Seeing Crime Scenes in My Sleep

Zhou Tiancheng led his team inside, and the relevant personnel began examining the scene.

Qin Shu looked at Jiang Li’s pale face. "Jiang Li, you and Xingye should head back to the station first. Leave this to us."

"Okay, Sister Qin, we’ll head back then." Lu Xingye looked at Jiang Li and pulled her toward the exit. Something wasn’t right with her; it was better if she didn’t stay here.

Lu Xingye looked at Jiang Li’s car. "Keys."

Jiang Li handed him the keys, opened the door, and got in. She slumped against the seat, completely drained of strength. A tear escaped the corner of her eye, but she quickly suppressed it.

Lu Xingye didn’t ask a single question. He took her back to her private room at the station. "You rest for a bit. I’ll go get you something to eat."

Jiang Li nodded. The moment the door closed, her vision went black, and she collapsed onto the bed.

Lu Xingye looked at the food stall in front of him and suddenly gave a self-deprecating laugh. ’My idea is truly absurd.’

’I was indeed a little smitten, but now, it seems being friends is good enough. Jiang Li deserves someone better—at least, not someone as cowardly as me.’

"Young man, your braised chicken is ready."

"Thanks."

Lu Xingye carried the food and walked back toward the station, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts.

"Jiang Li, I’m coming in." Lu Xingye knocked before pushing the door open.

Jiang Li was sitting on the edge of the bed, hugging a rabbit. The moment she heard the noise, her lively eyes turned to Lu Xingye.

Lu Xingye froze for a moment, then placed the food on the table.

"Thank you, Brother Xingye."

Lu Xingye’s hand trembled. "What happened... to her?"

"Sister is tired, so she’s resting." Jiang Li picked up the chopsticks and started eating the braised chicken.

Lu Xingye secretly sized her up. ’It’s actually quite easy to tell the two apart. One is calm, with many secrets hidden in her eyes. The other is cheerful, with a light in hers.’

Jiang Li ate her fill. ’No choice,’ she thought. ’Sister’s been exhausted all day. Her body can’t take it if she doesn’t eat, so this will have to do for now.’

Jiang Li looked at Lu Xingye. "Brother Xingye, thank you all for staying with Sister. It’s so good that she has you."

Lu Xingye’s gaze fell on the rabbit in her arms. "It’s what friends do."

"Thank you, Brother Xingye. Little Li is going to sleep now."

Lu Xingye had no choice but to get up and leave. After closing the door, he leaned against the wall to compose himself for a moment, then sat down nearby, took out his laptop, and started working.

Jiang Li had taken such a risk because she wanted to hammer the final nail in the coffin while Wu Jianzhang was still unconscious, ensuring they could never recover.

Meanwhile, with Zhao Shuo, Lin Ye kept trying to change the subject, even clamoring to see Zhou Fuhai.

Zhao Shuo had to pause the interrogation. When he came out, he was surprised to see Lu Xingye standing guard outside Jiang Li’s door.

"Xingye, you’re back? How are things on Captain Zhou’s end?" Zhao Shuo sat down next to Lu Xingye.

"They’re still investigating and collecting evidence. The physical evidence should be sent over soon. As for the witnesses, Sister Qinghe took them to the hospital for examinations first."

Lu Xingye looked at Zhou Fuhai’s file. "Director Zhou’s daughter is named Zhou Xin?"

"Yeah. I heard she’s in poor health."

Lu Xingye thought back carefully. He seemed to recall seeing that name on the sanatorium’s list. ’So, Zhou Fuhai asked about Jiang Li because he needed something from Wu Jianzhang?’

Lu Xingye quickly called Zhou Tiancheng and asked him to check if there was anyone named Zhou Xin at the hospital.

Zhou Tiancheng asked the colleague at registration, then contacted Ji Qinghe’s team.

"Xingye, I found her. Qinghe has a Zhou Xin with her. Fifteen years old, admitted for depression. Now..."

Zhou Tiancheng looked at the changes in her records. "Now she has Capgras delusion, the firm belief that her loved ones have been replaced by impostors."

Lu Xingye glanced around and pursed his lips. "Captain Zhou, Zhou Xin must be the director’s daughter."

On the other end of the line, Zhou Tiancheng was silent for a moment. "Okay, I understand."

Zhou Tiancheng surveyed the scene, then walked to Zhou Xin’s room. ’If Zhou Fuhai saw his daughter living in a place like this, subjected to medication, electric shocks, and intimidation...’

’She came in with mild depression, and now... she probably doesn’t even recognize him as her father anymore. How tragic.’

’I wonder if he’ll still blatantly favor Wu Jianzhang now.’

「At the hospital」

Zhou Fuhai received the news and rushed over. Staring at the familiar yet strange daughter on the hospital bed, he froze in the doorway.

"What... what in the world is going on?" Zhou Fuhai asked, his voice trembling.

Didn’t Wu Jianzhang say his daughter was almost better? ’Why...’

Ji Qinghe pulled the door closed and handed him the diagnostic report. "Director Zhou, see for yourself. If you had paid more attention to your daughter, it wouldn’t have come to this."

Zhou Fuhai took the report from her hand. "Capgras delusion? The firm belief that one’s loved ones have been replaced by impostors..."

Zhou Fuhai’s mind went blank, and he nearly collapsed. "Wasn’t it depression? Why... why did it turn into this...?"

"You’re the one who personally sent your daughter into a den of demons. It’s one thing that you didn’t pay attention to her, but you even went to great lengths to help that devil Wu Jianzhang escape justice."

Ji Qinghe’s desolate tone was laced with sarcasm. ’Truly, you don’t feel the pain until the knife is in your own flesh.’

Hearing Ji Qinghe’s words, Zhou Fuhai’s vision went black, and he fainted on the spot.

When Jiang Li woke up, she stared blankly at the ceiling for a while before getting out of bed and walking outside.

Outside, Lu Xingye had been busy until the middle of the night and had fallen asleep at the table. He woke up instantly at the sound.

"Jiang Li, where are you going?" Lu Xingye looked at Jiang Li, pulling on the jacket that had been draped over him.

"To the hospital to check on things."

"Let’s go together. Zhou Fuhai’s daughter, Zhou Xin, is also at the hospital. She was abused to the point where her depression turned into Capgras delusion."

Lu Xingye looked at Jiang Li. This was the familiar her.

Jiang Li paused. An image of Zhou Fuhai appeared in her mind. ’The ones who deserve to die are Wu Jianzhang and his people. The victims are all innocent.’

When Jiang Li and Lu Xingye arrived, they could hear Zhou Fuhai’s anguished cries from a distance.

"Xinxin, it’s Daddy! Look at me, I’m your daddy! Daddy’s so sorry, Daddy knows he was wrong..."

"You’re not my daddy! You’re a fake, a fake! I want Mommy! Mommy, where are you? I’m so scared... WAHHH..."

Jiang Li heard the voice—it was the same one she’d heard last night. Her heart clenched, and she rushed in, driving Zhou Fuhai out of the room.

"Don’t you know you’re just agitating her? Didn’t you hear that she doesn’t want to see you?"

Jiang Li stared at Zhou Fuhai, her face grim.

Zhou Fuhai had kept vigil all night and now looked utterly haggard. "Jiang Li, I’m..."

"Zhou Fuhai, you’re worse than an animal! You harmed my daughter! I’ll kill you!"

A woman arrived with a group of people and started beating Zhou Fuhai.

Jiang Li turned and went into the hospital room.

"Are you okay?"

Zhou Xin looked at her, so frightened that she kept backing away, shaking her head nonstop. "I... I don’t want to go back... I don’t want to..."

"You won’t. You won’t go back. Don’t be afraid." Jiang Li held Zhou Xin, comforting her.

Lu Xingye watched Zhou Fuhai being beaten and pretended not to see a thing.

Qiao Mei, her eyes red-rimmed, glared at Zhou Fuhai. "If I had known you were treating Xinxin like this, I would have fought for her custody no matter what!

Zhou Fuhai, you’re not even human!"

Qiao Mei glanced at the people behind her. "What are you standing around for? Throw him out! Don’t let him see Xinxin ever again.

And another thing, his career is over!"

Qiao Mei wiped the tears from her face and walked inside. ’Zhou Fuhai, you’ve made our daughter suffer so terribly. You won’t get off easy either!’

Jiang Li heard the commotion at the door and turned her head to see the woman walk in.

"Miss Jiang, thank you for saving my daughter. My name is Qiao Mei. If you ever need any help in the future, you can contact me anytime." Qiao Mei looked at Jiang Li gratefully.

She had always thought Xinxin was living well with Zhou Fuhai. It turned out that animal not only prevented Xinxin from seeing her but had also driven her to this state.

Jiang Li looked at the business card she was offered: Qiao Mei, Entrepreneur, H City.

"Ms. Qiao, if it’s possible, please make Wu Jianzhang’s life in prison a living hell."

Jiang Li gave her a polite smile. She still had to go to Wu Jianzhang’s hospital room to see if Xiao Ji’s Gu had taken effect.