His fingers were not gentle, scraping Lin Fan's face enough to hurt her. She clenched her fists tightly.

Inside the car, Xiao Wang knocked on the window, worried that Qin Feng might actually hit Lin Fan, whose small frame looked too fragile to take a beating. "Captain Qin! Let's take Xiao Lin to the hospital first."

Qin Feng's Adam's apple bobbed, and he clenched his fist on the car body. "You don't trust me?" His voice was so low and heavy that Lin Fan felt suffocated.

"It's not that."

"Then why did you go to him?"

"I suspect the heart-extraction case is related to the life-extension technique." Lin Fan's lips were dry, and she licked them. "Brother Qin, I don't want any more people to die. I just want to understand what's going on and what my role is in all of this—"

"Shut up. Don't talk about this outside." Qin Feng opened the car door and pushed Lin Fan into the passenger seat. Xiao Wang, caught off guard, nearly fell out of the car. Qin Feng got into the driver's seat, started the engine, and drove off.

Xiao Wang closed the door and quickly asked, "Xiao Lin, do you know that Ouyang Yu? He acts so arrogant and has shown up at several crime scenes. He's very suspicious. Damn it, if we had evidence, I'd have him locked up."

Qin Feng's face remained emotionless, revealing nothing.

When the car stopped, Lin Fan grabbed her bag and tried to leave. Qin Feng pulled her back, turning her around and marching her towards the office. The sudden movement pulled at her wounds, making her gasp in pain. Qin Feng stopped, released her shoulder, and grabbed her arm instead, pulling her into the office. He closed the door and locked it.

Pointing to a chair, he said, "Sit."

Lin Fan sat down, and Qin Feng walked over and slammed the dagger onto the table. "Do you know what crime this is?"

"Excessive self-defense." Lin Fan lowered her head, avoiding Qin Feng's eyes.

"Excessive my ass! Look at me."

Lin Fan looked up at him. Qin Feng's eyes were cold, and his unshaven face made his stubble more prominent. He tapped the desk with one hand, staring at Lin Fan. "If Ouyang Yu presses charges, you'll be guilty of a crime."

Lin Fan bit her lip and remained silent.

"I said I would handle things. Did you understand?"

"I understood."

"And did you follow through?"

Lin Fan fidgeted with her hands. They weren't related by blood. When she was negotiating with Ouyang Yu, she had sent her location to Qin Feng. She had wanted to record the conversation but hadn't had the chance.

Qin Feng lit a cigarette, his face dark, and after a while, he spoke. "What did Ouyang Yu say to you?"

"He said he could extend my life, that he could help me live longer."

It couldn't be a coincidence that the clues in the heart-extraction case repeatedly pointed to Ouyang Yu. Something was definitely off.

"How does it work?"

"I don't know. He didn't say."

"Why would he extend your life?"

Lin Fan felt humiliated. She was disgusted by Ouyang Yu and bit her lip again. "He said he wanted something in return."

"You?" Qin Feng stubbed out his cigarette, gritting his teeth. "Damn it—" He angrily threw the cigarette butt into the ashtray. "Then you two fought?"

"Yes." Lin Fan touched her nose. "I didn't mean to hurt him. He leaned into my knife."

Qin Feng stared at Lin Fan. She had delicate, beautiful features, but her dressing style made her look young, like a high school student. She wasn't very noticeable in a crowd.

When he arrived, he had seen Ouyang Yu pinning Lin Fan down, and he had felt a murderous urge.

He sat on the desk, legs spread.

"Did he do anything unusual?"

"I'm not familiar with him, so I can't tell. But there's one strange thing—he seems weaker now." Lin Fan frowned, recalling the details of her meeting with Ouyang Yu. "He used to have some magic, but now he doesn't. Maybe he knew you were coming."

"Magic?" Qin Feng frowned, finding these matters highly surreal.

"Yes, at the old building on Zhongming Road, I suddenly couldn't move." Thinking about it made Lin Fan's face darken. Ouyang Yu had touched her face, which was disgusting. "I think he's connected to the serial killer."

"He touched you?"

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Lin Fan rubbed her nose. "He touched my face."

"Don't go to him alone again," Qin Feng said in a deep voice. "I'll handle the case. Do you want to go home and study, or go to work?"

"I'll go to work." Lin Fan still couldn't shake the fog in her mind. She looked up at Qin Feng. "He said if I don't go back to the old building on Zhongming Road, I won't live past the end of the year."

Qin Feng narrowed his dark eyes, staring at Lin Fan, his Adam's apple bobbing.

After a while, he leaned down, placing his hands on the arms of the chair Lin Fan was sitting in. The proximity allowed Lin Fan to smell the tobacco scent on him, and her heartbeat slowed. Her palms grew sweaty. "Lin Fan."

Qin Feng's voice was husky.

"Yes?" Lin Fan looked up, seeing her pale reflection in Qin Feng's pupils.

"Do you trust him or me?"

Lin Fan clenched her hands, sweat continuously emerging from her palms. She could hear her heartbeat like a drum, thumping loudly.

"You."

Then she saw his face come closer, Qin Feng kissed her on the forehead, his lips warm. Lin Fan was stunned, and Qin Feng didn't dare to make any further moves.

Stepping back from her forehead, Qin Feng said, "The old building on Zhongming Road has many mysteries. I haven't figured out what secrets Ouyang Yu is hiding. It's too risky. For now, you'll stay at my place." Qin Feng took Lin Fan's hand, holding it in his. "I told you, I'll wait for you to grow up." He used his other hand to ruffle Lin Fan's hair. "You will grow up."

Lin Fan wasn't a normal person. She didn't even know if she was human. She had been born without a heartbeat, without signs of life. How many people had been sacrificed for her to be here now? She didn't dare to think about it.

"My dad has a friend who knows something about this. I'll take you to see him in a few days."

"Okay."

Qin Feng's phone rang. He walked to the other side of the desk to answer it.

"There's been a murder at Chun Cheng Community. Two people are dead."

"Alright, I'm on my way."

Qin Feng hung up and strode out. Lin Fan stood up. "Is there a case?"

Qin Feng nodded. "Two people died at Chun Cheng."

"Can I come and take a look?"

Qin Feng paused at the door, looking back at Lin Fan. "You want to go?"

"Yes."

"Let's go."

At the door, Qin Feng ran into Dr. Liu and Xiao Wang. Xiao Wang was carrying a case and grumbling, “Damn it, another murder case. Are all the killers having a mid-year sale?”

Qin Feng opened the car door and got in. “If you talked less, our efficiency would be much higher.”

Half an hour later, they arrived at Chun Cheng Garden. As Lin Fan got out of the car, she realized why the name of this community sounded so familiar—her father used to live here. After her father's death, her life had plunged from paradise into hell. Her stepmother had taken her half-brother and fled with all the money, leaving Lin Fan to face the creditors who seized the house. She hadn’t even had time to pack her belongings.

Qin Feng glanced back at her. “What’s wrong?”

Lin Fan shook her head and followed him inside, growing increasingly uneasy. Walking through the high-rise buildings, they reached the villa area. Lin Fan touched her nose. Could it really be such a coincidence?

It was indeed such a coincidence.

“The person who reported the crime is a housekeeper hired by this family. She knocked on the door in the morning, got no response, and used a key to enter, only to find blood everywhere. The victim’s name is Liu Piaopiao. There’s a boy upstairs who’s also dead, said to be her son.”

Lin Fan entered and saw the familiar decor, struggling to breathe. The woman on the floor, wearing pajamas, had her beautiful face slashed open, the flesh turned inside out. It looked like she was first slashed on the face, then stabbed in the abdomen, causing a large pool of blood to spread out from beneath her. She no longer looked arrogant, no longer wore that perpetually haughty expression.

Lin Fan felt nauseous. Her stepmother was dead. After her father died, this woman had taken the child and all the money and fled, leaving Lin Fan to be kicked out of this villa by creditors. So why had she returned?

“Time of death is over ten hours ago. A sharp weapon pierced her heart.”

There were bloodstains on the carpet, likely from the killer wiping off their bloody shoes. The house reeked of blood. Lin Fan walked upstairs, carefully avoiding the blood splatters. Faint bloody footprints led up the stairs. Just as she reached the landing, Qin Feng turned back to remind her, “There’s a child up here. If you can’t handle it, don’t come up.”

Lin Fan bit her lip and continued up. “That’s my father’s son.”

Qin Feng was examining the area around the body. He quickly turned around when he heard her. “What?”

Xiao Wang, who was also investigating, was startled. “What?”

Lin Fan’s younger brother was five years old, a spoiled child. She pinched the bridge of her nose and approached the body. The child must have heard a commotion and went out to investigate, only to be killed. His neck and head were barely connected by a strip of skin, surrounded by a pool of blood. The killer had delivered a single fatal blow and then left.

There were no signs of struggle on the body, suggesting the child hadn’t had time to react.

“Your brother?”

Lin Fan nodded, looking around. “I don’t know why they came back to this house. After my father went bankrupt and jumped to his death, they ran away.”

Qin Feng stared at Lin Fan for a few seconds. “You go downstairs and wait outside.”

Lin Fan was silent for a moment before nodding. “Okay.”

Lin Fan waited outside until 2:30 PM. Dr. Liu was the first to come out, followed by the removal of the bodies. Lin Fan sat by the flowerbed, thinking. She didn’t like Liu Piaopiao but didn’t wish to see a murder. As for the house, she now understood: Liu Piaopiao must have feared Lin Fan would contest the inheritance and had found a way to force her out.

At 3:30 PM, Qin Feng came out. Lin Fan stood up, but Qin Feng didn’t seem to see her, walking straight out with long strides. Lin Fan opened her mouth to speak, but Xiao Wang noticed her first.

“Xiao Lin.”

Lin Fan ran over. Qin Feng saw her too and pulled out his wallet, handing it to her. “Go get something to eat. I’ll find you soon.”

Lin Fan wanted to say something, but Qin Feng and Xiao Wang had already left.

Admiring Qin Feng's dedication, Lin Fan held his wallet, unsure what to say. He had already disappeared. Lin Fan looked at the heavy wallet, a black, folded men’s wallet with a small logo in the corner. It wasn’t cheap. She opened it, finding several credit cards and a significant amount of cash.

Not knowing what else to do, Lin Fan left the community and found a nearby noodle shop. Halfway through her meal, Qin Feng called. She quickly put down her chopsticks and answered.

“Where are you eating?”

“A noodle shop near the community. You haven’t eaten yet, have you?”

“Five of us haven’t eaten. Order something, I’ll be there soon.”

“Okay.”

Qin Feng arrived shortly after. The shop was small, and the five men took up quite a bit of space. Qin Feng pulled out the seat next to Lin Fan, sitting down. The table could fit four people, so Xiao Wang, lacking tact, sat opposite them, while the others found another table.

Lin Fan had nearly finished eating. “How is it?”

“Is Liu Piaopiao your stepmother?”

Lin Fan nodded. “Yes.”

The owner brought the noodles, and Qin Feng gestured. “Pass the vinegar.”

Lin Fan handed it to him, still watching Qin Feng. “Have you identified the killer?”

“We’re still investigating. Later, you’ll come to the station. We need to ask you some questions about the victim.”

Lin Fan was shocked that this incident involved her. “Seriously? Am I a suspect again?”