Miss Forensics – Chapter 22

Volume One: First Scroll

Mirror

She is a bloodstained blade, and you are the best sheath.

“Miss, that car is still following you.”

Lin Yan glanced in the rearview mirror, holding her phone. She really didn’t have the patience to deal with anyone today. She curled her lips slightly and spat out cold, ruthless words.

“Take care of it.”

After the call ended, a black Santana emerged from a mountain road around the corner and passed by the taxi she was riding in.

Lin Yan leaned back in her seat, her gaze drifting aimlessly towards the empty mountains and fields, but her hand gradually tightened around her phone.

“Miss, we’ve arrived at Tai’an Psychiatric Hospital.” Lin Yan pulled out a few bills from her wallet, pushed open the car door, and hurried into the hospital with a quick pace.

A doctor was already waiting at the entrance, guiding her upstairs with an apologetic look: “Miss, the patient suddenly had an episode, and no one could get near her. That’s why we called you…”

Lin Yan moved swiftly, almost running. She suppressed the anger in her heart: “How long has this been going on? Why did you only notify me now? How were you looking after her? What’s the situation now!”

The psychiatric hospital wasn’t large, a three-story building. After passing through the long corridor on the second floor, the innermost room housed a special patient.

The normally locked iron door was wide open. Lin Yan rushed over in a single stride. Just as she gripped the doorframe, she saw a blue and white figure lunge at her, a cold gleam flashing in their hand.

The doctor next to her turned pale with fright: “Miss Lin, be careful!”

Lin Yan dodged sideways and backward. The scissors brushed past her chest. The elderly person in front of her, with graying hair and a hunched back, muttered incessantly, turned around again, still holding the scissors, and continued muttering.

“Chunan, Chunan…” The old woman said this while stroking the yellowed photograph in her hand, pressing it to her cheek, then carefully tucking it back into her bosom, afraid of others seeing it, only to take it out again a moment later, repeating the process over and over.

As she spoke, she shuffled along, a urine bag hanging from her waist, leaking with every step. The turbid yellow liquid flowed down her pants.

Hearing this name from someone else’s mouth once again, Lin Yan’s eyes instantly turned red, and her palms clenched into fists.

She raised her head as if to swallow all the bitterness, took several deep breaths, and then gently took a step forward, her throat moving slightly as she called out her name: “Aunt Chen…”

The person called “Aunt Chen” lifted the blanket and threw all the pillows onto the floor: “Chunan, Chunan, where are you… Don’t play hide-and-seek with mom…”

She leaned on the bed, trembling, and bent down. The space under the bed was empty. The old woman shivered as she stood up, her lips moving slightly, her eyes reddening, and she began searching elsewhere.

“Chunan, don’t hide… Come out quickly.”

The small room contained only a bed, a wardrobe, and not even a desk. It was completely bare.

The old woman turned around and around, finding nothing. Her urine had already soaked half her pants, but she was completely unaware, only stroking the paper in her bosom, her expression gentle.

“Chunan, it’s time to come home for dinner. Mom made your favorite braised fish. After dinner, we’ll go kick the shuttlecock [Jianzi].”

“Chunan, I put the milk in your schoolbag. Remember to drink it.”

“Chunan, it’s dark. It’s time to sleep. Mom will tuck you in.”

As she spoke, she covered the photo completely with her clothes, holding it and gently rocking it like a baby. The scissors she had been holding were placed on the bed.

Lin Yan moved a step closer. The old woman seemed to be suddenly awakened, her expression becoming somewhat unpredictable.

She took out the photo again and stared at it: “Chunan, it’s dawn. Why haven’t you come back yet?”

Lin Yan swallowed, wanting to get closer to comfort her: “Aunt Chen, Chunan, she already…”

The old woman tilted her neck and looked at her, her expression unfamiliar, as if she were looking through her at a group of people behind her.

Behind Lin Yan was only a snow-white wall.

“Hello, Jiangcheng City Public Security Bureau, are you Chen Chunan’s family? Your daughter’s body has been found.”

“We’re very sorry. When we found her, she was already like this. The forensic and trace evidence departments have done their best…”

In her eyes, Lin Yan transformed into bizarre rays of light, sometimes clawing and baring teeth, sometimes shattering into fragments.

What was referred to as a body was actually just a pile of rotting flesh on the autopsy table.

She saw the past through the distant years. She saw the pale, white lights of the funeral home that night. She saw herself wailing and collapsing on the ground. She also saw herself kneeling in front of the police, clutching their legs, begging them to solve the case quickly.

One month passed.

Two months passed.

Three months passed.

…

She wandered around the city’s Public Security Bureau day and night.

One year passed.

She went to petition, was driven out, and fainted on the street.

Two years passed. Her letters of complaint to the Provincial Public Security Department, the Disciplinary Committee, and the Supervisory Department were like stones sinking into the sea.

Three years passed. She sold her house, ended up on the streets, living among beggars, carrying a stack of missing person notices wherever she went.

She held a broken bowl, leaned on a stick, wore a pair of cloth shoes with her toes exposed, walked out of Jiangcheng, out of Binhai Province, and all over the country.

Five years passed. She went mad.

Tears welled up in those turbid eyes. She picked up the scissors, trembling, and stood up, slowly approaching Lin Yan: “It’s you… It’s you… It was you who killed her…”

“And you!” She waved the scissors wildly in the air. Lin Yan backed away, signaling with her eyes for the others to quickly restrain her.

“Aunt Chen…” Her voice was hoarse, it was difficult to speak, and she repeatedly controlled her emotions before managing to utter a complete sentence.

“Please put down the scissors first. I’ll take you to find Chunan. Trust me… I… I will definitely find her.”

As she approached Aunt Chen, several medical staff also crept up from behind. She seemed to sense something, suddenly turning around, the sharp blades of the scissors aimed at the medical staff’s faces.

“I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you!”

At the critical moment, Lin Yan burst out, directly dragging her back by the waist from behind.

The old woman struggled, wailing, her voice extremely shrill. The sharp points of the scissors stabbed at the back of Lin Yan’s hand.

She didn’t dodge, nor did she want to, letting the sharp scissors create several small holes in the back of her hand.

The medical staff rushed up, wrestled the woman to the ground, and with a shot of tranquilizer, she finally quieted down.

Lin Yan gently lifted her from the ground and placed her on the bed. She wasn’t very strong, but Aunt Chen was particularly light, already skin and bones.

The medical staff changed her into clean clothes and sheets. Lin Yan turned and closed the door. Her subordinate handed her a tissue.

“Miss, do you want to go take a look?”

She lowered her head, examining the back of her hand, which was still bleeding. She thought: What is this pain compared to Aunt Chen’s, compared to Chunan’s?

“She’s usually fine, how could she suddenly…” The subordinate’s words were cut short by Lin Yan’s icy gaze.

That look was very similar to the one the person inside had just had while wildly wielding the scissors.

He had no doubt that if he said another word, his neck would be broken. He unconsciously took a step back, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

“Get out.”

He was relieved, bowed slightly, and left quickly.

Only the silent wind remained in the corridor.

Lin Yan slid down to the floor, leaning against the wall, burying her head in her arms. Her voice trembled slightly, imperceptibly: “Today… is Chunan’s birthday.”

---

The room was deathly silent.

Song Yuhang stood at the front, bearing the brunt of Bureau Chief Feng’s spittle.

“A bunch of useless good-for-nothings! The entire criminal investigation team was played by a single person. It would be one thing if you didn’t catch the person, but you can’t even figure out if they’re male or female! Taxpayer money is used to raise you bunch of wastrels!!!”

The more Feng Jianguo spoke, the angrier he became, slamming the table: “You’re all so cocky during training, acting like you’re the best in the world, unbeatable. If you put even a fraction of the effort you use for bragging into your work, we wouldn’t have lost so badly!”

The two officers injured by the person in black were still lying in the hospital, one with a liver contusion [occurs when small blood vessels in the liver break and leak blood into surrounding tissues], and the other with a fractured jaw.

Song Yuhang moved her lips, but said nothing, slightly lowering her head. As the deputy captain of the criminal investigation detachment and the overall commander of the operation, she was undeniably responsible.

“Bureau Chief Feng, don’t be angry, don’t be angry, take care of your health. The most important thing right now is to solve the case.” Zhang Jinhai tried to help him sit down, but was brushed aside. Although Feng Jianguo outwardly rejected his kindness, he couldn’t really go too far, and still accepted the teacup from his hand, taking a sip to calm himself down.

“How are the fingerprint comparisons? Has the poison been analyzed?”

Fang Xin timidly stepped out from the ranks: “Ah… com… comparisons are done… The syringe only had Li Shiping’s fingerprints. No fingerprints, footprints, or bloodstains from a third person were found at the scene.”

Another assistant medical examiner also stepped forward: “The preliminary judgment is that the deceased, Sun Xiangming, died of cyanide poisoning. The time of death was around 10 AM. The air conditioning was on in the room, so the actual time of death may be even earlier. The other deceased, Li Shiping, had residual arsenic, commonly known as pishuang, a deadly poison, detected in her mouth.”

“There were signs of a struggle at the scene. The deceased, Sun Xiangming, had extensive abrasions on his left wrist and lower arm, which, upon examination, were consistent with the compression marks on the side of the door. Skin tissue was also detected in the wood splinters.”

“The deceased, Li Shiping, had four not-so-obvious strangulation marks on the left side of her neck, and one on the right. Both the left and right strangulation marks were consistent with Sun Xiangming’s fingerprints. Clothing fibers were also extracted from under Li Shiping’s fingernails, and upon examination, they were from the same pajamas Sun Xiangming was wearing.”

“Therefore, we believe that the deceased, Sun Xiangming, and Li Shiping, engaged in a fierce struggle. Li Shiping was at a disadvantage, but at the critical moment, she still managed to inject Sun Xiangming with the syringe containing cyanide, a fatal blow.”

“And Li Shiping, apart from the strangulation marks left by Sun Xiangming, had no other external injuries. The preliminary conclusion is… suicide.”

Feng Jianguo rubbed his temples, feeling overwhelmed: “Then how do you explain the person in black who appeared at the scene?”

Song Yuhang moved her lips, her voice hoarse: “The scene was handled very cleanly, even the doorknob was wiped. If we hadn’t arrived so quickly, this would have been a clear case of premeditated revenge followed by suicide! This person has a strong anti-investigation awareness, a veteran, or…”

Or even a member of law enforcement!

She didn’t finish the second half of her sentence. Bureau Chief Feng waved his hand, signaling for everyone to disperse.

Song Yuhang followed the others out. Feng Jianguo took a sip of his tea and called her name.

“Song Yuhang, stay behind.”

---

Technical Investigation Office.

Fang Xin leaned against the table, holding a cartoon ceramic mug, still thinking about Ding Xue’s case: “The cause of death was really delayed drowning?”

Duan Cheng lay on his back in his chair, holding a book with a cover for civil service exam preparation, but inside was a flashy swimsuit magazine.

“How could it be fake? After all, it was Forensic Doctor Lin’s examination. She’s a renowned authority in Binhai, no, in the whole country.”

Fang Xin took a sip of her milk tea, her eyes also a little melancholic: “That’s true, it’s just a pity. You know, in the last few hours of her life, she was in so much pain, yet she still remembered the place where she met Li Shiping. How much obsession must that have been?”

Perhaps criminal police officers, always participating in others’ lives as observers, experience the joys and sorrows from the smallest details. Then, at a certain moment, the human instinct for empathy allows them to feel the pain of the victims. Although it’s only a little, it’s enough to unsettle young hearts.

After she finished speaking, no one else spoke. Zheng Chengrui also put down the chicken leg he was gnawing on and looked out the window at the rainwater dripping from the banana leaves and hitting the windowsill.

“Actually, I think,” he burped, “this case also taught us a lesson. Murder for love isn’t just about romantic relationships between men and women. There can also be moving love between people of the same sex.”

Hearing this, Duan Cheng burst out laughing and poked his round belly: “Hey, what’s with Old Zheng today, turning into a love guru?”

The somber atmosphere was broken. Zheng Chengrui brushed his hand away: “Go, go, go, what Old Zheng, Old Zheng. Call me Zheng-ge!”

Amidst the playful banter, Duan Cheng’s book fell to the ground. Fang Xin picked it up, holding the flashy magazine: “Hey, someone like you wants to take the civil service exam? Let me see what this is, hmm, Aoi Sora, Yoshi, what’s her name…”

Before she could finish, Duan Cheng, blushing, snatched it back, tucking it into his arms like a treasure, muttering: “I don’t want to take the civil service exam either. I just want to be a photographer in our small county town, eat, sleep, and wait to die.”

“What about you? If you weren’t a police officer, what would you want to do?”

Fang Xin thought for a moment, shaking her head: “I’d probably be married. What about Old Zheng?”

Zheng Chengrui looked up from his computer, pushing up his glasses: “A programmer, I guess. Writing code, the kind that can input all the pictures of beautiful women online with one click…”

Duan Cheng pounced on him excitedly: “Zheng-ge, you’re my real brother!”

“…”

---

“Tell me, why do you suspect Lin Yan?” When they were alone, Bureau Chief Feng’s tone was much gentler, and he gestured for her to sit down.

Song Yuhang sat down on the sofa, staring at the disposable paper cup in front of her: “I…”

“Director Zhao was your teacher, and he also mentored me. Back then, he sat in my current position. He was the director who came out of our Jiangcheng City Bureau. Today, you didn’t just embarrass yourself, you embarrassed the entire criminal investigation team, the entire city bureau, and you embarrassed him!”

These words were more humiliating than being called a wastrel. Song Yuhang rubbed her face, smoothing back her stray hairs, taking several deep breaths to calm herself.

“It’s my fault.”

“When I was a beat cop under Director Zhao, he always emphasized in every meeting that we can’t jump to conclusions or rely on assumptions. We must speak with facts, reason, and evidence. We are police officers, not bandits!”

“You’re half responsible for Sun Xiangming’s death. If you hadn’t arrested and released him so many times, you might not have alerted the culprit. Now Li Shiping is also dead. What was supposed to be a solved case now has an added person in black.”

Bureau Chief Feng looked utterly disappointed, tapping his index finger forcefully on the table: “Song Yuhang, Song Yuhang, now you’re jumping to conclusions again, thinking that Lin Yan is that person in black. What’s your reasoning? Where’s the evidence? Do you know who Lin Yan’s father is? Do you know who she is?”

“Do you believe that the moment you arrest Lin Yan, the city committee can call my office? You can’t let personal emotions interfere with casework. You’re a veteran detective, how can you make such a rookie mistake!”

Faced with his earnest advice and guidance, Song Yuhang only lowered her head. Her eyes were bloodshot, as if she were enduring something, but in the end, she said nothing.

She couldn’t say it.

She usually didn’t believe in any mystical intuition or deduction. She only believed in the evidence she collected and the logical assumptions.

But Lin Yan was an exception.

She didn’t know where this intuition came from. She just had a faint sense of familiarity, that Lin Yan was somehow connected to the person in black.

And, the person in black was two people.

At that time, she hadn’t yet figured out one thing: intuition is necessarily based on a certain understanding of the other person. She knew that Lin Yan would do that, which actually reflected her own inner self in her subconscious.

If it were her, she might not have done differently.

Geniuses and madmen aren’t necessarily separated by a single step, but two similar people have a slight possibility of guessing at the other’s inner thoughts.

It’s like looking in a mirror. The environment inside and outside the mirror may change, but ultimately, it’s the same person.

Before she left, Bureau Chief Feng called out to her again: “You asked me before why I transferred Lin Yan to our city bureau, right?”

Song Yuhang, holding the doorknob, turned around, her eyes bloodshot. After several days without sleep, she looked exhausted.

She asked hoarsely: “Why?”

“People like Lin Yan, if they can’t be friends, they become enemies. She is a bloodstained blade, and you are the best sheath.”

---

“Miss, what would you like to drink?” Her gaze wandered aimlessly over the colorful array of alcoholic beverages on the display board.

Seeing her hesitation, the bartender enthusiastically made a recommendation: “Long Island Iced Tea is on special today. It’s carefully blended with vodka, white rum, tequila, and other ingredients, and is particularly suitable for ladies!”

Song Yuhang stared blankly at his mouth moving, unable to hear what he was saying.

Seeing her lack of response, the bartender pointed to another drink: “Miss, would you like to try our signature mojito? It’s made with white rum, lime, mint, and crushed ice. It has a very refreshing taste—”

She didn’t hear anything clearly, except for one word: “MOJITO.”

She inexplicably remembered that night at the Landi Bar, when Lin Yan put the glass in her hand and flicked her hair with such charm.

She had casually asked, “What kind of drink is this?”

The other woman smiled and replied, “Mojito.”

The bartender was still chattering: “Particularly suitable for free and unrestrained souls…”

Song Yuhang took out money from her wallet and handed it to him: “This one.”

---

The wind chimes at the door of the shop jingled. A man closed his umbrella, pushed open the door, and walked straight to the bar, ordering a depth charge.

The bartender watched him take his drink and walk over to the table where the woman who had seemed a bit dazed earlier was sitting.

The man glanced behind him, saw only a young bartender curiously peeking, and leaned his umbrella against the table, sitting down opposite Song Yuhang.

“How did you—” Song Yuhang raised her eyes. The man had already taken off his baseball cap, his head wrapped in white bandages, the edges faintly stained with blood.

She immediately clenched the glass in her hand.

The man put his hat back on: “It was a professional killer. I barely escaped with my life.”

Song Yuhang gritted her teeth: “I really underestimated her.”

The man took a sip of his drink, the brim of his hat pulled down so low that his features were hidden: “The other party is highly alert, surrounded by skilled individuals. I’ve been exposed, it’s not suitable for me to continue…”

Song Yuhang felt a bitterness from the crisp aroma of the alcohol. She was unwilling, but for the time being, she could do nothing about it.

“Thank you, get some rest.”

This was her informant of many years. Song Yuhang took out a stack of money from her pocket and handed it to him.

The man took it and put it in his bag. He couldn’t stay long and prepared to leave.

As he stood up, Song Yuhang saw him smile slightly: “You don’t seem to have ever had a drink during work hours.”

Song Yuhang was stunned, shaking the remaining ice in her glass, making a clattering sound.

“I’m on vacation.”

The man said no more and strode away, carrying his backpack.

After he left, Song Yuhang opened her palm. A thin piece of fabric was crumpled.

This was what she had torn from the black-clad person. She hadn’t handed it over to the police as evidence, but had kept it on her person.

Now, she raised her right hand to her nose and took a deep breath.

The warmth brought by the alcohol failed to melt the ice in her eyes.

Lin Yan, oh, Lin Yan.

How many more surprises can you bring me?

---

LP: Re-translated on March 21, 2025

---

---