Miss Forensics – Chapter 85

Volume One: First Scroll

Repaying a Debt

It turns out that even those who make solemn vows will one day break their promises.

After escorting Mother Lin back to her room, Lin Ge quickly came downstairs. He had changed into a well-tailored suit and was now greeting guests, weaving through the crowd with easy laughter and conversation, occasionally raising a glass with someone. A flock of pretty, chattering women¹ always seemed to surround him.

Lin Yan found it amusing to watch as she picked at some food from the buffet. She had quite the reputation, and on top of that, she was the Lin family’s least favored youngest daughter. So, apart from a few wealthy young masters looking for a conquest, no one really came to bother her.

Having finally extricated himself from the swarm of social butterflies², Lin Ge, holding a glass of whiskey, sidled up to her. “She didn’t come with you today?”

Lin Yan wiped her hands with a napkin and clinked her glass against his. “She’s a division-level cadre, after all. This kind of occasion isn’t appropriate. Besides, what if she ran into Lin Youyuan and they started fighting again? It is Aunt’s birthday banquet, isn’t it?”

Speaking of the birthday banquet, the host herself had only made a brief appearance before returning to her room and hadn’t been seen entertaining guests since.

Lin Yan was worried about Mother Lin’s health; she hadn’t looked too good, both in spirit and complexion, just now.

She casually picked a candied fruit from a tray, tossed it into her mouth, and stood up. “Mm, your family’s candied fruits are still the best. I’m going upstairs to see Aunt.”

Lin Ge also stood up and reached out to stop her. “Don’t go. Seeing you makes her sad, and seeing her makes you sad too. Why bother on such a happy day? She’s on an IV drip upstairs. I’ll ask her to come down when it’s finished.”

Lin Yan thought for a moment, then thrust her wine glass into his hand. “Alright then, I’m going to the restroom.”

Lin Ge chuckled. “Need someone to show you the way?”

Lin Yan cursed with a laugh, “Get lost! I lived here for a few years, at least. This old lady isn’t senile yet.”

As she walked away, Lin Ge watched her long legs, accentuated by high heels, sway gracefully. Her elegant back cast a reflection on the mirror-like floor. He raised the glass of red wine Lin Yan hadn’t finished and slowly took a sip.

A waiter holding a wine bottle approached him. Under the guise of refilling his glass, he whispered, “Young Master, should we have someone follow her?”

Lin Ge nodded. He turned and placed a hand on the waiter’s shoulder, patting it gently as if in reassurance. “Well done.”

His next words were suddenly hushed, spoken at a volume only the two of them could hear: “Follow her. Don’t let her wander off.”

The waiter put down the wine bottle, bowed respectfully, and disappeared into the crowd.

Lin Yan was texting Song Yuhang as she walked, and the replies came quickly.

“When are you coming back?”

Lin Yan thought for a moment, then typed: “Probably in a while. I’ll go see Aunt after she finishes her IV drip.”

Song Yuhang sent a ‘sobbing uncontrollably on the floor’ emoji. Lin Yan couldn’t help but smile.

She kept her eyes glued to her phone, not really watching where she was going, and practically dived into the restroom, nearly bumping into someone.

Two colorfully dressed young women were supporting each other as they stumbled out, reeking of alcohol.

Lin Yan dodged backward slightly and heard one of them cry drunkenly, “How… how could he do this to me? Those… those surnamed Lin… they’re all bad news!”

“Alright, alright, let’s go. If you’re drunk, just go home and sleep it off.”

The drunk girl was limp, unable to even stand, cursing incoherently and relying entirely on the other to hold her up. The two of them stumbled away and disappeared down the corridor.

Lin Yan, who had been innocently implicated³, felt a twinge of annoyance. She put her phone in her pocket and entered the restroom.

As she came out of a stall after flushing and went to wash her hands, the door of the stall opposite hers also opened. A woman dressed like a wealthy socialite walked to the mirror and took out her lipstick to touch up her makeup.

Lin Yan glanced over unintentionally. Those were not the well-maintained, delicate hands a wealthy woman should have; they were rough and covered in fine lines.

She discreetly averted her gaze, dried her hands under the dryer, and hummed a tune as she walked out.

As soon as she stepped out, she noticed several new faces in the corridor. One, a man in a suit she hadn’t seen in the main hall, stood by the men’s restroom door, talking on the phone.

There were also young people chatting in the corridor, and a waiter and a cleaner hurrying by with trays.

It was as if the previously quiet place had suddenly become bustling the moment she arrived.

Lin Yan’s lips twitched into a slight smile. She called out to the cleaner who was sweeping away a cigarette butt near her feet, “Excuse me—”

The cleaner, with downcast eyes, replied respectfully, “Yes, Miss Lin. What can I do for you?”

Cleaners in prominent and wealthy families were undoubtedly very professional and polite.

Lin Yan tilted her chin slightly. “New here?”

“Yes, I just started a month ago,” the person replied, keeping their head bowed. They looked to be in their forties, with a few strands of white hair peeking out from under their cap.

Lin Yan looked at the few water stains on the black patent leather of her high heels, accidentally splashed while washing her hands. She extended her foot. “Wipe this clean for me.”

The cleaner put down the broom, knelt on one knee, and pulled a clean white cloth from the pocket of their work uniform, carefully wiping the dust and water stains from her shoe.

“It’s done, Miss.”

Lin Yan withdrew her foot and pulled out a few hundred-yuan bills from her wallet, scattering them over the cleaner’s head.

“Not bad. I’ll put in a good word for you with my brother.”

“Yes, thank you, Miss! Thank you, Miss!”

The cleaner kowtowed, holding the money.

The moment Lin Yan turned to leave, her eyes turned cold.

If he’s new, how would he know her surname was Lin, let alone that she was the young lady of the Lin family? And when he pulled the cloth from his pocket, perhaps he didn’t even notice that a corner of his phone had slipped out too.

That logo and brand were definitely not something a cleaner could afford.

As she lifted her foot to leave, the man who had been on the phone by the men’s restroom door also walked away.

The two of them followed her, maintaining a distance of about ten meters, neither too close nor too far. Lin Yan was texting on her phone, looking quite happy, though it was unclear who she was chatting with.

When she turned a corner, and the man followed, she was nowhere to be seen in the main hall.

“Young Master, we lost her.”

Lin Ge raised an eyebrow slightly, a gentle curve always playing on his lips. “She’s quite mischievous, isn’t she? Just like when she was a child.”

The Lin family estate was large, but it hadn’t changed much over the years. As a child, Lin Yan often played hide-and-seek here with the servants and housekeeper who came to catch her, so she knew her way around.

She turned a corner, took the elevator to the second floor, and after shaking off her little tail, Miss Lin whistled cheerfully and headed straight for her aunt’s bedroom.

She remembered it was the room at the end of the corridor on the left, on the second floor. She walked over eagerly and pushed open the door, only to find it empty. Even the bedsheets and quilt cover were neat, as if no one lived there.

Lin Yan paused, gently closed the door. Not in the bedroom, then where could she be?

She thoughtfully surveyed the entire corridor. The second floor was much quieter than the first. Her gaze fell on a door to the right, which had an old-fashioned plaque hanging on it that read “Do Not Enter.” She flipped the wooden plaque over and saw “Lin Yan’s Home” on the other side.

A smile instantly touched her eyes. Lin Ge had made this for her when she first arrived.

His room door also had a similar wooden plaque.

“Lin Yan, this is for you. If you want someone to talk to, or play with, hang the ‘Lin Yan’s Home’ side with the rainbow facing out. If you don’t want anyone to bother you, hang the other side. That way, neither the housekeeper nor the servants will disturb you.”

Back then, ten-year-old Lin Ge, already acting like a little adult, had handed her the wooden plaque with both hands. Mother Lin had smiled and stroked his head.

“Lin Ge, you must get along well with your younger sister from now on. You’re the older brother, you have to take good care of her, okay?”

“Mhm!” Young Lin Ge had clenched his fists and nodded vigorously, his face showing the earnestness of a little man.

That was the first warmth the homeless Lin Yan had felt in the Lin family.

She touched the wooden plaque, a myriad of emotions welling up. She gently pressed the doorknob and pushed the door open. It wasn’t locked.

Lin Yan was slightly taken aback. Memories and old dust flooded her mind simultaneously.

The furnishings were the same as back then; even the doodles she had left on the wall in a fit of temper hadn’t changed. Only, the bed was gone, and the room had been converted into a study.

A few display cabinets stood near the entrance, holding her childhood drawings, clay figures she had molded, and paper airplanes she had folded.

Further inside, there was a desk. The computer was still on, suggesting someone often worked here.

Against the wall was a cabinet for folders, and next to it stood a human skeleton model, playfully wearing a hat.

Lin Yan couldn’t help but chuckle. She knew whose office this was. Only a doctor would have such a macabre taste for displaying a human skeleton in their room. She had one in her study too.

Every time Song Yuhang came over at night, she would complain about how creepy it was.

She hadn’t expected her old bedroom to be converted into a study. Seeing this, Lin Yan was about to turn and leave.

Suddenly, the computer on the desk beeped, a continuous stream of “didi-di” message notifications, successfully drawing her attention.

As if possessed, Lin Yan approached the computer, but her gaze fell on a transparent model on the desk.

A beautiful set of human teeth was encased in a crystal ball, pearly white and translucent, as if coated with a layer of enamel. Even the red gum part around the human teeth was imitated with striking realism, almost lifelike.

This was something that girls, especially female doctors, couldn’t resist. Lin Yan reached out, picked it up, and examined it. But suddenly, she felt a subtle, indescribable sense of unease that made her heart tingle.

Just as she was about to turn on her phone’s flashlight to get a closer look, the door behind her creaked open. Lin Ge, seeing her playing with his treasure, rushed in, looking aghast. He carefully took the crystal ball from her hands, his face etched with nervousness.

“My god, be gentle! Do you know how expensive this is? My university graduation advisor gave it to me. It’s priceless⁴!”

Lin Yan “tsked” twice. “It’s just a stupid crystal ball. What’s so special about it? If it breaks, I’ll buy you ten.”

Lin Ge placed the crystal ball carefully back on the desk. “This is why people say you have no friends. It’s not about the price; it’s about the sentiment!”

Lin Yan rubbed her nose, glanced at the tooth model again, and started to walk out. “Why are you still keeping my things?”

Lin Ge closed the door and walked with her. “Sigh, I just thought, what if you came back someday? This is your home too. It would feel more familiar. Turning it into a study was purely out of necessity. The other places were too big, and this layout was more suitable, plus it’s close to my mom.”

Lin Yan had no objections to this; it was considerate of him to still remember her.

“Where’s Aunt?”

“In the infirmary. I’ll take you there.”

“So she was in the infirmary. No wonder I couldn’t find anyone upstairs after all that searching.”

“And you disappeared for ages in the restroom too. Mom just woke up, and I even had the housekeeper looking for you everywhere. If I couldn’t find you, I was about to call the police.”

Lin Yan chuckled, remembering a time in her childhood when she didn’t want to go to school and hid in the basement, sleeping like a log. The Lin family’s housekeeper had nearly gone mad with worry, leading people to turn the entire estate upside down without finding her, almost resorting to calling the police. In the end, it was Lin Ge, back from school, who dragged her out of the basement.

“Call the police for what? I am the police.”

Lin Ge looked at her strangely, the smile on his face fading slightly. “You never used to say things like that.”

“Isn’t it a case of loving the house and its crow⁵? After getting to know it better, I suddenly feel that being a police officer isn’t so bad after all.”

Perhaps she herself hadn’t noticed, but whenever Song Yuhang was mentioned, a charming smile would unconsciously appear on her face, and her tone would become much lighter.

Lin Ge paused, said nothing, and pushed open a door. “Go on in.”

“Mom, Mom—” he called out softly a few times. The person on the bed had their eyes closed, seemingly asleep.

Lin Ge smiled wryly. “She was awake when I came by just now.”

“Forget it, forget it. She’s a patient; it’s normal to be sleepy.” Lin Yan walked around the hospital bed. The IV stand held chemotherapy drugs. Mother Lin’s hand was outside the covers; Lin Yan tucked it back in.

Mother Lin seemed to sense something; her eyelids fluttered twice, but she didn’t wake up.

Lin Yan stood up. “Then I’ll head back first.”

“Not staying the night? There are plenty of guest rooms,” Lin Ge said, unexpectedly trying to persuade her to stay.

Lin Yan shook her head and walked out of the room. “No, someone’s waiting.”

“Yanyan,” he called her name again, standing on the staircase.

Lin Yan turned back. “What’s wrong?”

“You and Song Yuhang…” He hesitated. “Are you really sure?”

“Oh, so it’s about that. I was wondering what it could be.” Lin Yan, carrying her shoulder bag, hands in her windbreaker pockets, smiled at him.

“We’re getting married next year. You have to come.”

Lin Ge seemed not to have expected her to be so direct. A flicker of palpatation crossed his face for an instant, then he resumed his usual smile.

“Okay, definitely. Congratulations in advance.”

Having received her relative’s blessing, Lin Yan’s lips curved slightly, smiling with a touch of shyness like a bride-to-be.

“Anyone can not come, but you can’t.”

Lin Ge’s fingernails scratched a mark into the banister. He smiled at her. “Don’t worry, I’ll be there.”

At that time, Lin Yan didn’t yet know that even those who make solemn vows will one day break their promises.

---

When she came out of Lin Ge’s house, Song Yuhang was already waiting. She was squatting by the roadside smoking. Hearing movement at the gate, she threw down her cigarette and rushed over.

“Lin Yan.”

Lin Yan stumbled and hooked an arm around her neck. Song Yuhang wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her.

She turned back to say goodbye, “Then I’ll be leaving. See you.”

Lin Ge stood at the entrance, watching them leave. Song Yuhang also gave him a slight nod.

“See you.”

Song Yuhang opened the car door and helped her in. “How much did you drink this time?”

Lin Yan kept her arm around her neck, not letting go, and wagged a finger. “Red…”

She hiccuped, then held up another finger. “One glass…”

Song Yuhang chuckled and closed her fingers. “Alright, get some sleep.”

The car was small, and they were close. The door wasn’t closed yet. Lin Yan’s hand still hooked around her neck, and her warm breath fanned Song Yuhang’s face as she spoke. Her fingers, clutching Song Yuhang’s, were also burning hot.

Lin Yan tugged at her collar, pulling her down, and nuzzled her nose. “I’m not drunk…”

Song Yuhang’s heart itched unbearably. She glanced around; cars occasionally passed by. Still, she couldn’t resist Lin Yan’s various attempts to seduce her. She lowered her head and gave her a lingering, passionate kiss.

“Mmph…” It was Lin Yan who pushed her away. “Home.”

Song Yuhang licked her lips, looking at Lin Yan’s somewhat hazy eyes, her head tilted back, face flushed. She couldn’t hold back any longer. She hurriedly closed the car door for her, returned to the driver’s seat, and slammed on the accelerator.

“Home.”

After seeing Lin Yan off, Lin Ge didn’t leave. Instead, he stood there, watching the scene in the car with a meaningful look.

Someone approached and whispered, “Young Master, he’s here. Waiting for you in the basement.”

---

Song Yuhang had thought Lin Yan was drunk. Who knew that once they got home, just as Song Yuhang was planning to take advantage of her supposed drunkenness, Lin Yan flipped over and pinned her to the sofa.

Song Yuhang was shocked. “You’re not drunk?!”

Lin Yan untied her hair tie, and her curly hair cascaded down, looking breathtakingly beautiful in the dim yellow light.

She smiled, her eyes crinkling, as she sensually unbuckled Song Yuhang’s belt.

“If I weren’t drunk, how could I have gotten away so smoothly…” Her fingernail caught the edge of Song Yuhang’s pants, slowly moving downwards.

“And lower your guard at the same time.”

Song Yuhang gasped, pinned and unable to move. “Your nails are too long. I think it’s better if I do it.”

Lin Yan held up two fingers of her right hand and wiggled them. “See? Trimmed. And filed very smooth. Try them if you don’t believe me.”

Not only were there no long nails, but even the nail polish was gone, creating a stark contrast with the other observers’ gaudily painted fingers, looking even more… suggestive.

Song Yuhang’s vision went black; she almost fainted. She swallowed frantically and tried to shrink back. “No, no, no, Lin Yan, Yanyan, listen to me…”

Lin Yan’s expression changed. She pulled out Song Yuhang’s belt and wrapped it around her, her tone laced with a hint of gritted teeth and an undeniable authority.

“Shut up. You owe me this.”

Song Yuhang really did shut up, but it was because Lin Yan’s lips covered hers.

Snow had started falling outside the window at some point.

The heating inside was turned up high.

Clothes were scattered beside the sofa.

The heat brought a flush to wheat-colored skin.

Song Yuhang tilted her head back, breathing with difficulty. “Lin Yan… can you turn off the light?”

A dim yellow floor lamp was still on beside the sofa.

Lin Yan’s gaze was overly fervent, almost capable of scorching her, burning her soul to ashes along with her body.

Something transparent still clung to the corner of her lips.

She kissed it onto Song Yuhang. “No… I want to see you clearly… taste your… flavor.”

They necked. Song Yuhang’s limbs felt weak, her words slurred. “I prefer… yours.”

The sofa creaked, interspersed with their heavy breathing.

Song Yuhang’s hands were tied; she couldn’t move.

She bent her legs, only to have them straightened again by Lin Yan.

Lin Yan: “Relax, you’re too tense.”

“I…” A rare look of panic appeared on Song Yuhang’s face.

Lin Yan held her, one hand intertwining their fingers, pressing her into the sofa.

She was patient, as if handling a work of art, waiting for the right moment.

“Don’t worry, there’ll be a little discomfort, but… it will feel good later.”

“Cooperate with me?”

Her long hair fell onto Song Yuhang’s face. Song Yuhang turned her head to kiss her.

“Mhm.”

That night was very, very long. Lin Yan was right, and indeed, as a forensic doctor well-versed in human anatomy, the initial discomfort quickly gave way to a ascent to the clouds.

She lay on the soft sofa, enveloped by the faint scent of her lover’s perfume, both of them sinking into the surging tide of desire.

Just as Lin Yan had never truly trusted anyone, Song Yuhang had never completely surrendered control to anyone like this before.

They had both become each other’s biggest exception.

Lin Yan untied the belt from her wrists, and so this one-woman show turned into a stage for two.

Compared to the last time, when both were emotionally overwrought and hasty, this time there was more gentle charm and intriguing subtlety.

They had all the time in the world to spend the long snowy night and the rest of their lives.

---

While Song Yuhang and Lin Yan were lost in extreme pleasure, another transaction was quietly unfolding.

“It seems she has already sensed there’s something wrong with you,” the man’s voice was somewhat hoarse as he spoke from the shadows.

Another, younger man clenched his fists, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

“Aren’t you going to make a move yet? She must die.”

“No.” He finally let out a long breath. “Before we get Lin Youyuan’s will, she is still the legal heir of the Lin Corporation. She can’t die yet.”

“But—” He suddenly lifted his head, his eyes overflowing with ruthlessness.

“The other one must die.”

“Her, ah…” The man chuckled, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes. “That person’s child, already grown so big.”

The man spoke, then walked back, leaning on his cane, and sat down to smoke a hookah. “You’re right. Her being alive has become an obstacle for us. Not only did she remove Li Yang, that hidden operative⁶, but she’s also trying to overturn the case…”

However, the tobacco in that hookah pot was…

A puff of blue smoke rose.

The man took a few drags, leaned back in his chair, a somewhat intoxicated expression on his face.

“After all, this matter also poses a threat to you. It’s normal for you to fear her, even to want to kill her.”

“Have you thought about how to do it?” the man asked again.

The young man sneered. “We still need bait.”

“Oh?” The man chuckled softly and raised his champagne glass to clink with his.

“Wishing you success in advance.”

---

Countless times they made love that night. Lin Yan’s last impression was in the walk-in closet, but she woke up in bed.

Song Yuhang was sleeping soundly, waking up later than her for the first time. Lin Yan carefully moved Song Yuhang’s hand from her waist, tiptoed out of bed, and lifted the covers.

As her feet touched the ground, her knees buckled. She quickly grabbed the bed for support, her back aching. Planning to go to the bathroom to freshen up first, she moved out of the bedroom, step by step, and gently closed the door.

When Song Yuhang woke up and found the bed empty, she shot up like a bolt, not even bothering to put on her slippers as she ran downstairs.

“Lin Yan?!”

Lin Yan, wearing fluffy slippers and a bathrobe, her slender, fair wrist extending from the sleeve, was trying to light the stove.

Hearing Song Yuhang call her, she turned her head, a face mask on. “Huh, why won’t this stove light?”

The moment Song Yuhang had seen her gone from the bed, her soul had nearly left her body⁷. Only now did it finally settle. She walked over, ruffled Lin Yan’s hair, and pulled her into an embrace.

“What are you doing so early in the morning, hmm?”

“Oh, no… nothing… just woke up and wandered around.” Lin Yan glanced up at her, wanting to touch her nose somewhat awkwardly, but felt the face mask liquid on her hand. Then, thinking about how her clothes had rubbed against the mask when Song Yuhang hugged her, she instantly roared.

“Don’t touch my mask!!!”

Seeing the dazzling array of ingredients on the counter and the open cookbook, Song Yuhang chuckled. “Just casually wandering, wandered into the kitchen, even took ingredients out of the fridge, and opened a cookbook. Impressive.”

“You…” Lin Yan was exasperated and threw her hands up, giving up.

Song Yuhang couldn’t help but laugh. She put her arms around Lin Yan’s waist again, bringing her back, and rested her head on Lin Yan’s shoulder, swaying.

“I was so scared when I woke up and didn’t see you beside me. Don’t do these things, I’ll take care of it.”

Song Yuhang gently played with Lin Yan’s soft, well-defined hand. This should be an artist’s hand, not one for rough work.

Lin Yan looked down at their intertwined fingers. “Will it be very hard for you? Occasionally, I also want to—”

Do something for her.

Song Yuhang turned her around, held her shoulders, her eyes firm and bright. “Just be yourself.”

She loved not only the Lin Yan who excelled professionally, but also the sharp-tongued and harsh Lin Yan, the paranoid and fragile Lin Yan, and most of all, the Lin Yan who gradually retracted her thorns for her lover.

She didn’t care about her clumsiness; good or bad, she accepted it all.

Lin Yan’s lips curved slightly, her eyes reddening a little, only to see the person opposite her freeze.

Song Yuhang, afraid of being hit, took a small step back, swallowed, and pointed at Lin Yan’s face. “Your mask…”

Lin Yan touched her face; half of it had come off. She let out a bloodcurdling shriek and rushed into the bathroom to reapply it.

“Song Yuhang, you damn scoundrel⁸! My one-thousand-yuan-a-piece mask, ahhhh!”

---

By the time the two of them dilly-dallied, finished getting ready, and had breakfast, it was already past nine in the morning.

Song Yuhang called her mother to inform her about her business trip.

There was a long silence on the other end. “With Yanyan, right?”

Song Yuhang glanced at the drowsy Lin Yan and replied, “Mhm, we’re together.”

“Yuhang, you…” The voice on the other end instantly sounded like it was disappointed in her inability to meet expectations⁹.

“Mom, don’t worry. I’ll explain everything slowly when I get back.”

Mother Song then hung up with a “Pa!”

Lin Yan was looking at her. “Song…”

Song Yuhang, holding the steering wheel with one hand, freed the other to squeeze Lin Yan’s hand. “It’s okay, trust me. You should get some sleep.”

Lin Yan wanted to say more, but ultimately swallowed her words, leaned back against the seat, and closed her eyes.

“Okay, wake me when we arrive.”

Not long after their car passed the service area, an employee at a gas station walked to an empty, secluded spot and picked up a walkie-talkie.

“Hello, they’ve set off.”

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LP: So… Is Lin Ge a pervert? A psychopath? Both? … F***! Why isn’t he just an ordinary guy?!

Re-translated on June 13, 2025

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