Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
I completely agree with Nie Qiuyuan's judgment, as there are other pieces of evidence in the illustrations from the Old Case File that support this point.
"Take a closer look at these around the wound," I said, pointing to some chaotic lines drawn on the Old Case File. "This is the cut on the neck, and these varying lengths of lines around it should indicate the wound. Such wounds are indeed mostly seen in cases of suicide."
These are hesitation cuts. If there are several parallel wounds of varying lengths and depths near a fatal cut, this is referred to as hesitation cuts or hesitation wounds in forensic science, which is characteristic of suicide.
Why does this happen? It's not hard to understand; you may want to die, but your body might not want to! Pain and fear are human instincts. Moreover, without specialized training, how could one accurately locate an artery?
Thus, it often takes several cuts to sever an artery. In the case of this deceased individual, she hadn't even cut through; she had only inflicted a wound. She must have ultimately died from hypovolemic shock; the stab wounds on her body were not immediately fatal; otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to run so far.
"Oh? This is quite interesting. In the past, when I examined the bodies of those who committed suicide, I did see similar situations but never thought about it in this way," Night's eyes sparkled.
"You? Examining the bodies of those who committed suicide?" Wasn't this person a professional thief?
"Uh, what I meant was that Qiu Yuan saw it and told me about it. Actually, I have seen it too; I just didn't pay attention. But I'm quite interested in these matters; otherwise, why would I be telling you all this?"
That made sense. I sighed. My impression of Night Phantom was that he was quite knowledgeable about Nie Qiuyuan's affairs and particularly loved to meddle and join in on discussions.
"So, Sister Mei was forced into marriage and had long harbored thoughts of death. That night she arranged to meet Yagyu and secretly let him into her home just to see him one last time. After their farewell, they agreed that after this parting, Sister Mei would take out a knife and end her life. Unexpectedly, Yagyu returned for some reason and happened to witness this scene. Therefore, Sister Mei mustered her last bit of strength to run away just to clear Liu Danqing's suspicion?" I propped my chin on my hand and tilted my head at Night.
Night nodded. "However, Liu Danqing did pursue her but failed to find Sister Mei. He chased her to the garden, heartbroken and exhausted, collapsing there without moving again. This can be believed because there were hardly any bloodstains on his clothes."
In fact, Nie Qiuyuan had already uncovered the truth of the case, but there remained an inexplicable question. I believed that Qiu's hesitation stemmed from his inability to resolve this issue. Given the research level of ancient times, it might indeed be unsolvable since they lacked a vast number of cases for analysis and comparison.
"Then who took off her clothes?" Night Phantom asked the very question that was on my mind.
If Sister Mei committed suicide and Liu Danqing did not catch up with her, then who removed Sister Mei's clothes in that secluded thicket? And why would someone want to take off her clothes?
Could this indicate the presence of a third person? If so, who could that third person be? Was there an error in the previous judgment? Was Liu Danqing lying? I thought that this was what troubled Nie Qiuyuan.
"It was she who took them off herself," I replied to Night.
Night Noodle stared wide-eyed in surprise. After a moment of silence, he said, "I don't think you're just talking nonsense, but what is the meaning of a dying person stripping off their clothes?"
Such a situation was quite rare, as most people likely wouldn't have the strength to undress. Therefore, Sister Mei must have died a painful death, perhaps because she was caught by Liu Danqing. She hadn't had time to inflict herself with a sufficiently heavy wound; she was bleeding out slowly.
This phenomenon is known as the “Abandonment Phenomenon.”
When a person suffers from a head injury or significant blood loss, it can trigger rapid changes in body temperature, leading to feelings of high fever. The sensation is akin to being roasted in an alchemical furnace. In such cases, if the person still has the ability to move, they will strip off their clothes one by one until completely naked; this is what is referred to as the “Abandonment Phenomenon.”
Originally, this concept wasn't included in textbooks due to its rarity and practical irrelevance. However, because Zhang Yang often dragged me along for errands at crime scenes, I had actually witnessed this phenomenon once. If it weren't for that instance, I wouldn't have known about it.
It was during an ordinary burglary case where the Criminal stole something and attacked someone before fleeing. When caught, he was covered in blood. The blood samples taken for DNA testing undoubtedly belonged to the victim. There were blood fingerprints and shoe prints at the scene, all matching the Criminal, and the knife was found at his home. Logically, the evidence was solid, and the Criminal confessed.
However, there was one thing that couldn't be explained: the Criminal killed the victim in the east room, yet the body ended up in the west room, with bloodied clothes strewn all over the west room. The Criminal denied stripping off any clothing, and the color of the underwear didn't match.
I felt extremely confused at that time. However, Zhang Yang immediately concluded it was an instance of Abandonment Phenomenon, as there were large amounts of smeared blood from east to west room—evidence that the victim had crawled over.
"In my years of handling cases, this is only the second instance I've seen. Consider yourself lucky to witness it," Teacher Zhang said with his usual air of arrogance.
I was quite excited and later specifically researched some information about Abandonment Phenomenon, bombarding Teacher Zhang with numerous questions.
I never expected that today I would encounter it again!
"Is such a thing even possible?! How have I never seen this before!" After I finished explaining, Night expressed astonishment similar to when he first heard about this theory.
It’s not surprising you haven't seen it; you’re a thief, not a detective. How lucky would you be to come across one or two Corpse? Many criminal investigators go their entire careers without encountering even one case like this.
Moreover, how could the Tang Dynasty compare to our big data era? All national Criminal Cases are stored in our database. How many cases could you solve in your lifetime?
"Because I come from another world that understands much more than yours," I replied with a smile.
"Then tell me about your world, okay?" The light in Night Phantom's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
I looked at the exquisite mask on his face, and a mischievous idea leaped into my mind: "No way, that's something very interesting. You can't just hear it for free. You have to treat me to a meal; for each meal, I'll tell you a little bit."
He suddenly burst out laughing. "Come on, I'm like a shadow. With my appearance, how can I treat you to a meal?"
"I don't care; if you want to hear it, you'll have to figure it out yourself."
"Alright, I understand." The handsome man thought for a moment and nodded. "Then I'll just wait until next time to hear it. Thanks for today."
"No need to thank me; you should think about how to help me instead!" I reminded him of our agreement. But when I lifted my head, a bright red persimmon appeared before me.
A delicate hand held the persimmon, dangling in front of my face. It was medium-sized, with vibrant color and a plump shape, its skin so thin it seemed ready to burst. At first glance, it looked incredibly soft and sweet, making my mouth water.
I had no idea where he had conjured this persimmon from or how he managed to ripen such a fruit without squishing it in his pocket.
"Zhenzhen, today is Frost's Descent."
"Huh?"
I wouldn't remember something like Frost's Descent since I wasn't a farmer. In modern society, aside from the few solar terms that coincide with holidays, the rest are completely overlooked. What significance does Frost's Descent hold?
"Old folks say that if you don't eat red persimmons on Frost's Descent, your lips will crack in winter. If your lips crack, that won't be pretty!"
Somehow, his smiling words warmed my heart. So he not only mocked and teased me but also thought I was "pretty"? Moreover, he had brought me red persimmons specifically for today.
Outside, there were persimmon trees heavily laden with fruit, completely dispelling my worry about the "one persimmon yielding nothing" scenario. The bright red persimmons climbed up the white Frost Flower—so beautiful yet tinged with a hint of sadness as winter approached.
I cradled the persimmon in my hands, feeling a bit unsettled and slightly fearful about the future.
Love can be deadly too. What kind of person am I in the heart of autumn? He is so silent, so unfathomable, so cold and distant. What if I ultimately cannot enter his heart?
What does an unreciprocated love that one pours oneself into bring? Thoughts of Liu Danqing and the deceased Mei Erjie surfaced in my mind along with a few lines from Bai Juyi that somehow jumped into my consciousness:
“Life Is Also Bewildering, Life Is Confusing, Death Is Confusing, Enchantress who captivates and lingers in the mind.
Human Beings Are Not Wood or Stone; everyone has feelings, better not to meet. Captivating Beauty…”
The night had already passed its halfway mark, leaving me with little sleep and a haunting nightmare. When the dawn called me awake, I pushed open the window, inhaling the cold air outside, and indeed saw that everything was covered in white Frost Flower.
This was the first time I truly felt the significance of Frost's Descent.
Then, to my surprise, I noticed four neatly arranged plates on the table beside my bed: steaming buns, Flaky Pastry, Shumai, and a dessert. A bowl of Refreshing Dish sat beside another bowl of Hot Rice Porridge.
It was exquisitely presented, clearly the signature breakfast from the renowned restaurant “Elegant Residence.”
My mood instantly brightened. I jumped out of bed, ready to start my day with this delightful breakfast.
This must be the first meal that Night Phantom treated me to.
Comment 0 Comment Count