"I remember you told me that Dr. Song usually forbids you from entering his counseling room, is that right?" During a break in his conversation with Xu Wen, the small notebook and pen he used for taking notes reappeared in his hand. After saying this, Wang Shen looked up and stared at Xu Wen.

“Yes.” Xu Wen and Wang Shen exchanged a glance.

This was the second time Wang Shen had seen Xu Wen's eyes like this; the first time was yesterday when Xu Wen gave the same answer. A person's eyes are the most telling indicator, and besides helplessness, Xu Wen's eyes also revealed a hint of...fierceness...

Could the woman in front of him be Song Mu's killer? Actually, Wang Shen had this question in mind when he found the couple's mug next to the flowerpot. Xu Wen must have valued the mug, as she would have kept it nearby as a water cup. Song Mu, on the other hand, clearly didn't care about the mug, placing it next to the flowerpot as a watering tool. Based on Wang Shen's past experience, a crime of passion was indeed a strong motive. However, given the current clues, a conclusion couldn't be drawn lightly.

"Since Dr. Song doesn't allow you to enter his office without permission, how did you manage to walk in this morning?" Wang Shen continued to look at Xu Wen, his eyes filled with doubt.

Xu Wen shifted her gaze from Wang Shen's face, glancing slightly to the side, and replied with a serious expression, "That's because Dr. Song has a habit of drinking a cup of coffee that I make for her every morning." After saying this, a shy smile briefly appeared on Xu Wen's face. Perhaps even she realized that her behavior was abnormal, so she immediately resumed her serious and sad expression.

Wang Shen carefully observed Xu Wen's expression and saw that her brows were filled with sadness. However, this sadness was not easily perceived by others. Because beneath the sadness, another strong emotion occupied Xu Wen's heart. Wang Shen couldn't quite put his finger on what this emotion was. In short, Wang Shen felt a deep sense of oppression when he looked into Xu Wen's eyes.

"Oh?" Wang Shen deliberately raised his voice, his face showing great surprise.

“This morning when I went to deliver coffee to Dr. Song, there was no response no matter how much I knocked. I could only see a very blurry figure of Dr. Song outside the consultation room. But I didn’t go in at that time because I knew Dr. Song didn’t like ‘uninvited guests.’” After saying this, the sadness returned to Xu Wen’s eyes. “I thought Dr. Song had been working all night and was too tired to sleep. It’s common for Dr. Song to work all night. But Dr. Song is an extremely strict person with himself, almost to the point of being harsh. Usually, he drinks coffee at seven o’clock in the morning, and it seems that he has never changed this habit. I started to feel that something was wrong, but I still patiently waited for another twenty minutes. When I knocked on the door a second time, Dr. Song still did not respond. I stood outside the door and thought for a while, but I decided to push the door open and go in to see.” At this point, Xu Wen began to choke up, covering her mouth with one hand, trying her best to suppress her sadness.

Wang Shen handed Xu Wen a tissue. Xu Wen thanked him and gently wiped away the tears that hadn't yet fallen from the corners of her eyes. "I pushed open the door and found Dr. Song sitting comfortably in his chair. To be honest, I was really relieved. I called out to Dr. Song again, but he still didn't respond. That's when I realized that Dr. Song's posture seemed a bit strange. As I just mentioned, Dr. Song is an extremely strict person with himself; he would never allow himself to slump in a chair like that. My hand holding the coffee cup was trembling uncontrollably. I slowly approached Dr. Song. When I saw Dr. Song's face, I was startled, and the coffee cup spilled onto the carpet." After saying this, Xu Wen picked up the tissue and kept wiping away the tears from the corners of her eyes.

"So you called the police back then?" Wang Shen was still writing down the information provided by Xu Wen in his notebook.

Xu Wen was still sobbing, and when she heard Wang Shen's question, she just nodded sadly.

"You just mentioned that coffee was spilled on the carpet?" Wang Shen immediately turned his gaze back to the consultation room.

Xu Wen nodded again.

What kind of cup did the deceased use to drink coffee each time?

“Those are the coffee cups,” Xu Wen said, pointing to the tea area not far away.

Wang Shen followed Xu Wen's pointing finger and saw a coffee machine, some pour-over equipment, and bottled water on the table in the tea area. "These are the cups? Did the deceased have a specific cup in mind?" Wearing plastic gloves, Wang Shen picked up one of the cups and examined it.

Xu Wen shook her head again.

Three sets of coffee cups were laid out on the table; they were just ordinary models. "Besides the deceased, who else would use these coffee cups?"

“Sometimes important clients or people who are close to Dr. Song come over, and these cups are used then,” Xu Wen said, staring at the cup in Wang Shen’s hand as she answered his question.

Wang Shen glanced at Xu Wen, carefully analyzing her words, and felt a little strange. Xu Wen had just mentioned that Song Mu was a very demanding person. Wang Shen had a preconceived notion about this type of person: obsessive-compulsive disorder. Such people are demanding of themselves, and equally demanding of others. They wouldn't entrust themselves to someone they didn't completely trust.

Returning to the coffee cup issue, Wang Shen would have believed Xu Wen if she had told him that Song Mu used a specific coffee cup. However, Xu Wen said that Song Mu used any of the three cups. This answer inevitably made Wang Shen suspicious. Of course, there are exceptions. As for the truth, Wang Shen will have to investigate the clues himself.

Thinking of this, Wang Shen turned and went back into the counseling room. He quickly walked to the carpet near the desk and squatted down. He carefully searched for the coffee stain Xu Wen had mentioned. Sure enough, right next to the desk, he saw the coffee stain.

Something was wrong. Wang Shen's gaze froze for a moment. There was something wrong with this coffee stain. Wang Shen observed the arrangement of Song Mu's desk. Song Mu's desk was positioned with its left side facing the door of the counseling room. Logically, Xu Wen should have entered the office from outside and gone directly to Song Mu. When she discovered Song Mu's death, she should have been standing on Song Mu's left side, not going around to Song Mu's right side.

Moreover, the biggest point of suspicion is that Song Mu is left-handed. As his secretary, Xu Wen should have known about Song Mu's habit long ago, so it would have been even more impossible for her to place the coffee cup on Song Mu's right side.

Wang Shen examined the coffee stain again carefully, then gestured to the police officer behind him to collect evidence from it. Wang Shen stood up and glanced at Xu Wen standing behind him. This woman must be hiding something!