Behind the Murder Volume I

Chapter 4: Identification of the Corpse

Xu Ruobei is a person who keeps her word. After making an appointment with Gu Xiaofan on the phone, about half an hour later, she appeared in the criminal police team's office.

Although the suspected deceased Ren Xuefeng is 49 years old this year and is about to enter the age of knowing the destiny of man, his wife Xu Ruobei is only 32 years old, 17 years younger than Ren Xuefeng. So when Xu Ruobei showed up, Gu Xiaofan couldn't help but feel a little surprised at her youth.

When Xu Ruobei came, she was wearing an ankle-length dark grey cashmere coat with the buttons unbuttoned, revealing the black turtleneck underneath. She also wore black tights and black over-the-knee leather boots. There were not many traces of makeup on her face, and it seemed that she had only put on a thin layer of powder. Although she seemed to be well maintained, her face looked particularly pale and bloodless against the backdrop of the dark clothes, and she had obvious dark circles under her eyes. Although she was dressed simply and decently, she still couldn't hide her haggardness.

"Who is Officer Gu Xiaofan? I am Ren Xuefeng's lover. I just came here because I received a call." She walked into the criminal police team's office, cleared her throat, raised her hand and knocked on the open door symbolically, and asked with a slightly hoarse voice.

"It's me!" Gu Xiaofan quickly stood up and went to meet him, "I'll take you over to identify the body and see if it's your husband, Ren Xuefeng!"

"Wait a moment, can I sit here with you for a while?" Xu Ruobei spoke weakly. She raised the corner of her mouth and forced a smile to Gu Xiaofan.

Gu Xiaofan nodded quickly and reached out to help Xu Ruobei. Xu Ruobei did not refuse and let her support her walk from the door to the office. Gu Xiaofan then settled her next to Zhong Han's desk.

"You sit here for a while, I'll go get you a glass of water." Gu Xiaofan let go of Xu Ruobei's arm only after he made sure she was sitting firmly. He then went to the water dispenser nearby to get her a glass of hot water.

The main reason why Xu Ruobei sat next to Zhong Han's desk was because Gu Xiaofan felt that it was closer to the water dispenser and it would be less laborious to carry water back and forth. When she brought a glass of water to Xu Ruobei and glanced at Zhong Han's desk, she couldn't help but feel fortunate for her decision. Looking at Zhong Han's desk that was spotlessly clean and had things arranged very neatly, and then stealing a glance at her own desk with all kinds of sundries on it, Gu Xiaofan felt that if she let Xu Ruobei sit next to her, she would probably laugh at herself for being a sloppy policewoman.

Clean but not tidy, this is how Gu's mother evaluates her daughter, and it is also Gu Xiaofan's usual state of life.

"Did you rush over here just now? Drink some water and take a rest first, then I'll take you over to identify him..." Gu Xiaofan looked at Xu Ruobei's pale face and the sweat on her forehead, and thought to himself, maybe it was because he spoke too hastily on the phone just now that the other party was under too much pressure. "Don't have too much psychological pressure. Now we can't be sure whether it is your husband Ren Xuefeng. We are just identifying him, and it can't explain anything for the time being."

"I know. Actually..." Xu Ruobei rubbed the water cup gently with her hands but didn't drink. "I was also quite conflicted. I was mainly afraid. I was afraid that it was my husband. But I was also afraid that if it wasn't, it would be horrible to see a stranger's body."

"That's true," Gu Xiaofan had just finished looking at the corpse in the morning. Now when she recalled that scene, the sandwich she had just eaten began to stir in her stomach again. So she could be said to empathize with Xu Ruobei's concerns. "How about this, I'll show you a portrait first."