“A’Ke, I need disposable gloves.” Jiu’er knew that whatever was needed, A’Ke was the one to ask.

Sure enough, A’Ke quickly handed her the gloves.

Lu Beicheng watched Zhen Jiu’er, his eyes slowly narrowing.

This little wretch — the way she put on the gloves made him feel a flash of astonishment.

The motion looked, in every way, like that of a seasoned veteran with extensive experience.

Self-taught?

Once her gloves were on, Jiu’er immediately crouched down beside the professor’s body and began the examination.

Lu Beicheng watched her movements, having originally thought he might be able to help — but in fact, she needed no help at all.

Everyone else watched somewhat dazed as well — why did she look so professional?

He Muling finally recovered from her shock, and upon seeing the professor lying on the ground, she let out another wail and burst into tears again.

The professor was dead!

He was truly dead!

She looked at Xiao Shengyuan, her gaze complicated.

But Xiao Shengyuan was only staring at Zhen Jiu’er’s back, his expression grave.

Xia Zi sat alone off to the side — if you looked closely, you’d see she had simply sunk down to sit on the ground.

Sitting alone on the ground, staring at the professor’s corpse, her whole body had gone cold.

It was unclear whether it was from shock or grief.

Either way, she had been by the professor’s side for many years.

Ji Mingyu’s gaze swept over these few people — they were all people who had spent a long time with the professor.

As for Ren Qiqi, she hid behind He Muling and Xiao Shengyuan, clearly still afraid.

Suddenly, Zhen Jiu’er’s movements slowed, her hand gently probing the back of the professor’s neck.

“What is it?” Qin Fei immediately stepped forward, unable to help asking.

The professor’s face didn’t seem to show anything unusual, but no one could tell if that was simply what he looked like after being bloated from the water.

Was it suicide, or murder? Could it have been an assassin’s work?

Right now, no one knew.

“Judging by the degree of bloating on the body, the professor has likely been in the water for five to seven hours,” Zhen Jiu’er said, her voice steady.

Examining a corpse like this hadn’t disturbed her breathing in the slightest.

Which meant she was, right now, genuinely calm.

Nothing at all like a delicate, coddled young girl.

“That would put it between one and three in the morning today?” Ji Mingyu immediately pulled out a small notebook and recorded it.

He crowded closer as well: “Miss Jiu’er, any other findings?”

“He didn’t drown from an accidental fall into the water.”

“What?”

The moment Zhen Jiu’er said this, everyone tensed up at once.

If it wasn’t drowning by accident, then this was serious trouble — it truly was murder!

“But there are no wounds on the professor’s body,” Qin Fei said, having stood close by her side the whole time.

Whatever Jiu’er examined, Qin Fei saw as well.

No wounds — then how did he die?

“If it were an accidental fall, there would definitely be signs of struggle. But there’s not a trace of dirt under his fingernails, and his skin isn’t broken anywhere, which means after he fell into the water, he never struggled at all.”

Everyone’s hearts clenched sharply, their gazes sweeping across everyone present.

Each person grew tense.

If it wasn’t accidental drowning, then this matter had become complicated and terrifying.

It truly was murder!

Qin Fei was still anxious: “If he wasn’t drowned, then how exactly did he die?”

“By my estimate, he was rendered unconscious first and then fell into the water. Since his body was still breathing on autonomic reflex, his lungs and stomach took on a severe amount of water.”

“But he never struggled — meaning he was unconscious the moment he went in, and drowned directly.”

Zhen Jiu’er finally stood up, turning back to look at Lu Beicheng not far behind her. “Ninth Master, this is a murder case.”