“Miss Pan…”
“Please, I’m begging you, okay?” Although Pan Yu was visibly agitated, she still tried hard to keep her voice down. Through clenched teeth, she said in a low voice, “My life is very good right now. I don’t want it disturbed in the slightest.”
Xie Zihao shot He Shu a look that clearly said, I told you this would happen, then tried to continue. “I’m sorry, Miss Pan, but Nie Han was found dead three days ago. The forensic examiner has ruled it a homicide. As police officers, we have a job to do. Contacting you is part of our duty…”
“What do you mean by that? Why do you come looking for me the moment that scumbag dies?” Pan Yu interrupted him, pressing the issue. Then her eyes widened slightly as she realized. “Wait, are you suspecting me? You think I’m the murderer?”
Her voice carried obvious disbelief and outrage. “Five years ago, I was assaulted. I trusted you people and reported it to the police. And what happened? Not only did I fail to get a fair and just outcome, but that scumbag walked away without punishment! My life was turned upside down, and I became the shameless woman everyone talked about. People said behind my back that I tried to seduce him and, after being rejected, falsely accused him. Do you have any idea how long it took me to recover from all that?!”
“Now I’ve finally escaped that environment. I’ve changed jobs and made new friends. I truly don’t want anything to do with that man ever again! In my dreams, that beast has died thousands of times over. But in reality, just looking at him makes me sick. His worthless life isn’t worth sacrificing my own future for!”
By the end, she had completely forgotten to control her volume. Her voice turned sharp and piercing, and the violent rise and fall of her chest made her agitation obvious. “Why, even after he’s dead, won’t he leave me alone?”
The final question was so quiet it was almost inaudible, yet it struck the heart with unexpected force.
Pan Yu lowered her head and took several deep breaths. Only after a long moment did she raise it again. Though her expression had returned to an emotionless mask, the redness around her eyes inevitably stirred sympathy.
Even Xie Zihao, a veteran criminal investigator with several years of experience, felt uneasy. Human hearts were made of flesh and blood. Who could witness tragedy after tragedy while handling cases and remain completely unmoved?
Subconsciously, he turned his head and saw He Shu’s beautiful face beside him. She stroked her chin and watched Pan Yu intently, without the slightest trace of pity in her expression.
Noticing his gaze, He Shu met his eyes for two seconds before giving him a meaningful look.
At once, Xie Zihao felt a surge of reluctance. But no matter what, the woman beside him was now his direct superior. Grinding his teeth in private, he considered his words for a long moment before finally asking:
“So, Miss Pan, where were you between 9:00 p.m. and 1:00 a.m. three nights ago?”
At his question, Pan Yu’s eyes widened slightly and her face immediately flushed red. “I work every day, and that day was no exception. The bar doesn’t close until three or four in the morning. Check the surveillance footage or ask my coworkers; I don’t care!”
After angrily throwing out those words, she stomped off in her black leather shoes, the sharp click-clack of her footsteps echoing as she entered the bar.
“…”
Xie Zihao walked over to the beat-up car they had driven there and sat half-perched on the hood, spreading his hands helplessly. “Well, Captain He, satisfied? What are we supposed to do next?”
“Verify it,” He Shu replied, spreading her own hands as well. “Police investigations are based on evidence. We can’t just accept whatever she says as fact.”
The corners of the man’s eyes twitched as though he wanted to argue, but in the end he resigned himself and nodded. Looking utterly defeated, he turned and headed back into the bar.
He Shu did not follow him inside. Instead, she remained where she was, tilting her head up to look at the flashing sign above the bar, seemingly lost in thought.
Around seven o’clock that evening, the silver-gray sedan returned to the Municipal Public Security Bureau.
As the two got out of the car, they ran into Zeng Yongjia and Chang Bin, who were strolling out of the cafeteria. From a distance, Zeng Yongjia waved enthusiastically at them. When they got closer, he asked, “Captain He, Brother Xie, did you find anything on your end?”
While fiddling with a USB drive in his hand, Xie Zihao replied, “Nothing particularly useful. But we can basically rule out Pan Yu as a suspect. I spoke with both her supervisor and coworkers, and they can confirm her whereabouts. I also copied the bar’s surveillance footage from the night Nie Han was killed, but I doubt we’ll find anything significant no matter how many times we watch it.”
“We didn’t uncover much either,” Zeng Yongjia began. “After investigating Nie Han’s wife’s background, nothing suspicious jumped out at first glance. According to their household registrations, she’s from the victim’s hometown. She had always lived there until two years ago, when Nie Han returned home for a visit. She then returned to Jinghuai City with him, and shortly afterward they registered their marriage. It more or less matches Zhang Shengnan’s claim that they married through a blind date.”
“I also talked to some of Nie Han’s coworkers and friends. There definitely seemed to be problems in the couple’s relationship. On top of that, Zhang Shengnan rarely appeared in public and was something of a mystery figure.”
“As for the night Nie Han was murdered, her alibi checked out as well. Her witness is a close friend. According to them, they went to see a movie together that evening. By the time the movie ended and they finished dinner, it was already close to midnight. Afterward, she stayed overnight at her friend’s house, which was near the theater. She still has the ticket stub as evidence. I checked and it was a movie that started after eight o’clock. I’ve already contacted the theater and requested that they preserve the surveillance footage.”
“Mmm…” He Shu responded with a nod, indicating she was listening.
“As for Tang Jia, her background is even cleaner. She’s worked at Yuheng Plastic Steel for more than three years, and her coworkers all speak highly of her. As for her relationship with the victim Nie Han, everyone says they were just ordinary colleagues. They didn’t interact much beyond work, and they always got along well. Nothing seemed unusual. Coincidentally, her alibi has also been confirmed. She spent the entire evening at home with her parents, and around eleven o’clock she even went downstairs to argue with a neighbor over a parking space.”
After rattling all that off in one breath, Zeng Yongjia turned to look at Chang Bin.
Chang Bin then continued, “I found that at around four o’clock in the afternoon on the day of Nie Han’s death, his bank card was used for a purchase at a large supermarket on Dechang Street. It was also the only purchase made during the two days before he was killed.” As he spoke, he pulled out his phone, opened a photograph, and handed it over. “Here’s his shopping list.”
He Shu took it and examined it carefully for a while.
A case of beer. Two packs of a certain brand of cigarettes. Men’s underwear. A towel and toothbrush. And a box of condoms.
“It looks like someone setting up house,” she remarked. “But he never went home. That indirectly supports Zhang Shengnan’s statement that the victim was having an affair and likely maintained another residence somewhere. We haven’t found that place yet. My guess is that it wasn’t purchased or rented under his own name.”
Chang Bin paused briefly. Seeing that her attention remained fixed on the shopping list, he cautiously offered a suggestion. “Captain He, don’t you think our next step should be finding out who his mistress was? Based on the evidence and clues we have so far, that person is also highly suspicious!”
“Pan Yu, Zhang Shengnan, Tang Jia, and now an unidentified mistress…” Zeng Yongjia smacked his lips. “This guy must’ve had an exhausting life.”
Looking at it that way, he found it hard to feel sorry for the victim. What, did he think he was some feudal-era lord? Planning to keep multiple wives and concubines or something?
“Sure, we definitely need to identify the mistress,” He Shu said. “But personally, I think most of our attention should be focused on Tang Jia.”
No one else voiced any objections.
After roughly settling on the next phase of the investigation, He Shu checked the time and dismissed anyone who wasn’t on duty, telling them to head home. After a full day and night, her tracksuit seemed to have developed a faint odor. She discreetly sniffed at it and frowned. Then she slowly walked out of the police bureau compound, hailed a taxi, and climbed in.
Soon after, the taxi stopped in front of an apartment building.
The building’s exterior walls looked old and weathered. It stood inside an aging open residential complex. Even the unit’s entrance door was broken, hanging crookedly from its hinges and creaking whenever the wind blew.
After paying the fare, He Shu got out and entered the middle stairwell. The old concrete stairs looked dirty and worn. She climbed to the fourth floor, took out her key, unlocked the door, and slipped into the apartment on the right.
The interior décor was equally casual, but fortunately it was clean and tidy. The apartment wasn’t large, probably only sixty or seventy square meters. In fact, she had rented the place in a hurry.
She had been working out of town for a long time, and her sudden return to Jinghuai City had inevitably left her scrambling to make arrangements. Fortunately, she had never been picky. As long as she had somewhere to sleep, she was satisfied.
Pouring herself a cup of hot water from the kettle on the coffee table, He Shu glanced toward the small side bedroom. Several large boxes filled the room to the brim. They were all her belongings.
She had moved in only yesterday morning, and by that evening the bureau had already called her to report for duty. She hadn’t even had time to unpack.
“…”
Tilting her head, she looked at the boxes for a while before finally letting out a soft sigh. If she decided to stay here long-term this time, it would probably be better to buy a small place of her own.
After staring blankly for a while, He Shu turned and headed for the kitchen. But the moment she opened the refrigerator, she froze. The fridge wasn’t even plugged in, and it was completely empty.
Right. She hadn’t even had time to go grocery shopping yet. What to eat for dinner had suddenly become a problem.
In the end, she decided to go out and find something to eat, then stop by a supermarket afterward to stock up on daily necessities, vegetables, and fruit.
A few minutes later, He Shu had changed into a casual short-sleeved shirt and denim shorts. Wearing flip-flops, she strolled down a street that felt both familiar and unfamiliar.
One reason she had rented a place nearby was because it was close to the police bureau. More importantly, however, she had once lived in this area. So many years had passed, and Jinghuai City had changed considerably, but it was still easier for her to adapt in a place she already knew.
Guided by vague memories and the aroma she could smell from several hundred meters away, she arrived at an inconspicuous hotpot restaurant. From the outside, it looked much the same as it had years ago. Inside, she chose a seat by the window. When the waiter brought over the menu, she casually ordered a few dishes.
Then, when she saw Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice listed under beverages, she hesitated for a moment before ordering a glass as well.
Even though she was dining alone, she thoroughly enjoyed the meal. The bright red hotpot broth boiled vigorously, leaving her lips slightly flushed from the spice. Even so, she took only a couple of sips of the complimentary ice water. The glass of orange juice remained untouched throughout the meal.
The restaurant door opened again, and a waiter greeted new customers with a cheerful welcome.
He Shu didn’t even look up at first, concentrating on the freshly cooked duck intestines she had just picked out of the pot. Suddenly, however, a somewhat astonished male voice sounded beside her ear.
“Captain He?”
Startled, she looked up.
The speaker was Hou Zibo, the same man who had been bickering with Chang Bin in the cafeteria earlier that day. A broad smile spread across his round face, and when he got a clear look at her, he seemed even happier. “It really is you!”
“…”
He Shu returned the smile and was just about to reply when she noticed the man behind him. Following a waiter, the man walked over and sat at the table. Instantly, her fingers curled involuntarily with embarrassment.
It was Ji Chen.