Slow to mature after marriage

Mu Siwan paused with her chopsticks.

New house.

Red candles, red quilts, and that book, "A Guide to Harmony Between Couples".

and also……

Her ears started burning again.

"It's fine." That was all she could say.

Bo Ning smiled, her eyes crinkling, and was about to ask another question when Bo Yan put down his chopsticks and lazily spoke up.

"Thin lemon".

Bo Ning looked up.

He leaned back in his chair and looked at her.

You've been talking a lot today.

Bo Ning pouted and shrank back.

"Okay, okay, I won't ask anymore."

Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting a warm glow across the table. The gentle clinking of bowls and chopsticks, the laughter of the elderly couple, and the occasional murmurs of the twins mingled together, filling the entire morning to the brim.

Bo Yan turned his head and glanced at her.

Mu Siwan kept her head down, her ears red, and focused on finishing the porridge in her bowl.

He looked away, a slight smile playing on his lips.

-

On Monday morning, before dawn, Mu Siwan got into the testing center's car.

Li Jiliang sat in the passenger seat, flipping through documents on his tablet. Xiao Qin sat in the back seat, clutching his toolbox, his eyelids drooping with sleep.

"Master, what kind of case is this, on a Monday...?"

"They dug it up from the construction site." Li Jiliang didn't even turn his head. "A worker who went missing three years ago, we only found him recently during the foundation expansion."

Xiao Qin snapped awake.

"Three years ago? Wouldn't they be skeletons by now?"

"Okay." Li Jiliang glanced at Mu Siwan in the rearview mirror. "Siwan, you'll be the lead surgeon later."

Mu Siwan nodded.

The car drove into the construction site, kicking up dust. A cordon had been set up, and several police officers were surrounding a deep pit.

Mu Siwan got out of the car, took the toolbox, and walked towards the edge of the ditch.

She'd seen plenty of skeletons.

It's easier to handle than fresh. There's no smell of blood, no soft tissue, just clean bones, lying there patiently waiting to be deciphered.

She crouched down, opened the toolbox, and put on gloves.

Then she paused for a moment.

She looked down at her hands.

White latex gloves covered her ten fingers, obscuring everything. But she knew the feel of those hands—the roughness of bone, the coldness of a corpse, and more…

That night.

Warm skin, taut muscles, the snake slithering beneath her fingertips.

He took her hand and slowly lowered it.

She snapped out of her thoughts and looked up at the skeleton at the bottom of the pit.

Xiao Qin, standing nearby, asked, "Master, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing." She stood up. "I'll go down and take a look."

Mu Siwan walked down the slope and squatted down next to the skeleton.

Skull, spine, ribs, pelvis. Complete. Time of death approximately three years ago. No signs of external injury. Cause of death unknown.

She reached out, lifted the skull, and turned it in her hand.

"Time of death approximately three years ago, male, between thirty and forty years old," she said calmly. "Skull intact, no obvious blunt force trauma. The specific cause of death will have to wait until we get back to examine the vertebrae and ribs."

The police officer taking notes nearby quickly jotted it down.

A voice came from the edge of the pit.

"Can you determine whether it was an accident or homicide?"

Mu Siwan looked up.

Meng Qing stood at the edge of the pit, backlit, so his expression was obscured. He was dressed in civilian clothes, so he must have just been transferred to handle this case.

She looked away and continued to examine the skull in her hand.

"It's hard to say right now." She put the skull down and pointed to the rib area. "When we get back, we'll wash the bones clean. If there are knife marks, it's homicide."

Meng Qing nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

Mu Siwan lowered her head and continued working.

-

After cleaning up the scene, it was almost one o'clock. The group drove to a nearby restaurant that looked relatively clean.

As soon as they sat down, Xiao Qin leaned over, lowered her voice, and her eyes were practically popping with excitement.

"Master, Master, that policeman, the one by the ditch just now—he's the super handsome guy I told you about!"

She rested her chin on her hand and sighed softly.

"It's a pity that I don't even have the courage to go up and ask someone's name if they're too handsome."

Mu Siwan followed her gaze.

Meng Qing was standing at the door, talking to a few colleagues, his profile outlined by the afternoon sunlight.

She glanced at it, then looked away.

"His name is Meng Qing."

Xiao Qin was taken aback: "You know the master?"

Mu Siwan nodded.

"We're old acquaintances."

Another group of people entered through the door. Leading them was Meng Qing, followed by several uniformed police officers.

He glanced around, his gaze settling on Li Jiliang, and walked over with a smile.

"Teacher Li."

Li Jiliang looked up, saw it was him, and his eyes lit up.

"Xiao Meng? Come, come, sit down with us!" he greeted warmly. "Perfect timing, the more the merrier, let's not have a separate table."

Meng Qing didn't refuse and nodded with a smile.

"Then I'm sorry to bother you."

He walked toward the table.

Mu Siwan lowered her head to drink water, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw the figure getting closer and closer.

Then he pulled out the chair next to her and sat down.

He turned his head to look at her, and the corners of his lips curved into a smile.

"What a coincidence, we meet again."

Mu Siwan glanced at him, then looked away.

"There's only one decent restaurant within a five-kilometer radius," she said. "It's not exactly a coincidence."

Meng Qing was speechless for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"Mu Siwan, after all these years, you still speak so bluntly."

As soon as he finished speaking, a young policeman next to him came over, looking surprised.

"Forensic Doctor Mu? You're Forensic Doctor Mu?"

Mu Siwan looked up at him.

"I didn't recognize you because you were wearing a mask by the pit." The young policeman scratched his head, his gaze sweeping over her face. His tone was sincere. "I didn't expect you to be so young... and so beautiful."

Sunlight streamed in through the window, falling on her profile. Her features were delicate, not the kind that would immediately stun you, but rather captivating. Her nose was straight and refined, her lips pale, and at that moment they were slightly pursed, revealing no emotion.

Mu Siwan looked at the policeman and nodded.

"Thanks."

Meng Qing sat beside her, took a sip of his tea, and said nothing. But his eyes, looking down from above the teacup, lingered on her face for a moment.

The doorway suddenly darkened.

A group of people walked in.

The figure at the head of the group wore a dark gray shirt, the sleeves casually rolled up to his forearms. He was tall and slender, exuding a nonchalant and aloof air. He turned his head to listen to the people next to him, his expression indifferent, yet captivating.

Xiao Qin was facing the door when she looked up and froze.

Holy crap.

She instinctively grabbed Mu Siwan's hand.

"Master, look, look—there's that by the door!"

Mu Siwan turned her head in the direction of her gaze.

Bo Yan stood at the door, followed by several middle-aged men in suits, who were talking in hushed tones. He glanced casually inside, his gaze pausing when it swept over her table.

Then he looked away and continued walking upstairs to the private room.

Xiao Qin waited for them to walk over, then grabbed Mu Siwan's hand and shook it frantically.

"Master, did you see that guy? He's so handsome! He has such a strong presence! He looks like a rich person!"

Mu Siwan looked down at her hand, which was being gripped so tightly it hurt.

"I saw it."

Xiao Qin's eyes widened: "Is that all you're going to do?"

Mu Siwan picked up her teacup, took a sip, and calmly hummed in agreement.

"He is quite handsome," she said.