The group fell silent, exchanging glances before lowering their heads to drink.
Yin Feng finally stepped in to smooth things over, patting her head and saying, "Alright, everyone listen to the boss lady. But I'll let you play with it later."
You Mingxu: "..."
They all laughed, with Guan Jun even remarking sarcastically, "Teacher Yin really dotes on us."
You Mingxu again: "..."
The meal was chaotic, filled with nonsensical chatter and boisterous laughter. By the end, Tuya, Chen Feng, and Guan Jun were completely drunk and passed out. Yin Feng, having just been discharged from the hospital, was restrained by You Mingxu from drinking too much—and he didn't let her drink much either. If she got drunk, who would keep him company? Xiao Yan couldn't handle much alcohol either. In the end, the three sober ones carried the three drunk ones back to their rooms.
You Mingxu returned to the bedroom, took a shower, changed clothes, and sat on the bed scrolling through her phone. Not long after, Yin Feng also finished showering, climbed onto the bed, took her phone, tossed it aside, and looked down at her.
You Mingxu gazed back at him with bright, clear eyes.
He waited.
After a few seconds, she smiled, reached out to wrap her arms around his neck, and pulled him down. They embraced, lying together under the covers, their toes lightly touching.
He whispered to her, "Are you happy moving in? Do you like them?"
She replied, "Happy, and I like them."
"Why do you like them?"
She tapped his nose bridge. "Because they're people like you."
This answer made him fall silent for a few seconds. Then, nestled together in the warm, dimly lit covers, he murmured, "I hope you can always be this happy with me and like everything that belongs to me. No one has ever genuinely liked them before."
You Mingxu felt a bittersweet ache in her heart, thinking, He really is a bit obsessive. She kissed his forehead but said, "That depends on how you behave from now on. It's only the first day."
The next morning, You Mingxu was awakened by the ringing of her phone.
She scrambled to grab it, and Yin Feng, still groggy, pulled her back toward him. Unable to reach the phone, You Mingxu kicked him away.
The call was from Ding Xiongwei.
Sitting amidst the messy bed, You Mingxu answered her superior's call, feeling slightly awkward, so she made her voice especially serious and proper: "Boss."
Ding Xiongwei said, "Why did it take so long to answer? Guansha Police Station has discovered a body, likely part of a serial case. Take your team and head over immediately."
"Understood!"
After hanging up, You Mingxu turned to look at Yin Feng. He was already sitting up, rubbing his side with a displeased expression—the spot where she had kicked him. You Mingxu laughed, wrapped her arms around his neck, and soothed him a couple of times until his frown finally eased.
With him comforted, You Mingxu jumped out of bed, quickly dressed, and washed up. By the time she was done, Yin Feng had also gotten up. They looked at each other. She smiled first, and he smiled back.
"I'm leaving."
"Let Tuya drive you," he said. "Come back early."
Even as she rode in Tuya's car to the scene, You Mingxu's heart remained warm and sweet, filled with an indescribable lightness. It was completely different from the heavy, solemn feeling she usually had when rushing to a crime scene.
Tuya dropped her off and left.
It was already past 10 a.m. The crime scene was in an ordinary residential building, the kind commonly found throughout the city. The building wasn't facing the street, making it relatively quiet, surrounded by narrow alleys.You Mingxu arrived downstairs just as Xu Mengshan was pulling up. A crowd had already gathered at the scene, murmuring among themselves, and police tape had been cordoned off.
The body was discovered in a fifth-floor apartment.
Basic case details had been sent to their phones while they were en route.
The victim, Luo Ting, was a 21-year-old single woman who worked as a massage therapist at a bathhouse. She shared the rented apartment with a female roommate. Over the weekend, her roommate had returned to their hometown, leaving Luo Ting alone.
Luo Ting had finished work at 2 a.m. on Friday and taken the night bus home. Colleagues at the bathhouse had been unable to reach her throughout Saturday. The body was discovered and reported this morning when her roommate returned.
As You Mingxu and Xu Mengshan approached the entrance, a local detective greeted them. After exchanging pleasantries, noticing Xu Mengshan examining the door, the detective said, "The lock is intact. No signs of forced entry."
Xu Mengshan and You Mingxu nodded, following him into the living room.
It was a standard two-bedroom apartment. At first glance, the living room appeared clean and tidy—nothing out of place, no unusual traces on the floor.
The detective explained, "It was like this when we arrived. No signs of a struggle. Preliminary forensics show no suspect footprints, bloodstains, or fingerprints. If not for the body, you'd think no one else had been here."
Xu Mengshan and You Mingxu exchanged a look—this was going to be tricky.
You Mingxu asked, "You suspect this is part of a series?" That would explain why it had been escalated to the Lushan Branch.
The detective frowned. "Yes. Ten days ago, another body was found in a different residential complex. We're still investigating with no leads. The condition of both bodies... is identical. It has to be the same perpetrator. You'll understand when you see it."
You Mingxu's expression darkened. The detective's certainty meant the body must show distinctive characteristics.
The three entered one of the bedrooms.
At first glance, the bedroom appeared normal—as clean and orderly as the living room.
Except for the body lying straight in the center of the bed.
Both You Mingxu and Xu Mengshan fell silent the moment they saw the corpse.
Luo Ting was a slender, moderately tall girl with delicate features. She lay straight on the bed, arms at her sides. Her long hair was neatly arranged.
A strip of yellow tape was stuck over her mouth, and a deep ligature mark circled her neck. Her blouse was unbuttoned, exposing her torso. Her skirt had been pushed up to her waist while her underwear was pulled down to her ankles. Additionally, clear bind marks were visible on her wrists and ankles.
There was copious amounts of blood on her body.
You Mingxu couldn't bear to look, turning her gaze toward the window.
A flower-like girl, dead in such a brutal manner. How could her parents possibly endure this?
She took several deep breaths, forcing down the suffocating feeling in her chest.
Xu Mengshan, who had forensic training, examined the body carefully without speaking before stating, "Cause of death appears to be asphyxiation. Judging by the neck marks, the weapon was a rope. Time of death exceeds 24 hours." He paused, then added, "Additionally, both nipples have been excised, and there are severe sharp-force injuries to the genital area."
You Mingxu stared, hardly believing her ears. "Are you sure?"
Xu Mengshan replied flatly, "I'm not blind."You Mingxu immediately moved closer for a careful look, and indeed it was just as Xu Mengshan had described. A sudden chill ran through her, and she thought of those faded old photographs.
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