Chapter 3
Luo Huaizheng would certainly not let Li Qingyao treat him to a meal. He had already booked a private room in the hotel. The environment was elegant and quiet, perfect for confidential talks.
After entering the private room, Luo Huaizheng asked the waiter to bring a pot of tea first and order dishes later, and told the waiter not to disturb them. The room became quiet again. The night view outside the window is bright, and the lights inside are soft. Li Qingyao watched Luo Huaizheng pouring tea from the pot, and he couldn't figure out what had happened that made him come all the way here.
There are some things that Luo Huaizheng has wanted to say to Li Qingyao for a long time. However, firstly, the police were too busy during this period and he couldn't find a suitable opportunity. He had discussed this matter with Ma Junhong. After careful consideration, he also advised Luo Huaizheng to speak later - "Your case is now under investigation. Since Xiang Siling's confession is the key, don't make any more trouble for the time being. It would be bad if it affects the progress on your side. Speaking a few days earlier or later should not delay the police."
Second, those words were just his subjective guesses. Would others believe them? Luo Huaizheng has become accustomed to facing others as a labor camp prisoner. If he were asked to speak to the police rashly and report something without any evidence, he would be hesitant. But precisely because he had more contact with criminal police including Chen Pu and Li Qingyao during this period, he gained confidence - they should take his opinions seriously.
So Luo Huaizheng looked at Li Qingyao and asked directly: "Can I ask, how is your investigation of the murderer of Luo Hongmin going? Have you caught him?"
Li Qingyao replied: "We haven't caught him yet, so I can't tell you the details. Why are you asking this?"
Luo Huaizheng frowned slightly.
As soon as he entered the room, he took off his windbreaker and hung it up, wearing only a dark gray shirt and trousers, without a tie. He sat very straight, with his hands on his legs as he spoke to her, and he looked broad-shouldered, thin, and with long legs.
He looked at her with his deep eyes: "I think Xiang Siling is the real murderer who killed Luo Hongmin."
Li Qingyao lowered his eyes and drank tea, and was quiet for a while.
Although she and Chen Pu always believed that Xiang Siling was the number one suspect in the murder of Luo Hongmin. But both internally and externally, the police are looking for Lu Xing and Li Meiling. Many clues were investigated privately by her and Chen Pu. Even people from other teams in the bureau don’t know.
But Luo Huaizheng, an outsider, was certain that Ding Siling was the murderer.
Li Qingyao put down the teacup, propped up his chin with one hand, and said half jokingly and half angrily: "It seems that you have gained a lot from accompanying Xiang Siling during this period."
As soon as Luo Huaizheng heard it, he knew she was joking. Not only did he not feel offended, but he felt relaxed and happy. Because this means that Li Qingyao has regained some of his former sharpness and humor in front of him.
He smiled and said, "She knew I approached her with a purpose, and I did not hide my intention. But I felt that there was something wrong with her emotions and psychology."
"What do you mean?"
"In the beginning, on the day you found Luo Hongmin's body in the villa, do you know why I accompanied her to the scene?"
"Didn't she force you to agree in front of the people from both companies?"
"That's only one aspect. At that time, she also said something."
"What?"
"She said: Luo Huaizheng, you should go and see it."
Li Qingyao was stunned.
In an instant, she thought of many things - the girl Xiang Siling became Luo Hongmin's concubine, which was the root of everything, and of course the source of Xiang Wei's case; the current police investigation results showed that the mastermind behind the scenes was able to bribe those people and work together to send Luo Huaizheng to prison to take the blame, which was not something Li Meiling could do, and the identity of that person was about to be revealed...
If Xiang Siling was not the murderer of Luo Hongmin, she would not have seen the body at that time. But she told Luo Huaizheng that he should go and have a look.
What are you looking at? Do you want to see how the culprit who harmed Luo Huaizheng died?
Li Qingyao wanted to ask Luo Huaizheng why he didn't say it at the time, but he swallowed the words back when they came to his lips. The atmosphere between her and Luo Huaizheng at that time was not too stiff or awkward. Moreover, theoretically speaking, Luo Huaizheng and Xiang Siling's family had a grudge against each other. At one point, some people in the police even suspected that Luo Huaizheng was one of the suspects. How could he say it at that time?
When Luo Huaizheng saw Li Qingyao’s thoughtful look, he knew that his words were valuable to her. This gave him a vague sense of satisfaction, but he might have to surprise her one more time.
"There was another time." Luo Huaizheng said, "I lost my temper that day and yelled at her, saying that she didn't understand what it felt like to kill someone. She probably felt guilty, and she said that we would be free soon and she would let me know the truth of seven years ago."
Li Qingyao really doesn't know how to evaluate Xiang Siling.
She said: "So, from that time on, she had made up her mind to tell the truth." Then there was a series of scenes such as the psychiatrist school burying evidence.
"But that day, she also said something." Luo Huaizheng's brows were solemn and his tone was heavy. "I didn't understand what she meant at the time. Later, I thought about it and felt that it was wrong."
That day, by the swimming pool, after saying those words to Si Ling, Luo Huaizheng fell silent. He couldn't possibly thank her, and he was also afraid that her so-called telling of the truth was just another tease. With red eyes, he turned around and tried to leave, but he muttered to himself, Xiang Siling:
[I know how that feels, but I'm completely different from you. I'm doing great now. 】
At that time, Luo Huaizheng thought she meant that she was very painful after knowing that he had killed someone, but she was different, she was living a good life. Because Xiang Siling had boasted to him many times before about how happy she was and how she was loved by her stepfather and biological father, Luo Huaizheng understood it naturally.
Until these days, Luo Huaizheng followed the second team and learned more or less about Xiang Siling. When he carefully recalled the scene of their conversation that day, he realized that Xiang Siling might have said something else.
Because before that, he said to her:
[You have no idea that after killing someone with your own hands, you will not be able to sleep all night long, and even if you fall asleep, it will be full of nightmares. 】
[It’s been seven years, and even now, I still dream about that evening... I don’t want to suffer this for the rest of my life. 】
Her response was: [I know how that feels, but I'm completely different from you. I'm doing great now. 】
Li Qingyao looked at Luo Huaizheng with a complicated expression.
She and Chen Pu investigated Xiang Siling openly and secretly, and they had fought back and forth so many times. They caught so many suspicions in her, but she insisted on doing it, and not a single piece of evidence to convict her fell into the hands of the police. Almost everyone around her was used by her as her shield.
However, Xiang Siling repeatedly said words in front of Luo Huaizheng that would bring trouble to herself. Perhaps she looked down on Luo Huaizheng, thinking that he didn't know the inside story and couldn't hear it; or perhaps she lost her sense of propriety when revealing her true feelings. But so far, she has only made such a mistake in front of Luo Huaizheng.
Making a mistake means a possible breakthrough.
Li Qingyao looked at Luo Huaizheng, who was two feet away from him across the table.
Facing her, Luo Huaizheng could already relax, and the lines on his body were no longer as tense as they had been in the past few days. When he first entered the box, he was sitting upright, but now, his body was slightly tilted, his long legs stretched out relaxedly, one arm casually draped over his leg, the other hand resting lightly on the back of the chair, with one fist resting on his chin. It was not difficult for Li Qingyao to imagine that he would be handsome and suave in the company, at the conference table, and in the territory he was now familiar with and good at.
He came here today to say these words to her, which did not benefit him at all, but was purely to help the police. She just couldn't bear to ask more of him. But she couldn't help but feel uneasy because of the possibility of finding a breakthrough in the case.
However, Luo Huaizheng seemed to guess what she was thinking and what was troubling her. He smiled and said, "If you agree, I can go find Xiang Siling again to test her and see if I can get anything out of her."
Li Qingyao shook his head, "If you don't want to see her, then don't. Solving the case is our duty, but nothing is beyond your obligation."
Luo Huaizheng's heart softened, and he said more gently: "It doesn't matter. You have helped me so much and carried such great pressure to overturn the case. If I can help you a little, I will be very happy. I want to go."
Li Qingyao smiled and said, "Well, do your best and don't force yourself. I'll report this matter when I get back. Once the leader agrees, I'll try to apply for a bug and a micro camera for you. I'll also definitely deploy police force to protect your safety."
"Okay, I'll wait for your news."
Luo Huaizheng lowered his head to drink tea. Li Qingyao stared at his white, slender fingers and his calm face. He sighed and said, "Luo Huaizheng, don't be so nice all the time in the future. I'm afraid you'll suffer again."
Luo Huaizheng felt a surge of moisture in his heart, as if the tide was receding. A voice in his heart said: Then can you please take care of me like you did before?
But he couldn't say this anyway, so he just put down his teacup, smiled and said, "I'm not a young boy anymore, and I've lived a stable life all these years. I know my limits, don't worry."
"You'd better do this." Her tone was a little fierce.
Luo Huaizheng was silent for a moment, then said calmly, "Are you hungry? I'll ask someone to order some food."
"good."
Luo Huaizheng pressed the service bell on the table, thought for a moment, and then said, "Actually, I have a feeling that Xiang Siling's previous entanglement with me and her willingness to tell the truth was not because of love. She doesn't like me."
Li Qingyao also had doubts about this. She knew that Xiang Siling had a crush on Luo Huaizheng seven years ago. Afterwards, perhaps Xiang Siling felt that she owed Luo Huaizheng something and felt deeply guilty. But you say that after so many years, and after Xiang Siling has experienced so much, she still loves Luo Huaizheng to death. It does seem a bit like a fairy tale.
Luo Huaizheng said calmly: "I think she sees me as a symbol, a kind of sustenance or something like that. Oftentimes, she acts a little neurotic and cold in front of me. It's like she wants to find something she has lost in me to balance the madness she suppresses in her heart."
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