Chapter 13

Zhen Ai sat at the dining table, tearing into a piece of bread, occasionally glancing at Yan Su, who was sprawled on the table... asleep.

Owen came over, pulled out a chair, and asked, "Didn't sleep well last night?"

Yan Su didn't respond, lying still. After a second, his left hand, which had been resting on his forehead, lifted and moved in a circular motion around his elbow, pointing at Zhen Ai.

Zhen Ai was startled, eyeing him suspiciously, unsure if he was awake or asleep. A moment later, he muttered, "I was harassed all night by the pheromones emanating from this person."

Zhen Ai hadn't thought much of it before, but saying it in front of Owen made her cheeks slightly flush.

However, Yan Su seemed to be looking at it from a biological perspective, and he didn't find it inappropriate, even lamenting, "I told you, female beings affect the balance in my home."

Then he retracted his hand and fell silent again.

Owen was confused, thinking Yan Su was just in one of his strange moods, and he smiled apologetically at Zhen Ai.

Zhen Ai said it was fine, but recalling what happened last night, she couldn't help but feel puzzled, so she tapped Owen and mouthed, "I wonder if his brain is..."

"Trust me, his brain definitely isn't lacking in wires." Owen guessed what she meant before she could finish, likely because he had his doubts too.

Zhen Ai teased, "More than usual?"

"Of course!"

She felt satisfied with that conclusion, and her mood lifted a bit.

Suddenly, Yan Su stirred, still with his head down, but his left hand accurately found the butter knife, scooping out a large chunk of butter from the box.

Zhen Ai and Owen turned their heads simultaneously to see him still resting on the table, but his small knife precisely found the slice of bread, spreading the butter evenly and thinly. In no time, a layer of light yellow coating, like gold leaf, covered the white bread.

Zhen Ai glanced at the uneven butter patches on her slice, opened her mouth but couldn't find the words—how could someone be like this? Every detail turned into art in his hands?

After breakfast, Yan Su habitually went for a walk. When he reached the door, he suddenly turned back and called Zhen Ai to join him.

Zhen Ai thought the morning temperature in the mountains was too low, and they had a small disagreement when getting up, so she didn't want to go. But Yan Su directly instructed Marie to find her a pair of snow boots.

Marie quickly brought them, enthusiastically saying, "Diz vely glean, warm like de sun."

Zhen Ai thought about his usually solitary nature and felt he was being friendly by asking her to join him, which made her feel somewhat okay about it.

The snow in the mountains hadn't melted, and silver-tipped trees occasionally revealed a dry branch or dark green evergreen limbs. The sunlight on a winter morning was thin and pale, with a layer of mist floating in the air, reflecting fine grains of morning light.

The two walked silently through the snow, each lost in their thoughts, with only the crunch of the snow breaking the serene silence.

The mountain air was sweet and refreshing, like melted spring water, invigorating as it entered her body. Although Zhen Ai was afraid of the cold, after trudging through the deep snow for over ten minutes, her body felt as warm as holding a hot water bag.

Yan Su walked quickly, and after a while, he pulled ahead of Zhen Ai by several meters, neither urging her nor looking back, stopping silently to wait for her.

Every time Zhen Ai looked up, she saw his black figure standing out sharply against the silver snow, composed and quiet, like a silent tree.

She knew he was waiting for her, prompting her to quicken her pace, breathing heavily, the white mist of her breath dancing in the air. But when she was about four or five meters away, he would silently stride forward again.

This back and forth continued.

After completing the loop, their silent walk came to an end.

As they approached the ancient castle, he suddenly asked, "Cold?"

"Not cold." Zhen Ai realized that the outdoor temperature was several degrees below zero, yet she didn't feel chilly, and a thought flickered through her mind as if she understood something.

Yan Su said, "The best way to increase yang energy is through exercise, like morning walks, running, or swimming."

This seemingly random remark warmed Zhen Ai's heart, naturally reminding her of his earlier "pathological analysis" about being afraid of the cold.

She smiled, "I understand now."

He fell silent again, his expression unchanged as he walked ahead.

As they rounded the front door, a red sports car was parked out front. Zhen Ai recognized it—wasn't this the first witness, Sidney Taylor's?

"Why is he here?"

Yan Su smiled faintly, "I had Jasmine check the purchase record for the ring."

Upon entering, they saw Sidney Taylor waiting in the living room, his expression neutral, his eyelids lowered in thought.

Yan Su sat in the chair across from him without speaking, gesturing for Marie to pour water, then he began to drink.

Thus, the two sat in silence, neither saying a word.

Zhen Ai sat nearby, occasionally drifting off in thought, occasionally glancing at the two. Taylor and Yan Su were actually similar in age but had entirely different temperaments.

Yan Su was proud and aloof; though he wasn't icy, he exuded a strong sense of distance. His eyes were sharp and wise, the kind you'd want to look at more closely but wouldn't dare approach easily.

Taylor, on the other hand, was sunny and handsome, with a warm and bright smile. Being a basketball player made him the school's prince charming.

Naturally, between the two men, it was Taylor who cracked first, "I bought her that ring to make up with her, to win back her heart."

Yan Su leaned back in his chair, resting his arms on the backrest, his fingers casually intertwined as he spoke slowly, "I know."

Taylor was surprised.

Yan Su continued, "The ring was purchased on the morning of the incident. It wasn't a holiday, nor was it either of your birthdays, and it certainly wasn't your anniversary.

Please don't look at me in surprise. The victim's calendar marked all important days in red pen, and the 29th was blank. So this ring isn't a memorial."

Taylor was left speechless.

Yan Su glanced at him coldly, "I have eyes."

Taylor regained his composure, lowered his head, and his voice carried endless sorrow: "Yes. I love her, I love her very much. We were great together; she was innocent, lovely, and caring. I've never loved a woman like this in my life. But I really don't know how she suddenly changed."

Yan Su's fingers intertwined, lightly tapping the back of his hand, his expression wooden, as if listening to something extremely boring.

Taylor grew more and more sorrowful as he spoke: "She didn't have much money, yet recently she had so many valuable things, claiming they were gifts from other men. Sometimes when we argued, she blamed me for only giving her flowers and chocolates, saying my surprises were never worth anything. I felt like those were my parents' money, and using that to express love felt insincere. So this time, when I got my first paycheck from my internship, I bought her a ring. But she still won't talk to me."

Since they knew each other, Zhen Ai felt a twinge of sympathy.

However, at that moment, Yan Su suddenly said coolly, "Very well. Now that you've finished your nonsense, let's get straight to the point: how did you kill her?"

Taylor looked up in shock, almost jumping off the sofa. "I didn't kill her! How could I possibly kill her?"

Yan Su's face remained cold. "Oh, really? Then why did you take off the newly worn ring? Afraid someone would discover it matched the one in her stomach?"

Taylor was taken aback by this question, stunned into silence. Zhen Ai also sensed something was off with Yan Su at this moment.

After a long pause, Taylor finally asked, "Stomach? What do you mean?"

Yan Su pressed him aggressively, "The coroner found the ring you gave her in the victim's stomach. Please explain why that ring ended up inside her, while the ring box is missing? I believe the jury would be very interested in that question."

Taylor's face went pale as he hurriedly replied, "I didn't kill her. Yes, I went to her dorm that day. We were supposed to have dinner, but she didn't show up, so I went to find her. The first time I went, she ignored me, so I left the ring on the table and walked away. Afterward, I was unwilling to accept that, wanting to talk things out with her in person, so I returned a second time. But..."

His lips trembled violently, his eyes filled with fear.

"When I went back, I saw her... I was scared, and just as I was about to call the police, I saw the ring box on the floor but the ring was gone. I was afraid the police would suspect me, so I just grabbed the box and ran."

The living room fell into a deathly silence, and Zhen Ai furrowed her brows deeply. She had passively participated in the investigation, and now she could imagine the tragedy that had occurred. It was such a shocking and tragic truth; she didn't know how he would bear it.

But Yan Su's tone grew increasingly sharp. "Why did you think she was ignoring you?"

"She used to do that. When she got angry with me, she'd lock herself in the bathroom and wouldn't respond no matter how I tried to coax her."

"Did you spend the night at the victim's dorm?"

"Yes." Taylor's face turned slightly red. "She said her roommate wasn't in the dorm, so sometimes she would…"

"Alright." Yan Su interrupted directly. "When you went back the second time, besides the blood, was there anything else on the floor?"

"What kind of thing?"

"Something shiny."

"No."

"That's all. You can leave now." Yan Su dismissed him, then suddenly remembered something: "Oh, by the way, I know you didn't kill her."

Taylor froze. "What?"

"You're not very cooperative, and you talk too much, never getting to the point and going around in circles." Yan Su looked at him. "Turns out, scaring you a bit is much easier."

Taylor looked stunned and gray, while Zhen Ai facepalmed in exasperation.

Yan Su was still quite rude, his gaze cold and his tone chilly: "Sorry, I don't allow inefficient people to waste my time."

Zhen Ai wanted to remind him that this was too direct, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she silently brought a glass of water to Taylor and shot Yan Su a glance.

Yan Su analyzed her first action as encouragement and reassurance for Taylor, while her second action was a protest and dissatisfaction toward himself. He furrowed his brow, feeling a small, unfamiliar annoyance rising within him.