Zhao Wu returned at the beginning of the night. Seeing that the light in the small window was still on, he took bigger steps.

Xu Lan couldn't sleep, so she was leaning against the head of the bed reading a book.

She heard Zhao Wu's footsteps and was about to get off the ground when she felt the fetus moving in her belly.

Seeing Zhao Wu pushing the door open, he quickly waved and said with a smile, "Come and see, the baby is moving again."

Zhao Wu was about to talk to Xu Lanyin, but after hearing this, he quickly ran to the head of the bed and saw a bulge on the right side of Xu Lanyin's belly when she lifted up her clothes. Later, another bulge appeared on the right side.

Zhao Wu also smiled and reached out to touch it, but then he realized he hadn't washed his hands yet, so he didn't dare to touch it.

Only after the fetus stopped moving did Xu Lanyin put down her clothes.

Zhao Wu went to the bathroom to wash up, then came out and said, "It's so late, why haven't you rested yet?"

Xu Lanyin said, "I can't sleep. Come and tell me, what did the victim say? Have you identified the suspect?"

Zhao Wu gave her a glare, then continued, "The case was discovered in a wasteland on the edge of the city. It has similarities with the previous four cases, but also differences. The similarity is that the ropes and methods used to tie up the family members are the same. The difference is that the criminals killed the victims immediately after raping them in the past, but this time they didn't kill them. Instead, they beat the victim until her nose and face were bruised and her head was bleeding. While they were beating him, passers-by discovered him and scared him away... The victim said it was dark and they only saw the criminal covering his face with a cloth, and they couldn't see anything else clearly. The two passers-by who discovered the case said they heard the criminal swearing. But the victim said she was so scared that she didn't notice whether the criminal was swearing or what he was saying... She might have been really frightened and didn't remember, or she might be hiding something."

Zhao Wu sat dejectedly on the edge of the bed. He had questioned the victim for most of the day, and the victim's family had also helped him, but the victim only cried and shook his head, saying he was too scared and didn't remember anything.

Xu Lanyin said, "Did Minhu ever ask me to talk to the victim?"

Zhao Wu was speechless. Min Hu did ask, but he refused on the grounds that Xu Lanyin was pregnant.

Xu Lanyin said, "I'll go talk to the victim tomorrow. Maybe I can get some clues and solve the case soon."

Zhao Wu shook his head and said, "No, what if it scares you and the child?"

Xu Lanyin said, "She's a victim, not a murderer, so she can't scare me. If I can really get something out of her, the case can be solved sooner, and many girls' lives can be saved... Besides, talking to a victim, especially a female victim, requires skill. It's completely different from interrogating a criminal. You can't jump straight into the topic and make her reject you. You have to let her let down her guard first and trust you, so she'll be willing to tell you her true feelings..."

Zhao Wu saw that Xu Lanyin's explanation was very convincing, so he had to let her try. He nodded and said, "Okay, I'll take her to see him tomorrow. It's getting late now, so go to bed."

The next day, after sending Min Jia and Xu Lanyue away, Zhao Wu asked someone to go to the yamen to deliver a letter to Min Hu, while he accompanied Lan Yin to the victim's home by car. Zhang Qi also got in the car, and He Dong drove the car himself.

Zhao Wu said the victim's name was Hua Qiaoniang, and she lived in the northwest, not far from Old Man Xu's home. Her father and brother made tofu, and she and her mother sold tofu at the street corner...

The carriage stopped at the gate of a courtyard.

Zhao Wu helped Xu Lanyin out of the car and knocked on the door of the yard. A woman in her forties opened the door.

She knew Zhao Wu and forced a smile as she invited them in. She whispered, "My Hua Niang was terrified and kept crying. She finally fell asleep. Could you please not disturb her, sir? She said she didn't remember, but you've driven her crazy, so she definitely doesn't remember."

After saying this, he knelt down and kowtowed several times. A middle-aged man and a young man who were making tofu in the house also ran out and knelt down and kowtowed, not wanting the officials to come looking for Hua Qiaoniang again.

This incident has already made the family lose face, and if the police come to their house more often, they will be even less able to hold their heads up.

Zhao Wu said, "Hua Qiaoniang said she doesn't remember anything, but the murderer wouldn't think so. He's a habitual criminal and his methods are cruel. Aren't you afraid that he'll come and kill you? If he does, Hua Qiaoniang won't be the only one to die."

After hearing this, the three men looked at each other in fear and had to stand up.

Zhao Wu said again, "This is my wife. Let her talk to Hua Qiaoniang. Things that are difficult for us men to talk about are easy for women to talk about. Hua Qiaoniang won't be afraid either."

Aunt Hua invited Xu Lanyin into the north room of the west wing. Only the chess master followed her in. Zhao Wu and others sat down in the west wing hall.

Xu Lanyin saw a girl sitting at the head of the bed, her face bruised and swollen. Her features were deformed, and her eyes were swollen to slits. She shook her head in fear and said, "Get out, get out, I won't see anyone."

Aunt Hua said with tears in her eyes, "Qiao Niang, this is Master Zhao's wife. If you can't tell others about something, just tell her..."

Hua Qiaoniang burst into tears and cried, "I've already said, I don't know anything, get out, get out..."

Xu Lanyin said, "Aunt Hua, please go out. I want to talk to her alone."

Aunt Hua looked at Xu Lanyin's big belly and had to go out. The chess master went over and closed the door.

Xu Lanyin looked around the room. The furniture wasn't well-arranged, but it was clean and tidy. There were two pots of daffodils on the high table.

She sat on a chair at the end of the bunk bed, right next to it, just in time to hear Hua Qiaoniang's thoughts.

Zhangqi stood beside Xu Lanyin, ready to deal with any unexpected situation at any time.

Hua Qiaoniang buried her head in her knees and cried.

Xu Lanyin didn't say anything, waiting for her to cry. In fact, she was listening to her heart.

Hua Qiaoniang muttered to herself, I can’t say it, I can’t say it, it will be even more embarrassing if I say it, I will die...

Zhao Wu and the others sat in the hall, completely silent. No sound came from the north room either. A quarter of an hour later, Min Hu arrived. He led Master Ji into the west wing and waited silently.

Minhu was very happy. He believed that as long as Xu Lanyin took action, Hua Qiaoniang would still have some memory of what happened that day and they would be able to get a clue.

After waiting for more than two quarters of an hour, they could occasionally hear Xu Lanyin and Hua Qiaoniang talking from the north room. Their voices were so soft that they couldn't hear clearly.

But Hua Qiaoniang finally spoke, which made everyone breathe a sigh of relief.

More than two quarters of an hour later, Xu Lanyin and Zhangqi came out.

Xu Lanyin asked Zhao Wudao, "Where exactly did the first four cases take place?"

Before, Zhao Wu only told her that three were in different counties and one was in the suburbs of Ningzhou Prefecture.

Zhao Wu said again.

Xu Lanyin's expression grew more serious. "These locations seem far apart and haphazardly connected, but when you put them together, they're the section of road from Nanping County to Ningzhou Prefecture, or somewhere near that section. I think I've locked onto the suspect," she said.

Zhao Wu and Min Hu asked in unison, "Who is it?"