When they stepped out of the factory, it was already 3 a.m.
The remote suburban area was enveloped in a vast, silent night. You Mingxu looked up at the sparse stars in the sky, feeling an inexplicable sense of loneliness. Perhaps it was because too many things had been weighing on her mind lately. The case of Xie Huifang’s family remained shrouded in mystery, and today, another case had emerged.
However, based on You Mingxu’s experience, this new case should be solved quickly. It wouldn’t be as thorny as the Xie Huifang case.
Nearby police forces had been mobilized, conducting a large-scale search around the crime scene. There was a good chance the suspect’s trail would be discovered soon. With this thought, You Mingxu felt somewhat relieved. She turned her head and saw Yin Feng letting out a big yawn, his eyes teary as he gazed at her, looking rather silly.
You Mingxu smiled and said, “If you’re tired, go back and sleep. You don’t have to stay up all night with me.”
He seemed utterly exhausted, his eyes red-rimmed. Rubbing his eyes, he replied, “A Xu’s job is so tiring. If I don’t keep you company, you’ll be even more pitiful. I want to stay with you.”
You Mingxu said, “Hah, I’m pitiful?”
He nodded. She leaned against the car, lighting a cigarette to stay alert, while he waited beside her. You Mingxu was also feeling drowsy, having been busy for so many days in a row. Holding the cigarette, she closed her eyes and rubbed the space between her eyebrows.
Suddenly, she felt two soft fingers pressing against her temples. She didn’t open her eyes, allowing him to tend to her. Yin Feng’s pressure was just right, kneading gently and rhythmically. You Mingxu thought to herself, perhaps when this guy used to be a scoundrel, he frequented bathhouses and massage parlors? Had he learned how to massage just by observing?
With this thought, You Mingxu chuckled softly. She let him continue, putting down her cigarette. Unseen by either of them, the ash at the tip of the cigarette gradually fell away.
As Yin Feng massaged her, he watched her. She looked so docile like this, her entire face entrusted to his care. A warm feeling stirred in his heart. He thought, if only he could keep massaging her like this forever. He wouldn’t do anything else in this lifetime—just massage her, help her relax, keep her from growing tired or sleepy, and ensure her brows never furrowed deeply again.
You Mingxu opened her eyes, her gaze clear and alert once more, and said, “That’s enough, thank you.”
Yin Feng withdrew his hands but stood there motionless.
You Mingxu stubbed out her cigarette and asked, “What’s wrong?”
A faint smile flickered across his lips before he closed his eyes, tilted his head up, and brought his face closer to hers.
You Mingxu: “…”
“Press harder,” he said. “This handsome guy’s bones are tougher than yours, and my head aches from exhaustion.”
You Mingxu raised her hand and pressed firmly on his temples a couple of times. He flinched, and she laughed, saying, “Massage over! Get in the car! We’re in a hurry.”
The town was only a few minutes’ drive from the factory, no more than a 20-minute walk.
Before You Mingxu and Yin Feng stood a three-story rural self-built house. Most of the surrounding buildings were similar. Several police cars were parked downstairs, and a few villagers were watching curiously.
The deceased, Xu Jiayuan, had rented a room on the third floor along with three other factory workers. The first and second floors were rented to other tenants, so the building housed many people. Fan Jia was leading the on-site investigation and taking preliminary statements from the three workers.
As You Mingxu led Yin Feng upstairs, she noticed a police officer taking a statement from someone near the entrance. She paused and asked, “Who is he?”The officer understood her confusion and replied, "His name is Liu Ruoyu. He's Xu Jiayuan's roommate and a worker in the packaging workshop." Lowering his voice, he added, "He claims to be 18 but hasn't produced an ID. I'd say he's no older than 16 at most."
You Mingxu stared at Liu Ruoyu, who happened to look up at that moment. He was fairly tall with a sturdy build, ordinary features, and coarse, dark skin—clearly accustomed to manual labor. Yet upon closer inspection, his face still held a childlike innocence. You Mingxu agreed with her colleague's assessment; his appearance and demeanor suggested he was only fifteen or sixteen, yet he was already working alongside adults.
Liu Ruoyu's expression was visibly tense, his face pale. His lips were pressed tightly together, revealing a gloomy silence that seemed beyond his years.
The officer continued, "Hurry up and show your ID. How old are you, really, coming to work in a factory like this? The factory will definitely be held responsible for this. Kid, just stop being stubborn..."
Liu Ruoyu lowered his head, the veins on his neck bulging.
The third floor had two rooms. The deceased Xu Jiayuan had shared one with Liu Ruoyu, while the other two young men from the town occupied the second. You Mingxu and Yin Feng first entered the deceased's room. The bed by the window, facing the sun, was slightly messy, with a few items of clothing scattered about—clearly belonging to the older and taller Xu Jiayuan. The room had only one desk, placed beside Xu Jiayuan's bed, holding a computer and adorned with posters of celebrities and beauties. There were also several eclectic books: Become a Millionaire in 100 Days, The Art of Thick Black Philosophy: Understanding Human Nature, Miaojiang Ghost Stories, Hong Kong Entertainment Industry Secrets... Yet even these books looked brand new, barely touched.
"Whose desk is this?" Yin Feng asked.
An officer replied, "Xu Jiayuan's."
Yin Feng gave an "Oh" in response.
On the other side of the room, Liu Ruoyu's bed appeared much plainer and smaller. The bedsheet looked like the most ordinary, cheap kind, but it was neatly folded. Under the bed were two boxes and a woven bag, with nothing else around. A trash bin sat at the foot of his bed.
It was as if his entire existence had been compressed into this corner of the room.
The other two roommates, Liu Ping and Jiang Mingxuan, offered a glimpse of what Xu Jiayuan might have been like in life—young men in their twenties from the town, dressed somewhat plainly, with average looks and financial means. They held tedious factory jobs, and aside from work, their days were filled with card games, eating, drinking, and idling away time.
Upon hearing about Xu Jiayuan's death, they were both shocked and speechless for a long moment. Their statements perfectly matched Liu Ruoyu's: on the night of the incident, the three of them had ordered takeout in the dorm, then spent the evening gaming or binge-watching shows without going out. They all knew Xu Jiayuan had a card game that night, so no one was concerned when he hadn't returned by midnight.
As for whether the three were lying, checking intersection surveillance footage and questioning nearby residents would quickly confirm the truth.
This obvious line of investigation gave You Mingxu a slight pause.Initially, after seeing the body, she believed the card-playing companions of the deceased or his three roommates were the most likely suspects, as they were the most familiar with his habits and whereabouts that evening. However, all of them now had clear, solid alibis. Experience told her they weren’t lying—and couldn’t have lied.
So, was there someone else?
She immediately had her colleagues ask all eight individuals the same question:
"Did the deceased recently have any conflicts with anyone? Or financial disputes, emotional entanglements?"
The five card players quickly gave nearly identical responses: "Not sure." "Probably not." "Xiao Xu got along pretty well at the factory." "Xu Jiayuan might’ve been a bit hot-tempered and liked to joke around, but he was smooth enough—hardly offended anyone." "Who could’ve had such a grudge against him to kill him?"
Then they questioned the three roommates.
Liu Ruoyu remained as quiet as ever. The teenage boy hung his head and said, "I don’t know. It didn’t seem like he had any enemies. We’re all really upset that he’s dead."
The roommate named Liu Ping said, "What enemies could he have? We’re just regular workers who hang out among ourselves. I can’t figure out who’d want to kill him. Could it have been a robbery-murder?"
The officer replied, "That’s not for you to worry about; we’ll investigate. Recently, did he have any arguments or conflicts with anyone?"
Liu Ping paused, then said, "We all joke around and bicker sometimes, but it’s never serious."
Jiang Mingxuan couldn’t think of anyone the deceased had recently clashed with either.
The officer asked, "Did he borrow money from anyone, take out online loans, or have financial disputes?"
Jiang Mingxuan thought for a moment and answered, "No, he didn’t seem short on cash lately, and he hadn’t bought anything big. Their card games only involved a few hundred yuan in wins or losses. A few days ago, I even borrowed 300 yuan from him to buy clothes, but I paid him back as soon as I got my wages."
"Did he have any arguments or conflicts with anyone recently?"
Jiang Mingxuan seemed to hesitate, as if recalling something. The officer’s tone sharpened: "Speak the truth—why hesitate? This is a murder case!"
Jiang Mingxuan quickly replied, "No, Officer… It’s just that in the dorm, Xu Jiayuan and Liu Ruoyu didn’t get along well. He’d sometimes mock Liu Ruoyu for being unsophisticated, and… sometimes order him around. Liu Ruoyu probably didn’t like it, but he still did what Xu Jiayuan said.
A few days ago, they had a confrontation. Xu Jiayuan told Liu Ruoyu to buy cigarettes, but Liu Ruoyu was reading a novel and refused. Xu Jiayuan cursed at him and said… if he didn’t go, he’d report him as underage labor, so he’d lose his job and have to go back to the mountains. Liu Ruoyu was furious and said… he said…"
"What did he say?"
"He said… 'One of these days, I’m going to kill you.'"
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