Fan Jia, Xu Mengshan, and the others had been waiting for a long time. They exchanged glances with You Mingxu, who nodded, signaling to let the teenager go straight in.
Pushing open the door to the morgue, three beds were covered with white sheets, revealing the outlines of adult and child bodies. Everyone looked at Li Biran. He stood there dazed, seemingly unable to process the situation he was facing. Fan Jia guided him to Xie Huifang’s body and said softly, "Your aunt, your cousin, and your younger cousin were killed at home yesterday at noon. My condolences. Do you... want to see them?"
Li Biran’s face flushed bright red, tears welled up in his eyes, and his lips trembled, unable to utter a single word.
Fan Jia gently lifted the white sheet.
Li Biran remained in a daze, staring blankly at Xie Huifang. After a long while, he looked around at the police officers with a bewildered expression.
Fan Jia didn’t want him to see the two children anymore and stood still.
Li Biran turned and rushed out. You Mingxu waved her hand, signaling everyone to stay behind, and she chased after him. After just a few steps down the corridor, she saw the teenager ahead, wiping away tears with his head lowered. You Mingxu quickly caught up to him and saw his face streaked with tears, his eyes red and swollen as he sobbed uncontrollably. At that moment, he was completely like a grief-stricken, broken young animal.
You Mingxu followed him all the way to the courtyard of the police station. The teenager stopped under a large tree, not looking at You Mingxu, and continued to sob quietly.
You Mingxu stood a few meters away from him, turned around, lit a cigarette, and smoked quietly for a while.
In her memory, when You Mingxu was Li Biran’s age, she was already parentless, living with her grandparents.
A little further back, when she was still a child, her memories of her mother were vivid and abundant. Her mother would hold her in her arms, nuzzling her cheek affectionately; her mother would take her out to fly kites and play at amusement parks; when she got into trouble, her mother would sternly order her to stand at attention and reflect on her mistakes. Later, her mother’s work kept them apart most of the time, but whenever she had a chance, she would call, visit, and bring her small gifts…
She, too, had experienced the maternal love and warmth that other children had.
As for her father? What kind of person was he?
So later, at the age of ten, at her mother’s funeral after she died in the line of duty, You Mingxu cried even more intensely than the teenager before her now, gasping for breath, screaming and lashing out at a world turned upside down.
After the funeral, she rarely cried again.
…
You Mingxu handed the teenager a tissue and a bottle of water. He had stopped crying, but his eyes were still red, and he looked numb.
"Where were you yesterday?"
The teenager lowered his head. "At an internet café the whole time."
"Recently, have you noticed anything unusual around you? Or did your aunt offend anyone?"
"No, I don’t know."
"How was your aunt’s relationship with your uncle?"
"Pretty good, I think…"
Not long after, Li Biran’s parents and Xie Huifang’s husband, Zeng Qiang, arrived.
Zeng Qiang was an ordinary-looking man in his forties. He seemed somewhat reserved and was dressed plainly. His eyes were red and swollen when he entered. When he saw the three bodies, the large man collapsed to the ground, wailing loudly, even letting out distorted, almost animal-like cries.They had heard such wailing a few times before—always from grieving family members who had lost loved ones, their sorrow reaching unbearable depths. The police stood by in silence until Zeng Qiang suddenly collapsed, darkness clouding his vision. Even unconscious, his hands remained tightly clenched around his two children’s hands, and it took the officers considerable effort to pry them loose.
The victim Xie Huifang’s younger sister and brother-in-law—Li Biran’s parents—were also weeping bitterly in the morgue. Li’s mother, in particular, cried out in anguish at the sight of her elder sister and niece and nephew. She clung to Li Biran, sobbing, “My child, I almost thought something had happened to you too… What evil has befallen your aunt… What monster did this…”
By then, Li Biran had stopped crying. He stood motionless like a wooden puppet, letting his mother hold him. His father said, “Can’t you see the boy is terrified? Take him home first—don’t let him see any more!”
—
Over the next two days, however, the investigation grew increasingly stagnant.
First, the previously identified individuals who had conflicts with Xie Huifang were re-examined. After further verification, none had sufficient motive or opportunity to commit the crime. The possibility of a revenge killing was preliminarily ruled out.
As for Xie Huifang’s relationship with her husband Zeng Qiang, no signs of marital discord or emotional entanglements were uncovered. Zeng had been out of town when Xie was murdered, with a solid alibi. Moreover, his reaction upon seeing the body convinced the police of his innocence.
Even Li Biran’s parents were investigated for their alibis. They, too, were confirmed to have been away, with multiple witnesses and no apparent motive.
As for Li Biran himself—though he struggled at school and was looked down upon by privileged classmates—no one held a serious grudge against him. On the day of the incident, all students were boarding on campus.
Li Biran had no connections outside school and knew no one in broader society, ruling out the possibility that the crime targeted him. A neighbor reported hearing Li Biran and Xie Huifang arguing loudly the night before the murder. From that evening until the police found him, he had remained locked inside an internet café, only leaving once in the morning to buy fast food—all clearly captured on the café’s surveillance footage.
Thus, the entire family was cleared of suspicion.
The investigation had reached a dead end.
On the third day, Ding Xiongwei convened a meeting. Given the brutality of the crime and the heightened attention from superiors, his expression was stormy. He issued new directives, shifting the focus to habitual burglars and recently paroled convicts. The revenge-killing angle was effectively abandoned.
When announcing the new approach, You Mingxu felt Ding Xiongwei glance at her—a deep, probing look. She thought irritably, It wasn’t me who insisted it was a revenge killing—it was Yin Feng. Why glare at me?
Even the toughest need a break. That evening, Ding Xiongwei dismissed everyone to go home, wash up, and rest. They were to report back to the station early the next morning.These past few days, You Mingxu simply hadn’t had time to spare a thought for Yin Feng. Chen Feng, however, was quite perceptive. Every day during lunch and dinner breaks, he had Yin Feng bring over meals, fruits, and the like, delivering them just outside the police station. If You Mingxu was at the station, she would come out to receive them. There wasn’t even time for an extra word—at most, she would pat Yin Feng’s head or say, “Thanks.” Yin Feng had probably been coached by Chen Feng as well, as he never lingered. He just stood obediently outside the station, watching her for a long time as she walked away.
Thinking of this, You Mingxu smiled as she stepped off the bus. The sky had already darkened, and when she looked up, she spotted a familiar figure at the bus stop.
Today, he was wearing his favorite green Astro Boy T-shirt again, paired with jeans. His hands were tucked into his pockets, and he stood about five or six meters away, gazing at her.
It had only been a few days since she last saw him, yet You Mingxu couldn’t help feeling he had grown up a little—somehow, he seemed more sensible and mature.
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