Chapter 10
Chapter 10: 2. eden lake-01
Xinhai City is surrounded by the sea on three sides, densely populated, with tight land use.
Over the past thirty years, several phases of land reclamation projects have been carried out, and Science Island is a product of the fourth phase. It is a large, elongated oval artificial island, connected to the city via the ring expressway. With policy support, many chemical and high-tech industries settled on the island, naturally driving surrounding real estate, shopping, education, medical, and other supporting facilities. It has now developed into a mature industrial island and one of the top tax-contributing districts in Xinhai City.
As Liu Yi drove onto the ring expressway, Qi Shanyu checked Binhai Middle School’s basic information on his phone.
“Huh?”
Looking at the information he found, Qi Shanyu couldn’t help but express doubt.
“What is it?” Liu Yi glanced at Officer Qi in the passenger seat through the rearview mirror.
His voice had a nasal tone, sounding much lazier and softer than usual. Liu Yi knew it wasn’t an attempt to flirt; it was just that his cold seemed worse.
Qi Shanyu glanced at Liu Yi cautiously, looking guilty.
“Binhai Middle School… full name Saint Louis Binhai Middle School.”
He answered in a quiet voice, “It’s actually a church school.”
Binhai Middle School is a sister school of the French Saint Louis Academy, located in the northwest of Science Island, covering an area the size of a small park. It follows a direct middle-to-high school system, with semester tuition reaching five figures. It is a true boarding aristocratic school.
“I heard… a student drowned in the school lake?”
Recalling the information his partner An Pingdong gave him, Qi Shanyu looked at the school’s online admission ads, amazed: “The school is so big it even has a lake…”
“No, a body was found in the school lake.”
Liu Yi smiled, correcting him: “Whether it was drowning… not certain yet.”
&&& &&& &&&
Half an hour later, Liu Yi drove in through the back gate of Binhai Middle School and quickly found the artificial lake where the body had been discovered. Police and school security had gathered on the shore, along with some teachers and students observing from afar.
Liu Yi parked in an empty spot, got out, and walked quickly over. Qi Shanyu lagged two steps behind, soon spotting An Pingdong in the crowd.
“What’s the situation?”
Qi Shanyu clipped his badge to his chest pocket, asking his partner.
An Pingdong scrutinized Qi Shanyu and the accompanying Liu Yi, noticing faint alcohol scent, and asked: “What’s going on? Why are you two together?”
Liu Yi glanced at Qi Shanyu, who instantly turned red with embarrassment. He let out a small chuckle and smiled at An Pingdong: “Ran into him outside, so I gave him a ride here.”
“Oh.”
An Pingdong replied slowly, still curious but did not press further, moving on to the case.
“The body was found this morning by a teacher doing exercises by the lake.”
He led them through the crowd.
“School personnel have verified; the deceased should be Su Ruirui from Senior 3, Class 1.”
Frowning at Liu Yi, he added: “Even as an outsider in forensic science, I can tell the injuries on her body are not consistent with drowning.”
The body of Su Ruirui had been retrieved and placed on a blanket on the shore, surrounded by a 50-meter cordon keeping curious students and teachers away.
“Xiao Jiang.”
Liu Yi saw his graduate student Jiang Xiaoyuan, who had arrived with the police, along with Li Jin, who had been drafted by Liu Yi. They were taking photos around the corpse.
Hearing his name, Jiang Xiaoyuan straightened, scanning the scene like a vigilant meerkat. Spotting Liu Yi, he quickly stuffed the camera into Li Jin’s hands, ran over, and pulled out a white coat.
“Boss, I brought your coat and badge.”
Jiang Xiaoyuan grinned sycophantically.
“Good.”
Liu Yi was pleased with the gesture, quickly putting on the coat and tying his long hair into a small ponytail with an elastic band. After that, his gaze sharpened into professional mode.
Li Jin, who had wanted to follow Jiang Xiaoyuan, froze when he saw Qi Shanyu behind Liu Yi.
Anyone who has had a messy breakup less than 24 hours ago, then encounters the ex at work, would understand the shock and awkwardness.
Especially when…
Li Jin’s gaze drifted toward Liu Yi.
…Especially since his secret crush was right there…
Qi Shanyu saw Li Jin, paused, and then calmly averted his eyes as if the person were a stranger.
No one else, including Liu Yi, noticed the tension between the recently separated pair.
“Mm, definitely external injuries.”
Liu Yi, putting on gloves, knelt by Su Ruirui’s body, inspecting the surface.
She wore a light blue skirt uniform, white socks, worn canvas shoes, soaking wet. Her pale face under tangled hair, eyes half-closed, nose surrounded by tiny pink bubbles.
It was clear she had endured significant violence before death.
Her nose crooked, left eye bruised, cheeks blue-purple, scattered pinpoint hemorrhages in the eyes, thighs under the skirt showed layered bruises and abrasions.
“See the difference between these two bruises.”
He pointed at the left eye: “Bright red bruise, recent, within 48 hours.”
Then on her thigh, a two-finger wide, three-finger long bruise: “Dark yellow, at least two weeks old.”
Rolling up the sleeve, he revealed her pale upper arm with additional bruises and abrasions.
“There are many bruises from different times of violence.”
Looking at Qi Shanyu and An Pingdong: “If I’m correct, this is a boarding school, so these injuries likely occurred on campus?”
“Ugh!”
The two detectives didn’t respond, but Jiang Xiaoyuan inhaled sharply: “Wow, could this be… the infamous school bullying?”
&&& &&& &&&
The body was sent to the City Forensic Research Institute first. Liu Yi, with his two students, searched along the lake shore.
The crescent-shaped artificial lake was nearly two meters deep, the size of a soccer field, separating middle and high school buildings. A glass greenhouse in the lake connected to the shore by an arched corridor. Walking around the lake was about 800 meters.
Unlike natural lakes, a one-meter-high wrought iron railing surrounded the lake to prevent accidents, with a half-meter-wide, half-meter-deep cement ledge beneath it. Anyone climbing the railing would land on the platform first, not fall directly into the water.
According to the school, in four years, no accidents had occurred.
Rough garden bricks lined the shore to avoid leaving footprints. Liu Yi carefully circled the lake, finding no suspicious tracks or items.
“Any clues?”
An Pingdong and Qi Shanyu had just returned from the office, questioning relevant staff, finishing the first witness interview, waiting for the class teacher to arrive. They waved at Liu Yi.
He shook his head. “Nothing.”
He joined them, removed gloves, swept hair back, sat on the steps by the railing, leaning against it.
The lakeside was windy. After over half an hour, wind made him dizzy, temples throbbing, eyes sore. He casually reached for the nearest Qi Shanyu. “Smoke? Give me one.”
Since Liu Yi appeared, Qi Shanyu felt unable to divert his gaze from him. But staring directly would be odd, so he tried to sneak glances.
Although his ex-boyfriend Li Jin was nearby, the awkward tension unspoken, Qi Shanyu didn’t care now.
He noticed Liu Yi looked pale and tired, recalling last night’s “good deed,” feeling embarrassed and slightly worried. He wanted to ask if Liu Yi was unwell but couldn’t find an opportunity.
Just then, Liu Yi tugged at his clothing, startling him. He stumbled forward slightly, stiffly turned, shook his head, stammering: “N-no, I don’t smoke.”
Liu Yi raised an eyebrow, surprised a detective didn’t smoke.
Then he chuckled meaningfully, shifted his gaze, and called a few steps away: “Officer An, one cigarette.”