Chapter 191 Cause of Death

**Chapter 191: Manner of Death**

"So, you think it wasn't a suicide?"

Inside the conference room, Yue Lingchuan flipped through the case files, his brow deeply furrowed.

Yan Haifeng sighed. "On the surface, this case seems straightforward, but the more you think about it, the more it feels off."

The case was actually quite simple. At 1:25 PM on the 17th of this month, someone from the Media College called the police, reporting a suicide jump.

The police arrived immediately, quickly secured the scene for investigation, and eventually identified the deceased as Xia Tingyi, who had recently gone through a breakup—reportedly initiated by her boyfriend. After that, she had been withdrawn and depressed. The day before, she had even been criticized by her teacher during class.

According to her roommate, when Xia Tingyi returned to the dorm that afternoon, she seemed visibly upset and remained silent. On the morning of the 17th, after finishing class, everyone had eaten lunch and gone to bed for a nap. No one saw Xia Tingyi leave the dorm, and the next news they heard about her was the report of her jumping.

At first glance, the case seemed clear-cut, with no apparent issues. But upon closer inspection, things didn’t quite add up.

"What’s your basis?" Yue Lingchuan looked up at them. "If you think it wasn’t a suicide, you must have a reason."

Yan Haifeng massaged his temples and said, "After the incident, we went to interview the teacher who had criticized Xia Tingyi. Her surname is Qiao, a senior professor at the school, known for her strict teaching style. When we spoke to her, she admitted that during class the day before the incident, Xia Tingyi had been distracted—unlike her usual self. In frustration, Professor Qiao had reprimanded her a few times. Xia Tingyi had indeed looked near tears at the time."

Yan Haifeng’s tone shifted. "The professor also told us that Xia Tingyi had always been one of her most promising students. If nothing unexpected happened, she had intended to take her on as a graduate student, which was why she held her to higher standards. After criticizing her, the professor learned about Xia Tingyi’s recent breakup and its impact on her. That same afternoon, she pulled Xia Tingyi aside for a heartfelt conversation."

"According to her, Xia Tingyi sincerely apologized, promising to do better so it wouldn’t hurt her studies again. Professor Qiao felt she had genuinely gotten through to her and only then let her leave."

"Some of Professor Qiao’s graduate students mentioned that while she was strict academically, she was also very caring toward her students in private. That day’s conversation with Xia Tingyi had been warm and supportive—not the kind to drive someone to suicide."

"Moreover, even if Xia Tingyi had been momentarily overwhelmed by Professor Qiao’s words, why act the next day?"

Emotions usually cool with time; even the most intense pain fades. Instead of jumping at the height of her distress, Xia Tingyi chose to do so the day after being comforted by her teacher, when she should have been calming down. Wasn’t that suspicious?

Shen Qingye frowned slightly, her eyes scanning several witness statements. "Aside from this, is there anything else?"

Yan Haifeng gave her an approving glance. "Yes, one more thing."

He tapped a file in front of him and asked, "What do you notice?"

Yue Lingchuan replied coolly, "This girl, Qin Zhongyu, is described by others as having a strained relationship with Xia Tingyi. Yet she firmly believes Xia Tingyi would never commit suicide."

"Isn’t there something odd about that?"

Yan Haifeng nodded. "This girl… is indeed a bit of an enigma."

"According to their classmates and Xia Tingyi’s roommates, her relationship with Qin Zhongyu wasn’t good. Both were top students in their class, so competition was inevitable. Qin Zhongyu was also said to have a superior air, often looking down on others, including Xia Tingyi."

"But despite all that, when we questioned her, she was absolutely certain that Xia Tingyi couldn’t have killed herself."

The girl had spoken with unwavering conviction: "I knew Xia Tingyi. It’s possible she was shaken by the breakup, but I don’t believe she’d kill herself over it."

"And the idea that she couldn’t handle Professor Qiao’s criticism and had a mental breakdown? That’s bullshit. She might have had questionable taste in men, but she knew how to judge people’s intentions. Others have whispered about Professor Qiao being too strict, but she never joined in—sometimes she even defended her. She understood Professor Qiao’s high expectations and wouldn’t just quit like that."

"She would never commit suicide."

Yan Haifeng tapped the table. "This girl seemed to know Xia Tingyi extremely well. And there was also a tinge of… disappointment in her."

Shen Qingye looked up. "How so?"

Yan Haifeng glanced at Yue Lingchuan. "You know Xia Tingyi was from the arts college, a dance major. She was beautiful, with a great figure and presence. The rich kids in those circles love dating girls like her, but it’s never serious—most relationships end after a while."

"At their age, a few others had also dated rich kids. But Qin Zhongyu was more aloof, focused solely on dance, and had no interest in those guys. She had assumed Xia Tingyi was the same, but last semester, Xia Tingyi suddenly started dating one of them—and then fell apart after the breakup. Qin Zhongyu had always seen her as a rival, so watching her ‘waste herself’ like that must have been frustrating."

Shen Qingye rested her chin on her hand, deep in thought.

A teacher who reprimanded her, a classmate she never got along with.

Yue Lingchuan looked up, his tone indifferent. "If that’s all there is, then you can handle the investigation yourselves. The provincial bureau has plenty of staff, and your city's got plenty of cops too. Why go through the trouble of transferring us all the way from Pingjiang and setting up a special task force?"

His perfectly good date had been ruined, and Yue Lingchuan was seriously annoyed.

Yan Haifeng sighed helplessly. "Look, it’s a special case."

He tapped the table. "Do you know who Xia Tingyi’s ex-boyfriend was?"

Yue Lingchuan paused. "Someone in the business?"

Yan Haifeng nodded.

Yue Lingchuan’s eyelids twitched. "Someone I know?"

Yan Haifeng stopped beating around the bush and revealed the name. "Liang Jinwen."

Yue Lingchuan slumped back in his chair and closed his eyes.

He couldn’t help muttering under his breath, "Now I get it. You called me here with ulterior motives."

Yan Haifeng gave a bitter smile. "You know the Liang family’s situation… Their family, all these years, has been rather… problematic."

"And now, of all people, it had to be Liang Jinwen this girl was dating, and the circumstances are so suspicious. How could I not suspect something?"