Miss Forensics – Chapter 6

Volume One: First Scroll

Confrontation 

It is said that at noon that day, Forensic Doctor Lin’s curses echoed throughout the entire hallway. 

After a dull day of routine work within the system, with no major cases to handle, Lin Yan stepped out of her office and lit a cigarette. She walked in her high heels, smoking as she went, her uniform jacket draped over her arm. 

            

Before she could finish the cigarette, a flashy Rolls-Royce pulled up at the entrance of the municipal bureau. 

Forensic Doctor Lin tossed the cigarette aside and approached the car. The door opened, and out stepped a slickly groomed young man in a tailored suit. 

As the two embraced and whispered sweet nothings, Song Yuhang was tinkering with her broken electric scooter. She wore a simple military-green T-shirt, a pure white towel around her neck, and her hands were covered in engine oil. 

            

Just as she finally got the scooter working, she heard faint gasps from the surrounding crowd. Looking up, she saw the two at the entrance of the municipal bureau completely lost in a passionate kiss. 

She wasn’t far away, and from this angle, Lin Yan’s slender waist was easily encircled by the man’s arm. Tall herself, she tilted her head slightly to match his height, her expression deeply engrossed. 

A camera flash went off—it would probably make the headlines of the entertainment section tomorrow. 

            

Song Yuhang shook her head slightly, removed her dirty gloves, and tossed them into the trunk of her car. She started the engine and slowly drove out of the municipal bureau’s gates. 

Behind her, the two figures and the car gradually shrank into a tiny dot before disappearing. 

Not long after, while waiting at a traffic light, the same car caught up and pulled up right beside her. The car window slowly rolled down. 

            

Her gaze remained calm as it shifted toward the window. 

A slender hand emerged from the car and flipped her the middle finger. 

This person clearly hadn’t let go of the grudge from earlier that morning.

            

Officer Song chose to ignore it. As soon as the traffic light turned green, she immediately made a turn and drove off. 

In the rearview mirror, the Rolls-Royce continued straight ahead, gradually fading into the distance. 

For Lin Yan, a rare day off was all about gathering friends, indulging in revelry, and losing herself in a haze of alcohol, with no thought of returning home. 

            

For Song Yuhang, it was about fitness and free combat. She preferred to spend her time in such pursuits. 

On her way out of the gym, she casually bought two jin [500 grams] of apples from a street vendor. By the time she got home, the lights inside were already on. 

She had lived here for as long as she could remember. Over the years, the public security bureau had built several new residential compounds, but she and her mother had never moved. 

            

The walls of the old neighborhood were beginning to show signs of wear, with mischievous children leaving deep and shallow marks from ballpoint pens. Higher up, the walls were covered in ivy, lush and green in the height of summer. 

The building wasn’t tall, only six floors, so there was no elevator. 

Song Yuhang parked her electric scooter at the entrance of the unit, locked it, and carried the fruit she had bought. She walked up the narrow, long staircase. 

            

With each floor she ascended, a motion-sensor light turned off—she had just replaced them a few days ago. 

Finally, she reached the sixth floor, apartment 603, and took out her keys to unlock the door. 

“Mom, I’m back.” 

            

A woman in her fifties, wearing an apron, emerged from the kitchen. Her temples were streaked with gray hair, and a natural smile spread across her face when she saw her daughter return. 

“You’re back. Go take a shower—look at how sweaty you are. Dinner will be ready soon.” 

Only in front of her mother did the corners of her usually reserved lips curve into a faint smile. 

            

“I bought some apples, the kind you like. We can wash them and eat them after dinner.”

She grabbed her toiletries and walked into the bathroom, hearing a few complaints from outside the door: “You child, the watermelon you bought yesterday hasn’t even been finished yet…” 

She raised her voice to reply, “Fruits don’t last long in the summer. If it’s not finished, just throw it away.” 

            

“How can we do that? It’s not free, you know. Eat less rice later and finish it all for me.” 

Song Yuhang turned on the shower, a slight smile tugging at the corners of her lips as she let the hot water wash away the fatigue of the day. 

The apartment wasn’t large—two bedrooms and a living room, with the dining table taking up most of the space. 

            

An old color TV sat across from the table, and above it was a small altar propped up on a stand. Two memorial portraits were placed there, one of a younger man and the other of an older one. 

After her shower, Song Yuhang lit a stick of incense in front of the altar before sitting down at the table. 

The home-cooked meal was simple and light, with modest portions. The few slices of meat in the dish were all placed in her bowl. 

            

Song Yuhang shoveled rice into her mouth and said, “Mom, if you have something to say, just say it.” 

Her mother paused with her chopsticks, looking slightly embarrassed. “Well… I took the liberty of arranging a dinner for you tomorrow after work with that Mr. Lin we met last time…” 

“Cough—” A grain of rice caught in her throat, and Song Yuhang quickly took a few sips of tea to wash it down. 

            

“Mom—” 

“I know, I know, you’re not willing. But all these years, you haven’t shown interest in anyone, and your work keeps you so busy. People hesitate to introduce anyone to you once they hear you’re a criminal investigator. It’s rare to find someone who doesn’t mind. Just listen to me and give it a try. After all, feelings develop over time, don’t they?” 

Song Yuhang knew that the emergence of feelings, whether it was love at first sight or growing affection over time, was tied to the secretion of dopamine and adrenaline. She had a thousand scientific arguments to counter her mother’s words. 

            

But she couldn’t bring herself to say any of it—especially not in front of the memorial portraits of her father and brother.

“I got it, Mom. I’ll contact him after dinner.” 

Hearing this, her mother’s spirits lifted immediately, and she quickly added a few pieces of braised pork to her daughter’s bowl. 

            

“Good, then eat up. Tomorrow, make sure to dress up nicely and spend some time with him. No need to rush back. I’ll go dancing with Auntie Wang after dinner.” 

Speaking of which, this Mr. Lin was introduced by Auntie Wang, who had gone to his dental clinic to get a filling. She said he was handsome, humorous, and charming. 

Most importantly, he was a returnee from abroad—single and unmarried. 

            

Song Yuhang had met him once or twice but didn’t have any strong impressions. She just thought he didn’t have the usual annoying habits of men, at least not smoking in front of women. He seemed quite gentlemanly and considerate. 

Both of them share the surname Lin, but how could the difference between people be so vast? 

Thinking of the overbearing Forensic Doctor Lin, Song Yuhang unconsciously furrowed her brow. She finished the rice in her bowl and said, “Mom, I’ll go do the dishes.” 

            

The next day, it wasn’t until the sun was high in the sky that Lin Yan finally stirred awake from under the covers. She pried the man’s arm off her, sat up, and fumbled for a cigarette on the bedside table. Lighting it, she took a drag to soothe the headache from her hangover. 

“Stay with me a little longer…” the man muttered, reaching out to wrap his arm around her shoulders. 

Lin Yan, cigarette between her fingers, made a stopping gesture. Leaning against the headboard, she unlocked her phone and was greeted by a flood of missed calls. 

            

Duan Cheng: “Sis?! Are you coming to work today?” 

Zheng Chengrui: “Forensic Doctor Lin, I bought you breakfast. It’s on your desk.” 

Attached was a picture of soy milk, fried dough sticks, and steamed buns. 

            

Lin Yan felt a sudden toothache.

Lastly, Fang Xin’s message with a trembling emoji: “Lin-jie, Captain Song has been looking for you all morning…” 

Lin Yan’s toothache intensified. 

            

The man, oblivious to the situation, wrapped his arms around her. “Why bother going to work? I’ll take care of you.” 

With a flick of her fingers, she nearly jabbed the cigarette butt into his face. The man yelped and jumped back. “What the hell?! Why are you going crazy so early in the morning?!” 

Lin Yan shoved the covers aside and got out of bed. The traces of last night’s intimacy were still there, but today she had already turned cold. It was hard to tell who had actually taken advantage of whom. 

            

“Not bad skills, little brother. Want to take care of me? You’re still too early for that. Let’s part ways here and never cross paths again.” 

She calmly stood in front of the mirror, adjusting her clothes. Her figure was full in all the right places and slim where it should be, with not an ounce of excess fat. Her fair skin and delicate bare feet on the floor were enough to spark fantasies. 

Now bare-faced, her long, brown wavy hair cascaded down, and the sharp contours of her profile were illuminated by the morning light filtering through the curtains. There was a hint of a youthful, ethereal charm about her. 

            

But her figure was definitely not that of a young girl. 

The man stared, mesmerized, swallowing hard as he got up from the floor. 

Lin Yan was applying her eyebrows, and out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of him in the mirror, the corners of her lips curling into a cold smile. 

            

She pretended not to notice as he crept closer, letting him lunge at her. At the last moment, she turned and dodged with the eyebrow pencil in hand, her hair brushing past his face, leaving a trail of sweet perfume. 

Before he could savor it for too long, a well-aimed kick landed squarely on his most sensitive spot. He let out a howl, clutching his groin as his legs trembled. 

Lin Yan seized the moment to deliver another kick, this time to his stomach. She didn’t hold back, aiming precisely for the vital areas. 

            

The man fell to his knees, drenched in sweat, his throat seemingly clogged with a rag, unable to even scream.

“If it weren’t for your decent looks and passable skills, do you think I’d bother playing with you?” she said coldly, running the eyebrow razor across his face with precise control. The pressure was just enough to intimidate without actually cutting him. 

The man was on the verge of crying and begging for mercy. “Sis, sis, I was wrong… Please, steady your hand, don’t cut… Please don’t… I still rely on this face to make a living.” 

            

“Why don’t you take a piss and see what you really look like? Aside from the good karma your parents left you, you’re just a waste. Take care of me? Are you even worthy? You’re not even fit to tie my shoes.” 

After all the commotion and the game, the man’s cowardice left her feeling utterly bored. 

She tapped the eyebrow razor against his face a couple of times before flipping it back into her palm with the ease of someone who had spent years handling surgical tools. 

            

To prevent him from causing more trouble, Lin Yan used his own tie to bind him tightly to the chair. 

Before leaving, she pulled a stack of renminbi from her wallet and threw it in his face. “Payment for services rendered. Don’t you dare show your face in front of me again, or I’ll beat you every time I see you. If you’re going to be a gigolo, at least have the self-awareness of one.”

The man, a legitimate rich second-generation heir who had played around with countless women, never expected to be humiliated like this by Lin Yan. The moment the stack of money hit his face, his eyes turned red with rage. In a fit of anger, he managed to spit out the stinky sock that had been stuffed in his mouth. 

            

“Lin Yan, you’ll pay for this!!!” 

His outburst was met with the cold, resounding slam of the door. 

After dealing with the ungrateful young man, Lin Yan was in a rather good mood. She walked into the municipal bureau with a cup of coffee in hand, hung her uniform on the coat rack, and leaned back comfortably in her chair. 

            

Duan Cheng approached and placed a report in front of her. “Sis, sign this.” 

“The injury assessment from yesterday?” 

She skimmed through a couple of pages, and seeing no major issues, she pulled a ballpoint pen from the pen holder on her desk and quickly signed her name.

            

Duan Cheng hesitated as he held the signed document, forcing an awkward smile. “Uh… could you take this to Captain Song?” 

Fang Xin leaned in and whispered, “She came in the morning asking for the file, but you weren’t here, so Duan Cheng didn’t hand it over…” 

“Pfft, is that all? It’s just a document. I’ll handle it. I’ll get her to review it and then send it to the archives for storage, right?” 

            

Lin Yan took the thin sheet of paper, slipped it into a folder, and stood up. Fang Xin asked, “Do you know where it is? Should I go with you?” 

“No need. If I don’t know, I’ll just ask. It’s not like I can’t figure it out,” Lin Yan said with a wave, striding out the door in her seven-centimeter heels. 

As she walked, officers passing by glanced at her curiously. Lin Yan kept her gaze forward, seemingly focused on walking, but in reality, she was observing the closed-circuit cameras along the hallway. 

            

One, two, three… 

Three cameras later, and upstairs was the bureau chief’s office, deputy chief’s office, command center, political department… 

One more floor up, and the number of cameras noticeably increased. She looked down at the tile patterns, counting to the fourth one, and there it was—the archives room. 

            

Lin Yan knocked twice on the door. After registering her identity and stating her purpose, the staff member was about to take the file inside when she pulled it back, leaning on the counter with a mischievous grin. 

“Hey, buddy, I just started yesterday and wanted to go in and see the world, you know? Forensic doctors are always curious about weird cases. Do me a favor, huh?” 

When she wasn’t smiling, she was fine, but when she smiled, there was a hint of allure in her eyes. Her naturally captivating face, paired with her soft, coquettish voice, and the uniform barely containing her charms, made the young officer’s face flush instantly. 

            

“Uh… okay… but you’ll have to leave your phone here. You can look, but no photos allowed.” 

“No problem,” Lin Yan said cheerfully, pulling her phone out of her pocket and placing it on the counter with a playful wink that left the officer red-faced.

Early in the morning, the archives room was nearly empty. A few computers were set up at the entrance for data storage and indexing. 

            

Like a library, the files were neatly organized by category—criminal, civil, year, location of incidents, and so on. The further back you went, the older the records. This much she knew. 

Her high heels made no sound on the floor. As someone passed by to retrieve documents, she simply kept her hands in her pockets, a folder tucked under her arm, walking with calm composure. 

Though she was up to something shady, her expression betrayed nothing. She looked completely at ease. 

            

Her fingertips brushed over the neatly arranged boxes: 2008, 2007, 2006… all the way to 1994. 

Even after so many years, her heart still raced uncontrollably at the sight. 

She knew now wasn’t the right time. She had already mapped out the locations of the closed-circuit cameras. Sneaking in at night with the right equipment would be the best approach. 

            

Yet, the moment she saw that year, it was as if she was compelled by some unseen force. Just as her fingers grazed the box, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. 

Her long-honed instincts kicked in, and without turning around, she instinctively threw an elbow strike—a reflexive response to danger. 

Song Yuhang, equally on guard, reacted instinctively. In the blink of an eye, the two had exchanged a few silent moves. Using her height advantage, Song Yuhang pinned her against the shelves. 

            

They were far from the exit, and the curtains were drawn, leaving the area dimly lit. When their eyes finally met, the usually composed officer furrowed her brow slightly. 

“What are you doing here?” 

The two were still locked in their grappling stance. Song Yuhang’s elbow pressed against her neck, while Lin Yan’s hand gripped her tie. Her ample chest pressed against Song Yuhang’s arm. Realizing the impropriety, Song Yuhang tried to pull away. 

            

Unexpectedly, Lin Yan held onto her tie even tighter, even wrapping her arm around Song Yuhang’s, as if determined to cling on no matter what. 

“I went to your office earlier, but you weren’t there, so I came here. Tsk tsk tsk, why are you chasing after me and making a scene?”

She slightly raised her voice, just enough to be heard by outsiders but not clearly understood, creating a sense of secrecy. 

            

Song Yuhang could already sense someone approaching. She took a deep breath, her tone growing colder. 

“I said, let go.” 

She spoke in a low voice, each word deliberate, her tightly pressed lips exuding an air of authority. 

            

Lin Yan could, of course, sense that she was teetering on the edge of anger, but she had always been shameless and had no limits. 

One of her daily joys was seeing people lose their temper, especially someone like Song Yuhang, who clearly disliked her but couldn’t do anything about it. 

The thought of cracking that expressionless, unshakable face made her laugh in her dreams. 

            

“I…” She leaned in closer, following the line of her arm, and rose slightly on her toes, as if naturally wrapping her arms around her neck. Her breath brushed against Song Yuhang’s ear, soft and fragrant. 

“Officer Song, why so angry?” A sweet feminine perfume flooded her senses, and the woman’s tone was just the right amount of coquettish. 

Song Yuhang gently closed her eyes. Lin Yan noticed the subtle movement of her jaw muscles twitching. 

            

With a seductive smile, Lin Yan pressed closer. “I’m not letting go. What are you going to do about it?” 

The sound of footsteps grew nearer. 

But before she could savor her triumph, her smile froze. With a loud crash, the back of her head slammed into the metal shelf, leaving her dizzy and disoriented. 

            

The officer from earlier rushed over, his hand already on his holster. “What’s going on?!” 

Song Yuhang pulled the file out of her grasp, took out a pen from her uniform jacket, and signed it calmly. 

“It’s nothing. Forensic Doctor Lin just took a little fall. You can get back to work.”

            

“Oh—” The young officer belatedly withdrew his hand, still casting a concerned glance at her. “The floor here is slippery. Be careful, Forensic Doctor Lin.” 

“I—” Lin Yan clutched the back of her head, her eyes red from the pain. It had been years since she’d suffered any physical injury, and the sudden impact left her momentarily stunned. 

Song Yuhang cut in at just the right moment, cutting her off. “Here’s the file. Go put it away properly.” 

            

The young officer took the file she handed over, feeling that something was off between the two of them. 

It looked like Forensic Doctor Lin had taken quite a hit. Why didn’t Captain Song lend a hand to help her up? 

Of course, he didn’t know that the fall that left Forensic Doctor Lin “in agony” was caused by none other than the usually composed and dignified Captain Song. 

            

Song Yuhang capped her pen, tucked it into her jacket pocket, and walked out with the officer without so much as a backward glance. 

“From now on, don’t let just anyone into the archives room. Follow the procedures strictly. Any file retrieval must be signed by a department-level or higher official. Got it?” 

The young officer quickly stood at attention and saluted. “Yes, Captain Song!” 

            

And who was the first department-level official at the municipal bureau? None other than her!  It’s said that at noon that day, Forensic Doctor Lin’s curses echoed throughout the entire hallway.

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LP: Re-translated on February 22, 2025

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