In the dead of night, the city's neon lights still flickered, and the empty streets resembled an abandoned stage, leaving behind silent memories. Su Wanqing walked into the city's most luxurious apartment complex, greeted by an atmosphere of both extravagance and loneliness. This was the residence of the famous blind pianist Lin Tianyu, whose name was well-known in the music world. Everyone knew that his sightless eyes had a mysterious connection with the keys of his piano. However, tonight, he had become a suspect in a bizarre murder case.
A theft and murder had occurred at Lin Tianyu's home. The victim was his female assistant, Chen Lin. Her body was found lying next to the piano, with clear signs of strangulation and knife wounds—she had clearly struggled for her life. Chen Lin was Lin Tianyu's trusted assistant and his only close companion. The suddenness of the case was hard to comprehend—why would a blind pianist be involved in such a brutal crime? What secret lay between the pianist and the victim?
Upon receiving the case report, Su Wanqing and Lu Chenzhou immediately rushed to the crime scene. A faint scent of perfume lingered in the air, but it was overpowered by the strong stench of blood. The floor was scattered with music sheets, a few papers were disheveled, and everything looked as if a violent struggle had taken place. Lin Tianyu was seated in a corner on the sofa, his hands folded in his lap, quietly closing his eyes. His bloodshot eyes were a clear indication of the long torment he had endured.
"I heard her scream," Lin Tianyu's voice was heavy, full of helplessness. "I wanted to save her, but my eyes... I couldn't see anything."
Su Wanqing carefully observed every detail of the scene. The layout of the crime scene was not complex—the interior design of the pianist's home was simple and modern. The most striking feature was the black grand piano, clearly Lin Tianyu's prized possession. Beside the keys, an unfinished sheet of music was turned upside down, resembling a melody that had yet to be completed.
"From the victim's wounds, it appears there were two types of weapons," Su Wanqing murmured. "One is the strangulation mark, and the other is a sharp knife wound. This is a complicated situation."
Lu Chenzhou nodded, his gaze lingering on the victim's body for a moment before turning to Lin Tianyu on the sofa. "Can you tell me what happened at the time of the incident?"
Lin Tianyu kept his head down, his gaze wandering. "I... I heard her scream. I tried to find her, but I couldn't see anything. When I touched her body, she was already... gone," he added softly. "I didn't do anything."
Su Wanqing did not rush to challenge his words but began to notice a few details—such as how Lin Tianyu's nails were neatly trimmed, almost too perfect, and a faint red mark behind his ear. She crouched down to carefully examine the body. The victim's hand had an unusual mark—an impression left by long-term contact with contact lenses. This discovery made her pause. If he were truly blind, how could he wear contact lenses?
"He's not truly blind," Su Wanqing thought, but maintained her calm demeanor.
She turned back to Lin Tianyu, her gaze sharpening slightly. "Can you tell me, are you really blind, or are you just pretending not to see?"
Lu Chenzhou, sensing something was off, pressed further. "What was your relationship with the victim, Chen Lin? Were there any conflicts between you two?"
A pained expression appeared on Lin Tianyu's face as he spoke softly, "Chen Lin was my friend... my only friend. I didn't kill her…"
Su Wanqing interrupted him calmly, "But her death seems to hide more secrets. You're not naturally blind. This assumption might change everything you've said."
At those words, Lin Tianyu froze. He began to panic, his voice trembling, "Y-You... how do you know?"
"The contact lens marks don't lie," Su Wanqing's voice was calm, but it carried an irrefutable sharpness.
Lin Tianyu fell silent for a few seconds before letting out a soft sigh. "Alright, you're right. My eyes are not completely blind. I... I just didn't want to face the world anymore. I had a severe car accident once, and after that, I lost my sight. I've been through countless hardships, even thinking about suicide. Until Chen Lin... she was always by my side, supporting me..."
As Lin Tianyu spoke, Su Wanqing's gaze shifted to something else— a mobile phone on the floor beneath the piano, clearly hastily hidden.
Without hesitation, she picked up the phone and checked the screen. The phone was locked, but she quickly realized that Lin Tianyu had an exceptional memory for passwords. She tried a few common combinations and finally unlocked it.
"What's this?" she read a message on the phone screen, which read: "Tomorrow night at 10, proceed as planned. You know what to do."
The message made Su Wanqing suspicious. She realized that the nature of the case was far more complicated than it appeared. She scrolled through the phone's other messages and indeed found records related to Lin Tianyu's financial situation. He had recently been borrowing money from gambling websites and loan sharks, with debts nearing five million.
"This is a self-directed conspiracy," Su Wanqing said, "Lin Tianyu staged this murder case to scam a large insurance payout. The victim, Chen Lin, may have unwittingly gotten involved in his gambling debts."
Lu Chenzhou had already started pulling Lin Tianyu's bank records and other financial information. Soon, evidence surfaced—Lin Tianyu had a strong financial motive, and just before the incident, he had contacted multiple loan sharks, indicating an inescapable debt crisis.
As the investigation deepened, the truth became clearer. Lin Tianyu had designed the "Blind Pianist's Trap," using Chen Lin as a scapegoat to stage a theft and murder, hoping to claim the insurance money to pay off his debts. His "blindness" was merely a carefully crafted facade to avoid responsibility.
In the end, Lin Tianyu was taken away by the police. His eyes were filled with regret and despair, while Su Wanqing sighed inwardly. It was another tragedy— a soul that had fallen into the abyss, consumed by the lies it had built for itself.