“This is only a guess,” He Yunqin added. “This person caused you to lose consciousness but didn’t try to harm you, which shows that at the time, you weren’t his intended target. There must be a reason he suddenly used anesthetic on you—perhaps he needed you unconscious for a period of time so he could arrange his next step, or perhaps there was something on your person he urgently needed to retrieve.”

Wang Bide interjected: “When we first discovered Hongdou was missing, I leaned toward the first guess, because it seemed too coincidental that Miss Gu had gone missing not long before Hongdou also disappeared—I once suspected this was a premeditated trap. But looking at it now, Hongdou likely stumbled onto the murderer in the act and was attacked as a result, which makes his behavior in knocking out Miss Gu rather curious—too reckless, lacking composure. It’s quite possible this person suddenly discovered something had fallen into Miss Gu’s hands and had to retrieve it before she got home, hence this move.”

Hongdou asked Gu Yun: “Aside from these books, did you have anything else with you at the time? After you regained consciousness, did you notice anything else missing?”

Gu Yun had already double- and triple-checked this on her way over: “No, everything in my book bag, along with these few library books, was still there, all accounted for.”

The attention of all four then returned to the books on the round table.

Hongdou casually picked up one of the technical manuals on cart-wheel mechanics and flipped through it, saying: “These are all extremely common books. Why wouldn’t the person just ask for them directly? Unless the murderer knew Gu Yun was also investigating Xu Yishan’s case, and knew that asking her directly would arouse suspicion, so he could only take them while she was unconscious?”

He Yunqin said: “The school library will have borrowing records. If the murderer’s target really was these books, Captain Wang, a trip to St. John’s to check will tell us.”

Wang Bide said: “That’s exactly what I intend to do. But besides Miss Gu’s unconsciousness, the most unusual thing about last night was that the murderer abducted Hongdou, only to release her in the end.”

This was also something Hongdou herself couldn’t figure out.

The moment He Yunqin heard this, his expression darkened considerably, as though a sharp awl were still lodged in his chest, driven all the way to the deepest point of his heart—even when untouched and unmoved, there remained a dull, throbbing pain. He was silent for a good while before asking Hongdou gently: “Do you remember what you saw or heard outside the old classroom at the time?”

Hongdou could naturally see how much his expression had darkened, and her heart was a mix of emotions. She shook her head: “It was too dark outside the classroom at the time, I didn’t see anything. I only heard, from the innermost classroom, what sounded like someone being strangled by the throat, or having their mouth covered, along with the sound of struggling. I guessed it was because the victim struggled that the door accidentally came open. In any case, the sound was very strange, and I was terrified, so I turned to run—but that person quickly came out of the classroom and caught up with me. When he got close, I clearly smelled cigarette smoke. Afterward he covered my mouth, and because I struggled desperately, my head hit him—I think I hit his nose, so I’d guess he’s at least eight chi tall, and this person’s arms and abdomen were both extremely lean and firm, with no trace of excess fat. He was wearing a long robe, not a Western suit.”

He Yunqin froze, not expecting Hongdou to have retained so much useful information even in such a dangerous situation.

Wang Bide could hardly contain himself from cheering: “Remarkable! This gives us several more key clues.”

He took out the fountain pen from his coat and wrote on paper:

One: According to the description from the back-alley noodle shop clerk and Hongdou, this person’s height isn’t below eight chi.

Two: He Yunqin’s on-scene examination puts this person’s footprint at approximately size 43.

Three: Gu Yun recalls this person’s hand was large, with considerable strength.

Four: Hongdou adds—tall and thin, not tall and heavy, with a habit of wearing long robes.

Five: Doesn’t necessarily smoke normally, but always smokes while committing the crime—specifically the Changle brand.

Six: Very likely attended He Yunqin and Hongdou’s wedding, and was able to enter St. John’s library and borrow books without issue.

Piecing these fragments together, their line of thinking suddenly became considerably clearer than before.

He Yunqin took the paper and looked it over: “The last point is questionable. First, we still don’t know whether the person who knocked out Gu Yun and the one who took Hongdou are the same person. Second, even if it is the same person, he might not have knocked out Gu Yun for the sake of those books. Third, even if it really was for the books, given how cautious this murderer is, how could he not realize that Gu Yun and you, Captain Wang, would follow this lead to check the library’s borrowing records? Such an action would be no different from exposing himself prematurely—so wouldn’t knocking out Miss Gu earlier have been pointless?”

Wang Bide froze.

Gu Yun pushed up her glasses: “Our school library’s borrowing records really are kept in great detail—checking will tell us right away.”

He Yunqin said: “So the library’s borrowing records are worth checking, but don’t be too optimistic, because this lead alone may not lead us to the murderer. What I most want to know is: if the murderer wanted to harm Hongdou because she stumbled onto the crime scene, he could have done it right then—why go through all the trouble of taking her away by car? Having abducted her, why let her go afterward?”

This truly didn’t add up. Who would have thought that a cold-blooded murderer who had killed three people in a row without leaving a trace would also have moments of confused thinking?

He Yunqin suddenly thought of a possibility, and asked Hongdou: “At the time, did you hear any conversation outside the classroom? For instance, when Fu Zixiao was struggling, did he accidentally call out the murderer’s name?”

Hongdou thought about it: “No. That classroom had been abandoned for nearly half a year, rarely visited at night. That little path was pitch black at the time, and I was a bit scared as I approached. Before the door opened, I couldn’t tell anything, but after it opened, I really only heard that strange, dying, muffled sound.”

He Yunqin tapped the paper: “The murderer’s first two killings both took place in the victims’ own homes—only this time, killing Fu Zixiao of Daxing Trading Company, was the exception. Perhaps he also felt the previous two times had been too reckless, worried the victim’s family might return and stumble upon the crime, so this time he chose a more secluded location. And though Hongdou didn’t hear any clue unfavorable to the murderer at the time, I suspect he must have had some conversation with Fu Zixiao before making his move—he couldn’t be certain how much Hongdou had overheard, and in a moment of panic, the thought of killing to silence her must have crossed his mind. Yet after catching up to her, he only knocked her unconscious rather than going through with killing her. I don’t know if it’s because he doesn’t like indiscriminate killing, or for some other reason.”

Hongdou was puzzled: “If he didn’t want to kill indiscriminately, he could have just knocked me out and left me where I was—why take me away at all?”

He Yunqin’s expression darkened slightly: “This shows he really did hesitate over whether to kill you. From the time you went missing to when my friends found that car, forty minutes passed—forty minutes is enough time for a person to make a decision. Even though he couldn’t be sure whether you’d overheard anything about his identity, in the end he chose to let you go.”

Wang Bide stood, pacing back and forth thoughtfully: “Combined with how he used the method of knocking out Miss Gu earlier, I’m inclined to believe the murderer doesn’t like indiscriminate killing. So why did he kill Fu Zixiao and the others? Yang Yutian, Xu Yishan, Fu Zixiao—what exactly is the relationship between these three? I haven’t had time yet to dig deeper into the Fu Zixiao thread. Daxing Trading Company is an old, established trading house—it’s not surprising that Fu Zixiao, as a major comprador, would know Xu Yishan and Yang Yutian. I just don’t know if there’s some hidden connection between them from the past.”

He Yunqin raised his hand to check his wristwatch: “I need to head back to the school. Captain Wang, since you already know that Yang Yutian, Bai Fengfei, and Xu Yishan all once lived at Chunying Lane, why not keep following that thread? And Bai Fengfei—her situation looks grim now, you should find her hiding place as quickly as possible. The murderer was able to get Fu Zixiao to meet him at St. John’s, so the two of them likely knew each other. Whose calls did he take last night? Were there any letters or invitations delivered to his residence in recent days? These are all questions that call for your detective credentials—thoroughly question Fu Zixiao’s family. As for St. John’s library, don’t hold out much hope, but since it concerns Miss Gu’s incident, it’s worth checking the borrowing records for those books.”

A servant outside knocked on the door: “Young Master, Dr. Ruide is here.”

He Yunqin looked at Hongdou: “You still haven’t fully recovered. I’ve asked Ruide to give you a follow-up examination. He’s a very good friend of mine, and his medical skill is excellent—no need to hide any discomfort from him. Since Miss Gu happens to be here as well, if the two of you were drugged with the same anesthetic substance, the symptoms and signs should be similar, so Ruide can check whether it was done by the same person.”

As he spoke, he opened the door and personally led in a blond, blue-eyed Westerner.

This man had come the previous night while Hongdou was still unconscious, so today was their first proper meeting. He appeared to be in his early thirties, refined in manner, smiling broadly. Upon entering, he first greeted Hongdou in the Western style: “Good day, Young Madam.”

Hongdou often dealt with foreign professors at school, and seeing Ruide extend his hand, took no offense, shaking it generously: “Hello.”

The elderly He family servant who’d shown Ruide in was momentarily stunned—the eldest young madam having received a Western education and often doing surprising things was one thing, but she hadn’t expected the second young madam to be so unrestrained, just like a man.

She glanced anxiously at He Yunqin, who stood off to the side with his hands in his trouser pockets, smiling as he watched. Clearly he couldn’t have been more satisfied with the second young madam’s manner and bearing. Surprised as she was, the servant felt somewhat reassured after seeing this.

Ruide then greeted Wang Bide: “Bide.” His tone was familiar, evidently having known him for some time already.

Last, he shook hands with Gu Yun: “Good day, miss.”

Once the servants had left, Ruide examined the two women, then said to He Yunqin in English: “To confirm whether it’s the same anesthetic, I’d need to draw blood samples for testing, but it’s already been over twenty hours since they lost consciousness last night—if the drug has a short half-life, there’d be nothing left to detect by now. Besides, my clinic’s facilities are too simple for detailed testing. But judging by how they were both rendered unconscious by having a cloth pressed over their nose and mouth, this person very likely used ether—a drug we in the West commonly use perioperatively, but in this city, only a few private hospitals have it. You and Bide might try following that lead—perhaps something will come of it.”

He then added a few words advising both women to rest more over the next few days and avoid running around too much, to prevent any lingering effects on consciousness, before taking his leave. As it happened, Wang Bide had a case to attend to and Gu Yun needed to go home and rest, so He Yunqin personally saw them out.

He also called for another car to take Gu Yun back to the Gu residence.

Hongdou only felt drowsy. He Yunqin was still seeing off the guests, and after that he needed to go teach at Aurora University—even once he returned, the two of them wouldn’t have much chance to talk. She stood in the hallway for a while, and not seeing him come back, went to her room to rest on her own.

Entering the inner room, she glanced around without thinking much of it, and felt something was missing from the dressing table. Looking again, she realized the bouquet that had been sitting there was gone—vase and flowers both, vanished without a trace.

Earlier it had only stung a little; now, seeing that spot empty, her heart still felt stifled. Since waking that morning she’d been busy sorting through the details of the case, with no time to dwell on her quarrel with He Yunqin, but the thorn remained lodged in her heart all the same. If it weren’t for fear of stirring up gossip so soon after the wedding, she’d have loved nothing more than to go stay at her parents’ home for a few days.

She stared at the spot for a long moment, then simply decided out of sight, out of mind, and climbed sullenly into bed. She closed her eyes, only intending to doze lightly, but hadn’t realized how much the drug’s lingering effects would pull her under—before she knew it, she’d fallen deeply asleep again.

She slept straight through to evening. In her hazy half-consciousness, someone was fussing over her again just like the night before, pinching her cheek one moment, nibbling her nose the next. Seeing she wouldn’t wake, he simply drew closer, kissing her lips over and over. Unable to breathe with him so close, she opened her eyes on pure instinct, meeting a pair of dark, inky eyes—unable to dodge away in time, she instinctively bit back at his lip.

He Yunqin winced in pain, hissing, but still wouldn’t let her go, only pulling back slightly, looking down at her: “You haven’t eaten all day. Get up and eat something first—once you’ve eaten your fill, you can bite wherever you like.”

Hongdou heard his voice, like the strings of a broken huqin, so hoarse it could barely make a sound, and knew instinctively he must be in a bad way. Before she could react further, He Yunqin had already helped her sit up.

Only then did Hongdou notice a bowl of porridge set by the bedside, still faintly steaming with fragrance.

He Yunqin picked up the bowl and fed her. She tasted a spoonful—the porridge was neither too hot nor too cold, the temperature just right. No wonder he’d insisted on rousing her just now—perhaps he’d been afraid the porridge would get cold. She’d fully intended to feed herself, but her resolve softened, and she let him feed her after all. The porridge had been simmered until wonderfully fragrant; one spoonful in, her appetite was thoroughly awakened, and she simply couldn’t stop, finishing the entire bowl straight from He Yunqin’s hand.

His expression remained calm, though inwardly he felt considerably more at ease. He set down the bowl and asked flatly: “Want more?”

Hongdou looked up at him: “Why aren’t you eating anything yourself?”

He Yunqin took her hand and guided it to touch his throat, his voice dropping low: “It hurts. Can’t eat anything, can only drink medicine.”

Hongdou’s original intention had been to pull her hand back, but try as she might, she couldn’t quite manage it, and glared at him lightly: “Then you should go take your medicine. Why bother pestering me?”

He Yunqin said with perfect seriousness: “I asked Ruide. He said this is the result of intense emotional distress—if not properly treated, it might fester and turn septic, and the vocal cords could be permanently damaged.”

Was it really that serious? She forgot to be angry entirely, carefully stroking his Adam’s apple, worry unmistakable in her eyes: “Then how can it get better?”

He Yunqin’s voice dropped even lower, gazing at her quietly: “Finding you last night—without even needing medicine, it’s already mostly better. If I hadn’t found you, I’m afraid it might never have healed for the rest of my life.”

Before he’d even finished speaking, the tips of his ears reddened—never in his life had he spoken such sweet nothings; to coax Hongdou, he was pulling out every trick he had.

Author’s Note: My estimate was off, so tomorrow will still be a full Hong Dou Sheng Min Guo – Chapter of the two of them together. This Hong Dou Sheng Min Guo – Chapter has a red packet.