Silent Witness - Chapter 1

“Recently, the Criminal Investigation Brigade of the Puchen County Public Security Bureau, after 56 hours of relentless effort and focused investigation, successfully apprehended criminal suspect Liu Mou. The case is currently under further investigation…”

Torrential rain pounded against the window, rattling the glass. Thunder rumbled, and two bolts of lightning flashed across the night sky, briefly illuminating the dimly lit hospital room.

Li Hewei, lying flat on the hospital bed, woke from a deep sleep. Her brow furrowed slightly as she gazed blankly at the television screen playing Puchen News.

Puchen City, July 16, 2015. A major breakthrough in the 7·13 Major Homicide Case. Li Hewei focused on the news highlights, her Taiyang Point throbbing painfully, her head splitting with agony.

Am I still dreaming? She lifted her right hand, free from the IV drip, and massaged her temples, trying to piece together her memories. She had gone to the North City Funeral Home for an autopsy that afternoon, and after returning home to shower, she had planned to take a two-minute nap. How had she fallen into such a deep sleep, plagued by these bizarre dreams?

I can’t sleep any longer. I still need to write the autopsy report. Li Hewei struggled to escape the dream, forcing herself to sit up. However, the icy sensation of the intravenous fluid steadily flowing into her veins grew increasingly distinct, impossible to ignore.

This feels too real.

Her hearing gradually returned. Footsteps approached from outside the room, growing louder until someone pushed the door open and entered.

“Sis, you’re finally awake!” The girl, with her twin braids and petite frame, looked like a college student. Her voice was crisp as she flipped on the room’s lights.

Sis? Li Hewei didn’t recognize the person before her, her mind growing increasingly muddled.

Born into a working-class family as an only child, she had only two maternal cousins and one rarely-seen paternal cousin. Her mother, who hadn’t taken proper care of herself during pregnancy and later overworked herself, passed away from illness when Li Hewei was just three years old. At six, her father remarried, and fortunately, her stepmother treated her as her own, allowing Li Hewei to have a relatively stable and happy childhood. But the good times didn’t last. In the final semester of her senior year of high school, her father, a long-time alcoholic who had ignored all warnings, suddenly died from a hypertensive crisis. With that, she lost her last bl00d relative and was left to rely solely on her stepmother.

Two years ago, her stepmother retired and was taken back to her hometown by her niece to enjoy her later years in family company. Li Hewei made sure to visit during holidays.

So, where did this “sister” come from?

“Why are you staring? They’re all gone, so I volunteered to stay and take care of you,” the girl claiming to be her sister said, casually pulling out takeout containers from a food delivery bag. “Oh, and your sister-in-law is here too.”

Li Hewei’s confusion deepened. “Sister-in-law?” she blurted out. At 32, she was a lesbian, unmarried, and hadn’t had a girlfriend due to work and her social environment.

“Sister Tao Ling was afraid of disturbing you, so she went downstairs to take the call.”

The moment those words were spoken, a strange feeling surged through Li Hewei’s heart. Where have I heard that name before? After a moment of contemplation, memories flooded her mind like a tidal wave…

“Sister Wei, the detective novel I’m reading has a female lead with the same name as you!”

“Her profession is similar too. She majored in forensic pathology, but after graduating, she pursued her personal interest and became a forensic sketch artist at a local precinct.”

Li Hewei worked as the Chief Forensic Pathologist at the Judicial Identification Institute, with over seven years of experience. In her spare time, she enjoyed sketching with pencils.

“Really?” she responded, occasionally interjecting with a comment as her assistant described the novel.

“Yeah, the cases are well-written. I especially like her partner, Forensic Pathologist Tao Ling.”

“Oh my god, Team Leader Qiu is so cool! I want to marry him!”

“The female lead’s family is great—a quirky younger cousin, a strong-willed mother who’s surprisingly understanding at crucial moments…”

Li Hewei wasn’t particularly interested in the novel’s plot. Soon after, she received a new assignment from the Municipal Procuratorate, keeping her busy around the clock. She vaguely remembered her assistant lamenting Tao Ling’s death in the line of duty and being shocked that the female lead became a suspect in her husband’s murder. As for how the story ended, she never found out.

“Did you hit your head?”

The startled voice at her ear snapped Li Hewei out of her daze. She massaged her forehead, trying to regain her composure. Though she was no longer young and naive, the sudden upheaval and uncertain future had shaken her. She forced herself to remain calm. “My head hurts. I can’t remember anything.”

“Who am I?” The person by the bed, holding a plastic spoon and ready to eat, grew frantic.

Li Hewei shook her head.

“I’m your cousin, Cheng Yingqiu.”

“Cousin… so my last name is Cheng?” Li Hewei felt utterly lost. She knew nothing and had to follow the other woman’s lead to piece together some information.

Damn it, I can’t even remember my own last name. Cheng Yingqiu pressed the call button. When a nurse responded, she turned to Li Hewei. “Sis, don’t scare me like that.”

Ignoring her, Li Hewei suddenly remembered something. She whipped around, her gaze locking onto the patient information card behind her. Li Hewei, Female, 29 years old.

In that instant, an absurd thought struck her: she seemed to have transmigrated into the novel her assistant had been obsessed with, arriving in this unfamiliar world. But before she could even begin to unravel the reason for her transmigration or what she needed to do, the on-duty nurse rushed into the room with two doctors in tow.

After a thorough examination, the doctor put away her stethoscope and reassured them, “The brain CT scan taken upon admission showed no abnormalities, and the patient is now fully conscious.” She immediately added, “If you’re still concerned, you can request a transfer to another hospital.”

Puchen City People’s Hospital was only a Third-Class B-Grade facility. If specialized further examination and treatment were required, it would indeed be best to transfer the patient to a higher-level hospital.

“Then why can’t she remember anything?” Cheng Yingqiu asked urgently.

The doctor patiently explained, “Memory loss can have many causes, such as traumatic brain injury, cranial damage, or neuropsychological abnormalities.” Based on Li Hewei’s clinical symptoms and careful consideration, she recommended, “To prevent the condition from worsening and causing more severe complications, it would be best to consult a specialist at a Third-Class A-Grade Hospital.”

“No need, thank you, Doctor,” Li Hewei said firmly, leaving no room for argument. She understood the reason for her current condition and refused the suggestion. “I just need to rest. Maybe after a good night’s sleep, I’ll be back to normal tomorrow.”

Respecting the patient’s wishes, the doctor had Li Hewei sign the informed consent form and then left the ward with the nurse.

Cheng Yingqiu paced back and forth, muttering, “No, I have to discuss this with them.”

Li Hewei stopped her. “Discuss it with whom?”

“Mind your own business. You wouldn’t know them anyway,” Cheng Yingqiu snapped, grabbing her phone and hurrying out.

Newly arrived and feeling helpless, Li Hewei decided to take things one step at a time. During the doctor’s examination, a nurse had already removed the IV from the back of her hand. Now, moving freely, she found her way to the bathroom in the ward.

Closing the door behind her, Li Hewei turned to face the reflection in the vanity mirror. The face staring back at her—a classic example of “high-impact” beauty—froze her in place.

The face was identical to her own in reality: willow-leaf brows, deep-set eyes, a high-bridged nose, and full, crimson lips. It still carried that intimidating aura that made people instinctively back away when she wasn’t smiling. The only difference was her hairstyle; she’d grown tired of her straight, black hair looking too severe and had gotten a French wave perm, adding a touch of softness.

Li Hewei twisted the faucet open and splashed cold water on her face with one hand. Calming down, she reasoned that being transmigrated into a novel should have come with a System to guide her through tasks and help her achieve objectives. Yet, nearly half an hour had passed since her arrival, and no one had even checked on her.

She knew nothing about the novel’s characters, basic settings, or plot development. Surviving here might be possible, but how could she ever return to reality?

As if sensing her confusion, a strange, mechanical female voice suddenly echoed in her mind: “Dear Host, due to the novel’s unfinished state, the author’s world lacks a System. Please complete your tasks independently.”

“A mission? What kind of mission?”

“Tao Ling,” an off-screen voice prompted, identifying the relevant character without elaborating before abruptly cutting off.

In the novel, Tao Ling had died in the line of duty. Could the mission be to defy fate and change her destiny? Li Hewei wondered, her curiosity about Tao Ling reaching its peak. She steadied her fluctuating emotions, tossed the wet wipe into the trash can, and was about to open the door when someone knocked.

“Sister Wei, are you alright?” The voice was slightly cool, like morning mist in the mountains, perhaps tinged with caution.

Not Cheng Yingqiu, Li Hewei deduced. “Tao Ling?”

A soft hum confirmed her guess.

Li Hewei turned the round lock, opened the door, and found Tao Ling standing just inches away in the low-saturation light. She wore a white shirt and dark cropped jeans, her medium height making her appear about seven or eight centimeters shorter than Li Hewei’s own 170 centimeters.

The woman before her took a half-step back, waiting for Li Hewei to speak first.

“I’m fine,” Li Hewei said, involuntarily studying her.

Delicate eyebrows, clear eyes, and soft, shoulder-length hair gave Tao Ling a clean and obedient appearance. Her features carried a hint of misty, ethereal beauty, reminiscent of Song dynasty landscape paintings—distant mountains shrouded in mist, winding rivers stretching into the horizon. Yet beneath this gentle exterior, there seemed to lie a resilience as tenacious as wild grass.

Tao Ling unconsciously frowned at Li Hewei’s overly direct gaze. Realizing her rudeness, Li Hewei quickly apologized, “I’m sorry.”

Tao Ling felt a little awkward. “It’s nothing.”

Li Hewei couldn’t help but wonder if she and the original owner of this body had a strained relationship. The atmosphere was stiff and awkward.

Before she could figure out how to ease the tension, Cheng Yingqiu, who had finished her phone call in the corridor, walked in, breaking the silence. “What are you two doing standing at the door?” She gestured for Tao Ling to come inside. “My sister’s mind isn’t working properly right now. Don’t take it personally.”

“I won’t,” Tao Ling replied, following Cheng Yingqiu to the bedside and settling into the visitor’s chair.

“Aunt Qiong contacted a hospital in Shu River. They’ll transfer her tomorrow morning,” Cheng Yingqiu said, glancing at Li Hewei as she lay back in bed. Sensing her confusion, Cheng Yingqiu pulled out her phone and patiently explained, showing her photos from her album.

Years ago, when Li Yuqiong was a 20-year-old bank teller at ICBC, she met Wu Yong, who had come to town with his younger brother to find work. Impressed by his excellent cooking skills and his honest, reliable nature, Li Yuqiong quickly accepted his proposal. They married within six months, and the following year, their daughter was born, taking her mother’s surname.

When Li Hewei was five years old, Li Yuqiong introduced her younger colleague from the bank, Cheng Zhijiao, to Wu Yong’s younger brother, Wu Cong. She didn’t actively push them together, letting their relationship develop naturally. To everyone’s surprise, they hit it off immediately, held their wedding banquet by the end of the year, and welcomed Cheng Yingqiu into the world the following year.

Thus, Li Hewei and Cheng Yingqiu were cousins but had different surnames.

Cheng Yingqiu asked, “Sister, do you remember any of this?”

Li Hewei, completely lost, pressed her hand to her forehead and shook her head.

“Tao Ling’s parents run a fish stall at the market. They supply all the fish for our restaurant.”

In the late 1990s, the Li and Cheng families pooled their savings to rent a storefront and open a small restaurant with just five tables. Li Yuqiong, ever resourceful, suggested promoting balanced meat and vegetable set meals. Wu Yong and Wu Cong immediately took action, personally handling every detail, big or small. Once the set meals were launched, their generous portions, delicious flavors, and affordable prices quickly spread through word of mouth among neighbors. The restaurant’s business boomed.

Eight years later, as times changed and the economy boomed, Puchen County successfully lifted itself out of poverty and was upgraded to a county-level city, placed under the administrative jurisdiction of Shu River, the provincial capital.

With their basic needs met, people began to seek out novel and exotic cuisines to satisfy their appetites.

By then, Li Yuqiong and Cheng Zhijiao had risen to management positions at the bank, earning generous annual salaries and accumulating substantial savings. After careful consideration, the four partners rented a 200-square-meter storefront on a bustling street in the new city district. They renovated the space and named it “Old Beard’s Private Kitchen,” positioning it as a mid-to-high-end restaurant. Within just half a month of opening, it had won the favor of numerous customers.

Cheng Yingqiu, her throat parched from talking, turned to rummage through the backpack at her feet, pulling out a bottle of mineral water. As she twisted the cap open, she noticed Li Hewei’s phone screen flashing with a name in the corner of the bag. She casually retrieved it and handed it to the person in bed.

“Someone’s calling.”

Li Hewei took the phone, her eyes fixed on the contact name: “Information: Hou Jiang.”

Tao Ling, who had remained silent throughout the conversation, clearly sensed her confusion and gently reminded her, “Captain Hou Jiang of the Intelligence Information Brigade.”