Chapter 184: Is This Watermelon Ripe?

【Ding, congratulations, host, you've acquired a new skill: Is this watermelon ripe?】

【Is this watermelon ripe: A skill from a TV drama. From now on, you are the boss. With a watermelon knife in hand, your combat power will double.】

【The instant you pick up the watermelon knife, you will display astonishing combat power—and easily scare people to death.】

【Skill extension: You don't even need to call me "Godfather." As long as you want, many people will believe you've retired from the martial world for many years.】

I'm truly defeated by this old-six system of yours—giving yourself this skill right now? That's truly eye-opening.

Chen Fan stared silently at the skill, sinking into thought.

The rain continued. Chen Fan stood by the window, lit a cigarette, and his aura instantly emerged.

Sister Jing Tian, watching Chen Fan's silhouette, felt a momentary illusion.

"I don't know why, but for just an instant, I felt like I saw the Godfather's shadow."

Chen Fan turned back and said, "Really? Maybe it's your imagination."

Rarely did Sister Jing Tian argue back. She silently avoided meeting Chen Fan's gaze, sensing only that he radiated a dangerous aura.

A deep, terrifying intimidation, like something long buried.

Worse still, she even felt that Chen Fan carried an explosive force capable of tearing others apart.

Had she chosen a man—or a beast?

"I'm leaving first. I'll make room for you."

"You're going to shoot a TV drama too?"

"Yeah, I'm doing a new drama. I want to try it, make myself popular again. Don't rush into marriage—wait till I earn more money. Then I'll come back and marry you."

Chen Fan sat with one leg crossed, wearing a white shirt, and looked at Sister Jing Tian. "I really dislike the tone you use when you talk to me."

Sister Jing Tian instantly cowered. She spoke carefully: "I just meant—I don't want anything from you. Just leave a little space for me in your heart."

"You want too much."

"Alright, alright, sorry. Forgive me, okay?"

"Fine."

After changing clothes, Chen Fan went to the cafeteria. Old Liu stared at him for a long time and said, "Strange—you seem like you've been through a lot."

"Master, you're mistaken. Definitely mistaken."

"Alright, let's go. You saw Old Song's case yesterday. I'll take you to the scene. No one's lived in that house since—only police and forensic teams have gone there. Let's see if we can find any clues."

"Bought it?"

"Yeah. Bought it for 943."

At the production team, Zhang Xinyu stayed behind. Liu Yan and Sister Jing Tian left—they had scheduling conflicts and needed to attend other matters.

This is the only variety show where replacing the celebrity doesn't affect viewer interest.

Everyone loves watching their favorite star come to the show and suffer through its cases.

It's incredibly entertaining.

Old Liu and Chen Fan went directly to the scene.

A scene preserved for so many years shows that Old Song was truly serious—he truly believed his wife hadn't left him.

Old Liu said, "This was their home. One day, after Old Song came home from work, his wife was gone. When their child came home from school, the mother wasn't there."

"Fingerprints and footprints were already logged. These are all we can find."

Chen Fan stared silently at the house. It was a simple, unadorned old home, never repaired in all these years.

The scene was well-preserved.

Forensic experts, in fact, are involved in identification and missing-person cases.

But missing-person cases are the hardest in the police force.

If the person was murdered, it's manageable. The real fear is when someone walks away on their own.

Chen Fan and Old Liu stared at some frozen, sealed food—clearly, Old Song had gone all out.

He spent a great deal of money on it.

Chen Fan stared silently at the frozen food and said, "All these years—hasn't this food spoiled?"

"Yeah, spoiled. Forensic teams have checked these foods multiple times. Sigh—it's unavoidable. Old Song always asks us to help, but we all know these things can't be resolved."

Chen Fan murmured, "Alright. I'll look some more."

Old Liu handed Chen Fan a diary. "This is the little girl's diary. It records her daily life. You can read it."

"Zu'er's diary? She wrote so much?"

"The child started writing when her mother was still around."

Chen Fan opened the diary.

"July 13: Mom told me I have to go to school. I was so happy. She made me something special to eat—I had an egg. Mom ate the eggshell scraps herself. She said it tasted good."

"August 15: Dad came home with a fish. He said it was given by his workplace. Mom cut it open, planning to divide it, and told me the biggest piece was for when guests came."

"That day, Mom said she didn't like fish—said it had bones and she couldn't spit them out. I told her I could spit bones, and offered to remove them for her. She refused."

"September 5: I came home from school. Mom didn't come to pick me up. I could go home alone. Everyone else went in groups, but I played outside. Mom agreed."

"September 7: Mom said she'd come see me, but she didn't. I came home alone and bought spicy strips from the roadside. Mom beat me. That was the first time she ever hit me—said I was wasting money."

"September 15: Mom said she had a stomachache and went out for a bit. I was half-asleep. When she came back, she was already asleep. That night she sweated and said, 'It's been too hot lately.'"