Chapter 148: Chapter 122: The Dormitory Female Corpse Case

“You won’t suffer any loss either. Look, your daughter-in-law bought those health products—all big brands, often advertised on TV, definitely not cheap. And those cosmetics, all in English—we can’t even read them, so they must be expensive too.”

“For someone like me, an old hag, using such expensive cosmetics would be a waste. Better let her take them back. But that girl’s skin is indeed nice, white and tender, like it could be squeezed out with water.”

“Stop looking; go wash the fruits. I’ll prepare the meal. It’s almost dinnertime, and they must be hungry too.”

Mrs. Li prepared a sumptuous dinner with some homemade dishes. She then knocked on their room door: “Li Xiang, bring Feifei out to eat.”

“Wow, Auntie, you’ve prepared so much!”

The table was full of dishes, with a mix of fish, meat, and vegetables.

“I don’t know if it suits your taste, eat more of what you like.”

The family sat at the table. Mr. Li, looking at the spread, felt his itch for alcohol flare up and took out a bottle of his usual drink, intending to pour himself a glass.

“Uncle, didn’t I buy a bottle for you? Why not drink that one? Don’t you like it?”

Lin Feifei observed this and thought Mr. Li didn’t like the wine she got him.

“No, no, no. Such fine wine—let it age a bit more to taste better. I’ll bring it out when you two get married, and it won’t be too late to drink then.”

Don’t like it?

What a joke. If his daughter-in-law misunderstood him, she might not buy him any more, and whom would he complain to then?

Hearing the word “marriage,” Lin Feifei smiled graciously and didn’t pursue the matter further. As long as he didn’t dislike it, it’s fine.

“Have some food, have some food. Here, girl, try Auntie’s cooking.”

Lin Feifei took a couple of bites and her eyes lit up. The country homemade dishes were different from what she usually ate, and the taste was surprisingly good: “Hmm, Auntie, your cooking is delicious.”

“If it’s good, have some more.”

The family was happy and lively, chatting while eating. At this moment, Mrs. Li was full of questions about Lin Feifei’s background. Unable to hold back, she asked, “By the way, girl, what does your family do?”

“Mom, Feifei is an orphan, so don’t ask.”

Li Xiang didn’t expect his mother to be so eager; he hadn’t even told her, and she was already asking.

“Ah, I’m sorry, I didn’t know. Here, girl, eat some more. Consider this your home; eat a lot.” Upon learning she was an orphan, Mrs. Li felt a bit awkward and quickly urged her to eat more to ease the awkwardness.

“It’s okay. I was raised by a single parent. My mother passed away due to illness when I was six, and I grew up in an orphanage. After so many years, I’m used to it. Now I’m a singer.”

Lin Feifei, being a public figure, was used to handling tricky questions from reporters, so she spoke effortlessly.

“A singer, that’s good. Make yourself at home in the future.”

Overflowing with maternal love, Mrs. Li felt deeply for the girl in front of her, who grew up without parents and must have had a difficult journey.

“Hmm, thank you, Uncle and Auntie.”

Knowing the truth, Mrs. Li was no longer worried but instead felt very sorry for Lin Feifei, continually showing care and concern for her.

Lin Feifei also felt the kindness from Li Xiang’s parents toward her. Meeting the parents was a success.

During the May Day holiday, Li Xiang took Lin Feifei for a stroll around Jing’an County. The couple, having confirmed their relationship, acted very intimately.

On the final day of the mini-holiday, Li Xiang received a call from Captain Cao. If nothing unexpected happened, something must have gone wrong, and his holiday had to be prematurely canceled.

“Li Xiang, return to the team immediately, there’s been a murder case!”

Li Xiang, shaking his head helplessly, hung up the phone. Lin Feifei asked curiously, “What’s going on?”

“I have to return to the team, there’s been a murder!”

“Okay, I’ll drive you back.” Knowing that Li Xiang was a detective, Lin Feifei understood it was the team’s call to action, and he needed to return immediately—she understood Li Xiang on this aspect.

She then drove him straight back to Jinghai.

An hour later, he arrived in Jinghai. After communicating with Captain Cao by phone, Li Xiang learned that they were already at the crime scene, so he decided against going back to the station and had Lin Feifei drop him directly at the scene.

The staff dormitory, Room 507.

This place used to be faculty dormitories. After most people moved out, some empty rooms were leased at low rent.

Currently, the place had been cordoned off by the police.

Officers held a police line around the perimeter, preventing onlookers from getting too close.

After getting out of the car, Li Xiang asked Lin Feifei to go back to the dormitory first. He then squeezed through the crowd and flashed his police ID: “Criminal Investigation Team.”

“Go ahead.”

Li Xiang lifted the police line and headed inside, taking the elevator to the fifth floor.

Upon reaching the fifth floor, a stench hit his nose—warm weather intensified the odor from the body.

At the doorway, Li Xiang donned his shoe covers, head cover, and gloves before entering the crime scene.

At the scene, over ten forensic officers used professional equipment to examine it, while a coroner in a lab coat inspected the victim’s marks and surrounding conditions.

“Captain Cao, I’m here.”

“Good, get to work.”

After reporting in, Li Xiang began reviewing the scene. Arriving an hour late meant some details had already been uncovered by the police.

The victim had been dead for some time, lying in bed in pajamas, beginning to rot and reek. Most noticeably, a nylon rope hung around the victim’s neck, showing dark purple ligature marks; the cause of death was likely mechanical asphyxia. Also, police found a used condom in the trash bin, suggesting the victim had engaged in sexual activity before death.

The current task was to find this individual.

“Where’s the victim’s phone?”

“Not found, including the victim’s ID or any identity-confirming documents. The place seemed carefully cleaned, but why wasn’t the trash taken out of the bin?”

The situation puzzled everyone.

The killer, wanting to erase evidence, meticulously cleaned the crime scene but amusingly left behind the used condom in the trash bin.

This perpetrator possessed a smidgeon of cleverness, but not much.

“Aside from the phone, the victim’s wallet and other valuables are missing, too. Could it be the killer isn’t the one who had intercourse with the victim, but intruded later for robbery and murder? Afterward, to conceal the crime, they neglected cleaning garbage traces?”

At this point, after thoroughly examining the scene, Mao Ji voiced his doubt. If the perpetrator was indeed the one who engaged sexually with the victim, it seemed unlikely they’d forget crucial evidence at the crime scene.

Of course, there are always exceptions—reality can feature remarkably naïve individuals, as art imitates life, whose drama often surpasses any play.

“The disturbance at the scene is minor, and there are obvious cleaning actions. I believe the perpetrator isn’t a stranger and must be familiar with the victim. If not, entering wouldn’t be so easy.”

Technicians carefully inspected doors and windows, noting neither were forcibly tampered with, ruling out forced entry.

“Li Xiang, you and Mao Ji should canvass and see if there’s anything to discover, and check for surveillance cameras nearby.”

“Yes.”

Assigned the task, Li Xiang went out with Mao Ji.

Exiting the scene, Li Xiang stored his gloves and shoe covers, then glanced at his phone, seeing the task was released:

[Task Name: Female Corpse in Dormitory Case]

[Task Description: A foul odor released from the staff dormitory leads to a report discovering a female dead in Room 507, showing strangulation marks; the police deem this a criminal case, launching a fatality probe procedure; you, on break, are urgently recalled to help solve it.]

[Task Requirements: Investigate the events, uncover the case’s truth]

[Task Rewards: Experience +500, Diamonds +2500]

With the task issued, Li Xiang pocketed his phone and followed Mao Ji downstairs.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep