Chen Siquan took a sip of water before speaking. “Honestly, Lin Yuqin was a very capable woman. She worked her way up from company receptionist to the position she held now — she was a model that many people in the company looked up to. But she was excessively domineering, fiercely competitive, and had a terrible temper. The smallest thing could send her into a rage. The employees all feared her, and privately gave her the nickname ‘Firecracker.’ I had wanted to break up with Lin Yuqin long ago, but she suddenly became pregnant, and I had no choice but to stay with her.”

“Several months ago you suddenly cut off child support payments. Was that because you wanted to sever ties with her completely?”

“Of course not.” Chen Siquan hastened to explain. “Even a tiger won’t eat its own cubs — could I really abandon my own child? What you don’t know is that as the boy grew older, I noticed he looked nothing like me. Not a trace of resemblance. A few months ago, I secretly had a paternity test done. Guess what? The child was not mine at all.”

The officers present had no idea how to react. Truly, human life contained every conceivable twist and turn.

“I confronted Lin Yuqin with the DNA report, but she refused to acknowledge it. She even accused me of fabricating it. We had a fierce argument, and she scratched me. After that, I stopped paying the child’s living expenses and made it clear I wanted nothing more to do with Lin Yuqin. Lin Yuqin has a family of her own — her husband is a public figure, and her daughter is quite accomplished. She didn’t dare let things spiral out of control, so she could only swallow her anger and endure.”

“When did you last see her?”

“This past Friday, at the office. She came asking for child support again. We had an argument in the break room and parted on bad terms.” Chen Siquan said, “That was the last time I saw her. Who would have thought — that turned out to be our final farewell.”

As Chen Siquan spoke, his eyes grew faintly red. “Even though we had broken up, we were still together for several years. It would be a lie to say there were no feelings there at all.”

Chen Siquan lightly covered his face with one hand. “Can I see her? Would that be possible?”

“I’m sorry. Not at this time.”

“I understand. After all, I’m not an immediate family member.” Chen Siquan said, “Officer, please believe me — I did not kill Lin Yuqin. I had no deep-seated enmity with her. There was no reason for me to do it.”

“Did Lin Yuqin have any enemies at the company?”

“As I said, she was a domineering person who offended plenty of people. But those were work matters. I don’t think any of them would want her dead.”

“Think carefully — if you recall any useful leads, please tell us.”

“Of course. I’ll cooperate fully.”

After Chen Siquan left, Old Fan asked, “Chief Shi, do you think Chen Siquan is a suspect?”

“He doesn’t seem to be lying.” Shi Ting said, “Since Chen Siquan says the child isn’t his, we need to first find out who the child’s real father is.”

“As it happens, Ms. Liu is still outside. We might as well ask her.”

Liu Fang was Lin Yuqin’s close friend. Though the two women were more than a decade apart in age, they had always been very close.

Liu Fang was divorced and had no children of her own, which was why Lin Yuqin had entrusted her son to her care.

In response to Old Fan’s questions, Liu Fang said, “That child is indeed not Chen Siquan’s.”

“Then who is the biological father?”

“The biological father is Fan Wenzhi.”

Old Fan was astonished. “She had a perfectly legitimate husband who wouldn’t claim the child — so why would she try to pass him off as Chen Siquan’s?”

“Yuqin liked Chen Siquan, but she could tell his feelings for her had faded. To keep Chen Siquan, when she discovered she was pregnant, she told him the child was his.”

“I see.”

“Chen Siquan isn’t foolish either. When the child grew up looking nothing like him, he naturally investigated. Once he had the results, he confronted Yuqin. Both Chen Siquan and Yuqin had families of their own — neither dared to let things escalate. Chen Siquan knew this, which is exactly why he dared to confront her. He knew she wouldn’t cause a scene, because making a scene would drag herself down with him.”

“By that logic, Chen Siquan no longer has a motive for murder.”

Liu Fang shook her head. “I don’t think it was him.”

“Ms. Liu, could you think a bit more carefully — was there anyone else who harbored a grudge against Lin Yuqin?”

“At work, Yuqin did offend quite a few people. If you’re asking who had a grudge against her, there are too many to count.”

“Was there anyone in particular who stood out?”

“Every time Yuqin came to my place to see the child, she would complain about various people and situations at the company. It was always someone different, and I couldn’t keep track of all those names.”

“Could you tell us more about Lin Yuqin’s daily life outside of work — did she have conflicts with anyone, such as neighbors, relatives, or close friends?”

“Yuqin was actually a very generous person. When relatives or friends asked for her help, she generally wouldn’t refuse. And despite her forceful personality, she was very filial. Her mother-in-law didn’t live in City S, but Yuqin would still send money and gifts at regular intervals.”

“What was her relationship like with Fan Wenzhi and Fan Mingming?”

“Her relationship with Fan Wenzhi was nothing more than a nominal marriage — affectionate in public, strangers behind closed doors. The pregnancy happened because they had both drunk too much one night. Fan Wenzhi had someone on the outside too, which Yuqin was well aware of. But the two of them each went their own way without interfering with the other. As for their daughter Mingming — she attends a prestigious school and consistently ranks at the top of her class. Yuqin always considered her daughter her greatest pride.”

Shi Ting asked, “What was the relationship between the mother and daughter like?”

Liu Fang thought for a moment before saying, somewhat reluctantly, “Not very close. Mingming was sent to her maternal grandparents as a small child and didn’t come back to live with her parents until she started high school. Both Yuqin and Fan Wenzhi were busy — they rarely spent time with their daughter — and so Mingming never grew very close to either of them. Yuqin often complained to me that other people’s daughters were warm and affectionate, but Mingming barely spoke in her presence — she was incredibly timid, and would simply do whatever Yuqin said without ever asserting herself.”

“Is Fan Mingming under a lot of academic pressure?”

“She’s in her third year of high school this year. Yuqin wanted her to get into a university in the capital, so she pushed her quite hard. Well, that’s only natural — every parent of a third-year high school student is the same.”

Shi Ting asked a few more questions, which Liu Fang answered honestly.

“This child belongs to Yuqin. I can’t raise him forever. He should be taken to his maternal grandmother.” Liu Fang sighed. “The assets those two left behind will be enough to sustain the siblings for a while. As for what comes next — I just hope you officers solve the case soon and give my friend justice.”

When Liu Fang stepped outside, the small boy was sitting there eating biscuits that Bai Le had bought for him, his big, innocent eyes looking around the room with no comprehension of what had happened.

After Liu Fang left, Shi Ting stood up. “Old Fan, keep pressing ahead with the canvass on your end. I’m going to check on Lin Yuqin’s mother.”

“Yes, Chief Shi.”

Walking past the entrance to the forensics examination room, Shi Ting slowed and stopped.

Yan Qing and Hu Lu were inside, examining Lin Yuqin’s body. In order to extract more clues from a body, forensic pathologists often had to perform second or even multiple autopsies.

“Master, I’ve looked at this body eight hundred times already. Why are you still at it?” Hu Lu grimaced.

“Because I’m worried you’re being careless.”

As she spoke, Yan Qing suddenly picked up the deceased’s right hand. “Why didn’t you note this in the autopsy report?”

“It’s just some scraped skin. Probably from doing housework.”

Yan Qing ignored him and extended her hand. “Scalpel.”

Hu Lu didn’t dare be slow, and immediately passed Yan Qing her surgical scalpel.

After separating the epidermis from the muscle tissue on the deceased’s right hand, Yan Qing examined the area carefully. “Look — there is obvious subcutaneous bruising here.”

“It shouldn’t be a defensive wound, should it? The killer used a dagger. If this were a defensive wound, there wouldn’t just be subcutaneous bruising — there would be an open laceration.”

Yan Qing then picked up Lin Yuqin’s other hand. After the dissection, the left hand also showed signs of skin abrasion and subcutaneous bruising.

“How do you explain this?” Yan Qing looked at the dumbfounded Hu Lu.

Hu Lu shook his head. “I can’t figure out how injuries like these were formed.”

“Actually, it’s quite simple.” Yan Qing signaled for Hu Lu to take photographs and begin suturing.

“Please, Master, just tell me.”

Yan Qing blinked at him. “Figure it out yourself.”

“Master — good Master — just tell me, please. I genuinely can’t figure it out.”

“Think about it in the context of the crime scene. Don’t just stare at the body. A forensic pathologist’s most important skill is scene reconstruction — not just dissecting bodies.” Yan Qing pulled off her gloves and tossed them into the waste bin. “When you’ve figured it out, you can go home.”

Hu Lu let out a wail. “Master, don’t do this to me! I already don’t have a girlfriend — if you also won’t let me leave, where in my limited lifespan am I supposed to find time to meet someone?”

“If you can’t find one, stay single. It won’t kill you.”

“But my heart is starving.”

When a knock sounded at the door, Hu Lu hurriedly swallowed his lamentations. Seeing Shi Ting standing in the doorway, he immediately straightened up and called out respectfully, “Good day, Chief Shi.”

Shi Ting gave him a nod, then said to Yan Qing, “Do you have a moment, Dr. Yan? I’d like to visit Lin Yuqin’s mother.”

Before Yan Qing could reply, Shi Ting added, “I heard Lin Yuqin’s mother has high blood pressure and a heart condition. I thought it would be best to have a doctor along in case of any sudden complication.”

“I’m available.” Yan Qing immediately agreed. “Chief Shi, give me a moment to change my clothes.”

After Yan Qing changed and was ready to leave, Hu Lu leaned over and whispered conspiratorially, “Master, I think Chief Shi is just using that as an excuse to spend time alone with you.”

“Don’t talk nonsense — this is for the investigation.”Yan Qing shot him a sharp look.

“Master, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Neither of you are taken — I genuinely think you and Chief Shi are perfect for each other. You’d be a match made in heaven, a truly ideal pair…”

Hu Lu received a tap on the head. “One more word of nonsense and I’ll sew your mouth shut — guaranteed airtight.”

Hu Lu immediately clapped both hands over his mouth. “Master, are you trying to silence me?”

Yan Qing couldn’t be bothered with him and walked straight out the door. She could still hear Hu Lu’s voice trailing behind her: “Master — be bold! Seize your moment! Don’t hold back!”

The moment Yan Qing stepped out, she saw Shi Ting standing right there at the door. With Hu Lu’s booming voice carrying across the whole floor, every last word had almost certainly been heard.

Yan Qing was instantly embarrassed, and could only manage a dry, awkward laugh.

—