Chapter 121 Divorce

Chapter 121 Divorce

"After that incident, I considered divorcing him."

Song Runing spoke quietly, and Shen Qingye watched her, her fingers twitched slightly, as if understanding why the divorce had ultimately not happened.

As expected, Song Runing let out a bitter laugh and said, "I once probed Jing Jing, asking her who she would choose if Mommy and Daddy were to separate one day."

"She asked why, and I told her it was just a what-if scenario—that if such a day came, who would she pick?"

"Right away, she said, 'Daddy.'"

Shen Qingye fell silent for a moment.

Song Runing’s face was drawn and distant: "From that moment on, I realized that as a wife, I might not have been successful; but as a mother, I was a complete failure."

Jing Jing was her only child, the daughter she'd risked her life to have. If she and Qu Peiyun truly reached the point of divorce, she would absolutely fight to keep Jing Jing with her.

But what if Jing Jing didn’t want to stay with her?

Of course, she could hire the best lawyer to secure custody. But if Jing Jing was closer to her father and had explicitly chosen him, forcing her to come with me—would she truly be happy?

And in the future… would she grow to hate her?

Song Runing couldn't risk that.

So she had chosen to leave things as they were, to hesitate, to drag it out until now.

"After that, I made an effort to strengthen the bond between me and my daughter. I tried to leave work early every day to have dinner with her; I made as much time as I could to take her out, including this trip. I freed up time for this, thinking that spending every day together would make her closer to me…"

Who could have imagined… something like this would happen.

Song Runing closed her eyes weakly, her expression shattered and distant.

After a long silence, Shen Qingye finally asked, "Did Qu Peiyun know about your thoughts on divorce?"

Song Runing shook her head. "I didn’t want to worry my mother, so I acted normal around him."

"Was coming to this place for vacation his idea or yours?"

Song Runing paused, hesitating before answering. "At first, it was my mother who suggested we get away from the heat… I originally planned to have my assistant research domestic destinations, but after Qu Peiyun found out, he suggested this place first. He said a friend had been here before and said the scenery was nice and the weather cool…"

"Though there aren’t many activities—it's more about relaxing—it was perfect for me and Jing Jing to bond. Plus, my mother liked the idea, so I agreed…"

Qu Peiyun had proposed coming here…

Shen Qingye and Yue Lingchuan exchanged a glance before he asked, "After you returned at noon today, why did you leave again?"

At this, Song Runing perked up despite her exhaustion. "When I first got back, I wanted to rest with Jing Jing for a while, but before I could even put her to bed, she woke up again. I was trying to soothe her when my assistant suddenly called. There was a minor issue with a project we’d finalized, and she needed my input. Jing Jing was acting up, and since arriving at the resort, I’d been using Jing Jing as an excuse to sleep with my mother instead of him. I didn’t want to go to his room, so I had to step out and found a teahouse. There was a pavilion in front of it, and at that hour, it was empty—no one around to bother if I took the call. So I stayed there."

Hearing this, Shen Qingye instinctively frowned. "Your assistant—"

Song Runing knew right away what she meant and widened her eyes, replying firmly, "Impossible!"

Meeting Shen Qingye’s questioning gaze, she took a deep breath, her pale face resolute. "I’ve always kept my family and work completely separate. Qu Peiyun has never been involved in my work matters. He wouldn’t have had the chance to bribe my assistant. Besides, the issue with that project had been coming for a while—it wasn’t something Qu Peiyun could've set up so easily."

Shen Qingye nodded in understanding. Yue Lingchuan then asked, "About what time did you leave?"

Song Runing thought for a moment. "Around one-ish. I'd just gotten back."

She went on, "Oh right, my phone has all the call logs. Xiao Wu—my assistant—called me first, and I left right after that call. It was at... 1:17 p.m."

She took out her phone, opened the call log, and handed it to Shen Qingye. They looked over it and saw that it was indeed the case. From 1:17 p.m. onward, call after call came in—a quick scan showed at least ten.

Shen Qingye returned the phone to her and asked, "So when did you get back?"

Song Runing replied, "I stayed there until a little past 5 p.m. I’d just wrapped up work when I saw my mother and Qu Peiyun hurried over, asking if Jing Jing had come to me. That’s when I realized Jing Jing was missing, so I hurried back to help search with them."

Lu Yingzhuo asked, "Can anyone confirm you were there?"

Song Runing paused, thinking carefully for a moment. "The shop owner was there the whole time. He must’ve seen me."

*Must’ve…*

Lu Yingzhuo studied her for a long moment before standing up first. "Alright, we have a clear picture of the situation. Thank you for your cooperation."

Song Runing looked at him, her gaze earnest. "So... do you have any leads yet?"

Lu Yingzhuo hesitated, and Shen Qingye took over, offering reassurance. "The investigation is still ongoing. We’ll notify you immediately if there’s any progress."

Her lashes fluttered at this. "I understand."

She sank back into the sofa and murmured, "You have to find who did this to my daughter..."

"Please... you have to find out..."

"You have our word—we’ll do everything possible," Lu Yingzhuo said solemnly.

Song Runing watched as they left, then let out a heavy sigh.

She gazed emptily ahead for a long while before slowly pulling out a wallet from her pocket. Inside one of the compartments was a photo.

It was a rare shot—just the two of them together, mother and daughter.

Song Runing cradled the photo in her hands, gazing at the little girl’s bright, radiant smile as her eyes welled up.

She pressed the photo to her chest, tears falling unchecked.

*Jing Jing... Jing Jing...*

*Jing Jing...*

......

"Song Runing received the call at 1:17 p.m. and left immediately afterward. Meanwhile, the victim’s grandma said she wasn’t asleep until a little past 3 p.m.—that’s a two-hour gap—"

Lu Yingzhuo tapped his arm, thinking, while looking at Yue Lingchuan. "Your thoughts, Captain Yue?"

"What I think isn’t important," Yue Lingchuan said calmly, his eyes fixed on the door in front of him. "The key question is—what will Qu Peiyun say?"

Shen Qingye stared at the door not far from Song Runing’s room as her face darkened.

Their last suspect—Qu Peiyun.