Chapter One Ashes of Paper in the Belly

On an early autumn weekend afternoon, the oppressive heat in W City had finally begun to ease. The sunlight was no longer blazing, a gentle autumn breeze drifted through the air, and the sky seemed boundless and clear. Most of the people strolling along the roadside were out for leisure, making the city’s usual weekday hustle seem to slow to a tranquil pace.

A taxi sped along the street. The driver, glancing at the lively stalls and the diverse crowds shopping and strolling, took another furtive look in the rearview mirror at the young woman in the back seat, who was staring out of the window, lost in thought.

What a wonderful day, he mused. So many young men and women out there, happily dating, while this young lady, barely more than a girl, was taking a taxi alone to the police bureau! She hadn’t spoken a word since getting in, and had remained in a daze, gazing outside—she must be facing something difficult. Life, truly, is unpredictable. The driver cast another sympathetic glance at his quiet passenger and sighed to himself.

But, of course, the girl in the back seat had no idea of the musings she inspired, being unable to read minds. She was still working through the flood of messages she’d received just before setting out.

Her name was Yan Xue, her appearance as delicate as her name suggested: fair-skinned, gentle and graceful, with especially large, clear eyes like a fawn’s, innocent and unguarded.

Yet, despite her fragile looks, she was in fact a bona fide detective with the city’s Criminal Investigation Unit. At this moment, she was cutting short her vacation to return to the bureau for a new case.

It had been over four years since graduating from university and joining the force. While she wouldn’t call herself a veteran, she was certainly no greenhorn. As one of the “Four Flowers” of the team—officers known for both their looks and abilities—Yan Xue had seen her share of crime scenes and investigations. But this time, she found herself uncharacteristically anxious.

It wasn’t the complexity of the case that unsettled her; it was the news she’d received during her leave: her partner of three years, Chen Jiabao, had officially become her “former partner” due to a job transfer. When her leave ended, the squad captain, Dong Weifeng, would assign her a new partner.

Yan Xue knew herself well—her sweet appearance belied a forceful, impatient nature. Her nickname, “Wind and Fire Wheel,” was well-earned. Chen Jiabao, on the other hand, had been the mildest-tempered member of the team. His family couldn’t accept him working on the front lines, and with his wife about to give birth, he had to request a transfer. For three years, their pairing—her urgency countered by his calm—had achieved a delicate balance.

Her previous partners hadn’t fared as well. Those senior colleagues had joked she must have been born in the wrong era, that in ancient times she would have been a righteous, fiery swordswoman. But a woman warrior is to men what the overbearing CEO is to women in fiction: entertaining to read about, but perhaps too much to handle in real life.

Only after teaming up with the easygoing Chen Jiabao did things settle down. Now, that equilibrium was about to be disrupted. She wondered what kind of partner Captain Dong would assign her next, and whether she’d have to endure another round of musical chairs.

Upon arriving at the bureau, Yan Xue went to seek out Captain Dong, but he’d already been called to a meeting. He left her a message: the new partner had been arranged and was currently with the forensic pathologist; Yan Xue should wait in the office.

Receiving this message, Yan Xue didn’t hesitate to head straight for the forensics department. If she could really sit quietly in the office waiting for someone else to bring back the autopsy report, she wouldn’t be Yan Xue.

Her pace was brisk as usual. She knocked on the door, entered the forensics lab, and found Dr. Zhang discussing the case with someone. When Zhang saw her, he greeted her and motioned for her to sit.

The man speaking with Dr. Zhang turned as well, flashing a bright, immaculate smile worthy of a toothpaste commercial.

“What are you doing here?” Yan Xue was surprised to see him.

“Waiting for my partner, of course!” he replied, grinning broadly.

His name was Kang Ge. Technically her senior, he had barely settled into the Criminal Investigation Unit before being requisitioned by the Cyber Division for his hidden technical talents. He’d been “borrowed” for so long that everyone just assumed he was a permanent fixture there, forgetting it was only an extended secondment.

Yan Xue hadn’t worked with Kang Ge before, but her good friend Xia Qing was dating his close friend Ji Yuan, so they’d crossed paths a few times. She’d expected Captain Dong to assign someone more familiar, not him.

Yan Xue had no objections to Kang Ge; the man was over six feet tall, fit and well-built, with a full head of hair and a classic, handsome face. Even though she wasn’t obsessed with looks, she appreciated beauty as much as anyone—having such a handsome man for a partner was certainly pleasant.

As for personality, Kang Ge’s defining trait since his return was his easygoing, sociable nature. He could strike up a conversation with anyone, dissolving awkwardness in no time and quickly becoming friendly.

In theory, he seemed an ideal partner: talkative, approachable, and unhurried—everything her impatient self needed. But she still felt uneasy.

Sometimes, instinct defies explanation but proves uncannily accurate. To Yan Xue, Kang Ge appeared the very picture of good-natured chatterbox, almost carefree, yet his eyes hinted at depths unseen—a man who hid his true self well. His cheerful banter didn’t feel like a façade, but she sensed it wasn’t his whole truth, or at least not all of it.

Kang Ge was a mystery she couldn’t unravel. This uncertainty made her question whether someone like him could truly work well with someone like her.

Still, with Captain Dong’s decision made, she resolved to accept it. There was no sense rejecting a new partner before even giving it a try.

“Sorry if I’m late. Dr. Zhang, please continue—anything I miss, I’ll catch up with Kang Ge back at the office.” Yan Xue’s efficiency extended beyond action and temper to self-regulation; with a single turn of thought, she set aside her doubts and focused on the case at hand.

“You’re not late,” Dr. Zhang assured her with a wave. “Kang and I have only just begun. The cause of death was asphyxiation from airway edema. Based on other physical reactions, our leading hypothesis is that it resulted from a severe food allergy.

“Upon examining the stomach contents, we found traces of alcohol, and besides that, some black residue and some yellow fragments resembling bits of paper.”

“Yellow paper scraps and black residue?” Kang Ge’s expression turned curious. “Could it be those yellow joss papers people burn, and the ashes left behind?”

Dr. Zhang chuckled at his guess. “You’re spot on. We discussed it at length, and that’s our best conclusion—yellow joss paper and ashes.”

Yan Xue hadn’t even had a chance to ask about the background of the case, but the conversation already struck her as odd.

“Someone’s playing at superstition to cover up a murder?” she ventured.

“At present, the alcohol residue is minimal—not enough to cause fatal airway edema even in someone with severe alcohol allergy. As for the joss paper and ashes, though unusual, we found no toxic substances in the stomach contents. The death cannot be classified as accidental; this is a criminal case. The precise cause of death will require further toxicology tests.”

“Thank you for your hard work, Dr. Zhang,” Kang Ge said politely.

Dr. Zhang sighed. “The victim was so young. I hear the family was devastated by the sudden loss, and now that it’s a criminal case, I don’t know how they’ll cope with the truth. The toxicology tests are routine for us, but you two will be meeting the family soon. Given the circumstances, I’m afraid their emotions may be quite unstable.”