Who broke the glass 4 "Master is still in the autopsy room...

After resting for a while, Pei Qingyu seemed considerably more clearheaded. He thought back over what had happened before he fainted, then looked up and asked, "Was it mercury?"

"Yes. Captain, you inhaled a small amount of mercury. You may have persistent headaches and dizziness for a while." Xun Yin nodded. "The girl has been taken to the hospital, and the other three were brought to the forensic room. I asked Song Ranran to verify the victims' identities. I was going to take you to the hospital, but you kept resisting, so I brought you back here first."

"I'm fine. I don't need to go to the hospital." Pei Qingyu shook his head and threw back the covers to sit up, only to suddenly hiss and clutch his abdomen. Xun Yin handed over a hot-water bottle at just the right moment, pressing it gently against Pei Qingyu's abdomen as he watched him calmly.

"...I'll go to the hospital when I have time." Pei Qingyu muttered, bent halfway over.

Xun Yin was just about to say something else when his phone rang.

He picked it up, and Song Ranran's anxious voice came through. "Brother Xun, you remember there were two male victims and two female victims, right?"

"Mm." Xun Yin nodded, seeming to realize something.

"I just verified their identities. One pair was the husband and wife who lived here, but their children were both girls."

Chapter 15: Who broke the glass 4 "Master is still in the autopsy room...

The cup was set down on the coffee table with a soft clack.

Xun Yin turned around. Pei Qingyu had already put on a coat and gotten up, and was sitting at the computer, frowning at the information Song Ranran had sent over. He walked behind Pei Qingyu and squeezed his thin shoulders.

"Song Sheng, female, twenty-one. Adopted by the Song family when she was just over a month old. Less than a year later, her younger sister was born and named Song Xiao." Pei Qingyu read softly, then opened a medical diagnosis. Xun Yin glanced at the diagnosis section, where the words "severe mercury poisoning" stood out starkly.

"Song Xiao is the one receiving treatment at the hospital now. The boy's identity is still under investigation. We'll question her when she regains consciousness."

"Where are the three bodies?" Pei Qingyu did not respond to what he had said, suddenly turning to ask instead.

"Su Xiaochen took them to the forensic room and said he'd try to have the autopsy reports ready tomorrow."

"I'm going to the bureau." Before Xun Yin could finish, Pei Qingyu braced himself on the desk, stood up, and headed straight outside, only for Xun Yin to catch his wrist.

At some point, heavy rain had begun falling outside. Pei Qingyu had developed a fever, and his palm was burning hot. The living room lights were off, but by the flashes of lightning, Xun Yin could see two patches of unnatural red on his pale face.

Neither spoke. Pei Qingyu paused, then continued walking outside as though nothing had happened. Xun Yin did not stop him again, merely holding on to him in silence.

"A-Xun," Pei Qingyu murmured. "You know this means there's very likely another victim."

A few scattered lights shone in the public security bureau.

Pei Qingyu entered the forensic room. Xun Yin stood at the doorway for a while, watching until he had put on a surgical gown and taken his place beside the table before turning to leave.

Out of the corner of his eye, Pei Qingyu sensed the gaze from outside the door disappear. He took a deep breath and slowly picked up the scalpel.

Skin injuries, toxicology testing, heart weight, examination of stomach contents...

"Master, all three had damage to their tracheas and lungs, and all tested positive for mercury." Su Xiaochen held the reports. "They all died from heavy blows to the head. Judging by the extent and traces of the injuries, they were probably self-inflicted due to mental disturbances caused by mercury poisoning."

"Mm." Pei Qingyu nodded. There were multiple injuries on the boy's skin. He bent over to examine them closely, then suddenly went still.

"Xiaochen, let me see the three toxicology reports." Pei Qingyu abruptly straightened. The change in position made his vision go dark for an instant. He staggered and reached out to brace himself against the cold autopsy table, struggling to keep his vision clear. By the time Su Xiaochen turned back, there was no sign of anything wrong.

"Only he had an excessive amount of sedative in his system." Pei Qingyu glanced over the reports and let out a soft breath. Su Xiaochen also looked at the three reports, then said in sudden understanding, "So the way he died wasn't entirely the same as the other two."

"Yes. This sedative is effective for roughly one to two hours. We need to establish when the victim went to Song Sheng's house. That will let us determine whether he went there voluntarily and was then drugged, or was drugged before being taken there." Pei Qingyu's lips curved slightly, a hint of mockery in his voice. "In other words, we still have to determine whether this is one case, or a case within a case."

Su Xiaochen nodded with only a partial understanding. Pei Qingyu wanted to explain further, but a dull pain suddenly gripped his heart. The clock had already passed two in the morning, and his fragile heart was beginning to protest. Pei Qingyu swayed and slowly sat down, leaning against the autopsy table. Looking at his apprentice's worried face beside him, he wanted to offer a few words of reassurance, but truly had no strength to move.

"Xiaochen, take the reports to A-Xun, then tell him I'll wait for him here." Pei Qingyu caught his breath and spoke slowly.

Su Xiaochen nodded, swiftly pulled off his surgical gown, and ran outside. The corridor was slick with rainwater, and he nearly fell.

"It's all right. Don't rush." Su Xiaochen steadied himself and looked back. Wearing a mask, Pei Qingyu sat leaning against the autopsy table, his voice carrying a faint smile. "You can ask Xun Yin about anything you don't understand, too. Don't be scared. Your master is fine."

After leaving the forensic room, Xun Yin went straight upstairs to the Special Case Team's office. The information on Song Sheng and Song Xiao's family was relatively complicated. He sat at the desk and studied it carefully.

He did not know how much time had passed before the soft ding of the elevator doors interrupted his thoughts. He looked up to see Su Xiaochen hurrying toward him.

"Brother Xun, the autopsy reports are ready. Here." Su Xiaochen stopped, panting. Xun Yin nodded and took them, then glanced behind him and asked, "Where's the captain?"

"Master..."

Before he could finish, lightning flashed outside. The office lights flickered for a moment, then suddenly went dark.

"Master is still in the autopsy room." Su Xiaochen finished the sentence with a tremor in his voice. "He seems a little unwell. He can't walk."

Chapter 16: Who broke the glass 5 "Carry me over." Pei Qingyu...