Miss Forensics – Chapter 100

Volume One: Second Scroll

Searching

We were about to get married, but now I can’t find her.

Since she woke up, from only being able to move her fingers at first—writing on the bedsheets—she eventually, slowly, became able to speak.

Song Yuhang¹ would ask one question every day: “Where’s Lin Yan²?”

Ji Jingxing³ forced a smile, handing her the warm bowl of soup. “Drink up. Once you’ve recovered, you can go see her.”

Song Yuhang’s bandaged hand trembled as she lifted the bowl, gulping it down. She drank too hastily, choking and spilling water from the corner of her lips, coughing nonstop.

Ji Jingxing patted her back and took the soup bowl from her. “Get some sleep. The doctor said you need more rest.”

Song Yuhang lay down, subconsciously reaching under her pillow for her phone, only to grasp at empty air. Only then did she realize her phone was gone.

“Sister, can I use your phone?”

She wanted to call Lin Yan.

Ji Jingxing knew what she wanted. Her heart ached with pity, but she had to maintain a calm facade.

“You forgot, Lin Yan is hospitalized too. Phones aren’t allowed in the ICU.”

Isn’t that just like my situation now?

Song Yuhang nodded with effort. Then, the thought of the ICU made her break out in a sweat for Lin Yan, and she grew slightly anxious and worked up.

“She… How is she?”

“Very… well.” Ji Jingxing turned her head away, clearing the bowl and chopsticks.

“Don’t worry, if she could get up and walk, she would definitely come to see you.”

Song Yuhang nodded, a flicker of determination in her eyes.

“I have to get better faster than her so I can go see her. Sister, you don’t know this, but she hates being in the hospital more than anything, and she despises getting shots and taking medicine.”

Ji Jingxing didn’t dare answer. Her eyes were already growing misty.

“Alright then, visiting hours are almost over. I’m going to head back first, I’ll come see you again this afternoon.”

“Okay, thank you for your hard work, sister-in-law. By the way, Xiao Wei⁴—” She had heard about Xiao Wei’s condition and couldn’t help but worry.

At the mention of the child, Ji Jingxing’s eyes warmed slightly. She was comforting Song Yuhang, but also herself.

“It’s fine, don’t you worry. The doctor said that if we let her recover slowly and are patient with her, she’ll get better.”

Song Yuhang clenched her fists, thinking to herself that she had to get better quickly. She would go see Lin Yan, stay with her, hug her, kiss her, and while she was at it, propose.

As for Xiao Wei, she also had to capture the fugitive criminal and bring them to justice, getting her the justice she deserved.

And that USB drive.

Her mind was a fuzzy haze of thoughts as a nurse came in to change her IV drip. Her body had not yet recovered, and under the effects of the medication, she finally succumbed to the drowsiness and fell asleep once more.

The ring box was still clutched tightly in her palm, never leaving her hand for a moment.

During the following days of recovery, Song Yuhang dutifully followed the doctor’s orders, cooperated with her treatment, ate diligently, and worked hard at her rehabilitation. A month later, she was transferred from the ICU to a general ward.

Even the doctors marveled at how quickly she was recovering.

Only Song Yuhang knew how desperately she wanted to see that person, how the longing had nearly driven her mad.

Ji Jingxing was making her bed, helping her up from the wheelchair.

“Here, be careful.”

Song Yuhang waved her hand away and took two steps on her own to sit on the bed.

“Sister, I want to go see her.”

“No rush. Let’s talk about it after you’re discharged.”

“But—” Song Yuhang argued, but halfway through her sentence, Mother Song walked in with Xiao Wei, a lunch box in her hand.

“Come, Yuhang, time to eat. Chestnut-braised chicken⁵, your favorite.”

The topic was thus seamlessly diverted.

While eating, she noticed her mother’s right wrist was bare and asked, “Mom, where’s your bangle? The one Grandma gave you.”

Mother Song froze for a second, touching her empty wrist. She glanced at Ji Jingxing, and the two exchanged a silent look, deciding to keep hiding it from her for now. So, she smiled.

“I was originally going to save it for you when you got married, but now I can only give it to Yanyan⁶.”

Song Yuhang’s eyes lit up, and she smiled as she held her lunch box. “Mom, you’ve seen her?”

Telling one lie means you have to use countless more lies to cover it up.

Mother Song nodded. “I have. She’s not recovering as fast as you, but she’s much better.”

The person immersed in her excitement didn’t notice how forced her mother’s and sister-in-law’s smiles were.

Song Yuhang shoveled rice into her mouth, her eyes slightly moist. “Mom, is there more? I want another bowl.”

“Yes, yes, there’s plenty. Hurry and eat.”

Mother Song turned her back to get her more rice, secretly wiping away a tear.

As Song Yuhang ate, Xiao Wei’s gaze fell on the television nearby. She reached for the remote to turn it on but Ji Jingxing snatched it away.

“Xiao Wei, your aunt is still eating, and she needs to rest. Don’t bother her. If you want to watch TV, we can watch at home.”

She was afraid the news would broadcast something about Lin Yan.

The child didn’t understand. All she knew was that her desire hadn’t been met. Her lips immediately trembled, and she burst into loud sobs.

Ji Jingxing scrambled to console her.

Because of her illness, the child’s emotions were always in turmoil, good one moment and bad the next. She wouldn’t speak, just cry and rage, thrashing the cloth doll in her hand.

Song Yuhang put down her bowl, wanting to hold her. “Xiao Wei—”

Before she could finish, she was shoved hard onto the bed, the blow landing right on her wound. Although it was unintentional, beads of sweat the size of soybeans still broke out on Song Yuhang’s forehead.

Seeing her get hurt, all the pressure from the past days surged into Ji Jingxing’s heart. Anxious and angry, she, for the first time, slapped the child and roared with red-rimmed eyes, “Ji Weiyi⁷, you behave yourself! How could you hit your aunt? Do you have any idea who saved your life? To save you, Lin—”

The room was so quiet you could hear a needle drop⁸.

Song Yuhang was also looking at her.

Ji Jingxing was breathing heavily, unable to continue.

Tears welled up in Xiao Wei’s eyes. She threw the cloth doll at her, turned, and ran.

Seeing the child cry, how could Ji Jingxing’s heart not ache? It felt like she was being sliced by a thousand knives.

“Xiao Wei!” She immediately gave chase.

Mother Song also sighed deeply, her old face streaked with tears.

Song Yuhang held her mother’s hand, her own heart aching terribly. “Mom, has Xiao Wei been like this ever since she came back?”

Mother Song wiped away a tear. “This is actually an improvement. The first few days she was back, she wouldn’t eat or drink and would cry at the slightest touch. It’s like the child… has become a different person.”

Song Yuhang’s heart ached beyond words. She pulled her mother into her arms. “Mom, you and sister-in-law have worked so hard these days. Don’t worry, Xiao Wei will definitely get better.”

“Yuhang, my greatest hope now is that you can live on, live well, no matter what happens.”

This statement made Song Yuhang’s heart skip a beat, but seeing her mother’s tear-stained face, she thoughtfully pulled out a tissue and handed it to her.

“I will, Mom.”

“Alright, I won’t disturb your rest. I’m going to go check on Jingxing and Xiao Wei.”

Song Yuhang nodded, watching her clear the dishes and walk out with weary steps.

When the nurse came in to change her medicine in the afternoon, Song Yuhang was still thinking about the morning’s scene where Ji Jingxing snatched the remote from Xiao Wei, and her mother’s ambiguous words.

Ji Jingxing wasn’t the type to hit a child. What had made her lose control like that?

And her mother, why did she say that? And why was it that every time she mentioned Lin Yan, they would change the subject?

Song Yuhang was not an unperceptive person, but she had instinctively trusted them. Plus, being in a daze all day in the ICU, she hadn’t had much chance to think about things.

Now that she thought about it, the more she thought, the more terrified she became. A chill rose instantly from the soles of her feet.

She unconsciously fiddled with the ring box in her palm and looked at the nurse changing her IV drip.

“Excuse me, could I borrow your phone to call my family and ask them to bring something?”

She had been in the hospital for over two months, so they were all familiar faces. The nurse readily lent her the phone.

“Thank you.” Song Yuhang nodded her thanks and quickly dialed a long string of numbers.

She knew them by heart.

But after a long series of beeps, what followed was a cold, mechanical voice.

“Sorry, the number you have dialed is a non-existent number.”

Non-existent number, non-existent number, what does that mean? Did she cancel her account?

Song Yuhang’s heart sank straight down, and her eyes reddened almost instantly.

“Miss, miss…”

While she was still in a daze, the nurse prompted her softly.

Song Yuhang came back to her senses and handed the phone back.

“Are you alright?”

The nurse looked at her devastated state with some concern. “Are you feeling unwell somewhere? I’ll go get the doctor…”

Song Yuhang looked up, a bitter smile on her face, her eyes red. “No, I want to watch some TV.”

The nurse walked over and fumbled around on the nightstand for the remote. “Huh, where’s the remote? It was here yesterday when the room was being cleaned.”

“If it’s not here, then forget it.” Song Yuhang lay back down, turned over, and buried her head in her pillow, secretly wiping away her tears.

Lin Yan, we always temporarily lost contact whenever you were recovering from an injury. This time is just like before. You’ll definitely reappear before me, right?

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A few days later, under Song Yuhang’s relentless questioning, just as Ji Jingxing was about to break, Duan Cheng⁹ and the others came to see her, carrying gifts.

“Captain Song¹⁰, we heard you’re much better. We’ve come to see you on behalf of the Jiangcheng City Bureau.”

The young man who never knew how to make small talk was now spouting pleasantries.

Song Yuhang’s hand slid from Ji Jingxing’s sleeve. She could just barely walk on her own, and she shuffled over, step by step, and grabbed his arm as if she had found her savior.

“You tell me, where is Lin Yan?”

Fang Xin¹¹ took a step forward, wanting to help her sit down. “Captain Song…”

Song Yuhang shoved her away, her tone hardening. “Where is Lin Yan?!”

“Captain Song, Lin-jie, she…”

Before Fang Xin could finish, she was fiercely interrupted.

“Duan Cheng, I want you to tell me!” She kept tugging at his sleeve, her eyes filled with desperate hope, slowly welling with tears.

“Where’s Lin Yan, tell me, where did she go…” By the end, her voice was already hoarse.

Duan Cheng looked at her face, his lips trembling, unable to speak, his fists clenched tightly.

Ji Jingxing came over to pull her away. “Yuhang, it’s time for your medicine.”

“I’m not taking it! Duan Cheng, say something!” Song Yuhang shook his arm. “Huh? Lin Yan was so good to you, always making you carry the equipment instead of others, just to give you a chance to observe. She seemed to despise you on the surface, but privately, she told me more than once that you would definitely become a good forensic examiner¹². You tell me, tell me, where did she go?”

Her voice was raw, her eyes were bloodshot, and her body was swaying, ready to collapse at any moment.

How could he bear to tell this version of Captain Song the cruel truth?

Duan Cheng, a grown man, faced with such a pleading gaze, finally couldn’t hold back and covered his face with his hands, crying silently.

Song Yuhang staggered back two steps, letting go, and went to grab Fang Xin.

“Fang Xin, Fang Xin, he won’t tell me, you tell me. Didn’t Lin Yan just teach you some beauty tips the other day? Didn’t we agree to go on an island trip together? You tell me, tell me, I’ll find her, and we’ll go together, okay? Okay?”

She was like a child, stubbornly chasing an answer, gripping her shoulders and shaking her forcefully.

Fang Xin didn’t answer, silently turning her face away, sniffling.

Song Yuhang turned her gaze to Zheng Chengrui¹³. “Old Zheng¹⁴, Old Zheng, I’m begging you, I’m begging you, they won’t tell me, will you tell me? Please? I know Lin Yan wronged you before, I’ll apologize to you on her behalf, I’ll apologize…”

As she spoke, she was about to kneel and kowtow to him but was caught and held up by several pairs of hands.

“Captain Song, Captain Song, don’t be like this, don’t…”

Tears glinted behind his glasses. Zheng Chengrui choked out, “It’s not that we won’t tell you, it’s, it’s…”

It was that even now, they still couldn’t process the devastating news of Lin Yan’s death. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have delayed their visit until today.

Song Yuhang froze. She turned and looked at every single person in the room, only then realizing that they were all crying.

What were they crying about?

She just wanted to know where Lin Yan went.

She cast her last, pleading gaze at Ji Jingxing, calling out to her in a hoarse voice, “Sister, I know you’ve never been fond of Lin Yan, but for the sake of her saving you and Mom, please, just tell me where she went, alright?”

As Song Yuhang said this, every word seemed to cry blood¹⁵, and even Duan Cheng, standing beside her, could feel the bone-deep despair emanating from her.

How could Ji Jingxing withstand such a gaze, such a humble, pleading version of her?

She turned her back, wiping tears with the back of her hand.

Song Yuhang understood. She understood that no one here would give her the answer.

She saw in their eyes a deep sorrow, as well as pity and sympathy.

She staggered back two steps, her body swayed, and she knocked over the IV stand.

Ji Jingxing came forward to support her but had her hand swatted away.

Song Yuhang didn’t know where she found the strength, but she pushed them away, stood up, and stumbled out the door.

“Yuhang!”

After lying in bed for so long, her knees weren’t used to strenuous exercise. She had just run out the door when she fell to the ground.

It hurts.

Her organs were all twisting in pain.

The fall brought tears to Song Yuhang’s eyes. She bit her lip, her eyes bloodshot, and pushed herself up from the ground with trembling hands, crawling to her feet.

She started grabbing every doctor and nurse who passed by.

“Have you seen Lin Yan? She’s tall, and very beautiful.”

If they asked who that was, Song Yuhang would curve her lips into a smile. Though there were still tears in her eyes, her smile was so sincere and happy.

“She… she’s my fiancée.”

“We were about to get married, but now I can’t find her. Have you seen her?”

In the hallway, a crowd gathered around her, pointing and whispering: She must be a madwoman.

“Yuhang!” Ji Jingxing caught up from behind, screaming her name at the top of her lungs.

Song Yuhang pushed through the crowd and rushed out, beginning to knock on the door of every single ward, repeating the same question.

“Have you seen Lin Yan?”

“Have you seen my fiancée?”

“I can’t find her. She’s tall, and very beautiful.”

…

“Lunatic!”

Someone shoved her out. Medical staff tried to restrain her. Ji Jingxing chased after her. Duan Cheng and the others surrounded her.

Song Yuhang struggled, tore at them, kicked and punched, and roared hysterically.

A medical staff member held a syringe, wanting to give her an injection. She suddenly erupted, copying a move of Lin Yan’s and sinking her teeth firmly into the person’s wrist.

The doctor cried out in pain and the syringe fell. Song Yuhang seized the chance, pushed him away, and scrambled out of the encirclement.

She was an absolute mess, her hair disheveled, her eyes shot with blood, dressed in a patient’s gown. She would run a few steps before falling from exhaustion, then grit her teeth, get up, and continue running forward.

She had to find Lin Yan, find her, find her. The thought had never been so strong.

She wanted to marry her, to never be apart again.

That afternoon, Song Yuhang asked every medical staff on the floor and knocked on every door in the surgical ward, but still, she couldn’t find the person she was looking for.

Ji Jingxing watched her stand at the entrance to the morgue, the setting sun stretching her shadow long, so very long.

In the end, she didn’t have the courage to push open that door.

“Yuhang, let’s go home.”

The hallway had come to an end.

Song Yuhang turned around, numbly shuffling back, step by step, murmuring to herself.

“She promised me, she’d live well, live well… she can’t be in here, she can’t be…”

Afraid of agitating her further, Ji Jingxing didn’t dare press on. “Yuhang, where do you want to go?”

“Go… go to her place.”

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LP: Re-translated on July 05, 2025

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