Yu Hanjiang and Xiao Lou were organizing documents at the Police Station until midnight.
This time, the Guardian not only assigned identities to everyone in the escape room challenge, but also arranged vehicles and accommodations. Yu Hanjiang and Xiao Lou worked at the same company, and the Guardian also implanted their accommodation information into their minds. Xiao Lou's residence happened to be in Dongfu Jiayuan, the same place as the Manager. Qi Ming lives in the same neighborhood. After finishing work, Yu Hanjiang drove Xiao Lou home.
When they arrived at the entrance of the residential area where Xiao Lou lived, Yu Hanjiang looked at Xiao Lou and said gently, "You've worked hard today. Go back and get some rest. We can talk about it tomorrow."
Xiao Lou said, "You too."
As soon as he opened the door and got out of the car, Yu Hanjiang rolled down the window and said, "I'll pick you up at 7:30 tomorrow morning so we can go to work together. It's on my way."
Xiao Lou smiled and said, "Okay, goodnight."
After watching Xiao Lou leave, Yu Hanjiang made a U-turn at the next intersection and drove off in another direction.
On the way
It wasn't on the way at all; his place was more than 20 kilometers away from Xiao Lou. He just wanted to give Xiao Lou a ride.
Because he took a detour to take Xiao Lou home, Yu Hanjiang didn't get home until 1 a.m.
He turned on the light and quickly scanned the room. It was a studio apartment, about 60 square meters, with one bedroom, one living room, one kitchen, and one bathroom. It was enough for him, but being alone at home, looking at the furniture, he always felt a sense of loneliness and inexplicable emptiness in his heart.
Yu Hanjiang took off his coat and couldn't help but reminisce about the time he and Xiao Lou played husband and wife and shared a bed in Peach Eight Secret Chamber.
In this locked-room mystery, their identities are simply that of a Criminal Police Officer and a Forensic Doctor —colleagues, but not roommates.
Yu Hanjiang rubbed his temples to clear his mind, then took a shower and lay down on the bed to rest.
He was so busy all day that he ran around to several places, interviewed many people involved in the case, and worked overtime until midnight organizing materials. By then, he was exhausted and his body was beyond its limits. He fell asleep almost instantly as soon as he got into bed.
The next day, Yu Hanjiang set his alarm and got up to pick up Xiao Lou. Xiao Lou was already waiting for him at the entrance of the residential area, carrying a plastic bag. Yu Hanjiang parked his car next to him, and Xiao Lou sat in the passenger seat and handed him the bag.
Yu Hanjiang asked in confusion, "What is this?"
Upon opening it, I found a cup of hot soy milk, an egg, and two steamed buns.
Yu Hanjiang: ""
Xiao Lou explained, "I guessed you hadn't eaten breakfast, so I bought it for you. Eat first, it won't make a difference if you eat a couple more minutes."
Yu Hanjiang hummed in agreement. On this winter morning, drinking the hot soy milk Xiao Lou had prepared, a warm feeling welled up inside him. He quickly finished the soy milk, started the car, and asked, "Did you sleep well last night?"
Xiao Lou said, "I fell asleep as soon as I got home last night, but this morning I discovered something interesting."
"Oh," Yu Hanjiang turned to look at him with interest, "What is it?"
I saw the Manager when I went downstairs. " Qi Ming left in a hurry," Xiao Lou said. "There were about a dozen elderly ladies doing square dancing at the time, and I told them that man was my friend, asking if they knew him. One of the aunties told me that Qi Ming often walks his dog alone in the neighborhood at night, and he looks quite handsome, but seems to be single. Everyone wanted to introduce him to a girlfriend, but he smiled and said no need, he has a girlfriend, but they've never seen him bring a girl home."
"An old man told me that his dog, Dou Dou, seemed to have died a few days ago." Xiao Lou stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Dou Dou was the name of his dog. His sudden death... could it be related to Lin Yiyan's death?"
The neighborhood aunties are enthusiastic gossips and love to introduce potential partners to young men and women. Qi Ming is a well-known manager in the entertainment industry, but managers rarely appear in public, so it's normal that the neighbors don't recognize him.
Since Xiao Lou and Qi Ming lived in the same neighborhood, it was no coincidence. So, he took advantage of the time in the morning to ask his neighbor about Manager's situation. Unexpectedly, he found out that Qi Ming's pet had died a few days ago.
They stopped at a red light at the intersection. Yu Hanjiang turned to Xiao Lou and said, " Qi Ming is indeed unmarried. I guess his girlfriend is probably in the entertainment industry, so it's inconvenient for him to bring her home."
Last night, the two of them compiled all the information about Lin Yiyan's current manager, the popular young actor Cheng Yu, and the magazine's female editor-in-chief, including their family background, marital status, and financial situation.
Qi Ming is now 38 years old and still unmarried, which Yu Hanjiang also finds very suspicious.
Now, what Xiao Lou learned from the neighbors in the community made Yu Hanjiang frown slightly: " Qi Ming didn't mention a word about the dog when he gave his statement yesterday. Of course, it's not necessary to mention when a dog dies of illness, but if the dog was given to him by someone or had some other meaning, then it's not simple."
Xiao Lou thought about it carefully and said, "His girlfriend is the key."
Yu Hanjiang nodded: "Yes, it seems we'll have to invite him over again today."
The traffic light turned green, and Yu Hanjiang stopped talking and drove quickly to the police station.
At 7:50, Yu Hanjiang and Xiao Lou returned to their respective offices to work.
Yu Hanjiang had just changed into his police uniform in the locker room when Xiao Wu rushed over.
He said nervously, " Captain Yu, Lin Yiyan's parents have arrived."
Yu Hanjiang nodded, turned around and went out.
Yesterday, when Lin Yiyan's body was discovered, the police immediately notified her family. The two elderly people flew over in the middle of the night, and Yu Hanjiang immediately took them to the Forensic Doctor Center.
Xiao Lou had already changed into a white coat. He exchanged a glance with Yu Hanjiang, and the two of them led Lin Yiyan's parents into Morgue.
The moment the drawer was opened and the pale face of the corpse was seen, the old man's legs went weak. Lin Yiyan's mother knelt on the ground and broke down in tears, while her father wiped away tears beside her.
Looking at the two haggard elderly people, Xiao Lou felt truly sorry for them.
Yu Hanjiang stood silently to the side. After a long while, the old woman suddenly grabbed Yu Hanjiang's hand, trembling all over, and sobbed, "Officer, who...who killed my daughter? You must find the murderer and give my daughter justice!"
Father Lin gritted his teeth and said, "Who did this beast offend to deserve such a cruel treatment?"
Yu Hanjiang said in a low voice, "Please rest assured, we will definitely find out who killed Miss Lin. Please assist us in the investigation."
The two of them closed the drawer in tears and went with Yu Hanjiang to the interrogation room to give their statements.
Father Lin and Lin's mother spoke highly of their daughter, saying that Lin Yiyan had always had excellent grades, consistently ranking among the top students in her class. She could have easily gotten into a top university, but she was particularly interested in acting and insisted on taking the entrance exam for an arts college to study at a film academy.
Lin Yiyan was very stubborn about this matter, so her parents had no choice but to give in to her. Before she left, they reminded her, "We're not a wealthy family, and we don't know any bosses. You're a girl, and in such a complicated place as the entertainment industry, you must learn to protect yourself."
Lin Yiyan promised that she would maintain her integrity, study hard, and forge her own path through acting skills.
Since her debut, she calls her parents every time a new drama airs, buys them clothes and jewelry with her earnings, gives them most of her savings, and even bought them a house in a prime location in the city. She is very filial.
Yu Hanjiang asked in a low voice, "Are you two aware of Miss Lin's romantic history?"
The two elders were stunned for a moment. Lin's mother held back her tears and said, "My daughter has never been in a relationship. She said she wants to focus on her career and will consider dating and marriage after she turns thirty-five. We all know she's been very popular these past few years, and we don't dare to rush her. After all, she's a female celebrity, so it's normal for her to get married later. We respect her choice very much."
Upon hearing this answer, Yu Hanjiang knew there was no need to continue the conversation.
Lin Yiyan's romantic history must be quite messy, but she has always maintained the image of a "good girl" in front of her parents, so she never talks to them about her romantic affairs, including her relationship with the rich second-generation Cheng Yu, which her parents seem to know nothing about.
Yu Hanjiang changed the subject, asking, "Does Ms. Lin have a habit of keeping a diary?"
Lin's mother nodded and said, "Yes, she kept a diary throughout high school. She only had one notebook, and we brought it with us this time. We don't know if we'll need it."
Yu Hanjiang said, "Please hand this diary over to the police as evidence for now. I will return it after the case is solved."
Lin's mother readily handed him the diary.
Yu Hanjiang asked, " During Lin Yiyan's years of schooling, has she offended anyone?"
Father Lin said, "My daughter is very popular at school. She was even the student council president for a year in college. She always seems happy when she comes home for holidays. I've never heard her say that she has offended anyone."
Lin's mother choked back tears, saying, "Who could be so cruel as to kill my daughter? Officer, you must find out!"
While comforting the family members, Yu Hanjiang took their statements. After asking them all the necessary questions, he saw the elderly couple off.
When I got back to the office, my phone lit up. It was a WeChat message from Xiao Lou: "How's it going? Any leads on the parents' side?"
Yu Hanjiang said, "She left behind a diary from Lin Yiyan's high school days. Her parents knew nothing about her interpersonal relationships. Apart from being very generous to her parents financially, Lin Yiyan never told them anything about her private life."
The entertainment industry is too chaotic; she may have had complicated relationships with many people. In her parents' hearts, she has always been that excellent and obedient daughter, and it's only natural that she doesn't want to tell them.
Yu Hanjiang opened his diary.
Lin Yiyan's handwriting is neat and elegant, and her diary format is very consistent: date, weather, mood, and what happened. She has been used to recording her secrets in this way since she was young.
Yu Hanjiang quickly flipped through it and noticed a key point.
During her second year of high school, Lin Yiyan became obsessed with Xie Yuan, a famous actor in the entertainment industry. She wrote in her diary every day, gushing over things like "Brother is so handsome," "My husband is the most handsome man in the world," and "I really want to go to Brother's concert."
For a long time, my diary was filled with words about this idol.
That's why she changed her mind and applied to Xie Yuan's alma mater, Film Academy, becoming a student in the performing arts department.
The diary ended abruptly on the day the art exams concluded. The last page read: "Great! I got accepted into Film Academy, which means I can study at the same school as my idol, Xie Yuan! I definitely have to visit all the places he's been. Maybe in the future, after I become a big star, I can even act in a TV series with him. For my idol, let's go!"
This is clearly a delusional teenage girl who's completely obsessed with her idol.
Yu Hanjiang: ""
Where did the gentle goddess go?
The style of the diary is completely different from the persona that Lin Yiyan has cultivated in the eyes of her fans.
Actors in the entertainment industry
They're all drama queens. In fact, even now, Yu Hanjiang finds it difficult to determine what kind of person the real Lin Yiyan truly is.