Miss Forensics – Chapter 1

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WARNING: MTL

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Content Warning: This novel contains scenes and themes related to police work, violence, death, and forensic investigations. Readers should be aware that the content may include graphic descriptions, crime scenes, and situations that may be distressing. Please exercise caution and consider your personal comfort levels while reading. It is recommended for mature audiences who can engage with such content. If you find any of these themes distressing, please proceed with discretion or seek alternative reading material that better suits your preferences.

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Volume One: First Scroll

Dreams of the Past

I’m not the murderer, why should I hide?

“Chunan…” The girl stood in the rain holding an umbrella, gazing at her from three to five steps away, her features blurred by the rain and mist.

Lin Yan’s heart tightened, afraid this was another dream, as she tremblingly reached out her hand with hesitant uncertainty.

“Lin Yan, why are you standing there dazed? Come quickly, let’s go to my house for dinner.” The surrounding crowd began to surge, pushing her forward.

The girl grabbed her wrist, pulling her under her umbrella, one hand adjusting the slipping strap of her schoolbag, her tone carrying a slight reproach.

“How many times have I told you to bring an umbrella when it rains? Why can’t you break this habit of enjoying the rain? The midterm exams are coming up soon, what if you catch a cold…”

The girl rambled on endlessly, chattering without pause.

She should have been annoyed, yet inexplicably her eyes grew hot with tears as she grasped the girl’s slender white wrist.

The girl was slightly taller than her, and she used a bit of force, looking up with anticipation: “Chunan… you… you’re back?”

The girl in the pristine white uniform lowered her gaze at the sound, her face unchanged from before, a faint smile playing at her lips.

But those eyes that should have been filled with countless stars were now two pitch-black holes, blood trickling from them.

Against that excessively pale face, the increasingly eerie smile, and skin that felt cold and slick to the touch, just like the countless corpses she had dissected.

A chill rose instantly from the soles of her feet.

Lin Yan cried out in shock: “Chunan!”

She sat up in bed, panting, lowering her gaze slightly as her hand touched her forehead, sighing inwardly: another nightmare.

The flip clock on the bedside table emitted a faint phosphorescent glow in the darkness, its hour hand just past four in the morning.

Lin Yan stretched out her arm, feeling for the glass on the table, pulled open the drawer, and due to using too much force, things scattered across the floor.

She picked up a white medicine bottle, poured two pills into her palm, and swallowed them with the now-cold water that had been sitting in the air-conditioned room all night, drinking it all in one go.

She drank hurriedly and quickly, as if trying to quell some kind of restless anxiety.

Water droplets rolled down her slender neck, dampening her fitted camisole [吊帶背心 | diào dài bēi xīn | sleeveless top with thin straps].

She reached up to wipe her lips, but someone had already pressed a handkerchief into her palm: “Use this to wipe”

That voice was so familiar.

Lin Yan’s skin broke out in goosebumps.

She looked at her with a mixture of nervousness and caution, as if afraid to disturb something: “Chunan…”

The moment their eyes met, Lin Yan’s heart leaped to her throat, yet she saw the other person smiling gently as usual, and seeing her motionless, even took back the handkerchief to carefully wipe away the remaining water at the corner of her lips.

“Another nightmare?”

“No…” she wanted to refute instinctively, yet as if possessed, she reached out her hand as if trying to prove something.

The girl understandingly extended her hand, and Lin Yan hooked her pinky finger with hers, the touch warm and soft, carrying the temperature and vitality of a living person.

Lin Yan clutched her hand tightly as if grasping at a lifeline, her eyes were beautifully shaped, with upturned corners and long phoenix-like tails, a high bridge to her nose, giving off an air of allure at first glance, especially now as she seemed on the verge of tears.

The girl patted the back of her hand comfortingly: “It’s alright, I’m back.”

The same gentle, doting tone as always.

In an instant, a surge of emotion made her unable to hold back anymore, and Lin Yan clutched the person tightly in her arms: “Thank goodness, Chunan, thank goodness you’re back… Chunan, I’ve missed you so much… These years… where… where did you go?”

“I…” As the girl spoke, she frowned, pain spreading across her face, and though they were indoors, her clothes were slowly becoming wet.

“I… I don’t know… It hurts so much… so much… Lin Yan… save me… please save me…”

A cold sensation spread across her neck, the girl’s sobbing made her heart wrench, Lin Yan instantly clenched her fists, a hint of madness appearing on her face.

Those typically indifferent eyes turned blood-red.

“Who was it?! Who?! Chunan, tell me?! Who! Who hurt you!”

“It… it was…”

Lin Yan shook her shoulders, but the girl suddenly couldn’t speak, her voice becoming rough and hoarse, mixed with something eerie, like a radio station cutting off at midnight.

Lin Yan felt as if all her internal organs were twisting in pain. She gritted her teeth, tasting blood on her tongue tip, forcing back the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes.

She gently stroked her cheek, her fingertips slightly cool, thinking she was crying, her heart filled with pity: “Chunan, don’t be afraid, tell me, no matter who it is, I won’t let them get away.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the person before her suddenly began to giggle, the sound sharp and cutting, like fingernails scraping across a blackboard.

A chill crawled up her spine like a bone-eating maggot [跗骨之蛆 | fú gǔ zhī qū | idiom meaning persistent trouble that’s hard to get rid of].

Lin Yan suddenly felt she couldn’t breathe.

Outside the window, the night was deep, dark as spilled ink [潑墨 | pō mò | traditional Chinese painting technique], tree shadows swaying like ghostly apparitions.

A fierce wind swept the curtains into the room, and the dim night light went out in response.

She saw those hands developing livor mortis, the cold, slick feeling like separating fat, with decaying bluish veins surfacing.

Lin Yan’s eyes widened as she couldn’t breathe, futilely reaching out her arms toward her: “Chu… Chunan…”

“It… it’s you… it’s you…” Along with her harsh, piercing voice, the skin on her face began peeling off inch by inch, quickly revealing white bone beneath, eyeballs dropping from their sockets, leaving only two pitch-black holes firmly fixed upon her.

A nauseating stench of decay struck her face.

“No!!!” Lin Yan screamed, yanking her hand away, and in that instant, her hand passed through the body and remained suspended in air, leaving a pile of shredded flesh on the bedsheet.

Thick, foul-smelling blood flowed down the sheets, staining the luxurious wool carpet red.

“Ring ring ring—” The alarm clock sounded like a death summons, and Lin Yan sat up covered in sweat, the sky already bright outside the window.

The gentle morning breeze lifted the window gauze, the clock hand on the bedside table moving quietly and slowly, the aroma of toasted bread wafting up from downstairs.

Lin Yan turned off the alarm, looked around, all was calm and peaceful, just an ordinary workday morning.

She lifted the covers and put on her shoes to get out of bed, her feet sinking slightly into the carpet, and looking down, she saw dark stains remaining on a section of the dark carpet beside the bed, red as blood.

Her barely visible Adam’s apple moved slightly.

Lin Yan closed her eyes, seemingly trying to steady her breathing.

Shortly after, the butler came up to knock: “Young Miss, breakfast is ready.”

After finishing her morning routine, Lin Yan went downstairs wrapped in a robe, the slight panic revealed during last night’s nightmare had vanished without a trace, replaced by her usual somewhat languid expression, emanating an air of casual weariness from her very bones.

“Where’s the driver?”

“Waiting outside, Miss.”

Though the Lin family villa was large, this young mistress had a difficult temperament and disliked living with servants, so whether it was him as the butler or other servants, they all hurriedly came early in the morning and only returned home after the young mistress had retired for the night.

Even so, he didn’t dare show the slightest negligence, answering with utmost respect.

Lin Yan was satisfied. Her assistant was also waiting downstairs, and upon seeing her, quickly stood up from the sofa and bowed slightly: “Forensic Investigator Lin.”

Lin Yan gave him a glance; the earnest young man had placed a stack of materials for today’s court preparation beside him.

She felt annoyed from the depths of her heart, thus neither nodded nor responded, much less invited him to dine. The chef had already prepared breakfast, and though he was called an assistant and considered a colleague, he was essentially just another servant.

When Lin Yan didn’t nod, the others in the house treated him even more like air.

The young man stood awkwardly at a loss, catching a glimpse of her graceful figure passing through the hall, walking past the exquisitely decorated partition into the dining room and taking a seat.

Not even making a sound as she pulled out the chair.

The Lin family’s chef had excellent culinary skills, preparing both Chinese and Western dishes, though not numerous, each was uniquely crafted with perfect color, aroma, and taste.

Yet she put down her spoon after just two bites, having lost her appetite, dabbing her lips with a napkin and stopping there.

No one dared urge her to eat more, the butler timely cleared away the tableware, and Lin Yan rose to head toward the dressing room.

Her stature was tall and slender, certainly not short among women, but her thinness gave her an appearance of a willow swaying in the wind [弱柳扶風 | ruò liǔ fú fēng | idiom describing a delicate feminine appearance], her walking posture light and graceful, like a Persian cat pacing on luxurious carpets.

Lin Yan seemed to suddenly remember something, stopping in her tracks: “Ah, right—”

The elderly butler didn’t dare delay: “Please give your instructions, Young Miss.”

“Throw away the carpet in my room.”

That carpet in her room had just been purchased last week from an auction in London, reportedly a diplomatic gift from the Safavid Persian Dynasty [薩法維波斯王朝 | sà fǎ wéi bō sī wáng cháo | historical Persian empire] to the Ottoman Turks, its market value well over a million.

She ordered it thrown away without so much as batting an eye.

The butler, long accustomed to the young mistress’s mercurial temperament and extravagant spending [揮金如土 | huī jīn rú tǔ | idiom meaning to spend money like dirt], bowed and replied: “Yes, Young Miss. Shall I prepare a new one for you?”

“No need.”

A cool voice came from the dressing room, which was actually about the same size as the bedroom upstairs, filled with clothes, shoes, and accessories that Lin Yan had collected from around the world.

Today the dressing room’s owner seemed somewhat disinterested, casually selecting a blouse from the cabinet to put on, methodically buttoning it up in front of the mirror, leaving the top two buttons undone, adjusting the collar to perfectly reveal a glimpse of collarbone and alluring charm.

She twisted open her lipstick, lightly pressed her lips together, wiped away excess color with her pinky finger, and slightly lifted her chin at the mirror.

The woman’s complexion had a pallor from long absence of sunlight, yet her lips were flame-red, eyebrows arched upward, corners of her mouth slightly pulled, her face worthy of a fashion week model showed a hint of arrogance, yet with the gentle rippling of her gaze, displayed a certain allure.

Beautiful yet cold.

Lin Yan’s lips pulled into a thin smile as she picked up her suit jacket and headed out.

The driver opened the car door for her, Lin Yan sat down, and the assistant followed with his stack of documents: “Forensic Investigator Lin, here are the death certificate and other examination materials prepared for today’s court appearance.”

A distinctly male body odor mixed with slight foot odor entered her nostrils; a forensic investigator’s nose was always particularly sensitive.

Lin Yan leaned against the leather seat, originally resting with closed eyes, suddenly opened them: “Get in the back.”

The Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicle was spacious. The assistant hesitated, looking at her immaculate high heels that seemed to reflect his slightly stained trouser legs and fragile self-esteem.

The young man slowly retreated from the cabin, climbing into the back seat of the Mercedes sweating profusely, not daring to make a sound.

“Butler.”

“Young Miss.” The butler closed her car door, sat in the front passenger seat, and immediately turned to look at her.

“Get a different car to pick me up this afternoon, give this one to Liu Ma [劉媽 | liú mā | household cook, addressed with familial term] for grocery shopping.”

“Yes, Young Miss.”

“As for you.” Her fingertip tapped the expensive quartz watch on her wrist, acidic words slowly emerging from her mouth.

“Coming so early – are you rushing to reincarnate? If so, the dissection room would be more suitable.”

“Dressed like that for court, aren’t you afraid the lawyer will accuse you of murder?”

Each word pierced the young man’s self-esteem until nothing remained intact. He sat in the back clutching his documents, neither answering nor daring to make a sound.

The car started moving, fortunately someone broke the silence: “Young Miss, would you like to hear the news?”

Lin Yan let out a “hmph” from her nose as an answer.

The driver turned on the car radio, and the female announcer’s sweet voice came through: “The prosecution has charged defendant Jin [靳某某 | jìn mǒu mǒu | name partially redacted for privacy] with the rape and murder of employee Li [李某某 | lǐ mǒu mǒu | name partially redacted] who worked at his KTV on the night of April 18, 2007, and dumping the corpse in wilderness. With conclusive evidence, he is charged with multiple crimes including rape, intentional homicide, and desecration of a corpse, causing severe social impact. The first trial sentenced him to death with reprieve, but Jin appealed the verdict. The second trial will be publicly held at the Binhai Provincial High Court at 10 AM today, where Lin Yan, a young forensic scholar from the Forensic Science and Technology Institute, will testify as a defense witness and present new examination results…”

The female announcer spoke passionately with dramatic inflections, clearly enthusiastic, delivering the case details at double speed before moving on to biographical details and gossip.

Lin Yan was drowsy, catching bits like: “Speaking of forensic scholars, Professor Lin is considered a leader among the younger generation, graduating from Fudan University Medical School, completing her master’s and doctorate at Boston University’s Forensic Medicine Department, reportedly performing over five thousand autopsies in her ten-plus years of practice, with extensive judicial autopsy experience…”

And: “As the sole daughter of the Lin family, Professor Lin’s net worth exceeds ten million. Recently, she’s been seen frequently with Chairman Zhang of Zhongcheng Group, and media caught photos of their passionate street embrace. Could wedding bells be near?”

Chairman Zhang?

Which Chairman Zhang?

Lin Yan frowned slightly; she’d had passionate street embraces with too many people, various faces flashed through her mind but none matched the name.

“Young Miss, do you need…” The butler turned to look at her.

“Mm,” the haughty Miss Lin nodded: “Which TV station is this?”

“Daily News.” The butler quietly noted the name.

Outside the window, skyscrapers flew past before turning into a tree-lined avenue, with the Supreme Court not far ahead near the square.

The square was already crowded, as today’s public trial had attracted various media and social groups for observation. As soon as the Lin family car approached, camera flashes clustered at the roadside, flashing incessantly.

Lin Yan maintained her languid, half-asleep appearance: “Tell them my recent lover isn’t that Zhongcheng Group’s Zhang… what was it again?”

“Chairman Zhang.”

The butler smoothly supplied.

“Oh, right. These media people are so unprofessional. Daily News? They should rename it Yesterday’s News.”

She let out a light sneer, dripping with sarcasm.

The driver stopped the car: “Young Miss, we’ve arrived.”

The butler looked outside; many civilians were squatting at the court entrance with banners, visibly stirring as their car approached, standing up in small groups.

The butler hesitated: “Young Miss, shall we escort you through the back entrance?”

Lin Yan gave a cold laugh, pushing open the car door: “I’m not the murderer, why should I hide?”

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LP: Re-translated on February 16, 2025

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