April 2024 — Forensic Center, H City Criminal Investigation Bureau
Spring sunlight bathed the office windows, and the sycamore trees outside had just begun to sprout tender new leaves. But inside the autopsy room, the chill was undisturbed.Under the cold, sterile glow of surgical lights, a body lay quietly on a white porcelain table, skin mottled with bruises and traces of blood not yet cleaned away.
Su Wanqing stood beside the table, dressed in a sterile gown, a dark surgical mask covering her face, and protective goggles shielding her eyes. Her expression was calm, her voice steady. She studied the ligature marks on the deceased's neck, fingertips brushing lightly over the subcutaneous hemorrhaging.
"There are clear signs of strangulation. The marks are worm-like, irregularly entwined, inconsistent with the natural fall of a noose. The hyoid bone is fractured, the thyroid cartilage has collapsed, and pale brown skin flakes are found beneath the victim's nails—preliminary assessment suggests they belong to someone else. Additionally, the livor mortis is concentrated on the back and hips, indicating the body lay supine postmortem for some time. This does not match the expected pattern of postmortem lividity in a hanging."
Her tone was unhurried, but every point was precise. Her gaze never left the victim's neck.
"In other words," a low male voice spoke from behind her, "this isn't suicide?"
"It's homicide," Su Wanqing replied without turning. "The scene was staged to appear like a hanging, in an attempt to mislead the police."
The man behind her was silent for a moment, then stepped forward to examine the body with a faint frown. He was tall and composed, dressed in a navy field jacket over plainclothes, with a badge at his waist. His expression was cool and restrained.
His name was Lu Chenzhou, and he was the current leader of the Major Crimes Unit.
"Meticulous work, Dr. Su," he said, meeting her eyes. "Are you new here?"
"Yes." Su Wanqing peeled off her gloves and handed the report to the scribe nearby. "Su Wanqing. Just graduated from the Forensic Medical University. Today's my first day on duty."
Lu Chenzhou nodded slightly, his gaze pausing on her face for half a second—but there was no hint of recognition.He remembered the girl lying unconscious in a pool of blood six years ago. He also remembered how she cut off all contact with the task force after waking, disappearing from the investigation entirely.
He remembered her. But he did not recognize her.
Su Wanqing kept her eyes lowered, face unreadable, though inside, her heart stirred.She had finally seen him again—the man who, on that blood-soaked New Year's Eve, stepped through the wreckage of her home, found the carabiner among the ruins, and solved the case despite overwhelming doubt.The man who brought justice to her parents with his calm resolve, yet never once spoke to her.
And now, he stood before her… unaware of who she was.
Her fingers curled slightly. Her voice remained even: "The deceased is Lin Zhiwei, 25, a popular online model. She was found hanging from the balcony beam in her downtown apartment. Doors and windows were locked from the inside—initially appearing to be a locked-room suicide."
Lu Chenzhou nodded. "We've discovered she had a financial dispute with a cosmetic surgeon. Neighbors reported hearing a heated argument last night, but the surveillance footage shows no one entering or leaving."
"The preliminary autopsy is complete. A full report will be available in three hours." Su Wanqing paused, then added, "I recommend a DNA analysis on the skin flakes under her nails. Also, there's trauma to the left big toe's nail bed—looks like it was forcibly bent back during a struggle. Could yield the suspect's fingerprint."
Lu Chenzhou looked at her, this time with a trace of curiosity.He hadn't expected the newly arrived forensic doctor to be so thorough—not just spotting major indicators, but picking up on such minute evidence.
"Excellent," he said. "I'll have the tech team prioritize those tests."
As they exited the autopsy room, Officer Liang—his young assistant—leaned in and whispered, "Boss, that new pathologist is something else. Tech team says she graduated top of her class nationwide, even published a paper in Forensic Medical Bulletin."
"Hm," Lu Chenzhou replied with little emotion.
Still, he glanced back at the autopsy room door.For some reason, the girl seemed familiar—like a faint silhouette hiding in the fog of memory.
What he didn't know was that the blood-drenched night from six years ago had never left Su Wanqing. It was a wound etched into her soul.And the man in front of her was the very reason she had chosen to become a forensic pathologist—to chase the truth, no matter how cold.
—
That evening, the report confirmed it all.There was no foam in the lungs. The DNA under the nails belonged to a male. Obvious struggle marks. The tech team even found two faint shoe prints on the balcony beam—evidence of assisted suspension.
The case was officially reclassified as homicide disguised as suicide.Everything Su Wanqing had deduced was verified, and word spread quickly within the Bureau.
But none of that mattered to her.
She stared out into the deepening night, remembering just one thing—what Lu Chenzhou said before leaving:
"You're very meticulous."
Not "Good job."Not "Welcome to the team."Just "Meticulous."
But for her, it was enough.
Because she knew—the real reunion had only just begun.