The Xu family’s property in Shun Cheng was quickly located — a three-courtyard residence on Qi Xian Ridge Road, situated in a prosperous area and worth a considerable sum. It was ordinarily managed by a housekeeper.

According to the housekeeper, the Xu family had purchased the property three years prior. Apart from coming to stay during the Lunar New Year, they lived in Wen Mountain County the rest of the time.

The Xu family had no relatives or friends — they appeared to have fled as refugees from somewhere else during a period of warfare. This meant that when the entire Xu family was killed, there was no one to collect the bodies.

The medicines sold at the Xu family pharmacy had come through direct dealings with a foreign trading agent, who imported the medicines from abroad and sold them wholesale to the Xu brothers.

Upon investigation of this foreign trading agent, he was found to possess neither the timing nor the motive to commit the crimes.

The lead in the Xu family massacre case had once again gone cold.

Shi Ting finished reading the case file in his hands, then listened to Zheng Yun’s report on several assault cases and briefly assigned investigative directions. There was a knock at the door, and an officer came in with a salute. “Director, someone is here to see you.”

“Who is it?” Shi Ting was signing documents, his eyes not lifting from the page.

“Miss Yan,” the officer said.

At those words, the tip of Shi Ting’s pen paused, and the corners of his mouth visibly lifted ever so slightly.

He quickly handed the signed documents to Zheng Yun. “Understood. I’ll go right away.”

Shi Ting rose from his seat and straightened his collar. With Zheng Yun present, he only casually smoothed his hair.

Zheng Yun said: “Seventh Brother, you’ve been keeping up with applying the burn ointment, haven’t you?”

“Yes.”

Zheng Yun smiled. “If you don’t finish it, Miss Yan will subject you to another round of her ‘threats.'”

In this world, the only person who could make Shi Ting dutifully apply his medicine was probably Miss Yan alone.

Recalling Yan Qing’s perfectly serious warnings about amputating limbs — and the whole body — the corner of Shi Ting’s mouth lifted even higher.

Zheng Yun followed Shi Ting out the door, and could plainly sense that his mood was bright and buoyant. This man, who rarely let his feelings show on his face, was displaying a remarkably down-to-earth side of himself today.

Out in the main investigation hall of the Military Police Bureau, everyone was sneaking glances at the two young women standing in the middle of the room.

One officer whispered: “Is she here to bring our Director food again?”

“Our Director’s got family standing, good looks, and real ability — what young woman wouldn’t be taken with him?”

“Shh — the Director’s coming.”

Everyone immediately dropped the gossip and snapped back to their respective duties.

When Shi Ting saw who the officer had referred to as “Miss Yan,” his brow involuntarily creased and the expression on his face visibly fell.

“Director Shi, hello.” Yan Qin was dressed in a rose-red wool sheath dress, her hair curled in spiral waves, her fine features tinged with a faint, bashful blush.

“Is there something you need?” Shi Ting’s brow furrowed a little more tightly.

Zheng Yun also realized this “Miss Yan” was not the one he had expected, and felt a great wave of disappointment wash over him.

Yan Qin tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and said sweetly: “These are sticky rice and steamed spare ribs I made myself. I hope Director Shi won’t find them too humble.”

She finished speaking, and her maid hastily held out an elegant dark-red food box.

Shi Ting didn’t even glance at it. His tone pushed her away without ambiguity: “There’s no need. We have a canteen here.”

He glanced at his watch. “Have you come to report something, Miss Yan?”

“I haven’t come to report anything — I’m here to deliver food.” Yan Qin said urgently. “Please, Director Shi, just accept it.”

“I apologize, but I have official business to attend to. If you’re not here to file a report, Miss Yan, please see yourself out.”

Seeing his cold, flat rejection, Yan Qin stomped her foot in fury. Not caring what kind of place this was, her spoiled temper erupted at once. “Why is it that Yan Qing can come and go here as she pleases? Is she here filing a report?”

Shi Ting’s expression was that of a man confronted with baffling nonsense. “Yan Qing is the specially appointed forensic consultant for our Military Police Bureau. Her access to these premises is her specific professional privilege. Does Miss Yan have a problem with that?”

“Forensic consultant? Based on her limited half-baked skills?”

Shi Ting’s expression grew sharply serious. “Whether she has skill or not, I know that far better than Miss Yan does. Now — Miss Yan, please take your spare ribs and leave immediately. Otherwise, I will have no choice but to have you removed on grounds of obstructing official duties.”

With that, Shi Ting turned away and paid Yan Qin no further attention, striding in long steps toward the exit.

Yan Qin had come to make a grand display of her affections, only to be thoroughly rebuffed. Hearing muffled laughter around her, she felt her dignity crumble entirely.

“What are you laughing at? Do you know who I am?”

“The bracelet on my wrist alone could cover a year of your wages, you paupers.”

The officers: “……”

After Yan Qin had gone, someone said: “Wasn’t that the Sixth Miss’s sister?”

“Compare the Sixth Miss to this one — goodness, what a difference.”

“No wonder the Director is so obviously partial to the Sixth Miss and so frosty toward this one. That’s just the gap between them.”

“What a pity, though.” An older officer shook his head. “The Sixth Miss has a marriage agreement with the Director’s Second Brother — a verbal agreement, yes, but it was made personally by the Marshal himself. The Marshal’s word carries the weight of iron. Our Director doesn’t stand a chance.”

After leaving the building, Shi Ting spotted a car parked not far off with someone standing respectfully beside it, waiting for him.

He recognized the man as Di Huai, the Yan family’s manservant — who, after Yan Qing had helped clear him of a murder charge, was now serving as Yan Qing’s driver.

“Director Shi.” Di Huai gave a bow. “Forgive the intrusion. Our Sixth Miss has something she would like to ask you about.”

Shi Ting glanced toward the car. “Yan Qing is here too?”

“She’s inside.”

Shi Ting opened the rear car door and found Yan Qing sitting there, holding a birdcage in her arms.

Da Laohu was slumped listlessly on the middle perch, and upon seeing him, mustered up a half-hearted “handsome.”

Shi Ting: “……”

He absolutely had not taught it that.

Shi Ting settled into the car and shut the door, turning a warm gaze toward her. “What’s wrong with Da Laohu?”

“It hasn’t been very lively since this morning — when I tried to feed it rice, it wouldn’t eat.” Yan Qing said with concern. “Could it be sick?”

Yan Qing had never kept a bird before, so when she saw her normally bouncy and energetic Da Laohu suddenly become entirely listless, she had come straight to Shi Ting.

Shi Ting gently flicked the little wind chime hanging from the cage. Da Laohu just lay there lazily and refused to say another word.

“It’s not sick.” Shi Ting said, reassuring her. “Don’t worry.”

“Then what’s the matter with it? Should we take it to see a vet?”

“A vet?” Shi Ting looked genuinely puzzled.

In this era, people could barely keep themselves fed. Only the wealthy kept cats and dogs as pets. The local barefoot doctors could treat people — and pigs.

“A doctor for animals.”

“There aren’t any.” Shi Ting marveled at her imaginative thinking. “That might actually become quite a new profession one day.”

“So what do we do now? Is there any way to get it feeling better again?” Yan Qing knew it wasn’t truly ill, but she was still worried.

“I’ll take you somewhere. Once we get there, it’ll be right as rain.”

Yan Qing glanced out the car window — and caught sight of someone coming out of the Military Police Bureau at a quick pace. Not far off, one of them snatched a food box from the other and flung it onto the roadside with force. Bowls, chopsticks, and food went scattering in all directions.

“Yan Qin?” Yan Qing recognized the person who had thrown the box, and seemed to piece something together. She turned to look at Shi Ting. “She wasn’t there to bring you food, was she?”

The fact that Fifth Miss harbored a secret infatuation with Director Shi was common knowledge throughout the Yan Mansion. Had she changed tactics — from secret admirer to open pursuer?

Shi Ting’s expression showed a trace of discomfort. His eyes shifted with a flicker that even carried a hint of unease.

“No.” He denied it promptly and cleanly. “She was bringing food to Zheng Yun.”

Back in the bureau, Zheng Yun let out a sneeze. Truly — there he was, minding his own business, and an unexpected gift had come falling from the sky.

“Zheng Yun?” Yan Qing blinked.

“Weren’t we going to get Da Laohu checked out? Let’s go.”

“Oh!” Yan Qing stopped thinking about Yan Qin, and turned her attention back to the birdcage, murmuring softly: “Da Laohu, don’t be scared. Big Sister is taking you to see someone right now.”

It was the first time Shi Ting had ever heard a person refer to themselves as a bird’s big sister. He felt both baffled and amused. “You’re its big sister?”

“Of course.” Yan Qing didn’t find it the least bit odd. “Once you decide to take care of little animals, they become family. If I don’t call myself their big sister, what else am I supposed to say — let it call me Mother?”

An image suddenly surfaced in Shi Ting’s mind — a small child in a soft little voice tugging at her sleeve and calling her Mother, then turning around and running to him, calling out Father.

The moment the thought appeared, even he was startled by it.

“Shi Ting, where are we going?”

Yan Qing called out once with no reply, then reached out and waved her hand in front of his face. “Shi Ting…”

Shi Ting came back to his senses, the tips of his ears faintly red. “The outskirts of the city.”

Di Huai drove, Murong sat in the front passenger seat, and the four of them set off toward the city’s outskirts.

Beyond the city limits was a stretch of woodland — not particularly dense, but filled with birdsong and the fragrance of flowers, the scenery beautiful.

Murong pushed Yan Qing across the grass, and Da Laohu in the cage seemed noticeably more spirited, beginning to hop back and forth along its perch.

“Da Laohu has one particular habit.” Shi Ting had fashioned a thin cord. “Every so often it needs to eat insects. If it goes without, it becomes lethargic and listless, as though it’s ill.”

Yan Qing poked the side of the cage. “So you’ve been sneaking extra snacks on the side.”

Shi Ting tied the cord around Da Laohu’s leg and released it from the cage. Freed, Da Laohu didn’t fly away — instead it hopped up to the top of the cage and stood there.

“I’ll go catch some insects.” Shi Ting said.

“I want to come too.” Yan Qing was eager.

“Alright.” Shi Ting came forward and took the handles of her wheelchair. “You’re not afraid of insects?”

“Not at all.”

“What are you afraid of then?” In his impression, she wasn’t even afraid of dead bodies — it was genuinely hard to imagine what could frighten her.

Yan Qing said: “I’m afraid of cats.”

“Cats?”

“I once saw a cat eat a person. That image has stayed with me to this day.” She had been young then and hadn’t yet experienced enough of the world — it had given her a genuine psychological scar.

“You’re the first person I’ve ever heard say they’re afraid of cats.” In Shun Cheng, many wealthy residents kept cats — long-haired cats imported from abroad, cradled in the arms of ladies in silk cheongsams, whose jade-and-gemstone-adorned fingers would stroke gently along their fur.

“And you?” Yan Qing asked curiously. “What are you afraid of?”

—