Lin Fan had no fondness for Lin Ze and didn't know how to comfort him. "Think again, who slashed your neck?"

Lin Ze looked puzzled, staring at Lin Fan with wide eyes.

———

"According to the surveillance footage, a man approached the villa at eleven o'clock, but unfortunately, his face wasn't captured."

Qin Feng picked up the files. After Lin Fan's father's death, Liu Piaopiao had left Jiangcheng for a while. She soon returned and transferred the villa ownership to herself. The current owner of the villa was Liu Piaopiao.

"How's her financial situation?"

"Here, very wealthy," the investigating officer was astonished. "Wasn't she supposed to be bankrupt?"

Seeing the huge sums in Liu Piaopiao's account, Qin Feng tapped the table. "Who handled Lin Chengwei's suicide?"

With such a large amount of money, how did Liu Piaopiao get it? Was Lin Chengwei's bankruptcy and suicide planned by someone? Qin Feng thought about what Lin Fan had said yesterday.

"I'll check," Officer Xiao Wang replied.

There were two men closely associated with Liu Piaopiao. One was her cousin, but actually a distant relative. Ever since Lin Chengwei's death, this cousin had been active around Liu Piaopiao. The other was the former vice president of Lin's company. After Lin Chengwei's death, he also disappeared. They were linked through their call records.

This vice president was named Fu Li, thirty-two years old, 1.85 meters tall, from S City. Was Lin Chengwei's wife involved with a subordinate? Was Lin Chengwei's death a murder or an accident? Liu Piaopiao's account balance seemed abnormal.

"The blood samples from the first floor all belong to the deceased Liu Piaopiao."

"Check this Fu Li."

"Lin Chengwei's suicide was handled by the Nancheng branch. Do you need all the files?"

"Yes."

Economic disputes? They should be related to Lin Chengwei's death. Qin Feng thought it might be better for Lin Fan to withdraw, even if it meant being poorer but safer. Sometimes, people were scarier than ghosts.

Qin Feng's phone rang. He stepped out to answer it.

"Captain Qin? This is Liao Wei from the County Public Security Bureau."

"Hello," Qin Feng remembered him, "What's the matter?"

"The Cui Yang case is closed."

Qin Feng returned to his office and closed the door. "Everything is clear?"

"Cui Shitou confessed he killed Cui Yang to extend his own son's life," Liao Wei said. "His son died yesterday."

Qin Feng lit a cigarette and walked to the window. "Is there really a way to extend life? How exactly did they do it? And why was the coffin placed on the road?"

"Supposedly, that place is extremely yin, capable of suppressing the corpse. But it's all superstitions. I've never heard of extending life. Cui Shitou was probably driven mad by his son's illness. It's a remote area, and earning money isn't easy. His son's leukemia treatment would have drained all his savings. With the elder son also needing money for school, the old man likely acted out of desperation."

Qin Feng said, "Many things can't be explained scientifically."

"Regardless, the case is closed, and justice is served."

Qin Feng flicked the ash from his cigarette, his expression darkening. "Have there been similar cases before? Murders for extending life?"

"Never heard of it. Why? Are you interested?"

"It is quite novel."

"Cui Shitou didn't say more, probably to avoid facing the reality of his crime. If he had such skills, he wouldn't have been caught."

After hanging up, Qin Feng finished his cigarette, extinguished it, and tossed it into the ashtray. He pulled out a note from his pocket and looked at the address on it, belonging to an old friend of his father, who was said to know some mystic arts.

Fu Li couldn't be reached, and the police only brought in Liu Piaopiao's cousin.

The cousin, Shen Tong, was thirty years old, 1.73 meters tall, and wore thick glasses.

When Qin Feng entered, Shen Tong was sitting with his head down, looking very sad. Qin Feng pulled out a chair and sat down, looking at him. "When was the last time you saw Liu Piaopiao?"

Shen Tong looked up at Qin Feng. "Can I see Piaopiao? How did she die?"

Shen Tong seemed to have only learned about Liu Piaopiao's death when the police found him. Qin Feng thought he didn't seem to be faking. "What's your relationship with Liu Piaopiao?"

Shen Tong clenched his fists. "She's my girlfriend."

Qin Feng raised his eyebrows. "Aren't you her cousin?"

"No," Shen Tong shook his head, his expression heavy. "She's my girlfriend."

Qin Feng hadn't expected this. Liu Piaopiao and Shen Tong were applying for immigration, according to the investigation.

"When was the last time you saw her?"

"On the first."

"Did you see her on the third?"

"No," Shen Tong shook his head, looking troubled. "I was on a business trip on the third."

"What do you do?"

"I work at a law firm."

"Does Liu Piaopiao have any enemies?"

Shen Tong shook his head. "She shouldn't have any. She was very gentle."

"Why did you plan to immigrate abroad with Liu Piaopiao? Why give up your promising career? If there are no enemies in the country, why not live here?"

Shen Tong fell silent. Qin Feng said, "Don't hide anything about your relationship with Liu Piaopiao. This is a murder case. Everyone is a suspect until the case is solved."

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"That's our private matter."

"Now that Liu Piaopiao is dead, this isn't just your private matter anymore."

He didn't speak. Qin Feng's phone beeped. He stood up, signaling Officer Xiao Wang to continue the interrogation, and turned to leave.

"Captain Qin, a third person's blood was found at the scene."

"Got it."

Qin Feng's first impression of Shen Tong was that he wasn't the killer. Liu Piaopiao was tall, and the killer slashed down from above her head, meaning he must be taller than 1.8 meters. Shen Tong was too short. The man in the surveillance footage was tall. Shen Tong was too slender to decapitate someone with a single strike.

"Take Shen Tong's DNA."

The test results showed that the third person's blood wasn't Shen Tong's. Shen Tong's colleagues also confirmed he was on a business trip in S City on the second and third, returning only on the morning of the fourth, giving him no time to commit the crime.

"Do you know this person?" Qin Feng handed a photo to Shen Tong.

Shen Tong's face turned pale. He adjusted his glasses. "Yes, Mr. Fu."

"What's his relationship with Liu Piaopiao?"

"They should be friends. I don't know the details," Shen Tong said. "Can I see Piaopiao? What about the child? Where is the child?"

"The child is also dead." Qin Feng instructed Officer Xiao Wang, "Take him to see Liu Piaopiao."

As evening fell, Fu Li was still nowhere to be found. Qin Feng grabbed his car keys and ran into Lin Fan outside. Lin Fan, with a bag slung across her body and hands in her pockets, stood at the steps. Qin Feng paused, then walked towards her. Before he reached her, Lin Fan turned around.

In the twilight, her skin was as white as jade, and her bright eyes gleamed. Qin Feng lifted his chin and walked to her side, glancing around before his gaze settled on her. "Have you eaten?"

"Not yet. I was looking for you to eat together," Lin Fan smiled, her pretty eyes curving.

Qin Feng smiled back, the corners of his mouth lifting as he gently pinched her ear. Lin Fan jumped back in surprise. With one hand in his pocket, Qin Feng started towards the parking lot. "What do you want to eat?"

Lin Fan's face turned bright red, and she mumbled something while covering her face.

Qin Feng didn't catch it and turned back, "What?"

"Hot pot."

Qin Feng nodded, "Alright, let's go."

Lin Fan followed Qin Feng, stepping into his shadow as she walked with her hands behind her back.

"Is your wound healed? Have you been to the hospital?"

"I went," Lin Fan hurried to keep up with Qin Feng, who slowed his pace for her. "Is it better?"

"Almost."

Once in the car, Qin Feng gestured for her to fasten her seatbelt. "Is work going well?"

Lin Fan's eyes darted around, and she turned to look at Qin Feng, her lips pressed together.

Qin Feng, about to start the car, felt her gaze and looked over. "What? What are you looking at?"

"Is our boss your dad?"

Today, the boss had asked about her work, which surprised Lin Fan. As they chatted, she started to suspect. All that talk about a relative? Clearly, it was his dad.

"Yes," Qin Feng said as he drove out. "Why? Did he give you a hard time?"

Lin Fan quickly shook her head. "No, no, I just thought he was your relative."

The corners of Qin Feng's mouth lifted, and before he could say anything, Lin Fan added, "Your dad looks very young, I didn't dare guess."

Qin Feng: "..."

How old does she think I am?

He turned the car onto the main road.

"What kind of misunderstanding do you have about my age?" He glanced at Lin Fan.

Lin Fan shook her head, "None."

Qin Feng snorted, his expression unreadable. Lin Fan laughed and looked at his face. "Are you angry?"

"I won't argue with a child."

Lin Fan laughed for a while, then turned serious. "Do you know what happened with the fire on Zhongming Road ten years ago? Was it arson or an accident?"

"An accident, I think. I hadn't been with the Jiangcheng Criminal Police Team for long then. I just heard about it; I wasn't involved."

Lin Fan pondered for a moment. "People say that place is eerie. I researched Jiangcheng's history. People have lived there for decades, even centuries. How did it suddenly become a haunted building?"

"I'll look into it."

"I saw Lin Ze."

"Who?"

"My brother, the one I saw in the old building yesterday. I couldn't find Liu Piaopiao."

Qin Feng frowned and looked disapprovingly at Lin Fan. "I told you not to go to that haunted building for now. It's not good for you."

"Oh."

"You're being disobedient."

Lin Fan laughed. "I won't go anymore. How's the case going? Have you found the killer?"

"Not yet. Do you know how much money your father had?"

"I don't know."

"What was the main reason for your father's bankruptcy? Did he get along with Liu Piaopiao?"

Lin Fan had a low status in the Lin family. If her father had liked her even a little, he wouldn't have left her in the countryside for years, neglecting her. After her grandmother died, he had no choice but to bring her back.

It would be a lie to say she didn't feel bitter. People have feelings, and being treated like that hurt Lin Fan. But the pain was limited; she had never held much hope for him.

"I don't know. He wouldn't tell me those things." Lin Fan smiled and turned to look out the window. After a moment, she said, "He never liked me. I was invisible in that house, just given food."

At a red light, Qin Feng braked and looked at Lin Fan.

"What's wrong? Does Liu Piaopiao's death have anything to do with him?"

"To be precise, it should be related to his money."

"Brother Qin."