Jin Yu's voice came from behind.
"Brother, it's already past 9 AM, the water has cooled down."
Su Ruanruan turned around upon hearing the sound.
I saw Huo Yan and Jin Yu standing under a tree. Sunlight filtered through the branches and leaves, casting dappled shadows.
Huo Yan's eyes revealed a cold and stern expression, and his figure was shrouded in shadow.
He met Su Ruanruan's gaze, and Su Ruanruan felt somewhat uncomfortable, as if his gaze was not directed at her, but rather penetrated her frail body and struck straight into her heart.
Su Ruanruan turned her gaze to the surrounding scenery, refusing to look at him.
Two phrases kept swirling in my mind: "巳时" (9-11 AM), "水变温" (the water temperature changes).
She heard Mu Bai mention that the coroner determined that Butcher Zhou was murdered at Chenshi (7-9 AM), while Sishi (9-11 AM) was the time when the neighbor's child discovered Wang Erma.
But why did Huo Yan and the others bring up the hour of Si (9-11 AM) and water again?
"Miss Su, may we go in now?"
The maid's call brought Su Ruanruan back to reality.
"They're here."
Su Ruanruan took a few steps, and her maidservant quickly came over to help her.
After they went inside, Jin Yu finally turned his gaze away from Su Ruanruan. "Why didn't you ask her about that piece of cloth, brother?"
"No rush, I have someone else to see."
Huo Yan turned around and went to find the coroner.
The coroner was a small old man with a beard. When Huo Yan arrived, he was sipping wine at the table.
On the other side lay the body of Butcher Zhou.
"Hey, what brings Officer Huo here?"
His gaze swept over Butcher Zhou before he sat down in the chair.
"I'm here to ask you something, sir."
The old man stroked his beard, put down his wine cup, and said, "I dare not presume to ask for your advice. Officer Huo, please speak freely."
Huo Yan didn't intend to beat around the bush, "If the dead are placed in the cellar, will it affect the determination of the time of death?"
"Uh, yes."
"If we put ice or ice water on a dead person, will it affect your ability to determine the time of death?"
"Of course it will. Ice can prevent decay and affect the temperature of the body and the color of the cuts..."
Huo Yan understood immediately and asked, "In your opinion, is it possible for a slender woman to kill a strong man like Butcher Zhou?"
The old man shook his head. "How could that be? I checked. There was no sedative in Zhou the Butcher's nose, and no drug in his mouth or stomach. How could such a strong man be killed by a thin girl?"
He casually poured himself another glass of wine, picked it up, and laughed, "That's wishful thinking, unless you've seen a ghost."
As an aside: The female protagonist in this story is a healer who is not poison-wielding. Other female protagonists in other stories are skilled in both medicine and poison, but that doesn't mean she is a heroine with this kind of character.
Aside from performing surgeries, she spends her time in the lab researching new drugs and developing vaccines.
The itching powder that appeared on Zheng's body earlier was also something she bought from elsewhere.
This is not a female-centric story (at least not in the early stages), and it doesn't have that many satisfying moments.
If this doesn't suit your taste, please avoid it. (???) I hope you find a book you like, thank you.
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