Miss Forensics – Chapter 73

Volume One: Upper Volume

Confession

The whole world is my love rival

Lin Youyuan’s gaze fell on their constantly clasped hands. He was expressionless, rubbing his green thumb ring.

“Will you come over yourself, or should I send people to fetch you?”

He didn’t pay Song Yuhang any attention at all; those words were clearly directed at Lin Yan.

Lin Yan slightly raised her chin, looking directly at him. “Will you scram on your own, or will I beat you until you’re scrambling on the floor looking for your teeth?”

These words were both wild and arrogant; even Duan Cheng couldn’t help but glance at her a few more times.

Amazing, f#cking awesome. If he dared to speak to his dad like that, he probably would have received two big slaps across the face long ago.

Lin Youyuan had a face that looked rather kind, appearing very benevolent and good-natured. In reality, his cunning and insidiousness were hidden in the lines and wrinkles of his skin.

He lightly raised an eyebrow, and the motion of rubbing his thumb ring stopped. The next moment, the two bodyguards behind them moved.

Lin Yan was pushed back a step by Song Yuhang. Song Yuhang went to meet them bare-handed. A contest between experts happens in an instant. Lin Yan watched intently. She saw the two bodyguards get forcefully beaten back several steps. One clutched his stomach, unable to get up, while the other was disarmed by Song Yuhang, who pointed an electric baton at him.

Cold sweat dripped down the opponent’s forehead. He raised both hands, indicating he didn’t want to fight anymore.

Only then did Lin Youyuan lazily raise his eyes to glance at her. “Not bad. Not bad skills.”

Song Yuhang loosened her hand, and the mechanical baton fell to the ground. She walked back to Lin Yan’s side, still taking her hand, their fingers interlaced.

“You let me win. It would have been a bit tough if you both came at me together.”

Feeling the warmth from her fingertips, she stood firmly by her side. The corners of Lin Yan’s lips curved slightly, and the fleeting sweetness on her face didn’t escape Lin Youyuan’s eyes.

Hearing the police sirens from downstairs and remembering the batch of goods seized by customs during the day, Lin Youyuan gave a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. He started fiddling with his thumb ring again, tapping it intermittently.

“You came here today, in what capacity?”

This question was for Song Yuhang.

Song Yuhang took a step forward, removed her face mask, and said clearly, “I’ve always been very clear about separating public and private matters. Investigating the case is public business. Taking Lin Yan away is private.”

Lin Youyuan’s lips twitched slightly. “Very good. So, that means you’re not standing here now in the capacity of a criminal investigation captain, then?”

Public this, private that… Alarm bells blared in Lin Yan’s mind. Having engaged in open and secret struggles with her biological father for decades, she knew his temperament all too well. This matter wasn’t so simple.

Lin Youyuan was clearly setting a trap for her!

Lin Yan became agitated and grabbed her sleeve. “Song Yuhang—”

Song Yuhang gave her a reassuring look. Lin Yan’s injuries hadn’t fully healed yet. She shot a look at Duan Cheng, who silently stepped forward to protect Lin Yan, guarding her back.

“Yes. I came today, merely as—” She glanced at Lin Yan. “—as Lin Yan’s family to take her away.”

“Family?” Lin Youyuan mulled over these two words and sneered. The moment he stopped rubbing his thumb ring, his expression turned icy.

“My Lin family has no one like you, nor will we allow such a thing that corrupts our family’s reputation¹ to happen.”

“Since you’re masked, not wearing a police uniform, and have no insignia, then it’s simple. Who knows what petty thief this is? Stealing things is one thing, but to even dream of taking a hostage! My Lin family is forced to defend itself with weapons. Whether you’re injured or crippled doesn’t matter. Get them!”

One second he was speaking calmly and lightly², the next his expression changed completely and he ordered an attack. This face-changing³ process was astonishing.

The bodyguards behind Father Lin rushed up, their movements as swift as the wind. With a shua, they brandished fruit knives from their sleeves, lunging straight for Song Yuhang’s face, not even giving her a chance to breathe or speak.

The pressure on Lin Yan’s side was also considerable. Duan Cheng was like a monk who joined halfway⁴; he could handle a few local hooligans, but when facing the Lin family’s experienced bodyguards in a real fight with actual weapons⁵, he was somewhat outmatched.

Another bodyguard with a knife rushed from behind. Lin Yan used her mechanical baton to block for him. Metal striking metal sent golden sparks flying. The man in black exerted force. Lin Yan, lacking stamina, was gradually forced to bend over, her shoulder aching intensely. With a thud, she knelt on the ground.

Song Yuhang kicked the man away and quickly helped her up. “Are you okay?”

Lin Yan panted heavily, clutching her shoulder, her face deathly pale. She shook her head. “N-No… I’m fine…”

Duan Cheng was also injured⁶; a sharp blade had cut him. He retreated to their side.

“Captain Song…” The two exchanged a look and nodded.

Duan Cheng pressed the miniature microphone by his ear. “Old Zheng, get ready.”

As soon as his voice fell, the entire building plunged into complete darkness. The men in black were stunned for a moment.

In that instant of distraction, Song Yuhang pushed her away, handing her over to Duan Cheng.

“Take her and go. I’ll cover the rear.”

Lin Yan bit her lip, wanting to say something more, but the butler, also following the original plan, came running over in the dark with a few people. He grabbed Lin Yan and pulled her up, forcing their clasped hands apart.

“Hurry, Miss!”

Her last glimpse in the darkness was of Song Yuhang completely surrounded, isolated and helpless, being pinned to the ground and brutally beaten by the swarming bodyguards. She got up again and again, stubbornly clinging to the legs of the bodyguards who tried to chase after them.

“Miss, the elevator has stopped. This way. Go down and you can meet up with your friends.”

The butler spoke, leading the way. Just as they were about to run down the stairs, Lin Yan frowned and abruptly stopped.

“Wait, who told you someone would be here to meet us?”

Alarm bells blared in her mind again. She grabbed Duan Cheng and started running upstairs. “Go!”

Duan Cheng hadn’t yet snapped back to reality. “Huh?”

Before he could finish speaking, a bodyguard behind Duan Cheng swung a club at his head. He instantly crumpled and fell.

“Duan Cheng, Duan Cheng, wake up…” Lin Yan shoved him a few times, but he didn’t move an inch. Leaning against the base of the wall, she gripped her mechanical baton tightly, panting.

The butler walked over and bowed slightly. “My apologies, Miss.”

Lin Yan spat “Pei!⁷” in his face. “Damn it, you traitorous bastard seeking glory by selling out your master!”

Butler Lin remained unmoved, slowly and methodically wiping his face with a handkerchief. “What are you waiting for? Do it. The Master is waiting.”

Several men in black silently surrounded them, trapping her in the stairwell.

---

“Old Zheng, why aren’t they out yet?” Fang Xin lay prone in the bushes, observing the dark building and its exit with binoculars.

Zheng Chengrui was just about to answer when he felt a chill on his neck; a knife was already pressed against it. He swallowed hard and raised his hands.

A man in black kicked him onto the keyboard. “Restore the power.”

The lights were a bit dazzling when they came on. Song Yuhang narrowed her eyes slightly, only to be struck on the back of the head with a club. She tried to get up.

Lin Youyuan stepped on her hand, prodding her head with his cane. “Did you think you were so capable? Just a mere criminal investigation captain, and you dare to show off⁸ in front of me? Even if your bureau chief came, he’d have to be utterly respectful to me.”

“What do you think you are?”

The cane poked her temple, applying slight pressure, scraping a bloody mark onto her scalp.

Song Yuhang gritted her teeth and tried to climb up, but was kicked in the waist again. Her whole body instantly collapsed, and she coughed violently.

Lin Youyuan removed his foot from her hand and used his cane to lift her head, looking her over from left to right, exclaiming in wonder.

“What, isn’t it strange? Why no one has come to support you all this time?”

The old man smiled meaningfully. Song Yuhang’s expression instantly turned grim. In her pupils, there was the same tenacity, cold determination, and unyielding spirit as Lin Yan’s⁹.

The difference was, Lin Yan hated him and wanted to kill him, while Song Yuhang merely wanted to subdue him and give Lin Yan a chance to escape.

The police officer lowered her eyes and smiled.

Lin Youyuan’s pupils contracted. It was too late to pull back his cane. Song Yuhang seized the moment and pulled. A nearby bodyguard tried to stop her, but she sent him flying with a reverse elbow strike. Dragging Lin Youyuan to the ground with the cane, she grabbed his neck and lifted him up.

“I see you’ve been doing business for too long and have forgotten how to fight. You should know, on the battlefield, you capture the ringleader first to capture all the bandits¹⁰.”

“Let go of President Lin!” Several bodyguards became agitated and wanted to rush forward to snatch him back.

Song Yuhang dragged him backward, her elbow still firmly against his neck. “Easy. As long as my companions confirm Lin Yan is safe, I will naturally let him go. After all, I should call you Father-in-law, shouldn’t I?”

Without his cane, Lin Youyuan was dragged stumbling. He retreated step by step with Song Yuhang, yet showed no panic, as if everything was within his grasp.

Song Yuhang froze slightly. A bad feeling crept into her heart.

“Is that so? Bring her up.”

If he hadn’t ordered his men to be ruthless with Song Yuhang out of consideration for the Municipal Public Security Bureau’s face, then there was no need to show any mercy to his own biological daughter.

Lin Yan was brought up tied, a strip of tape over her mouth. Two bodyguards supported her, one on each side. Her injuries hadn’t healed, and her face was now as white as paper, with beads of sweat as large as peas on her forehead.

The mechanical baton was thrown down in front of her along with her.

Song Yuhang clenched her jaw. “Even a vicious tiger doesn’t eat its own cubs¹¹.”

Lin Youyuan let her keep her arm around his neck, showing no trace of panic on his face.

“Although the tiger is the king of beasts¹², they are few in number. To successfully hunt prey, one must learn from the hyena—disown all one’s relatives¹³, be insidious and cunning.”

Several bodyguards grabbed Lin Yan’s hair, forcing her to lift her head and kneel on the ground. Song Yuhang gritted her teeth. “Don’t touch her!”

“Look at that, your weak spot¹⁴ has been grabbed. Barking dogs seldom bite¹⁵; those that just yap all day usually don’t amount to much. No wonder you and Lin Yan ended up together. You’re cut from the same cloth¹⁶.”

Song Yuhang swallowed, looked at her, then at Lin Youyuan, and tightened her grip slightly. “Let her go, and I’ll let you go.”

“Is this how you fight for Lin Yan’s freedom?” Lin Youyuan coughed twice. A bodyguard wanted to step forward but was waved off by him.

“Your companions are also in my hands now. It doesn’t matter if you release me or not. Anyway, with just a look from me, they will all die.”

“Jiangcheng is too big, and it’s right next to the sea. If a few minor police officers drown silently, who would care? Don’t you think so, Captain Song?”

Lin Youyuan gently pushed away the arm she had around his neck and, supported by the butler, sat back down in his wheelchair.

Song Yuhang didn’t resist; she couldn’t. Her lover and friends were all in his hands.

Facing this benevolent-looking old man, she finally felt a chill rise from the soles of her feet, just like Lin Yan.

Several bodyguards pinned her to the ground. Lin Youyuan threw a gun on the floor.

“Don’t say I don’t give young people a chance. There’s only one bullet in this gun. Let’s see who grabs it first. Lin Yan wants freedom, you want to give her freedom. It all depends on which of you can be ruthless enough.”

The implication was that only one person could leave alive today. Either shoot the other person, or kill oneself to give the other a chance.

The two looked at each other, panting slightly, and simultaneously reached for the gun. Lin Yan was closer and snatched it. Song Yuhang lunged, grabbing her wrist, and they wrestled, gradually turning the muzzle towards Song Yuhang herself.

Lin Youyuan almost wanted to clap his hands and laugh heartily. Splendid, truly splendid.

“Lin Yan, give it to me!” The two grappled like wild beasts, yet both desperately tried to point the gun at themselves.

Lin Yan shook her head, a hint of tears welling in her eyes.

Song Yuhang raised her hand and struck Lin Yan on the back of her neck. She controlled her strength perfectly, just enough to make Lin Yan lose her strength but not enough to injure her.

Lin Yan fell into her arms, the gun snatched away by the other. As their eyes met, Lin Yan’s lips trembled.

Song Yuhang gave an imperceptible nod.

Lin Yan squeezed her hand, lightly hooking a finger in her palm.

Others couldn’t have known about these secret little movements.

Lin Yan was quickly pulled away. Song Yuhang pressed the muzzle of the gun to her own temple.

Lin Yan crawled forward on her knees. The bodyguards couldn’t hold her back. She threw herself at Lin Youyuan’s feet, the tape still on her mouth, mumbling incoherently and shaking her head desperately.

Lin Youyuan tapped his fingers on the armrest of his wheelchair. Seeing she had something to say, he gestured for the butler to remove the tape.

The butler tore off the tape. Lin Yan panted heavily, her tone urgent and rapid. “Let her go! I’ll stay!”

Lin Youyuan was very satisfied. He slightly raised his chin towards Song Yuhang. “And you?”

The sweat seeping from Song Yuhang’s palm made it so slippery she could barely hold the gun. She glanced at Lin Yan, as if unable to bear it, then quickly looked away.

“Will you keep your promise and set her free?”

Lin Youyuan rubbed his green thumb ring. “Of course. It just depends on whether you have the courage.”

“Swear it.”

Song Yuhang released the safety catch.

Lin Youyuan grew a little impatient. “No matter what, I am the chairman of a multinational corporation. I still have that much credibility.”

“Promise not to harm her, and not to restrict her personal freedom in any way again?”

Lin Youyuan sneered. “Do I need to write an agreement for you? If Lin Yan doesn’t cherish this status, fine. Plenty of people are breaking their heads¹⁷ wanting her position.”

Song Yuhang smiled faintly. It seemed like a smile of relief, but in reality, Lin Youyuan detected a hint of cunning in the corners of her eyes and brows.

He thought to himself, This is bad. Lin Yan had already gotten up from the floor. No one knew how her ropes had come undone, or perhaps they hadn’t been tied tightly in the first place.

In just the span of a breath, the lights in the corridor went out again.

Zheng Chengrui, panting heavily, plopped down on the ground, the brick in his hand also falling.

Fang Xin was also terrified¹⁸. “Th-This… He’s not dead, is he?”

Old Zheng shook his head and swallowed. “No, Captain Song taught us. Hitting the back of the neck isn’t fatal, it just causes fainting. Come lend a hand, let’s move him aside.”

“Okay, okay, okay.”

After a rustling sound, silence returned to the garden.

The mechanical baton tapped intermittently against the wheelchair, finally pressing against his throat.

The bodyguards beside Lin Youyuan turned a blind eye, and even subdued Butler Lin.

Lin Yan paced back and forth like a proud and beautiful Persian cat, clicking her tongue twice. “Why were you wasting your breath talking to her? Don’t you know her specialty is interrogation?”

Song Yuhang got up from the floor. The bodyguards who had been holding her down had long since been overturned. The bodyguards who had just brandished knives at them had switched sides. In just an instant, the situation had undergone an earth-shattering change.

Song Yuhang took out her phone and waved it. “President Lin, it’s all recorded. You can’t deny it anymore, can you?”

Lin Youyuan’s facial muscles twitched. He finally tore off his hypocritical mask, his expression appearing somewhat ferocious in the darkness.

“When did you plant people by my side?”

Lin Yan leaned slightly over the wheelchair, the mechanical baton pressed against his throat, forcing him to look up. She lowered her voice, making it sound somewhat chillingly cold.

“A long time ago. I started doing this fourteen years ago.”

A hint of sadness welled up in Lin Yan’s eyes. “Lin Youyuan, admit it. You’re old. Even if you’re a hyena, an old hyena is just a useless and incompetent beast.”

Lin Youyuan lowered his gaze, his eyelids drooping. He was indeed old. Wrinkles covered his face, and even the black hair disguised with dye couldn’t hide the whiteness at his roots. Perhaps due to age, the hand rubbing his thumb ring trembled slightly, his movements no longer so agile.

“Heh heh… Hahaha…” His shoulders shook violently, as if he were both laughing and crying. His voice was coarse and gravelly, like sandpaper, making one feel disgusted.

Lin Yan turned her face away, not wanting to listen anymore. Song Yuhang stepped forward, pushed her baton tip aside, bowed slightly to Lin Youyuan for the first time, and then pulled Lin Yan up.

“Uncle Lin, I apologize for the offense, but I have to take her away.”

“Have you thought it through?” Lin Youyuan started rubbing his green thumb ring again.

“Today, once you step out this door, your actions will have nothing more to do with the Lin family. From now on, the Jingtai Group will no longer provide you with even a shred of protection. And even—”

The old man raised his head, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes for an instant. “In the business world, anyone who blocks Jingtai’s path is an enemy. Though the hyena is old, it will never be merciful to its enemies.”

Lin Yan’s lips curved into a slight smile. “I couldn’t ask for more.”

With that, she pulled Song Yuhang, turned, and left, tossing the gun in her hand into Lin Youyuan’s lap.

“You old bastard¹⁹, keep it for your suicide.”

Seeing her turn and leave, those few bodyguards then retreated one after another, escorting them downstairs.

Lin Yan left resolutely, without looking back.

What she didn’t know was that her harsh, curse-like words would, in the near future, unfortunately come true.

After everyone had left, Lin Youyuan caressed the somewhat aged gun, his expression a little wistful.

The butler pushed his wheelchair, taking him back to the hospital room. “Master, the Young Miss has grown up.”

Lin Youyuan, lost in thought, wiped the gun again and again, his lips gradually tightening. “She knows how to endure, knows how to scheme. But, she’s still far from enough.”

---

“Captain Song, Lin-jie…” Seeing them come out, several people were quite excited, especially Duan Cheng. He had just been hit with a sucker punch²⁰, tried to stand up, but clutched the back of his head, grimacing in pain, and sat down again.

Song Yuhang hugged each of them to express her gratitude. “You’ve worked hard.”

Lin Yan, however, was a bit hesitant. She was too embarrassed to hug others, so she reluctantly bumped fists with them.

“Um, thanks for the hard work. Including the time you saved me, when it’s time for annual leave, wherever you guys want to go, it’s all on me.”

Fang Xin’s eyes immediately sparkled like stars. “Australia, Bali, Saipan, Hawaii?”

Lin Yan nodded readily. “No problem! First-class round trip, five-star accommodation, plus sunshine, beaches, SPAs, outdoor BBQs, massages, gua sha²¹, diving, fishing—if you want to feed dolphins, you can do that too!”

“Ahhhh, Lin-jie, I love you so much!!!” At this moment, in her eyes, Lin Yan was a walking dream-making machine.

Fang Xin enthusiastically pounced on her. Duan Cheng also wanted to join the fun but was grabbed by the collar by Song Yuhang and pulled away.

“Not you.”

Seeing they were safe, the bodyguard who had been following them also prepared to leave. Song Yuhang took out a cigarette and offered it.

“Let’s get acquainted. My name is…”

He was the person Lin Yan had asked her to find.

The man in black had his face covered with a bandana, his hoodie pulled up, and was also wearing a flat cap, making his true appearance unclear.

Before she could finish, the other person turned and walked away.

Song Yuhang’s outstretched hand was left hanging in mid-air, her smile gradually fading.

Lin Yan patted her shoulder. “Don’t overthink it. That’s just his personality.”

“During the Ding Xue case, was he also the one who saved you?” Song Yuhang turned around, putting an arm around her as they walked towards the car.

Lin Yan recalled the scene of their first confrontation. She had been cornered, trapped in the utility room by Song Yuhang and her team. She smiled faintly.

“Mm, otherwise, how would I have gotten away?”

Song Yuhang felt a little sour²². “What’s your relationship with him?”

Lin Yan looked up at her, a faint, almost imperceptible smile playing on her lips. “Do you see everyone as a potential rival?”

Song Yuhang opened the car door, pushed her in, and gritted her teeth in frustration. “Yeah! Who asked someone to be so outstanding, leaving a trail of affection everywhere, making the whole world my love rivals.”

While the others hadn’t caught up yet, Lin Yan reached out, grabbed her by the collar, and pulled her closer.

Song Yuhang leaned against the car door, looking at her.

“Honestly, did you really not think about leaving me behind and going on your own just now?”

Perhaps it was due to bipolar disorder, or perhaps because she was used to being independent since childhood, or maybe she had experienced too many betrayals.

Lin Yan was extremely insecure deep down. She was always repeatedly asking Song Yuhang certain questions, like now.

Song Yuhang smiled and ruffled her hair. She was clearly only three years younger than her and was a mentally mature woman, but with her, outside of work hours, Song Yuhang always treated her like the three-year-old child Lin Ge had described, hiding in the backyard eating candy.

Therefore, these affectionate actions became increasingly natural and effortless, regardless of whether Lin Yan liked it or not.

Anyway, this person had always been used to saying one thing and meaning another.

“You trust me, so naturally, I have to be worthy of that trust. What would it make me if I abandoned you at the first sign of crisis? Lin Yan, I’m thirty-five. I’m not young anymore. Dating isn’t like children playing house for me. I truly want to walk this path with you, facing all the storms the future may hold.”

She spoke softly. It was quiet all around, with no chirping insects. The winter night was clear, with a bright moon and a gentle breeze. The breeze lifted the fine strands of hair on her forehead, and every word blew into Lin Yan’s heart.

Her irises were light-colored, making her pupils appear even clearer and brighter. There was a smile in the depths of her eyes, and her eyes were filled entirely with Lin Yan.

It was rare for such a reserved person to say these things. Luckily, the others hadn’t caught up yet. Song Yuhang’s face burned.

Lin Yan’s gaze was locked on her, making her feel even more embarrassed. She awkwardly scratched her head.

“Why… why no response?”

Lin Yan buried her head and chuckled. Song Yuhang didn’t understand. “Eh—”

“Song Yuhang.” She suddenly called her name.

“Mm?” Song Yuhang was still immersed in the disappointment of her confession not receiving a response and answered dejectedly.

Lin Yan tugged her collar, pulling her down. One was sitting, the other standing.

The jacket on Lin Yan’s shoulder slipped off. She closed her eyes and offered herself up.

This was the first time she had actively kissed her.

Song Yuhang’s eyes widened in surprise; she completely forgot to close them. Just as she came to her senses and was about to make a move, she was pushed away again.

Lin Yan raised her chin slightly, her face red, looking at her triumphantly²³. “That’s the response.”

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LP: Re-translated on May 29, 2025

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