Bloodstains on the Aisle

"The wedding decorations were completed a day in advance. If the bloodstains under the carpet are confirmed to be Lu Kai's, then he was attacked last night."
Behind Gu Jiu, another man's voice sounded, almost simultaneously with Cheng Yu Zhu.
"Brother," she turned, meeting Gu Jing Yang's gloomy eyes.
Gu Jing Yang was Gu Jiu's older brother, six years her senior. His face was sharp and firm, accompanied by peach blossom eyes. Like Gu Jiu, he didn't like to smile. This diminished the charm of his peach blossom eyes but revealed the allure of a mature man.
Gu Jing Yang looked at Gu Jiu, patted her shoulder, signaling her to stay put. Then he parted the crowd and walked to where the red carpet had been rolled up.
"Police..."
Gu Jiu intently watched the tall figure's back amidst the crowd. In her ears was Gu Jing Yang's steady voice, which instantly silenced the murmuring crowd. The scene was quickly cordoned off. At the other end, Gu Jing Yang was calling someone from the criminal investigation team.
Soon after, several unfamiliar faces gradually appeared inside the wedding hall. The last to enter was a young man, tall and slender, with a striking appearance. The moment he stepped into the banquet hall, his eyes were fixed on Gu Jiu.
The feeling of being watched made Gu Jiu turn her head, but the young man had long since averted his gaze. She paid no mind, lowering her eyes to stare at the white tile in front of her, unclear whether she was thinking or simply lost in thought.
"Team Leader Gu, this is human blood. The specifics still require further testing."
In the quiet room, a voice suddenly rang out, capturing Gu Jiu's attention.
"How can this be? It's impossible. Nothing will happen to Lu Kai..." Chu Zi Wan, dressed in a pristine white wedding gown, stood frozen, her eyes fixed on the bloodstains on the ground, shaking her head like a rattle drum, refusing to believe the truth before her eyes. In an instant, good news turned into bad. Indeed, life is like a gamble; joy and sorrow can change in a flash. No one knows what will happen in the next moment.
"I know you, you're Gu Jiu's brother," Chu Zi Wan suddenly noticed Gu Jing Yang, gripping his hand like a drowning person clutching at a final straw. "Lu Kai will be fine, won't he? I saw him last night, and this morning the four groomsmen also saw him. The blood under the carpet, it can't be his..."
Her voice trailed off with a sob, sounding utterly helpless. Chu Zi Wan denied it so vehemently because she knew in her heart that a tragedy had occurred, but she simply couldn't accept it.
Gu Jing Yang watched Chu Zi Wan sway as if she might faint at any moment. He reached out to support her, his expression calm and unchanged. "For now, everything is still under investigation, Miss Chu. Where did you last see Lu Kai? When exactly?"
Chu Zi Wan lowered her head, choking back tears for a long time. When she looked up, her red eyes were brimming with tears. She used all her remaining strength to compose herself. "Last night, probably after seven o'clock, we met at Tian Jie Plaza – this is where Lu Kai proposed to me.
Then he drove me home. We separated before nine o'clock; I wasn't paying much attention to the time."
She paused, her emotions still unstable but seemingly calmer than before. "My home is too far from the wedding hotel. Xing Ning City doesn't have a tradition of fetching the bride, and besides..."
"Lu Kai's health isn't very good," Chu Zi Wan's voice was much softer. "So there wasn't a custom of 'kicking down the door to snatch the bride' at the hotel. Lu Kai and I just wanted to have a simple wedding, inviting a few close friends and family." Lu Kai suffered from congenital heart disease and was the only son of the Lu family, always carefully protected.
On the other hand, the Lu family was influential in Xia Ning, and Mrs. Lu valued her reputation greatly. At this point, Chu Zi Wan deliberately lowered her voice.
"Actually, the wedding was about to begin, but Lu Kai suddenly disappeared. I didn't see him this morning either, but the groomsmen who came with Lu Kai are here, what's his name... Chu Yue, he's over there..."
Chu Zi Wan raised her hand, pointing to a man in a suit standing not far away. "Just now, Chu Yue told me that after they arrived at the hotel this morning, Lu Kai said he hadn't slept well last night and had been resting in his room. Who knew that when the wedding was about to begin, he couldn't be found?"
As soon as Chu Zi Wan finished speaking, Gu Jiu raised an eyebrow out of habit.
"This red carpet was flipped over by someone, it's hard to say, could it be..." The latter half of the sentence remained unspoken, but "could it be" – a case.
Gu Jiu didn't know where this sentence came from. The volume was so low that others couldn't hear it, but Gu Jiu's hearing was excellent; she heard every word clearly. She turned her head calmly to look at the groomsman Chu Zi Wan had just pointed to.
If Lu Kai was murdered last night, how did the four groomsmen meet him this morning?
If the person had been dead since last night, then who did the groomsmen group come to the hotel with?
What was perplexing was, if Lu Kai was killed last night, why was it only discovered right before the wedding began?
Lu Kai's family didn't discover it, the groomsmen didn't discover it, and the guests didn't discover it. A living person just disappeared, yet no one noticed. There were too many inconsistencies in Lu Kai's disappearance from beginning to end.
"Things that seem inexplicable often have very simple reasons."
A familiar voice slowly entered her ears, Cheng Yu Zhu's characteristic "smoky voice," with a low, deep ending.
"Investigating cases is the police's job. Lawyer Cheng should quickly look for potential clients at the scene. Given Lawyer Cheng's track record, the killer has a high chance of seeking you out."
She spoke with blunt sarcasm, her voice cold and several shades sharper than before.
Three years ago, Cheng Yu Zhu rose to fame for the "billionaire kills wife" case in Xia Ning City. He was the most junior lawyer at Meng Ao Law Firm but played a crucial role in successfully appealing for the billionaire Pan Wei Liang, after which he was highly regarded by Pan Wei Liang, becoming his honored guest, earning him countless admirers and much slander from others.
To Gu Jiu's mockery, Cheng Yu Zhu merely smiled it off.
He was very tall, standing diagonally behind Gu Jiu. Lowering his eyes, he could see the delicate nape of her neck, and the alluring curve beneath her low-cut shirt.
Cheng Yu Zhu's gaze fell casually and unreservedly on Gu Jiu, as if appreciating a work of art in a gallery, without any dark intentions. Yet, his deep, captivating eyes were even heavier at this moment. No man had ever been like him, casually writing the two words "desire" in his eyes, then instantly appearing indifferent.
"Xiao Jiu, I'm not lying. As for them, perhaps they are the ones lying." He said, then walked past her without stopping.
After Cheng Yu Zhu left, Gu Jiu remained rooted to the spot, her arms hanging by her sides, her trembling hands clenched into fists, which she did not release for a long time.