Yunyao City is a picturesque city nestled among mountains and rivers. A moat runs through the southern part of the city, serving as a natural barrier alongside the neighboring city of Qianfeng. In order to promote tourism, Yunyao city has built some leisure and entertainment facilities around the moat for its residents. Many parents often bring their children to play by the water in this area.

　　The ones who discovered the body were two mothers out for a stroll with their children. Taking advantage of the mild afternoon sun and the relatively quiet surroundings by the river, they decided to enjoy their time there. However, they never expected to stumble upon a corpse.

　　By the time Mu Yu arrived, the forensic team, led by Chief Wen, was already conducting an investigation at the scene.

　　“Is it confirmed to be Zhao Pengcheng?” Mu Yu felt a headache coming on. Just this morning, Zhao Pengcheng was suspected of murder, but now in the afternoon, he was nothing more than a lifeless body.

　　“Yes, because the body was just thrown into the water and floated downstream, the facial features are still recognizable. Also, there were IDs in his clothes, so we can preliminarily confirm that the deceased is indeed Zhao Pengcheng. Dr. Zhang, the forensic examiner, has arrived to further confirm the identity of the deceased,” said Wen.

　　“I’ll go take a look.” It was quite irritating for Mu Yu. Serial cases like this were the most troublesome, but generally, such cases could likely be merged for investigation.

　　“Mentor, why do you think the murderer would dump the body into this river? It’s midsummer, and there are a lot of tourists around here. And it’s already evening. More people will come for walks soon. It’s very likely to be discovered easily. But isn’t dumping the body supposed to prevent it from being found?” Qiu Feng followed closely behind Mu Yu, thinking aloud.

　　“Could it be that the killer wanted the body to be discovered quickly?” Mu Yu was startled by her own thought.

　　“Are you suggesting the killer aimed to divert everyone’s attention? To shift focus away from the morning’s case?” Qiu Feng followed Mu Yu’s line of thought.

　　“It’s possible. Let’s go take a look at the scene first,” Mu Yu called Qiu Feng and Yan Yang to follow her.

　　The body had already been recovered, and several forensic and trace examination personnel were inspecting the body and its surroundings. In the moat, a few divers were still patrolling to ensure no bodies had been overlooked.

　　“Can I take another look at the body?” Mu Yu approached, asking the intern forensic examiner if she could see the face of the body.

　　“Of course,” the intern replied, recognizing the woman in front of him was exactly the well-known workaholic Mu Yu from the Second Criminal Investigation Corps, and quickly unzipped the body bag.

　　“Yes, indeed, it’s Zhao Pengcheng,” Mu Yu scrutinized the deceased, then took out her phone to compare with the stored photos. Even without looking at the pictures, she would have recognized that face.

　　“Yu, there’s no mushroom-like froth around the mouth and nose. We’ll need further examination to determine if it’s drowning or post-mortem disposal into the water. Since we’ve identified him, we’ll need consent from his family before proceeding with an autopsy,” the intern explained. Though the cause of death could be suspicious, the police still needed family consent for an autopsy.

　　“Alright, I’ll contact Zhao Pengcheng’s wife right away, and I have some questions for her,” Mu Yu said, giving Qiu Feng a nod. Before she could say anything, Qiu Feng understood.

　　“When did you two develop this kind of tacit understanding?” Yan Yang muttered to himself. It was just one day. How come Mu Yu, who had always been partnered with him, was sparking a different kind of chemistry with someone she just met?

　　“Because he wants to be my apprentice, of course he has to perform,” Mu Yu shrugged. Though Mu Yu could tell what Qiu Feng wanted, she had to admit, the kid would always do his job.

　　“Then why don’t you take me as your apprentice too? You’ll discover a different side of me,” Yan Yang suggested, realizing he hadn’t tried this approach to get closer to her before.

　　“Better not, my apprentice should be diligent and hardworking. You, on the other hand, just laze around here every day,” Mu Yu retorted.

　　Yan Yang was stunned. So, in Yu’s eyes, he was just a playboy.

　　Yan Yang came from a wealthy family but detested the cutthroat nature of the business world. He had no desire to engage in commerce or inherit his family’s industry, which led him to apply to the police academy. Unexpectedly, he was admitted for his excellent physical quality. In the Criminal Investigation Corps, he took on many dirty and exhausting tasks without complaint, earning praise from everyone. However, the girl he liked never seemed to look his way.

　　“Mentor, I’ve contacted Zhao Pengcheng’s wife. Her name is Cao Xiufen, and she’s on her way to the municipal police department. Should we head back?” Yan Yang wanted to say something to Mu Yu, but Qiu Feng had already dashed back with the news.

　　“Alright, Qiu Feng and I will head back. Yan Yang, you go to the funeral parlor with Dr. Zhang. If there’s an autopsy, you can stay there to record and get the report,” Mu Yu didn’t give Yan Yang a chance to speak.

　　“Wait, he...” Qiu Feng sensed the tension between the two.

　　“Let’s talk about Cao Xiufen’s situation. It’s work hours, not the time for personal matters,” Mu Yu knew what Qiu Feng wanted to ask but had no intention of discussing personal feelings, especially when the case was still at a dead end.

　　“Cao Xiufen is a female worker at the textile factory. She used to work with Zhao Pengcheng’s parents in farming in the countryside. She only came to the city last year and is a typical rural woman. When I called her earlier, she was already in tears,” Qiu Feng reported the situation to Mu Yu.

　　“Did you...”

　　“Yes, I’ve already arranged for two female officers from our team to pick her up. Sis, I made this decision without consulting you. You are not angry, are you?”

　　“You did well. As a detective, this is basic professionalism. If you always report to me before taking action, it might delay things sometimes. In the future, if you encounter such situations, feel free to handle them and let me know afterward.”

　　“Sis, I’ll report everything to you from now on.” Qiu Feng smiled at Mu Yu as they waited at a red light.

　　“You’re just working with me for this case. I didn’t agree to be your mentor,” Mu Yu was taken aback by Qiu Feng’s boldness.

　　“But what if I perform well on this case? Sis, what if you start to like me? Will you give me a chance then?” Qiu Feng pleaded with a hint of desperation.

　　“I’ll say it again, let’s discuss this later. Focus on driving, the light’s green,” Mu Yu sighed inwardly. She could accept it if this young man got angry or threw a tantrum because of her refusal. But this kind of coaxing, after being a detective for so many years, was a first.

　　When they returned to the bureau, the two female officers had already been with Cao Xiufen, who was sobbing uncontrollably, in the meeting room for a while.

　　“Sis, you’re back,” Cheng Songqi sighed with relief. This woman, who had just lost her husband, had been crying all the way, almost fainting several times. Cheng Songqi hadn’t been in the Criminal Investigation Corps for long, and she had never seen such a scene before.

　　“Alright, you two can go busy yourselves. I’ll take care of things here,” Mu Yu signaled to the two girls, and Cheng Songqi left with the other female officer, feeling relieved.

　　“Hello, I’m Mu Yu from the Second Criminal Investigation Corps, and this is my colleague Qiu Feng,” Mu Yu showed her credentials to Cao Xiufen.

　　“Officer, did you really see my husband’s body?” Cao Xiufen raised her head, her swollen, teary eyes fixed on Mu Yu.

　　“Yes, I personally went to the scene just now and confirmed that the body recovered from the water was indeed your husband, Zhao Pengcheng.”

　　The woman burst into loud sobs.

　　“Mrs. Cao, we understand your feelings. Please try to control your emotions, alright? We need to ask you some questions,” Mu Yu sat down next to Cao Xiufen, patting her back gently. She empathized with the woman before her; the loss of a loved one always dealt a heavy blow.

　　“Okay, I’m fine. Go ahead and ask,” Cao Xiufen wiped her face with a tissue, sniffling.

　　“When was the last time you saw your husband?” Mu Yu signaled for Qiu Feng to record in his notebook.

　　“Yesterday morning, I think. He said he would be working late at night and wouldn’t be back for dinner, so I didn’t wait for him. Turns out, he didn’t come back all night,” Cao Xiufen stopped crying momentarily as she recalled her husband’s last words.

　　“Do you know what kind of work Zhao Pengcheng did?” Mu Yu wasn’t sure if this plain-looking middle-aged woman could be trusted.

　　“He only told me he worked for some trading company. I didn’t know much. We’ve been apart for so many years. He said he would make something of himself and then take me to the city. I even told my mother that Pengcheng had succeeded, and we could finally be together and have a chubby baby boy to carry on the Zhao family line. But I never expected...” The woman broke into sobs again.

　　“Mrs. Cao, had you and your husband been living separately for all these years? How often did you meet? Did he provide financial support for the household?” Mu Yu furrowed her brow. This woman seemed to have placed her husband on a pedestal, thinking that if he died, her world would collapse.

　　“He only came back for Chinese New Year every year, stayed for two or three days, and then left again. So, all these years, I hadn’t been able to conceive. Fortunately, my parents-in-law don’t look down on me,” Cao Xiufen wiped her tears with the tissue Mu Yu handed her, took a sip of water, and moistened her dry throat.

　　“How did you end up together in the first place?” Mu Yu was repulsed by this kind of marriage where women were treated as mere childbearers. She also felt sympathy for women like Cao Xiufen, who lacked education and ended up in marriages just for the sake of getting married, only to be trapped with such men for a lifetime.

　　“I am poor, and my family had two younger brothers waiting to get married. The Zhao family offered a large dowry. So, my parents and the matchmaker arranged for me to marry into the Zhao family,” Cao Xiufen replied matter-of-factly.

　　Mu Yu glanced at Qiu Feng, and they both understood. This kind of marriage was merely an exchange of interests. In such rural families with daughters, the girls were treated almost like commodities. Once the price was negotiated, regardless of whether the groom had diseases, disabilities, or indulged in vices, the daughter could be married off.