Chapter 143-4

Passing the Torch (2)

It seems I’ve made a lot of wishes.

Lin Yan opened her eyes, looking at them with a smile, her pupils shining even in the darkness.

Song Yuhang leaned over and pressed a kiss on her forehead, “Happy birthday, I love you.”

When it was time to cut the cake, they started fighting while eating, smearing cream everywhere.

Lin Yan’s anger from earlier hadn’t subsided, and she took this opportunity to settle personal scores. In the end, Song Yan’s face had the most cream on it.

The teenager screamed and ran around the house, spreading cream everywhere, even getting some on Mother Song.

After everyone was tired from playing, Song Yuhang went to clean up the kitchen. Lin Yan followed her in.

“Let me help you,” she said, rolling up her sleeves to get to work. Song Yuhang pushed her away and put on an apron.

“No need, no need, you go play with the kids.”

Lin Yan smiled lightly, “They’re playing games, Ji Jingxing and Liang Shi are playing poker with Mom.”

Song Yuhang glanced outside through the window. The three kids were on the sofa, engrossed in video games, shouting excitedly.

Mother Song and a few others were playing poker on the other side of the coffee table, with tea and sunflower seeds at hand, laughing and chatting merrily.

Song Yuhang suddenly felt emotional, “It’s been a long time since our whole family gathered like this.”

Lin Yan hugged her from behind, resting her head on Song Yuhang’s back, “Yuhang, thank you.”

Song Yuhang put down the plate in her hand, turned around, and gently called her name, “Lin Yan…”

“Mm?”

Following the voice, Lin Yan looked up. On this early summer night, amidst the sounds of insects, during a family reunion, under the warm yellow light, a gentle and loving kiss was shared.

Their reflections appeared in the kitchen window, snuggled together.

The three kids turned their heads back expressionlessly, picked up their controllers, and continued playing games.

Lin Xi, Song Yan, and Ji Weiyi: Someday, I’m going to choke on their dog food.jpg

Late at night, when everyone was asleep, Song Yuhang arranged for Ji Jingxing and the others to stay, then took a shower and trudged upstairs wearily.

She quietly opened the bedroom door, thinking Lin Yan was asleep. To her surprise, the bedside lamp was still on. Lin Yan was leaning against the headboard, wearing glasses and reading a book, specifically 《Chief Female Forensic Doctor》.

Song Yuhang lifted the blanket and got into bed, “Not sleeping yet?”

Lin Yan turned a page, “Not sleepy. Are they all asleep?”

“Asleep.” Song Yuhang pulled her close, indicating the book.

“What do you think of it?”

Lin Yan looked up at her, sneering, “The writing is so-so, and there are lots of professional errors.”

Song Yuhang pinched her nose, “Someone’s being insincere. Six years ago, he was just a kid, quite a prodigy.”

Lin Yan’s lips curled with pride, her metaphorical fox tail wagging, though she remained stubborn.

“So what? With two police officer moms, he’d pick up a lot and still write this?”

“You’re used to writing autopsy reports. If you wrote novels or scripts, you might not be any better. Different fields have their own challenges.”

Lin Yan lay in her arms. Song Yuhang gently brushed her hair behind her ear and spoke softly, “I think the kids prefer your encouragement over my praise.”

Lin Yan adjusted herself for more comfort, “I know. They’ve all passed their exams. We can’t make them drop out now. You’re right, the kids have grown up. Maybe it’s time for us to let go.”

Song Yuhang leaned down and kissed her forehead, “I know, you’re reluctant to let them go.”

“Not at all, I can’t wait…” Before she could finish, her ear was nibbled.

The sound of rustling clothes.

Song Yuhang’s hand became restless, her voice slightly husky, “Let’s not talk about this. Since they’re asleep, why don’t we do something…”

(If you're not reading on littlepandatranslations.com, it means this has been stolen)

She paused, then deliberately prolonged her words, “else.”

Lin Yan blushed slightly, her breathing quickened. Not wanting her to succeed so easily, she pushed against her shoulder.

“Song Yuhang, at your age, how can you still be so…”

Song Yuhang grasped the hand pushing against her shoulder, pinning it above Lin Yan’s head, “This kind of thing, no matter the age, never gets boring, especially with you.”

Lin Yan, unable to bear it, kicked her, “The kids are sleeping next door…”

Song Yuhang pressed closer, covering her mouth, “Then be quieter.”

“Mm…” Lin Yan struggled, but couldn’t fight back. Unable to speak under Song Yuhang’s relentless advances, she soon surrendered, letting her have her way.

Song Yuhang didn’t go too far, leaving some room for her. When everything was over, two hours had passed.

Lin Yan lay in her arms, her eyelashes still misty.

Song Yuhang picked her up, “How about taking a bath?”

The head on her shoulder nodded slightly. Song Yuhang couldn’t help but smile, lifting her up.

Lin Yan muttered, “Can you still carry me?”

“You’re underestimating my years of fitness training. Want to test it again?” Song Yuhang felt greatly insulted. After all, the en-suite bathroom was just a few steps away.

Lin Yan quickly wrapped her arms around her neck, clinging on, shaking her head vigorously, “No, no, I want a bath and sleep. I’m tired.”

Seeing her act so coyly, Song Yuhang’s heart melted. She gently pinched the back of her neck, “Alright, let’s go.”

“If I can’t carry you, I’ll carry you on my back; if I can’t carry you on my back, I’ll support you; if I can’t support you, I’ll pull you; if I can’t pull you, I’ll walk beside you, or stand still. No matter what, I won’t leave you alone.”

Lin Yan wasn’t someone who believed in words of love easily, but she knew that Song Yuhang wasn’t someone who spoke lightly either.

She had used the rest of her life to give the best explanation, showing her what good love should be like, and in just over twenty years, she had filled all the missing parts of Lin Yan’s life.

They were not just partners, but comrades-in-arms who would live and die together, synchronized partners, and inseparable family. These complex emotions intertwined, bringing tears to Lin Yan’s eyes. Sitting in the bathtub, she wrapped her arms around Song Yuhang’s neck.

Song Yuhang was taken aback, then hugged her back, gently patting her on the back of her head to comfort her.

“Alright, hm? Weren’t you tired? Let’s wash up and go back to sleep.”

“Okay.” Lin Yan responded dully. She was already tired, and the steam made her even more drowsy.

Song Yuhang rinsed the shower gel foam off her body, wrapped her hair in a clean towel, and carried her out.

Lin Yan felt her body lighten as she was placed on the bed, and the buzzing sound of the hairdryer began.

Half-asleep, she grabbed Song Yuhang’s hand and asked, “Song Yuhang, where’s my mechanical stick?”

Song Yuhang turned off the hairdryer and asked again to hear her clearly.

“It’s in the bottom drawer of the wardrobe. Why did you suddenly think of it?”

Before she could get an answer, Song Yuhang saw that Lin Yan had already fallen asleep. She couldn’t help but laugh, tucked her in, turned off the bedside lamp, and lay down, holding her in her arms.

“Goodnight, Yanyan.”

The next morning, Lin Xi was still asleep. After returning to her room last night, she had played games online with Song Yan until midnight, and now she was exhausted. The door creaked open.

Half-awake, she turned over, thinking it was Song Yuhang waking her up for breakfast, “Mom, I’m not eating…”

The person didn’t speak, placed something by the bed, and as they were about to leave, noticed that her blanket wasn’t properly covered and tucked her in.

Lin Xi, in her deep sleep, only frowned in her dream.

Lin Yan, looking at the face so similar to her own, couldn’t help but stroke her head, a gentle smile on her lips. She kissed her forehead and left.

When Lin Xi finally woke up around noon, she noticed a brocade box on her bedside table.

She reached for it and opened it, a note falling out. Lin Xi picked up the note and smoothed it out:

“Xiao Xi, this mechanical stick is called ‘Sentinel.’ It was a token of love from your mother. It has been through countless storms with me and even saved my life. Now, I pass it on to you, hoping that you will become a good police officer in the future.

Signed, Lin Yan.”

(If you're not reading on littlepandatranslations.com, it means this has been stolen)

The young girl scoffed, “Tch,” but her eyes reddened. She picked up the pitch-black mechanical stick from the box, feeling its cold metal contours, some grooves still stained with indelible blood turned dark brown.

Just holding it in her hand, it felt as if a storm of blood and fire was coming, making the young girl shudder.

Lin Xi gradually tightened her lips, silently vowing: I will, Mom. I will be like you, upholding justice with a clear conscience, and become a righteous and kind police officer.

Time flowed slowly. One rare, leisurely afternoon, Lin Yan sat in a wicker chair and finished reading the book written by her son.

At the end of the book, Song Yan wrote:

“By 2030, in the past six years, 24,890 public security officers (including armed police) were injured or killed in the line of duty across the country. Among them, 3,160 police officers died, and 21,730 were injured, averaging 526 deaths per year.”

“Among the 21,730 injured in the line of duty over the years, more than 10,000 were violently attacked while fighting crime, accounting for more than half of the total number.”

“Among them, police officers from police stations, public security, criminal investigation, and anti-drug units had the highest number of casualties.”

“In the list of national public security martyrs who died heroically in the line of duty, the oldest was 65 years old, and the youngest was only 19.”

“Of course, some informants and undercover police officers whose names cannot be disclosed are not included in this list, so the actual number of deaths is likely higher than reported.”

“We live in this world, and nothing comes out of a void. Behind the light you stand in, there are shadows, and in the darkness, there may also be light in your heart. We must admit that some people may lose their original intention, but there are also those who use their lives to fulfill their promises, just like Officer Song and Forensic Doctor Lin in the story.”

“Thus, the six-year serialization of 《Forensic》 officially comes to an end, but I believe this is not the end. The story of Song and Lin will not end because there are still ordinary people like them, who stick to their posts and swear to defend justice.”

“May the deceased rest in peace, and may the world become better.”

Jie Lanzhou, March 3, 2030.

Lin Yan closed the book. In just one afternoon, it felt like she had had a long dream. The days of gunfire and near-death experiences resurfaced, making her eyes moist and leaving her in a daze.

Until a voice woke her from the nightmare.

Song Yuhang stood in the courtyard, waving at her, bathed in sunlight, with a sunflower field behind her.

A seven-seater SUV was parked at the villa entrance.

“Yanyan, are you ready? We need to catch our flight.”

Lin Yan remembered. Song Yan and Lin Xi had just finished their college entrance exams. With the summer vacation free, the family planned to travel to Australia.

Before she could respond, the two siblings came downstairs with their suitcases.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Song Yan, carrying two suitcases and wobbling, complained as he walked, “They’re so heavy. Mom, my sister stuffed her game console and boxing gloves into my suitcase. Can you do something about it?”

Lin Xi kicked him from behind, “You’re a grown man. What’s wrong with carrying more stuff?”

“Hey, hey, watch your words. My lunar birthday has passed, but my solar birthday hasn’t. I’m not considered an adult yet.”

Lin Xi pretended to hit him but saw Lin Yan staring at them intently and stopped her actions, “Mom?”

Song Yan also felt something was off. He put down the suitcase in his hand and said, “Mom, what’s wrong? I brought your luggage down too.”

Lin Yan stood up, looking at them with tears in her eyes, and smiled softly, “It’s nothing, let’s go.”

Song Yuhang came in from outside, grabbed a suitcase with one hand, and wrapped an arm around Lin Yan’s shoulder with the other, ushering the two noisy kids out.

“Hurry up, you two. You’re dawdling, and we’re about to board.”

“It’s clearly Song Yan who took forever, going back just to apply his hair gel. It looks awful.”

“Haha, I look awful? What about you going bare-faced every day? No boys at school like you, tomboy!”

“Pah! Sissy!”

“Tomboy!”

“Sissy!”

……

Lin Yan couldn’t take it anymore. She turned around and gave each of them a knock on the head. “Both of you, shut up!”

Song Yan, clutching his head, felt extremely wronged and was about to lean forward to seek justice from Song Yuhang.

Before he could speak, Song Yuhang, who was driving, waved her hand repeatedly, “You two, don’t drag me into your arguments.”

(If you're not reading on littlepandatranslations.com, it means this has been stolen)

She didn’t want to get caught in the crossfire.

To Song Yan’s astonishment, she freed a hand and gently kissed the back of Lin Yan’s hand, smiling more brightly than the sunflowers outside the car window.

“My wife is right; they’re just too noisy. Next time we travel, we’ll go as a couple and leave them behind.”

Both Song Yan and Lin Xi: Ugh, let us out of the car!!!

The car carried this family off on a new journey.

The sunset bathed the mountains and shone through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The wicker chair Lin Yan had just sat in remained there, the wind lifting the white curtains, and the book on the coffee table flipped its pages until it stopped on a passage on the front page.

“It is the heart that is the source of infinite light; it is also the heart that creates boundless darkness. Light and darkness are intertwined, fighting each other. This is the world we are deeply attached to and yet utterly helpless within.”

—《Les Misérables》, Victor Hugo 〔French〕

More than a year after the completion of 《Chief Female Forensic Doctor》, an experience was posted anonymously on a forum.

A few mystery and detective novel enthusiasts had figured out the burial site of the female corpse used to mislead the criminals, allowing the forensic doctor to escape. On a dark, windy night, driven by curiosity and the desire to retrieve the ring on the corpse’s hand, which was said to be priceless, they went to the graveyard with tools.

They were eager and excited. Soon, they dug up the intact coffin. When they opened it, they were stunned. The one who lifted the coffin lid fell to the ground, trembling and speechless.

Some brave ones stepped forward to take a look, and were immediately scared out of their wits. They abandoned their tools and ran for their lives.

Inside the coffin, there were no bones, no female corpse, and no ring. There was only a bloody head with its eyes gouged out, staring at them menacingly.