"Officer, my dog is really very gentle," Cheng Chuxiao said. When Shen Dao didn’t respond, she immediately took out her mobile phone, opened her social media feed, and showed it to him. Her feed featured three posts daily, all videos or photos of her pet dog’s life. The accompanying text included various affectionate nicknames. Clearly, she had completely regarded this dog as a family member.

"I’ve had it for three years. Three years ago, when I was heartbroken, it was the one that accompanied me through that tough period. We relied on each other..." she said, lowering her head, her tone suddenly turning melancholic. "To me, Binbin is my family. I swore to never abandon it in this lifetime and to take good care of it. A dog’s lifespan is generally around ten to twenty years. I’ve already planned to see it through to the end. But... but..." As she spoke, her eyes reddened again, and her voice choked slightly. She lifted her head, pointing at Zhang Qingyuan behind Qin Mu, her expression one of irreconcilable hatred, as if accusing him of murdering her child. Zhang Qingyuan swallowed hard. Subjected to her barrage from the moral high ground, he dared not meet her gaze.

However, Qin Mu coldly asked, "You say you treat it as family, that you live together day and night, depending on each other. Then please tell me, who is this elderly man beside you?" As he spoke, he pointed to an old man standing behind Cheng Chuxiao. This old man had been silent the whole time, his expression quite conflicted.

"This is my dad, so what? Is he in your way?" Cheng Chuxiao immediately glared at Qin Mu.

Qin Mu smiled faintly. "He’s not in my way at all. I’m just curious. You’re willing to send your parents, who gave birth to and raised you, to a nursing home, yet you treat a mere animal like family and intend to depend on it for companionship for life. To put it harshly, I’m afraid that when this old gentleman passes away, you won’t cry nearly as sorrowfully as you are now."

"You!!"

His words infuriated Cheng Chuxiao to the point of trembling; she broke down instantly. Qin Mu’s words had struck deep. Indeed, her usual care for her father was far less than for her dog. What’s more, she had come to the nursing home today specifically to admit her father.

"Others send their parents to nursing homes because they don’t have time to care for them daily, worrying about the inconvenience of the elderly being alone at home," Qin Mu continued coldly. "Whereas you don’t seem that busy; you obviously have lots of spare time, yet your concern for the dog far exceeds that for your own parents. Your social media feed is all about the dog, with nothing about your parents. Can’t you share a bit of that love you show for dogs with your dad?"

Facing Cheng Chuxiao, Qin Mu did not hold back, continuing his harsh rebuke. Most people send their parents to nursing homes due to the pressures of life; when they’re at work, it’s hard to take proper care of the elderly at home. Out of necessity, they entrust their parents to nursing homes. For example, the sons of men like Zhang Qingyuan and Song Tiancheng, after admitting their fathers to the home, would still visit frequently. As for Cheng Chuxiao, the tone she had used earlier when speaking to the elderly man behind her lacked any semblance of respect.

"You!!" Cheng Chuxiao clenched her teeth, her face flushing red again. Her eyes looked as if they could kill. If Shen Dao and the other police officers hadn’t been present, she would have wanted to tear Qin Mu apart.

"Enough, stop arguing." At that moment, Shen Dao stepped forward, interrupting them. "I think I understand the situation. Let’s first discuss how to resolve this." Although he also wanted to commend Qin Mu, his position limited him. He couldn’t show it, otherwise Cheng Chuxiao might file a complaint against him for bias.

"There’s nothing to discuss! He must pay up today!" Cheng Chuxiao pointed at Zhang Qingyuan again, relentless.

Qin Mu, equally unyielding, retorted, "We won’t pay a cent. Furthermore, we demand Miss Cheng compensate our elderly gentleman for emotional distress, nutritional expenses, and compensation for distress."

Before he could finish, Cheng Chuxiao looked at Shen Dao, her face filled with grief. "My dog died, and you’re still making me pay? Officer, you tell me, how is that fair?" 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Shen Dao’s mouth twitched. He glanced impassively at Qin Mu, then said to Cheng Chuxiao, "This incident... was indeed your fault initially. You might want to offer some compensation; it’s for your own good." He had dealt with Qin Mu too many times and knew well the fate of those who opposed him. A significant number of them had been incarcerated, with him handling their cases. Offending Qin Mu was not a wise move.

"What?" Cheng Chuxiao’s eyes widened. Staring at Shen Dao, she could hardly believe her ears, suspecting she was mishearing him.

"We’ve reviewed the surveillance footage and considered both your statements. This incident occurred because you illegally failed to leash your dog," Shen Dao said solemnly after taking a deep breath. "Moreover, although the incident happened at the nursing home, the dog’s death is unrelated to the safety services provided by the nursing home. Therefore, the nursing home bears no no-fault liability. And when the elderly man perceived the large dog rushing at him, he could reasonably believe his safety was threatened. Killing your dog under such circumstances... falls within reason and constitutes self-defense."