Chapter 604: Chapter 574 Asking You Something_1
Speaking of which, Xu Dayuan edited a text message and sent it to Peng Da in the adjacent interrogation room. At the same time, Peng Da glanced at his phone and once again turned to Xu Qingshu.
"One last question for you, you took a lot of pictures back then, right? After selecting these three, did you keep the rest of the pictures?"
Xu Qingshu was somewhat puzzled, but she didn’t resist and shook her head slightly, saying:
"At the time, after developing the photos, I cut out these few and put the rest in the waste bag. I didn’t take these things to my new home when I got married at the end of the year; they were all stored in the storeroom of my old house. I’m not sure if they can still be found since we burned some stuff when we moved."
"No matter, just tell us the location. We will send someone to search with you. Additionally, do you remember a little girl, the daughter of the male teacher who saved others? He was riding a bicycle with his daughter. Do you remember what his daughter looked like?"
Xu Qingshu thought for a moment and then shook her head.
"I have no impression."
Peng Da didn’t say anything, as he wasn’t surprised by her answer. After all, Xu Qingshu’s attention at that time had been focused on Shi Mingchen, the man who had saved lives, and since it was dusk, she may have only glanced at the girl crying and screaming beside the bicycle. How could she pay attention to her appearance?
But at this moment, Xu Qingshu was agitated, since the pressure she had felt before was too strong. Although the law couldn’t punish her, the whole incident had taken its toll on her brother, and even her child could potentially become a target of revenge. This was something she couldn’t tolerate.
"I’m not lying, I really don’t remember. I was only focused on the camera lens at the time, and it’s been fifteen years. I thought... I thought it was all in the past."
By the end, Xu Qingshu closed her eyes, and tears uncontrollably streamed down her cheeks, her body trembling. The fear of the unknown was what worried her the most.
Peng Da gestured to Mr. Bai, who opened the door of the interrogation room and returned to turn off the law enforcement recorder. Although they weren’t doing a formal record, proper procedure was not to be neglected and also served as a form of protection for the police.
"You can go now. We will have officers on stakeout around your home. Keep your phone and Kong Wanshan’s line open, and you’re prohibited from leaving the city for the next half a month."
Xu Qingshu kept nodding, and Mr. Bai signaled that she could leave, but Xu Qingshu did not move. Just then, she saw Xu Dayuan and Zhou Ning passing by the door, and she quickly ran up to them.
"Director Xu, the hospital where my brother is, could you also send someone to protect it? Just say the word regarding any expenses; I didn’t expect that the murderer would seek revenge over the incident from years ago..."
Before Xu Qingshu could finish, Xu Dayuan had already raised his hand to stop her from continuing.
"Stop there. The police have always been protecting your family and Xu Qingquan in the hospital because we know that the car accident and the accumulation of vitamin A in his body couldn’t have happened without reason.
It’s only today, after discovering that the person who took the pictures of Shi Mingchen and twisted the facts back then was you, that we called you in for confirmation. So don’t start and end with talking about expenses. There’s another thing to confirm with you: who is taking care of Xu Qingquan in the hospital, his fiancée?"
Xu Qingshu’s brow furrowed, and she shook her head slightly, saying:
"My brother doesn’t have any memory from the past two years; he completely forgot about Zhong Xiaoyan, Li Li, and the rest. He’s very resistant to interacting with anyone besides me, so I can only let Kong Wanshan watch over him for a while.
As for Zhong Xiaoyan, after hearing about my brother’s injury and his misdeeds, she decided to call off the engagement. She took the initiative to return the 188,000 yuan dowry and the eight pieces of gold jewelry."
Zhou Ning arched an eyebrow. It seemed that the fiancée had learned about Li Li and Xu Qingquan’s relationship. The case had been under investigation for so long, and this elder sister was so secretive; it wasn’t necessary for her to take care of him. Just a bit of inquiry would reveal the truth.
Thus, the broken engagement wasn’t surprising, but the girl was indeed decisive: returning the entire 188,000 yuan dowry and the gold belongings without keeping any for herself.
Xu Dayuan gestured, and Mr. Bai escorted Xu Qingshu out. Zhou Ning and the others didn’t stay long and went back to their own homes to rest.
Mr. Zhao drove the car, dropping off Liu Yongxin, while Zhou Ning kept his eyes closed and didn’t speak. Mr. Zhao glanced at him from the rearview mirror and raised his eyebrows at Zhu Xingxing, who shook her head in response.
Clearly, neither of them knew if Zhou Ning had actually fallen asleep. Mr. Zhao thought for a moment before speaking softly:
"Zhou Xiaozhou, are you asleep?"
Zhou Ning opened his eyes.
"No."
"Thinking about the case? Do you think Shi Yun could be hiding at the dance school?"
Zhou Ning shook his head.
"I don’t know. Through such a long investigation, there isn’t much I can be certain about regarding Shi Yun. According to Momo’s aunt’s judgment, she is very cautious with the raw materials she uses, all of which are the kind that can be bought at a supermarket, and nothing special.
The vitamin A she selected was of high purity and low impurity, non-OTC category, added in amounts precisely calculated to ensure efficient poisoning without causing immediate symptoms. Of course, it’s possible she conducted low-toxicity experiments on Li Li and Xu Qingquan.
At the Blue Sea Hotel, she was familiar with the layout, the surveillance, and even the electrical system, able to guide Liu Meiling to check in, create a short circuit in advance, and it’s possible she made a phone call through the hotel’s internal system to communicate with Liu Meiling before killing and hiding the body, and even the timing of her escape was meticulously calculated.
Knowing we found Xu Qingquan, she might have feared he would reveal the murderer’s whereabouts, and not content with just poisoning, she clearly controlled the police’s movements and chose the most exhausting time to stage an accident on a lane with large trucks. Even without knowing the detailed process, just from the extent of the accident, one can infer her driving skills.
All this considered, I don’t even know how to describe this Shi Yun. The girl in the childhood photo, with a smiling face and curvy eyes, I don’t know what she has become. Momo’s synthesized image of her seems accurate, but living for so long in the shadows of revenge, coupled with intentional changes, makes it impossible to infer.
The skills she has honed are comparable to those of a special agent, from counter-surveillance and cake decoration to baking, medical knowledge, pharmacology, and driving - if you take any of these skills individually, she surpasses the pinnacle of those professions. Such a person’s occupation is now beyond normal conjecture."
Xia Momo and Zhu Xingxing both fell silent upon hearing Zhou Ning, and with Mr. Zhao driving into their residential complex, he sighed and said:
"Don’t think too much. Others learn these things to make a living, but she’s doing it to commit murder. Revenge has been her lifetime pursuit, after all. Let’s rest well for now. Everything will wait until Zhang Fangfang returns. Maybe the interrogation will provide the answers we need."
The car stopped, and Zhou Ning didn’t head toward the small building, nor to his own 301. Following behind Xia Momo, the two of them went back to Xia Momo’s place. They quickly prepared a couple of dishes and, after eating, cleaned up together and returned to the living room.
Xia Momo moved close to Zhou Ning from behind, wrapping her arms around his waist and leaning against his back, listening to his heartbeat.
"Don’t let the case affect your mood. You’re already under a lot of work pressure. If you let your emotions get involved, you might develop a problem. How about I accompany you to see a psychologist?"
Zhou Ning laughed and patted Xia Momo’s hand.
"My psychological resilience is not bad; I can separate work and life well. Don’t worry about me. Just now in the car, I was just feeling sorry for Shi Yun. What has this girl gone through in the past fifteen years?
Living under a false name, mastering such skills, investigating every person down to the details, even their partners may not know. Like Kong Wanshan, he must have no idea that his wife once caused the death of two people with just a few photographs."
Xia Momo didn’t release her grip; she instead hugged him even tighter.
"I don’t care. After work, your head shouldn’t be filled with other women, even if she is a suspect. You said you can separate work and life; you have to do it."
Zhou Ning turned around, lifted Xia Momo’s chin, and smiled playfully.
"Are you feeling sorry for me?"
Xia Momo nodded.
"Very much so."
"Then show me practically."
Xia Momo paused, staring into Zhou Ning’s eyes, momentarily at a loss for what he meant. Witnessing Xia Momo’s reaction, Zhou Ning leaned down and pecked her lips gently. The soft touch made Zhou Ning hold Xia Momo tightly, deepening the kiss.
After what seemed like an eternity, Zhou Ning lifted his head and whispered in Xia Momo’s ear:
"Go on, put on the white stockings and comfort me!"
Xia Momo’s cheeks were already flushed, but she didn’t avoid Zhou Ning’s gaze. She tiptoed, biting Zhou Ning’s lips lightly, then stepped back and ran away.
"Wait for me. I’ll put them on for you after my shower!"
Then, accompanied by laughter, Xia Momo ran to the bathroom.
...
September 8th
Early in the morning, Zhou Ning sat at the dining table, eating the breakfast prepared by his second aunt, who looked at him curiously a couple more times.
"You usually don’t get up until it’s time. You came back from a business trip yesterday and didn’t sleep early. Why are you sitting here waiting for breakfast so early? Is something up?"
Zhou Ning shook his head.
"I just slept too well, woke up hungry. After all, it’s been several days since I had a meal made by you. I just followed the scent down here."
The second aunt, flattered, handed a peeled zongzi to Zhou Ning.
"Here’s a savory zongzi with egg yolk and fresh meat. I boiled four of them; help yourself."
Zhou Ning nodded, took a bite directly with his chopsticks, chewed a few times, and then realized the taste was different from factory-produced products. Taking another bite, he confirmed the filling was indeed generous.
"No way, second aunt, did you make this egg yolk and fresh meat zongzi yourself?"
The second aunt nodded.
"I learned it from TV. Tested a few, your grandpa said they were delicious, so I made lots. I also made other kinds: red bean paste, dates, red beans, peanuts, both savory and sweet."
"I’ll have another peanut one, and save two for He Shancun, or he’ll start howling when he gets up and finds no zongzi."
The second aunt laughed, and at the same moment, He Shancun’s voice could be heard from upstairs.
"What are you saying about me behind my back? Mom, didn’t I say you don’t need to get up early to prepare food? I can just grab something at the office; you’re wearing yourself out."
Zhou Ning clicked his tongue and shook his head, but quickly noted He Shancun’s words, knowing from the second aunt’s expression that her mother-in-law greatly appreciated such remarks.
"Don’t talk nonsense. I have nothing else to do, so eat your breakfast and then go to work."
With that, the dinner plate with two zongzis was placed in front of He Shancun. Seeing that he got the same setup as Zhou Ning made He Shancun smile, and Zhou Ning gave him a kick under the table.
"Let me ask you something. Is Xu Qingquan really amnesic, or is he faking it?"
