The sweltering summer days passed by in the blink of an eye.
The Wangyue Mountain residential complex, once the site of a horrific murder, returned to its usual bustling and noisy state the very next day. People were busy going to work, picking up their children, running businesses... At first, some still stopped to glance at the police tape cordoning off the building where the crime occurred. Later, no one paid it any attention. By the third day, the tape was torn down because it was blocking the way.
Some residents of the building had been too afraid to return home recently. After all, the place felt too "ominous." Reporters still occasionally showed up to take photos and report from downstairs. The lights in Unit 301 remained off from then on.
After the incident, the police visited the victim's family a few more times. Xie Huifang's younger sister, Xie Huifen, and her husband were staying at a friend's house. They were waiting for the killer to be caught, but if no progress was made in the next few days, they would have to return to their jobs in another city. Life had to go on, after all.
Their son, Li Biran, stayed home for a few days before returning to school. At first, some classmates came to comfort him and ask questions. As Li Biran recounted the events in detail, nearly the entire class listened intently, murmuring in shock. Wherever Li Biran went on campus, people stared at him. However, the attention lasted only a few days. After that, he was mostly left alone again. He attended classes, ate, and slept in silence. When his teachers asked if he was okay, he replied, "I'm fine. I'm doing alright."
Two more days passed, marking the fifth day since the murder.
The detectives had been working almost nonstop, exhaustively investigating all habitual thieves and ex-convicts in the area. At the same time, they delved deeper into Xie Huifang's interpersonal relationships. Yet, they still came up empty-handed.
No suspects were found. No one in her circle had the motive or means to commit the crime. Among the potential criminals, no one matched the conditions of the perpetrator.
The killer was meticulous, methodical, quick to react, and possessed some awareness of how to evade forensic detection. The method of the crime was brutal and inhumane. The perpetrator wore size 39 shoes, carried a backpack on the day of the crime (used to change out of the bloodstained clothes), and the murder weapon was a common watermelon knife sold in markets, which had yet to be found.
Due to the high volume of pedestrian and vehicle traffic in the area and the outdated surveillance systems, no additional clues could be uncovered. But what troubled the police the most was that in most cases, there was some connection, however tenuous, between the suspect and the victim. In this case, however, not the slightest link had been found between the killer and the victim so far.
...
That day, Ding Xiongwei attended a meeting at the municipal bureau and was severely reprimanded by his superiors. Returning to the district bureau, he immediately berated his team as well. But everyone felt frustrated too—they were all exhausted. Fan Jia asked dejectedly, "Captain Ding, what do we do now? We ruled out the possibility of someone she knew last time, and we’ve found nothing among habitual offenders. Where do we go from here?"
Ding Xiongwei pondered for a moment and said, "Everyone, go home and rest today. Think about what to do next. We’ll have a meeting first thing tomorrow morning."
As the meeting dispersed, Xu Mengshan suddenly remarked, "Could it really be a random crime by a stranger?"
Fan Jia widened her eyes. "A serial killer?"
You Mingxu, however, scoffed and said, "How many serial killers do you think there are? Do you think everyone is Gu Tiancheng?"Even so, You Mingxu finished packing her things and looked up at the window. Dusk had fallen, and the city lights were just beginning to glow, appearing serene, peaceful, and distant. The killer might be sitting calmly in some corner of the city, having successfully severed all ties to the case. You Mingxu couldn't shake the feeling that there was much more to this case, something hidden just beyond their sight, perhaps right under their noses. But the vast twilight, for now, shrouded everything, leaving those chasing the truth feeling anxious and frustrated.
You Mingxu returned home a little after nine in the evening.
The living room was unlit, with only a figure sitting on the sofa, the TV's light flickering dimly. You Mingxu turned on the light and saw Yin Feng immediately stand up. She ignored him and headed straight for the bedroom.
But as she passed the sofa, she heard him say, "A Xu lost the bet."
You Mingxu shot him a glare. Today, he was wearing a bright yellow T-shirt and loose shorts, which made his fair skin appear even more translucent. His eyes curved with a smile. You Mingxu thought he looked so youthful he practically glowed.
You Mingxu: "Who says?"
Yin Feng replied, "I've been following the case these past two days, and there hasn't been any news of progress. Plus, your expression when you walked in says it all."
You Mingxu glanced at him and sat down on the sofa. Yin Feng immediately scooted close to her, his warm calf nearly pressing against her jeans. You Mingxu said irritably, "Move over a bit."
He slowly shifted away just a little.
You Mingxu sighed inwardly and said, "Just like you said, we found nothing on the profit motive. Right now, the case is like falling into an ice hole in the dead of night—completely in the dark."
Yin Feng's mind seemed to work in mysterious ways. After a moment's thought, he said, "A Xu, have you ever fallen into an ice hole? I haven't. Is it very cold and exciting?"
You Mingxu: "..."
She pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and took a slow drag.
In his memory, Yin Feng had only seen her smoke back in Tibet. It had been a long time since he'd seen her do it. Was she worried again?
Under the soft light, the woman's hair was tied in a simple ponytail, but her face still looked elegantly charming and aloof. Holding the cigarette between her fingers, she slowly exhaled a plume of white smoke, making her bright, star-like eyes stand out even more.
Yin Feng stared blankly for a while. You Mingxu noticed and suddenly smiled, blowing a puff of smoke into his face. The scent of tobacco filled the air. Yin Feng, who had initially been a bit choked by it, looked at her smiling face through the smoke and suddenly grinned foolishly.
So he pressed his hands against the seat beneath him, closed his eyes, tilted his head back, and gently inhaled the smoke. The more she exhaled, the more he breathed in deeply.
You Mingxu thought he looked too much like a puppy. She stubbed out her cigarette, pressed a hand to his head, and scolded, "Why are you inhaling secondhand smoke? Don't pick up bad habits!"
Yin Feng widened his eyes and said, "The magistrates are free to burn down houses, while the common people are forbidden even to light lamps?"
You Mingxu gave him a sidelong glance. "Oh, you even know idioms now." Strangely enough, as soon as the words left his mouth, Yin Feng seemed to recall their meaning. He smiled slightly and said, "It seems I've gotten a little smarter again."
You Mingxu chuckled softly, quietly observing his clear, innocent gaze. "You're right. I admit defeat. Maybe you really... Let's go out for a walk and talk about the case."The night was deep, and the two of them walked onto the riverbank again. There were few people around at this hour, with sparse lights and an unceasing flow of vehicles. The river surface reflected mottled glimmers.
You Mingxu was lost in thought and remained silent for a long time. Yin Feng, on the other hand, amused himself by playing a shadow-stepping game. When he stepped on You Mingxu’s head shadow, he would chuckle secretly. If he stepped on her waist or chest shadow, he would quickly glance up at her and pretend nothing had happened.
After a while, You Mingxu spoke: "The possibility of murder for profit has been largely ruled out. But the revenge killing you suggested can also be basically eliminated. So, how likely do you think it is that it was a stranger’s crime? And how likely is it to be the work of a serial killer?"
Didn’t Sherlock Holmes say that? Eliminate all impossible answers, and whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.
Yin Feng thought for a moment and said, "Actually, from what we’ve seen so far, his various behaviors don’t align with the typical patterns of psychopathy. He clearly possesses organizational skills, but judging from the bodies, there’s no evidence of torture or obvious marking behavior toward the victims. It’s almost like random, chaotic slashing. This suggests careful selection and meticulous planning, followed by arbitrary killing. If it really is the work of a serial killer, then this killer lacks any clear ambition. So what does he actually want? Through this killing process, he doesn’t seem to achieve obvious pleasure or a sense of ritual.
Of course, I’m not saying that a ritualistic element is necessary for a serial killer. But look at Gu Tiancheng—a self-taught, self-catalyzed psychopath—he would talk to his victims, engage in relationships, torture them, drain their blood... So I believe there isn’t yet clear behavioral evidence to conclusively determine that this is a random act by a psychopathic killer."
His voice was exceptionally clear, and his eyes sparkled brightly. Even while discussing murder and corpses, he sounded as if he were saying, "A Xu, I want to eat this, not that."
These words came from the old man inside him, You Mingxu thought.
"But..." she said, "since it’s not for profit, not a crime of passion, and we can’t find a motive for revenge, what other possibilities are there besides a stranger’s crime?"
Yin Feng pressed a finger to his lips, gazed at the sky in thought for a moment, then revealed a smug smile and said, "There’s one behavior of his that still revealed something—something very strong. Did you think of it, A Xu?"
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