The first thing that caught her eye was his hand. It was long and strong but not rough. His nails were trimmed short and clean. There was a thin callus on the skin where his palm met his wrist. Unmarried, non - smoker, indoor worker, often in contact with computers...
Chen Er's mind worked at a leisurely pace, even though she didn't really need to know anything about Jiang Cong.
Suddenly, Chen Er felt the cold and sharp gaze from the other side. She quickly lowered her eyelashes and looked at her own hands on her knees.
Jiang Cong sized Chen Er up and down at a speed ten times faster, then shifted his gaze nonchalantly.
Of course, Song Wanwan, who was driving in the front row, had no idea about the silent competition between the two in the back row. Holding the steering wheel, she said politely, "Professor Jiang, although Beixian County is small, there are quite a few interesting scenic spots. After this case is over, I'll show you around. What do you think?"
Song Wanwan glanced at Jiang Cong by the window through the rear - view mirror. His cold and aloof appearance made her heart flutter.
"Thanks, but no need," Jiang Cong mercilessly poured cold water on Song Wanwan. "I'll be back in Beijing in at most half a month. I'm very busy and don't have the time."
The implication was that it was a waste of his time and he wasn't interested.
Chen Er raised an eyebrow. All she heard was Song Wanwan's disappointed voice saying, "I see... Well, okay then."
The atmosphere became a bit awkward. None of the three spoke anymore. Only the sound of Jiang Cong flipping through the documents sparsely could be heard.
The car soon fell silent again.
There used to be no people in the abandoned alley, but since the crime scene was sealed off, it had attracted many onlookers. Although Xiao Li and other young policemen strictly maintained the order at the scene, there were still occasional shouts from the crowd.
Chen Er leaned against the alley entrance boredly, picking at the gravel in the brick seams bit by bit with her fingers.
Not far away, Jiang Cong was discussing the details of the case with Song Wanwan. He held the autopsy photos in one hand and a pen in the other, scribbling on the paper.
The noon sun shone on his originally cold - looking side face, adding a touch of warmth.
Song Wanwan listened carefully, nodding in approval from time to time.
They didn't let Chen Er discuss or hear any information about the case, and she naturally wouldn't force it.
Chen Er casually clapped her hands. With a random glance, she happened to see Jiang Cong looking at her from afar.
Chen Er understood his meaning. She walked over unhurriedly, looked up and asked, "What do you want with me?"
Jiang Cong handed all the documents in his hand to Song Wanwan, then turned to her and said indifferently, "Come with me."
Chen Er responded and sauntered after him.
This was the most remote place in the east of the town. It was said to have been built in the 1970s. Years had passed, and there was no one living here anymore. A few years ago, there were plans to demolish it and build something new, but due to the small appreciation potential of the land and the large - scale construction project as it was an early - built structure, the plan was eventually forgotten.
The abandoned alley was mainly composed of corridors and row houses, covering an area of about 20 mu. There were no tall plants around, and the light penetration was not high. The houses were built of mud and bricks and were still in relatively good condition. However, the windows and door frames were severely weathered, most of them were in a dilapidated state, and the rotten wood would break with a light touch.
Chen Er looked around. It was no different from last night, except that there was a bit more human activity.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, the light around them became dimmer and the temperature dropped significantly. The air was filled with the smell of mold and a faint smell of blood.
Chen Er frowned.
She knew they had reached the first crime scene.
Jiang Cong stopped. Under the dim light, his eyes looked very dark.
Chen Er looked in the direction Jiang Cong was staring at, an unnoticeable corner. There were signs of friction on the wall, and there were fresh mud particles in the corner.
Jiang Cong touched it with his hand. The wet feeling after the rain indicated that it might have been caused by someone sliding down or hitting the wall heavily.
Jiang Cong stood in front of her. His face was half - illuminated by the light.
Unexpectedly, he said, "Tell me everything that happened when you and those people came to the alley last night. Don't miss any details."
Chen Er blinked her eyes.
The faint light fell into her black pupils and was infinitely magnified.
Time went back to the evening of May 7th.
The setting sun in the west withdrew its last rays of light and gradually disappeared.
A large group of people came from the west laughing. At a glance, the young guys were huddled together, playing finger - guessing games. Several young couples walked behind shyly. Most of the girls were heavily made - up, and the guys looked arrogant.
Soon, the originally quiet alley gradually became noisy.
The group of people hid deep in the alley, playing cards, drinking, and laughing wantonly. When they were tired, they leaned against the cold wall to rest.
Later, it gradually got dark. Pairs of men and women hooked up and slipped away to some unknown place for fun.
The number of people was getting fewer. Soon, a few drunk fat men went together to pee.
The alley gradually became quiet. The neon lights in the distance were faintly glowing.
Chen Er was dead drunk and slumped to one side. Her eyes were half - open as she stared at the sky. The dim lights were reflected in her pure eyes, like the sun emerging from the deepest clouds.
From time to time, the weak cries of nightingales came from the depths of the jungle, and the bamboo leaves rustled in the wind.
The wind at the end of summer often made people feel cool all over.
After that, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.
"As for everything I saw, I told you all when you interrogated me last time," Chen Er chuckled, with a self - deprecating tone. "After that, I was just arrested by you guys. I wasn't even sober yet, and I somehow became a suspect. Am I not unlucky?"
Jiang Cong, of course, didn't respond to her. He stared at the ground in the distance, quietly thinking about what Chen Er had just said.
Chen Er gave a half - smile. She couldn't tell whether he believed her or not.
"How did you find this place?" he asked after a while.
"Oh, it's like this. It was Qiangzi. Qiangzi said that this broken alley in the city was sparsely populated and remote. Even if the teacher searched everywhere, they couldn't find us. I thought he was right, so I just followed along," Chen Er replied.
"Was the victim, Sheng Qingqiu, one of your group?"
"How would I know?" Chen Er quickly waved her hand, putting on an unconcerned look. "She's new. I'm not familiar with her. There are too many people, and I can't recognize them all. Well, I'll ask Qiangzi later. He has a good memory. I'll let you know as soon as I get any news."
Jiang Cong didn't say a word.
The dark alley was completely silent. The faint smell of blood still lingered. Chen Er found it pungent and wrinkled her nose.
When Chen Er came back to her senses, she was startled. She didn't even notice when Jiang Cong had walked in front of her.
She couldn't help but mutter in her heart that he was really a weirdo. He walked without making a sound.