The autopsy report came out, revealing that the skeletons had all died in the same year. Based on the clothing on the deceased, it was estimated that the time of death was between seventeen and eighteen years ago. Lin Fan was immediately ruled out as a suspect, as she was an infant at the time and couldn't have committed the murders.

However, Lin Fan's family now only had her left. Most of the people who knew the details of what happened back then were dead, and the only other person connected to the case was Ouyang Yu. Ouyang Yu had vanished without a trace, and no one could find him.

Liu Song questioned the nearby residents. Lin Fan's grandmother, Meng Jiu, had kept things very tight-lipped. When Lin Fan was born, she seemed to be stillborn. Lin Fan's mother died shortly after trying to save her. No one could clearly say the cause of death, and no one knew where she was buried. When Lin Fan was nearly a year old, she returned to the village, and Meng Jiu hired craftsmen to rebuild the family house.

The house was built seventeen years ago, which would explain if the skeletons were buried then.

Originally, Lin Fan and Qin Feng planned to leave the next day, but Liu Song stopped them to cooperate with the investigation. With so many unidentified skeletons found under Lin Fan's house, she couldn't be completely absolved of suspicion.

After investigating for four or five days, they only found out that someone from a neighboring village had sold corpses eighteen years ago, and the buyer seemed to be Ouyang Yu. The suspicion pointed back to Ouyang Yu, but he was nowhere to be found.

With nothing more to uncover, Lin Fan buried her grandparents and followed Qin Feng back to Jiangcheng.

Qin Feng and Lin Fan were in the same car. Lin Fan looked at Qin Feng for a moment. "Does Liu Song have a grudge against you?"

"Personal vendetta." Qin Feng didn't care much about such trivial matters. "We worked together before, and later he was transferred to a sub-bureau due to a work mistake. I had requested a re-investigation of that case due to its severity. Human lives were at stake; we couldn't afford any negligence."

Qin Feng was not one to seek fame or fortune. With this explanation, it made sense. Lin Fan nodded. "He thinks you deliberately got him transferred by nitpicking his work?"

"Maybe."

The relationships between people are very subtle.

Qin Feng changed the subject. "You start school the day after tomorrow."

Lin Fan was taken aback. "So soon?"

Qin Feng glanced at her. "Afraid?"

Lin Fan's phone was lost, and she hadn't kept track of the date. "Time passes too quickly. It's scary."

After getting off the expressway, Qin Feng received a call from his mother. He answered, "Mom."

"Are you back? Come over for dinner tonight."

"We'll go home and change clothes first, then we'll come over."

"How's Fan Fan doing lately?"

"She's doing well." Qin Feng looked at Lin Fan and said, "We're both doing well."

"Alright, we'll be waiting for you."

After hanging up, Qin Feng said, "We're having dinner at my mom's tonight."

Lin Fan turned to look at Qin Feng. "Going now? My clothes are a bit messy."

Qin Feng chuckled. "We'll change clothes at home."

At the end of August, the weather was still hot. When they got home, they immediately noticed a bad smell. Lin Fan pinched her nose and cleaned out the trash bin, opening the windows to air out the house while Qin Feng went to his room to shower.

She had been looking disheveled for days, so she quickly went to her room to grab some pajamas and take a long shower. The hot water made her feel dizzy. She stepped out groggily to find Qin Feng already shaved and dressed in a black T-shirt and faded jeans. Lin Fan felt even more dazed.

So handsome. She stared at him for a moment, then bumped into the door.

Qin Feng: "..."

He quickly walked over to help Lin Fan, but she rushed in and slammed the door shut. With a loud bang, Qin Feng raised an eyebrow. "What did you bump into now?"

Lin Fan, feeling foolish, threw herself onto the bed, covering her flushed face. It was too embarrassing. She had just run into the door because she was staring at Qin Feng. How awkward.

After changing clothes, she went out to find Qin Feng on the phone. She opened the fridge, found a bottle of water, and took a sip. Qin Feng ended his call and looked over. "Why is your hair still wet?"

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

Lin Fan finished her water and looked around. "Do you have a hairdryer?"

Qin Feng also took a bottle of water, drank a sip, and paused.

Living alone, with short hair, he didn't need a hairdryer. Lin Fan's hair was long and thick. He touched her hair. "We'll buy one when we go out."

Lin Fan laughed, showing her white teeth, looking beautiful. Qin Feng propped his hand on the fridge behind Lin Fan, staring at her for a moment before leaning down. Lin Fan, still holding the bottle, blinked her eyelashes nervously. "Qin Feng."

Qin Feng kissed her forehead. Lin Fan swallowed and softly called, "Qin Feng."

Qin Feng touched her nose, his eyes filled with a smile, his voice hoarse. "If you keep calling me like that, we won't be able to leave the house today."

Lin Fan's face turned red. She leaned against the fridge, looking at Qin Feng, who was very close. He had a faint scent of aftershave. Lin Fan's gaze moved from his high nose bridge to his lips, then to his chin, and finally to his Adam's apple.

Qin Feng leaned in and touched her soft lips. "Close your eyes."

Lin Fan quickly closed her eyes as Qin Feng pried her lips open and kissed her. The kiss grew intense, with their lips and tongues intertwined passionately. Lin Fan held him tightly, her mind blank. Her leg brushed against something, and she instinctively pushed against it. Qin Feng stopped, released her, and pinched her face, his dark eyes burning with desire. "Do we do this or not?"

Panting, Lin Fan finally understood what she had bumped into, and her mind exploded with realization.

"Hmm?" Qin Feng's thumb brushed her cheek. "Do you want to?"

Lin Fan felt like she was on fire, extremely embarrassed. "You... what time is it?"

Qin Feng lifted his wrist to check the time. "Four thirty."

Lin Fan bit her lip and tentatively asked, "Can you wait?"

Qin Feng laughed lowly, burying his face in her neck and kissing her gently, teasing her. "It's hard."

Lin Fan frowned. "Huh?"

Qin Feng kissed her neck, his fingers threading through her soft hair, stroking her skin. "Do you want to?"

Lin Fan felt a tingling sensation, but she definitely couldn't agree to this. They needed to leave. Besides, she was somewhat scared of this kind of thing; the last time had been too intense for her to even think about.

"No."

Qin Feng released Lin Fan and looked at her. "Then we won't."

Lin Fan's face was burning, and she didn't dare to look down. "But... will it be very uncomfortable for you? Really uncomfortable?"

Suddenly, Qin Feng picked Lin Fan up and set her on the table. He held her hand. "Want to touch?"

Lin Fan wrinkled her nose and quickly shook her head. "It's not hygienic."

After a brief silence, Qin Feng carried Lin Fan to the bedroom in big strides. How was he unhygienic? Lin Fan, startled, clung to Qin Feng's neck. "Put me down! We're going out, Qin Feng! Ah!"

Qin Feng pressed her onto the bed. "Say it again."

Lin Fan blinked, unsure if he was joking or really angry. She reached out to hug his waist. "I won't say it."

Qin Feng checked the time again, kissed her thoroughly, and then released her. "You're not allowed to dislike me or anything about me."

Qin Feng stood up and adjusted his clothes. Lin Fan stuck out her tongue at his temper.

As they were about to leave, Qin Feng told her to change into a collared shirt. Lin Fan's skin was too delicate, and just a few kisses had left a string of red marks. She couldn't go to his parents' house like that without getting teased.

Lin Fan changed into a dress with a small collar and wore a jacket over it, revealing a bit of her legs. She walked out awkwardly. "Does it look weird? I only have this one collared dress."

"Are you cold?"

The dress wasn't short, so she wouldn't be cold, but she rarely wore dresses and felt awkward.

"Not cold."

"That's good." Qin Feng added, "You look pretty." He reached out his hand. "Let's go."

Lin Fan needed more compliments to boost her self-esteem and help her grow.

Lin Fan placed her hand in his. "Let's go."

As they left and walked to the parking lot, Qin Feng's phone rang again. He glanced at the caller ID but didn't answer, putting the phone away. He opened the car door for Lin Fan and then walked around to the other side.

Once in the car, the phone rang again. Lin Fan was curious. "Who's calling?"

"Su Wei."

Lin Fan was stunned for a few seconds. It sounded like a woman's name. "Who?"

Qin Feng backed the car out. "An ex-girlfriend."

Lin Fan suddenly understood. "That mature woman?"

Qin Feng slammed on the brakes and looked back at Lin Fan. "Do you even know what a mature woman is?"

Lin Fan pointed at the phone. "That one."

Qin Feng and Lin Fan had very different ideas of what a mature woman was; their tastes weren't on the same level. Qin Feng hung up the phone, turned the car, and drove out of the parking lot. "We broke up years ago."

"Does she need something?"

"Nothing important." Qin Feng said.

Lin Fan pointed at Qin Feng, her face full of knowing skepticism. "So there's something between you two?"

"I have you now; there's nothing between us."

Lin Fan turned to look out the window, not wanting to talk to him for the moment.

When they arrived at his parents' apartment complex, Qin Feng parked the car and unbuckled his seatbelt. He looked at Lin Fan. "Are you mad?"

Lin Fan got out of the car, and Qin Feng followed her, quickly catching up to her side. He grabbed her hand. "It's all in the past."

Indeed, everyone had trouble moving on from their exes.

Lin Fan turned to look at him. "Why did she call?"

"Her husband got into some trouble, and she asked if I could help. I'm just a small-time cop. I suggested she follow the legal process." Qin Feng wrapped his arm around Lin Fan's shoulder and pinched her cheek. "Press the elevator button."

Lin Fan pressed the button, held his hand, and huffed. "Oh."

Qin Feng pinched her cheek again. "What's with the 'oh'?"

Lin Fan wanted to say more, but the elevator opened on the first floor, and someone got in. "Qin Feng?"

Qin Feng looked up and saw his parents. He stood up straight, and Lin Fan immediately stepped away from him, standing to the side. "Hello, Uncle and Auntie."

They entered the elevator. Qin Feng's mother smiled kindly at Lin Fan. "How did you get so thin? It's only been a few days." She glared at Qin Feng. "Do you even know how to take care of people?"

Qin Feng, just pushed away by Lin Fan and now scolded by his mother, took the bags from his mother's hands and faced the other way.

Qin Feng's mother held Lin Fan's hand. "Your hands are so cold. Are you cold? You're not wearing enough."

Qin Feng wiped the sweat from his forehead. It was over thirty degrees Celsius, mom.

Once they entered the apartment, Lin Fan was taken away by Qin Feng's mother, who had bought new dresses for her to try on. Qin Feng sat in the living room and took out his phone, seeing a text message. "I got divorced. Can we start over?"

Qin Feng thought for a moment and replied, "Lin Fan and I are getting married soon. The past is the past. I wish you happiness."

After sending the message, Qin Feng blocked her number. That little girl might suddenly get the urge to check up on him. She might seem quiet, but she had a fiery temper.