Old Madam Hu suffered through another coughing fit. She held out her trembling hands, ready to put on the handcuffs, only to suddenly sprint towards the window. But an alert Wang Yuanchao rushed over and stopped her at once."Let me die!” she begged. “I killed the person I love. What's the point of living?"

Xiaotao immediately called up an officer to get her under control, specifically reminding him to keep a watchful eye over her so she didn’t commit suicide.

Before Madam Hu was escorted to the police car, they searched her for her keys, cell phone and wallet. Grabbing the keys, I said, "Let’s take a look at her leather workshop!"

Dali timidly quaked. "I-I’m not going then,” he chuckled.

I expected no less of him. When Xiaotao and I climbed to the top floor, I tried the keys one by one till I finally unlocked the door. We both held our breaths as I pushed the door open. The room was dim with the curtains all drawn, and a pungent smell of mirabilite, quicklime, as well as blood filled the air.

The living room was completely empty, but when we came to the bathroom, we found a large bloody barrel. There were uncleaned splatters of blood all over the floor tiles, as well as pieces of flesh and fat. In the barrel, the figure of a curled up person twisted into an awkward position was vaguely visible. Because all her skin had been removed, the body looked small in comparison. It had been preserved with quicklime so it didn't give off a stench.

Xiaotao covered her mouth in shock. "How could the old lady bring herself to do this?" asked Xiaotao as she puckered her brow.

I sighed, "Unrequited love begets bitter hate. The hatred she accumulated for 40 years was enough to turn the old lady into a murderer!"

"Song Yang, I can't stand being in this place any longer. Let's get out of here!" said Xiaotao.

"I’ll come back later with Bingxin to clean up the scene."

Xiaotao suddenly glared at me, a clear sign she was jealous. I truly wasn’t implying anything. Undoubtedly, such gruesome scenes weren’t meant for the average person. Bingxin was a coroner, while I was a Traditional Coroner, so it stood to reason that our ability to endure blood and gore was higher than the average person. "Fine,” I relented. “I won't call her. You can assign a few bold officers."

"That's more like it!" laughed Xiaotao.

As soon as she got out the door, Xiaotao took in a long breath of fresh air and said, "This time, we really broke the record by closing the case within 10 hours. I’ve decided to give the entire team three days off."

"Are you sure it’s alright for you to abuse your power like this?" I teased.

"How can this be called an abuse of power?” she argued. “This would’ve taken others a month or even a year to solve. You’ve earned us these three days! Do you have any plans then?"

"I’m thinking of going on a date with a certain someone," I confessed.

"Well, that someone just agreed! I’ll see you tomorrow then!" she smiled.

Before the Lunar New Year, our plans for a date had somehow fallen through. In the warm springtime of blooming flowers and new beginnings, it seemed almost illogical for another repeat of a failed date. The next day we met at the Golden Dragon Mall and went to watch a movie after a meal together.

I felt as if we both shared a tacit understanding and closeness that allowed us to feel comfortable in each other’s company even as our conversation lapsed.

After leaving the cinema, I asked her what Xiaotao wanted to do next, to which she replied, "I’m tired. Why don't we find a hotel to rest?"

By now, I thought there was nothing Xiaotao could say to make me blush yet her words threw my heartbeat into high gear. Throat dry, I gulped, "A-are you sure?"

Today, Xiaotao was wearing a plaid skirt, yellow sweater, and a little red beret. Without her usual sharpness, she looked just like the cute and innocent girl next door.

"I only mean to take a short break. Are you thinking of something else?" she teased.

I scratched my head awkwardly, not entirely sure how to answer that question.

"Haha, I'm just teasing you,” laughed XIaotao. “Let’s go shopping for clothes!"

As we were walking along the road, I suddenly had a strange feeling. "Is someone following us?" I asked.

Xiaotao turned back and said, "Are you sure? Could it be your mysterious bodyguard?"

My intuition told me it wasn’t him. I never felt anything like this each time Song Xingchen followed me. But at this moment, the feeling of being constantly stalked by watchful, lingering eyes made me uneasy.

Before it turned dark, I sent Xiaotao home and grabbed a cab back to school. As soon as I arrived at the school gates, a black Porsche suddenly halted to a stop in front of me, the brakes screeching loudly.

The man who got out of the car was none other than Young Master Wang. I suddenly realized who was following me the entire day!

Young Master Wang walked up to me in his crisp suit and said, "May I have a word with you?"

His malicious intent was clear from the moment he got out of the car so I coldly replied, "Why can’t we just talk here?"

Young Master Wang snorted, "You seem to have a good relationship with Xiaotao."

"I’ve already made my position clear. I’m her boyfriend. Is it fun to keep pestering her like this?"

Young Master Wang threw his head back in laughter. "Women have always thrown themselves at me. This is the first time I’ve put so much effort into pursuing a woman but I never expected my opponent to be a poor student. I'll be honest with you—I’ve never considered you my opponent at all. So what if you and Xiaotao solved a few cases together? What's so great about that?"

It turned out that the manners and modesty he had shown in front of Xiaotao was merely an act. This was his real face.

"What are you trying to say?" I frowned.

Young Master Wang took out a blank cheque with his signature. "Aren’t you with Xiaotao for her money?” he mocked. “Well, I can give that to you too. Take this cheque and fill in whatever amount you like. And from now on, you leave Xiaotao alone. How about that? Isn’t this a good deal?"

Disgusted by his behavior, I retorted, "Do you really think you can buy anything or anyone with money? Even if I walk away, Xiaotao will never fall for you."

Young Master Wang sneered, "Right now, she’s just pretending to be indifferent. With my abilities and means, there’s no woman in the world I can't conquer. I advise you to be realistic. This is the only chance you’ll ever get to strike it rich."

I took the cheque from his hand, earning the young master’s smug applause. "That's it..."

But before he could finish speaking, I tore up the cheque into pieces and threw it in his face.

"You ungrateful piece of shit!"

With a loud roar, Young Master Wang swung a punch at me. At the time, I was shocked as I didn't expect him to start fighting in front of so many people.

Suddenly, an unknown object came slicing through the air, issuing a whizz as it flew past me. Young Master Wang let out a scream and his arm slumped down limply. "Who did that?" he demanded.

Right then, the “hidden weapon” that struck him lightly floated to the ground. As it turned out, it was merely a straw. As far as I knew, there was only one person who could turn a straw into a weapon.

I glanced out of the corner of my eye and noticed a figure hiding behind the tree. Song Xingchen's attire made him easy to spot. In an attempt to fool others, he had worn a peaked cap and was holding a cup of bubble tea in his hand. I didn’t think this guy ate and drank the same stuff like us mortals did!

I patted Young Master Wang on the shoulder and said earnestly, "Don’t come looking for trouble next time. You just might fail miserably."

Then, I walked towards the school gates leaving a fuming Young Master Wang who bellowed, "Song Yang, just you wait! This is not the end!"