Chapter 6: Family Identifies the Body, Case Remains Unresolved

The assistant medical examiner knocked on the door and entered with a file in hand. "Captain Lin, my supervisor asked me to check with you if the body can be released to the family now."

Lin Che took the file, but his pen paused as it touched the paper. "The family is here? Where are they?"

"They're waiting in the lounge."

Lin Che closed the file. "Old Du, you and the team continue following the lead with the milk bottle. I'll go meet the family."

In the lounge, Zhou Xinyu's mother had just finished identifying the body. She sat on a chair, clutching a tissue. Beside her was a short-haired woman in her early thirties, looking very efficient with a laptop on her knees. Her eyes were fixed on the screen, her lips pressed together, and her expression was unreadable. "Madam, this is Captain Lin, who is in charge of your daughter's case. He has some questions for you."

Wang Wan stood up and nodded at Lin Che. Her eyes were red, but she remained composed. "Hello, Captain Lin."

"Hello."

Lin Che sat down across from them. The short-haired woman glanced up briefly before lowering her head again. "Captain Lin, is there something wrong with Xinyu's death?"

"Why do you ask?"

Wang Wan hesitated, then explained, "I just can't understand it. Xinyu had been stable for the past few years. I thought she wouldn't do anything foolish again, but I never expected... Sigh..." She sighed deeply. "In the end, it's all mine and her father's fault. If we hadn't neglected her since she was a child, she wouldn't have fallen for someone's fake concern and ended up so hurt."

"Have you noticed anything unusual about her mood or behavior recently?"

Wang Wan shook her head. "I've been thinking about it on the way here, but I can't recall anything unusual. It's all my fault. I've been too busy lately and didn't pay enough attention to her..." Xu Yang knocked on the door and stood at the entrance of the lounge. "Captain Lin, Zhou Xinyu's grandparents are here."

As soon as Xu Yang finished speaking, Wang Wan stood up, her expression slightly uneasy. "Captain Lin, since Xinyu's grandparents are here, I'll take my leave now. I've already contacted the funeral home. Please notify me when Xinyu's body can be released."

The short-haired woman beside her handed over a business card, which read "Yu Huan, Secretary to the General Manager of Haisen Group." Before leaving, Yu Huan glanced at Lin Che, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back. "Captain Lin, don't you think Wang Wan seemed in a hurry to leave, as if she was afraid of running into Xinyu's grandparents?"

"If you think something's off, then investigate it."

Zhou Xinyu's grandparents insisted on seeing their granddaughter first. As Lin Che and Xu Yang approached the forensic room, they heard heart-wrenching sobs. Inside, the elderly woman was leaning against the cold storage unit, crying so hard she could barely breathe. The old man beside her was also in tears, supporting her. Forensic examiner Liang Ke shook her head at Xu Yang, who was about to step forward to comfort them. "Such a huge loss—let them cry it out."

Liang Ke nodded at Lin Che in greeting before heading to the adjacent autopsy room. After about ten minutes, the elderly couple struggled to their feet. Xu Yang quickly went to support them, comforting, "Grandpa, grandma, let's go to the lounge first."

The old man gently pushed Xu Yang's hand away, his voice hoarse as he asked, "Officer, can we take Xinyu with us now?"

Xu Yang glanced at Lin Che, who replied, "Not yet."

"Is it because that woman doesn't agree?"

"Grandma, are you referring to Zhou Xinyu's mother?"

"What kind of mother is she?!"

The old woman's emotions flared up as she turned to the man beside her. "I told you it was Wang Wan, but you said I was mistaken!"

She grabbed Xu Yang's hand tightly. "Young lady, you must not hand Xinyu over to that woman. She barely visited Xinyu all these years, and now that Xinyu's gone, she's pretending to be a caring mother?! Believe me, Xinyu would want to go with us!"

"Please don't worry," Lin Che interjected, guiding them to the lounge. He briefly explained the public opinion concerns surrounding the case. Although the elderly couple was emotional, they were reasonable. "I see. Officer, go ahead and ask your questions. We'll cooperate."

"Let's start with the divorce of Zhou Xinyu's parents. You said Wang Wan isn't much of a mother—why is that?"

"It was just a moment of anger. When they divorced, it wasn't just one person's fault. Their marriage had simply reached its end."

The old woman sighed heavily. "Isn't it ironic, Officer? They quit their jobs to start a business, intending to provide a better material life for Xinyu, but in the end, they made money but lost their family."

"So after the divorce, was Zhou Xinyu raised by your son?"

The old man shook his head. "According to the divorce agreement, Xinyu was supposed to be raised by Wang Wan, but Xinyu refused and insisted on living with us. At the time, both of them had new partners, and the old house was in a good school district. After some discussion, they agreed to let Xinyu live with us temporarily. But that 'temporary' arrangement lasted over twenty years..."

"Since Xinyu moved in, Wang Wan hardly ever visited, except to send money. Even during Xinyu's years of depression, she only sent her secretary to check in occasionally. How could a mother be so heartless? We had several big arguments over this, and eventually, we stopped contacting her."

"So you two were aware of Zhou Xinyu's depression?"

At this, the old woman's tears flowed again. "Of course we knew. Those two years were so hard for Xinyu, and it broke our hearts too. We thought she had pulled through and everything was getting better, but who could have imagined... This child was so filial—how could she bear to leave us, her grandparents, to mourn her?"

As they spoke, their wrinkled faces were streaked with tears again. Lin Che handed them a pack of tissues and continued, "Did either of you notice anything unusual about Zhou Xinyu recently? For example, did she say anything strange or do anything out of the ordinary?"

The couple thought for a moment, then exchanged a glance and shook their heads. "No, nothing. Last week when she came over for dinner, she talked about traveling abroad and seemed quite happy. She even said that since the weather was getting cold, she wanted to take us on a vacation to Hainan..." The elderly couple, overwhelmed by grief, couldn't stop talking about their granddaughter, and they chatted with Xu Yang for over an hour.

In the discussion room, someone asked, "Captain Lin, what do we do now? If it's suicide, we can't find a reason, and if it's homicide, we don't have any leads. The public relations office has already pressed us twice—how are we going to close this case?"

Lin Che sat to the side, his legs propped up on the table, flipping through the last few pages of a comic book. "Has anyone here read this artist's work before?"

"Me, me!" Xu Yang raised her hand. "I'm a loyal fan. I've read every one of her comics."

"Are all of her works similar in style to this one?" Lin Che held up the book and looked at Xu Yang.

"This one has a warm ending, but the process is actually a bit sad. It was from her second book that 'Little Feather' established her warm, healing style. Especially her latest two series—they're incredibly heartwarming!" Xu Yang added in a low voice, "No wonder the fans can't accept it. Who would have thought someone who could draw such heartwarming stories would commit suicide..."

Lin Che's pupils contracted slightly. He glanced at the time and handed the book to Li Li. "You guys list everyone who has had contact with Zhou Xinyu in the past month. I'm heading out."