SFTD -Chapter 292 Bride Who Fell from a Building (Part 1)

On July 20, 2015, before Zhou Hai could even head to Migao, he received an urgent call from Fengzi early in the morning, just before 7:30.

A woman wearing a wedding dress had jumped from a building at the Lijing Grand Hotel in the Dongcheng District.

Fengzi had already taken people to check the scene, but found nothing unusual. However, the woman’s family refused to accept the conclusion. They insisted their daughter could not have committed suicide, and since no evidence of suicide could be found, they requested Zhou Hai come personally to take a look—especially since Huang Zhongsheng was in Migao working with the inspection team.

After hanging up, Zhou Hai quickly finished the remaining half bowl of porridge and hurried out.

At the dining table, the dog “Pork Knuckle,” which had been quietly waiting, stood up listlessly. Its wagging tail drooped as it trotted toward the kitchen. Seeing Liu Jie, it rubbed against her leg with a pitiful expression.

Liu Jie tapped its head. “So now you want attention? Where were you earlier? Dr. Zhou is such a good person and you still bullied him. Don’t try to flatter me—no fried eggs for you. Go eat dog food.”

…

Ten minutes later, Zhou Hai arrived at the Lijing Grand Hotel. Only when he pulled up to the entrance did he realize it was the same hotel where he had attended a wedding banquet on Saturday.

As soon as he got out of the car, Fengzi ran over.

“Boss, you’re here!”

He took the evidence kit from Zhou Hai’s trunk and led him toward the lobby.

Zhou Hai looked around and noticed there was no large crowd outside, which made him slightly puzzled.

“Not outside?”

Fengzi knew Zhou Hai wasn’t familiar with the hotel layout, so he explained:

“You probably haven’t been upstairs. The Lijing Grand Hotel has a central atrium design—like a circular courtyard with an open ceiling, inspired by traditional Chinese siheyuan architecture. It saves on lighting. Since hotel guests care about experience, every room has a window regardless of direction. The building is cylindrical, with corridors around the atrium on each floor, and rooms arranged on the outer side of the corridors.”

Zhou Hai nodded. He realized he had only stayed in the restaurant last time and hadn’t noticed the structure. The design was clearly well thought out.

As they spoke, they entered the lobby—and immediately saw a large crowd gathered inside. Guests and staff were surrounded by police cordons.

Zhou Hai looked up. The atrium was indeed impressive; sunlight poured in from above. People on each floor leaned over the railings watching, some even taking photos. A waterfall-like light installation hung down from the seventh floor, suggesting it would look spectacular at night.

A man walked over quickly, eyes wide, and saluted Zhou Hai. He was Xu Jun, a subordinate of Huang Zhongsheng. Zhou Hai had worked with him during the previous “giant cadaver” case.

Before even reaching him, Xu Jun stretched out his hand enthusiastically.

“Dr. Zhou, sorry to trouble you!”

Zhou Hai nodded slightly and said calmly to those around him and those on the upper floors:

“Seal off the hotel for now. Keep all bystanders isolated. We can’t control distant photos or videos, but try to prevent high-resolution images from leaking—that will seriously affect the investigation. Coordinate with the hotel. They’re the ones who least want negative publicity. Offer discounts or even waive charges if necessary. You have five minutes. I’ll prepare for the on-site examination.”

Xu Jun immediately tensed up. He had only heard of Zhou Hai’s decisiveness before, but now a few words were enough to make him break into a cold sweat. If it had been his own superior here, he might have already been shouted at or kicked.

Zhou Hai didn’t say much, but every sentence hit the mark precisely. Xu Jun realized he had indeed handled things poorly and quickly ran off to carry out the orders.

Fengzi covered his mouth and laughed.

Zhou Hai glanced at him. “You’re next.”

He then walked toward the densest crowd.

As he approached, Zhou Hai frowned slightly. The lobby area had been decorated like a fantasy forest—likely for some anime-related event. There were trees, bushes, red-roofed houses, small animals, and cartoon figures.

Now the scene was in chaos. Broken branches and debris were scattered everywhere. A white wedding dress was visible caught among the branches.

Zhou Hai paused slightly. The white dress always reminded him of Xi Xi.

Fengzi tugged at his sleeve.

“Boss, I’ve got protective gear.”

Zhou Hai nodded and changed into the forensic suit and equipment.

By then, Xu Jun had already cleared the lobby of guests. Staff stood in a circle with their backs to the scene, while upstairs guests were also being guided away.

Without praise or comment, Zhou Hai put on his goggles and walked into the scene. Zhang Wenqi and Xiao Liang were already inside the area, apparently having finished collecting traces, with only the body left untouched.

As Zhou Hai approached, Xiao Liang noticed him first.

“Brother Hai, Brother Luo brought reinforcements!”

Those words immediately eased Zhang Wenqi’s tension. He quickly greeted Zhou Hai.

“Deputy Director Zhou!”

“Just call me Dr. Zhou. Everyone here is working—no need for titles. Fengzi, report the findings.”

Zhang Wenqi looked a bit embarrassed. Xiao Liang patted his shoulder, signaling that Zhou Hai wasn’t criticizing him.

Luo Yunfeng stepped forward and lowered his voice:

“Around 6:30 this morning, the lobby staff heard a loud crash and screams. When they rushed over, they found someone had fallen from above.

They called the police and 120. Then they notified the family members who were staying with the victim upstairs. The mother was extremely emotional and kept insisting it was impossible.

When the ambulance arrived, they confirmed death at the scene.

The hotel asked the family whether the deceased had shown any suicidal intent. The mother immediately broke down, refusing anyone to touch her daughter and shouting that everything must wait for the police.

She kept insisting that while anyone else might commit suicide, her daughter never would—because she was pregnant.

I arrived with Xu Jun afterward. From the scene, I don’t see signs of homicide. There are no meaningful traces upstairs or downstairs, so I had to call you.

The victim is named Zhang Huihui, 24 years old, originally from Weihai. Six years ago, she moved with her parents to Dongnan City.

She studied and worked here. She is currently an accountant at a health products company in Dongnan, and was apparently preparing for marriage. More than a dozen relatives have been staying here for four or five days.

Other details—such as the fiancé and social connections—are still being verified. Her family is too emotional to provide clear statements.”

Zhou Hai nodded. However, upon hearing that the victim was pregnant, a faint image flashed in his mind. He shook his head to clear it and knelt beside the body to begin the examination.

The victim lay face down. The hem of her wedding dress was lifted and piled at her waist. Her legs were in an unnatural position—one bent, one straight—clearly indicating fractures, consistent with a fall from height.

Her legs, covered by the long dress, showed no major abrasions, but there was a purplish bruise on the left hip.

Her hair was neatly styled but covered with grass and foam fragments—materials from the decorative installation.

No obvious injuries were visible on her back, but there were multiple abrasions on her arms.

Zhou Hai moved to the other side to observe her face.

The moment he saw it clearly, he froze.

He had seen this woman before—but for a moment, he couldn’t remember where.