After ending the video call with Lu Tingfeng, Ji An lowered her head and stared at the sketch, lost in thought.
Guan Xia and Pang Le exchanged a few glances, both brimming with questions, but neither spoke up in the end. Instead, they huddled together to analyze the case.
This case bore some resemblance to the previous quadruple homicide—both victims had died late at night from sharp objects piercing their hearts. However, unlike the earlier case where death was instantaneous, the killer here was clearly inexperienced. The first stab had been blocked by the ribs, and only the second succeeded in slipping between them. The victim showed no signs of struggle before death, suggesting they might have been drugged with sleeping pills.
Of course, this was just Guan Xia’s speculation. The materials they had didn’t include a detailed autopsy report or forensic evidence from the crime scene.
Pang Le quickly picked up on this detail and hesitantly remarked, "The victim wasn’t that old—just in his late forties or early fifties. Even if he was drunk, he wouldn’t have struggled so little. He must’ve been sedated—either with sleeping pills or some other drug. Or maybe there were two killers working together."
As Pang Le spoke, he flipped through the case files, pausing at the victim’s family details. His eyes widened in surprise. "Are these two really father and son? They look nothing alike! The son has double eyelids, but the father’s are single. And the nose bridge—completely different. Either they’re not biologically related, or the mother was exceptionally beautiful. But if the mother was that stunning, what on earth did this man do to deserve her?"
Pang Le, ever the aesthetics enthusiast, had gotten sidetracked, muttering his complaints.
Guan Xia let his words go in one ear and out the other, focusing instead on the victim’s background.
The victim, Sha Guoliang, was a 48-year-old man who had run a small supermarket. He wasn’t wealthy but owned a house and a car. Surprisingly, he had a criminal record—for rape. He was imprisoned in 2001, served six years, and was released in 2007. Shortly after, he took over the family supermarket and married in 2009.
"Someone actually agreed to marry him?" Guan Xia muttered in disbelief before continuing to read. The victim was still married at the time of his death. His wife, Cen Cuiman, was born in 1978, making her 46 years old. Despite her relatively young age, the photo showed a woman with sallow skin, one-third of her hair already white, deep wrinkles, and an expression of deep weariness. Her eyes were dull and lifeless, even in the still image.
"Is this really his wife?" Pang Le, having given up on his earlier rant, leaned in to look and voiced his skepticism.
Guan Xia studied the photo more closely. "If you ignore the skin, just looking at her bone structure, she must have been quite beautiful in her youth. Look at her well-proportioned head shape, large eyes, and high nose bridge."
Pang Le only needed a glance to confirm. "She was definitely a beauty back then. What I don’t get is why a flower like her ended up stuck in this pile of manure. The victim wasn’t just average-looking—he was downright ugly. And it’s not like he was rich either."
"More than that," Guan Xia flipped back two pages and pointed at the criminal record. "Look here—he served time for rape. What if this woman was the victim of that crime?"
Pang Le stiffened in shock and, without caring if he was interrupting, turned urgently to Ji An. "Ji An, the victim in this case had a rape conviction. Was his wife the victim back then?"
Ji An snapped out of her thoughts and glanced over. "If it’s not in the materials, then I don’t know. These files only scratch the surface—the full details are in the police case records. But I can look into it. Give me a few days, and I’ll find out."
Guan Xia had no doubt about Ji An’s capabilities, but since the crime had occurred in Pingjiang District, she could just ask Xu Nian directly. It was a 2022 case, and she remembered Xu Nian had already been assigned to the Second Division by then.
With that in mind, Guan Xia called Xu Nian.
As soon as the call connected, she got straight to the point. "Xu Nian, do you remember the 2022 case involving a victim named Sha Guoliang? He was stabbed in the heart and had a prior rape conviction."
Xu Nian responded almost instantly, recalling after just a few seconds. "Yes, Case 611 from 2022. Why? Did you remember something relevant?"
"Right," Guan Xia said. "I recalled a suspicious person who might be connected to the case. I need to know—was the victim of Sha Guoliang’s rape case his wife, Cen Cuiman?"
"Yes," Xu Nian confirmed without hesitation. "When we investigated this case back then, we looked into both Cen Cuiman and the victim’s son, Sha Junhao. Given the rape conviction, both had motive, but they had alibis for the time of the murder."
"It could’ve been a joint effort," Guan Xia suggested. "I remember seeing the victim’s son a few days before the murder. He was with a young woman, and their behavior was suspicious."
She recounted the details she’d noticed in the footage. After a moment’s thought, Xu Nian said, "Hold on. I’ll request the case files now. I’ll get back to you later."
As soon as she hung up, Pang Le couldn’t hold back. "Well? What did Xu Nian say?"
Ji An also fixed her gaze on Guan Xia, eyes sharp with anticipation.
Guan Xia nodded. "Our guess was right. Xu Nian confirmed that the victim of Sha Guoliang’s rape case was indeed his wife, Cen Cuiman."
Even though they’d expected it, Pang Le couldn’t help but curse. "Damn, what kind of trash was this guy? Killing him was practically doing the world a favor. So his son had every reason to kill him—and honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if Cen Cuiman was involved too."
"But one thing puzzles me," Guan Xia frowned. "If his son killed him to avenge his mother, what was the young woman’s motive? What kind of relationship would make her willing to commit murder?"
At the mention of the young woman, both Guan Xia and Pang Le recalled Ji An’s earlier conversation with Lu Tingfeng and turned to her with questioning looks.
Ji An, still holding the sketch, placed it on the table between them and spoke. "Her name is Yuan Yue. On the night of September 12, 2022, her friend—the daughter of someone we know—was found dead in a park just a few hundred meters from her home. The cause of death was a sharp object stabbed into her heart from behind. The case was never solved, and no credible suspects with clear motives were ever identified."
"Also killed by a sharp object piercing the heart?" Guan Xia and Pang Le exchanged glances, looking at the sketch before them and then at the photo of the victim's son, Sha Junhao, in the file. Almost simultaneously, they said, "A murder exchange."
Ji An nodded. "That's my speculation too, but there's one problem. Yuan Yue is from Fu'an City in Guanglin Province and has lived there for years. I can't figure out how these two even met."
Someone from Guanglin Province? Guan Xia and Pang Le were both surprised. Guanglin was quite far from Dingyuan Province—even farther than Ningyun Province—requiring a three- or four-hour flight. Another point was that Sha Junhao was several years younger than Yuan Yue, so they couldn’t have been classmates. Could they have been online friends?
This guess flashed through Guan Xia’s mind but was quickly dismissed. If the case lacked leads, the investigative team would have conducted extensive interviews and background checks. As a close friend of the victim, Yuan Yue would have been thoroughly vetted. If there had been any suspicious online exchanges involving premeditated harm or murder, it wouldn’t have been overlooked.
Guan Xia racked her brain, but Pang Le suddenly asked, "By the way, Ji An, I just heard you and Lu Tingfeng mention that Yuan Yue took care of your friend after their death. From the sound of it, they must have been very close. Why would she want to kill them?"
Ji An thought for a moment and shook her head. "Honestly, I’m not sure. I only met that friend a few times—Lu Tingfeng was the one who mostly kept in touch. What I remember is that on two occasions, Yuan Yue specifically drove over to pick them up, greeting everyone warmly. She even brought fruits and snacks during later meetings. Even a biological daughter wouldn’t have been so attentive."
Hearing this, there really didn’t seem to be any motive for murder.
Pang Le pressed further, "Did your friend ever mention anything about their daughter and Yuan Yue? Were there any conflicts between them, or what was their relationship like?"
Guan Xia immediately understood Pang Le’s implication—was she suspecting that the two might have fallen for the same person? Or perhaps it wasn’t about a third party, but simply love turning into hatred?
As Guan Xia pondered, Ji An replied after a pause, "I don’t know much about Yuan Yue, but I do know a bit about my friend’s daughter. She was lively and outgoing since childhood, had many friends, and excelled academically. After graduation, she passed the civil service exam and became a physics teacher at her former middle school. She went on a few blind dates but never settled down—aside from a high school boyfriend, she remained single. As for Yuan Yue, I only know they met after my friend’s daughter became a teacher. Yuan Yue worked as a store manager for a brand, earning decently. I never heard of any disputes between them—otherwise, my friend would’ve investigated her as a suspect long ago."
"That does sound unremarkable," Pang Le mused, stroking her chin before glancing at Guan Xia. "But Guan Xia’s instincts about suspicious people have never been wrong. Just because we haven’t found a motive doesn’t mean there isn’t one—it might just be deeply hidden. We’ll have to dig deeper."
Guan Xia nodded in agreement. The system couldn’t be wrong—Yuan Yue definitely wasn’t as innocent as she appeared.
Ji An tapped her fingers on the conference table, thinking for a moment before saying, "I’m not familiar with Fu'an City in Guanglin Province, but I’ve worked with the local police before. We could investigate there."
"We’ll go once we reopen this case," Pang Le said. "While the police handle things here, we’ll head to Guanglin first. By the time we reopen the case there, the Yongquan police will probably be making arrests. We can even observe the scene—I’ve never seen the police nab someone in person before."
Both Guan Xia and Ji An couldn’t help but laugh. "You’ve got it all planned out," Ji An remarked.
Pang Le grinned.
After briefly discussing Yuan Yue’s background, the three refocused on the case in Pingjiang District.
"Actually, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask," Pang Le suddenly said. "If Sha Guoliang was a rapist and Cen Cuiman was his victim, why would Cen Cuiman marry him after he got out of prison? Was she being harassed or threatened?"
Pang Le racked her brain, while Guan Xia added, "Another thing—Sha Junhao was born in 2002, and the rape occurred in 2001. Judging by the timeline, Sha Junhao is most likely Sha Guoliang’s biological son. Why would a rape victim choose to carry the pregnancy to term instead of getting an abortion? I don’t believe Cen Cuiman would’ve thought the child was innocent. There must be more to it."
Pang Le’s attention shifted immediately. "I agree. Look at Cen Cuiman’s condition when Sha Guoliang died—so haggard and aged. It’s clear she had no love for him. And Sha Junhao’s hatred for Sha Guoliang also reflects Cen Cuiman’s feelings."
As they debated, Guan Xia suddenly thought of something and looked up sharply. "Wait—there’s another question. If Sha Junhao killed out of hatred, then what about Yuan Yue? What was her motive? And how did she convince Sha Junhao to agree to a murder exchange? He’s no professional hitman, and the other victim was a young woman. I doubt he’d travel all that way to kill someone without asking questions."
The three fell silent. After a moment, Pang Le said, "You’re right. This case seems straightforward, but there are so many mysteries. Just Yuan Yue’s motive alone is baffling—she and the victim were friends, close enough to meet each other’s parents. I can’t imagine what would drive someone to kill a good friend."
Pang Le glanced at Guan Xia and shook her head. "I can’t figure it out. Love? If it were me, a man is just a man—there are plenty out there. Money? Yuan Yue had a decent income. Revenge? Impossible—you wouldn’t be friends if there was hatred. Unless she’s a born Oscar-winning actress."
Pang Le paused and hissed. "If that’s the case, then this Yuan Yue is terrifying. And now she’s being so kind to the victim’s parents—does she have ulterior motives?"
Guan Xia instinctively locked eyes with Pang Le, both shuddering before turning to Ji An.
Ji An’s expression had been grim since she saw the sketch, her brow furrowed in deep thought. She picked up her phone several times but always set it back down, clearly wanting to message someone but hesitating.
Even without her saying it, Guan Xia could guess—Ji An likely thought Yuan Yue was dangerous but feared alerting her by reaching out prematurely.
Guan Xia hesitated but didn’t offer comfort. Ji An wasn’t the type to wallow in indecision or sentimentality. She’d endured far harsher circumstances than Guan Xia. Right now, she was just too close to the situation to see clearly.
Sure enough, shortly after the discussion ended, Ji An regained her composure. She walked up to the whiteboard and began listing the details they currently knew about the 2022 Case 611, organizing the relationships between the individuals involved in a more visual manner. She also specifically marked the aspects of the case that still puzzled them, all while waiting for Xu Nian's call—hoping it would bring them the answers they sought.
