Yan Qing looked at E’Yuan and was reminded of several graduate students who had come to intern in the forensic department — students armed with rich theoretical knowledge from their university years, convinced that this alone made them invincible, and some who had even looked down on her for being young and felt she could not possibly live up to her reputation.

But students like that generally needed only one case to bring them quietly into line, to make them genuinely humble.

E’Yuan was unmistakably that kind of “student.”

“Think nothing of it — I never took it to heart.” Yan Qing gave a small smile. “You didn’t come to find me just to apologize, did you?”

E’Yuan had not expected to be seen through so quickly. He felt a touch of embarrassment, and at the same time his admiration for Miss Yan of the Yan Family deepened further.

“Miss Yan, I have a question I’d like to ask you.” E’Yuan pushed his glasses up his nose. “How were you able to accurately determine the victim’s age from a single piece of costal cartilage?”

Yan Qing had anticipated the question and smiled. “There was once a teacher surnamed Yan. He spent years studying human costal cartilage and used actual cases to demonstrate his findings — what he called ‘the Yan Method of Costal Cartilage Analysis.’ When a body lacks other reliable indicators of age, costal cartilage can determine it with precision, based on its degree of calcification, shape, coloration, and other such factors.”

She looked up at E’Yuan, whose expression had become one of undisguised astonishment. “If you would like to learn, I can teach you.”

E’Yuan was so overwhelmed that his tongue began to tie itself in knots. “Teach — teach me?”

Yan Qing was amused by his expression, but her own face quickly settled into seriousness. “There is one condition, however.”

“One condition? Name a hundred conditions — I’ll agree to all of them.” The young forensic examiner’s eyes burned with the light of genuine hunger to learn, eager to expand the boundaries of what he knew.

Yan Qing let out a quiet sigh. “I simply ask that you not keep asking me where I learned these things, or what book I read them in…”

“I swear I won’t ask.” E’Yuan raised his hand in an oath. “As long as Miss Yan — no, as long as Teacher Yan is willing to teach me, I will become mute on the subject this instant.”

Shi Ting had not truly left. He stood just outside the door, a pair of deep, steady eyes looking through the gap — resting on that upturned, smiling face. He stood there for a long moment, lost in thought.

—

Mid-April. Seven days had passed since the Liao River dismemberment case was solved.

In those seven days, Yan Qing had continued attending school without exception, even when occasional bouts of poor health tested her resolve.

At the same time, the results from the last examination had come in. Before class, Teacher Zhang came striding through the classroom door with everyone’s papers tucked under her arm.

After every examination, Teacher Zhang’s face was usually clouded and stormy. Today, she looked positively radiant — which likely meant the scores were very good.

“First, some good news. This examination brought our class’s average score up to second place in the first-year rankings.” Teacher Zhang leaned forward with both hands on the podium, a warm glow in her face, looking thoroughly pleased.

Several students could not help sneaking glances toward Yan Qing’s seat.

“Rare for the great young lady not to drag us down this time.”

“As long as she managed to pass, we should count our blessings.”

Murmurs rippled through the classroom without restraint, the voices carrying plainly into Yan Qing’s ears. Jing Lan turned back with a trace of worry — only to find Yan Qing holding a book, reading with complete absorption, entirely unbothered.

The Yan Qing she had known before was timid and easily frightened. If people had talked about her this way, she might not have cried — but she would have buried her face in her sleeve.

“In this examination, one student in our class received a perfect score.” Teacher Zhang’s gaze swept slowly across the room.