Li Haotian’s gaze darted around for a moment before he finally nodded. “I bought an apartment there — I use it specifically for keeping company with women. You may not know this, but although Yanque Tower is a pleasure house, guests are not permitted to stay the night. If you want to bring a girl out, you need to pay the madam and then find your own accommodations.”

Bai Jin thought to himself that the owner of Yanque Tower really knew how to run a business — collect the money, take up none of their space, and still send the customers away satisfied.

“Was Chunlan in your apartment in Catfish Alley last night?” Shi Ting regarded him coldly.

Li Haotian rubbed his nose. “After we left Yanque Tower, I did take her to Catfish Alley. But I went home in the morning, and I haven’t seen her since.”

“What time did you go home? Can anyone vouch for you?”

“It was two or three in the morning. Everyone in the household was asleep. I was afraid of waking my father, so I climbed over the wall to get in. If he’d found out I was coming home that late, he would’ve beaten me half to death. I’d have to be tired of living to get someone to vouch for that.”

Shi Ting gave him a look and rose to his feet. “Hold him here. We’re going to the scene.”

Li Haotian panicked. “Director Shi, I didn’t kill anyone — it’s not right to keep holding me like this. Even if you don’t give me face, at least consider my father’s standing.”

“Don’t try using Commander Li to pressure me. This is the Military Police Division.” Shi Ting picked up the book hanging on the wall and tossed it onto Li Haotian’s lap. “Use the time to read the Shun Cheng Law.”

Taishan County fell under Shun Cheng’s jurisdiction and was naturally subject to the Shun Cheng Law.

The moment Shi Ting stepped out the door, he ran into Yan Qing. He immediately walked toward her. “How did it go?”

Yan Qing shook her head. “The equipment here is limited. It seems we’ll need to seek assistance from the hospital.”

“The hospital?”

“Wen Yan has a friend surnamed Chen who is a neurosurgeon at Taishan Hospital. I’d like to ask him for help.”

“I’ll have someone take you back to the Wen household first, then.”

“How are things on your end?”

Shi Ting gave a brief summary of Li Haotian’s situation. “Chunlan is now dead, and we’re heading to the crime scene.”

“Do you need me to come along?”

“Let Examiner Ren handle that. You focus on Mo Xiangrong’s case.”

Yan Qing nodded. “Then be careful.”

He tucked a stray lock of her hair behind her ear. “Mm.”

After Yan Qing returned to the Wen household, Xiang’er told her that Yun Hua had already heard the news, and Wen Xu was with her at that moment offering comfort.

Mo Xiangrong had been Yun Hua’s only family. No matter how wicked he had been in life, he was still her closest kin. The grief of losing a brother could only be imagined.

Yan Qing knew that going to offer consolation at a time like this would be futile and would only add to the trouble.

“Qingqing, aren’t you at the branch office? Why have you come back?” Xiang’er soon went to find Wen Yan.

Wen Yan, who hated the cold, was wearing a small padded jacket even indoors, a rubber hot water bottle pressed against her chest.

“How is Aunt?” Yan Qing asked.

Though Wen Yan had no great opinion of the sister and brother, now that the man was dead, she couldn’t bring herself to say anything unkind. She shook her head. “It looks like she’ll fall seriously ill. Father is still with her. Oh, right — is everything on your end finished?”

“I came back because I need your help.”

“My help?”

“Do you remember the Doctor Chen you used to mention so often? He works at a hospital, doesn’t he?”

At the mention of Doctor Chen, Wen Yan’s cheeks turned a little pink. “Why are you suddenly asking about him?”

“I ran into a complication during the post-mortem examination and may need his help. I heard he’s a neurosurgeon.”

Wen Yan nodded. “If you want his help, I’ll take you right now. He isn’t particularly warm by nature, but when it comes to matters of medicine, he’ll certainly be interested.”

The two of them arrived at the hospital, and after asking a nurse, they learned that Chen Jiaze was on shift.

As they neared Chen Jiaze’s office, Wen Yan’s manner visibly grew more hesitant, and her steps slowed.

Yan Qing smiled over at her. “Don’t tell me you really have something going on with this Doctor Chen?”

Wen Yan shot her a glare. “What do you mean, something going on? Don’t talk nonsense.”

“Then what are you afraid of? He’s a doctor, not a man-eater.”

Wen Yan pressed her lips together and, to prove her innocence, lifted her chin and fell into step beside Yan Qing.

When Yan Qing laid eyes on this Doctor Chen, he was bent over writing up case notes. He wore a snow-white lab coat, spectacles perched on the bridge of his nose. His profile, though refined and scholarly, did not give the impression of weakness.

Yan Qing knocked on the door. Chen Jiaze looked up. “Come in.”

Seeing Yan Qing, he assumed she was a patient. Then he noticed Wen Yan, and a small smile curved his lips. “Miss Wen, what brings you here? Is your headache any better?”

Yan Qing glanced at Wen Yan and saw her face turn a shade redder. Since coming to the Wen household, she had never once heard Wen Yan complain of a headache — most likely the condition was invented as an excuse to find opportunities to spend time with a certain someone.

Yan Qing smiled to herself but said nothing, unwilling to ruin things for her.

“Much better,” Wen Yan said. “Thanks to Doctor Chen’s medicine.”

In truth, she had put those medicines away in a cabinet and hadn’t touched a single one. Why take medicine when there was nothing wrong with her?

Yan Qing thought to herself: who knew Wen Yan had the talent for telling such brazen lies with a straight face.

“Doctor Chen, this is my cousin Yan Qing. She came to ask a favor of you.”

Chen Jiaze smiled. “What can I help you with, Miss Yan?”

“Doctor Chen,” Yan Qing said, “I see that your instruments here are advanced. I’d like to ask you to help me run a pathological examination.”

“For Miss Yan herself?”

“No — for this.” Yan Qing set the box she had been carrying onto the table in front of Chen Jiaze.

When he opened it, he found glass containers holding bloody organs and brain tissue. He looked at Yan Qing in some surprise.

“I’m a forensic examiner with the Military Police Division,” Yan Qing said.

“Ah, I see.” Chen Jiaze smiled and closed the lid. “I can have a report ready for you the day after tomorrow. Will that do?”

“Thank you very much, Doctor Chen.”

“Not at all. You’re Miss Wen’s cousin — this is no trouble at all.”

Hearing him mention her, Wen Yan felt a quiet bloom of happiness.

“I still need to visit the crime scene,” Yan Qing said. “Wen Yan, you stay here and help Doctor Chen.”

“Ah?” Wen Yan blinked. “What help could I possibly offer?”

“I’m the one asking a favor of Doctor Chen, so even fetching tea or buying lunch counts as helping.” Yan Qing gave a light smile. “I won’t disturb you further. Thank you, Doctor Chen.”

Wen Yan watched Yan Qing turn and leave, opening her mouth to call after her, but then she heard Chen Jiaze say, “There is actually something I need Miss Wen’s help with.”

He drew a wallet from his pocket, and when he raised an eyebrow in a smile, that smile was so warm and easy that it was impossible to refuse. “I haven’t had lunch yet. Would you mind, Miss Wen?”

Yan Qing stepped into the waiting car outside, and thinking of Wen Yan’s expression, she nearly laughed.

Wen Yan clearly liked this Doctor Chen — she had been going out of her way to get close to him. So she would do a good deed and give her a little push.

Setting Wen Yan’s situation aside, Yan Qing turned her thoughts back to Mo Xiangrong’s death, and asked the officer driving the car, “What’s this Li Haotian’s background?”

—