CM | Chapter 30

As soon as Gu Yao finished speaking, a smile spread across Xu Shuo’s face. But unlike his usual flamboyant look, it carried a touch of seasoned sharpness and depth.

Gu Yao stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly asked, “Why are you sneering?”

Xu Shuo glanced at her slowly. “Did I sneer?”

Gu Yao nodded. “Human smiles are controlled by two sets of facial muscles. You only used the first set, the zygomatic muscles, which can only lift the smile to the corners of the eyes. It can’t reach the whole eye area. If you’re smiling like that, is it because you think my analysis is wrong?”

There was a hint of confusion in Gu Yao’s tone, but no sharp doubt. She was genuinely curious why Xu Shuo had made that expression.

Xu Shuo raised a brow. “What was the charge the procuratorate brought against Tian Fang?”

Gu Yao said, “Intentional homicide.”

“Then if Lian Qiyun died of a heart attack, what does that have to do with Tian Fang? The police must have found key evidence, enough to convict Tian Fang.”

Gu Yao fell silent. Before they obtained the right to defend this case, there was no way they could see the chain of evidence, so everything now was just inference.

At that moment, Xu Shuo asked, “You don’t know Lian Qiyun, do you?”

Gu Yao shook her head.

Xu Shuo pulled up a photo on his phone and handed it to her. “The man on the left is Lian Qiyun, the one on the right is the owner of a pharmaceutical company.”

Gu Yao took it and frowned slightly.

The photo had clearly been taken from a distance. Two men were clinking glasses at a dinner table. Lian Qiyun wore a suit, while the other man dressed more casually, but he carried a refined air of wealth.

She handed the phone back to Xu Shuo, and he asked with a smile, “What do you see?”

Gu Yao said, “In Chinese table culture, when someone lower in status toasts someone above them, they deliberately hold their glass lower than the other person’s. Lian Qiyun clearly knew this. He lowered it a little, but not too much. Still, deep down he wanted to show off and didn’t like losing to others, so he paid a lot of attention to his appearance. His watch was a Swiss luxury brand, his belt was Hermès, and the lighter on the table was Givenchy. It’s obvious Lian Qiyun had a strong vanity. People like that usually have a strong desire to conquer others, and the women around them can basically be judged as lacking depth or substance. That’s basically the same psychology as using force, specific positions, and repeated acts in sex to conquer women.”

Xu Shuo followed her lead and asked, “So, Lian Qiyun taking drugs to enhance the experience was largely because of vanity?”

“That’s possible. After all, at his age, it’s basically impossible to achieve the effect of seven times in one night.”

Xu Shuo paused. A trace of surprise appeared in his eyes. “What did you just say? Seven times in one night?”

Gu Yao asked back, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. It just doesn’t sound like something that would come out of someone as proper as you.” Xu Shuo looked like he was fighting back a laugh, but before Gu Yao could get angry, he changed the subject. “If I told you Lian Qiyun had a congenital heart condition before, would you believe me?”

Gu Yao was truly shocked. “Impossible!”

She spoke quickly. “If he knew he had a congenital heart condition and still played so hard, still took drugs to boost himself, that’s suicide. Besides, someone with a congenital heart condition probably couldn’t even last through four rounds for that long. He might already have died in the living room.”

Xu Shuo smiled. “That is indeed a suspicious point, and I have a feeling that once we solve it, the case will be cracked.”

Gu Yao didn’t say anything, but instinctively she fully agreed with Xu Shuo’s judgment.

The procuratorate charged Tian Fang with intentional homicide, which meant they had definitely found evidence of murder on Lian Qiyun.

If Lian Qiyun really had a congenital heart condition, then in theory he shouldn’t have been overworking his heart, let alone taking drugs to enhance the experience.

In fact, once this suspicious point was cleared up, the entire sequence of the crime could be connected.

While Gu Yao was deep in thought, Xu Shuo had already started packing up. He closed the lid of the aluminum box and put away the sex doll as well.

Just then, Gu Yao came back to herself and asked, “By the way, why do you know all this scene-evidence work? Did someone teach you, did you teach yourself, or are you copying Forensic Heroes?”

In truth, although many people had watched *Forensic Heroes*, they didn’t know that on the mainland this was called the Criminal Science and Technology Section. Some were subordinate units under the criminal investigation team, while others were separate departments on the same level. The people in charge of collecting evidence at a scene were called examiners or technicians. Their duties differed, some collected trace evidence, some handled chemistry and biology, and some took photos. But because talent was scarce, one person usually had to do several jobs. They had to know everything. They were true all-rounders.

Xu Shuo said, “Oh, the reason I know all this is mainly because I’m curious. You know how it is, the more skills you have, the more useful you are.”

What nonsense. Only a fool would believe him.

But Gu Yao didn’t take it seriously and said, “Even if you find a suspicious point, so what? You still haven’t found a reason to convince Tian Fang to hire you.”

Xu Shuo smiled faintly, about to speak, when footsteps suddenly came from the corridor.

Inside the room, the two of them both hit mute at the same time.

Then they both looked toward the door. The footsteps were getting closer, clearer, and there was more than one person coming.

The person who arrived was a woman. When she reached the door and saw the two people inside, she was startled too, freezing in shock at the entrance.

“Who are you? Why are you here?”

The woman asking the question wore a dark suit and low heels, with a briefcase in hand. At a glance, she was clearly an elite white-collar professional.

As she spoke, a second figure appeared. It was Du Tong.

Gu Yao lifted her brows and met Du Tong’s gaze.

At the same time, Du Tong suppressed the sudden surprise on her face and said, “This is Miss Gu, the daughter of Mr. Gu, Gu Yao.”

The woman froze, and her expression instantly turned respectful. She stepped forward and extended a hand on her own initiative. “So you’re Miss Gu. I’ve long admired you. I’m Wang Chong, a lawyer at Zhaoyang Firm. I specialize in criminal defense, and Tian Fang’s case is under my charge.”

Gu Yao only smiled and raised her hand to show the rubber gloves she was wearing. “Sorry, not convenient.”

Wang Chong didn’t mind. She quickly handed over her business card.

By then, Du Tong’s gaze had already swept to Xu Shuo standing behind Gu Yao, who had remained calm and used himself as background scenery the entire time. She spoke again. “As for this gentleman, this seems to be our first meeting. Are you Miss Gu’s… friend?”

Friend?

Xu Shuo smiled like a big-tailed wolf. He came to Gu Yao’s side and stood there with his long legs, casual and elegant, saying, “My surname is Xu, Xu Shuo. I’ve just arrived in Jiangcheng and don’t know the place well, so I asked Gu Yao to be my guide.”

Wang Chong: “…”

Du Tong paused slightly. “So your sightseeing itinerary brought you to a crime scene?”

Gu Yao could tell the two of them were both looking at her in disbelief, and she was truly grateful she had sparred with Xu Shuo three hundred rounds in advance, which let her manage her expression properly.

Xu Shuo smiled modestly. “We’re also here to collect evidence.”

A silence fell.

Du Tong finally understood the point. “May I ask what Mr. Xu’s profession is…”

“A lawyer. Like Lawyer Wang, I also handle criminal defense.”

“Mr. Xu wants to get involved in Tian Fang’s case?”

“I’m interested.”

“But Tian Fang hasn’t hired you. Isn’t it too early to come to the scene now?”

“I’m just preparing ahead of time. If I wait until after I take the case, I’m afraid the timing won’t work out.”

“Mr. Xu is very confident. You think you can get the defense rights?”

“About ninety-nine percent sure.”

Du Tong narrowed her eyes, glanced at Gu Yao standing off to the side like it had nothing to do with her, and said, “If running business has been too hard on Lawyer Xu, then since you’re Miss Gu’s friend, maybe I can introduce you to a few cases.”

“No need. Cases are more challenging when you find them yourself.” Xu Shuo smiled lightly. “All right, we’ve found what we came for, so we won’t keep you two any longer. We’ll head off first.”

As he spoke, he picked up the box and walked toward the door.

Seeing this, Gu Yao immediately followed.

The moment the two of them crossed the doorway, Du Tong’s voice caught up from behind. “Miss Gu.”

Gu Yao turned slightly, and heard Du Tong say, “This case has already been fully entrusted to Zhaoyang Firm by Mr. Gu and Mr. Zhu. At this time, Miss Gu bringing in another lawyer to interfere probably isn’t appropriate.”

Gu Yao didn’t say anything, and she didn’t lose her temper either.

She stared at Du Tong’s face, and what surfaced in her mind was the photo from the night before, Zhu Shengxi and Du Tong watching the game together at the arena, both smiling very happily.

Du Tong went on, “Not to mention, it’s such an unprofessional little lawyer. A lawyer’s duty is to defend their client in court. Collecting evidence at the scene is the police’s job. Since when do lawyers come running here?”

“Is that so?” Gu Yao suddenly said. “Then what are Assistant Du and Lawyer Wang doing at the scene? Aren’t you here to collect evidence, or reconstruct the sequence of events? I heard Zhaoyang wants to turn the charge from ‘intentional homicide’ into ‘negligent homicide.’ May I ask, have you found the basis for that defense yet? Maybe the little lawyer I introduced can help you.”

Du Tong froze. “This case involves Jiangcheng Gene. It’s understandable that Miss Gu would grasp at straws when desperate, but there’s no need to casually bring in an unrelated outsider. That could easily backfire.”

Gu Yao smiled slowly. “Don’t be too absolute about things. Maybe this outsider will become the catalyst that turns the whole case around? I absolutely trust my judgment.”

With that, Gu Yao turned and walked straight toward Xu Shuo, who was waiting at the end of the corridor.

The stairwell was a little dim. Xu Shuo stood right where the light and shadow met, one hand in his pocket, the other holding the box, the plastic bag wrapping the sex doll tucked under his arm. He stood tall and straight, his smile carrying some hidden meaning, and his gaze toward Gu Yao was especially subtle.

Only after Gu Yao walked over and stepped down the stairs first did Xu Shuo’s voice drift over lightly. “Did I just get praised?”

Gu Yao didn’t look back. “You heard wrong.”

“I’m truly flattered. I can feel the little red flower on my chest glowing brighter already.”

“I said you heard wrong.”

“So in Miss Gu’s eyes, I’m a catalyst? I wonder which kind, luminol or bleach?”

“Do you have a problem?”

As they spoke, the two of them had already left the villa quickly, one after the other, and returned to the garage.

Gu Yao took out her keys and was just about to get in the car when a large hand grabbed her arm.

The instant Gu Yao turned back reflexively, a shadow like a small mountain was already pressed close in front of her, and the scent of an adult man surged into her nose, the same as in the lounge where she slept that night.

“Wait.”

Those two low words suddenly rang out. Gu Yao’s line of sight was directly on his Adam’s apple, and her mind went blank for a moment.

But before Gu Yao could resist, Xu Shuo had already let go and said, “Get in the car first. We’ll leave later.”

Gu Yao asked, “What do you mean?”

Xu Shuo opened the trunk of the car, tossed the box and the sex doll back inside, then walked over again and said, “Aren’t you curious about why Du Tong came? She’s your dad’s assistant, not someone from Jiangcheng Gene. What business does it have of hers that Zhaoyang’s lawyers are investigating the scene?”

Gu Yao: “…”

Xu Shuo quickly dialed a call on his phone. “Xiao Chuan, it’s done.”

Gu Yao asked, “What did you have Xiao Chuan do?”

Then she saw something suddenly fly over the villa from above. Looking closely, it was the aerial camera drone she had spotted on the rooftop the day Chen Feiyu took a hostage.

Xu Shuo laughed. “The mystery will be revealed in a bit.”

But what Gu Yao cared about was something else. “It’s been following us?”

“Of course. We came to a crime scene. What if something happened? My life is very expensive.”

After a few seconds of silence, Gu Yao said, “Do you know that coming to the scene without permission to collect evidence, and secretly photographing a defendant’s lawyer’s words and conversations, both of those things are illegal? And even if you really found or recorded some key evidence, you still couldn’t submit it to court.”

Xu Shuo laughed, as if he’d suddenly become interested in discussing this with her. “If I secretly installed a bug or a camera in this villa, that would absolutely be illegal. But if, like you did last time, I put a recorder in my own bag and ran to my office, then the evidence recorded would be legal. As for the aerial drone, no matter what I record with it, I’m not in someone else’s house. It just happened to fly over here while playing around and catch the shot by accident. Besides, I wouldn’t hand it to the court anyway. At most, I’d show it to Tian Fang so she can also see what the people in the firm have done for her, how tirelessly they’ve been running around.”

Gu Yao: “…”

Just then, Xu Shuo’s phone rang.

He answered it and casually switched on speaker. Xiao Chuan’s voice came through. “Bro, got it. One of the women left the room. From the living room window, we can see her downstairs. She might be leaving soon. The other one is still inside.”

Xu Shuo hung up and lifted his chin toward Gu Yao. “Get in the car first. Don’t let Du Tong see you.”

Du Tong?

Why was he so certain the first person out would be Du Tong?

Gu Yao got into the car and sat quietly in the driver’s seat. At that moment, a WeChat voice call invitation came through on her phone, and she accepted it.

Xu Shuo’s voice came over. “By the way, I forgot to ask you, was the third diary entry exciting?”

Gu Yao’s brows started knotting up, but she said, “Very exciting. When are you planning to let me see the rest?”

“Then you’ll have to submit an analysis report first.”

Gu Yao looked a little disdainful, but she still cooperated. “Although it was only a brief candid shot, you can see that both Yan Zhen and Song Miao were sending signals of female attraction toward Zhu Shengxi, or you could also interpret it as them displaying feminine charm. Yan Zhen is very skilled in relationships between men and women. She absolutely knows what kind of reaction men will have when she shows that pitiful, fragile look. Since she had something to ask of Zhu Shengxi, it was only natural that she used this routine. And in Song Miao’s photo, Zhu Shengxi is shaking hands with another man and introducing Song Miao to him. At that time, Song Miao was raising one hand to brush her hair back, deliberately showing the softness of her wrist, and her lips were slightly parted. Those are all signals of attraction toward the opposite sex.”

Xu Shuo quickly started arguing. “Why does it have to be aimed at Zhu Shengxi? Maybe Song Miao was showing herself off to another man. You have a lot of confidence in your boyfriend’s charm.”

“Song Miao’s handbag was in the hand closer to Zhu Shengxi, making it easier for the opposite sex to notice it, or even touch it. And one of her legs was slightly bent and pressed over the other. The bent knee usually points toward the person she’s interested in. Even though Song Miao’s gaze was on another man, her body language betrayed her.”

After a second, Gu Yao added, “As for Jiang Xinyun, I’ve met her twice. The way she looked at me was very curious, and she even tried to strike up a conversation with me in a roundabout way. At the time I didn’t understand why, but my intuition told me she wanted to learn about me because of someone around me. At first I thought it was my father, because Jiang Xinyun’s family does building interior renovation, so it made sense for her to try to get closer to me. But only after seeing the photos yesterday did I understand that her target was Zhu Shengxi. Unfortunately, none of these three women succeeded.”

Xu Shuo gave a low laugh. “How do you know none of them succeeded? Does Zhu Shengxi sign in at your place every day?”

Gu Yao took a breath. “Women’s intuition. Or you can understand it like this, a piece of clothing that belongs to me is suddenly worn by another woman. Even if it’s washed clean afterward, it will still carry someone else’s scent. It’s never the same piece anymore.”

“So can I understand that Miss Gu has a kind of mental cleanliness, and if someone else has touched it, you don’t want it anymore?” Xu Shuo teased, then quickly changed the subject. “Oh, what about Du Tong?”

Gu Yao was silent for two seconds. “There’s no sexual attraction at all between him and Zhu Shengxi.”

Xu Shuo said, “Don’t you think they’re even more intimate?”

Gu Yao: “…”

Xu Shuo said, “Has Zhu Shengxi ever watched a match with you? Cheered for someone on the field together?”

Gu Yao: “…”

Xu Shuo: “Tsk tsk…”

Gu Yao finally couldn’t take it anymore. “That’s all the analysis I have. When are you giving me the fourth entry!”

Who knew that Xu Shuo would suddenly go, “Shh,” and say, “Look, Du Tong is coming out.”

Gu Yao froze. Then she saw a woman’s figure walking out of the villa gate. It was indeed Du Tong.

But Du Tong didn’t linger nearby. Her car was parked by the roadside, and she quickly got in and drove away.

Gu Yao asked, “How did you know the first one out would be Du Tong?”

Xu Shuo said, “Wang Chong has to stay inside and reconstruct the sequence of events, and figure out how to turn Tian Fang’s charge into negligent homicide. That kind of process can’t be finished in a few minutes. But no matter how complicated it is, they don’t need an assistant to help. If she isn’t leaving, is she staying inside to enjoy the scenery?”

“I don’t understand. Then why did she come?”

“Once Xiao Chuan sends the footage over in a bit, we’ll naturally know.”

But as soon as he said that, Xu Shuo let out a soft “Huh?”. “That kid’s pretty efficient…”

Then the WeChat voice call disconnected.

Gu Yao instinctively looked through the window at the Land Rover beside her, but the glass was covered with a dark film, and she couldn’t see inside at all.

Gu Yao quickly sent Xu Shuo a WeChat message. “Send me a copy of the footage too.”

Xu Shuo didn’t reply. There was no movement for a long time.

Gu Yao grew impatient waiting and urged again, “Did you see my WeChat or not?”

Xu Shuo still played dead.

Gu Yao finally couldn’t hold back anymore. She pushed open the door and got out of the car, then opened the front passenger door of the Land Rover.

Xu Shuo was wearing Bluetooth earbuds and looking at his phone with great interest. Caught off guard, the car door suddenly swung open, and a flash of surprise appeared on his stunningly handsome face. Then his dark eyes curved into two half-moons as the corner of his mouth hooked upward, looking every bit the smug flirt with an expression that said, “Well, look who showed up.”

Gu Yao’s brow jumped along with it. She sat into the front passenger seat with a blank face, then slammed the door shut again, staring him down.

Xu Shuo was quite sensible and switched the audio to speaker.

Only then did the tense look on Gu Yao’s face ease a little. She leaned forward and lowered her eyes to the screen.