The White Moonlight Is Back

Chapter 4: He appeared almost insane.

The shot was taken in Le Pai Mall, near Hongnan Street. As Xu Yanbai requested, Officer Li helped gather CCTV screenshots from places Lin Qingmiao was likely to visit.

Hongnan Street was advantageously positioned near Lin Qingmiao's residence.

What a coincidence to encounter someone with such a stunningly similar half-face right in her neighborhood. Could this be Lin Qingmiao? Xu Yanbai looked at the photo's timestamp, which showed it was taken more than a month ago. He worried how long the mall surveillance film would be stored.

With this notion, Xu Yanbai immediately called Officer Li.

Officer Li awoke abruptly at around 1 a.m. and listened to Xu Yanbai explain the situation over the phone. After hanging up, Officer Li changed while silently muttering under his breath—this guy was absolutely insane.

Officer Li, who was in charge of Lin Qingmiao's missing investigation years ago, had become accustomed to getting occasional calls from Xu Yanbai. In the three years since Lin Qingmiao went missing, Xu Yanbai has never stopped calling him, continuously seeking updates on the investigation's status.

Officer Li had handled a large number of missing people cases during his career. Typically, family members were initially enthusiastic and attentive, but over time, they came to terms with the circumstances. Human patience has limits; after a long absence, their resolve eroded, forcing them to conclude that the missing individual was most certainly dead—even if not confirmed, they subconsciously linked non-appearance with death. Life must continue, and no one can tolerate limitless hopelessness eternally, making acceptance unavoidable.

However, Xu Yanbai was quite different. He remained undeterred for three years. He checked in with Officer Li at regular intervals to keep him updated on any advancements in the case. Even Lin Qingmiao's mother and husband had given up hope that she could still be alive, but Xu Yanbai refused to believe it.

Despite receiving little progress each time, he persisted mercilessly, frequently pestering Officer Li for updates—an obstinacy bordering on terrifying.

What struck Officer Li even more was that in most missing people instances, only family members were deeply involved. However, as someone unconnected to Lin Qingmiao, he couldn't understand why Xu Yanbai cared so deeply.

Xu Yanbai came on time, and Officer Li personally welcomed him. After a brief talk, Officer Li realized why Xu Yanbai was so persistent.

It turned out that Xu Yanbai discovered an image like Lin Qingmiao among the surveillance screenshots submitted by Officer Li. He needed Officer Li's assistance to retrieve and review the entire tape from that point.

As Officer Li inspected the photo, which only showed half of the person's face, he asked himself, Can you absolutely confirm this is Lin Qingmiao based on half a face? And you're rushing over here late at night because of this?

Despite his protests, Officer Li instructed the overworked cops to contact the mall and acquire the videotape. However, the photograph was shot more than a month ago, and public surveillance systems usually only save footage for up to thirty days. The footage was no longer available. Xu Yanbai then asked Officer Li's assistance in checking neighboring street cameras around the mall. They examined all available footage and discovered no one like Lin Qingmiao.

Once again, it was pointless. Officer Li was saddened by Xu Yanbai's overbearing demeanor as he escorted him away.

Officer Li wanted to comfort people but couldn't find the correct words. Since Lin Qingmiao's disappearance, he had regular interactions with Xu Yanbai, forming a rapport. Although he thought Xu Yanbai was unduly fixated—after all, she wasn't even his family member, and her own husband was less concerned—why should someone unconnected care so much? Even if love feelings were involved, life must continue. Given the circumstances surrounding Lin Qingmiao's disappearance, the prospects of her survival were almost minimal. Couldn't each unsuccessful search attempt help to clarify the situation? Why be so stubborn? Isn't it just generating unneeded agony for oneself?