Shi Ting set aside Inspector Li’s question for the moment and returned to the matter of the intermediary. “This person not only knew Li Haotian’s every move but was also intimately familiar with his habits and preferences. They not only knew he frequented the Yanque House — I’m quite certain they also knew about the apartment in Catfish Lane.”

Inspector Li’s expression shifted sharply. “Director Shi, are you suggesting it was this intermediary who killed both Mo Xiangrong and Xiang Lan, and then framed Li Haotian?”

“Until the case is solved, every theory deserves consideration. I’m not saying Li Haotian is above suspicion — but the parts of this case that don’t add up must be explained.”

Inspector Li nodded. “Understood.”

Bai Jin spoke up from the side. “But the only footprints found in Li Haotian’s apartment were his and Xiang Lan’s.”

“Are you certain there were no others?” Shi Ting fixed him with a sharp look.

Bai Jin met his gaze, as though something had just clicked into place. “There were also the attendants from the Yanque House who came looking for Xiang Lan that morning.”

Shi Ting saw that he’d worked it out, and continued. “The scene had been thoroughly disturbed. Aside from Li Haotian’s and Xiang Lan’s tracks, there were those of several attendants from the Yanque House. You should have noticed — both of the points I’m questioning share a common thread.”

“The Yanque House,” Bai Jin said at once. “The intermediary knew Li Haotian was at the Yanque House. The people who went to find Xiang Lan were Yanque House attendants.”

Inspector Li frowned and raised a question. “At the time, it was Bai-dui who directed the madam to send her people to find Xiang Lan. How would the suspect know they would necessarily return to the scene?”

“They had already anticipated that we would go to find Xiang Lan. But our people didn’t know the exact location of Li Haotian’s apartment — whether we sent the madam’s people or went ourselves, we would still need someone to show the way. The suspect had anticipated precisely this. That’s why they acted without hesitation.”

“Director Shi’s meaning is that the suspect is inside the Yanque House — specifically among the attendants who went to find Xiang Lan that day?”

“If so, this person will be deeply concealed and very skilled at covering their tracks. Investigate quietly. Do not startle them.”

Inspector Li nodded immediately. “Understood. I’ll have my people tread carefully.”

He then recalled something and turned toward the forensic examiner. “Has Mo Xiangrong’s cause of death been confirmed yet?”

Dr. Ren’s expression turned awkward. He had spent the past two days studying the body but had been unable to identify the cause of death — which was very likely the key to the entire case.

Inspector Li, seeing that side of the inquiry had stalled, said, “I wonder whether Miss Yan might have any ideas?”

Speak of someone and they appear — before Inspector Li had even finished speaking, someone outside was already announcing: “Miss Yan has arrived.”

Shi Ting stood up at once and went to meet her.

Everyone in the room was aware that Director Shi had a betrothal to the Yan family’s sixth daughter, with the wedding set for May. They had assumed it was nothing more than a political alliance between families — but from what they had now seen, Shi Ting’s attentiveness and affection for Miss Yan were unmistakable. And for her part, Miss Yan commanded considerable respect within the military-police directorate. Even Bai Jin, head of forensic investigation, showed her genuine deference.

“Bai-dui, Director Shi and Miss Yan seem to be on remarkably good terms.” Inspector Li turned to Bai Jin with barely concealed curiosity.

Bai Jin replied, “Naturally. It took our Seventh Brother considerable effort to win Miss Yan’s hand.”

“But Miss Yan’s legs…” Inspector Li ventured carefully. “Do you think she’ll recover?”

Bai Jin gave him a pat on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. Miss Yan is no ordinary person.”

As they spoke, Shi Ting was already pushing Yan Qing’s wheelchair through the door. The others quickly straightened up and arranged their expressions into something appropriately composed.

“The cause of death is confirmed.” Yan Qing smiled and handed the document to Shi Ting.

The moment those words landed, the atmosphere in the conference room electrified.

Xiang Lan’s cause of death had been clear from the start, but Mo Xiangrong’s had remained shrouded in uncertainty.

Shi Ting scanned the document and immediately found it beyond him — the terminology and data were far too specialized. He had no medical training whatsoever.

Inspector Li leaned over to look as well and was equally at a loss.

“Yan Qing, could you walk us through it?” Shi Ting handed the document back to her.

Yan Qing gave a brief sound of assent. “First — Mo Xiangrong did not freeze to death.”

Those in the room exchanged glances. When Mo Xiangrong had been found, he was lying naked in the snow. He had subsequently been dumped on the ice by Li Haotian. His body bore no visible wounds. If he hadn’t frozen to death, then what had killed him?

“Miss Yan, if Mo Xiangrong didn’t freeze to death, then how did he die?” Inspector Li asked urgently.

“Quite the opposite, in fact. Mo Xiangrong died of heat.”

Heat?

A murmur of disbelief swept through the conference room. Even Dr. Ren wore an expression of open incredulity.

“Taishan’s temperatures have already dropped below freezing. In the early hours before dawn, it would be close to twenty degrees below zero. In conditions like these — how could someone die of heat?”

“Exactly — that defies all reason. Freezing to death we could accept, but dying of heat? How does one even begin to explain that?”

Amid the chorus of skepticism, Bai Jin held a cigarette between his teeth and watched with a quiet smile.

These people had yet to grasp what Yan Qing was capable of. Their doubt was predictable — he himself had once stood exactly where they were now. It was simply the inevitable stage for anyone encountering her for the first time.

“Let her finish.” Shi Ting’s voice cut through the noise.

When the room had settled, Yan Qing continued. “The deceased was found in an environment well below twenty degrees below zero, yet his body showed no signs of frostbite whatsoever. He clearly did not freeze to death. The reason he suffered no frostbite is that he was already dead before he was left in the snow at Catfish Lane — his bodily functions had ceased entirely.”

She picked up several autopsy photographs and pointed to one. “There is slight laryngeal edema in the deceased’s throat, though without any inflammation. The discoloration of the respiratory tract suggests it was exposed to some kind of intense irritant before death — most likely hot air.”

“The reason I suspected heat as the cause of death was the anomalous discrepancy between the body’s temperature and the degree of rigor mortis when he was discovered. Based on rigor mortis, the time of death should be between one and three in the early hours of the 22nd — the stomach contents also corroborate this timeframe. However, the body temperature measured when the body was found was highly abnormal.”

“After death, the body’s temperature gradually drops. Under normal circumstances, it decreases by approximately half a degree per hour at room temperature, though environmental conditions significantly affect this rate. I won’t go into the exact calculations. But if we work backwards from the body temperature at the time of discovery, the time of death would appear to be between seven and eight in the morning of the 22nd.”

The room fell into another round of exchanged glances. One conclusion pointed to one to three in the early hours; the other pointed to seven or eight in the morning — the discrepancy was staggering.

Inspector Li couldn’t help asking, “What factors would cause such a change in body temperature?”

“Both heat and cold affect the rate at which a body cools. In a warm or hot environment, the body temperature drops more slowly.”

Inspector Li’s eyes lit up with understanding. “I see it now. Mo Xiangrong must have been in an extremely warm — even stifling — environment at the time of his death. He was essentially cooked alive by the heat.”

—