“I’ll try.” Mu Qi nodded, and walked to the elderly couple and told the police, “Don’t force them. It is natural that they would feel miserable because she was their daughter.”


  The professor immediately praised her at that. “Kid’s bright. She knows that taking sides with the other person would make them less wary.”


  As the police withdrew and stopped arguing with the victim’s parents, Mu Qiqi went to sit beside the mother. “Madam, please come sit with me. You can talk to me.”


  The two elders sobbed, and only then did they got up from their knees to sit with Mu Qiqi on the bench.

  “Madam, your daughter was beautiful. You must have been beautiful when you were young, weren’t you?”


  The woman could not help tearing up in agony at the mention of her daughter. “What good is beauty now? Lady, please speak to those young people. Tell them not to touch my daughter’s corpse… we don’t want an autopsy.”


  “Well… do you know how she died?”


  The woman shook her head at that, bewildered. “It doesn’t matter, she’s not coming back.”


  “Madam, did you know? My own sister fed my grandmother the wrong medicine and killed her, but everyone blamed me for my grandmother’s death. I was then chased out of the family and almost died out there, but I decided to seek justice for her by studying forensics, because everyone should die with dignity. If she died for no reason, she won’t be happy wherever she is now. What should you do if she blames you then?”


  The woman cried even harder at that.

  “That is why I hope that you would allow the autopsy. That is the only way to find the killer, claim justice for your daughter and stop new murders from happening.”


  “I know that you want your daughter to die with honor, and we can promise you that we would come to see her off when the case is solved, so that she could be buried with dignity and silence those gossipers.”


  The woman wiped away her tears and eventually nodded. “I dreamt of her last night… she told me that she was hurting.”


  “I see. Could you tell me if there’s anything else unusual about your daughter?”


  Thinking about it, the woman then answered, “Her father and I live in another town and don’t see her more than a few times each month. After she finished her studies, she started a small business in this town, which is why we wouldn’t know what really happened to her.”


  “Did your daughter have a boyfriend?”


  “We don’t know… but she comes home alone every time.”


  “Then, does she like red dresses?”


  The woman shook her head. “No. She likes things simple, and doesn’t even put on makeup.”


  “Okay. Madam, you should rest here for a bit with your husband. We’ll inform you after we get some results, alright?”


  Mu Qiqi spoke earnestly and mildly, allowing the elders to feel as if their daughter was still with them, and so could not bear to refuse Mu Qiqi.

  Gesturing to have the police take over things, Mu Qiqi returned to the professor. “We need to hurry, professor. The victim’s parents’ mood is unstable, and there’s every chance they would change their mind.”


  The forensics team hence hurried into a temporary morgue for the autopsy, but a group of townsfolk arrived and started to interfere with their work.

  “Don’t touch that corpse! You’ll draw evil to us and cause disaster.”


  “If you keep touching her, we’ll surround this place and stop you from leaving. No one would get out!”


  It really was one thing after another.

  “Look at you, daughter of a rich family and a CEO’s woman. Wonder why you would come here and end up so miserable.” Feng Shanshan smiled beside her.

  “Is it really that funny? Someone’s life is in your hands.”


  “Why so serious? Just joking since things are getting tight at the moment.”


  Mu Qiqi said nothing, even as the atmosphere out there remained stiff.

  “I’m afraid that we’ll need to ask for help on this matter since it would never be solved in one or two days. Since you two have classes, get ready to leave in the afternoon.” The professor told Mu Qiqi and Feng Shanshan. “Still, leaving under current circumstances might be difficult.”


  “It probably wouldn’t be that hard sending two girls away, is it?”


  “Professor, do you really not need us to stay?”


  “You’re here as interns to audit; you won’t be useful if you stay. It’s more important to follow your university’s rules, return to campus and attend your classes—another forensics team is coming anyway, so we’d have enough hands. You two may leave.” The professor did not hesitate in his words.

  “Moreover, there has to be something wrong between this town and women. It would be dangerous if you stayed.”


  Once the professor mentioned dangerous, Mu Qiqi immediately caught on to his intention. “We’ll pack up and be ready to leave.”


  “Xiao Qi, call that CEO of yours and have him send an escort. We would worry less then.”


  Mu Qiqi looked out at the men surrounding the building and nodded. She would not hold back during such moments—it was necessary, and she would make the call.

  And even though Sheng Xiao was having a meeting, he promptly told everyone when he saw that it was Mu Qiqi. “Let’s pause for five minutes.”


  “Xiao Xiao, I’ve run into a little trouble here. Get Xu Che to bring some people along to receive us.”


  “What trouble?”


  “The townsfolk had surrounded the facility our forensics team are using and we can’t get out. We need more hands.”


  “Hold on.”


  With those two, simple words, Sheng Xiao hung up and returned to the meeting room. “We’ll end the meeting here. Let’s pick things up tomorrow.”


  “Chief, what happened?” Xu Che promptly came to him.

  “Get a dozen tough men and come with me to get Qi’er. I told that little one she shouldn’t go anywhere dangerous—now she’s in trouble.”


  But despite his complaint, Sheng Xiao’s worry was greater.

  There was little wonder that he would stop the meeting and promptly go straight to Mu Qiqi.

  ***

  Meanwhile, Gu Ziling was taking part in a gathering.

  When she saw her acquaintances, all bringing their children along, she could not help feeling something.

  Moreover, everyone knew that she was already married, and she could only tell them that she was not ready for a pregnancy just yet.

  She wanted to give Sheng Kai more time, because many people only had children years after they were married. Even so, she had the feeling that the reason she was not getting pregnant despite going hard at it was not something as simple as fate.

  As her doubts grew, she wanted an opportunity to have Sheng Kai do a checkup, but she also knew that if the matter was exposed, his dignity as a man would evaporate entirely.

  Perhaps she could come up with something special?