Fei Ming wasn't old enough to understand those emotions, but she could smell the sadness hidden behind the mundane days—it wasn't the smell of home she dreamed of.
Uncle Han Shu did not appear. Fei Ming, slightly disappointed, ran into the dressing room on the second floor of the auditorium, clutching her dress and ballet shoes. Ju Nian found a seat and waited alone.
As the performance was about to begin, Fei Ming, who had changed into a pure white gauze dress and was dressed like a sweet princess, suddenly returned to Ju Nian's side with a mix of nervousness and excitement.
"Why is your face so red?" Even through the foundation, Ju Nian could see Fei Ming's unusually flushed face, and the surprise in his eyes was equally undisguised.
Fei Ming shoved a paper bag into Ju Nian's arms and whispered mysteriously, "Auntie, the teacher just gave this to me, saying an auntie gave it to me. Did you buy it for me?"
Ju opened the rather exquisite paper bag, inside which was a pretty little box. Upon opening it, she discovered that the box was filled with all sorts of beautiful little hair clips, their colorful decorations and sparkling rhinestones dazzling her eyes.
"Did you buy it for me?" Fei Ming kept asking, though she probably already knew the answer was no. "Could it be... Uncle Han Shu?"
The child's voice trembled slightly with extreme excitement and surprise, while Ju Nian's fingertips felt cold, and a corner of her heart trembled slightly as well. It couldn't be Han Shu. Although Han Shu could afford and was willing to buy gifts for the child, he wouldn't specifically buy such girlish trinkets, nor might he know that these were precisely what Fei Ming currently desired. The answer was self-evident.
"No, it's not Uncle Han Shu. My teacher told me it was an auntie... Which auntie is it? Why didn't she hand it to me herself?"
How could Ju Nian tell Fei Ming that these hair clips came from someone she had always longed for but never met, and that that person, for the sake of a past, a vow... or perhaps for another family and a stable life, would never be able to give Fei Ming what she wanted?
Chen Jiejie recognized Fei Ming, of course; he was the only blood proof left from her reckless youth. Did she shed tears that time they brushed past each other? Did she regret it? Did she toss and turn at night, remembering her lost face because of this life that bore the blood of both her and Wu Yu? Ju Nian didn't know. What she did know was that Chen Jiejie might want to make amends to the child, but she could never acknowledge Fei Ming. And the only compensation she could offer was this box of beautiful but useless ornaments.
Ju Nian thought, it's not her fault. It's just the past; some people want to remember, some want to forget, that's all.
"Could it be that someone delivered it to the wrong address?" Fei Ming wondered, but instead felt apprehensive about this unlikely stroke of luck.
Ju Nian laughed, picked one out of the pile of hair clips, and pinned it in Fei Ming's hair.
"Do you like it?" she asked.
Fei Ming nodded repeatedly, his eyes red.
Ju Nian couldn't help but feel a little sad. She had kept Fei Ming by her side for so many years, but she had given the child so little.
"If you like it, that's good. Look how pretty the hair clip looks on you, how could it be a mistake? Maybe it's a belated gift from Santa Claus to Snow White?"
Although Fei Ming was somewhat skeptical, she smiled, successfully shifting her attention to the performance she cared about most. She lifted her skirt and twirled lightly in front of Ju Nian.
"Auntie, is my dress pretty? Li Xiaomeng was putting on makeup just now. She was playing a tree, and when she saw my dress, she turned green with anger."
Ju Nian suppressed a laugh, "I just saw the boy dressed as a prince, wasn't that Leeteuk? He looks really handsome today too."
Fei Ming felt a sweet joy swirling in his heart. He plopped down in the chair next to Ju Nian and muttered, "Auntie, I'm so happy I'm a little dizzy."
Ju Nian took out a tissue to wipe the thin layer of sweat from Fei Ming's forehead, "You'll be fine after sitting for a while."
"Did you dance when you were little, Auntie?"
"Uh... I don't jump much."
"Don't you want to be Snow White?"
"Only the most outstanding girls can play Snow White," Ju Nian said with a smile.
The child, not yet quite understanding humility, nodded in agreement, thought for a moment, then tilted his head and said earnestly, "Auntie, I think you're great too."
"Hmm?" Ju Nian was somewhat surprised. She laughed at herself; perhaps it had been so many years since anyone had said such a thing to her, that her eyes welled up slightly with tears at the child's unintentional affirmation. "Really?"
“Really.” Fei Ming gently rested his head on his aunt’s shoulder. “Aunts are the best in the whole world… except for my mom and dad.”
The teacher called all the students participating in the performance to gather backstage to wait over the loudspeaker. Fei Ming hurriedly ran off, while Ju Nian composed himself and remained seated, waiting for the performance to begin.
Thanks to the school's meticulous preparation, the evening's program was quite spectacular, with parents everywhere clapping enthusiastically and taking photos intently. Perhaps for the parents, the content of the performances on stage was not important; what mattered was that their own children were there.
Halfway through the evening, a primary school student announced to the audience in a voice as sweet as a nightingale's: "Next, please enjoy the musical—Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."
Thunderous applause erupted, and Ju Nian sat up straight, intently awaiting Fei Ming's performance. She knew all too well how important this performance was for Fei Ming; countless days and nights of hard rehearsals and meticulous preparations had led to this moment.
She silently thought to herself: Wu Yu, you're watching too, aren't you?
As the music of a fairy tale drifted in, the audience gradually quieted down, as if everyone was waiting for the little elves on stage.
One second, two seconds... ten seconds... time passed, but the stage remained empty. The parents in the audience went from doubt to whispering, and from whispering to looking around in bewilderment.
A commotion broke out in the audience. Even the usually composed Ju Nian frowned in confusion. Upon closer inspection, she discovered that the commotion actually originated backstage.
This is Fei Ming's program!
Ju Nian twisted her fingers, finally unable to sit still any longer. What on earth had happened? She quietly got up and jogged towards the backstage area.
A large crowd had already gathered on the small steps leading to the backstage area—students, teachers, and parents alike, all standing on tiptoe and craning their necks to peer inside. Ju Nian's mind was in turmoil; she only caught fragmented snippets of conversation.
"girl……"
"...It's gotten worse, how terrible..."
"...Did you call an ambulance?"
The unsettling tide felt icy cold, starting from her toes, slowly, slowly, wetting her, engulfing her.
Ju Nian forcefully pushed aside the crowd of onlookers blocking her way, layer upon layer of people forming an impenetrable wall that shielded the island of terror and despair at the eye of the storm. Time seemed to rewind, the surrounding scene blurring before her eyes… Midsummer afternoon, cold hands, an ambulance returning empty-handed, sirens blaring near and far, a sea of onlookers, a white stretcher, red blood, pomegranate blossoms falling without wind… and the scent of farewell… She was trembling… No… don’t let this happen…
"I won't let my tears keep me company through the night, I won't let your kiss leave any lingering taste..."
Han Shu sat in a dimly lit, loudly-sounding karaoke room, listening to his colleague singing passionately on stage.
"Han Shu, want a drink?" The beautiful director of the office sat down next to him with half a dozen beers.
Han Shu waved his hand, "I've already drunk quite a bit, now I'll drink this."
The beautiful director took the drink from Han Shu's hand and smelled it. "Lemon tea, what's the point of drinking this?"
Han Shu lazily took the cup back. "You don't understand. There's an art to lemon tea. I like to put three slices of lemon, honey, and Qimen black tea. Don't poke it. Chill it in the refrigerator for more than ten hours, and the flavor will naturally come out, and the color will be clear. This cup... is just passable."
"Why are you being so fussy?" Just then, someone pushed the door open and the pretty director, Xiao Zhao, quickly made room for her, saying, "Prosecutor Cai, you've arrived! Please have a seat..."
Upon hearing the commotion, Prosecutor Cai, who had just arrived, came over and sat properly between Han Shu and Xiao Zhao. Xiao Zhao was busy pouring tea for his superior, while Prosecutor Cai glanced at Han Shu a few times.
"You seem to be in a better mood these past few days? Your complexion has returned."
Han Shu laughed and said, "The lighting here is like a haunted house, yet you can still tell my complexion. Old ginger is spicier."
Prosecutor Cai smiled and said, "Isn't your godmother just concerned about you? You've caused me a lot of worry since you were little. Talking with your classmates must have made you feel a bit better, right?"
Han Shu was taken aback. He had indeed had a brief and unpleasant conversation with Fang Zhihe not long ago. How did his godmother know about it?
He was suspicious, but he didn't say anything. He just wondered to himself if Fang Zhihe had some kind of relationship with Prosecutor Cai. Could it be that Fang Zhihe was picking a fight for no reason, at the behest of his godmother?
Impossible! Fang Zhihe and Han Shu have been good friends since childhood. Han Shu's godmother, Zhou Liang, knows Fang Zhihe and a few others, but that's all they know. More importantly, Han Shu understands his godmother. The meaning behind Fang Zhihe's words is completely contrary to his godmother's thoughts; they are not the same thing at all.
Cai Jian seemed to regret his slip of the tongue, smiled, and accepted the hot tea Xiao Zhao offered, no longer pursuing the topic. Han Shu lowered his head to drink his lemon tea, wondering, "What's going on here?"
"Your father already told you, right? Quickly hand over what you're doing and go do what you're supposed to do. Didn't you always say you were restricted in the West City Courtyard? Now that you can fly far away, you're reluctant to leave?" Cai Jian said to Han Shu.
Han Shu shook his head. "Godmother, you were the one who insisted I take this case, and you're the one who told me to let it go. Don't use me as a pawn. I'm really determined to get this case. There's never been an obstacle that Han Shu can't overcome. And believe it or not, I've actually made some progress, so I can't just give up now."
"Oh?" Prosecutor Cai raised an eyebrow, his expression becoming focused, seemingly quite interested. "Tell me about it."
"Is this the place to discuss official business?" Han Shu waved his hand with a smile, then lowered his voice: "I'm sure Wang Guohua has powerful backers. He's just a small fry and a sucker. The real big fish hasn't surfaced yet."
"Han Shu, you must have evidence," Cai Jian said thoughtfully.
Han Shu said, "I know that. This isn't my first time taking on a case. Since I've come across this, I have to get to the bottom of it. Wang Guohua is innocent, but he doesn't deserve to die. He can't die in vain." As he spoke, he suddenly put down his cup, looked at Prosecutor Cai, and said meaningfully, "Godmother, you say Tang Ye is innocent, but I don't think it's that simple."
After a moment of silence, Prosecutor Cai said in a low voice, "Han Shu, you wouldn't... I believe you can distinguish between public and private matters."
Han Shu curled the corners of his lips into a half-smile, "Is that so? You're probably thinking, 'Oh no, how do I prevent myself from deliberately causing trouble for your godson?'"
“I didn’t say that.”
"That's good." Han Shu's expression turned serious. "If you really think that way, you're underestimating people!"
“Aye, he…”
Seeing Xiao Zhao get up to select a song, Han Shu whispered, "I only have one question for you: were you aware that Tang Ye had private accounts overseas? Also, the last suspicious project before Wang Guohua's death was related to Guangli Company, a subsidiary of Jiangyuan Group, and you were unaware of the close relationship between Tang Ye and Teng Yun, the former CFO of Guangli Company?"
Even Cai Jian's usually shrewd eyes showed a hint of confusion. She slowly shook her head. "What do you think..."
“As you said, everything depends on the evidence, and I don’t have enough complete evidence on hand right now. But if this case is to be investigated further, Tang Ye is unavoidable. Godmother, I know this wasn’t your original intention for asking me to help, but I hope you understand and are mentally prepared.”
Cai Jian remained silent for a long time, seemingly pondering the meaning behind Han Shu's words. Her children were growing up, and she felt herself slowly aging and becoming weak, her heart growing increasingly weary, her former vigor gradually fading. She sighed deeply.
Seeing his godmother like this, Han Shu felt a pang of pity. Just then, his colleague finished singing, so he took the microphone and announced to everyone with a smile, "Next up, please welcome our heartthrob from the West City Courtyard, the sweet-voiced pop diva, Ms. Cai Yilin, to sing us a song..."
Everyone joined in the jeering, and Cai Jian finally laughed, scolding, "Han Shu, you have absolutely no respect for your elders." But then he took the microphone from his hand.
Cai Jian loves to sing old songs and is a skilled amateur singer, a fact well-known in the Chengxi People's Procuratorate. However, apart from Han Shu, no one else dares to joke with her like this.
Cai Jian sang "Parting Swallows" with such poignant emotion that Han Shu applauded while taking out his phone to check it. Xiao Zhao returned from the song request area and teased him with a charming smile, "Han Shu, what's wrong with you tonight? You're physically in Cao Ying but your heart is in Han. You've been looking at that phone so many times... Let me see!"
Taking advantage of Han Shu's momentary lapse in attention, she snatched the phone, smiling as she dodged Han Shu's attempt to grab it back, saying, "Let the head of the disciplinary inspection team check if there's any content unsuitable for children."
Han Shu failed to snatch it, but he didn't hold it against it. He smiled and leaned back comfortably on the soft sofa. "Don't forget to tell me if you see anything good."
Xiao Zhao fiddled with the phone for a while, then disappointedly tossed it back to Han Shu, "No calls or texts, what are you looking at?"
Han Shu said with a grin, "I'm just checking the time."
As they were talking, the screen of the phone he was holding suddenly lit up, displaying an unfamiliar number. It rang twice and then hung up. Han Shu panicked, immediately jumping up from the sofa and rushing outside to call back.
"Hello, hello, this is Han Shu, who is this?" He was afraid that the surrounding noise would prevent the other party from hearing his voice.
Thankfully, this worry didn't materialize, and the other party's voice came clearly from the other end. "Hello, we can provide you with Mark Six lottery prediction services..."
Han Shu was taken aback, then flew into a rage, "Predict my ass! Be careful, or I'll raid your entire base!"
He angrily hung up, only to realize how incredibly disappointed he truly was.
Today was Fei Ming's performance day, Han Shu remembered. He didn't go, afraid of becoming an unpopular person in Ju Nian's eyes again. But all night, he couldn't let go of one idea: Fei Ming liked him and hoped he would go to the performance. Was it possible that she would call him because of Fei Ming's expectation? Given her temperament, the possibility was extremely slim, but he was obsessed with the hope.
Pushing open the door and walking back into the private room, Han Shu still couldn't hide his disappointment. Just then, Prosecutor Cai finished singing the last line and was in high spirits. He beckoned Han Shu over and said to Xiao Zhao, "Please pick a song so I can sing with Han Shu."
Han Shu used to be a karaoke enthusiast, but he had no interest in singing now and kept begging for mercy, saying, "I drank too much earlier and can't sing." But Cai Jian deliberately put on a stern face, and he had no choice but to comply.
"Han Shu, what are you singing?" Xiao Zhao asked from the side.
"It doesn't matter, what is there that I can't sing?"
"Prosecutor Cai, how about I play you a song called 'Meeting at the Aobao'?" Xiao Zhao asked Prosecutor Cai.
Prosecutor Tsai said, "Let's change to a new song so that Han Shu doesn't keep saying I'm living in the 1970s."
Han Shu muttered, "You wouldn't know how to do something so new either."
Xiao Zhao understood and selected a song for them that was neither new nor old: "When Love Has Become the Past".
“This one is good, our little diva can sing this one,” Han Shu said with a smile.
After a slightly melancholic interlude, Cai Jian's female voice came through: "Let bygones be bygones, life has already been full of storms..."