Miss Forensics – Chapter 92.1

New Year’s Eve

After hanging up the phone, Lin Yan only then snapped out of her joyous and excited mood. Her hair still had shampoo foam in it, and she leaned over the edge of the bathtub watching her, the steam making her complexion appear somewhat flushed.

“You just agreed for me like that? I haven’t said yes yet,”

She muttered.

“Lie down properly, don’t get water on your neck,” Song Yuhang pressed her down again, her fingertips running through her soft hair, gently massaging her scalp.

“The ugly wife must meet her in-laws sooner or later, right?”

Lin Yan bared her teeth in a mock grimace, “Who’s ugly? Who’s ugly? Who’s ugly?”

Song Yuhang laughed, turning on the shower to let the warm water wash away the foam in her hair.

Lin Yan closed her eyes in contentment, a slight smile playing on her lips, “Do I need to prepare anything?”

“Just bring your appetite.”

In previous years, it was just her, Ji Jingxing, and Xiaowei celebrating the New Year at home. Mother Song would prepare a feast so abundant that leftovers would last until the second day of the new year. This year, with Lin Yan added to the mix, it was uncertain just how much more bountiful the feast would become.

The thought of having to eat leftovers for several consecutive days made Song Yuhang’s scalp tingle.

Lin Yan lifted her head, and in the bathroom’s mist—or perhaps it was something else—her deep black pupils seemed to be coated with a layer of watery sheen.

Devoid of their usual sharpness, they took on the warm, soft appearance of a small animal.

Droplets of water clung to her long eyelashes.

From Song Yuhang’s angle, the view was unobstructed, leaving nothing to the imagination.

“I always feel it’s too fast, there’s a kind of unreality to it.”

She turned her head to look at her, “To be honest, I never thought about marrying anyone before.”

Song Yuhang rinsed the foam from her hair, applied conditioner, and gently massaged it in.

“So you intended to stay alone forever?”

Lin Yan nodded slightly, scooped up the flower petals floating on the water. The current quickly leaked through the gaps in her fingers.

“As a person like me, full of flaws and imperfections, sometimes even I find myself repulsive, how can I deserve someone else’s love that is whole and unreserved?”

Burdened with a vendetta as deep as the sea and forced to take medication for life due to Guillain-Barré syndrome, bipolar disorder strikes her from time to time.

She is like someone stuck in the mud, and to love her, one must have the courage to step into that mud.

Some are attracted to her beauty, others to her wealth, and they are all scared away by the bristles of defense she raises all over her.

Only Song Yuhang saw the stars hidden in the mud, and she approached her bravely and boldly, gradually piecing her broken heart back together.

The hand that had been threading through her hair and kneading her scalp stopped.

There was a rustling sound.

Lin Yan lifted her eyes to look.

Song Yuhang had taken off her coat and, clad in a white T-shirt, stepped into the water. The shirt, thin as paper, faintly revealed the contours of her abdominal muscles.

Lin Yan felt her ears grow hot and hastily averted her eyes.

Song Yuhang knew that for someone like her, lacking a sense of security and filled with uncertainty, actions spoke louder than words.

With a long arm, she swooped in and embraced the other person.

Lin Yan fell into her arms, still clutching the rose petal in her palm.

Her heartbeat thundered like drumbeats, as the other party gripped the back of her neck.

“Do you still feel it’s not real?”

“No—,” she breathed hurriedly, and before she could finish, she was lifted higher.

The warm flow of water was the best lubricant.

The sensation was so wonderful that even Song Yuhang’s scalp tingled, and she let out a stifled moan.

She always preferred being the one on top.

Lin Yan held back from making a sound, her fingernails pinching the petal until it was bruised and battered.

Song Yuhang, holding her, pushed her to the edge of the pool: “You’re worthy, don’t belittle yourself.”

She whispered in her own ear, taking control of her sensitive spot, and Lin Yan was rendered immobile.

With every word Lin Yan said, Song Yuhang became more formidable.

Until at last, with the corners of her eyes reddened, she could do nothing but sob, unable to utter a complete sentence.

The water surface was violently turbulent, slowly returning to calmness.

Lin Yan’s long eyelashes were coated with mist, even her usually fair skin was flushed red, as if she had undergone a full-body sauna.

Song Yuhang, buried in her neck, laughed: “You still think it’s too soon. I can’t wait to marry you.”

Lin Yan, grasping her hair, tried to push her up, gritting her teeth with resolve, but before she could act, she had already been hoisted into the air.

The water from the bathtub spilled onto the floor, and she casually pulled a bathrobe from the shelf to wrap around the other.

Barefoot on the wooden floor, Song Yuhang carried her towards the upstairs bedroom.

Lin Yan had an inexplicable sense of foreboding, “I still have work tomorrow.”

Song Yuhang pushed open the bedroom door and gently placed her on the bed, “I’ll give you a day off.”

“Uhm… You’re abusing your authority.”

“This is called caring for and being considerate to your subordinates.”

Lin Yan wanted to resist, but all her words were smothered between their lips and teeth.

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The next afternoon, when Lin Yan woke up, the bed was already empty. Song Yuhang had left her a note:

I’ve asked for your leave. The porridge is in the pot, eat it while it’s hot.

Lin Yan sat up, rubbing her somewhat sore waist and neck, and slowly got out of bed to wash up.

As she was serving the porridge from the pot and stirring it with a spoon on her way to the seat, her phone rang.

Lin Yan answered it.

“Miss, I’ve found the person you were looking for.”

Her heart tightened, and she placed the bowl on the table.

“How is it?”

“The prison doctor has been paralyzed in bed for several years now, and nowadays his senile dementia is getting increasingly severe. Not to mention recognizing people, he can’t even speak clearly anymore.”

If it were anyone else telling her this, she would certainly have gone to verify it herself; but since it was him, she had always been at ease with his way of handling matters.

“Okay, I got it. Have there been any leads on the whereabouts of Guo Xiaoguang?”

“Nothing at all, not a trace.”

Lin Yan’s eyes dimmed slightly, and her voice turned a few degrees colder: “Keep searching. Alive, I want to see him; dead, I want to see his body.”

“Yes, Miss.”

The call ended quickly.

After she finished eating, Lin Yan put the bowl in the sink and hurried off to the cloakroom to change her clothes. She was planning to make a trip to the station in the afternoon, as she had arranged to go shopping with Song Yuhang in the evening to buy some things for Mother Song.

Technology Investigation Office.

“Lin Yan told me to ask if you guys have any plans for the annual leave. If not, I’m going to book the tickets ah.” During the lunch break, Song Yuhang came over with her mobile phone.

The colleagues all turned their heads from the computer screens simultaneously. Fang Xin thought Lin Yan was just saying it for the sake of it, but who knew she was actually serious about inviting them to an island vacation, sparking stars in her eyes.

“Not at all, not at all, Sister Lin is going too, right?” Duan Cheng was the first one to slide over with his ID, handing it over with excitedly rubbing hands.

“Looks like I’ll get to see Sister Lin’s swimsuit show again.”

Both Song Yuhang and Fang Xin raised their eyes at the same time, giving him a cold look.

She then turned to Fang Xin and said, “This kid is too noisy, maybe we shouldn’t bring him after all. Come on, Fang Xin, Old Zheng, your ID numbers.”

“I agree.”

“Me too.”

Duan Cheng’s face fell: “Captain Song, this isn’t fair. Sister Lin picks on me, and now you too?”

Fang Xin pulled him away by the ear: “You really have no tact. Go back to reading your comic books!”

“Old Zheng, it’s your turn.” Song Yuhang had finished entering Fang Xin’s ID number and then turned her gaze to Zheng Chengrui.

Zheng Chengrui took off his headphones and recited a string of numbers, while Duan Cheng pounced to throw his arms around his neck, looking visibly delighted.

“Why don’t you show us your ID so we can all have a look, eh? I got a glimpse of it the other day. You guys wouldn’t believe it, Old Zheng used to be much thinner. He’s like a completely different person now!”

Zheng Chengrui laughed as he pushed the person off: “Stop messing around, we’re at work. I just gained weight because of irregular schedules after starting work.”

Song Yuhang smiled as she entered the numbers he recited: “That’s true. In our line of work, getting fat is an occupational disease. We do need to exercise more and keep fit.”

She said this as she put away her phone, planning to head out: “Alright then, everyone, pack up your things, prepare your swimsuits, and let’s meet at the airport on the first day of the lunar new year.”

Duan Cheng ran after her: “Captain Song, Captain Song, what about me?”

Fang Xin couldn’t help but let out a laugh, feeling it served him right, for his inherent naughtiness never changed.

After Duan Cheng came back, fully satisfied,

Song Yuhang stood at the door, presumably texting Lin Yan.

Fang Xin approached again, holding a folder and making faces: “For this island trip, Captain Song, you must have other plans, right?”

The receipt for the ring Song Yuhang had ordered was still in her jacket pocket, close to her chest. She had arranged to pick it up on New Year’s Eve, and she did indeed have some surprises she wanted to give Lin Yan, hence she smirked a little shyly.

“Um, what about you, with Duan Cheng?”

She nodded towards the distance with her lips.

That rascal was still busy playing online games with Old Zheng, having the time of his life.

Fang Xin gritted her teeth: “Forget it, I have no expectations for him.”

“There’s a glimmer of hope, but it’s too early for an epiphany,” Song Yuhang waved her phone, “That’s what Lin Yan said. She also said that this island trip is to give you guys a chance, she even purposely booked a double room for you.”

Fang Xin almost choked on her saliva, her face turning red: “No, Captain Song, Sister Lin, this is too much—”

That’s really something.

Song Yuhang shrugged, indicating that she was powerless: “I’m heading back to the Criminal Investigation Department. I need to get off work early if I finish everything up today.”

Now it was Fang Xin’s turn to be internally overwhelmed as she watched her retreat: The image of a woman completely whipped by her wife is well established, it’s easier to beg Sister Lin than her.

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By the time Song Yuhang got off work in the afternoon and changed her clothes, Lin Yan was already waiting at the door.

As always, it was a flashy red sports car. The woman, hands in her pockets, leaned against the car door, listlessly smoking a cigarette and attracting sideways glances from passersby.

It was hard to imagine that when Song Yuhang first met her, she was fixing a car next to the city bureau’s main entrance, while Lin Yan was having a heated kiss with someone.

Now, she belonged entirely to Song Yuhang.

Seeing her figure, Song Yuhang felt an inexplicable excitement, akin to hearing the school bell ring for recess. Though middle-aged, she still ran over with the bouncy energy of a child.

Lin Yan opened the car door for her, “What do you want to eat?”

“Anything,” Song Yuhang replied, closing the car window, the tinted glass shielding them from any prying eyes.

She leaned in slightly and kissed the corner of Lin Yan’s lips.

“Or, we could go home, and I’ll cook for you.”

Lin Yan pulled back a little, her cheeks tinged with a hint of red, “No, don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to. We’ll eat out, then go buy clothes and pick out a gift for Auntie.”

Song Yuhang fastened her seatbelt, “Alright, I’ll listen to you.”

While they were out dining and shopping, Ji Jingxing had just left the Love Teeth Dental Clinic, pulling Xiaowei along, with Lin Ge sending them to the door.

Ji Jingxing turned back to look at him standing on the steps: “It’s still a hassle for you to help us jump the queue today. I usually get home too late from work, and most dental clinics are already closed.”

Lin Ge smiled, clad in his white coat, bathed in the sunset light that made his face even more handsome.

“It’s no problem, I usually don’t leave myself until there are no more patients,” he said with a twinkle in his eye, revealing a boyish charm and playfulness.

“If Miss Ji finds our service satisfactory, feel free to come here for future dental fillings, I’ll give you a 20% discount.”

Ji Jingxing laughed, “So this time, it’s finally not about ‘setting a broken bone’, right?”

As soon as the words fell, both of them burst into laughter. Xiaowei wriggled free from her mother’s hand and ran to his knee, presenting a paper heart in her open palm.

“Uncle Lin, this is for you. Thank you, my tooth doesn’t hurt anymore.”

Lin Ge bent down, affectionately patted her head, and took the paper heart, placing it carefully into the pocket of his white coat.

“And thank you, Xiaowei, for being such a good girl, so obedient, cooperating with uncle’s treatment, which is why you got better so quickly. Remember to listen to your mom and eat less candy, okay?”

Ji Weiyi clenched her little fists and nodded vigorously, looking back at him every three steps as she walked away: “Goodbye, Uncle.”

Lin Ge waved to them: “Goodbye.”

On the way back, Xiaowei was skipping and hopping while holding her mother’s hand: “Mommy, I think Uncle Lin is such a nice person.”

“Oh? How so?” Ji Jingxing asked with a smile, looking at her.

“Mmm…” Xiaowei murmured, counting on her fingers: “He loves to smile, and his smile is warm. He’s very nice to Xiaowei and also to mommy. When he rubs my head, his palm is very broad and generous; it feels kind of like a father’s touch.”

Ji Jingxing felt a pang in her heart. Xiao Wei was born after Song Yichen had passed away, leaving only cold pictures at home.

She must miss her father so much to say something like that.

At the same time, Ji Jingxing felt a warmth in her ears.

She squatted down to look into her daughter’s eyes, tying her scarf properly: “Xiaowei, it’s nice that Uncle Lin is good, but he’s not your dad. You can’t say things like this in front of others; it would make Uncle embarrassed, you know?”

Ji Weiyi nodded somewhat dejectedly, “I understand, Mommy. I won’t talk nonsense in the future.”

Only then did Ji Jingxing rub her head again, breaking into a smile: “Good child.”

The two continued walking forward, Ji Weiyi holding her hand, wide-eyed with childlike curiosity and without a filter.

“Then Mommy, Mommy, I have one last question, why can’t Uncle Lin be my daddy? I want a dad just like the other kids.”

Ji Jingxing felt a mix of heartache and helplessness, pressing her forehead, “Xiaowei…”

Xiaowei giggled, covering her mouth with her glove: “Mommy is blushing, I have one last, last question—”

Ji Jingxing feigned a stern face: “No more questions allowed.”

“I’m going to ask, going to ask.” Xiaowei raised her hand high, showing a lively and adorable side that she only ever showed in front of her mother.

“Then, what kind of person can be my daddy?”

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