Miss Sun was already petite and frail. Now, under Assistant Prefect Lu’s harsh shouting, she trembled like the last leaf clinging to a branch in autumn, quivering in the wind. Even the onlookers began to feel pity.
Wasn’t Assistant Prefect Lu being far too aggressive toward this young girl? Did he actually suspect she was the killer? Such a fragile slip of a girl—how could she possibly commit murder? Surely he was mistaken!
One of the officers nearby couldn’t help but speak up: “Assistant Prefect Lu, do you truly believe Miss Sun is connected to this case? But didn’t Coroner Chen just say the victim struggled with her killer before death? Look at Miss Sun—her clothes are intact, without damage or even wrinkles. She doesn’t look like someone who fought with anyone. And besides… she hardly seems capable of overpowering the victim.”
The victim wasn’t especially tall, but she was still noticeably taller than Miss Sun. If the two had truly fought, who would have ended up dead would be uncertain!
And afterward, Miss Sun would have had to subdue Shopkeeper Yuan and stage the scene with the corpse. That was as absurd as an ant killing an elephant!
Assistant Prefect Lu suddenly turned, snarling furiously: “Silence!”
Su Liuyue: “…”
This Assistant Prefect was far too hot‑tempered. Still, at least he was willing to listen.
Seeing the officer cowed into silence, looking aggrieved and afraid to speak further, Su Liuyue suddenly chuckled softly. She stepped forward and said: “This officer is quite right. With Miss Sun’s abilities, it would be impossible for her to carry out both the murder and the framing. But who said the killer was only Miss Sun?”
Her words stunned everyone present.
Su Liuyue then turned sharply toward Shopkeeper Cao, whose face had gone ashen, and declared firmly: “The true murderer was not Miss Sun, but Shopkeeper Cao. Miss Sun was merely his accomplice! The illicit relationship was between Shopkeeper Cao and Miss Sun—not between the victim and Shopkeeper Yuan. Madam Ding discovered the truth, and that is why she was killed…”
“You… what nonsense are you spouting?!”
Suddenly thrust into the center of attention, Shopkeeper Cao shouted: “Young lady, we are strangers. How dare you slander me! How could I possibly kill Yueniang? My relationship with Miss Sun is purely that of employer and clerk! To accuse me is bad enough, but how can you drag an innocent girl into it as well? If you don’t believe me, ask my other clerks! In any dynasty, under any law, there is no justification for such baseless accusations!”
But Su Liuyue’s lips curved coldly. Her voice cut sharp: “Who said I was speaking baselessly? Shopkeeper Cao, do you recall how your two clerks reacted when I suddenly appeared behind them just now?”
Zheng Yaozu and Liu Ergui froze.
The others also looked at Su Liuyue in confusion, not understanding why she suddenly brought this up.
“At the very first glance, when I saw you standing beside Miss Sun, I knew your relationship was not ordinary!”
Su Liuyue’s voice was clear and calm: “When two people are not familiar, if they suddenly stand too close, it makes them uncomfortable, even startled—just like when I suddenly appeared behind your two fellow clerks earlier, and their reactions proved it! But when you came up silently behind Miss Sun, her reaction could not deceive anyone. She was only momentarily surprised, not frightened, not flustered. She calmly stepped aside. Such a reaction is impossible between two people who are supposedly unfamiliar!”
This principle, in psychology, is called social distance.
– Between strangers or acquaintances, the comfortable distance is 120–360 cm, called polite distance. If less than 120 cm, it feels like an invasion of personal space.
– Between friends, relatives, or familiar people, the comfortable distance is 45–120 cm, called personal distance.
– For intimate relationships—lovers or spouses—the acceptable distance is even shorter, usually 0–45 cm, or even “negative distance,” meaning physical contact, called intimate distance.
And just now, when Shopkeeper Cao approached Miss Sun, the distance between them was less than a hand’s breadth—everyone present saw it!
The crowd erupted in astonishment. So the young woman had deliberately stood so close to the two clerks earlier! Comparing the situations, Miss Sun’s calm reaction was completely different from theirs.
Shopkeeper Cao stared at Su Liuyue in shock. After a long moment, he finally found his voice: “What kind of twisted logic is this? I’ve never heard of such nonsense! How do you know it wasn’t coincidence? To judge me and Miss Sun guilty of an affair and murder based only on her reaction is laughable! All the evidence points to Shopkeeper Yuan. Those proofs are far stronger than your so‑called reasoning…”
“Who said that was my evidence?” Su Liuyue looked mockingly at the ashen‑faced Shopkeeper Cao, then slowly walked to the corpse. “That was merely a starting point, a clue to help me piece together the truth. Earlier, I noticed the heels of the victim’s shoes were worn down. That means she was dragged here after death. Yet Shopkeeper Yuan’s shoes showed no wear, not even dirt. According to his account, he was tricked into coming here, knocked unconscious, and placed beside the victim. If the killer had dragged him like the victim, even over a short distance, his shoes would bear marks. But they don’t. This shows—the victim was dragged, while Shopkeeper Yuan was most likely carried or slung over someone’s back and placed beside her.”
The officers nearby were stunned. One couldn’t help blurting out: “But Shopkeeper Yuan is heavier than the victim! If the killer had the strength to carry him, why not just carry the victim too?”
Before Su Liuyue could reply, Assistant Prefect Lu smacked the officer’s head in exasperation: “Fool! Isn’t it obvious? The two were moved by different people! The victim was dragged by someone too weak to lift her, while Shopkeeper Yuan was carried by someone strong enough!”
He was furious. Such a simple deduction—even he could figure it out! How could these useless men fail to see it? No—what did he mean *even he*? With his brilliant mind, of course he could deduce it! He had only thought a little slower, that was all!
Su Liuyue gave him a half‑smile and said: “Exactly. This proves there were likely two culprits. The one who dragged the victim was Miss Sun. The one who knocked out Shopkeeper Yuan and placed him beside the victim was Shopkeeper Cao.”
“If Shopkeeper Yuan had killed Madam Ding, why would he drag her here? With his build, he could easily have carried her.”
“Nonsense! Utter nonsense!”
Shopkeeper Cao, his face pale, shouted: “What dragging or carrying—how do you know Shopkeeper Yuan didn’t simply choose the easier way? Maybe he was too lazy to lift her and decided to drag instead! The method of moving a body doesn’t necessarily depend on strength—it could just be a whim! How can you treat that as evidence?”