S.C.I Mystery Series Volume 6 Chapter 91

The Culinary Murderer 43 – Consult

---

"It's me, Shi Yanshuo."

A recognisable voice, a name that matches the voice, and... Big Brother Bai's confusion.

Bai Jintang, seated on the sofa, reached out, picked up his phone, and dialled Zhan Zhao's number.

Zhan Zhao had been watching the screen, studying Fang Beibei's movements, when he suddenly saw a call coming in from Big Brother Bai. He answered it straight away.

Then he heard Big Brother Bai speak quietly: "Shi Yanshuo's come to see me."

Zhan Zhao froze, "What for?"

Bai Jintang asked, "Want to listen in?"

Zhan Zhao nodded at once. "Yes!"

Bai Jintang slipped his phone into the compartment beneath the coffee table.

Zhan Zhao signalled to Bai Yutang that he was heading to the lounge, and beckoned Fei Mu, who immediately followed.

Bai Yutang had just seen that the call had come from his older brother and was curious as well. He pointed at the screen for Zhao Jue to keep an eye on things and went to check it out.

Zhao Jue, grumbling, helped monitor the screen, muttering that those two kids were getting quite good at bossing him around.

......

Bai Yutang rushed next door to the break room. Zhan Zhao gave him a quick "shhh" gesture and switched the call to speaker mode.

Big Brother Bai, who had been lounging on the sofa casually, now sat up a little straighter and said, "Come in."

The lounge door opened, and sure enough, it really was Shi Yanshuo standing there.

Shi Yanshuo was dressed very casually, looking as if he were about to go play golf.

Though Bai Jintang didn't know Shi Yanshuo well, that didn't mean he knew nothing about him. In the business world, there were areas where they were direct competitors, so the twins had gathered quite a bit of information.

One thing Shi Yanshuo was known for was his habit of playing golf alone.

Normally, people golfed in groups, part business, part socialising... But Shi Yanshuo was said to always play solo, perhaps because it gave him peace and quiet to think things through.

Seeing him appear at the door, Bai Jintang said, "A rare visitor."

Shi Yanshuo gave a small smile and asked, "Not too busy, I hope?"

Big Brother Bai shook his head and gestured to the sofa opposite, inviting him to sit.

Shi Yanshuo came over and sat down, saying he hoped he wasn't being too forward with the sudden visit.

Bai Jintang was indeed a bit curious about his intentions. While they had been invited to the wedding banquet, that didn't mean they had a personal relationship beyond formalities, as there was a clear line between social pleasantries and private dealings. Besides, with the wedding just a few days away, they were bound to see each other soon, so what was the purpose of coming now?

In the break room, Bai Yutang and Fei Mu could both tell it was Shi Yanshuo who had suddenly shown up to see Bai Jintang, and the looks on their faces said it all – Suspicious, suspicious, suspicious!

Bai Yutang was especially uneasy, This guy is a major suspect, possibly even has blood on his hands, why has he gone to see Big Brother alone?

Zhan Zhao gestured for him to calm down and listen first. If this guy really is the killer, Zhu Yi could have dealt with him back then, what could he possibly do to Big Brother?

Bai Yutang felt that made some sense, so he forced himself to be patient and keep listening.

Shi Yanshuo exchanged a few pleasantries with Bai Jintang at first. Bai Jintang pointed to the drinks and snacks on the table in the lounge, indicating he was welcome to help himself.

Shi Yanshuo waved it off, saying there was no need to be polite.

Bai Jintang said no more, waiting to see what he was actually here for.

In the SCI break room, Zhan Zhao and the others were getting anxious. The worst part about monitoring a conversation was when you got someone who didn't like to talk. Several whole minutes passed in total silence, and Fei Mu was just about ready to check whether Zhan Zhao's phone was still connected.

At last, Shi Yanshuo spoke. "Oh, I was looking through the guest list for the wedding banquet a few days ago and noticed a few new names. My wife said she invited some old classmates. Two of the names were Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao..."

Shi Yanshuo looked at Bai Jintang, his gaze asking – Is it them?

Bai Jintang nodded. "Yes, Yutang mentioned it the other day, they ran into some old classmates at the shopping mall. They'll be coming along to your wedding on the weekend."

"Oh..." Shi Yanshuo seemed visibly relieved, even a little pleased. "That's really great... it must be fate."

Bai Jintang didn't quite follow. "Fate?"

On the other end of the call, Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang looked over at Fei Mu.

Fei Mu stood with his arms crossed, and his face scrunched up like a steamed bun. He was nearly lying across the table trying to listen – The voices are so faint, who is breathing that loudly?

"Then I'll get straight to the point, there's something I'd like to ask your help with." Shi Yanshuo said, "Or rather, I'd like to ask SCI for help."

Bai Jintang's brow furrowed slightly as he tried to look puzzled. "My brother and the team only investigate homicide cases, and not just any homicide cases, but serial killings... You're asking them for help?"

"Er..." Shi Yanshuo quickly waved his hand. "No, isn't Zhan Zhao a doctor of psychology? I've consulted a few experts, and they all said that for the situation I want to inquire about, Zhan Zhao is the best person to speak to."

Bai Yutang and Fei Mu both turned to look at Zhan Zhao.

Zhan Zhao tilted his head – Then why didn't you come to me directly? Hurry up and get on with it!

Bai Jintang asked, "What exactly is it about? Should I call them over?"

Bai Yutang immediately reached for his car keys, and Zhan Zhao was already poised to run for the elevator, just waiting for Shi Yanshuo to say yes.

"Er..." Shi Yanshuo seemed a little hesitant. "I'd really prefer to keep this matter confidential... I'm getting married soon, and there are quite a few reporters following us around. I had to sneak out today just to come here... I'm worried that if anyone finds out, it might cause unnecessary trouble."

Bai Jintang had initially wanted to call Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao over, he really couldn't be bothered to listen to Shi Yanshuo talk.

But human curiosity is a powerful thing, and after hearing him say that, Big Brother Bai was actually a bit intrigued, so he asked, "What exactly is it about?"

"It's about my wife," Shi Yanshuo said to Bai Jintang. "Could I ask you to speak to Dr Zhan for me, I'd like to hear his opinion."

On the other end of the line, Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang were getting more and more confused. This guy is being all cryptic, what on earth is he up to?

Bai Jintang nodded, signalling for him to go on.

"I'd like to ask Dr Zhan about dissociative identity disorder," Shi Yanshuo said in a low voice.

Over on the other end, Zhan Zhao hadn't expected the conversation to veer right into his area of expertise... What's going on?

Although Bai Jintang wasn't particularly interested in psychology, he'd heard enough over time to recognise the names of some disorders. He'd heard of this one, it seems to be something like multiple personality disorder.

Bai Yutang and Fei Mu also looked at Zhan Zhao in confusion – Why would a businessman like Shi Yanshuo be asking about split personalities?

Zhan Zhao couldn't exactly explain it to them while eavesdropping... Dissociative identity disorder didn't just mean multiple personalities, it could also involve memory loss, a sense of losing one's self, and other symptoms... It was a clinical condition with highly varied presentations, but in reality, it was very rare.

Shi Yanshuo had suddenly brought it up, and he'd said it concerned his wife. What did that mean? Did Yu Hui have dissociative identity disorder?

Zhan Zhao, who had investigated countless cases as a doctor of psychology, had rarely encountered genuine dissociative identity disorder. Could this be connected to the organisation somehow? But based on Yu Hui's age and background, she doesn't really seem like someone produced by the organisation...

"I consulted a few doctors, and they all suspect my wife might have this condition." Shi Yanshuo said rather candidly.

Zhan Zhao thought back to the time he'd bumped into Yu Hui at the shopping mall – Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

Fei Mu leaned against the table, resting his chin on both hands, his brows tightly furrowed in worry.

"You suspect your wife has a split personality?" Bai Jintang asked. "Isn't that quite serious?"

"She... overall seems completely normal, her mood's stable too. But sometimes she will suddenly wake up in the middle of the night, and it's like she's sleepwalking, she doesn't recognise me at all." Shi Yanshuo said, looking conflicted.

Bai Jintang looked at him, he didn't seem to be acting, though of course, whether he was or not, Bai Jintang couldn't really tell.

Back in the break room, Zhan Zhao was practically bursting with impatience – Be more specific!

"Can you be more specific?" Bai Jintang had been an older brother for so many years that he knew his two younger brothers' personalities inside out. He could practically picture Zhan Zhao's current state, anxious but unable to speak up.

Zhan Zhao was delighted – Big Brother's amazing!

"It's like this. When my wife and I first started dating, we didn't become physically intimate right away, she's a rather conservative person." Shi Yanshuo explained, "So I didn't notice anything unusual. Later on, when we'd been together longer and started going on trips, we still slept in separate beds... Back then, I occasionally saw her get up at night. She wouldn't do anything, just sit by the window, light a cigarette, and stare into space... But normally, my wife doesn't smoke. She gives off this healthy, sunshiny vibe, and yet at night, when she smoked, there was something gloomy and despondent about her... At the time, I didn't think too much of it. In fact, I found the contrast oddly charming, even a bit sexy."

Bai Jintang looked Shi Yanshuo up and down – Aren't you that infamous playboy? How come you turn into a total lovestruck fool the moment you start talking about this?

Shi Yanshuo actually looked a little sheepish and scratched his head. "Then something happened... Our family dog died."

"The dog died?"

Shi Yanshuo nodded. "I got up in the morning and heard a commotion in the courtyard. I went down to have a look and saw the housekeeper and a few bodyguards dealing with something. When I got closer, I saw it was a small dog my mom kept... It had died in a really horrific way, its head had been twisted clean off."

Bai Jintang was a little disgusted – What did the poor dog ever do to deserve that?

"It was clearly not a natural death. At the time, we suspected that maybe some wild animal had wandered in during the night, like a weasel or a fox, and killed the dog... So we didn't think much more of it." Shi Yanshuo continued, "My wife hadn't gotten up yet. I picked up the newspaper and went back upstairs to have breakfast with her, but I suddenly noticed... the nightdress she was wearing that morning wasn't the same as the one she'd worn the night before."

At this point, Shi Yanshuo sighed. "I don't even know what came over me at the time, must've been a moment of impulse or something, but I went to check the laundry room. The housekeeper said she hadn't done the laundry yet that day and that all the dirty clothes were still in the basket. I had a look through the basket, but that nightdress wasn't there... Then I went back upstairs. My wife was already awake and in the shower. I opened the wardrobe and searched through it, still no sign of that nightdress. Don't ask me why... but I crouched down, leaned over the side of the bed, and looked underneath. And guess what I saw?"

Bai Jintang thought – At this point, nothing would surprise me. Given my track record with bad luck, it might as well be a corpse under there...

"I found the nightdress crumpled into a ball and stuffed under the bed. When I reached in and pulled it out, I saw the sleeves and front were spattered with blood, and there were a few strands of dog fur on it." Shi Yanshuo let out a long breath. "From then on, I started keeping an eye on my wife... I noticed that her midnight wanderings seemed to follow a certain pattern, every two or three days, she'd get up in the middle of the night. She wouldn't speak, just went somewhere to smoke, ignored everyone, and didn't recognise anyone. But if a small animal happened to cross her path, she'd become frighteningly violent. I saw her stomp a bird to death on the rooftop, and once, she reached into the koi pond in the courtyard, grabbed a koi and tore it clean in half..."

Bai Jintang lit a cigarette for himself, thinking, And you still dare sleep next to her? Aren't you afraid she'll wake up one night and tear you apart too?

"I just want to ask Dr Zhan... Is this kind of behaviour normal? Could it just be ordinary sleepwalking, or is it something more serious? Is it treatable?"

......

In the break room, Bai Yutang and Fei Mu both turned to look at Zhan Zhao – Is it reliable?

Zhan Zhao spread his hands – According to a player's logic, Shi Yanshuo himself was the real psychopath, and now somehow it's Yu Hui who has the problem... So far, everything is just Shi Yanshuo's version of events. Who can really say what the truth is...

Just as Zhan Zhao made the gesture, the door opened and Zhao Hu walked in, signalling to the two of them.

Bai Yutang stepped outside for a look and saw that Chen Jiayi, Qi Le, and Chen Yu had arrived. With them were two women in sunglasses. Although their styling was completely different now, Bai Yutang recognised them at a glance, they were two of Shi Yanshuo's ex-girlfriends from the pile of photos.

Bai Yutang waved at Zhan Zhao – The time has come to see whether Shi Yanshuo is truly a psychopath.

Zhan Zhao glanced from the corridor to the phone on the table – Aiya, so busy, so busy!

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

Previous Chapter | TOC | Next Chapter

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: July 1, 2025 by Angel

Edited: October 10, 2025 by Angel