Fatty Fang towering figure stood nervously by the lilac archway as he looked down the aisle. Bufu stood beside him as the best man, decided by a fierce 10-rounds rock-paper-scissor. Li Yun and two of Fatty Fang’s cousins lining along the front. On the other side was Xuxu as the maid of honor and three other of Mu Lian's friends.
Mu Lian walked down the aisle, a simple band of white lace lain over freshly cut grass, to the sound of 'Canon' on the piano. As the music began, everyone stood and watched with bated breath. The bride looked stunning in her white dress, with the train overflowing on the laced aisle. Although she knew people who thought Fatty Fang wasn't suited for her, she followed her own heart, to be with the person she loved the most. As she reached his side, he smiled and placed her hand into the hollow of his elbow. They looked like beauty and the beast with the way he towered over her. With their vows, rings, and kisses exchanged, they were officially husband and wife. Everyone cheered.
The reception took place nearby manor with everyone slowly moving into a large dining hall, stopping occasionally to speak with friends they hadn't seen in a while. Inside the banquet room, there were tables set up with the dance area in the front. Fatty Fang and Mu Lian had a lot of relatives, so there were a lot of tables set up. The other half of the tables were the people from the apartment and college friends. Rouxi sat with Li Ching, Zhang Mi, Ju De, Zhu Ah Nin, Ersan, Jing Bei, and Wu Ling.
"This is basically the detective club table!" Li Ching was happy to be invited given that she didn't know Fatty Fang and Mu Lian too well.
"We are considered the junior table," Wu Ling said. She was the one that helped sort the table setting for the people in her age group. She thought it was going to be difficult, but Xuxu had helped out with the arrangement.
The only unfamiliar face at the table was Jing Bei, Ersan's girlfriend. She was the one who had introduced Ersan to Rouxi livestream, and a longtime fan. Her face was radiating like any other fan girl meeting a celebrity. They took a lot of pictures and chatted as they waited for the reception to start. As a general rule, receptions were never on time.
"Miss Meilin is Brother Yun's girlfriend?" Jing Bei had heard it from Ersan, so she was naturally curious.
"Yes,” Rouxi replied with a nod, but she was much more interested in other topics. “Sister Jing Bei just graduated? Are you moving to Magic City with Ersan?"
"Ersan's new firm also has an interior design department, so we'll work together,” Jing Bei had a tacit understanding that Rouxi likely knew about her cousin, Wen Naxi. It would be rude to bring up the topic.
"Oh hey, how's your cousin doing?" Ersan asked.
Jing Bei glared at Ersan, was he dumb? “Nali is doing fine.”
"Wen Nali? Isn't that cousin's ex?" Wu Ling asked.
The table all rolled their eyes. Wu Ling had the least amount of tact when it came to relationships. Beibei looked to Rouxi, who was a bit amused.
"Don't worry, some of these people don't know how to read the room," Rouxi reassured Beibei that she didn't mind talking about Li Yun’s exes, she was rather curious. Aside from Li Yun's first girlfriend, Rouxi didn't think Li Yun had any real relationship afterward. From what Xuxu had speculated, they were more girlfriends Li Yun had dated to appear normal. If Wen Nali didn't end the relationship, it was likely that Li Yun would ask for marriage to appease his parents. "So how is your cousin?"
Jing Bei sighed in relief that Rouxi didn't appear like the jealous type, “Nali recently passed her probation period, and she’s starting to pursue associate status at the university.”
“That’s great to hear,” Rouxi replied.
“She’s pretty happy there, and she’s dating a colleague.”
As they continued chatting, more guests were coming in after taking pictures with Fatty Fang and Mu Lian, who had changed into a red qipao. People took their seats and noticed a crowd around a particular table. There were people who recognized Rouxi and came over to their table to request a picture.
"Oh wow, I didn't know you were that famous," Li Ching commented after the latest exchange of pictures and Ourchat numbers.
"Well, there's a reason why my fanclub posted a "do not disturb Ms. Song Meilin and Wu Ling" message and pinned it on the university forum," Rouxi said.
An hour after the scheduled reception time, it officially began. The MC, standing near the front stage, introduced the relatives first, and then the parents, signaling that the main characters were about to enter. The music changed, and the MC loudly declared the arrival of each pair of bridesmaids and groomsmen. The couples danced their way out to the stage, making complete fools of themselves with meme dances. Finally, it was the newly wedded couple's turn.
As the laughter settled, everyone had their chance to make their speeches and thanked the attendees. With the formality completed, everyone sat down and chatted with distant friends while waiting for the 10-course meal to begin. The first serving of seafood soups arrived at the newlywed's table. Everyone at the table quickly sipped the soup before the table greeting portion of the ceremony.
The first table they greeted was Fatty Fang and Mu Lian's parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. Naturally, everyone was well behaved and received another round of red envelopes. The following table offered the newlywed a shot of whiskey. Fatty Fang and Mu Lian smarty took a sip and passed it on to Bufu and Xuxu respectively.
"You really have a sponge in your vest?" Xuxu noticed Bufu had an absorbant sponge in his hidden vest pocket.
"I don't like whisky," Bufu replied.
"You're such a lightweight," Xuxu commented as she quickly finished Mu Lian's glass.
"I hope your hangover lasts for three days," Bufu sniped back but in a calm tone.
Their exchange seemed pleasant from the perspective of the other guests. It wasn't odd that the guests were talking about Bufu and Xuxu since it was rare to see them together. They were amicable for the most part being the best man and maid of honor. Anyone who didn't know them thought they were a couple.
As for their friends, they all knew that it was impossible for them to be together. Whatever sparks people thought they saw between them was really just the two of them really disliking each other. Bufu had once thought of Xuxu as his idol, but she cracked his image of what a perfect woman should be. He had developed a bit of distrust for women. It didn't help that as he grew more handsome and wealthier, he also developed a bit of an ego. Handsome and wealthy men often felt empowered and had the tendency to look down on others. Luckily, he had friends who kept him in check. Frenemy was a better term between them.
Rouxi saw Wu Ling playing with her dinner plate. It was really easy to read the girl. A lot of girls were in the Fuzhang Fanclub, including Li Ching and An Zhang Mi, so it wasn't strange for women to have a crush on him. But Wu Ling didn't idolize him and often disparaged him almost on the same level as Xuxu. There wasn't a familiar annoyance she had for her brother and cousin, but more of a warning tone like she's trying to convince herself that it was a bad idea to like him.
"You have been awfully moody lately," Rouxi commented.
"Huh?' Wu Ling wondered why everyone was looking at her. "It's because of that case."
"What case?" An Zhang Mi asked.
"Ms. Gui and her son Bobo," Wu Ling replied, suddenly thinking about the two people.
Everyone also looked a bit sad. Bufu and Li Yun walked by their table and wondered why they looked like they were attending a funeral.
"Oh, we didn't tell them about the case yet," Rouxi quickly remembered.
"You guys still working on cases in the summer?" Bufu only helped them whenever they needed information from the web, otherwise, he was in the dark about most of the cases.
Zhang Mi sent everyone an updated detective board they recently finished. It was a detective board regarding different missing children over the past twenty years.
A year ago, the Tuan Yuan system was put into place to alert the public of missing children. The number of incidents had decreased. However, cases before were often cold. There were also cases when the adult male realized that his parents had actually adopted him through illegal means.
Before the system was set in place, around 70k went missing every year, but the majority were kids who ran away from home. A very small percentage involved kidnapping, murder, and human trafficking.
The list, which the detective club compiled, consisted of children that they suspected were kidnapped. There was no reason to believe that they suffered any form of abuse or had an inkling of rebelliousness.
There were six cases from 1996 to 2016, ranging from 10 years old to 14 years of age. Human traffickers preferred younger boys because they wouldn't be able to remember, so they had partially ruled it out.
Since the incident happened in different parts of town and a few years apart, it was difficult to connect the perpetrator.
"All of the missing cases involve boys with some sort of mental disability," Ju De explained. "One victim managed to escape, but he was incapable of describing the event. All he could remember was that the man had a large mole on his left cheek."
Whenever Wu Ling and her friends investigate a case, they avoid direct contact with the victims and family. The reason was simple, the police had already investigated it, and they didn't want to open old wounds for the family and victims. However, this was a case where the victim's mother Ms. Gui and Bobo sought them out. After what had happened, Bobo never had a proper sleep for the past two years. The girls felt uncomfortable that Bobo described what the man did to him. Bobo was just a naïve 14-years old boy who had the mentality of someone 5-years old. He wasn't fully aware of the abuse he had suffered, but it was enough to give him nightmares.
"I already told them to set up an appointment to see Yun," Rouxi stated. "But I think we really need to solve this case first before the boy can sleep peacefully."
This was one of the many cold cases they had put a board together. Although they weren't able to solve cases immediately, it would give them enough background information to spot any potential suspects.
Fatty Fang towering figure stood nervously by the lilac archway as he looked down the aisle. Bufu stood beside him as the best man, decided by a fierce 10-rounds rock-paper-scissor. Li Yun and two of Fatty Fang’s cousins lining along the front. On the other side was Xuxu as the maid of honor and three other of Mu Lian's friends.
Mu Lian walked down the aisle, a simple band of white lace lain over freshly cut grass, to the sound of 'Canon' on the piano. As the music began, everyone stood and watched with bated breath. The bride looked stunning in her white dress, with the train overflowing on the laced aisle. Although she knew people who thought Fatty Fang wasn't suited for her, she followed her own heart, to be with the person she loved the most. As she reached his side, he smiled and placed her hand into the hollow of his elbow. They looked like beauty and the beast with the way he towered over her. With their vows, rings, and kisses exchanged, they were officially husband and wife. Everyone cheered.
The reception took place nearby manor with everyone slowly moving into a large dining hall, stopping occasionally to speak with friends they hadn't seen in a while. Inside the banquet room, there were tables set up with the dance area in the front. Fatty Fang and Mu Lian had a lot of relatives, so there were a lot of tables set up. The other half of the tables were the people from the apartment and college friends. Rouxi sat with Li Ching, Zhang Mi, Ju De, Zhu Ah Nin, Ersan, Jing Bei, and Wu Ling.
"This is basically the detective club table!" Li Ching was happy to be invited given that she didn't know Fatty Fang and Mu Lian too well.
"We are considered the junior table," Wu Ling said. She was the one that helped sort the table setting for the people in her age group. She thought it was going to be difficult, but Xuxu had helped out with the arrangement.
The only unfamiliar face at the table was Jing Bei, Ersan's girlfriend. She was the one who had introduced Ersan to Rouxi livestream, and a longtime fan. Her face was radiating like any other fan girl meeting a celebrity. They took a lot of pictures and chatted as they waited for the reception to start. As a general rule, receptions were never on time.
"Miss Meilin is Brother Yun's girlfriend?" Jing Bei had heard it from Ersan, so she was naturally curious.
"Yes,” Rouxi replied with a nod, but she was much more interested in other topics. “Sister Jing Bei just graduated? Are you moving to Magic City with Ersan?"
"Ersan's new firm also has an interior design department, so we'll work together,” Jing Bei had a tacit understanding that Rouxi likely knew about her cousin, Wen Naxi. It would be rude to bring up the topic.
"Oh hey, how's your cousin doing?" Ersan asked.
Jing Bei glared at Ersan, was he dumb? “Nali is doing fine.”
"Wen Nali? Isn't that cousin's ex?" Wu Ling asked.
The table all rolled their eyes. Wu Ling had the least amount of tact when it came to relationships. Beibei looked to Rouxi, who was a bit amused.
"Don't worry, some of these people don't know how to read the room," Rouxi reassured Beibei that she didn't mind talking about Li Yun’s exes, she was rather curious. Aside from Li Yun's first girlfriend, Rouxi didn't think Li Yun had any real relationship afterward. From what Xuxu had speculated, they were more girlfriends Li Yun had dated to appear normal. If Wen Nali didn't end the relationship, it was likely that Li Yun would ask for marriage to appease his parents. "So how is your cousin?"
Jing Bei sighed in relief that Rouxi didn't appear like the jealous type, “Nali recently passed her probation period, and she’s starting to pursue associate status at the university.”
“That’s great to hear,” Rouxi replied.
“She’s pretty happy there, and she’s dating a colleague.”
As they continued chatting, more guests were coming in after taking pictures with Fatty Fang and Mu Lian, who had changed into a red qipao. People took their seats and noticed a crowd around a particular table. There were people who recognized Rouxi and came over to their table to request a picture.
"Oh wow, I didn't know you were that famous," Li Ching commented after the latest exchange of pictures and Ourchat numbers.
"Well, there's a reason why my fanclub posted a "do not disturb Ms. Song Meilin and Wu Ling" message and pinned it on the university forum," Rouxi said.
An hour after the scheduled reception time, it officially began. The MC, standing near the front stage, introduced the relatives first, and then the parents, signaling that the main characters were about to enter. The music changed, and the MC loudly declared the arrival of each pair of bridesmaids and groomsmen. The couples danced their way out to the stage, making complete fools of themselves with meme dances. Finally, it was the newly wedded couple's turn.
As the laughter settled, everyone had their chance to make their speeches and thanked the attendees. With the formality completed, everyone sat down and chatted with distant friends while waiting for the 10-course meal to begin. The first serving of seafood soups arrived at the newlywed's table. Everyone at the table quickly sipped the soup before the table greeting portion of the ceremony.
The first table they greeted was Fatty Fang and Mu Lian's parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. Naturally, everyone was well behaved and received another round of red envelopes. The following table offered the newlywed a shot of whiskey. Fatty Fang and Mu Lian smarty took a sip and passed it on to Bufu and Xuxu respectively.
"You really have a sponge in your vest?" Xuxu noticed Bufu had an absorbant sponge in his hidden vest pocket.
"I don't like whisky," Bufu replied.
"You're such a lightweight," Xuxu commented as she quickly finished Mu Lian's glass.
"I hope your hangover lasts for three days," Bufu sniped back but in a calm tone.
Their exchange seemed pleasant from the perspective of the other guests. It wasn't odd that the guests were talking about Bufu and Xuxu since it was rare to see them together. They were amicable for the most part being the best man and maid of honor. Anyone who didn't know them thought they were a couple.
As for their friends, they all knew that it was impossible for them to be together. Whatever sparks people thought they saw between them was really just the two of them really disliking each other. Bufu had once thought of Xuxu as his idol, but she cracked his image of what a perfect woman should be. He had developed a bit of distrust for women. It didn't help that as he grew more handsome and wealthier, he also developed a bit of an ego. Handsome and wealthy men often felt empowered and had the tendency to look down on others. Luckily, he had friends who kept him in check. Frenemy was a better term between them.
Rouxi saw Wu Ling playing with her dinner plate. It was really easy to read the girl. A lot of girls were in the Fuzhang Fanclub, including Li Ching and An Zhang Mi, so it wasn't strange for women to have a crush on him. But Wu Ling didn't idolize him and often disparaged him almost on the same level as Xuxu. There wasn't a familiar annoyance she had for her brother and cousin, but more of a warning tone like she's trying to convince herself that it was a bad idea to like him.
"You have been awfully moody lately," Rouxi commented.
"Huh?' Wu Ling wondered why everyone was looking at her. "It's because of that case."
"What case?" An Zhang Mi asked.
"Ms. Gui and her son Bobo," Wu Ling replied, suddenly thinking about the two people.
Everyone also looked a bit sad. Bufu and Li Yun walked by their table and wondered why they looked like they were attending a funeral.
"Oh, we didn't tell them about the case yet," Rouxi quickly remembered.
"You guys still working on cases in the summer?" Bufu only helped them whenever they needed information from the web, otherwise, he was in the dark about most of the cases.
Zhang Mi sent everyone an updated detective board they recently finished. It was a detective board regarding different missing children over the past twenty years.
A year ago, the Tuan Yuan system was put into place to alert the public of missing children. The number of incidents had decreased. However, cases before were often cold. There were also cases when the adult male realized that his parents had actually adopted him through illegal means.
Before the system was set in place, around 70k went missing every year, but the majority were kids who ran away from home. A very small percentage involved kidnapping, murder, and human trafficking.
The list, which the detective club compiled, consisted of children that they suspected were kidnapped. There was no reason to believe that they suffered any form of abuse or had an inkling of rebelliousness.
There were six cases from 1996 to 2016, ranging from 10 years old to 14 years of age. Human traffickers preferred younger boys because they wouldn't be able to remember, so they had partially ruled it out.
Since the incident happened in different parts of town and a few years apart, it was difficult to connect the perpetrator.
"All of the missing cases involve boys with some sort of mental disability," Ju De explained. "One victim managed to escape, but he was incapable of describing the event. All he could remember was that the man had a large mole on his left cheek."
Whenever Wu Ling and her friends investigate a case, they avoid direct contact with the victims and family. The reason was simple, the police had already investigated it, and they didn't want to open old wounds for the family and victims. However, this was a case where the victim's mother Ms. Gui and Bobo sought them out. After what had happened, Bobo never had a proper sleep for the past two years. The girls felt uncomfortable that Bobo described what the man did to him. Bobo was just a naïve 14-years old boy who had the mentality of someone 5-years old. He wasn't fully aware of the abuse he had suffered, but it was enough to give him nightmares.
"I already told them to set up an appointment to see Yun," Rouxi stated. "But I think we really need to solve this case first before the boy can sleep peacefully."
This was one of the many cold cases they had put a board together. Although they weren't able to solve cases immediately, it would give them enough background information to spot any potential suspects.
