Dark Light Chaser.

Chapter 7 Looking for clues
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Xia Qinian uttered a line that most extras would say: "You sound like you know who the murderer is."

He squinted at Ai Liang.

Although he used words like "should" and "probably," the confidence in his words suggested that he already knew the identity of the real culprit.

"It's just a guess. I advise you not to waste your energy. If nothing unexpected happens, the murderer will be caught within a week, and the case should be closed in a month at most through the legal process."

Ai Liang took the initiative to advise Xia Qinian.

Ai Liang is usually very concise when she speaks, and rarely pays attention to people except when she is talking about problems. This time, however, she was acting out of character.

"You really think I'm a Didi driver? You just left like that? A meal for a few of your speculations? Hey!"

After Ai Liang finished speaking, he opened the car door and got out of the car. No matter how Xia Qinian shouted behind him, he did not turn around, but just raised his hand with his back to him.

"We'll talk about it later."

On campus.

"Team Leader Shi, there are fabric remnants and footprints here, and the iron railings show signs of vandalism," a police officer shouted towards the distance.

Captain Shi bypassed the school teachers and walked to the iron railing of the wall.

The school fence was right next to the bushes, and the police officer who had been shouting was standing on the path beside it, pointing to the ground: "There's another footprint inside. Judging from the clarity, it wasn't left long ago, and this is a blind spot for the surveillance cameras."

Captain Shi didn't say anything. He first squatted down by the bushes, took off a glove and pressed the soil with his hand to test its softness. Then he examined the rusty iron railings and dismantled two of them.

"It must have been the murderer!"

The teacher standing nearby shouted excitedly.

"The murderer did escape from the school from here, but he didn't break the iron railings."

Captain Shi glanced at the teacher next to him.

This guy's only purpose is to introduce the school facilities and secluded corners; otherwise, he's a complete bum who just talks nonsense when things get tough.

"This railing has been used for many years. The rest of the railing is covered in rust, and the rust on the base has almost completely fallen off. It is obvious that it has been dismantled frequently. I suggest that your teachers check the dormitories more often at night."

Upon hearing this, the teacher who was leading the way smiled somewhat awkwardly.

Every school has secret passages leading outside that only students know about. Everyone has been through them; those who know, know.

Captain Shi looked at the footprints and pondered. Yesterday was Thursday, and school would be out on Friday. No one should have run out at that time. The footprints were most likely left by the murderer.

But just to be on the safe side, we still need to have the school check to see if any students sneaked out to go online yesterday.

Captain Shi took the footprint measurement report, looked at it, and then compared it with the height of the fabric residue on the railing. The officer next to him immediately picked up a pen.

"The perpetrator was male, about 1.7 meters tall, right-handed, wore size 42 shoes, and weighed between 105 and 115 kilograms. He was wearing white cotton gloves when he committed the crime."

As information poured out of Captain Shi's mouth, the detective beside him quickly took notes.

The teacher standing nearby was stunned. He couldn't understand how someone could glean so much information just by following him to a few places and casually looking around.

Outside the school, after Ai Liang reported that he was safe, Yang Xingyue and her friends immediately gathered at a milk tea shop near the school to wait for him.

"Ai Liang! Are you alright? Are you hurt?!" Yang Xingyue, who had been staring at the shop entrance, was the first to stand up.

"Hey, Xingyue, calm down. Ai Liang was asked to cooperate with an investigation, not to go to a bandit's den. What's with the injury? Don't forget your dad is a policeman too."

Yue Qihua's voice followed immediately. She tugged at Yang Xingyue's sleeve, gesturing for her to sit down.

"Yeah, Xingyue, you're just too nervous. Before Ai Liang arrived, you were staring at the door like a statue."

A little girl, less than 1.5 meters tall, also spoke up. She was Fang Xiaoxiao, Ma Yu's girlfriend. As her name suggests, she was very petite and was often mistaken for a primary school student.

"Anyway, Xiao Ai has appeared unharmed now, so don't worry."

Ma Yu was the only one in the class who called Ai Liang "Xiao Ai".

Ai Liang sat down next to Ma Yu and squeezed him closer to Fang Xiaoxiao.

Anyway, the one inside is small and doesn't take up much space.

Fang Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes at Ai Liang and sat directly in Ma Yu's lap like a giant doll.

"Have you finished the two worksheets I assigned this morning?"

The first thing Ai Liang said after sitting down was not to let her know she was safe or to complain, but to ask Yang Xingyue if she had finished her homework.

"Huh?"

Yang Xingyue was immediately confused when she heard this. Wasn't she here to check if you were safe? How did it turn into homework?
Ai Liang crossed her arms, raised her eyebrows, and stared at her, looking just like a parent catching their child not doing homework and sneaking off to play on the computer.

"Why aren't you done yet? Hurry up and finish it. There are other papers tomorrow."

"I...I..." Yang Xingyue stammered for a long time, too embarrassed to say "I was worried about you."

That's just her personality; she rarely expresses her feelings frankly unless in a crisis or when forced by others.

When questioned, Yue Qihua usually changes the subject, and this time was no exception.

Noticing Yang Xingyue's embarrassment, Yue Qihua took the initiative to hug her.

"Alright, Ai Liang, why are you being so fierce? Xingyue was worried about you all morning. Why do you always ask about her when we meet? Can't you talk about something else?"

Yue Qihua looked at Yang Xingyue in her arms and pouted, "You, I don't know when you'll be able to be a little more frank."

Ai Liang turned her face away and didn't say anything.

Fang Xiaoxiao, who was in Ma Yu's arms, looked at the three of them and chuckled twice: "I feel like Ai Liang is like Xingyue's father, and Sister Hua is like Xingyue's mother."

As soon as she finished speaking, three pairs of eyes turned to her at the same time, and Ma Yu immediately covered her mouth.

Fang Xiaoxiao quickly buried her head in Ma Yu's arms and shrank back a little.

Ma Yu smiled awkwardly at the group and said, "It was just a joke, a joke. Children say the darndest things, don't take it seriously."

Ai Liang remained silent with a cold expression, his demeanor unchanged from usual, making it impossible to discern his attitude. Yang Xingyue bit her lip lightly, as if she had something to say.

Normally, Yue Qihua would definitely have taught Fang Xiaoxiao a lesson, but this time she did something different and didn't. Instead, she took the initiative to change the subject to ease the awkwardness: "Xiaoxiao, you're in the same class as Gao Jiajia, right? What were the reactions of the people in your class?"

Hearing that the boss seemed to have no intention of pursuing the matter, Fang Xiaoxiao jumped out of Ma Yu's arms like a groundhog.

"Yes, yes, quite a few girls in the class who are close to Gao Jiajia cried their eyes out. There are even a few boys who have a crush on her and they secretly cried on their desks."

"It's a bit much for a guy to cry too." Ma Yu was stunned and couldn't understand.

"Why can't boys cry? Wouldn't you cry if I died?!" Fang Xiaoxiao turned around and bared her teeth at Ma Yu like a hamster in a fight.

"What nonsense are you talking about, child!"

Fang Xiaoxiao's questioning was met not with sweet words, but with a pair of large hands frantically rubbing her little head.

"Seriously, Xiao Ai, you're amazing! You deduced that Gao Jiajia was murdered in just a few words. Do you know that after your deduction spread, you gained a whole bunch of new female fans? I bet you'll be called out to her a lot more times in the future."

After Ma Yu finished speaking, he lowered his hand from Fang Xiaoxiao's head with satisfaction and patiently combed her messy hair.

Ai Liang couldn't help but sigh inwardly as she watched Ma Yu's actions.

What's the point of messing things up and then tidying them up?

The conversation did not end because of Ai Liang's silence.

Yue Qihua agreed, saying, "At that time, whether Ai Liang was lifting the white cloth or analyzing the details, he kept a cold face from beginning to end and did not panic at all. Plus, he is handsome, so it is not unusual for him to have female fans."

That makes a lot of sense. Junior high school girls in the first and second years are at an age where they love to fantasize and be romantic. The plots they used to see in TV dramas happening around them, and the protagonist is just like in the TV dramas, a cool and handsome genius. This completely hits their XP system.

Given that the period leading up to graduation is peak season for confessions, Gao Jiajia chose this time to launch her offensive against Ai Liang.

Now, with the added halo of being a "famous detective," it's easy to imagine that the closer it gets to the high school entrance exam, the more often Ai Liang will be called out.

Even knowing they'll fail when they confess their feelings, they still go on and on, probably because most of them are hoping to avoid any regrets in their relationships.

Losing means no loss, winning means winning the heart of a handsome man.

Anyway, it's free, so I'll give it a try.

For example, when Yang Xingyue relaxed, she fantasized about confessing to Ai Liang. As she thought about it, her face turned red, and she didn't know where her mind was going.

Which boys cried?

Fang Xiaoxiao tilted her head in confusion. Ai Liang should never care about these gossips, so what's wrong with her today?
"Ai Liang, why are you asking this? Are you jealous because Gao Jiajia confessed to you and you accepted?"

The atmosphere instantly plummeted to freezing point upon hearing this.

Now, not only Yang Xingyue, but even Yue Qihua looked at Ai Liang with a strange expression.

Ma Yu covered Fang Xiaoxiao's mouth again, sweating profusely, and said, "Children say the truth! Children say the truth!"

Ma Yu doesn't look like a boyfriend; he looks more like a father apologizing to his daughter after she's gotten into trouble.

"Xiaoxiao, you need to change your habit of speaking without thinking."

Ai Liang poured herself a free glass of cool boiled water, took a slurp, and broke the silence.

"Hehe, they didn't mean any harm." After saying that, Fang Xiaoxiao muttered to herself, "You're sometimes just like me."

Fang Xiaoxiao hugged Ma Yu's lemonade and took a big gulp, as if she were moistening her throat before giving a speech.

"Ahem, since you asked so sincerely, Ai Liang, I'll tell you all. Quite a few people cried in the classroom today. Nearly half of the boys were in low spirits. Three of them actually cried—Xu Feng, Ma Wei, and Wang Zi. Wang Zi, in particular, was crying so hard that his voice was trembling."

"I've heard of Xu Feng and Ma Wei; they're on the school basketball team. They're usually on good terms with Gao Jiajia, so I can understand why they cried. But who is this Wang Zi?"

Yue Qihua, who had the widest network of connections, turned to Fang Xiaoxiao and asked.

"To be honest, I don't know much about Wang Zi either. He's a bit withdrawn. If I hadn't heard that his mother is a chemistry teacher at our school, I probably wouldn't even know if he was in my class. Besides, he doesn't really interact with Gao Jiajia. Maybe he has a crush on her."

Fang Xiaoxiao waved her hands, gesturing to describe the situation at the time: "Let me tell you, he cried so hard back then, people who didn't know would have thought Gao Jiajia was his girlfriend."

"His reclusive nature is somewhat similar to Xiao Ai's."

Ma Yu jokingly teased Ai Liang.

"How is that similar! Ai Liang has excellent grades, is always willing to help others, and moreover..."

As soon as Ma Yu finished speaking, Yang Xingyue slammed her hand on the table in rebuttal, her voice trailing off towards the end.

Yang Xingyue blushed and looked at Ai Liang, realizing that she still couldn't bring herself to say it!
"That's right, Xiaoyu. Ai Liang is just aloof at most, but if Ai Liang also likes Gao Jiajia, the two do have some similarities."

Fang Xiaoxiao raised her hand, cupped Ma Yu's face, and pulled it down, using her head to gently rub his chin. A comfortable expression appeared on her face, completely unaware of the problem in her words.

One sentence, and the group fell silent again.

Ma Yu looked at Fang Xiaoxiao's innocent smiling face with a mixture of tears and frustration.

My little darling, please stop talking, okay?
Ignoring the awkward atmosphere, Ai Liang continued, "Does that Wang Zi have a buzz cut and wear a red string on his left hand?"

Fang Xiaoxiao frowned and thought for a while: "He cried so hard today, I couldn't help but take a second look. It seems like he has a red string on his left hand. Do you know him?"

"I don't know him. I just saw him secretly wiping away tears in the crowd when the police had just sealed off the corridor this morning, so I asked him casually."

Ai Liang's explanation did not relieve the two people on the other side; instead, it made them even more nervous. The simple-minded Yang Xingyue was worried about whether Ai Liang had really accepted Gao Jiajia's confession.

The quick-witted Yue Qihua furrowed her brows as she pondered the deeper meaning behind Ai Liang's words.

Based on Ai Liang's deduction this morning, could the murderer be someone from within the school?
Yue Qihua continued to reason along Ai Liang's deductions from that morning, and the more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Unlike Yang Xingyue and Ma Yu, who were top students who needed to work hard to get into the Experimental Middle School, Yue Qihua was not a student who needed to work hard to get into the school.

Yue Qihua is the kind of person who can grasp the concepts by simply glancing at the textbook and doing a few problems. She is a true genius and the only student in the entire school, besides Ai Liang, to be directly admitted to the key class of the Experimental Middle School.

"Ai Liang, do you mean the murderer is among the students? Or even someone Gao Jiajia knows?"

Yue Qihua shared her conjecture: "If the body were to be hung at the classroom door, it would definitely involve the surveillance cameras at the stairwell. The fact that the police haven't found the murderer yet proves that the surveillance cameras are very likely to have been turned off. The fact that the surveillance cameras could be turned off proves that the murderer must have some knowledge of the school's electrical system, and it's very likely that it was done by someone inside the school."

After saying that, Yue Qihua looked at Ai Liang.

It is both a search for proof and a challenge.

"Huh? Weren't we talking about things in the toddler class? Why are we suddenly discussing the murderer?"

Yang Xingyue stared blankly at Yue Qihua, but this time her flowers ignored her.

Ai Liang pointed to the school gate blocked by police cars and seals: "It's very likely. The police are still looking for clues inside the school. Their investigation should be similar to what you said."

"Are you guessing that Gao Jiajia's death is related to those people who liked her? Have you discovered any details?"

Yue Qihua was not satisfied and continued to press Ai Liang for answers. It was impossible for Ai Liang to care about how many boys in the next class were crying for no reason.

Based on her understanding of Ai Liang, she knew he couldn't possibly fall for Gao Jiajia just because of a confession, and he even went out of his way to ask Fang Xiaoxiao about such a thing.

When discussing Yue Qihua's behavior, they realized she seemed more like a police officer's daughter than Yang Xingyue. The others couldn't get a word in edgewise and could only sit and listen to the two discuss the case.

"Yes, there is, but there is no evidence."

Ai Liang looked at Yue Qihua's face.

Her fair and pretty face had an eager expression, as if she wanted to compete with him.

"Don't say anything yet, let me think about it."

Yue Qihua placed her hand near Ai Liang's lips to stop him from giving the answer directly.

This action caused Yang Xingyue, who was standing next to her, to pout in dissatisfaction, like a child whose toy had been borrowed by her best friend.

(End of this chapter)