"You've already told me the answer." Huo Yan's eyes flickered slightly.
"Brother, what kind of riddle are you speaking in? Why can't I understand it?"
“I ask you, if you bully a woman who is smaller than you, and accidentally shreds of her torn clothes fall between your fingers.”
"You chased her away at the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), and several hours later, someone came to take your life."
"During your fight, will that piece of cloth still be between your fingers?"
Jin Yu realized that he had only yawned, and the rag had fallen to the ground.
How can a living person not move their fingers for several hours?
Jin Yu's eyes widened in surprise, and he quickly asked, "This shredded cloth is...?"
"Yes, just as you guessed, the rag was found between Butcher Zhou's fingers, which were half-closed and together. I found it and took it away before the coroner."
"Su Ruanruan appeared at Butcher Zhou's house, so it's not surprising that there's some of her clothing there. But what's strange is how this clothing ended up in this location after his death?"
"Furthermore, why would the murderer place Butcher Zhou in the bathtub? He must have had some purpose in doing so, but what was it?"
Huo Yan's eyes were dark and unfathomable, like a bottomless black hole.
Youyou looked at the teacup in her hand, her gaze slightly somber.
"Do you remember what Zhou the Butcher looked like in the bathtub when we first found him?"
Jin Yu said, "Of course I remember. I was hunched over in the bathtub, my head almost touching my stomach."
"It's a bit like being stuck in a bathtub."
Huo Yan smiled and said, "The cuts that severed his meridians were swift and precise, and the one that landed on his heart was absolutely accurate."
"Why would you cut your meridians? Have you ever thought about it?"
Jin Yu felt even more confused. He was good at fighting, but he wasn't good at using his brain.
"To vent your anger?"
This was the only answer Jin Yu could think of.
“Hmm, that’s possible too,” Huo Yan added. “Butcher Zhou is tall and strong; killing him wouldn’t be easy.”
"As for whether to first sever the meridians and then kill with a single blow, or vice versa, it is impossible to know."
"But I know that the bathtub was knocked down, Zhou the butcher was pushed in, and then the tub was lifted up, which is why he was in such an unconventional position."
"The fact that the murderer did this shows that he was not very strong and could not lift him directly into the bathtub."
A glint flashed in Huo Yan's eyes, "The murderer is very likely a woman!"
"A woman? Why did you guess the murderer was a woman? How could a woman deal with Butcher Zhou?"
“Not only did I find rags between his fingers, but I also found scratches in two places on the edge of the bathtub, which must have been left by the murderer lifting the bathtub with all his might. Men don’t grow fingernails, only women do.”
"There is some truth to that. However, these are all just the eldest brother's guesses; how can anyone believe them?"
“Heh, that makes sense.” Huo Yan rubbed his aching temples. “Compared to how the murderer killed Butcher Zhou, I’m more interested in why the rag between the butcher’s fingers didn’t fall off for several hours, unless… after Su Ruanruan’s sleeve was torn by him, he was simultaneously cut in his veins and killed.”
"Only the dead remain still. Even if their fingers are frozen, the rag won't fall through their fingers."
"The coroner said he was murdered at Chenshi (7-9 AM), but at that time Su Ruanruan was unconscious in the tofu shop, and a female doctor testified on her behalf."
"Why would the murderer go to the trouble of putting a dead body in the bathtub? What were they trying to cover up?"
Huo Yan was completely baffled, but his intuition told him that this matter was probably related to Su Ruanruan.
...
Dawn once again bids farewell to the deep night, revealing a magnificent sunrise.
Su Ruanruan woke up from her sleep, opened her eyes and looked around at her surroundings. She didn't know where she was.
This is neither the tofu shop nor the room that Mu Bai arranged for her; it's completely unfamiliar.
The only person she recognized was the one lying at the head of her bed.
Su Ruanruan slowly moved her arm and reached out to stroke his cheek.
In just one day, he became so haggard and thin.
Mu Bai's brow twitched, and he slowly opened his eyes.
But then he saw Su Ruanruan looking at him.
Seeing that he was awake, her slightly dry lips curved into a smile, "Brother Mu Bai."
Mu Bai covered his slightly sore eyes with his hands and quickly got up. "I...I'll go get you some water."
Su Ruanruan didn't say anything, just watched his retreating figure.
After Mu Bai left, Su Ruanruan struggled to sit up.
The pain in her shoulder instantly subsided, and she got off the bed, clutching her injured shoulder.
I slowly walked towards the window and quietly opened a small crack to look outside.
But then they saw Mu Bai standing under the eaves, covering his face and weeping.
His hair was a little messy, his body was slightly hunched, and his shoulders were trembling.
Even though he was the one crying, she felt a sharp, throbbing pain in her heart.
It hurts even more than my injured shoulder.
Su Ruanruan closed the window and lay back down.
...
The door creaked open, and Mu Bai walked in carrying a wooden basin.
Su Ruanruan saw that his eyes were still red, but he was grinning.
"Are you hungry? Someone will bring breakfast over soon. Let me wipe your face first."
He soaked the handkerchief in warm water to wet it, then wrung it out until it was half dry.
He gently wiped her face, his movements light and careful to avoid the bruises, afraid of hurting her.
Why are Brother Mu Bai's eyes red?
Mu Bai paused, his expression still gentle, a smile playing on his lips.
"Perhaps it's because you haven't been sleeping well these past few days, it's nothing serious."
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