I See Murders Before They Happen

Chapter 26: Chapter 24: Case Details

Zhuang Yanzheng had something to discuss with Su Miaoyi, so he unceremoniously kicked Shen Yanzhou out.

The moment he sat down, Su Miaoyi suddenly sat cross-legged on the bed, glanced toward the door, and then asked, ”That man and woman—were they caught?”

Zhuang Yanzheng saw how anxious she was for an answer.

Su Miaoyi looked back at him, waiting for him to speak.

Zhuang Yanzheng frowned slightly. ”No. They got away.”

”Got away?” Su Miaoyi said. ”But I heard the sirens. How did they still get away?”

”Someone was waiting for them,” Zhuang Yanzheng said. ”We haven’t been able to track them down.”

When the Hedong Branch arrived at the location Zhuang Yanzheng had synced for Su Miaoyi, they found an injured Shen Yanzhou and an unconscious Su Miaoyi.

Though they had rapidly deployed units to Xiangyao Street...

To rescue the victim and apprehend the suspects.

But they were still a step too slow.

The pair evaded the surveillance cameras and escaped.

Two days passed, and still there were no leads.

Su Miaoyi said nothing. ’To dare to kill someone on the street in broad daylight, and with skills like that... of course they’d have an escape plan. They’d be hard to catch.’

”Is there anything you want to ask me?” Zhuang Yanzheng didn’t ask her what happened that day, instead letting her take the lead.

Su Miaoyi looked at him, thought for a moment, then asked, ”Why did they want to kill me?”

”To get back at the police. To provoke us,” Zhuang Yanzheng said.

”Then why pick me, specifically?” Su Miaoyi asked.

Zhuang Yanzheng looked into her beautiful eyes.

Before he could answer, Su Miaoyi asked another question. ”Who is Qin Leyan?”

Zhuang Yanzheng’s brow furrowed at the name.

The frown made his features seem even sharper, his expression more intense.

”They mentioned that name to you?” Zhuang Yanzheng asked.

Su Miaoyi knew what Zhuang Yanzheng was here for.

He wanted to know what happened that day.

So, in addition to getting her own questions answered, she would tell him what happened.

Su Miaoyi touched the gauze on her neck. ”When he was about to kill me, he told me that if I saw Qin Leyan on the other side, I should tell her something: the person she gave her life trying to kill is still alive.”

After saying this, she seemed to drift off for a moment. A few seconds later, she slowly came back to herself and looked at Zhuang Yanzheng.

’She felt like the rage inside Zhuang Yanzheng was about to erupt.’

”What else did he say?”

”He also said... that with Qin Leyan dead, the look on your faces when the *real* Su Miaoyi died too would be priceless.” Su Miaoyi said the words slowly.

It was like pouring gasoline on the fire raging inside Zhuang Yanzheng.

Zhuang Yanzheng took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly.

Finally, he pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and took one out.

”You can’t smoke in a hospital,” Su Miaoyi reminded him.

”Yeah,” Zhuang Yanzheng grunted, holding the cigarette in his hand but not lighting it.

”Can I ask more questions?” Su Miaoyi asked politely.

’She was a little worried that in his current state, he might just snap and deck her.’

’With his build, those muscles, the veins popping on his hands... one punch from him and she’d probably be out for two days.’

”Go ahead,” Zhuang Yanzheng said.

Su Miaoyi continued, ”Was Qin Leyan your colleague? She died in the line of duty, and she once used the name Su Miaoyi? And I... I look a little like her.”

Zhuang Yanzheng just looked at her, saying nothing.

But Su Miaoyi already knew the answer.

She nodded. ”I see.”

”You being put in danger is my responsibility,” Zhuang Yanzheng said.

Su Miaoyi shook her head. ”My name is Su Miaoyi, and I happen to resemble her. They noticed me because I can see those visions and because I’ve been in close contact with you. Those are the reasons. It has nothing to do with you.”

Zhuang Yanzheng didn’t say anything.

After a moment’s thought, Su Miaoyi asked, ”Why was Mr. Shen there?”

”He was checking out Xiangyao Street for business opportunities,” Zhuang Yanzheng said, pinching the bridge of his nose. ”He’s in charge of the amusement park development on Qingyang Road. Since something happened there and the area is temporarily cordoned off, he was looking for new ventures. It’s a good thing he was there.”

”He’s very skilled,” Su Miaoyi commented.

”He’s alright,” Zhuang Yanzheng said.

Su Miaoyi said no more.

Zhuang Yanzheng said, ”Qin Leyan... was his cousin.”

Su Miaoyi’s eyes suddenly widened in surprise.

”The remains found at the Qingyang Road amusement park were headless,” Zhuang Yanzheng said. ”The head was in a house Shen Yanzhou rarely uses. A cleaner found it in the refrigerator.”

Su Miaoyi’s eyes grew even wider. ”They found a head in the refrigerator! A human head!”

In the face of her shock, Zhuang Yanzheng simply nodded. ”The victim was Shen Yanzhou’s driver.”

Su Miaoyi rubbed the goosebumps that had formed on her arms.

”The man you saw, Tang Qiang...” Zhuang Yanzheng went on to explain how Tang Qiang had been bought off.

”We found the car—the one whose license plate you saw—in a courtyard by the Shallow River,” Zhuang Yanzheng said. ”Based on the bloodstains and DNA, they killed and dismembered the victim inside the vehicle.”

Su Miaoyi frowned, quickly processing everything. ”So, they killed someone just to provoke the police and... her family?”

”Based on all the evidence we have so far, yes,” Zhuang Yanzheng said.

Of course, there was also the factor of He Kai’s own habits.

Over the past two days, they’d discovered that He Kai frequented illicit establishments and occasionally gambled.

The main issue was... he let his guard down around everyone, always messing around with strangers.

That made him an easy target.

’Su Miaoyi couldn’t even begin to imagine what kind of madman would do this.’

’Qin Leyan was already dead, a fallen officer.’

’Yet this killer was still relentlessly pursuing it.’

’Relentlessly going after the police!’

’How dare he!’

’He was practically thumbing his nose at the police.’

A fresh wave of fear washed over Su Miaoyi.

She touched her neck.

The feeling of the dagger slicing into her skin was still terrifyingly clear.

To people like that, a human life was just a whim.

Zhuang Yanzheng glanced at the gauze on her neck. ”That man... why did he suddenly change his mind and not kill you?”

Su Miaoyi looked at him.

Zhuang Yanzheng continued, ”The Hedong Branch said there were signs of a struggle. The doctor also said you have multiple scrapes and bruises. Did you fight him?”

Su Miaoyi didn’t answer.

’She didn’t know what had come over her then.’

’She had been conscious, aware of what she was doing.’

’But it was as if her consciousness had become a mere spectator at that moment.’

’Her body seemed to be controlled by another consciousness entirely.’

’All she had wanted was to kill that man.’

’But she couldn’t overpower him.’

”I can share a victim’s point of view and watch a murderer in the act. Is it really so surprising that I fought back?” Su Miaoyi said.

Zhuang Yanzheng thought her point was valid. He paused, then said, ”Maybe you should go get checked out again when you have time.”

”Checked for what?” Su Miaoyi asked.

Zhuang Yanzheng tapped his own temple. ”Maybe you’ve graduated from schizophrenia to dissociative identity disorder.”

Su Miaoyi shot him a look and decided to ignore him.

The intense anger on Zhuang Yanzheng’s face softened slightly. ”Why the sudden job interview?”

”It wasn’t sudden. I’ve always worked. Web novel author was just a side gig. No, wait, web novel author is my main gig, other work is the side gig,” Su Miaoyi said. ”I’ve just been taking a break for the last month, almost two.”

Zhuang Yanzheng nodded.

Su Miaoyi leaned back against the headboard. ”Aren’t you not supposed to disclose case details?”

”That’s right,” Zhuang Yanzheng said. ”If you report me now, I’ll just have to go home and inherit the family fortune. My parents would be very grateful to you.”

Su Miaoyi stared at him for a moment before turning to look away.

’Is being rich really all that great?’

’Yes, it is!’

Su Miaoyi felt her face contorting with envy. She plucked a grape from the fruit basket.

”Hey! Those haven’t been washed,” Zhuang Yanzheng said.

”You’d be fine if you ate one, right?” Su Miaoyi retorted.

”Are you using me as your poison tester?” Zhuang Yanzheng took the grape from her fingers, then stood up and carried the fruit basket off to be washed.

Su Miaoyi watched his retreating back. ”Young Master Zhuang, do you even know how to wash fruit?”

”Anyone can wash fruit,” Zhuang Yanzheng said as he left.

Su Miaoyi stared in the direction of the door. After a moment, she once again raised her hand to touch the gauze on her neck...