You Mingxu drove for a while, never expecting the person in the passenger seat to start humming a tune uncontrollably: "...Born with beauty hard to forsake, but nothing I eat ever makes me gain... Calories, my mortal enemy, burn my calories... Calories, calories, calories, calories, calories, calories..."
You Mingxu knew this song was playing everywhere, but hearing Yin Feng mutter these lines over and over like a mantra made her brain involuntarily follow his rhythm.
"Shut up!" You Mingxu pulled a stack of documents from the side and tossed them into his lap. "Didn't you say you know something about geography? These are Li Biran's files. Read them carefully!"
Yin Feng immediately lowered his head to look.
The car instantly fell silent. After a while, You Mingxu glanced at him and froze.
At this moment, he didn't seem like the mentally unstable person at all. He was completely different from the chuunibyou teenager who had been humming about calories just moments before. One arm rested casually on the car door, the other held the documents as he lowered his head, his expression calm and focused. If you ignored the Teletubbies printed on his red T-shirt and only looked from the neck up, he truly resembled the mature, talented man he once was.
You Mingxu stole a few more glances before turning her eyes back to the road.
—
The teenager in the photo was tall, slender, and handsome. A faint, elusive smile hung on his lips, but Yin Feng could still detect a hint of gloom in his eyes.
Li Biran, 15 years old, from Xiangtan. Both his parents worked in other cities, so they entrusted him to his aunt, Xie Huifang, for care. Although his parents couldn't be with him, they were very concerned about his education. The family's financial situation was decent but not wealthy. Last year, he performed exceptionally well on his exams and was admitted to a prestigious private high school. Despite the steep tuition fees, his parents gritted their teeth and sent him there.
Xu Mengshan was in charge of this lead. Thorough and meticulous in his work, even though they hadn't located the person, he had arranged for interviews with Li Biran's teachers and classmates. From what they gathered, Li Biran didn't seem to be doing well at this "elite" school.
"Li Biran? I don't know him well. He hardly ever talks to classmates and rarely participates in activities."
"I've never hung out with him. He has his own circle, a few friends. Us and them... well, we don't mix."
"He always seems like he has something on his mind—gloomy and quiet. It's like he lives in his own world. He gets along well with the other kids from poor families."
"Li Biran is actually quite a headache for us teachers. His entrance exam results were passable, just barely enough to get into our school. But he has a strong tendency to compare himself to others. Ours is essentially a school for the elite, with many students from well-off families and influential parents. Li Biran doesn't focus on his studies and struggles to fit in with his peers. He often skips classes, and his grades have been getting worse."
"Fortunately, his aunt is quite strict with him. Last time we called her in, Xie Huifang scolded him harshly in my office. He seems a bit afraid of her, and his absenteeism improved after that."
"Biran is actually quite loyal. He doesn't get along well with his aunt. He really misses his parents and has talked about wanting to go find them.""They don't want to play with us, so we won't play with them either. Who needs to accommodate whom? It's just Li Biran—he's always a bit unwilling to accept it, wanting to mix with them, but they ignore him. Anyway, I'm starting to look down on him a bit now."
"He must be hanging out at an internet cafe. Where else could he go?"
...
You Mingxu parked the car by the roadside, facing a bustling commercial street. Shops lined the street, and at a glance, there were four or five internet cafes alone, not to mention those on the nearby streets.
Yin Feng put down the documents and said, "This isn't far from Li Biran's grandparents' house. He lived with them during elementary school."
You Mingxu didn't respond, instead calling a colleague to coordinate. Earlier, a patrol officer had spotted someone resembling Li Biran, but the street was too crowded, and they lost track of him.
"Let's start with the internet cafes," You Mingxu said.
As they got out of the car, she headed toward the first internet cafe on the left, but her arm was pulled back. Yin Feng pouted slightly, his dark eyes gleaming as he shook his head.
You Mingxu: "What?"
Yin Feng pointed at the shabby, dimly lit internet cafe and said, "It's too run-down. Li Biran wouldn't settle for this."
You Mingxu scoffed, "Solving cases by guessing?" Ignoring him, she strode inside.
Yin Feng bit his lip, stubbornly standing his ground. You Mingxu didn't wait for him.
A few minutes later, You Mingxu emerged, her expression neutral. "Next one." Yin Feng hurried after her and said, "I'm not guessing. How can you say I'm guessing? Li Biran is vain, lonely, and craves recognition. He's been trapped in the school environment for a while, and at home, he has to face the domineering Xie Huifang. Hanging out at internet cafes is his only escape from reality. Why would he want to be the 'poor kid' at a rundown place, mixing with those who can't afford the upscale cafes? So, there's no need to check these. He wouldn't even glance at them—he couldn't stand being here."
You Mingxu stopped and asked, "Then where do you think he is?"
Yin Feng pointed to two internet cafes in the distance and said, "The ones with the best environment and service. A shallow teenager would feel proud just sitting there."
You Mingxu thought to herself, Aren't you acting like a teenager now? She didn't say anything, partly because Yin Feng's reasoning seemed plausible, partly because they had to check every cafe anyway—other colleagues were on their way, and none would be overlooked—and partly because, despite his current state after the accident, he had once consulted on major cases. She wanted to see if he still had his skills and if his predictions were accurate.
She headed toward one of the cafes he'd mentioned. Yin Feng grinned and followed closely.
You Mingxu showed her badge and Li Biran's photo to the cafe owner. The owner thought for a moment, his eyes shifting, and said, "Well... I don't really remember."
Before You Mingxu could speak, Yin Feng interjected, "He's lying."
The owner froze, and You Mingxu slammed her police ID on the counter with a sharp "smack." "We're not here today for minor issues like underage internet use—the local police will handle that later. This is a major case! If you don't tell the truth, you're coming back to the station with me!"
The owner quickly put on an apologetic smile and said, "Don't be angry, don't be angry! I remember now! I've seen him—he's been here a few times. But I haven't seen him the last couple of days. Why don't you take a look around yourselves? If there's anything you need, we'll fully cooperate!"A few minutes later, You Mingxu and Yin Feng left this internet cafe and entered a second one.
Although this one wasn't as large as the previous one, its decor was even better. The owner was a man in his forties, thin and wearing glasses, sitting behind the counter.
You Mingxu briefly explained their purpose.
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