Chen Xiao painted for a long time.

But not all night.

In the morning, when Lin Xi woke up, Chen Xiao got up at the same time.

However, after Lin Xi finished washing up, he sat by the table looking at the paintings.

Chen Xiao came over and asked, "Is there a difference compared to the photos taken at the scene?"

"Yes, it always feels like your paintings are more exquisite."

"Exquisite?"

Chen Xiao was surprised, and Lin Xi said as he looked at the paintings:

"Maybe you are painting the killer’s inner world, while the photos capture only the cold scene."

Saying that, Lin Xi took the initiative to help Chen Xiao put away the paintings and then stood in front of Chen Xiao, saying:

"Chen Xiao, this time I want to compete with you. You investigate your way, I’ll investigate mine, how about that?"

Saying this, Lin Xi added: "But if either of us finds clues, we need to share with each other."

Chen Xiao embraced Lin Xi’s shoulders and said, "Usually I am your husband, but when it comes to competition, just call me Chen Xiao, right?"

"I don’t care, I also want to see how big the gap between us is now."

Chen Xiao nodded with a smile.

He noticed the strong desire to solve the case in Lin Xi’s eyes.

The two didn’t say much more, and after leaving the hotel together, they headed to the county bureau’s criminal police team.

The captain of the Yangguan County Bureau’s criminal police team was named Zou Hao.

After Chen Xiao greeted him, Zou Hao went with Lin Xi to conduct investigations.

Meanwhile, Chen Xiao went alone to the forensic department.

Upon entering, Chen Xiao immediately saw the three corpses on the autopsy table.

Householder Jiao Guoxuan.

Householder’s wife Wei Rong.

Daughter Jiao Yan.

However, after reviewing the case files, Chen Xiao already knew that the relationship of the three on the autopsy table was not that of a normal father, mother, and daughter.

Jiao Yan was born to Jiao Guoxuan’s ex-wife.

After Jiao Guoxuan became successful, he met his current wife, Wei Rong.

And Wei Rong’s actual age was only four or five years older than Jiao Yan.

The forensic doctor of the county bureau was named Zhong Tian, an old forensic doctor who had been in the field for many years, and now he was just over fifty.

Seeing the tiredness in Forensic Doctor Zhong, Chen Xiao couldn’t help but say:

"Director Zhong, why not take a break?"

The latter shook his head: "I have to race against time before the report is done. After all, the longer the time, the more likely some evidence will vanish."

This was indeed true.

Chen Xiao didn’t say much more and walked to a side table.

On it, the clothes the deceased wore before their death were securely stored.

Putting on gloves, Chen Xiao took out each piece of clothing for observation.

But after a good while examining them, Chen Xiao found nothing noteworthy on the clothes.

Subsequently, seeing that Zhong Tian had started the autopsy work, Chen Xiao couldn’t help but move closer.

Zhong Tian was somewhat concerned he couldn’t handle it, seriously reminding, "Mr. Chen, have you ever witnessed an autopsy firsthand?"

"It’s alright, Director Zhong, I’ve experienced scenes harder to accept than this."

"That’s good."

Zhong Tian said and then fell silent again.

He wasn’t the talkative type, so Chen Xiao could only initiate conversation himself:

"Director Zhong, what do you think about the meaning behind the removal of the three victims’ hearts?"

Zhong Tian’s hands did not pause, but his mind was processing:

"To be honest, I’ve been a forensic doctor for so many years and encountered all sorts of cases. Based on my experience, the more methodical a killer is in committing murder, the harder it is to solve!"

"Conversely, if a killer’s methods are quite rough, then usually it won’t take long to catch the person. Now that you ask me this question right off the bat, I do think the reports about you from Dongzhou are well-deserved." 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Chen Xiao slightly curled his lips, not interrupting.

Zhong Tian continued, "If you want to ask my thoughts, I don’t think this was a vendetta."

"Oh, why do you say that?"

"Just as I mentioned earlier, based on my experience, I generally classify murder cases into two types. One is rough, the other is meticulous. Vendetta cases usually bear strong revenge characteristics. Rarely does one see such careful behavior like removing organs."

"Excluding crimes of passion, murders are mainly for revenge, love, or money. About crimes of passion, such patience is rare. Regarding money, that’s even simpler."

Chen Xiao understood the implication: "So, Director Zhong suggests that the motive for this case might not be the usual ones?"

"That’s my opinion, but there must always be a reason for murder. Therefore, I want to get the autopsy report done as soon as possible, so Leader Lin and her team can grasp the clues more easily."

Chen Xiao nodded: "Alright, you carry on. I’ll be in your office reviewing the photos taken at the scene."

"Alright."

Chen Xiao turned and exited the autopsy room.

Subsequently, he opened the case file in Zhong Tian’s office and took out the photos.

The photos were evidently more gory than Chen Xiao’s paintings.

But as Lin Xi mentioned, the photos presented nothing but coldness.

And Chen Xiao’s paintings, besides himself, couldn’t be referenced by others.

Chen Xiao compared the photos, trying to approach the killer’s inner world.

Looking at them, Chen Xiao increasingly felt the killer was exceptionally meticulous when removing the victims’ hearts.

Moreover, at the time, the hearts were all placed in the palms of the three deceased.

"What was the killer’s purpose in doing this? Was it to seek a specific thrill, or to show someone?"

Chen Xiao pondered.

Then he began to pay attention to the positions of the three deceased at the scene.

Jiao Guoxuan was seated at the head of the dining table, with Jiao Yan to his right, and Wei Rong to his left.

For the Chinese, seating arrangements at the dining table hold significant meaning.

If analyzed under normal circumstances, Jiao Guoxuan, being the head of the family, would naturally sit at the main seat.

The seat to his lower right should be Wei Rong’s.

But the seating arrangements of Jiao Yan and Wei Rong were exactly opposite, and if truly particular about it, Jiao Yan, being the eldest daughter, should sit below Wei Rong, yet she sat directly opposite her.

"Were these positions randomly assigned or did Jiao Guoxuan’s family indeed sit according to their status? Or did the killer deliberately place them this way?"

"If it’s the latter two, it implies Jiao Yan holds a higher status than Wei Rong."

"Jiao Guoxuan’s hands stretched towards the middle between Jiao Yan and Wei Rong, meaning his heart was facing his wife and daughter. However, Jiao Yan’s hands were reaching towards Jiao Guoxuan, while Wei Rong’s were towards Jiao Yan!"

"If observing the posture of hands extended and nailed while holding hearts, it appears that Jiao Guoxuan was showing his heart to his wife and daughter. As a stepmother, Wei Rong held her heart out to Jiao Yan, and Jiao Yan did the same to Jiao Guoxuan!"

An analysis.

Especially considering the special relationships among the three and the possibility that the killer was very familiar with the characteristics of Jiao Guoxuan’s family.

Chen Xiao suddenly felt that there were many layers of meaning involved here!