Chapter 91

Chen Yanqiu’s belongings were brought to the City Bureau by Fu Linjiang the day before, and the forensic department had already completed the registration. After lunch, Song Wen went through the process to retrieve these items from the evidence room.

All the items were packed in a travel suitcase about half the height of a person. According to the procedure, after registration, photography, and verification, they were supposed to return the belongings to Chen Sixue as mementos. However, since the case remained unsolved, the items were temporarily kept in storage.

Lu Siyu believed that Song Wen’s theory of reconstruction was correct; they needed more clues now.

Reconstructing the events undoubtedly was the best way to get closer to Chen Yanqiu. To figure out what happened in his final moments, they first needed to understand what kind of person he was.

Song Wen put on gloves and first recalled Chen Yanqiu’s image in his mind. He was a slightly short and handsome young man with a shy smile, and he had a pair of small tiger teeth. He was kind, affectionate towards his sister, avoided troubling others, and had never had any conflicts with people in his work and life. His life had been relatively conventional during the first half. Such a person, if encountered in daily life, would likely be someone people wanted to be friends with, harboring sympathy for his unfortunate experience.

The turning point was the staged accident.

What did he go through before his death?

Lu Siyu didn’t say anything either, just looking down at the suitcase. It was very ordinary, much like Chen Yanqiu himself. Chen Yanqiu seemed like an ordinary office worker who brushed past you in the subway in the morning, a common patient you might encounter in a hospital, or a colleague you’d meet at work.

This ordinary young man didn’t seem like the crazed, deviant killer. He exceeded the scope Lu Siyu was familiar with and proficient in.

Song Wen reached out to open the zipper. Inside were some commonly used items for young people, consistent with what Fu Linjiang had mentioned. The clothes were neatly folded; he liked to wear simple clothes, mostly plain styles. In the backpack, there was a book, Nietzsche’s “Thus Spoke Zarathustra.”

“This book is not easy to find nowadays,” Lu Siyu took the book, flipped through it to ensure there was nothing hidden inside, and then handed it to Song Wen.

Song Wen opened it, flipped through a few pages, and found a slight crease on one page. He read aloud, “‘In your dying, let your spirit and virtue still shine brightly, like the evening glow enveloping the earth; otherwise, your death will be in vain.'”

Lu Siyu said, “For terminally ill patients, Nietzsche’s madness is like a placebo, giving them courage. I prefer this version of the translation.” Sometimes, differences in translation could lead to variations in the meaning of the text.

In addition to the book and clothes, there were two old towels, a cup, a pair of slippers sealed in a bag. Despite staying in a hotel, Chen Yanqiu still brought these things, indicating that he had prepared for a long stay. When he finally left, he left behind the phone charger and power bank but took the phone with him, suggesting he didn’t plan to return.

Song Wen looked at the registration form from the forensic department and opened the compartment of the backpack. Inside were some identification documents and several boxes of medicine.

Some of the IDs belonged to Zhang Rui and were directly used by him. For a terminally ill patient like Chen Yanqiu, medication was undoubtedly essential, helping him prolong his life. Song Wen took the medicine bottles and examined them, unscrewing the caps to inspect the white pills inside.

Seeing those medicines, Lu Siyu couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous. He licked his lips lightly and turned his head away.

“This box of medicine is a bit strange,” Song Wen studied it for a moment, placing a box of fever-reducing medicine aside. “He only took four pills from this box, and then look here.”

He pointed to the production date on top, “The medicine was manufactured in December of last year, obviously later than the other medicines. This bottle of medicine might be purchased after he assumed Zhang Rui’s identity. Moreover, this medicine… is a prescription drug.”

Lu Siyu picked up the medicine box and examined it carefully. There was a small purple note affixed inconspicuously, indicating the dosage each time. He spoke, “This way of marking the medication is different from that of hospitals and pharmacies. Chen Yanqiu took over Zhang Rui’s identity, so he should be cautious, avoiding crowded places. His range of activities is limited, perhaps to a small clinic near the hotel.”

Song Wen said, “Maybe we’re lucky enough to find out where this clinic is.”

The two of them went through the suitcase inside and out again, but found no additional clues. Song Wen returned the box and, accompanied by Lu Siyu, headed towards Maochang Street in the west of the city.

Maochang Street was located in the north of South City, resembling an old-town shantytown. After searching for a while, Song Wen finally saw a sign indicating Ruyi Inn, with an arrow pointing to an alley. He parked the car outside the alley and walked in, but even finding a spot to park was challenging.

The small alley still had a brick ground, and both sides were two-story buildings, although somewhat aged and simple. Many might not be owner-occupied but rather rented out as affordable housing. Many migrant workers lived here, sometimes even recruiting roommates from their hometowns. Children who had just finished school ran around the alley, making the place even more cramped.

As a corner of South City, this place was entirely different from the rural or town areas. The population density was significantly higher, and the people were closer to the city’s prosperity. The alley had piles of household garbage, and there were cigarette butts on the ground. More positively, one could say it had a vibrant life, but less charitably, it was because there were too many poor people, and their quality of life was hard to improve, especially with such a stark contrast to the prosperous city, leaving people resentful.

The Ruyi Inn, despite its name, didn’t look pleasant at all. The sign had been washed out by rain to the point of almost losing its color, making it difficult to discern. It was indeed not easy for Fu Linjiang to find this place.

*ruyi – a symbol of power and good fortune

Lu Siyu had been frowning since entering the alley. He felt repulsed by the smell here, as if there was an indelible odor of sweat everywhere, making him a bit nauseous. Moreover, not far from the alley, there was an old lady scolding someone in the local dialect, making his headache even worse.

Song Wen entered the Ruyi Inn, and a short, chubby female boss opened the door and led them into the courtyard. Song Wen showed his credentials, and the landlady said, “Ah, I know, your colleague was here yesterday and took some things.”

She glanced at Song Wen and Lu Siyu, her gaze wary and cautious. “Did that young man commit some major crime? Otherwise, why would you keep coming back to check?”

Song Wen replied, “That young man was murdered, and there’s no connection to your place. We’re just here to investigate. If you remember anything, just let me know.”

Song Wen didn’t rush to ask about the medicine box. Instead, he engaged in casual conversation with the landlady, then asked her to show them the room where Chen Yanqiu had stayed before.

The room where Chen Yanqiu had stayed was vacant, and Lu Siyu stood outside the door, surveying the environment. It wasn’t great; the room faced north, on the shady side, and even on hot days, it retained a stale, stuffy odor.

Looking at all this, Lu Siyu suddenly felt a pang of sadness. The last moments of that young man’s life must have been bleak. Already suffering from a serious illness, he had isolated himself from his only family member, turning himself into a kite with a broken string.

Meanwhile, Song Wen continued chatting with the landlady, then began asking about Chen Yanqiu’s daily routines, hobbies, and favorite foods.

The landlady recalled and answered, “He occasionally went out for a walk, sunbathed, ordered takeout, or ate at nearby restaurants. He liked the dumplings at the end of the street and was quite a quiet young man. Didn’t talk much, easy to get along with, and never delayed payment for our hotel.” After a moment’s thought, she added, “I think he wasn’t originally from around here and wasn’t familiar with the people here. During his time here, he had little interaction with the locals.”

Song Wen then asked, “Did anyone come to visit him?”

“I didn’t pay much attention,” the landlady said, then suddenly remembered something. “But there was one time I saw him coming out, and there was a man waiting for him at the entrance of the alley.”

“A man? Do you have any more clues? Like age, height, anything?” Song Wen asked, intrigued by this new discovery.

The landlady strained to remember, “I… didn’t see too clearly, just saw his back. He should be a man, a bit hunched.”

After chatting for a while longer, Song Wen noticed that Lu Siyu was standing aside, his face turning pale from holding back. He then took out the medicine box from his pocket and got to the point, asking, “One more question, boss. Are there any clinics nearby that use this kind of labeling?”

Glancing at it, the landlady replied, “That’s from Li Mei Clinic, just east of the road. Most of us here go there when we’re sick. Go ahead, there’s a small supermarket up ahead. Just go past it.”

Thanking the landlady, Song Wen pulled Lu Siyu out. As soon as they were outside the courtyard, Lu Siyu crouched down, covering his mouth, dry heaving. He closed his eyes, his throat convulsing a few times, before he managed to control himself and take a breath.

After waiting for him for a moment, Song Wen bought a bottle of mineral water from a nearby stall and handed it to him. “It’s just a hotel, pretty clean actually. Chen Yanqiu stayed here for over a month.”

Lu Siyu shook his head. “The smell of the living is too strong…” The layout of the hotel was problematic, with rooms cramped together, and the bedding seemed unwashed for a while. Perhaps because Chen Yanqiu had stayed there, he could still detect a hint of disease and despair. He felt like he was being overwhelmed by that smell.

Lu Siyu took the bottle of mineral water and rinsed his mouth, then closed his eyes and rested for a while, feeling a bit better. He was completely different from Song Wen; while Song Wen could chat with anyone he met, he just wanted to keep his distance. Over the years, the only person he didn’t mind being close to seemed to be Song Wen.

Song Wen didn’t rush him, waiting until he recovered before following the landlady’s directions to the clinic. This time, he didn’t let Lu Siyu come in; instead, he asked him to wait outside.

The clinic was located to the east of the road. Upon entering, they found it crowded, with several elderly people receiving IV drips. A middle-aged woman, presumably a doctor with a mask on, approached them and said, “You’ll have to wait in line to see the doctor.”

Song Wen flashed his credentials and whispered, “I’m a police officer. I’d like to ask about some related matters.”

The woman walked outside and looked at Song Wen and Lu Siyu, furrowing her brow as she removed her mask. “I’m in charge of this clinic. What do you want to ask? While we may be simple here, we never do anything illegal. I haven’t performed a single abortion for those who came asking…”

“It’s not about the clinic’s operations,” Song Wen interrupted, then showed her the medicine box. “This medicine was prescribed from here, right? I’d like to know more about it.”

Li Mei glanced at the purple label. “Yes, it’s from here. But this type of medicine is common. I prescribe a lot of it every month, so I might not remember each one.”

Song Wen then pulled out a photo of Chen Yanqiu. “Do you remember this young man?”

Li Mei thought for a moment and nodded. “I have some recollection.”

Suddenly energized, Song Wen said, “He’s a key figure in a case we’re currently investigating. Please try to recall what happened when he visited your clinic.”

Li Mei thought for a moment and said, “It was probably around the end of last year, in January. It was raining heavily one day, and there weren’t many patients. Then an old man brought this young man here. The young man looked quite weak and had a fever. At that time, I couldn’t determine his condition, so I just prescribed some fever-reducing medication for him and advised him to go to a major hospital.”

“Old man? Was he a relative?” Song Wen furrowed his brow, recalling the mention of a man by the landlady earlier. Was this old man the same person?

Li Mei replied, “I’m not sure. I initially thought he was his father, but later the young man called him uncle. During the medical examination, the old man didn’t say a word. After the treatment, they left. Then the second time was about half a month later, when the young man had a high fever again. The old man brought the prescription from last time, and I prescribed another box of medicine for him. I reminded them once again to go to the hospital. The old man agreed, but I don’t know if they went later.”

In just a few sentences, the patients inside seemed to be getting impatient, and someone outside was calling, “Dr. Li…”

Li Mei turned back and said, “Just a moment, I’ll be right there.”

Song Wen continued to ask, “What did the old man look like? Any distinctive features?”

Li Mei shook her head and gestured inside. “As you can see, I see so many patients every day that I can remember them because the young man seemed strange, like he had a serious illness and knew his condition, yet he didn’t let me conduct a detailed examination. The old man accompanying him was just an ordinary older man. I can’t remember any features or height. Even if you showed me a photo, I might not recognize him.”

After a few more questions, Li Mei couldn’t recall any more details. The patients inside were getting restless, so Song Wen had to let her go, giving her a business card and instructing her to contact him if she remembered any relevant information.

Finally, Li Mei asked, “What happened to that young man later?”

“He was murdered,” Song Wen replied.

Li Mei was momentarily stunned, let out a sigh, her expression tinged with sadness and regret, then went back into the clinic.

As they descended the clinic steps, Lu Siyu asked him, “Who do you think that old man could be?”

“We’ve checked before; Chen Yanqiu’s relatives aren’t here, and he didn’t have many friends. Maybe… a fellow patient?” Song Wen speculated, but then shook his head, denying the possibility. “It doesn’t seem like a fellow patient. If it were, they could at least help him get prescribed medication, rather than bringing him to a small clinic for fever medication.”

Lu Siyu licked his lips, feeling a bold idea brewing in his mind. However, because it was too daring, he didn’t dare to easily voice it out. The clues they had now were still too few.

Glancing at the time, Song Wen saw that it was already half past four in the afternoon. If they went back to the police station now, it would be almost time to clock out. It was a bit too early to call it a day, so he put his hands in his pockets and pondered for a moment before saying, “Let’s go, let’s take a stroll around the neighborhood.”

Lu Siyu didn’t say anything. He had been feeling a bit uneasy staying here for a long time, but thankfully, as they exited the alley, the smell improved significantly.

Song Wen seemed to have become less hurried. They walked around aimlessly, giving off a sense of killing time. Walking along the street, they reached the end of the road. Song Wen pointed to a dumpling stall ahead and said, “Let’s go, let’s ask there.”

The stall was small, with only two tables and a few round stools. The owner was quite friendly. Song Wen didn’t dare to let Lu Siyu eat anything indiscriminately, so he ordered a portion of pork dumplings for himself and requested a cup of warm water for Lu Siyu.

Watching the owner busy nearby, Song Wen whispered to Lu Siyu, “When I was an intern police officer, search and inquiry was my favorite part. Although data work is crucial in solving cases, one shouldn’t just sit in the office. Only by getting in touch can one feel that these are real, living people. The veteran cop who used to mentor me always said not to rush, as clues are often found in everyday life, sometimes unexpectedly. Back then, when I was just learning criminal profiling, I liked to carry a sketchbook with me. Whenever I saw someone with an interesting face, I would sketch them.”

In no time, the owner had cooked the dumplings and brought them over. Song Wen tried one and nodded approvingly, saying, “Hmm, not bad at all. Do you want to try?”

Lu Siyu hesitated for a moment, seeming to worry about the hygiene here. Seeing Song Wen enjoying the food, he eventually took a pair of disposable chopsticks from the side and picked up a dumpling. As he tasted it, he found the dumpling skin thin and the filling well-seasoned. It wasn’t astonishingly delicious, but it reminded him of home.

Sitting on the side, holding a disposable paper cup, feeling the warmth of the water inside, and still savoring the aroma left by the dumplings, Lu Siyu watched quietly. Suddenly, he felt that this place wasn’t as unpleasant and unbearable as he thought.

They were really trying their best to get closer to Chen Yanqiu, even though he had died six months ago. They visited the hotel where he stayed, walked the paths he walked, went to the clinic he visited, and ate the dumplings he had eaten.

They just hoped to get a little closer to him, to understand him, and to discover the real cause of his death.

After finishing the dumplings, Song Wen showed the owner a photo of Chen Yanqiu. The owner nodded and said, “Yes, this person. Last winter, before Chinese New Year, he often ate at my stall, sometimes alone, sometimes with an older man. But then, I don’t know what happened; they never came again.” As he spoke, he showed the photo to another stall owner nearby. “It’s this person. Do you remember?”

The other owner sold small toys and had a few toys displayed in front for people to play with. Frowning, he said, “Looks familiar, but let me think.”

Song Wen generously took out ten yuan and said, “Try three rings. Take your time to think.”

Then Song Wen stood in front of the stall and casually tossed two rings, but neither hit the target. Holding the last ring, he turned back to Lu Siyu with a smile. “Want to give it a try?”

Lu Siyu was taken aback for a moment. He reached out and took the ring, looking at it. The ring was small and light, extremely easy to miss when thrown. He had never really played this game from childhood to adulthood. As a child, he found it childish, and as an adult, he saw through it, thinking it was just a trick the stall owner used to deceive people, with nine out of ten times missing the target.

Song Wen’s intentions were hard to resist so he just threw it casually. The ring flew out of his hand, landed on the head of a white bunny plush toy, swayed for a moment, and then looped around it.

Lu Siyu hadn’t expected anything, but after hitting the target like this, he was stunned.

Song Wen laughed, “Boss, he got it. Give him the prize.”

“Wow, what luck!” The owner laughed and handed the toy to Lu Siyu. Lu Siyu was a bit caught off guard, looking down at the toy in his hand, which was nothing like something he would buy. The toy bunny was made of felt, fluffy all over, with its eyes squinted and tongue sticking out.

Song Wen looked at him and whispered, “So cute.”

Lu Siyu still hadn’t fully reacted. Holding the bunny with one hand, he said, “Yeah, it’s quite cute. I don’t know how I managed to hit it. I’ll give it to Xiao Lang as a toy when I get back.”

Song Wen nodded, but in his heart, he was thinking, he wasn’t talking about the bunny.

The stall owner suddenly remembered something and said, “Oh, right, the person you mentioned, I remember now. They also played this game here. At that time, the young man was eating dumplings and kept looking over here. They bought a total of ten rings and won a model of the Nancheng Tower. It was the only one, and I felt really sorry for it at the time.”

“Nancheng Tower?” Song Wen was slightly stunned by this revelation. He and Lu Siyu looked at each other, both suddenly remembering something. There was no model like that among Chen Yanqiu’s belongings, but they had seen the same model in another place—on Zhang Congyun’s windowsill.

Song Wen pulled out Zhang Congyun’s photo and showed it to the stall owner.

The owner nodded, “Yes, that’s the guy. I remember thinking back then that the father and son were quite interesting.”

Hearing this, both Song Wen and Lu Siyu’s expressions changed.

These two individuals, one being the relative of the victim of the car accident and the other being the one who took the blame, knew each other. Moreover, before Chen Yanqiu’s death, they had a period of frequent interaction…

More importantly, Zhang Congyun had been lying before!