Chapter 58 Skirt Defense Provocation
After returning to the team, everyone gathered together to share their findings.
Jiang Chengxian said, "I went to several key stores nearby and asked. More than half a month ago, Li Jinguo did have a key made at one of them. Team Qin's test results on the key are also out, confirming that the fingerprints on it are indeed Li Jinguo's."
Yue Lingchuan nodded and looked at Zhou Qiming and others. Zhou Qiming cleared his throat and said, "Zhengyi Kaiyang and I went to the school and asked Ren Fangyao's teachers and classmates. They all said that Ren Fangyao usually has good academic performance, is introverted, and doesn't like to interact with others. But she has a good heart and is always willing to help her classmates when they have questions. The teachers and school leaders have high expectations for her and said that as long as she performs normally, she is likely to be the top scorer in this year's provincial college entrance examination."
He paused and said, "With such a promising talent, I don't think she would ruin her own future just to kill a scumbag."
Yue Lingchuan also said: "I walked around the residential building where Yang Xilan lived and asked the neighbors around. They all said that Li Jinguo had a bad temper and liked to drink. He would beat and scold Yang Xilan every time he was drunk. Especially the neighbors on both sides and upstairs and downstairs, they could often hear him beating his wife. At the beginning, some people went to persuade him, and some even called the police, but he always agreed on the surface, but in fact, he would do whatever he wanted when he closed the door when he got home. There was nothing we could do, as long as no one died, we simply ignored it.
"In addition, an old lady with a hearing loss on the fifth floor said that she seemed to hear someone shouting for help at the time of the incident, and it seemed to be a little girl. However, she thought there was something wrong with her ears at first, and the sound disappeared after a while, so she didn't pay much attention to it.
"Because it was just after 4 o'clock, normally people in that residential building had not yet gotten off work, there were only a few old men and women, and that old woman was relatively close to their home.
"I went to the neighborhood and found a few people who usually drink with Li Jinguo, and asked them if they knew Li Jinguo, and if he said anything when they drank. They all said that it was normal to brag when drinking, and they said a lot of nonsense. I asked them if they talked about women, and then one of them remembered that Li Jinguo once mentioned that his stepdaughter was becoming more and more beautiful, with a good figure, and instead of letting her run away with that man in the future, it would be better to let him... have fun first."
Zhou Qiming tapped the table and said, "This proves that Li Jinguo had been thinking that way for a long time. And Ren Fangyao cried for help at the time of the incident, and there was also evidence of that."
"Yes." Yue Lingchuan added: "As for Ren Fangyao, the neighbors don't know much about her. They only know that she stays at home all day and rarely goes out, but they often see her helping her mother with laundry and cooking. Occasionally, when she sees someone on the street, she will take the initiative to say hello. She is a very polite child."
Jiang Cheng said: "Based on the current situation, Ren Fangyao's claim of self-defense is tenable."
Luo Kaiyang said: "It's just that one fatal blow... it was really a bit too coincidental."
Wei Zhengyi said: "It's understandable that someone would stab someone's vulnerable parts when panicking. Isn't that girl well versed in human anatomy? It's understandable that she acted subconsciously."
Luo Kaiyang said: "It's better this way."
He paused, then continued, "So, in that case, the case is settled? Self-defense?"
Yue Lingchuan looked at Shen Qingye who had remained silent and said, "Little Shen should have made some other discoveries."
Everyone tilted their heads to look, Shen Qingye came back to his senses, took a deep breath, and said: "It's just my guess."
Zhou Qiming said: "You say."
Shen Qingye looked at everyone and said, "I don't know if you noticed that Ren Fangyao was wearing a skirt yesterday."
Luo Kaiyang thought for a moment and said, "Yes, it's a skirt, a red skirt. What's wrong? Is there a problem?"
Jiang Cheng frowned slightly, as if he vaguely realized something: "That skirt... is quite slim-fitting."
Shen Qingye nodded: "Yes. But when I went to their house to search for evidence today, I opened Ren Fangyao's closet and there was not a single skirt in it."
Everyone was stunned: "What do you mean?" Wei Zhengyi said: "She only has one skirt?"
Shen Qingye said: "The clothes in her closet are all loose-fitting tops and pants in black, white and gray tones, dull and plain. Except for the skirt she is wearing, there is not a single bright piece of clothing."
Zhou Qiming's mind raced, and he suddenly raised his eyes: "You mean...Ren Fangyao might have deliberately worn a red dress yesterday? And then aroused Li Jinguo's beastly desires, tempted him to take action, and she resisted, resulting in legitimate defense?"
Shen Qingye rubbed his forehead and said, "I just have some doubts."
"Logically, Ren Fangyao knew Li Jinguo's feelings for her. Even though the school was so close to her home, she still applied for accommodation. She would lock the door tightly when she was at school and at home, and she didn't even dare to buy clothes that were slightly tight or bright. She was so wary of Li Jinguo, why did she wear a red dress yesterday?"
It’s not that you can’t wear it, but given the circumstances and the current result, it’s hard not to be suspicious.
Luo Kaiyang murmured, "Could it be that all of this... was planned by Ren Fangyao?"
"This feels a bit like... defensive provocation..."
Defensive provocation refers to the use of improper means such as provocation to deliberately anger the other party, lure the other party into harming oneself, and then use "legitimate defense" as an excuse to carry out the harmful act. [1]
Wei Zhengyi said: "If it is a defensive provocation... then it is not legitimate defense, it is illegal defense!"
After these words were spoken, the office fell into silence. Jiang Cheng was silent for a while, then shook his head and said, "No, I won't."
“Defense against provocation requires that three conditions be met: the perpetrator has the subjective criminal intent to harm others; objectively, he or she uses words and actions to provoke others; and the perpetrator has premeditation.”[2]
"For the time being, let's not worry about whether Ren Fangyao had the subjective intention and premeditation to kill Li Jinguo. Let's focus on the most critical point, using words and actions to tease others. If Ren Fangyao just wore a skirt in front of Li Jinguo and did nothing else, and there was no verbal or behavioral provocation, then it can only be attributed to Li Jinguo's lust. Ren Fangyao has the freedom to dress freely, and this does not constitute defensive provocation."
Wei Zhengyi also pounded his palm excitedly: "Yes! Even if Ren Fangyao did it on purpose, so what? She was just wearing a piece of clothing. If Li Jinguo was an honest person and didn't take the bait, then this wouldn't have happened, right?!"
After this was said, no one spoke, and Yue Lingchuan and others also looked unhappy.
Luo Kaiyang patted his shoulder and sighed, "You can't say that."
Wei Zhengyi opened his mouth and slowly realized something.
Shen Qingye said slowly: "I know that what you said is not enough to convict her of self-defense provocation. As a person, emotionally, I am also happy that she can get rid of this scum. But as a police officer, rationally..."
“I’m a little worried,” she sighed.
Yue Lingchuan leaned back in his chair, his eyebrows lowered slightly: "She is too smart."
Zhou Qiming also said: "The teachers and school leaders said that her grades were very good. She was always in the top three in several city joint exams, and once even ranked first. But if it is really as we guessed, then her intelligence is a bit dangerous."
Just like Xiao Shen said, no matter what Li Jinguo did, it is a matter for the court to judge. Otherwise, what is the point of having laws? If everyone was like this, killing people at the slightest sign of dissatisfaction, what would society become?
"If this kind of person gets a taste of success and goes astray in the future...that's not good." High IQ crimes are always the most troublesome.
Wei Zhengyi scratched his head: "It's impossible... Is all this a coincidence?"
Yue Lingchuan looked at him with a smile. Wei Zhengyi fell silent immediately. Well, he knew that the probability that all this was just a coincidence was very low.
"These are just our speculations, but based on the evidence we have so far, doesn't everything point to her acting in self-defense? We can't convict someone based on a speculation."
"Who said we're going to convict her?" Zhou Qi understood him at a glance: "We're just worried about the possible future, not that she will definitely do that!"
Wei Zhengyi let out a cry of hi and immediately relaxed: "The way you guys looked just now was really scary."
Shen Qingye smiled: "Maybe I am worrying too much. Brother Qiming is right. We can't use her current behavior to judge whether she will commit a crime in the future. This is not fair to her."
She remembered what she had told herself yesterday, that she wanted to be a lawyer and speak up for women who had suffered domestic violence.
Maybe... they don't have to always think in a bad way, she really has the potential to become a good lawyer?
"That's enough." Yue Lingchuan patted the table, looked around and said, "There's no point in talking about this now. The future is not something we can decide. What we have to do is to find out the truth as soon as possible and close this case."
Shen Qingye also came back to his senses and said with relief: "Boss is right. It's useless to keep dwelling on those things. As for the skirt issue, I will review it again. Let's sort out the relevant materials of this case as soon as possible and hand it over to the procuratorate. It depends on whether they decide to prosecute or not."
Zhou Qiming said: "Yes, when the time comes, we will handle special matters in a special way and ask the procuratorate to speed up the process. It would be best not to delay the college entrance examination."
Jiang Cheng said: "Don't worry, the school and the Education Bureau will definitely value this top scholar more than we do."
Although the Education Bureau and the public security, procuratorial and judicial departments are not related, if they can really produce a top scholar, it will be a good thing for their entire city. With special treatment given to special cases, Ren Fangyao's case shouldn't be delayed too long.
Yue Lingchuan stood up and said, "Okay, then Lao Zhou and I will go to Li Jinguo's workplace to see if we can find more clues."
Everyone agreed and walked out of the office, preparing to split up, but Shen Qingye saw a tall figure running over from the stairs. When he saw her, his eyes lit up instantly:
"sister!"
Shen Qingye was stunned: "Rui Yang?"
Yue Lingchuan, who was standing by, also stopped when he heard the noise, looking a little surprised: "Gao Ruiyang?"
Gao Ruiyang panted heavily, first greeted Yue Lingchuan, then looked at Shen Qingye anxiously: "Sister..."
Shen Qingye asked: "Are you here for your classmate?"
Gao Ruiyang licked his lips that had become dry from running fast: "Sister, Ren Fangyao really, really..."
Shen Qingye looked at his anxious look, sighed softly, turned around and said, "Go to the office and rest for a while."
Gao Ruiyang followed her into the office step by step. Seeing that she wanted to pour him some water, he quickly stepped forward and said, "I'll do it myself."
Shen Qingye looked at him, and seeing that he was sitting in the chair uncomfortably, she asked, "Do you know everything?"
Gao Ruiyang nodded: "We agreed before school was over yesterday that we would go back to school for self-study today. But when I arrived, Ren Fangyao hadn't come yet, so I was a little worried. Just at this time, the police from your team came, and I vaguely heard him tell our teacher something about murder and stepfather, so I was worried, so I ran over."
He looked at Shen Qingye: "So sister, what's going on?"
Shen Qingye sighed and did not answer him, but asked: "Do you know Ren Fangyao?"
Gao Ruiyang nodded vigorously: "I understand, how could I not understand? I have been sitting at the same table with her for three years!"
Shen Qingye asked again: "Did she tell you about her family affairs?"
Gao Ruiyang paused: "What's the matter?"
Shen Qingye: "Did she tell you about her parents?"
Gao Ruiyang thought about it and shook his head: "Very rarely."
"Even if she occasionally mentioned it, she only talked about her mother and never mentioned her father..."
As soon as he finished speaking, Gao Ruiyang's mind raced, and he looked at Shen Qingye fiercely: "Sister, are you saying that Ren Fangyao's father is her stepfather? She, she killed her stepfather."
Shen Qingye nodded: "She has already admitted it."
Gao Ruiyang slumped back in his chair and murmured, "How could it be, how could it be?"
He looked at her in disbelief: "Sister, why?"
Shen Qingye hesitated for a while, but still told him the whole thing in a subtle way. Gao Ruiyang was stunned for a moment, and after a long while, he spoke softly, "I don't know, she never told me..."
He looked bewildered: "She has always been calm and capable in front of everyone, and her classmates admire her very much... I didn't expect that her family was like this, and that she grew up like this..."
Shen Qingye said: "Perhaps it is because of her inner strength that she can appear calm and rational in front of you."
Gao Ruiyang bent down, rubbed his face with his hands, and didn't know what to say for a moment.
"Sister, if that's the case, then this is...self-defense, right?" He raised his eyes and looked at her expectantly: "She doesn't have to bear criminal responsibility, right?"
Shen Qingye looked at him for a long time, then nodded slowly: "For now, that is indeed the case."
Gao Ruiyang was excited for a moment: "What do you mean by for now? Do you still suspect that she committed murder on purpose?"
Shen Qingye was silent for a while, then said softly: "It's just speculation at the moment, there is no evidence."
She looked at Gao Ruiyang and said, "Ruiyang, you and she are deskmates. Didn't you notice anything unusual about her yesterday?"
Gao Ruiyang said: "What's wrong with her? She——"
His voice stopped abruptly.
Gao Ruiyang is very smart. Born into a police family, he has been exposed to the police since childhood. This, coupled with his intuition, is enough for him to understand.
"You mean...the dress she wore yesterday?"
Shen Qingye looked at him quietly. Gao Ruiyang shook his head fiercely: "No, it's impossible! Ren Fangyao told me that she wants to be a forensic doctor in the future. She is so smart and her grades are so good. How could she do something like intentional murder? Impossible!"
Although he said so, his eyes flickered a little, and it was obvious that he was also a little uncertain.
He said hoarsely: "She was just wearing a piece of clothing, that doesn't mean anything at all!"
"You're right." Shen Qingye said calmly, "It really doesn't prove anything, so I said we only have suspicions but no evidence."
Gao Ruiyang raised his eyes and looked at her in a daze. The tacit understanding developed from growing up together made him understand what the other person meant.
Shen Qingye continued, "All the evidence currently shows that Ren Fangyao acted in self-defense. We will transfer the case materials to the procuratorate as soon as possible, and they will decide whether to prosecute."
Gao Ruiyang opened his mouth and said, "The evidence is all here. The possibility of the procuratorate prosecuting is very low..."
As he said, a skirt doesn't mean anything.
But this result did not make him happy.
They sat at the same table for three years, spending every day together and having common topics. Apart from Ren Fangyao's family matters, they talked about almost everything. Gao Ruiyang knew her very well.
He knew it was not impossible for her to do such a thing.
Shen Qingye's suspicion...makes sense.
Gao Ruiyang stared blankly into the void and didn't speak for a long time.
Shen Qingye raised his hand and rubbed his brother's head.
The office was silent. Shen Qingye looked at him quietly and didn't say anything.
After an unknown amount of time, Gao Ruiyang asked, "Did she say anything else?"
Shen Qingye was silent for a while, then said, "She said she wanted to be a lawyer in the future."
“She wanted to be a voice for women like her mother who were victims of domestic violence.”
Gao Ruiyang closed his eyelids slightly, and after a long while, he slowly said, "Very good."
Shen Qingye saw that he had been silent, and couldn't help but feel a little worried: "Rui Yang..."
Gao Ruiyang raised his eyes to look at her and pursed his lips gently: "Sister, don't worry, I'm fine."
His expression was somewhat complicated and bewildered: "I actually didn't understand just now...why didn't she tell me."
They have known each other for so many years and have talked about everything for so many years, why didn't she tell him about this?
"But think about it again, even if she told me, what's the point?"
What can he do if Li Jinguo insists on not getting a divorce? Force them to divorce?
"Perhaps taking this path is the best choice for her."
Shen Qingye raised his hand and patted his shoulder: "She is very smart and will definitely find a smooth path."
Gao Ruiyang smiled at her: "I believe her. She has always been smarter and more capable than me."
He looked at Shen Qingye and said softly, "Sister, I believe in her too. I won't do anything you worry about in the future."
Shen Qingye was stunned for a moment.
Gao Ruiyang understood her worries, and he just smiled softly: "Just think of me as your brother who has a keen eye. Trust my judgment."
Shen Qingye was stunned for a long time before he slowly smiled: "Okay."
She said, “I hope it will be as you said.”
Gao Ruiyang turned around to look at her, slowly revealing his usual sunny smile, and said, "I promise."
Shen Qingye said: "I believe her, and I believe you too."
She stepped forward, straightened his collar, and said, "Okay, come here in a hurry, let's see what you look like."
"Go back and study. I'll let you know when there's news."
Gao Ruiyang said: "Thank you, sister."
Shen Qingye waved his hand: "Okay, let's go quickly, don't delay my work here."
After watching the tall figure of the young man slowly disappear into the distance, Shen Qingye slowly stopped smiling, turned around, and walked towards the interrogation room.
·
The interrogation room was as quiet as ever. Shen Qingye sat at the interrogation table, looking at Ren Fangyao and asked in a warm voice, "Have you had breakfast?"
Ren Fangyao also smiled and nodded, "I have eaten. A female police officer brought me food."
She looked at Shen Qingye, her eyes moved slightly: "Officer Shen, is there anything else you want to do this time?"
Shen Qingye said to her: "There is another... not so important question that I would like to know."
Ren Fangyao said: "You say."
Shen Qingye looked at the red dress she was wearing, turned the pen in her hand silently, and said, "The dress you are wearing is very beautiful."
Ren Fangyao was stunned. He didn't expect her to ask this question so abruptly. After a moment, he replied in a daze: "Thank you."
Shen Qingye asked: "Do you like wearing skirts?"
Ren Fangyao paused for a moment, then slowly shook her head, nodded, and said, "I like it, but I seldom wear it."
Shen Qingye asked tentatively: "Because of your stepfather?"
Ren Fangyao smiled and said, "When I was a kid and wore skirts, he always liked to hug me and put his hands on my thighs and touch me. I didn't understand at the time and just thought he liked me. Later, when I grew up a little and realized his thoughts, I never dared to wear a skirt again."
Shen Qingye asked curiously: "Then why did you wear a skirt yesterday?"
Ren Fangyao lowered her eyes and smiled, "My mom doesn't know about this. She just vaguely suspected that I might be afraid of Li Jinguo and that's why I didn't want to wear a skirt. She didn't want to let me down, so she kept saying that if I didn't want to wear it at home, I could just wear it at school. I refused at first, but when we were shopping last time, she saw a skirt that suited me very well. She said that I would soon become an adult and a big girl, and I would have to dress up when I went to college. It didn't matter if I didn't wear it now, I could wear it when I went to school. I couldn't persuade her, and... I was also a little tempted, so I agreed."
"I chose to wear it yesterday because I wanted to make her happy... Otherwise, if I really waited until I went to college to wear it, my mom wouldn't be able to see it at home."
She murmured, "I thought I was only wearing it once, I'll be careful, nothing will happen..."
But in the end, this is the result.
The skirt, which she had just worn, was also stained with that man's blood.
Shen Qingye looked at her for a long time before whispering, "You look beautiful in a skirt."
This was the second time she had praised her.
Ren Fangyao blinked slowly and listened to her saying, "You will have many opportunities and plenty of time to wear these beautiful dresses in the future."
"Just like your life, the future will be beautiful and colorful."
Ren Fangyao was stunned for a long time, and when he met her calm gaze, he inexplicably felt that she saw through him.
She said nothing, yet it seemed as if she had said everything.
Ren Fangyao was silent for a long time before he slowly said, "Thank you."
Shen Qingye smiled at her and said, "The case is still ongoing. I'll have to ask you to stay here for a while."
Ren Fangyao came back to his senses and asked, "Then Officer Shen, when can I leave? Or, can I still leave?"
Her eyes were cautious and slightly tentative. Shen Qingye paused and said, "The police station is only responsible for collecting evidence and finding out the truth. As for the result... that will be issued by the procuratorate and the court."
"I don't know exactly what will happen, so let's wait a little longer. But...it shouldn't take too long."
She smiled at her, and Ren Fangyao vaguely understood something, and his expression eased slightly: "Thank you, officer."
......
Shen Qingye pushed open the door of the interrogation room, looked at the blue sky and white clouds outside, and slowly breathed a sigh of relief.
What a nice weather.
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