S.C.I Mystery Series Volume 6 Chapter 102

The Culinary Murderer 54 – Two Escapes

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The SCI members were so absorbed in analysing the case that they forgot there were still two other people at the scene, Guan Xiaoyue and Qian Lin.

After finishing his analysis, Zhan Zhao wanted to hear Bai Yutang's opinion.

However, at that moment, Bai Yutang, along with several others, had their gazes fixed on the spot behind him.

Zhan Zhao turned his head and was taken aback.

He saw that both Guan Xiaoyue and Qian Lin wore strange expressions... Guan Xiaoyue had his head lowered with his brows furrowed, his back teeth looking as though they were about to be ground to bits. Qian Lin, on the other hand, already had tears streaming down his face, his mouth twisted as he sobbed.

"What's wrong?" Gongsun, who was standing nearby, asked. If Guan Xiaoyue was Tan Wen's younger brother, then his crying could be understood, but what about Qian Lin?

Qian Lin took a tissue to wipe his face, but after thinking about it, he still seemed too heartbroken, so he kept crying. As he cried, he said, "Auntie must have died like this too..."

Everyone exchanged looks – Auntie?

"That Zhang Wei is fake too!" Qian Lin burst into loud wails after saying this.

Gongsun and Bai Chi hurriedly handed him tissues.

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang exchanged glances. That Zhang Wei who had jumped to his death this time was fake too? They both remembered that back in school, Qian Lin and Zhang Wei had been inseparable. Zhang Wei's family had run a dessert shop, and his mother had been very good at making pastries. When Qian Lin was young, he often went to the shop to play, eating sweets until he became a little chubby... Later on, it was said that the dessert shop had moved away... Could it be that Zhang Wei's family had also been victims of the Siren's Wing? Just how many families had those people replaced?

Gongsun looked at Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang – Didn't you two realise it earlier?

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang both clicked their tongues. Once again, it was the same preconceived notion as with Yu Hui earlier. They hadn't been particularly close as children, and since he had looked somewhat similar, plump as a child and still plump when grown, with such solid identity information and people around him who had indeed been classmates in the past, it was indeed easy to overlook any doubts.

Zhan Zhao thought this was the perfect chance to test his hypothesis, so he asked Guan Xiaoyue, "So your sister is still alive, right?"

Guan Xiaoyue glanced at Zhan Zhao, seeming hesitant about whether to say anything.

Zhan Zhao could understand why he was hesitating. If Tan Wen really was still alive, then it meant his speculation was very likely correct, which in turn meant that Tan Wen should have killed someone back then. Although it would have been entirely self-defence, there were still many details involved, and Guan Mei and Guan Xiaohong would inevitably be implicated.

Guan Xiaoyue and Qian Lin clearly still refused to speak.

Bai Yutang glanced at Zhan Zhao.

After thinking for a moment, Zhan Zhao asked, "Was it related to that uncle?"

"Uncle is a good man!" Qian Lin blurted out, and Guan Xiaoyue tugged at him.

Bai Yutang was somewhat exasperated and asked the two, "Then what exactly can you two tell us?"

The two of them huddled together to discuss it.

Bai Yutang was at a loss, these two were enough to drive anyone crazy.

Zhan Zhao, however, kept signalling with his eyes at Fei Mu – Isn't he your informant? You should persuade him!

Of course, Fei Mu also wanted to try persuading Guan Xiaoyue, but they weren't particularly close.

Just as they were waiting for the pair to "discuss", Jiang Ping's phone rang.

After listening to a few words, Jiang Ping looked up at Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao. "Chief, there's a visitor."

Both Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang turned back. "A visitor? Who?"

"They said it's Guan Mei." Before Jiang Ping could finish, Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang hurriedly asked, "Where is she?"

"In the lobby, should I let her up..." Jiang Ping hadn't finished speaking when Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao had already dashed out the door and into the elevator, heading downstairs to meet her.

Guan Xiaoyue and Qian Lin both looked rather flustered.

Especially Guan Xiaoyue, who frantically looked around for a room and said he needed to find somewhere to hide.

Everyone stared at him – What are you panicking for, isn't that your foster mother?

Guan Xiaoyue ducked behind the sofa, with Qian Lin hiding behind him.

Mwah Mwah followed them behind the sofa as well, thinking they were playing a game.

The others looked helplessly at the three "huge" targets behind the sofa. What good was hiding like that?!

......

The elevator doors opened in the downstairs lobby, and Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang rushed out, spotting a familiar figure at once.

Although they hadn't seen Guan Mei in over a decade, she didn't seem to have changed much. Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang were certain that this was definitely her, they hadn't mistaken her!

Beside Guan Mei stood two young women. One was petite, with long black hair and a long dress. The other was tall, with short hair, giving off a very capable air.

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang fixed their gaze on them and instantly guessed their identities. The short-haired one bore a slight resemblance to Guan Xiaoyue and should be the missing Tan Wen. The long-haired one resembled the reconstructed image of the remains, her type close to Zhu Yi's, Guan Xiaohong!

When Guan Mei saw Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang, she smiled and nodded to the two of them.

The two were quite delighted, their teacher still looked just as kind as before.

"Teacher Guan."

Guan Mei nodded with a smile, glancing around.

There were quite a few people in the police bureau lobby at that moment, so Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang immediately invited them upstairs.

They entered the elevator.

Guan Mei pointed at the two girls who had followed them in and asked, "I don't need to introduce them, do I?"

Both Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang nodded, looking at the two girls.

Guan Xiaohong appeared well-behaved in temperament and shook their hands. "I'm Guan Xiaohong. Xiaoyue must have caused you a lot of trouble."

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang both insisted that it wasn't trouble at all, it was just that he wouldn't say anything.

Tan Wen, on the other hand, seemed very different in character from Guan Xiaohong, muttering, "That brat just won't listen!"

Guan Mei also sighed and said to Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang, "Xiaoyue doesn't remember anything. For the sake of him growing up normally, we never told him anything. We don't know how he managed to find out certain things, but then he and Xiao Lin secretly started investigating together."

Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao nodded again and again, implying – With the three of you here, everything can be explained. Whether or not Guan Xiaoyue says anything no longer matters.

......

Stepping out of the elevator and into the office, Tan Wen immediately went over to the back of the sofa, grabbed Guan Xiaoyue and Qian Lin by their ears, and hauled them out.

The two begged for mercy.

The office was already crowded and everyone stared at the very-much-alive Tan Wen. In their hearts, they more or less understood that Zhan Zhao's deduction had been correct.

At this moment, Guan Xiaohong walked over to Zhu Yi, who was sitting on the sofa in the corner, lost in thought.

Zhu Yi had just suffered a headache after eating a macaron. Distracted by Zhan Zhao, she had then sat on the sofa, staring blankly.

Sensing someone walk up to her, she lifted her head.

Zhu Yi saw a girl she didn't recognise standing before her. She was rather pretty, with a gentle air about her, and looking at her with a smile.

Zhu Yi felt that this smile was very soothing.

Her mood improved somewhat, and she also looked back with a smile.

Guan Xiaohong said to Zhu Yi, "It's been so long, and I've never had the chance to thank you."

Zhu Yi was momentarily stunned, seemingly puzzled.

Guan Xiaohong suddenly lowered her head, swept her long hair aside, and showed her the back of her neck.

Zhu Yi stared in surprise at the scar there. It didn't appear very deep, just over an inch long, but its position...

Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao saw it too, and their eyes widened in shock. "It couldn't be..."

Guan Xiaohong nodded. "I was locked in that tunnel as well."

Everyone's eyes widened. So the one Zhu Yi had stabbed wasn't her kidnapper, but another victim? And it was Guan Xiaohong?

"Ah!" Zhu Yi hurriedly stood up and bowed at a ninety-degree angle. "I'm so sorry! I didn't know at the time, I thought..."

Guan Xiaohong quickly shook her head, reaching into the shoulder bag she carried and taking something out to show Zhu Yi.

It was a plastic bag containing two items: a slashed mask and half a bloodstained CD.

"I was transferred into the tunnel back then, wearing this terrifying mask. I couldn't see, and I couldn't speak, I could only make those horrible noises," Guan Xiaohong explained to Zhu Yi.

Everyone examined the mask. It looked like the kind of mutated monster that might appear in Silent Hill – no eyes, only a nostril, the colour a sickly, festering flesh tone... In a pitch-black tunnel, wouldn't anyone who saw it be scared to death?

At that moment, Zhan Zhao's mind raced – It hadn't been the kidnappers chasing the victim, but another victim instead. This is really sick.

Guan Xiaohong pointed to a broken section at the neck of the mask and said to Zhu Yi, "You can't remove this mask by yourself. The material and design are both very unusual. With my strength, even when my nails broke, I still couldn't tear it off. When I got close to you, I didn't know who you were, I only felt there was someone nearby, so I slowly crawled towards the sound. When I sensed someone in front of me, I just wanted to reach out and touch. Then suddenly there was the sound of wind, and a sharp pain in my neck."

Zhu Yi covered her mouth, ready to apologise again. She never imagined... she had accidentally injured an innocent person!

But Guan Xiaohong shook her head. "Your strike was perfect, cutting the strap with the lock at the bottom of the mask. The mask was very thick, so it only sliced a little bit into my neck. And the sudden pain woke me up. After I pulled off the mask, I suddenly heard the sound of the door opening in front of me, and then I saw the light, and saw you running out... so I stood up and ran out too! I ran to the pedestrian street and rushed into a restaurant to borrow a phone. The owner was very nice and lent me the phone, and I called my mom..."

Guan Mei was a little emotional too. "When I received that call that night, it really felt like going from hell to heaven... I truly can't thank you enough!"

Zhu Yi's mouth fell open – Huh? So that night, I not only saved myself, but also accidentally saved another person?

Her earlier listlessness vanished instantly as she straightened her chest with pride – her headache was gone!

Zhan Zhao, having gained this "detail," pieced his deduction together a bit more completely. He looked at Zhu Yi. "No wonder so many people have been secretly watching you all these years, yet no one ever harmed you again... They must have thought that by following you, they might find..."

Zhan Zhao gestured slightly towards Tan Wen and Guan Xiaohong.

All three of them nodded.

Tan Wen felt as though there were eyes on her from behind, so she turned around.

She saw Wen Xiaorou sitting on a chair behind her, observing her. Wen Xiaorou was a master at reading people. Just from Tan Wen's build, she could tell that Tan Wen had trained in combat extensively over the years.

When Tan Wen saw her, she immediately smiled. "Rou Rou."

Wen Xiaorou nodded and smiled at her. "You've trained well!"

Tan Wen seemed a little embarrassed. "Back then, if it hadn't been for Uncle teaching me a couple of moves, my brother and I wouldn't have survived."

Guan Xiaoyue rubbed his ears, then bowed to Wen Xiaorou and Zhu Yi, thanking the two of them as his lifesavers!

Zhan Zhao thought this was promising, the truth was becoming clearer and clearer!

Bai Yutang also felt that they should hurry up and tell him who the murderer was so he could go and catch those twisted freaks!

"I know you're all anxious..." Guan Mei explained, "but Shi Yanshuo and Yu Hui's wedding must take place!"

Everyone was a bit puzzled.

Bai Jintang, who had been listening the whole time, also found it strange. "At this point, it's basically all laid out on the table. They must know they're already being watched by both you and the police. Why does this wedding still have to happen no matter what?"

The others also felt it didn't make sense. What exactly was going on between Shi Yanshuo and Yu Hui?

But Guan Mei nodded with certainty. "This wedding will definitely happen, and it has to happen this Saturday!"

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

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Translator Notes

Please feel free to comment any mistakes I made so I can improve and do better as I go through the book.

Translated: September 3, 2025 by Angel

Edited: October 28, 2025 by Soojin