Lin Dongxue only copied a few screenshots from the massive original video before leaving.

After she stepped out, she said, “Judging by the fastest speed of the killer, it would take at least ten minutes to commit the murder and leave the neighborhood. Anyone who left the neighborhood after 11:27 p.m. is a suspect.”

“You might find someone unexpected in the video footage.”

“You mean…?”

“It’s getting late. I’ll drive you back to the station and then go pick up Yueyue.”

Back at the station, Lin Dongxue reviewed the surveillance footage from the neighborhood again. Around 11:30 p.m., a figure riding a red electric bike was seen leaving the neighborhood.

“No way,” she muttered.

She finally understood who Chen Shi was suspecting—it was Xiao Gu from the sushi restaurant.

Rewinding the footage, Xiao Gu was seen entering the neighborhood at 11:05 p.m., squarely within the timeline of the crime.

Immediately, Lin Dongxue called Chen Shi, excitedly stating, “It’s Xiao Gu. She was seen entering and exiting the neighborhood around the time of the crime.”

Chen Shi responded calmly, “This girl has appeared in our investigation twice now, and I was somewhat suspicious of her. This confirms it.”

“We need to go find her now… I can’t wait until tomorrow.”

“Patience,” Chen Shi replied, “I’ll be right there.”

Half an hour later, Chen Shi arrived in his car, bringing along a homemade boxed dinner for Lin Dongxue, who opened it to find, “Your family’s dinner?”

“Yes, I was eating when you called me… I’ve finished eating though!”

“Thanks! I’ll eat it in the car.”

They drove to the sushi restaurant next to the neighborhood, which was still open, but Xiao Gu wasn’t there. Upon entering, the Northeastern waitress bowed and said, “Irasshaimase… Oh, it’s you, officer!”

The head chef, seemingly excited to see Lin Dongxue, wiped his hands and came over, “Working late on a case?”

Lin Dongxue asked, “Where’s Xiao Gu?”

“She’s out delivering food.”

The chef signaled the waitress to serve tea to both officers and sat down asking, “What do you need from Xiao Gu? She only delivered food here once at noon.”

Chen Shi asked, “What time do you deliver food until?”

“Officially until nine at night, but we still send out if there are orders.”

“What about the night of April 16th?”

“Ah, that Wednesday? We delivered until ten.”

“Does Xiao Gu own a red electric bike?”

“Yes, she rides it home after work.”

Lin Dongxue and Chen Shi exchanged glances, and Chen Shi continued, “Could you tell us more about Xiao Gu?”

“There’s not much to tell. She’s quite introverted but a diligent worker. She’s been with us for three or four years…” the chef continued, smiling kindly at Lin Dongxue.

The waitress interjected, “She used to be really scary looking when she first came.”

The chef scolded her, “That’s personal information. Should you really be discussing it?”

Lin Dongxue assured him, “You can talk to us, we’ll keep it confidential.”

After hesitating under Lin Dongxue’s gaze, the chef relented, “When Xiao Gu first arrived, her face was covered in burn scars, and her clothes were tattered. She carried a large canvas bag and hadn’t eaten for days, asking if she could work here. She’d been turned away from several places because of her appearance, but I felt pity and convinced the manager to take her in. She turned out to be very reliable.”

“I didn’t notice any scars on her face!” Lin Dongxue remarked.

“You wouldn’t know; she spent all her earnings on skin graft surgeries over the last two years. Now she looks almost normal, though you can tell some patches of skin are lighter if you look closely… Ah, but I shouldn’t be discussing her private life like this. Why are you asking, anyway?”

“We’re investigating a case. We have to check everything.”

“Oh, I understand… By the way, ever since that officer came by, our customer count has really gone up.”

Chen Shi thought that must be an illusion; he hadn’t done any promotions.

“Where does Xiao Gu live?”

“She’ll be back soon.”

“I know, but I’d like the address.”

The chef gave the address, and Chen Shi and Lin Dongxue left before Xiao Gu returned.

“Aren’t we waiting for her?” Lin Dongxue asked.

“Let’s check her place first.”

Unsure of his intentions, Lin Dongxue followed Chen Shi to Xiao Gu’s apartment nearby. Upon locating her apartment, Chen Shi took out a key and explained, seeing Lin Dongxue’s surprised look, “This is a duplicate key, borrowed from Chief Peng.”

“You suspect XiaoGu swapped the keys, using her own home key for the crime scene?”

“Exactly.”

Chen Shi tried the key in the lock, but it wouldn’t turn. He inspected it and laughed, “She changed the entire lock, look, it’s brand new.”

The door was painted red, but the freshly installed lock was devoid of any paint and shone brightly, clearly indicating it had been changed recently.

This act was enough to confirm Xiao Gu’s significant suspicion.

“It’s unexpected that someone with no apparent connection to the victim could be the murderer,” Lin Dongxue remarked.

Chen Shi pointed to his own face, “Given her history, perhaps she felt a kinship with Miss Jiang due to their shared experiences.”

The thought of arresting her weighed heavily on Lin Dongxue.

They returned to the sushi restaurant, where Xiao Gu had just come back from a delivery and was engrossed in her phone. The waitress pointed out, “Xiao Gu, the police are here for you.”

Xiao Gu looked up, slightly startled.

Lin Dongxue and Chen Shi sat down in front of her, and Lin Dongxue began, “We’ve met before that night.”

Xiao Gu nodded.

“The bag Miss Jiang left behind, it was you who returned it to her.”

Xiao Gu nodded again.

Lin Dongxue took a moment to organize her thoughts before diving into the heart of the matter, “What time did you make your last delivery on April 16th?”

Xiao Gu thought for a moment and gestured nine with her fingers.

“And you finished work at ten?”

Xiao Gu nodded.

“But our surveillance footage shows you entering the neighborhood at eleven, and leaving at eleven thirty. Can you explain what you were doing there?”

Xiao Gu’s eyes widened, and as the chef began to approach, possibly to smooth things over, Lin Dongxue gestured for him to stop.

Chen Shi was still scrolling through his phone.

Xiao Gu finally spoke, her voice hoarse, “Private matter.”

“What kind of private matter?” Lin Dongxue pressed.

Xiao Gu stayed silent.

Lin Dongxue reached for the keys Chen Shi had mentioned earlier, “Are you familiar with this key?”

Xiao Gu’s expression grew increasingly tense, a bead of sweat visible between her brows.

Meanwhile, Chen Shi, looking at his phone, said, “Your name is Gu Xiaoting. Four years ago, after you proposed breaking up with your boyfriend, he attacked you with sulfuric acid, causing severe disfigurement. That incident made the news at the time…” He observed Xiao Gu’s face, “After the skin graft and changing your hairstyle, you look slightly different.”

Xiao Gu bit her lip and bowed her head.

Chen Shi asked pointedly, “On the evening of April 16th, what did you do at Ma Jianjun’s house?”