The online situation was quickly resolved.
The police released the details of the case.
The rumormongers were brought back to the police station, given criticism and education, and detained.
Before returning to Jinrong Residences, Su Miaoyi took her phone in for repairs.
Fortunately, only the screen was broken—it could still be fixed, but she’d have to wait two days for the new screen.
The money for the phone repair and the taxi ride was all paid by Zhuang Yanzheng.
After the meal, Zhuang Yanzheng took a thousand yuan from his wallet and gave it to her, telling her to keep it for emergencies.
Since she was going to pay him back anyway, Su Miaoyi didn’t stand on ceremony and took it.
Back at her place, Su Miaoyi entered the bedroom and looked at the pile of clothes on the bed, her head throbbing.
She ignored the clothes and sat down at the computer.
She opened a document.
And typed the words “self-criticism.”
Almost without thinking, she tapped the keyboard and wrote five hundred characters in no time.
Then she stared at those five hundred characters and suddenly snapped out of it.
Why was she writing a self-criticism!
He wasn’t her boss.
Su Miaoyi slapped her own hand.
These five hundred characters would’ve been great in a novel.
Sighing twice, Su Miaoyi opened her writing software, then stared at the screen for five minutes. She decided she’d better go sleep on the sofa first.
Her thoughts would be clearer after she woke up.
Without her phone, she grabbed a book from under the coffee table and read until she drifted off.
She slept soundly—no visions, no dreams.
She slept for a long time, only jolting awake when she heard the sound of the door lock opening.
Two beeps. Su Miaoyi woke with a start, sat up, and grabbed the fruit knife from the coffee table—all in near-synchrony.
Then she saw Cheng Jue standing at the door.
Seeing her, Cheng Jue paused at the entrance: “Sis, you’re home. I knocked but no one answered, so I used the passcode to get in.”
Su Miaoyi let out a breath of relief and set the fruit knife back on the coffee table: “I fell asleep. Didn’t hear you.”
She stood up and glanced out the window. It was already completely dark outside.
She looked up at the light.
Cheng Jue hadn’t turned it on.
So… she hadn’t turned off the light last night, and it had been on all day!
Su Miaoyi winced at the thought of the electricity bill.
Cheng Jue changed his shoes at the door, walked over to her, and waved a hand in front of her face: “I tried calling you, but it didn’t go through. Everything okay?”
Su Miaoyi swatted his hand away: “Shattered the screen, sent it in for repairs. Did you fight with Uncle and Auntie again? It’s a home-return weekend—why’d you come all the way here?”
Cheng Jue was starting his senior year of high school, and classes resumed in mid-August, which was why she hadn’t seen him on her last visit.
“How could you think that of me? Can’t I just miss you and come to see you?” Cheng Jue said with a grin.
Su Miaoyi let out a scoffing laugh: “Fine, then I won’t put in a good word for you.”
“Sis.” Cheng Jue grabbed her sleeve and tugged at her arm.
Su Miaoyi gave him a look: “You’re a grown man now, still acting like a spoiled kid. Let go.”
Cheng Jue released her hand and followed her toward the kitchen: “We got out early this afternoon, so I went home. Mom and Dad said if I’m set on studying acting, I can get lost. So I got lost—right here.”
“You sure know how to get lost—all the way over here.” Su Miaoyi grabbed a can of cola from the fridge and handed it to him. “So you’ve made up your mind? You’re definitely doing it?”
“Yeah.” Cheng Jue nodded.
“Alright.” Su Miaoyi said. “I’ll talk to Uncle and Auntie. I’ve already looked into the training programs. I’ll take you to check them out tomorrow. You pick one. Don’t worry about the money—I’ve got it all ready.”
Cheng Jue looked at her.
Su Miaoyi looked back at him: “Cheng Jue, I know plenty of teachers have said you’ve got great looks and natural talent. But you only have six months.”
“I know.” Cheng Jue said.
Su Miaoyi nodded: “What do you want to eat?”
Cheng Jue grabbed her arm.
He was tall—Su Miaoyi had to look up slightly to meet his eyes: “What’s wrong?”
“Sis, when I start making money, I’ll give it all to you.” Cheng Jue said very seriously.
“Get out of here. If you’re talking money, don’t call me sis.” Su Miaoyi swatted his hand away. “Let’s eat out.”
“Let’s order delivery instead,” Cheng Jue said. “It’s past eight. If we go out and come back, you won’t finish your novel.”
“That’s a very good point.” Su Miaoyi patted his shoulder and headed toward the bedroom. “You order. I don’t have my phone. Got money? If not, take some cash and go downstairs to buy something.”
“I’ve got money.” Cheng Jue said.
Su Miaoyi walked into the bedroom, took one look at the pile of clothes on the bed, and came right back out.
Cheng Jue handed her his phone: “See what you want to eat. I don’t need my phone right now—use it.”
Su Miaoyi took the phone, then looked up at him. Free labor, right here.
They were just outerwear anyway.
Cheng Jue took a step back: “What are you doing?”
Su Miaoyi narrowed her eyes with a smile and kicked him into the bedroom.
Cheng Jue stumbled into the room and stared at the bed full of clothes: “Sis, your closet threw up!”
“Yeah.” Su Miaoyi walked away with the phone. “Fold them all, and you get dinner.”
Cheng Jue looked at the bed overflowing with clothes: “My whole life, I’ve been your servant.”
“Count yourself lucky—servants are still human.” Su Miaoyi’s voice drifted in from the living room.
Cheng Jue said nothing more and obediently started folding the clothes.
…
Huating Diyuan, Building 3, Unit 601.
Yellow caution tape was stretched across the entrance.
Zhuang Yanzheng and Yan Cheng put on shoe covers and gloves, then headed straight for the kitchen.
The moment the refrigerator door opened—
A head was sitting right inside.
Even with mental preparation, the sight still made their hearts skip a beat.
Half an hour ago, the command center received a report.
Three cleaners, while tidying up at Huating Diyuan, had discovered a human head inside the refrigerator.
The cleaner who opened the fridge had fainted on the spot.
Zhuang Yanzheng looked at the head in the refrigerator and furrowed his brow.
Yan Cheng glanced at him and asked, “Recognize it?”
“Looks familiar,” Zhuang Yanzheng said.
The refrigerator area was left to Yan Cheng.
Zhuang Yanzheng looked around.
Forensic technicians were collecting evidence in the room.
But the cleaners had already done two-thirds of the cleaning, so it would likely be difficult to gather any useful information.
Qi Feng said, “Captain Zhuang, we only found a head.”
Zhuang Yanzheng went to check the bathroom: “Any bloodstains?”
The officer said, “No bloodstains found.”
Zhuang Yanzheng then checked the other two bathrooms and got the same result.
Qi Feng said, “We traced the property owner through the management office—it’s Shen Yanzhou. We tried contacting him, but his phone has been unreachable. According to the management office, based on the facial recognition records at the entrance, no one has been here for over three months.”
Zhuang Yanzheng looked at him: “Shen Yanzhou?”
Qi Feng nodded and handed him the tablet.
On it was the property owner’s information.
The young master of Jinghai’s wealthiest family.
Zhuang Yanzheng glanced at it, then took out his phone and scrolled to a number: “Have them call this one.”
Qi Feng noted down the number and went to make the call.
Zhuang Yanzheng returned to the kitchen.
The head had already been moved from the refrigerator to the floor.
Yan Cheng was conducting the preliminary examination.
Zhuang Yanzheng looked at it and realized why it seemed familiar.
He had seen this person before.
It was Shen Yanzhou’s driver.
“Preliminary assessment—time of death is about a week,” Yan Cheng said.
Zhuang Yanzheng left the kitchen, exchanged a few words with Qi Feng, then went to check the bedroom.
He opened the wardrobe—inside hung a few suits and some pajamas.
He inspected everything but found nothing.
Zhuang Yanzheng and Shen Yanzhou had known each other since childhood.
The two were fairly familiar.
Shen Yanzhou had his own villa, which was where he usually stayed.
This place indeed showed very few signs of habitation—from the uncleaned areas, it really did look like no one had been here for over three months.
The security here was excellent. Entry and exit required facial recognition and registration.
So how did a head that had been dead for a week end up in the refrigerator?
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