Chapter 33: CH 33

Chapter 33 – Unhappy

After Fu Zhihuan changed his name, Fu Minghen had a talk with him.

“Why did you change your name?  Do you know how angry the family feels?  Father was furious and if Mother hadn’t stopped him, he would have cut off the father and son relationship with you.”  Fu Mingheng said.

But Fu Zhihuan did not answer him and just lightly pulled in the corner of his lower lip.  Suddenly, he asked an irrelevant question.

“Do you know what is the principle of presumption of innocence?”

“What is it?”

“An accused is presumed innocent before he is proven guilty by the law and it is an important principle of criminal justice in the laws of modern countries.  In other words, even if you know that a person is guilty, he still can’t be convicted without crucial evidence.”

“What has this to do with your name change?”

Fu Zhihuan did not answer and just smiled.  Then he tapped his knuckles on the tabletop and stood up.

“Nothing…….let’s go out for a meal.”

When Fu Zhihuan was in high school, something happened.

One night, the police received a report.

A thug by the name of Jin Chenhe argued with another person while playing a card game.  During the dispute, he slammed the table then picked up a bottle, smashed it on the person’s head, and shouted.

“Don’t provoke me!  I even killed someone twelve years ago!”

After the people around called the police, the police quickly detained Jin Chenhe.  When they checked his records, it was found that he had been detained by the police for some fights, thefts, and minor cases but was never involved in any murder case.

The only case that could be connected to the murder case Jin Chenhe mentioned was the case where Fu Zhihuan’s younger sister was brutally killed twelve years ago.

Back then Jin Chenhe was taken away by the police for investigation and interrogation.  However, at that time there was no evidence and the DNA found on the body did not match Jin Chenhe, so he was not listed as a suspect.

Since the incident was related to the famous Fu Family, the police put in extra effort to interrogate him.

But Jin Chenhe was very assertive.

“How can I be the murderer?  That old incident just surfaced in my mind and I only wanted to give them a scare.”

Words spoken on impulse could not be used as testimony and in addition, after the police investigated, no useful evidence was found.  Therefore he was released after going through a few days of criticism and educational detention.

The day Jin Chenhe left the detention center, he met Fu Zhihuan.

Fu Zhihuan stood under the traffic light opposite the zebra crossing that was in front of the detention gate.  The road was heavy with traffic and the sound of car horns was incessant.

He was in school uniform and his white shirt was clean and plain but he was extremely eye-catching in the crowd of people that was moving back and forth.

Jin Chenhe was whistling as he stood sloppily while waiting for the traffic lights to change.

When the red light turned green he followed the flow of people and moved forward.

As soon as he lifted his head, he saw Fu Zhihuan standing under the traffic light looking calmly in his direction.

Fu Zhihuan’s face did not show any expression and he was carrying a schoolbag slung over his shoulder.  His black hair and deep eyes gave others a feeling of inexplicable shock.

Jin Chenhe’s face instantly changed.  His pupils shrank slightly, his fingers trembled, and he subconsciously clenched his hands into fists as he hurriedly looked away.

Then he quickened his paced and brushed past Fu Zhihuan.

“Mister!…….”

At this moment, Jin Chenhe suddenly heard Fu Zhihuan call out to him.

His back stiffened then he turned his head stiffly and asked.

“What’s the matter?”

Fu Zhihuan raised his eyes to look at Jin Chenhe.  After a long while, Fu Zhihuan suddenly laughed lightly and lifted his hand to gesture in front of Jin Chenhe.

“Nothing, it’s just a reminder to pay attention to where you’re going.”

After so many years, Fu Zhihuan has never given up on looking for Fu Yuqing’s murderer.

When Fu Zhihuan heard from his parents about Jin Chenhe mentioning that he ‘killed someone twelve years ago’ before being arrested, Fu Zhihuan investigated him through numerous sources.  Fu Zhihuan had a hunch that the person in front of him must know something about his younger sister’s death.

Because the timing mentioned by Jin Chenhe was too accurate.

Just like when someone in his thirties is being asked about when he graduated from high school…….  Most people would do a simple calculation in their minds and there is no way he could give out information so quickly and accurately.

And it had been so many years.  For a man in his thirties and in such an emotional state, he could still very clearly remember the exact time ‘twelve years ago’…….

If that matter really had nothing to do with him, then how could it make such a deep impression in Jin Chenhe’s memory?

Fu Zhihuan wanted to confirm his suspicion.

Sure enough, while they were crossing the road, he was able to confirm from the man’s reaction.

Jin Chenhe must be aware of who he is……..

But in Fu Zhihuan’s memory, it was clear that he had never met Jin Chenhe before.

So how did Jin Chenhe know him?

Fu Zhihuan recalled that time when he and his younger sister were separated and got lost in the amusement park, he had searched anxiously for his sister and collided with a man who was pushing a garbage trolley.

“Pay attention to where you’re going!”

The man had frowned and his tone sounded a little impatient and fierce.

Time overlapped………

The image of the man’s face back then vaguely overlapped with the present image……..and finally it became incomparably clear……..Jin Chenhe!

It’s that face!

Twelve years ago, Fu Zhihuan could not make a judgment but now he can confirm that even if Jin Chenhe was not the real murderer, he must have had something to do with Fu Yuqing’s death.

But all these were just his speculation.

He wanted to know the truth.

Ever since then, Fu Zhihuan has never given up investigating Fu Yuqing’s murder nor has he given up investigating Jin Chenhe.

But so many years had passed and countless police officers were still unable to find any evidence so how could the evidence surface so easily?

Even though Fu Zhihuan knew that Jin Chenhe might know the truth about that murder case, he could not find any evidence to investigate Jin Chenhe.  Because according to the law, one cannot investigate someone just based on one’s intuition without any evidence.

So why did Fu Zhihuan change his name?

Fu Lu……

(This first set of Chinese characters means ‘Instructor Lu’.)

Fu Lu……

(In this second set of Chinese characters, the ‘Fu’ here means to bind or tie.  Both the characters ‘Fu’ have the same pinyin but they have different meanings.  The first ‘Fu Lu’ means ‘Instructor Lu’ while the second ‘Fu Lu’ means ‘Bound by Law’)

Fu Zhihuan is an extremely calm person.

Punishing evil with evil is not something he would do.  However, the clearer he understands this, the more tormenting it becomes.

He started to gradually move away from his family, become withdrawn and a loner, and distanced himself from others.

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Everyone thinks that Fu Zhihuan is a terrifying calm man, just and impartial.  It is almost like he was born to be in this position, like a law written in black and white as if he is stripped of all sensitivity to deal with everything.

In fact, when he was visualizing Lu Kechen’s plan, only Fu Zhihuan knew he could vaguely see himself through those countless layers of lights and shadows.

It is not that they are the exact opposites of each other.

It is more like they are staring at each other through a mirror.

Perhaps it was fragments of rationality that prevented Fu Zhihuan from stepping beyond the lights and shadows into the darkness.  But whenever he visited Fu Yuqing’s grave, an invisible thread seemed to be tugging him silently.

“Fu Yuqing is the most sensible child I’ve ever met.  If she is still alive, she definitely wouldn’t want to see the brother that she loves the most become like this.”

Fu Zhihuan did not fall into that deep abyss.

He could only watch helplessly while the ‘truth’ was right in front of his eyes but had no way to get close.  And Fu Yuqing is buried under the tombstone unable to seek justice while he is powerless to do anything.

To Fu Zhihuan, it is like a lingering death of a thousand cuts.

“What’s the matter with you?”

Suddenly, a soft female voice interrupted his thoughts.

Wen Ruan lifted her head, moved nearer to him, and said in a worried tone.

“Why do you look as though you’re lost all of a sudden?”

Fu Zhihuan was pulled back to the present from his chaotic thoughts.  He lowered his eyes, turned his head, and said lightly.

“I’m alright.”

“I just checked the previous backup copies of my email and found Lu Kechen’s home address.  In the past, I had visited his house when I was his defense lawyer.”

Wen Ruan frowned while she rummaged through the information on her phone.

“Can you take me there later?  Or else, you can go back first and I’ll take a taxi to go over on my own.”

Fu Zhihuan:  “Do you want to persuade him?”

“Mm……”

Wen Ruan nodded as she wrote down the address and said calmly.

“Perhaps you may think I’m meddling but I didn’t help him three years ago, so at least I don’t want to stand by doing nothing this time.”

“I think if I’m Qin Wan, most probably I wouldn’t wish for this kind of ending too.”

With a slight frown, she turned her head with the corners of her lips curled and showed a bitter smile.

But her beautiful eyes were still pure and bright as always.

Fu Zhihuan’s pupils shrank slightly.

Suddenly, he remembered the words he spoke to Fu Mingheng a long time ago – ‘I and Wen Ruan are two completely different kinds of people’.

In fact, this sentence is not derogatory.

If it is, then it must be mocking him.

Wen Ruan is very pure and has always been full of enthusiasm for everything in the world.

But not him.

By this time, the old doctor had finished the bandaging.  Wen Ruan smiled then thanked him and stood up with difficulty.

She lowered her head and noticed that Fu Zhihuan did not reply.  Guessing that he might not want to meddle in other people’s matters, she said casually.

“I’ll call for a taxi.”

“Let’s go.”

He stood up, reached out to hold Wen Ruan’s wrist, and said.  “I’ll send you there.”

The car drove on the empty street.

It was nearly ten o’clock and at this time not many vehicles were on the road.  It looked empty and quiet all around.

Wen Ruan sat in the passenger seat.

She kept turning her head quietly to peek at Fu Zhihuan who was beside her.

She had the feeling that starting from the clinic, the person beside her seemed to have become lifeless.

Looking at him…….he seems unhappy.

A while later, Wen Ruan decided to break this situation and coax this humanoid low-pressure discharger.

So she quietly moved nearer to Fu Zhihuan and coughed.

“Is it boring to drive?”

He threw her a glance but did not reply.

Wen Ruan:  “Then let me tell you a joke.”

He glanced at her again.

Although Fu Zhihuan did not reply, she continued to talk to herself.

“Once upon a time, there was a tasty chocolate and a bland chocolate.  One day the tasty chocolate said to the bland chocolate…….’ I’m going to push you into the sea!’  Guess what happened.”

At the end, she paused for a while and then continued.

“The bland chocolate was pushed into the sea!”

Fu Zhihuan:  “……”

He did not show any response but Wen Ruan was laughing breathlessly.  She rubbed her tearful eyes and upon seeing that the man beside her was not responding, she started on the second cold joke.

“Do you know the meaning of hiding a knife while laughing?”

“It’s ha,ha,ha……knife……ha, ha, ha!”

Fu Zhihuan:  “……”

Then to make him laugh, she carried on happily telling cold jokes from ‘the matchstick feeling itchiness on its head’ all the way to ‘the polar bear feels so cold after plucking its hair’…….and her happy laughter filled the whole car.

All along the way to Lu Kechen’s house, Fu Zhihuan did not even squeak out a sound.

Resting her chin on the dashboard of the car sullenly, she blew her bangs and said in a tone that held a tinge of disappointment.

“It’s difficult to make you smile.”

Fu Zhihuan did not speak and just sighed helplessly.  He unfastened Wen Ruan’s seat belt then got out of the car and went around to the passenger side to open the car door.  Stretching out his hand, he said.  “Get down.”

Perhaps it was because of his indifference that Wen Ruan also felt a little aggrieved.

“Why are you unhappy the whole night?  I’ve told you so many jokes to amuse you!  I’m injured but I didn’t even whine!  And all along the way, you ignored me!  My mood is not good.”

Fu Zhihuan listened to her series of complaints and remained silent while helping her to get down from the car.

Just when Wen Ruan finally gave up on her coquettish tactics and turned her head away dejectedly, she suddenly heard him speak……

“Sorry.”

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