Lu Lie's lips curled almost imperceptibly.
Having a girl on the field team didn't seem as disastrous as he had initially imagined.
But still…
He sighed. The girl's legs were far too short. He had only picked up the pace slightly, and she was already gasping for breath trying to keep up.
He came to a halt and turned his head slightly.
Seeing him stop, Zhou Chaochao did the same. Their eyes met as she placed her hands on her hips, panting. "Captain Lu, why'd you stop?"
He gave no reply, his expression unreadable. Then, without a word, he resumed walking—this time subtly slowing his steps so the girl behind him could keep pace.
He asked, "Do you think Chen Shengqiang is telling the truth?"
Zhou Chaochao recalled the earlier conversation between Lu Lie and Chen Shengqiang, then shook her head. "Not likely. He was fairly honest at first, but the moment Bai Wenwen came up, he started spouting lies. There's definitely something off about him—and that Bai Wenwen doesn't seem simple either."
Lu Lie was lost in thought and only gave a low hum in response.
Back at the crime scene, the pudgy officer was the first to approach them, his face beaded with sweat but lit with excitement. He handed Lu Lie a glass test tube. Inside was a plump, black spider.
Lu Lie held the tube up to examine it, then gave it a shake. The spider twitched, its legs covered in fine hairs.
Alive.
"Where did you find it?" he asked.
"In the crevice near the door."
"Only one?"
The man nodded. "We searched every possible place without disturbing the scene. This is the only one we found."
Then he added, "How's everyone else doing with their sweep?"
"Just about finished," Lu Lie replied flatly, eyes lowered. "Let them know we're wrapping up."
A murder case had thrown the entire Jinzhu Criminal Investigation Division into chaos.
The body had been sent to the morgue. The teams were busy consolidating forensic evidence from the scene. Zhou Chaochao had barely returned before she buried herself in the lab, working with colleagues to analyze the fingerprints she had collected.
By late afternoon, her back was sore and her legs ached. As she stepped out of the lab, someone called her name.
She turned and saw Wang Xinyu and Zhao Songge walking toward her.
Wang Xinyu grinned. "Chaochao, haven't eaten yet, right? The cafeteria just opened. Join us?"
After surviving the whole day on a few sips of water, Zhou Chaochao was famished. And since she was still new and unfamiliar with many aspects of the team, this seemed like a good opportunity to learn. She nodded readily. "Sure."
They had just sat down with their trays when Zhou Chaochao felt a light tap on her shoulder. She turned, puzzled, and saw a familiar smiling face.
It was the same forensic pathologist she had met at the crime scene earlier—the one who had told her the snake in the incubator was a corn snake.
Liu Taishan placed his tray beside hers, his grin mischievous. "Pretty Chaochao doesn't know me yet, does she?"
Before she could reply, he launched into his routine, brushing back his hair, propping one arm on the table, and striking a pose. His mouth moved quickly, as if on stage. "The name's Liu, surname unchanged, alias unchanged. But you can call me by my English name—Mountain Tai!"
Wang Xinyu rolled his eyes dramatically and sighed. "Big Brother, time for your meds."
He turned to Zhou Chaochao. "Don't mind him. He's always like this."
Liu Taishan slung an arm over Wang Xinyu's shoulder and tsked. "Fatty, don't ruin my image! With a face like mine, I'm clearly more of a Ximen Qing! And I'm a good person, aren't I, Chaochao?"
Zhou Chaochao pressed her lips into a polite smile. "Sure."
"Enough nonsense, sit and eat! We've got a long night ahead." Zhao Songge joined them with her tray.
As they ate and chatted, Zhou Chaochao remained detached, uninterested in gossip about the 'goddess of the registry department.' She kept her head down, focused on her food, until—
"Didn't Xiao Yun once chase after Captain Lu?" Zhao Songge tossed out casually.
Zhou Chaochao's hand froze mid-air. Slowly, she looked up, eyes wide with curiosity. "Really?"
Wang Xinyu nodded vigorously. "Absolutely! It was quite the scandal. Everyone at headquarters knew. Even Director Liu tried to play matchmaker…"
Zhou Chaochao gripped her chopsticks tighter, urgency creeping into her voice. "And then? What happened?"
Zhao Songge smirked at her eagerness. "Didn't expect you to be so invested in Captain Lu's love life."
Zhou Chaochao forced a smile. "Of course I care. Leadership gossip is always relevant." She repeated, more firmly, "So, what happened?"
"Nothing," Zhao said with a shrug. "Didn't work out. Though they were a good-looking pair—handsome man, beautiful woman—perfect match."
Liu Taishan protested. "What are you two saying? Xiao Yun and I were a better match!"
Wang Xinyu snorted. "Please. Try chasing her and see if she even acknowledges your existence."
"I'll have you know Xiao Yun and I shared a past," Liu Taishan declared, his expression mournful.
Wang and Zhao both scoffed in unison. "Spin your stories all you want. Make us a flower basket while you're at it—we still won't believe you."
"I'm serious! Why won't you believe me?"
But Zhou Chaochao remained fixated. "Why didn't it work out?"
Wang Xinyu shrugged. "Not really sure. Probably because Captain Lu was too focused on his career to bother with romance."
Zhao Songge leaned closer, her voice conspiratorial. "Want to hear a juicier piece of gossip? About Lu again."
"What is it?"
"Some woman's been clinging to him recently—might be his ex."
"Really?" Zhou Chaochao asked eagerly.
"Seems like it. But I'm not sure."
"What does she look like?" Chaochao pressed.
Before an answer came, she noticed Wang Xinyu's expression shift. Then, from behind, a cool and deep voice rang out:
"What's everyone talking about that's so amusing?"
Silence fell instantly. Everyone buried themselves in their food.
Lu Lie took a seat beside Zhou Chaochao, setting his tray down with an air of quiet authority. His eyes swept over the group, sharp and unreadable.
"…Nothing," Wang Xinyu finally muttered, attempting an awkward smile. "Just chatting, sir…"
"Oh?" Lu Lie replied mildly. "Is that so?"
His gaze landed on Zhou Chaochao. "Zhou Chaochao, is that true?"
She turned to him, swallowed nervously, and forced a smile. "Yes, Captain Lu. I'm new here—I was just asking about the team."
Lu Lie let out a cold snort and took a bite of his food.
Sensing danger, Liu Taishan bolted, grabbing his tray and mumbling, "I never get used to cafeteria food—I'll go eat in the autopsy room. You all carry on!"
He fled without looking back.
Zhao Songge and Wang Xinyu exchanged glances, then stood up with their trays. Before they could speak, Lu Lie asked, "What now? You two planning to eat in the morgue as well?"
Wang Xinyu waved his hands frantically. "No, no! We just… we're done eating. You two take your time, boss!"
"Wait."
Wang Xinyu froze mid-step. He turned, trying to smile. "Yes, Captain?"
"Meeting at seven. Notify the others."
"Got it!" He let out a relieved breath.
Once they were gone, Lu Lie's gaze drifted to Zhou Chaochao's tray—just scraps remained. His voice turned cold. "You're done eating too. Why are you still here?"
Zhou Chaochao met his eyes calmly. "I'm waiting for you."
Lu Lie's eyes slowly lifted to her face.
She was striking—pale skin, upturned eyes, a delicate nose adorned with a single mole. A strand of hair curled upward atop her head, and a single grain of rice clung to the corner of her mouth. There was something absurd and endearing about it.
He instinctively raised a hand to brush it off, then thought better of it and pulled back. Instead, he pointed to his own mouth.
She blinked, confused. "Captain, what do you mean?"
"Rice," he said tersely.
Realization dawned. She wiped her mouth, slightly flustered.
Lu Lie looked away and clicked his tongue. "Heard you're quite interested in your superior's private life."
Zhou Chaochao bit her lip and swallowed hard, panic flashing in her eyes.
He'd heard everything.
But her expression remained composed. "No, I'm not."
He resumed eating, then said casually, "Next time you're curious, ask me directly."
"I wasn't…" she murmured.
Lu Lie didn't have much appetite. He picked up his tray and stood, glancing at her still-seated figure. "Why are you dawdling? Done eating, then move. We've got a meeting."