Familiar Item

One of the items in the room looked familiar, but didn’t look familiar anymore after taking a second look.

It was common for one to feel this way or have a sense of déjà vu from time to time, especially when one was looking for clues. Qi Yan just laughed to himself and put the item down again.

Song Caitang happened to be next to him and noticed it.

It was a small doll made from clay. The doll was a chubby girl with a cute smile, so it was fairly pleasant to look at.

Song Caitang had a good memory and immediately recognized it. That day, she and Qi Yan had arranged to question Linglong, then watch Linglong’s interaction with Jiang Shaoyuan. Their conversation had confirmed many of their conjectures, but the conversation also became more and more intimate and they soon decided to have sex.

Perhaps Jiang Shaoyuan was too excited and moved too quickly, or perhaps he had miscalculated the distance because he was carrying Linglong, but when they got to the bed, he knocked something over by accident.

Song Caitang remembered that something was this clay doll.

At that time, she hadn’t thought too much about it. But Qi Yan was staring pretty hard at it just now, as though he genuinely found it familiar…

She suddenly began to wonder if this item had really fallen to the floor by accident, or on purpose.

Song Caitang picked up the doll again and looked at it very carefully, but didn’t notice anything unusual about it. She waved it in front of Qi Yan. “You know this thing?”

“Nope,” Qi Yan shook his head. “It seemed familiar at first glance, but after looking at it again, it’s not familiar at all. I don’t know it at all.”

Song Caitang frowned slightly and continued holding onto it.

Humans had to sleep every day and the bed was often a safe place for people. People often became emotional before sleeping, and feelings of loneliness or yearning could easily overcome a person during such moments. Could this item be very important to Linglong?

She didn’t want the doll to see her have intercourse with someone, so she knocked it over on purpose?

But Linglong was in the business of selling her body. If she was bothered by this, she should not put it so near her bed. That would be rather contradictory.

Then again, that meeting had occurred during the day, which was a time she did not expect any customers. Jiang Shaoyuan’s appearance would have taken her by surprise…

As these thoughts filled Song Caitang’s mind, she continued looking at the doll carefully.

The clay doll was made well, but it wasn’t made from any special material or with any unique techniques, so one could find such an item in any ordinary marketplace. The doll had been handled carefully so there were no dents or chips, but the color of the doll’s hair had faded. It didn’t look like it had been rubbed off, but more like it had faded over time.

Its owner seemed to have been keeping it very carefully and probably did not even dare to touch it too much, as though she was afraid it would disappear.

But after turning it over and over in her hands, Song Caitang couldn’t find anything else special about it. It just looked a little old, that’s all.

“Did you find something? Why are you staring so hard at this thing?” Wen Yuansi’s voice suddenly resounded close to her.

His voice was gentle and not frightening at all, but Song Caitang was deep in thought when he spoke, so when she heard his voice out of nowhere, her first reaction was to take a step backward.

That was a normal reaction for anyone to have, but unfortunately, Song Caitang was standing on a little platform.

The platform was only a foot wide and five inches above ground, so anyone paying attention would have been careful when taking a step backward. But she had forgotten and her foot landed on nothing. She was going to fall.

Wen Yuansi immediately wanted to catch hold of her, but unfortunately, he was not trained in martial arts and his reflexes were not so quick…

Song Caitang didn’t even have the time to say oh no. Her heart sank as she felt herself lean backward.

But in the next moment, a strong arm was wrapped around her waist and she landed on a broad, solid chest.

Zhao Zhi’s voice resounded in her ear, “Surely the case is not so important that you’ve forgotten how to even stand.”

He sounded like he was chiding her, but he also sounded worried and…his voice exuded a closeness he had with her that nobody else could have.

Wen Yuansi lowered his gaze slightly as he slowly retracted his outstretched hand.

Pak! Something landed on the floor.

“Oh no!” Song Caitang had no time to thank Zhao Zhi. She pushed him aside and squatted down to check if she had damaged the doll.

It was one thing to suspect that this item was important, but it was another thing to damage something precious to its owner. They had to search the room as part of their investigation, but breaking things was not part of it.

“I’m so glad it’s fine…” Song Caitang breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that it wasn’t broken and picked it up carefully.

She was about to put it down properly when she noticed something amiss.

There was a line on the side, just below the arm.

She was very certain that this line had not existed earlier. So…she had broken it after all?

She felt bad as she touched the crack and wondered if she could find a craftsman who could repair the doll. She had to repair the doll before Linglong returned.

“Hmm?” Song Caitang narrowed her eyes. It looked like…there was something inside the doll. She could see it through the crack.

Zhao Zhi noticed that Song Caitang was having trouble getting it out, so he said, “Pass it to me.”

She passed it to him.

She had no idea what he did, but it only took a few seconds for the doll to spring open. A silk handkerchief was hiding in the doll’s stomach.

Song Caitang stared at him like he was her idol.

Zhao Zhi raised an eyebrow and said calmly, “It’s just a doll with a little catch to open it up.”

Now was not the time to get distracted. Song Caitang took the silk handkerchief out of the doll and unfolded it.

It was a painting.

It was a very small painting with just a few green willow trees along the river. There was a small boat on the river with some birds in the distance.

The empty area had two rows of words: My yearning is like the colors of spring, it accompanies you no matter where you go.

The words were small, elegant and beautifully written. It was definitely written by a woman.

But while the painting seemed equally gentle because of the pastel colors of spring, the strokes were broad and strong, which was usually a man’s style.

After investigating this case for so long, Wen Yuansi immediately recognized the writing. “That’s Linglong’s handwriting.”

Those words proved that she was in love with someone.

Zhao Zhi said, “So, this painting…” Was from her lover?

Song Caitang’s gaze flickered, then waved Qi Yan over. “Take a look at this silk handkerchief. We just found it.”

Qi Yan hopped over and read the words out loud.

Linglong was really in love with someone!

Song Caitang hinted, “Look at the painting.”

“The painting’s not bad. The green willows are drawn with bold strokes, and so is the river water. The birds in the sky are drawn simply but artistically. This painter must have gone through many life experiences. It’s a good painting!”

Song Caitang did her best to stop herself from punching him in the face and forced a smile out. “Do you feel like you recognize the style of this painter? Is it familiar to you?”

Qi Yan took a closer look.

As he stared at it, he began to frown. “Hey, you’re right. It does look somewhat familiar, like I’ve seen it somewhere before a long time ago…”

He had found the clay doll familiar, and now, the painting seemed familiar to him too.

Even without any hints from the rest, Qi Yan was beginning to wonder if this was a clue of sorts…

Zhao Zhi and Wen Yuansi began to understand what was going on too.

The fact that Qi Yan found both items somewhat familiar, like he had seen them from a long time ago, was an obvious clue.

Qi Yan was a difficult child growing up, so Jing Yan was the one who took care of him for a long time. Jing Yan played with him, but he also taught Qi Yan many things, so some of these things would be subconsciously left an impression on Qi Yan.

For example, the things he made, the paintings he painted, the words he wrote.

While it was impossible for such things to be identical, it was possible to identify the person’s style and habits…

“Wait…no…that’s impossible!” Qi Yan’s eyes widened and his fingers trembled. “That’s impossible!”

He opened his eyes even bigger as he studied the details of the painting. The more he looked at it, the clearer the truth became.

Nothing was impossible in the world. There were a million and one coincidences in life.

The room suddenly fell very, very silent.

Song Caitang stared at Qi Yan for a long time before letting out a soft sigh.

This was one possibility that none of them had thought of. But when they thought about it now, it did make sense.

Jing Yan was an Eagle Guard who had a run in with that treasonous organization, which ultimately ended in his demise. If a clever lady was in love with him and was devoted enough to want to avenge him, finding some clues and all that…wouldn’t be impossible.

Song Caitang asked Qi Yan quietly, “Did your uncle…like anybody? Or was he close to any woman?”

“No,” Qi Yan shook his head, his eyes glazed over. “He never got married.”

Everyone knew that about Jing Yan. That wasn’t the question.

Zhao Zhi whacked him on the shoulder. “She’s asking if your uncle was in love with someone.”

Someone whom nobody knew about, perhaps.

Wen Yuansi tried to help, “Did he subconsciously try to get close to a girl? Or met with her often?”

Qi Yan’s thoughts were still a mess and his voice trembled a little, “I…I don’t know. My uncle often had to deliver wine and he would leave for anything between a few days to even a few months. I was young and didn’t know how to ask about his trips. I just waited and hoped for him to come back soon. I…had no idea where he went or who he met.”

“Was there anything unusual about his trips?”

“I…I can’t think of anything!” Qi Yan looked like he was about to cry. He wished he remembered something too!

Zhao Zhi threw him a dirty stare. “What’s the point of keeping you around, you useless bum.”

Qi Yan curled into a ball. “I’m…not altogether useless…at the very least, I can tell that my uncle’s the one who painted this.”

The good part about Qi Yan was that he never felt inferior no matter how Zhao Zhi insulted him. He always managed to find confidence in himself.

Song Caitang was used to the way these two interacted and knew Qi Yan wouldn’t be really hurt, so she turned her attention back to the case.

They had a new direction to investigate, and that would mean they could find new breakthroughs now.

Wen Yuansi smiled warmly. “It’s time to really question Linglong properly.”

When it came to questioning women, especially one suspected of murder, Zhao Zhi felt that his methods were too harsh and might not have the best results. He looked at Wen Yuansi, “You’ll do it?”

Wen Yuansi was good at being inoffensive while managing to sound a person out. This case was complex, but it was also a challenge. He didn’t mind. “Sure—”

Before he could finish his sentence, Song Caitang took a step forward. “I think I should do it.”