The door opened.
Outside stood several detectives led by Captain Zhou Zhen, and—her eyes wide with a mix of concern and professional vigilance—Lu Yoyo.
"Mianmian! Are you okay?" Lu Yoyo was the first to rush forward, instinctively reaching for Shen Mian's hands, but her motion halted abruptly when her gaze landed on the tall figure behind her friend. Her expression instantly shifted to a standard professional demeanor. "We're conducting routine checks. This is...?"
Her eyes darted between Qin Jiu and Shen Mian, filled with unconcealed scrutiny. This was the first time she was seeing her little uncle near a crime scene, and in her best friend's hotel room, no less!
Shen Mian's heart felt like it was leaping into her throat. Qin Jiu's grip on her hand tightened almost imperceptibly, transmitting a steadying force.
"This is my husband, Qin Jiu," Shen Mian followed the script, her voice carrying a hint of hoarseness and reliance, as if she'd just survived an ordeal. She leaned slightly into Qin Jiu. "We were just woken by the noise outside... Yoyo, what on earth happened?"
"Husband?!" Lu Yoyo's jaw nearly dropped. Her eyes frantically switched between Qin Jiu and Shen Mian, a torrent of questions flooding her mind. Since when was Mianmian married?! And to her elusive, rarely-seen little uncle?!
Zhou Zhen cleared his throat softly and stepped forward. His sharp eyes swept over Qin Jiu with the appraisal of a seasoned detective. "Mr. Qin, Dr. Shen. Apologies for the disturbance. There's been a homicide downstairs. We need to conduct preliminary interviews with all hotel guests and verify identification."
"A homicide?" Qin Jiu frowned appropriately, his arm naturally moving around Shen Mian's shoulders in a protective gesture. His tone was composed. "We retired early last night and didn't hear anything unusual. Please let us know how we can assist."
His performance was flawless—that of an ordinary citizen, unexpectedly disturbed by the police, slightly surprised yet maintaining courtesy and cooperation.
Lu Yoyo took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the storm of confusion inside. She pulled out her notepad, striving to keep her voice professional. "Mianmian, what time did you check in last night? Did either of you leave the room after that? Did you hear or see anything unusual?"
The questions came rapid-fire, part standard procedure, part fueled by her own bewilderment and urgency.
Shen Mian, nestled against Qin Jiu's side, lowered her eyelashes, striving to play the part of someone shaken. She answered softly according to their prepared story. Every slight change in her expression, every brief hesitation, was subtly guided by Qin Jiu's silent cues, perfectly mimicking the reactions of a frightened woman.
Qin Jiu, in turn, occasionally added a word or two to her answers, his tone calm, his logic clear, anchoring all timelines and actions firmly within the framework of an "ordinary couple staying the night."
As Lu Yojo recorded the statements, she stole glances at the pair from the corner of her eye. Something felt off. Her little uncle's presence was too sudden, Mianmian's "husband" status too shocking. The atmosphere between them—seemingly intimate yet underlaid with a subtle tension—also raised her suspicions.
The first encounter unfolded in a Q&A that appeared calm on the surface but churned with undercurrents. Qin Jiu, with his impeccable acting, had built a solid defensive line for the two of them. And Lu Yoyo's professional intuition, like a wary hound, began circling just outside that line.