At the entrance to the third alley in the old city stands a tea shop called Qin's Tea House.
It closed eleven years ago, but its door has never been locked.
Wen Ruan goes to the old city every week. She stands across from Qin's Tea House and leaves a tin of very cheap tea. She never goes inside or says why.
Jiang Yi never asks. He only knows the case is connected to the old city, and to the cup of tea Chen Hongshan drank before he died.
The tea was warm, as if someone had poured it in advance and waited a long time for him.
"You go to the old city every week. Are you waiting for someone?"
"Someone I might never see again."
"If one day I get through that door before you, will you come in after me?"
"No. I'll leave the door open for you."
It has rained for many days. The old city draws nearer and nearer.
Some people have been gone for years, yet never really left.
Jiang Yi, a tough-talking but kindhearted criminal investigation captain with a rough exterior and a righteous heart, and Wen Ruan, a striking, cool-headed forensic pathologist who is slow to catch on in everyday life but steady at work.
