The end of a blue duckweed (1)
“Over the years, you have done enough for Chu Nan and Aunt Chen. That’s why she finally said ‘thank you’ to you. Do you understand the meaning behind this?”
Lin Yan, tearful, gazed at her, tightly holding onto the letter in her hand.
“It means she has let go and can rest peacefully now. The doctor said she even had her hair done, changed into new clothes. She wanted to go see her beloved daughter. Before that, she wished for you to live well and have a peaceful, healthy life forever.”
Song Yuhang finished speaking, her eyes turning red, as she gently embraced the person in her arms.
“And one day, we will all meet the departed in that world.”
She didn’t cry when the Supreme Lord was arrested, and when she found Chu Nan’s remains at Lin Ge’s house, she cried but not hysterically. However, at this moment, holding this letter from her good friend, she cried non-stop, gasping for breath.
These were tears of regret, tears of a long-cherished wish finally fulfilled, tears of justice for her friend, and also tears of liberation.
Song Yuhang didn’t move, letting her cry her heart out as she clung to her, her tears and snot smearing all over her chest.
After a while, the medical staff around them turned their heads, and Lin Yan finally felt a bit embarrassed. She let go of her waist.
Song Yuhang gently touched her nose, “Had enough crying?”
Lin Yan was still sobbing, “I still…still want to cry.”
“Good girl, we still have a lot of things to deal with. Cry on me when we get back to the ward tonight.”
The procedures on the police side, the arrangements for Mrs. Chen, the arrangements for Lin Youyuan, the future direction of the Jingtai Group…
When she was unconscious, she didn’t feel the weight of these matters, but now that she was awake, it felt like a mountain pressing down on her.
Lin Yan knew it wasn’t a time to be weak, but her eyes still turned slightly red, “Okay.”
Song Yuhang’s gaze fell on the envelope in her hand, “What about this letter…”
Lin Yan gently placed it into the nearby box.
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“I’ll read it later. I’ll open it when I have the courage to let go of everything.”
When Lin Yan was able to walk again, the autopsy results for Chu Nan were also released, confirming her identity without a doubt. The teeth found in the crystal ball in Lin Ge’s room were tested for a faint DNA match, consistent with the samples left by Chen Chu Nan herself.
With this, the long-standing “6.18 Fenyang Wharf Dismemberment Case” spanning fourteen years was declared solved.
As for his basement, a large amount of bloodstains and untreated fresh body parts were discovered, revealing more victims. News about this “serial killer” spread like wildfire on social media.
Lin Yan buried Chu Nan and Mother Chen together in a well-chosen graveyard, nestled by the mountains and waters, with evergreen pines and cypresses.
With red eyes, she scattered paper money into the sky, while Song Yuhang placed a bouquet of white chrysanthemums in front of the tombstone.
The two stood in silence.
After a while, Song Yuhang asked, “Have you read the letter?”
“I have.”
“What did she say?”
“She said thank you.”
The ending of that letter from Chen Chu Nan read: “You stingy person, from junior high school to high school, unconsciously we have known each other for six years now. In these six years, I watched you grow taller and more beautiful, slowly, of course, your character is still so arrogant~”
“I often wonder, if I hadn’t met Lin Yan, what would my life be like? Probably just like my mom’s, following the routine, a life that you can see the end of at a glance. Just like my mom, reaching a certain age, working, getting married, having children, raising the children, and repeating the same life cycle…”
“But because I met you, my life started to gradually have a little bit of possibility from what was impossible.”
“You used to skip class with me to play video games, letting me know that there are more interesting things in the world than just studying; you secretly took me to watch a movie, letting me know that there are places farther than Jiangcheng City in the world; you showed me the colorful side of this world, making me change from not longing for it to longing for it. I want to go out and see the world like you, make a lot of money in the future, eat delicious food, and buy a big house for my mom.”
“After this summer, we will each go our separate ways, but whenever I think of you, you will be the most vivid color in my youth, your best friend Chen Chu Nan. This will never change.”
“Wuwuwu, I didn’t intend to cry, but as I kept writing, it became more emotional. Alright! Today is your birthday, so I’ll wish you a happy birthday first, and finally—”
The girl drew a big smiley face.
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“I hope your future is like a beautiful brocade, peacefully, happily, and contentedly living your life, and—”
The girl paused with her pen, “Thank you, Lin Yan.”
It was only later that Lin Yan understood, that the word “thank you” could also be used as a form of goodbye.
The woman leaned slightly forward, touching the photo on the tombstone, a hint of a smile playing on her lips.
“Thank you too, Chu Nan, for helping me become a better version of myself.”
In the afternoon, before they could return, personnel from the Jiangcheng City Public Security Bureau came to escort them back, and the two of them got into the police car returning to the city together.
The interrogation room was neat and tidy, with the uniformed criminal police officers waiting solemnly. They were all unfamiliar faces, probably from the provincial office or the Ministry of Public Security. To avoid suspicion, Feng Jianguo was not present.
Song Yuhang held her hand, looking worried.
On the contrary, Lin Yan seemed more composed, holding her hand back, gently squeezing it, and striding confidently into the room, sitting down opposite them.
The iron door closed, blocking her view.
Just as Song Yuhang was about to tiptoe and peek inside, a police officer came over and called her, saying that Director Feng had requested her presence.
She had no choice but to follow the officer to the office, glancing back every three steps.
“Name?”
“Lin Yan.”
“Age?”
“33 years old.”
“Occupation?”
“Former Chief Forensic Doctor of the Technical Investigation Department of the Jiangcheng City Public Security Bureau.”
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“Why did you choose to go undercover?”
Lin Yan answered the previous questions smoothly, but hesitated slightly at this point.
The investigators were all watching her.
After a long silence, even the criminal police officer sitting opposite her began to show impatience, lightly tapping the table with a pen.
Only then did she lazily lift her gaze, her voice sounding a bit impatient yet firm.
“To protect the living and seek the truth for the dead is my duty.”
A few of them exchanged glances, and then someone asked, “Were you compromised by enemy infiltration during the undercover operation?”
The conversation continued according to protocol. The other party’s attitude was neither particularly good nor bad, so she mechanically answered the questions, neither warmly nor coldly.
Until…
“Now that the criminal suspect has been brought to justice, why did you rush forward to assault him? Do you realize that, as a public servant, your actions also violate the 《Criminal Law》.”
Lin Yan fell silent, staring at the bright desk lamp where a moth fluttered frantically, only to collide with it and get scorched by the hot bulb, falling lifelessly onto the table.
The investigators showed impatience, one of them heavily tapping the table with a pen.
“Answer the question.”
Lin Yan gently tugged at the corner of her lips, looking up at him.
The questioner was young, about the same age as her.
“You have parents, right?”
He paused for a moment, then she turned to look at another slightly older detective.
“You have children, right?”
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“When the day comes that your parents, spouse, children, friends, siblings are all murdered, can you still sit calmly here and ask such questions?”
“The ballistic comparison results for this gun are out, and it matches exactly the one your father lost years ago.”
Feng Jianguo handed her the gun in an evidence bag.
“What is this?” Song Yuhang held it in her hand, examining it closely.
There was a hint of sadness in the old man’s expression.
“The gun Lin Yan’s father used to commit suicide.”
Song Yuhang was taken aback, her expression turning serious and a mix of surprise, ending with a complex array of emotions.
The interrogation continued into the evening, and Lin Yan was eventually released unharmed.
Song Yuhang breathed a sigh of relief and approached her, “Yanyan…”
Before she could finish her sentence, Lin Yan smiled.
“They said I can go back to work anytime.”
“Do you want to?”
Song Yuhang gently took her hand.
Lin Yan shook her head, “I don’t want to, I’m a bit tired.”
Song Yuhang put her arm around her shoulder and they walked out together.
“Alright, then let’s not go.”
As they walked out of the Public Security Bureau, there were already people waiting for them.
Ji Jingxing stood under the street light with Xiaowei and Mother Song.
On this autumn night, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse, with camphor tree leaves covering the sidewalk.
She smiled, “It’s Mid-Autumn Festival today, and you’re both discharged from the hospital. Mom has cooked meat and stewed ribs. Let’s go home together for dinner.”