My Dear Forensic Scientist (GL) - Chapter 1

“Chunan…”

The girl stood in the rain holding an umbrella, gazing at her from three or five steps away. The misty rain blurred her face into obscurity.

Lin Yan’s heart tightened, fearing this was just another of her dreams. Trembling, she stretched out her hand, cautious and unsure.

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The crowd around began to push forward, jostling her along.

The girl caught her wrist, pulling her under the umbrella. With her other hand, she adjusted the slipping strap of Lin Yan’s schoolbag, her tone a little scolding.

“How many times have I told you, remember to bring an umbrella on rainy days. Why do you still have that bad habit of liking to walk in the rain? Midterms are coming soon—what if you catch a cold?”

She kept nagging and rambling on endlessly.

Lin Yan should have felt annoyed, yet her eyes suddenly burned with unshed tears. She clung to that slender white hand, holding on tight.

The girl was slightly taller than her. Lin Yan gathered a little strength, lifting her gaze with faint anticipation:
“Chunan… you… you’re back?”

The girl in her white school uniform lowered her head at the sound, her face as familiar as ever, lips carrying a faint smile.

But the eyes that should have been filled with starlight were instead two dark, hollow pits, bl00d trickling out in streams.

Against her deathly pale face, the smile turned more grotesque. The skin Lin Yan touched was cold and clammy, no different from the countless corpses she had dissected.

A chill shot up from the soles of her feet.

Lin Yan screamed in horror:
“Chunan!”

She jerked awake in bed, gasping, lowering her eyes and pressing her hand against her forehead with a sigh in her heart—another nightmare.

The flip clock on her bedside table glowed faintly in the dark. The hands had just passed 4 a.m.

Lin Yan reached for the glass on the table, pulled open the drawer, and with too much force spilled its contents onto the floor.

She picked up a white pill bottle, shook two tablets into her palm, and swallowed them with a gulp of water left cold overnight in the air-conditioned room.

She drank too quickly, as if trying to calm some restless unease.

Droplets rolled down her slender neck, dampening the strap of her camisole.

She wiped her lips—only for a handkerchief to be pushed into her palm.
“Use this to wipe.”

The voice was so familiar.

Goosebumps rose on Lin Yan’s skin.

Half nervous, half cautious, she looked at the figure, afraid to startle it.
“Chunan…”

Their eyes met, and Lin Yan’s heart leapt into her throat. Yet the other girl simply smiled as gently as before, even raising the handkerchief to wipe the corner of her lips when she didn’t move.

“Another nightmare?”

“No…” Lin Yan instinctively tried to deny it, but almost against her will, she reached out as if to confirm something.

The girl, considerate as ever, offered her hand. Lin Yan hooked her little finger, feeling warmth—soft, supple, alive.

She clutched it like a lifeline. Her eyes, phoenix-shaped with a hint of allure, brimmed with tears.

The girl patted her hand comfortingly.
“Alright, I’m back now.”

Her tone was as warm and indulgent as always.

Overwhelmed, Lin Yan pulled her into her arms.
“Thank goodness, Chunan, thank goodness… you’re back… I missed you so much… all these years… where did you go?”

“I…” The girl frowned, her face twisting in pain. Though they were indoors, her clothes were slowly soaking wet.

“I… I don’t know… it hurts… it hurts so much… Lin Yan… save me… save me…”

The cold against her neck and the girl’s sobbing made Lin Yan’s heart ache. Her eyes turned bloodshot with madness.

“Who?! Chunan, tell me! Who did this to you? Who was it?!”

“It… it was…”

Lin Yan shook her shoulders. Suddenly, the girl’s voice turned hoarse and distorted, like a radio cut off at midnight.

Pain twisted through Lin Yan’s body. She bit her tongue, tasting bl00d, forcing back her tears.

She stroked the girl’s cheek gently, her fingers cool. Believing she was crying, Lin Yan’s heart filled with pity.
“Don’t be afraid, Chunan. Tell me—no matter who it was, I won’t let them go.”

But the girl suddenly cackled, shrill and grating like nails scraping a blackboard.

A chill crawled up Lin Yan’s spine.

Her breath caught. Outside, the night was thick and inky, trees swaying like specters.

The wind whipped the curtains, snuffing out the nightlight.

The girl’s hands darkened with livor mortis, her skin slick like rotting fat. Blue-green veins bulged.

Lin Yan’s eyes widened, struggling for breath, reaching desperately for her.
“Chu… Chunan…”

“It… was you… you…”

Her voice was sharp and broken, skin peeling from her face, revealing bone. Her eyeballs dropped from their sockets, leaving black hollows locked on Lin Yan.

The stench of decay overwhelmed her.

“No!!” Lin Yan screamed, tearing free from her grip. Her hand passed through the girl’s body, leaving only chunks of flesh on the bed.

Bl00d soaked the sheets and spilled onto the luxurious wool carpet.

“Ring-ring-ring—”

The alarm blared like a death knell. Lin Yan shot upright, drenched in sweat. Outside, daylight had already broken.

A gentle morning breeze lifted the curtains. The bedside clock ticked quietly. The smell of toasted bread drifted up from downstairs.

She shut off the alarm, surveying her room—peaceful, ordinary, just another workday morning.

Rising, she slipped on her slippers. But when her foot sank slightly into the carpet, she looked down: a dark stain on the rug beside her bed, deep red, like bl00d.

Her throat moved faintly.

Closing her eyes, she steadied her breathing.

A knock at the door. The butler’s voice:
“Miss, breakfast is ready.”

After washing up, Lin Yan descended in her robe. All signs of panic from her nightmare were gone, replaced by her usual languid indifference, an effortless air of carelessness.

“The driver?”

“Waiting outside, Miss.”

The Lin family villa was vast, but their young mistress had a bad temper and disliked living with servants. Even the butler and others only came early in the morning and left late at night.

Still, none dared show neglect. The butler bowed respectfully.

Lin Yan was satisfied.

Her assistant waited downstairs, rising quickly at her approach.
“Dr. Lin.”

He held a stack of documents for today’s trial.

She glanced at him with disdain. To her, he was no more than a servant. She said nothing, didn’t even invite him to breakfast.

Awkward, he averted his eyes as she walked elegantly into the dining room.

The chef had prepared a mix of Chinese and Western dishes, delicate and refined.

But Lin Yan only tasted two bites before putting down her cutlery, appetite gone. The butler quietly cleared her plate.

She headed to the dressing room.

Tall yet slender, she walked with feline grace, like a Persian cat gliding across a carpet.

Suddenly, she stopped.
“By the way—”

“Yes, Miss?” the butler responded at once.

“Throw away the rug in my room.”

That Persian rug had only just been acquired at a London auction last week—worth over a million, a diplomatic gift from the Safavid dynasty to the Ottoman Turks.

But she discarded it without a blink.

The butler was used to her whims.
“Understood, Miss. Shall I prepare a replacement?”

“No need.”

Inside the vast dressing room, she chose a shirt casually, buttoning it up and leaving the top two undone to show just enough collarbone.

She applied lipstick, blotted the excess with her finger, and lifted her chin to the mirror.

Her skin was pale from lack of sunlight, her lips a bold red, brows arched. Her expression carried both arrogance and allure.

Beautiful, yet cold.

Lin Yan smiled faintly, took her blazer, and headed out.

The driver opened the car door. She got in. Her assistant followed with the files.
“Dr. Lin, here are the autopsy and forensic reports for today’s trial.”

The stench of sweat and unwashed feet filled the car. Sensitive as ever, Lin Yan snapped open her eyes from her repose.
“Get in the back.”

The assistant froze, humiliated, and silently retreated to the rear seat.

“Driver.”

“Yes, Miss.”

“In the afternoon, bring another car. Give this one to Liu Ma for grocery shopping.”

“Yes, Miss.”

“And you—” Her fingers tapped her watch, voice dripping with scorn.
“Coming this early—what, eager for reincarnation? If so, the morgue would be more fitting.”

“And dressed like this for court? Aren’t you afraid the lawyers will accuse you of murder?”

Each word stabbed his dignity. He clenched the documents in silence.

The driver broke the tension.
“Miss, shall I turn on the news?”

She gave a small hum.

The radio crackled to life.

The announcer’s sweet voice:
“The prosecution has charged the defendant Jin ** with murdering employee Li ** on April 18, 2007, and discarding the body in the wilderness. With substantial evidence, he has been convicted of rape, homicide, and desecration of a corpse, and sentenced to death with reprieve. Jin has appealed, and the second trial will be held today at 10 a.m. at the Binhai Provincial High Court. Forensic scholar Dr. Lin Yan of the University of Law’s Institute of Forensic Science will testify with new evidence…”

The announcer’s tone was impassioned, quickly shifting to Lin Yan’s biography and gossip.

“…Dr. Lin is considered a rising star among young forensic scientists. After completing her undergraduate studies at Fudan Medical School, she pursued her master’s and doctorate at Boston University. In her decade-long career, she has performed over 5,000 autopsies, with extensive forensic experience…”

“…As the only daughter of the wealthy Lin family, she is worth millions. Recently, she has been rumored to be romantically involved with Chairman Zhang of Zhongcheng Group, even photographed kissing passionately on the street. Could wedding bells be near?”

Zhang? Which Zhang?

Lin Yan frowned. She had kissed too many people in the streets—none of the faces matched the name.

“Miss, shall I…” The butler glanced back.

“Mhm.” Lin Yan sneered. “Which station is this?”

“Daily News, Miss.” The butler noted it down.

Outside, skyscrapers blurred past before the car turned into a tree-lined avenue. The High Court loomed ahead.

Crowds had gathered already—reporters, onlookers. Flashes went off as soon as Lin family’s car arrived.

Still lazy and unbothered, Lin Yan said:
“Go tell them, my current lover is definitely not that… that Zhang… what’s-his-name?”

“Chairman Zhang.”

“Ah, yes. The media is so unprofessional. Daily News? They should rename it Old News.”

She chuckled coldly, dripping with sarcasm.

“Miss, we’ve arrived,” the driver said, pulling up.

The butler saw the crowd outside, holding banners and chanting.
“Miss, perhaps we should use the back entrance?”

Lin Yan sneered, pushing open the car door.
“I’m not the murderer. Why should I sneak in?”