Xiao Guanpeng gritted his teeth and said, “Qin Yi, you’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you? After college, I fell for Ji Xiaorong, but the moment you showed up, she acted like I didn’t exist and shamelessly chased after you. All these years, I’ve been fooling around, and now that I’m in my thirties, I finally found someone I genuinely like and want to commit to—and here you are, sticking your foot in again. Don’t you think you’re going too far? What did I ever do to you?”
“Ji Xiaorong chased me, but I never responded. Later, you were the one who found her too domineering and conveniently pushed her onto me. She’s been a nuisance to me for years—I should be the one settling scores with you. In this lifetime, I only have eyes for Teacher Lin Fang. If you insist on competing with me, then bring it on.”
Qin Yi’s infuriating words nearly made Xiao Guanpeng kick him in anger.
Since kicking someone from the driver’s seat wasn’t practical, Xiao Guanpeng angrily ordered him out: “Get out of the car. If I’d known it would come to this, back when the crematorium sent you back, I should’ve just sent you straight to the morgue.”
Qin Yi didn’t budge. “Not getting out. I still have business at the bureau. Once I wrap up this case, I’m switching careers to become a lawyer. If you ever have another medical dispute, I can help you with the lawsuit or mediation—better than any other lawyer, and free of charge.” That was exactly the kind of thing the old Qin Yi would say.
Xiao Guanpeng laughed in exasperation. “Fine, you won’t get out? Then forget the morgue and crematorium—I’ll send you straight to the underworld.”
Of course, Xiao Guanpeng was just venting. The car eventually came to a smooth stop in front of the police station. Before leaving, he tossed out, “Drop by my department when you have time. A few days ago, I admitted a patient who, like you, crawled out from a pile of corpses. Might be useful for your case.”
Without waiting for Qin Yi’s response, Xiao Guanpeng hit the gas and sped off.
Qin Yi returned to the bureau to request reopening the grave-robbing case. His superiors had known he’d been investigating it since his discharge and were just waiting for him to bring it up. Now that he had, they didn’t hesitate—they gave him all the resources he needed and appointed him as the lead investigator, allowing him to handpick his team.
After assembling his team and assigning tasks, Qin Yi took a shower at the dormitory before heading to the provincial hospital with Xiao Fei. Xiao Guanpeng had just gotten off work and was about to grab lunch at a small restaurant across the street when Qin Yi intercepted him at the hospital entrance. Grumbling, Xiao Guanpeng led them back to his department.
The patient Xiao Guanpeng had mentioned—the one who’d “crawled out from a pile of corpses”—was a young girl. She had been purchased as a ghost bride for a farming family’s long-deceased son. When she arrived, she was stuffed in a large sack. The sellers claimed she’d died suddenly, so there hadn’t been time to prepare a coffin. Since she’d be reburied in a new coffin anyway, they skipped that step.
But as they nailed the coffin shut, the girl started kicking and screaming from inside. Terrified, the family rushed her to a local hospital before transferring her to the provincial one.
“The girl is covered in injuries, especially around her lower body—her vagina and anus are severely torn. DNA tests confirmed the presence of multiple men’s semen, indicating she was brutally raped. Her mouth and throat are also swollen and ulcerated, suggesting possible oral assault. She can’t speak yet, but she’s conscious and can write.”
After briefing them, Xiao Guanpeng took Qin Yi and Xiao Fei to the girl’s room.
The girl only wrote her name—Pi Xinhong, age 19, from Qiyue County—before refusing to say anything else.
Qin Yi wasn’t worried about the lack of information. His year of digging through household registrations hadn’t been for nothing—he’d picked up a few tricks. Tomorrow, he’d take a train to Qiyue County. As long as the girl wasn’t lying, he could uncover her entire background. Even if she was lying, he had ways to make her talk.
From the moment he stepped off the train until now, Qin Yi hadn’t eaten a thing. He was starving. By the time they finished at the hospital, lunchtime had long passed, and the small restaurant across the street was likely out of food. Qin Yi suggested they drive to “Colorful Star Foodie,” a snack joint that served food around the clock.
The suggestion suited Xiao Guanpeng perfectly. Ever since Qin Yi declared his intentions to compete for Lin Fang that morning, Xiao Guanpeng had been itching to see her.
Of course, Qin Yi had his own reasons for wanting to go—he hoped to run into Lin Fang so he could remind her to buy yoga supplies. He planned to deliver them to her school tomorrow. If he didn’t see her, he could just leave a message with the chefs.
Unlike Xiao Guanpeng, whose eagerness was barely concealed, Qin Yi remained composed. Though he missed Lin Fang, he hadn’t forgotten her habits—she was likely napping at this hour. Even if they went now, they wouldn’t see her.
Sure enough, when they arrived at Colorful Star Foodie, the place was nearly empty. The two chefs handled everything from taking orders to cooking and serving. When Xiao Guanpeng asked about Lin Fang, the chefs said she’d finished lunch and returned to her dorm. The other staff, all students, had gone back to school after the lunch rush.
Xiao Fei, fascinated by the student-oriented snack shop, ordered almost everything on the menu. Since he wasn’t paying—both Xiao Guanpeng and Qin Yi were wealthier—he focused solely on eating.
Qin Yi had initially wanted sweet fermented rice dumplings, but with Xiao Guanpeng around, he didn’t want to endure another lecture about sugar being unhealthy. So he settled for “Jiao Er,” a Qiyue County specialty.
Jiao Er was a unique snack—shaped like an ingot on one side and a human ear on the other. The wrapper was thicker than wonton skin but thinner than dumpling skin, and square instead of round. After boiling, it was topped with gravy, making it a flavorful dish with both filling and sauce.
Disappointed at not seeing Lin Fang, Xiao Guanpeng absentmindedly ordered a bowl of cold noodles despite the winter chill.
Qin Yi said he’d wait for Lin Fang—he had something to discuss with her. Though Xiao Guanpeng hated the idea of leaving them alone, he had a patient appointment and had to leave after lunch, abandoning Qin Yi and Xiao Fei at the restaurant.
With nothing else to do, Xiao Fei ordered a bowl of noodle beans and chatted with Qin Yi about the case.
Qin Yi had only hoped to get lucky—he expected to wait a while or even miss Lin Fang entirely. But shortly after Xiao Guanpeng left, Lin Fang walked in with a plump girl. Surprised, Lin Fang asked, “Brother Qin, what are you doing here? The police station is pretty far away.”
“Shouldn’t you be napping right now? How can you teach well in the afternoon without rest?” Qin Yi ignored her question, focusing instead on her well-being.
“Oh, my cousin told me about a storefront for sale nearby at a decent price. I wanted to check it out.” She gestured to the plump girl. “This is my cousin, Guo Hongping, the general manager of my bookstore and sports shop.”
Qin Yi nodded, studying Guo Hongping silently.
Guo Hongping, however, was more proactive. Smiling, she said, “Since Lin Fang calls you Brother Qin, I will too. Brother Qin, could you come with us to see the store? Having a police officer along would make us seem more imposing.”
Lin Fang interjected, “Hongping, don’t trouble him right away. Brother Qin is very busy.”
Guo Hongping quickly apologized, “Sorry, Brother Qin. I didn’t mean to be rude. I just thought if the seller tries to take advantage of us because we’re young, having you there would make them think twice.”
Three years had transformed Guo Hongping into a confident, quick-witted woman who knew how to leverage her surroundings. Unfazed by Qin Yi’s cold scrutiny, she stood her ground.
“It’s fine. I came here to see Teacher Lin anyway.”
After briefly answering Guo Hongping, Qin Yi turned to Lin Fang. “I’m heading to Qiyue County tomorrow. Since I’m free until then, let me know if you need anything. Also, have you bought the yoga supplies from Xiao Ran’s list? I can deliver them for you tomorrow.”
Lin Fang shook her head. “I had classes this morning and haven’t had time yet.”
“No problem!” Xiao Fei cut in before Qin Yi could speak. “For Qin Yi, this is nothing. His family owns a yoga studio—they have all kinds of yoga gear at every price point.”
Xiao Fei was deliberately sabotaging Qin Yi’s attempt to spend time with Lin Fang, purely for his own amusement.
But instead of the delighted reaction Xiao Fei expected, Lin Fang replied, “Thank you, but I’d like to look around myself. I want to compare options and choose what’s best for my teachers.”
“Aren’t you going to practice yourself?” Qin Yi asked.
He remembered how Lin Fang had once longed to learn martial arts, especially qinggong (lightness skill). But her physique hadn’t been suitable, leaving her with lingering regret. Now that her health had improved, and since yoga offered similar benefits, Qin Yi hoped it might make up for her unfulfilled dream—even if yoga and qinggong were entirely different.
Lin Fang smiled. “I hadn’t thought about it before, but now I want to try.”
After asking the chefs if they needed anything from town, Lin Fang set off to see the storefront with Guo Hongping, planning to browse yoga supplies afterward. Qin Yi and Xiao Fei tagged along.
Xiao Fei, who’d brought this on himself by meddling, now found himself drafted as a pack mule. Once they bought anything, he’d have no choice but to carry it for the girls.
As they walked, Lin Fang suddenly asked Qin Yi, “Brother Qin, earlier I overheard you and Xiao Fei talking about a girl named Pi Xinhong—also from Qiyue County. Would you mind telling me more?”
Qin Yi’s heart skipped a beat. “Do you know her?” He didn’t want Lin Fang getting involved in this case.
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