Five Cases

Chapter 43: Corpse

【”Why would I…” Lu Hui lowered his head to look at his hands, which were dripping with blood and holding a knife…】

Lu Hui suddenly opened his eyes and sat up, startled. His entire body was covered in cold sweat. 

“Chief Lu…?” Ji Fanyang stood next to the sofa, his brow furrowed. He was holding the remote, having just turned off the TV, “Why are you sleeping in the living room with the TV on?”

“I forgot to turn it off.” Lu Hui made up a lie. He put on his slippers, “I’m going to wash my face.”

“Okay.” Ji Fanyang moved aside to let him pass, “Breakfast is on the table.”

“Mm, I’ll eat in a bit.” Lu Hui walked inside the washroom and turned on the faucet. He bent down and splashed some cold water onto his face. His heart was pounding. After washing his face for a while, he calmed down. He gargled some water and squeezed some toothpaste onto his toothbrush. 

Ji Fanyang sat in front of the dining table, waiting for Lu Hui. He’d made two bowls of noodles with two fried eggs and two glasses of soy milk. Lu Hui walked over, pulled out a chair, and sat down. He took a bite of the fried egg. The soft yoke was still runny. He shut his eyes in satisfaction: “Delicious.”

Ji Fanyang picked up his chopsticks to eat, saying anxiously: “We’re going to see the psychologist today. You can’t run away.”

“Mhmm.” Lu Hui mumbled, munching on the noodles. 

Ji Fanyang had no alternative but to finish eating his breakfast, his heart heavy. As usual, Lu Hui got up and went to wash the dishes. 

They drove to Linhua City’s Public Safety Bureau. Lu Hui walked into the main entrance with Ji Fanyang. Gao Zhengcheng was standing in the main entrance. 

“Director Gao.” Ji Fanyang greeted, smiling, “Look, guess who came back.”

Lu Hui followed suit: “Director Gao.”

“You’re back.” Gao Zhengcheng’s expression did not look pleased, and even looked a little downcast, “Come inside my office so we can talk.”

Ji Fanyang and Lu Hui exchanged a look. The young man nodded: “Alright.”

They went upstairs to Director Gao’s office. 

“At four in the morning today, a female corpse was discovered in a rental unit.” Gao Zhengcheng rounded the large, mahogany desk, pulled out the leather chair, and sat down, “Team two sent some personnel to the crime scene. All of the fingerprints pulled from the crime scene were yours.”

“Whose?” Ji Fanyang asked. 

“Lu Hui’s.” Gao Zhengcheng answered. He pointed his pen toward Lu Hui, “Where did he go during these past two weeks?”

“I brought him here for this reason.” Ji Fanyang shifted his body, blocking Director Gao’s line of sight to Lu Hui, “He doesn’t remember.”

“He doesn’t…He doesn’t remember?” Gao Zhengcheng was a little at a loss, “What do you mean he doesn’t remember?”

“I brought him to see a psychologist.” Ji Fanyang said. 

“Cough…” Lu Hui patted Ji Fanyang on the shoulder, having the young man move to the side so his field of view wasn’t blocked, “Is it okay if I go take a look at the crime scene?”

“No, you’re a suspect.” Gao Zhengcheng immediately refused. He stood up, “We’re going to see Jing Shan. Does Captain Wei know that you’re back?”

“No.” Lu Hui said, “I didn’t let Ji Fanyang tell anyone else.”

“Your sister doesn’t know either?” Director Gao opened the office door. 

“Mm.” Lu Hui walked out of the office with Director Gao, and Ji Fanyang walked beside him. 

They arrived at the psychologist’s office. Jing Shan was sitting on a sofa. She turned her head to look at them as they walked in: “Director Gao.”

“Xiao Jing, this is Lu Hui, from the criminal investigation division. He was missing for half a month and says that he doesn’t remember what happened during that time.” Director Gao said, “Please give him an evaluation.”

Jing Shan’s gaze landed on Lu Hui: “Okay.”

Director Gao asked: “Is one morning enough time?”

“We’ll have to see.” Jing Shan replied. She told Lu Hui, “Have a seat.”

Lu Hui hung his jacket on the coat rack and sat on a sofa, facing Jing Shan in his thin sweater. 

“We’ll be back this afternoon.” Director Gao pulled Ji Fanyang out of the office. 

“Director Gao, I want to stay.” Ji Fanyang said as Director Gao shut the psychologist’s door. 

Gao Zhengcheng sighed: “Xiao Jing doesn’t like when people observe. Moreover, if you’re there, Lu Hui will be distracted.”

Ji Fanyang pondered for a while, then asked: “Then, may I go take a look at the crime scene?”

“The corpse is with Dr. Wu. How about you go take a look at the corpse first.” Director Gao said. 

“Understood, I’ll go.” Ji Fanyang turned around and left. 

Director Gao watched the young man’s back as he left and rubbed his temples. 

…

The psychologist’s office. 

“Take off your watch.” Jing Shan’s eyes were rather sharp, kind of like Lu Hui’s; both were cold and clear. 

Lu Hui removed his watch, revealing a wrist twisted with scarring. He smiled: “A new tattoo. Like it?”

“Too ugly.” Jing Shan said, “Tell me what you remember.”

…

“Dong dong dong.”

Ji Fanyang knocked on the medical examiner office’s door. 

“Come in.” Wu Lingxue invited. She lifted her head, “Xiao Ji ah.” 

“Um…I heard that team two found a female corpse last night.” Ji Fanyang walked up to the dissection table, “Is it this one?”

“No, it’s the one to the left.” Wu Lingxue said. She picked up on his intentions keenly, “You’re here to check on it for Lu Hui?”

“…Pretty much.” The young man shifted to the table on the left, “Any information on its identity?”

“Indeed. Her identity card was in her pocket. Surnamed Wang, full name Wang Yinyin.” Wu Lingxue said, “Has Chief Lu said anything?”

“No.” Ji Fanyang shook his head, “He doesn’t remember anything.”

“He doesn’t remember?” Wu Lingxue frowned, “That’s odd. Did he find you himself?”

“Mhm, he was sitting in my starwell last night, waiting for me. His clothes were in tatters, and he had a deep cut on his wrist.” Ji Fanyang gestured to his own wrist, then smacked his forehead, “Right, he put the television on when he was sleeping.”

…

“You turned the TV on last night to sleep. Why?” Jing Shan asked. 

“I needed the sound.” Lu Hui’s fingers started to tremble, “I can’t sleep without noise.”

“Tell me about what happened when you were a child.” Jing Shan did not stop recording notes for a single moment. 

…

“Wang Yinyin. Do you know this person?” Wu Lingxue asked. 

Ji Fanyang shook his head: “I don’t.”

“Does Lu Hui know?” Wu Lingxue asked. 

“He…” Ji Fanyang hesitated, “I know part of his story from when he was younger, but I never heard this name.”

“The deceased divorced many years ago. She had a son who died young.” Wu Lingxue said, “There was no one close to her. How could she have anything to do with Chief Lu?”

“Wait…” Ji Fanyang felt that there was something off upon hearing the details. He asked, “What was Wang Yinyin’s ex-husband’s surname?”

Wu Lingxue skimmed across the monitor’s screen: “Yu.”

Ji Fanyang felt absolutely horrified. He straightened up: “The son that died a long time ago, what was his name?”

Wu Lingxue said: “Yu Feiyang.”

…

“Yu Feiyang.” Lu Hui said, “My childhood playmate.”

“He committed suicide in front of you.” Jing Shan analyzed, “At that time, you would have been experiencing severe stress symptoms. So, you don’t like going to other people’s homes, you don’t like unfamiliar places, and you don’t like tight spaces. These symptoms were worse after you returned from your disappearance, so we can infer that you were shut in a small, dark room again.”

Lu Hui’s deep irises gazed at Jing Shan: “Maybe.”

“PTSD.” Jing Shan said, “The provisional determination is as such: post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as an acute stress response. Amnesia is a manifestation of this post-traumatic stress disorder.”