Yao Jue confessed that he was not the one who killed Kang Wanbin. On the night of June 5th, because Kang Wanbin had forced him to wear a cosplay outfit and strike awkward poses on stage, he was in a terrible mood. Thinking about everything he had suffered over the years, he found it impossible to sleep. Although he desperately tried to conceal his feelings in front of his assistant and stylist, when he was alone in his room, the pain almost swallowed him whole. It felt as if he had returned to the days of his severe depression.

Every second spent in the room dragged on endlessly. Filled with hatred toward Kang Wanbin, he quietly slipped out, wanting to find a deserted place to clear his mind. He didn’t want to see anyone or answer any questions; only the most remote spot could keep him away from people.

Unknowingly, he reached the area near the fish farming lake—only to discover someone was there!

His instinct was to leave immediately, but then he witnessed the killer push Kang Wanbin into the lake and repeatedly torment him as he drowned. The light was too dim, and the killer was dressed all in black, so he could only tell that it was a man. He couldn’t even see Kang Wanbin clearly, but before the killer stuffed Kang Wanbin’s mouth, he let out a short cry. Yao Jue recognized that voice as Kang Wanbin’s.

Kang Wanbin struggled desperately in the water, while the killer kept striking his head with a stick, pushing him toward the center of the lake. Gradually, Kang Wanbin stopped moving. The killer then dragged Kang Wanbin back to the shore and made a chopping motion. But at that moment, Yao Jue couldn’t see clearly what exactly the killer was chopping.

The killer pushed Kang Wanbin back into the lake, and after that there were several splashing sounds. Then the killer disappeared into the darkness, seemingly unaware of Yao Jue’s presence the entire time.

Yao Jue held his breath and waited a long while, until there was no more movement around him, before slowly walking toward the lake.

Realizing that Kang Wanbin was dead—and had died in great agony—he suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of courage and gratitude. He had always been weak and cowardly. Even though he hated Kang Wanbin to the core, he would never have dared to kill him. He would only hide and hurt himself. But now someone else had executed Kang Wanbin, right before his eyes! All the resentment he had pent up for years seemed to have been released. For a moment, he felt as if that brave person was himself!

He had taken revenge. He wanted to do something for that person!

There were two distinct sets of footprints on the ground—one set with only incoming tracks and no return tracks, belonging to Kang Wanbin, and the other set belonging to the “other man.” He wondered why that man was so careless. Was he confident the police would never come here? But Kang Wanbin’s sudden disappearance would surely make the people of Wanbin Laihe report to the police. What if they did find this place?

In a hurry, he stepped on the footprints, intending at first to destroy them. But then he thought that if the police couldn’t find any clues here, they would search elsewhere. There might be other evidence he couldn’t control—but here, he could.

So, carefully, he pressed his own footprints over the original ones. Sadly, he thought to himself: “Let me take the blame, then. I hope that person never gets caught.”

“But I didn’t expect Sister Luo to be killed too.” Yao Jue rubbed his arms in pain. “Sister Luo was different from Kang Wanbin. She shouldn’t have met such an end.”

Ji Chenjiao said, “Your assistant mentioned that you had contact with Jiang Meng. He picked up your makeup bag.”

Yao Jue didn’t react at first. After more than ten seconds, he suddenly realized, “You think the person I saw was Jiang Meng, and because I liked him, I covered for him? No, absolutely not. That person was a complete stranger—I couldn’t recognize him at all. But if it had been Jiang Meng, I definitely would have noticed.”

This time, Yao Jue probably wasn’t lying. Ji Chenjiao had previously analyzed Yao Jue’s reaction when he learned that the police had detained Jiang Meng, and it matched what Yao Jue was confessing now.

“I understand him. Maybe he and I share the same thoughts,” Yao Jue sighed. “I want to protect the person who killed Kang Wanbin for me. Jiang Binzhi Meng probably wanted revenge on Kang Wanbin for some reason too, and when he thought I killed Kang Wanbin, he believed I had avenged him—so he was willing to take the blame for me.”

After a moment, Yao Jue smiled bitterly and shook his head. “I only spoke to Jiang Meng that one time—when he returned my makeup bag and smiled at me. He looked a bit fierce, but I could feel it—he’s someone with a lot of feelings inside. He’s not the killer. Please don’t hurt him.”

It felt like the case had returned to square one. Their thoughts and direction might all need to change.

Meanwhile, Xi Wan was analyzing the stone Ling Lie had found. There were no fingerprints, but the blood on it was confirmed to belong to Luo Wanwan. The killer had struck Luo Wanwan’s head with this stone—that was the murder weapon.

The size and shape of the stone made it suitable to hold in one hand; it was rather flat. Ji Chenjiao held the stone, mimicking the motion of striking someone. “Too small.”

“That’s because your hands are big,” Xi Wan said. “It fits perfectly in mine.”

“So… suitable for a woman,” Ji Chenjiao remarked.

Xi Wan became serious. “Actually, from the traces at the scene, the killer is indeed more likely to be female. If it were a strong man, he could have just pushed her down directly.”

Ji Chenjiao put down the stone and took off his gloves, throwing them into the trash. “Anything else on the stone? Can we tell where it came from?”

Xi Wan said, “I want to run a trace element analysis. Maybe it’ll give us some clues.”

Ji Chenjiao left the trace analysis room and saw Ling Lie wandering between offices with his phone, clearly absorbed in something. Ji Chenjiao quickly walked over and heard a familiar voice from the phone—it was Jaco, the influencer chasing trending cases.

Ling Lie was so engrossed that he didn’t notice Ji Chenjiao approach. When Ji Chenjiao stuck his face out, Ling Lie yelped, “Why do you walk without a sound? You scared me to death!”

Clearly faking it. Ji Chenjiao glanced at the screen. “Let me see.”

Ling Lie handed him the phone. “This video is super popular. I didn’t even search for it—it was recommended to me. People in their line of work make so much money from this stuff.”

These media outlets were indeed profitable now, but Ji Chenjiao hadn’t investigated that. In the video, Jaco was seriously explaining the case. The script was well written, and he had real footage from the crayfish party, painting Fengyi Mountain Villa like a house of sin—deliberately comparing it to the classic ‘Snowstorm Mountain Villa’ trope from mystery novels, turning it into a real-life whodunit thriller.

Maybe because Jaco had filmed almost everyone’s footage, the video showed the victim Kang Wanbin, the missing Luo Wanwan (whose death hadn’t been made public yet), famous host Long Shasha, plus Yao Jue and Jiang Binzhi Meng at the banquet, edited like a suspense movie.

“Was it Jiang Binzhi Meng, who Kang Wanbin favored? Was it Yao Jue, who had just showcased Wanbin Laihe’s popular character at the banquet? Are they really the killers? What do you think? Share your thoughts with Jaco in the comments…”

Ji Chenjiao returned the phone to Ling Lie. “I haven’t asked you yet—why did you go up the mountain with Brother Liang?”

“Didn’t you leave me in Nanfeng District? I stayed there for a night. The next day, I wanted to go back to the city, but buses were rare, and a taxi was too expensive.”

Ji Chenjiao corrected, “I didn’t leave you there. I asked if you were leaving, and you chose to stay.”

“Oh, really?” Ling Lie put on an innocent face and waved generously. “Fine, fine, whatever you say—you’re the captain.”

“…”

“I got tired of waiting for a bus and took a motorized tricycle to Fengyi Mountain instead—it’s close. While I was there, I thought I might as well search the mountain, get some exercise.”

Ji Chenjiao asked, “So what did you find in Nanfeng District?” Before Ling Lie could dodge, Ji Chenjiao added, “Don’t change the subject. You refused to leave because you were interested in something there. But later you left—so you must have figured something out.”

Ling Lie clapped. “Captain Ji, you’re so smart!”

Ji Chenjiao pushed his head. “Cut the crap.”

After some meaningless bickering, Ling Lie finally got serious. “I’ll tell you something strange first. Did you notice how many monstera plants there are in Nan mfeng District?”

Ji Chenjiao nodded. “That’s their signature landscaping plant.”

“But at Fengyi Mountain—you didn’t see any monstera there, right? They don’t naturally grow on that mountain. But when I was searching for the body, I saw several monstera plants. Weird, right?”

“Someone deliberately planted them?”

“But why plant them there?”

Half a minute later, Ling Lie added, “Okay, back to serious stuff. Remember the four townsfolk who died in the gang fight? Apart from Long Shasha’s family, the other two families are doing fine now. The most unfortunate family was the Ou family—the mother and daughter disappeared.”

Ling Lie detailed what he had found out. “Most of the townsfolk believe the mother and daughter are dead, but who knows? Maybe they—or one of them—changed names and are living well somewhere else.”

Ji Chenjiao began jotting down notes and drawing connections. “If Ou Hong is still alive, her motive for revenge would be even greater than Luo Wanwan or Long Shasha’s. How old was Ou Hong when she disappeared?”

Ling Lie: “Sixteen.”

“Sixteen years old…” Ji Chenjiao spun his pen thoughtfully. “The Ou and Long families were neighbors. Ou Hong and Luo Wanwan were the same age. Ou Hong disappeared.”

“There’s another interesting thing,” Ling Lie said. “The old folks in town only seem to remember Long Shasha—how obedient and pretty she was. They vaguely recall seeing Ou Hong and Luo Wanwan, but don’t have many clear memories. Luo Wanwan came from a poorer, more backward village, moved in with Long Shasha’s family, was shy, introverted, only knew how to work, always looking dusty. Ou Hong had to care for her mentally ill mother and couldn’t live like other girls her age.”

Ji Chenjiao turned his face slightly, casting an inquisitive look at Ling Lie, wanting to hear what he would say next.

“How did you confirm that the deceased was Luo Wanwan?” Ling Lie asked.

This question caught Ji Chenjiao off guard. “Of course, through DNA comparison.”

Ling Lie continued, “Compared to whom? Long Shasha?”

Suddenly, Ji Chenjiao caught the implication in his words. “No, we compared the DNA of the corpse with biological samples left behind by Luo Wanwan herself.”

Ling Lie simply responded, “Oh.”

Ji Chenjiao stood up immediately. “I’ll add a kinship comparison right away!”

Later, when the results came out, Xi Wan exclaimed in surprise, “What the… Luo Wanwan and Long Shasha have no biological relationship at all?”

The DNA comparison result was unexpected. After all, at Xiangrong TV Station and in Nanfeng District, everyone who knew them believed they were cousins—Luo Wanwan’s mother was said to be Long Shasha’s father’s sister.

While this test result couldn’t directly reveal the truth behind Luo Wanwan or Kang Wanbin’s death, it became a clue too suspicious to ignore.

Major Crimes Unit, interrogation room.

The identification report was placed in front of Long Shasha. The report was complex, difficult for a layperson to understand at a glance. Long Shasha raised her head, looking at Ji Chenjiao with some confusion.

Ji Chenjiao said, “After repeated comparisons, the DNA of the deceased matches multiple biological samples left by Luo Wanwan. It is confirmed to be her. But you and Luo Wanwan are not actually biological cousins.”

Long Shasha opened her mouth slightly, her perfectly manicured fingers clenched tightly together. She seemed to be trying very hard to show surprise—but that very effort revealed that she wasn’t truly surprised.

“So… so does that mean… she’s not my cousin after all?” Long Shasha’s eyes lit up with sudden joy. “Then… she’s not dead? My cousin is still alive?”

Ji Chenjiao shook his head. “Sorry, but the deceased is indeed Luo Wanwan. What puzzles me is this—you two lived together for so long, and you truly didn’t know you weren’t biologically related?”

Long Shasha lowered her head, trembling slightly, covering her face as she wept. “She’s my sister… we grew up together.”

“Tell me again—when and how did Luo Wanwan come to live with your family?”

“I don’t remember… maybe when I was in primary school? Her parents had both died, so she came to rely on my dad. But… maybe she wasn’t actually my aunt’s daughter?”

The Major Crimes Unit had already retrieved the Long family’s household records from Nanfeng District, which did state that Luo Wanwan was the daughter of Long Shasha’s biological aunt. Of course, records from long ago could contain errors. But Long Shasha’s reaction clearly didn’t sit right with Ji Chenjiao—she was full of holes.

“Also,” Ji Chenjiao added, “you may not want to revisit the gang fight case that killed your father, but considering Kang Wanbin’s involvement in that incident, we went to Nanfeng District to investigate those old matters.”

Long Shasha didn’t look up, but her breathing paused ever so slightly.

“Four people died that year. We found out that one of the families—even after receiving compensation—still lived in extreme hardship. After losing their pillar of support, only a deranged mother and a girl… about the same age as Luo Wanwan… remained. Her name was Ou Hong. Do you remember her?”

Long Shasha immediately replied, “It was so many years ago—I don’t remember.”

Ji Chenjiao said, “But many people in old Nanfeng Street do. Her mother often had fits in public. The two of them suddenly disappeared, and they were the talk of the area for quite some time.”

Long Shasha nervously rubbed the jade ring on her left index finger. Her overall fashionable style didn’t match the ring and jade bracelet she wore—they seemed like a set, and such heirlooms were usually passed down by mothers or grandmothers. Younger people rarely wore them for long.

“Many people on that old street also remember you and Luo Wanwan. To them, you two were the pride of Nanfeng Street who made it out into the world.”

Long Shasha gave a polite smile.

Ji Chenjiao pressed on. “They also remember that you and the Ou family used to be neighbors. Think carefully—do you really not remember her?”

Long Shasha’s hand paused on the ring, her eyes meeting Ji Chenjiao’s again. His gaze was cold and intense, highlighting her unease.

“I think… there was such a person,” Long Shasha muttered vaguely. “But she rarely played with us. My memory of her is very faint.”

Ji Chenjiao nodded without speaking.

The silence made Long Shasha even more uncomfortable, and she began to speak faster. “Sorry, I really didn’t expect the DNA thing… my head is a mess right now. Can I go home and rest for a while?”

Ji Chenjiao stood up. “Of course. But since the existing clues point to the Kang family and that old gang fight case, you—as Luo Wanwan’s ‘sister’—may also be in their sights. I’ll arrange some protection for you. If anything happens, contact us immediately.”

Long Shasha’s face showed a hint of displeasure, but she quickly concealed it and nodded. “Thank you.”

“What does this mean—that Long Shasha and Luo Wanwan aren’t real cousins?” Shen Qi pondered. “Could the problem be the previous generation? Maybe Luo Wanwan wasn’t actually her aunt’s daughter? Or maybe her aunt wasn’t really her dad’s sister? Or Luo Wanwan was some fraud just eating and drinking at the Long family’s expense? Ugh, I’m so confused!”

“Your brain works like lightning in front of a computer but turns into mush in front of real people.” Xi Wan shoved a husky hat onto Shen Qi’s head.

Shen Qi jumped up. “Hey, why am I suddenly a dumb dog?”

Xi Wan said, “Didn’t you notice Long Shasha’s reaction? She knew all along that Luo Wanwan wasn’t her real cousin. She just pretended to find out for the first time in front of us.”

Shen Qi scratched his head. “Why pretend?”

Liang Wenxian said, “That’s what we need to find out. There’s some truth hidden in what she’s trying to conceal. Captain Ji—what about Luo Wanwan? Did she know? We’ve confirmed that she got close to Kang Wanbin to avenge her ‘uncle.’ But if she knew she wasn’t truly his niece, then her motives are questionable.”

Ji Chenjiao leaned against the table with folded arms. “After the adults died, these two girls relied on each other. How did Long Shasha learn the truth? As for Luo Wanwan—she approached Kang Wanbin, which means at least at first, she wanted revenge. But maybe, during the process, she discovered the lack of a real family connection… and gave up on revenge, choosing instead to work with Kang Wanbin?”

Shen Qi said, “Then wouldn’t Long Shasha have hated Luo Wanwan for that?”

Long Shasha certainly had a motive, but based on another case that happened that night, she likely wasn’t the killer.

Ji Chenjiao felt they were both close to and far from the truth. Long Shasha’s odd behavior wasn’t only about the DNA results—she also reacted strangely to the mention of Ou Hong. Could that missing girl, who vanished with her mother, have some hidden link to the Long family… or to Luo Wanwan?

During the Major Crimes Unit’s mid-meeting, the door quietly opened, and the “outsider” Ling Lie sneaked in. He immediately sat beside Ji Chenjiao, irritating fanboy Shen Qi into grumbling.

Seeing Ling Lie reminded Ji Chenjiao of the monstera incident, and he asked Ling Lie to tell everyone about it again.

Because he was responsible for searching the mountain, Liang Wenxian knew Fengyi Mountain best. “That’s odd. I didn’t see a single monstera plant on the mountain.”

Ji Chenjiao said, “I want to go down there again and see what’s really there. What do you think, Brother Liang?”

Liang Wenxian agreed. “Sure. If we’ve found a clue, we can’t ignore it.”

Ji Chenjiao assigned other investigation tasks. The inquiry into Kang Wanbin was stuck, but there were several possible breakthroughs on Luo Wanwan’s side, so the focus shifted to her. When the topic turned to Luo Wanwan’s identity and the missing Ou family, Xi Wan kept winking at Ji Chenjiao.

So Ji Chenjiao called Shen Qi. “You go dig into Ou Hong’s disappearance, and the ties between the Ou and Long families. Work both the streets and the net. Move fast.”

Shen Qi froze. “Me? Why me?”

Xi Wan laughed. “Because our team genius turns into a silly dog when it comes to real-life problems.”

Returning once again to Fengyi Mountain, Ling Lie volunteered, “I’ll go down this time.”

Ji Chenjiao didn’t stop him and began fastening his own safety rope. Ling Lie asked, “Hey, you’re going down too?”

“Not just me,” Ji Chenjiao replied, nodding toward three other team members with his chin. Ling Lie glanced over and saw Xi Wan, smiling as he said, “A heroine among men.”

The five of them descended the cliff one after another, and Ling Lie led the group toward the spot where the monstera had been found. Xi Wan couldn’t help but praise him: “You’re really sharp. I came down here last time too, but I didn’t notice anything unusual.”

Ling Lie replied, “You and Dr. An were in a hurry to get back for the autopsy, right? I’m just an idle guy. I had more time than you.”

Ji Chenjiao said coldly, “So now you’re showing off?”

Ling Lie leaned toward Xi Wan and whispered, “Your captain’s so fierce.”

Xi Wan chuckled. “He’s just joking.”

Around the monstera, wild grass grew thickly, no different from the surrounding plants. After careful observation, Xi Wan commented, “This monstera must have been here for at least three years. But the cliff’s so hard to climb down—who’d come all this way just to plant it?”

Three years had been enough time for this out-of-place monstera to blend almost seamlessly into the lush greenery. Ling Lie picked up a sharp stone and started digging at the soil beside it.

Ji Chenjiao frowned. “What are you doing?”

Ling Lie replied, “Since it doesn’t belong here, I’m digging it up. Let it be where it’s supposed to be.”

Ji Chenjiao understood what he meant. Together, the team worked to unearth the monstera. As the brown earth was pulled away, remnants of synthetic fibers—things that didn’t belong in the soil—began to appear.

Ji Chenjiao exchanged a look with Ling Lie, who raised an eyebrow slightly.

They dug further until an old woven sack came into view. By now, they were all mentally prepared for what they were about to see.

The sack was fully exposed under the daylight. There was no need to open it—the scattered white bones mixed in the soil already told them everything they needed to know.

The remains were fully skeletonized. Xi Wan carefully gathered the bones, while Ling Lie helped collect surrounding soil samples and sealed them in evidence bags.

Ji Chenjiao muttered under his breath, “You’re pretty good at this.”

Ling Lie dusted off his hands and handed the sealed soil bag to Ji Chenjiao. “Shouldn’t you consider giving me a bonus for this?”

“What kind of bonus?”

“I want a hamburger today.”

Ji Chenjiao’s expression subtly shifted—once again reminded of A’Dou, and the question left unasked by the hot springs.

“Stingy!” Ling Lie misunderstood his hesitation as reluctance to treat him to food and cheerfully went back to work.

The remains were carefully transported back to the Major Crimes Unit. Reconstructing the skeleton was a painstaking task, but An Xun buried himself in the autopsy room. After analyzing the teeth, pubic symphysis, skull, and estimating the height from the reconstructed bones, they confirmed the deceased had been a sixteen-year-old female at the time of death. Since there were no organs or skin tissue remaining, determining the cause of death was difficult. However, the multiple fractures throughout her skeleton suggested she might have died from a fall from height.

Ji Chenjiao murmured, “A fall? The same cause of death as Luo Wanwan?”