Lin Fan was startled, then quickly nodded, "I understand, I won't casually talk about it in the future."

Qin Feng didn't react much to her being able to see ghosts, so she forgot about it, which was understandable. There was no benefit to herself in revealing this matter; she might just face discrimination again, perhaps even more so.

Lin Fan remembered something and looked up at Qin Feng, whose reflection was mirrored on the elevator wall. "I went to the Zhongming old building again but didn't see Su Ran again. Has her case not been solved yet? Who is the murderer?"

"The clues have run dry."

The surveillance footage and the testimony of the host all indicated that Ouyang Yu did not have the opportunity to commit the crime, while Liu Ge did, but there was no evidence linking him to the scene. They thoroughly investigated Liu Ge, who was a liberal arts student and worked as a broker. He didn't have the skills to perform the gruesome murder. Qin Feng investigated everyone around him but found no results, so that lead was cut off.

The elevator stopped, and Qin Feng walked out briskly, unlocking the door with his key. Lin Fan surveyed the surroundings; the security measures here were very good, with surveillance cameras in each building.

Qin Feng opened the door and entered, setting down his bag and turning on the lights.

Lin Fan was about to follow when Qin Feng walked out again. "Let's go out for dinner. Do you need to put anything away?"

Lin Fan met his gaze and quickly shook her head. "No."

"Then let's go."

Lin Fan trotted after Qin Feng as he walked out without driving, leaving through the main gate of the residential area.

Just across the street was a bustling food stall area. Qin Feng chose a seat in a corner and took out his phone to make a call. The proprietress came over with a menu. "They've arrived? What would you like to eat?"

Qin Feng handed the menu to Lin Fan and spoke into the phone, "The usual place, come over."

Lin Fan was hungry, her eyes fixed on everything.

Qin Feng ordered some barbecue and several dishes. Lin Fan finally tore her gaze away from the menu. "I'll have noodles."

Qin Feng lit a cigarette and glanced at her. "Hungry?"

Lin Fan blushed slightly. "Yes."

"Two portions," Qin Feng said.

"Okay."

As the proprietress left, Qin Feng took out a card from his pocket and handed it to Lin Fan. "Here, don't lose it."

"What's this?"

"The card for the main gate." Qin Feng's gaze was lazy as he flipped through pictures on his phone and continued smoking.

"Thank you."

Lin Fan's phone was dead, so she sat dryly, bored, looking around. The proprietress brought over some beer, and she was about to ask Qin Feng why he ordered so much food when Liu the coroner and Xiao Wang entered her line of sight, followed by Liu Juan.

"Captain Qin."

Qin Feng put down his phone and gestured for them to sit. The table wasn't big, so they squeezed in. Lin Fan had to move her chair closer to Qin Feng's. Beer was poured, and Lin Fan was about to reach out. Qin Feng called the proprietress over and got her a box of yogurt.

"No new cases lately, the body must have been in the river for days to decompose like that," Liu the coroner said, uninterested in the topic. He turned to the proprietress and ordered a bowl of noodles. Then he asked the others, "Anyone else want noodles?"

"We ordered," Qin Feng gestured to himself and Lin Fan. Liu the coroner chuckled, "Selfish."

This restaurant's dishes were light, including the noodles. Soon, Qin Feng and Lin Fan's noodles arrived. Lin Fan's head dipped down to eat, and they chatted about the case for a while. Xiao Wang brought up the case of the murdered female celebrity.

Qin Feng glanced at him, his tone light, "Enough, stop spreading rumors."

Xiao Wang looked around and shut up.

This meal was owed by Qin Feng to them; they hadn't had a chance to eat together before. Xiao Wang and Liu Juan drank, Qin Feng didn't drink much, and focused on eating noodles. They had work tomorrow; he couldn't drink too much.

The meal ended at half-past eleven, and they were about to leave. Liu the coroner gestured, "Are you taking Lin home?"

"Lin has been staying with me recently." Qin Feng paid the bill, stood up, and was about to leave when his phone rang. He answered it.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"A piece of a body was found in the East District canal. We're already at the scene. Are you coming with Liu the coroner?"

"I'm here; I'll come over immediately."

Ending the call, Qin Feng pocketed his phone. "Let's go, the remaining body parts have been found."

Liu the coroner initially wanted to laugh at how quickly Qin Feng had Lin under his spell, but at the news, he immediately turned serious. "Where?"

"East District."

"Let's go."

Only Lin Fan hadn't drunk any alcohol, but she didn't have a driver's license. They took a taxi to the East District. After driving for a while, Qin Feng turned back to see Lin Fan in the corner, frowning. "Why did you follow?"

"I thought you wanted me to. Should I get off now?"

"She's curious and wants to have a look." Liu the coroner smoothed things over. "Lin Fan has guts; she's not afraid of anything."

Qin Feng held back what he wanted to say. He meant for Lin Fan to go back to sleep. But with so many people around and all eyes on them, he couldn't say much more.

At twelve-twenty, they arrived at the scene. Lin Fan observed the terrain; it was very remote, surrounded by a park with no surveillance nearby.

In the summer, the water in the canal surged. Nearby residents came to fish in the dark, but they ended up hauling in a piece of human flesh, screaming in horror and immediately calling the police.

The scene was already surrounded by five or six police officers, and from afar, one could see a white plastic bag containing something.

"Captain Qin."

Qin Feng put on gloves, opened the bag, and Liu the coroner also put on gloves and a mask, taking out the body parts. "Anything else?"

"We're still salvaging."

"It's the chest area, and the internal organs are still intact."

The chest wasn't severed; it was thrown into the river as a whole piece.

"Is it one person?"

"It's a male body, but the level of decomposition is minimal." Liu the coroner pressed on the body part, and blood oozed out. "The body hasn't been disposed of for long. We can't perform an autopsy now. Let's take it back."

After another half hour of salvaging, they found nothing else.

They returned the same way they came. Lin Fan was very interested in the body. Before reaching the autopsy room, Qin Feng pushed her out, handing her the key. "Go to my office and sleep. Use my clothes to cover yourself."

Lin Fan suppressed her curiosity and nodded. "Okay, I'll go back."

"It's too late now, not safe. I'll take you back after I'm done."

Lin Fan took the key and walked to the other end.

Finally, the body parts were all recovered, and Liu the coroner and his assistant began to re-autopsy the body.

"The deceased was 1.75 meters tall, male, aged between forty to forty-two."

Qin Feng stood by, observing the body. There were obvious signs of abuse on the body parts. What kind of person was this? Why didn't he want to catch the killer? He thought of Lin Fan's words.

"The cause of death was mechanical asphyxia, strangulation. There's no sign of appetite in the stomach, and there are restraint marks on the hands and feet." Liu the coroner probed the skin around the neck area. "Using a rope—why are there patterns?"

Xiao Wang took photos, and Qin Feng carefully examined the injuries on the neck. Xiao Wang spoke up, "It looks like those kinds of whips."

Qin Feng turned back. "What?"

Xiao Wang scratched his head. "It looks a bit like those novelty whips you can find online."

Liu the coroner adjusted his glasses with his arm. "The victim was gay; the whip explains the injuries on the body. I know some people have particular tastes and enjoy this kind of thing."

"Homosexual?"

"Yeah," Liu the coroner said. "The victim's anal sphincter is noticeably damaged, which is typical in homosexual activities. There are also injuries to the throat; I've been wondering how they were caused, but now we have an answer."

Qin Feng remained silent for a moment. "I'll go check the surveillance footage. Let me know if there are any new discoveries."

"Got it."

---

Lin Fan looked at the middle-aged man in front of her, wrapping herself tighter in the police uniform jacket, which was too big for her, borrowed from Qin Feng.

"If you don't want me to help solve the case, why are you following me?" The man furrowed his brows, his pale face devoid of color. "Are you even human?"

Lin Fan nodded. "I am human."

"There's a strong ghostly aura around you," he said, "you don't seem human."

Lin Fan remained silent, quietly watching him.

He sat quietly, looking out the window.

After a long time, Lin Fan spoke, "Do I resemble a dead person? Or am I just a walking corpse?"

Ouyang Yu said she should have died long ago, but someone gave her life. Lin Fan couldn't remember much from her childhood; when her grandmother passed away, she instructed her to always wear that jade pendant, but she ended up selling it. It was only after selling the jade pendant that she could see ghosts. What did that jade pendant represent?

"I can't answer that question for you, kid."

"What's your name?"

"I can't tell you." He buried his face in his hands. "If the case isn't solved, then it's just death."

Lin Fan stayed with the nameless man until dawn, drifting off to sleep when exhaustion finally caught up with her. She was awakened by the sound of the door being pushed open. Groggily, she opened her eyes and saw a tall figure entering.

Rubbing her eyes, Lin Fan saw Qin Feng picking up the clothes from the floor and covering her with them. "Didn't expect to stay up all night. The unidentified victim has been found. I have to go busy myself. Take a taxi back."

Still not fully awake, Lin Fan asked, "What's his name?"

"Not your concern." Qin Feng took out some money from his wallet and placed it on the table. "Take a cab back." His phone rang, and he answered it, walking out as he closed the office door behind him.

"The victim has a special identity, so handle the case with caution," the chief instructed.

"Understood."

The victim's name was Zhu Mao, the second-in-command in Jiangcheng City, with a good reputation. No wonder he didn't want his identity revealed or the cause of death investigated. Being discovered as gay and murdered, where could he show his face? A lifetime of reputation ruined in an instant. He was forty-one years old and had a daughter studying abroad. They received a report from Mrs. Zhu this morning, and after comparing DNA, they found the victim.

After ending the call, Qin Feng led the team straight to Zhu Mao's residence. It was a divided house, a two-story building. Qin Feng presented the warrant and led the team inside to search for evidence.

Mrs. Zhu looked haggard, appearing much older than her forty years. She sat on the sofa in the living room, looking distressed. Qin Feng brought Liu Juan along and sat opposite her. "Mrs. Zhu, when did you realize Mr. Zhu was missing?"

"He rarely comes home. I thought he had other things going on until I couldn't contact him these past two days, and I got worried."

"Does Mr. Zhu have another place to stay?"

"He probably does, but I don't know. I don't ask about these things." She avoided eye contact. "I don't inquire, and he wouldn't tell me."

"So it's common for your husband not to come home?"

Mrs. Zhu remained silent.

"Are you two close?"

She paused for a moment, forcing a smile. "We've been married for so long, it's just like this, neither good nor bad."

With her husband having sexual orientation issues, it was impossible for the wife not to have noticed. Used to bear children, now left widowed, was she resigned to it? Could there be resentment in her heart?