At eight o’clock in the morning, the work meeting regarding Jiang Xiao’s fall commenced promptly. Deputy Chief Cheng Fang presided, offering a concise summary of the incident, while Criminal Inspector Tan followed with a detailed briefing.
“…There is no suicide note,” Tan reported. “After speaking with her colleagues and friends, she was reportedly in good spirits. Her emotions had stabilized after the breakup, and she appeared normal on the day she fell. She even had a spa appointment with her best friend scheduled for the next day.”
A murmur ran through the room. Witnesses downstairs had heard the deceased calling for help ten seconds before the fall.
Guan Xiaoyu leaned toward Zhen Nuan and whispered, “Tsk tsk, what a double standard. Jiang Xiao’s head is stuck in the door.”
Tan continued, “Shen Zetian and the deceased had been in a relationship for five years. Shen had multiple partners. Last month, he suspected Jiang Xiao of infidelity, citing her ambiguous relations with other men and her presence in other people’s homes, and proposed a breakup.”
“…The man soon announced his marriage to Dong. Jiang repeatedly explained and pleaded with him, trying to salvage the relationship, but to no avail.”
Several groomsmen testified separately. They reported that the deceased, wearing a wedding dress, had entered the groom’s lounge demanding reconciliation. The request was refused. She then asked to speak to the bride alone; the two spent several moments together, after which the bride invited the groom in. Subsequently, sounds of smashing and banging were heard.
Yan Han added, “There were seven groomsmen, and their statements are generally consistent. Recorded promptly, the possibility of collusion is low.” His eyes flicked sharply toward Zhen Nuan. “Gu Qingming.”
Zhen Nuan’s nerves tightened for a moment, then relaxed slightly. She hadn’t been ready to speak yet, and the tension in the room made her pulse race.
Gu Qingming, a chemistry lab worker, known for his dull expression but sharp intellect, spoke with precise calmness:
“We tested the dirt and paper scraps on the soles of the deceased’s shoes. The paper scraps matched the colored paper on the lounge floor. The dirt matched that extracted from the rooftop garden. Dead grass and wood scraps on her wedding dress also match the rooftop garden. This confirms her presence there.”
He adjusted his black-framed glasses. “However, the evidence only proves that she went to the roof. It cannot conclusively identify the crime scene.”
Yan Han nodded approvingly. “You did well. Next…” His gaze slid to Zhen Nuan’s other side. “Guan Xiaoyu.”
Guan Xiaoyu, usually playful, adopted her serious demeanor. “The rooftop railing was broken. We found fresh scratches matching the decorations on the deceased’s wedding dress. Additional scratches on the outside of the broken handrail were scraped and analyzed against material from the deceased’s fingernails. The results were consistent.”
Zhen Nuan realized Yan Han had been suspicious of the crime scene, and Guan Xiaoyu’s diligence uncovered crucial evidence.
She raised her chin toward Xu Simiao, who manipulated his computer. A three-dimensional image appeared on the projector.
“The scratch is deep at the top and shallow at the bottom, indicating a downward motion. Standing inside the railing and reaching over would produce the opposite pattern. The deceased either grabbed it while falling down stairs or reached under while standing inside. There is less than four centimeters under the handrail, no dust displacement, no palm prints, no skin secretions. She could only have grabbed it while falling—confirming the roof as the crime scene.”
Zhen Nuan marveled at the precision and rigor of their analyses.
Brother Tan continued, “Whether homicide or suicide, we cannot determine yet. Surveillance footage shows Jiang, Dong, and Shen going upstairs sequentially that day.”
Additionally, a pair of size-38 women’s flat shoes were found in the rooftop sewer filter. Dust on the soles matched prints in the flower garden, though the deceased wore size 36 shoes.
Yan Han turned to Qin Shu. “What do you think?”
Guan Xiaoyu poked Zhen Nuan’s waist discreetly, smiling with quiet pride. Zhen Nuan looked at Qin Shu, noticing no secret emotions between them yet.
“Yes, the shoe pattern matches,” Qin Shu murmured. “I obtained fingerprints and footprints of Shen Zetian and Dong Sisi. Zhen Nuan checked—no prints from the deceased. The belt has some, but they need time to recover. Repeated footsteps make shoe prints difficult to identify. Manual comparison will take at least a day and a half.”
Yan Han teased, “Well, hurry up. Without major cases, these small tasks fall to forensic sketch experts. Sorry.” His eyes finally landed on Zhen Nuan. “What about you?”
Her heart tightened at the casual tone. She secretly pouted, noticing Qin Shu was named but she wasn’t. Yan Han caught it and smiled.
“Oh, I forgot. Let me introduce Zhen Nuan, the new pathology and toxicology researcher in the C-Lab.”
The serious atmosphere softened. Everyone smiled at her, and Zhen Nuan felt slightly embarrassed, calming her nerves before opening her laptop.
She began, “According to the autopsy, scalp and brain pathology examination reveals contusions on the top and occipital parts of Jiang Xiao’s scalp.” She gestured over the bones at the back of the head. “Parietal, occipital, and right temporal bones are fractured. The left temporal and sphenoid bones are bruised and bleeding. It’s a concussion injury.”
She paused to explain, “A concussion occurs when a blow to one side of the head directs force to the opposite side, causing contusions there. For instance, a hit to the left side produces bruising on the right scalp.”
The room fell silent, hanging on her every word. Her voice strengthened with confidence.
“Further injuries—brain fractures, subarachnoid hemorrhage, brain herniation—caused severe craniocerebral injury leading to death. While consistent with a fall, we cannot rule out a blow followed by a push down the stairs.”
Her methodical explanation impressed everyone. The new female forensic doctor brought fresh insight to the male-dominated criminal team.
Zhen Nuan concluded, “No scratches or bruises on the body, no clear signs of a struggle. But… the flower garden shows traces of a fight. Perhaps it was a sudden push.”
Yan Han observed silently. When he asked about the pathology section, she admitted, “It’s not done yet.” His cold gaze warned her, “Don’t explain things you’re unsure of, even based on experience.”
Later, Zhen Nuan knocked on Yan Han’s office. “We just did the pathology test—it was bleeding, not beating, just like I said.”
Yan Han glanced at the paper, tossed it aside, and said sarcastically, “Oh, congratulations.”
Ashamed, she whispered, “I’ll be more careful next time.”
His eyes softened slightly. “Why apologize to me? It’s not me who died.”
Walking back to the autopsy room, she stared at Jiang Xiao’s snow-white body and wept silently. Guan Xiaoyu saw her and asked, “Nuannuan, why are you crying?”
“I… I feel sad for the dead,” Zhen Nuan whispered. “Their grievances are written on their bodies, yet no one reads their stories.”
She covered her face with her hands, tears seeping through her fingers.
She really knew she was wrong.
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