Attention Sir, I Have Your Heart Handcuffed!-Chapter 461 - 332. I also want to know the clown’s mood (2 updates 2).
Shi Nian got into the car, but didn’t see Xia Zuo in the front passenger seat.
Huangfu Huazhang understood at a glance and nodded to explain, "He’s tired."
"I understand." Shi Nian lowered her head as well.
Was it because of Spicy Girl?
That night, amid the hasty occurrences, without explicit orders from the boss, with Xia Zuo unable to extricate himself, he had no choice but to give the task of eliminating Lu Zhao to the most convenient and trusted person he had.
This shows just how close the personal relationship between Spicy Girl and Xia Zuo was.
Perhaps if it weren’t for Xia Zuo’s instructions that night, Spicy Girl wouldn’t have been exposed so quickly. She would have continued to safely hide in the crowd, living freely. When learning that Spicy Girl never returned, how could Xia Zuo not realize it was all because of him...
Huangfu Huazhang tilted his head to look at her: "You understand?"
Shi Nian met his gaze: "As the boss said, in this world, whether it’s love or hate, good or evil, it might all be just a matter of thought."
"Oh," Huangfu Huazhang nodded and smiled, "So your decision to have dinner with me tonight was also on a whim?"
Shi Nian seemed to change the subject: "I once saw a scroll in Sister Yan Sheng’s shop, and suddenly thought of a saying: Heartbeat for thought."
"Thought" is the intention, the idea. When the heart moves, a thought arises. So what Shi Nian said was objective and not wrong.
But Huangfu Huazhang understood as well... immediately feeling relieved, he leaned his head and gazed into her clear eyes, finally smiling slightly.
"That’s right, heartbeat for thought."
The good and bad, right and wrong in this world can be simply defined by an observer; they never understand the struggles and choices of those involved.
In truth, good and evil will eventually be repaid, and everyone knows what awaits them. However, one still hopes that person understands.
.
In the restaurant, the two sat facing each other.
The atmosphere in the restaurant was excellent, but both had little appetite.
Yet Shi Nian ate all the dishes normally, as she would any regular evening after work.
She ate, and he watched, his face full of smiles.
After devouring the meal, they inevitably chatted. Shi Nian said, "I went to see Rosa. She’s a tough girl, although wounded so deeply by Lu Zhao that night, she has calmed down."
Huangfu Huazhang raised an eyebrow: "Despite her many unlikable traits, that resilience is indeed rare."
Shi Nian lowered her head: "I can’t help but think of when she was taken away by the clown as a child... Even though she was hurt, she was still returned home. The clown’s behavior is truly contradictory and puzzling."
Huangfu Huazhang squinted his eyes: "Despising the clown?"
Shi Nian thought seriously: "I would resent the harm he brought to Rosa, but... I also believe maybe that wasn’t his original intention. Perhaps at the start, he merely sensed Rosa’s loneliness and took her away, bringing her to a peaceful and warm environment, where she could happily study and paint."
"But later, things developed beyond the clown’s expectations. His own circumstances were difficult, and when someone discovered Rosa and wanted to take her for themselves, the clown resisted and struggled, but ultimately... he couldn’t resist and had to give up Rosa."
Shi Nian kept her eyes lowered, not looking at Huangfu Huazhang: "I think he must have felt very guilty as well? Those nights, he too must have been unable to sleep from guilt. So later... he found a way to send Rosa back home."
"Although it was already too late, it couldn’t compensate for what Rosa had suffered before. But at least by sending her back, I could see his guilt and desire for redemption in his heart. Still, it was too late."
After speaking, Shi Nian took a couple of sips of orange juice, but the sourness of the orange seeped into her heart, impossible to remove.
Huangfu Huazhang looked down at the untouched food in front of him and, after a long silence, slowly said: "... I think if the clown heard your words, he would surely be very grateful. Thank you, for not only seeing his faults but also understanding his past struggles. He didn’t want to be a bad person; he originally wanted to do something good. Just in the end, through twists of fate, a good deed turned into a mistake, leaving him filled with remorse."
Shi Nian took a deep breath, nodded, and forced a smile: "So, I think the clown didn’t just want Rosa to forget those nights to cover up the evidence, right? He truly hoped Rosa wouldn’t know what really happened. It’s just that Rosa’s strong subjective consciousness allowed her to retain some memories, which was also beyond the clown’s expectation, wasn’t it?"
Huangfu Huazhang lifted his eyes, staring intently at Shi Nian under the light, and suddenly said slowly, "So, the old man is dead."
Shi Nian was startled and looked up into his eyes.
However, he lowered his eyelids: "Although it no longer matters, those who are meant to die will die; those who are responsible will always shoulder their responsibilities."
Shi Nian couldn’t help but smile bitterly: "I just didn’t expect Rosa to meet Xiang Yuan later."
Huangfu Huazhang raised his eyelids: "Do you think it was a deliberate arrangement? Nian, the encounters between people, I prefer to think of it as destiny, just like you and me."
Shi Nian felt a slight sourness at the tip of her nose.
So it seems... she was wrong, the encounter between Rosa and Xiang Yuan was not his arrangement.
Otherwise, the past four years would have been him deliberately arranging for Rosa to torment her, wouldn’t it?
Thankfully, it wasn’t.
Shi Nian took a deep breath: "Speaking of clowns, actually, on the night Xiong Jie encountered trouble, I also saw one. He was standing right in the middle of the venue for the rally that Tang Mingyi was hosting for votes in the community. That rally had been prepared for a long time, and I think he must have appeared there beforehand. He had the opportunity to interact with residents during the rally, which means he might also have had the chance to go into the elderly woman’s house next door to Xiong Jie."
Huangfu Huazhang laughed: "A clown is supposed to bring joy to people, but you’ve already become quite wary and dislike clowns, haven’t you?"
As he spoke, he shook his head: "But it doesn’t seem like that, you don’t dislike all clowns. Do you remember that night when you took me to the carnival? There were clowns there too, and you didn’t seem to dislike them as much."
Shi Nian looked up: "So, actually, the clown’s face is not important; what’s important is their heart. I don’t like that overly disguised face, I want to see an unguarded heart."
Huangfu Huazhang took a deep breath: "The last person Yan Sheng saw before being arrested was you. What did she say to you last?"
Shi Nianxin stirred, meeting his eyes: "Sister Yan Sheng said: Notify Yanqing to arrest me."
Huangfu Huazhang laughed: "Then let me say this too: Tell Tang Yanqing, for you, I’m willing to have a chat with him."
.
In the detention center, An Cheng came to see Tang Yansheng.
An Cheng showed no kindness to anyone, but treated Yan Sheng like a sister.
Only because all these years, Yan Sheng had indeed taken care of her like a sister.
An Cheng sighed: "Big Sister, today I came as a prosecutor, so we need to talk about a deal. I’ve reviewed your case, and I believe your intentions were good. Although you violated the Immigration Law, you genuinely didn’t know the fate of those children later."
Tang Yansheng smiled faintly: "In the eyes of the law, I committed a crime, so I am guilty. Regardless of whether my intentions were good, I must be punished. Moreover... what those children suffered later, I cannot escape blame, and I am willing to spend my remaining life in prison to repent."
An Cheng shook her head: "Actually, there is still a way for you to save yourself. You said your partner in smuggling the children was Huangfu Huazhang. As long as you are willing to testify against him, as long as you can prove that it was he who sent the children to Yanwu Square after arrival, your liability will be greatly reduced."
Tang Yansheng laughed: "Chengcheng, I know you mean well for me. But I cannot testify about something I don’t know just to save myself. As for Huangfu, I still believe to this day that his original intention in smuggling the children was the same as mine."
"It was the two of us who witnessed those poor children firsthand in the midst of warfare, not you, so you might not understand our feelings. Besides, you should now know about Huangfu’s childhood experiences... those children truly stirred his compassion, reminding him of his own lonely and helpless childhood experiences, so he genuinely wanted to save them, not harm them."
Tang Yansheng took a deep breath: "Furthermore, what kind of place is Yanwu Square, don’t forget. That was once the last place his father and mother stayed together... He wouldn’t use it for that purpose."
Tang Yansheng smiled serenely: "So I won’t testify against Huangfu to save myself. Moreover, Chengcheng, I never thought about saving myself. Because my mistakes hurt those children, I’d rather atone for my sins."
An Cheng was a bit anxious: "Big Sister!"
Tang Yansheng then stood up: "Sorry, Prosecutor An, I’ve said everything I can and should say. Even if it’s you, I can’t agree to something I can’t do. I’ll head back now, thank you for coming to see me."
.
The next day, Tang Yanqing indeed formally invited Huangfu Huazhang to come to the police station for a chat.
Shi Nian also came but went into Guan Liang’s computer room first, asking Guan Liang to pull up the information related to Huangfu Xi’an from back then.
Guan Liang was a little baffled: "Now that we have so much evidence and witnesses pointing to Huangfu Huazhang, what more are you worried about?"
Shi Nian, however, shook her head: "I just thought of his mother. She might have also been innocent, yet was wronged by the police. If we’re not careful this time, we might repeat the mistakes of the past, causing him even more anger. That would be terrible."
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