Chapter 12

The hallway of the old building was narrow and cluttered with junk—it wouldn’t pass even the first round of a fire inspection. Zhao Xiuzhen’s family lived on the second floor. Carrying her basin, she pulled open the security door and hurried inside without looking back, leaving Xu Changying trailing behind and nearly getting hit by the swinging mosquito net curtain.

Xu Changying was experienced with home visits and had his own methods—even as he stood in the living room, he asked loudly, “Auntie, shouldn’t we take off our shoes?”

“I don’t have extra slippers for you! You cops are always coming and going—mopping the floor is a waste of my time…” Zhao Xiuzhen muttered complaints, only to turn around and find Xu Changying and Xia Qing already standing in the center of the living room. She couldn’t help rolling her eyes.

Zhao Xiuzhen’s home was only about seventy square meters, and this two-bedroom apartment now housed a family of six.

Xu Changying circled the living room, pulling out the plastic stools Zhao Xiuzhen had gestured to and offering one to Xia Qing, who simply shook his head and remained standing.

Hands on his hips, Xu Changying remarked thoughtfully, “Auntie, your family has six people, right? I see only two rooms—which one did Zhao Lanyue stay in back then?”

Zhao Xiuzhen was in the kitchen thawing frozen meat in water. She lifted the curtain and stepped out, her tone still sharp. “Zhao Lanyue? That was ages ago. There weren’t as many people back then—just me, my husband, and our son and daughter.”

“Oh,” Xu Changying said, pretending to be confused. “Then how does your family manage now?”

Zhao Xiuzhen pointed to the larger south-facing bedroom. “This is where my son, his wife, and their child sleep.”

Then she gestured to the smaller room. “This is where my husband and I sleep. My daughter’s studying in New Zealand now—she’s not home.”

“Wow, your daughter’s really impressive!” Xu Changying said with exaggerated admiration.

Her tone softened somewhat, though her words remained modest. “She’s just good at studying. Now she’s applying for a master’s in the UK.”

Though phrased as humble small talk, her tone revealed clear pride.

Meanwhile, Xia Qing stood by the cabinet, carefully examining the photos on display, while Xu Changying discreetly examined the entire apartment with remarks like, “You’ve really done well for yourself,” and “Both your children are settled now.”

Suddenly, Xu Changying stopped. “Auntie, you still haven’t told me where your niece stayed back then.”

Zhao Xiuzhen’s smile faded noticeably. She crossed her arms in the hallway. “There were a lot of kids back then. My husband and I still took the smaller room. We hung a curtain in the main bedroom—my daughter slept inside, and my son slept near the door.”

Xu Changying nodded, keeping his focus. “It must’ve been tough with so many kids. I get it. But what about Zhao Lanyue?”

Zhao Xiuzhen relented with a sigh and walked to the tiny balcony off the living room. “I partitioned a space here with a curtain and some boards. The living room’s AC is right there. Sometimes, after watching TV, my daughter would complain loudly and demand to switch places with Zhao Lanyue.”

The so-called “balcony” was little more than a cramped space by the window for hanging laundry—no more than three square meters, now piled high with clutter.

Those three square meters likely held the weight of a teenage girl’s shattered dignity.

Xu Changying looked up and spotted two old clothespins still clinging to the drying rack—likely remnants of the makeshift curtain. The balcony faced the living and dining areas, meaning anyone could see into that tiny space at a glance.

Xia Qing stood nearby, his expression appearing stern, though to outsiders, he simply looked cold. Zhao Xiuzhen shot him a glance, and suddenly she began speaking rapidly: “Honestly, I did a lot for Zhao Lanyue. She wasn’t even supposed to attend high school in our district—her uncle and I spent an entire summer running around to get her paperwork sorted…”

Xu Changying stroked his chin and interrupted pointedly. “This space isn’t unlivable, but Zhao Lanyue was an Omega, right? Auntie, did she stay here during her heats too?”

Zhao Xiuzhen’s stream of words stopped abruptly. A brief expression flashed across her face—a look of someone deeply uncomfortable with sexual matters, someone who recoiled at any mention of anything remotely related to sex. It was impossible to tell whether they despised the speaker or the word itself.

A muscle in her face twitched. “An Omega… yes, Zhao Lanyue was… was an Omega. Of course, you know how troublesome Omegas are—all that about suppressants and heats. For a beta family like ours, it was… awkward. She couldn’t stay here during those times. She’d switch with my son—he’d sleep on the balcony instead.”

Suddenly, Zhao Xiuzhen spoke again. “But you know, Zhao Lanyue was a rebellious kid. She ran around with all sorts of shady people from school or who knows where. It broke our hearts. So during her heats, she was usually… out.”

This time, it was Xia Qing who interrupted. His voice was icy, his expression immovable. “During a heat, it is the legal obligation of the guardian to provide a secure, enclosed space for an underage Omega and prohibit them from leaving. When custody was transferred, the Omega Management Bureau should have sent an inspector to assess the environment and explicitly inform you of these requirements.”

Zhao Xiuzhen recoiled as if burned by his words. She glared up in fury, but the moment she met Xia Qing’s stern gaze, her defiance crumbled. Her shame and anger spilled out in a plaintive complaint: “What was I supposed to do? I was her father’s only relative, but even her own mother abandoned Zhao Lanyue. My home is this small, and I still gave her food and a place to sleep. I even paid for her schooling. Someone like you—from the upper class—could never understand how hard it was for us. I had my own children to raise. That little brat Zhao Lanyue kept bringing trouble with those delinquents she hung around with. My daughter’s just a beta, but she’s always been well-behaved and studious…”

Xu Changying quietly pulled out a notebook, jotting things down as he listened. He nudged Xia Qing’s shoulder lightly and subtly positioned himself in front of him. Xia Qing glanced at the back of his neck and let him take the lead. Zhao Xiuzhen’s speech gave way to tears as she wiped her eyes. Looking at this ordinary, aging woman in her cheap clothes, standing in this cramped, overcrowded home, it was hard for anyone to keep pressing about obligations and responsibilities.

But Xu Zhangying was clearly cut from a different cloth. He meticulously noted down all of Zhao Xiuzhen's complaints before looking up as if her tears didn’t even register and casually asking, "Understood. So, how was your son and daughter’s relationship with Zhao Lanyue back then?"

Zhao Xiuzhen’s sobs paused for a second. She raised her face to meet Xu Zhangying’s gaze, gripping her handkerchief tightly as if trying to steady herself. Her tone softened slightly: "Kids that age naturally stuck together. Zhao Lanyue and my daughter were about the same age and went to the same school."

Xu Zhangying jotted it down without looking up. "What about your son? He was four or five years older than the two girls—already grown by then."

Zhao Xiuzhen grew visibly calmer. She took a breath and replied steadily, "Boys and girls didn’t exactly hang out. Back then, my son was learning auto repair from a relative. He came home exhausted every day—no time for deep chats."

Xu Zhangying continued, "Alright, got it. Thanks a ton, Auntie Zhao. Just one last question—ever hear who Zhao Lanyue ran with back then? Could you provide any names or contact details?"

Zhao Xiuzhen muttered, "How should I know? I had to cook for the whole family and glue paper boxes at home to make ends meet. I fed her. If not, tough luck..."

Xia Qing spoke up again, "Did Zhao Lanyue ever mention anyone’s name at home?"

Zhao Xiuzhen paused to think this time. Xu Zhangying noted inwardly that Xia Qing still got through to her—this goddamn ABO world.

"I don’t remember clearly. My daughter mentioned it to me once," Zhao Xiuzhen said, twisting her handkerchief. "She said Zhao Lanyue had a rep at school for hanging with some man named A Feng. That man supposedly knew some rich kid from school."

Xu Zhangying scribbled rapidly, his notebook filled with illegible shorthand only he could decipher. "That’s all she wrote?" he confirmed.

Zhao Xiuzhen clapped her hands. "That’s all she wrote!"

Xu Zhangying tilted his head. "Could you call your daughter and ask who that rich kid was?"

At the mention of her daughter, Zhao Xiuzhen’s attitude hardened instantly. She waved dismissively, "Out, out! My daughter never got mixed up in that nonsense. She only heard it from classmates. You said ‘one more’—twenty minutes ago! I still have to cook! Get out! If I see you cops again tomorrow, I’m reporting you to City Hall!"

The screen door slapped shut in Xu Zhangying’s face, followed by the metallic slam of the security door. Xu Zhangying barely yanked his pen back in time. He turned to Xia Qing with a grin.

Xia Qing simply looked at him. "Finished?"

Xu Zhangying stuffed the notebook carelessly into his pocket. "Done. Got plenty. Anything else you wanted to ask?"

Xia Qing: "No."

They made their way back through the narrow stairwell. As Xu Zhangying pushed open the iron gate, he glanced back sharply—just in time to see the second-floor security door click shut.

Walking down the alley, Xu Zhangying tossed a mint tin in his hand before suddenly turning to the young alpha.

"Xia Qing, something feel weird to you?"