SACRED Heart Orphanage

　　Jhan Syudong parked the car outside the orphanage. After explaining their purpose and showing their badges, he and Ding Yi made their way smoothly to the director’s office.

　　The director was a woman in her fifties, with a round face and a kindly appearance. Jhan Syudong wasted no time and got straight to the point.

　　“Director, please take a look at this. Was this person adopted from here?” he asked.

　　The director adjusted her glasses and brought the document closer. It was a photocopy of the collective household registration from Sacred Heart Orphanage. Although the date on it was very old, the orphanage’s official seal was still clearly visible.

　　“Lesi? Hold on, I need to check the files,” the director replied. Before she was adopted by Lee Fonghan, Lee Lesi was called Lesi.

　　After arranging for tea to be brought, the director went to the archives to fetch the files.

　　Ding Yi was drawn to a logbook on the director’s desk. He couldn’t help but flip through it. It recorded the growth and daily life of the children, accompanied by numerous photographs. These photos included not only the children and staff but also many volunteers.

　　“Syudong, come take a look,” he said and wondered if the management was this meticulous when Lee Lesi was here before being adopted by Lee Fonghan.

　　When Jhan Syudong looked, he immediately understood Ding Yi’s point and said, “If they had such detailed records back then, we might be able to trace the people Lee Lesi interacted with before her adoption.”

　　“Let’s ask about it later,” Ding Yi smiled and said, sharing the same thought.

　　They didn’t have to wait long before the director returned.

　　“Yes, she was adopted in 1994. At that time, Lesi was already a girl of twelve or thirteen,” said the director.

　　“Director, we’re investigating a case. Lesi’s background is very important. Do any of your staff remember her or what her situation was like back then?” asked Jhan Syudong.

　　The director shook her head and replied, “It’s been twenty-five years. Most of the staff who had contact with her have retired. However, the former director might remember. She mentioned Lesi when I visited her during the New Year, saying she was one of our pride.”

　　Upon hearing this, Jhan Syudong asked for the former director’s address and, without much hope, asked, “By the way, when did you start using logbooks to manage the records here?”

　　“It’s a tradition of our orphanage. We’ve had it since the beginning. We group children of the same age together and keep a logbook for each age group,” the director smiled and replied. This was done to give the children some warm memories.

　　“Can we see Lesi’s logbook?” Ding Yi asked.

　　“Of course!” the director replied, went to the archives again and quickly returned with a logbook.

　　Both Ding Yi and Jhan Syudong carefully examined the book until they found a photo of Lee Lesi with a woman in an intimate pose. Both of their eyes widened in shock.

　　Ding Yi frowned and said, “Why does this woman look so familiar? I feel like I’ve seen her somewhere before.” Given that the photo was over twenty years old, it was difficult to connect the person in the photo with someone they knew.

　　While Ding Yi couldn’t place her, Jhan Syudong recognized her immediately. After all, he saw her every day.

　　“Isn’t this our colleague from the criminal investigation unit, Sieh Singlan?” asked Jhan Syudong.

　　Ding Yi suddenly realized. He often saw Sieh Singlan when he visited Jhan Syudong. Jhan Syudong had mentioned her before; she was Lin Haichao’s wife and Lin Chian’s stepmother.

　　Flipping through more pages, they found several photos of Lee Lesi with Sieh Singlan. Ding Yi couldn’t help but ask, “Do you know this woman? Did she visit often?”

　　The director leaned over to look and replied, “I don’t know her. I’ve never seen her since I started working here.”

　　With the director’s permission, Jhan Syudong took one of the photos of Sieh Singlan and Lee Lesi.

　　After leaving the office building, Jhan Syudong urgently needed to use the restroom. Ding Yi, seeing some display boards near the entrance, went over to pass the time. One board listed acknowledgments to various donors, including the Hedong Commercial Bank.

　　Given the bank’s social responsibility obligations, Ding Yi wasn’t surprised to see it on the list. What caught his attention was that the bank’s president and chairman personally attended the donation event, as shown in some old photos on the board.

　　When Jhan Syudong returned, they decided to visit the former director to gather more information.

　　The former director remembered Lee Lesi’s situation clearly. She recalled finding Lesi at the orphanage gate one winter morning. A note in the baby’s swaddle indicated her birth date and given name.

　　When Lesi was about seven or eight, Sieh Singlan visited the orphanage with colleagues and took an immediate liking to her. Despite wanting to adopt Lesi, Sieh Singlan, being unmarried at the time, was ineligible. This desire to adopt caused her to delay her own life plans, eventually leading her to marry Lin Haichao, a divorced man with a child.

　　On the way back, both Ding Yi and Jhan Syudong were deep in thought. Ding Yi broke the silence first.

　　“Do you think it’s normal for a young unmarried woman to want to adopt a child?” he asked.

　　“If she particularly likes children, it’s possible,” Jhan Syudong said, but he noted that Sieh Singlan wasn’t like this with Lin Chian, who was quite averse to her stepmother. “When Lin Chian went missing, Sieh Singlan didn’t report it until 24 hours later. Remember Jhou Sinyan’s statement? He specifically mentioned that Lin Chian had him sneak around to pass the ledger to him. Doesn’t it seem like Lin Chian was wary of someone?”

　　“Yes, I remember. If it was just a strained relationship, Lin Chian wouldn’t have been so cautious. At least, she would have felt safe enough to mail something herself,” Ding Yi replied.

　　“It seems I need to pay more attention to Sieh Singlan,” Jhan Syudong mused and said. He had suspected her before, but she had only been transferred to the team just before Lin Chian’s incident. Her frequent overtime with the investigation team, given Lin Chian’s status as an adult, had seemed justifiable.

　　“I’ve also wondered about her motivations,” Ding Yi added. “She’s due to retire at the end of the year. Why not stay in her comfortable office job until then? Coming to the investigation unit, even for clerical work, involves frequent overtime. What’s in it for her? She can’t get promoted, and she’s already at the highest rank she can achieve.”

　　As soon as Jhan Syudong finished speaking, his phone rang. After a brief conversation, he said, “I’ll be right there!” He hung up and stepped on the gas. “That bastard Wang Chyuansheng finally talked!”

　　Back at the police station, Ding Yi retrieved his own car and drove home. It was just past eleven, and he wanted to call Su Manhua but didn’t want to wake her from her sleep.

　　In his room, Ding Yi played the recording from his surveillance program. He discovered that Lee Mu had contacted “Jhan Ye,” and the two had arranged to meet at 2 PM at a restaurant called “Ruyi.” Ding Yi felt a surge of excitement; after waiting so long, the fish had finally taken the bait.

　　However, before 2 PM, Ding Yi heard a commotion on Jhan Ye’s end.

　　“Who are you? How dare you break into my home? Hey, stop! Or I will call the police!” shouted Jhan Ye.

　　A calm voice responded, “We’re from the city’s criminal investigation unit. You’re suspected of being involved in a murder case. Please come with us.”

　　“You must be mistaken! My son is Jhan Syudong, your colleague—” Jhan Ye panicked and said.

　　Ding Yi quickly called Jhan Syudong and asked, “Syudong, did you send people to arrest that ‘crab’?”

　　“Yes, Wang Chyuansheng confessed that Gu Wei ordered the murder. Gu Wei fled, and I’m leading the search. You and Ms. Su should stay safe and avoid going out,” Jhan Syudong replied and hung up quickly after giving this warning.

　　Ding Yi frowned, pondering the relationship between this “crab” and Lee Mu. With no further information available from surveillance, he could only hope for more from Jhan Syudong.

　　Remembering Syudong’s warning, he called Su Manhua. It rang for a long time before she answered, her voice thick with sleep.

　　“Hello, this is Su Manhua—” she said.

　　“Did I wake you?” Ding Yi asked. He couldn’t help but chuckle, imagining her sleepy expression.

　　Hearing his voice, Su Manhua quickly woke up. “You know what? My parents interrogated me all night.”

　　It was quite a coincidence. Last night, when Ding Yi had dropped her off, they had run into Su’s father taking out the trash. They were holding hands, leaving Su’s father stunned.

　　Su’s father had suspected she might be dating but was shocked to find out her partner was Ding Yi. Ding Yi had greeted him politely, stating his intentions to pursue Su Manhua and promised to visit properly to express his sincerity. Su’s father, though initially surprised, was very pleased and smiled broadly.

　　At home, Su Manhua had retreated to her room, but her father had immediately shared the news with her mother who had dragged her to the living room for a marathon of questions.

　　Ding Yi chuckled and asked, “Do they approve of me?” He felt a surge of anxiety, fearing her parents’ disapproval.

　　Hearing his deep, reassuring laughter, Su Manhua felt a bit embarrassed.

　　“They approve, very much,” she replied. They almost couldn’t wait to marry her off.

　　It could be disheartening to be a woman sometimes. Once past thirty and unmarried, one could easily attract sympathetic glances.

　　She was relatively lucky; her parents were open-minded and never pressured her about marriage. But now that they knew she was dating, they were just as eager and inquisitive as any other parents.

　　“Then I’ll make sure to marry you as soon as possible,” Ding Yi said, his mood instantly lifted.

　　Su Manhua blushed, her heart skipping a beat. Was this his way of proposing?

　　“Are your parents home today?”

　　“ Yes, they are.”

　　“Then I’ll come over this afternoon.”

　　“Wait, what? ” Su Manhua asked. She was caught off guard. “This afternoon?”

　　Ding Yi laughed again and said. “Of course! You still seem half-asleep. Go back to bed for now; I’ll come by this afternoon.”

　　She couldn’t help but warn him, “Be prepared for my parents to scrutinize everything about you.” Knowing her parents, they would definitely do that.

　　Ding Yi laughed heartily and said, “No need for them to investigate; I’ll volunteer all the information.” After that, he reminded her to stay safe and avoid going out, then hung up.

　　In the afternoon, Ding Yi gathered a variety of gifts and prepared to visit the Su household.

　　Before leaving, he received a call from Jhan Syudong. He had sensed that Ding Yi had something to discuss in the morning, so he called once he had a free moment. Ding Yi shared the details about Lee Mu and “Jhan Ye” planning to meet, including some specific insights.