Miss Forensics – Chapter 5

Volume One: First Scroll

Crossing Swords

As a forensic expert, this question is rather unprofessional.

Song Yuhang gently knocked twice on the door. After hearing a robust “come in” from inside, she entered and placed the case report in her hand on the desk.

Feng Jianguo [馮建國 | féng jiàn guó] was engrossed in paperwork, with a large enamel mug beside him bearing the characters “Serve the People”. It was said to be a reward from when he first received a Third-Class Merit [三等功 | sān děng gōng | third-highest level of merit recognition in Chinese civil service], and he had been using it ever since.

Seeing her silence and stillness, he looked up at her with slight surprise: “What’s wrong?”

Song Yuhang moved her lips slightly.

He seemed to understand something and inserted his pen into its cap: “I heard you had a confrontation with the new forensic expert Lin this morning?”

Song Yuhang noticed his gaze falling on her arm and glanced sideways: “It’s nothing, just a minor scrape.”

“In previous years, when pursuing criminals across provinces, you fought intensely with criminals for half an hour and weren’t injured like this,” Chief Feng, known for his gentle demeanor, wore glasses and even teased her.

Song Yuhang lowered her head without saying anything, but Feng Jianguo understood her thoughts: “You want to ask why someone like Lin Yan was allowed into our city bureau, right?”

This morning, after a meeting, there was an injury assessment case. Lin Yan sent Duan Cheng to handle it, as she was only interested in the dead, not the living.

While others were extremely busy, this young lady was nestled in her office, drinking coffee made by Fang Xin, playing relaxing music on her computer, lying back in her chair with her feet up on the desk, and wearing a face mask.

According to her, it was time for her midday skincare routine.

“You didn’t even notify me of your return, so I could pick you up,” came a leisurely voice filled with amusement through the receiver.

Lin Yan carefully pressed the face mask around her nose to keep it from lifting while speaking in a muffled voice.

“Come on, you’re so busy with work, how would you have time to pick me up?”

The man on the other end of the phone, wearing a white coat and standing outside the consultation room, chuckled softly: “I always have time to pick you up.”

Lin Yan shuddered: “Ugh, how disgusting, speak normally.”

The man couldn’t help but laugh, drawing sidelong glances from passing nurses. He cleared his throat and regained his composure: “Alright, when will you come to my house for dinner?”

“It’s that old bastard Lin Youyuan [林又元 | lín yòu yuán] who asked you to call me again, right?”

“Don’t talk about Uncle Lin like that, after all…”

Lin Yan became irritated at hearing that name and moved the phone away from her ear: “Enough, if you’re going to talk about this, we have nothing to discuss.”

“No, don’t hang up! If not for Uncle Lin’s sake, then consider my mother’s feelings. After all, she often thinks about you.”

When she was first taken in by Lin Youyuan, she was frequently bullied by Lin Cheng [林誠 | lín chéng], who even threatened to run away if she stayed. Lin Youyuan had no choice but to send his newly adopted daughter to live with Lin Ge’s [林舸 | lín gě] family.

This arrangement lasted two years, until she reached school age, when the Lin family butler brought her back.

In terms of family hierarchy, Lin Ge was considered her cousin [堂兄 | táng xiōng | male cousin from father’s side], but since they grew up together, they couldn’t bring themselves to use formal sibling terms, so they simply called each other “Lin Ge” and “Lin Yan.”

After her Gaokao [高考 | gāo kǎo | China’s national college entrance examination], she completely severed ties with the Lin family, maintaining only occasional contact with Lin Ge. For all these years, her relationship with her nominal father remained lukewarm, his presence only manifesting in mysterious monthly deposits to her account.

She fell silent for a moment, letting out an imperceptible sigh: “No, I won’t go to your house. Let’s have dinner together another day, just the two of us.”

“Sure, but you’ll need to make a reservation in advance. I’m not sure if I’ll be free.”

“Oh shut up, is something going on?” Lin Yan cursed playfully.

“Not really, just following my mother’s wishes, going on arranged dates. Have to meet occasionally to develop the relationship.”

“Oh~ Looks like it’s serious this time,” the young lady whistled softly.

Lin Ge was seven years older than her. He had studied abroad for many years, and after finally returning to China, he declined the job Lin Youyuan arranged for him and established his own specialized dental hospital, where he currently serves as both hospital director and head of the dental department.

Just as his career was flourishing, his elderly mother’s desire to hold grandchildren was also growing stronger.

He sighed deeply on the other end: “It’s not really serious, we’re just friends. I think she probably feels the same way.”

“What about you? You’re not getting any younger, shouldn’t you think about your life partner?”

“To hell with ‘not getting any younger,’ I’m still in my prime at thirty-one!”

After Forensic Expert Lin shouted these words angrily, the air froze for two seconds, and the music suddenly stopped.

A gaze fell upon her.

She looked up to see Officer Song standing in the doorway, her expression unclear against the backlight, though it seemed she had been standing there for a while.

Does this person walk without making any sound?

The young lady rolled her eyes: “Well, someone’s here, I’ve got to go.”

“Excuse me, do you have any gauze or alcohol?”

Lin Yan scrolled through her phone contacts, looking for potential dinner dates, without even lifting her eyelids.

“Don’t know, Fang Xin.”

Fang Xin looked up from the mountain of official documents and adjusted her glasses: “Ah? What is it, Lin-jie?”

Song Yuhang repeated: “Alcohol, gauze.”

Fearing they might not understand, she added: “I need to treat a wound.”

Fang Xin quickly stood up: “Yes, yes, they’re in the cabinet in the autopsy room. I’ll get them for you.”

The forensic autopsy room was just on the other side of the wall. Fang Xin retrieved the items and handed them over: “Let me help you, Captain Song.”

“It’s fine.”

Song Yuhang sat down on a random chair, rolled up her sleeve above her shoulder, and somewhat awkwardly used a cotton swab dipped in alcohol to pick out small pieces of gravel embedded in her skin.

Fang Xin couldn’t stand the sight of such bloody things, her small face turning pale, while the other person seemed impervious to pain, not making a sound.

Lin Yan, while texting her evening date, remarked indifferently: “Some people wouldn’t have any problems if they didn’t jump out trying to play hero.”

The comment was a bit too much, and Fang Xin watched them nervously, afraid they might start fighting at any moment.

Unexpectedly, Captain Song made no unnecessary movements, finished treating her wound, threw the used cotton swabs and gauze in the trash, tightened the alcohol bottle cap, and handed it back.

“Thank you.”

In the time it took Fang Xin to put something away next door, she returned to find the two staring each other down.

Lin Yan, still wearing her face mask, lifted her head suddenly and almost let out a scream like a ghost.

Song Yuhang maintained her usual unperturbed expression, seeming detached from everything, as if she had been born in ancient times, she might have been a martial arts master in white robes carrying a sword, coming and going like a shadow, indifferent to fame and fortune.

But here, it was somewhat intimidating.

Being stared at by such an expressionless face.

“Is there something on my face?”

Song Yuhang leaned forward.

She was already a head taller, and as their distance shortened, a faint scent of laundry powder wafted over.

Lin Yan kicked the desk with her foot and rolled her chair back several steps: “Captain Song, isn’t it inappropriate to gaze at me so lovingly in the office?”

Song Yuhang straightened up, her arm now bandaged, one hand in her pants pocket as she looked at Lin Yan: “According to Article 7, Clause 3 of the Public Security Police Uniform Management Regulations, uniforms must not be worn draped, unbuttoned, with rolled-up sleeves, or rolled-up trouser legs.”

Lin Yan glanced at the uniform jacket draped over the nearby chair, then looked down at her own unbuttoned collar and rolled-up trouser legs, slowly forming a “?” expression.

Fang Xin quickly straightened her uniform and smoothed her hair to demonstrate proper tidiness.

“Except for work requirements and special circumstances, one should wear regulation leather shoes, rubber shoes, or black leather shoes. Female police officers’ heel height must not exceed four centimeters.”

Lin Yan’s seven-centimeter crystal-studded hate sky high [恨天高 | hèn tiān gāo | extremely high heels] were practically blinding Fang Xin’s eyes.

Young Lady Lin wore an expression of utter bewilderment, as if looking at an alien life form.

Song Yuhang stepped back: “Also, no painted nails, dyed hair, or jewelry are allowed.”

“??? Song Yuhang, are you even human? No, are you even a woman?”

Captain Song indeed seemed to wear her uniform all four seasons, and had never been seen with dyed hair. Her shoulder-length hair was always tied back, revealing her distinct facial features.

As for jewelry, she probably considered it superfluous.

“From both physiological and psychological characteristics, I am. As a forensic expert, this question is rather unprofessional.”

Lin Yan nearly choked on her own anger, metaphorically holding back blood [一口老血 | yī kǒu lǎo xuè | idiom expressing extreme frustration].

It was the first time she’d encountered someone who could leave her speechless.

She really wanted to open up her skull to see if it contained nothing but regulations.

Though she didn’t seem much older, why was she so pedantic and rigid in her words and actions?

“First of all, what I wear and how I wear it is my freedom, even the police have no right to interfere.”

“True, but in the police force, you must follow our regulations.”

Lin Yan let out a cold laugh, stood up facing her as her face mask fell off, deliberately balling it up and throwing it to hit her shoulder.

Her eyes were full of cynicism and malicious mockery.

“What if I don’t follow them? What can you do? Beat me or report me? Let me tell you, the city government still owes my Lin family construction fees. Do you know how many civil servants in Binhai Province my family supports? Try laying a finger on me.”

The face mask fell at her feet.

The air fell into dead silence.

Fang Xin was so shocked she didn’t dare breathe, and for a moment, there was only the sound of quiet breathing and the ticking of the wall clock.

Song Yuhang took a light step forward.

Lin Yan didn’t back down, staring at her intently.

As Song Yuhang attempted to take another step forward, someone held her back firmly.

The inexperienced young girl put on a face of heroic sacrifice and the intention of burning bridges [破釜沉舟 | pò fǔ chén zhōu | idiom meaning desperate determination]: “Captain Song, no, stop!”

Lin Yan swallowed imperceptibly.

The person opposite her lips curved slightly upward, so quickly she thought she might have imagined it.

“Don’t be nervous. I won’t hit you. I just think if you’re not committed, you should give your position to someone who needs it more.”

These words made the young lady’s fur to stand on end again [炸毛 | zhà máo | meaning to become agitated]: “Who’s nervous?! Who’s nervous?! Which eye of yours saw me being nervous?!!”

After her outburst, the room became so quiet you could hear a pin drop, even Fang Xin couldn’t help laughing before quickly covering her mouth.

“You just swallowed, your right hand formed a fist, your toes pointed outward, your body tensed, your masseter muscles [咬肌 | yǎo jī | jaw muscles] were slightly twitching – all defensive postures. If I attacked, you would counter, but you weren’t sure if you could win, so you didn’t strike first.”

“I f*cking… I…” Lin Yan was so angry she rolled her eyes, steaming from all orifices [七竅生煙 | qī qiào shēng yān | idiom for extreme anger], speaking incoherently, nearly foaming at the mouth, and grabbed a “Forensic Medicine” [法醫學 | fǎ yī xué | forensic medicine textbook] to charge at her.

Fang Xin held her tightly: “No… Lin-jie, don’t! You can’t beat her, Captain Song ranks first in annual police training!”

Items scattered across the desk, while Song Yuhang stepped back, completely unscathed.

She pulled out an A4 paper-wrapped stack of renminbi [人民幣 | rén mín bì | Chinese currency] from her pocket and placed it on the desk: “Here, returning this to you. Don’t speed in the city area anymore.”

“I…” Lin Yan grabbed another book and threw it.

Song Yuhang slightly tilted her head, dodging it as it brushed past her face, said nothing more, and turned to leave.

Lin Yan wanted to chase after her but was firmly held back by Fang Xin.

Since birth, she had never been so angry. When she was six, she was so unruly that she knocked out Lin Cheng’s teeth. Though she was punished by her stepmother later, as a member of the Lin family, she naturally carried an air of superiority, and who would dare to criticize her?

People either kept their distance respectfully or curry favor over her.

For the first time in her life, she felt a sense of defeat from a woman. The last time she had this feeling was nearly twenty years ago.

After Song Yuhang left, Fang Xin carefully brought her a cup of coffee: “Lin-jie, don’t be angry with Captain Song. Although she can be rigid sometimes, she’s really a good person…”

“There’s a reason she’s like this. Though I haven’t been in Technical Investigation long, I heard the deceased Chief Forensic Expert was her long-time partner and old classmate who… died on duty.”

“Though she doesn’t say anything and works as usual, she must be more heartbroken than anyone.”

“I…” Lin Yan was about to say something when her gaze fell on the desk before her, its modest surface full of traces of the deceased.

Forensic textbooks scattered about, sticky notes on the computer screen, and a yellowed old photograph.

It was an instant photo [拍立得 | pāi lì dé | Polaroid camera photo], not very clear, showing two young people standing together, one of whom had just argued with her.

She was younger then, wearing a new uniform, with clear features, a slight smile on her lips, and two four-pointed stars on her shoulders.

Those were the good times of youth.

Lin Yan pressed her lips: “Forget it, I’m magnanimous enough not to hold it against her.”

Outside, Song Yuhang let out a heavy breath, recalling Chief Feng’s words.

“Someone like Lin Yan, stubborn, self-opinionated and showing contempt for law and order, wouldn’t have made it into our bureau without real skill. Treat her as an external member [編外人員 | biān wài rén yuán | non-regular staff]. She probably won’t follow our ways anyway. I know you can’t tolerate imperfection, but don’t take it too personally.”

For some reason, she felt Chief Feng showed a hint of indulgence and resignation when mentioning Lin Yan.

Perhaps she was overthinking it.

She shook her head and strode away.

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LP: Re-translated on February 21, 2025

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