Chapter 172 There's no escaping it.
There were constant sounds of footsteps outside.
Yu Wanqing looked outside restlessly.
“I’ve figured it out, you must be bluffing me. My son wouldn’t say such heartless things.” She grabbed her hair, crying and laughing intermittently, and said to the female agent in front of her, “He is my life, you must be bluffing me.”
The female officer was about the same age as Zhang Jie and had been working on the front lines of cases. She stood by the door with her hands behind her back, looking at Yu Wanqing expressionlessly. Her silent attitude made Yu Wanqing even more devastated.
Knock knock knock.
The female agent glanced through the glass in the door, opened the door, stepped aside, and whispered, "Sister Pearl, she's not feeling well."
“Okay.” Standing behind Shen Zhenzhu was none other than Yu Qiang, the eldest son whom Yu Wanqing had been longing for.
Upon seeing Yu Wanqing, Yu Qiang seemed to have found his pillar of support. He rushed to Yu Wanqing in handcuffs, looked her up and down, and said, "Mom, are you alright? They didn't lay a hand on you, did they?"
When Yu Wanqing saw that Yu Qiang still cared about her as before, she held his hand tightly and said, sobbing, "You make me worry so much. What would I do if something happened to you?"
Seeing that they had something to say, Chen Zhenzhu went out and stood by the door.
The female agent also came to the door and whispered to Chen Zhenzhu, "Aren't you afraid they'll contradict each other?"
Shen Zhenzhu smiled and lowered her voice, saying, "I'm just worried that Yu Wanqing won't see Yu Qiang. You'll have to wait and see."
Yu Wanqing pulled Yu Qiang to sit down in the temporary detention room, cupped his face, and said, "Why is there a bruise on your forehead? Did they come to your house to arrest you? Did they beat you?"
With his hands cuffed together, Yu Qiang pointed outside the door and said, "That female police officer just bumped into me and made me fall hard. It hurt so much."
Yu Wanqing felt heartbroken; the child she had raised with such hardship was a piece of her own flesh and blood.
"They took a recording and forced Mom to confess, which Mom mistakenly believed was—"
"Mom!" Yu Qiang glanced at the door again, pulled Yu Wanqing to the window, and said quickly in a very low voice, "I came here to tell you about this. They interrogated me and said I committed extortion. Mom, please help me."
Yu Wanqing said worriedly, "How can I help you? Mom is in dire straits herself... Just tell me, if there's a way, I'll definitely help."
Yu Qiang's eyes darted around quickly as he held Yu Wanqing's ear and whispered a few words.
Yu Wanqing's expression changed drastically, unable to believe her ears. She stared at Yu Qiang in shock, taking two steps back: "You...you don't even want to save me, and you want me to take the blame for you?"
Yu Qiang quickly stepped forward and covered Yu Wanqing's mouth, saying rapidly, "You've killed so many people, you're going to die sooner or later anyway. I'm your son, you have to protect me!"
Yu Wanqing shook off his hand, looked at her son again, and shook her head, saying, "Could it be that what you said in the recording really was?"
She was initially skeptical, wanting to give herself a glimmer of hope, even if Yu Qiang was lying to her now and it wasn't him who said it, she would still be willing to accept it.
"Didn't you say you'd help me if you could? If you just admit you were the one who extorted them, I'll be fine!"
Yu Wanqing said angrily, "I even advised you not to do that, but you wouldn't listen to me. Are you afraid I haven't died enough?!"
Who knew that when Yu Qiang saw that she wasn't cooperating, he became even more aggressive, saying, "You have so many lives on your hands, it would take the government several more bullets to execute you. You're my mother, it doesn't matter if you die, but don't be a burden to me at your age."
Yu Wanqing stared at Yu Qiang. In the past, when she arranged blind dates for Yu Qiang, the women's families always thought he was ugly, dark-skinned, and looked like a rat from a sewer.
She felt they had insulted Yu Qiang; back then, she thought Yu Qiang was a good person. Now, it seems they saw through his true nature!
Yu Qiang continued rambling, "Did you even hear what I said? You're so old, you've eaten and drunk a lot, you've lived enough, but I haven't. The amount of money you're extorting is so large, if I die, how will I live with my future wife?"
"Please, please don't blame me. You're my mother. Can you please help me and spare my life...?"
"Your time to die has come, please help me."
Yu Wanqing's mind was buzzing, her head replaying the words her children, who were "sending off" their elderly parents, said to them for the last time in the nursing home—
"Mom, please don't hate me. You're my mother. I'm begging you. I've been a burden to you all these years. Just go die already."
"At your age, what's the point of living? It's better for us if you die sooner. Dad, don't blame me, my wife and I have really had enough. We still have a long life ahead of us."
'I don't want to leave you, Dad, but I really have no other choice. Please help me one last time; if you die, we'll both be free.'
The elderly man was unable to move, and cloudy tears streamed down his face. He tried to stammer out a request for help, but there was no one to assist him.
"Yu Wanqing! Did you even hear what I said?!" Yu Qiang pleaded desperately but received no response from Yu Wanqing. In an instant, he changed completely, grabbing Yu Wanqing's collar and shaking her, saying, "Say it! Say you did it, you did it!"
"Don't you dare lay a hand on me!" Chen Zhenzhu rushed inside, pried Yu Qiang's hands off, and shoved him. "Stand against the wall, and don't make a scene—"
"Smack!"
Enraged, Yu Qiang slapped Yu Wanqing across the face. Afterward, he stared blankly at his own hand, stammering, "Mom...Mom...I didn't..."
Yu Wanqing's face burned with pain, and her heart was riddled with holes. Suddenly, she erupted in a hoarse, desperate scream, rushing towards Yu Qiang, grabbing his hair and punching and kicking him: "I'll beat you to death, you unfilial son!!"
"You stood by and watched me die, you don't deserve to be my mother!" Yu Qiang retaliated and started fighting with Yu Wanqing, his fists and feet landing heavily on her.
Shen Zhenzhu and the female operator worked together to separate them, and several operators ran in from outside and took Yu Qiang away.
With blood trickling from the corner of her lips, Yu Wanqing stared intently at Yu Qiang, who was leaving amidst a string of curses, and said resentfully, "You ungrateful wretch! I'll send all these unfilial sons to hell!"
As she spoke, her eyes reddened as she stared at Chen Zhenzhu, peeling away her facade of honesty and simplicity to reveal a venomous and resentful gaze. She sneered, "Just as you wished, wasn't that right!"
Looking at the deranged Yu Wanqing, Shen Zhenzhu calmly said, "You reap what you sow; you can't blame anyone else."
Yu Wanqing was forced to confront the fact that Yu Qiang had betrayed her, yet she had also just betrayed him. The mother and son wrestled, cursed, and accused each other; the once-hypocritical mother-son relationship had vanished.
“I remember exactly how much money and how many words those bastards who made me kill someone gave me,” Yu Wanqing said in a hoarse voice. “I will testify that they hired someone to kill their own family! I will send those unfilial sons to hell, to hell!”
Shen Zhenzhu called Zhao Qiqi over, and with Yu Wanqing's encouragement, they recorded the confessions of the nine relatives who hired her to kill their own.
Yu Wanqing also said, "The money under the bed is cash they gave me in transactions. I usually don't let Yu Qiang touch it. You can check it; there are definitely their fingerprints on it."
As Chen Zhenzhu took notes, she secretly ground her teeth.
Very good.
......
"Yu Wanqing has confessed to hiring someone to kill her relative. Now we are waiting for the test results to come out so we can interrogate Qiao Kaiyue and get his confession."
Shen Zhenzhu stood outside the funeral home. The moon was bright and the stars were few. The people who had come to cremate people during the day had all left. Only a few rows of wreaths were placed in the open space, which further accentuated the cold atmosphere of the funeral home.
Chen Zhenzhu, now dressed in her police uniform jacket, was on the phone with Director Liu, reporting on the case's progress. The police badge on her peaked cap gleamed brightly.
"Xiao Shen, you've worked hard. This is the crucial moment for closing the net. The provincial leaders are very concerned about this case, and we can't afford to relax until the very end. We must 'smash' the evidence completely, leaving no room for them to recant. Dig deep into the crime and eliminate accomplices. Procedurally, it must withstand scrutiny and the test of time. This isn't an ordinary murder case; it's patricide. The cruelty and heinousness of the act are intolerable to both heaven and the law. You must ensure this is an ironclad case with conclusive evidence and legal procedures."
"Yes, please rest assured, leader, we will definitely complete the work to a high standard. The chain of evidence is airtight and absolutely standardized."
Director Liu was also working overtime in his office, trying to manage public opinion in advance for this case of patricide in a nursing home, unify information channels, and prevent the case from breaking the bottom line of elderly care and social ethics, causing the public to question social elderly care, and causing the elderly to develop pessimistic and world-weary emotions.
"Yes, I trust you to handle things." Director Liu said cheerfully on the other end of the phone, "Has Bao Lü's side been cleared out?"
Shen Zhenzhu smiled and said, "They've all left."
Director Liu instructed, "You haven't been the team leader for long, so you need to build good working relationships. Don't end up like Xiao Gu, where I'm always the one who has to clean up the mess."
Shen Zhenzhu said with a shameless smile, "Don't worry, we get along very well."
Upon hearing this, Director Liu couldn't help but say, "Hmph, Little Gu used the same words to fool me back then. Alright, I won't argue with you anymore. Take a nap when you have time, don't ruin your health just because you're young, or you'll end up with a lot of illnesses when you're old."
"Director Liu, you should get some rest too. Staying up late all the time won't take a toll on your blood pressure." Shen Zhenzhu walked into the funeral home lobby: "I'll report to you as soon as I finish interrogating Qiao Kaiyue."
"Okay, I'll wait for your good news."
The laboratory was still working overtime to test the perfume ingredients, blood type, fingerprints, and other samples. While waiting for the results, Chen Zhenzhu went to the farewell room.
The room was dimly lit during the farewell ceremony. Qiao Qiao, who insisted on keeping watch, fainted after hearing that Qiao Kaiyue was suspected of murdering her father.
The farewell room, which was bustling during the day, was now silent, even the incense had gone out.
A black coffin was placed in the center; it was unknown whether the sleeping Qiao Jinqiu would have wanted to see this outcome.
Shen Zhenzhu walked to the offering table, lit incense for Qiao Jinqiu, clasped her hands together in prayer, and inserted the incense into the burner. Instead of rushing to look at Qiao Jinqiu's body, she walked to the window and sat down.
She closed her eyes and mentally reconstructed the crime scene from that night.
At first, Qiao Kaiyue used Guo Zhi to lure Yu Wanqing away, and after Yu Wanqing left, he went upstairs to Qiao Jinqiu's house.
It was late at night, and Qiao Jinqiu should have been asleep. Qiao Kaiyue pushed open the door with his toes, and looking at his sleeping father, he was already filled with murderous intent.
Just as he was about to take action, Qiao Jinqiu suddenly woke up.
Qiao Kaiyue and Qiao Jinqiu had an argument.
Qiao Kaiyue decided to act on the spot, desperately trying to smother Qiao Jinqiu.
Shen Zhenzhu frowned and continued to think... Qiao Jinqiu was not a burden to Qiao Kaiyue; the two main factors in the murder were emotion and money.
Those who choose to kill their own parents must have disregarded emotions and prioritized money above all else.
[Qiao Kaiyue reached out and covered Qiao Jinqiu's mouth and nose for money.]
Faced with Qiao Kaiyue's attempt to kill her, Qiao Jinqiu pulled out a kitchen knife from under her pillow. Seeing her beloved son treating her this way, tears streamed down her face... In the end, she chose to let go and allow Qiao Kaiyue to take the knife away, smothering herself to death.
Qiao Kaiyue, his hands stained with blood, heard Yu Wanqing's voice and prepared to flee. Before running away, he threatened Yu Wanqing with Yu Qiang, forcing her to cover up his actions.
Shen Zhenzhu opened her eyes, still with one question.
Qiao Jinqiu was already married to Yu Wanqing, so even if he died, Qiao Kaiyue wouldn't benefit from it. Why did he insist on killing Qiao Jinqiu?
With questions in mind and her own analysis of the crime scene, Shen Zhenzhu got up and walked over.
In the quiet night, with a silent wind, Chen Zhenzhu, her heart filled with countless sighs, came to the coffin. To confirm her judgment, she looked down and saw the ashen, sorrowful face of the old man.
The silent telescope, looking back, gradually reveals the last moments of Qiao Jinqiu's life—
Hangover and feeling dizzy, Qiao Kaiyue went to the workers' school. Yu Wanqing's marriage to Qiao Jinqiu was a devastating blow to him.
Even though his neighbors had warned him that Yu Wanqing was dishonest, he just laughed it off.
Last week, in a phone call, Qiao Jinqiu enthusiastically expressed his intention to hold his final art exhibition, themed "Red Apples from the Mountains." This exhibition, featuring Yu Wanqing, will be the crowning achievement of his life and is sure to cause a sensation in the art world.
In an attempt to persuade Yu Wanqing to become a nude model, Qiao Jinqiu even wanted to change his will to Yu Wanqing's name.
Qiao Kaiyue flung open the door and stood there staring intently at the sleeping Qiao Jinqiu. His father, who had always been so devoted to him, had become so muddled in his old age, falling in love with a nanny who had come to kill him.
This isn't the first time!
"Who? Who's there?" In the dim light of dawn, Qiao Jinqiu was awakened by the wind outside. She opened her eyes blankly and saw someone standing in front of her. Just as she was about to reach out, she was startled awake.
"Dad, it's me." Qiao Kaiyue walked to Qiao Jinqiu's bedside, pulled out a chair, and sat down.
Why are you wearing gloves?
Qiao Kaiyue subconsciously took off his gloves, threw them on the table, and rubbed his hands together: "I wore them while driving."
Qiao Jinqiu breathed a sigh of relief, pulled her hand out from under the pillow, and said, "I'm fine, don't worry. Why did you come so early? Where's Wanqing?"
"Dad, she went out to meet another man." Qiao Kaiyue said without any expression on his face. After speaking, he reached out to tuck the blanket around Qiao Jinqiu and said, "She's been hooking up with another man for a while now."
"Nonsense! I know you're against our marriage, and I know what she's after from me. But you have to understand, I'm an artist. I was born for art, and I'm willing to dedicate myself to it. She's a rare gem; her form and her soul possess an indescribable wildness. If I can paint her, my paintings will definitely become a huge hit again!"
Qiao Kaiyue said, "You previously said you were going to paint other women. How much money were you cheated out of by women? You promised you wouldn't paint anymore and would save the few paintings you gave me as your final works to sell for a high price later. Now you've gone back on your word and want to paint Yu Wanqing again, and even want to change her will."
Qiao Jinqiu said unhappily, "You came here so early and reeking of alcohol just to question me? I don't need to consult you about what I do. Everything I have is earned by myself, and I decide how to handle it. If you had any talent, would I still be painting at this age? I would have been enjoying my retirement long ago."
Qiao Kaiyue stood up, sniffed his shirt, and noticed a faint smell of alcohol. He hadn't changed his clothes after coming out, so he turned and went to Yu Wanqing's bedroom, spraying himself with perfume.
Watching his departing figure, Qiao Jinqiu fully sobered up in the cold wind. Cold sweat instantly streamed down her forehead.
"You brat, what were you trying to do?" Seeing Qiao Kaiyue return, Qiao Jinqiu struggled to get up, but his lower body was too heavy for him to escape.
"Dad, I'll listen to you. Smell me, I don't smell bad anymore. Can you listen to me too? Why did you change your will? Why did you hold an art exhibition?"
Qiao Kaiyue laughed more and more maniacally, his voice becoming shrill under the stimulation: "If you want to draw, draw at home, draw however you want! You promised everything would be mine, all of it. Where do you put me for a woman?!"
“I’ve already said, this is all money I earned. If you’re so capable, go earn it yourself! It’s not like I haven’t given you money. You fail every time you do business. I’m getting old, how much money do I have left for you to squander? I don’t have much money left. Can’t I just keep a little so I can enjoy the rest of my life?”
"Is Yu Wanqing a good person?" Qiao Kaiyue trembled all over as he walked step by step toward Qiao Jinqiu, his lips curling into a wide grin like a wild beast with sharp teeth: "If you weren't rich, she would have killed you too!"
"What are you doing? I'm your father!" Qiao Jinqiu reached out to push Qiao Kaiyue away, but Qiao Kaiyue grabbed his hand and pinched Qiao Jinqiu's cheek.
"Do you even deserve to be my father? My mother died from taking poison because of your womanizing. Not only were you not sad, but you kept changing women one after another. Models, students, women asking for paintings... Now that she's old and paralyzed, you even have your eye on the caregiver. You even want to paint for her. When did your paintings become so cheap? My mother wanted you to paint one for her, why didn't you do it?"
Qiao Jinqiu breathed heavily, her pale face drained of color, and said angrily, "So you still hate me. Let me tell you, I've changed my will, and I've finished the paintings. Don't even think about those paintings in your house appreciating after I die! I'm going to keep painting. I'll paint cats, dogs, and the nanny. I won't paint your mother, I won't paint your mother!"
Qiao Kaiyue raised his arm and slapped Qiao Jinqiu across the face. The highly respected master of calligraphy and painting was stunned by the slap from his own son.
"You, you..." He stared blankly at Qiao Kaiyue, as if he had never met him before. Then, shifting his gaze to the gloves on the table, Qiao Jinqiu understood: Qiao Kaiyue had never intended for him to live this time.
"Don't you know why the last nanny left without saying goodbye?" Qiao Kaiyue cracked his knuckles and said with a sinister smile, "She was so stupid. She cheated you out of your money and then wanted my blessing, hoping to spend the rest of her life with you. I shoved her head into the basin, and you were in the bedroom. Didn't you hear her cries for help?"
"How could I have given birth to such a beast like you? How could I have given birth to you!" Qiao Jinqiu threw his head back forcefully, his head hitting the bed frame repeatedly. He looked at Qiao Kaiyue in despair and choked out, "You have hurt me so much. In all these years, I... I only just realized how much you hate me."
"Don't worry, she's not dead, I just scared her away. Dad, forgive me, you forced me to do this." Qiao Kaiyue glanced at the time, slowly reached out his hand to Qiao Jinqiu, and said with a ferocious smile, "I know you love me the most, go die, you won't change your will if you're dead, you won't paint if you're dead, go die, grant your son's last request."
"Waaah, let go, let go!" Qiao Jinqiu slapped Qiao Kaiyue's wrist hard.
Qiao Kaiyue pressed his hands tightly against Qiao Jinqiu's mouth and nose, repeating in a morbid manner, "Go die, I'll be better off if you die. Go die, go die, everyone will be free if you die..."
Qiao Jinqiu reached under her pillow and pulled out a kitchen knife, raising it towards Qiao Kaiyue. However, halfway through, Qiao Jinqiu stopped, tears streaming down her face as she looked at her son who wanted her dead.
In his dying moments, flashbacks of happy times with his young son kept appearing. He patiently taught Qiao Kaiyue to write and draw, carried the pretending-to-sleep Qiao Kaiyue upstairs to their home. He peeled shrimp for Qiao Kaiyue. He washed Qiao Kaiyue's feet because he had finished his homework, and his eyes welled up with tears...
“Dead…dead?” Qiao Kaiyue gasped for breath, letting go of his father’s hand and looking at him who was motionless.
Qiao Kaiyue smothered Qiao Jinqiu to death. Only when he turned around did he notice the blade next to Qiao Jinqiu's neck, and he broke out in a cold sweat.
He pressed down on Qiao Jinqiu's arm, trying to take the kitchen knife away, when he suddenly heard Yu Wanqing's cursing voice from outside: "Who comes in without taking off their shoes? They're all muddy!"
Thump.
The kitchen knife accidentally fell off and made a sound.
"Hey, what brings you here?" Yu Wanqing shuffled through the door in her slippers and saw Qiao Kaiyue hurriedly trying to leave.
"What did you do?" Yu Wanqing hurriedly stepped forward to check on Qiao Jinqiu's condition.
Qiao Kaiyue brushed past her, then ran back, picked up the kitchen knife from the ground, and brandished it, saying, "Don't think I don't know what you and your son did. I've already found out. If you report me, I'll report you and your son too!"
Yu Wanqing stopped what she was doing, turned her head and expertly checked Qiao Jinqiu's breathing: "You...you killed him?"
Qiao Kaiyue didn't say anything more and quickened his pace to leave the house.
Yu Wanqing plopped down on the ground: "It's over, it's all over."
By the time she came to her senses, it was broad daylight.
The sound of Aunt Wang greeting people came from downstairs. The building manager was calling out at the entrance of the building: "Springtime pest and rodent control, going door-to-door to spray pesticides, remember someone's home!"
Yu Wanqing scrambled to her feet in a panic and ran to the living room to call Qiao Kaiyue: "Hello, hello, what do we do? If someone comes over, we'll be found out sooner or later!"
Qiao Kaiyue clearly said on the other end of the phone, "Throw away the gloves on the table, and don't call the police. Just say my dad passed away in his sleep. I'm coming over now to get him cremated as soon as possible. I'm saying it again, don't even think about reporting me."
"At a time like this, what are you still reporting! Hurry up and come over." Yu Wanqing had no choice but to join forces with Qiao Kaiyue. She hung up the phone, calmed herself down, and thought about how to deal with the crematorium staff and the troublesome neighbors downstairs.
About half an hour later, Qiao Kaiyue appeared downstairs with his family. The family walked upstairs, sobbing.
Aunt Wang asked curiously, "What's wrong? Why are you crying like that? Is the old man sick again?"
Qiao Kaiyue cried uncontrollably, and with Liu Yuji's support, he choked out, "My dad, my dad is gone."
"Oh dear, the old man is too weak. I think his ability to sit up is just a last gasp before death." Aunt Wang hurriedly said, "You go up first, I'll call someone to help your family right away."
"No need," Qiao Kaiyue said, holding Aunt Wang's hand. "I want to quietly send my father off. We'll all meet again at the funeral home."
Seeing that he was crying so hard he could barely stand, Aunt Wang sighed and said, "Alright then, we've been neighbors for decades. Just let me know if you need anything."
Qiao Kaiyue burst into tears, choking out, "Thank you."
......
......
Shen Zhenzhu slowly opened her eyes, touched her forehead, and smiled, affirming her own performance: "Don't be arrogant, keep up the good work."
Ring ring,
Ring ring.
"Sister Pearl, the test results and fingerprint comparison results are in." Xiao Bai called Chen Zhenzhu, her joyful voice coming through the receiver: "It matches our prediction! Qiao Kaiyue can't escape!"
-----------------------
Author's note: Pearl shrugs: No matter how good the acting is, it can't withstand the truth being right in front of you.
***
See you tomorrow, there are 100 red envelopes! [Let me see]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com