Episode Summary
Xu Jingzhi joins the task force, making things tense with his ex-wife and new boss, He Ya. The police identify the body inside the wax figure and arrest a transporter named Zhou Hui, but he is just a pawn. Xu investigates author Chen Danling and the mysterious Zhuang Mingcheng. Chen Danling eventually goes to the police, admitting a connection to the victim but denying the murder, claiming the setup is too obvious.
Spoiler Alert
Episode 2 Recap
The Ex-Factor
Things are awkward at the precinct. Feng Haifeng tries to warn Xu Jingzhi about a tiny detail regarding his transfer. He never told Xu's ex-wife, He Ya, that Xu was coming back. He Ya walks in before Feng can finish that sentence. Feng immediately bails. He leaves Xu to face the music alone. It is a classic cowardly move.
Xu looks terrified. He tries to play it cool. He tells He Ya he is back and reports to her now. She is not having it. She is mad she was the last person to know. Xu tries to change the subject. It doesn't work. She demands to know why he didn't tell her himself.
The rest of the squad watches this train wreck. Liu Ming gives Xu a warm welcome. But he notices the ice-cold vibe from He Ya. The office gossip mill starts turning immediately. Everyone knows they used to be married.
The Body in the Wax
The forensics team comes through. The "wax figure" from the previous episode isn't just art. It holds a complete male corpse. The victim was between 20 and 28 years old. There are strange burn marks on the body. The cause of those burns is a mystery.
The team checks local wax studios. They find nothing. He Ya officially announces Xu’s temporary placement on the team. The squad cheers. He Ya stays stone-faced.
Tang Shiqi gets a hit on a suspect. A guy named Zhou Hui matches the height and footprints found at the scene.
Red Herrings and Creepy Smiles
Xu puts Tang Shiqi to work on a photo lead. The team moves on Zhou Hui. He tries to fight back during the arrest. He Ya takes him down personally. She doesn't need help.
Xu heads to a book launch for the author, Chen Danling. Zhuang Mingcheng is there too. The event gets chaotic. A reader rushes the stage and throws paint at Chen Danling. Xu steps up to get an autograph. He notices Zhuang Mingcheng in the crowd. Zhuang gives a creepy, evil smile. Chen Danling stays surprisingly calm through the whole paint ordeal.
Back in the interrogation room, Zhou Hui cracks. He admits he moved the wax figure. He did it to pay off loan sharks. But he claims he had no idea a body was inside.
Xu gets a call from Tang Shiqi. The victim, Lu Youliang, has an active phone signal. It's moving. Xu looks at Zhuang Mingcheng across the room. He suspects him instantly. He dials the number. It’s not Zhuang. Xu drops the suspicion for now.
The Author Steps Up
Xu tells He Ya that Zhou Hui isn't their killer. He is just a mule. Xu goes back to the book for clues. He thinks the answer lies in the victim's relationships.
Xu meets up with Zhuang Mingcheng again. He senses something off about the guy. He tests him with a few questions. Zhuang is slippery. Xu promises they will meet again.
Meanwhile, the internet turns on Chen Danling. People are cursing her online. But one strange fan account defends her. This fan promises a big twist is coming in a few days. Chen Danling looks suspicious of this support.
Forensic expert Qin Haichao rules out strangulation. He builds a profile. The killer is likely mentally unstable. Maybe even a psychopath.
Chen Danling changes her tune. She stops acting like a victim. She drives herself to the police station. She admits she made a wax figure a month ago with an ex-boyfriend named Zheng Xintao. They broke up. She claims it was a short fling. She says she has no motive to kill him. She points out a simple logic. If she were the killer, she wouldn't write the exact murder method in her book. That would be stupid. She offers to cooperate fully.
