Chapter 180: Chapter 179 Zhujing_1
The girl was stunned, and it took her a long moment before she finally raised her head to look at Shi Tianxiao.
Shi Tianxiao had also recovered from the shock by now and seemed to have thought through the entire story the girl had recounted. He did not refute Zhou Ning’s statement, but instead followed that train of thought himself.
Seeing the girl look at him, he raised his hand to pat Zhou Ning’s shoulder.
"He’s a forensic doctor, from the technical department of the municipal police. Although we can’t be certain of anything, the experience you’ve described is deeply unsettling. It’s necessary to do a paternity test. If..."
Shi Tianxiao did not finish because the greasy boyfriend walked over, and the girl bowed to Shi Tianxiao and Zhou Ning.
"Thank you. I will confirm this matter as soon as I return. I’ve heard that a hair with a follicle or a toothbrush can be used. Let’s go."
Seeing Zhou Ning nod, she quickly left with her greasy boyfriend.
Shi Tianxiao let out a long sigh, took a handkerchief from his pocket, and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"If it weren’t for you being here today, I wouldn’t have known how to deal with this person. I got goosebumps listening to her, felt like there were eyes all around me in the room. A fond childhood memory turned into something out of a paranormal incident the way she told it."
Mr. Zhao walked to the window and looked down.
"I don’t know whether the girl was abducted, but that greasy boyfriend is no simple character. This car, there can’t be more than two like it in Qindao City."
Shi Tianxiao was unconcerned and pulled Zhou Ning into the consulting room. Since Zhou Ning had saved him from an awkward situation, he was even warmer to Zhou Ning.
"Of course he’s no simple character; he’s the third son of Tiantai Real Estate, the absolute heir. This girl must have something special about her to be chosen by the third son. It’s said she was a directly admitted Ph.D. candidate in accounting at Dongcai."
Zhou Ning raised an eyebrow. Since he had partnered with Doctor Lu, he had met quite a few Ph.D.s, many of whom were highly distinguished. However, this girl’s age definitely didn’t exceed twenty-three or twenty-four, which showed she was no ordinary intellect.
Shi Tianxiao took out a box of snacks from the cabinet and passed it to Mr. Zhao, who cooperated very well. He walked out with the box and even closed the door behind him—such situational awareness was rare.
After wiping off his sweat, Shi Tianxiao drank a large glass of water and then slowly said:
"Alright, let’s put this page behind us. Now, tell me, today is not the weekend— for you to come over so proactively, and wait patiently outside for that long, could it be that you’ve remembered something?"
Zhou Ning also smiled. Each has his own expertise, and indeed, Shi Tianxiao’s strength was psychology.
Leaning back in the recliner, Zhou Ning relaxed.
"I can now see part of the face of the man in the fur-lined shoes. Just as you said, I didn’t overthink it because I’ve been dealing with a very tricky case recently, running back and forth to Jingkou every day, too tired to even speak— and that’s an insult to dogs. The day the case ended, I suddenly saw part of that person’s face. Gaunt cheeks, a pockmarked face, other features were blurry, but there was a very clear, hideous scar above the right eyebrow."
Shi Tianxiao nodded, neither inquiring about the nature of the scar nor continuing to ask if the dreams increased. He simply handed Zhou Ning a bottle of mineral water.
Then he leaned back in his chair and said slowly:
"Well done, significant progress. I know your parents’ death might involve some secrets at a very high level. Our principle is not to actively touch it or resist the memory, but once you remember, you should accept it calmly, even if you say the scarred man is right in front of you—you should stay composed."
Zhou Ning was taken aback, not expecting Shi Tianxiao to say so, but after thinking, he shook his head.
"I’m just a forensic doctor, and I’ve only recently transferred from the branch office. Although I’ve been involved in some stuff, I am just an ordinary person. What exactly my parents went through is impossible to guess. In fact, I’ve asked my grandfather—if my parents were on a special mission, why would they bring me along?
On the other hand, let’s analyze it. If it wasn’t for a mission, just a vacation or some other time, how did these people find my parents? Even knowing the general situation of my family, was it an internal leak..."
Shi Tianxiao blinked and gestured for Zhou Ning to stop with his finger.
"Stop, don’t tell me anything too secret. I see a lot of patients every day, each carrying fearsome amounts of negative energy. But your analytical perspective is not bad, distancing yourself, looking at it from a third-person perspective— it might be beneficial for your memory recovery."
Zhou Ning nodded and spread his hands.
"What, knowing that I’ve remembered something, you’re not even going to bring up treatment today?"
Shi Tianxiao rolled his eyes and walked over with a tablet, handing it to Zhou Ning.
"Come on, genius, do a set of questions. I’ll re-evaluate you, and then we’ll start treatment."
...
It was nearly five o’clock when Zhou Ning and Mr. Zhao finally left the psychological clinic.
Sitting in the car, Zhou Ning took two deep breaths, as if trying to exhale all the oppression he had just felt. He used a bit too much force, though, and retched twice. Mr. Zhao glanced at him.
"Do you want me to stop the car so you can throw up? This is a new car."
Zhou Ning waved his hand.
"It’s not car sickness. Let’s go to the seafood market, but let me be clear, we’re buying things that are convenient for a hot pot."
Mr. Zhao grinned, driving towards the seafood market. Given that Zhou Ning was this generous for once, it was as rare as a blooming iron tree. He bought a bit of everything they saw. When they arrived at Zhou Ning’s apartment, they found Zhou Xiaoyu already standing at the door, chatting with He Shancun. Mr. Zhao hummed twice.
"Look at you, just showing up with an empty mouth. Hurry over and help out. We bought quite a bit of seafood and vegetables, and mushrooms—all of which need some pre-processing."
Mr. He and Xiaoyu came over, and it seemed that Zhou Ning had seen them talking, as Xiaoyu’s cheeks were slightly red. Zhou Ning smiled and gestured with his hand.
"Hurry up and come inside; we really do need your help. I know that doctors have good knife skills."
Mr. He scoffed and glanced at Zhou Ning’s hands.
"Forensic doctors have even better knife skills."
Mr. Zhao rushed out, standing directly between the two and waved his hands in a stop gesture, speaking with a solemn expression.
"Look, what are we here for? Let’s make it clear, okay? No need to start arguing as soon as we meet. You two might not feel anything, but Xiaoyu and I can’t stand it. It’s like a storm in our stomachs, and it might affect our rhythm later!"
Mr. He had been laughing it off, but he glanced at a building not far away where a woman seemed to be standing at a window.
"Zhou Xiaozhou, you didn’t fail to invite Mr. Xia, did you? You both are working on the same project, and people at the window can see everything. Moreover, it wouldn’t be too awkward with Xiaoyu here as a girl."
Xiaoyu also came over, her face full of smiles, and gratefully glanced at Mr. He.
"Brother, call Mr. Xia over. I only met her briefly last time, and I really want to get to know her better. After all, she’s going to be my sister-in-law in the future."
Zhou Ning took out his cell phone, looking at these two who were playing back and forth, which irritated him greatly.
In fact, he had been thinking of inviting Xia Momo, but considering that Mr. Zhao would then be the only one left alone, it was somewhat awkward. His comments about having a soft spot for Xiaoyu were not merely casual remarks. Zhou Ning could tell that ever since they arrested Cui Guanglin, Mr. Zhao had been extremely attentive towards Xiaoyu, seemingly having real feelings for her.
As these thoughts crossed his mind, he dialed Xia Momo’s number, and on the third ring, she picked up the call.
"You saw from the window, hurry over."
Mr. He snorted, and Mr. Zhao made tut-tutting sounds, shaking his head and exchanging a glance with Mr. He.
"This must’ve been arranged earlier; seems like we spoke out of turn."
After joking around for a bit, Xia Momo arrived swiftly, wearing a milky white dress that was casual yet distinctive. Her long hair was already pulled up on top of her head, secured with a chopstick—a peculiar technique that Zhou Ning never quite figured out no matter how many times he saw it.
"Come on, don’t just stand there; let’s go upstairs. I can only cook instant noodles, but we have plenty of ingredients, so let’s all pitch in!"
Xia Momo grabbed Xiaoyu, who was about to start working, and gestured toward the three men with a nod of her chin.
"You don’t need to go; they can handle washing the vegetables and getting things ready. After all, being doctors and a forensic doctor, they should manage fine. We’ll just prepare the table."
Xiaoyu naturally heeded Xia Momo’s words, wrapping an arm around Xia Momo’s and clinging to her.
"Right, I’m at my brother’s place, so naturally, I’ll do as you say, especially since Grandpa likes you so much."
Xia Momo’s cheeks were a bit warm, but she didn’t shy away with embarrassment. Instead, she swiftly got everything ready on the dining table. She was very clear about how serious Zhou Ning was at his job. She had known him for almost a year, and although they hadn’t made their relationship official, Zhou Ning didn’t push her away. Even his family approved of her, leaving Xia Momo quite contented.
Once everything was ready, the five of them took their seats. Mr. Zhao curled his lips.
"I’m telling you, next time we have a meal, you’ve got to find me a girlfriend, or it’s just too uncomfortable for me. Mr. He, set me up with one of your nurses, right? There are plenty of them in your department."
Mr. He waved his hand.
"In our department, the youngest nurse is 29, and she’s already got kids. As for other departments, I’m not familiar enough with them yet. And don’t tell me you can’t find someone; it’s just that you don’t want to. If your family put the word out, you’d be swamped with people throwing themselves at you."
Mr. Zhao sighed. Every time his family was brought up, he had the same expression. Xia Momo patted Mr. Zhao on the arm, and he looked up at her.
"Don’t sigh, if there’s no one suitable at Doctor He’s place, why not look in your department?"
Zhou Ning nearly burst into laughter.
"Our department? The Public Security Bureau has few women as it is, especially on the criminal investigation side. Where would you find young and pretty girls?"
Xia Momo shook her head slightly.
"There is one. Didn’t Mr. Pang assign you an assistant, Zhu Xingxing? That girl is very pretty, and her mother works in the Education Bureau too."
Her words left both Zhou Ning and Mr. Zhao stunned.
"I forgot Zhu Xingxing is a girl."
Mr. Zhao scratched his head, clearly struggling with himself.
"No, I can’t. I know her father, and it’s hard to make a move on someone you’re too familiar with."
He Shancun grabbed Mr. Zhao’s arm, his eyes gleaming as he looked at him.
"Wait a second, what do you mean by ’it’s hard to make a move on someone you’re too familiar with?’ Did you know Zhu Xingxing, the girl Mr. Xia mentioned, from long ago? Why didn’t you speak up sooner?"
Mr. Zhao awkwardly raised his head, shaking it as he sighed.
"Because when we were kids in the compound, I gave her a nickname ’Zhujing,’ and since then, she stopped talking to me. Her family also moved away with the military.
I swear, I didn’t do anything disgraceful; it was just that I called her ’Zhujing’ in front of our classmates, she cried and went home to complain, and then I got a good beating."
He Shancun was almost in stitches, pounding on the chair beside him, and looked at Zhou Ning earnestly.
"I can’t take it, I’m dying of laughter here. Such a nice girl, and you nicknamed her ’Zhujing?’ What were you thinking, Zhou Xiaozhou? Next time we have a gathering, we should invite her so we can see for ourselves. What does she look like to earn such a nickname?"
Xia Momo also joined in the laughter.
"Zhu Xingxing is very pretty, don’t listen to Mr. Zhao’s nonsense. But next time we have a gathering, let’s do something different. How about we rent a boat and go out to the island? How does that sound? We could plan it for the National Day holiday, especially since Xiaoyu is about to be transferred over soon."
Zhou Ning was taken aback and looked at Zhou Xiaoyu.
"Transferred? How come I didn’t know?"
