Chapter 18 The Truth.
Everything happened too fast.
Perhaps it was because Zhu Qing's fierce flying kick was too big that before Butler Cui could even land a hit, the entire B group had already become alert and prepared for battle, surrounding him layer by layer.
When talking about romantic movies, Tsang Wing-shan is full of romance, but when it comes to the crucial moment, she shows no mercy. She displays the ruthlessness of a police academy elite, delivering a standard grappling elbow strike and pressing one knee into the lower back of Butler Choi, pinning him firmly to the ground.
Haozai and Zeng Yongshan worked together seamlessly. Before they could even draw their sidearms, they pulled out handcuffs and locked them tightly around the suspect's wrists. With one hand on the back of his neck, they shouted sternly, "Still want to use a knife?"
Zhu Qing hadn't read many novels; at most, she'd read comics donated by kind-hearted people on the bookshelves of the orphanage she'd attended as a child. Later, struggling to make a living, she had even less time for entertainment. Just now, the original plot flooded into Zhu Qing's mind in an instant. She didn't have time to discern the details and instinctively tried to save herself. Now, coming to her senses, the scenes she, as a cannon fodder female supporting character, should have experienced became increasingly clear. Putting aside all the unrealistic elements, according to the original plot, she noticed Butler Cui's suspicion before the Sheng family lawyer read the will. Lost in thought, she was alerted by the original male lead speaking up… Butler Cui grabbed a fruit knife from the maid's tray and rushed straight at the police officer. In the original plot, Zhu Qing, to protect the original male lead, leaped to save him, but couldn't dodge in time, and the sharp tip of the knife pierced her heart. And just like that, her short life ended.
Back in the real world, Liang Qikai reacted the moment he was knocked aside, realizing that it was his words that exposed Zhu Qing's suspicion of Butler Cui. His eyes changed from astonishment to sharpness, and he used the back of the leather chair to block the first attack.
This is the original male lead's character design in the original story: gentle but not incompetent, with a complete growth path tailor-made for him.
"open!"
"You shouldn't be arresting me!"
Butler Cui's angry roar interrupted Zhu Qing's thoughts.
His eyes were glaring, bloodshot from the fierce struggle, his face flushed red, and veins bulging in his neck. The other servants screamed and scattered, still shaken.
Mo Zhenbang and several police officers protected Sheng Peishan throughout the entire process, ensuring that the second Miss Sheng was unharmed.
But ever since the young master of the Sheng family drifted in his go-kart and left those words, she stared at Zhu Qing with a tense expression and a complex look in her eyes, her eyes filled with unspeakable exhaustion.
As for the proud young master of the Sheng family, from the moment he blocked Zhu Qing with his chubby chin until the moment Butler Cui's hands were shackled, he was always protected in Zhu Qing's arms.
Butler Cui's roars continued, and that cold, hard embrace was just like last time. He couldn't tell if Shengfang was ignoring the surrounding noise or simply couldn't understand it. His small back stiffened for a moment, then he slowly raised his head in her arms.
The young master of the Sheng family first met this female police officer at the door of the children's room. She was incredibly strong and easily grabbed the back of his shirt, lifting him up. At that time, he thought she was a female bodyguard hired by his father.
Later, they went on an adventure together to the property gatehouse, and they went to the Jia Nuan Sanatorium to investigate a case... Even the little child knew that the police officer came to their home to investigate a case, and that after the case was over, this formidable adult would no longer come to play with him.
However, I saw that email on the computer in my second sister's room.
The children didn't recognize many Chinese and English words, but Marissa did. She rattled off a string of words, and the young master caught the key points, recalling an obscure word his second sister had mentioned that day.
My niece.
The studious young master already understands that a niece is a relative.
He looked up with a mixture of anticipation and trepidation, and dared not speak again.
What if she says no?
...
This was the first time the lawyer had personally experienced such a thrilling scene. The rules left by the late patriarch of the Sheng family were temporarily set aside, and the reading of the will had to be postponed due to this sudden change.
Soon after, sirens sounded, and the officers quickly split up. Some stayed at the scene to take statements from the domestic helpers, while others escorted the suspects into the car.
Two police cars were parked one in front of the other.
As Sheng Peishan and Butler Cui passed each other, she suddenly asked the police officer pushing her wheelchair to wait a moment.
She looked up and stared at Butler Cui for the first time so intently.
"Why?"
Butler Cui did not answer her question directly. His eyes were so fierce they seemed to bleed, and his cracked lips trembled as he said in a hoarse voice, "You will be punished, your whole family will be punished."
Sheng Peishan had never seen the housekeeper look like this before.
She didn't even know Butler Cui's real name. In her memory, he always seemed to be old, yet silent and reliable.
Even now, Sheng Peishan still hasn't processed the fact that a third person was involved in this case. What secrets does this figure, who always stands quietly in the corner of the house with a slightly hunched back, hold?
As she was being escorted into the police car, her gaze drifted past the window, taking one last look at the place she had lived for so long. From twenty-seven to thirty-seven, ten years—every single day—had been agonizing. No, to be more precise, it wasn't just those ten years…
Sheng Peishan's hand gripped the car window frame, then lingered on Zhu Qing's face.
Under the sunlight, Zhu Qing and Sheng Fang stood together on the cobblestone path in front of the Sheng family villa.
In the living room, all her attention was focused on Butler Cui. The child suddenly appeared, his stubborn little face stern and cool, seemingly smug about something... This Sheng family was fraught with danger, and all she could do was protect him first. As for the child's silly words during Sheng Fang's demonstration, she hadn't paid attention then, and she didn't dwell on them now.
Her thoughts were already preoccupied with the so-called original plot.
"Mr. Mo." A young police officer in uniform came out, looking troubled. "The maids were terrified just now. That chubby Filipino maid hid in the storage room and wouldn't come out. This child..."
Zhu Qing looked down at the young master of the Sheng family.
Since Chen Chaosheng's body was found in the study on the first floor, a group of Sheng family servants have already left. The scene just now was too dangerous—knives and guns drawn, shouts blaring… it will probably scare away another group, after all, the Second Miss Sheng, who promised them triple wages, has already been taken away.
The Filipino maid, Marissa, only had a superficial understanding of Mandarin. In her panic, her Cantonese turned into gibberish, and she relied on guesswork for everything. She felt that there was a murderer hiding everywhere in the house, and she was so scared that she hid. Even if she was persuaded to leave the storage room, she might pack her bags and leave overnight.
Mo Zhenbang made a quick decision: "Take this child back to the police station to settle him in first."
This perplexing case has become clearer, and the truth is about to be revealed. Inspector Mo suggests that Sheng Fang be brought to the police station first and then we can discuss the matter further.
The child was so young, and it was the first time in his life that he had ridden in a police car. All the doubts that filled his little mind were washed away by the novelty.
I'm finally going to visit the West Kowloon Regional Crime Unit, which I've been longing to see!
...
When the young master of the Sheng family stepped into the West Kowloon Serious Crimes Unit, which he had seen countless times on television, his round eyes immediately turned into two bright searchlights, as if he wanted to scan every corner.
When the officers found the little one jumping around like an energetic monkey, they couldn't help but facepalm. They should have coaxed and tricked the Filipino maid Marissa into coming over first, since they were at the police station. Was there a safer place than this?
"Where's Zhu Qing?" Uncle Li's head was throbbing from the Sheng family's young master's childish voice. He rubbed his temples with both hands. "This child listens to her, let her take care of him!"
The little chubby hand gently stroked the police badge, but upon hearing the officer's words, it seemed displeased.
He's not one to listen to reason.
Xu Jiale, always tough and quick-witted, grabbed the old man's hands that were massaging his temples and adjusted their position to press them onto his ears.
Uncle Li was so angry that he shoved him away, almost giving him a dunk.
"Zhu Qing went to the forensic department to wait for the test results of that cup of black tea and fruit punch."
"She's quick-witted," Uncle Li grumbled. "She runs faster than a rabbit."
The "ice queen" that Uncle Li once described is now being called someone who runs faster than a rabbit...
The scene was a bit awkward, and several police officers were trying not to laugh.
Xu Jiale placed a photocopy of a document on his work desk and tapped it lightly with his finger: "Mo Sir and Xiao Sun are in the interrogation room. With this, it will be difficult for him to deny it."
Zeng Yongshan rested her chin on her hand: "I wonder if Miss Sheng has managed to pry open her mouth yet?"
"I'll go check on Sheng Peishan." Uncle Li stood up.
"Uncle Li!" Zeng Yongshan called from behind, pointing to the young master sitting in the swivel chair, "What should we do with this little rascal?"
The office was completely silent. At this moment, pretending not to hear was the wisest choice.
Liang Qikai was the most righteous; he somehow found a lollipop and stuffed it into Shengfang's mouth.
The child's mouth was stuffed with candy, and his eyes were blinking rapidly.
Instantly becomes cute.
Zeng Yongshan's body language was very exaggerated; she leaned close to the young master's face and looked at it again and again.
Is this really the same cool kid who was blocking people in his flashy go-kart just now? What magical power does candy have to turn a little tyrant into a well-behaved child?
"You actually carry candy with you?" Zeng Yongshan asked Liang Qikai as if she had discovered something new.
"Rainbow lollipops," Liang Qikai said. "When I'm out visiting children, I sometimes encounter them crying, so I always carry candy with me."
This newly transferred senior brother Liang has always been incredibly approachable.
Even the lady at the police station canteen would secretly add shrimp to his shrimp fried rice, saying that young people should eat more.
"I've learned something!" Zeng Yongshan smiled, her eyes crinkling.
Xu Jiale, drawing out his words, egged them on: "Oh—I learned something—"
Strange and unusual tunes echoed from various workstations.
Zeng Yongshan stared blankly, put her hands on her hips, and mouthed an order for them to shut up.
Several people started making a ruckus.
Liang Qikai shook his head helplessly and turned to look at Sheng Fang.
He was good at coaxing children, and asked the young master of the Sheng family in a gentle voice, "If you eat this rainbow lollipop, will a rainbow appear in your mouth?"
Shengfang, with a cold, sullen face, said: "Childish."
Zeng Yongshan: "Kid, then give it back to him?"
"?" Sheng Fang grinned and took a big bite of the lollipop.
With a "pfft," laughter echoed, lingering for a long time.
This West Kowloon Major Crimes Unit has instantly turned into a West Kowloon kindergarten.
...
In the interrogation room, Butler Cui's emotions were unstable.
At that moment, he had his hands raised above his head, surrounded by a group of police officers. He could vaguely hear the young master's voice. The young master said that Madam was his niece.
How many nieces could the young master of the Sheng family have?
The only possibility is...
Whether this was the truth or just childish nonsense, Butler Cui had no way of verifying it.
He just gritted his teeth, clenched his fists on the interrogation table, and recalled what had just happened, blaming himself for acting impulsively and ruining the whole plan.
Not long after, Zhu Qing knocked on the interrogation room door and handed the forensic test results to Mo Zhenbang.
The specific toxicology results won't be available so quickly. The expedited report can only confirm that Miss Sheng's tea and Young Master Sheng's drinks were poisoned, but for Inspector Mo, this report is sufficient.
The interrogation room door slowly closed, and Butler Cui subconsciously leaned forward to look at Zhu Qing.
Life isn't a TV drama. Even if Sheng Peirong and this madam are biological mother and daughter, they can't possibly look exactly alike. But perhaps it's just a preconceived notion, but at this moment, Butler Cui felt that the madam's features bore a resemblance to the young Miss Sheng.
The interrogation room door was tightly closed. Mo Zhenbang waved the test report in front of Butler Cui's eyes, then threw it down in front of him with a "bang".
"The test report proves that both of Sheng Peishan's and Sheng Fang's cups were poisoned, and the poison's composition is the same as the cause of death in the autopsy report of Sheng's second son-in-law, Chen Chaosheng." Mo Zhenbang tricked him, "You had already decided to send Sheng Peishan and Sheng Fang to see their father when the will was read on the 100th day after their death."
"You originally thought that, given the Second Miss's status and position, it would only take a lawyer a phone call to get the Chief Superintendent to bail her out and take her home."
After waiting and waiting, Butler Cui finally got to this day.
What a significant day! His plan was almost successful, but it was intercepted by a group of police officers.
"Who would have thought that so many police officers would come? You panicked and rushed to retreat, which is when you gave yourself away."
"You're very smart; you immediately realized you were being suspected. You thought this was your last chance, so without thinking, you picked up the fruit knife..."
Mo Zhenbang paced back and forth in the interrogation room, his heels tapping dully on the floor: "Is that right?"
Butler Cui's wrinkled eyes twitched, and a trace of resentment flashed in his cloudy eyes.
Mo Zhenbang gave a wink, and Officer Xiao Sun understood and took out the file folder.
"You know Huang Ashui, right?" Xiao Sun flipped through the file, his fingertip tracing the words. "Sheng Wenchang is very cautious in his hiring practices, and he especially dislikes it when his household servants are related. Being a driver for a jewelry tycoon is a highly coveted job..."
Butler Cui's breathing suddenly became heavy.
"You deliberately created an opportunity for Huang Ashui, sending him to Sheng Wenchang's side, thinking that father and son would have more opportunities to spend time together in the future, but who knew—"
At this point, Xiao Sun deliberately paused.
Seeing the slightly trembling fingers of Butler Cui, one could be certain that they had made the right bet on this clue.
Xiao Sun pulled out a photo from the thick stack of documents.
In the photo, a young woman is holding a little boy, with dilapidated fishing rafts in the background.
“Huang Ashui was born in 1955. His father was a fishing boat crew member. During a strong typhoon, the fishing boat sank, and the devastating news came. His mother thought his father had died and was forced to move ashore to make a living. From then on, the mother and son depended on each other for survival.” Mo Zhenbang continued, “Tell me, how exactly did the Sheng family wrong you?”
Butler Cui's clenched hands loosened at some point.
Mo Zhenbang handed him the old photos.
Butler Cui's calloused hands stroked the photograph of his deceased son, and tears streamed down his face.
“I can’t find them…” Cui Fuxiang choked up. “They moved and changed their address, and there were no telephones in those days…”
The police investigation was on the right track; it all started forty years ago.
That year, the fishing boat went missing, and Cui Fuxiang was seriously injured. He was rescued by a passing cargo ship and taken to the hospital for treatment. When Kang Fu returned home, he could no longer find his wife and children.
“At first, you worked as a laborer at the docks, asking around for information about the whereabouts of the mother and child,” Xiao Sun continued. “Later, you were lucky enough to meet Sheng Wenchang. This Mr. Sheng was generous, but he was very afraid of bad luck. If he knew that you were a ‘tough’ person, he would definitely take back the job opportunity. So when you followed him into the Sheng family, you concealed your early experiences.”
Of course, Cui Fuxiang never stopped searching for his wife and children.
It wasn't until 1975 that he finally discovered that his wife had moved to Wong Tai Sin Lower Village with their young child.
Memories flooded back like a tide.
At that time, he was collecting rent for his second wife in the tenement building across the street every month, never expecting that his wife and children were so close.
However, when he was overjoyed and looking forward to the reunion of his family of three, he found that fate was still playing tricks on him.
It turns out that his wife had gone through remarriage, illness, and divorce, and had already passed away, leaving behind only their son, Huang Ashui.
Twenty years had passed since they last met, and Huang Ashui had grown accustomed to his original name and was unwilling to change it back to his father's surname. On the surface, the father and son had no relation whatsoever... This is what gave Butler Cui the idea of sending him to the Sheng family as a driver.
"The master has set a strict rule, and even though I've been by his side for decades, there's no room for leniency. I couldn't directly recommend Ah Shui, so I figured out the master's route and had Ah Shui wait there beforehand. I originally wanted the kid to become familiar with the place, but unexpectedly, even the heavens were on our side. The car broke down in a downpour, and Ah Shui happened to have learned the skills at a car repair shop."
Cui Fuxiang said that Huang Ashui was quiet and hardworking, and quickly gained Sheng Wenchang's favor, with the prospect of becoming his personal driver. However, the quiet and introverted second young lady in the family was bullied on her way to school, so Sheng Wenchang transferred him to be her driver.
"Although they are half-sisters, how can the second young lady be compared to the eldest young lady? She is the most useless."
At this point, Cui Fuxiang remained silent for a long time, his fingers involuntarily clenching, then he realized he had crumpled the precious photograph and immediately released his grip.
"Later I realized that God would never help me." His expression was mocking, and the cold smile at the corner of his mouth became twisted. "That day, the young lady disappeared... They searched the entire Sheng family, but only Ah Shui was missing, so everyone assumed he was the culprit. They took people and rushed to the village address that Ah Shui had left in the documents he had submitted. The fire was huge. That fire was an accident... After the fire was extinguished, they carried out a charred adult corpse and also found the young lady's shoe upper and jade pendant."
“They said that babies are different from adults, their bones—” Cui Fuxiang paused, still trying to recall.
Mo Zhenbang: "The bones have a high water content, so they burn more completely."
“Yes, the room was small, and the fire was so big, the child is probably burned to ashes.” Cui Fuxiang nodded. “Even if there were any remains, they would be embedded in the molten iron bed frame…”
The only person carried out of the fire was Huang Ashui, but everyone was convinced that the young lady had also died in the fire.
These were all pieced together by Cui Fuxiang from snippets of information he later gathered from other people.
While Sheng Wenchang, Sheng Peirong, and Cheng Zhaoqian led their men to the village, he was left at home to comfort the second young lady of the Sheng family, who had been crying incessantly since returning from the music room. She was only seventeen years old that year.
Cui Fuxiang did not want to recall how he felt when he learned that his son had died in the fire.
In fact, he and Huang Ashui were not close. The child had little to say to him, and even calling him "Dad" in private was done awkwardly, ending with him scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.
“I don’t know him.” Cui Fuxiang closed his eyes. “I think he was really afraid of poverty, which is why he went astray. Since the master didn’t make a big deal out of this… the dead can’t be brought back to life, let’s just let it go.”
Cui Fuxiang had already lost his son and couldn't afford to lose his job too. He pretended nothing had happened, but in the dead of night, he would suddenly wake up and be transported back to the fishing raft twenty years ago, with his gentle wife nestled beside him, as they lifted their playful Ah Shui high above their heads. Those were the happiest times of his life.
Mo Zhenbang gently tapped the notebook with his pen.
No wonder Zhu Qing noticed that Butler Cui always spoke of Sheng Peirong with regret, but never brought up Sheng Peishan. It turned out that it was a grudge from twenty years ago; Cui Fuxiang often resented Sheng Peishan. If she hadn't been so "useless," Huang Ashui would have stayed by Sheng Wenchang's side, kept in check by this shrewd master, and wouldn't have dared to misbehave. However, such assumptions were meaningless. The employer's arrangement of a driver was inherently unpredictable, and it was impossible to discuss it with them beforehand.
After the young lady's death, Sheng Peirong blamed Sheng Wenchang for not calling the police at first, thus missing the golden rescue time.
The relationship between father and daughter grew increasingly distant until it completely broke down, and she and her husband Cheng Zhaoqian moved out of the Sheng family home.
Later, the Sheng family's jewelry business flourished, and they moved to a luxury mansion in the Mid-Levels, where they also had more domestic helpers.
Sheng Peirong's mental state deteriorated, and she was admitted to a sanatorium. Sheng Peishan was involved in a car accident and lost a leg. Of course, there were also good things. Sheng Fang was born, and the family was revitalized. Sheng Wenchang listened to the master's advice and acted discreetly, for fear of disturbing the joyous occasion.
Life is always like this, with good and bad, gains and losses; it's impossible for everything to go as planned.
Cui Fuxiang thought he would stay in the Sheng family like this until he grew old.
However, just 100 days ago, Sheng Wenchang and Qin Lizhu died.
"I wasn't feeling well that day, so I went to bed early. I woke up in the middle of the night and realized I'd forgotten to check the backyard. I quickly put on my coat and got up. To my surprise, the light in the second young lady's bedroom was still on at three in the morning."
"The second young lady was crying in the room, and the second son-in-law was comforting her."
“I heard her say it was all retribution… God punished her for losing her leg, her sister, and her parents.”
Cui Fuxiang clenched his fist again.
He clearly remembered that day when he leaned against the door and heard Sheng Peishan's intermittent sobs.
Miss Sheng's original words were—
"You said that the one who came to take my life was Wang Ashui, and also..."
It was obvious that inside the room, Chen Chaosheng was tightly covering her mouth.
Outside the door, Cui Fuxiang's eyes were bloodshot, and veins were throbbing at his temples.
“She’s mistaken, she calls him Wang Ashui.” Cui Fuxiang’s voice was terribly hoarse. “My son is Huang Ashui! These rich people wouldn’t even give someone like us a second glance!”
From that day on, Butler Cui began to pay attention to Sheng Peishan.
He discovered that she had hired a private investigator, but not secretly to investigate her husband's extramarital affairs like other wealthy wives.
"The second young lady is actually investigating the whereabouts of the young lady!"
"If the young lady is still alive, how could Ah Shui have kidnapped her? And what about that shoe upper and jade pendant?"
"Also, if the Sheng family hadn't agreed to Ah Shui's leave, why would he have gone back to the housing estate? He wouldn't have had to die!"
The pen in Xiao Sun's hand scratched softly on the paper.
With Butler Cui's confession at this point, the motive for the crime became completely clear.
Butler Cui knew that he would never know the truth again; the Sheng family would never tell.
“You hate the Sheng family, and you hate yourself for not believing Huang Ashui… Your son was wronged for twenty years, and you want them to pay for it,” Mo Zhenbang said. “The first one is to target Chen Chaosheng.”
"At my age, how many more years do I have left to live?" Cui Fuxiang sneered. "Let's die together."
He knew he was incapable of uncovering the truth of what happened back then, but the thought that for twenty years after his son's death, he had been bowing and scraping to this hypocritical family, doing his best for them...
Hatred consumed him.
“What kind of backbone does the second young lady have?” Butler Cui said. “For so many years, it’s always the second son-in-law who has cleaned up her messes.”
The first time Butler Cui took action was during the brake failure incident.
He cleverly tampered with the vehicle, but Chen Chaosheng was lucky; he only hit the roadside guardrail and escaped injury. Later, the vehicle was sent for repairs, and since the old car was prone to frequent breakdowns, it wouldn't be surprising if the mechanic found out something wrong... That time, the tampering was practically flawless.
"The second time you attacked was at the scene of her suicide out of guilt?" Mo Zhenbang asked. "How did you know about He Jia'er? And where did you find that ring?"
Butler Cui said, "I only poisoned his cup."
The poison that was put into Chen Chaosheng's wine glass was obtained by Cui Fuxiang through a series of connections, through his old buddies who used to work as porters at the docks.
That night, the second son-in-law worked late into the night and asked him to fetch a wine glass. He found an opportunity to pour deadly poison into the glass, then returned to his room and waited quietly.
"What's with the suicide note?" Mo Zhenbang frowned slightly.
“I don’t know,” said Butler Cui. “The next day, I opened the study door in front of you and saw the suicide note and the ring… I was also very surprised, but I couldn’t make a fuss about it.”
Mo Zhenbang and Xiao Sun looked at each other.
A long-standing question in my mind has finally been answered.
Sheng Peishan insisted that Chen Chaosheng committed suicide, but in reality, it was Butler Cui who killed him.
In other words, the suicide note on the computer and the ring engraved with He Jia'er's initials...
It was the work of this Miss Sheng.
...
After finishing his lollipop, the young master of the Sheng family couldn't sit still again, so the good-natured Liang Qikai took him to the police station restaurant for a stroll.
In the criminal investigation team's office, the officers from Major Crimes Unit B were reviewing the testimonies and were almost speechless with astonishment.
"So, it was Butler Cui and Miss Sheng who, one after the other, without knowing each other's identities, orchestrated a flawless suicide scene? What a coincidence."
"Did Miss Sheng really think that Chen Chaosheng chose to commit suicide to help her get away with it, so she hurriedly wrote a suicide note and found that old ring?"
"Is this Miss Sheng naive or cruel?"
"So, that young lady from the Sheng family back then... was also related to her?"
As the number of clues increases, the situation becomes more complex.
After learning that his son had been wrongly accused, Butler Cui hated the Sheng family and chose to target Chen Chaosheng first, and then kill Sheng Peishan and Sheng Fang on the day the will was read. However, he was completely unaware of the skeleton in the fireplace.
Zhu Qing flipped through the notes taken by Butler Cui while comparing them with Sheng Peishan's relevant information.
The second young lady of the Sheng family mentioned by Butler Cui was not initially the object of everyone's affections, as the rumors suggested.
As a child, she was the shadow of her family, like an invisible person, always overlooked. The turning point in her life came the year she participated in the Miss Hong Kong pageant. Shedding her naivety, Sheng Peishan became gentle and charming, poised and confident in front of the camera. In the words of Butler Cui, that was the first time she proved herself, the first time the master looked at her in a different light.
At that time, the dazzling Sheng Peirong "fell" and moved into the Jianuoan Sanatorium, while Sheng Peishan rose like a bright star.
This turning point came with Sheng Peirong's daughter.
But what about Ho Ka-yee's case?
"It's obvious that the case of the skeleton in the fireplace and the death of the young lady of the Sheng family are definitely related."
"To be precise, it's the disappearance of the Sheng family's youngest daughter." Uncle Li, who was standing outside the door, still had a cigarette between his fingers.
He walked inside: "Sheng Peishan insists on seeing the DNA test report she received in the email with her own eyes. Ah Ming is still at the Sheng family's house. Mo Sir has already called him and asked him to fax the report over."
Apart from Sheng Peishan and Butler Cui, no one would take a childish "joke" from the Sheng family's child to heart.
However, at this moment, Uncle Li tapped on the corner of Zhu Qing's workstation.
“Sheng Peishan emphasized,” Uncle Li looked at her meaningfully, “there are some things she is only willing to tell you.”
Zhu Qing pointed to the tip of her nose: "Me?"
Inside the CID room, the officers seemed to be frozen in place.
At this moment, Liang Qikai returned with Sheng Fang.
The young master brought back a cup of children's milk tea bigger than his face. This is a special children's milk tea from the restaurant, made with Ovaltine and Horlicks. It's extremely sweet, and no child can resist it.
Zhu Qing remained silent, processing Uncle Li's words.
The officers looked to the left and then to the right, comparing the two pretty faces, one big and one small.
No way... Could it be that the new junior sister is really someone's niece?
...
Sheng Peishan waited quietly for the fax.
Perhaps from the moment she was wheeled into this interrogation room, she knew she had no way to deny it.
At this moment, she slowly told a story to the police officers in charge of the interrogation.
The year Sheng Peishan was born, her older sister Sheng Peirong was ten years old.
“I’ve known since I was little that my sister is different.” Sheng Peishan’s voice was soft. “She’s very smart, and her trophies cover an entire wall. Several times when Daddy was in a meeting, she would just walk in and the board members would tease her, and she would talk eloquently about the appraisal of jewelry quality… My sister is never shy, and everyone says that this is what a daughter of the Sheng family should be like.”
At that time, Sheng Peishan was still an ugly duckling that had not yet grown up.
Her father's gaze never lingered on her. Even at family dinners, he would only glance at her briefly, knowing full well that she was incapable of eloquent speech, before averting his fleeting look. After all, what could a timid little girl possibly offer?
Her mother was busy dealing with her father's philandering lovers, and even in their occasional moments of solitude, she could only shake her head and lament that her daughter wasn't ambitious enough. She sighed, comparing her to her older sister, who was far more outstanding and clearly the true heir to the Sheng family.
"Do you think the ugly duckling would be jealous of the swan?" Sheng Peishan lowered her eyes and answered to herself, "I wouldn't, I just... envy."
I was so envious... that I longed for the warmth my sister gave me.
That felt like home.
"She didn't mind that I was a burden, and she was willing to take me along when she went camping with her classmates. She said that it wasn't that I wasn't outgoing enough, but that I just hadn't found my own stage yet."
"We are half-sisters, but my older sister understands me better than my mother."
“When I was sixteen, my sister got married.” She paused. “My brother-in-law treated her very well. He was gentle and considerate. The way he looked at my sister was like he was looking at the most precious treasure in the world.”
In Sheng Peishan's eyes, such happiness is a matter of course.
My sister always knows what she wants, so how could she possibly make a mistake when it comes to such an important decision in her life?
The following year, their daughter was born, nicknamed Coco.
Sheng Peirong hopes that Coco will live a sweet life, just like chocolate.
It turned out to be chocolate.
Seventeen-year-old Sheng Peishan said, "What a sweet name!" Her sister just laughed.
“I never knew babies were so adorable.” A tender look flashed in Sheng Peishan’s eyes. “I often wonder if clouds are this soft too? Coco even smiles when I hold her gently…”
They could see "her" less and less.
But during that time, the family was filled with unprecedented happiness.
“Until—” her voice finally trembled, “I lost Coco.”
"Did you deliberately lose that child?"
Sheng Peishan's face turned deathly pale.
She longed to be a triumphant hero, miraculously finding the child and exchanging the crisis for the long-awaited attention.
However, it turned into an out-of-control prank, a nightmare that tormented her repeatedly.
A knocking sound came at the door, and a police officer delivered documents faxed from the Sheng family villa.
It's that DNA test report.
Sheng Peishan took the report.
She already guessed what the outcome would be, but seeing it in black and white made her feel more at ease.
"Has Zhu Qing not arrived yet?" Sheng Peishan said. "I want to tell her what happened afterward in person."
...
The cup was placed in the child's hands, who was also holding a children's iced milk tea.
The condensed water droplets slid down, wetting his cuffs. It was so cold that it made his teeth chatter.
The rooms in the house became empty one by one, and fewer and fewer people were around; it was eerily quiet.
When Shengfang sleeps, he rolls himself up into a snail shell with his blanket. He only has two hands, so when he covers his ears, he can't cover his eyes. It's unclear whether he falls asleep from fright or from exhaustion.
Can I stay at my niece Qingzai's house for the night?
The younger generation sat at their niece's workstation, feeling frustrated and wondering how to persuade her.
He gently tugged at the hem of her dress.
"Oh, right! I have a magical little treasure trove!" The young master of the Sheng family proudly showed off, counting on his short fingers, "I also have, and I also..."
The more the young master tried to act cute, the more powerless he felt.
That's terrible, I have nothing but money.
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