From time to time, muffled sobs echoed through the interview room.
Frowning, Zeng Yongjia looked at the woman across the table. She had gone from full-blown crying to merely sniffling now and then. Her eyes were as red as a rabbit’s, and whether from crying or sheer emotional agitation, her face looked visibly puffier than before.
He had been about to offer a few words of explanation when someone suddenly kicked him lightly under the table. Baring his teeth, he turned his head and saw He Shu’s expressionless profile beside him. He immediately swallowed the words back down.
“For now, the police investigation hasn’t reached any conclusions,” He Shu said once Tang Meitong had cried herself out. “Miss Tang, you should focus on calming down first.”
She rose and headed for the door, signaling with her eyes for Zeng Yongjia to follow.
After the two stepped into the hallway, Zeng Yongjia shut the door firmly behind them and immediately asked: “Captain He, do you think Tang Meitong is lying? Do you still consider her a homicide suspect? But we don’t have any evidence right now. At most, we can only hold her for forty-eight hours.”
“First,” He Shu said, raising one finger, “why did she and Nie Han create such a commotion at Phantom on the night of the 12th, yet none of the employees there, including the manager, mentioned it?”
Then she extended a second finger. “Second, I reviewed the performance roster provided by the manager. Out of all the dancers, she was the only one present at Phantom on the nights both Nie Han and Ying Weiqiu died.”
After hearing that, Zeng Yongjia fell into thought. A moment later, understanding dawned on him.
“At this point, aside from the murder method, a partial criminal profile, and those glitter particles from the body lotion, we know almost nothing about the killer.”
“Yet suddenly, two clues this obvious drop right into our laps.”
“That’s a little too convenient, isn’t it?”
“Captain He, what do we do now?”
“Keep Tang Meitong here for the time being,” He Shu replied. “But don’t cut off her communication with the outside world.”
She looked at him meaningfully. Only after he nodded in understanding did she continue. “As for these two free leads that practically fell from the sky, let’s follow them.”
“It would be rude to reject someone’s generosity.”
“Let’s see where they ultimately lead.”
“Understood.”
As they spoke, the phone in her pocket buzzed twice. She pulled it out and saw two social media messages.
Contact: Lin Jinxuan. After reading them, an odd smile appeared on her face. Half amused. Half something else.
Zeng Yongjia glanced at her several times. In the end, her expression made him feel inexplicably uneasy. “Captain He… what’s wrong?”
He Shu lifted her phone. “Lin Jinxuan says he’s suddenly remembered some important clues.”
“He wants to come over…” Before she could finish, an engine roared from beyond the gates of the Public Security Bureau compound.
Within seconds, a sleek convertible sports car that looked obscenely expensive came flying through the entrance like a gust of wind.
Screeeech—The tires screeched against the pavement as the sports car shot into a parking space, the rear end trailing wisps of smoke.
“Holy shit… what is that thing…?” Zeng Yongjia hurried over to the window. From his angle, he had a clear view of the car after it shut off. A man dressed entirely in black stepped out. He still looked like money from head to toe, and the chains around his neck flashed blindingly in the sunlight.
“Captain He, this guy’s obviously got an ulterior motive. We only left his club a few hours ago, and he’s already chased us all the way here!” He grumbled on, though halfway through he realized he was probably worrying unnecessarily.
Anyone else, maybe. But He Shu clearly wasn’t the type to be swayed by money or material things. And taking the thought one step further, if those two somehow actually ended up developing a relationship… Wouldn’t the guy be the one deserving sympathy? The thought left his feelings rather complicated. For a moment, he wasn’t even sure what expression he should be wearing.
He Shu raised an eyebrow. Before she could say anything, her phone chimed twice again. She glanced down, typed a reply, then walked over to the elevator and stepped inside.
…
Inside an interview room.
Lin Jinxuan stood in the middle of the small room, absentmindedly twirling his car keys in one hand as he paced back and forth. Every so often, he’d reach out to touch the sofa or tabletop, then pull back immediately and make an obvious face of disgust.
The sound of movement came from the doorway. He spun around at once and flashed what he clearly considered his most charming smile. “Officer He.”
He Shu nodded politely, her demeanor warm yet distant. Then she gestured for him to sit down.
Standing nearby, Chang Bin rolled his eyes discreetly at being completely ignored. “Mr. Lin,” he said, “what exactly did you remember that you’d like to tell the police?”
Lin Jinxuan let out a couple of awkward laughs. “Well… uh…” His eyes darted all over the room. It was painfully obvious that he was desperately trying to come up with an excuse.
He Shu didn’t press him. Instead, she took the opportunity to casually examine him from head to toe once again.
Among men, he was only average height. His left hand remained in his trouser pocket, while his right hand gripped his car keys in a loose fist.
Then she casually pushed the disposable cup of warm water sitting on the coffee table toward him.
Perhaps because he genuinely couldn’t think of an excuse, Lin Jinxuan instinctively pulled his left hand from his pocket and reached for the cup.
However, halfway through the motion, inspiration seemed to strike. He jumped to his feet.
“Right! I remembered!”
“The manager mentioned something before. I think there was some kind of altercation at the club on the night of the 12th.”
“But I never asked for details.”
He looked eagerly at He Shu. “Officer He, do you think that could have something to do with that guy’s death?”
After speaking, he widened his eyes hopefully, wearing a blatant expression that practically said: “Come on, praise me.”
Chang Bin finally couldn’t take it anymore. Seeing that Lin Jinxuan had no intention of offering any additional information, he began ushering him out. “The police sincerely appreciate Mr. Lin’s cooperation in providing clues. If there’s nothing else…”
Seeing both of them stand up, Lin Jinxuan hurriedly rose as well. “Officer He, it’s almost time to get off work, isn’t it? How about I treat you to dinner? Maybe while we’re eating, I’ll remember something else important.”
He Shu declined politely. “Sorry, we’re working overtime today.”
“You still have to eat, even if you’re working overtime.” Lin Jinxuan persisted. “How about this? I know a really classy Italian restaurant. We can just-”
He stopped mid-sentence. For some reason, although the woman standing opposite him hadn’t changed her expression, he suddenly felt a chill run through him. The coldness in her eyes made him feel as though he had been dropped into an ice cellar. Immediately, he altered his approach. “Of course, serving the people is more important. Some other day, when Officer He has time…”
Unfortunately, faced with her completely emotionless gaze, he simply couldn’t continue. In the end, he could only force an awkward smile, then open the door and leave.
About half a minute later, after confirming that Lin Jinxuan had gone far enough away, Chang Bin glanced at the untouched paper cup on the coffee table.
“That kid’s either really lucky or really cautious. He’s actually kind of interesting.”
“Captain He, what do you think that clue he provided was supposed to mean? If we’re going by what he said, then getting all the employees to keep quiet was the manager’s idea.”
“Bring everyone back to the bureau and re-interview them,” He Shu instructed as she pushed the door open and headed outside. “We’re all working overtime tonight.”
Chang Bin immediately followed after her. All the while, he continued grumbling: “Zeng Yongjia was right. Lin Jinxuan is obviously interested in you. Just look at how clingy he was. It’s unbearable.”
“Captain He, I’ve lived a few more years than you have. Men understand men. I don’t think he’s necessarily serious about you. Maybe he’s just never met an attractive woman, has a strong personality, and happens to wear a police badge.”
Privately, he added another thought he would never dare say aloud. Some men develop strange uniform-related fantasies when they’re young.
In response, He Shu chuckled softly. “Don’t worry, Brother Chang.”
“Besides,” Chang Bin continued, “I can’t imagine you’d ever be interested in a guy like that. Other than having some money, he’s basically useless.”
The two arrived near the elevators.
He Shu looked up at them.
“You go ahead.”
“I’m going to the restroom.”
Chang Bin grunted in acknowledgment and stepped into the elevator alone.
After the doors closed, He Shu let out a long breath. She wandered over to the window at the end of the corridor, bracing both hands against the sill as she gazed at the faintly crimson clouds on the horizon. Then she lowered her eyes and began rapidly sorting and categorizing the day’s evidence and clues in her mind.
The entire floor was eerily quiet. After an unknown amount of time, measured footsteps broke the silence.
He Shu had already come back to her senses when the person started approaching. By the time he stopped about half a meter away, the strong scent of tobacco clinging to him had asserted itself into the surrounding air. Every breath she took carried that familiar smell. She instinctively frowned. Then the tension in her brow eased, and she smiled helplessly.
She didn’t speak. Neither did the person beside her. They simply stood there as the seconds slowly ticked by. Eventually, her calves began to ache from standing so rigidly. She shifted cautiously.
“He Shu.” At last, Ji Chen spoke.
At the same time, he lit a cigarette. The smoke drifted around them in curling wisps, blurring He Shu’s view. Even the fiery clouds on the horizon suddenly seemed distant and indistinct.
“Present.” Almost by reflex, she straightened her back, lifted her chin slightly, and answered.
But after calling her name in that low, emotionless voice, Ji Chen said nothing more. He simply stood there, taking one drag after another from the cigarette.
Finally, at the exact moment the cigarette burned down to its end, he extinguished the butt and flicked it into a nearby trash can. Then he suddenly turned and stepped forward.
He Shu hadn’t expected it. Instinctively, she stepped back. Her back immediately hit the wall at the end of the corridor. There was nowhere left to retreat. Eyes widening, she stared blankly at the broad chest suddenly before her and the motion of the Adam’s apple at his throat. Her heartbeat erupted into a frantic drumroll.
When was the last time they had stood this close? The memory was becoming hazy. Yet at this distance, she could still catch the familiar scent of the body wash he used years ago. In the span of a few seconds, her mind had already begun running in a dozen different directions.
“I heard,” Ji Chen said, lowering his head slightly and looking at the woman whose gaze was wandering everywhere but at him, his dark eyes narrowing, “that I broke two ribs?”
“…”
For a moment, He Shu had no idea what expression would be appropriate. After a long pause, she finally raised a finger and pointed vaguely toward his chest.
“The fourth and fifth ribs on the right side.”
“They really were broken.”
“And I heard you were the one who broke them.”
“I suppose I had something to do with it…”
At those words, Ji Chen clenched his jaw hard. The line of his jaw became even sharper and more defined. The arm he had braced against the wall beside her tensed as well, veins standing out from the effort. “Why did you come back?” he asked.
He Shu had been so focused on the clean lines of his jaw and chin that she didn’t immediately understand what he meant. By the time she opened her mouth to answer, he cut her off.
“Don’t provoke me.” The words came out flat and hard. Then he turned and strode away. Where no one could see, he lowered his eyes, concealing the turbulent emotions surging within them.
Blinking, He Shu slowly straightened up. Only a faint trace of cigarette smoke remained around her, mingling with that barely perceptible fresh scent.
Ring, ring, ring… She exhaled slowly and took out her phone.
As soon as she answered, Zeng Yongjia’s voice erupted from the other end of the line, hurried and unusually loud. “Captain He?! Tang Jia’s here!”
“And…”
“She says she wants to turn herself in!”