Silent Testimony - Chapter 87

“I’m only staying for four or five days; I don’t need to pack much.”

In the second-floor bedroom of the grocery store, Cheng Yingqiu watched as Qiu Wan stuffed folded clothes into a suitcase. She crouched beside her and pulled two items back out.

“The temperature is dropping tomorrow. Wear something warmer.”

It was a display of obvious care. Cheng Yingqiu grinned and put the clothes back. “Oh, alright then.” Since Li Hewei had moved back home, she had no excuse to stay out, so she had hurried over to pack her bags.

“No staying up late to binge-watch dramas, understand?” Qiu Wan zipped the suitcase and stood it up, giving her a stern look.

Cheng Yingqiu lunged into her arms, nuzzling into the crook of her neck. “What about you? You stay up late all the time.”

“That’s for work. During the two months you were away on business, I went to bed early every night.”

“Oh, so you’re saying I’m the one disrupting your sleep?” Cheng Yingqiu looked up at Qiu Wan’s pressed lips, her heart stirring. “I want compensation.”

“What kind of compensation?”

“They were doing… something in the kitchen, and I was forced to watch,” Cheng Yingqiu said. She was never one to hide her feelings—she loved hugs, she loved kisses, and she loved being unashamedly affectionate with Qiu Wan.

Qiu Wan’s eyes softened as she held the girl’s waist, teasingly asking, “Doing what?”

Cheng Yingqiu was blunt: “Kiss me.”

Looking at her girlfriend—who rarely overthinks and always speaks her mind—Qiu Wan leaned in to touch her lips. “How should I kiss you? Your sister is waiting outside. What if I don’t let you go?”

Her seductive breath, paired with her normally serious face, sent Cheng Yingqiu’s heart racing. She was always being lured in, unable to break free from the web of affection.

The kiss deepened, lasting until Li Hewei happened to call. Cheng Yingqiu’s finger twitched in her pocket, and she hung up immediately. It wasn’t until Qiu Wan felt a bit breathless that she pulled back, pinching the girl’s ear.

“It’s almost 10:00 PM. Aren’t you leaving?”

Cheng Yingqiu bit her lip, suppressing her racing heart. She grabbed her suitcase handle and waved as she walked toward the balcony. “I’m off!”

Qiu Wan laughed. “Wrong way. The door is over here.”

“Oh.” Driven by hormones, Cheng Yingqiu’s internal fire was still burning as she was forced to leave. She grumbled under her breath, but Qiu Wan took the suitcase handle from her. “I’ll walk you down,” she said softly.

The next morning, while Li Hewei was still dreaming, Li Yuqiong (her mother) provided a wake-up call.

“Weiwei, didn’t you agree to go to the market with me to restock today?”

“Mmm… what time is it?” Li Hewei asked groatily.

“7:20. The sleepy girl next door is already up, yet you’re still lying there.”

Li Hewei rolled over and put on her slippers. “She’s working; I’m on leave.”

“Why are you suddenly on leave? Isn’t the police station busiest at the end of the year?” Since the Bureau had kept the news under wraps, Li Yuqiong had no idea why her daughter was home.

Not wanting her mother to worry, Li Hewei lied. “Oh, I’m taking my annual leave.” After six months, she truly viewed Li Yuqiong as her own mother.

“Annual leave is good. Stay home and play with me for a few days,” Li Yuqiong said, opening the window for fresh air.

“Yes, Ma.”

“What about Xiao Tao? Is she coming over tomorrow night?”

“She’s busy with work and can’t get away.” Li Hewei had already discussed this with Qiu Wan and Tao Ling. Since Cheng Yingqiu also couldn’t slip away from her parents, they had decided to celebrate New Year’s Eve separately.

Li Yuqiong was puzzled. “You’re Xiao Tao’s superior. If she’s busy, why are you free?”

“I told you, I’m on annual leave. She’s still on probation.” Li Hewei pushed her mother toward the door. “Ma, let me wash up first.”

The pre-holiday sale at the supermarket was in full swing. In the fresh seafood section, Li Yuqiong was busy picking out items. “Let’s buy two turbots for steaming.”

Li Hewei, busy replying to Tao Ling’s messages, responded distractedly, “Shouldn’t we buy the fish tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow the supermarket will be a madhouse. We’ll buy them now and keep them in the fish tank.”

Li Hewei loved seafood, so she nodded as her mother added lobsters and prawns to the cart. For a moment, she reflected on how quiet her New Year’s Eve had been in previous years—usually just wine and seafood in a tiny 50-square-meter apartment. This felt much more like a home.

Meanwhile, back at the office, Tao Ling was meticulously recording details from surveillance footage.

“Ah,” Zhao Xiaoting sighed, stretching behind her. “What time did you guys sleep last night?”

An Yu didn’t look up from her screen. “3:00 AM.”

“Me too,” Zhao Xiaoting said. “I think Sister He stayed up until 5:00 AM? She messaged the group at 4:30.”

She turned to Tao Ling. “Xiao Tao, you replied to Sister He at 5:00. Did you pull an all-nighter?”

Tao Ling acted casual. “Yeah. I couldn’t sleep, so I figured I’d pass the time watching the tapes.”

“The videos are a nightmare,” Zhao Xiaoting sighed. “Sister Wei hailed a taxi on the street. The two cameras outside the hotel can’t pick up the vehicle’s info at all.”

“It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack,” An Yu added.

The discussion was cut short when the dispatch center called. “Body parts discovered in Unit 3, Qingzhou Community on East Street. Technical Unit, respond immediately.”

As they piled into the investigation vehicle, Qiu Wan pulled Tao Ling aside. Her expression was grave. “Xiao Tao, the owner of that rental property is Auntie Qiong (Li Hewei’s mother). I don’t think this is a coincidence.”

Tao Ling’s heart twisted into a knot. She walked forward, but her legs felt weak and she nearly stumbled, only for Qiu Wan to catch her.

After a 15-minute drive, they entered the apartment on the second floor. Tao Ling donned her shoe covers, gloves, and mask.

“Where is it?” Qiu Wan called out.

“In here,” an officer replied.

Tao Ling walked over and looked down at the dismembered remains inside the freezer.

“No head?”

“Not in the freezer,” the officer said. “We haven’t moved anything else yet.”

Tao Ling began examining the surface of the remains. Suddenly, her eyes locked onto a specific birthmark on the left side of the back. Her expression shifted instantly.