Chapter 22

Ruan Mingxi never expected that the answer he would receive was this, “How could it be him?”

“We checked the past login IPs of this account. Except for the most recent two times when the IP changed, all the other login IPs matched the location of Yan Zhan’s home.”

After hanging up the phone, Ying Shi noticed Ruan Mingxi’s face looked troubled and asked him about it.

Once he learned the information, his brows furrowed so tightly it seemed they could crush two flies.

—

When Jiang Xuzhou returned, there were more people in the bureau. The head of the forensic department, Lin Peixin, and his assistant were moving things into the autopsy room.

“I brought waffles for everyone. If you’re hungry, you can eat some first.”

Jiang Xuzhou set down the bag. The rich milky aroma of the waffles spread, immediately making the stomachs of several officers who hadn’t eaten dinner protest loudly.

“Thank you, Consultant Jiang.”

As everyone divided the food, Jiang Xuzhou looked toward the autopsy room, “Have all the people who went to the scene returned?”

“Not yet. The situation at the scene is more complicated than we imagined.” Yao Panpan took a bite, and with food in her mouth, her voice came out muffled.

“Shortly after you left, the social media account that posted the scene photo uploaded another post. It was near Dongping Road, where the captain and the others rushed to.”

Seeing that Yao Panpan was choking on the waffle, Jiang Xuzhou immediately handed her a bottle of milk.

She really was starving. Ever since that account appeared, she had been busy in a “chaotic rush” for quite a while.

After swallowing the food in her mouth, Yao Panpan let out a breath of relief, then adjusted her computer so Jiang Xuzhou could clearly see the contents on the screen.

The account had posted an update an hour and a half ago: a photo of the Dongping Road street sign and a kitchen waste bin behind a certain restaurant.

Jiang Xuzhou’s eyes flickered slightly, “The items just sent into the autopsy room—were they dredged from that kitchen waste bin?”

“Yes.” Yao Panpan replied. “When the captain and the others arrived at the scene, they didn’t see the person who reported it. The restaurant was still operating normally, and the waiter was dumping leftover food into that bin.”

Hearing this, Jiang Xuzhou’s gaze turned toward the autopsy room.

“Director Lin will be working overtime inside tonight. He won’t come out until the work is finished.” Yao Panpan said.

By 1:30 in the morning, Ruan Mingxi returned with the team.

Even from a distance, the sour stench clinging to them could be smelled. Hours of dredging kitchen waste had soaked them through with the odor.

“Why didn’t you go home?” Ruan Mingxi knew how bad he smelled, so he spoke from two meters away from Jiang Xuzhou.

“I didn’t know what time you’d be back. Maybe there’s something I can help with.”

Ruan Mingxi caught sight of a white smudge near Jiang Xuzhou’s elbow and gestured with his eyes for him to brush it off.

“The items we brought back need testing. Results will take time. For now, there’s nothing urgent—find a spot to rest.”

Ruan Mingxi opened the cabinet beside his workstation. Beneath a black down jacket was a folded blanket.

“My hands aren’t clean. You take the blanket out and use it.”

After speaking, Ruan Mingxi and Ying Shi, along with a few others, took spare clothes and went to shower.

When Ruan Mingxi and the others returned, their colleagues who had been busy for hours were already asleep at their desks.

They saw Jiang Xuzhou draped in Ruan Mingxi’s down jacket, holding a tablet and reading intently.

“Can’t sleep?” Ruan Mingxi asked in a low voice.

The faint scent of body wash lingered on Ruan Mingxi, and he carried a trace of dampness as he approached.

Jiang Xuzhou nodded, “Did you have dinner?”

“No. We spent the whole night dredging kitchen waste—there was no time to eat.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he opened the jacket he was holding and handed over a still‑warm waffle.

Ruan Mingxi’s heart stirred, his eyes touched with a smile.

So as not to wake the others, the two walked toward the rest room*.

(*休息室 means “rest room / lounge.”)

The moment the door was pushed open, the aroma of braised beef instant noodles rushed straight into the nose.

“Hey, you’re eating without me!”

Ruan Mingxi was both amused and exasperated. Inside the rest room, everyone sat neatly, each holding a bucket of instant noodles in their arms, while the other hand held a waffle.

“No way, Captain, yours is already prepared here. Come quickly before it gets soggy.”

When Ruan Mingxi went over to look, he saw that they had even added an egg and a sausage to his noodles—truly thoughtful.

“Consultant Jiang, we also made yours. It’s the bowl right next to the Captain.”

Jiang Xuzhou’s lips curved slightly, “Thank you.”

Ruan Mingxi was a little surprised, “Didn’t you say you don’t eat after ten o’clock?”

“Watching you all eat would be too cruel. I couldn’t stand it.” Jiang Xuzhou replied, sounding perfectly justified.

Ruan Mingxi gave him a thumbs‑up, “Able to bend and stretch, nicely done!”

Ying Shi was eating with his face almost buried in the noodle bowl. Hearing their conversation, he reluctantly lifted his head a little, “Consultant Jiang, don’t you avoid eating late‑night snacks?”

Jiang Xuzhou nodded, “Occasionally.”

“Why, worried about poor digestion?” Ying Shi asked casually.

“If I eat too late, my face will be swollen the next day. It won’t look good.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of slurping noodles in the large rest room instantly stopped. Everyone stared blankly at Jiang Xuzhou.

Ruan Mingxi couldn’t hold back his laughter, “Good‑looking people always carry a bit of idol burden. That’s something you all can’t relate to.”

Moments later, the rest room echoed with voices “attacking” Ruan Mingxi in mock protest.

Jiang Xuzhou noticed that Lin Cheng was holding his bowl of noodles but barely eating, and the waffle in his hand had only a small bite taken out of it.

“Not tasty?” Jiang Xuzhou asked.

Lin Cheng looked as if he had caught the “vegetable leaf” attribute, pale and wilted, with no energy at all.

“It tastes good, I just don’t have much appetite and can’t eat.”

As soon as Lin Cheng finished speaking, his stomach let out a long rumbling sound.

Zhang Shuang, his mouth steaming from the hot noodles, said “Consultant Jiang, don’t worry about him. It’s just his first time at a crime scene dredging up a corpse. He can’t accept it right away. Give him a couple of days and he’ll be fine.”

But some word seemed to trigger Lin Cheng again. He couldn’t hold it back and suddenly started gagging.

“Hey, hey, don’t vomit on the table!”

The brothers nearby panicked, quickly lifting their noodle buckets and standing up.

Lin Cheng forced himself again and again, tears welling up, before he finally suppressed the urge to vomit.

“I don’t want to, but I can’t control it. In my head I keep picturing it floating on the oily surface, pale white, still tangled with a few noodles…”

As Lin Cheng spoke, saying he couldn’t take it anymore, Jiang Xuzhou saw his face turn even greener. He picked up an unopened bottle of water and handed it to him.

“Thank you.” Lin Cheng gulped down a big mouthful before he felt a little better.

“Once this case is over, go help Director Lin in the forensic department for a few days. You’ll get used to it naturally.” Zhang Shuang said with the tone of someone who had been through it before.

Lin Cheng’s brows furrowed tightly, “How did you all overcome it back then?”

“Us?” Zhang Shuang’s voice instantly rose, full of pent‑up resentment.

Jiang Xuzhou noticed that it wasn’t just him—everyone sitting at this table was giving Ruan Mingxi sharp looks.

Ying Shi finished the last sip of noodle soup, wiped his mouth, and said, “Other people were luckier. Before going to a crime scene, they all went through the Captain’s friendly training. After some time, even if they were still afraid inside, their reactions weren’t so strong anymore.”

Lin Cheng looked eager to improve, “What kind of training?”

Ruan Mingxi was smiling, showing not the slightest bit of guilt.

Jiang Xuzhou, just as curious as Lin Cheng, had his interest piqued.

“What did you do?” Jiang Xuzhou asked directly when he saw they weren’t planning to explain.

Ruan Mingxi chuckled lightly, “Nothing much. I just borrowed an autopsy specimen and placed it on the dining table. Everyone had to eat their meals at that table while looking at the specimen every day.”

Jiang Xuzhou was speechless. He had expected Ruan Mingxi might use some tough method, but hadn’t imagined something this direct and shocking.

Lin Cheng’s face changed like a revolving lantern, full of vivid expressions, and his gaze toward Ruan Mingxi carried clear fear.