Broken Bone Golden Lotus

A chilling sensation jolted the woman awake from her unconsciousness.

She looked around in disbelief—where was she?

After a few glances, she realized she was in her own bathroom.

But immediately, horror filled her eyes—she was submerged in the bathtub, icy water overflowing from the pipes onto her naked body!

She instinctively tried to stand, but no matter how much she twisted and turned, she couldn't.
She found herself tightly bound with rope.

Fear drove the woman to scream frantically.

But those screams were only in her heart, for a sealing strip was tightly sealed to her mouth.

Her chest heaved violently from the struggle, her breasts swaying in the water.

Her breathing became rapid with those futile movements. Even more terrifying, the water slowly overflowing her breasts pressed heavier and heavier against her chest, making it even harder to breathe.

Suddenly, a soft voice drifted over: "Du Mei, stop struggling, it's useless."

The woman, named Du Mei, stared in terror at the person who appeared before her with the sound of the voice. In her eyes, it was death itself, or perhaps the devil.

The man stood before her, his body relaxed, his gaze filled with malevolence.

Or perhaps the devil wasn't looking at her, but at the water in the bathtub

—the water had already reached her neck. Underwater, her pale body writhed helplessly.

Her breathing grew heavier.

Because her mouth was sealed shut, she could only desperately inhale through her nose.

She looked at the water so close to her with despair, then looked up at the man opposite her with pleading eyes.

Seeing Du Mei's pitiful expression, the man leaned down and brought his lips close to her ear.
"Take a deep breath!" the man commanded.

Du Mei obediently puffed out her nostrils and inhaled deeply. —Only obedience could save my life.

"Good girl! Enjoy it, because this is the last breath you'll take!" The same light, casual words reached Du Mei's ears, but to her, they were like the footsteps of death.

The woman shuddered in despair upon hearing them. Then, warm, wet tears welled in her eyes, but before they could flow, they were immediately swallowed by icy water.

The water had already overflowed her lips, her nostrils, and was slowly seeping into her eyes.

She painfully closed her eyes, trying to stop the water from entering. But she couldn't stop the air in her chest from dwindling.

She felt as if something was forcefully sucking her chest, slowly shrinking back, and the speed was increasing; she could even feel her ribs cutting into her lungs.

After a squeezing pain came a tearing agony, like a venomous snake crawling from her abdomen to her nostrils. She couldn't help but flare her nostrils, inhaling deeply.

But what she inhaled was no longer air, but icy water!

And the inhaled water immediately spread rampantly throughout her body.

She seemed to hear the sound of water entering her lungs, a hissing sound. Then came crackling sounds from within her body, each one like a firecracker exploding in her brain, shattering her consciousness.

She felt herself sinking into a dark abyss, her internal organs falling in disarray, no longer in pain, no longer cold. Then, a chilling monster surged into her brain, crashing against her eyes.
Du Mei's last memory was of opening her eyes and seeing light in a round, dark hole. There seemed to be her face inside; she strained to see, but couldn't stop her body from falling rapidly. The light grew farther and farther away, dimmer and dimmer, until it merged into the darkness…

Looking at the female corpse submerged in water, the "devil" smiled contentedly, but the smile was so cruel.

The "devil" wasn't in a hurry to leave the scene. Because there was still much work to be done. "Starry Sea Residence," this luxurious residential complex, was located in the best part of the city

—not too far from the city center, with well-connected roads and numerous cultural and educational institutions nearby. Most importantly, the beautiful seaside is just 500 meters away from the residential complex. Moreover, this seaside isn't an open beach for public use. In the words of the residents, it's like Xinghai Renjia's private seaside park.

"Taking a walk after dinner" is a common occurrence for ordinary people. But for those living here, the most frequent topic after dinner is: "Let's go see the sea."

The average price of 20,000 RMB per square meter makes this complex a haven for elites from all walks of life: government officials, financial tycoons, celebrities, and so on.

In short, the residents here are at least worth millions in assets. Of course, the real estate developer doesn't care about the source of their money.

However, the only drawback of this complex is the scarcity of parking spaces. Every day, private cars struggle to find a parking spot.

This is a miscalculation by the real estate developer. The design only assumed one car per household. In reality, about half of the residents own two or more cars.
And today, June 27, 2006, the "Xinghai Renjia" luxury residential complex was even more congested.

Several police cars suddenly appeared.

—A resident in the community had died.

Apartment 1201, Building A.

This was the first floor of a six-story upscale residential building in the community.

Four bedrooms, two living rooms, 150 square meters of usable space, exquisite Italian-style decoration, high-end and fashionable appliances and furniture—everything suggested that the owner had once lived a life of paradise.

However, now this warm and beautiful house had become the scene of a murder. Everything in the house had become cold and lifeless, devoid of any vitality.

Jian Jie and Liu Shiming, the captain of the Major Crimes Unit 3, stood in a corner by the window, quietly watching the police officers busily handling the crime scene.

Bright sunlight streamed into the room through the large French windows, making the lifeless female corpse on the bed appear even more eerie under the vibrant sunlight.

Jian Jie frowned deeply, looking at the female corpse on the bedroom bed. —What a strange female corpse.
On the large bed in the bedroom lay a female corpse, lying face up.

The woman's eyes were slightly open, but there was no light in her pupils. A layer of duct tape covered her mouth; peeling it off revealed her once small and lovely lips, now bitten raw and bloody. It wasn't hard to imagine the agonizing struggle she had endured before death.

Her hair was disheveled, as if it had been washed but not styled. Jianjie had tried to close the woman's eyes earlier, as they were initially wide open, making her appear like a ghost in broad daylight against the backdrop of her disheveled hair. But Jianjie couldn't close them completely, no matter how hard she tried.

At this moment, her slightly open eyes and disheveled hair gave the female corpse's face an eerie quality.

Although the face was now distorted, looking at her cherry-like lips, her delicate nose, and her arched eyebrows, it wasn't hard to imagine that in life, she must have had a beautiful and charming face.
But now, all beauty had vanished in this deathly atmosphere.

Jianjie couldn't bear to look at the female corpse's face any longer and instead shifted her gaze downwards.

The detective in charge of taking notes at the scene walked to Jianjie's side, gestured with his mouth towards the location of the female corpse, and then asked her, "How do you describe the female corpse's appearance? Is it described using the word 'naked' or something else?"

Jianjie looked at the female corpse and couldn't help but frown.

—Although the female corpse's torso was completely naked, it was tightly bound with ropes.

Unlike the horror evoked by the female corpse's head, seeing the female corpse's body didn't evoke fear in Jianjie; rather, it felt strange, astonished, and even a little bit erotic.

The eroticism stemmed from the victim's exceptionally fair skin, remarkably elastic muscles, and well-proportioned figure. Her naked body undeniably possessed a sexual allure.

More importantly, the binding of the ropes amplified her beauty, making her incredibly sensual: her breasts and buttocks were jutted out, and her genitals were deliberately spread apart, creating a strikingly clear and alluringly bizarre effect. As for the

sense of strangeness and astonishment, it was because Jianjie had never seen a victim bound in such a manner.

In previous cases, she had witnessed victims bound, beaten, and even killed. But those were methods of binding she could only imagine—hands, feet, limbs, even necks, bound tightly, depriving them of freedom. Perhaps the bindings were so tight they even strangled the victim.

But the way this victim was bound was completely different from anything Jianjie had ever seen before. The victim's hands and feet were bound using ordinary methods, but the torso was bound quite differently.

Starting from the woman's neck, the ropes passed through her breasts, abdomen, lower body, then around her buttocks and back, bound in almost regular, segmented sections, with the sides of her body roughly symmetrical.

Jianjie tugged at the ropes with her gloved hand; they were tightly bound, but not to the point of being fatal. Jianjie carefully examined the area bound by the ropes; none of them touched any dangerous parts of the body, such as the carotid artery or groin artery. In these areas, the ropes were either loosely bound or completely bypassed.

Jianjie knew this, and a doctor friend she knew had once told her: if major arteries in the body are compressed and blood flow is obstructed, it can cause cerebral ischemia and death within three minutes.

Jianjie remembered this vividly.

—During an operation to apprehend a key suspect, in the struggle, a detective's face was pierced by the suspect's dagger, and blood gushed out immediately. Everyone rushed to help, but even pressing several towels against the wound couldn't stop the bright red blood.

Jianjie immediately understood: even if the detective's wound hadn't damaged a major artery, it was still a small or medium-sized artery that had been pierced. Otherwise, the bleeding wouldn't be so profuse.

In other locations, like the arm or thigh, something could be tightly wrapped to prevent excessive blood loss, but on the face, you couldn't just strangle the neck. That wouldn't stop the bleeding, and it would stop breathing too.

Every time Jianjie recalled her performance at that moment, she couldn't help but feel proud of herself, and indeed, it was true. Afterwards, the detectives unanimously acknowledged Jianjie's boldness, meticulousness, and composure under pressure.

At that moment, Jianjie almost instantly rushed forward and immediately pressed her hand against the detective's carotid artery. She did the opposite: by blocking the blood flow to the carotid artery, the bleeding from the head and face would lessen.
However, this was incredibly difficult for Jianjie, because during the nearly one hour it took to get back to the hospital, she had to loosen the pressure every three minutes to prevent prolonged compression from causing cerebral ischemia. The blood gushing out during those few seconds of loosening was enough to stain a towel red.

When they arrived at the hospital, the doctors almost mistook Jianjie for an injured person, as she was completely soaked in blood.

But after the doctor pulled her critically injured comrade back from the brink of death, he said something that made Jianjie feel incredibly fortunate to be wearing this blood-soaked clothing.

The doctor said, "Your policewoman is truly remarkable. If it weren't for her proper handling, that arterial bleeding would have caused someone to bleed to death within twenty minutes!"

Looking at the female corpse on the bed, Jianjie felt a sense of "facing a head full of bleeding, yet unable to find the carotid artery."

She couldn't understand what all this binding meant.

The victim before her, though bound, had clearly been deliberately protected from dangerous areas by the murderer. It's clear the killer's purpose in binding the victim wasn't to kill her.

So what was the killer's purpose? If binding was meant to incapacitate the victim, then binding her hands and feet would have sufficed; why go to such lengths to bind her torso as well?

Even more bizarrely, after turning the woman's body over, they were astonished to find a line of words written in lipstick on her back: "First day, loud voice; second day, silent."

It sounded like a poem, but what did it mean?

Jian Jie was completely baffled.

However, her bewilderment didn't end there.

When her gaze fell on the victim's feet, she was puzzled once more.

The victim's feet were tightly bound with white cloth. Except for the two big toes, the rest of her feet, up to the ankles, were completely bound.

And when the white cloth was removed, on the insteps of the woman's left and right feet, they found the characters "three" and "down" written in lipstick!

If the words on the victim's back evoked a sense of poetry, the two words on her feet offered absolutely no such association.

Looking at these strange phenomena on the female corpse, Jianjie shook her head, lost in thought.

At that moment, her mind was filled with memories of countless corpses she had seen: the bodies she used for autopsies during her time at police academy; the murdered bodies she encountered while investigating cases after donning her badge; even witnessing the rapid death of a criminal after being shot.

That was the first criminal she had killed, a fugitive armed murderer.

At the time, she was responsible for keeping watch at the back door.

It was actually a task with almost no challenge. The arrest plan was meticulous, and the criminal had virtually no chance of escaping through the back door.

But even the best-laid plans can have flaws—the criminal had an accomplice, and this hadn't been detected beforehand.

While all the detectives' attention was focused on the armed murderer, his accomplice seized the opportunity to run towards the back door.

Even six years later, Jianjie still clearly remembered the scene: when she saw the criminal running towards her, she froze, then instinctively drew her pistol.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the assailant raise his arm, but a surge of warmth welled up inside her. Because through the sights of her pistol, she could clearly see the assailant's left chest.

Without hesitation, she pulled the trigger, and almost instantly, she saw the criminal collapse to the ground with a thud. She seemed not to have even heard the gunshot.

When she rushed over, she saw blood gushing from a bullet hole in the criminal's chest.

Jianjie felt no tension, no excitement, no joy…

she was remarkably quiet.

She silently watched the criminal writhe in agony, gasping for breath, his eyes wide open, as if they too were resisting pain. Even after his eyes had lost their luster, his limbs twitched involuntarily a few times.

Then, she looked again at the criminal's chest where he had been shot—blood was still gushing out.

Her teammates gathered around, seeing her squatting motionless, assuming she was tense because it was her first time killing a criminal. Just as they were about to help her up, she calmly said, "I'm just waiting for the blood to stop so I can see where the bullet hole I hit him is."

Upon learning of Jianjie's performance, Liu Shiming, the captain of the Major Crimes Unit 3, immediately recruited her into his team.

In his words, "Jie Jian is born to be a police officer!"

Jie Jian's legs, which had been standing for a long time, twitched slightly in a tingling sensation, and sunlight shone on her face. Jie Jian blinked slightly, her mind returning to reality from her previous thoughts.

She once again fixed her gaze on the female corpse.

Jie Jian wasn't afraid. Her experience as a police officer had long since robbed her of the fear of corpses.
Like an occupational hazard, when she saw a corpse, Jie Jian only felt anger towards the criminal. She rarely had the habit of frowning anymore.

But this kind of female corpse was something she had never seen before. She really couldn't understand why the murderer had mutilated the victim's body like this.

Liu Shiming nudged her.

"Let's go out for some fresh air in the yard."

Jie Jian didn't say a word, following Liu Shiming out of the room and into the yard.

Room 1201 was on the first floor, with a yard of about thirty square meters outside.

The yard was enclosed by an exquisitely carved fence, and various flowers and plants were planted inside.

A gentle breeze blew, carrying the pleasant fragrance of flowers.

Jianjie took off the gloves she had worn during the inspection and took a deep breath, finally feeling some relief from the tightness in her chest.

"A really perplexing case! Are you confident?" Liu Shiming asked.

"Of course!" Although she had no clue about the case yet, Jianjie still gave a definite answer.

—A police officer without confidence cannot solve even the simplest case. This was her own motto.

Although Jianjie was only twenty-eight years old, she had been in the Major Crimes Unit since graduating from police academy. Within a few years, she had risen from an ordinary officer to the deputy head of Major Crimes Unit Three. This wasn't due to connections or looks, but rather the result of solving case after case.

Liu Shiming looked at Jianjie with admiration: a young and beautiful face, eyes that were gentle yet strong, a small mouth that was eloquent yet never slipped up…

This pretty policewoman was only twenty-three when she first entered the police force, her every smile and gesture revealing the impulsiveness and fragility of a young girl. Years of trials and tribulations had made her increasingly resolute. He increasingly assigned more difficult cases to Jianjie, because she never disappointed him.

Liu Shiming decided to entrust this case to Jianjie as well.

The two fell silent, neither speaking further.

They were both pondering the case.

A short while later, a police officer approached them and said to Liu Shiming, "Captain, we've collected the evidence."
"Dismissed." Liu Shiming said, glancing at the beautiful house before walking out.
Jianjie entered the house and glanced again at the female corpse covered with a white sheet. Suddenly, she remembered something. After a moment's thought, she told the forensic doctor, "Don't perform an autopsy on the female corpse yet! Refrigerate it intact."

Inside the Major Crimes Unit 3 meeting room. Case analysis meeting.

All the officers who weren't out on cases were present.

"To make a long story short, today's case will be handled by Jianjie's team. Let Jianjie introduce the case first."
Liu Shiming always spoke concisely.

Jianjie, influenced by him, also developed this habit: 1. This morning at 8:00 AM, a female corpse was found in room 1201, Building A, "Xinghai Renjia". It was first discovered by the housekeeper who cleaned the deceased's home every day. The deceased was identified as Du Mei, 35 years old, divorced, and a reporter at the city television station.

2. The deceased was found on the bed in the bedroom. However, according to the on-site investigation, there were drag marks on the floor from the bathroom to the bedroom. Therefore, it is speculated that the primary crime scene was the bathroom. Preliminary examination indicates that the deceased died of drowning. According to the preliminary autopsy, the time of death was roughly determined to be between 4:00 PM and 8:00 PM yesterday, June 26th.

3. The corpse's shape was very strange: completely naked and bound; both feet were wrapped in white cloth; there were no sharp or blunt force injuries, nor any other marks on the body; a poem was written on the back of the body: "Loud voice on the first day, silent on the second"; the characters "three" and "down" were written on each of the two feet. These characters were all written with lipstick. In addition, traces of sexual intercourse were found on the vagina and vulva of the deceased, and semen was found inside the vagina.

4. There were no signs of forced entry on the doors and windows, no signs of a struggle inside the room, no signs of ransacking or damage to the cabinets inside the room, and apart from four size 41 shoe samples collected in the courtyard, the perpetrator left no trace whatsoever.

(A brief pause followed, indicating the case was complete.)

Then, it continued: Based on the situation at the crime scene, the following inferences are made: 1. The perpetrator was male and familiar with the victim;

2. The perpetrator's motive was clear: to kill. This largely rules out a robbery-murder motive, and the initial assessment is that it was a revenge killing or a crime of passion;

3. The perpetrator's methods were cruel, and the fact that he left virtually no trace indicates that the perpetrator had excellent psychological qualities and was very experienced;

4. The perpetrator deliberately left those words on the body. On one hand, this could be interpreted as a distraction, but on the other hand, it is very likely that the perpetrator was deliberately provoking the victim. If the latter possibility is true, then the perpetrator is much more cunning than we imagine, and may even have a psychopathic mentality. "

Therefore, I believe the initial directions for the investigation are as follows: 1. Quickly investigate the deceased's phone records for the past few days, especially the calls received and made yesterday. Thoroughly investigate the victim Du Mei's social interactions, particularly whether she had any recent conflicts with anyone. It should be emphasized that Du Mei was a well-known journalist with many acquaintances and a complex network of relationships. According to the community security guard, after Du Mei divorced her husband, men frequently stayed overnight at her home.

2. Investigate individuals with prior convictions for this type of crime, including inmates and fugitives.
3. Investigate the situation of Du Mei's ex-husband.

4. Conduct a more detailed investigation of the community security guards, focusing on whether any suspicious individuals were among those entering and leaving the community yesterday.
5. And most importantly: clarify the specific meaning of the clues left by the murderer on the victim's body.

When the words left on the female murderer's body were mentioned, the people present immediately began to discuss among themselves."

Jianjie interrupted the cacophony of speculation, saying, "Let me start by throwing out an idea. I think the phrase 'loud on the first day, silent on the second' refers to the date of the crime."

Everyone fell silent.

"Because I just checked the calendar, June 26th, the day Du Mei was murdered, is the first day of the sixth lunar month!"

An officer asked, "And 'silent on the second day'? Does it mean resting and remaining silent on the second day?"
Jianjie smiled wryly, "I'm not a mind reader for criminals; that's all I can think of."
Half an hour later, when the meeting ended and only Jianjie and Liu Shiming remained in the room, Liu Shiming asked, "Why aren't you doing an autopsy yet?"

"I was just about to tell you. I want to ask someone to assist us. This person might help us figure out the truth about the body. I want to wait until he's examined the body before doing the autopsy," Jianjie explained.

Liu Shiming nodded. "Who is that person?"

Jianjie, who was walking out, turned back and replied, "I'm going to find him now. You'll know when I get back."
This was a villa embraced by a warm pink hue.

Just like the warm feeling emanating from the villa's exterior, the interior also exudes a sense of tranquility and warmth.

This feeling is brought about by a young, beautiful woman.

At this moment, this gentle woman is carefully tending to the study on the second floor.

Her study is large, bigger than two of the adjacent bedrooms. However, six large bookcases already occupy half the space, and with the addition of a large desk and several fabric sofas, the study actually feels cramped.

She loves to enter this study at night, then lie on the sofa and quietly watch her husband, engrossed in his work. Afterwards, she turns on the desk lamp beside the sofa, peacefully enjoying the happiness of being with her husband in the warm, yellow light.

She feels that every moment with her husband is incomparably blissful.

At this moment, she stands in front of her husband's desk, holding a small framed picture.

—Inside the frame is a photograph of a woman.

A fair and pure face, long, glossy black hair, small and lovely lips, and affectionate eyes.
It was the first photograph she gave to her husband.

That day was also her birthday, January 31st. For Milan, it was a double celebration. Not only was her birthday exceptionally joyful, but he also formally proposed to her that day.

She remembered that when her husband kissed her passionately, she felt her heart pounding so hard it felt like it would burst out of her chest. Then she heard her own heart pounding wildly, a chaotic sound that seemed to blend with her husband's. But to her, this chaotic sound was the most beautiful music in the world.

Every time she saw this photograph, a wave of happiness would surge within her. Because behind the photograph was her husband's elegant handwriting—"My dearest woman, my wife Milan."

Milan remembered how excited and shy she was on their wedding night. Although she had imagined countless times the scene of walking down the aisle with Yu Xiaoyu, when the beautiful moment finally arrived, she was still overwhelmed with joy. She had almost forgotten how she nestled beside Yu Xiaoyu on their wedding bed, how she shyly watched her husband undress her…

But the moment his lips touched hers, Milan's mind went completely blank; it was a feeling she had never experienced before. She

felt her delicate skin being constantly touched by warm, moist lips, like a damp sea breeze. She also felt Yu Xiaoyu's hands kneading her, as if trying to squeeze out every drop of fluid from her body. Sometimes she felt so hot she wanted to stretch out her body, sometimes so cool she wanted to cling to him tightly.

She heard her husband's passionate growls and her own rapid moans, seemingly both far and near, yet always surrounding her, completely enveloping her body. She was overwhelmed by these sounds, as if every nerve was throbbing violently.

At first, she doubted it was real, but the moment the man entered her, the real fullness and tearing pain brought tears of happiness to her eyes. Before the tears could even fall, she was swept away into a blissful state of mind. She felt herself floating in the boundless blue sea, the waves sometimes plunging her into the depths, sometimes tossing her to the crest. She couldn't control her body; she felt as if she were melting into the seawater, tumbling and leaping with the waves. Suddenly, the waves seemed to calm, rippling like gentle waves. She was like a leaf, her whole body wet and embraced by the sea. But immediately, the passionate waves swept her up again, carrying her entirely into the air. She didn't want the waves to stop; she screamed with all her might, and the waves, with each scream, pushed her to the peak of bliss.

In Milan's memory, it felt like a long time passed before she regained consciousness, but she still felt unable to control her body, because she felt her body still twitching involuntarily. She didn't want to open her eyes, wanting this pleasure to last just one more second. She reached out and touched the man's naked body, then nestled close, murmuring, "I'm so happy."

Although two years had passed, every time Milan thought back, it felt like it was just last night. And each time she recalled it, she was embraced by happiness again.

Suddenly, the phone rang from the next bedroom.

The once melodious ringtone sounded jarring to Milan now.

She inwardly grumbled about disturbing her husband's sleep by placing the phone next to him, and hurried into the bedroom.
Milan picked up the phone, pressed the answer button, glanced at her husband lying in bed, and seeing that he was still fast asleep and hadn't been woken by the phone, she put the phone to her ear and softly asked, "Who is it?"
"Oh, my happy little woman, why did it take you so long to speak after answering?"

— Jian Jie's familiar teasing tone came from the receiver.

Hearing Jian Jie's voice, Milan couldn't help but smile happily.

"Miss Jian, what brings you here? I haven't heard from you in days!" Milan teased her friend as she walked into the living room.

"Stop joking around. Is your professor home?" Jianjie asked anxiously on the phone.
She often referred to Milan's husband, Yu Xiaoyu, as "Professor," and Milan as "a happy little woman." The couple were used to these terms.

"He's home, of course. He's not some rich bachelor, why would you be interested in him?" Milan teased Jianjie back.

"Oh, I don't have time for jokes right now. I need to talk to your professor urgently! I'm on my way, I'll be there soon."

Milan wanted to ask a few more questions, but Jianjie had already hung up.

—What could she be so anxious about?

Milan went back to the bedroom, intending to wake her husband, but seeing him sleeping soundly, she stopped herself.
—Let him sleep a little longer.

Jianjie drove towards the "Phoenix Dance" villa area.

Her friend Milan lived there.

However, this time Jianjie wasn't looking for Milan, but rather Milan's husband, Yu Xiaoyu—a scholar in the field of women's studies.

The car rounded the last bend and entered the gate of the Phoenix Dance Villa District, but it was still nearly a kilometer away from the villa area, along a winding mountain road.

The villa district wasn't concentrated in one area, but rather divided into two sections running east-west according to the terrain. From an aerial view, these two pink villa areas resembled bird wings stretching out amidst the green mountains.

Every time she visited Milan's house, when the car drove here, Jianjie couldn't help but mutter, "What kind of high-end villa district is this? Built halfway up a mountain, it's so deserted and lacks any sense of human warmth."

She had also complained to Milan about it, and Milan would deliberately tease her with a dismissive tone, "Don't you understand? This is called the style of a secluded paradise."

Jianjie would just smile, not angry. They often playfully bickered, which had become a way for them to strengthen their friendship.

She and Milan were very good friends.

They had been in the same class since junior high school, all the way through high school. After starting work, although they were busy with their own lives and had fewer opportunities to meet, their friendship only grew stronger.

Milan was a beautiful girl, as beautiful as a lotus emerging from water. Jianjie felt she was similar in this respect, although others described her beauty as a heroic and spirited beauty.

However, their personalities were completely different.

Jianjie was a woman of strong character, outspoken and decisive. Milan's personality, in Jianjie's view, was not just gentle, but even weak.

Jianjie remembered that in junior high school, for a period of time, Milan only bought the cheapest food for lunch. It wasn't until Jianjie accidentally discovered that a thug several years younger than her had stopped Milan and demanded money from her. Milan was so frightened that she didn't even dare tell her teacher. It was Jianjie who stepped in and taught the thug a lesson, after which Milan was able to eat a proper meal.
Therefore, when Jianjie heard that Milan was going to marry Yu Xiaoyu, she felt it was inappropriate.

This was partly because Yu Xiaoyu was twelve years older than Milan, and Jianjie felt that Yu Xiaoyu must have much more life experience, fearing that Milan would be deceived. Furthermore, Yu Xiaoyu studied women's studies, and Jianjie always felt that people who studied women's studies had a strange air about them.

However, this opinion soon changed.

Once, she accompanied Milan to the university to wait for Yu Xiaoyu. He was giving a lecture on sexology. So, the two of them listened together for a while.

The topic of the lecture that day was "Ancient Chinese Sexual Concepts."

When they arrived, Yu Xiaoyu's lecture was almost over. He was writing on the large blackboard: "Women - Uterus - Earth - Vitality; Men - Male Reproductive Organs - Heaven - Creativity." After

Yu Xiaoyu finished writing these words, he turned around and spoke in a magnetic voice: "In ancient mythology, the Chinese believed that clouds were the eggs of the earth. They were conceived by rain, which was the sperm of the sky. Heaven and earth mated in a storm. And human reproduction, like heaven and earth, is like what I just wrote—the belief that men are heaven and women are earth, the textiles created by heaven and earth.

Just as people believed that rainwater sprinkles into the fields and sperm implants in the uterus; fertile and moist land is conducive to sowing and a woman's moist vagina is conducive to..." "There's no difference between the two. Therefore, the reverence for sex has nothing to do with moral guilt. On the contrary, it's considered a sacred act between men and women because of its role in procreation. Precisely because of its sacredness, sex is

not something that can be casually performed in public." At this point, a student raised his hand and asked, "Professor Yu, is the term 'cloud and rain' derived from this?"

Laughter followed.

Yu Xiaoyu smiled and said, "Yes. But I remind young people today not to use such a good name as an excuse to casually engage in 'cloud and rain.' Because before that, there must be a 'match made in heaven.'"

A round of applause followed.

Then Yu Xiaoyu began the last part of the day's discussion—that women were once the dominant force in sexual activity.

"From ancient times, red in China has always symbolized creativity, prosperity, joy, light, and potential. For example, weddings are called 'red events.' In ancient erotic paintings, nudes were depicted according to the principle of 'white for men and red for women.' Other erotic books and alchemical texts also use the 'white for men and red for women' saying.

This association of colors indicates that ancient people believed women were superior to men in sexual matters. Chinese 'bedroom secrets' even portrayed women as the masters of bedroom arts and omniscient sexual beings." "Knowledge resides in the hands of women, who are seen as great transmitters of knowledge, while men are seen as ignorant disciples."

Then someone asked, "Professor Yu, we all know that there is a goddess of love in ancient Greek mythology. If women once held such a high status, why is there no goddess of love in Chinese mythology?"
Yu Xiaoyu smiled faintly and replied, "We also have a goddess of love in China! Everyone knows the *Su Nu Jing* (Classic of the Plain Girl), right? The Plain Girl in that text is a legendary goddess of love. During the ancient Yellow Emperor's mythological period, she often discussed with the Yellow Emperor how men and women should have sex." Others include "Mysterious Woman" and "Gathering Woman," who were also sex guides. The Book of Elephants states that the Yellow Emperor, Xuanyuan, obtained the art of the bedroom from the Mysterious Woman, practicing the art of holding the breath and inhaling to replenish essence and nourish the brain, thus achieving longevity.

The reason so little is known about these things is because the concept of "male superiority and female inferiority" has been deeply ingrained for so long.

Therefore, if men still adopt a superior attitude towards their girlfriends or wives…”

The professor paused, looked at the audience, and smiled before continuing, “Especially in matters of sex, if they are still superior, it certainly won't be harmonious. If you're interested when you get home, try the woman-on-top position during sex, and then reflect on my lecture; it will leave a deeper impression.”

Everyone laughed heartily, then applauded.

Jianjie also smiled and clapped. She felt that Milan would be very happy to have such a husband

—not only knowledgeable and mature, but also full of humor. Such a man would surely bring a sense of security to this gentle and delicate girl.

Lost in thought, the car had already arrived at Milan's building.

Jianjie quickly got out of the car and rang the doorbell.

Yu Xiaoyu felt as if only a few minutes had passed between lying down in the morning and being woken up.

So, when his wife shook him awake, he was still in a daze.

"Jianjie urgently needs to see you! She's waiting for you downstairs,"

Yu Xiaoyu replied subconsciously, putting on his pajamas. It wasn't until he reached the stairwell that he became a little more alert, and he asked his wife again, "Who's looking for me?"

Milan repeated Jianjie's name, and Yu Xiaoyu finally understood.

However, as he went downstairs, he hadn't considered what urgent matter Milan had for him; instead, he was vaguely lamenting that his forty-year-old body couldn't keep up with his younger days.

Looking at Yu Xiaoyu's sleepy appearance, Jianjie couldn't help but laugh—it was a far cry from his confident and energetic demeanor on the podium.

"Sorry, I've been busy writing these past few days. I slept too late this morning," Yu Xiaoyu said apologetically, gesturing for Milan to sit down. He then rubbed his temples, which were throbbing from lack of sleep.
Jianjie smiled and sat down. She knew what the professor meant by that—"You slept too late this morning."

This was the professor's habit. He worked every night and only went to sleep in the early hours of the morning. If there was important work, he would postpone going to bed until the morning.

So, "slept too late this morning" meant "slept too late last night."

Milan brought over two cups of coffee. Yu Xiaoyu picked up one and drank it down in one gulp, then gestured for Jianjie to drink some as well.
Yu Xiaoyu and Jianjie's relationship was as natural and warm as that of a brother and sister. Therefore, they were never formal when they met. This was, of course, because Milan and Jianjie were particularly close.

Moreover, Jianjie had always left a very good impression on Yu Xiaoyu. The first time Yu Xiaoyu saw Jianjie, he felt that it was perfect for his wife to have such a cheerful friend.

Not only that, Jianjie's first impression of Yu Xiaoyu also included admiration and praise.

He still vividly remembered the scene of his first meeting with Jianjie.

When he finished his lecture and was packing his belongings to leave, he saw Milan and a girl waiting for him at the door. Milan and the girl were arm in arm, looking very intimate. Yu Xiaoyu guessed that it must be Jianjie, the good friend Milan often mentioned to him.

To be honest, Yu Xiaoyu hadn't paid much attention to Jianjie's appearance at the time. Although Jianjie was also very beautiful, the kind of woman who was unforgettable, in the professor's eyes, the most beautiful woman was naturally Milan. What drew Yu Xiaoyu's attention even more was Jianjie's unique charm.

For example, when the three of them left the academy and went to a restaurant for dinner, Milan's first words immediately impressed him with the policewoman's keen observation skills.

"Professor Yu, are you wearing contact lenses today?" Jianjie asked Yu Xiaoyu with a smile.

Hearing Jianjie's question, Yu Xiaoyu looked at her puzzledly: "How did you know I'm nearsighted?" Then he realized: Milan must have described his appearance to Jianjie.

But seeing Milan's confused expression, he realized he was wrong.

"I noticed a subconscious movement you made," Jianjie explained with a smile, clearing up their confusion: "I noticed you touched your nose several times, a habitual action for people who wear glasses. Even though you weren't wearing glasses today, this subconscious movement is something you can't shake."

Yu Xiaoyu didn't say it aloud, but he was genuinely impressed. Moreover, Jianjie's sharp observation and analysis piqued his interest even more.

"Then take another look, what else can I discover from this?" After a few rounds of drinks, as the three chatted, Yu Xiaoyu asked Jianjie again.

Jianjie smiled and observed the professor for a while, teasingly saying, "You know what, I've actually made quite a few discoveries."
Yu Xiaoyu listened attentively.

"First, your shirt must have been bought for you by Milan, and you've never worn a shirt like this before," Jianjie said confidently.

Yu Xiaoyu and Milan exchanged glances, both showing expressions of surprise.

"Your shirt has a stand-up collar, but you seem unaccustomed to wearing it, constantly shifting your neck. It's probably not your usual style. A shirt is a close-fitting garment; if you bought it yourself, you'd buy something you're used to and like. So this shirt probably wasn't bought by you. But since it wasn't yours, and you're not used to the stand-up collar, yet you're wearing it, the person who gave you this shirt must treat you very well. So it must have been Milan who bought it for you."

Yu Xiaoyu listened to the concise analysis, smiled noncommittally, and asked, "What else did you discover?"
"I also know that your right foot seems to be very painful, and it might be chafed."

Milan asked with concern, "Really?"

Yu Xiaoyu nodded, "How did you know?"

"It's simple, because you're wearing new shoes. And you're hesitant to put weight on your right foot when you walk." Concisely said casually.

"Anything else?" Yu Xiaoyu asked, feeling a little guilty, as if a student had done something wrong in front of the teacher.

Jianjie chuckled mischievously, "I also know you two might be getting married soon."

This time, Yu Xiaoyu didn't ask, but listened to Jianjie's explanation.

"The watches you and Milan are wearing are the latest models, quite expensive, and brand new; they must have been bought in the last couple of days. Your phones are the same; your new phones probably cost around six thousand yuan. It's natural for couples to buy things together, but when they buy matching sets, and all high-end items, it's almost certainly a sign they're getting married."

Yu Xiaoyu listened to Jianjie's analysis and couldn't help but laugh with admiration. From that moment on, Yu Xiaoyu felt a brotherly affection for Jianjie.

Jianjie was also the first person to know their wedding date.

At that moment, Yu Xiaoyu downed her coffee in one gulp, seemingly regaining some energy, and asked, "What did you want to see me about?"

"Well, I encountered a tricky case today and wanted to ask for your help," Jianjie said, putting down her coffee cup, her smile fading, and becoming serious.

Yu Xiaoyu looked at Jianjie curiously. "Me? What help can a schoolteacher like me be to your police?"
"Well, I just took on a case today. The victim was a woman. There were many strange things found on the body, including her feet being wrapped in white cloth. I remembered what you said about women 'foot binding' in the past, so I wanted to ask you to examine it."

Jianjie briefly described the case to the professor.

Yu Xiaoyu was usually uninterested in his wife's friend's detective work, but now, when he heard Jianjie mention "foot binding," he suddenly became interested, his eyes sparkling.

"In this day and age, people still bind their feet? I'd like to see that."

Seeing that Yu Xiaoyu had agreed, Jianjie stood up and said, "Then let's not delay, let's go now."

Yu Xiaoyu nodded in agreement and went upstairs to change his clothes.

Milan, however, was listening nervously. "Please, when you come to my house again, don't mention murder or female corpses, okay?" she said reproachfully to Jianjie.

Jianjie deliberately put on a solemn expression, nodding repeatedly, but said, "Okay, next time I won't say female corpse. I'll say male corpse!"

A few minutes later, Yu Xiaoyu changed her clothes and came downstairs.

Milan stepped forward and carefully straightened her husband's collar before smiling as she watched him and Jianjie leave the house.
But after Jianjie's car drove away, Milan's beautiful smile slowly froze.

After a moment of contemplation, she picked up her phone and dialed a number.

"My husband isn't home right now. Come over,"

she said softly.

The female corpse was now lying in front of Yu Xiaoyu.

She had just been wheeled out of the morgue's freezer.

Yu Xiaoyu bent down and examined her closely.

She looked to be about thirty-four or thirty-five years old, with a pretty and charming appearance, and no visible wrinkles on her face. Her moderate figure, fair skin, carefully groomed eyebrows and lips, and slender fingers all suggested that she had been a refined woman in life.

But now, she lay lifeless. The vibrant life that once shone through her body had been replaced by a dull, lifeless appearance.

However, her hair remained glossy black, and due to the temperature difference from being just pulled out of the freezer, it was slightly damp with frost. This was the only remaining sign of her former life.

Her eyes were tightly closed, her brows furrowed, as if she were still enduring the agony of her impending death. Her slender, once gentle fingers were now clenched tightly, as if clutching at her last breath.

If we disregarded the woman's facial expression, what lay before us was an alluring body.
She was completely naked. Because of her recent death and the fact that she had been kept in a freezer, her skin color hadn't changed much; it remained fair and delicate.

But the allure didn't stop there

—her naked body was tightly bound with ropes.

The ropes were so tight that the skin around them bulged slightly.

The ropes accentuated the woman's breasts, genitals, and buttocks—their erogenous zones were bound even more firmly and clearly—her genitals were exaggeratedly prominent, and her breasts and buttocks were swollen like round balls.

If this were a living body, it would undoubtedly be breathtakingly beautiful and seductive.

Yu Xiaoyu tugged at the ropes with her gloved hand, but they didn't budge. She only felt the coldness emanating from the woman's skin.

At this moment, Jianjie said from the side, "There are words on the back of the corpse."

The professor said "Oh," indicating that he understood. Then he gestured for Jianjie to come and help.

After the two turned the female corpse over, they saw seven bright red characters written in lipstick on her back: "First day of the month, loud voice; second day

, silent." The characters were written in Song typeface, each stroke neat and precise. It was impossible to discern the original handwriting characteristics. Moreover, the characters written with lipstick were very delicate, making it easy to imagine that the lipstick had been sharpened like a pencil before being used to write.

Yu Xiaoyu's gaze was fixed on these characters, and her brows furrowed more and more deeply.

After a long while, the professor shook his head and gestured for Jianjie to help turn the corpse over again.

This time, Yu Xiaoyu's gaze slowly moved down, finally settling on the female corpse's feet.

—Both feet were wrapped in white cloth, except for the two big toes. In appearance, they resembled the shape of a ballet dancer standing on pointe. The toes, instep, and calves were in a straight line.

Yu Xiaoyu frowned slightly, muttering in a foreign language, "surlespoins?"
Jianjie asked, "What did you say?" She noticed the professor's pronunciation wasn't English.

Yu Xiaoyu casually replied, "Oh, it's French. It looks like that ballet move—a leap with both feet on tiptoe. Like the 'Little Swans' movement."

A hint of admiration flashed across Jianjie's face, but she quickly became serious again. She waited for the professor's discovery.
Soon, she heard Yu Xiaoyu's question: "Were the feet wrapped like this when they were first discovered?"
"No. The initial curvature was greater than it is now. The toes and instep were bent backward, forming an angle of about thirty degrees with the straight line of the lower leg."

After speaking, Jianjie handed Yu Xiaoyu the photos taken at the scene.

Yu Xiaoyu took them, glanced at the photos, and then compared them to the woman's feet. She examined them carefully. Seeing this,
Jianjie added, "We unwrapped the white cloth and then wrapped it back up as before."
Yu Xiaoyu nodded noncommittally.

Then she reached out and untied the white cloth binding the woman's left foot.

"I measured it; this white cloth is one meter long and forty centimeters wide,"

Jian Jie said beside her as Yu Xiaoyu picked up the cloth to examine it closely.

Yu Xiaoyu, however, wasn't looking at that; instead, she held the cloth close to her eyes, scrutinizing something.

Jian Jie looked at the professor, puzzled—it was just ordinary white cloth.

"When you untied it, wasn't it sewn together?" the professor asked.

"No," Jian Jie replied.

Then she immediately remembered something: "Right, it was difficult to untie the cloth because it was covered in glue."

Yu Xiaoyu seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. She then looked down at the woman's left foot.

The foot was fair and slender, with neatly trimmed toenails. A large "three" was written on the instep with lipstick!

Yu Xiaoyu looked at the character for a moment, then shook her head. She then carefully examined the spaces between the woman's toes.

After examining it, he silently took the white cloth and rewrapped the foot.

He wrapped it tightly.

Because of the force, the angle of the foot was more pronounced after wrapping.
Ten minutes later, when Yu Xiaoyu finished wrapping the foot, beads of sweat were already forming on his forehead.

The professor breathed a sigh of relief, looked at his masterpiece, and asked Jianjie, "Was it like this before the white cloth was removed?"

Jianjie looked at it, recalling her impression.

"Yes, almost the same."

Yu Xiaoyu smiled and then began to unwrap the white cloth from the woman's right foot.

This time, he was much faster.

After unwrapping it, he didn't look at the white cloth but stared directly at the foot.

The woman's right foot was also fair and smooth. The difference was that the character "下" (xia, meaning "down") was written on the instep of this foot.

Yu Xiaoyu bent down and pried open the toes of the woman's right foot one by one. When he saw something between the toes, excitement appeared in his eyes.

He even half-squatted down and sniffed the woman's feet!

Jianjie was completely bewildered, but she knew the professor had made a discovery!

"Was it foot binding?" she asked impatiently.

"Yes!" the professor answered confidently.

And he added—"The murderer wanted to kill someone else!"

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