Chapter 44 [VIP] Carnivorous Flower (3)

Chapter 44 [VIP] Carnivorous Flower (3)

With a clear direction, everything became easier. Meng Siqi immediately invited Zhao Leiting to visit Fu Songan's family together.

The two drove to a residential area and learned that Fu Songan's wife lived there. Guided by the security guard, they easily found a house on the first floor.

Outside the door was a small courtyard that had clearly been neglected for a long time, looking somewhat desolate with vines covering the original plants.

Despite this, Meng Siqi could tell from the clothes hanging in the yard that at least one woman and a child lived there—likely Fu Songan's wife and daughter.

Zhao Leiting knocked on the door directly. An elderly woman in her fifties or sixties opened it, with half-gray hair. She asked, "Who are you?"

Meng Siqi and Zhao Leiting were both in casual clothes. To facilitate their work, Zhao Leiting took out his police ID and said, "Auntie, is this Fu Songan's home? We are from the City Public Security Bureau, here to gather information."

The elderly woman's expression immediately turned serious. Before she could speak, a young woman's voice came from inside: "Mom, who is it?"

"It's the police," the elderly woman whispered back.

She stood at the door, waiting for a response, unsure whether to let them in. Meng Siqi guessed that the young woman inside must be Fu Songan's wife, and the elderly woman might be her mother or Fu Songan's mother.

Just as Zhao Leiting asked again if this was Fu Songan's home, a woman in her thirties appeared, looking slightly haggard and disheveled, as if busy with household chores. She removed her rubber gloves and asked, "Are you officers? Is there any news about Songan?"

Zhao Leiting replied, "Hello, we just want to gather some information about Fu Songan. Can we come in and talk?"

"Sure, please come in." The woman put down her gloves, quickly tidied up the sofa and coffee table, and then said to the elderly woman, "Mom, please serve tea to our guests."

"No need, no need to trouble yourself. We'll just sit for a bit," Zhao Leiting waved his hand.

Meng Siqi looked around the room. There were stuffed toys on the sofa, indicating a young daughter.

There was no information about the male owner in the living room, which was somewhat messy, unlike a well-kept home.

Fu Songan was thirty-one years old. His wife was named Pan Chun, and they had a two-year-old daughter. Pan Chun had quit her job to take care of their daughter full-time.

After tidying up the sofa, Pan Chun invited them to sit down. Meng Siqi sat on the sofa and took out her notebook.

The elderly woman brought two glasses of hot tea. Meng Siqi smiled and accepted them, then asked Pan Chun, "Ms. Pan, can you sit down and chat with us for a moment?"

Pan Chun nodded and said to the elderly woman, "Mom, please go look after Xixi."

"Okay." The elderly woman left and closed the door.

As soon as the door shut, Pan Chun anxiously asked, "Is there any news about Songan?" Her eyes showed both anxiety and hope.

Zhao Leiting replied, "I'm sorry, we haven't received any news about Fu Songan. However, we're here to gather information about his situation before he left the country. We hope you can cooperate with our investigation."

The hopeful light in Pan Chun's eyes dimmed. She licked her dry lips and said, "Okay, ask away."

Meng Siqi picked up her notebook and asked, "Ms. Pan, I have some questions that require your calmness, as we are trying to understand the truth behind Mr. Fu's disappearance."

"Okay." Pan Chun nodded, showing little emotion.

"Last September, did you know about Mr. Fu's departure abroad? Did he mention anything to you before leaving?" Meng Siqi asked.

"I knew. He often went abroad for technical exchanges. Since I'm not in the medical field, I didn't ask much. That time, he was in a hurry and left directly from his studio. Later, I heard from the school that Songan had gone missing abroad..." Pan Chun paused, her mood turning slightly sad.

They asked a few more questions about his departure, but Pan Chun's answers were vague and seemed secondhand, lacking detail.

Seeing that Pan Chun might not know much, Meng Siqi skipped ahead and asked, "How was your relationship with Fu Songan?"

Pan Chun seemed caught off guard by the question, her eyes flickering with evasion. She pursed her lips and slowly said, "Our relationship has always been good."

"I heard that Fu Songan had a female student who was close to him..."

"That's all rumors!" Pan Chun suddenly spoke forcefully, her emotions flaring. "Songan is very family-oriented. He's just busy with work. Such things are impossible for him."

It seemed that rumors about Song Xinran and Fu Songan had indeed spread, otherwise Pan Chun wouldn't have reacted so strongly.

"I believe you. Can you recall anything about Fu Songan and his female student, Song Xinran?"

"I've already said there's nothing between them!" Pan Chun emphasized, her emotions even more agitated.

"Sorry, Ms. Pan. I know this is difficult, but it might be related to Fu Songan's disappearance. Don't you want to find out what happened to him?"

"Do you think Songan's disappearance is linked to that woman?" Pan Chun's agitation suddenly turned to resentment.

"We only suspect it," Meng Siqi answered cautiously.

Pan Chun seemed to be recalling painful memories, her resentment growing. After a while, her tense face relaxed, and she licked her lips, saying, "I don't know much, but I can tell you..."

Pan Chun glanced at the closed door and lowered her voice. "Songan's work got busier, especially after our daughter was born. He barely managed to take leave from work. At first, I didn't mind, since Songan and I grew up together. One day, a cake was delivered to our home, signed by Song Xinran. That's when I realized a female student had designs on Songan. I asked him, and he said it was a student's gesture, sent to the wrong place. I trusted Songan."

"With the baby, I couldn't pay much attention to Songan's life. He was always busy. Before the baby, I used to bring him lunch occasionally, but after the birth, I rarely visited. Once, I brought lunch to surprise him at his studio and saw a young girl bringing him food. I later learned her name was Song Xinran, and she was constantly trying to seduce my husband. I can't say much, but people told me about her wicked ways."

To Pan Chun, Song Xinran was a homewrecker, a fact believed by those who knew Fu Songan.

Fu Songan was an excellent lecturer and associate professor, young and accomplished, dedicated to medicine. People viewed him as honest and upright, which Meng Siqi had confirmed beforehand.

Song Xinran, on the other hand, was Fu Songan's student. After graduation, she didn't seek employment, leaving her resume blank. She stayed by Fu Songan's side for four years, a choice many found incomprehensible.

Regardless of whether Song Xinran was a homewrecker, most people would likely assume she was the one behaving improperly.

Meng Siqi asked, "Did you ever confirm any unusual relationship between Fu Songan and Song Xinran?"

"There couldn't be any. It was blatant seduction. That woman is shameless. She graduated and refused to go anywhere else, sacrificing her future just to seduce Songan. What does she want? Nothing but Songan's fame and status. I can see through her wicked nature."

Pan Chun spoke with gritted teeth, having already judged Song Xinran's character, unchangeable by anyone.

Meng Siqi believed more in facts and evidence. During those four years, what did Song Xinran truly want? Was it really Fu Songan's fame and status, to become a mistress and disrupt someone else's family? Or was there another reason? If this matter wasn't clarified, then it would be impossible to delve deeper into Song Xinran. It would also be difficult to determine if she was involved in Jin Yaming's crimes.

"So, you warned Song Xinran?" Meng Siqi guessed.

"I didn't. Talking to that kind of woman makes me feel dirty..." Pan Chun was emotionally agitated, her chest heaving, but she seemed to be controlling herself, her tone relatively calm, "After I gave birth, I was very depressed. One time when Songan came home, we had a big fight. That day, Fu Songan explained to me that there was nothing between him and Song Xinran, but I threatened divorce, and Fu Songan said he would consider firing Song Xinran. That's when I let it go."

Pan Chun could be seen as a cultured and tasteful woman. From the moment she entered, Meng Siqi could sense that despite some setbacks in life, her skin still had a luster, except for slightly puffy eyes and a few strands of disheveled hair.

Moreover, she kept her emotions within an acceptable range. She hated Song Xinran deeply, expressing her resentment, but she didn't use much abusive language. She didn't confront the mistress directly either. All of this proved that she still loved Fu Songan and maintained her good manners in his eyes.

Pan Chun said, "After the argument, I believed Fu Songan would handle it, so I waited, until..." Her voice trailed off, revealing a hint of sorrow through her pale lips, "He never came back..."

Pan Chun took a long time to compose herself. Meng Siqi understood Pan Chun's feelings and didn't ask any more questions. In fact, trying to understand who Song Xinran was from Pan Chun was indeed difficult. Once someone is labeled, all their actions are seen as premeditated.

For example, the cake incident—Pan Chun must have thought it was Song Xinran's provocation, a mistress challenging the wife. But the truth might not be like that. So, Song Xinran's image in Pan Chun's mind was that of a greedy, shameless, and despicable mistress.

After bidding farewell to Pan Chun, they returned to the car, contemplating their next move. Zhao Leiting said, "I think anyone who knows Fu Songan would believe Song Xinran is a mistress."

"What do you mean?"

"My point is, after Song Xinran graduated, she disappeared from her classmates' sight. No one can say what kind of person she is. But Fu Songan is different; he's a famous professor with a high social status. Even if he seduced or forced Song Xinran, others wouldn't think so."

Meng Siqi understood Zhao Leiting's point. In this story, Song Xinran was naturally the weaker party. Whatever she did, she was seen as an intruder disrupting someone's family. She had no voice.

Perhaps who was the dominant figure wasn't the most important thing. Meng Siqi wanted to know what happened during those four years, when Jin Yaming appeared, and how he became Song Xinran's new boyfriend.

If these questions remained unanswered, Song Xinran's image would remain vague.

"How about checking out Fu Songan's studio?" Zhao Leiting suggested.

Based on the information gathered and what Pan Chun mentioned, Fu Songan had a private studio besides his role as a professor, possibly related to medicine.

The studio might not be large, and with Fu Songan juggling his academic duties, he would need help. Song Xinran might have been his assistant there. Investigating their environment might make the investigation easier.

"Sure, I'd like to see it too," she replied.

Zhao Leiting started the car and sped away.