Chapter 82: He Figured It Out

After dinner, Song Changfeng was about to take Aofeng out for a walk to help digest the meal. But today, the usually enthusiastic Aofeng refused to budge.

Puzzled, Song Changfeng tugged the leash a couple more times, but Aofeng remained motionless. The skin on his neck was squished up against his face, making him look rather odd.

“Not going out today?” Song Changfeng asked.

“Woof!” Aofeng barked loudly in response, then got up and walked over to the coffee table. He placed a paw on the drawer underneath and turned to look at Song Changfeng.

Song Changfeng understood immediately. He wanted him to open it. What could be inside? Maybe some snacks?

With that question in mind, Song Changfeng walked over and opened the drawer. On top lay a folded piece of paper. He picked it up and unfolded it, and to his surprise, it was the transfer request form.

But how did it end up here? He clearly remembered putting it in his backpack… Ah, right. His mom had helped him pack recently. She must have found it then.

No wonder she’d been giving him strange looks these past few days. She was probably afraid he’d try to transfer departments behind her back. Song Changfeng sighed, took the paper, and headed to the study. Aofeng followed closely, eager to hear what they would say. But just as Song Changfeng stepped inside, he shut the door behind him. Faced with the tightly closed door that blocked his path, Aofeng huffed and smacked it with his paw in frustration.

Still, even if he couldn’t see, he could listen. Aofeng stood up on his hind legs, placed his front paws on the door, and pressed his ears against the handle, trying hard to catch what was happening inside.

Inside the study, Song’s mother was sitting behind the desk, staring blankly at a photo. She was so lost in thought that she didn’t even notice someone had entered. The photo she was looking at was their family portrait. Song Changfeng had a copy of it too. It was a family tradition they’d kept up until the year before his father died. Back then, his father had even joked that once Song graduated, they’d both wear their police uniforms in the next family photo and make everyone envious. Who would’ve thought that joke would become their final words together?

Seeing his mother so lost in thought filled Song Changfeng with guilt. After his father’s death and the shattering of his dreams, he had been in deep pain. Naturally, he didn’t want to be around a mother who kept pressuring him to make a choice. So, when it came time to choose his posting, he deliberately picked the Anyang Police Dog Training Base, far from home.

Because of work, he only came back once a year, and even then, he never stayed long. Though they kept in touch by phone, the calls were infrequent and usually ended in silence after just a few words. He always said he didn’t resent her, but deep down, wasn’t there still some bitterness?

“Mom,” Song Changfeng called softly.

His mother snapped out of her daze. “What is it?”

“It’s about this transfer request.” Song Changfeng placed the paper on the desk and explained, “Don’t worry, Mom. I’m not applying to transfer to frontline investigation work. This form was given to me by my supervisor before the New Year. I just stuffed it into my backpack without thinking. It didn’t mean anything.”

His words made her heart ache. Stuffed in without thinking? Would someone really hide it in the most secret compartment of their backpack if it meant nothing? He was just trying to put her mind at ease.

When had their relationship grown so distant? Her own son couldn’t even tell her the truth anymore.

“Do you really not want to transfer? Wasn’t it your dream since you were a kid to become a great police officer like your father? Are you really content staying at the Police Dog Training Base, raising dogs?” Her barrage of questions made Song Changfeng uncomfortable. He had already given her his word, so why couldn’t she believe him?

“Mom, really, I won’t transfer,” he replied, only addressing the first question and deliberately avoiding the rest.

She looked at him steadily, a flicker of sadness in her eyes. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to, it was that he wouldn’t. That was his promise to her, a promise made by suppressing his own feelings.

“You and Aofeng were a huge help in that last case. When I heard your analysis, it was like watching your father work a case all over again. Over the past few days, I did some digging into what you’ve been up to. Turns out, you’ve handled quite a few cases this past half year.” She turned the laptop on the desk toward him. The screen displayed a list of cases they’d worked on recently.

Song Changfeng pressed his lips together. “Police dogs are an important support tool in Criminal Investigation. If we happen to come across something, we can’t just ignore it. But I’ve almost never taken part in any arrests or had direct confrontations with criminals.” He was deliberately downplaying things to ease her worries.

But his mother was a businesswoman. No detail escaped her. The next moment, she asked sharply, “Almost?”

Song Changfeng lowered his head and stayed silent. After a pause, he said, “For the next six months, I’ll be staying at the base. Once Aofeng graduates, I’ll try to apply for an interprovincial transfer¹ and see if I can come back to Pingcheng.”

His words stunned her. She almost wanted to agree right away. Having her son back by her side would be the greatest joy she could ask for.

But if she was happy, what about Changfeng? Would he be happy too?

She had been thinking a lot these past few days. In fact, before Song Changfeng came home last year, she had planned to ask him to quit his job in Anyang and return to Pingcheng. But when he showed up with a police dog in tow, it was clear how much he valued his work. That’s why she’d gotten so angry then, thinking he’d done it on purpose to kill her hopes.

But that night, watching him confidently analyze the case had caught her off guard. Ever since his father’s death, it was like Changfeng had grown up overnight. He became quiet and reserved, rarely showing emotion, but always dependable. Over the years, she had gotten used to him being that way, even praised it as maturity. But she had overlooked the reason behind that growth.

When Song Changfeng’s father died in the line of duty, his mother felt as if the sky had collapsed. During that time, she was completely consumed by grief and paid no attention to anything happening around her. It was Song Changfeng, still a university student then, who ran around making all the arrangements for his father’s funeral, swallowing his own sorrow to get everything done. And in return, she demanded that he drop out of school immediately. She still remembered the look in his eyes back then, filled with disbelief. Though they eventually compromised, Song Changfeng’s mother knew he held resentment in his heart.

Of course, at the time, she didn’t care. So what if he resented her? Everything she did was for his own good. One day, he would understand her intentions. When that day came, he would realize how many dangers his mother had helped him avoid. Later, he did stop protesting and quietly accepted the path laid out for him.

It wasn’t until the day she found the transfer application he had hidden that she realized he had never truly let go of the dream he was forced to abandon. Her so-called good intentions had become a shackle, binding him tightly all these years.

“There’s no need. Don’t apply for the cross-province transfer, and you don’t need to come back to Pingcheng,” she said.

Song Changfeng froze. Was she just speaking out of anger? He opened his mouth to explain, but before he could say anything, his mother added, “Just fill out this form and hand it to your supervisor when you get back. Wasn’t it your dream to become a good police officer?”

Song Changfeng didn’t light up with joy. Instead, hearing her say that made him uneasy. “Mom, what’s going on? Are you feeling unwell? Did something happen?”

She shook her head. “I’m fine. Nothing’s happened. And I’m not saying this out of anger… I’ve just figured things out.”

Song Changfeng stood stunned. Figured things out… what did she mean?

“In the past, I only saw things from my own perspective. When your father died, I didn’t blame the criminals who took his life. Instead, I blamed the profession he had been so proud of and dedicated his life to. I remember you saying you’d work even harder when you got back to school, that you wanted to become a strong and upright police officer like your dad. But my first reaction wasn’t pride. It was fear. I was terrified that one day, you’d end up like him, cold and lifeless in front of me. I thought I was doing what was best for you, but I ignored how you felt.”

“I understand now. Rather than have you live a safe but dull and numb life, I’d rather let you chase your dream. I believe in you. You won’t… you won’t make me receive a second… line-of-duty death certificate and medal, will you?” Her eyes were red as she choked on the words.

“Mom…” Song Changfeng’s throat tightened, and though he opened his mouth, no words came out. He had never imagined that one day, his mother would give her blessing.

“Go on. Do what you want to do. I’ll always support you.” Her smile was laced with tears, her face full of tenderness—just like when he was a toddler learning to walk, and she stood before him with open arms, encouraging him to take his first steps forward without fear.

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Translator’s Notes

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1. interprovincial transfer: In the Chinese civil service system, transferring between provinces (kuasheng diaodong) is a difficult administrative feat requiring approval from multiple authorities. Proposing this shows the character’s extreme dedication to returning home. ↩