Origin of Image

  "Is my chin so perfect that you can't bear to look away?" A low voice suddenly appeared beside my ear, and at the same time, a hand on my shoulder gently lifted me up, and the person who had been sleeping soundly sat up straight, also releasing the hand that had been wrapped around my waist.

  I stared at him, only to find that words like "embarrassed" and "sorry" couldn't be found on his face. Instead, he stretched out his hands and feet as if it was a matter of course, and muttered in a low voice: "It's all bones, not comfortable at all." It took me four or five seconds to react, and I realized that he was actually mocking my figure. I raised an eyebrow and ignored him.

  After he finally stretched his muscles, he pointed to the messy reports and photos on the table and asked: "How's it going? Have you figured anything out?" I turned my eyes to look at him and said softly: "Suppose I told you that I saw the scene before Yu Xiuping was killed, would you believe me?"

  "See?" Gao Cheng raised an eyebrow, "It's a feeling again, looks like your skills have improved. Previously, you had to be on the scene, now just looking at the photo is enough."

  I shifted my gaze away, "Don't believe it then."

  But he said, "Who says I don't believe you? If you didn't have this talent, I'd let them bring the materials for you to see." Astonished, I looked back at him, and he didn't seem to be lying. "But you also said..." He directly cut me off with an impatient wave of his hand: "First, tell me about the scene where Yu Xiuping was killed, focus on the details."

  I'm a person who has healed from past wounds and forgotten the pain. When he acknowledged my thoughts, I once again seriously recalled the process and described the scene bit by bit. After I finished speaking, Gao Cheng only gave a five-word evaluation: "Completely lacking in originality."

  With a sulky expression, I turned my head and heard him ask behind my ear, "What? Not convinced?" I let out a light hum, feeling quite stifled. The annoying "fly" was still buzzing: "From the two video clips you described, I can infer even more from the scene, because the perpetrator has already revealed these to forensic experts and trace evidence specialists. I can even say that the images you perceived are the result of the brain's comprehensive reflection on text and photos. Do you think this can be used as a basis?"

  I originally thought of ignoring whatever he said, but after hearing the back, I couldn't help but turn around and angrily retort: "You're talking nonsense! How can a few words on the surface and some photos reflect such a long video? Moreover, when I was on Mr. Wu's balcony, where were the photos and texts presented to me? How do you explain the video at that time?"

  Gao Cheng remained unmoved: "Are you getting angry now? I'm just discussing the matter at hand. What I want to tell you is that whenever you speak, you must have a rational basis, rather than unrealistic fantasies. Through on-site investigation and forensic psychology, it's a basic course in criminology. If you haven't received training in this area, all you can say is that you have a talent for it, which is closely related to your profession. But fundamentally speaking, it doesn't represent anything, do you understand? Great painter."

  The last three words "great painter" expressed his contempt in a very subtle way.

  But I didn't get angry, instead I calmed down and thought about his words carefully. Trying to understand what he meant: "Are you saying that the reason why those images appeared in my mind is because I'm a painter, with attention to detail and rich imagination space, which collided with the scene of the crime?"

  Gao Cheng's face showed a "finally understood" expression: "I finally get it."

  I still don't understand, "Are these images presented as real events or just imaginary fantasies?"

  "You'd better ask them."

  "Them?" I was surprised to see Gao Cheng's gaze shift towards the photos on the table, his tone as unruly as usual: "They don't just refer to these on the table, but... evidence! Everything is about evidence."

  Staring at his profile, I had a misconception that he was an expert in this field, rather than the bad kid who relied on his parents' connections and got kicked out of school abroad.