Jiang Xiaosi and Jiang Liu followed Lin Qiang and the others to the crime scene at Su Bi and Fu Yunkai’s luxurious villa located in an upscale district in the western part of the city. As soon as they got out of the car, Jiang Xiaosi could immediately smell the unmistakable scent of Tuoguxiang—rich and pervasive, with a strange, bone-chilling quality despite its pleasant aroma.
Jiang Xiaosi shivered involuntarily. Jiang Liu exchanged a glance with her, gently wrapping an arm around her shoulders as they walked inside.
The villa was a two-story European-style building with a swimming pool, the surroundings exuding a high level of comfort. However, police tape now cordoned off the area, and numerous staff members moved back and forth. Jiang Xiaosi quickly spotted Shen Mo, dressed in a solemn black outfit with white gloves, crouching by the pool.
“Professor,” she called as she ran over to him. Shen Mo glanced at her briefly before returning his focus to the water, his brows furrowed in thought.
Jiang Xiaosi had grown used to his cold reception, but this time, it stung a little more than usual. Perhaps she was more sensitive because of the whole Yu Shuixin situation. She couldn’t understand why Shen Mo always seemed so distant and impatient with her. Did he really dislike her that much?
Shen Mo had kissed her, asked her to stay, and Jiang Xiaosi had always believed that he had feelings for her. But now, for some reason, she was starting to lose confidence in that belief.
Xiao Tang stood nearby, beginning his rapid-fire explanation of the case.
“Su Bi drowned in the swimming pool. There were no signs of struggle, so it could be a homicide, but we can’t rule out suicide either. The scent from her body is strange—the entire pool is filled with this fragrance. Honestly, it could be bottled and sold as perfume. That’s why we’ve asked you to help investigate. We think the scent might be from some kind of drug, which could have disoriented her, causing her to fall into the pool.”
Jiang Liu nodded. “This scent is indeed from the Tuoguxiang sold at our shop. Su Bi was one of our customers. She purchased Tuoguxiang on the 8th of last month. We have receipts and records to prove it. Tuoguxiang is just one of the adult products we sell, a type of aphrodisiac that’s legally certified and safe. It causes the body to emit a pleasant fragrance that attracts the opposite sex, making marital life more enjoyable. Su Bi bought it specifically for her wedding last month, and it has no harmful side effects. Many of our customers use it. If the police have any doubts, we can submit it for further testing and investigation.”
What Jiang Liu said was true. For ordinary people, Tuoguxiang was simply a harmless aphrodisiac that produced a pleasing scent. It was often mixed with other fragrances and sold as a novelty product. Jiang Liu wasn’t intentionally trying to deceive Xiao Tang and the others; he believed they would understand, especially after all the cases they’d worked on together. But with so many people around, there were things that couldn’t be discussed openly, and he needed to provide an official explanation to help Lin Qiang and the police handle the situation.
Xiao Tang trusted Jiang Liu but couldn’t help wondering, “Why is the scent so strong, though?”
“It’s possible that after death, the effects of the drug were released from her body and dissolved into the water. Or maybe she had more of the product on her at the time, and it dissolved in the pool. Tuoguxiang is water-soluble. Also, if the fragrance wasn’t potent or long-lasting, it wouldn’t be considered one of the shop’s signature products.”
“That makes sense,” Xiao Tang agreed. The fragrance was pleasant, but there was an underlying hint of death in it. Otherwise, he’d consider buying some to use as an air freshener for his car or home—anything to combat Lin Qiang’s constant smoking.
Lin Qiang looked at Jiang Liu and said, “I’ve smelled this scent before. It was during a missing persons case about a year ago. The stairwell was filled with this fragrance. At the time, we thought someone had spilled perfume, and we investigated that angle, but we couldn’t identify the brand. Now I see it was Tuoguxiang.”
Jiang Xiaosi shivered, guessing that it might have been another failed attempt by a zombie trying to use the drug to return to a human state, only to end up dying invisibly in some hidden corner.
Jiang Liu responded calmly, “That’s something we can’t know for sure. With so many customers, it’s impossible to remember them all. And we can’t guarantee that none of them had ill intentions.”
Shen Mo, still deep in thought, remained silent. He already knew the true nature of Tuoguxiang. In the past, he had encountered a monstrous creature, neither human nor ghost, with a body as hard as iron, seven arms, and a height of two meters. The creature also had this scent on it, a failed attempt by a zombie to regain its humanity by consuming Tuoguxiang.
He hadn’t expected Su Bi to have taken it as well. While Tuoguxiang was just a drug—an effective treatment for those bitten by zombies or vampires—it was not inherently evil. But as with any medicine, it carried risks. Those who were unwilling to accept death and chose to take it had to face the potential consequences of failure.
The reason Shen Mo had called Jiang Liu and the others to assist in the investigation was to determine why Su Bi had taken Tuoguxiang in the first place. Had she been bitten, or had she already died? If she had already died, how did she die the first time? Based on her current state, it seemed she had been one of the lucky ones who successfully regained her humanity. So, how did she die again? This case wasn’t difficult, but Shen Mo needed to piece everything together.
Xiao Tang, who now fully believed that the scent was just an ordinary fragrance, continued explaining the case.
“Su Bi and Fu Yunkai had been in a relationship for many years and just got married last month. They moved into this house after the wedding. Despite its size, they only hired a part-time cleaner to come in daily. This morning, around 9:20 AM, Su Bi’s sister, Su Hong, came to pick her up for a shopping trip but found Fu Yunkai in the pool, holding Su Bi’s body. He seemed to be in a daze. The medical examiner confirmed that Su Bi drowned, with an estimated time of death around 3 AM. There were no other witnesses. We’ve made Fu Yunkai our prime suspect, but he seems to be in shock and isn’t making much sense. He keeps repeating, ‘Don’t leave me,’ and we haven’t been able to get anything useful out of him.”
Jiang Xiaosi was furious. “Isn’t it obvious? I’ve always known that men like him can’t be trusted! As soon as they get rich, they abandon their wives. Su Bi was definitely murdered by him!”
She felt a deep sadness for Su Bi. She had taken such a huge risk, all to become human again and stay by his side, but she never imagined that he had already discarded her. She suspected that the first time, Su Bi had been killed by someone hired by Fu Yunkai. Poor Su Bi had been so naive, walking right back into the lion’s den.
Shen Mo shook his head. “Not necessarily. Fu Yunkai is indeed the prime suspect, but with his current power and influence, there would be no need for him to let his wife die in his arms without any witnesses. It would be too easy for him to stage an accidental death.”
Jiang Xiaosi admitted that this made sense. Jiang Liu suddenly asked, “Where’s Su Bi’s body?”
Xiao Tang pointed to a car. “The scent was too strong. It was making people dizzy, so we’ve bagged her up and are preparing to transport her.”
Jiang Liu went to inspect the body. It had been in the water long enough to become bloated and pale, but there was still no sign of decay—just that persistent fragrance.
Jiang Xiaosi reluctantly glanced at the body. She had seen dead people before, even more gruesome and terrifying scenes, but something about Su Bi’s corpse unsettled her, filling her with an inexplicable sense of dread.
Yes, it was Su Bi. Her pale face still carried a hint of sadness, her lips tightly pressed together in a frown, as if she were silently expressing her unwillingness to accept her fate.
Indeed, it was unfair. After finally succeeding, thinking she could live out her days with the one she loved, it had all ended in nothing.
“Where is Fu Yunkai?” Jiang Xiaosi asked.
“He’s inside, being questioned.”
They all entered the living room, which was primarily decorated in white. The fresh flowers on the table, the soft carpet beneath their feet, and the cozy sofas—all of it gave off a warm and welcoming feeling. Every corner of the home showed signs of the care and attention the female homeowner had put into it.
Fu Yunkai sat there, head bowed, hands covering his face, his body trembling slightly. A young woman who bore a resemblance to Su Bi sat next to him, gently patting his back with one hand while wiping tears from her eyes with the other. Jiang Xiaosi guessed this must be Su Bi’s sister, Su Hong.
A police officer was questioning Fu Yunkai, but all he could do was shake his head, mumbling Su Bi’s name over and over again, as if in unbearable pain. Jiang Xiaosi couldn’t tell if he was genuinely grieving or putting on a show.
“My sister couldn’t have been killed by my brother-in-law! They loved each other so much! Officers, please, you have to catch the killer!” Su Hong pleaded, looking tearfully at Lin Qiang.
Xiao Tang, who couldn’t stand to see a woman cry, immediately tried to comfort her. “There were no signs of a break-in or anyone else entering the home. Right now, the key to solving this case is your brother-in-law. If he continues like this, without explaining what happened, he won’t be able to clear himself of suspicion. How are we supposed to catch the culprit without his help?”
Jiang Liu approached Fu Yunkai and examined him closely before whispering to Lin Qiang, “He’s definitely in shock. This isn’t an act. We won’t get anything out of him like this. Let him rest for now.”
The five of them headed back to the station, with Lin Qiang driving, Xiao Tang in the front passenger seat, and Jiang Xiaosi sitting between Jiang Liu and Shen Mo, feeling rather uncomfortable.
Jiang Liu finally explained the true purpose of Tuoguxiang, that it was a drug used to treat people bitten by supernatural creatures. Jiang Xiaosi also recounted Su Bi’s experience of being robbed and killed while on a business trip, hoping it would provide some clues for solving the case.
Xiao Tang was shocked. “So you’re saying Su Bi had already died once?”
Jiang Xiaosi nodded. “It’s very likely that Fu Yunkai was behind it all—another Chen Shimei, a heartless man!”
“But Su Bi returned, and they had a normal wedding, didn’t they?” Xiao Tang couldn’t help but feel some sympathy for Fu Yunkai, who seemed so devastated. “There’s no other lead right now, so I guess we’ll have to wait until Fu Yunkai regains his senses. Hopefully, we can get some answers from him, or even better, a confession.”
Shen Mo suddenly spoke up. “Send someone to check the site where Su Bi’s body was originally dumped.”
“Check the scene? Why? Do you think the person who killed her the first time is connected to this incident? That’s possible. If it’s a business rival or an enemy who hired a hitman, they wouldn’t just stop after one attempt.”
Shen Mo shook his head. “It may not be the same person, but if you had already killed and buried someone, only to see them suddenly come back to life, what would you do?”
Xiao Tang’s eyes lit up with understanding. “Fu Yunkai’s wedding was big news, covered by newspapers and television. If the killer saw that the person they had supposedly killed was alive and getting married, they’d probably think it was some kind of supernatural event. If the hitman was hired, the employer wouldn’t want to pay, thinking the job wasn’t done. The hitman, dissatisfied, would likely return to the crime scene to investigate.”
Shen Mo nodded. “When someone is hired to kill, they’ll always make sure the target is dead before considering the job complete. But if they find out the target somehow survived, they won’t believe it. They’ll go back to the burial site to check the body. Seeing that the corpse is missing would shock them, and they might leave behind clues in their panic. If we’re lucky, there might even be witnesses. If we can find the original killer, we’ll be one step closer to solving this case. A common thief in another city wouldn’t care who the victim was or if they came back to life. They wouldn’t return to check. But if this was a hired killing, we can investigate any criminal informants or undercover officers who might have heard someone complaining recently about not getting paid because the job didn’t go as planned. Someone will be venting their frustration about doing a job for nothing.”
Xiao Tang nodded repeatedly, immediately calling to arrange an investigation. If they could find the original killer, the truth about Su Bi’s death would come to light even sooner.
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