Chapter 28: Madam Xue

Chapter 28: Madam Xue

After everyone had left, Zhou Qiming and the others came out from the break room.

"These people, it feels like they spoke but said nothing of substance. Everyone seems to have a solid alibi and a reasonable excuse," Zhou Qiming sighed. "The only thing we can confirm now is that Yuan Zhenghao was indeed not a good guy."

It’s no surprise that someone juggling multiple relationships would eventually get burned.

Wei Zhengyi flipped through the stack of interrogation records and looked up, asking, "Captain Yue, who do you think is the most suspicious?"

Yue Lingchuan said, "At first glance, Wei Xiaoxia is undoubtedly the most suspicious. Her statements have contradictions, and she also sports a rose tattoo. She even nailed the details of Yuan Zhenghao's death, which seems way too convenient."

Shen Qingye couldn't help but add, "But it’s precisely because it’s so coincidental that it feels off. Would she really leave such obvious clues after committing murder?"

"That’s why I said ‘at first glance,’” Yue Lingchuan replied. "Zheng Yudan seems to relish Yuan Zhenghao's death, but based on this interaction, she's too proud. People like her usually wouldn’t lower themselves to such actions. Liang Siqing and Lin Mengjiao don't seem to care much, He Shuwen is timid, and Xia Jingling has a boyfriend. It seems like no one has a solid motive."

That’s our only problem. Everyone seems to have some resentment toward Yuan Zhenghao, but no one appears to have a strong enough motive to kill him.

Zhou Qiming said, "Either we’re looking in the wrong direction, or they’re lying."

Jiang Cheng added, "I personally lean toward the latter."

Yue Lingchuan said, "Solving a case is about ruling out wrong leads one by one until we find the right one. We can’t just take their word for it."

"Captain is right," Wei Zhengyi agreed. "Should we divide and dig deeper?"

"That’s our only option now," Zhou Qiming said, looking at the transcripts. "I’ll take Wei Xiaoxia tomorrow. Zhengyi, can you handle He Shuwen?"

Wei Zhengyi nodded, "No problem."

Jiang Cheng said, "The first and third hospitals are close by. I’ll hit those two spots tomorrow."

Yue Lingchuan looked at Shen Qingye, "How about you, Xiao Shen?"

Shen Qingye opened her mouth, about to say she would handle Zheng Yudan, when suddenly there was a commotion outside the door: "Captain!"

Everyone turned to see Luo Kaiyang returning.

He hurried in, "I didn’t see anyone in the office, so I figured you’d be here."

Yue Lingchuan asked, "How’d the cleaner investigation go?"

Luo Kaiyang looked serious, "That’s what I was about to bring up."

He continued, "I got Wu Yanhong's home address from the hotel manager and went to her place to gather some basic information."

"She did recently misplace a set of work clothes, specifically on Friday night. She was rushing at the end of her shift and forgot to lock her locker in the changing room. When she remembered later, she didn't think much of it since there wasn't anything important inside, just a few clothes. But when she went back the next morning, she found the work clothes were gone."

"She was livid, never thinking someone would swipe even a ratty uniform. But after questioning her colleagues on duty that night, no one saw anyone messing with her locker. Wu Yanhong had no choice but to accept her bad luck and buy a new set."

Shen Qingye interjected, "Wait, doesn’t the hotel have surveillance? Didn’t the cameras catch anything?"

Luo Kaiyang replied, "They do have surveillance. After the incident, Wu Yanhong reported it to the cleaning supervisor, who thought it was bad for the hotel's reputation to have thefts. So, they took her to the surveillance room to check. They spotted a shadowy figure sneaking into the changing room around 2 a.m. on Saturday. But because it was too dark and the camera quality was poor, they couldn't identify who it was."

Shen Qingye fell into thought, "If I remember correctly, that hotel usually operates late into the night, right?"

Luo Kaiyang nodded, "Yes, that hotel typically operates 24/7. But because of the Yuan and Xue families' wedding, the hotel was fully booked these past few days and wasn't accepting outside guests. So, on Friday, they closed early."

Shen Qingye's brow twitched, almost instantly sensing something was off.

She pressed, "If the door was closed, how did she get in?"

Luo Kaiyang replied, "According to the surveillance footage, she likely emerged from a storage room on the hotel's first floor. I asked the hotel staff, and that room is usually used to store cleaning tools like brooms and mops. It's rarely accessed by outsiders, and no one bothers to clean it, so the window there is often left open. The killer might have slipped in through there." He paused, "I also went with the Trace Examination Unit to check, but we didn't find any fingerprints or similar traces nearby."

Yue Lingchuan frowned deeply, lost in thought.

Luo Kaiyang continued, "The key point is that, according to her coworkers, Wu Yanhong is usually very meticulous. The areas she’s responsible for cleaning are always spotless. How could she just forget to lock her locker?"

Shen Qingye looked up at him.

"I asked Wu Yanhong if anything out of the ordinary happened before she left work that day. She thought for a moment and said she’d just changed her clothes and was about to lock her locker when someone called her..." Luo Kaiyang looked at everyone, "They told her the bride had noticed an area that wasn’t cleaned properly during the venue inspection and asked her to check it out."

He added, "After she finished cleaning, the bride said everything was set and everyone could head home early. Because of the interruption, Wu Yanhong forgot to lock her locker and left."

He paused, then added, "I also checked with Wu Yanhong's neighbors. She was home all morning and even chatted with them outside, so she doesn’t have the time to commit the crime." That clears her of suspicion.

Everyone fell silent for a moment. Wei Zhengyi murmured, "So, the bride is definitely suspicious."

Jiang Cheng frowned deeply, "These things can't just be brushed off as coincidences."

Zhou Qiming said, "Didn’t we mention the seven roses earlier? If Xue Mingqi is one of those roses, and the others knew Yuan Zhenghao was seeing someone else, would she really be in the dark?"

Luo Kaiyang said, "I don’t buy that the seven roses were just random—they must mean something."

Shen Qingye was silent for a while, then suddenly looked up at Yue Lingchuan and said, "Captain Yue, I’ll look into Xue Mingqi’s side."

Yue Lingchuan raised an eyebrow, and Shen Qingye explained, "My mother’s close with the Xue family, so it’ll be easier for me."

Yue Lingchuan said, "She might not be cooperative."

Shen Qingye replied, "I understand. I’ll start with Xue’s parents to see if I can dig up any leads."

Yue Lingchuan looked at her for a while before slowly nodding, "Alright."

He paused, then added, "Stay safe."

Luo Kaiyang and the others were confused. What was there to worry about? It was just a routine check.

Shen Qingye, however, felt a flicker of unease, sensing he might know something.

"I will," she said, pursing her lips. "Don’t worry, Captain Yue."

Yue Lingchuan slowly withdrew his gaze, tapped the table, and said, "Tomorrow, I’ll look into Lin Mengjiao’s side. Kaiyang, review the notes from earlier. Zheng Yudan’s side is yours."

Luo Kaiyang took the notes, glanced through them, and nodded, "Understood."

"It’s late. Everyone should head home and rest up. We’ve got a busy day tomorrow."

...

By the time she got home, it was dark. The villa’s lights glowed warmly in the cold night.

Shen Qingye pushed the door open and saw Shen Linyue sitting in the living room under the warm light, flipping through some documents. She looked up at the sound, "You’re back?"

"Mom," Shen Qingye's expression softened as she hurried over, "Still at it?"

Shen Linyue casually tossed the documents onto the table in front of her, "Not that much to do. I’m not like you, with no free time even on weekends." Shen Qingye pouted, "Well, with a murder case, we can't just ignore it..."

Shen Linyue glanced at her and chuckled, "You're not even in the Major Case Division yet, and you're already this committed. If you really join in the future, you probably won't even have time to have a meal with me."

"How could that happen?" Shen Qingye coaxed her gently, "No matter how important the case is, can it really be more important than my mom?"

Shen Linyue couldn't be bothered to respond, "Stop trying to butter me up." She stood up, "Alright, go change your clothes and wash your hands for dinner."

She looked at Shen Qingye's beige coat with a look of disdain, "Such a nice coat, brand new, and you wear it to handle a body. What a waste."

Shen Qingye muttered, "I didn’t even touch the body, okay?"

Shen Linyue said, "You were so close to it, what difference does it make whether you touched it or not?"

Shen Qingye couldn't help but argue, "It makes a big difference!"

Auntie Chen, watching the mother and daughter bicker, looked helpless, "Alright, alright, stop arguing. The food will get cold soon."

"Xiao Feng, humor your mom, go wash your hands, okay?"

Shen Linyue raised an eyebrow, "Do I need her to humor me?"

Auntie Chen coaxed her like a child, "Yes, yes, you're the mom, humor her. She's been busy all day, let her eat already."

Shen Linyue then snorted, walking proudly to the dining table. Shen Qingye stuck out her tongue at Auntie Chen, who gave her a helpless look.

These two, always at it...

The atmosphere at the dinner table was relatively mild. Shen Linyue asked, "Did you find any leads after working all night?"

Shen Qingye shook her head, "It's complicated."

She said, "The case is way too complicated. There are six or seven suspects, and everyone’s story checks out. With just their word, it’s hard to get any solid leads."

"By the way, Mom," she suddenly asked, "Do you know much about Xue Mingqi?"

"Xue Mingqi?" Shen Linyue looked at her, "What, you’re suspecting her too?"

Shen Qingye nodded, "She's a suspect."

"Xue Mingqi..." Shen Linyue thought for a moment, "I don’t know her that well, mainly because I haven’t seen her much. From what I recall, she’s quite poised, polite, and knows her boundaries. After graduation, she’s been working in her family's company, and I heard she’s quite capable."

Shen Qingye frowned and thought, "Then... do Uncle Xue and Aunt Xue only have her as their child?"

Shen Linyue nodded, "Yes, only her. Your Uncle Xue used to be a government worker, and with the one-child policy, they couldn’t have more kids. Later, he went into business, and they did want another child, but with work being busy and your Aunt Xue's health not being great, they lost one before and didn’t try again after that, focusing on raising their daughter."

Shen Qingye asked again, "How is the relationship between Uncle Xue and Aunt Xue?"

Shen Linyue looked at her, "Are you asking if your Uncle Xue is cheating?"

Shen Qingye looked up at her with a smile. Shen Linyue rolled her eyes, "As far as I know, probably not. They’re a solid couple, which is rare among so many businesspeople."

Shen Qingye nodded thoughtfully, "Then... what are their expectations for Xue Mingqi? Like, must she marry into the Yuan family, or something like that?"

"A marriage alliance? You’re overthinking it," Shen Linyue said, "From what I’ve seen in my interactions with their family, the Xue couple doesn't seem like the type to force their child to do anything. Maybe because Xue Mingqi is their only child and a girl, their usual line is that as long as their child is safe and happy, they don’t ask for anything more."

Shen Qingye murmured, "That's strange..."

If Xue Mingqi really knew about Yuan Zhenghao having someone on the side, why wouldn't she tell her parents? Logically, her parents, who love her so much, should support her, right?

Shen Qingye couldn't figure it out, so she simply said, "Mom, I want to visit Uncle and Aunt Xue tomorrow. Can you help me set it up?"

"Tomorrow?" Shen Linyue asked. "What time do you want to go?"

"As early as possible."

...

Shen Qingye had said "as early as possible," but she hadn't expected her mother to come knocking on her door so early, at just past six in the morning.

Shen Qingye was still groggy and half-asleep when Shen Linyue said, "Hurry up, Mr. and Mrs. Xue have work to do, so let's go early."

Shen Qingye was completely at a loss but still managed to pull herself together. After washing up and having breakfast, she got into Shen Linyue's car, and they set off together.

The Xue residence wasn't far from their home, less than a twenty-minute drive. Shen Qingye dozed off again in the car and only perked up just before they arrived.

It was unclear how Shen Linyue had communicated with the Xues, but as soon as the car stopped and they heard the commotion, the Xue couple came out to greet them.

"Come in, come in," Madam Xue warmly urged.

Shen Qingye stepped forward and politely greeted, "Good morning, Madam Xue. I'm sorry to disturb you so early."

Madam Xue smiled gently, though the dark circles under her eyes were hard to hide. "No need to apologize. You're here to uncover the truth as quickly as possible."

"Please come in and sit down. Have you had breakfast?"

"Please don’t trouble yourself, Madam Xue. We've already eaten before coming."

Madam Xue led the two to the sofa and sat them down. After briefly exchanging a few pleasantries with Shen Linyue, she excused herself, saying she had some work to discuss with Mr. Xue, leaving Shen Qingye alone in the living room.

After seeing Shen Linyue off, Madam Xue returned to the sofa and said, "Linyue has already told me your reason for coming. If you have any questions, just ask directly."

Hearing this, Shen Qingye no longer beat around the bush. She sat up straight, her expression shifting from the respectful demeanor of a junior to the professional seriousness of someone at work. "Here's the thing. I heard that Yuan Zhenghao and Ming Qi were introduced to each other through a matchmaking arrangement by the elders, is that right?"

Madam Xue nodded. "Yes."

She sighed. "I don’t mind admitting this, but Ming Qi has always been smart and sensible since she was a child, never giving me or her father any trouble. But when it comes to relationships, she’s always been a bit clueless. During school, she was focused on her studies, and after graduation, she threw herself into her work. There were plenty of boys who showed interest, but she never showed any interest. Her father and I were worried, and around that time, we happened to be working with the Yuan family. We knew Mr. Yuan's character and heard he had a son around Ming Qi's age, so we thought of setting them up."

Shen Qingye asked, "How did Ming Qi react at the time?"

Madam Xue replied, "She's always been self-reliant, even when it came to matchmaking. After I told her, she went to meet him without protest. But I could tell that initially, Ming Qi wasn’t interested in Yuan Zhenghao."

"And later? Why did she change her mind about him?"

Madam Xue explained, "After their first meeting, Ming Qi wasn’t interested, but Yuan Zhenghao had a good impression of her. He even came to visit us once, expressing his desire to pursue Ming Qi and seeking our approval. At the time, he seemed well-mannered and respectful, and Ming Qi didn’t outright reject him, so we let the young people figure it out themselves."

Madam Xue's expression darkened, as if she hadn't expected the young man she once thought highly of to turn out this way.

Shen Qingye offered a few words of comfort and then asked, "So after that, Yuan Zhenghao kept pursuing Ming Qi? And she eventually developed feelings for him?"

Madam Xue nodded. "During that time, Yuan Zhenghao would contact Ming Qi whenever he had the chance. Sometimes, to avoid overwhelming her, he would deliberately limit the frequency of their meetings. Every time they met or when he returned from a business trip, he would bring her a thoughtful gift—sometimes expensive, sometimes just local specialties. He was very thoughtful.

"Gradually, Ming Qi's attitude began to soften. At first, she was reluctant to go out with Yuan Zhenghao, and sometimes I had to remind her to be nice to him. But over time, she stopped resisting his invitations and even began to anticipate them. Sometimes, she would return from their outings in high spirits."

Shen Qingye understood. For Yuan Zhenghao, it might have been love at first sight, but for Xue Mingqi, it was likely a slowly growing affection.

Madam Xue continued, "The two of them continued like this, and the pivotal moment came on Ming Qi's birthday.

"That day, though Ming Qi didn’t say a word, I could sense she was waiting for Yuan Zhenghao. But by evening, there was still no word or sign of him. Ming Qi pretended not to care, but deep down, she was upset.

"Her father and I also thought Yuan Zhenghao had forgotten Ming Qi's birthday, and we were a bit disappointed. But then, in the evening, Yuan Zhenghao suddenly showed up at our door, saying he wanted to take Ming Qi somewhere and asked us to come along. When we arrived, we discovered that Yuan Zhenghao had reserved an entire hotel, decorated with Ming Qi's favorite red roses!"

Roses?

Shen Qingye's eyes lit up.

Madam Xue remarked, "It was already November at that time, long past the season for roses to bloom. Later, we found out that Yuan Zhenghao had specially sourced so many roses from abroad and chartered a plane to transport them."

"The reason there was no news during the day was that he was waiting for the roses, wanting to surprise Ming Qi."

Shen Qingye stated firmly, "Ming Qi was touched."

"How could she not be? He proposed in front of both our families, appearing genuinely sincere. Ming Qi had never been in love before. How could she refuse such a scene? The two naturally became a couple."

Madam Xue's expression relaxed a little, "During that time, Ming Qi's expressions were noticeably more vivid. Every time she talked to or met Yuan Zhenghao, her smile was always sweet. Sometimes, she would suddenly laugh while watching TV or eating. When I asked her what was so funny, she would just blush and refuse to answer, but their relationship was visibly improving."

Shen Qingye mused, "So, Ming Qi really liked Yuan Zhenghao? Could it be that she didn’t want to worry you, so she pretended everything was fine with Yuan Zhenghao?"

Madam Xue was taken aback, "Why would you think that?"

She shook her head, "I know my daughter. If she were faking it, I’d know." She paused, "Besides, her father and I aren’t forcing her to marry or anything, so she doesn’t need to pretend..."

Her brows furrowed slightly, her eyes narrowing suspiciously, "You’re not suspecting my Ming Qi, are you?"

Shen Qingye smiled gently, her tone soothing, "Auntie, you’ve got it wrong. I’m just saying that, aside from the Yuan family, you and Ming Qi probably know Yuan Zhenghao best. That’s why I’m asking more questions—maybe we can find some clues from your interactions."

Madam Xue seemed unconvinced, but Shen Qingye continued, "I don’t know Ming Qi well enough? Even if she had a thousand flaws, she still has you and uncle. She wouldn’t do anything reckless. Auntie, I understand this point clearly."

Madam Xue's expression eased slightly, "I’m not saying anything..."

She sighed, her eyes filled with worry, "But with what happened at the wedding, there’s bound to be gossip. I can handle most of it, but some are saying Ming Qi is bad luck for her husband... It makes me so angry."

"I understand," Shen Qingye said gently, "That’s why we need to crack this case fast. Once the truth is out, no one will dare to badmouth Ming Qi."

"You’re right..."

Shen Qingye comforted her a bit more before continuing to ask, "When did Ming Qi and Yuan Zhenghao get engaged?"

"Last October, we thought the two had been together for over a year, so we decided to set the wedding date, planning to hold the wedding when it got warmer the following year."

Shen Qingye keenly noticed something amiss, "Warmer? But isn’t it still quite cold now?"

Madam Xue nodded helplessly, "Yes, originally, we planned to arrange the wedding for April or May, when it’s neither too cold nor too hot, just right. But the Yuan family couldn’t wait and suggested moving the wedding forward. They picked a date that was even better than the one we had agreed upon."

Shen Qingye, "Wait, was it the Yuan family who proposed to move the wedding forward?"

Madam Xue said, "Yes, her father and I were initially unhappy. How can you just move a set date forward? But the Yuan family was sincere, apologizing and sweet-talking, and Ming Qi had no objections, so we compromised and set the date for yesterday. It’s been a rush, we thought we could relax after the wedding, but who knew..."

As Madam Xue went on, Shen Qingye's brows furrowed.

Why suddenly move the wedding forward?