I kept asking myself, but felt my emotions spiraling further out of control. The sudden thought that Chen Yujia had warned me my condition was worsening struck me like a hammer blow, instantly clearing my head.

I posed the question to myself: "Does secretly meeting up with a woman have anything to do with whether or not he's a murderer?"

I fiercely suppressed the intrusive thoughts and tried thinking in reverse: Yu Qiaolin would never do anything so terrible, and his clandestine meetings with this woman didn't necessarily mean he was hatching some dark plot; perhaps he was just afraid of discovery because the woman was married.

With that realization, my mind eased, yet my gaze involuntarily fixed on the entry timed at 18:11. That exact time was when I had encountered Yu Qiaolin yesterday.

The owner field read: "Zhang Hemei, Female, C5."

Zhang Hemei—not a common name. To reside in International West Garden, she must have some background.

It wasn't easy for a woman to own such a villa; it was highly likely some man had bought it for her. If that were true, Yu Qiaolin's secret visits would be perfectly understandable, and I wouldn't have to live in fear over my own wild speculations.

But I was never one to follow convention for long, and soon another thought surfaced: If that wasn't the case, why would this woman be so wealthy? If she was that rich, why would she bother with a forensic examiner who spent his days dealing with corpses? Even if she admired Yu Qiaolin as a person, why the need for secrecy?

In an instant, I was swamped by a thousand questions, just like when I was a child agonizing over endless queries. But now, I couldn't simply ask an adult for answers; I had to investigate myself.

Though I truly didn't want to nail Yu Qiaolin to the cross of suspicion, curiosity drove me onward. So, I asked Manager Li to take me on a tour of the complex.

Manager Li's memory was astounding, easily rivaling Xiao Cuo’s. He led me through the vast grounds, knowing the general situation of every single household as if it were written on his palm. As we walked, he chatted away.

Ahead was a green villa with highly stylish exterior decoration. The flowerbeds bloomed with every imaginable type of beautiful flower. Manager Li pointed: "See that one? The owner is named Xu, in his forties. He was even featured in the Anyin City Evening News a couple of days ago; he’s a bank boss. He desperately wants a son, but his wife insists on having only daughters. Let me tell you a secret, don't tell anyone—he's already had an extra child. His third daughter was born recently, but his wife went to Shanghai to give birth."

Before long, we arrived in Area C. Following the path paved with fine pebbles, my eyes immediately caught the signpost at the roadside—C5.

It was a small villa with a cyan exterior wall, occupying a lot of about two hundred square meters, with the house itself taking up about a hundred. The rest of the space, front and back, was entirely devoted to flowerbeds, cradling the small building as if it were the moon embraced by stars. The vibrant red flowers contrasted beautifully with the cyan roof tiles, giving the place a profoundly tranquil yet lively atmosphere.

I deliberately remarked, "This little house is truly lovely. After walking so long, this is the prettiest one I’ve seen."

Manager Li replied, "This isn't even the best; there are many more beautiful villas, but this one is certainly nice."

"I imagine the owner must be in an artistic profession," I ventured.

"I don't really know, but the mistress of the house is quite beautiful."

I smiled. "Manager Li, it seems your expertise needs some sharpening. I've heard some complex supervisors can recite the details of every resident flawlessly."

In Manager Li's eyes, I was the embodiment of justice; he certainly didn't suspect I was using such a crude tactic of goading him. So, he blurted out, "The mistress here is surnamed Zhang, named Zhang Hemei—her name suits her; she is a very beautiful woman. However, she is extremely low-key, rarely leaves her home, never interacts with other residents, and never attends any community events, so no one knows the specifics about her."

"Oh, I see. She must have her reasons. Do you think she might be the mistress of some rich tycoon, which is why she keeps to herself?"

My gossipy tone greatly impressed Manager Li, making him feel like we were confidants. He whispered conspiratorially, "It’s hard to say. If that were the case, that tycoon must be incredibly wealthy."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Because we have never seen the tycoon. Imagine, sinking millions into keeping a woman, and not visiting for two years—how rich must that man be? Describing it as having mountains of gold and silver might not even be enough."

I had to admire his imagination, but his words also struck me as odd. He had just said they'd never seen anyone visit, yet Yu Qiaolin had been here yesterday. Could Zhang Hemei not be the person I was looking for?

But I had clearly seen a visitor registered for Zhang Hemei in the logbook just moments ago. What was going on?

"She never has visitors?" I asked directly.

"Of course, she does. Who would live alone in a city? Wouldn't that be too lonely?"

Manager Li’s expression took on a distinctly masculine cast, which ironically made me feel better about deceiving a passionate young man.

"Then how do you know those visitors aren't the tycoon who keeps her?"

I deliberately used the plural "they" to imply more than one person, also using it to gauge Zhang Hemei's social interactions.

Manager Li answered casually as before, "Actually, not many people come looking for her. As far as I know, there are only three or four visitors. Only one of them is a man, and this man always takes a taxi when he comes. His clothing suggests he's middle-income, definitely not a tycoon."

Ah, things were starting to clear up in my mind. A woman who only receives one male visitor over two years—at least only one man has ever appeared at her house. What did that imply?

Seeing my interest, Manager Li didn't need prompting and continued, "That man is strange. He visits at most two or three times a month, sometimes not for several months. It doesn't seem like they're lovers, but if they aren't, it’s very puzzling. It couldn't be siblings, could it?"

From Manager Li’s words, I now understood that no other man frequented Zhang Hemei's presence. While it was possible she was married and her husband hadn't shown up for some specific reason over the past two years, two years is a long time. It meant that this hypothetical husband, if he existed at all, was geographically distant and highly unlikely to appear suddenly. If that was the case, Yu Qiaolin wouldn't need to worry about being caught cheating and could visit openly.

Perhaps the abundance of flowers in the villa area, with the air being so fresh and fragrant, exceptionally relaxed my mind. I quickly considered another angle: Perhaps Yu Qiaolin was worried that if the "husband" ever returned, he might check the visitor logs at the security office, which is why he deliberately concealed his identity.

Based on my understanding of Yu Qiaolin, he was the kind of person meticulously attentive to the smallest detail. His actions were like his handling of a gleaming silver scalpel—orderly, systematic, and microscopic in focus. Considering this aspect shouldn't be difficult for him.

However, Manager Li also mentioned Yu Qiaolin visits only two or three times a month, sometimes not for months. That made their relationship bizarre.

Yu Qiaolin, despite dealing with cold, dead bodies daily, was a normal man like myself, only in his late twenties or early thirties—prime years of vigorous vitality. If he was romantically involved with Zhang Hemei, how could he remain unmoved by such a stunning, wealthy woman? If he wasn't, what role was he playing?

These lingering doubts coiled in my heart, refusing to let me go.

"Is she home now? I want to see her," I asked, suddenly appearing out of nowhere.

Manager Li was visibly stunned by my question, silent for a long moment. I quickly explained, "Based on the clues you just provided, I believe there is a security hazard. Haven't you, as the security supervisor, realized this?"

A sharp counter-question dispelled all of Manager Li's reservations, and he repeatedly affirmed, "Of course, of course. I did think about it before, but involving a resident's privacy is beyond our jurisdiction. However, you are a police officer; you certainly have the right to conduct necessary investigations."

On the flower trellis gate of the villa was an intricately carved doorbell. Manager Li pressed it, his finger trembling slightly, perhaps because he was the first property staff member to enter this mysterious villa.

Since the trellis gate was some distance from the house and the bell’s chime was internal, no sound carried outside. We stood there for about five minutes with no sign of life, as if no one were home.

I felt a bit disappointed. Although I had only impulsively suggested meeting Zhang Hemei, seeing her now felt like a missed opportunity. Manager Li muttered to himself, "That’s strange, she should be home."

Just as I was about to turn away, the little green wooden door of the house opened silently. A woman draped in black appeared before my eyes like a black cherry blossom. Her pale, hauntingly familiar face, set against the black dress, looked exceptionally clean, like cloud dust, yet it seemed to lack vitality, creating a stark contrast with the vibrant flowers outside.

Manager Li raised his voice and recited what I had instructed him: "Ms. Zhang, the complex's network is having some issues right now. This gentleman is a network engineer here to check the lines."

Zhang Hemei frowned and said, "My home network communication is perfectly fine; there are no problems."

"It's like this," I took over. "Because the community network is connected through a central host, your line is linked to other users. We need to check the technical configuration of your network connection to ensure the main host runs smoothly."

In truth, I knew nothing about how the complex network operated. Everything I said was nonsense, but I figured this woman, like me, was ignorant about the complex’s infrastructure, so I improvised, using intimidating words like "host" and "technical" to fool her.

Zhang Hemei hesitated for a moment, then said, "Fine, you two come in."

International West Garden was a high-end complex, and its property management services were top-notch, ensuring tight security. Thus, the outer trellis gate wasn't locked, and we pushed it open easily.

We walked through the flowerbeds to the small green house. I looked up, and He Congmei was right before me.

My first sighting of her had been from that photograph, then yesterday, and now today. Time, in a way I couldn't have imagined, had arranged three meetings for us. This time was the most real; I saw a living woman, a very beautiful woman.

Zhang Hemei noticed my momentary lapse in composure. She turned her face away, avoiding my gaze, then glanced suspiciously at Manager Li and asked, "Is he really a network engineer?" Zhang Hemei recognized him, as he had worked here for several years, so she questioned him directly.

Manager Li immediately affirmed, "Yes, yes. Engineer Zhang is responsible for the entire Xinhua Street network."

Only then did Zhang Hemei open the door fully and let us inside.

The ground floor of the small villa was decorated with a fresh, slightly Western architectural flair. Several small, lifelike animal sculptures complemented the exterior floral landscape. The furnishings were exquisite; there was very little stainless steel, suggesting they were quite valuable.

I didn't linger on the décor. To project professionalism and dispel her earlier doubts, I immediately asked, "Where is the access point?"

Zhang Hemei pointed to a door on the left side of the first floor. "Over there. The door isn't locked; you can check it yourself."

I walked over and pushed the door open. Inside, some miscellaneous items were stored, but neatly organized, not appearing messy at all. The network access point was in the southwest corner.

Fortunately, I had asked Manager Li to bring a toolkit, which was now put to use. I pretended to use a Phillips screwdriver to twist open the exterior cover and fiddled around randomly. Then I stood up and turned back to see He Congmei standing in the doorway, watching me.

My intuition told me this woman was not simple because I hadn't heard her approach; Manager Li hadn't followed, which meant she must have instructed him to stay back. This suggested her guard against me was very high, and she possessed skilled surveillance techniques.

A beautiful woman living alone, rarely seen, possessing strong vigilance and anti-reconnaissance capabilities—these points alone were enough to pique my intense interest. Coupled with her ambiguous relationship with Yu Qiaolin, my suspicions only deepened.

I kept my thoughts hidden from my expression and tried to emulate the look of Gao Jianning—a typical computer technician. "Gao Jianning" said, "I still need to check the computer."

As I spoke, I closely monitored Zhang Hemei's reaction, but I could not detect any panic. She remained cold and haughty, like a snow lotus atop an ice mountain. I suddenly felt that her temperament was remarkably similar to Yu Qiaolin's. Could they really be siblings or related?

Zhang Hemei said coolly, "The computer is upstairs; I'll take you." She then turned back to Manager Li, saying, "You come up too, Manager Li."

This woman showed no hesitation in concealing her defensiveness toward me, which made me slightly uneasy, but now that I was inside, I wouldn't leave without finding something.

Climbing to the second floor, the surrounding flowers disappeared, and the atmosphere immediately felt a bit desolate. Furthermore, the second-floor décor was vastly different from the first, favoring darker colors that were somewhat uncomfortable. Yet, He Congmei seemed more refreshed here, as if she naturally belonged to this dim domain.

The second floor had four rooms arranged in a semi-circle, their four doors facing a central point. The doors were different colors, resembling the opened, colorful shells of a conch.

Zhang Hemei pushed open the second door from the left. Inside was a bed and a desk, where the computer sat next to the window.

I approached, my heart unsettled, because my knowledge of computers extended only to basic usage; anything deeper was beyond me. He Congmei was undoubtedly a sharp woman and showed no deference to others. Would she question me openly, perhaps even call 110? Her composure led me to believe she was capable of doing so. If that happened, how would I face Yu Qiaolin?

The thought of Yu Qiaolin plunged me back into confusion. What kind of man was he? Elusive, sometimes kind, sometimes distant—impossible to fathom. Reflecting on my interactions with him, I truly couldn't believe he was a bad person. Yet, the 'ghost' inside the department must exist, and he possessed all the necessary conditions for the crime. If it wasn't him, who else could it be?

I quickly scanned the entire room, finding nothing of value except simple living necessities. It was bare. It seemed her earlier composure was related to this—she knew for certain there was nothing suspicious in this room, which is why she dared to bring me in so confidently. This suggested the woman’s capability exceeded my previous estimations.

I moved to the computer. Zhang Hemei said, "There's no password; you can open it directly."

The screen lit up. I pressed some keys with feigned confidence, buttons whose functions I didn't understand, then squatted down to examine the tower unit, pretending to inspect it. Finally, I stood up and asked, "Are there any other computers?"

A flicker of suspicion crossed Zhang Hemei’s eyes. I quickly affirmed with absolute certainty, "I need to check all computers to locate the problem as quickly as possible. Otherwise, the consequences could be extremely severe."

Zhang Hemei hesitated, then said, "There’s another one next door, but I use wireless internet. Should that be a problem?"

I pressed on, "Where is the wireless router?"

Zhang Hemei’s face remained cold and expressionless, radiating an air of dismissal. "It's also in the room."

"Ms. Zhang, I apologize for the intrusion, but this is my job. I need your cooperation."

Zhang Hemei paused, then conceded, "All right, but don't touch anything inside."

A thrill went through me, and I nodded quickly. "It will be quick; I’m just checking the lines."

And so, we left that room and headed toward the one next door. Just as we were about to enter, Zhang Hemei suddenly stopped me. "Wait a moment. I’ll go in and tidy up before you come in."