CHAPTER 73

After a heavy snowfall in the city, the shooting moved into the later stages.

The police once again kept an eye on Meng Xiaozhou, but they hadn't found anything unusual for the time being.

A stalemate had formed again.

Detective Huo's suit seemed even more wrinkled, and his hair had grown longer. He simply tied it up in a small bun. Documents were spread across the table, and photos and clues covered one wall. He crossed his arms and muttered to himself, "There must be, there must be some missing piece. I just haven't found it yet..."

"Where is it, where could it be?"

Something must have triggered this crime.

Out of the original nine girls, only three remained in the city. Aside from Meng Xiaozhou, one of the other two had already married, with a child over a year old, living a peaceful and stable life. On the night of the incident, her family was traveling and hadn't returned. The other girl had committed suicide a week before Yang Yi was released from prison...

These two had no suspicion on them.

Detective Huo sighed helplessly, "Is my lifelong reputation really going to end like this?"

"Admit it, Dad, in the past, you were just a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse." Huo Ran, the little boy, played his role perfectly, sitting with his feet up on the sofa, playing a game. His handsome little face was serious as he snorted dismissively. "You're not doing so well now, are you?"

With clear pronunciation and genuine emotions, his small expressions and actions were so adorable that it made others squint and smile.

"Truly the son of a movie star and actress," Cai Juan whispered to Xiaoyuan, "He's incredibly talented."

Xiaoyuan smiled slightly.

"Hey, stop giving your dad a hard time," Huo Bijun complained about the noise from his game console. "Go play in another room, don't disturb me here."

The son glanced at him. "You think I annoy you? Just send me to my mom's place then."

"You want to go over there? Can you get along with your stepdad?"

"What's the big deal? Many of my classmates have divorced parents. It's either a stepmom or a stepdad. Our generation is used to it. Whoever gives money is family!" The son glanced at him out of the corner of his eye.

Xiaoyuan couldn't help but chuckle. This kid was improvising with his lines on the spot—hinting that Huo Bijun should give him pocket money.

Huo Bijun's lips twitched, a smile at the corners of his eyes and mouth, conveying a deep meaning and a hint of affection. He pointed at the boy, "You're going too far!"

Suddenly, he seemed to think of something, and his expression grew serious as he quickly reached for his phone. "I have to go work on something."

Huo Ranran didn't even look up, absorbed in his game, and waved his hand reluctantly.

Huo Bijun called Lao Zhou, "That girl who committed suicide, her name was Wu Qianli, right? If I remember correctly, her mother was originally from this city, right?"

"I know her whole family is from Bincheng. Wu Qianli's dad is... Please help me look into this carefully. Yes, check her mother. Hmm, look into her social connections."

In a different setting, they had already found out about Wu Qianli's mother. It turned out she was not originally from Bincheng, she moved there when Wu Qianli was two years old and later got married.

Because the child was young, she always regarded her stepfather as her real father, and since they moved, the current neighbors were unaware of this relationship. The previous investigations didn't uncover this.

Huo Bijun narrowed his eyes, "So Wu Qianli still has a biological father?"

Lao Zhou nodded and pulled up a photo, "Ji Hongfeng, this man is Wu Qianli's biological father."

"The Ji surname is rare in Bincheng. Check if this person has come to Bincheng, when he came, and if he had any contact with Meng Xiaozhou."

......

"Teacher Zeng is finally going to make an appearance." Xiaoyuan took a deep breath.

The role of Ji Hongfeng was played by Zeng Li.

Zeng Li was the kind of actor that audiences might not know his real name, but his portrayal of roles left a lasting impression. Over fifty years old and with twenty years in the industry, he had starred in no more than ten works, mostly as supporting characters. But whenever he appeared in films or TV shows, he outshone the lead actors.

He had won all the awards for supporting roles, in TV dramas, movies, and even stage plays.

One of his most famous TV dramas had him playing an antagonist who terrified the audience. Reviews on Douban were along the lines of "Teacher Zeng gave me nightmares for days, but I still want to scream whenever I see him."

People both feared and loved him.

Huo Bijun was also looking forward to it. Getting Zeng Li for this role was a pleasant surprise, everyone in the industry knew that Zeng Li came from a wealthy background and acted purely out of interest. He hadn't had a new project in three years.

Zeng Li made a strong impression when he arrived on set.

Huo Bijun timed his arrival perfectly, planning to greet him and discuss the role. However, when the time passed and Zeng Li still hadn't shown up, his assistant had already been communicating with the crew and shook his head, saying he didn't know where Zeng Li was.

It just so happened that it was lunchtime on set, and everyone found a warm place to gather and eat.

Many background actors were also in groups, squatting under the eaves with their lunch boxes, chatting and eating.

Huo Bijun walked around the set, waited a bit longer, and estimated that Zeng Li might still be on his way. So he pulled out his phone to call him.

The call didn't go through.

He decided to wait until the afternoon for the filming to talk to him. Xiaoyuan hadn't gone back to rest either as she was waiting to greet her senior as well.

"Hey, Xiaoyuan," Huo Bijun said to her, "I think Teacher Zeng must be delayed for some reason. You shouldn't stay outside too long, be careful not to catch a cold."

The tip of Xiaoyuan's nose was slightly red from the cold. She nodded and asked, "Did Ranran go back?"

"He went back to sleep early." As the years went by, the air grew colder, and even speaking outdoors released puffs of breath. Huo Bijun glanced at the background actors who were eating.

These background actors were actually hired construction workers, who spoke only a few words. Huo Bijun didn't need them to have experience, they wore padded jackets, knit caps, and white construction gloves. In front of them was a pile of cement, with several cement bricks scattered around and a few cement buckets.

One of the background actors was still counting the bricks, as if taking inventory.

"Hey, buddy, don't rush, go have something hot to drink." Huo Bijun called out.

"Alright." the worker chuckled, glancing at the cement. He naturally kicked it a bit and then walked back to his fellow workers.

Huo Bijun turned his head and noticed Xiaoyuan curiously watching the worker.

"What's wrong?"

Xiaoyuan couldn't quite explain, shook her head, and didn't pay much attention.

"Hm, I'm a bit worried about Teacher Zeng. I've heard that he likes to explore his surroundings when he arrives somewhere and doesn't like anyone following him. He's not familiar with this place, he wouldn't be lost, would he?"

Xiaoyuan blinked. "He shouldn't be. He has a map on his phone."

Huo Bijun replied, "I heard that Teacher Zeng's phone isn't even a smart one."

Xiaoyuan made a surprised sound.

Huo Bijun continued trying to call Zeng Li. The call connected, but no one answered. Strangely, he thought he heard another phone ringing at the same time.

Following the sound, his gaze swept around and finally landed on the group of workers.

He saw the worker he had spoken to earlier standing there, taking off his knit cap and smiling at them.

Huo Bijun stared in shock, and Xiaoyuan also looked at the worker.

"Director Huo, Miss Xiang." Zeng Li walked over to them.

It was strange. Xiaoyuan had just seen him from behind, walking back, looking like an ordinary construction worker, slightly hunched with no trace of acting in his posture.

But now, as he walked toward them, he stood tall, his face lit up with a smile, exuding an indescribable charisma, even though he wore the same outfit as the other workers, and his hairstyle was similar too.

It was truly remarkable.

"Ah," Huo Bijun finally understood. He hadn't worked with Zeng Li before, but he had heard that he liked to familiarize himself with his roles in advance.

Some actors prefer to fully embody their characters as soon as they enter the set. Not only do they need to get into character themselves, but they also want those around them to see them as that character.

One of the most famous actors in the entertainment industry, the only three-time Oscar-winning actor Daniel Day-Lewis, is known for his method acting approach.

In movie magazines around the world, there have been reports about his intense methods of working. For instance, during the filming of "Gangs of New York," he played the infamous Bill the Butcher. Once he arrived on set, even the crew members were scared of him, and he would provoke both actors and staff off-screen, making everyone utterly dislike him.

His co-star Leonardo DiCaprio had a scene where he needed to hit him, and when they filmed the scene for real, Day-Lewis didn't hold back. Rumor has it that he even broke Day-Lewis's nose.

Of course, in a society that values relationships, even on set, communication, and negotiation are necessary, making it unlikely for an actor to have such freedom.

This was Huo Bijun's first time encountering such an actor, and indeed, Teacher Zeng lived up to his reputation.

"Hey, brother, it's so nice to finally meet you!" Huo Bijun extended his hand to shake Zeng Li's. "Welcome, welcome!"

Zeng Li smiled subtly, even a bit shy, nodding towards Xiaoyuan.

Xiaoyuan greeted him, "Teacher Zeng, I'm Xiang Xiaoyuan. It's a pleasure to work with you."

In her understanding, Zeng Li probably didn't know her, but he nodded and smiled at her, "Not long ago, I was playing mahjong with Teacher Zhu, and she mentioned you."

Was he referring to Zhu Ehua?

Not only was Xiaoyuan surprised, but Huo Bijun also looked at him in astonishment, as if to say, "You know Zhu Ehua? Why didn't you mention this earlier?"

Xiaoyuan found it hard to adjust to being someone who had been acknowledged by a "legendary figure." She could only chuckle awkwardly, "Ahaha..."

She hadn't expected that Teacher Zhu still remembered her.

Later, she called her brother to ask if he had asked Zhu Ehua for help again. Xiang Zhishi was even more surprised than she was and simply said no.

Xiaoyuan was left even more perplexed.

......

Zeng Li's acting style was completely different from Huo Bijun's. The latter excelled in more expressive emotional scenes, while Zeng Li's style was very natural and subtle.

Once his makeup was complete and he donned his costume, the entire set was mesmerized by his presence.

His meticulously groomed hair was shaved into a crew cut, with some gray highlights added by the makeup artist. With the addition of wrinkle makeup, he instantly appeared significantly aged, as if he had lost half of his vitality and aged ten years.

His hands were also given special makeup to look like they belonged to someone who worked often—nails trimmed short. Feeling that they looked too clean, he went outside and grabbed several handfuls of dirt and sand, washed his hands, grabbed more, washed again—after a few rounds, some mud had seeped into the crevices of his nails, not easy to wash off.

When it was time to start filming, Zeng Li took a look at his shoes and felt they were still too clean. He ran around on the dusty snow-covered ground outside before finally feeling satisfied.

Huo Bijun was left without any patience, he almost wanted to say to him, "Come on, that's enough, we're not shooting that detailed of a scene."

His seemingly quiet and subtle acting method was filled with sharpness beneath the surface.

The first scene was the one with his ex-wife, the most watched scene since the beginning of filming.

His ex-wife was played by a middle-aged actress, a regular cast member in the "Detective Huo" series, portraying Wu Qianli's mother, Wu Huiyun, in "Huo 3."

Wu Huiyun and Ji Hongfeng had a child out of wedlock. When Ji Hongfeng's mother saw that she had given birth to a granddaughter, she didn't allow them to get married. Young Ji Hongfeng obeyed his mother, and in a fit of anger, Wu Huiyun took her daughter and left.

And they were gone for sixteen years.

Ji Hongfeng had been trying to find news about them for many years, but his elderly and ill mother needed his care, preventing him from being able to search for them. 

After his mother passed away, Ji Hongfeng wandered through multiple cities, taking on many jobs, including cement worker, contractor, electrician, and truck driver, until he finally contacted Wu Huiyun and arrived in Bincheng.

Wu Huiyun was unwilling to let him see their daughter, so Ji Hongfeng could only watch her from a distance. He rented a house in Bincheng for a month, following his child to school every day and watching her after school. By that time, he had learned about the harm done to his daughter and the person responsible had gone to prison. Unable to do anything, he decided not to disturb her life anymore and quietly left to work in a neighboring county, hoping to be closer to her, waiting for the day he could meet his daughter.

He had started to settle into his new life, almost building his own family, until he heard the news of his daughter's suicide.

This was the scene that Zeng Li was about to perform.

In a simple house.

Wu Huiyun sat on one side of the table, while Ji Hongfeng sat on the other.

They sat silently, their gazes fixed on the table, words unspoken between them.

Only deep sorrow filled the air.

"My daughter," Ji Hongfeng uttered in a hoarse voice, managing only those two words before falling silent.

"She was cremated." Wu Huiyun said numbly, but her brows furrowed slightly, as if she was holding back immense pain.

Ji Hongfeng was silent for a moment, wanting to reach for a cigarette. He rubbed his palm, then looked up at Wu Huiyun and paused.

"... She didn't know she had a biological father. She always thought her father was her biological one, and he treated her well," Wu Huiyun said, her eyes welling up. "...Her father is still lying in the hospital...I can't accept... can't accept it..."

Struggling to finish her sentence, tears welled up and rolled down her cheeks.

Ji Hongfeng furrowed his eyebrows, swallowed hard, sniffed, then reached for the cigarette box, holding it in his hand.

Wu Huiyun's eyes were swollen. It seemed like she had cried all her tears in these days, yet new ones still managed to surface. After nurturing her daughter for over a decade, the precious one held in the palm of her hand was gone, taking with her the essence of her parents' lives.

She wiped away her tears, took out a photo album from her bag, "... You should keep this."

Ji Hongfeng's gaze sharpened, slowly placing the cigarette box down and placing his both hands on the table.

"I picked out some of her photos, from when she first learned to walk to... to when she got into high school... Take it," Wu Huiyun said, grabbing her bag and standing up, gasping, "... just to keep a memory."

Covering her mouth, she left.

Next was Zeng Li's solo scene.

He nervously took the photo album, looked at his own palms, wiped them on his clothes, then carefully opened a page.

Suddenly, his eyebrows softened, flipping through the photos one by one, his fingers gently brushing over them. A smile gradually appeared on his lips as he murmured, "...In XX year, at 3 years old, yes, 3 years old... In XX year, ah, at 7 years old, growing tall and beautiful."

Tears began to well up in his eyes, sorrow spreading across his face, seeping into every wrinkle.

He exhaled heavily, flipping through the album. A mournful sound escaped his throat, tears seemingly blurring his vision. He wiped his face forcefully, covering it with his hands, silently weeping for a while, then wiped his face again, resolutely keeping his eyes open, trying hard to see his daughter clearly.

......

Xiaoyuan, unknowingly, had tears streaming down her face, and she would forever remember this scene.

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