By the time Sang Ning came out with the report in hand, Gu Yezhou had already dozed off in the driver’s seat.

The car was a black **G-Class**. She hadn’t seen it at the station earlier.

Standing by the window, she tapped lightly on the glass and handed him the report.

“The person who killed the victim was most likely someone he knew well,” she said. “Someone close enough to approach him without raising suspicion. I found evidence of another weapon at the back of his head—an ashtray.”

Gu Yezhou took the report.

“Get in first.”

The cold wind had stiffened Sang Ning’s body. She didn’t stand on ceremony and climbed straight into the car.

The interior was spacious, though the seats were a bit stiff. Thankfully, the heater was on, and the warm air quickly chased away the chill.

“You… drove all the way to Yancheng?” Sang Ning asked.

Gu Yezhou turned the steering wheel as he pulled out.

“Yeah. I’m not used to taking the high-speed rail.”

Sang Ning nodded, suddenly unsure what to say next.

Her gaze drifted to the autopsy report resting beside him. She reached over, intending to take it so he wouldn’t be tempted to read while driving.

At that exact moment, his hand moved toward it too.

Their fingers brushed.

In the dry cold of winter, his skin felt rough and warm against hers. A sharp jolt shot through their fingertips.

Both of them pulled their hands back immediately.

“Um…” Sang Ning pressed her lips together, a faint blush creeping across her cheeks. Looking at the report, she said, “You shouldn’t read while driving. The cause of death was suffocation. The rope was hung from the ceiling fan. But before that, he was struck on the head with an ashtray and knocked unconscious. Otherwise, I would’ve heard the noise from my apartment.”

“Shi Li smoked?” Gu Yezhou asked.

Sang Ning shook her head.

“That’s the strange part. As far as I know, he didn’t smoke. But maybe we weren’t that familiar. Who knows—maybe he smoked in private.”

“There wasn’t an ashtray at the scene,” Gu Yezhou said. “I’ve already had someone start looking into Shi Li’s social circle.”

“You don’t need to tell me all that,” Sang Ning replied. “I’m only responsible for the autopsy.”

While they waited at a red light, Gu Yezhou turned slightly toward her.

“As far as I know, Dr. Sang has deduced suspect profiles from crime scenes more than once.”

“Just luck.” Sang Ning turned her head and looked out the window.

Gu Yezhou chuckled softly.

“So then, Dr. Sang—what’s your take on the suspect in this case? Any rough outline?”

“The ceiling height in Ping’an Apartment is around 2.5 to 3 meters per floor. There’s a ceiling fan installed in Room 204. Subtract the fan’s height and you’re left with about forty to fifty centimeters.”

Sang Ning stared at the roadside greenery as she spoke slowly and clearly.

“For the killer to hang the victim from the fan without using a stool, their height would need to be roughly between **180 and 185 centimeters**.

“Age… approximately **25 to 30**. Either professionally or as a hobby, they likely have an interest in fitness—something like a gym trainer, someone in sports-related work, or perhaps someone who enjoys adventure activities…”

At the mention of **adventure**, Sang Ning paused mid-analysis.

Gu Yezhou shot an approving glance at the woman beside him.

“The rope used on the victim was tied with a **climbing knot**,” he said. “So we can reasonably assume the suspect enjoys outdoor or adventure sports. That narrows the pool quite a bit. And since the victim knew the person well, the number of suspects left should be very small.”

“That knot isn’t common, but it could still be imitation,” Sang Ning added.

Gu Yezhou raised an eyebrow.

“And the person you suspect is…?”

“Funny enough, the first person I suspected was my blind date,” Sang Ning said. “Yesterday he slipped sleeping pills into my drink. But as far as I know, he didn’t know Shi Li.”

She sighed softly.

“He’s a mountaineering enthusiast and knows how to tie climbing knots. It’s hard for me not to suspect that he might be the killer.”

“He certainly has strong motive,” Gu Yezhou said, rubbing the steering wheel thoughtfully. “If he killed Shi Li, the reason might be simple. Shi Li had inappropriate intentions toward you—and he was stealing women’s underwear. Your blind date discovered it, got furious, and killed him in the heat of the moment.”

The corner of Sang Ning’s lips lifted slightly.

“Captain Gu has quite the imagination.”

Gu Yezhou smiled as well.

After all, if it had really been a crime of passion, the scene wouldn’t have been cleaned so thoroughly.

Every fingerprint had been wiped away.

Whoever the killer was, they were experienced.

Perhaps an escaped serial offender.

Or perhaps someone with an exceptionally steady mind.

Sang Ning rolled the window down halfway. The cool night breeze drifted in, carrying with it the mouthwatering scent of food.

Right on cue, her stomach growled.

“We’re almost there,” Gu Yezhou said, amusement in his voice.

Sang Ning tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

“I could just eat when I get home.”

Now that she thought about it, this wasn’t the road back to Ping’an Apartment at all.

Where exactly was Gu Yezhou taking her?

They’d gotten so caught up discussing the case that she’d completely forgotten—she was already off the clock.

“Well, since we’re already here,” Gu Yezhou said, “why not eat something?”

He drove into a parking lot beside a bustling food street and pointed toward the bright strip of stalls nearby.

The street glowed with lights, wisps of cooking smoke rising into the night air.

“You seem pretty familiar with this place,” Sang Ning said as she stepped out of the car, surprise flickering in her eyes while she looked at the lively food street ahead.

She’d lived in Yancheng for **eight years** and had never realized this snack street was so lively.

Her senior brother had mentioned it before, but it was far from Ping’an Apartment—completely in the opposite direction.

So instead, Sang Ning preferred watching food videos online and recreating the dishes herself at home.

“Yeah. I went to elementary school around here,” Gu Yezhou said. “Didn’t expect it to still look the same after all these years.”

He casually took Sang Ning’s hand.

“What do you want to eat?”

The gesture was so natural that Sang Ning froze for a moment, unsure whether she should pull her hand away or simply let him hold it.

His palm was warm, slightly rough.

Lowering her eyes, she looked at their hands. His was large enough to completely envelop hers.

So natural…

He must have had a lot of girlfriends before…

The thought left a dull heaviness in her chest. The feeling was strangely unpleasant.

She abruptly pulled her hand free.

“I’m not a child. I can walk on my own.”

Gu Yezhou rubbed the tip of his nose.

“There are a lot of people. I’m afraid you might get lost.”

Men really did have thick skin.

When she refused to hold hands, he simply draped an arm over her shoulders instead. He was so tall that the gesture felt less like a casual arm and more like his elbow resting on her.

After trying and failing to shake him off, Sang Ning gave up and let him keep it there.

She simply treated him like Lu Lin—that rascal.

Just another buddy. No big deal.

As for the fact that the two of them had **just gotten married today**, Sang Ning had already tossed that detail to the back of her mind.

She had even forgotten that she herself had been the one who started it all.

Along the way, Gu Yezhou kept pointing out food stalls—first wanting this, then that—busy as a little girl in a candy store.

“Captain Gu,” Sang Ning said helplessly, staring at the **five small bags** of snacks in her hands before glancing at the even larger pile he was carrying. “Wasting food is shameful. Can you even finish all this?”

“Isn’t that why I have you?” Gu Yezhou replied through a mouthful of food.

Sang Ning hadn’t expected this side of him.

He looked like the classic cold, aloof heartthrob—but when it came to food, he behaved like an excited kid.

She couldn’t help laughing.

“Alright then. Should we find somewhere to sit and eat?”