Chapter Summaries

Su Qiao learned how Su Xiyan had driven a wedge between the original host and Tao Junhui, eventually leading to the host’s death. The original host’s only wish was to succeed in her career and never be looked down on.

• Su Xiyan deliberately won Tao Junhui’s sympathy, and he confessed that he had mistaken Su Qiao for the childhood companion he truly loved.
• The original host left without protest, let go of Tao Junhui, and thereafter treated him as a stranger and colleague.
• During a retaliatory attack, Tao Junhui shielded Su Xiyan instead of the original host, who was stabbed and died before he could save her.
• Su Qiao learned that the original host had not wished for revenge and only wanted career success and to earn others’ respect.

Su Qiao returned from the washroom and confronted Tao Junhui over his betrayal and apology. She challenged his excuses and turned to face Su Xiyan, leaving the argument unresolved.

• Su Qiao examined her reflection and approved of her glamorous, dark outfit.
• Tao Junhui asked Su Qiao if she was all right when she returned to the table.
• Su Qiao stopped Tao Junhui from speaking and accused him of cheating and making excuses for falling for Su Xiyan.
• Su Qiao argued that an apology could not undo the hurt and wasted time, comparing his actions to criminals escaping consequences by saying sorry.
• Su Qiao dismissed the idea that she had taken her anger out on Su Xiyan and looked directly at her.

Su Qiao confronted Tao Junhui and Su Xiyan over their accusations and left the café after warning Tao Junhui about Su Xiyan. Before leaving, she paid the Little Boss and gave her a business card in case she needed help.

• Su Qiao accused Tao Junhui of confused judgment and argued that Su Xiyan's suffering during her twelve years away had not been her fault.
• Su Qiao told Tao Junhui he was unlucky to have caught Su Xiyan's attention, then walked toward the door.
• Tao Junhui called after Su Qiao, while Su Xiyan clung to his arm and disparaged Su Qiao.
• Su Qiao paid the Little Boss thirty yuan and gave her a business card for future help.

Su Qiao left the café and returned to her apartment, while Tao Junhui and Su Xiyan dealt with the café owner’s pointed remarks. At home, Su Qiao settled in and wondered where Xiao Si was this time.

• Su Qiao left the café, and Tao Junhui decided to leave with Su Xiyan after she had gone.
• Little Boss charged Tao Junhui and Su Xiyan for their coffee, argued with Su Xiyan about the price, then returned Tao Junhui’s change while making pointed remarks.
• Tao Junhui urged Su Xiyan to leave with him as the rain grew heavier, and Little Boss insulted Su Xiyan after they were gone.
• Su Qiao drove to her small apartment near the Police Station and decided to make changes to feel more comfortable there.
• After showering and changing into loungewear, Su Qiao sat on her bed and wondered where Xiao Si was.

Unable to sleep, Su Qiao studied professional books and reflected on her strained relationship with her adoptive parents and Su Xiyan. The next morning, she went to the Major Crimes Unit, where Xiao Li hurried past her as she was about to enter her office.

• Su Qiao stayed up reading professional books to strengthen her knowledge as a criminal profiler.
• Su Qiao decided she would repay her adoptive parents with money rather than seek their affection, believing they favored Su Xiyan.
• After the rain eased, Su Qiao dressed in her distinctive black-and-purple outfit and went to the Police Station.
• As Su Qiao was about to enter her office, she asked Xiao Li what had happened, surprising him.

Su Qiao declined to join a search for a missing woman and spent the day studying forensic and criminal investigation books. She nearly collided with forensic doctor Du Muhan, and neither of them greeted the other before returning to work.

• Xiao Li told Su Qiao that Group Six was going to search for a woman who had left a suicide note, but Su Qiao sent him on his way without joining them.
• Su Qiao returned to her office to study books on crime-solving, forensic medicine, and related subjects.
• Su Qiao collected book deliveries from the guard station throughout the day.
• Su Qiao nearly collided with Du Muhan in the corridor, recognized him as a famous forensic doctor, and watched him enter the autopsy room without speaking to her.
• Su Qiao returned to her office after neither she nor Du Muhan exchanged greetings.

Su Qiao questioned Little Li about a missing woman whose belongings had been found by the sea, then noticed his stomach pain and told him to get medicine. The chapter ended with Little Li admiring her powers of observation.

• Su Qiao ran into Little Li at the bureau and asked whether he had found the missing woman.
• Little Li said investigators found the informant's wife’s scarf and wallet by the sea, along with evidence of her depression and past suicide attempt.
• Little Li explained that heavy rain had erased any footprints, while a witness had seen a woman matching the wife’s description standing on the rocks before she disappeared.
• Su Qiao noticed Little Li’s stomach pain and told him to buy medicine and avoid spicy hot pot.
• Little Li asked how Su Qiao knew what was wrong, and she explained the signs she had observed.

Su Qiao was called to investigate a headless female corpse found near Seven Peaks Mountain and set out with Du Muhan and Little Li. The chapter ended with Su Qiao teasing Du Muhan about wearing white shoes to a muddy crime scene.

• Su Qiao told Little Li that his nervous body language made it obvious he was hiding something, then returned to making tea and reading.
• After three quiet days, Little Li told Su Qiao that he had been transferred to Unit One and that Team Leader Tao needed her at an emergency scene.
• Little Li reported that a dog walker had found a badly decomposed headless female corpse by a river at the foot of Seven Peaks Mountain.
• Su Qiao headed to the scene and waited in a Jeep while Little Li fetched Du Muhan from the autopsy room.
• Du Muhan joined Su Qiao in the back seat, and she asked whether he was worried about getting his white shoes muddy.

Su Qiao and Du Muhan traded barbed remarks during the drive to a crime scene, each refusing to back down. Du Muhan offered her shoe covers after they arrived, but his insulting explanation made her reject them and head across the damp grass.

• Su Qiao snapped the heels off her shoes, while Du Muhan put on blue shoe covers and mocked her for not knowing they existed.
• Su Qiao criticized Du Muhan’s condescending attitude, and the two continued insulting each other until they fell silent for the rest of the drive.
• Little Li secretly watched Su Qiao and Du Muhan clash and wondered whether their strangeness made them a good match.
• After they got out of the car, Du Muhan gave Su Qiao shoe covers and warned that she would vomit, so she shoved them back and crossed the damp grass without them.
• Du Muhan was left displeased that Su Qiao had rejected his rare attempt at kindness.

Su Qiao and Du Muhan examined a headless, badly decomposed corpse and disagreed over how long it had been dead. After Su Qiao explained her estimate, their exchange turned into a brief, sharp quarrel, and she went on to inspect the scene.

• Li tried to avoid examining the corpse, but Du Muhan mocked him and went to the ditch himself.
• Su Qiao examined the corpse while Li attempted to look beneath the sheet and ran away in disgust.
• Su Qiao estimated that the victim had died no more than three days earlier, citing the water and the condition of the internal organs.
• Du Muhan questioned her estimate, then acknowledged her forensic reasoning and teased her.
• Su Qiao told Du Muhan she had been making up for his shortcomings and turned to study the surroundings.

Su Qiao and Du Muhan returned to the Police Station after examining a female corpse found by the river. As Du Muhan began the autopsy, the two continued their sharp-witted rivalry.

• Du Muhan examined the corpse and reported that the young woman had been soaked in sulfuric acid, while her cause of death remained unknown.
• Tao Junhui ordered team members to take the body back for an autopsy, and Su Qiao left to investigate where it had entered the river.
• Du Muhan invited Su Qiao to dinner, and she accepted while teasing him about demonstrating how he made corpses speak.
• Su Qiao and Du Muhan traded barbs during the drive back, while Qiang Zi and Little Li wondered about their rivalry.
• At the Police Station, Su Qiao changed into flat shoes and went to the autopsy room.

Su Qiao and Du Muhan traded barbs in the autopsy room, where Du Muhan accidentally cut his hand during an examination. Su Qiao treated the wound, but Du Muhan grew agitated and refused to get it checked, leaving her suspicious of his reaction.

• Su Qiao entered the autopsy room and exchanged taunts with Du Muhan.
• Su Qiao accidentally activated her Truth-telling skill, and Du Muhan cut his thumb with a scalpel.
• Su Qiao hurried to stop the bleeding, but Du Muhan shoved her away in anger.
• Su Qiao pinned Du Muhan against the wall, then disinfected his wound when he calmed down.
• Du Muhan took the gauze and insisted he could handle the wound himself, but Su Qiao brought a suture kit and urged him to get medical tests.
• Du Muhan snapped at Su Qiao for pressing the issue, and she questioned why he seemed so afraid for his hand.

Su Qiao treated Du Muhan’s injured hand, then prepared to examine the corpse despite his objections. The chapter ended with Du Muhan trying to stop her from performing the autopsy.

• Su Qiao assured Du Muhan that his hand would heal well enough for him to use a knife again, then teased and scolded him as she bandaged it.
• Du Muhan argued with Su Qiao about the Social Facilitation Effect and struggled to respond to her sharp remarks.
• Su Qiao put on gloves and picked up a scalpel to examine the corpse, prompting Du Muhan to try to block her.
• Su Qiao explained that examining the waterlogged corpse promptly could help reveal substances in its tissues, the black material in its throat, and evidence through a Bone Marrow Diatom Test.
• Du Muhan called her actions foolhardy and tried to stop the autopsy, while Su Qiao told him to stand aside and act like a patient.

Su Qiao expertly dissected a female victim and reported her observations, leaving Du Muhan impressed by her forensic skills. She left the remaining investigation to him, and he complimented her hands while she washed them.

• Su Qiao began dissecting the corpse while Du Muhan watched tensely.
• Su Qiao assessed the victim’s age, build, injuries, and likely murder weapon as she worked.
• Su Qiao reported that the victim may have inhaled ether, been strangled with wire, and exposed to an industrial substance, pending test results.
• Du Muhan asked how Su Qiao knew, and she claimed she was better than him.
• Su Qiao finished the dissection and left the remaining investigation to Du Muhan.
• Du Muhan praised Su Qiao’s skill and remarked that her hands were beautiful.

Su Qiao and Du Muhan argued over his fascination with her hands in the dissection room. After he protected her from a falling screen, he insisted on guarding her hands, leaving her baffled by his strange behavior.

• Du Muhan admired Su Qiao's hands and said he liked beautiful hands, making her wary of him.
• Su Qiao decided to leave rather than eat in the dissection room.
• Su Qiao pushed the screen too hard, and Du Muhan caught it and shielded her from it.
• Du Muhan checked Su Qiao's hand and insisted that he would not let anyone hurt it.
• Du Muhan asked whether he could have her hands and promised to protect them, leaving Su Qiao speechless.

Su Qiao rejected Du Muhan’s request to use her hands if his were injured and tried to leave the dissection room. Du Muhan followed her, insisting she could dislike corpses as long as she liked him, and declared that they belonged together.

• Du Muhan asked Su Qiao to let him use her hands if his own became unusable, and Su Qiao refused.
• Du Muhan argued that using her hands would keep his work from being delayed, but Su Qiao said she only cared about her own work and would not agree.
• Su Qiao left the dissection room, and Du Muhan followed her and asked whether she hated him.
• Du Muhan concluded that Su Qiao hated corpses and told her she could like him instead.
• Du Muhan held out his hand, called their hands and themselves a perfect match, and described corpses as tools for their enjoyment.

Su Qiao asked Du Muhan to pretend to be her boyfriend so she could deal with Tao Junhui. She left Tao Junhui flustered by acting intimate with Du Muhan at the station.

• Su Qiao told Du Muhan she would only date him if he genuinely fell for her, then demanded he return her favor.
• When Su Qiao spotted Tao Junhui approaching, she asked Du Muhan to pretend to be her boyfriend for a month.
• Du Muhan recognized that she wanted to provoke Tao Junhui, and Su Qiao threatened to stop helping with autopsies if he refused.
• Su Qiao posed intimately with Du Muhan as Tao Junhui arrived and asked why she was there.
• Su Qiao called Du Muhan her darling and fussed over his injured hand, leaving Tao Junhui flustered.

Su Qiao pretended to accept Du Muhan’s pursuit in front of Tao Junhui, who reluctantly blessed them. The three then turned to the autopsy.

• Su Qiao told Du Muhan to act affectionate, and he held her hand and touched her hair.
• Su Qiao coached Du Muhan to look at her with a doting gaze as they entered the autopsy room.
• Su Qiao told Tao Junhui that Du Muhan was pursuing her and she had decided to give him a chance.
• Su Qiao said her relationship with Tao Junhui had been habit rather than love, and Tao Junhui struggled with regret while forcing himself to wish them happiness.
• Tao Junhui turned to Du Muhan and began asking about the autopsy.

Su Qiao teased Du Muhan about his awkward acting and learned that his beloved pets were a hamster named Little Mi and a dog named Little Wang. She headed to a team meeting, where she found Su Xiyan seated beside Tao Junhui and taking notes.

• Du Muhan ended Tao Junhui’s visit and promised to provide the autopsy report in half an hour, with some identification reports to follow later.
• After Tao Junhui left, Su Qiao praised Du Muhan’s acting, and he admitted he had imagined her as a corpse to feel more natural.
• Su Qiao suggested things Du Muhan could imagine instead, and he told her about his pet hamster, Little Mi, and dog, Little Wang.
• Du Muhan offered to bring Su Qiao lunch, and she left for the meeting.
• Su Qiao arrived to find the team gathered, with Su Xiyan sitting beside Tao Junhui and appearing to take notes and look up information.

Su Qiao suggested comparing the Headless Female Corpse’s DNA with Ding Peixin’s, suspecting a link between the cases despite the team’s doubts. Tao Junhui ordered investigators to collect samples and question Sun Zhihao’s neighbors, while Su Qiao planned to investigate further on her own.

• Su Qiao noted the timing and possible dumping location connected Ding Peixin’s disappearance to the Headless Female Corpse and suggested a DNA comparison.
• The team objected that Ding Peixin had been seen on the coastal rocks and had left a suicide note, diary, and medical records supporting her suicide.
• Su Qiao questioned whether Ding Peixin had actually attempted suicide and pointed out that her treatment began only three months before her disappearance.
• Su Xiyan mocked Su Qiao’s suggestion, and Tao Junhui noted that Group Five had verified the suicide note and diary as Ding Peixin’s.
• Tao Junhui told Xiao Li and Qiang Zi to collect Ding Peixin’s hair and skin flakes and ask Sun Zhihao’s neighbors about the couple’s relationship and any unusual events.
• Su Qiao decided to pursue the connection privately because she trusted her intuition.