As for Yin Feng, after spending several days with her, seeing her constantly had left him feeling unusually satisfied. Like a child who had gorged themselves on a whole jar of candy, the initial clinginess had subsided—time to rest before indulging again. More importantly, he felt he smelled terrible! After living and eating with the detectives for days without bathing, they all seemed unfazed and even You Mingxu appeared used to it.

Yin Feng could try not to mind her smell, but he couldn’t tolerate his own—You Mingxu would find him disgusting! He had to stay fresh and beautiful in front of her. So he eagerly excused himself today, having Chen Feng prepare a huge bathtub full of milk and flower petals, determined to clean himself thoroughly before You Mingxu returned home. Furthermore, he wanted an identical bath prepared for her when she got back. They should both be equally fragrant.

Meanwhile, You Mingxu immersed herself in the case.

The forensic results from Xu Jiayuan’s crime scene came in quickly: his time of death was confirmed around 11 PM that night, and the murder weapon was another watermelon knife, though different in size from the Xie Huifang case. Besides the victim’s footprints, they found size 38 footprints at the scene. These didn’t match any of the victim’s card-playing friends or roommates.

—

It wasn’t until the following evening that You Mingxu dragged her exhausted body home.

The moment she pushed open the door, she expected to see a certain someone sitting foolishly waiting on the sofa. But when she saw only darkness, complete silence, and both bedroom doors wide open, she paused.

Where had that wild one gone?

You Mingxu thought, somewhat irritated. Too tired to look for him, she showered, changed into her pajamas, and lay in bed for a while, but he still hadn’t returned.

She sat up and called him. The ringtone sounded from the next room.

He’d left his phone—so he couldn’t be far. You Mingxu frowned in thought, suddenly remembering seeing lights on next door when she came up.

Hadn’t Chen Feng rented that apartment long ago? They still had a spare key here.

Standing in the dark stairwell between the two apartments with the key in hand, You Mingxu wondered: When exactly did I start getting used to living with that little shadow and settling into this maternal role?

She knocked first, but there was no answer. Using the key to open the door, she found the living room dark but light spilling from one of the front rooms. You Mingxu had never been in this apartment before. Looking around, she noticed it had clearly been renovated too—elegant yet simple, with minimal furniture, probably set up for Chen Feng’s staff to attend to their boss.

Reaching the lit doorway, You Mingxu was about to knock when she froze.

It wasn’t that she was easily shocked, but the scene before her was truly striking.

The room was nearly empty except for huge blackboards covering all four walls. Each board was filled with dense writing. Yin Feng sat on a high stool with his back to her, legs spread and hands pressed between them on the seat, looking like a lonely youth.

Instead of greeting him, You Mingxu first read the writing on the board facing her.

The first line was a large question: What if I were the killer?

The handwriting, like his signature she’d seen before, was bold and graceful, with strength and beauty. At first glance, the densely packed characters looked like printed calligraphy. You Mingxu found it hard to connect the person before her with the writer of such a powerful script.

Suddenly, that photo she’d seen before flashed in her mind: a man in a gray T-shirt and sunglasses, with stubble around his lips, stepping out of a car with a stern expression.

But You Mingxu’s interest in the case far outweighed her concern about Yin Feng’s split personality. She immediately read on. Below is listed the Xie Huifang killer’s procedure:

1. Prepare tools

2. Surveillance

3. Knock and enter

4. Control children

5. Threaten mother

6. Kill mother

7. Kill children

8. Stack bodies

9. Change bloody clothes

10. Leave scene

*Note: Superficially, I have no direct connection or grudge with the victim.

So, was the great writer working backward? First putting himself in the killer’s shoes, then deducing what actions would have been necessary.

He’d also listed many case details and clues, such as “size 39 shoes,” “foot covers and gloves,” “victim strong-willed, had conflicts with colleagues,” “strict with children,” “summer camp payment notice,” “children’s cold medicine,” “returns home for lunch daily,” “big argument with nephew the night before,” and so on.

He’d even drawn maps of the victim’s daily routes, the neighborhood layout, and the internet cafes frequently visited by her nephew Li Biran…

The board was packed with information. Though You Mingxu’s team had compiled this data too, they’d divided the work, with each person handling specific leads. Unlike this man, who had gathered all the information together, without much logic to the arrangement, seemingly writing whatever came to mind.

Yin Feng turned around then and saw her. His eyes, previously empty and cold as if lost in thought, suddenly lit up. He jumped down from the stool, smiling: “You’re back!”

You Mingxu made herself comfortable, sitting on his vacated stool with her legs crossed and arms folded, looking at the other three blackboards which contained virtually all information about both cases—details, personnel, statements, and more.

She felt a slight stirring in her heart. After all, Yin Feng wasn’t a police officer, and the victims meant nothing to him. Yet he’d worked so diligently.

She beckoned him to bend down so she could ruffle his hair, saying: “You’ve worked hard.”

Yin Feng smiled slightly: “This handsome one doesn’t mind the work.”

You Mingxu smiled too, asking: “Handsome You, with all this elaborate setup, have you discovered anything?”

He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it, his gaze drifting aside as he said slowly: “If I have a discovery, what reward will A-Xu give me?”

You Mingxu: “What reward do you want?”

Trying to appear casual, he said: “Just a simple one: when the case is solved, take me out for a day of fun.”

You Mingxu stared at him for a moment, then laughed and said readily: “Fine, you pick the place.”

Yin Feng’s face instantly lit up with overwhelming joy, his eyes sparkling as he said: “I’ve created a criminal profile of the suspect in the Xie Huifang case!”

You Mingxu’s brows drew together slightly: “Tell me.”

Yin Feng turned toward another blackboard, and You Mingxu followed his gaze to several lines of conclusions. He said: “First, the Xie Huifang killer is male, aged 15-20. At least average build, not weak, regularly engaged in physical labor or exercise.

Second, he comes from a terrible family background, lacking parental and elder love, which he’s completely numb to.

Third, this is his first kill.

Fourth, he frequently reads crime or violent novels, watches such TV shows, and is very interested in them.

Fifth, he’s meticulous, patient, and psychologically twisted. His psychological threshold for stimulation is very low, meaning he’s easily provoked into extreme emotional responses, leading to murder.”

After explaining this in a clear voice, Yin Feng turned to You Mingxu and said: “Actually, I figured out the answer days ago. But in psychology, we need evidence. The criminal’s behavior at the crime scene provides crucial evidence pointing to this profile. And the profile points us to our suspect. Does A-Xu now know who to arrest? Among those who’ve appeared recently, one person matches this profile perfectly.”