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A few days later, Ruan Xiaoshuang was discharged from the hospital, fully recovered. She specially invited Shen Tong and Lin Mingchang to the Fu Lu Tea House in the city center for tea and snacks to express her gratitude for their lifesaving efforts.
When Shen Tong arrived, Xiaoshuang had already settled in. She chose a window seat on the second floor and had ordered several exquisite pastries, busily fiddling with her beloved camera. The summer sunlight streamed through the intricately carved window frames, casting dappled shadows across her face.
"Miss Ruan looks quite well," Shen Tong remarked as she ascended to the second floor, her deep blue qipao accentuating her slender figure with an air of elegance.
"Sister Tong, you're here!" Ruan Xiaoshuang beamed as she rushed over to pull Shen Tong into a seat. "Thanks to you and Officer Lin, I’m still alive."
"Don't mention it," Shen Tong said, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "That new dress suits you well; you look lovely."
Ruan Xiaoshuang glanced down at her light green long dress. "I just got out of the hospital and wanted to dress up a bit. Where is Officer Lin?"
"Here," Lin Mingchang's voice came from behind. He looked somewhat haggard, dark circles under his eyes indicating he hadn't rested well these past few days.
The three of them gathered around the tea table, and Ruan Xiaoshuang deftly poured tea for both of them. "Try this; it's Longjing tea I brought back from Hangzhou."
Lin Mingchang took a sip and praised, "Good tea."
"I owe you both so much," Ruan Xiaoshuang said earnestly. "Otherwise, I might have ended up like those wealthy businessmen—dead and gone."
Shen Tong picked up a piece of osmanthus cake with chopsticks and placed it on Lin Mingchang's plate. "What about Fang Yun? How much did he confess?"
"He's dead; he committed suicide by poison."
"What?" Ruan Xiaoshuang exclaimed, her eyes widening in shock.
Lin Mingchang briefly recounted the interrogation process, concluding with, "He only admitted that Qi Songtao wanted to withdraw from the Gui Xu Society before he was killed. He didn't say a word about the organization's purpose or whereabouts."
"The Gui Xu Society is indeed terrifying," Shen Tong said, glancing at the visibly shaken Xiaoshuang and gently patting her shoulder.
Lin Mingchang hesitated for a moment before pulling out several photographs from his pocket. "I found these among my father's belongings."
Shen Tong and Ruan Xiaoshuang leaned in closer to examine them, both shocked by the two characters written on the back.
"So your father’s disappearance..." Ruan Xiaoshuang began but left the sentence unfinished; her meaning was clear.
Lin Mingchang nodded. "It’s likely related to the Gui Xu Society. I need to investigate further."
"Count me in," Shen Tong said without hesitation. "My grandmother's notes contain plenty of information about ancient cults; we might find clues there. Besides, my eye," she pointed to her right eye, "might be of help."
"I want to join too!" Ruan Xiaoshuang exclaimed as she jumped up. "I almost became one of their victims; I can't let this grudge go unpunished. Besides, I became a photographer because photos can capture the truth. You both need a photographer and reporter to gather information and document evidence!"
Lin Mingchang looked at the two girls before him, one gentle yet strong, calm and reserved; the other lively and bold, sharp and capable. He smiled, a rare genuine smile since his father's disappearance. "Alright, let's form a small team to investigate various strange cases and uncover the secrets of the Gui Xu Society."
Ruan Xiaoshuang raised her eyebrows. "To seek justice for the dead and pave a stable path for the living."
"Cheers." Shen Tong lifted her teacup. The three cups clinked together in the air, marking the official establishment of their trio.
In the sweltering summer of Jiangcheng, the afternoon felt particularly stifling. Shen Tong sat under the osmanthus tree in her small courtyard, sorting through ancient texts left by her grandmother. Suddenly, there were three urgent knocks on the iron gate. Shen Tong stood up to open it and found Lin Mingchang standing at the door, drenched in sweat.
"Officer Lin?" Shen Tong stepped aside to let him in. "What’s so urgent?"
Without any pleasantries, Lin Mingchang walked straight to the stone table and placed a folder on it. "There's an urgent case that needs your help."
Shen Tong poured him a cup of tea and handed it to him. Lin Mingchang took it and drank it all in one go. He set down the cup and looked directly at Shen Tong. "Don't call me Officer Lin anymore; it feels awkward. Just call me Lin Mingchang."
Shen Tong paused for a moment, then smiled. "Alright, Lin Mingchang. What’s this case about?"
"Wait for Xiaoshuang; she’ll be here soon so I won’t have to repeat myself." Just as Lin Mingchang settled down, Ruan Xiaoshuang's voice came from outside the gate: "Sister Tong!"
"Officer Lin—" Ruan Xiaoshuang began, but Lin Mingchang interrupted, "Call me brother Lin."
Ruan Xiaoshuang blinked. "Sure thing, brother Lin! What peculiar case do we have now?"
Lin Mingchang opened the folder and spread out a stack of photographs along with a paper bag on the table. "The wealthy young lady Qian Zhiruo was found dead in her boudoir. Her lips and eyelids have been sewn shut, and there are fine stitching marks around her ankles."
He laid out the photos and took out a pair of embroidered shoes from the paper bag. "What’s most concerning is that this is already the third similar case in two weeks."
Shen Tong took the photos; the woman in them appeared serene, almost as if she were merely sleeping—if not for her meticulously stitched lips and eyelids.
The red embroidered shoes on her feet were exquisitely crafted, with fine stitches and intricate patterns.
"Three cases? All using the same method?" Shen Tong fixed his gaze on the pair of embroidered shoes.
"That's right. All three victims were young ladies from wealthy families, around twenty years old, and they were all wearing similar red embroidered shoes when they died. However, according to their families, these shoes were sent anonymously. They thought a friend had gifted them because of their exquisite craftsmanship, so they accepted them."
Ruan Xiaoshuang set down the photo, unable to hide her shock. "They were sent by the murderer! But... these shoes are too finely made to be something an ordinary killer would prepare."
Shen Tong stared at the embroidered shoes for a long time, then frowned slightly. "I sense an ancient Yuan Qi from these shoes, as if they carry decades of buried hatred. It could very well be a long-standing grudge."
Lin Mingchang immediately understood. "Are you suggesting this might be a premeditated act of revenge?"
"Very likely," Shen Tong replied as he put down the photo. "The killer chose to sew the victims' eyes and mouths shut; it resembles a ritualistic aspect of revenge."
Ruan Xiaoshuang continued to flip through the photos; to her, the angles and details captured seemed problematic.
"Brother Lin, may I accompany you back to the police station to retake some photos of the victims and their belongings? We might discover some previously overlooked details."
Lin Mingchang nodded; he also believed that Xiaoshuang's talent for photography was unmatched by any technician at the police station.
"Then it's settled. Today we'll visit the three victims' families. Xiaoshuang will come with me to retake the photos, and tomorrow we'll reconvene here with Shen Tong to discuss our findings."
Shen Tong gazed thoughtfully at the shadows cast by the trees on the ground. "With such ancient Yuan Qi involved, blood debts must be repaid... There must be hidden truths behind these three cases."
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