Original subtitles

Xi.

Doctor.

I'd like to ask,

how is Xiaoshan doing?

It's subacute

infective endocarditis,

complicated by

a bacterial aneurysm.

The surgery is quite complex.

We told the family

when they were here,

it'd be costly.

Is he out of danger?

For now, yes.

But we need to operate soon,

or we can't be sure.

By the way, Ms. Zhu.

I looked into Xi's records.

Over the years,

her father, Shanjun,

has been struggling financially.

He's been living off

the insurance payout

from his late wife's accident.

Three months ago,

Xi took out

a three-million policy.

The beneficiary is Xiaoshan.

Mr. Zhai.

Could we talk

about your family?

We heard that

your wife died years ago.

Could you give us more details?

If only...

I hadn't been so impulsive.

My wife would still be alive,

and Xi...

wouldn't be mute today.

On three,

say "cheese!"

One, two, three!

Cheese!

Get out!

Hey!

Robber! Robber!

Give my phone back!

Robber!

Dad!

Daddy!

Don't move!

Shanjun!

I didn't know they were thugs.

Shanjun!

My wife...

She died protecting me.

Daddy!

Daddy!

Honey!

So that's when

Xiaoshan started resenting you?

Because of that incident?

After my wife died,

I was devastated.

I started drinking my sorrows away.

I failed my kids.

Xi was always such a good kid.

Besides school,

she worked odd jobs

to help us get by.

Later,

I decided

to sober up and move on.

I wanted the kids

to have a better life.

I couldn't be a burden to them.

But it was too late.

Bring it back!

Over here! This way!

Right here!

Pass it!

Kick it back!

Kick it!

Kick it back!

Pass it back!

He's down?

Here!

Coach!

Coach, come quick!

Xiaoshan!

Xiaoshan!

The doctor said

Xiaoshan's condition is critical.

If we don't operate soon,

his life will be in danger.

So,

I had to borrow money.

Zhang, please help.

I'll pay you back within a year.

I'm struggling too, man.

Zhang!

Life was hard,

but we managed.

Until...

Xi's accident happened.

So...

did you notice

anything unusual

about Xi lately?

Was she depressed?

Suicidal, maybe?

Suicidal?

No way.

Xi was always an optimist.

No matter how hard it was,

she always had a smile

for everyone.

She'd never

leave us and commit suicide.

Did you know

that three months ago,

she bought herself

an insurance policy?

Insurance?

Accident insurance.

Beneficiary is Zhai Xiaoshan.

No...

Ins... insurance?

So she...

Everything is under investigation.

No...

We'll notify you of any news.

Please stay calm.

You mean

Xi wanted to commit fraud

for her brother's surgery?

Yes.

Because the timing

is just too coincidental.

Three months before she fell,

she bought herself

a three-million policy.

But her father never knew.

Could Xi have

staged a suicide as an accident?

It wasn't a suicide.

When she fell,

someone else was in this room,

involved in her fall.

From the bloodstains

outside the balcony,

and the broken nails,

she must have

struggled on the balcony

before she fell.

So,

she should've

fallen almost vertically.

But looking at

the body's position,

it was found

away from the building.

As you know,

normal impact injuries

usually only leave

one or two bruises.

But look,

her foot bruises are circular.

So we suspect

that before hitting the ground,

she was caught

on the drying rack of 601,

then fell after struggling.

The bent rack

and the loose screws

at the scene

confirm this theory.

Also,

we found some

rusty burrs on

the bent part of the rack.

Some white fibers

were caught on them.

Evidence Department confirmed

that these fibers

match the ones on

Xi's white canvas shoes.

They're identical.

Plus,

the skin on her left foot

showed no tears

or rust marks.

So we believe

she was wearing the left shoe

when it got caught.

But,

on the body,

it's the right.

And that shoe doesn't have

any snag marks.

The left shoe was found

on her own balcony.

This left shoe,

where was it exactly?

Right here.

The injury

on Xi's left ankle

was caused by hitting

the drying rack.

And the fibers on the rack

came from snagging the shoe.

So why was the body

wearing the right shoe,

while the left one

was left on the balcony?

Someone else was there

when Xi fell.

And,

they moved her body.

Correct.

Look at these two photos.

The left shoe found

on the balcony,

and the right shoe

taken off her body.

The wear on these

is completely different.

Also, the left shoe

looks brand new.

When I was at her house,

I noticed

her other shoes.

None had such severe

uneven wear

or imbalances.

And from what we know,

Xi didn't have

any foot problems.

So these are not

a pair.

Just the same model.

If our theory

is correct...

Someone swapped the left shoe.

We found signs that

601's balcony door was opened.

But the agent said

no one has viewed

the place for a long time.

So I believe

when Xi fell,

someone was right there.

But the killer didn't expect

the crisscrossing drying racks

of the building

to ruin his murder plan.

Even so,

he didn't give up.

He rushed to the 6th floor

immediately

to finish the job.

Why

did the killer take the shoe?

He must have left

evidence of his identity

at the scene,

so he had to take it.

But then he realized

that a missing shoe

would make the accident

look suspicious.

So,

he took the left shoe

from the 6th floor,

went back to Xi's home,

and took the matching right shoe.

He left the left shoe

on

Xi's balcony

to mislead us.

Following this logic,

when Shanjun heard

about Xi's fall

and rushed out,

the door might have been open.

This gave the killer

a chance to swap them.

While investigating 601,

we found

the key to 601

was with the agency.

Does anyone else

have the keys?

We're the only ones.

The landlord left

a spare with us.

Usually,

we show clients the place.

Wan.

Let's go back to the agency.

Okay.

Mr. Han, right?

Please, come in. Let's talk inside.

Officers, have some water.

I heard

you've been here before.

Is there anything else

you need to know?

I'll cooperate fully.

How do you usually

keep the owners' keys?

Shiyi Real Estate

is a legitimate company.

All the keys

are stored in our

common key cabinet.

If anyone

wants to show a client,

they must report to me

and record it.

Has anyone seen

601 recently?

601? One moment.

601...

No.

The market's slow lately.

Plus, it's an old building.

No one's looking.

Does anyone else have access

to the cabinet?

That's impossible.

Only I have the key.

Plus, we have surveillance.

What were you doing

at 8:00 last night?

8:00 PM?

I was with a client then.

My client can vouch for me.

So, any findings?

When Xi fell,

a witness claimed

there were flashes across the way.

You think she's like Li Yiqi

and Li Shuting?

Did Xi's tox screen come back?

Mr. Qi.

Xi's body

showed no drug reactions.

No designer drugs were found.

But...

we can't conclude

there's no connection.

I think

there's another possibility.

Mr. Qi, I'm ready.

Okay, coming.

The timing of Xi's fall

and the flashes

across the street

are just too coincidental.

If

the two are linked,

then

those flashes

were like a prompt,

a signal for her to jump.

They just didn't expect

her to get caught on

the 6th-floor drying rack.

To ensure

she'd actually die,

the killer had to

run up to help.

But inside the building,

he realized

there were cameras in the elevator.

So he took the stairs.

After spotting where

Xi was hanging,

he entered Room 601.

He saw Xi

hanging on the rack.

By then,

news of the jump

had spread through the building.

But he still

had one more thing to do.

Get rid of

Xi's left shoe.

Meanwhile,

neighbors were filling

the hallway to check.

The killer tried to go up.

But he ran right into

the neighbor and Zhai Shanjun.

He avoided them

and entered Xi's home

to swap the shoes.

After leaving

Xi's home,

he tried to flee downstairs.

But in the 6th-floor stairwell,

he ran into some rowdy teens.

What an unlucky day.

First, someone falls,

and now some punks

are fighting in the stairwell.

He couldn't risk

being seen by the teens

while holding the shoe.

So,

he had to head back up.

But just then,

he ran into

a neighbor leaving the elevator

to get a phone from Xi's

and notify Zhai Xiaoshan.

He was trapped

in the 7th-floor stairwell.

So,

what did he do then?

He had to find another way out.

Mr. Han.

Room 1006 is also empty.

Mr. Han, Mr. Qi.

Found them.

Xi was wearing these

when she fell.

Yes.

Any fingerprints?

Right here.

Su, take Wan

to Shiyi Real Estate

and get everyone's prints.

Whoever accessed those rooms

must be an agent.

Okay.

Wait.

Going in like that

for fingerprints

will tip them off.

Meaning?

When you checked

the agency,

their keys

hadn't been touched, right?

Xi checked the footage.

It's fine.

That means

whoever entered

room 601 and 1006

already had

spare keys on them.

Just as we

went to Room 1006,

the place was empty

and looked abandoned.

But actually,

there were signs

that someone lived there.

He's hiding out

in Room 1006

and hid the shoes

inside.

He must know

that for a while,

no one would visit Room 1006.

He's lying in wait.

He's so confident.

He's waiting for

things to blow over

before retrieving

the shoes.

But what if

someone wants to see the place?

Let's see who bites.

Hello, Miss.

Buying or renting?

Buying.

Please, sit down.

Let me show you

this place.

Look, four units per floor...

Don't bother.

I want one in the building

where the girl fell.

A relative said

there's a vacancy nearby.

That place has issues.

Miss,

this...

I want the accident unit.

It's a murder house,

so it's cheaper.

I see.

You're an expert.

Well,

I'll get the keys

and we'll go now.

Don't bother.

My relative's on the way.

In half an hour,

let's meet downstairs.

Okay.

No problem.

One moment.

Wan.

He's going up.

Who are you?

Zhang Chunmin?

Yes.

Move.

Talk.

What were you doing in 1006?

Listen.

This is the CID.

Our day-to-day job

is dealing with

major cases and homicides.

If we didn't have

solid evidence,

we wouldn't bring you

all the way here

to cooperate.

Asking you to talk now

is giving you a chance

to come clean.

I hope you value it.

I...

As far as we know,

you don't handle

the keys at your agency.

How did you get them?

Officers,

you know

I'm just an agent.

I rent these places out.

Is it weird I have keys?

A client comes in,

and you show up.

Quite the coincidence.

And 1006 that day

wasn't your job, right?

I...

What do you mean?

A client wanted to see it.

So I went to tidy up.

Tidy up?

When I walked in,

you were

rummaging through things.

Did you leave

something behind?

What's your link

to Zhai Xi's death?

None at all!

I don't even know her.

Really.

Zhu, look.

He doesn't want to talk.

That's fine.

About the prints,

I already had Su

send them up for testing.

The results

will be out soon.

Once we get a match,

we'll follow procedure.

Don't worry.

Listen, Zhang Chunmin.

When we handle cases,

as long as

the evidence chain

is solid and complete,

we don't need

a confession to convict you.

Okay.

Let's stop here for now.

Alright.

Wait!

I know nothing

about a murder!

I made a copy of the key.

I'm staying in that unit.

You made a key and moved in?

Yes.

It's the off-season,

so there aren't many renters.

I had a fight with my wife.

Hold on.

Ready to talk now?

Go ahead.

Take your time.

Tell us about that fight.

Okay?

I'll have some water first.

I fought with my wife,

so I needed some space.

In that building,

Room 1006 was the best.

When did you move in?

Yesterday.

I don't know Zhai Xixi.

I know nothing.

Before you moved in,

did anyone else stay there?

Answer her.

I did lend the place

to a fellow townsman.

But he's clean.

He's renting

several units from me.

Plus,

he only stayed

the night before last.

That before last?

That's the night

Zhai Xixi died.

What's his name?

Wang Chen.

Wang Chen?

That name rings a bell.

Mr. Han, look.

This is Zhai Xixi's policy.

Wang Chen is her agent.

Which room?

Unit 517, 5th floor, Officer.

Police.

Where were you the night before last?

What were you doing?

That night...

I... I don't really remember.

Looks familiar?

Ever seen this girl?

You sold her a policy.

Three million coverage.

A disabled girl

with that much coverage?

Did your company

even vet her?

Insurance is always

risk versus reward.

Business is business.

But your policyholder

died in under three months.

Isn't that a coincidence?

This shoe...

Looks familiar?

Xi's gone.

I'm devastated too.

I was referred to her

by a client.

For those three months,

whenever she was free

or off the clock,

I'd visit her

at the cafe where she worked.

I showed her

our insurance policies.

I also tried evaluating

her work status,

salary, benefits,

and other details.

After a few visits,

we bonded.

I realized

Xi was a hard worker.

Never complained about anything.

I guess you could say

we were friends.

So you became friends.

A young girl

taking out such huge coverage,

and you,

a senior agent,

didn't find it suspicious?

I live on commissions.

Why turn down business?

As for

why she bought that policy

or what she planned,

I had no idea.

After the contract was signed,

why use Zhang Chunmin

to get into Room 1006?

It was a coincidence.

I rented units

through Zhang at a discount.

They were for

company training.

I didn't know then

that Zhai Xixi lived

in that building.

Not until...

our training ended.

Chunmin asked

for the key to 1006.

He wanted to move in,

so I went to return it.

That night, I had just arrived

when I saw...

I saw Xi

on the 7th-floor balcony.

She was

about to jump.

I panicked.

But I feared shouting

would trigger her.

I rushed upstairs.

I remember that I reached

the 3rd floor

when I saw her

jump.

Then I remembered

I had the key

to the 6th floor.

I ran up

to save her.

I never expected

that she

tried to undo the shoe herself.

She tried to undo it?

I really wanted to save her.

I just couldn't grab her.

I...

I just watched her

fall down

before my eyes.

After she fell,

I realized

I still had her shoe.

I was afraid I couldn't explain.

Only then

did I realize

that when Xi bought it,

she planned to trade

her life for the money.

So, she committed fraud?

Except

you only found out then?

I knew about her family.

If my company knew

she committed suicide for the money,

her family wouldn't get

a single cent.

Then her death

would be in vain.

I didn't want her to die

and leave them with nothing.

Then I remembered

the cafe where she worked.

They give every employee

two identical pairs of shoes.

So I thought

I'd go to her home,

take a matching shoe,

and leave the other on the balcony.

I made it look like

she only had one shoe on

when she fell.

That way,

no one would know

I was there,

or that

I touched the shoe.

It would prove

she died by accident.

Xi's father left the door open

when he ran out.

After leaving the shoe,

I was heading down

when I heard people

fighting in the stairwell.

They blocked it.

Carrying the shoe,

I was too conspicuous.

I didn't dare go down.

Back on the 7th floor,

it was busy there too.

I had to head back up.

Then it hit me.

I still had

the key to Room 1006.

So I thought

I'd hide the shoe there

and retrieve it

later on.

I admit it.

I faked the evidence

of Xi's accidental death.

But I felt sorry for her.

I was afraid they wouldn't get paid.

I didn't want her death

to be for nothing.

But I didn't kill her.

I'd never kill her.

I had

no reason to.

You say she

unfastened the shoe herself?

And let go

of the bedsheet herself?

Yes.

Then how do you

explain the bedsheet

found next to her?

I... I don't know.

Maybe she pulled it down

as she fell.

It was late,

and things were chaotic.

I panicked.

I can't remember

every single detail.

You can't frame me

because of a bedsheet.

Lies always leave flaws.

Wang Chen's fingerprints

match the ones on

Zhai Xixi's left shoe.

But the blood on the laces

only belongs to Xi.

It's possible that

Xi tried to untie her laces.

When Wang Chen grabbed the shoe,

Xi's foot

had already slipped

out of it.

And she fell.

Fingerprints alone

don't prove whether

it was Wang Chen

or Xi herself

who untied the laces.

He's lying.

In extreme situations,

memories

can be inaccurate.

Since you knew

it was insurance fraud,

weren't you afraid?

Issuing that policy

was a professional lapse.

But that's my own problem.

As long as that shoe stays hidden,

no one but me and Xi

would know

the truth.

Then, her family

could at least get

the insurance payout.

And her brother

could afford his treatment.

Okay, you can go.

But for now

you can't leave the city.

Aiding insurance fraud

is a criminal offense.

You must cooperate with us.

Got it.

You always think truth matters.

But I think you're wrong.

Sometimes,

truth is meaningless.

There's no truth in the world.

Only perspectives.

Mr. Qi.

Look at this.

In Zhai Xixi's

drawer,

we found a pill bottle.

I analyzed the drugs.

They're the same as

the antidepressants

Li Shuting had.

And the bottle has similar imprints.

Do antidepressants

attract people to light?

I checked Zhai Xixi's socials

and found a deleted chat group.

Xi?

Why was she in it?

I'm so glad we could all meet today.

The members here

are all suicidal.

She's the one who really cares.

She wants us to live with meaning.

This flower is used in anesthetics.

Used well, it's medicine.

Used wrong, it's poison.

Found a policy.

Coverage is also three million.

She might be next.