Chapter 29: Exploiting the Heirless

Chapter 29: Preying on the Heiress

"Has there been any conflict between Sister Ming Qi and Yuan Zhenghao during their relationship?" Shen Qingye asked.

Mrs. Xue thought for a moment and shook her head. "No."

"As far as I know, there shouldn't have been any. Sister Ming Qi has always been mature and level-headed, and she rarely argues with others. Yuan Zhenghao is also even-tempered and takes great care of Sister Ming Qi, often compromising in disagreements. They've been together for so long, and I've never seen Sister Ming Qi unhappy or heard her say anything bad about Yuan Zhenghao."

Shen Qingye fell into deep thought.

Being together for over a year without ever having a fight—is that really possible?

Shen Qingye had never been in a relationship and didn't know what it was like, but her college dormmate, even with a good relationship with her boyfriend, occasionally had disagreements and inevitably argued.

Not to mention couples, even she and her mother, who had such a good relationship, often had their share of arguments.

Never having a fight... Was it really because they were so compatible, or was there another reason?

She looked at Mrs. Xue and asked, "Is Sister Ming Qi at home now?"

Mrs. Xue was momentarily stunned. "Yes, she's in her bedroom."

She added, "She went to bed late last night, so she's probably still asleep."

Shen Qingye politely said, "I have some questions. Could I go and ask Sister Ming Qi?"

"Of course," Mrs. Xue stood up. "Wait here, I'll go call her."

Shen Qingye sat on the sofa, watching her figure as she walked upstairs, her lips slightly pursed.

She subtly observed the Xue family mansion. The wedding had just taken place yesterday, and the doors and windows were still decorated with celebratory characters, with red streamers and balloons adding to the festive atmosphere.

But recalling yesterday's case, it all seemed somewhat ironic.

Mrs. Xue didn't take long upstairs before Xue Mingqi emerged from her room. She was wearing soft, flowing pajamas, her long hair cascading over her shoulders, and she looked somewhat apologetic. "Sorry, I didn't sleep well last night and woke up a bit late today. I kept you waiting."

Shen Qingye immediately smiled. "Not at all, I came too early. I hope I'm not disturbing you, Miss Ming Qi."

Miss Ming Qi smiled gently. "You're here on official business, after all."

She glanced around and said, "Let's head up to the study."

Mrs. Xue, standing nearby, started to say something, but Miss Ming Qi turned to her and smiled. "Mom, I'd like some shrimp dumplings for breakfast, please. Could you check if there are any shrimp left in the kitchen?"

Mrs. Xue quickly agreed and hurried to the kitchen. Shen Qingye looked away and followed Miss Ming Qi upstairs.

The study was tucked away in a corner on the second floor, and the room was unusually quiet.

The two sat facing each other. Miss Ming Qi had fair skin, and she appeared composed. She asked, "I've already shared everything I could yesterday. What else do you want to ask?"

"There's one thing I'd like to confirm with you, Miss Ming Qi," Shen Qingye said with a smile. "Yesterday, you mentioned that there wasn't much love between you and Yuan Zhenghao, and that you chose to marry because it was a suitable match and you were of the right age."

Miss Ming Qi nodded slowly, took a sip of water, and then looked up at her. "Yes, that's what I said. Is there a problem?"

Shen Qingye spoke slowly, "But I just heard from your mother that you and Yuan Zhenghao had a very good relationship."

Miss Ming Qi looked at her for a moment, then slowly smiled. "You still have doubts about me."

"Miss Ming Qi, you clearly know something but refuse to tell me," Shen Qingye said with a helpless smile. "You said you were afraid of worrying your parents, so you pretended to have a good relationship. But first, your parents never pressured you to marry, so I can't understand why you would do this. Saying it's because of your age seems a bit forced. Second, I don't believe that your mother, who adores you so much, wouldn't be able to tell if her daughter was truly happy or just pretending."

Her eyes were clear and bright as she slowly shook her head: "Ming Qi-jie, tell me, how am I supposed to believe you?"

Xue Mingqi's eyelashes lowered slightly as she slowly took a sip of water before responding, "If that's how you see it, there's nothing I can do. I've told you everything I know."

The room fell silent for a moment. Shen Qingye looked at her and suddenly said, "Actually, we've already identified several suspects yesterday."

Xue Mingqi raised her eyes.

Shen Qingye continued, "We've checked their workplaces and schools, and called them in to the station for questioning one by one."

Xue Mingqi asked, "Did the questioning yield any results?"

Shen Qingye shook her head: "Exactly because we didn’t get anywhere, we need to dig deeper. Perhaps before this case is concluded, we'll need to call in the suspects multiple times to extract some clues from the complex testimonies."

She looked at Xue Mingqi: "Ming Qi-jie, you should understand that you're also one of the suspects, and you can't avoid these steps."

Xue Mingqi's lips tightened slightly, and her eyelashes trembled faintly.

"You know the difference between me coming here on my own and being called in by the police, right, Ming Qi-jie?" Shen Qingye said. "Forget about the rumors that will spread, but just think about your parents. Do you really want to make them worry?"

The room was thick with silence. Xue Mingqi's grip on the cup tightened and loosened repeatedly. After a long while, she finally forced a smile and said, "I always knew you were smart, but I didn’t expect you to be so good at playing mind games."

Shen Qingye replied, "I’m just laying it out. It’s your call how you take it."

Xue Mingqi lowered her gaze, staring at the plain-colored cup, her fingers unconsciously rubbing the rim.

After a long time, she finally dropped her gentle facade and spoke with a hint of sarcasm: "That scumbag, he deserved to die. Why waste resources investigating the alleged cause of death?"

Shen Qingye's eyes flickered slightly as she said, "Since he was killed, we need to get to the bottom of it. As for right or wrong, that's for the court to decide."

Xue Mingqi placed the cup back on the table and chuckled softly: "Nicely put."

Shen Qingye didn't argue further on this point but instead asked, "Did you really not know about Yuan Zhenghao's cheating?"

Xue Mingqi leaned back in her chair, tilting her head slightly as she gazed out the window. After a long pause, she said, "I didn’t know at the beginning."

Shen Qingye's eyes flickered: "When did you find out?"

Xue Mingqi: "At the beginning of this month."

She turned her gaze back and smiled faintly at her: "I didn’t just know about Yuan Zhenghao’s cheating—I also knew he was only with me to get his hands on my family’s money."

Shen Qingye was stunned.

Xue Mingqi continued, "He treated me well, never argued with me, and gave me everything I wanted—all to make me devoted to him. He planned to stop me from working at the company after we had children. Once my parents passed away, our family's company would end up in his control."

It took Shen Qingye a while to process this. She frowned, puzzled: "Then why did you still agree to marry him?"

Xue Mingqi smiled: "Who told you I was going to marry him?"

Shen Qingye's eyelids twitched as she watched Xue Mingqi open a drawer in the desk, pull out a USB drive, and wave it at her: "This contains photos and videos of him cheating. I originally planned to show them at the wedding, but unfortunately, someone got there first."

In our culture, we respect the dead. If this incident hadn't happened, releasing these materials would have only garnered sympathy for her misfortune. But now, if she did that, people might say, "He’s already dead—why stir things up?" In the end, she might be seen as unforgiving.

Shen Qingye stared at the USB drive, and in a flash of insight, she suddenly understood: "So, pushing the wedding date forward was your idea too?"

"Of course," Xue Mingqi placed the USB drive on the table, her expression tinged with disgust. "I didn’t want to drag out this act with him for several more months. Who knows whose bed he was in the night before he came back to sweet-talk me?"

She looked at Shen Qingye: "So you don't need to suspect me of killing him. I hated him, but not enough to kill him. A little payback was all I needed. Like you said, I still have my parents. Even for their sake, I wouldn’t do something stupid and ruin myself over a scumbag."

Shen Qingye fell into thought for a moment. If that were the case, how would you explain the cleaner situation?

She ventured, "Do you know about the women Yuan Zhenghao was involved with outside?"

Xue Mingqi paused.

Under Shen Qingye's calm gaze, she pursed her lips and said, "I have a general idea."

"When I investigated Yuan Zhenghao, I also looked into those women."

This investigation, naturally, wasn't entirely legal or compliant.

Shen Qingye didn't press further, merely asking, "Have you encountered them?"

Xue Mingqi looked at her in confusion, "Of course not."

She continued, "Yuan Zhenghao's philandering is his own affair. Even without them, wouldn't there be other women? Besides, what reason would I have to meet them?"

She added with a self-deprecating tone, "If memory serves, some of those women had been with him for many years, right?"

In terms of who was there first, where does that leave me?

Shen Qingye was momentarily at a loss for words.

Xue Mingqi said, "In any case, that's all I know. As for who the vigilante was, that remains unknown."

She sneered, "But, he brought it upon himself. Spending his life flitting from one woman to another, and in the end, he died because of a woman."

Shen Qingye stayed silent for a long while.

Based on yesterday's circumstances, Shen Qingye believed that Xue Mingqi was not the murderer; she lacked both the time and sufficient motive. This visit was more about realizing that Xue Mingqi had held back information yesterday and wanting to delve deeper.

But now, with the situation clarified, there were still no leads. What Xue Mingqi had said only concerned herself and had no link to anyone else.

Was the cleaner incident truly just a coincidence?

Xue Mingqi gazed out the window, her expression listless, her loose pajamas made her appear somewhat fragile, yet inexplicably resilient.

Shen Qingye had a feeling she wouldn't get any more answers today.

Most importantly, the clues they had were too few, and there was no way to prove that the cleaner's matter was related to Xue Mingqi.

Since this line of questioning led nowhere, it was time to try another.

Shen Qingye closed her eyes, gathered her thoughts, and asked, "Alright, I understand. Ming Qi, may we take this USB drive with us?"

Xue Mingqi was somewhat surprised, "Of course."

Her gaze lightly fell on the small USB drive, and she tugged at the corner of her mouth, "Anyway, it's of no use to me anymore, you can take it. If it helps solve the case, then it wasn't a waste of the time and money I spent on it."

Shen Qingye thanked her and stood up to leave when Xue Mingqi suddenly called out, "Qingye."

She turned back to see Xue Mingqi's lips slightly pursed, her eyes softening, her voice tinged with a plea, "Please, don't tell my parents about these things, okay?"

Shen Qingye didn't speak, and Xue Mingqi continued, "Since Yuan Zhenghao is already dead, I don't want to pursue what happened before. I don't want them to know and regret their poor judgment, feeling even more guilty."

Shen Qingye nodded, "Don't worry."

She stepped out the door, and Xue Mingqi watched her back, leaning leisurely in her chair, her gaze slowly withdrawing, unsure where it landed.

After saying goodbye to Madam Xue, Shen Qingye left the Xue family villa together with Shen Linyue.

On the way, she kept mulling over the details of the case. Shen Linyue, from the driver's seat, glanced at her and said, "You handle cases just like your dad."

Shen Qingye snapped back to reality, looked at her mother's profile, and couldn't help but laugh. "That's not true."

Shen Linyue glanced at her, and Shen Qingye chuckled, "I'm clearly more like you—focused and hardworking."

Shen Linyue scoffed, "Don't give yourself too much credit."

She muttered, "If you were really like me, I'd be more at ease."

Shen Qingye leaned back in her seat, looking at her mother with a smile.

"Dad says I take after you too. Last time Captain Yue saw you, he could tell right away that we're mother and daughter."

The mother and daughter chatted and laughed the whole way to the entrance of the Criminal Investigation Detachment.

Shen Qingye got out of the car and bid her mother goodbye.

Shen Linyue asked through the car window, "Will you be back for dinner tonight?"

Shen Qingye was about to say it depends on the situation, but when she met her mother's calm and distant gaze, her voice suddenly paused.

"I'll be back, for sure," she laughed. "Where else would I go to eat?"

"I want to eat pig trotters. Ask Aunt Chen to prepare them for me ahead of time."

Shen Linyue laughed at her, "Eating pig trotters so late, aren't you worried about gaining weight?"

Shen Qingye stepped forward and hugged her mother's neck, cooing, "I got my mom's good genes. I'm naturally beautiful, so what's to worry about?"

Shen Linyue pushed her away with a look of disdain, "Alright, alright, hurry up and get to work."

"Because of you, I'm running late for work today."

Shen Qingye said, "They say 'like father, like son' in battle, but we're 'like mother, like daughter' when it comes to solving cases. How great is that!"

Shen Linyue couldn't help but laugh, watching her daughter walk into the courtyard of the Criminal Investigation Detachment. Her smile slowly faded.

But after a moment, she chuckled again softly.

She felt happy.

It was a good feeling.

Although they made a detour to the Xue family, the Xue residence was nearby, and Xue Mingqi was relatively cooperative, so Shen Qingye didn't waste much time. When she arrived at the detachment, Yue Lingchuan and the others hadn't returned yet.

Shen Qingye wasn't in a hurry either. She first went back to her office to handle her work. When it was almost noon, she heard movement from the stairwell.

A group of people returned one after another. Shen Qingye had already finished her work and went over to the Major Case Division.

"Xiao Shen," Luo Kaiyang greeted her and asked first, "How did it go with Xue Mingqi?"

Zhou Qiming and the others also looked over.

Shen Qingye said, "The Xue family has been quite cooperative, and things are progressing smoothly, but..."

She briefly explained the situation, and upon hearing this, everyone's brows furrowed.

Wei Zhengyi said, "Listening to this, it seems like there's a lot of information, but it also feels like there's nothing concrete."

Jiang Cheng said, "If it's really as she says, then she's pretty much in the clear on this one. Even the cleaning staff incident could be chalked up to coincidence."

Luo Kaiyang fiddled with the USB drive: "But the reason she gave is also pretty airtight..."

Shen Qingye said, "So, I think until we have more evidence, we're not likely to get any leads from Xue Mingqi."

She looked around: "Did anyone get anywhere today?"

Everyone exchanged glances, and Jiang Cheng spoke first: "As for Xia Jingling, I first checked with her boyfriend and confirmed they were together yesterday morning. Then I pulled the surveillance footage from the cinema they were at. Around 11, after the movie ended, they came out, so they're clear on timing."

"With Liang Siqing, I also tracked down her roommate. From 9 a.m. yesterday, the roommate was in the living room watching TV, and Liang Siqing didn't come out until noon."

He paused: "Their place is on the fifth floor, so there's no way she could've left through the window."

Shen Qingye's expression relaxed a bit. That pretty much clears Xia Jingling and Liang Siqing for now.

Shen Qingye's gaze fell on Yue Lingchuan.

Yue Lingchuan leaned casually against the table and said, "Lin Mengjiao said she was sleeping all morning, but since she lives alone, there's no one to back that up. I got there early, and there was already a group of old folks playing chess and chatting downstairs. I asked them and Lin Mengjiao's neighbors, but no one saw her leave."

Wei Zhengyi stroked his chin: "No witnesses, so her alibi's a little weak..."

He added, "Oh, and I looked into He Shuwen. Her roommate said they went out the night before, had a few drinks, and slept in, so she didn't come out."

Everyone nodded, then turned to Zhou Qiming.

He put down his water cup and said, "I did find something."

"Following up on Wei Xiaoxia's statement, I went to Qiao Fashion, where she shopped yesterday, and asked around. The owner said someone matching her description came in around 10 a.m. But it was busy, so she couldn't recall exactly when she left. She only vaguely remembered that after paying, Wei Xiaoxia hung around the store for a bit."

Everyone looked confused, and Zhou Qiming went on, 'Something didn't sit right with me, so I went back to the hotel and pulled the footage again. At 10:27 a.m., I spotted Wei Xiaoxia at the hotel entrance."

Luo Kaiyang quickly asked, "She appeared at the hotel entrance?"

Zhou Qiming knew what he was thinking and shrugged: "But she didn't go in."

"She only hung around outside for less than ten minutes before taking off."

Luo Kaiyang looked puzzled: "What was she doing? Did she know her boyfriend was getting married? Was she there to witness his big day?"

"Hey, you might be right. That's exactly what she said." Zhou Qiming shrugged: "When I asked Wei Xiaoxia why she was at the hotel entrance at that time, she just said she wanted to see what kind of unlucky woman would marry that guy."

Everyone looked skeptical, and Zhou Qiming added, "But regardless, it's confirmed that Wei Xiaoxia wasn't at the scene during the crime. And..." He paused: "I rewound the surveillance footage a few more hours and found that around 8 a.m., a woman in a cleaning uniform entered the hotel."

Yue Lingchuan's eyes flickered: "Around 8 a.m.?"

Zhou Qiming said, "Yes, normally, cleaning staff start work at 7 a.m. And they usually change into their uniforms after arriving at the hotel. But this person came late and was completely covered up."

"I asked the security guards at the entrance if they remembered this person, and they said they vaguely recalled someone like that, but since she was wearing a cleaning uniform, they thought she might have just come out and gone back in, so they didn't pay much attention."

Shen Qingye murmured, "So, she deliberately timed it right and played on the security guards' assumptions to successfully carry out the crime."

Yue Lingchuan asked him, "After Wu Yanhong said her clothes were stolen, they checked the surveillance, but it was too dark, and they could only barely make out a figure—did you compare that person's build to the suspect's?"

Zhou Qiming said, "I compared the details. It was very dark that night, but fortunately, there was still some moonlight, and I could vaguely make out a silhouette that matched the killer's appearance."

Jiang Cheng said, "Scouting the location and stealing clothes beforehand—it doesn’t seem like something done without planning."

Wei Zhengyi suddenly said, "Lin Mengjiao lives in Puning District, about an hour’s drive from the hotel. If she left early yesterday before the elderly neighbors were up, she would have returned around noon, when most people were having lunch and there weren’t many people outside. Couldn’t that have allowed her to avoid most people's attention, making it seem like she’d been home sleeping the whole time?"

Yue Lingchuan gave him an appreciative look: "That is indeed a possibility."

Luo Kaiyang suddenly raised his hand: "Boss, I also have some clues about Zheng Yudan."

Yue Lingchuan looked at him: "Go on."

Luo Kaiyang said, "When I arrived, Zheng Yudan's mother was about to go to work. I asked her what she was doing yesterday morning, and she said she just went grocery shopping and cooked, never going out. Concerned about a possible cover-up, I also asked their neighbors and the local market they frequent, and the answers were similar."

"But from their chit-chat, I picked up on something."

"Zheng Yudan's father was suddenly fired last November."

"Suddenly fired?" Wei Zhengyi asked, puzzled.

Luo Kaiyang nodded: "The neighbors all described Zheng Weiguo as honest and hardworking. He had been with that company for almost ten years, and no one knows why he got fired out of the blue."

"I went to their company to ask around, and his colleagues all said that Zheng Weiguo was diligent and never slacked off. The manager used to like him, but he was let go without any notice. Some people whispered that Zheng Weiguo might have offended someone, and they were targeting him."

Offended someone?

Shen Qingye suddenly remembered: "I remember... Zheng Yudan broke up with Yuan Zhenghao last November, didn’t she?"

Jiang Cheng nodded: "She mentioned that after the breakup, Yuan Zhenghao kept bothering her for a while."

Wei Zhengyi speculated: "So, maybe Yuan Zhenghao couldn’t handle the breakup and decided to get back at her?"

Yue Lingchuan asked: "What is Zheng Weiguo doing now?"

Luo Kaiyang said: "According to the neighbors, he’s been taking on odd jobs, leaving early every day." He didn’t even manage to see him this time.

Zhou Qiming frowned: "What did he used to do?"

Luo Kaiyang said: "Something in construction, I think? At Hongmao Construction."

"Isn’t the construction industry supposed to value experience more as you age? He had been with his previous company for ten years and was quite capable. Even if that company let him go, others should’ve been eager to hire him. Why would he be doing odd jobs?"

Shen Qingye said: "Wait, what does the Yuan family do?"

Jiang Cheng and Zhou Qiming exchanged glances and said: "Something in construction and real estate, I think."

Luo Kaiyang clapped his hands: "Could Yuan Zhenghao have told other companies not to hire Zheng Weiguo?"

Everyone went quiet for a moment. Yue Lingchuan frowned, suddenly picked up his phone, stood up, and walked out.

Shen Qingye glanced back and saw him saying something outside. After a moment, he pushed the door open and came back in: "I asked. Zheng Weiguo's dismissal was Yuan Zhenghao's doing. He also told other construction companies in the city not to hire Zheng Weiguo if he came knocking."

Luo Kaiyang whistled: "Boss, you’re the man. Your connections are insane!"

Zhou Qiming hissed, puzzled: "But why go to all this trouble? Just because he didn't want to break up with Zheng Yudan?"

"Yet he has so many women around him, and he changes them frequently. He doesn’t seem like the loyal type, does he?"

Wei Zhengyi said: "Maybe he just wanted to make Zheng Yudan give in to him? Some guys have that messed-up mindset?"

Luo Kaiyang said, "If that's the case, then does Zheng Yudan have a motive for murder? Yuan Zhenghao initially pretended to be a hero to save her, deceiving her into a relationship. After she exposed him, he harassed her relentlessly and then caused her father to lose his job—in a fit of rage, she might have chosen to kill him?"

This logic seems plausible, but...

"But she doesn't have the time to commit the crime," Shen Qingye said calmly.

With so many neighbors and the market owner watching, and Zheng Yudan's home not being close to the hotel, it would be hard to pull off the crime in such a short time.

The group went quiet again.

Yue Lingchuan was the first to speak: "Whether she did it or not, this is still a lead. If we follow it, we might uncover something."

He looked at Zhou Qiming and instructed, "Zhou Qiming, you and Kaiyang go to the Zheng family again. Focus on probing whether Zheng Weiguo and his wife know the reason for his layoff, and put some pressure on Zheng Yudan. Jiang Cheng, you and Zhengyi stay here and go through the USB Xiao Shen brought and the hotel surveillance footage again. See if you can uncover more details about the killer."

Luo Kaiyang couldn't help but ask, "And you, boss?"

Yue Lingchuan said, "Xiao Shen and I will go to the dance institution where Zheng Yudan works."

"She was in a relationship with Yuan Zhenghao, so her colleagues at the institution should have some recollection of it."

He looked at Shen Qingye and asked, "Do you have time this afternoon?"

Shen Qingye quickly replied, "I'm available. I've already wrapped up my work."

Hearing this, Wei Zhengyi couldn't help but tut: "Xiao Shen is now doing two jobs without pay. Boss, isn't it a bit much to exploit her like this?"

Yue Lingchuan glanced at him: "You talk too much."

Shen Qingye also smiled: "It's fine. I actually enjoy working with everyone on solving cases."

Now that things were clear in front of Detachment Leader Song, Shen Qingye acted with less restraint.

Everyone agreed and, after quickly finishing lunch, they headed out in their cars.

·

Zhou Qiming and Luo Kaiyang arrived at their destination first.

Zheng Yudan's home was in an old residential area. The outside looked a bit run-down, but it had the advantage of being conveniently located, with the market just a short walk away.

The two stood at the door, and Zhou Qiming lifted his hand to knock.

"Who is it?" A cool female voice came from inside, and as footsteps approached, the door creaked open.

Zheng Yudan looked at the two men outside and immediately frowned, saying impatiently, "What are you doing here again?"

Luo Kaiyang propped his hand on the door: "Relax, we're not here for you."

Zheng Yudan sneered: "If you're not here for me, why are you knocking on our door?"

Zhou Qiming said, "We're here to talk to your father."

Zheng Yudan's grip on the doorknob tightened, and she eyed them cautiously: "What do you want with my father?"

Luo Kaiyang said, "There are a few things we need to ask him."

Zheng Yudan didn't back down: "Whatever it is, you can ask me instead."

Zhou Qiming laughed softly: "Fine then."

He nodded and asked, "I just wanted to ask: Does your father know he was fired because of Yuan Zhenghao?"

Zheng Yudan's face turned cold, her features tightening.

Luo Kaiyang raised an eyebrow. "Is it hard to talk about?"

Zheng Yudan remained silent.

Luo Kaiyang continued, "If it's hard to talk about, we'll go talk to your father."

With that, he started to leave. Zheng Yudan, watching their backs, gritted her teeth and shouted, "Stop!"

Luo Kaiyang glanced back at her. "Ready to talk now?"

Zheng Yudan bit her lower lip hard, her gaze almost burning with anger.

"Come in," she said through clenched teeth.

Zhou Qiming and Luo Kaiyang exchanged a glance and followed her inside.

The Zheng family's house was modest in size but clean and tidy, with tasteful decor that showed the owner's love for life.

With a loud thud, Zheng Yudan placed two glasses of water in front of them, her face cold. "Drink."

Zhou Qiming glanced down. "No thanks, we just have a few questions and then we'll go."

He was half-joking, half-serious about her possibly poisoning him.

Zheng Yudan sneered. "You already know everything, don't you? What else is there to ask?"

Luo Kaiyang frowned at her. "Zheng Yudan, you're currently the prime suspect in this investigation. I advise you to speak carefully."

Zheng Yudan's breathing quickened, and she turned her head away.

After a pause, she spoke in a low voice. "Ask."

Zhou Qiming said, "Did you know Yuan Zhenghao told all the big construction companies in Pingjiang not to hire your dad?"

"Yes, I know," Zheng Yudan replied stiffly.

Luo Kaiyang asked, puzzled, "Why did he do that? As far as I know, he has many women around him and changes girlfriends frequently. Why is he so fixated on you?"

Zheng Yudan sighed helplessly. "How would I know what's wrong with him? Maybe it's because he's always been the one to dump others, and this is the first time he's been dumped, so he can't handle it? Or maybe he feels he hasn't had enough fun and wants to play some more?"

She curled her lips. "It's not like he actually likes me."

Zhou Qiming frowned. "What happened? Give us the details."

Zheng Yudan took a deep breath. "At first, I found out he was cheating, so I broke up with him. But Yuan Zhenghao didn't want to, and he kept pestering me for forgiveness. I believe cheating is a deal-breaker, so I insisted on breaking up. When Yuan Zhenghao saw that soft tactics didn't work, he turned to threats, saying that if I broke up with him, he wouldn't let me off easy."

"He used my dad's job to threaten me, saying that the Yuan family has some influence in Pingjiang's construction industry, and if he spoke up, no one would dare hire my father."

Luo Kaiyang asked, "Did your dad know about this?"

"He does," Zheng Yudan said with a bitter smile. "I was so stressed during that time, afraid he would really do something to my father. I thought about giving in, just staying with him until he lost interest. But maybe because I was so emotionally unstable, my parents noticed something was wrong and asked me what was going on. I couldn't hold it in anymore and told them everything."

She wiped her face and continued, "When my dad found out, he reassured me, saying it was okay, even if he lost his job, he wouldn't let me suffer. He said we could always relocate, that the Yuan family might have influence in Pingjiang, but the country is big, and their reach couldn't extend everywhere. We could always find a place to live."

"With his support, I was able to stand firm and reject Yuan Zhenghao. Later, my father lost his job. Since it was close to the New Year, he decided to take on some odd jobs for a while and look for a stable job after the New Year. But then, this whole thing happened..."

Luo Kaiyang and Zhou Qiming exchanged glances. Zhou Qiming asked, "He pressed you so hard, don't you hate him?"

"Hate? Of course, I hate him," Zheng Yudan said with a bitter laugh. "During that time, I wished I could stab him to death and end it all. But every time I had that thought, I couldn't help but think, what would happen to my parents if I died? They only have me as their child. If I killed someone, it might give me some relief, but they would have to live with the gossip for the rest of their lives, and when they grow old, they would have no one to rely on. Besides, even if I killed Yuan Zhenghao, would the Yuan family leave me alone? Would they leave my parents alone?"

Zhou Qiming asked, "What happened later? Your father was laid off at the end of November last year. From then until now, hasn't Yuan Zhenghao bothered you again?"

Zheng Yudan shook her head. "No."

She also seemed puzzled. "At first, he was probably waiting for me to come crawling back to him. But later, I stood my ground and never went to him. To be honest, during that time, I was always on pins and needles, afraid he might do something else. But he never made a move."

Luo Kaiyang asked, "He never came to see you?"

Zheng Yudan replied, "Not once. Maybe he realized that threatening my father's job wouldn’t break me? Or maybe he lost interest and found someone new, so he stopped bothering me."

Zhou Qiming was puzzled. "That's strange..."

A revenge that came suddenly and ended just as mysteriously was anything but ordinary.

Luo Kaiyang asked, "Didn’t you find it strange that he never came to see you?"

Zheng Yudan said, "Of course, I found it strange, but I was relieved not to see him. Besides, if he really forgot about me, why would I go looking for him? Is it to remind him that I’m still around?"

She continued, "During that time, we were already thinking about moving. My father was looking for work elsewhere, and my mother was hesitating whether to sell the house. Then this happened..."

Zheng Yudan suddenly felt at a loss, unsure of what to do next.

Seeing this, Zhou Qiming exchanged a glance with Luo Kaiyang and asked a few more questions. When they couldn't get any more answers, they finally stood up to leave.

After leaving Zheng Yudan's house, Zhou Qiming didn’t head straight back. Instead, he asked around the neighborhood and successfully gathered information from a few people that the Zheng family had recently been considering selling their house and moving. Only then did he leave.

The sun had already set, and the sky glowed with the golden hues of twilight. Zhou Qiming sat in his car and called Yue Lingchuan to report on his findings. He added, "I still feel something’s not right. Yuan Zhenghao's behavior is really inexplicable and doesn’t make sense. Zheng Yudan clearly has a motive, but she doesn’t have the chance. It feels like the whole case is a complete mess."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line before Yue Lingchuan said in a deep voice, "Of course, it's not right."

"What she told you is completely different from what I discovered here."

Zhou Qiming was shocked. "What?"

·

When Yue Lingchuan and Shen Qingye arrived at the dance studio where Zheng Yudan worked, some children were still in class. The owner rushed out to meet them upon receiving the news. After learning their purpose, the owner was momentarily stunned but then politely chatted with them for a while before bringing over the relevant staff.

"These teachers are all on good terms with Yudan. You can ask them directly if you have any questions."

Shen Qingye looked at the graceful and poised teachers in front of her and nodded slightly to the owner. "Thank you for your trouble."

The owner smiled gently. "Not at all. Your investigation is important. Let me know if you need anything else."

She turned and left, thoughtfully closing the door behind her. Shen Qingye then turned her attention back to the teachers.

This was the owner's reception room, now temporarily set aside for their use. The teachers sat on the sofa opposite, looking somewhat nervous.

Shen Qingye smiled gently to reassure them. "No need to be nervous. We just have a few questions we'd like to ask."

A teacher in a yellow sweater spoke up first. "Go ahead."

Shen Qingye asked, "You all have a good relationship with Zheng Yudan, right?"

Teacher Jiang, who had just spoken, nodded: "Yes, Yudan and I joined in the same year, so we've spent considerable time together and get along well."

Shen Qingye then looked at the other teachers. Teacher Wu also said, "Teacher Sun and I arrived here before Yudan. We often grab meals and go shopping together during our breaks."

Teacher Sun beside her nodded in agreement: "That's right. Yudan might come off as cold initially, but she's actually very kind and easy to talk to."

Shen Qingye now had a rough idea of these teachers and asked further, "Since you have a good relationship with Zheng Yudan, does she usually open up about her personal life?"

Teacher Wu asked, "Personal stuff? Like what?"

Shen Qingye looked at her and said, "For example, do you know if she's been dating anyone?"

Teacher Wu suddenly understood and nodded, "Yes, we all knew about her previous boyfriend."

The other teachers also nodded. Teacher Jiang said, "Yudan is beautiful and has a great temperament. She had a lot of admirers, but she never seemed interested. So when she started dating, we were all pretty curious."

Shen Qingye asked again, "Do you remember roughly when she started dating?"

Teacher Jiang thought for a moment, "Around... last September? Mid-September."

Teacher Sun added, "Actually, that guy had been pursuing Yudan for a while, but she wasn't interested, thinking he was slick and unreliable. Later, it seemed... he saved Yudan from a group of thugs and got injured, which won Yudan over, and she eventually agreed to his pursuit."

Shen Qingye took notes while asking, "How long were they together?"

Teacher Jiang said, "About less than two months. They broke up in early November, apparently because the guy was seeing someone else?"

"Actually... it wasn't really a breakup," Teacher Sun suddenly interjected, "Didn't they patch things up later?"

Shen Qingye's hand paused while taking notes, her clear eyes lifting from the notebook, looking stunned:

"Got back together?"