Who shattered the glass 3: Pei Qingyu suddenly felt dizzy,...
Pei Qingyu nodded glumly, lifted something out of a corner of the trunk, and slowly headed inside. Looking down from above, Xun Yin couldn't help being amused.
"What's wrong with a cactus?" Pei Qingyu looked up at Xun Yin and declared righteously, "This is the only thing that can survive without me watering it. If I can keep myself alive, I can keep it alive."
"Yes, even if you can't keep yourself alive, it can keep itself alive."
On the second day after Pei Qingyu was discharged, the Special Case Team's peaceful days came to an end.
"Captain, we just received a report. A window in someone's home suddenly broke this morning. A neighbor went to check and found blood faintly seeping through the gaps."
Lin Shichu handed over the report, looking a little worried. Pei Qingyu had been called back before he had recovered properly from his hospital stay. Sitting there in his police uniform, he looked even paler by contrast.
"How about Wang Yu and I take Su Xiaochen to check out the scene? It's too cold outside, and your health, Captain..."
"I'm fine." Pei Qingyu was forcing himself to read the material despite his dizziness. At those words, he paused, then lifted the corners of his mouth. "Don't worry, Lin. It's just the cold from the snow outside. It's nothing."
As Pei Qingyu spoke, he suddenly caught sight of Xun Yin approaching with a light gray scarf out of the corner of his eye. He snapped the file shut, stood, and strode outside. "All right, stop dawdling. Let's check the scene first. In this weather, if the blood keeps seeping out, it'll all congeal on the window."
As he passed Xun Yin, he deliberately turned his head away. But without warning, Xun Yin used his height advantage to reach around him and wrap the scarf snugly around his neck. Pei Qingyu was 180 centimeters tall himself, yet standing beside Xun Yin, he was a full half a head shorter. Still dizzy, he stumbled at Xun Yin's tug and fell straight into his arms.
"Xun Yin!" Pei Qingyu struggled to expose half his face from the scarf and snapped, "Are you trying to usurp my position?"
"Sorry, Captain. The doctor said you need to keep warm." Xun Yin apologized with practiced ease, his hands clumsily knotting the scarf. Pei Qingyu sighed helplessly and glanced at the messy scarf, but ultimately did not reach up to remove it.
The crime scene was some distance away. By the time they arrived, it was noon.
"The caller said a family of four lives here-a married couple and two children. The window looked so frightening that no one dared open the door, so the scene should be relatively well preserved." After questioning the caller, Lin Shichu came over to Pei Qingyu. "The caller said strange noises started coming from this home a few days ago. The neighbors were constantly bothered by them, but whenever they knocked, the noises would quiet down."
"Were they hiding some secret?" Pei Qingyu stroked his chin, watching Wang Yu pick the lock as he murmured to himself. Xun Yin glanced at the information obtained from the neighborhood committee and said quietly, "The two children are less than a year apart?"
"One was adopted, but according to the neighbors, the couple treated both children equally, without any distinction," Lin Shichu said.
Xun Yin turned to look at Pei Qingyu. Pei Qingyu let out a soft breath and said, "Whether that's true or not, we'll know once we ask them."
But they might not get the chance to ask.
The moment Wang Yu opened the door, an extremely strong smell of blood hit them.
Pei Qingyu frowned and went in first, only for someone to suddenly charge out from inside.
Chapter 14: Who shattered the glass 3: Pei Qingyu suddenly felt dizzy,...
Pei Qingyu was in front, and directly behind him happened to be Su Xiaochen, carrying a case and following close on his heels. The apartment's entryway was narrow, barely wide enough for two people abreast. In other words, if he stepped aside, Su Xiaochen behind him would have no way to dodge.
In a flash, Pei Qingyu abandoned the thought of dodging. He did not know who was charging at him, so he withdrew the hand that had reflexively reached for his scalpel, gritted his teeth, and raised his arms in front of his chest, preparing to take the impact head-on. He had not expected the person to be so strong. He felt a vicious pressure around his waist, as though something sharp had driven straight into his soft abdomen, slamming him hard against the wall.
"Cough..."
The collision knocked the breath out of Pei Qingyu and sent him into a fit of choking coughs. Still conscious, he swiftly raised his left leg and kicked forward, simultaneously hooking his wrist over the person's shoulder and pressing down hard. He forced the person half a step back. The pressure on his abdomen abruptly vanished, replaced by sharp pain. The pain instantly made his vision swim, and his legs involuntarily weakened, but he struggled to brace himself against the wall.
That was the scene Xun Yin saw when he rushed to the front. Pei Qingyu was frowning, pressing hard against his abdomen, his face pale as he stared ahead. The person with their back to Xun Yin was disheveled and attempting to charge forward again. Xun Yin frowned as he looked, then his expression suddenly stilled. He grabbed Lin Shichu, who was reaching for his gun beside him, and swiftly rushed forward.
Almost simultaneously, Pei Qingyu also shouted hoarsely, "Don't shoot."
His vision was already somewhat blurred. Catching sight of Xun Yin out of the corner of his eye, he swiftly ducked into a crouch. At the same moment, Xun Yin hooked an arm around the person's neck, spun, and flung her beside the shoe cabinet. Even after the impact, she seemed not to feel pain and swayed as she tried to get up again. Xun Yin quickly handcuffed her to the radiator beside her.
"She isn't the killer." Pressing his abdomen, Pei Qingyu slowly walked over and bent partway down to examine her lips. He said quietly, "Ulcerated lips, impaired consciousness... She's probably been poisoned."
Xun Yin said nothing. He stepped aside to signal Su Xiaochen to come watch her, while his other hand caught hold of the increasingly pale man beside him and quickly led him off to one side.
"Where does it hurt?" Xun Yin reached out to feel Pei Qingyu's carotid pulse and felt slightly relieved. Pei Qingyu's pulse was a little fast, but it was still regular. Almost his entire body was soaked in cold sweat, and there was not a trace of color in his lips.
"I'm fine. Just got hit in the stomach." Not wanting Xun Yin to worry, Pei Qingyu endured a wave of discomfort in his chest and curved his lips into a smile. "I'll... stay here and assess her mental state. A-Xun, go check the other rooms and see if there are any other victims. Cough. Be careful."
Xun Yin slowly stood as instructed and watched Pei Qingyu for a while. He knew Pei Qingyu would not be able to stand for the moment, but did not expose him. He gently rubbed the spot over his carotid artery and said softly, "All right."