Shen Yan lowered his gaze, glancing at the name badge on her chest, and said casually, “Dr. Han, a friend of mine fell from a building a couple of days ago. I witnessed her leap to her death with my own eyes. Even now, I still have lingering fear.”
The smile on Han Xiangya’s lips froze instantly, her eyes darkening. “Falling from a building? Are you referring to the case of the young housewife who jumped this morning, as reported in the news?”
Shen Yan nodded and continued with a probing tone, “She was a very close friend of mine. She sent me a message before she jumped, but when the police arrived at the scene, they didn’t find her phone. Do you think it’s possible the killer took it?”
Her fingers trembled slightly, the hand gripping her water cup tightening gradually. She was squeezing so hard that her knuckles turned white.
A few seconds later, realizing Shen Yan was still present, she said airily, “I’m sorry, but I’m a psychological counselor, not a police officer. If you have leads to provide, you should go to the police station.”
Shen Yan understood. He sat calmly in the chair, sweeping his gaze around her office space.
Meanwhile, Han Xiangya was still replaying the sequence of events from that night. The phone—regarding the phone—she hadn’t seen it at the scene either.
Her mind was in a whirl, unable to concentrate.
Just then, a nurse happened to knock on the door and brought in two cups of jasmine tea.
One was handed to Shen Yan, and the other cup had a distinctive mark on its wall. His eyes darkened slightly.
Shen Yan took the cup and said slowly, “Thank you.”
The nurse smiled, replacing the cup in Han Xiangya’s hand. At that moment, she took a deep breath, gradually recovering from her earlier panic.
Han Xiangya spoke again, “Mr. Shen, regarding your situation, I’m afraid I can’t be of much help. You should try somewhere else.”
Shen Yan pretended to look disappointed as he stood up and answered his phone. “Found it? Alright, I’ll be right there.”
After hanging up, he politely bid Han Xiangya farewell and turned to leave.
Xizi Bay.
Shen Yan and Jiang Shisan hid in a concealed spot.
“Boss, do you really think Han Xiangya will take the bait?”
“If Xie Aixian really was killed by her, and she didn’t see the phone at the scene either, then the information I just revealed should be enough to throw her into a panic. Just wait.”
Jiang Shisan nodded.
Just then, a familiar Camry slowly drove into the residential complex.
Shen Yan’s heart tightened.
The car headed straight toward the underground parking garage.
“Boss, that car looks like Miss Wen’s,” Jiang Shisan said, glancing sideways at Shen Yan.
He pressed his lips together tightly, feeling uneasy.
Shortly after, a BMW 7 Series was stopped by a security guard. In the distance, two guards exchanged a few words with the driver, smiles on their faces, before letting the car through without issue.
Inside the underground garage.
Wen Xin and Shu Shuangyue had just gotten out of the car when Shu Shuangyue couldn’t help but gossip, “Xinxin, you’ve been staying at that military heartthrob’s place lately. Has anything sweet happened between you two?”
Wen Xin rubbed her temples and let out a sigh. “Don’t even mention it. Aside from that one time he was home, he hasn’t come back since.”
Shu Shuangyue stood still, thought for a moment, and teased, “So, you’ve fallen for a man who never comes home?”
A faint smile spread across Wen Xin’s face. Even in the dim underground garage, the tear mole beneath her eye was faintly visible.
“Come on, let’s hurry up and grab our stuff and go.” Wen Xin linked her arm through Shu Shuangyue’s, and the two walked toward the elevator.
It was probably daytime, so many cars had already driven off, leaving the place eerily quiet.
The high heels behind her made a “tap, tap, tap” sound. Wen Xin lifted her eyes, and the two exchanged a glance through the bright reflection of the elevator doors. From a meter away, those eyes beneath the sunglasses, deep and unfathomable, gleamed with the excitement of a predator spotting its prey.
She wore a floor-length black dress, her hair wrapped in a leopard-print silk scarf, sunglasses covering most of her face, and a bold red lipstick exuding a sharp, fierce aura.
Wen Xin quickly averted her gaze. She had lived here for four years and occasionally ran into neighbors, but this was the first time she had seen someone dressed like that. Perhaps lost in thought, the woman behind her curled the corner of her lips in a smile.
For some reason, that smile sent a chill down her spine.
After entering the elevator, they pressed the button for the 10th floor, while the woman extended her slender fingers and pressed the 11th.
The elevator ascended slowly, and in the enclosed space, only the alternating sounds of breathing and heartbeats could be heard.
With a “ding,” the elevator doors opened. Wen Xin and Shu Shuangyue hurried out, their hearts racing as they fumbled to unlock their door and slipped inside.
Only then did Wen Xin voice the suspicion that had been brewing. “Shuangyue, I keep feeling that woman is suspicious. It’s 35 degrees Celsius in the capital, yet she still has a scarf wrapped around her head. And when she smiled at us just now, I suddenly felt a bit dizzy.”
At that, Shu Shuangyue felt the same way.
She continued, “Did you notice a faint fragrance on her?”
Shu Shuangyue wrinkled her nose, pondering for a moment before it hit her. “That scent… I’ve smelled it somewhere before.”
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Wen Xin froze, then suddenly snapped to attention. “The night Xie Aixian fell to her death, a shadowy figure passed by our car. Officer Shen happened to be looking for us to give statements, so her back was turned to that person.”
!!!
Just then, a text message from Shen Yan came in: 【Lock your door and don’t come out no matter what.】
【Okay. A woman just followed us upstairs, but she went to the 11th floor. She had a scent on her that made me dizzy when I smelled it. Stay safe.】
After that, there was no further word from Shen Yan.
On the other side, Shen Yan and Jiang Shisan were already lying in wait inside unit 1003.
The woman, familiar with the layout, slipped on shoe covers and headed straight for the living room. That was where Xie Aixian had fallen from, so her phone was most likely discarded there.
She glanced around but found nothing.
Then she got down on the floor, checking under the sofa. Sure enough—
A white phone lay beneath it.
The woman reached out, retrieved the phone, unlocked it, and scrolled through its contents.
Her eyes gleamed with bone-chilling coldness, devoid of any warmth.
She muttered under her breath, “Xie Aixian, you deserved to die. A thousand deaths, ten thousand, wouldn’t be enough. This case will just have to remain a miscarriage of justice. Rest easy down below—I’ll take care of things up here for you!”