Chapter 234 Who’s the Murderer?
Everyone immediately stood up and looked toward Kim Wonhun.
"Who’s been murdered?"
"A—A woman..." Kim Wonhun gasped, "A jie was murdered nàyàng!"
At those words, Qi Xia’s expression darkened. Without a second thought, he shoved past tables and chairs, bolting out the door.
Officer Li, seeming to piece something together, was quick to follow. The rest of {Passage to Heaven} scrambled after them, their movements chaotic and hurried.
Qi Xia, his face pale with panic, reached the classroom where they had been staying. He threw open the door, and the sharp, metallic tang of blood hit him instantly, mingling with the foul stench of decay wafting from the sports field. The combination was overwhelming, clouding his thoughts for a moment.
Yu Nian'An lay motionless in a pool of blood, a sharp knife buried deep in her chest. The sight was like a punch to Qi Xia’s gut, stealing his breath.
"An!" he cried, lunging forward—but Officer Li’s hand shot out, gripping his arm like a vice.
"This time…" Officer Li’s tone was firm, though his eyes betrayed a flicker of unease. "We really need to {preserve the scene}." He stepped carefully around the edge of the classroom, his gaze tracing the faint footprints on the floor. "Don’t you want to catch the murderer?"
The words hit Qi Xia like a splash of cold water. He froze, his chest heaving as he struggled to rein in his emotions. Slowly, the haze of panic began to lift, replaced by a grim clarity.
This wasn’t like Han Yimo’s death—Yu Nian'An had clearly been murdered.
More and more people crowded at the door, and soon, the rest of Qi Xia’s teammates arrived.
Lin Qin’s eyes flicked to Yu Nian'An’s lifeless body, then to Qi Xia. A strange thought crossed her mind: Why isn’t he having a headache?
Officer Li and Doctor Zhao moved forward, checking Yu Nian'An’s pulse. There was no sign of life, but her body still held a faint warmth—she had died only moments ago.
Crouching low, Officer Li examined the floor. The footprints were muddled, hardly distinguishable, especially with ten people living in the room. But one detail stood out: the blood was confined to the area around Yu Nian'An’s body. There were no bloody footprints leading away. The killer had acted quickly, leaving the scene before the blood could spread.
But there was another possibility...
"The killer might have escaped through the window," Su Shan suddenly suggested, her voice cutting through the heavy silence.
Officer Li nodded, his expression thoughtful as he glanced at the young woman. Without a word, they moved to the window to investigate. The school’s windows could only be locked from the inside—and every one of them was securely fastened.
Next, they turned their attention to Yu Nian'An’s hands, carefully examining her nails and palms for any clues. Finally, they inspected the fatal wound, their movements deliberate and precise.
After a long moment, both of them straightened up, their faces clouded with unease. They exchanged a glance, each clearly holding back something they wanted to say.
Officer Li glanced at Su Shan and asked, "Are you a police officer?"
Su Shan nodded. "Yes. You too?"
Officer Li straightened slightly and offered a formal salute. "Li Shangwu, Sergeant of the First Criminal Investigation Division, Balin Left Banner, Inner Mongolia."
Su Shan’s demeanor shifted, her expression growing more serious as she returned the salute. "Su Shan, Technician in the Technical Department, Criminal Investigation Division, Changsha, Hunan Province."
The two exchanged a brief, respectful nod, their professional acknowledgment bringing a faint sense of reassurance to the others in the room.
But the moment of calm was short-lived. Officer Li’s expression darkened as he spoke again, his tone grave. "Based on the initial findings… it appears more likely that the deceased committed suicide."
"What did you say…?" Qi Xia’s expression froze in surprise.
"Sergeant Li’s observation is accurate," Su Shan nodded in agreement. "There are no signs of struggle on the victim, and the fatal wounds are to the heart and lungs. It’s hard to imagine someone not putting up a fight in a situation ."
She paused, her gaze dropping to the knife buried in Yu Nian'An’s chest. "This is a fruit knife," she continued, her voice low. "Only one side is sharpened, but the blade is facing upward…" Su Shan extended her hand, mimicking the motion of holding a knife. "When a normal person holds a fruit knife, the blade naturally faces downward. That’s the most effective way to stab into someone’s body."
The others glanced at the scene, their eyes widening as they realized the truth in Su Shan’s words.
"To stab with the blade facing upward…" Su Shan gripped her hands together, reenacting the motion. She knelt on the ground, mimicking the act of holding a knife, then flipped her hands and drove the imaginary blade into her own chest. "Only … would the blade face upward." She turned her head and explained.
Officer Li nodded, his expression grave. "There are no bloody footprints in the room, and no signs of the window being opened. So, Su Shan’s explanation…"
"Nonsense," Qi Xia interrupted, his voice icy.
"What?" Officer Li’s brow furrowed.
"I said both of you are talking nonsense." Qi Xia’s tone was sharp, his disbelief cutting through the room. He sat down beside Yu Nian'An’s body, his expression cold and unyielding. "Where’s Kim Wonhun? Bring him here."
From the back of the crowd, a young man stepped forward hesitantly—Kim Wonhun. "Ge, I’m here…"
"Everyone was at the gathering," Qi Xia said, his voice sharp and probing. "How did you end up finding her?"
"Chu ge told me to patrol nàyàng," Kim Wonhun answered, "Even though you all were at the gathering, I wasn’t."
"Patrol...?" Qi Xia’s face remained filled with suspicion.
Kim Wonhun’s expression hardened. "Ge, are you suspecting me?" His voice grew tense, almost accusatory. "Why are you questioning me nàyàng? Do you think I’m the killer?"
Officer Li and Su Shan exchanged. In most murder cases, the person who discovered the body was often the first suspect. Qi Xia’s line of questioning wasn’t unreasonable.
"Yu Nian'An was only wearing a simple white dress," Qi Xia said. "Kim Wonhun, tell me—if this was a suicide, where did this fruit knife come from?"
The question hung heavily in the air. Lin Qin’s heart skipped a beat, and for a moment, Qi Xia’s words from earlier echoed in her mind: {I just went to deliver something to my wife.}
"Shibal... How would I know?" Kim Wonhun shot back, his voice tinged with frustration. "I don’t even know who she is. Why would I kill her ya?"
Just then, Chu Tianqiu emerged from the crowd, his presence calm but commanding. His sharp eyes swept the room, taking in the scene with a furrowed brow. "What’s going on?" he asked, his gaze settling on Kim Wonhun.
"Ge, I don’t know ya. I found a body, but now he’s suspecting me!" Kim Wonhun said, sounding anxious.
Chu Tianqiu didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he moved quietly around the room, his sharp eyes scanning the floor, the window, and Yu Nian'An’s lifeless form. After a moment, he spoke, his tone calm but firm. "It looks like a suicide—"
Before he could finish, a sudden force knocked him to the ground. It wasn’t Qi Xia or Qiao Jiajin who had struck him—it was the pale-faced young man.
In one swift motion, the young man stepped forward, his hand closing around Chu Tianqiu’s neck. In his other hand, he held a bloodstained dagger, clearly pulled from Yu Nian'An’s body.
Qi Xia stood silently beside the pale-faced young man, his expression unreadable. It was clear now—the two had been working together. Chu Tianqiu realized, too late, that he had walked straight into their trap.
"Where is Xu Liunian?" Qi Xia demanded, his voice cold and unyielding.
"What?" Chu Tianqiu frowned, confusion flickering across his face. "Xu Liunian…?"
Then, in an instant, it clicked. His eyes widened as he realized what was happening.
"The killer is Xu Liunian," Qi Xia said, his tone cutting through the room like a blade. "Bring her here, or we’ll kill you."
A ripple of murmurs spread through the crowd. The killer is Xu Liunian?
Chu Tianqiu’s expression darkened, and he turned toward the crowd, raising his voice. "Don’t—"
But before he could finish, Xu Liunian stepped forward, her face pale but resolute. "Qi Xia, don’t hurt him! I’m here! There’s no way I could be the killer…"
Chu Tianqiu’s face darkened immediately. He knew Xu Liunian was still too naive. In a game of wits with someone as calculating as Qi Xia, how could she let herself be swayed by mere words?
Qi Xia smiled faintly. "Perfect."
He nodded to Chen Junnan, and without hesitation, Chen Junnan raised his hand, driving the dagger violently toward Chu Tianqiu.
Qi Xia didn’t care where Xu Liunian was. His sole focus was confirming whether the person before him was truly Chu Tianqiu.
But what he didn’t expect was that, in the critical moment, Kim Wonhun suddenly reached out and gripped Chen Junnan’s wrist.
"What are you doing?" Kim Wonhun asked, his voice low.
"Can’t you tell?" Qi Xia replied. "Getting revenge."
"You don’t even know who nàyàng killed her. What revenge are you talking about?" Kim Wonhun shouted.