Shen Mian's heart pounded wildly in her chest, as if it were about to shatter her ribs.
"Qin Qiu."
The name rolled off her tongue, carrying a chill with a faint, metallic taste, still unfamiliar. Yet, he had accurately identified her and pushed her into deeper despair.
Two choices.
Call the police, and she was dead. Cooperate... negotiate with a tiger?
"Why should I trust you?" Shen Mian's voice was taut like a string about to snap, her body trembling under the blanket, but her eyes revealed the stubbornness of a forensic scientist trying to grasp the last shred of logic. "You haven't even told me why you're here."
Qin Qiu finished buttoning his shirt, rolling up the sleeves to his forearms, revealing smooth, well-defined wrists. Instead of answering directly, he walked to the bedroom door, his gaze once again falling on the corpse in the living room.
"Male, thirty-five to forty years old, about 178 cm in height, weighing approximately 80 kilograms. Expensive but ill-fitting clothing suggests good economic status but poor taste, or perhaps these clothes were put on in a hurry."
His voice was as calm as if he were reading a mundane report.
"The victim's fingernails are clean, and there are no signs of broken knuckles, indicating no effective struggle before death. He was attacked from behind by someone he knew, or at least someone he considered 'harmless.'"
Shen Mian followed his gaze. As a forensic scientist, she had seen these details too, but in her current state of panic, she couldn't analyze them as quickly or coldly as this man.
"There are no signs of forced entry in the living room, suggesting the killer entered peacefully. No valuables are missing, ruling out robbery." Qin Qiu paused, turning his head, his dark eyes catching the subtle changes on her face. "The possibility of murder out of hatred or to silence someone is higher."
"These... the police could figure out too," Shen Mian pressed her pale lips together.
"Of course," Qin Qiu's lips curled into a faint smile, as if rewarding a barely passing student. "But what will they see next? They will see you, Forensic Scientist Shen."
"You were drunk and unconscious last night, brought back to the room by a stranger—me. Why was the victim in the living room of your suite? Did you know him? Were there any personal grudges?"
Each question felt like a dull knife cutting into Shen Mian's nerves.
"More importantly," Qin Qiu's gaze suddenly sharpened, like a scalpel precisely cutting into her deepest fears, "they will discover that you have a strong, abnormal fear of the victim."
Shen Mian's pupils constricted sharply.
"W-What do you mean?"
"From the moment you woke up until now, your eyes have scanned the body seven times. Each time, the duration was less than 0.8 seconds, followed immediately by an involuntary swallow and a slight pupil contraction. This isn't normal shock at a crime scene; it's an unconscious avoidance and fear based on some cognition."
He took a step forward, an intangible pressure settling over her.
"Forensic Scientist Shen, you know him. Not only that, you fear him."
Shen Mian's breathing became completely chaotic. She felt like she was being stripped naked and placed on a dissection table, every tiny reaction magnified into evidence for his deductions. This man... he really could see through everything!
"Tell me who he is," Qin Qiu's voice was low, carrying an irresistible charm. "This is the foundation of our cooperation."
Shen Mian's nails dug deep into her palms, the pain keeping her mind clear. She knew she had no choice. In front of this man, hiding was meaningless.
"...His name is Wang Jianming," she closed her eyes, her voice dry. "He's... the equipment supplier for our hospital. He was at last night's celebration banquet. He... he had harassed me a few times before."
She didn't go into details, but Qin Qiu understood. His eyes clearly said: Look, the motive for a crime of passion or revenge is right here.
"Very good," Qin Qiu seemed satisfied. "Now, we need to prepare a 'reasonable' scene for the police."
He took out his phone, operated it a few times, and handed it to Shen Mian. The screen showed a blurry security camera image of a tall figure in a cap and mask, briefly appearing at the end of a hotel corridor.
"This is from around three o'clock this morning, from the side fire escape. The angle is off, and the quality isn't great, but it's enough to create a 'ghost killer' clue."
Shen Mian instantly understood his intention—fabricate a third person.