Madness of the Heart

Chapter 21 Demon Hunting (21)

According to Hou Cheng’s description, the portraitist drew the portrait of the tomb’s heart.

But this portrait is completely different from the portrait painted by Wang Youqun and Hou Ximei.

In the eyes of three people, the heart of the tomb has three looks. Wang Youqun and Hou Ximei had no actual contact with the heart of the tomb. The time is long and the memory is blurred, which is understandable. But Ming Shu showed them the portrait drawn from Hou Cheng’s memory. He didn’t say who the person in the painting was beforehand. He only asked if he had any impressions and whether he had seen it anywhere. Both shook their heads, “I haven’t seen it.”

“This person is the young man who entered and exited Hou Cheng’s house.” Ming Shu said.

“Huh?” Hou Ximei was surprised, “Isn’t it possible? I remember he didn’t look like this. What exactly he looks like, you let me describe now, I really can’t remember. But if you let him stand in front of me, I can tell at a glance. This drawing is wrong.”

Wang Youqun also said, “He is very handsome. I won’t say anything else. The people in this painting are too ordinary.”

Ming Shu retracted the portrait and went to see Hou Cheng again.

Because of the consideration of fighting the grass and scaring snakes, the public security detachment intends to suspend the detention of Hou Cheng and let Hou Cheng go back first. When he was about to leave, he was stopped again. Hou Cheng showed the helpless and flustered expression on the bottom of his face, “I remember what the heart of the tomb looks like, but if you want me to describe the details, I really can’t tell. No matter how much you push me, I can’t speak well. I’ve tried my best. This picture is not exactly the same as the heart of the tomb, but I can’t tell you which details you want me to say are different.”

These remarks are not like sophistry, and Hou Cheng’s position now does not need to cover the heart of the tomb.

This problem exists in drawing portraits based on laymen’s oral statements. People’s memory is not completely accurate, and there are often varying degrees of ambiguity. You can clearly remember what your friends and family look like, but you may not be able to describe every detail of them. This allows portraits to be used only as a reference and an auxiliary method in criminal investigations.

When Hou Cheng returned to Qingyue Village, his network and real movements were completely under police surveillance.

The heart of the tomb did not appear, and even Liu Zhiqin could not catch the clues of the heart of the tomb.

Ming Shu stayed in Los Angeles for a few days, not only did not dare to leave rashly, but also remembered Luo Xiangfu’s case. After thinking about it, he decided to go back to Dongye City.

At this time, Xiao Yuan called, “Don’t rush back, and stay in Los Angeles for a few days.”

“Why?” Ming Shu didn’t quite understand, “The clues to the heart of the tomb are temporarily cut off at Hou Cheng, and it makes no sense for me to stay.”

“Didn’t you let Houcheng go back to Qingyue Village? Don’t worry, wait a few days, maybe there will be unexpected discoveries.” Xiao Yuan said: “And I want to go to Los Angeles.”

Ming Shu suddenly sat up from the bed in the city bureau dormitory, “Huh? Are you coming to Los Angeles?”

Xiao Yuan said: “I want to verify some questions with my own eyes.”

The bed was hard, Ming Shu sat uncomfortably, with a hint of dissatisfaction, “What’s the question? Can’t you tell me, let me verify it?”

“I’m not quite sure now.” Xiao Yuan said patiently, “So it’s better to see it in person.”

Ming Shu lay down again, and turned over, “hiss…”

Xiao Yuan asked: “What’s wrong?”

“Pain.” Ming Shu put the pillow on his waist, holding the mobile phone in his right hand, and squeezing the sore psoas muscles in his left hand. He took the opportunity to complain: “I have been exhausted these days, running outside without rest, and not getting enough sleep. The bed was still as hard as the ice bed of the little dragon girl. It made my waist and back aches, my legs and feet were aching, and my neck was almost out of position.”

“Then get a massage.” Xiao Yuan said.

“How can there be that free time.” Mingshu learned his lesson. This time he turned over very slowly, changed to a side-lying position, and continued to pinch his waist. “Besides, I don’t like other people’s bad press.”

“I said I’ll give you a massage.” Xiao Yuan was particularly charming when her voice was low, “The day after tomorrow…no, I will arrive the next night.”

Ming Shu jumped up and couldn’t care about the back pain, “Really?”

“Really.” Xiao Yuan smiled, “Look at the case, then look at my baby’s waist.”

“Hey…” Mingshu was relieved, and the exhaustion of the busy days disappeared instantly, sitting cross-legged on the bed, “Brother, do you know the art of talking?”

Xiao Yuan asked back: “If you don’t understand, do you want to teach it?”

“You should say so—” Ming Shu cleared his throat, “Look at my baby’s waist, then look at the case.”

Xiao Yuan deliberately said: “The case should still be in the first place.”

“But you can coax me.” Ming Shu smiled when he finished speaking, “Fuck, I’m so coquettish, it makes me sick.”

“The case is important, and the baby’s waist is also important.” Xiao Yuan really coaxed, “I will go to bed earlier today if there is nothing else to do. I know you are tired. Once the case is solved, I will give you a holiday.”

“What about you?” Ming Shu asked knowingly.

“I didn’t fake it.” Xiao Yuan said: “I am in charge of more than one crime team.”

“Then I don’t want to fake it. I’ll accompany you.”

Xiao Yuan said with a smile, almost flirting, “Be with me in the game, wait for me at home, do you choose one?”

“This…” Ming Shu’s ears were hot, “Then I’ll wait for you at home. We haven’t done’homework’ for a long time, and I am about to change from being a top student with good character and learning to being a professional student. The passing crane is at the end.”

“Well, it seems that I have to take a supplementary study.” Xiao Yuan said solemnly, “How about all night long? Is the tail of the crane enough?”

“In order to be a top student again, all night long should be done.” Ming Shu pulled up the quilt to cover his head, “Xiao Ju, you are so sorrowful, say this to your subordinates.”

Xiao Yuan’s voice at this time was extremely charming, “What subordinate, are you not a student?”

Ming Shu was about to tremble, “Teacher, how are you!”

Xiao Yuan didn’t laugh at all, but still had the gentle and calm voice, “It’s the students who want to cram, so how can you say it’s the teacher’s show now?”

Ming Shu burped with a laugh, “Is that my show?”

Xiao Yuan said: “Well, this student has a pretty accurate view of himself.”

Ming Shu feigned anger, “Bah!”

Xiao Yuan smiled and said: “It’s getting late, good students go to sleep.”

Putting down the phone, Ming Shu writhed back and forth on the bed, and finally decided to go to the bathroom to solve it.

Before Xiao Yuan called, he almost couldn’t open his eyes, but after the conversation, he got excited and couldn’t sleep. He wanted to do his “homework” in advance.

The word “homework” was first said by Ming Shu, and Xiao Yuan couldn’t help laughing when he heard it for the first time.

Ming Shu explained, “Brother, don’t you think’homework’ sounds very warm? It’s homework done at home with someone you like.”

Xiao Yuan scratched the bridge of his nose, “Isn’t homework what you fear the most? If you can’t write it, I’ve done it for you.”

“That’s different.” Ming Shu moved his face forward and rubbed Xiao Yuan’s palm, “I want to do my’homework’ with you.”

The scenes with Xiao Yuan are like gentle streams, trickling into my mind. Ming Shu yawned and finally felt sleepy again.

Two days later, late at night, Xiao Yuan arrived at the Los Angeles High-speed Railway Station and boarded the police car from Mingshu.

It was too late to reach Qingyue Village immediately, and Ming Shu took Xiao Yuan to his temporary residence.

The city bureau dormitories are all single beds, some are single rooms, and some are multiple rooms. Ming Shu never thought that Xiao Yu’an would come when he checked in. He wanted a single room. I regretted it now. I knew I wanted a double room.

There are not many police officers living in the dormitory. Fang Yuanhang has been in Qingyue Village these days. There are several double rooms on the same floor, but the sudden change to double rooms is too eye-catching.

So Ming Shu just thought about it, but didn’t raise it.

After all, Xiao Yuan had finished washing in the single room, and transferred his luggage to the double room without asking him for the reason of living together to analyze the case.

“Is this bad?” he whispered.

“What’s wrong?” Xiao Yuan raised his eyebrows. “Isn’t it the most normal for criminal police to stay in double or triple rooms on business trips? It saves resources and facilitates the exchange of cases.”

It seemed that everything that Xiao Yuan said from Xiao Yuan’s mouth was upright and reasonable. Ming Shu was happy in his heart, but murmured and cursed: “Old treacherous and cunning.”

“Huh?” Xiao Yuan had closed the door, pretending not to hear clearly, “What is the old one?”

Ming Shu stretched his hand around his waist, “Old hooligan.”

Xiao Yuan smiled, and patted **** his waist.

“Ouch -” Ming Shu called out, “Are you really fighting?”

Xiao Yuan’s index finger pressed on his mouth, “You won’t be obedient if you don’t hit this mouth.”

Mingshu pretended to be angry and didn’t move when he was beaten. He still hung around Xiao Yuan, spitting out “Brother” vaguely.

Xiao Yuan supported his shoulders, and pointed his chin to the single bed by the window, “Go and lie down.”

Probably as soon as I saw Xiao Yuan, my spirit was relaxed, and my mind was thinking of something that I shouldn’t think about at this time, and Mingshu’s body was stretched, “Now?”

Xiao Yuan patted his face, “What did you think of? Don’t you have back pain? Do you want to massage it?”

Ming Shu was red from the roots of his ears to his neck. After lying on the bed, he pretended to complain, “Are you kidding me?”

Xiao Yuan’s hands are heavy and skillful. He knows which of his muscles is problematic, and presses there specifically, with a clear and forgiving body.

At the beginning, Ming Shu was so painful that his back was almost bowed, and he did not dare to shout loudly, worried that the sound would penetrate the wall and be heard by others. Tolerable and endured very hard, had to bury his face in his arms.

It’s better to have a massage at home. You can call it whatever he wants. Sometimes, if it doesn’t hurt, he has to call a few times on purpose.

Xiao Yuan could hear when he was in real pain and when he was howling. Every time he screamed, he slapped his ass.

“Brother, you can really beat me.” He said that once.

Then Xiao Yuan leaned down, put a virtual pressure on his back, and said a word in his ear in a hushed voice.

He was numb all at once.

Holding a pillow in the dormitory and receiving a massage from an older lover, Ming Shu felt painful and refreshing. He couldn’t help but think of the past, but he couldn’t help but let out a long groan.

“Okay.” Xiao Yuan let go of him, “Is my back pain now?”

Ming Shu was lying on his stomach and didn’t want to move, “Brother, press again.”

Xiao Yuan got up and said, “Everything needs to be adequate.”

“Hey!” Ming Shu stood up, “You are justified in everything.”

Xiao Yuan smiled and hooked his chin, rubbing his thumb a few times, “Then you listen to me?”

Ming Shu was ruled to death by Xiao Yuan since he was a child, and he also chased Xiao Yuan after he became an adult. In his heart, Xiao Yuan is the truth, and there is no other truth to say.

“Hey…” He was softened by Xiao Yuan’s connivance and with a somewhat deterrent gaze. He simply buried himself in Xiao Yuan’s abdomen and disarmed and said, “You know, you even deliberately asked me.”

Xiao Yuan rubbed his hair and asked him to lean on it for a while, then said: “Go to sleep, tomorrow morning, we will go to Qingyue Village.”

Qingyue Village is far away from the main city of Luocheng. The village road is bumpy and dust is flying between the wheels.

Ming Shu drove, and Xiao Yuan sat in the co-driver.

“Brother, what are you looking at?” After passing through a dirt pit, Ming Shu glanced at Xiao Yuan from the corner of the light.

“Look at the scenery here.” Xiao Yuan didn’t turn his head, still looking through the glass at the lackluster vegetation outside the window.

“What kind of scenery is this called?” Ming Shu said, “Isn’t it an ordinary rural area?”

Xiao Yuan didn’t answer for the time being.

Mingshu pondered it for a moment and hummed, “You laughed at my aesthetics in your heart again.”

Regarding aesthetics, Ming Shu is very good at choosing clothes for himself. Unlike his good brother Lu Yanzhou, Lu Yanzhou has the taste of a straight man, but he is the taste of an artist. But in the discovery of the beauty of nature, Ming Shu’s score was negative.

When he was a teenager, Xiao Yuan often took him out to travel, as far as the surrounding area, as far as foreign countries, golden beaches, dense jungles, endless deserts, snow-white holy ice fields… all kinds of beautiful scenery have been seen. But he seems to be born lacking a pair of eyes to appreciate the beauty, and he lacks interest in seeing everything.

He thought that instead of admiring the beautiful scenery, it is better to do the closest thing to Xiao Yuan in the beautiful scenery.

When he first expressed this idea to Xiao Yuan, he was not yet 18 years old. Xiao Yuan is half funny and half helpless, saying that he doesn’t understand aesthetics.

“Why don’t I understand?” He raised his face, proud and bright, like a young peacock shaking its tail feathers.

“The starry sky of this plateau, you say it is plain and unremarkable.” Xiao Yuan pointed to the bright sky, “Did you see it, that is the summer triangle.”

The plateau is close to 5000 meters above sea level, the Milky Way traverses, and the stars cover the sky, it is indeed an unseen beauty.

He shook his head: “Brother, I only saw you.”

Xiao Yuan was silent.

He added, his tone was sincere and sincere, “Compared with you, no matter how beautiful the scenery is, it loses its luster. Brother, I found you and know how to appreciate you, how can you say that I don’t know how to aesthetics?”

In this way, I can say it frankly and frankly when I don’t know anything. Thinking about it now, Ming Shu feels embarrassed.

Xiao Yuan retracted his gaze, “I didn’t laugh at you, but you, what are you laughing at?”

Ming Shu straightened up his face immediately and pretended to be confused: “Huh? I didn’t laugh, you read it wrong, right.”

Xiao Yuan did not expose him, and continued to look out the window.

After the car arrived in Qingyue Village, Xiao Yuan asked Ming Shu to take a detour and stopped at the corner of the street far from Hou Cheng’s home.

Neither of them wears police uniforms, but their looks and temperament are completely different from the local villagers.

“Where are we going now?” Ming Shu asked.

Xiao Yuan said, “Do you know where Hou Cheng’s field is?”

“Of course I know, I have been there several times.”

“Take me to see.”

Rural areas are mostly the same, with low houses, dirt roads, and tracts of farmland.

Watermelons are produced in Qingyue Village, and it is now the harvest season. On a hot day, the villagers are still busy in the fields, rushing to send ripe watermelons to the town.

Trucks coming to deliver goods stopped at the field, and the air was filled with the sweetness of watermelon and the hot sweat.

Compared with the busy surroundings, a field in the southeast corner looked lifeless, with no one to work, and full of weeds.

“That’s Hou Cheng’s field.” Ming Shu pointed out, “He didn’t care about the field at all this year.”

Xiao Yuan was traveling between the melon farmers and was stopped by several villagers on the way, asking if he wanted to buy watermelons. He chatted casually, and then walked towards Hou Cheng’s field.

“His field is gone!” The villager yelled, “It’s useless if you look at it!”

“Did watermelons grow there before?” Xiao Yuan asked.

The villager said: “Plant it, it’s been more than ten years!”

Xiao Yuan smiled and nodded, and took a few pictures with his mobile phone.

“Brother, what do you want to know?” Ming Shu asked.

“No hurry.” Xiao Yuan said: “Let’s go to see Hou Cheng now.”

After Hou Cheng was released home, the door did not go out, and he was even more withdrawn than before.

When Ming Shu knocked on the door, it took a long time for Hou Cheng to respond. After opening the door, he looked surprised and timid in his eyes, “Why are you here?”

Ming Shu pushed him aside and walked into the yard, “Why can’t I come? According to normal circumstances, you should still be held by the security detachment now.”

Hou Cheng quickly lowered his head, “I have been at home, and the heart of the tomb has never come to me.”

Hou Chengjia Mingshu has been here several times, leading Xiao Yuan into it. Xiao Yuan didn’t mean to enter the house, and walked back and forth several times in the yard, as if observing something.

“Xiao Ju?” Ming Shu called.

Only then did Xiao Yuan walked into the house.

Hou Cheng took the cup nervously, and Yu Guang glanced at Xiao Yuan from time to time. As soon as Xiao Yuan looked back, he immediately turned his head.

“What are you doing these days?” Ming Shu asked.

“At home, look at Hou Cheng said as he put away the mess of second-hand books on the desk.

Ming Shu picked up one of them, “A crime again?”

“Just take a look.” Hou Cheng asked: “What did you come to see me today? What do you want to know? I have already told you all I know.”

Before Ming Shu said anything, Xiao Yuan suddenly said, “I want to know what identity you are.”

As soon as this remark came out, not only Hou Cheng, but even Ming Shu was a little surprised.

“Didn’t I say everything clearly?” Hou Cheng’s voice trembled extremely slightly, “and you have all investigated. I am a farmer.”

“No.” Xiao Yuan looked at Hou Cheng coldly, and suddenly disappeared after saying a “no”.

Hou Cheng’s expression grew weird.

After leaving Hou Cheng for half a minute, Xiao Yuan seemed to have finally observed enough. His narrow eyes were half-squinted, as if passing through Hou Cheng’s eyes, he saw a heart wrapped in dense fog.

“Actually, there are no young boys at all, you are the heart of the tomb.”