The river's hints are certainly not that simple. Simple, is Li Zhiyuan.

Because in life, there are few people and things that can truly matter to Li Zhiyuan.

This is his flaw, which makes it difficult for him to trigger causality, so he needs Tan Wenbin and the others to help him engage.

This is also his strength; he can stand from a third-party perspective to examine these clues, summarize, and explore patterns.

However, this Professor Zhu before him is an exception.

Li Zhiyuan himself had long discovered that he has a higher level of acceptance and tolerance for certain specific groups.

Professor Zhu had gained Li Zhiyuan's approval, and the young man was willing to interact with him.

Others have to sift through dozens, hundreds, or even more causal clues every day. For the young man, the number is extremely limited; it took much effort recently to accept this lead, and it turned out to have issues.

Unless the river's droplets didn't splash towards him, as long as a little, even just one drop, splashed towards him, then in Li Zhiyuan's perspective,

Professor Zhu... is already soaking wet.

"Shall we go now?"

"Alright."

"River Crossing Code of Conduct":

1. When causality clues show signs, the initial danger level tends to be low.

2. New causal clues need nurturing, follow their path, and try not to disrupt their development to obtain more information.

Therefore, Li Zhiyuan did not let Professor Zhu wait and call another companion to go with him.

The invitation was just for him alone; the professor's wife, who was gravely ill, also just wanted to see him. If he brought someone else along, the original course of events might change.

Professor Zhu's residential compound was not on campus, but in an old staff neighborhood outside the campus.

The environment in the neighborhood was nice, with an artificial river in front; Professor Zhu's house was on the first floor of the riverside building.

The small yard on the first floor was full of flowers, obviously trimmed and tended with care.

Push the door open, walk into the house, there was a scent of traditional Chinese medicine mixed with a faint orchid fragrance. It wasn't too pleasant, but compared to ordinary homes with sick people, this scent was quite nice.

"Xiao Yuan, should I get you a drink?"

"Professor, water will do for me."

"Water? Alright."

Professor Zhu poured a cup of tea for Li Zhiyuan. When handing it over, Li Zhiyuan got up from the sofa and took it with both hands.

After that, Professor Zhu pointed to the bedroom, apologizing to Li Zhiyuan for his absence. He softly knocked on the door twice and, getting a weak response from inside, opened the door and went in.

Sitting on the sofa, Li Zhiyuan examined the living room's environment.

There were many books in the living room, not just for show, each pile of books was positioned conveniently for one to pick up and read.

In the corner stood an easel, covered with a white cloth, flanked by stacks of drawing papers, both sketches and oil paintings.

The room wasn't big, and a lot of things were placed inside, making it feel a bit cramped, but the overall atmosphere was quite comfortable.

On the way over, Professor Zhu briefly introduced the family situation to Li Zhiyuan. Due to his wife's health, the old couple did not have children, supporting each other to this day.

Li Zhiyuan put down his teacup, leaned back against the sofa, sensed something falling to one side, and reached out to set it upright — it was a photo frame.

The photo frame had originally been wrapped in oilskin paper but had been opened, yet it was deliberately placed with the opening facing inward, as if unwilling for anyone to see it.

When it fell down, more than half of the photo frame slid out.

The frame was entirely black, with engraved mourner lines on the edges. Given the black-and-white photo in the middle, it could be seen that it was a memorial photo.

The woman inside was old, but her eyes and eyebrows remained gentle, even her face's densely packed wrinkles couldn't hide her dignified elegance.

This should be a pre-taken memorial photo, knowing her health was failing.

Many elderly people do this; first, it's a precaution to avoid chaos after passing; second, for those who die due to illness, they often don't have a pleasing appearance in death, so it's necessary to take a dignified photo while still in decent health, leaving a graceful memory at their funeral.

But the mourner lines on this frame... seem somewhat overly professional.

It's not just a simple resemblance; one can clearly feel the intricate internal bifurcations of each mourner line when rubbed with fingertips; it's a standard geodesic engraving.

Someone with such craftsmanship could even custom-make ancestral tablets for Grandma Liu's family.

In other words, this frame's craftsmanship cost is very high, and sometimes it's not a matter of price but also involves personal connections.

Furthermore, there's another detail; whether it was the skill of the photographer or makeup artist, the elderly lady in this black-and-white memorial photo surprisingly gave a delicate rosy sense.

It was an eerie contrast, as it really shouldn't give such an effect.

Li Zhiyuan leaned over to see if there was anything special about the frame's glass. After checking, nothing unusual was found.

However, upon re-examining the memorial photo, there seemed to be a subtle change, as if she had moved, and the character's gaze inside had shifted.

Li Zhiyuan took out a piece of "test paper" he had drawn from his pocket and applied it; the talisman paper had no reaction.

This was indeed strange. Could it really be his illusion?

Although he came here to find information clues, the young man truly hadn't expected that upon entering, a memorial photo he'd encountered would stump him.

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