Chapter 18: The Actress Who Drowned by the Seaside

Yang Guang nodded in agreement. “I’ve heard from the locals that people die here every year—some by suicide, some by accidental drowning. We don’t know what kind of case we’re dealing with today.”

“Drowning is usually linked to suicide or accidents, right? Homicide is rare,” Taozi replied casually.

“Nothing is absolute,” Shuyan took over. “Don’t jump to conclusions before the autopsy is complete.”

Taozi stuck out her tongue. “Sorry, Shuyan, I was wrong.”

Gao Yi smiled reassuringly at Taozi. “Admitting your mistake makes you a good student. Shuyan isn’t scolding you, just reminding you. What she said is basic knowledge—you both should keep it in mind.”

Both Yang Guang and Taozi nodded in unison.

From a distance, Lu Chengfeng was walking toward them.

Shuyan signaled for everyone to stop and put on their gear before entering the central area of the scene.

“The deceased is a woman,” Lu Chengfeng briefed everyone.

“At eight this morning, a man out for a jog found her. The body was floating, wedged in that corner over there.”

“Probably swept in by the sea currents. Because she was wearing a red dress, she was quite conspicuous.”

“Red dress...” Taozi’s goosebumps returned as she recalled.

“I told you, this place is eerie. And dying in a red dress? That’s the kind of ghost you don’t want to mess with,” she whispered.

Yang Guang quietly warned her, “You’re talking more than I am today. Enough.”

Taozi nearly started to cry. “Aren’t you scared?”

Yang Guang straightened his back. “I’m not. Shuyan said the living are scarier than the dead. Besides, the saying goes, every injustice has its source, every debt its debtor. We have no grudge with her, so she won’t harm us.”

Gao Yi looked at the two interns. “Enough talking. Taozi, if you’re scared, you don’t have to go in.”

Forensic work isn’t for everyone.

Not just Taozi—a girl—but even Gao Yi, a grown man, felt uneasy in such an environment.

Yet one person showed no fear at all.

That person had already followed Lu Chengfeng to the body covered with a white sheet.

Shuyan put on her gloves, knelt beside the deceased, and pulled back the sheet, revealing a pale face.

And a vivid long-sleeved red dress.

“Ah...” Taozi cried out, retreating behind Gao Yi.

Liu Xun walked over, teasing Taozi. “Oh, isn’t this little Taozi? Why so scared? It’s not your first time at a scene. If you’re this timid, how can you be a forensic doctor?”

“Look at your mentor—he doesn’t even blink. That’s professionalism. Even if scared, you have to pretend you’re not.”

“Stop scaring her,” Gao Yi interrupted Liu Xun. “Taozi, you should wait in the car.”

Taozi pressed her lips tightly but glanced at the body’s direction from the corner of her eyes.

She bit her lip and said, “No, Brother Yi, Brother Xun is right. Even if I’m scared, I’ll pretend not to be. I can overcome my fear.”

Yang Guang shook his head. He wouldn’t count on Taozi today. He knelt beside Shuyan and took out a notebook to record.

Gao Yi also squatted opposite Shuyan.

He stared at the deceased for a few seconds, then suddenly exclaimed, “Isn’t this the actress who became famous last Lunar New Year because of that short drama? What was her name again? I can’t recall.”

“Xia Linlin,” Liu Xun said. “My mom was obsessed with her show during the Lunar New Year, wouldn’t even cook for me. The drama was called something like ‘President Fu, Madam Signed the Divorce Papers.’”

“What kind of nonsense are these writers and directors making nowadays...”

Gao Yi interrupted, “You don’t get it. This actually shows that modern married women are realizing marriage isn’t everything. It’s a sign of self-awareness and progress, which resonates with that demographic.”

“Brother Xun, check if your mom argued with your dad after watching that show.”

Liu Xun slapped Gao Yi’s shoulder. “You’re too accurate. Ever since my mom watched it, she’s been nagging my dad for a divorce. The atmosphere at home is suffocating.”

Taozi pouted. “If it were me, I wouldn’t get married. What’s so great about it? Being as free as Shuyan is much better.”

Everyone stared at Taozi.

She suddenly realized her mistake and hurried to fix it. “But Shuyan, if you meet someone you like and get along with, you can still date and enjoy the sweetness of love.”

Lu Chengfeng raised an eyebrow at Shuyan.

She seemed not to hear, focused intently on examining the body.

After a moment, Shuyan spoke, “Rigor mortis is present; time of death exceeds twenty-four hours. Livor mortis is very pale.”

She then pried open the deceased’s eyelids. “There are hemorrhages in the cornea.”

Gao Yi added, “There’s frothy foam in the nasal cavity.”

Shuyan nodded slightly. She picked up the deceased’s hand to inspect the fingernails. “There’s sand and mud under the nails.”

“Consistent with drowning,” Gao Yi blurted.

Liu Xun frowned. “But what’s the reason for suicide? A rising actress suddenly killing herself? And in a place like this?”

Gao Yi emphasized, “I only said the signs fit drowning. That doesn’t mean it’s suicide. It could be homicide. You said she’s a celebrity—what if a deranged fan targeted her?”

Lu Chengfeng’s frown deepened.

He lifted his chin slightly and said to Liu Xun, “First, contact the family and investigate her social circle. Don’t jump to conclusions.”

At that moment, trace evidence officer Zhang Yong approached with several evidence bags.

“We found a white women’s jacket and a red high heel nearby. But we didn’t find the victim’s phone or wallet—those might have been washed away by the sea.”

“Any footprints?” Shuyan asked.

Zhang Yong shook his head. “Places like this are troublesome. The tide comes in at night and washes away all traces.”

Lu Chengfeng stood and scanned the approaching area.

Muttering to himself, “No surveillance cameras nearby, but this place is remote. The deceased couldn’t have come here on her own.”

“Also, she’s somewhat well-known locally,” Liu Xun added.

“If she were out on the main road, someone would recognize her. She must have arrived by some form of transportation.”

Lu Chengfeng said, “Check the nearest surveillance footage around here, and assign someone to interview nearby residents.”

“Got it,” Liu Xun nodded. Then he looked at Shuyan, who was still crouched. “Director Shu, any estimate on time of death?”

“Wait a moment.” Shuyan took out a thermometer to measure the body’s temperature.

Then she rose and walked to the shore to measure the sea water’s temperature.

Lu Chengfeng watched nervously.

He quickly stood and followed, staying close behind to protect her, just in case.

After measuring the sea temperature, Shuyan nearly bumped into Lu Chengfeng’s arms, startling herself.

“You can leave such dangerous tasks to me next time,” he whispered, just loud enough for them.

“It’s fine,” Shuyan replied, walking back toward the body. She said to Liu Xun, “Focus your investigation on the night of the 14th, between 8 p.m. and midnight, no later than 2 a.m.”

“The 14th?” Liu Xun’s eyes lit up. “Valentine’s Day! How could I forget? A while ago, a netizen spotted Xia Linlin watching a movie with Qin Yanbin.”

Lu Chengfeng raised an eyebrow. “Who is Qin Yanbin?”