Zhou Ning trembled upon hearing this, quickly raising her head to look at Zhao Yan's face. She wanted to speak in anger, but as she looked closer, she suddenly froze.
She was all too familiar with that gaze, and her lips began to tremble.
"Zhou Ning's gaze towards Miss Zhao has suddenly changed," Jiang Yu noticed and said urgently.
The more Officer Xiao Qin looked, the more he saw her expression change.
Zhou Ning's gaze towards anyone was typically one of defiant anger.
This time, her look at Zhao Yan was complex, filled with regret.
Since Zhao Yan's back was to them, they couldn't see her facial expression.
However, they could clearly see Zhou Ning's expression.
Zhou Ning was filled with resistance towards Zhao Yan, but after saying something, she began to cry.
She cried profusely, clutching Zhao Yan's hand tightly.
After a few minutes, Zhou Ning seemed like a different person, nodding repeatedly and crying.
"Xiao Bao, Mom is waiting for you below. This time, Mom won't abandon you again."
After saying this, the light in Zhao Yan's eyes dimmed, and the spiritual talisman pasted on her chest turned to ash.
Zhao Yan woke up.
Zhou Ning also noticed the change in Zhao Yan and immediately let go of her hand, hugging herself tightly.
"My mother told me, I will cooperate with you."
"I'm sorry to her, and I'm sorry to the person I killed. I know nothing I say can help, but I will honestly accept my judgment."
"I buried my mother under the big tree at the rental apartment. If it's possible, I hope you can help me erect a tombstone for her."
"In the next life, I will repay you by being your ox or horse."
Zhao Yan stood up and said, "Don't worry, I will bury you with your mother."
Zhou Ning's body trembled, her eyes fixed on Zhao Yan. In her entire life, she had never heard such a statement.
"Thank you."
Zhao Yan walked out of the room and said to Elder Qin and the others, "She is willing to confess."
Elder Qin breathed a sigh of relief, and Jiang Yu immediately went inside.
Zhou Ning no longer showed any resistance; she answered whatever Jiang Yu asked.
Jiang Yu picked up the phone and notified the colleagues conducting the neighborhood canvass, "There's a poplar tree behind the apartment Zhou Ning rented. Go and dig there now."
Ten minutes later, a colleague made a video call.
A corpse was dug out, along with evidence wrapped in oil paper.
The body had undergone extensive processing; without Zhou Ning's confession, even police dogs would not have detected any scent.
"Good," Elder Qin chuckled softly.
Jiang Yu said, "Prepare a public announcement to inform the public that the murder case has been resolved, to prevent them from falling into panic."
The murder case had caused widespread fear in Jiangcheng City.
Now, they could present a report to the public.
Many police officers had worked tirelessly on this case, their faces etched with fatigue. Now, a hint of a smile appeared on their faces.
Tonight, they could finally sleep soundly.
Just then, a landline in the police station rang.
"What!!"
A shocked voice drew everyone's attention.
The person who answered the emergency call was the female officer Xiao Xue from before.
Her expression was filled with shock.
This voice instantly captured everyone's attention.
"Captain Jiang, in Nanchang District, Huangtian No. 9 Street, someone has found a body!"
Everyone's faces were filled with astonishment.
Jiang Yu first glanced at Zhou Ning.
"Did you do this on Huangtian No. 9 Street in Nanchang District!" Officer Xiao Qin walked over and demanded.
Zhou Ning was initially surprised, then immediately shook her head, "I didn't do it."
"Quick, dispatch!"
Jiang Yu said immediately, striding towards the door.
"Miss Zhao, please come along. You've worked hard tonight," Elder Qin said.
Zhao Yan replied, "Okay," feeling very surprised.
She got into the police car, and Jiang Yu drove quickly towards Huangtian No. 9 Street in Nanchang District.
As the sirens wailed, the police car sped up.
In less than twenty minutes, they arrived at Huangtian No. 9 Street in Nanchang District.
A light drizzle began to fall.
It was past three in the morning, and many people were gathered at the street entrance.
Inside, four police officers were present, having already set up a cordon.
"Captain Jiang."
Upon seeing Jiang Yu arrive, one of the officers immediately said, "The body is female. Based on the time, she was likely murdered around eight o'clock tonight. This is her student ID."
Jiang Yu took the student ID.
"Wang Qinqin, Class 211, Department of Electronic Engineering, Nanchang University."
Zhao Yan, standing behind, heard the name and her face suddenly showed shock. "Officer Jiang, what did you say the deceased's name was just now?!"
"Wang Qinqin," Jiang Yu said, handing over the student ID.
Zhao Yan looked at the name on the ID and was instantly stunned, walking forward quickly.
In Jiang Yu's eyes, Zhao Yan had always appeared calm, but now he clearly saw her flustered.
Jiang Yu shook his head at a nearby officer, allowing Zhao Yan to approach the body.
She pulled back the white sheet covering the corpse.
Wang Qinqin lay on the ground, her eyes wide open. She had experienced something terrifying in her final moments, causing her mouth to remain agape.
Zhao Yan immediately grabbed Wang Qinqin's hand.
"Double coffin pattern."
"Damn it!"
Jiang Yu called to ask Zhang Yi to return.
Elder Qin's first reaction was to examine the body.
He put on gloves and grew increasingly alarmed with each examination.
It even startled Elder Qin.
He felt as if he had returned to 1996, to an abandoned tin factory, to the scene of his first murder case.
That year, a female corpse lay in a similar manner, eyes wide open, mouth unable to close, with an extremely terrifying expression.
He pulled up the female corpse's pant leg and found an 'h' etched on her ankle.
Everyone's expression turned grim.
Elder Qin checked multiple times, fearing he might miss any detail.
"It's that beast, no doubt!"
"That hateful beast!"
Zhao Yan immediately stepped back, took out a talisman from her bag, and quickly pasted it over her eyes.
She continuously scanned her surroundings, but could not find any trace of Wang Qinqin's spirit.
"Wang Qinqin, come out quickly! Wang Qinqin!!"
Zhao Yan called out, walking around the area.
"Where on earth did you go, Wang Qinqin!"
Zhao Yan paused, then sat down by the roadside, unable to comprehend how Wang Qinqin had vanished.
A few minutes later, Officer Xiao Qin walked over, gritting his teeth, and said, "Miss Zhao, the killer is very likely the murderer from 1996."
"There is no evidence at the scene, the crime scene was executed perfectly!"
"Wang Qinqin's stomach makes a sound like breaking glass when pressed, exactly like the previous victim, Li Mulan."
Zhao Yan stood up, clenching her fists, and said, "Since it's a crime, there can be no perfect crime!"
An old man in his fifties, blending perfectly into the crowd, looked at the body and a subtle smile appeared on his lips.