Miss Forensics – Chapter 17

Volume One: First Scroll

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He can’t afford a diamond ring? I’ll give you one.

Song Yuhang tapped her pen lightly twice on the lab report Lin Yan had submitted. “Tell me about this small diatom.”

Lin Yan, who had been sitting opposite her, slid her chair closer with a ci liu [呲溜 | cīliū | onomatopoeia for a sliding sound], leaning in slightly. “You’re so capable, don’t you know everything? Beg me. Beg me, and I’ll tell you.”

She had changed clothes since returning. Her police uniform was loosely worn, tie undone, two buttons open, revealing her delicate collarbone. The nape of her slender neck was hidden beneath fluffy brown curls.

Song Yuhang subtly averted her gaze, opening her computer, unwilling to waste words with her.

Lin Yan reached out and closed the laptop. The office was empty at that moment. Lowering her voice, she spoke with a hint of gritted teeth. “You knew Zhou Mo would run. You sent people to intercept him.” It was a statement, not a question.

Song Yuhang raised her eyes, meeting Lin Yan’s deep gaze. “Weren’t you also watching the fire from across the bank [隔岸觀火 | gé àn guān huǒ | meaning to be an onlooker, not getting involved]?”

Lin Yan smiled faintly. The slight iciness in her eyes melted away instantly, and she returned to her usual nonchalant expression. “That’s because I knew Team Leader Song could definitely handle it.”

Song Yuhang echoed her smile, curving her lips. “You’re too kind. I also knew that if I didn’t intervene, Forensic Doctor Lin would certainly have a way to resolve it herself.”

Lin Yan withdrew her hand, resting her chin in her palm, tilting her head to look at Song Yuhang. Her gaze drifted softly, alluring and captivating. “Team Leader Song flatters me. In that case, why bother saving me?”

Song Yuhang pursed her lips slightly, saying nothing. Lin Yan, however, chuckled softly again, her eyes narrowing slightly, like a triumphant little fox.

Song Yuhang opened her computer again without looking at Lin Yan. “I would have saved anyone.”

“Oh~ Then you truly have a broad heart.” That faint, almost imperceptible fragrance drifted over again as Lin Yan, once more, reached out and closed Song Yuhang’s laptop.

Song Yuhang frowned. “You—”

Lin Yan had already turned back to her own computer. “As for the small diatoms, they belong to the Centrales order, commonly found in seawater. They’re all over China’s southeastern coast. Nothing unusual about them.”

However, in the context of this case, they were very peculiar. The hypothesis that the murderer drowned the victim in the seaside park and then returned to dispose of the body didn’t hold up. Therefore, there was only one conclusion: the victim drowned within Jiangcheng City, and this location contained seawater.

The two exchanged a glance.

“Aquarium.”

A police officer knocked and entered. “Team Leader Song, the person has arrived.” Song Yuhang stood, putting on her wide-brimmed hat. “Good, I’ll be right there.”

Lin Yan also stood up. “I’ll go too.”

Song Yuhang turned back to look at her. “You should rest.”

Lin Yan curved her lips slightly. “Concerned about me?”

Song Yuhang gave a strained smile. “You’re always so blindly confident. Isn’t it a superior’s duty to care for their subordinates? I, Song Yuhang, am not that heartless.”

Officially, she was the Deputy Captain of the Criminal Investigation Detachment, in charge of solving cases, while Lin Yan was the head of Forensics. They were technically at the same level. However, in terms of police rank, Song Yuhang had more years of service and was already a Second-Class Superintendent. An official one rank higher can crush a person to death [官大一级压死人 | guān dà yī jí yā sǐ rén | meaning rank has its privileges].

Lin Yan grabbed a file, about to throw it, but Song Yuhang had already stepped out of the office.

The moment Song Yuhang left, the playful expression on Lin Yan’s face vanished, replaced by composure. She stretched, yawning, and rubbed her slightly stiff neck.

“Ah, going home to sleep.”

“Shifu [師傅 | shīfu | respectful term for a skilled worker, here referring to the chauffeur], Qingshan Villa [青山别墅 | Qīngshān Biéshù | Green Mountain Villa].” Lin Yan stated her destination and settled into the back seat, closing her eyes to rest.

Soon, they arrived. Lin Yan got out of the car, where the housekeeper, along with other servants, was already waiting at the entrance to receive her belongings.

“Miss, you’re back! Why didn’t you let us know in advance? You haven’t had a proper meal in two days, have you? I’ll have someone prepare…”

Lin Yan waved her hand, indicating it wasn’t necessary. “I’m going to sleep for a while. Don’t let anyone disturb me.”

She took a couple of steps, then turned back, looking at the jacket in the housekeeper’s hands. “Wash this jacket. Don’t throw it away.”

“Yes, Miss.” The housekeeper lowered their head respectfully, secretly surprised. Lin Yan’s clothes overflowed her walk-in closet; she often wore something today and discarded it tomorrow. She never bothered to even store them, let alone wash them. This was the first time she had actively requested to keep something.

Whenever she returned home, she always spent some time in the attic. Lin Yan poured herself a glass of red wine, leaning against the table as she savored it slowly. The drowsiness faded, and her thoughts became increasingly clear.

Her fingertips gently caressed the slender stem of the wineglass. As she finished the glass, Lin Yan finally dialed the number.

She woke again as the sun began to set. Her phone was vibrating on the table. Lin Yan stretched out her arm to retrieve it, her voice still hoarse. “Hello?”

Song Yuhang took the phone from Fang Xin. “Hello, it’s me, Song Yuhang.”

Lin Yan rolled her eyes, starting to dress. “I know it’s you. What is it?”

“We’ve searched every aquarium in Jiangcheng City, but we haven’t found any trace of Ding Xue having been there.”

After the call ended, Fang Xin cheerfully approached, showing Song Yuhang the number on her phone. “Team Leader Song, why don’t you save the number? It’ll be easier to contact her in the future.”

Song Yuhang glanced at it twice, then instinctively refused. “Forget it, there’s no need. If there’s anything at the bureau, I can just call the Forensics Department directly. And for fieldwork, aren’t you guys there?”

Fang Xin covered her mouth, giggling, her expression clearly a bit odd.

Song Yuhang asked, “What?”

Duan Cheng and Zheng Chengrui turned their heads and said in unison, “Forensic Doctor Lin said the same thing that day.”

“…”

“See? I told you! I guessed right. Tomorrow’s chicken leg is mine!”

“I said it first, so it should be mine!”

“Why would a girl like you eat so much meat?”

“Can’t girls eat meat? Why are you so stereotypical?”

…

Watching their heated argument, Song Yuhang shook her head slightly and walked to the side.

“How is it going?”

The diver had just emerged from the water, soaking wet. Removing his diving mask, he took deep breaths, bracing himself on his knees for a moment before speaking. “No good. The water isn’t deep, but the conditions below are complex. There are undercurrents and reefs. Plus, it’s getting dark. I can’t see anything. It’s difficult.”

According to Zhou Mo and Chen Hao’s confession, after retrieving plastic bags from a nearby trash can to wrap the body, they threw Ding Xue’s belongings into the water. They had been searching along this river all afternoon without any progress.

The patrol boat operating on the river also stopped. Song Yuhang had just finished checking all the aquariums in Jiangcheng City and rushed over. The weather was hot, the summer heat lingering, and the reed marsh was stifling and swarming with mosquitoes.

She wiped the sweat from her forehead, choosing a clean spot to sit down. With a bottle of mineral water in her left hand and a piece of dry bread in her right, she looked no different from a weary construction worker.

The case had reached an impasse. Every new lead seemed to be cut short. Countless threads appeared connected, yet in reality, there was no clear link.

She closed her eyes slightly, feeling the last rays of the setting sun on her eyelids, turning the world a shade of orange-red.

In high school, she loved mathematics. If things had gone as planned, she would have been accepted into the Mathematics Department at Peking University, becoming a professor or teacher.

Her teacher had once told her, “If you can’t solve a problem, why not go back and look at the question again? You might find something new.”

So, turning back the clock, everything returned to the starting point.

Generally speaking, homicides are nothing more than crimes of passion, revenge killings, or murders for profit.

Further investigation had ruled out murder for profit and revenge killings.

Ding Xue had emotional entanglements with Ge Jun, Zhou Mo, and Sun Xiangming.

Judging by the time of the crime, Ge Jun and Sun Xiangming were ruled out.

That left Zhou Mo and Chen Hao. They were the only two people there at the time. It wasn’t impossible that they had colluded and insisted that Ding Xue’s drowning was an accident.

But one question lingered in Song Yuhang’s mind: why here? Why Lotus Pond Park?

Was there something special about this place?

Also, the look on Ding Xue’s face as she ran out of her house was unusual.

Song Yuhang chewed on a piece of dog’s tail grass, a bitter taste filling her mouth. Suddenly, she sat up. The ring!

Sun Xiangming wasn’t wearing a wedding ring!

Ji [记 | jì | remember, note; used for emphasis here, similar to an exclamation point] He was lying.

A wedding ring was highly significant. How could a loving and harmonious couple not wear their wedding rings?

She had seen many couples or spouses who had broken up discard these things like worn-out shoes.

“Fang Xin!” she called out, standing up.

Fang Xin immediately ran over. “What is it, Team Leader Song?”

“That ring from before, were there any findings?” She’d been so busy these past few days that she had forgotten such an important detail.

“Nothing special. It’s made of a very ordinary white gold.”

Song Yuhang frowned. “Let me ask you, if your husband gave you a white gold ring when you got married, what would you think?”

“So cheap! Why marry him? If he can’t afford a diamond or gold, at least platinum, right?” A voice interjected from afar before Fang Xin could answer.

Lin Yan, pushing aside the willow branches brushing her face, appeared.

“What’s this? Is Team Leader Song getting married? As long as it’s not to my brother, if he can’t afford a diamond ring, I’ll give you one.” She said this with a mischievous smile, her affectionate eyes glancing repeatedly at Song Yuhang.

Fang Xin clutched her chest, her heart pounding.

This… this was too exciting!

Team Leader Song’s partner was Forensic Doctor Lin’s brother?!

And Forensic Doctor Lin was offering her a diamond ring???

What to do? She’d uncovered such a huge secret affair. Would she be silenced?!

Fang Xin’s mind conjured up a dramatic soap opera of wealthy family feuds and shocking revelations, leaving her utterly thunderstruck.

Song Yuhang had already turned around to look at Lin Yan, her expression unfazed. She was used to this.

“No need. Coming from Forensic Doctor Lin, I wouldn’t even want a soda can pull-tab.”

Lin Yan’s previously blooming smile instantly crumbled. She looked as though she wanted to take off her high heels and hit Song Yuhang.

“Fang Xin, don’t stop me! With a mouth that poisonous, I’ll…”

“However,” Song Yuhang interrupted, hands in her pockets, looking at Lin Yan calmly, “you did say one thing right.”

“So cheap, why marry him? Therefore, the ring was something she treasured, but not necessarily given to her by Sun Xiangming.”

The group parted the flowers and willow branches as they walked out. Song Yuhang took out her phone and made a call. “Sun Xiangming is a prime suspect. Immediately apply for a search warrant from the procuratorate. Field team, secure all the entrances to the residential complex! If a single fly escapes, don’t bother coming back!”

A drop of water fell on Lin Yan’s forehead. She looked up. At some point, the sunny weather had turned overcast. Distant rumbling thunder echoed, and lightning split the sky.

The typhoon was coming.

Police lights flashed as the police car sped through the streets, rain tracing lines across the windshield.

Lin Yan got out of the car, carrying her investigation kit. Mud splattered her pant legs. Several forensic team members followed closely behind her.

Song Yuhang wasn’t in uniform, making it easier for any potential forceful arrests. However, Lin Yan knew she had a gun in the holster at her waist, loaded with live ammunition.

Lin Yan licked her dry lips and headed into the building.

A criminal investigator disguised as a property management employee went up and knocked on the door. “Nin hao [您好 | nínhǎo | hello (formal)], property management. Could you open the door? Downstairs reported a water leak in your bathroom.”

Sun Xiangming put down his child and peered through the peephole. As he placed his hand on the doorknob and opened the door a crack, several criminal investigators rushed forward, smashing the door open and pinning him to the ground.

Song Yuhang handcuffed him, holding up the search warrant. “Police. We currently suspect you of being involved in a major crime. Please come with us.”

Unexpectedly, Sun Xiangming didn’t resist. He was silently pulled up from the floor, his face expressionless.

Just as he was about to leave the apartment, he looked back at his daughter, who was still playing with toys on the sofa. His lips moved. “My daughter…”

Song Yuhang pushed him out of the apartment. “Don’t worry. We’ve already notified the child’s maternal grandmother. She’ll be here soon to pick her up.”

Lin Yan stood outside. The rain was pouring down. Her uniform was already half-soaked by the time she got upstairs, yet it somehow made her posture seem even straighter, her gaze sharper.

Their eyes met for a brief moment, and she nodded. Leave it to me.

Song Yuhang understood, tilting her chin slightly, and escorted Sun Xiangming away.

After everyone had left, Lin Yan took out a pair of gloves from her investigation kit and put them on with a shua [唰 | shuā | onomatopoeia for a swift movement], flexing her fingers.

“Search thoroughly, especially under the carpets, on the furniture, around the rims of cups—all the easily overlooked details. Don’t miss a single trace of blood or a fingerprint.”

“Yes!”

Everyone responded in unison and began to work diligently.

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LP: Re-translated on March 13, 2025

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