the two of them took a taxi to a barbecue stall at the night market. They ordered some food and found a relatively secluded spot to sit down.

“Is your head really okay?” Wen Miao frowned, still worried.

“It’s fine!”

Wen Miao looked at the beer in Nan Mu’s hand and snatched it away. “Drink juice instead. No alcohol!”

“Eating barbecue without beer is so boring,” Nan Mu grumbled.

Despite his words, he obediently went to the fridge to grab a bottle of juice. He then asked the stall owner for some hot water to rinse the tea cups before pouring a glass for each of them.

Wen Miao pushed the trash can under the table toward Nan Mu’s side and said, “So, you suspect Xiao Shu’s death is related to his friends, Su Yu and Zhaodi?”

Nan Mu shook his head. “Rather than suspecting Su Yu, I’m more worried that his disappearance was a result of being caught up in whatever happened to Gu Zhishu.”

“Caught up?” Wen Miao didn’t quite like his choice of words.

“Don’t you find it strange? Gu Zhishu goes missing, and then Su Yu mysteriously vanishes as well…”

“Wait!” Wen Miao raised her hand, looking confused. “How do you know Su Yu is missing?”

“When you were at Su Yu’s house, did you look at his kitchen?”

Wen Miao shook her head.

“There were eggshells and instant breakfast packaging in his trash can, and a steamer rack was still sitting in the pot on the stove. In the sink, there were dirty dishes: two plates, a porcelain bowl, a glass, and a pair of chopsticks. Is it not a reasonable deduction that on the morning he left, he ate breakfast alone at home, went out, and never returned? The unwashed dishes and the trash that hadn’t been taken out… at the very least, he hadn’t planned on not coming home before he left.”

“You think something happened to him too?” Wen Miao thought for a moment. “Or maybe he’s one of the people who killed Xiao Shu.”

Nan Mu shook his head, suggesting the probability was too low. “Gu Zhishu went missing back in April. The Gu Family reported it as a missing person case, and during that time, they even called Su Yu to ask about Gu Zhishu’s whereabouts. Su Yu told them he hadn’t seen him that day. The police categorized it as a missing person case and didn’t even summon Su Yu for questioning. Why would he feel the need to flee his only residence in such a hurry that he didn’t even have time to clean up?”

Nan Mu broke a chopstick, dipped it in some water, and drew a simple diagram on the table. “Did you check the bathroom?”

“I did,” Wen Miao nodded, recalling the images her flashlight had swept over.

There wasn’t much in the bathroom, so the details were vivid in her mind.

A toothbrush was in the cup along with a tube of toothpaste that was clearly half-used. The cap of the facial cleanser hadn’t even been closed, left sitting haphazardly on the marble vanity. A face towel hung from a metal rack on the wall, and two bottles of men’s face cream were scattered on the cabinet.

“If you were going on a trip, what would you bring with you?”

“Clothes, money, toiletries…” Wen Miao froze as the image of the fully stocked bathroom flashed through her mind. “Ah… he didn’t take anything with him!”

Nan Mu nodded. “Besides, it’s been nearly six months since Gu Zhishu went missing. If he really were hiding from someone, and no one had come to investigate him for this long, he should have let his guard down. He should have at least come home to check on things by now.”