Chapter 22: Cross-Dressing?
Chapter 22: Cross-Dressing?
“Gender male?”
“I already gave you my ID, what’s the problem?”
Lan Mu was jotting down notes, almost driven mad by the policeman in front of him.
“Uh… nothing!”
“Cleaner Uncle Zhang said you were the first one to find the body. He said it was you who told him to poke open the plastic bag hiding the corpse,” the policeman stared at him and said.
“Correct, I smelled blood and thought something was wrong,” Lan Mu answered truthfully.
“Why was it that no one else smelled it, only you?” The policeman’s question carried suspicion.
“Tsk, I smelled it because I smelled it. My sense of smell is just naturally very sharp.”
The policeman narrowed his eyes at him and suddenly said, “Why are you covering up? Take off your sunglasses! And why wear a hat in such hot weather?”
Lan Mu’s heart skipped a beat. He couldn’t take off his hat, or his Elven ears would be exposed.
On the surface, however, he remained calm and said, “Since when do the police get to decide what I wear?”
“Explain yourself! Why are you in disguise? I seriously suspect the person on this ID isn’t you!”
Lan Mu felt bitter inside but could only reply stubbornly, “Is it wrong for me to wear makeup?”
“What kind of man wears makeup? Why did you change your appearance?” The policeman grew more suspicious of Lan Mu and pressed on.
Lan Mu angrily retorted, “I’m just a passerby, not a suspect. What business is it of yours if I’m in disguise?”
The policeman also got angry and said, “Quiet! I now seriously suspect you’re involved in this case. Speak! Are you responsible for hiding the body?”
“Responsible my foot! I only learned about this case today.” Sensing he was in a tight spot, Lan Mu kept raising his voice, hoping Ma Xiang would hear.
Ma Xiang was right outside the door. Hearing the argument inside, he immediately pushed the door open and entered.
“What’s going on? He’s a witness, not a suspect. Why are you arguing?”
Seeing Ma Xiang come in, the policeman said, “Don’t be fooled by him. This person is hiding things. It’s very likely he’s the one who hid the body, then pretended to be the first to discover it!”
“Am I crazy? Hide it and then ‘find’ it? I would have run away long ago, wouldn’t I?”
That policeman pointed at Lan Mu and said, “Then why didn’t you run?”
“I… I don’t want to waste my breath on you… get someone else to handle this!” Lan Mu was speechless. He said to Ma Xiang, “Can I have someone else take my statement?”
Ma Xiang, of course, believed Lan Mu had nothing to do with the case. He immediately pulled that policeman aside and said with a smile, “He can’t be the suspect, Zhao Long. Don’t suspect him.”
“Don’t suspect him? Ma Xiang, are you saying that? This case still has no leads. We have to suspect everyone! This guy disguised himself, was the first to find the body, and his appearance doesn’t match his ID photo. How can I not suspect someone like that? Then who should we suspect?” Police officer Zhao Long didn’t give Ma Xiang any face. He pointed at Ma Xiang’s nose and said.
Ma Xiang was taken aback. Lan Mu’s appearance had indeed changed a lot. This issue had been brought up before, but Lan Mu had said he would give him an explanation later. As a brother, he believed Lan Mu was not involved in this case.
“Zhao Long, during the first two times the bodies were discovered, Lan Mu was on a business trip in Fuzhou. During the last incident, he was even hospitalized in Fuzhou. Go check; there must be his hospital records. He has alibis for both incidents. His disguise is his privacy. Don’t jump to conclusions.”
After Ma Xiang said this, Zhao Long was stunned for a moment. After thinking for a while, he said, “Maybe they’re a gang? He could be an accomplice?”
“Zhao Long! Don’t speak without evidence! You can investigate him thoroughly all you want! But we, the police, don’t have the right to convict. Whether someone is a criminal is not for you to decide.”
With Ma Xiang’s strong defense, Zhao Long couldn’t continue his questioning. He could only say angrily, “Fine! You ask him then!”
“I will report the situation truthfully to the station chief!”
With that, Zhao Long stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
Lan Mu rubbed his nose and said to Ma Xiang, “Thanks. Won’t this affect you? He probably went to complain.”
Ma Xiang said carelessly, “Let him complain! The station chief is my dad!”
“Uh…” Lan Mu was stunned for a second, then laughed. “Wow, I just found out you have a station chief for a dad. I always said it was a miracle someone like you could become a police officer. When I asked before, you said you got in on your own merit. The truth slipped out this time, huh? Speak! Did you get in through the back door?”
“Shh! Don’t shout! I passed the police exam fair and square. Don’t talk nonsense. No one at the station knows my dad is the chief!”
“As for you, it’s lucky you’re not a suspect. The statement was taken at our local police station. If the city bureau had gotten involved, I couldn’t have helped you at all!”
“Now, confess! What exactly is going on with your appearance? Can you tell me now? Do you really have a thing for cross-dressing?”
Hearing Ma Xiang’s question, Lan Mu felt he couldn’t explain. In the end, he could only give a bitter smile and say:
“I don’t know how to say it, really, brother. I have my reasons. I’ll tell you after some time has passed.”
Ma Xiang nodded. Seeing Lan Mu’s pained expression, he didn’t press further.
“Alright, the statement is pretty much done. I’ll handle the rest. You go home first!”
“If you stay here any longer, who knows what trouble might pop up. You get out of here first!”
Lan Mu was lucky to have Ma Xiang’s help today, or he really would have been in trouble. He was currently in a forced transformation stage. If he stayed longer and it caught the attention of the city bureau, his identity might be exposed.
This was no place to linger. Lan Mu nodded, gathered his gear, and walked straight out of the local police station.
By the time he got home, it was already eight p.m. As soon as he entered, he saw Su Yue sitting alone on a chair.
The room had become very clean. The windows, floor, tables, chairs, and stools were all wiped spotless. His own bed was neatly made and arranged.
Dinner was prepared on the table, but not a single bite had been taken. Clearly, Su Yue had spent the day cleaning the house and preparing a meal for him, but hadn’t eaten herself.
“I was delayed by something. Why didn’t you eat first?”
Lan Mu felt a bit embarrassed. He quickly put down his gear, sat at the table, suppressed his Elven need for cleanliness, and tasted a bite of the food.
The food was obviously cold, but it still tasted quite good, having that unique flavor Su Yue’s cooking had.
“Mu-ge, the food’s cold. Should I heat it up?”
After saying this, Su Yue started bustling about.
The food was indeed cold. Lan Mu didn’t mind. He truly had no desire for human food anymore. But Su Yue hadn’t eaten either, so to prevent her from eating cold food too, he didn’t stop her.
After reheating the food, the two ate in silence. Su Yue didn’t eat much. Once full, she put down her chopsticks and waited quietly.
Lan Mu barely ate. He forced himself to swallow a couple of mouthfuls, then felt a wave of nausea and ended up vomiting everything back up.
“Sorry, I ate outside already. Let’s just throw away these leftovers. We don’t have a fridge, and it’s hot. They’ll spoil.”
Su Yue nodded and silently started clearing the table. Lan Mu helped her finish cleaning up, then let her go back to her room to watch TV dramas.
Lan Mu took off all his clothes and took a hot shower. Actually, his body wouldn’t get dirty, but showering was just a habit.
He put on a new set of clothes and sat on the bed fiddling with his newly bought camera.
At ten p.m., he suddenly got a call from Ma Xiang.
“What’s up? Something wrong?” Lan Mu asked.
“No?” Ma Xiang was puzzled, then said, “I’m just secretly letting you know, the thing with Zhao Long is settled. Your statement is all normal, and no one will pursue the disguise matter. Also… the people at the station now know my dad is the chief…”
Lan Mu was glad Ma Xiang had taken care of the aftermath. But hearing the last part, he was stunned. “Huh? Didn’t that affect you?”
“Of course it did! Even if they don’t say it out loud, they definitely all think I got in through connections! Boo hoo! I passed the exam on my own merit!”
“Ahem…” Lan Mu laughed. “Come on, stop protesting!”
Seeing Lan Mu wasn’t buying it, Ma Xiang awkwardly changed the subject. “Right, even though it’s settled, I’m afraid Zhao Long might take it to the city bureau. This case is getting a lot of attention from the city, even the provincial department might get directly involved. Next time, I might not be able to help you.”
Lan Mu nodded. He knew this case had to be solved quickly. The longer it dragged on, the more anxious the police would become. Later, when they repeatedly reviewed the case, they might come looking for him, ready to ‘rather kill the wrong than let the guilty go.’
“By the way, Mu-ge, tomorrow I’m going with the team to investigate the place where the victim disappeared. Do you want to come too?” Ma Xiang suddenly said.
“Me? Isn’t it confidential? Can I go and film?” Lan Mu asked, surprised.
“Hehe, I have a clever plan!”