Chapter 80 Alley
Chen Wan took his hand and touched his cheek, "It's so cold."
"It's snowing heavily outside again. It's a bit cold." Lin Yu was about to pull his hand back. "Why haven't you slept yet?"
Chen Wan glanced out the window. The dim warm light dragged on the curtains, reflecting the falling shadows of snow. "Really? Then go take a hot bath and warm up." Then he pulled him to the bathroom.
They reached the door reluctantly, but Lin Yu didn't go in. He leaned lazily against the door frame, his fingers hooked on her sleeves, his eyes half lowered, and he said with a half-smile: "Let's take a shower together?"
Chen Wan narrowed her eyes slightly and slapped his hand away: "I'll go heat up some beef brisket soup for you."
"Wanzi is so nice." Lin Yu leaned forward a little, pulled Chen Wan into his arms, rested his chin on the soft hair, and his depressed mood eased a lot. "Don't wait for me next time, go to bed early."
Chen Wan hummed and let him hold her. "Today's case is very difficult, isn't it? Are you tired?"
Lin Yu tightened his elbows and deepened the hug, allowing the warmth to flow into his heart. He whispered, "A little bit. I've been following this case since I was still in South City, but I've never been able to bring those behind the scenes to justice. If the truth could have been uncovered sooner, perhaps no one would be dead now."
Yu Jiayi, who was forced to participate in human trafficking and eventually chose to commit suicide; Yu Jiayun, who was innocently sold into an obscene place and was brutally abused but was then the subject of much discussion; and Zheng Yunqing, whose death information has now been hidden.
One after another, vibrant lives disappeared before dawn.
Sensing Lin Yu's panic, Chen Wan sighed secretly and gently stroked his spine, his warm fingertips touching his short black hair. "But it's not too late. As long as we don't give up the investigation, we will definitely be able to save the next victim. We can't change what has happened, but we can prevent it from happening, right?"
The police are not omnipotent gods, but they can be the dawn that pierces the darkness.
"Yeah." Lin Yu took a deep breath and slowly let go of her. "I went to the scene today, and I think I still smell. I need to take a shower first."
Chen Wan nodded: "Okay, go quickly."
Lin Yu lowered his head and looked at her, a soft smile gradually spreading in his eyes, "You really don't want to take a shower together?"
"I don't want to!"
The righteous refusal and the sound of the door closing fell into Lin Yu's ears. He glanced at the clothes that had been prepared long ago and raised his voice to tease her, "Wanzai, let's wash together. Save water. Diligence and thrift are virtues..."
"Don't try to fool me!"
"Chen Wan is such a stingy person. He won't even agree to such a small request."
"Lin Yu, you are so childish!"
While Chen Wan and Lin Yu were arguing with each other from a distance, she walked into the kitchen, turned on the stove, and heated up the tomato and beef brisket soup. The rich aroma wafted into the room, and bubbles were bubbling in the casserole. She served the rice and stir-fried some green vegetables.
When the food was served, Lin Yu just came out, holding a towel in his hand, and casually rubbed his damp black hair. After smelling the aroma of the food, he could not hide his joy. He directly crossed the sofa and sat in front of the dining table, giving Chen Wan a thumbs up: "It smells so good. I wasn't hungry at first, but now I'm greedy."
After Chen Wan pushed the soup in front of him, he heard a squeaking sound. He turned around and saw Yuwan pulling at the railing. His two black eyes were shining and his little red nose was twitching.
Lin Yu picked up a melon seed and poked its belly gently. "What's the matter? Do you want to eat it too? No, this is made for me by Wanzi."
Yuwan caught the melon seed kernel, and Lin Yu let go of it, and it fell backwards into the wood chip pile, flapping its little paws, making him laugh out loud.
Chen Wan: “…”
How childish is this person, he even bullies hamsters?
Turning back to meet Chen Wan's speechless expression, Lin Yu shaved his brows and said seriously, "I'm helping it lose weight."
"Oh." Chen Wan suppressed his smile and said, "Whatever you say is what it is."
Lin Yu compromised in a second, "Okay, I was wrong, but you have to know that there is no room for two tigers in one mountain. It has occupied you all day today, so it should be my turn tonight."
He hadn't meant it as a joke, but the latter heard the hidden meaning.
Chen Wan raised her hand and rubbed the tip of her ear, which was burning. "You...what do you want to do tonight...last time you asked me to bring you some clothes...but..."
Lin Yu just drank a mouthful of soup, and was choked by these words. After coughing twice, he explained: "I don't wear clothes when I take a bath, and don't you always touch me when I sleep..."
"Stop talking!" Chen Wan turned her face away and blocked his mouth with a piece of vegetables with her chopsticks. "Besides, I wasn't touching you secretly, I was just curious!"
"Really..." Lin Yu chewed the vegetable leaves absentmindedly, shifting his gaze in the direction Chen Wan tilted her head, observing her expression. After seeing her face redder than tomato soup, he smiled, "Hey, Wanzi, don't be shy. What's mine is yours. You can do whatever you want to me..."
Before she could finish her words, her mouth was stuffed with a large piece of beef brisket. Her accusation sounded fierce, but her tone was soft, "Stop talking!"
"Lin Xiahui" looked up at the sky with melancholy. This stupid rabbit always started fires everywhere, but ran away after doing so.
Alas, it is so difficult to be a gentleman.
After finishing their meal, the two washed up together. Lin Yu's mind was filled with the case, and he told Chen Wan to go to bed first with a heavy heart, "I may be busy until very late, you should go to bed early."
Chen Wan thought of the phone call that morning and after a moment's hesitation asked him, "Can I take a look at this case? The deceased seems to be someone I know."
Lin Yu raised his eyebrows in surprise, "Do you know Zheng Yunqing?"
"I'm not sure either. Can you show me a photo?" She bit her lower lip. "If it doesn't work, forget it."
The case has currently reached a bottleneck, and all known suspects have been ruled out. If Chen Wan can provide new clues, there might be a turning point.
Lin Yu was silent for a moment, then nodded and led her to the desk. He handed her Zheng Yunqing's photo and asked, "Is it her?"
"Yes, I've seen her twice." Chen Wan turned his head and looked at him, "Do you remember the pizza shop we went to last time? Someone asked to borrow your lighter. It was her."
Lin Yu nodded, "I remember, what about the second time?"
"Last Saturday, Jiang Yao and I went to a training institution for an interview. We also went to a computer mall and ran into her by chance."
"Last Saturday, the 18th, right? Didn't we have dinner together that day?" After seeing her nod, Lin Yu's eyes darkened. "Was there anyone else with her at that time?"
"No, she went to the computer mall with us afterwards, saying she wanted to repair her phone."
Chen Wan stared at Zheng Yunqing in the photo. She had standard almond-shaped eyes, was charming and frivolous, had soft facial lines, and a temperament that was cold and almost heartless. Therefore, her kindness was like alms, using her fame as an excuse to take advantage of him. She was neither indifferent nor grateful.
Lin Yu noticed Chen Wan's depression and put his arm around her shoulders, comforting her: "We already have a general direction for the investigation, and we should be able to find the murderer soon. Don't worry too much."
Chen Wan nodded: "Well, if there is anything I can help with, you must tell me."
After a moment's hesitation, Lin Yu asked her, "Think back, did she encounter anything strange at the time, or did she ask to meet someone?"
"Strange things..." Chen Wan frowned slightly, thinking of the pineapple in the back corner. "After leaving the computer mall, Jiang Yao and I were in a hurry to go to the interview. She gave us a ride. The car was piled with food. She said she was going to have hot pot at home with friends and had to mention something strange. She bought pineapples, but when I first met her, she heard her say she hated pineapples the most."
"Did she say she was going to have dinner at home with a friend?" Lin Yu's eyes lit up, and he quickly grasped the clue and asked, "Did that friend show up in the end?"
Chen Wan shook his head. "No, but I'm sure it's a man. Last time at the pizza shop, it was the same voice. He asked Miss Zheng to help pack the food."
"Men..." Lin Yu pressed his forehead, suppressed his anxious mood, and began to deduce the relationship between the characters.
On the 18th, Zheng Yunqing and this man ate hot pot at home, which shows that they have a good personal relationship. This man should like to eat pineapples.
The surveillance footage from the 19th to the 26th was covered, and Luo Xia discovered the murder scene on the 27th. The timeline was linked together in order to cover up the traces of the murderer's existence.
The scope of suspects can be basically narrowed down. By screening among the people Zheng Yunqing had contact with a week ago, there should be a visitor record at Ninghua Apartment. Because of the clue provided by Chen Wan, the case has become much clearer.
However, the pineapple alone cannot be used to connect the case to the murder case. After all, the most crucial factor is the bottle of medicine.
After the forensic doctor handed the medicine to Lin Yu, he asked the technical investigation team to investigate the customer list, hoping to achieve a breakthrough result.
Chen Wan flipped through the case report and was a little confused. "A person who didn't eat dinner ordered a meal with pineapple and even let the delivery man into the room. I think these two actions are very deliberate."
Lin Yu hummed, "These two points are to prove the existence of the murderer."
"Also, since every bottle of medicine is labeled, how could she not notice the drugs were switched?" Chen Wan pulled a piece of paper from the bookshelf and listed three timelines on it. "Take the medicine at 8:00 pm, contact with the delivery man at 9:45, and rest time at 10:00. I think she left these clues intentionally to guide the investigation."
The tip of the pen scratched the white paper, leaving a dark mark. Chen Wan slowly closed the pen cap and said softly, "Perhaps, she herself knows the result very well."
"So you think..." Lin Yu tilted his head back and looked at the ceiling. The pale color reminded him of the cloth covering the corpse in the forensic room. He raised his hand to cover his eyebrows and eyes, hiding his surging emotions. After a while, he spoke again, "Could it be suicide?"
Chen Wan took a deep breath, met his gaze, and shook his head: "This is murder."
Out of desperation, Zheng Yunqing went along with the murder, even at the cost of her life, leaving clues about the murderer and guiding the police to thoroughly investigate the truth.
But this truth is daunting. It is like a beast lurking in the dark night, devouring light and life.
Lin Yu closed his eyes. The light was as bright as daylight, making him feel dazed. The alternation between light and dark was like both dusk and dawn.
Whether the night is long or the dawn breaks, it is just a matter of thought.
Chen Wan browsed through Zheng Yunqing's case report, feeling a lump in his throat.
At the age of fourteen, she had an abortion; at the age of eighteen, she had uterine prolapse; at the age of twenty, she had a hysterectomy; at the age of twenty-one, she attempted suicide; at the age of twenty-two, she died of drowning.
The glass rose finally blooms in the dead of night and becomes shattered before dawn.
The evidence found in Zheng Yunqing's home also included a photo album. Chen Wan opened the cover and saw a line of small words written on it.
"I am a parasite living in a swamp, a moth that cannot break out of its cocoon."
There are four photos in total, three of her childhood photos, when she was born, when she was in kindergarten, and when she graduated from elementary school, and one landscape photo.
The thin piece of photo paper recorded Zheng Yunqing's twelve years. In the following ten years, only endless pain and despair remained.
After her father passed away, the young Zheng Yunqing was left to be raised by her grandmother. After finishing elementary school, her mother said she would take her to the city to live a good life. Only then did she realize that her mother, who looked glamorous on the outside, was actually the most despicable mistress.
This situation made her feel extremely humiliated. She wanted to escape but could not let go of her family. When her mother was drunk, she would beat and scold her at every turn. After she sobered up, she said she would give her the best things in the world.
Gorgeous dresses, dazzling jewelry, and that unattainable man.
Feng Yan.
During the summer vacation when she was fourteen, the gentle and elegant Uncle Feng came to visit her home again and brought a bottle of plum wine for her to taste.
She drank it, and when she came to, she saw the blood on the bed sheet was as bright red as the wine.
The tearing pain continued to deepen with the man's invasion. The ugly penis was like a saw, cutting into the girl's innocent soul.
When she should have bloomed, she had already withered.
Zheng Yunqing asked her mother for help, but the answer she got was: "This is your blessing, no one else can ask for it." She also went to the police station to report the case. When the police officer who received her heard Feng Yan's name, he showed a meaningful smile, and then she fell into the cage again.
Later, Zheng Yunqing chose to compromise and became Feng Yan's lover, and fell into the world of fame and fortune. Here, the powerful get the spoils and the losers become victims. People like her who are beautiful but incompetent are sacrifices.
Chen Wan's eyes fell on the last photo. The old house looked shabby but tidy. There were sunflower graffiti drawn with chalk on the courtyard wall. A heavy orange tree stretched out its branches from behind the low fence, adding vitality to the gray tones.
The scene in front of him was becoming increasingly blurry. The water-stained markings were like dark clouds pressing down on the photographic paper. Chen Wan recognized it as Gu Cheng's "Alleyway."
Alley
Long and curved
No door
No windows
I got an old key.
Knocking on the thick wall
Dividing line:
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