Song Ning was astonished. "Why did he come?"
"To identify a body!"
"A friend of his came here on business and went missing. He rushed over after seeing the newspaper!"
Gu Zheng's eyes were bloodshot, and he looked utterly exhausted.
Song Ning asked, "Would you like to come in and sit for a while?"
Gu Zheng nodded, walked into her little living room, and sank heavily onto her small, worn sofa.
Then he looked up with a smile. "Could I trouble you for a bowl of tea, Miss Song? The same kind as last time."
Song Ning already had tea steeping in her kettle. She turned and went into the kitchen to pour him a bowl.
Gu Zheng took it and gulped it down.
"That hit the spot! I was dying of thirst!"
"There's no water to drink in that huge Public Security Bureau?"
Song Ning took the bowl and filled it again.
"I only got back from Star City last night, then spent the morning dealing with a pile of things. I've been busy right up until now. I haven't slept in days!"
Song Ning raised her wrist to check the time. It was already three in the afternoon. She said,
"Then you haven't had lunch either, have you? Shall I make you a bowl of noodles?"
Gu Zheng looked up at her and smiled.
Song Ning was puzzled. "What's that supposed to mean? Do you want some or not?"
Gu Zheng shook his head. "Never mind! I'll eat when I get back to the bureau!"
Song Ning clicked her tongue. "Are you really not hungry, or are you just being polite? Last time you ate here, Han Xiao brought over two bags of fruit and a pile of ration coupons right afterward! It was as if you were