Volume One: First Scroll
Jingxing1
“Heartbroken?” “No.”
“Was it your parents who provided the funds to buy the house at that time? Was it the full amount? No—” A woman was sitting in front of her computer, answering a call. With one hand, she tapped on the keyboard, making notes. A knock sounded at the door. She took the phone towards the entrance hall, looked through the peephole. She immediately switched the hand holding the phone, and simultaneously shifted her body to open the door for the person.
“I’m sorry, I have something urgent to deal with right now. I’ll contact you later.”
After hanging up the phone, Song Yuhang also entered. She changed into guest slippers, looked up, and forced a smile. “I should be the one apologizing. Troubling you again so late.”
Ji Jingxing2 saw that she was soaked through, and her face was bruised. She retrieved a clean towel from the bathroom and handed it to her. “What happened to you? No wonder you didn’t dare go home.”
If Mother Song saw her like this, she would probably nag her endlessly. After all, with the precedents of her father and brother, she was afraid that something might happen to Song Yuhang.
“It’s nothing… Just got into a fight with someone.” Song Yuhang said, wiping her wet hair with the towel. She looked through the half-open door into the bedroom.
“Is Xiao Wei3 asleep?”
“She’s asleep. Otherwise, if she knew you were here, who knows what kind of fuss she’d make.” Ji Jingxing said, going to the kitchen to pour her a cup of hot coffee to warm her up.
Song Yuhang, draped in the towel, sat on the sofa, lost in thought. Ever since she entered, she felt something was off. This person rarely spaced out, let alone looked so distraught.
Over the years, Song Yuhang had visited her place only a handful of times. The last time was when her brother passed away.
“Are you really okay?” Still worried, Ji Jingxing took out the first-aid kit from the cupboard, opened it, and rummaged for iodine and cotton swabs.
“Shouldn’t you go to the hospital? Who did this? They were so ruthless.”
Her corner of eye had been gouged by Lin Yan’s fingernail, leaving a bloody gash. The skin was torn, and the bloodstain almost reached her eye. If she had gone a little further, she would have lost that eye.
Song Yuhang touched it. Only now did she feel a dull ache. She couldn’t help but think that she had hit Lin Yan so many times, hit her until she couldn’t even stand. Would she be in pain?
She probably would, since she cried.
The thought of those eyes soaked in tears brought back that sour, astringent feeling.
She suddenly regretted her impulsiveness.
Ji Jingxing stopped what she was doing. She felt that there was something subtly indescribable about her today.
“Heartbroken?” she teased deliberately.
The other person suddenly looked up, her voice stiff. “No.”
The rebuttal was too quick. Ji Jingxing chuckled, handing her the gauze. “Alright, alright, I know you haven’t been in love. It’s about time you found someone and had a good relationship. I’m going to sleep now. I have to get up early tomorrow to take Xiao Wei to school. The guest toiletries are on the shelf in the bathroom. Don’t sleep on the sofa tonight, go sleep in your brother’s room.”
Xiao Wei was a posthumous child. Seven years ago, when her brother sacrificed himself, the whole family had advised Ji Jingxing to abort the child. But she insisted on keeping her and raising her alone. Being a single mother was indeed very difficult.
Song Yuhang had both respect and affection for this sister-in-law. They were not far apart in age, and they shared the kind of camaraderie of close friends.
She stood up and watched her walk into the bedroom, her lips moving. “Jie… Thank you.”
Ji Jingxing waved her hand, holding her coffee cup. She was wearing loose-fitting home clothes and a pair of plain gray slippers.
The embroidered cartoon pattern on them was already blurred. They were bought together seven years ago when they first got married. Song Yuhang was also present that day.
Ji Jingxing pouted, mouthing, “Good night.”
Song Yuhang replied, “Good night.”
“Check.”
“Block the check.” The chessboard was already in the midst of a fierce battle. The black player moved a shi4 to block.
The opponent stroked his red pieces, hesitating.
“Sir, it’s time for your medicine.” The woman was holding a bowl, blowing on the dark medicinal liquid to cool it. Only then did she offer the spoon to his lips.
The man was no longer young. White hair had grown at his temples, wrinkles piled up on his face, and there were a few faint age spots. But his beard was neatly trimmed. His face resembled Lin Yan’s to some extent. It was not difficult to see his handsome appearance when he was young. Although he was in a wheelchair, he still appeared broad-shouldered, with long arms and legs.
He turned his head and swallowed the medicine in one gulp, frowning at the bitterness. The woman put a candied plum in his mouth. He chewed it and spat the pit into her palm. Only then did he turn back to the chessboard.
“Cannon.”
The opponent did not show any impatience. He skillfully retreated his piece, taking his General in the process.
“General, you’ve lost.”
The two men burst into laughter. Lin Youyuan5 threw the remaining pieces onto the chessboard. “I quit, I quit! You’re still so cunning.”
“Mr. Lin.” A man in black knocked on the door and walked in quickly.
Lin Youyuan seemed to have expected this. He casually picked up his teacup and took a sip. “What has the young miss been up to lately?”
The man in black leaned down and whispered in his ear. He made a throat-slitting gesture. “Should we…”
He glanced at the person opposite him and raised his hand to stop him. “That’s not necessary. Lin Yan hasn’t suffered a loss before. It’s not a bad thing.”
“Yes.” The man in black bowed respectfully and retreated.
The woman squatting beside him rolled her eyes. She coquettishly leaned on his knee. “Sir, it’s getting late. You said you’d take me shopping for a bag tomorrow…”
Lin Youyuan stroked her chin. A smile appeared in his eyes, which were just like Lin Yan’s. “When has your old man ever lied to you? Someone, see our guest out.”
Water droplets slid down her arm, forming a pale red trail on the ground before disappearing into the drain.
The shower was on full blast. In the swirling mist, the woman’s wet hair hung down her back like satin.
She raised the handleless knife in her hand, facing the mirror, and slashed at herself, one stroke after another.
Blood splattered on the sink, like a gorgeous red spider lily blooming in pure white snow.
She raised her head, gasping for breath, swallowing all the suppressed pain into her throat. Her lips trembled, beads of sweat the size of beans appeared on her forehead. One hand gripped the sink, her body shaking. Until a bloody new stroke was added to the tattoo on her chest.
“Clang—” The knife in Lin Yan’s hand fell into the sink. She collapsed, sliding down to sit against the bathtub. She hung her head, silent, as if she had fallen asleep.
Only two lines of hot tears rolled down from the corners of her closed eyes, quickly falling to the ground along with the water droplets, disappearing without a trace.
“Auntie! School ends early today, can you pick me up and we can go to the amusement park? Mom hasn’t taken me out in a long time…” Ji Weiyi6, sat in the child seat, but stretched out her arms, wanting her to hold her.
Ji Jingxing looked back while driving. “Hey, hey, hey, sit tight. What did Mom tell you? Auntie is very busy, don’t bother her.”
“It’s okay, Jie. The case is closed anyway. I’ll pick up Xiao Wei after school today.” Song Yuhang stretched out her left hand, a little awkwardly, to touch Xiao Wei’s head. Her smile was unusually soft.
“You still can’t use that arm properly, can you?” Ji Jingxing glanced at it. “I think you’d better go to the hospital.”
Yesterday, it was just unbearable pain. This morning, it was swollen and she couldn’t even lift it.
Song Yuhang moved her shoulder, forcing a smile. “Okay, I’ll go to the hospital later.”
“That was close. Your arm was almost broken.” The doctor held up the X-ray film and examined it for a moment. He then walked over to her, gently pressed on the swollen shoulder, and moved her arm. Song Yuhang bit her lower lip, her face pale.
“I’ll give you a form. Take it to the treatment room to get it bandaged. Change the plaster once a day, and remember to take the oral medication on time.”
Song Yuhang took the form, stood up, put on her jacket, and nodded slightly. “Thank you, doctor.”
When the bandage was halfway wrapped, her phone rang. Song Yuhang laboriously fished it out of her pocket with one hand. “Hello?”
Before the person on the other end could finish speaking, her expression changed. She pulled up her clothes and ran out. The young nurse chased after her, shouting, “Hey, why are you running?! The bandage isn’t finished yet!”
Song Yuhang ran through the crowded corridor, casually wrapping one end of the bandage around her arm. She bit it with her teeth and tied a clumsy knot. While walking, she said, “Tell me about the case. What are the specifics?”
“Ring-ring—” The alarm clock went off. Lin Yan poked her head out from under the covers. One hand groped on the bedside table, found the source of the sound, and slapped it away.
The world finally fell silent. She pulled the covers over her face again. In less than a minute, the shrill ringing started again. Miss Lin angrily turned over and covered her ears with a pillow.
When she was almost suffocated, the torturous sound finally stopped. Lin Yan sighed, lay flat, and felt pain just opening her eyes. Her body ached, and her throat was on fire.
She swallowed, preparing to reach for the glass on the bedside table to drink some water. The soul-stealing call started again.
The young miss, unable to bear it any longer, abruptly sat up. She grabbed the phone, ready to throw it, but suddenly felt dizzy and fell off the bed.
“Ouch… It hurts.” She rubbed her head and sat up. She felt like her head was a mess, and her limbs were heavy and unresponsive. But when she saw the string of numbers flashing on the screen, she pressed the answer button.
“Hello, Lin-jie, it’s me.”
“I know it’s you… What is it?” Lin Yan licked her chapped lips and struggled to get up from the floor. She felt unsteady and had to hold onto the wardrobe beside her.
“We’re now in the Xicheng District, next to the Green Building. We found a highly damaged corpse…”
Duan Cheng was interrupted mid-sentence.
“What do you mean by ‘highly damaged’? Describe the specific external characteristics of the body!”
Duan Cheng looked at the ground not far away, his heart still pounding. The ground was covered in rotten flesh mixed with human bones and brain fragments. Red, white, yellow, it looked like a freshly made plate of scrambled eggs with tomatoes.
He couldn’t help but retch again. “Ugh… You’d better come and see for yourself.”
Song Yuhang arrived first, and Lin Yan arrived shortly after. Today, the young miss unusually didn’t wear high heels. She wore soft, comfortable flats, and her gait was also quite unnatural. There was also no sun, yet she wore a pair of enormous sunglasses, and she put on a mask as soon as she got out of the car.
Duan Cheng went up to her. “Jie, what are you…”
This outfit looked strange on a cloudy day.
Lin Yan rolled her eyes irritably. “What’s wrong with cloudy days? Cloudy days are when you need sun protection, understand?”
She limped towards the crime scene, carrying the investigation kit. Song Yuhang was leaning against the car door, one hand in her pocket, making a phone call.
“Xiao Wei, be good. I can’t pick you up after school today. Be a good girl and listen to your mom. We’ll make another appointment, okay?”
Lin Yan was far away, but she saw a hint of a smile in her lowered eyes, and her expression was much more lively and gentle.
The wind vaguely carried her words into her ears.
“Xiao Wei, be good… We’ll make another appointment, okay?”
Ugh, Lin Yan shivered. Who was she flirting with? She got goosebumps all over.
The so-called Green Building was actually an unfinished construction site, about half the size of a football field. It was surrounded by barbed wire, with construction waste such as stones piled below.
The cordon was set up outside the barbed wire. Lin Yan lifted the cordon with one hand. The stones were not piled high. Usually, she would have stepped over them in one stride. But today, she felt weak, the investigation kit was heavy, and she could barely lift her arm. She had to take small steps to climb up.
The stones, wet from the rain, were slippery. She suddenly lost her footing, and several stones tumbled down. She fell backward.
“Careful!” A familiar voice sounded in her ear. At the same time, a strong arm wrapped around her waist, steadying her.
Lin Yan took a few steps back, falling completely into her arms. She didn’t know if it was because she was still in shock or something else, but her heart was pounding.
Song Yuhang helped her stand, her hand still not letting go. There was a hint of concern in her eyes. “Are you… alright?”
She seemed to be concerned about her, but she was also asking about last night.
Lin Yan snapped back to reality, shaking her off like a piece of sticky candy. “I’m fine. I think you should worry about yourself.”
That arm bar was enough to make her suffer.
Speaking of which, Song Yuhang suddenly felt a twinge of pain in her bandaged shoulder. She forced a smile, took the investigation kit from her without a word, and turned to leave.
Lin Yan’s expression immediately became subtle, as if she was angry that she walked away. Although she found this feeling strange, she didn’t expect the person to reach out to her after climbing onto the pile of stones.
“Come up.”
She hesitated, her gaze drifting elsewhere, avoiding looking at her, as if searching for another way to get past.
Song Yuhang patiently repeated, “Come up.”
The corners of her mouth under the mask curved slightly. Lin Yan reluctantly put her hand in hers. The moment their fingertips touched, her hand was completely engulfed in her palm. Her palm was broad and warm, with a layer of thick calluses from handling guns and batons.
Her thoughts drifted back to last night, when her rough index finger gently stroked her wound, sending shivers down her spine.
The darkness hid the panic in her eyes, and it also concealed the fleeting pain in Song Yuhang’s eyes.
Lin Yan suddenly felt uncomfortable. She let go of her hand and walked ahead. Song Yuhang followed closely behind, carrying her investigation kit.
When she pulled her up, her hand was very cold and covered in a thin layer of sweat. She was a little worried. The guilt that had been lingering in her heart since last night gripped her again.
“Lin…”
She wanted to call her name. Lin Yan turned around and held out her hand, as if nothing had happened.
“Investigation kit”
Song Yuhang handed it to her. Lin Yan knelt down, deftly took out gloves from inside, put them on with a snap, and stepped onto the laid-out investigation platform to approach the body.
LP: Re-translated on March 23, 2025
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