Silent Testimony - Chapter 83

November 6, Friday — A day auspicious for all things.

In the Technical Investigation Office, Zhao Xiaoting circled around to Tao Ling’s left side and patted her shoulder teasingly. “What are you looking at? Your smile is practically reaching your ears.”

He Ying noticed the clue as well. “That’s true, Xiao Tao. You’ve been acting a bit different lately. Are you seeing someone?”

Tao Ling didn’t deny it. She tucked the sketchbook in her hand into her drawer, rested her chin on her left hand, and scrolled through a forensic report with her right. Her mind, however, was elsewhere, replaying the scenes of her morning with Li Hewei.

The very second she had opened her eyes that morning, she had crashed into the other woman’s tender, water-like gaze. Before she was even fully awake, she was greeted by a flurry of soft, dense kisses in her state of hazy confusion.

“Mmm…” She couldn’t help but let out a soft hum with her eyes closed, surrendering to the feeling. When she opened her eyes again, the sketchbook had been placed by her pillow.

“Sister Wei?”

Li Hewei smiled gently. “Your birthday present. Open it.”

Tao Ling turned to the first page. There were two illustrations: the first depicted her from behind, holding a spatula while cooking; the second showed her looking back with a smile.

“Eighteen scenes, thirty-six drawings,” Li Hewei explained, her nose brushing against Tao Ling’s as she spoke in a warm voice. “I love seeing you smile, so the second drawing of every scene captures your laughter.”

“Sister Wei…” Tao Ling hugged the sketchbook, burying her head in the crook of Li Hewei’s neck. “I love it so much.”

What she didn’t know was that Li Hewei had recently been “competing” with Tao Ling’s past self; while she had been feeling jealous, she had found a creative outlet by conceptualizing this series of sketches.

He Ying came over to get some water and interrupted her thoughts with a chuckle. “Oh my, is this silence a confession?”

Tao Ling covered her face with both hands. “Sister He!”

“Alright, alright, I’ll stop teasing you.”

He Ying filled her cup and sat back down. Tao Ling heard her mention, “Xiao Li was suddenly called away for a meeting. I wonder what it’s about.”

Zhao Xiaoting, the office “know-it-all,” replied, “It seems to be about the Civilized City Initiative. They’ll probably be assigning some tasks.”

He Ying looked thoughtful. “The Civilized City Initiative? That’ll keep them busy.”

As she was speaking, the dispatch center called. A burglary had occurred in Unit 203, Building 5 of the Starlight Community on Wanghai Road. The Technical Squad was needed to assist the Comprehensive Squad at the scene.

“Copy that.” Since Li Hewei was in a meeting, He Ying organized the team. “Xiaoting, Xiao Meng, follow me. Xiao Tao, you come too—the homeowner got into a scuffle with the criminal and was injured. We need a wound assessment.”

At 4:30 PM, sitting in the back of the criminal investigation vehicle, Tao Ling scrolled through her phone and opened a four-person WeChat group to send a message: [Out at a scene. Not sure when we’ll finish.]

Cheng Yingqiu: [Ah!] [Crying Emoji] Qiue Wan: [In a meeting.] Li Hewei: [+1] Cheng Yingqiu: [You guys can use your phones during a meeting?] Qiue Wan: [Changing venues.] Li Hewei: [+1] [Eye-roll Emoji]

Looking at Li Hewei’s emoji, Tao Ling couldn’t help but smile. She sent a hug emoji.

Li Hewei: [Hugging GIF]

Cheng Yingqiu grumbled: [What should we do? Refund the tickets?] Qiue Wan: [Most likely. The Public Security Brigade was reported by the public for lax supervision, so Criminal Investigation has to cooperate with their work.] Cheng Yingqiu: [Fine. Since we can’t go to Shanghai, can we at least grab dinner after work? It’s Sister-in-law’s birthday.] Li Hewei: [Sure, we’ll coordinate the time later.]

Arriving at the neighborhood, Tao Ling tucked her phone into her bag and followed He Ying into the elevator. After exiting and turning right, they found the injured homeowner outside giving a statement. He Ying led Zhao Xiaoting and Xiao Meng, who were already in their forensic gear, into the apartment while Tao Ling waited nearby.

In less than fifty minutes, He Ying finished the indoor sweep and asked for the assessment. “Xiao Tao, what’s the verdict?”

“Level Two minor injury,” Tao Ling replied. “Slight ectropion of the eyelid, along with multiple other closed injuries.”

“Got it.” He Ying gathered the team. “Let’s head back. This case should be solved quickly.”

The deputy captain of the Comprehensive Squad asked, “How so?”

“Likely a repeat offender. No fingerprints, but we found seven footprints on the windowsill, the exterior wall, and the lawn behind the building. The owner scratched the suspect, and we’ve already extracted residual tissue from under her fingernails.”

“Good work. Thanks.”

Back at the station, they ran the DNA and used the footprints to determine the suspect’s height and weight range. Finally, they queried the database and locked onto the target.

From the initial call to solving the case, only 2 hours and 11 minutes had passed. Director Liu received the news and, before ending his meeting, glared at the senior members of the Public Security Brigade sitting to his right.

“The Technical Squad and the Comprehensive Squad successfully solved a burglary just three minutes ago. Their efficiency is high; look at yourselves in the Public Security Brigade!”

“Three consecutive anonymous reports claiming police inaction!”

“In the end, the whole bureau has to clean up your mess.”

Director Liu turned his gaze back to the left, his tone softening slightly. “Xiao Qiu, work with Xiao Qian to draft a plan and get it to me as soon as possible.”

Qiu Wan nodded. “Will do.”

“Stay on standby this weekend. Meeting adjourned.”

The moment Li Hewei stepped out of the meeting room, she arranged dinner: [7:20, the food stalls at the back gate.]

Cheng Yingqiu: [Sister, I’m starving! Where is she? Where is Tao Tao?]

Li Hewei looked around for Qiu Wan and saw her following Director Liu toward the front office. She typed: [Being given ‘special care’ by the leadership.]

Cheng Yingqiu: [That’s what happens when you’re capable. The more you can do, the more you have to do.]

Li Hewei @-mentioned Tao Ling: [Where are you?]

[Can’t you just private message her? Your wife is with me!] In the Qiu Family Grocery Store, Cheng Yingqiu sat behind the counter, clutching Tao Ling’s arm and complaining. “Look at her, still @-ing you in the group. Pure showing off.”

Tao Ling felt embarrassed and didn’t respond, instead stuffing a snack into Cheng Yingqiu’s mouth to quiet her.

“Wow, you’re actually plugging my mouth! But I’ll accept it since you’re the birthday girl.” Cheng Yingqiu grinned, but her phone vibrated with a new message.

Qiu’s Mom: [I heard from Grandma that you guys aren’t going to Shanghai anymore?]

Cheng Yingqiu replied briefly: [Yes, Auntie. Sister Qiu is busy.] Although she was getting closer to Qiu Wan, she had no standing to forgive on the other’s behalf, nor did she know how to mediate. Furthermore, she was perceptive enough to realize that Shang Lan (Qiu Wan’s mother) was deliberately trying to please them, hinting that she had accepted their relationship. Because of this, Cheng Yingqiu felt a sense of gratitude that made it hard for her to be objective; she felt she shouldn’t interfere.

Qiu’s Mom: [Is the injury on her elbow fully healed?] Cheng Yingqiu: [Yes, thanks to you advising her to transfer hospitals. She recovered quickly with no lasting effects.] Qiu’s Mom: [She listens to you.]

Cheng Yingqiu was momentarily stumped, frowning as she thought of how to reply. Tao Ling, knowing about the strained relationship between Qiu Wan and her mother, suggested: [Better leave it to Sister Qiu to handle. Or, you could drop some hints to test her attitude. If there’s a sign of softening, maybe talk to Grandma about setting up a gathering?]

Cheng Yingqiu: [Yeah, that’s the only way.]

It was nearly 8:00 PM by the time Qiu Wan successfully left the Director’s office. By the time they finished dinner and headed home, it was already 10:00 PM. Cheng Yingqiu stayed at the grocery store to save time, while Li Hewei and Tao Ling took turns showering.

Tao Ling was quick. When she came out after drying her hair, Li Hewei was finishing her bath. Hearing the movement outside, she called out clearly, “Tao Tao.”

“I’m here.”

“The bath towel on the balcony.”

“Oh, okay.” It was the same scenario as a month ago, but their state of mind was worlds apart. However, when Li Hewei opened the door and Tao Ling glimpsed her completely unclothed, her cheeks flushed a deep crimson instantly.

Li Hewei walked toward her and reached out, a playful, teasing look in her eyes. “What are you dazing for? The towel.”

“Oh.” Tao Ling clumsily shoved it to her and bolted.

She’s not a little quail anymore; she’s more like a little rabbit—a very shy one, Li Hewei thought. She wiped herself dry and, instead of putting on pajamas, wrapped herself in a bathrobe. She walked toward Tao Ling, who was sitting on the edge of the bed with her back turned.

“Tao Tao, remember when we were in Wanyang? Staying at the guesthouse?”

Tao Ling stammered, “I… I remember.”

Li Hewei let out a low laugh. “I left the towel outside on purpose.”

“Huh?” Tao Ling turned around to look at her, waiting for the rest.

“To bait the rabbit,” Li Hewei said, sitting down beside her legs and lightly tapping Tao Ling’s forehead. “To test the silly rabbit’s reaction. Same with the lesbian movie we watched.”

“You…” Embarrassed, Tao Ling covered her eyes with her hands.

“Me what?”

Tao Ling bit her lip. “Making fun of me. You’re so mean.”

Li Hewei gently pulled the girl’s wrists down to her sides, looking her straight in the eye, her words clear and deliberate. “Because I had to be sure of your heart before I dared to move forward.”

“I know.” Tao Ling reached out to wrap her arms around Li Hewei’s neck, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s hum. “Give me my final birthday gift, okay?”

“Wh-what?” Li Hewei’s heart raced, making sure she hadn’t misheard.

“I want… I want you…”

Li Hewei’s kiss swallowed her words.

Outside the window, a fine rain fell softly. Pajamas and bathrobes were discarded on the floor, and the fresh bedsheets were pulled into various depths of wrinkles.

“Tao Tao.”

“Mmm?”

“Don’t hold back. Let me know how you really feel.”

Tao Ling panted as she called her name, “Sister Wei…”

“Drop the ‘Wei’.” Li Hewei controlled the pace, coaxing her in a husky voice. “Everyone else calls me that. I want you to be different.”

“Sister… Big Sister…”

Tao Ling had no experience in matters of intimacy, so she surrendered herself entirely to Li Hewei’s lead—confirming love, enjoying love, and drowning in the overwhelming waves of passion.