Chapter 16 "Will we ever meet again?"
The air in the interrogation room was still.
Sheng Peishan sat in her wheelchair, gripping the handles with both hands, maintaining a suffocating silence.
Two platinum rings engraved with English letters were slammed heavily onto the interrogation table, making a crisp "clang".
Initially, the police determined that Chen Chaosheng, the second son-in-law of the Sheng family, and the deceased He Jia'er were in a romantic relationship, based entirely on this so-called "couple's ring." However, unexpectedly, the letters engraved on the inside of the ring, compared to the initials of Sheng Peishan's name, made Chen Chaosheng's Cantonese initials seem rather dubious. Looking back at the entire case, there was never any conclusive evidence to prove this—
Chen Chaosheng and He Jiaer knew each other.
"The luxury car parked in front of the nightclub back then, the witnesses only remembered that it was dark gray, they didn't know the specific model, and they didn't pay attention to the license plate number." Mo Zhenbang's voice echoed in the closed space of the interrogation room, "But within ten days after the fireplace was completed, a car under the Sheng family's name was secretly scrapped."
Mo Zhenbang leaned forward: "How do you explain this coincidence?"
How should it be explained? It's just a luxury house and a car that were totaled; there are actually many reasons, but Sheng Peishan didn't say anything.
She kept her lips tightly closed, her gaze fixed on the evidence bag that the police had slammed on the table.
“Let me try to uncover the truth.” Zhu Qing’s slender fingers tapped lightly on the table. “You used feng shui issues as an excuse to postpone moving into the hillside villa, just to appease He Jia’er, right? What happened afterward? Was it premeditated, an accident, or a slip-up?”
"Chen Chaosheng was not idle during this part either."
"The Department of Architectural and Structural Engineering at Hong Kong Polytechnic University has always emphasized practical teaching. During their student days, they often had to deal with special situations in building structures. Sealing the body in the fireplace and completing the preliminary work for the standard of burying a body is just one of the most basic lessons."
Sheng Peishan lowered her eyes, her voice eerily calm: "Where's the evidence?"
"Killing someone must have been incredibly agonizing," Zhu Qing said, looking directly into the eyes of Miss Sheng. "Was the car accident... because you were mentally disturbed?"
Will you feel guilty?
Sheng Peishan finally raised her eyes and quietly looked at Zhu Qing.
She vaguely remembered that such a conversation had happened before, and that she had asked—
Does Chen Chaosheng feel guilty for killing that innocent girl?
Terrifying memories swept in, crashing and screaming through my mind.
For the first few nights, she couldn't sleep at all; whenever she closed her eyes, she could see He Jia'er's face. Until that day, she was driving at high speed late at night when an unexpected car accident occurred. When the excruciating pain struck, Sheng Peishan actually felt a sense of relief.
She got her comeuppance. Can He Jiaer please stop torturing her day and night?
Sheng Peishan's hands gripped the hem of her skirt tightly.
Her face turned deathly pale, and she was no longer as elegant and composed as before.
"Will you feel guilty?" Zhu Qing asked again.
Sheng Peishan hesitated for a moment.
At that moment, the policewoman stared directly into her eyes.
Calm, decisive... familiar memories are always reflected in those eyes.
That older sister she always looked up to, who was always decisive and ruthless.
That's why she had this absurd thought.
That day, they probed the policewoman's age, checked her background by looking at her name on her police ID, and kept the teacup she had drunk from, sending it for testing.
“Chen Chaosheng is the only one who knows the truth.” Zhu Qing moved closer to her. “Who knew that ten years later, when the case of the body hidden in the fireplace was exposed, you would poison his wine to protect yourself, leave a suicide note, and stage the scene as a suicide out of guilt.”
This time, Sheng Peishan's tone was completely calm: "I didn't kill him."
"How did he die?"
Sheng Peishan: "Suicide."
...
The interrogation only came to a temporary end when the Sheng family's personal lawyer arrived.
Police had reason to believe that the person involved would interfere with the investigation, refused the bail application, and detained Sheng Peishan for 48 hours in accordance with regulations.
Through the double-pane glass, the colleagues in Group B were already unable to contain themselves.
When Mo Zhenbang and Zhu Qing came out, he quickly followed them.
"If Sheng Peishan really killed Chen Chaosheng, why was she so surprised at the time?"
"Come on, she's an actress! She had acting talent when she first entered the industry, and now that she has more life experience, her acting skills have improved even more."
"Do you remember the day her Bobo died unexpectedly and Chen Chaosheng's brakes failed? She insisted that the murderer was in the Sheng family, and her terrified appearance fooled everyone... This Miss Sheng was just trying to lower our guard, otherwise we wouldn't have only been able to find her now."
"Could it be that the second son-in-law volunteered to protect his beloved?" Zeng Yongshan hesitated.
“It was only after Sheng Peishan’s car accident that her second son-in-law gradually entered the Sheng Group,” Liang Qikai said. “If it was all just for personal gain, why would he commit suicide to protect her?”
Regardless, there are still too many doubts surrounding this case.
The investigation is ongoing from multiple angles. The case of the skeletal remains, which has been sealed for ten years, was already difficult enough because many records were not preserved. Now, the case has regressed to its starting point, beginning with the kidnapping of an infant twenty years ago, which is incredibly frustrating.
...
Zhu Qing first heard about the cause of death of the Sheng family's baby from Sister Ping.
There aren't many maids who have worked for the Sheng family for more than twenty years, so Inspector Mo told her to go and see if she could find anything.
Housekeeper Cui, Sister Ping, and driver Lao Zhao stood in front of Zhu Qing, reminiscing about the details of that year.
“I was young then,” Old Zhao said. “A-Shui was even younger, only in his early twenties. The young man was diligent and honest, and he won the master’s favor as soon as he arrived. Everyone wanted to drive for the master, and he went out the most and was the most generous… I was worried that A-Shui would be my rival, but I never expected something like this to happen later.”
According to Lao Zhao's recollection, the driver's name was Huang Ashui. He got the job purely by luck. That day, Lao Zhao was driving to pick up Sheng Wenchang to go home when his car broke down halfway. Huang Ashui happened to be there and fixed the car.
Sheng Wenchang was superstitious and convinced that Huang Ashui had saved him from his immediate predicament, so he kept the young man by his side.
“Huang Ashui is much older than us,” said Butler Cui. “We don’t talk much, but I’ve heard that this young man is reliable and hardworking.”
"Who knows if you can know a person's face but not their heart?" Sister Ping frowned deeply. "The little girl is only six months old, how could he do such a thing!"
“Sir, Madam,” Old Zhao asked, “did Ah Shui also have a hand in killing the body in the fireplace…”
Before the words "white bones" were even mentioned, he already felt a chill run down his spine.
"By the way," Zhu Qing continued taking notes, "what's the relationship between Huang Ashui and Sheng Peishan?"
"I remember for a long time..." Sister Ping asked them to confirm, "was it always that guy named Ah Shui who took Miss Sheng to school?"
Butler Cui and Old Zhao nodded.
Yes, that's true.
"That's all I can remember," Old Zhao said. "Back then, the family had such a big problem, how could I dare to ask any more questions?"
“I understand.” Liang Qikai said in a friendly manner, leaving a business card. “If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us.”
As Zhu Qing and Liang Qikai were preparing to return to the police station, they heard a voice coming from upstairs.
"Hello!"
Zhu Qing turned back.
Half a little head peeked out from the corner of the stairs. The child gripped the handrail with both hands, his chubby cheeks puffed out. He clearly wanted to get closer, but he pretended not to care.
Liang Qikai said gently, "I'll wait for you here."
Rumors are rampant that the young master of the Sheng family already possesses a fortune of billions at such a young age, making many people envious.
But in reality, what's most important to a child is simply companionship.
Zhu Qing took a few steps forward.
As she slowly descended, she stood at the top of the stairs, her voice low: "The case is over. Will we ever meet again?"
"Won't."
Zhu Qing paused for a moment: "The house has been messy lately, so keep the doors closed."
With Sheng Wenchang and Qin Lizhu dead, and Sheng Peirong barely able to protect herself, if Sheng Peishan really is the murderer...
From now on, there will only be one person in this house, Shengfang.
"Don't go out to play anymore." Zhu Qing glanced at the toys scattered all over the third-floor corridor and added, "From now on, take good care of yourself."
The child didn't respond, but just kept his head down, mechanically disassembling the small Lego pieces he had just assembled.
Piece by piece, they were put back together again.
As they went downstairs, Liang Qikai leaned against the door, his gaze complex: "You're not feeling well either, are you?"
Why do you say that?
"Wealthy people will set up irrevocable trusts for their children, so the children don't need to worry about their future."
"But... if you're worried, you can keep in touch with him, even if it's just by writing letters."
Zhu Qing shook her head, not stopping in her tracks: "Everyone has to grow up on their own."
Liang Qikai stopped talking and just stood there, quietly watching her departing figure.
Meanwhile, Sheng Fang took the Lego minifigures upstairs.
The Filipino maid followed closely behind.
My second sister's bedroom door was still open, and an email notification popped up on her computer.
Shengfang doesn't recognize all the Chinese characters, but she's very familiar with the English alphabet. Take a closer look.
"DNA?" The child, still upset, licked his lips. "Marisa, is this a new chocolate brand?"
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