Chapter 40. A Wealthy and Idle Man.
French fries are okay to eat. Qingzai is happy right now, and she doesn't care how much her uncle tries to cheat.
Shengfang and Aunt Ping went downstairs and bought French fries, bringing back a lot of ketchup. They squeezed out packet after packet and ate them with it. Zhu Qing belatedly realized what Shengfang meant when she held up ten short fingers—she was pointing at the French fries.
"Qingzai, do you want some?" Fangfang asked.
"I don't want to."
Qingzai isn't eating; she's very busy.
Busy solving the case, I was racking my brains, but I actually came up with a solution.
Shengfang looked at her with satisfaction.
"Then I'll eat it myself." Fangfang chewed.
The fries, which the children had been talking about all night, were served, and they took small bites with their front teeth, enjoying them immensely.
Everyone has one set of left front teeth, one set of right front teeth, and one set of back molars. Nobody needs to rush.
Aunt Ping couldn't help but smile as she looked at the child. Actually, back in the Sheng family, Aunt Ping was mostly busy with kitchen work and rarely had the chance to personally serve the young master.
Back then, the pampered young master could simply ask for anything he wanted to eat. She knew the child wouldn't make things difficult for her, but the lady of the house doted on the child, and if he threw a tantrum, she would inevitably be unhappy. Therefore, Aunt Ping always tried her best to prepare delicious food for him, fearing that it might not suit the young master's taste.
Unlike now... it's just a plate of fries, placed in front of Zhu Qing, who hugs her arm, blinks her eyes, and acts coquettishly, so cute and adorable that it's hard to refuse.
Strangely enough, he ate these hard-won snacks with particular relish.
What surprised Aunt Ping even more was that, under Zhu Qing's influence, the child learned to share.
The sound of light, quick footsteps rang out; it was Fangfang bringing Aunt Ping a French fry: "This is for you."
Aunt Ping was taken aback, but then took it.
"You should say thank you."
"Thank you, young master, for being so generous and giving me a fries."
You shouldn't praise children for their achievements.
As soon as you praise her, her proud little chest immediately puffs up high.
Shengfang immediately gave her a few more fries: "Just a little something extra."
Aunt Ping suddenly felt her eyes getting hot and hurriedly blinked.
She thought it must be because she was getting old. That's how it is when people get old; they suffered a lot when they were young, but none of it made them shed tears. Yet now, they are easily moved to tears by the smallest acts of kindness.
"Young master, let's not disturb Qingqing's work here."
Aunt Ping coaxed Fangfang out of the room.
When the direction was changed, the mystery that had been troubling the police was solved in an instant.
From the very beginning, Li Ziyao and Fang Yayun deliberately staged a clumsy charade. These two suspects hoped to have indelible suspicions about them. For example, why were the imported sleeping pills provided by Li Ziyao found in the victim's body? Why did Fang Yayun call Fang Songsheng from a public phone booth to invite him out? As long as these suspicious points persist, the police investigation will remain focused on them, yet they will be unable to convict them.
In this way, the real murderer can remain at large forever.
...
This is a completely new approach.
In the meeting room the next day, when Zhu Qing raised this point, after a brief silence, everyone suddenly understood.
"Too cunning, presumption of innocence?"
"As long as we continue to investigate Li Ziyao and Fang Yayun, the real murderer can rest easy. We will only keep an eye on these two suspects, but so what if they are being watched to death? They have never killed anyone, so they have nothing to fear."
"But who exactly is that person behind the scenes?"
"Over the years, Fang Songsheng has hurt far more than just Ni Fangrun and Zhou Lingyi... This kind of scum deserves to die—"
Mo Zhenbang sternly stopped them: "Yongshan!"
Zeng Yongshan shut her mouth, still somewhat unconvinced.
"There's no need to detain them anymore. Whether it's 24 hours or 48 hours, it's meaningless."
"It's obvious we can't get anything out of them, let them go."
"Inspector Mo, are we just going to let this go like this?"
"Who said it's over?" Mo Zhenbang said coldly. "We have plenty of time to slowly wear them down."
...
The police quickly adjusted their investigative approach and redeployed their plan.
The next morning, the officers in Group B received new instructions and split into two action teams to conduct round-the-clock close surveillance on Li Ziyao and Fang Yayun.
Zhu Qing, Zeng Yongshan, and Liang Qikai staked out downstairs at Li Ziyao's house.
As agreed, they shouldn't alert the enemy, so Zhu Qing pulled her hat down low, and Zeng Yongshan patted the brim of her hat.
"This looks like someone who's out stealing."
Zhu Qing adjusted her hat.
Do they look alike?
"Is this what paparazzi usually suffer? If we stake out all day and she doesn't even come out, aren't we just wasting our time?"
"There's no other way, Inspector Mo told us to keep a close eye on her until she shows her face."
It wasn't until 1 p.m. that Zeng Yongshan, who had been lazily leaning against the railing at the street corner, suddenly stood up straight.
She gestured in two different directions, and Liang Qikai and Zhu Qing, having already seen Li Ziyao finally emerge, followed her from a considerable distance.
Li Ziyao has begun a normal life.
She still wore heavy makeup, her long, curly hair was loose, and she wore sunglasses. She stood by the roadside to hail a taxi as soon as she left. The three men followed her for the rest of the day. Her first stop was a beauty salon. About three hours later, she left the salon and went to a restaurant in Central.
Li Ziyao chose an outdoor seat. When the food was served, she picked up her knife and fork and savored it carefully.
Zhu Qing and Zeng Yongshan swallowed hard and took out two cold sandwiches from their bags.
While the two women were eating sandwiches, Liang Qikai ran out of the public phone booth.
“Xiao Sun has been tracking Li Ziyao’s pager communication records. Since she left the police station yesterday, she has not contacted anyone.”
"As for contacting Fang Yayun, that's even more impossible. Yesterday morning, Inspector Mo deliberately timed it perfectly, and Li Ziyao and Fang Yayun came out of the two interrogation rooms almost at the same time. When they met, they only glanced at each other and quickly showed expressions of disgust. Even at this point, they were still acting."
"Actually, they have always been very cautious. Every employee of Ya Yun Piano Shop says that the boss's fiancée and daughter are completely incompatible."
At this point, Liang Qikai suddenly said with great interest, "I think Li Ziyao and Fang Yayun don't know yet that we have already listed them as accomplices."
“Interesting. All along, we’ve been the ones in the open while the enemy is in the shadows. Now the tables have finally turned.”
Zeng Yongshan: "When do you think they'll find out?"
Zhu Qing shook her head: "Who knows? They're so smart."
The three police officers watched Li Ziyao from a distance as she elegantly enjoyed her exquisite meal, then looked down at the sandwich in her own hand and sighed in unison.
"If from now on, Li Ziyao and Fang Yayun completely cut off all contact and stop associating with the murderer... will this case really be able to go as they wish, letting the murderer go unpunished?"
"What they did was a kind of risk, gambling with their own lives."
Is it worth sacrificing yourself for a scumbag?
Li Ziyao now lives a seemingly peaceful and stable life.
They thought that if she didn't get involved in this case, she could continue living like this...
But is that what she really wants?
...
For three consecutive days, the police had been tracking Fang Yayun and Li Ziyao.
In the conference room, everyone reported on their respective progress.
“Fang Yayun leaves home at 4:30 every morning to go to the rehearsal room to practice. Around noon, or at the latest by 2 pm, she finishes rehearsal and leaves the rehearsal room. Her fiancé Henry picks her up at the door every day, and the two of them go out to eat together and then go home.”
"It's clear that Fang Yayun and Henry are very much in love. It's probably because they were separated for several years before and got back together, so they cherish this relationship even more."
"During these three days, Fang Yayun and Henry were almost always together. Sometimes they would hold hands and visit her grandmother, or go to the market to buy some vegetables and cook at Henry's house."
Mo Zhenbang leaned against the whiteboard, looking at the photos his subordinates had submitted.
In every photo, they are holding hands, their faces beaming with happy smiles.
"Fang Yayun and Grandma have such a deep bond, why didn't you bring her to live with you?" Xu Jiale asked curiously.
"I bet she hasn't told us about Fang Songsheng's death yet. How could she possibly say it?"
“I understand. My family has been keeping it from my grandfather since my aunt passed away... because we were worried that he wouldn’t be able to handle the shock and that his body wouldn’t be able to take it.”
"No matter how heinous Fang Songsheng is, he is still his only son to his mother... The pain of a parent outliving their child is indeed very difficult to bear."
Mo Zhenbang turned his gaze to Zhu Qing: "What's the situation with Li Ziyao?"
Zeng Yongshan and Liang Qikai immediately flipped through the records of the past two days.
"Going to the department store, buying clothes, or getting a facial at the beauty salon... These past few days, Li Ziyao has basically been doing this, nothing special."
“Last night, she went out around midnight to pick up Luo Weiwei. Luo Weiwei’s job often involves drinking until she’s completely drunk. When Li Ziyao went down to pick her up, she seemed quite worried.”
"I have to say, Luo Weiwei's acting skills are really good." Haozai chimed in, "The day Zhu Qing and I went to her house for the first time, the way she spoke made me think that the two of them didn't get along very well."
These days, Zhu Qing, Zeng Yongshan, and Liang Qikai take turns keeping an eye on him.
Last night, Zhu Qing and Liang Qikai waited for Li Ziyao downstairs. When they were about to go home, they saw her walk out of the apartment building. Luo Weiwei had drunk too much; her eyes were unfocused. She leaned against a streetlamp and vomited for a long time. Li Ziyao squatted down beside her, patiently staying with her, gently patting her back, and then ran to the convenience store to buy her water.
Zhu Qing was standing far away at the time, but she could vaguely hear her softly advising Luo Weiwei to change jobs as soon as possible, saying that her body couldn't take it if she continued like this.
“Oh, right,” Liang Qikai continued, “Dai Feng has come to see her a few times these past few days. When he was giving his statement at the police station, he said that Li Ziyao offered herself to him, but now it seems that was just something he said in anger. Love and hate, dating is really complicated.”
“Last time, Liang Sir and I saw Dai Feng give Li Ziyao a bouquet of flowers, huge roses!” Zeng Yongshan shook her head regretfully as she said this. “Unfortunately, she didn’t seem to want to accept it. I was also thinking that if Li Ziyao really has nothing to do with this case, I don’t know if they will have any chance to get back together.”
"Actually—Dai Feng has always resented Li Ziyao for dumping him and then turning around to marry that old man... But if Li Ziyao is doing this to get revenge on Fang Songsheng, then there's no irreconcilable conflict between her and Dai Feng."
"Is it possible that Dai Feng and Henry actually did it together? Li Ziyao and Fang Yayun knew that the police investigation would eventually focus on them, so they planned everything and had their boyfriends do it?"
“Impossible. Dai Feng’s alibi is exactly the same as Li Ziyao’s. As for Henry, we already mentioned last time that he was on a business trip and wasn’t in Hong Kong that day. Mo Sir even specifically asked us to check. Immigration records can’t be falsified.”
The investigation into this case has now implicated a considerable number of people.
An ex-boyfriend, a current fiancé, Amy (the teacher who stole the watch and money), Cai Huimin, Li Ziyao, her roommate Luo Weiwei, and Fang Yayun...
After repeated verification by the police, each of them had an alibi.
"They shouldn't be the murderers."
"Could the real culprit be hiding in the shadows, seemingly unrelated to Li Ziyao and Fang Yayun?"
"An outsider who seems to have no connection to either of them—"
Meanwhile, the police are also considering another direction.
More than 20 years ago, Fang Songsheng specifically targeted young girls aged 18 or 19.
What about the past twenty-odd years?
"A leopard can't change its spots. He's tasted the sweetness of it, how could he possibly stop?"
“When Zhou Lingyi committed suicide by jumping off a building, he was heartbroken and desperate. He heard from old neighbors that he had lost a lot of weight… How could he be such a good actor? Perhaps at that time, Fang Songsheng had already begun to look for his next target.”
“Besides Ni Fangrun and Zhou Lingyi, there must be other victims.”
The scope of the investigation has quietly expanded.
Over the years, Fang Songsheng, as a piano teacher, has come into contact with countless students. Whether they were his students when he was a private tutor or students at Ya Yun Piano Studio, they may have been victims of his abuse.
As for Fang Yayun and Li Ziyao—
On the surface, they seemed to have cleared their names. But behind the scenes, the police investigation never stopped; they meticulously investigated every possible contact.
"Perhaps that person, like Fang Yayun and Li Ziyao, is the child of a victim."
"But what if the perpetrator killed someone that morning and then left Hong Kong, or even left the country?"
"It's like looking for a needle in a haystack. If the real killer hasn't shown up or left any trace until now, how are we supposed to investigate?"
The investigation has stalled at this point, leaving the police with no leads.
The entire Group B was shrouded in a heavy, low-pressure atmosphere.
The tracking work continues, but everyone has lost their way and is going around in circles in vain.
Zhu Qing thought of the idiom story she told Fang Fang that night: waiting for a rabbit to run into a tree stump.
They reviewed every suspicious surveillance footage, every potentially useful detail, and every person who had ever met the police countless times, but found no clues to follow and were at a loss.
"The net of justice is vast, and it's impossible for it to be without any flaws..."
“There will definitely be clues left behind, but we haven’t found the breakthrough yet.”
"There is no such thing as a perfect crime in reality; a murderer will always leave clues."
They murmured amongst themselves, unsure whether they were talking to themselves or trying to encourage each other.
“Inspector Mo,” Zhu Qing suddenly spoke.
Mo Zhenbang looked up from the case file: "A clue?"
"No, I need to take the afternoon off."
Mo Sir glanced at his watch: "I almost forgot about that."
Zhu Qing needs to take the afternoon off; she had already informed Mo Zhenbang a few days ago.
Although Ong Siu-lun looked very grumpy when he passed by the Criminal Investigation Department office, Mo Sir, as the head of Group B, completely withstood the pressure.
There's no room for leniency until the case is solved.
As Zhu Qing left, Weng Zhaolin gave her a cold, sidelong glance, his usual smiling tiger completely gone.
...
Shengfang, a young child, cannot stay at home all the time; he must go to kindergarten and experience group life.
Last time, Lü Qiyun gave Zhu Qing the wrong materials, but she made up for it the next day. However, so far, Zhu Qing has only looked at that thick stack of interview questions once.
Zhu Qing felt somewhat ashamed.
She knew Li Ziyao and Dai Feng's statements by heart; to exaggerate, she could even recite them from memory. However, she hadn't seriously reviewed the parent interview questions. Now, while standing by the roadside hailing a taxi, she quickly flipped through them and mentally reviewed them again.
"It's alright, Qingzai." Sheng Fang waved her little hand understandingly, "Solving the case is the priority."
My uncle doesn't want to go to kindergarten at all.
I've heard rumors about the Sheng family before, that the eldest daughter and son-in-law are wealthy and idle... Fangfang thinks that this description is quite fitting for him, as he has been living a very comfortable life these days.
Shengfang reflected on his actions and realized he had been incredibly foolish last time. In the first round of interviews, he forgot to control his score and accidentally passed with all A's. Now, if his niece performs well in the interview, he will definitely be admitted smoothly on the day the results are released.
Fangfang's uncle was unwilling to enroll in school.
He would rather stay at home and be a wealthy, leisurely person.
"Qingzai, don't work too hard." Fangfang tugged at her sleeve. "Take a break."
Qingzai doesn't rest.
She looked at the interview questions while trying to hail a taxi, but for some reason, not a single empty taxi passed by all day.
Zhu Qing glanced at the time.
Fangfang said happily, "I hope we're not going to be late!"
But Qingzai wouldn't let him have his way.
My niece is always reliable and rarely acts rashly. If she remembers she has a job interview today, she will definitely prepare in advance. She has definitely thought of ways to deal with any unexpected delays, such as traffic jams, minibus delays, or not being able to hail a taxi.
"There's no way I'll be late," Zhu Qing said. "Give up on that idea."
Her solution today was to leave home earlier.
Fangfang was taken aback, and said in an elder's tone, "Look at what you're saying—"
Before he could finish speaking, he stood on tiptoe and said, "Qingzai, Qingzai, we know someone here!"
Zhu Qing suspected that everyone in Yau Ma Tei was a familiar face to Fang Fang. Some of these acquaintances, whose names she didn't even know, Fang Fang could greet with a smile, completely at ease.
She followed the child's gaze.
A car stopped in front of them.
The car that was used to see Dr. Cheng in the police station's open-air parking garage last time was displayed. The genius villain in the original story had a photographic memory. Not to mention the car model, he could even remember the license plate number after only glancing at it.
At that moment, he immediately recognized Dr. Cheng's car and stopped it, just like he would stop a taxi on the side of the road.
"Madam?" Cheng Xinglang lowered the car window.
"What a coincidence," Zhu Qing asked in surprise, "Where are you going?"
Dr. Cheng shook the insulated box in his hand: "Send a blood sample to the Hung Hom Laboratory, what about you?"
Weston Kindergarten in Kowloon City.
Is it on my way?
Cheng Xinglang: "It's on the way."
Before his niece could answer, Sheng Fang pulled her into the car: "He said it's okay!"
There wasn't a rush, so Zhu Qing sat in the back seat studying.
Fangfang, the little boy, examined Cheng Xinglang's car. After looking around, he said, "Qingzai, you need to hurry up and learn to drive!"
“This one is okay,” Sheng Fang said. “Our family will buy one too.”
The tuition fees have been paid for a long time, but Sheng Fang has yet to see her niece touch a steering wheel.
She hasn't even turned a single page of the "Road User Code" at home.
Fangfang is very long-winded, urging the child to get their driver's license as soon as possible.
All of the young master's original drivers from the Sheng family have left, and he urgently needs a personal driver now.
I really want to go for a drive with Qingzai soon!
The child kept urging him.
Cheng Xinglang glanced up at the rearview mirror inside the car.
The little devil was chanting scriptures, but Madam wouldn't listen; she was engrossed in studying interview questions.
Yau Ma Tei Police Station is not far from Weston Kindergarten in Kowloon City. In addition to its good reputation, the fact that it was close to home was also a key factor that Zhu Qing initially chose this kindergarten.
Upon arriving at their destination, Cheng Xinglang pulled the car over to the side of the road.
My niece and uncle were in a great hurry, but they were different from the other parents and children who were walking into the kindergarten one after another.
Even though everyone else was taking their time, the uncle and nephew seemed to be the most relaxed.
"I'm going to the lab, I should be back in about half an hour." Cheng Xinglang leaned out of the car window, one hand on the steering wheel. "Do you want me to wait for you to come back together?"
Shout loudly, "Okay, it's on my way!"
Cheng Xinglang chuckled: "Give me a number."
Young Master Fangfang stood not far away, hands in his pockets, waiting.
They claim to be colleagues at the police station, but they haven't even exchanged pager numbers. How can they have convenient work-related communication?
Several minutes passed, what a dawdling! Shengfang turned her head away.
His eyes widened instantly.
When Zhu Qing returned, the child exclaimed in shock, "Qingzai, he actually has a mobile phone!"
Last time when we went to the electronics store to buy a pager, the young master immediately took a fancy to a high-end mobile phone.
But his niece said she hadn't seen anyone in the police station using a mobile phone; it was too conspicuous. So he had to compromise and buy his child a pager with a Chinese display.
Who knew that Dr. Cheng actually had a mobile phone!
Qingzai's reaction was quite normal.
“Didn’t you say he had a limited edition game console?” she quickened her pace. “What’s so strange about using a mobile phone?”
The blooming was delayed, and I fell into deep thought.
“No.” He shook his head and jogged to catch up with his niece. “We need to buy a mobile phone too.”
Fangfang's little dumpling face was very tense and extremely serious.
What other kids have, our Qingzai wants to have too!
...
The young master of the Sheng family was somewhat satisfied with his new driver.
He and Qingzai had just finished their interviews and were leaving the kindergarten when they saw that Cheng Xinglang had already arrived.
Dr. Cheng and Madam went back to the police station together. As for the children, they lived five minutes away from the Yau Ma Tei Police Station, so Aunt Ping could pick them up directly at the police station entrance later.
On the way back, Zhu Qing no longer needed to cram for the interview questions, and she felt noticeably more relaxed.
"Are you confident?" she asked.
"Yes!" Sheng Fang nodded vigorously.
What we just did was the first round of parent interviews and the second round of student interviews.
The three-year-old was talking fluently in the principal's office by himself. When he came out, the principal gave him a thumbs up, which made the other parents envious.
"It looks like school will start soon..." Fangfang said with a hint of sadness.
Everyone says that the kindergarten has a very low acceptance rate, but the children there are brimming with confidence.
Zhu Qing asked, "Because of all A's in the assessment?"
"No, that's not it." Sheng Fang drawled, a hint of smugness in her voice, "I promised them—"
Zhu Qing's eyelids twitched.
This scene seems somewhat familiar.
"Should we donate a library to them?" she asked, following up on her son's words.
In the original storyline, the minor villain paved his way to success with money. He donated libraries, buildings, computers, and equipment... He donated so much that the principal and the board of directors turned a blind eye to his actions, and no one could pull him back onto the right path.
If the same situation were to repeat itself in the real world, my niece would definitely need to be taught a lesson.
Zhu Qing coughed lightly, just about to start teaching the child, when she saw him tilting his fluffy little head and looking at her innocently.
"You guessed wrong. I promised to lend them my niece."
"We can offer police lectures for free!" Sheng Fang said with great enthusiasm.
"..." Zhu Qing was stunned. "Who agreed to that?!"
“Your uncle goes to their kindergarten, you should help out!” Sheng Fang said. “Or you could have Zhao Lin come—”
"Go and invite them," Zhu Qing glanced at him. "I don't have that kind of influence."
"Also, don't call him Zhaolin!"
The two, one big and one small, were bickering in the back seat of the car, making Cheng Xinglang laugh.
The already short journey seemed to be shortened even further, and we arrived in the blink of an eye.
Turning left leads to the Yau Ma Tei Police Station, and the road is clear. However, the light is red if you're going straight, so Dr. Cheng stops in the straight lane.
Anyway, the police station is right here, so no matter which road you take, you'll eventually get there.
When the red light turned green, Dr. Cheng stepped on the gas and started moving.
Zhu Qing suddenly spoke up: "Wait a minute!"
Fangfang noticed that her niece was looking out the car window.
Fang Yayun's car was parked in front of a time-honored traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy.
She peered forward, but couldn't see Fang Yayun's figure inside the traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy.
The pharmacy wasn't small, but its layout was open and transparent; as soon as she went in, Fang Yayun would definitely spot her.
Did Fang Yayun come alone?
"Dr. Cheng, have you met Fang Yayun?" Zhu Qing asked. "She's the daughter of the deceased from Yayun Piano Shop."
"No."
The police surveillance continued, but Zhu Qing did not see her colleagues.
The suspect knew she was a police officer, and her presence at the pharmacy would likely arouse suspicion, but it wouldn't be a problem if Dr. Cheng went in. On the day the body was discovered, Dr. Cheng arrived at the scene, completed a preliminary examination, and then left, leaving the remaining work to his assistant. The deceased's daughter arrived more than an hour later, so he didn't encounter her that day.
"I want to know if Fang Yayun went to the traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy alone," Zhu Qing said. "If she had a companion with her—"
Dr. Cheng then turned to Sheng Fang: "Kid, want to play an undercover game?"
Fangfang's eyes practically lit up like light bulbs: "Releasing snakes?"
"Professional officer." Dr. Cheng opened the car door. "Let's go."
Shengfang had only seen Li Ziyao, and had not seen the other suspect.
However, before getting out of the car, the niece briefly described how the child recognized her as soon as he entered the traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy.
Cheng Xinglang casually picked up a child and tossed him in front of the traditional Chinese medicine doctor.
"The kid has insomnia," he said. "Give him some herbal tea."
The children were surprised and opened their mouths in astonishment.
He didn't!
Cheng Xinglang subtly moved half a step closer to Sheng Fang, but his gaze bypassed the crowd and landed precisely on Fang Yayun.
As for her companions...
He casually picked up a small plastic basket from the pharmacy entrance and wandered aimlessly among the shelves.
Dr. Cheng's fingertips swept over rows of medicine boxes, and he casually grabbed a few boxes of vitamins and tossed them in.
Fangfang was held captive in front of the traditional Chinese medicine doctor, and was forced to stretch out her wrists and stick out her tongue.
Unpleasant memories flooded my mind instantly; the herbal tea from the Wan Chai herbal tea shop that day was terribly bitter.
"I don't want to!" He shut his mouth tightly, refusing to cooperate with the traditional Chinese medicine doctor anymore.
...
After the snake release operation was completed, Cheng Xinglang and Sheng Fang walked out of the traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy together.
Standing in front of the car, Dr. Cheng asked, "Where is your niece?"
Zhu Qing hid.
After following Li Ziyao for several days, her colleagues developed a muscle memory for her, and before the suspects could even hide, she had already concealed herself completely.
After Cheng Xinglang and Sheng Fang got into the car, Zhu Qing quietly peeked out and asked, "You're back?"
"She and—" Cheng Xinglang had just begun to speak when he caught a glimpse of Fang Yayun coming out of the traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy.
Zhu Qing immediately looked out the car window in the direction of Fang Yayun.
Fang Yayun walked to her car diagonally opposite and opened the door.
After taking a coat from inside, she hurriedly returned to the traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy.
“No need to take it…” a kind voice came from the traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy. “I’m not cold.”
"It's quite cold in the pharmacy, so it's better to wear a jacket," Fang Yayun said with a smile.
Zhu Qing finally saw Fang Ya Yun's companion clearly, and a sense of loss welled up in her heart.
Fang Yayun came with her grandmother and had no new leads.
Cheng Xinglang noticed the change in her emotions, but he didn't know how far the case had progressed.
He said, "She prescribed some traditional Chinese medicine to regulate the blood and qi of the elderly, a half-month's supply."
In the traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy, Fang Yayun carefully draped a coat over her grandmother's shoulders.
I have to wait a while to get the medicine, and it would be troublesome if I caught a cold.
“She’s about to go on an international tour,” Zhu Qing said, “so I specially ordered extra medicine.”
She knew that Fang Yayun would be going abroad for a performance in a few days.
Day after day of rehearsals, all for this day to shine on a foreign stage. This pianist is a key figure, with absolute authority in the orchestra; every note she plays is crucial. This time, she is sure to deliver another unforgettable performance.
In recent days, the police have launched investigations from all directions, but have made no progress.
There were no new leads. They knew Fang Yayun and Li Ziyao were involved in something, but they couldn't arrest them because they lacked evidence.
Inspector Mo didn't put pressure on anyone, but everyone heard it. That day, Ong Siu-lun had a huge outburst in his office—
If Fang Yayun takes advantage of this performance opportunity and never returns, this case will likely remain unsolved.
They had heard from the sidelines that Fang Yayun's fiancé, Henry, was already looking into immigration matters, so it wasn't entirely impossible.
Fang Yayun can leave at any time.
Her fiancé is willing to elope with her, and as for her grandmother, if she can't bear to leave her, she can take the old woman with her.
After all, Grandma would find out about her son's death someday.
This cannot be hidden.
Everyone knew that once the investigation reached this point, the trail had completely dried up.
No one was willing to accept this, but what could they do?
Shengfang: "Why aren't you asking anymore?"
Dr. Cheng and little Shengfang launched an operation to expose the snake. The child made great sacrifices, and when he came out, he was carrying a whole plastic bag of herbal tea. Dr. Cheng had insisted on giving it to him, whispering in his ear that being a little undercover agent requires professionalism.
But now, their contact person isn't asking them anything.
Fangfang's sacrifices shouldn't have been in vain.
Since Qingzai didn't ask, he brought it up himself.
"Qingzai, the old lady is a regular customer of the Chinese medicine pharmacy."
"Moreover, she and Aunt Ping were from the same clan five hundred years ago!"
Zhu Qing was absent-minded, but still found it amusing: "You even know your own family name."
“He told me that,” Sheng Fang said, pointing to Dr. Cheng in the front seat.
Last time, Qingzai taught him for a long time that children shouldn't be disrespectful to their elders, after all, he isn't everyone's uncle.
So today, Fangfang doesn't call it "Tetris" or "Alang," but still reluctantly uses "he" to refer to him.
“Aunt Ping—” Zhu Qing interrupted, then suddenly frowned slightly, “Isn’t Aunt Ping’s surname Yan?”
"Yes! Yan Ping!"
"Is Fang Yayun's grandmother surnamed Yan?" Zhu Qing asked Dr. Cheng.
Cheng Xinglang is a forensic doctor, not a police officer.
He was unfamiliar with police procedures, and when Madam asked him to go into the Chinese medicine pharmacy to find out what was going on, his first reaction was to focus on the suspect's companion.
He walked around the old woman and saw her name written on the Chinese medicine packet the doctor had just prescribed for her.
“That’s right,” he said. “His surname is Yan.”
"Dr. Cheng," Zhu Qing said quickly, "can I borrow your cell phone?"
The confined space of the carriage made it inconvenient for Madam to speak, and the entrance to the traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy made her an easy target for the suspect.
Cheng Xinglang started the car, turned the corner, and stopped on the side of the road.
Just then, Zeng Yongshan answered the phone, and Zhu Qing immediately got out of the car with her mobile phone.
After listening to her briefly explain how she met Fang Yayun at the Chinese medicine pharmacy, Zeng Yongshan laughed out loud.
"I knew it! Hao-zai is so unlucky. He gets caught as soon as he tries to slack off." She said gleefully, "He just sneaked back to the bathroom. He was being stubborn, saying that Fang Ya-yun was just accompanying her grandma to the pharmacy and there was nothing new to dig up."
“Yongshan, you said last time that Fang Songsheng’s mother was Granny Shen.”
Zhu Qing clearly remembers that Zeng Yongshan addressed the other person in this way that day.
“Yes, I specifically looked up the deceased’s mother’s name. It’s more polite to call her ‘Grandma Shen’.” Zeng Yongshan asked in confusion, “Why are you suddenly asking about this?”
"No, her surname is Yan."
Zeng Yongshan asked, puzzled, "What do you mean?"
Through explaining to Zeng Yongshan, Zhu Qing gradually sorted out her thoughts.
Actually, that day at the deceased's house, it was mentioned that Fang Songsheng ironed clothes after answering a phone call, and also "Grandma Shen".
She also naturally cooperated with Fang Yayun, inadvertently revealing clues to the police.
But because Granny Shen was Fang Songsheng's mother, no one ever suspected her.
After all, what mother in the world would get involved in her own son's murder?
Zhu Qing: "What if she wasn't Fang Songsheng's mother at all?"
“How is this possible?” Zeng Yongshan said. “Next to the deceased’s wedding photo, there was a photo of Fang Yayun with her grandmother when she was a child.”
Inside the train carriage, Fangfang and Dr. Cheng looked out together.
The brave detective is investigating a case.
Noticing her uncle's piercing gaze, she turned her back.
“Not grandmother, but maternal grandmother,” Zhu Qing corrected firmly. “She is Zhou Lingyi’s mother.”
All the clues are connected.
Fang Ya-yun said that she was taken care of by her grandmother since she was a child, while Li Zi-yao said that Fang Song-sheng insisted on bringing her future mother-in-law to live with them, which caused many conflicts between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.
Every detail in their testimonies was a carefully crafted misrepresentation.
But what is the truth?
The nanny next to the "deceased mother" was newly hired. The new house had just been renovated, and even Fang Songsheng himself had just moved in. The neighbors were unfamiliar with him and did not recognize his mother.
Naturally, no one will expose a fact—
This was an old man who appeared out of nowhere; he had never lived with the father and daughter before.
They fooled everyone in this performance.
"Fang Yayun's grandmother lacked strength and had to rely on sleeping pills to succeed."
"Zhou Lingyi is a full fifteen years younger than Fang Songsheng, which means that Grandma's actual age isn't that old. That strange smell we noticed in the living room that day—"
"It doesn't smell like liniment," Zeng Yongshan realized. "It's hair dye!"
To create an apparent age gap with Fang Songsheng, the grandmother dyed her hair completely white and deliberately hunched her back.
Police have long suspected that not only Ni Fangrun and Zhou Lingyi were victims of Fang Songsheng's abuse.
They investigated every woman who was suspected of being a victim.
Or like Li Ziyao and Fang Yayun—the children of victims.
The only thing overlooked was the silent mother behind the victim.
“It’s her.” Zhu Qing’s mood suddenly turned heavy. “This is the third person that Fang Yayun and Li Ziyao have been desperately protecting.”
She was wrong.
It wasn't just two girls protecting Grandma Yan...
Grandma Yan is also doing her best to build the last barrier for them.
They are young, and their lives have just begun.
If it means getting stained with blood—
It would be better to use her old, wrinkled hands.
Zhu Qing knew that the buried past was about to surface.
At this moment, she was finally infinitely close to the truth.
...
In the driver's seat, Dr. Cheng casually rolled up his shirt sleeves, revealing his well-defined forearms, which he lazily rested on the car window frame.
In the back seat behind the driver, a child's innocent face was pressed against the car window frame, feeling the cool breeze and swaying from side to side.
"Kid, your niece has solved another case."
Shengfang arrogantly raised her chin: "Of course."
His niece is a police officer! Madam solves cases faster than lightning!
But then again...
Who's the brat? Little Fangfang glares angrily at Dr. Cheng.
"Don't call me that." His little voice was fierce. "Otherwise..."
Cheng Xinglang raised an eyebrow: "Otherwise?"
What audacity! How dare they pull a tooth out of a tiger cub's mouth!
Shengfang didn't speak; cool boys are usually very quiet.
He clenched his fist and then slowly rotated his little wrist.
The young master's chubby face remained cold and indifferent: "Understand?"
It seems like it's starting to fall apart.
The baby frowned and changed his tone, "Understand?"
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