Chapter 2056: Big Belly
Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

“You think there might be some hidden relationship between the two families?”

“Unlikely,” Lin Yi responded.

“Both of them are just ordinary people with clean backgrounds. It’s improbable that they’re hiding anything relevant.”

“Well, let’s put that aside for now. This person’s our prime suspect.” Gu Yiran took out her phone.

“I’ll call a locksmith to see what’s going on.”

Lin Yi nodded, agreeing with her plan.

“But we don’t have a search warrant. Doing this is against protocol. If the higher-ups blame us, you’re taking the fall.”

“F*ck.”

The police station didn’t have a locksmith department, but they often collaborated with a local locksmith company.

Within twenty minutes of Gu Yiran’s call, a locksmith arrived and quickly unlocked the door. After signing some paperwork, Gu Yiran told him to bill the station.

The apartment was a one-bedroom unit, around 30 square meters in size.

The place was eerily quiet and somewhat messy, with an unfinished takeaway meal on the table.

The two of them looked around. Lin Yi walked over to the dining table and noticed the receipt for the meal.

The order was placed by Sui Xin, which surprised him since the order was placed in the early hours of the morning.

Given that Sui Xin had to work in the ICU the next morning, it was odd for her to be up so late.

As an ICU nurse, she would know the importance of sleep.

After all, any lapse in attention the next day could have severe consequences.

“Damn!”

Suddenly, Gu Yiran let out a startled exclamation,

“What happened?” Lin Yi rushed to the bedroom door, concerned.

But he didn’t need Gu Yiran to answer. The scene in the bedroom provided all the explanation he needed.

Sui Xin was lying on the floor, her face pale, foaming at the mouth, and dressed in a pink silk nightgown. She looked like she had died in agony.

Despite the grim scene, Lin Yi and Gu Yiran quickly composed themselves.

Gu Yiran approached and nudged Sui Xin’s body.

“Her body isn’t stiff yet, and there’s no sign of livor mortis. She hasn’t been dead for long.”

“We’ll discuss that later,” Lin Yi said.

“Call the station and report this.”

Gu Yiran nodded and dialed the station to report the situation, requesting backup.

“One thing’s certain: this case is definitely connected to the inheritance dispute.”

As they waited for the team to arrive, Gu Yiran suddenly spoke up.

“But the person who died has no direct relationship with the main players in the inheritance case,” Lin Yi replied.

“And Zhang Lixia’s husband wasn’t a key figure either. Even if these two died, it wouldn’t change the outcome. So what was the killer’s motive?”

“Has the inheritance case been ruled on yet?” Gu Yiran asked.

“Not yet,” Lin Yi said.

“But the forensic department has already confirmed the will is legitimate. Zhang Lixia and her husband fulfilled their duties in caring for the elderly, so it’s reasonable that they inherited the estate.”

“That makes this even stranger,” Gu Yiran said, pondering the situation. So far, there were no clear leads, making it difficult to investigate.

This was unlike the straightforward case of Song Deyuan’s murder.

This case seemed more convoluted and mysterious.

Both of them turned to look at Sui Xin. Gu Yiran noted,

“There are scratch marks on the wall, and she has wall fragments under her nails. She must have suffered greatly before she died.”

“At first glance, it seems like poisoning, but we don’t know what kind of poison was used.”

Gu Yiran nodded. “Judging by the position of the body, it looks like she was walking from the living room to the bedroom when the poison took effect, and she collapsed right here. It must have been very sudden.”

Lin Yi agreed. “But the problem is, these clues aren’t helping us solve the case. We need to determine the exact cause of death before we can make further progress.”

“Let’s wait for the team to arrive.”

About half an hour later, Li Xianghui arrived at Sui Xin’s apartment.

The team included Song Gang, whom Lin Yi had met the day before.

“Officer Lin, we meet again,” Song Gang said with a smile, extending his hand.

“Dr. Song, sorry to trouble you again today.”

“It’s no trouble. This is my job.”

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the team got to work, each person attending to their tasks efficiently.

“Is there anything noteworthy at the scene?” Li Xianghui asked.

Lin Yi shook his head. “All we know is that she was poisoned, and she’s been dead for about nine hours. But there are some details that need further investigation.”

“Go on.”

“First, as an ICU nurse, staying up late during non-working hours is a no-no. Although there’s no formal rule, hospitals emphasize the importance of rest repeatedly. If something goes wrong while caring for a patient, the hospital bears the responsibility. As a professional nurse, she should have developed a habit of not staying up late, which is suspicious.”

“I don’t think that’s a solid lead,” Gu Yiran countered.

“Anyone can have trouble sleeping, regardless of their profession. You can’t assume she wouldn’t suffer from insomnia just because of her job. And as a woman, she might be more prone to sleeplessness due to physiological reasons.”

“You don’t understand the healthcare industry. They’re often more exhausted than us, working long, grueling hours. After a full day’s work, they’re so tired they could fall asleep standing up, let alone lying down. So insomnia is rare among healthcare workers. Even if they do suffer from it, they usually manage it with medication.” Lin Yi paused before adding,

“But you have a point. It’s not enough to consider this a major lead. There are other aspects we can investigate.”

Gu Yiran stayed silent, waiting for Lin Yi to continue.

“Ordering food at around midnight is strange in itself.”

“Ordering food at midnight seems pretty normal to me. I do it all the time,” Gu Yiran remarked.

“But think about it. Why do you order food at midnight?”

“Because I’m hungry.”

“And in that situation, what kind of food would you order?”

Gu Yiran thought for a moment. “Crayfish, barbecue, seafood stir-fry, fried chicken, and beer.”

Lin Yi glanced at Gu Yiran’s stomach. “Did your belly get so big from eating all that?”