C11 The Murderer Appeared

Zhang Baigui noticed she seemed to calm down and released his grip on her, feeling both puzzled and impressed by her swift skills.

“Sweetheart, what’s going on with you?” Tang Zhong’s first instinct was to touch Tang Wan’er’s forehead, suspecting she might be unwell.

Realizing she had mistaken him for someone else, Tang Wan’er’s gaze turned cold as she looked at Zhang Baigui. She spoke directly, “Official Zhang, let’s go!”

Zhang Baigui frowned and glanced at Tang Zhong, who nodded helplessly. “Go on! Be careful, and take good care of her for me.”

With a small wooden box on her back, Tang Wan’er took the lead, with Zhang Baigui following closely behind.

Though Zhongshan County was small, it was crisscrossed by numerous small rivers—at least five or six. They had left at mid-morning, and now it was early afternoon.

Along the way, they visited several riverbanks, where Tang Wan’er searched behind rocks, but her expression showed she found nothing.

Zhang Baigui wanted to help, but the aura of distance she projected kept him at bay, and he didn’t dare to intervene.

Without speaking, his only task was to ensure Tang Wan’er’s safety.

In silence, they continued until they reached the last riverbank at sunset, as the evening sun began to dip behind the mountains.

"Miss Tang, what exactly are you looking for?"

"The first crime scene."

"You won't find it just wandering around without any clues."

Tang Wan'er tossed a vase with a maidenhair fern to him, saying, "This is a clue. Help me look."

"Alright, two people searching should be faster." Zhang Baigui agreed readily, without any hint of reluctance, which eased Tang Wan'er's frustration from the day. She was more convinced that he wasn't the brute who had wronged her; he seemed straightforward and even likable.

As they were diligently searching for the maidenhair fern, Tang Wan'er made a significant discovery. Behind a rock near the mountain, she found a small patch of the fern with blood-red liquid on its green leaves. She dabbed some of the liquid with her finger, sniffed it, and exclaimed with delight, "Here it is."

"There are bloodstains on the rock too," Zhang Baigui noted, spotting a few drops of blood on a nearby rock.

Zhang Baigui surveyed the area. "This might be something the killer left behind by accident. The real crime scene should be nearby."

"Let's search around."

"Alright, be careful. The killer might come back to check the scene." After spending the day with her, Zhang Baigui knew there was no stopping her. It was better for them to find the crime scene quickly and put her mind at ease.

Tang Wan'er nodded and headed in the direction where the ferns were growing.

Just then, a middle-aged man carrying a yoke hurried down the riverbank. He looked at them urgently and growled, "Are you out of your minds? It's getting dark, and you're still wandering around here."

Tang Wan'er and Zhang Baigui exchanged puzzled glances. The man gestured for silence, quickly pulling them aside and whispering, "You need to leave now."

With that, the man, moving with surprising agility, dragged them into the forest.

"Hold on," Tang Wan'er and Zhang Baigui tried to stop, but the man's strength was overwhelming, and they couldn't break free. A thought flashed through their minds—could he be...

Their eyes met, and with a synchronized effort, they managed to overpower him.

Tang Wan'er demanded sharply, "Who are you? Why are you here?"