Chapter 50 The Last Time.

During the day, Zhu Qing spent a lot of time retracing the route the deceased had taken before his death, making the scene "speak".

She put herself in the shoes of the deceased.

Imagine you are You Minmin, and imagine Sheng Fang is not by your side.

But in reality, how could Shengfang not be there? At the abandoned dock, Fangfang chatted with the clouds, his little face tilted up. At the teahouse, Fangfang ate until he was stuffed but still haggled over the price. On the rooftop of Chuishuihui's house, he practiced boxing with his little hands, pointing at the blankets drying in the sun. In front of the record store, he sang, and while eating fish balls, he tilted his head and squinted his eyes, taking the opportunity to drink pineapple ice...

Fangfang stayed by her side throughout the journey.

The deceased, You Minmin, remained alone throughout her life, walking each stage of her journey by herself.

From beginning to end, her final journey was a solitary one.

"Come out, I won't hurt you." Sheng Fang, still leaning against the doorframe, suddenly slammed her hands together hard, "Bang—"

The crisp sound rang out, and when he looked down, he saw that his palm was empty, and his face was red from clapping.

He wanted to lure the mosquito out and strike it deadly when it was off guard, but how could a mosquito that could keep up with Madam all night be stupid?

It is no ordinary creature!

Fangfang, fully focused, patrolled quietly with his hands behind his back.

His ears were perked up, preventing Qingzai and Aunt Ping from speaking, not even a single word.

He had a rather eccentric and mysterious look on his face.

Zhu Qing leaned against him and watched him.

This child is very busy, but I don't know what he's busy with. In the end, he's just wasting his time.

Aunt Ping's warm and kind voice rang out, trying to save face for the proud baby.

"Oh dear—it must be that mosquito knows how powerful our young master is, and it's scared and hiding."

"Now that it has flown away, young master, you don't need to bother anymore, just rest."

Aunt Ping built a high step for little Shengfang and invited him down.

The child, however, did not appreciate it and immediately lay down on the ground.

Young Master decided to stay in Qingzai's bedroom.

Tonight, I'm on duty as a police officer. I'll work tirelessly to get rid of these mosquitoes.

"I'm going to fight mosquitoes!" Fangfang declared war.

Everyone was busy with their own things, and gradually, the sounds around us grew fainter and fainter, and the night became quiet.

Time slipped away quietly between Fangfang's fingers as she waved her little hands, searching for mosquitoes...

As the first rays of morning sunlight streamed into the room, Shengfang opened her eyes and found herself back in the children's room.

Last night, he didn't fight the mosquitoes until dawn. Fang Sir accidentally fell asleep and was carried back to his room by his niece. Little Fang Fang secretly marveled at how strong their Qingzai was.

The baby, still half asleep with his eyes not fully open, was walking barefoot on the floor, making "tap tap tap" sounds.

When he walked into the living room, he found that the whiteboard from the terrace had been moved into the living room. The whiteboard, which had been idle for more than a month, was now covered with writing.

Clearly, Qingzai stayed up all night last night analyzing the case.

This morning, she rushed off to work again without stopping.

Shengfang has witnessed firsthand how hard her niece works. Being around her and constantly influenced by her, Shengfang is inspired and filled with inner strength.

He couldn't be too carefree. First, he needed to get his kindergarten diploma. He needed to accumulate several diplomas so he could apply to the Wong Chuk Hang Police Academy in the future. Investigating cases required brains, and illiterate people couldn't do this job. In today's society, only diplomas matter. Sheng Fang, at such a young age, already understood this principle. He ran back to his bedroom with great energy, and when he came out, he was already dressed in his school uniform and had his little schoolbag on his back.

Aunt Ping peeked out from the kitchen upon hearing the noise.

"Young master, where are we going?"

"go to school!"

Today is Sunday.

The young master of the Sheng family stood there dumbfounded for a few seconds, then his eyes suddenly lit up.

He almost forgot that there are two days on the weekend!

...

The conference room was filled with the aroma of coffee in the early morning.

Zhu Qing wasn't the only one who suspected You Minmin of committing suicide.

Yesterday, when Mo Zhenbang and Liang Qikai retraced the route, the same idea came to them.

The radio program "Yin Yang" was heavily promoted, and You Minmin learned by chance that the program would premiere at 10 pm on Tuesday.

Her life was too ordinary. To make her ordinary life end in a grand way, she first had to call a paranormal radio station. During the call-in segment, she smoothly dialed the number, recited her prepared lines, and even simulated the sound of dripping water and struggling underwater. This girl, who worked in a record store, was exceptionally sensitive to sound; these sound effects were effortless for her.

"Out of the instinct to survive, people will struggle when drowning. But the combined effects of drugs and alcohol can make people react slowly. It's like—you're about to suffocate, but you're powerless to grab the edge of the bathtub."

“Using nylon rope to bind them is also a double insurance,” Mo Zhenbang continued, “both to tie their hands and feet to prevent instinctive struggle, and to make the scene look more like a ‘homicide’.”

“Wait a minute—” Xu Jiale scratched his head, flipped open the autopsy report, “Let me catch my breath.”

"The wound at the corner of her mouth matches the fibers of the bathrobe, indicating that she created the illusion by biting the bathrobe herself."

“The ligature marks on her neck were perfectly parallel, and there was no skin flakes from another person under her fingernails, which means there was no sign of resistance. In other words, there was no struggle at all, and all the injuries were self-inflicted.”

The police pieced together the truth step by step to verify whether the logic behind You Minmin's suicide was valid.

Zeng Yongshan added: "You Minmin's grandfather passed away last December. The day she committed suicide was her grandfather's birthday... She may be the only one in the family who remembered this day."

“Her parents always had a legitimate reason for neglecting her. If it weren’t for her brother, she could have received more love and attention.”

"When her brother scolded her for being paranoid and rummaging through the study, she remembered that her parents had moved in with her brother and sister-in-law because their nephew was in poor health. They could even chat and laugh with her sister-in-law, but they looked tense towards her."

“You Minmin never thought that she herself had problems. She pushed everyone away, misinterpreted the kindness and care of her family as malice, and ultimately chose revenge—to make her brother bear the crime of murdering his sister.”

Mo Zhenbang placed the DNA report from the mouth of the wine bottle on the table.

"The only thing she overlooked throughout the entire process was the red wine."

...

You Yikang has already risen to the position of regional manager in the company and has his own office.

His sister's situation left him feeling down, and he kept rubbing his temples.

The documents on the table were messy, and he was tidying them up when Haozai spoke, at which point he looked up in confusion.

"She didn't know I'm allergic to red wine."

You Yikang mentioned that even he himself was unaware that he was allergic to red wine. He works in sales, and drinking is a frequent occurrence for him. He was often taken to the emergency room due to difficulty breathing and rashes all over his body. It wasn't until last year's company annual meeting, when the same thing happened again, that the doctor ordered a detailed examination and finally diagnosed him with an allergy to the sulfites in red wine.

The police confirmed this through medical records.

But You Minmin was unaware of this.

“When we were diagnosed, we had already moved out. Minmin didn’t come over for meals often, and allergens weren’t a topic that had to be discussed, so we don’t think we brought it up on our own initiative.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the police asked about the "missing toothbrush".

How did you know?

"My wife and I both have green toothbrush handles, just in different shades. I was feeling groggy when I woke up in the morning, and I used her toothbrush for several days in a row. She noticed it by chance and that's when I realized how groggy I was."

"It's actually a small matter. My wife doesn't usually get angry. It's just that Minmin's incident happened these past few days, and she's upset about it, so she made a big deal out of it. I comforted her afterward, and she's fine now."

A toothbrush went missing at home, but no one bothered to investigate further; they just replaced it with a new one.

But now, when the police specifically asked, You Yikang could only explain from memory.

"Does You Minmin know which toothbrush you're using?"

“I don’t know if she knows, but the mouthwash cup is something I brought from my old home. Before I lost my toothbrush, I always kept it in my own mouthwash cup.”

“Officer, what you mean by that is…” Suddenly, Yau Yat-hong stopped, “Min-min framed me?”

He frowned, and after a long pause, he finally found his voice: "Could it be suicide? But that doesn't make sense. Didn't the police say she was tied up and had injuries—"

The police initially classified the case as a murder for this very reason.

You Minmin was injured, her hands and feet were bound, and the collection of essays that fell to the ground indicated that she wanted to enjoy this leisure time, reading while taking a bath.

However, if we set aside preconceived notions and assume that You Minmin intended to commit suicide, then meticulously planning all of this would also make sense.

Not only does it make sense, but it is even more reasonable.

"The case is still under investigation." Haozai did not directly answer You Yikang's question.

You Yikang remained silent for a long time.

"It was suicide, wasn't it?" he murmured. "You're asking this, so that must be the reason."

You Yikang leaned back in his chair, his fingers unconsciously clenching the armrests before slowly releasing them.

“My brother and I are seven years apart. Ever since I can remember, my parents have repeatedly told me that as the older brother, I should take good care of my younger sister.”

“Back then, my parents were busy with work, but they didn’t earn much money… I didn’t have much pocket money each week, so I carefully saved it up. When we went to my grandfather’s house for holidays, I would use the money I had saved to buy fruit candies for Minmin. Those fruit candies wrapped in cellophane would sparkle in the sunlight. We would sit on the rocking chair in front of my grandfather’s house and unfold the candy wrappers in the sun—” You Yikang recalled what happened more than ten years ago. Now, when he thinks back on it, it feels like a century has passed.

"And dolls, Minmin likes dolls."

"The kind that blinks, very cheap, but when I brought the doll back that time, she ran out to greet us."

At this point, You Yikang's narration suddenly paused.

His Adam's apple bobbed up and down, as if it had taken him a long time to finally calm down.

"But I don't know when it started, she changed."

"She ignores me when she's around."

“She’s no longer willing to act cute in front of her parents. At the dinner table, she always keeps her head down and eats her rice, answering only one out of every three questions asked.”

"Sometimes, I don't know what to say to her. It seems like whatever I say might hurt her. Was it my fault that I was sickly as a child? I was just a child then, I had no choice."

You Yikang recalled the details of his childhood with his siblings.

He closed his eyes and habitually turned the wedding ring on the ring finger of his left hand; the surface of the ring had already worn a little.

"My sister always says that Mom and Dad favor me."

"Actually, they've always wanted to make it up to Minmin. They're both their children, aren't they?"

“We all accept her. Minmin has never been superfluous to this family. On the contrary, because of her, this family is truly complete.”

"Minmin always thinks this way; she's missing the point..."

You Yikang said that after he grew up, he tried every means to be good to his younger sister.

But her younger sister wouldn't believe it; You Minmin doesn't trust anyone.

She built a wall in her heart, keeping everyone outside.

This time, while cooperating with the police to complete the statement, You Yikang spoke more than before.

Perhaps it was because of his sister's actions that he was completely disappointed. He lowered his eyes, shook his head with a bitter smile, not knowing whether he was laughing at You Minmin for being silly or feeling sorry for himself.

My colleagues from the forensic department were always there.

After completing the statement, they need to collect further DNA samples.

The forensic team opened their toolbox: "Mr. You, the DNA sample on the toothbrush is not clear enough. We need to collect your oral mucosal cells on site."

He put on gloves and took out sampling swabs from the toolbox.

This was done to confirm whether You Minmin transferred DNA to the bottle opening using a toothbrush.

You Yikang snapped out of his daze: "How do you need my cooperation?"

...

Even if all existing evidence points to suicide, the case-handling procedures cannot be simplified.

The police need to verify the credibility of the testimonies from multiple sources. When asked about their daughter's life before her death, You Minmin's parents reacted blankly, as if they had not yet recovered from the shock.

After their daughter's passing, they lost a lot of weight. Zhu Qing clearly remembers that when the deceased's parents arrived at Sai Wan Mei Kok Street, their mental state was completely different from now. Now, their temples are streaked with gray. Zeng Yongshan quietly whispered in Zhu Qing's ear that the "overnight graying" scene on TV wasn't an exaggeration after all.

"Suicidal tendencies?" Mr. You repeated blankly, "Suicidal tendencies..."

The elderly father seemed unable to comprehend the meaning of the word, and also seemed unable to believe that it could be associated with his daughter.

They couldn't answer.

My daughter always kept things to herself; no one even knew she was taking antidepressants, let alone the suicidal thoughts buried deep in her heart.

"I don't know...we never knew what she was thinking."

More than ten years ago, they took You Minmin back to their side out of guilt, thinking that this would make up for the missing family affection.

More than a decade later, the same self-blame surged up again, almost overwhelming them.

"We should have discovered it sooner."

"Why won't this child say anything?"

“Minmin is too extreme.” Mother You raised her hand to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes, but the tears still slid down her wrinkles. “She is our daughter. How could we, as parents, not love her?”

Wen Qiu stood to the side, holding Bobo the whole time.

The child is too young to understand adult matters and wriggles his body, wanting to go downstairs to play.

"Madam, is Minmin drinking alcohol and taking medicine to numb her pain?" Wen Qiu's expression showed reluctance.

She was older than You Minmin; when they first got married, her sister-in-law was still a minor.

The relationship between the aunt and sister-in-law wasn't exactly harmonious, but the lipsticks and dresses she gave away were carefully selected by her. At least at the moment of giving them away, Wen Qiu genuinely hoped that she would be happy.

“Drowning oneself…” Mother You covered her face and wept bitterly, “How much pain must it have taken, and how much determination must have been required to do it.”

Wen Qiu put her arm around You's mother's shoulder and handed her a tissue: "Mom..."

Mr. You lowered his head, covered his eyes, and tears seeped through his fingers.

Mother You kept repeating, how could they not love her?

How could this child hurt herself and then frame her brother?

“Like that time when I brought her white sugar cake, Yikang queued for a long time to deliver it to her. But Minmin didn’t even glance at it. She said she’s grown up and won’t be bought off by these little favors anymore.”

“Last month, Yikang Company sent us a set of toiletries and asked us to deliver it to Minmin. For some reason, the child said that her brother was being fake kind. How could he be fake kind? Yikang has always cared about this little sister since she was a child.”

"Why would you think that way?" Mr. You's voice was hoarse. "Minmin's one wrong thought ruined her own life."

Bobo didn't understand why the adults were crying. He looked up in confusion for a long time, then clumsily wiped away the tears on his mother's cheeks with his little hands.

Wen Qiu carried the child into the room and reopened the drawer.

The light purple hair clip with pearls hanging in the jewelry box was originally intended as a gift for You Minmin.

A few days ago, when Wen Qiu opened this little velvet box, she mocked Minmin for being ungrateful, saying that with such a dark personality, it wouldn't be surprising if she were haunted by a water ghost. But today, looking at the hair clip again, her feelings were completely different.

She couldn't describe how she felt. If only she had known Minmin would end up like this...

Perhaps, we can be more gentle and tolerant towards her.

Wen Qiu gently held the hair clip in her palm.

In my mind, that figure became clearer and clearer.

A nineteen-year-old girl, whose life had just begun, had her life abruptly cut short.

When Zeng Yongshan left You Minmin's brother and sister-in-law's house, her eyes were red.

She was too emotional. Inspector Mok had spoken to her several times, reminding her to maintain professionalism when handling cases. But this emotionality was both her weakness and her strength. It was precisely because of this that Tsang Wing-shan was able to understand more deeply the pain and struggles hidden behind the cases.

"You Minmin has become an unsolvable problem for this family."

"Will her leaving be a relief for her?"

Will her death truly leave her family with a lifetime of guilt?

“That was just her own choice.” Zeng Yongshan lowered her eyes. “Actually, her brother loves her, and her parents love her too.”

Zhu Qing paused and looked back at each step of the staircase.

The investigation revealed that You Minmin ate at her brother and sister-in-law's house almost every week.

If she truly didn't crave love, she didn't have to go.

What was she thinking as she climbed each step of the stairs during those days?

...

As they walked through the story, the members of Major Crimes Unit B seemed to have lived through the short life of You Minmin.

Her life ended several days ago, and this case is about to come to a close.

Zhu Qing sorted through the deceased's evidence bag one last time.

Her fingertips traced the words, some deep and some shallow, on the diary page.

The paper fluttered past my eyes—

"March 19th, sunny. The stray dog ​​actually knows how to look at the traffic lights when crossing the road."

"April 13th, heavy rain. I really didn't want to go out in this weather, but a customer specifically asked me to help find a record."

"May 7th, cloudy. The weather is muggy; summer is almost here."

In her diary, besides her resentment towards her family and her anxiety about losing Chui Shui Hui, she also recorded her trivial daily life.

You Minmin once existed vividly, but when Zhu Qing saw her, all that remained was her pale face lying face up in the bathtub.

"Yongshan," Zhu Qing suddenly spoke, "when do you think she started wanting to die?"

Tseng Yung-shan twirled her pen and sighed softly, "It started when I realized that my brother's family and parents were living happily together, while I felt like an outsider?"

In her diary, You Minmin mentioned that she stood awkwardly at the door and saw her brother and sister-in-law's family laughing together with her parents. When they saw her arrive, they quickly got up and welcomed her into the house.

They seemed to welcome her, but their smiles were stiff and forced.

"Or did you discover that Chui Shui Hui never loved her? Those sweet words were just to swindle her money?"

“They even treated her like a free babysitter.”

"Or perhaps, they simply feel that life is meaningless." Zeng Yongshan shrugged helplessly. "Who knows?"

In this case, which was initially classified as murder, You Minmin was never the perfect victim.

She had a gloomy personality and was seen by others as an insignificant speck of dust. Now that her death has been confirmed as a suicide, her colleagues are even more vocal in their criticism of her.

“That’s her own brother.” Haozai put the essay collection and her graduation photo into the evidence bag. “If he hadn’t been allergic to red wine, wouldn’t he really be a murderer?”

"What's more, they did have a dispute, and so many relatives saw it at Grandpa's funeral." Xu Jiale glanced at the cover of the essay collection. "The client went abroad, the bar owner and waiters couldn't determine the exact time of You Yikang's alibi, plus the torn-out diary and the DNA on the wine bottle, she was determined to frame her own brother."

Everyone sighed in dismay.

You Minmin was not a perfect victim, but she almost created the perfect murder.

"It's too extreme. We can analyze her motivations, but we simply can't understand them, let alone sympathize with them."

"That's her own brother. He has young children and elderly parents to take care of. If he's wrongfully imprisoned, the whole family will be ruined. Just because she feels neglected, she wants to drag everyone down with her?"

"Her brother really had a lot of bad luck. Fortunately, the truth has come out now. He should use pomelo leaves to ward off the bad luck when he gets back."

Zeng Yongshan frowned: "They're all gone, so watch your mouth."

"Where did she go wrong? Just because You Minmin is dead, does that mean the dead deserve respect? She's framing someone!"

"How vicious! What deep-seated hatred could she possibly have to turn her brother into a murderer?"

Uncle Li chuckled: "You talk as if her brother is really going to jail, as if we police officers are just for show?"

"Still have time to chat?" Mo Zhenbang came out of his office, his tone much more relaxed than the previous two days. "Even if it's a suicide case, it has to be closed according to procedure. The 'ghost call' has caused quite a stir in the city, and the public is waiting for our explanation."

"Inspector Weng will respond."

"I haven't seen him slick his hair back these past two days. He must not have expected the case to be solved so quickly."

Mo Zhenbang ignored the young man's teasing.

The suicide case required complete procedures, so he had the experienced Uncle Li lead a newcomer to complete it.

"Death certificate, police investigation report."

"There was also a suicide note, but not in this case."

"And mental health assessment records. Psychologists have confidentiality agreements, and disclosing patients' conditions without authorization may lead to complaints and lawsuits. I need to apply for a disclosure order, and you can bring it with you then."

This was the first time Zhu Qing had followed the entire process of closing a suicide case.

In addition to the aforementioned documents, supplementary evidence is needed, such as nylon rope used for suicide attempts, medicine bottles and wine bottles, DNA evidence from the wine bottles after re-examination, and DNA comparison records of You Yikang, etc.

"Finally, there are the eyewitness testimonies," Mo Zhenbang added. "This case is special, so it needs to be filed together with that radio phone call."

Colleagues were talking about it.

The evidence is conclusive; the shop assistant next to the record store and the teahouse lady who saw the deceased on Tuesday can both confirm that she was in low spirits.

Zhu Qing carefully recorded the key points for closing the case.

Xiao Sun sat in front of the computer and pulled up the original recording of You Minmin's radio interview.

The distant sound echoed in the CID office.

Clerical worker Zhenjie shivered and rubbed her arms.

"Host, this is You Minmin, I'm dead."

"I am You Minmin, and I am dead."

“The bathtub at 17 Mei Kok Street, Sai Wan, is where I died.”

For the last time, she made sure all the listeners in Hong Kong remembered her name.

...

When Zhu Qing arrived home, Fang Fang had just returned as well.

Yesterday, Aunt Ping gave Fangfang some ideas to pass the time.

He flatly refused requests to go to the park to feed pigeons, to the supermarket to buy strawberries, or to the department store to snag limited-edition models.

The little boy complained that he was bored, but his short legs were unusually honest today, keeping him constantly active.

When he got home, he had his hands in his pockets, while Aunt Ping behind him was holding a Transformer toy in her left hand and a bright red strawberry in her right.

"Qingzai, I've named the little gray pigeon in the park."

"What's your name?"

"Yinbao." Shengfang tilted her head and made a "shh" gesture with her lips. "Don't let Jinbao's mommy know."

After dinner, the children lay on the floor playing with their new toys.

The newly acquired Transformers model can transform into amazing forms. Fangfang kept saying "So cool" as he showed it off to Qingzai.

With his keen observation skills, Fang Sir quickly noticed something amiss: Qingzai, who was usually engrossed in solving cases, neither entered the room nor touched the whiteboard today.

"The case has been solved?"

After receiving Qingzai's affirmative answer, Fangfang hugged the Transformers model and jumped onto the sofa.

They are as agile as the little monkeys of Flower Fruit Mountain.

"Is it over?"

Is it really over?

"Qingzai, why so fast this time!"

Although Zhaolin said that the higher-ups gave them three days to solve the case, everyone knew that the case had to be investigated slowly and meticulously, so how could it be closed so quickly?

Who would have thought that Major Crimes Unit B would actually complete the mission on time?

"Why so fast this time?" Sheng Fang's excited little face loomed large in front of Zhu Qing.

"Isn't this good enough?"

"Of course!" Fangfang jumped high on the sofa. "We can have a holiday!"

A case being resolved smoothly is definitely a good thing.

In the baby's heart, "case closed" and "Qingzai on vacation" are completely synonymous.

Aunt Ping chuckled: "Even if the case is closed, you still have to go to work."

"Can we go to the amusement park?"

Fangfang is still thinking about the plan that didn't work out last time.

They had even prepared their itinerary, but a phone call from the radio shattered their leisurely time.

Now, Shengfang continues to work on the strategy.

"Roller coasters, Ferris wheels, and sky roller coasters—"

The ringing of the telephone interrupted Fangfang's anticipation.

Aunt Ping answered the phone and then put it down: "Qingqing, it's for you."

Fangfang asked curiously, "Who is it?"

"Teacher Ji."

The young master's smile vanished instantly, shifting to Aunt Ping's face.

Zhu Qing hung up the phone and turned around: "Teacher Ji said she wants to meet the parents tomorrow."

On Friday afternoon, Shengfang abducted Jinbao and took him home, and this matter is not over yet.

Not only does Teacher Ji have to meet with the parents, but the principal also needs to be spoken to.

"You've gotten me into this mess," Zhu Qing said.

Shengfang yawned slightly: "So sleepy."

He kicked his little feet, slowly observing his niece's expression, and slipped into the children's room.

Close the door gently.

Zhu Qing: ...

"It's only seven o'clock," Aunt Ping said, suppressing a laugh. "Young Master went to bed very early today."

...

Zhu Qing spent the entire day of Monday running around.

As a newcomer, she had to follow the entire process of closing the suicide case and was involved in almost every step.

She and Tsang Wing-shan went to Central and, following the address, found the psychological clinic where the deceased, Yau Man-man, had received treatment.

"Xu Mingyuan Psychological Clinic." Zhu Qing looked up at the sign. "This is it."

The clinic's waiting area was quiet and comfortable, with soft sofas and gentle lighting.

Zeng Yongshan casually picked up a few well-worn psychology magazines from the magazine shelf.

Zhu Qing stood in the corridor, where Dr. Xu Mingyuan's gleaming resume hung on the wall.

The door to the consultation room was closed, and low voices could be heard coming from behind it. Zhu Qing had no intention of listening to their conversation and returned to sit down on the sofa.

The receptionist brought over some tea: "Please wait a moment, there is a patient receiving treatment inside."

Zhu Qing and Zeng Yongshan sat in the waiting area until forty minutes later, when the door to the consultation room opened.

A young patient emerged, her eyes slightly red, clutching a tissue in her hand. She had clearly just been crying, but her brow was relaxed.

"Officers, this way please." The nurse led them into the examination room.

Dr. Xu nodded slightly to them, his eyes gentle behind his glasses.

The two officers handed over their police identification and court-issued documents.

After carefully checking the records, the psychologist turned around and took a record from the filing cabinet.

"I also followed this news."

“I often tell Ms. You that there are many wonderful things in life worth experiencing.”

"Unfortunately, my abilities are limited, and I was unable to help her."

Zeng Yongshan took the document: "The police force also has psychological counselors. The causes of psychological problems are too complicated, and doctors can only do their best."

Out of professional ethics, psychologists cannot disclose details of their treatments.

He paused, his tone restrained: "But I can say with certainty that Miss You does have suicidal tendencies."

The assessment records show that You Minmin was diagnosed with severe depression.

The receptionist nurse retrieved her medical records.

"Ms. You is supposed to have a weekly check-up, but she hasn't come for two weeks."

"Indeed, quite a few patients give up treatment due to cost issues."

Both Zhu Qing and Zeng Yongshan had solemn expressions as they left the psychological clinic.

The cost of psychotherapy is not low. You Minmin tried to save herself, but in the end, she still couldn't hold on.

The sunlight was dazzling, but not scorching.

Zhu Qing raised her hand to shield her eyes from the light: "If she doesn't suffer from paranoia as You Yikang said... why is she so suspicious, going through her brother's letters and receipts?"

Zeng Yongshan shook her head, as it was impossible to know what illness the deceased had suffered from before her death.

If she intentionally isolates herself, even the best doctors are helpless.

"Don't get stuck on this," Zeng Yongshan said gently. "Not every question has an answer."

"And why add ice to the bathtub?" Zhu Qing stared into the distance, her brow furrowed slightly. "To delay the time of death? What's the point?"

"If You Minmin wanted to create the illusion that she had already died during the phone call, she shouldn't have added ice to delay the time of death."

The wind carried away her murmurs, and no one could answer her questions.

The only person who knew the answer has fallen silent forever.

...

At 8:30 p.m., only a few people remained in the criminal investigation team's office.

Zhu Qing finished compiling the last report and will hand it to Mo Zhenbang for signature tomorrow morning.

The case name on the report has been changed from "You Minmin Murder Case" to "You Minmin Suicide Case".

Zhu Qing closed the case file and rubbed her sore neck.

Although he had told her on the phone that he wouldn't be home for dinner, Fangfang was still worried and brought some soup that Aunt Ping had made to the police station.

My colleagues each had a bowl and raved about it.

"It's so nourishing, it moisturizes from head to toe."

"Xu Jiale, you're exaggerating!"

"I wish I could drink Aunt Ping's delicious soup every day."

"You wish..."

After finishing their soup, several colleagues stretched and yawned in unison.

Although exhausted, this case has finally come to an end.

"Want to grab a drink?" Xu Jiale tossed his pen into the pen holder and suggested, "The case's closed, it's time to relax."

“Let’s go,” Haozai agreed. “If I keep looking at these documents, I’ll lose all my hair.”

Xu Jiale ruffled his hair: "Isn't this a lot?"

Zeng Yongshan chuckled: "Where to?"

“You’ll have to ask Inspector Leung,” Hao-zai winked. “His house is near Lan Kwai Fong, he knows it best.”

Zhu Qing never attended these kinds of gatherings in the past.

But when she caught a glimpse of Shengfang's little figure slipping away, she suddenly stood up.

"Blooming?"

"Happy Hour!" Sheng Fang waved her little hand without turning her head.

The location was chosen by Haozai. He was very familiar with his colleagues in the forensic department, and he heard that they often gathered here.

“Mentioning Ben’s name will get you a discount,” Hao Zai said with a smile.

Xu Jiale raised an eyebrow: "Can we just put it on Ah Ben's tab?"

"Hey, a CID agent dines and dashes. What will happen to the Major Crimes Unit's reputation if word gets out?"

"Just say that it was the Major Crimes Unit A who dined and dashed, and that it has nothing to do with our Unit B."

Everyone burst into laughter.

Children, please remember this place.

Last time Dr. Cheng and Ching-zai came to Lan Kwai Fong to find her "boyfriend," they went into this bar located at the end of the slope.

"Qingzai, Qingzai." Fangfang blinked. "Will we run into Dr. Cheng?"

Zhu Qing did not respond.

How could she not know what her son was thinking? Whether or not they met Dr. Cheng was not important; Fangfang was thinking about riding the motorcycle.

This is a quiet bar, but it's still quite young.

Zhu Qing reminded everyone: "The flowers can only bloom for a maximum of thirty minutes."

Fangfang made a gesture: "No problem."

Under the dim yellow light, jazz music flowed slowly.

Behind the bar, the bartender wiped the glasses. Noticing the boy's eager gaze, he performed a series of skillful and fluid movements, and a beautiful cocktail appeared before the young master as if by magic.

Shengfang watched intently, what a wonderful performance! If he hadn't been in such a hurry and had no money, he would have definitely slapped a tip on the bar!

Zhu Qing couldn't help but want to laugh.

He's been to bars, is there any place the young master of the Sheng family hasn't been to?

The waiter brought drinks to the guests at the window table, carrying a tray.

Shengfang lowered her head, biting on the straw, her clear black and white eyes still darting around.

The glass in front of him was freshly squeezed orange juice, sweet and sour.

The taste of early autumn.

Fangfang celebrated with her future colleagues, cherishing every minute of those thirty minutes.

"Finally, I can breathe a sigh of relief." Zeng Yongshan raised her glass. "A toast—"

Liang Qikai smiled and replied, "Case closed?"

"Case closed!"

The glasses clinked together, and the ice cubes jingled.

Fangfang also raised her orange juice: "Cheers!"

Just as he was about to say goodbye to everyone, the young master heard the sound of the glass door being pushed open and saw Ben with many teeth.

Shengfang looked away expressionlessly, showing no intention of greeting him.

Then, another figure appeared.

Fangfang recognized Dr. Cheng, whom he had been longing for, at a glance!

What a coincidence!

My colleagues from the forensic department are regulars at this bar.

The children greeted Cheng Xinglang in their sweet, childlike voices.

Zhu Qing pinched the tip of his nose.

Where did this little genius go? This three-year-old is so naive; his thoughts are written all over his face.

Cold water droplets condensed on the glass and slowly slid down its sides.

In fact, Zhu Qing did not have the real feeling that the case was about to end.

An unlikable girl, and a happy ending for everyone.

You Minmin's family will gradually emerge from the shadows and return to a normal life, as will Chui Shuihui.

The case report has been written, and the chain of evidence is complete and flawless...

However, she still stubbornly wanted to find those unproven answers.

Cheng Xinglang sat down in the empty seat next to Zhu Qing.

Just as she was about to turn her head, she suddenly felt a cool, refreshing scent approaching.

"There were problems with the autopsy."

Zhu Qing suddenly raised her head.

In the dim light, her eyes shone exceptionally bright.

"What?"

"Several pale purple bruises were found on the back of the deceased's neck." His voice was low.

"Delayed subcutaneous hemorrhage, which did not begin to show up until 72 hours after death."

During the follow-up examination, Dr. Cheng noticed bruises on the back of the deceased's neck.

Then, slowly, bruises gradually appeared, and by the afternoon, the subcutaneous bleeding on the back of the neck was fully visible.

"This indicates that the force was applied during the dying period."

Zhu Qing was startled and immediately realized: "She wanted to commit suicide, but regretted it."

Cheng Xinglang: "Someone pressed down on the back of her neck from behind and pushed her back into the bathtub."

The little boy didn't disturb the two of them as they were whispering to each other.

Are you discussing when to take your uncle for a bike ride?

The baby was secretly excited, and then noticed that Liang Qikai was drinking alone with his head down.

This Mr. Leung, from time to time, was secretly watching his niece and his motorcycle driver.

His gaze dimmed again and again, yet he lingered, unable to look away.

Fang Fang cupped her chubby little face in her hands and sipped orange juice with her lips pursed far away.

Glug glug, glug glug...

Suddenly, his eyes met Liang Qikai's—

Inspector Leung looks so downcast, can't he be a little more cheerful?

Cheng Xinglang and Zhu Qing were still discussing the case in the corner.

Dr. Cheng said this is only a preliminary inference, and the final result will be determined after the government laboratory report is released.

He has already given the re-examination report to Inspector Mok, but the others are unaware of it.

Zhu Qing remained silent for a long time.

For the deceased You Minmin, death was not a relief.

At least in the last moments of her life, she still wanted to live.

"So it was murder after all," Zhu Qing said softly.

Cheng Xinglang nodded.

"It's so late." Liang Qikai turned his gaze away from their eye contact and looked at Sheng Fang. "Aren't you going to school tomorrow?"

Shengfang's eyes widened, staring at him in shock—

If you have nothing to say, you can shut up!

Zhu Qing then remembered something: "Sheng Fang, I forgot to meet my parents today!"

She was so busy that day that she completely forgot about going to kindergarten.

Neither Teacher Ji nor the principal contacted her again.

"How did you manage to do that?"

"What?" The little boy swayed his small body to the rhythm of the music, covered his ears and shook his head exaggeratedly, "It's too noisy, I can't hear you!"

What are they indulging in at such a quiet bar?

Qingzai: "Then let's talk about it when we get home."

The child froze: "I heard you."