C1 The Lie in the Children's Songs(1)

Tick-tock, tick-tock... Mom collapsed to the floor,

Tick-tock, tick-tock... Dad brandished the knife,

Crimson liquid spilled from Mom's body,

Yun hid in the cabinet, secretly watching,

Why did Dad strike Mom,

And why didn't Mom utter a sound,

Dad glanced back at the cabinet, then started walking over...

Lu Wangshu dreamed he was a little girl in a red dress, concealed within a cabinet, softly humming a nursery rhyme and cautiously peering through the crack of the cabinet door.

She strained to discern what was happening outside, but her vision was foggy, as if obscured by mist.

Suddenly, a dark figure approached the crack. Lu Wangshu, transformed into the little girl in the cabinet, felt his breath quicken as the footsteps drew nearer.

Without warning, a bloodshot eye peered through the crack, startling the already tense Lu Wangshu.

"Ah!" Lu Wangshu sat up in bed, drenched in sweat. This nightmare had haunted him for several nights. He took deep breaths, trying to steady his racing heart.

...

In a nondescript corner on Third Street in Yongzhou City, a girl in a white shirt and jeans stood still, gazing at the sign of a shop: 'Lu Guang Detective Agency.'

As the girl was about to enter, the glass door swung open, and out stepped Lu Wangshu in gray pajamas, his hair a tousled mess. He rubbed his bleary eyes and, recognizing Lin Xiangyi, stretched with a yawn.

"Xiangyi, what brings you here?" Lu Wangshu yawned again, hand over his mouth, gesturing for Lin Xiangyi to come inside.

Lin Xiangyi cast a disapproving glance at Lu Wangshu and strode in. The Detective Agency was split into two levels: the upper for Lu Wangshu's residence and the lower for the office space.

Lu Wangshu used to return home daily, but since his mother's early death and his father's fatal accident last year, he had taken up residence at the office.

Lin Xiangyi surveyed the office's chaotic state with a frown. "I've been away for just a week, and you've turned this place upside down. Why are these files scattered everywhere?"

Lin Xiangyi grumbled as she gathered the scattered documents from the floor. Lu Wangshu, seemingly accustomed to her complaints, sauntered over to the sofa and collapsed onto it, closing his eyes. "I don't have time to tidy up... Let me do it in my dreams," he said with a hint of laziness.

With a sigh, Lin Xiangyi continued her reluctant cleaning. "I've quit my job at the TV station to apply as your secretary. As for the salary, you can decide."

Lu Wangshu's eyes snapped open, and he sat up, staring at Lin Xiangyi in disbelief. "You resigned?!" he exclaimed.

Lin Xiangyi nodded. Lu Wangshu got to his feet, about to say more, but Lin Xiangyi, with practiced ease, pulled him back upstairs. She dragged him into the bathroom and, with a cool detachment, handed him a toothbrush.

"Brush your teeth before you talk to me," she instructed icily.

Lu Wangshu, slightly embarrassed, covered his mouth, realizing his breath was less than fresh upon waking. He obediently brushed his teeth while Lin Xiangyi, satisfied, went back downstairs to finish tidying up the chaos.

As Lu Wangshu hummed a tune and brushed, he was startled by Lin Xiangyi's urgent shout from below, "Lu Wangshu! Quick, come here!"

Furrowing his brow, he rushed downstairs, calling out again. Hearing Lin Xiangyi's reply from the office, he made his way inside.

The office had belonged to his father, Lu Guang, and housed the Lu Guang Detective Agency his father had established. Since his father's passing, Lu Wangshu seldom entered the office, fearing it would reopen old wounds.

Qiao Liang, clad in his police uniform, strode into the agency and made a beeline for Lu Wangshu. Noticing Lu Wangshu's disheveled, just-awoken appearance, Qiao Liang's expression shifted.

Puzzled, Lu Wangshu asked, "Ah? Qiao Liang? What brings you here?"

"Mr. Qiao," greeted Lin Xiangyi, emerging from Lu Wangshu's father's office. She offered a polite greeting upon seeing Qiao Liang.

"Yes, Xiangyi, good to see you here. And Wangshu, I'm here today because there's a case I need your help with," Qiao Liang said, nodding to Lin Xiangyi before turning a tense gaze back to Lu Wangshu.

Lu Wangshu smirked as he lounged on the couch, a playful twist to his lips. "Frankly, I couldn't care less! The cases you bring to me are just petty thefts and minor scams. They're utterly uninteresting. I earn more from the wealthy ladies who hire me to track down their husbands' mistresses."

Qiao Liang chuckled sheepishly. Lu Wangshu's jest, though amusing, was indeed true.

"Mr. Qiao, here's some water." Lin Xiangyi placed a glass on the coffee table before sitting next to Lu Wangshu, both of them turning their attention to Qiao Liang.

After expressing his gratitude to Lin Xiangyi, Qiao Liang began, "This case isn't as straightforward as a typical theft or playing private investigator for some affluent woman."

Lu Wangshu let out a snort of laughter. "As long as the pay is right, I'm up for the job."

Lin Xiangyi playfully smacked Lu Wangshu's arm, signaling him to take things more seriously. Qiao Liang, somewhat embarrassed after hearing Lu Wangshu's comment, looked down and admitted, "The pay isn't great this time."

Lu Wangshu was about to retort but was silenced by a stern look from Lin Xiangyi. Influenced by his father, Lu Guang, Lu Wangshu was accustomed to all manner of frightening and strange occurrences and feared nothing. However, Lin Xiangyi, his childhood companion, was the one person who could make him hold his tongue.

"Mr. Qiao, please go on," Lin Xiangyi encouraged with a gentle smile.

Qiao Liang nodded and continued, "Recently, we apprehended a man who murdered his wife. But no matter how much we investigate, we can't find any evidence linking him to the crime, not even a fingerprint on the murder weapon."

Lu Wangshu's brow furrowed as he inquired, "Then on what grounds did you arrest him?"

"There was a young girl at the scene; she saw everything. But she's a minor, and her testimony doesn't carry much weight. So we've detained the suspect for now, hoping for a breakthrough, but we've come up empty after several days." Qiao Liang's voice trailed off, his face clouding over with frustration.

Upon hearing the news, Lu Wangshu, who had been lounging on the couch, instantly perked up and fixed his gaze on Qiao Liang with earnest attention. "A little girl? Was she wearing a red dress at the time?"

Qiao Liang furrowed his brow in recollection. "Yes, she was wearing a red dress on the day of the incident. By the time the police got there, the suspect had nearly killed her. The man was like a madman when we rescued the girl from his clutches."

"He failed to eliminate the eyewitness, so of course he was frantic. Hold on, is this the same case I covered a few days ago?" Lin Xiangyi's eyes widened as she turned to Qiao Liang.