Chapter 3

Ruan Mingxi frowned.

Seventeen years old—still a minor.

“From the remains we’ve recovered so far, can we determine the cause of death?” he asked.

“No,” Lin Peixin replied. “The bones show numerous irregular fracture lines. The edges are uneven, and there is tissue dissemination around them.”

From the technical explanation, Ruan Mingxi quickly drew the conclusion. “The victim suffered multiple fractures while alive. But it’s impossible to confirm whether blunt force trauma was the direct cause of death.”

Lin Peixin nodded. “That’s correct.”

“There’s more,” Lin Peixin continued. “We detected more than one type of DNA from the bones.”

Ruan Mingxi’s expression darkened. “How many?”

“Four,” Lin answered. “When we attempted to reconstruct the remains, the tissue samples did not match the DNA found in the bones. The muscle tissue belonged to one individual, but the bones belonged to three others.”

Even though Ruan Mingxi had seen many gruesome cases, he still drew a sharp breath. Why would a killer dispose of bones from three different people together with muscle tissue from another? Was it a mistake—or intentional?

“I can suggest two possible directions based on the evidence,” Lin Peixin said. “Vendetta or a crime of passion.”

Ruan Mingxi’s eyes narrowed. He had seen the fracture lines himself when he first reviewed the autopsy results.

“With so many fractures,” Lin Peixin explained, “there must have been a serious conflict between the murderer and the victim. The repeated blows suggest an intent to kill."

Alternatively, it could have been a crime of passion—an impulsive attack during emotional agitation, leading to death.

  Passion killings are usually impulsive, lacking preparation. Yet the dismemberment here was carried out with precision.

Lin Peixin said: “ The preserved parts of the body are cleanly cut, suggesting emotional stability during dismemberment. A person who loses control in a fit of rage would not have the composure to dismember so methodically—unless he had accomplices.”

If it was a passion killing, there are two possibilities.

Either the murderer has mental problems and disposed of the body erratically, or he has no mental issues but was forced to scatter the remains due to circumstances—perhaps the hiding place changed, or he had another purpose.

Based on the existing clues alone, it is really difficult to proceed.

Lin Peixin added one final observation. “The wounds are clean, and the reconstruction is relatively straightforward. The killer likely had some knowledge of human anatomy. That detail should be considered when identifying suspects.”

“Understood,” Ruan Mingxi said, taking a deep breath. His thoughts weighed heavily as he unconsciously reached for his cigarette case.

Just as his fingers brushed the pack, a cough sounded behind him. He quickly came to his senses, shoved the case back into his pocket, and said, “Wait here. I’ll check inside.”

Jiang Xuzhou looked at him and simply replied, “Alright.”

Moments later, Ruan Mingxi emerged from the reception room with Yan Peiliang. Jiang Xuzhou noticed Yan still holding a cotton swab, his eyes flickering with thought, though he said nothing.

“It’s getting late. I’ll drive you back,” Ruan Mingxi offered.

Yan Lao hesitated. “That’s too much trouble. We can take a taxi.”

“It’s no trouble,” Ruan Mingxi assured him. “I just want to get home and shower. I’ll drop you off on the way.”

His words were sincere. After spending two days in Chu Liyang’s hideout, even the toughest man would feel worn down.

It's time for him to go home, take a shower, and rest.

Hearing this, Yan Lao no longer refused and got into his car.

Once Yan Lao was dropped off, Jiang Xuzhou moved from the back seat to the passenger side.

“Yan Lao came here to ask the police station to help find his runaway grandson. Since he has contact information and knows the boy’s details, there’s no need for DNA sampling,” Jiang Xuzhou said calmly, looking straight ahead.

“What are you suspecting?” Ruan Mingxi asked.

With only the two of them in the car, Jiang Xuzhou spoke openly. Ruan Mingxi was not surprised by his inquiry. Jiang Xuzhou always appeared indifferent, but in truth his mind was sharper than most, his observations keen.

“Just take a sample and prepare it,” Ruan Mingxi replied quietly. Hopefully, I won't need it, he thought, leaving the rest unsaid.

Jiang Xuzhou seemed to catch his meaning. “The victim found today was about seventeen or eighteen years old, wasn’t he?”

At that moment, the car stopped at a traffic light. Ruan Mingxi’s index finger, which had been idly tracing the steering wheel, suddenly froze. Jiang Xuzhou didn’t need an answer; the pause told him everything.

“If you truly suspect it, then compare the samples. That way you’ll be certain, and Yan Lao can be reassured,” Jiang Xuzhou said.

Ruan Mingxi gave a soft reply, and the subject quickly faded.

Knowing Jiang Xuzhou had not eaten since they parted earlier, Ruan Mingxi’s mood darkened. He turned the car toward a restaurant specializing in porridge.

Though Jiang Xuzhou's illness was not serious, he had still spent two days in the hospital. Discharged and hungry, he had ignored the doctor’s prescriptions. To Ruan Mingxi, it was reckless.

He studied the menu, ordered two porridges and several side dishes Jiang liked, then looked at him intently.

Jiang laughed at the expression. “Captain Ruan, you’re staring at me like I’ve committed a crime and you’re about to arrest me.”

“When you were discharged, you promised to eat on time and avoid late nights. I didn’t expect this,” Ruan Mingxi teased with a smile. “Young Master Jiang plays both sides too smoothly.”

Jiang seemed pleased with the remark. After a brief glance, he looked away. “Not too smooth—you just noticed.”

Ruan Mingxi was left speechless.

Soon, the food arrived. The aroma stirred Jiang’s hunger, his stomach protesting loudly.

He had always liked seafood porridge, though he was picky—refusing onions, garlic, ginger, and leeks. Seafood required ginger to remove its chill and fishy taste, but Jiang Xuzhou avoided it.

Ruan Mingxi muttered about his troublesome eating habits while carefully picking out the ginger and scallions, serving him a clean bowl.

The warm porridge settled comfortably in Jiang Xuzhou's stomach. Just as he reached for a piece of fish, Ruan Mingxi placed a bowl of deboned fish in front of him.

“Don’t look at me—look at the fish,” Ruan Mingxi said. “Make sure it’s clean. Don’t get a bone stuck again.”

Jiang’s lips curved faintly. Though impatient with his tone, yet his actions of picking out fish bones were practice and meticulous.

“Got it,” he said, before continuing to eat.

After picking out another bowl, Ruan Mingxi finished half a bowl of porridge, which had grown slightly cold.

Jiang Xuzhou loved eating fish, though he was notoriously unlucky with it. Each time he tried, he ended up choking on bones. Twice, the incidents had been so serious that he could not speak, frightening Ruan Mingxi badly. Since then, Jiang avoided fish whenever Ruan Mingxi was not around, even if he craved it.

Ruan Mingxi knew Jiang was suppressing his appetite, so whenever they ordered food together, he always included a fish dish. He would grumble while carefully picking out the bones, but his hands worked with meticulous care.

After eating and drinking, they returned home.

Ruan Mingxi lived in a building with two households per floor. His family and Jiang’s had always been close, and the two had grown up together, inseparable since childhood. When they bought their homes, they deliberately chose adjacent apartments so they could look after each other easily.

Later that night, Ruan Mingxi showered, lay on his bed, and thought about the case for a while before fatigue overcame him. He soon fell asleep.

Across the hall, Jiang Xuzhou also finished washing up. He sat by the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the city lights, lost in thought.

At the police station earlier, he had struggled to stay awake, but now, when he finally had the chance to rest, sleep eluded him. His sleep had long been poor, and at times he relied on sleeping pills. Even cold medicine, which made most people drowsy, had no effect on him. He remained at the window until three in the morning.

Early the next morning, Ruan Mingxi was awakened by a phone call from the bureau.

The officers had requested surveillance footage from the local police station, but the camera angle unfortunately missed the critical location. Anyone walking close to the wall could avoid detection and slip into the alley unseen.

With the surveillance clue broken, and the victim identified as approximately seventeen years old, the investigation shifted. Since no parents had reported a missing child, the team could only visit schools to check for students who had recently stopped attending. Jinghai City had many high schools, technical secondary schools, and vocational schools, so the officers had to divide their efforts to gather information.

    Ruan Mingqi rose from bed promptly. When he went downstairs, he found Xiao Ying squatting in front of his car, one hand tucked into the sleeve of the other.

    As soon as he saw Ruan Mingqi approaching, Xiao Ying pulled out his hand and extended it.

“Heh, stealing an eggs in your sleeve, impressive skill!” Ruan Mingxi said with a smile, taking the egg. It was still hot, proof of how well it had been protected.

Xiao Ying: "....." Why does it sound so awkward?

Shortly after they left, Jiang Xuzhou came down from his apartment and drove away in the car parked beside Ruan Mingxi’s space. He seemed familiar with the route and didn’t bother with navigation.

An hour later, Jiang Xuzhou arrived at his destination:

Jinghai Children’s Welfare Center.

    The director had been playing with the children in the yard, but the smile on his face froze the moment he saw Jiang Xuzhou.

    The director quickly composed himself, walked over with a smile, and opened the door for Jiang Xuzhou.

Inside the trunk of Jiang Xuzhou's car were many gifts prepared for the children at the welfare home.

The older children immediately rushed out, calling him “brother” one after another, their voices competing as though it were a game to see who could shout the loudest.

With the children’s help, the trunk was emptied in no time.

“I found what you asked for last time. It’s in the office now,” the director said. He hesitated for a moment, then added what had weighed on him for some time. “Xiao Jiang, if you really can’t find him, perhaps it’s time to give up. Even the police can’t do anything. What more can we do?”