Resumen del episodio 20 de Light to the Night
> Resúmenes de Light to the Night
He Xiaohe visited the Archive Room at the Weiyang Public Security Bureau Nanshan Branch to investigate the June 30th Case (Case C2643). While there, she met Mr. Xia, a veteran of the logistics office. Mr. Xia spoke fondly of the late Ran Fangxu, noting that the modern archive facility existed only because Captain Ran had tirelessly lobbied the leadership for funding.
He confessed that he could still imagine Ran sitting in the room, diligently turning through case files page by page. While searching through the evidence for Case C2643, Xiaohe reviewed a list that included a Pattia staff badge, a black robe, and other items belonging to Xu Meng. However, she noticed that a pair of blue leather heels was missing from the evidence box.
Mr. Xia insisted that every item was recorded, and upon checking the logbook, Xiaohe discovered that the shoes had been checked out by Ran Fangxu years ago and were never returned. Xiaohe later spoke with Liang Juan, who recalled a lunch in the winter of 2002 where Ran Fangxu had uncharacteristically brought up fashion.
He had asked the staff whether red or blue leather heels were easier to pair with clothes, eventually proposing a bizarre combination of blue leather wrapped over red shoes. Xiaohe shared this discovery with He Yuanhang, and they realized Ran had likely discovered the blue heels in the evidence were fakes. He Yuanhang explained that "cardboard shoes"—cheap fakes made of cardboard covered in artificial leather—were common in the 90s and would peel apart if they got wet.
To verify this, He Yuanhang sought out Lili, a former colleague of Xu Meng. Over a meal of Mao Xue Wang, Lili recalled a similar conversation with Ran Fangxu in 2002. She explained that Xu Meng was incredibly picky about her appearance and would never have worn fake shoes. Furthermore, since they worked in a foot massage shop where their footwear frequently got wet, cardboard shoes would have fallen apart almost immediately.
Lili noted that He Yuanhang had the exact same stunned expression Ran Fangxu wore during their interview years ago. Based on these findings, He Yuanhang and Xiaohe concluded during a phone call that Wu Shanlong had been framed. He Yuanhang pointed out that the blue shoes in Wu’s home were found on a rack where every other pair was meticulously arranged by color, yet the blue ones were in the wrong spot.
This suggested that whoever planted them didn't account for Wu’s obsessive-compulsive nature. He Yuanhang theorized that the real killer must have had a grudge against the Xu family, possessed the strength and technical skill to dismember bodies, knew of Wu’s fetish, and was intimately familiar with the layout of Yuanlongli to avoid surveillance. Determined to find the truth, He Yuanhang decided to move into Yuanlongli, renting Room 609 from Wang Wuluan.
His arrival was met with curiosity by the local "holdouts" who were resisting redevelopment led by the aggressive Qian Dajun. He Yuanhang joined the neighbors' group chat and encouraged them to provide any information regarding Ran Fangxu’s activities in the area during 2002.
During a confrontation between the residents and the demolition team, He Yuanhang asserted his legal status as a tenant and defended the project manager, Qiao Suqing, from the neighbors' indiscriminate anger, while also warning Qian Dajun to mind his conduct. He Yuanhang also spoke with the local internet cafe owner, whose son, Du Mingliang, had been helped by Ran Fangxu years ago.
Through these local connections, he learned that Ran had been investigating "double-layered" counterfeit shoes—shoes where one layer of leather was wrapped over another. He Yuanhang tasked Xiaohe with tracking down vendors from the 1997 Riverside Night Market. After contacting hundreds of people, Xiaohe finally identified a woman named Liu Guifang. When they tracked her down at a mahjong parlor, Liu admitted to selling fake shoes back then.
She examined a photo of the double-layer leather shoes and identified the craftsmanship as that of Mr. Lu, a "fake shoe king" from Pingzhao County known for making counterfeits that could pass as authentic. Realizing they were following the same trail Ran Fangxu had taken thirteen years earlier, He Yuanhang and Xiaohe prepared to head to Pingzhao County to find the craftsman.
