[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-chasing-the-criminal-case":3,"chapter-chasing-the-criminal-case-chasing-the-criminal-case-chapter-11":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Chasing the Criminal Case",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2328779,4554,"Chapter 11: Motive for Murder","chasing-the-criminal-case-chapter-11",11,"\u003Cp>Gu Changzheng flailed his arms wildly in the air! Suddenly he slapped the edge of the bathtub frantically; Luo Fei immediately released his grip on the towel and helped Gu Changzheng sit up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cough! Cough!” Gu Changzheng spat out water! He wiped the water from his face, took a deep breath: “In this state, I’d estimate I could last no more than two minutes. Ge Manli, after drinking heavily and soaking in hot water, would have had zero chance to resist if someone attacked her from behind.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s go downstairs and take a look around,” Gu Changzheng said, drying himself with the towel Luo Fei had held up to shield his head, then putting on his clothes and calling to Luo Fei.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two went downstairs together and circled around to the grass beneath Ge Manli’s bedroom balcony.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He bent down, carefully examining the grass, as if he could find the killer hidden among it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Fei followed behind him; though he didn’t know what Gu Changzheng was searching for, he knew the man wouldn’t waste time here without reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Minutes passed. After roughly half an hour, Gu Changzheng straightened up and said: “Let’s go back to the station. You go speak to the property management—tell them no one is allowed to enter the grass beneath Building 3 until the police arrive. Then call Teacher Zheng and ask him to come take a look.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Fei went to speak with the property management. Gu Changzheng looked up at Ge Manli’s bedroom balcony and murmured softly: “Why kill her? Love? Revenge? Money?” The killer was too cunning—Su Jiaqing nearly became the scapegoat!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Captain Gu, after interviewing Ge Manli’s coworkers at her workplace, we learned she had a gentle personality and generally got along well with colleagues—but only as ordinary coworkers. According to them, no one from the troupe ever visited her home. She seemed approachable, yet always kept a distance from others.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Hao, assigned to investigate Ge Manli’s social relationships, reported back to Gu Changzheng on the morning’s visits to the Zizhen City Song and Dance Troupe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon returning to the bureau, Gu Changzheng immediately recalled Guo Hao: they needed to dig deeper into Ge Manli’s and her husband Ren Jia’s social circles—this was likely a crime committed by someone known to her. They had thought Su Jiaqing’s confession would solve the case, but instead it had grown even more complicated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his heart, he had always held a strong feeling: Su Jiaqing could not possibly be the murderer. Today’s simulation with Luo Fei at the crime scene confirmed it was indeed possible to kill without leaving any trace on the victim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The strange footprints and the compressed patch of grass he found beneath Building 3 led Gu Changzheng to wonder about the whereabouts of Ge Manli’s other towel…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A scene flashed in his mind: a man—or possibly a woman—wearing rubber gloves and shoe covers, using a key hidden beneath the doormat to unlock the door before Ge Manli returned home, then returning the key to its place and hiding inside the bedroom closet, waiting for her arrival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At three o’clock, he heard the door open, followed by the rustling of clothes being removed, then the sound of water running in the bathroom. Over twenty minutes passed, and Ge Manli’s soft hum drifted from the bathroom—perhaps she was humming a pop song. In such a relaxed state, people often unconsciously hum their favorite tunes; as an artist, her likelihood of doing so was even greater.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a while, the sound faded. The killer in the closet guessed she had fallen asleep, so he crept out and entered the steam-filled bathroom. Ge Manli’s face was covered in a face mask, her eyes closed, resting. He stepped behind her, swiftly pressed both hands onto her shoulders, and shoved hard! Ge Manli slid into the bathtub. The sudden push caused her to instinctively open her mouth to scream—but as soon as she did, a rush of hot water mixed with shower gel flooded in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She frantically grabbed the edge of the tub, trying to rise— but the killer, prepared, snatched up the towel placed under the headrest, spread it wide, and pressed it firmly over her face!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suffocation! Panic! Terror! Ge Manli thrashed like a mermaid pulled from water, her hands clawing the air, her feet pounding the tub’s bottom, her body twisting violently in every direction!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Foam splattered everywhere. Finally, she went still. The bathtub fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The killer waited patiently beside the tub. Suddenly, he (or she) heard a faint but heavy breathing sound outside the bathroom door—startled, he (or she) froze. Was there someone else in the house?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In panic, while grabbing the towel, he (or she) accidentally knocked over the shower gel bottle on the small table—but there was no time to care. He (or she) opened the window and climbed onto the bedroom balcony, accidentally dropping the towel below. Fortunately, he (or she) had already observed: at this hour, the compound was nearly empty, and the guards were all huddled in their air-conditioned rooms. He (or she) quickly pulled open the closet door and slipped inside—but in the haste, the force of the movement stirred a draft that swung the bedroom door open!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luckily, no one came by. After about ten minutes, the house fell completely silent. The killer cautiously emerged from the closet and spotted a black bra lying on the floor. He (or she) remembered the bra had originally been attached to the dress—how had it come loose? He (or she) examined it closely—then caught a foul, musky odor. Instantly, he (or she) understood: this was a pervert. Suddenly, he (or she) remembered something: first, he (or she) went into the bathroom and closed the window, restored all items to their places. Then, after a thorough check, he (or she) picked up Ge Manli’s slippers and left the house…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Gu Changzheng’s deduction, every detail at the scene made sense—but what was the motive? And where was the weapon?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh!” Gu Changzheng let out a long sigh. This case, seemingly simple, remained stuck in the realm of speculation.\u003C\u002Fp>",1024,"2026-06-20T19:35:30.807Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","60d9721cc455bbddcd1c9ff9af2c2a0c7f41314b7e8b2f512d91fe2c9beb6a4c","chasing-the-criminal-case-chapter-12","chasing-the-criminal-case-chapter-10",276,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchasing-the-criminal-case-cover.jpg"]