Miss Forensics – Chapter 12

Argument

“Please have a seat, comrades from the police. The house is a bit messy these days and I haven’t had a chance to tidy up…” The man opened the door for them, guiding them into the house while picking up scattered sofa cushions from the floor, looking somewhat embarrassed.

Sun Xiangming’s young daughter, Sun Ya, sat by the window quietly playing with clay. Upon seeing the newcomers, she only glanced at them briefly before lowering her head again to shape the clay piece by piece.

The Sun family’s home wasn’t large, a two-bedroom apartment with a living room. The layout was well-designed, allowing for good ventilation from both the north and south directions. The furnishings were simple, with a mess of clothes strewn about. Empty takeout containers were left on the table.

The flowers in the entrance had withered, emitting an aura of decadence and listlessness, much like the atmosphere of the house itself.

“What would you like to drink?” He opened the fridge and found it empty, then walked to the kitchen to prepare some hot water.

Fang Xin quickly intervened, saying, “No need, don’t trouble yourself. We’re just here to take a look and understand the situation before leaving.”

“Oh, this is our bedroom, and over there is my wife’s study…” Sun Xiangming pushed open the bedroom door. Unlike the disorder in the absent housewife’s room and the living room, the bedroom was in disarray. There was a small bed next to the large one, likely where the child slept. Clothes from the dirty laundry basket had spilled out onto the floor.

Sun Xiangming forced a bitter smile and his eyes reddened again. “Forgive the mess. Normally, she takes care of these things. Now I’m busy with work and looking after the child, it’s really…”

Fang Xin and the two police officers glanced around briefly and didn’t find anything suspicious, especially when he mentioned Ding Xue. His demeanor wasn’t excessively mournful, and they could detect genuine emotions from his body language, eye expressions, and subtle facial cues.

Those who worked in criminal investigation were astute individuals. A quick assessment gave them an idea, so they retreated and walked towards the adjacent study.

The computer was still on, and a number of books were lined up on the nearby bookshelf, covering topics ranging from finance to education.

Fang Xin casually pulled out a book from the shelf, titled “Educational Psychology.” She lightly brushed off the dust from its cover, flipped through a few pages, and then placed it back.

Zheng Chengrui’s attention was drawn to the computer. “Can we check this?”

“Sure, please go ahead,” Sun Xiangming walked over and entered the password, indicating that they were free to use it.

Zheng Chengrui opened his laptop and began to tinker with the computer. “Who usually uses this computer?”

“I, and my wife, both use it. I often come back to work overtime after finishing work, and sometimes she prepares lessons on it.”

The computer desktop displayed a family photo of three, with the little girl nestled between her father and mother, holding a spoon and smiling brightly.

Fang Xin stared at the photo for a moment, feeling the impermanence of life. In the blink of an eye, a once happy family of three had fallen apart.

Just then, she suddenly sensed a gaze upon herself. Swiftly turning her head, she saw a young girl standing in the shadow of the doorway. With a cry, the girl rushed over and embraced Sun Xiangming’s leg.

“Daddy, mommy… I want mommy…” Sun Xiangming became flustered, handing her tissues to wipe her tears and lifting her into his arms to console her. Perhaps his awkward comforting was hurting the little girl, for she cried even louder, repeatedly crying out for her mother.

“Sorry for the interruption,” with the room crowded, the man had no choice but to carry the child outside and sit on the sofa, patiently soothing her.

Fang Xin peered through the doorway and saw him handing a toy to Sun Ya. As he interacted with his daughter, a rare hint of a strained smile appeared on his face.

Losing a mother in childhood, and a wife in middle age – it was a sorrowful sight to behold.

“How is their marital relationship?” Another team of investigators arrived at Sun Xiangming’s mother-in-law’s house to gather information.

The elderly woman was alone in the quiet house, with two portraits displayed on the ancestral altar. One was of her deceased husband, while the other was of the deceased Ding Xue.

As she spoke, she began to wipe away tears. “Blame it all on me… I shouldn’t have married Little Xue to him in the first place…”

The investigators exchanged a glance, their expressions growing more serious. “Please tell us in detail, truthfully. Just state the facts as you’ve seen them, without exaggeration.”

The elderly woman choked back her emotions for a moment before reluctantly speaking, “I don’t live with them, so I’m not entirely sure about their day-to-day interactions. But when they visited during holidays, they seemed fine. Occasionally, they’d have small disagreements…”

“Did they ever fight? Physically, I mean.”

The elderly woman pondered for a moment. “No, not really. Even if that cowardly grandson had a hundred times more courage, he wouldn’t dare lay a finger on my daughter.”

As she continued, her tone became more impassioned.

“What do you mean by that?”

“It was Sun Xiangming who actively pursued my daughter… ” The elderly woman heaved a sigh when she reached this point, her eyes reddening as she looked at the portraits on the table.

“He pursued her for quite a while, a year or two maybe, before my daughter agreed. He was just a junior employee, hailing from a rural family with no retirement pension for his parents. Their family situation wasn’t very good. When they got married, we didn’t ask for a dowry from his family. In fact, we even provided a significant dowry to them. We just wanted him to treat my daughter well.”

“After all, my husband passed away early, and she’s my only daughter.”

After the elderly woman finished speaking, she began to cry again, grabbing hold of the investigator’s hand and seemingly preparing to kneel before them.

“I beg you, please catch the murderer and bring justice for my daughter.”

*****

“Looking for the principal? She’s not here at the moment, she’s on substitute teaching duty. You’ll have to wait a bit,” a staff member set down two cups of tap water in front of them and then went off to attend to their own tasks.

Lin Yan raised an eyebrow, “Even as a principal, she still needs to do substitute teaching?”

“Of course. Our Jiangcheng First High School is a prestigious institution. From top to bottom, everyone needs to meet certain standards in their professional abilities. Even the principal, apart from administrative duties, has to allocate time for teaching. Especially with the college entrance exams approaching and this incident occurring, it’s not easy to find good teachers at such short notice…”

Speaking of this, the staff member’s expression grew somewhat troubled. With the college entrance exams followed immediately by the autumn enrollment, the recent tumultuous news could indeed have some impact.

After the people left, Lin Yan took a sip of tap water, but the peculiar taste of the plastic cup made her put it down again. She poked Song Yuhang’s arm.

“Hey, what do you think?”

“We don’t discuss the case outside the Public Security Bureau.”

Song Yuhang flipped through the magazines and journals on the table, her expression devoid of emotion.

“…Is it so hard for you to say a few more words to me each time?”

“It is,” she turned a page in the campus magazine, “I’m afraid I’ll make you mad.”

Lin Yan picked up the water glass from the table, as if she was about to throw it, when the door was gently pushed open.

A woman entered, holding teaching materials against her chest. She appeared to be around forty years old, maintaining a graceful figure. A faint smile graced her lips, and she paused for a moment in surprise upon seeing someone in the office.

It was none other than Ms. Li, the teacher Lin Yan had just seen in the corridor.

The staff member quickly interjected, “These two are police officers from the Jiangcheng City Public Security Bureau, here to understand the case.”

The woman finally regained her composure and stepped forward to shake hands. “Hello, I’m Li Shiping, Vice Principal of Jiangcheng City First High School.”

Song Yuhang, looking at the hand extended towards her with a smile, also shook it. “Deputy Team Leader of the Criminal Investigation Division at the Municipal Public Security Bureau, Song Yuhang.”

“Hello, Deputy Song. And this is?”

Her gaze shifted, and due to her longstanding role in education, the woman exuded an indescribably gentle and refined demeanor.

“The forensic expert, Lin Yan, but let’s skip the handshake. Dealing with corpses all year round brings bad luck.”

Lin Yan casually remarked. Li Shiping’s face stiffened momentarily, but she managed to maintain a smile and invited them to take a seat.

Meanwhile, Song Yuhang was on the other side, gathering information. The questions were repetitive, which made her impatient. She stood up and looked around.

The office wasn’t spacious, furnished with wooden desks and chairs, along with a leather sofa. She touched the desk and gave it a light tap—it was indeed made of redwood.

Several books were placed on the nearby bookshelf, mostly related to education, with a few English originals mixed in. They looked quite scholarly.

She pulled out a school magazine from her bag, flipped through it, and caught Li Shiping’s gaze. She quickly stuffed it back, then went on to play with the globe on the person’s desk, spinning it vigorously.

Seemingly absorbed in her actions, she showed no signs of tiring. Unexpectedly, a forceful move sent the globe flying off the desk, landing by Song Yuhang’s feet.

“… ” Song Yuhang, usually composed, tightened her throat.

Perhaps bringing Lin Yan along wasn’t such a good idea.

“Sorry, my apologies. Please continue,” she chuckled, walking over to pick up the globe and placing it back onto its stand. As she lifted her gaze, it coincidentally fell upon an old photograph displayed in a cabinet window.

It was a group photo of the school staff, with the deceased Ding Xue standing in the upper right corner, smiling as she looked at them.

“This was the last time I saw her…” She paused after speaking, her gaze lowered slightly, seemingly unable to continue.

“How could something like this happen…”

Song Yuhang closed her notebook, “Thank you for your cooperation. If necessary, please continue to assist us in the investigation. We also plan to visit your school principal. May I ask—”

Li Shiping lifted her tea and took a sip, “I’m sorry, Principal Ge is currently not in Jiangcheng City. He went to the provincial capital for a business trip and a meeting last Friday. When he returns, I will contact you as soon as possible.”

Song Yuhang stood up, “Alright, we won’t disturb you any longer.”

Li Shiping also got up to see them off, “It’s okay, cooperating with the police is our duty. Personally, I also hope the police can catch the culprit as soon as possible and bring justice to my colleague.”

Lin Yan was the first to leave, but she was stopped by someone.

She halted, hands in her pockets, looking at the person, “What’s the matter?”

Li Shiping hesitated several times before speaking, “After all, we were colleagues. She was a talent I personally recruited. I want to know—”

“Want to know if her death was painful?” Lin Yan shifted her posture, crossed her arms, and stood there with a somewhat malicious smile on her face.

Song Yuhang couldn’t stop her in time—

“Um, among all the bizarre ways to die, drowning should be the most agonizing. If it were a fatal stab wound, that would be easier, but drowning forces you to feel every minute and second as oxygen is slowly stripped from your lungs. You’ll struggle, you’ll feel pain, you’ll scream, yet every time you open your mouth, water will pour in, and you’ll lose strength in your limbs. You’ll sink gradually until you can’t resurface anymore. When you finally do, it’ll be days later, your body covered in livor mortis, skin peeling off, waterborne microorganisms feasting on your face. You’ll become unrecognizable, infested with clusters of breeding maggots—”

The more she said, the more outrageous it became. Song Yuhang suddenly raised her voice, “Lin Yan!”

Li Shiping leaned against the door frame, her face turning pale.

Lin Yan shrugged innocently, batting her eyes, “She made me say it. Did I say something wrong? Police, Officer, Song.”

She deliberately emphasized the last few words, clearly provoking.

Song Yuhang was quite annoyed by her, “You—”

Li Shiping regained her composure and forced a smile, “It’s okay. Solving the case is a big task for you all. Solving it sooner will also benefit the reputation of Jiangcheng City First High School. If you need any help, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

Song Yuhang nodded, afraid that Lin Yan might say something impudent again. She grabbed her clothes and practically dragged her away.

As they reached an open space, Lin Yan suddenly jerked her hand away, “What are you doing?! Let go!”

She had held on tightly, and Lin Yan’s sudden movement caught her off guard. The button on her collar popped open, leaving both of them panting.

Especially Lin Yan, her fair skin slightly flushed, and her eyes glared at her with a hint of excitement.

Like a defiant and fierce beast.

“Who do you think you are? What I say and do is none of your business!”

Song Yuhang’s anger had subsided for the most part, but hearing her bring up the matter reignited her fury, “Do you even realize that those few sentences you just uttered revealed details of the case?! Under any circumstances, the police should strictly maintain confidentiality of the case that is still under investigation!”

“What police?! What ‘you’ and ‘us’! You are you! I am me! Stop lumping me in with you bunch of useless idiots!”

“Do you deserve it? You don’t deserve it!” After saying this, Lin Yan spat forcefully on the ground twice and forcefully pulled back the collar that had been yanked down by Song Yuhang.

That small, rounded and delicate shoulder was finally out of sight.

When it came to quarreling, even ten Song Yuhangs were no match for her. Lin Yan looked satisfied as she observed the ever-changing color of her face, her throat moving up and down, her hands clenched into fists.

She remembered the day she first arrived at the city police bureau, Song Yuhang’s show of authority. A mocking smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

It seemed that she always wore this kind of expression—disdainful, mocking, indifferent, and nonchalant.

In any case, she had never really smiled genuinely.

Lin Yan took a step forward. She wasn’t wearing high heels today, and Song Yuhang was slightly taller than her. She reached out and pulled at the collar of Lin Yan’s clothes, her teeth clenched, and her gaze locked onto those light brown eyes.

“And another thing, stop tugging at me damn it. Otherwise, don’t think that just because you’re a woman, I won’t accuse you of sexual harassment.”

As the formidable head of the Criminal Investigation Division, being warned with her collar pulled, she should have been angry, should have been furious, and should have thrown a punch.

However, Song Yuhang’s fist clenched and then relaxed, relaxed and then clenched again. Her breathing, due to rapid adjustments, became somewhat unstable.

She stared into those eyes, where her own reflection resided. Finally, she recalled what she had been thinking.

When she accidentally pulled open her clothes earlier, there was an oddly shaped tattoo on her shoulder socket. It resembled some ancient script, yet it also resembled an unfamiliar ancient symbol.

In the moment of her distraction, Lin Yan had already released her and stepped back, her tone turning cold. “From now on, you investigate your own matters, and I’ll investigate mine. I’d like you to remember that, in terms of our positions, we’re equals. What I, Lin Yan, detest most is someone pointing fingers and meddling in my affairs.”

She had another unfinished sentence: “Whoever blocks my path, I’ll make sure they don’t have a good ending.”

For some reason, she faintly hoped that there would never be a day when those words would be said to her.

After Lin Yan left, Song Yuhang opened her palm, a small beige button clenched tightly in her hand, damp from sweat.

She had thought about discarding it, but perhaps it was due to professional habit—smaller things often revealed more.

She ended up wrapping it in a tissue and stowing it in her pocket.

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