Episode Summary
In a bid to acquire a "haunted" house cheaply, Xia Yingqi's plan is complicated by the discovery of a bizarre murder. The victim, Hong Xiu, has been turned into a "Guardian Corpse." The investigation, led by Tang Zhenyun and forensic examiner Xia Mo, points to a killer with a hair fetish. Their efforts are stonewalled by their corrupt superiors, Shen Lian and Gao Ying, who are trying to cover up another case. Following a new lead from an informant, Song Mama, about a rickshaw puller with a white bracelet, Tang Zhenyun and Xia Mo are ambushed by the Green Bamboo Gang and thrown into the sea.
Spoiler Alert
Rosefinch Episode 4: The Guardian Corpse and a Web of Lies
The episode opens with a scheme already in motion. The ambitious Xia Yingqi, looking to make a huge profit, has his eyes on a supposedly haunted house. To drive the price down, he bribes a Feng Shui master to convince the owner that the property is plagued by a dark presence. The plan works a little too well. Just as the deal is about to close, the body of a woman named Hong Xiu is discovered on the second floor, sending the terrified owner fleeing after selling the house for a pittance.
Detective Tang Zhenyun and forensic examiner Xia Mo arrive at the grim scene. They find Hong Xiu's body in a bizarre, suspended state. All her hair has been cut off, and her face is covered by a burial mask. It's a chilling sight, and Xia Mo recognizes it as the ritualistic creation of a "Guardian Corpse"—a puppet whose soul is eternally enslaved.
The autopsy reveals the true horror of Hong Xiu's final moments. Xia Mo confirms she was brutally tortured; her bones were systematically shattered with an iron rod before she was strangled. The crucial clue comes from deep within her throat: a tightly packed ball of hair. This leads Xia Mo to believe the killer has a pathological obsession with hair. Both he and Tang Zhenyun immediately suspect someone bald might be their culprit. On the way back, Xia Yingqi talks about the lucrative business of flipping supposedly haunted houses, but he's shaken when Xia Mo prophetically calls the small building "a tomb."
Back at the station, the plot thickens. Tang Zhenyun reports the findings to his superior, Shen Lian, only to walk into a conspiracy. Shen Lian and Gao Ying are fabricating a story to quickly close a different case, claiming a man named Wen Yuting killed his lover Kong Qian'er out of jealousy before committing suicide. They want to officially rule it a murder-suicide. When Xia Mo submits his conflicting autopsy report, it infuriates Shen Lian. Tang Zhenyun, refusing to be part of the cover-up, throws the "Scourge of Evil" banner that Gao Ying had given him back in his face, declaring he won't stand with corruption. Gao Ying simply responds with a cold, knowing smile.
Determined to find the truth, Xia Mo and Tang Zhenyun visit the Hongyue Tower at night to question the madam, Song Mama. After accepting a payment, she provides a critical lead: on the night of the murder, she saw a new rickshaw puller turning around at the entrance of unit 25. She distinctly remembers a white beaded bracelet on his wrist and believes he is the killer.
Just as they are about to leave, their investigation is violently interrupted. The two are ambushed and overwhelmed by the Green Bamboo Gang. The episode ends on a heart-stopping cliffhanger: Tang Zhenyun and Xia Mo are bound and thrown into the dark waters of the sea.
