Chapter 38: The Peculiar Fingerprint [Bonus Chapter Sponsored by Vegetarian Pig with 10,000 Qidian Coins]

Kongo saw from her expression that she had a breakthrough and felt pleased. “Talking to you really isn’t difficult; you grasp things instantly.”

“So, the murderer harbored deep hatred not only for Bai Yueni but also for Lin Zhen. They might not have had any prior criminal record, but in their mind, they had rehearsed the act many times—thinking through exactly how to strike their enemy when the opportunity arose.”

“On the day of the crime, it’s very likely the killer wasn’t specifically targeting the victim, but rather happened upon the chance. The method and means were already thoroughly ingrained in their mind, so it appeared premeditated, but in reality, the act was impulsive and opportunistic, using whatever was at hand.”

Yan Xue thought about this possibility and found it quite consistent with the case details they had.

“I think that’s very plausible. After all, opportunities are rare and fleeting. If the killer had left the scene to fetch a knife from the kitchen or living room, they might have lost the chance to strike or aroused suspicion among others attending the party. So, as you said, they had to improvise on the spot,” Kongo nodded as he spoke, taking a book from the table and slipping the sugar wrapper they had just flattened between its pages.

“You collect sugar wrappers?” Yan Xue noticed his action and was a little surprised. “That’s quite a ‘retro’ hobby! Maybe people from our parents’ generation had such hobbies. My mother once kept some beautiful wrappers she treasured in her old books.”

“But what use do you have for these two? Aren’t these candies readily available at any supermarket? They don’t look special at all. Why keep them?”

Kongo smiled, closing the book and putting it away. “I don’t eat candy much these days. When I was a kid, I was once bullied. Being small, I fought fiercely but ended up bruised and beaten, feeling very down. Then I met a neighbor’s child who saw me sitting on the roadside crying. That child wanted to comfort me but didn’t know how, so they paced around me.”

“After some internal struggle, the child decided to share the candy in their hand with me. But there was only one piece, and back then, snacks weren’t as abundant as they are now. That candy was a treasure to a child.”

“They were reluctant to give it up but also couldn’t bear to keep it all. I remember clearly—after a moment of hesitation, that child bit off half the candy, then handed me the remaining half along with the wrapper, then, as if afraid of regretting it, ran away.”

Yan Xue, hearing Kongo’s story, seemed to see the scene before her eyes and couldn’t help but smile. “Your experience is really... unhygienic but heartwarming at the same time!”

“Exactly!” Kongo laughed. “So later, I threw away the half-eaten candy, but kept the wrapper, tucking it into my textbook. Whenever I came across it later, I’d remember how that child reluctantly shared the candy with me. It always made me smile.”

“Over time, it became a habit. Whenever I encounter something that I think I’ll want to remember fondly later, I keep its candy wrapper. After a long while, if I unexpectedly find it again, it revives those joyful memories.”

“That’s a great idea! I can tell you really know how to appreciate life,” Yan Xue admired Kongo’s approach.

Often, life is made up of small moments of warmth and tenderness that pass quickly. If left unmarked, they are easily forgotten. It’s better to turn them into seeds, casually scattered here and there, so that after some time, they bloom into beautiful flowers unexpectedly.

At the same time, Yan Xue suddenly realized something: Kongo, who seemed to have an easy and smooth life, had actually endured far more hardships growing up than she had imagined. Whether it was family upheavals or other negative memories he casually mentioned or even left unspoken, none of it seemed to have a harmful effect on his character. Instead, it had made his outlook on life and his attitude more open and optimistic.

However...

“Why are you keeping today’s candy wrapper too?” Yan Xue felt that just now they were only discussing the case, purely work-related matters, nothing particularly special.

“Because it’s the first time someone shared candy with me to help me adjust my mood!” Kongo answered earnestly, smiling sincerely.

“Childish...” Yan Xue said mockingly, though her cheeks flushed honestly.

Her reaction had nothing to do with Kongo’s words but was triggered by the way he looked at her—the emotions in his eyes were unguarded and direct, completely different from his usual sly and serious demeanor.

Yan Xue liked to be straightforward and candid, detesting beating around the bush. She was also inexperienced in matters of the heart. After they had cleared the air last time, due to work commitments, they mostly kept their interactions professional, which led Yan Xue to mistakenly believe she could calmly and gracefully handle the subtle changes in their relationship.

But now, as Kongo no longer looked at her as just a colleague or acquaintance, Yan Xue felt her cheeks warm and her heart secretly quicken with every glance he gave her.

“Let’s go. Didn’t we say we’d visit Bai Yueni’s parents? Come on, let’s get going!” She suddenly felt a little uneasy, cleared her throat, grabbed her coat, and hurriedly called Kongo to leave.

Kongo smiled knowingly and cooperatively grabbed his jacket as well. As they walked down the corridor, they ran into Ji Yuan and Xia Qing returning from outside. The four greeted each other, and Yan Xue went downstairs first. As Kongo was about to follow, Ji Yuan stopped him.

“What’s going on between you two?” Ji Yuan wasn’t usually one to pry into others’ affairs, but Kongo was his only close friend in the bureau, and Yan Xue was Xia Qing’s classmate and dormmate—a fiery presence who rarely showed this side of herself. He couldn’t help but be curious.

“Haven’t started anything yet, but it’s budding,” Kongo said with a beaming face.

“So confident?” Ji Yuan glanced at him.

“Of course!” Kongo beamed, lowering his voice. “Have you ever seen someone shy when nothing’s happening?”

“That’s true. It’s the first time I’ve seen Yan Xue so embarrassed,” Xia Qing added, noticing the subtle signs. “When did you start chasing this idea? Don’t tell me that’s why you asked to end your secondment and came back?”

“Oh, happiness has to be pursued; otherwise, why would I waste time on that boring guy?” Kongo teased, then gestured toward Ji Yuan. “Alright, I gotta go. I have cases to handle. I’ll catch up with you later. Xia Qing, I actually have some things I want your help with.”

“Sure, go ahead and work hard. We’ll talk after you’re done,” Xia Qing agreed readily.

Kongo had provided Ji Yuan with much invisible support during his low points, so Xia Qing trusted him completely. From Yan Xue’s state earlier, it was clear she didn’t resist Kongo’s advances, so from any perspective, Xia Qing was happy to see it happen.

Unaware that the three had just exchanged a tacit understanding about their progress, Yan Xue, upon reaching downstairs, ran into another colleague. After a brief chat, Kongo came rushing up.

“Guess what!” The new lead in the case swept away Yan Xue’s earlier unfamiliar shyness. As Kongo caught up, she eagerly shared what she had learned from her colleague.

“There’s an important breakthrough with the fingerprints at the crime scene. Several prints lifted from Bai Yueni’s room have been identified.”

“Oh? The identity is confirmed?” Kongo’s expression showed it wouldn’t be that simple.

“No, not quite. Those fingerprints were found in key areas of the room—like the door handles inside and out, the foot of the bed—places where prints tend to be messy. It took some time to extract them. Interestingly, all these prints belong to the same person, even from the same finger.”

“The same finger? No others?” Kongo’s interest peaked immediately at this detail.

“No others. That’s the first oddity. The second is even more interesting.” Yan Xue held up two fingers. “The owner of these prints has a criminal record—about six months ago, they were arrested for stealing company property, a crime serious enough to be prosecuted. Their prints were entered into the database then. Xiao Wu and the others have already verified the match perfectly.”

“So you mean this person is currently serving time in prison for theft, so they couldn’t have committed this crime?”

“Nope, if that were the case, there wouldn’t be much to discuss. It’s even stranger than that.” Yan Xue shook her head. “That person is dead.”