The sound of weeping in the dead of night

Late at night, the quiet streets were disturbed only by the occasional car slicing through the stillness. The moonlight, like flowing water, spilled over the empty avenues, cloaking the night in an air of mystery.

Chen Fan, a young detective, sat in his disorderly office, leafing through the case files he had recently taken on. Suddenly, the shrill ring of the telephone shattered the silence, pulling him abruptly from his thoughts.

“Hello, this is Chen Fan Detective Agency,” he answered, fatigue lacing his voice.

“Detective Chen, this is Huang Yu. Some strange things have been happening in our neighborhood lately, and I hope you can come investigate.” The voice on the other end was urgent and anxious.

Huang Yu was an old client of Chen Fan’s, having once entrusted him with a missing person case. Chen Fan knew that Huang Yu wouldn’t disturb him without good reason; if he had called, it must be a matter of some difficulty.

“All right, tell me exactly what’s been happening.” Chen Fan took notes as he listened closely to Huang Yu’s account.

As it turned out, every night in Huang Yu’s residential community, the sound of weeping would echo through the darkness. At first, the residents assumed it was a quarrel between a couple, or perhaps someone watching a sad film. But gradually, they realized the crying was unlike anything ordinary. It would always begin at the same late hour, the voice piercing and drawn-out, brimming with endless sorrow.

Unease spread among the residents, who began reporting the phenomenon to the property management. Staff were dispatched to investigate, but no source of the sound could be found. Rumors and wild speculation ran rampant, and a sense of unease took hold of the community.

After hearing Huang Yu’s description, Chen Fan’s curiosity was piqued. He understood that such seemingly supernatural occurrences often concealed secrets hidden from the public eye. He resolved to visit the neighborhood and investigate the matter personally.

The next evening, Chen Fan arrived at Huang Yu’s neighborhood on time. The place was lush with trees and tranquil, but in Chen Fan’s eyes, there was now a certain eerie quality to it. Drawing a deep breath, he stepped into the community.

It was pitch black at night, with only a few streetlights casting weak pools of light. Chen Fan walked along the path, listening intently to every sound. Sure enough, before long, he heard the familiar weeping.

The sound seemed to come from an apartment building. Chen Fan followed it and arrived in front of the building. Looking up, he spotted a faint light glowing from a window on the third floor; the crying was coming from there.

Chen Fan climbed to the third floor and knocked on the door. After a long moment, it finally opened. A middle-aged woman stood in the doorway, her face pale, her eyes filled with a trace of fear.

“Excuse me, is it you who’s been crying?” Chen Fan asked politely.

The woman started, then shook her head. “No, it’s my daughter.”

Chen Fan followed her inside. The furnishings were simple but neat. A girl of about fourteen or fifteen sat on the edge of the bed, her hands covering her face as she sobbed.

“Does she do this every night?” Chen Fan inquired gently.

The woman nodded. “It’s been going on for over a week. I don’t know what’s wrong. She won’t say, she just keeps crying.”

Chen Fan knelt beside the girl, speaking softly to reassure her: “Don’t be afraid. Can you tell me if something has made you unhappy?”

The girl looked up at him with tear-filled eyes and shook her head. “No, nothing at all.”

Realizing he would get nothing useful from her for the time being, Chen Fan stood and asked the woman, “May I look at her room?”

She hesitated, but eventually agreed. Chen Fan entered the girl’s room and examined it carefully. The space was cozily decorated, with anime posters covering the walls. But in the corner of one poster, Chen Fan noticed a few small words scrawled in pencil: “I hate you.”

His heart stirred. He examined the writing closely and saw the letters were blurred, as if smeared by tears. Turning to the woman, he asked, “Has your daughter quarreled with anyone recently?”

She thought for a moment, then shook her head. “No, she’s always been well-behaved, she never argues with anyone.”

Chen Fan frowned, sensing that things weren’t so simple. He left the girl’s room and said to the woman, “Would you mind if I take a look around the community? I might find some clues.”

She agreed. Chen Fan wandered through the neighborhood, ears pricked for any sound. Suddenly, he heard faint voices under a nearby tree.

He crept closer and saw two residents speaking in hushed tones.

“Do you think that crying comes from Wang Jia’s place?” one whispered.

“Who knows? But every time the crying starts, their light is on,” the other replied.

“I heard Wang Jia’s gotten into some trouble lately.”

“Really? What kind of trouble?”

“I’m not sure, but I heard he’s gotten close to a woman and his wife found out.”

“Oh, so that’s it. No wonder he’s been acting so secretive.”

The name “Wang Jia” stuck in Chen Fan’s mind, and he decided to investigate further the next day.

The following day, Chen Fan used the property management office to find Wang Jia’s address. He knocked on the door, and after a moment, a burly middle-aged man answered, fatigue in his eyes.

“Are you Mr. Wang Jia?” Chen Fan asked.

The man nodded. “Yes. What’s this about?”

Chen Fan showed his detective credentials. “I’m Detective Chen Fan, and I’d like to ask you a few questions.”

Wang Jia hesitated, then let him in. The apartment was simply furnished but a bit messy. Chen Fan sat on the sofa and got straight to the point.

“I’ve heard you’ve been having some trouble lately?”

Wang Jia sighed and nodded. “Yes, I got involved with another woman, and my wife found out. Now she wants a divorce.”

“Are you aware of the crying that’s heard every night in the community?” Chen Fan pressed.

Wang Jia shook his head. “No, I’ve got my own problems. I haven’t paid attention to any of that.”

Watching Wang Jia carefully, Chen Fan saw no sign of deception. He prepared to leave.

“One more thing. Have you heard any strange sounds at night?”

Wang Jia thought for a moment, then shook his head. “No, I haven’t been sleeping well lately. I wouldn’t have noticed.”

Leaving Wang Jia’s home, Chen Fan felt even more confused. He was convinced there was some connection between Wang Jia’s troubles and the nightly weeping. He decided to investigate Wang Jia’s relationship with the other woman.

After some digging, he learned the woman’s name was Li Mei, a colleague of Wang Jia’s. They had been keeping their affair secret from their families for some time until Wang Jia’s wife recently discovered it, causing an uproar.

Chen Fan decided to speak with Li Mei. He went to her place and knocked. After a moment, a young, attractive woman opened the door, surprise flickering in her eyes.

“Are you Ms. Li Mei?” Chen Fan inquired.

Li Mei nodded, a hint of wariness in her voice. “Yes, what do you want?”

Chen Fan smiled and showed his badge. “I’m Detective Chen Fan. I’d like to discuss some matters concerning you and Mr. Wang Jia, as well as the crying heard in the community at night.”

Li Mei’s expression instantly grew complicated. She hesitated, then let Chen Fan in. The apartment was tastefully decorated, but a stifling air seemed to linger.

“Please, have a seat,” Li Mei gestured to the sofa, taking a seat opposite.

Chen Fan sat down and went straight to the heart of the matter. “I gather you’re under a lot of stress lately because of your situation with Mr. Wang Jia?”

Li Mei lowered her head, hands clasped tightly. “Yes. I never expected things to turn out this way. Wang Jia’s wife confronted me, hurling accusations and insults. I live in fear and anxiety every day.”

Chen Fan nodded in understanding, then shifted the subject. “Have you noticed the crying heard every night in the community? Do you think it’s related to you or Mr. Wang Jia?”

Li Mei looked up suddenly, a flicker of fear in her eyes. “I… I don’t know. I haven’t dared to go out at night, let alone pay attention to those sounds. But…”—she paused, as if recalling something.

“But what?” Chen Fan asked, catching her hesitation.

Li Mei bit her lip, then continued, “Once, when I got home late and passed near Wang Jia’s place, I did hear crying, but I can’t say for sure if it was coming from his home.”

Chen Fan sensed this was a key clue. He pressed her for more details. “Do you remember which night it was? Any other unusual details?”

Li Mei thought hard. “It was last Wednesday, I think. I’d worked late. The crying… it sounded so heartbroken, as if someone was deeply wronged.”

Chen Fan made a note of this. He now had a preliminary theory. Rising, he thanked Li Mei. “Thank you for your cooperation. If I have further questions, I may need to trouble you again.”

Li Mei nodded, still tense. After Chen Fan left, she stood in the doorway, watching him go, her feelings in turmoil.

Back at his office, Chen Fan began to organize the clues he had gathered. He carefully analyzed the relationships between Wang Jia, Li Mei, and the mysterious weeping, detecting some subtle connections. He resolved to return to the community that night for a deeper investigation.

That evening, Chen Fan arrived early and concealed himself in a hidden corner, waiting quietly for midnight. As the hours slipped by, the community fell silent, save for the occasional chirp of insects and the whisper of the wind.

At the familiar hour, the crying began once more. Chen Fan followed the sound and confirmed it was indeed coming from near Wang Jia’s apartment. He crept closer to the building, watching and listening intently.

Just then, he saw a shadow flicker past Wang Jia’s window. Startled, Chen Fan gave chase, hurrying up the stairs to the third floor, where he found the door ajar. He pushed it open and stepped inside.

The apartment was dark, only a sliver of moonlight filtering through the window. In the dim light, he saw a figure sitting on the floor—Wang Jia’s daughter, her face buried in her hands as she sobbed.

A wave of emotion washed over Chen Fan. He realized that behind this seemingly supernatural phenomenon was a story of deep human feeling. He approached the girl quietly, knelt beside her, and gently asked, “Don’t be afraid. Is there something that’s making you sad?”

The girl lifted her tear-streaked face and, at last, revealed the truth.

Her voice trembled, and fresh tears slid down her cheeks as she choked out, “It’s me… I’ve been crying all along. But it’s not for myself—I heard my mother crying.”

Chen Fan was taken aback. “Your mother’s crying? Isn’t she here with you?”

The girl shook her head, tears streaming down. “No, it’s my mother’s voice on the phone. Every night, she calls my father in secret. I don’t know what they talk about, but she always cries, so heartbreakingly. That’s why I cry too.”

Suddenly, the truth dawned on Chen Fan. Wang Jia’s wife, devastated by her husband’s betrayal, could only pour out her pain in secret phone calls at night. Her sorrowful weeping, overheard by her daughter, had become too much for the girl to bear, and so every night, at the same time, she too would break down in tears, expressing her helplessness and grief.

“Why didn’t you tell anyone?” Chen Fan asked gently.

The girl hung her head, her voice barely audible. “I was scared. I was afraid my parents would fight, or worse, separate.”

A warm sympathy welled up in Chen Fan. He patted her shoulder reassuringly. “Don’t worry. Everything will be all right. I’ll help you find a way to solve this.”

He left the girl’s room and found the middle-aged woman waiting anxiously in the living room. He told her everything he had learned and advised her to speak openly with Wang Jia, to confront their family issues together.

On hearing this, the woman burst into tears. “I always thought she was upset about something else. I never realized… she was worried about me. I’ve failed as a mother—I didn’t even see her pain.”

Chen Fan comforted her. “Don’t blame yourself. Children are often more sensitive and resilient than we realize. What matters now is that you face this as a family.”

With Chen Fan’s encouragement, the woman agreed to have an honest conversation with Wang Jia. Meanwhile, Chen Fan continued looking into the relationship between Wang Jia and Li Mei, seeking a way to resolve the conflict.

After much effort, Chen Fan finally arranged a meeting between Wang Jia’s family and Li Mei. With his mediation, all parties were able to express their feelings openly and honestly, leading at last to reconciliation. Wang Jia chose to return to his family, end his relationship with Li Mei, and pledged to repair his marriage. Li Mei, too, agreed to let go of the past and start a new chapter in her life.

With the conflict resolved, the nightly weeping faded away. Wang Jia’s daughter rediscovered her smile, and her family was restored to warmth and harmony. Watching these changes, Chen Fan felt a deep sense of satisfaction and contentment.

This case left Chen Fan with a profound understanding of his calling as a detective. He realized that behind every seemingly simple case might lie a tangle of complex human emotions and relationships. His role was not only to uncover the truth but to understand and help those in need.

From that day forward, Chen Fan devoted himself even more to his work, using his wisdom and courage to bring light and hope to others. And this experience became a cherished memory in his career as a detective.