Chapter 7

“These photos look like they’ve been around for a while. Ma’am, you were really beautiful when you were younger.”
Luo Jingyao smoothly turned her body to the side and casually pointed to a few faded photos stuck to the wall above the headboard.

Following her gesture, Huang Guifen’s face showed a flicker of nostalgia, though it disappeared quickly.

She walked over and rather rudely nudged Luo away from the bed, then shoved a cup of water into her hand. Her tone was far from friendly:
“Drink up. And once you’re done, leave—I want to sleep.”

The message couldn’t have been clearer.

Luo Jingyao lowered her gaze and glanced at the ceramic cup, stained inside and out with tea residue. Still, she didn’t miss the woman’s movement as she bent down to adjust her pillow.

She watched as a stack of kraft paper envelopes—previously half-exposed—was now fully covered. With a hint of regret, Luo Jingyao pressed her lips together and quietly placed the cup back on the table.

“It really is getting late. I won’t bother you any longer,” she said gently.

Seeing how readily she agreed, Huang Guifen’s scrutinizing gaze flickered, but she still waved impatiently.
“Go on then, go! And don’t come back.”

As soon as Luo Jingyao stepped out of the courtyard, a loud clang echoed behind her as the worn, hole-ridden copper gate slammed shut. The reverberations lingered in the air.

She raised an eyebrow, pulled out her phone from her pocket, and opened her photo album as she slowly retraced her steps.

In the dim night, only the faint glow of her screen provided any light.

Using her thumb and forefinger, she zoomed in on a photo she had secretly taken inside the house. She studied it carefully before finally lowering her arm, looking slightly deflated.

Even if she had noticed something suspicious, there wasn’t much she could do in her current role.

Without realizing it, she had already reached the entrance of the alley. The street was filled with noise and chatter from the nearby shops, a stark contrast to the stillness of the alley’s depths. It felt almost like the boundary between a dream and reality.

Suddenly, in the middle of the clamor, Luo Jingyao thought she heard a familiar voice.

She steadied herself and looked across the street, only to see a roasted sweet potato stand. The vendor sat on a stool, bored, scrolling through his phone.

“Coach Luo.”

Just as she wondered if she had imagined it, the male voice sounded again—this time louder and clearer.

She whipped her head around toward the shadows on the left side of the alley entrance. There, a Jeep—its color and license plate obscured—sat with the engine still running. White exhaust curled into the air, forming a hazy mist in the light.

Through the thin fog, she saw a tall figure leaning against the hood. The next second, he straightened and began walking slowly toward her.

“Officer Lin?”
Luo Jingyao stared wide-eyed in surprise, clearly confused as to why he was here.

Lin Jiafan walked up to her and gave a small smile in response.

“You…”

For some reason, under the silent gaze of his dark eyes, Luo Jingyao suddenly felt a wave of guilt wash over her. She glanced awkwardly back at the dark alley and muttered dryly,
“What a coincidence…”

“Is that so?” Lin Jiafan’s handsome face held a deepening smile as he glanced meaningfully toward the alley.
“What I’m curious about is why Coach Luo would be near Huang Guifen’s residence at this hour.”

As expected.

Luo Jingyao’s eyelashes fluttered as her mind raced, and after a quick internal debate, she decided to tell the truth.
“I came to apologize to her.”

“And Officer Lin? Are you here tonight to speak with Huang Guifen about the case?”

After all, earlier that day, the woman had shouted details that hadn’t even been released publicly. Even Luo could tell something was off—surely the police would’ve picked up on it, too. It made perfect sense they’d come to question her.

To her surprise, Lin Jiafan shook his head.
“The person I came to see was you, Coach Luo.”

…Huh?

Luo Jingyao’s breath caught. Her response slipped out instinctively.
“Officer Lin… were you following me?”

Lin Jiafan didn’t respond, but the look on his face was more than enough confirmation.

No wonder.

Everything that had seemed suspicious earlier suddenly made sense. Of course he’d kept stepping in on her behalf in front of Pang Guangbuyi—it wasn’t kindness, but strategy. If she didn’t become alert, she’d let something slip.

Her lips twitched, and she silently took back the mental “nice guy” card she had awarded him earlier.

She raised her eyes to examine him more closely. Only then did she notice that the corners of his eyes, hidden behind his rimless glasses, lifted ever so slightly—giving him a faintly roguish look.

She had to admit: the glasses were a smart choice. They softened the sharpness in his eyes, giving him the appearance of a gentleman instead of someone constantly scheming.

Cunning and sly.

Coming back to her senses, Luo Jingyao took a deep breath, a faint crease forming between her brows. She truly didn’t understand why the police would suddenly start suspecting her.

As if reading her mind, Lin Jiafan spoke with a flat tone:
“In the past week, Jinshi City has seen two extremely brutal murder cases. During that same time, you happened to be hired by the police department as a physical training coach.”

“Then this morning, when Huang Guifen came to make a scene in front of the station, you seemed unusually interested in the conversations between our officers. After that, you just so happened to heroically stop Huang Guifen from injuring herself.”

“And then, you appeared at the latest crime scene and helped us apprehend a suspect who very likely could’ve escaped otherwise.”

“And finally, after such a long and exhausting day, you somehow still found time to… let’s see…”
Lin Jiafan slowly raised his left wrist to glance at his watch.
“Arrive at Huang Guifen’s home at 8:53 PM to ‘apologize’.”

With each sentence, Luo Jingyao’s expression became increasingly stiff.

As expected from a criminal investigator—nothing escaped him. All the little things she thought she’d done covertly were apparently obvious under his watchful gaze.

“So, Coach Luo, do you have an explanation?” Lin Jiafan leaned forward slightly, bringing himself to eye level with her.
“Like why a physical training coach would show such unusual interest in the mother of a serial killer from two years ago, as well as in the most recent murder case?”

Unfortunately, even that posture couldn’t erase the pressure his height exuded.

Luo Jingyao instinctively shrank back. Explain? What could she possibly say?

Last night I accidentally ended up inside someone’s fridge and saw the suspected killer at the crime scene?

They’d think she was insane!

So, she could only stick to her original excuse:
“I really did come to apologize. In our line of work, it’s easy to be a little rough. Huang Guifen isn’t young anymore—I was afraid she might have gotten hurt.”

Lin Jiafan looked at her for a moment, then straightened up. His expression was tinged with amusement, but he didn’t press further.
“Would it be convenient for you to come back to the station with me to assist with the investigation?”

He said it as if fully confident she wouldn’t refuse. He turned and walked toward the Jeep, pulling open the rear door.

“…”
After a brief hesitation, Luo Jingyao shuffled after him.

Just as she was about to get in, she heard Lin Jiafan’s voice with a faint trace of teasing:
“Thank you, Coach Luo, for cooperating with the police.”

Clenching her jaw slightly, she forced a smile.
“You’re too kind, Officer Lin. It’s my duty.”

In response, he gave a barely perceptible chuckle.

On the way back to the Jinshi Police Bureau, Luo Jingyao leaned back in her seat with her arms around her backpack and closed her eyes to rest, letting out a silent sigh.

She’d played more mind games in one day than in the past twenty-five years of her life combined. This was more exhausting than fighting four straight matches. Being a decent person was way too hard.

As her thoughts spiraled, a sudden, off-key male voice came through the car speaker.

Startled, she opened her eyes and realized Lin Jiafan had connected the car to his Bluetooth. The front screen showed he was on a call.

“Boss? Where’d you sneak off to for some solo fun? Leaving us stuck working overtime back at the office—kinda unethical, don’t you think?”

Even through the call, Pang Guangbuyi’s raspy voice remained loud and vivid—so much so that Luo Jingyao could almost picture his exaggerated expression as he said it.

Lin Jiafan was currently stopped at a red light. He casually shifted gears before replying,
“I’m almost back at the station. What’s up?”

“Oh, that guy Coach Luo helped capture this morning—he’s been identified. His name is Ma Hongtang, 37 years old. Not a local—he’s from Sichuan Province. No legitimate employment.”
Pang Guangbuyi naturally fell into work mode and began reporting the details.

Luo Jingyao shifted her position, trying to shake off the numbness in her legs, and silently waited for Lin Jiafan to stop the call.

But the man driving up front seemed to have completely forgotten she was there. He simply grunted a quiet “Mhm” to indicate he was listening.

“The DNA results from the blood found on his shoe soles are back as well. They match the victim’s DNA from the crime scene, which is enough to prove that Ma Hongtang was indeed present at the scene.”

As he said this, Pang Guangbuyi’s tone began to grow increasingly indignant.

“But he only admits to having entered the apartment where the victim’s body was found. He flatly denies killing the victim. He claims that he came to Jinshi hoping to earn some money but ended up being scammed, falling into debt, and becoming homeless. In desperation, he decided to break into an abandoned apartment in an old, sparsely populated residential area to find a place to stay temporarily.”

“As for why the victim’s blood was on his shoes, Ma Hongtang explained that the night before, he pried open the door to the crime scene apartment. But once he went inside and sensed something was wrong, he immediately fled and later ended up upstairs from the elderly woman’s unit.”

Just as Pang Guangbuyi finished speaking, Lin Jiafan quickly turned the steering wheel with both hands, guiding the jeep into the courtyard of the Jinshi Public Security Bureau.

After parking and turning off the engine, he finally spoke again:
“Do you believe that kind of excuse?”

Sitting in the back, Luo Jingyao lifted her eyelids at the sound of his voice and immediately saw his pointed expression through the rearview mirror.

“Nonsense. That excuse is full of holes—anyone who believes it is a damn idiot,” Pang Guangbuyi said, clueless.

“Exactly,” Lin Jiafan leaned back casually in his seat, his posture relaxed as his eyes met Luo Jingyao’s through the mirror. He spoke each word slowly and clearly:
“I don’t believe it either.”

Luo Jingyao: “……”

So irritating.

That two-faced bastard just threw shade at her.