He finished these tasks within minutes. After packing up his things and slinging his bag over his shoulder, he noticed bloodstains splattered on the floor, his shoes, and his hands. Yet he paid them no mind, instead slowly raising his head to gaze directly at the camera.
The surveillance cameras Guan Jun had installed in You Mingxu’s home were top-of-the-line, delivering exceptionally clear footage. Thus, the police could now distinctly see the handsome face beneath the cap—much thinner than it had been months ago, with sharp eyebrows, a straight nose, and a slightly pale complexion that made his eyes appear even more profound.
He stared in their direction for a full half-minute, his expression completely blank.
You Mingxu was taken aback.
She suddenly realized that Yin Chen’s gaze held no madness, no bloodlust. It was like the deep sea, where all storms had subsided, leaving only a vast, tranquil blue. Strangely, it reminded her of Yin Feng’s eyes.
Why would Yin Chen have such an expression?
What was he looking at?
Yin Chen lowered his head and left her home.
You Mingxu recalled Yin Feng’s words—he was here for revenge. Because he had nothing left.
He was the only one remaining. Everyone else was behind bars, and the Punisher no longer existed in this world. Did he know he was merely one of Fan Shuhua’s countless black leather notebooks?
The last one.
——
You Mingxu stood outside her own home.
The lock was intact.
She took out her keys and opened the door, while the police officers behind her entered cautiously.
You Mingxu and Yin Feng walked in slowly.
Even though she had already seen it in the video, witnessing it in person now, You Mingxu could still feel a silent chill permeating the room.
Ahead, the entire wall was stained with blood, like a monstrous beast baring its claws, or a mysterious jungle quietly sprouting.
The box Yin Chen had left behind was placed on the table. A forensics officer had already stepped forward to open it, his expression abruptly changing.
You Mingxu walked over and saw the box in his hand.
It was a very ordinary small wooden box, about half the size of a palm. Inside lay a finger. The severed end was mangled and dried, the box filled with blood—the finger had been freshly severed and placed inside. Upon closer inspection, You Mingxu noticed something peculiar—the finger was slender and elongated, more like a man’s. The wrinkles were pronounced, and there were a few age spots on the back.
Her heart sank with a thud.
Xu Mengshan approached, took the box, and examined it carefully. “This finger was severed from a living person, probably within the last 24 hours.” It was now 9 a.m., meaning the finger had been cut off after 9 a.m. the previous day.
You Mingxu’s shoulder sank as Yin Feng placed a hand on it.
“A Xu, you’re the second one,” he said.
You Mingxu’s brow twitched slightly. “I’m fine.”
Both Yin Feng and Xu Mengshan understood what she meant.
Yin Feng gently patted her head, knowing she didn’t need empty words.
He turned to look at the wall opposite the table where the severed finger lay. Against the wall stood a cabinet—the very direction Yin Chen had stared at before leaving, and where the hidden camera was positioned.
On the cabinet was a portrait of You Mingxu’s late mother. You Ruixue’s face was sweet yet spirited, her eyes clear and bright.
He had been looking at her, with that expression.
A thought crossed Yin Feng’s mind, but he kept it to himself for now.
You Mingxu looked up at the intense bloodstains and asked, “The blood at Mengshan’s home belonged to Xing Jifu. Whose blood is this?”
Xu Mengshan remained silent. If this blood had been drawn from his parents’ bodies, even if it wasn’t fatal, survival was far from guaranteed.A mocking smile suddenly appeared at the corner of Yin Feng's lips. "Maybe it's not Mengshan's parents."
Both You Mingxu and Xu Mengshan turned to look at him.
Just then, Yin Feng's phone rang—Chen Feng again.
"Teacher Yin, I've found the information you asked me to investigate. They... returned to the country three months ago, and I've located their address in Xiangcheng. However, it seems they haven't been in contact with anyone... You know how they are—even if they disappear for months, it wouldn't be strange. I've sent the address and already asked Tuya to check it out."
When Yin Feng put down his phone, his expression remained blank, as if he hadn't noticed the others' gazes. He stood silently for a minute or two before sending the address to You Mingxu and Xu Mengshan.
"Send someone to check this address immediately," Yin Feng said. "See if anything has happened."
Without asking any questions, Xu Mengshan turned and left.
You Mingxu looked into Yin Feng's eyes. "What is that place?"
Yin Feng replied calmly, "That's my parents' recent domestic address."
You Mingxu's heart jolted. Yin Feng suddenly let out a sarcastic laugh and said, "A Xu, just like you, I don't have much of a relationship either."
The police channels were faster than Tuya's personal investigation.
Because just last night, someone had reported an incident at that address. However, since it was in a different district, the Lushan branch hadn't been informed yet.
Xu Mengshan quickly obtained the preliminary case report.
The person who reported it was a community security guard, around 9 p.m. last night.
It was a villa district.
The Yin couple lived in one of the villas.
Around 9:30 p.m., a sudden fire broke out in that property. The community management immediately reported it to the fire department and organized firefighting efforts. The firefighters arrived about ten minutes later and extinguished the blaze within twenty minutes.
It was confirmed that the fire hadn't started in the main villa but in a separate two-car garage in the yard. By the time the fire was put out, the flames had spread to the main house, leaving one wall charred black, though the main structure remained intact.
No bodies were found in the burned garage.
When firefighters rushed into the main house, they found it empty but discovered suspicious red liquid splattered across the master bedroom wall—some still not completely dry.
Xu Mengshan had crime scene photos on his phone.
A silent room, walls covered in blooming, fierce bloodstains. Strings of droplets rose from the sea of blood.
Exactly like the previous two scenes.
Nothing was left behind.
Additionally, when local police arrived at the scene, they determined based on traces that the house had been unoccupied for some time. They had collected samples of the bloodstains for DNA comparison. However, with the large database and no specific direction, no results had been obtained yet.
"Mengshan," Yin Feng said, "have the police there compare it with your parents' DNA."
Xu Mengshan felt as if a long needle had pierced his heart. "Okay."
Yin Feng looked at the blood on the wall behind You Mingxu. "Compare this with my parents' DNA."
You Mingxu suddenly felt furious and said coldly, "What does he want? Playing games? Or being deliberately mysterious?"
Yin Feng replied lightly, "No, it's a sense of ritual."
—
You Mingxu had never heard Yin Feng mention his parents—not even once.
She never asked either.
In some ways, she and he were the same kind of people.
So now, hearing that Yin Feng's parents had returned to the country and might have met with misfortune, You Mingxu didn't know what to say to him.The group quickly descended from the traffic command center.
You Mingxu hurried to use the restroom. When she came back down, she saw Yin Feng standing by the police car waiting, with Xu Mengshan seated in the driver's seat. Yin Feng's expression appeared very calm; he even gave her a faint smile, carrying a touch of warmth. There was no trace of panic that one might expect after his biological parents had been taken hostage.
The irony struck her—wasn't she just the same?
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