Chapter 8: The Vanished Woman (1)

These past few days, Han Changlin’s mood was not as good as everyone imagined. In fact, he was gradually feeling left out.

Not only was an important criminal case taken away by First Unit, but the cases assigned to Second Unit were all trivial and insignificant. This put Han Changlin in a foul mood, making him unwilling to work overtime. He started leaving the office on time every evening and never came in early in the morning.

Because of this, he was unaware that Meng Siqi had been staying overnight at the station until one morning when she was woken up by the sound of him entering the office.

Han Changlin noticed Meng Siqi but didn’t greet her. Instead, he walked straight to his desk and started writing something.

Glancing at the clock on the wall, Meng Siqi saw that it was only six o’clock. She pulled the blanket tighter around herself, debating whether to get some more sleep or go out for some morning exercise.

Around seven, Han Changlin left the office with a folder. It wasn’t until the rest of the team arrived for work that Meng Siqi learned about a horrifying murder case that had taken place in the city. Han Changlin had likely left early because of it.

Zhao Leiting, always quick to gather information, was the first to share the news. The victim was a young, single woman, and what made the case particularly eerie was that after her death, she had been adorned with an elaborate and heavy red makeup. Her face, fingers, and toes were all painted red, as were certain areas of her body. The way she was found was disturbingly bizarre.

The forensic team had just arrived at the scene, and since Zhao Leiting had friends among them, he had managed to get the information before anyone else.

At that moment, no officers had yet been dispatched from the Criminal Investigation Division, meaning Han Changlin had likely gone to request the case from Director Liu.

However, something about this case felt eerily familiar to Meng Siqi. As she sat at her desk listening to Zhao Leiting’s description, a heavy feeling settled over her.

Then, it hit her. In her original world, there had been a similar case—one she had seen on the news. The reason she remembered it so vividly was because of the striking red makeup on the victim.

Back then, the media had labeled it the “Red Makeup Serial Murder Case.” Every victim had been made up in the same elaborate red makeup. That case had remained unsolved for thirty years, claiming even the lives of some investigators.

Recalling this now, Meng Siqi suddenly felt that her arrival in the 1990s was far more peculiar than she had initially thought. Could it be that the same serial murder case, which had remained unsolved for decades, was about to unfold all over again?

Or was this merely a coincidence?

Han Changlin had, in fact, gone to see Director Liu early in the morning precisely because of this case. Recently, Second Unit had quickly solved the female teacher murder case, and he had hoped that this would earn them more high-profile assignments. However, all they had been given were minor, insignificant cases. While the team’s clearance rate had improved, he still felt dissatisfied. This was why he wanted to fight for the new homicide case.

Director Liu had also arrived early at his office. As he opened the door, he asked, “Changlin, what brings you here so early?”

As Director Liu pulled open the curtains, Han Changlin straightened his back and said firmly, “Director, assign last night’s murder case to our Second Unit. We will ensure a swift resolution.”

Sunlight flooded the office as Director Liu took his seat and motioned for Han Changlin to do the same. However, Han Changlin remained standing.

Knowing each other’s personalities well, Director Liu got straight to the point. “Changlin, Lu He intercepted me on my way in this morning. First Unit is already heading to the crime scene.”

That bastard, Lu He! He beat him to it again! Han Changlin clenched his jaw, feeling a twinge in his stiff neck. If only he had thought to wait outside Director Liu’s house earlier, he might have had a chance.

Director Liu spoke in a calm tone. “Don’t take it too personally, Changlin. It doesn’t matter who solves the case. Besides, your team’s clearance rate has been improving, hasn’t it?”

Hearing this only made Han Changlin feel worse. He knew exactly why their clearance rate had gone up.

“I do have a case for you, though.” Director Liu opened his desk drawer and pulled out a sheet of paper. “I was going to bring it to you yesterday, but you had already left for the day.”

Han Changlin quickly responded, “Director, I left on time yesterday because it was my mother-in-law’s birthday. I had no choice but to attend.”

Director Liu smiled faintly. “Work is work, and life is life. You need a better balance.”

“I understand,” Han Changlin replied as he took the sheet of paper. It was an anonymous report.

Director Liu explained, “Someone filed a report accusing the author Teng Fei of murdering his girlfriend Liu Yuwei based on plots in his novel. Liu Yuwei died in an accident seven months ago. You and your team should look into it.”

Director Liu then picked up a book from his desk and handed it to Han Changlin. “I bought a copy of Teng Fei’s novel yesterday and marked the murder-related passages.”

Han Changlin was somewhat bewildered. “Director, someone is reporting a murder just because of a description in a novel. Don’t you think this is a bit…”

“Changlin, go back and read the novel first. If we could confirm that Teng Fei is innocent, then that would be the best outcome.”

“Alright.” Han Changlin nodded. “I’ll head back now.”

On his way back, Han Changlin couldn’t quite describe how he felt. It was as if Director Liu was just brushing him off by handing the Second Unit a case that felt insignificant. He wasn’t sure how his colleagues would react to this.

As expected, when everyone saw the novel, they were confused.

“This…” Zhao Leiting spoke bluntly. “There are plenty of novels with violent descriptions. If people start reporting crimes based on fiction, wouldn’t we have to investigate all of them?”

Feng Shaomin read the highlighted passages in the book without saying a word, then passed it to Tang Xiaochuan. Tang Xiaochuan’s expression changed slightly as he summed it up. “It’s a bit creepy.”

Zhao Leiting quickly took it back, skimmed through it, and said, “If this is considered creepy, then aren’t foreign horror films even worse?”

He then handed the novel to Meng Siqi. She rarely read such gruesome novels, so she was a little apprehensive when she took it.

It seemed that Director Liu had specifically underlined a particular passage.

The section itself wasn’t particularly gory, but it was unsettling. The description of a man wrapping a silk ribbon around a woman’s neck felt eerily vivid, as if the author had personally experienced it. One line in particular made her feel a chill down her spine.

“She did not resist. She just clutched my hand tightly, as if silently accepting my judgment, not even making a sound…”

“Tears finally slid from her eyes. I thought she could endure the pain, but in the end, her entire body trembled, and she dug her nails so deeply into my hand that she tore through the skin…”

Zhao Leiting looked at her. “Siqi, what do you think?”

“I haven’t read many novels like this,” Meng Siqi answered honestly. “But it’s quite unsettling.”

“That just means you don’t read enough,” Zhao Leiting teased.

Han Changlin, however, remained serious. “Let me put it simply. Liu Yuwei disappeared seven months ago. At the time, it was ruled an accident, but no body was ever found. From now on, we will investigate this as a criminal case.”

“Old Feng, Zhao Leiting, Xiao Meng, you three go find Teng Fei today. Xiaochuan, we’ll trace Teng Fei’s movements over the past six months, especially around the time Liu Yuwei went missing.”

“Got it, Captain.”

The team split up. Zhao Leiting drove, with Feng Shaomin in the front passenger seat and Meng Siqi in the back, resting her eyes during the ride. They soon arrived at Teng Fei’s residence, but he wasn’t home. A neighbor confirmed that he was most likely at the hospital taking care of his sister.

The three of them then headed to the hospital, where a nurse led them to Teng Fei’s sister, Teng Rong. She was half-lying on the hospital bed, wearing a woolen hat. She was extremely frail, and her clothes looked loose on her thin frame.

Her face was pale and gaunt, her lips devoid of color. Despite her illness, she had a faint smile on her face, showing no sign of sorrow or pain—there was even a hint of optimism. In a way, this gave her a unique kind of beauty.

“Hello…” Teng Rong gently lifted her head, as if trying to sit up to greet them.

“Don’t move,” Meng Siqi said with concern, stepping forward to support her arm.

Zhao Leiting showed his badge. “Miss Teng, we’re from the City Police Department…”

“The nurse already told me. Please, have a seat.”

There were chairs by the bed, and they all sat down.

Meng Siqi took out her notebook, and Zhao Leiting began, “Sorry to disturb your rest. We’re here to ask about your brother, Teng Fei. Is he at the hospital?”

“No, he left for Shanghai this morning.”

“Shanghai? What for?”

“A writers’ conference, I think.”

“Oh. Did he say when he’ll be back?”

“It should only be one day. He should return tomorrow.”

“Alright. About his ex-girlfriend, Liu Yuwei—how much do you know?”

Teng Rong’s eyes flickered slightly. She didn’t answer right away, as if gathering her strength. After a moment, she slowly said, “I know about Liu Yuwei, but I never met her. I heard about what happened to her later. People came to ask me about it before. Are you still… cough cough…”

Teng Rong coughed a few times before continuing, “Are you still suspecting my brother?”

“No, we’re just gathering information. Did your brother ever talk to you about Liu Yuwei?”

“No, not…”

She coughed again. That single “no” seemed to carry more weight than expected. Both Feng Shaomin and Zhao Leiting tensed slightly, and even Meng Siqi felt a bit on edge.

Seeing Teng Rong struggling, Meng Siqi noticed a water cup on the table and quickly poured her some water.

Teng Rong took a few sips, then smiled at Meng Siqi before continuing, “I don’t remember when, but my brother once said he wanted to marry Liu Yuwei… But not long after, they planned a trip before the wedding, and that’s when the accident happened.”

This revelation surprised everyone. If their relationship had been that good, then Liu Yuwei’s disappearance being an accident seemed more plausible.

They asked a few more questions, but when Teng Rong spoke about her brother, her eyes were filled with admiration and warmth. It was clear that she saw her brother as her protector, making it difficult to imagine him as a murderer.

There wasn’t much new information, so they prepared to leave. Meng Siqi smiled and gently patted Teng Rong’s hand. “I wishing you a speedy recovery.”

“I don’t know if I’ll ever get better…” Teng Rong suddenly broke her earlier optimism, a trace of despair flickering in her eyes. “The doctors said it has already spread.”

“Ah…” Meng Siqi hadn’t expected her condition to worsen. She had assumed Teng Rong’s cheerful demeanor meant she was improving. Feeling at a loss for words, she could only try to comfort her. “You have such a great personality, and your brother is taking such good care of you. You’ll get through this…”

“Thank you, sister…”

After leaving the hospital, Meng Siqi felt a lingering sense of melancholy.

In the car, Zhao Leiting asked, “Brother Feng, Teng Fei is coming back tomorrow. Should we wait until then to talk to him?”

“Yes. In the meantime, let’s visit Teng Fei’s former workplace and gather some information.”

“Alright.” Zhao Leiting turned the steering wheel as he spoke. “Teng Rong mentioned that Teng Fei resigned from the outdoor sports equipment store around the time Liu Yuwei had her accident. That means he wasn’t working during that period and relied on writing novels to make a living.”

Feng Shaomin pondered for a moment. “I don’t know much about the writing industry. Can you really make a living off it?”

Given Teng Rong’s medical expenses, Feng Shaomin’s question was understandable.

“I have a relative who works in publishing,” Zhao Leiting said. “From what I’ve heard, the industry is tough, but if you gain fame, your books will sell well.”

As they talked, they arrived at an outdoor sports equipment store. After identifying themselves, the store manager agreed to answer their questions.

He described Teng Fei as a good-natured person who had started dating Liu Yuwei, a supermarket employee, around that time. Liu Yuwei had grown up in an orphanage, while Teng Fei had lost his parents early on and was raising his younger sister alone. Because of their similar backgrounds, they connected quickly and became a couple within a month. Soon after, they decided to get married and happily shared the news with others.

“I remember during a company gathering, Teng Fei was overjoyed when he talked about his upcoming marriage. He was practically dancing with excitement. We all congratulated him and looked forward to celebrating with him. He had been single for so long, and it was a big milestone in his life. No one expected that just a few days later, his fiancée would have an accident. It was truly tragic.”

The store manager sighed. “After that, Teng Fei called to resign and we haven’t been in contact since.”