Lu Feixiang’s presence had clearly disrupted Fu Shun’an’s rhythm. He argued excitedly, “Maybe I didn’t express myself clearly. They must have both misunderstood! My true intention was really to have Shen Wei let go of the past, I absolutely had no intention of inciting him to commit a crime!”

Ji Chenjiao: “Do you remember last time when I came to see you, I asked about your relationship with Chen Xiangli? You were vague last time, but this time, you need to confess something. Are you and Chen Xiangli really just ordinary friends?”

Fu Shun’an seemed to still be stuck on the previous question. “We… we…”

“Still not willing to talk?” Ji Chenjiao said. “Fine, then you can first listen to Shen Wei’s and my analysis.”

Fu Shun’an shook his head, muttering to himself, “No…”

“Nineteen years ago, you made a wealthy friend in Shen Wei. You had a great relationship. You explained legal knowledge to him, and he brought you into his circle. Although your family backgrounds were very different, Shen Wei was sincere, and you didn’t feel inferior or unhappy when you were with him. During the holidays, most students went home, but you had nowhere to go. Shen Wei invited you to return to Feng’an County with him. There, you met the gentle and beautiful older sister, Chen Xiangli, for the first time.”

“Tan Fabin was very busy and wasn’t often in the county. Although Chen Xiangli was his fiancée, during that holiday, she spent less time with Tan Fabin than she did with you two. You, Shen Wei, and Chen Xiangli went fishing and had barbecues together. Chen Xiangli cooked her specialty dishes for you and even taught you handicrafts. You grew up with your mother and had a natural affinity for older women. But after your mother remarried, your stepfather treated you poorly, and the new family took your mother away from you.”

“Your classmates confirmed that your dating preference is for ‘older women.’ At that age, long oppressed by heavy schoolwork, Chen Xiangli was a breath of fresh air. She was the woman you wanted to marry. But unfortunately, she was someone else’s fiancée.”

Fu Shun’an trembled. “This is all speculation!”

Ji Chenjiao ignored him and continued, “Later, you went back to Feng’an County with Shen Wei a few more times. Chen Xiangli complained to you that Tan Fabin valued his career more than anything else. You pitied Chen Xiangli even more and felt even more regret. Such a good woman, why wasn’t she yours? You only met Chen Xiangli later than Tan Fabin, but if Chen Xiangli were with you, she would be happier than with Tan Fabin.”

“You kept thinking, how can I win Chen Xiangli over? And you came to a desperate realization—unless Tan Fabin died.”

“You’re making things up!”

“Did Chen Xiangli become your accomplice? Otherwise, it’s hard to explain why she would protect you in her statement and secretly be with you for the next seventeen years. Fu Shun’an, your good brother Shen Wei let a wolf into his house, leading to his family’s ruin. He trusted you so much, yet seventeen years later, you use a fake audio recording to deceive him. What was your plan?”

Fu Shun’an: “You police officers are really good at spinning stories.”

“Isn’t that because you refuse to confess?” Ji Chenjiao smiled. “You initially thought Shen Wei would only investigate for a few years and would give up over time. But you didn’t expect him to investigate for seventeen years. Although he still hasn’t suspected you, who can say what will happen in the future? This was always a hidden danger.”

“There was also another, bigger hidden danger. Because of Shen Wei, even if you and Chen Xiangli were in love, you couldn’t be together openly. You are already a partner at a law firm, while Chen Xiangli is still doing a servant’s job. You can’t give her a comfortable life. Once Shen Wei finds out about your relationship, with his mind, he would immediately connect it to the case back then.”

“You’re both middle-aged, with not much time left. Especially since Chen Xiangli works in a hospital and is used to seeing life and death, you desperately want to be truly together. How could you achieve this wish?”

“Forge a killer, make Shen Wei believe this person is the killer, and seek revenge. You knew very well that once Shen Wei sought revenge, with the current level of investigation, he would definitely be caught. And with his gratitude towards you, he would not expose you. Shen Wei would think he had completed his revenge and then go to prison. In the free world, there would no longer be anyone to interfere with you and Chen Xiangli being together!”

“Am I right? Lawyer Fu?”

Fu Shun’an gasped. “All imagination! No evidence! I’m going to sue you. This is a humiliation of my character!”

Ji Chenjiao: “Don’t be anxious. There will be evidence eventually. Physical evidence, witness testimony, I will find them all for you, one by one.”

Ji Chenjiao’s calmness made Fu Shun’an even more uneasy. Seeing Ji Chenjiao stand up, Fu Shun’an said, “What are you going to do?”

“You don’t think I’m only investigating you, do you?”

The muscles in Fu Shun’an’s cheeks twitched. “You…”

“As a lawyer who has been in Feng City for over a decade, you should know that the Feng City police conduct their investigations in a very civilized manner now, right?” Ji Chenjiao held the doorknob, turning his face to the side. The light from above cast a large shadow on his face. “Don’t worry, those sinister and cunning methods will absolutely not be used on a lady.”

Currently, Lu Feixiang and Fu Shun’an were temporarily detained at the Municipal Bureau, while Shen Wei’s movement restrictions had been lifted. But he did not leave, voluntarily staying to cooperate with the investigation. Huang Yi had arranged for him to be in a lounge.

The words Ji Chenjiao had just said to Fu Shun’an were both the police’s deductions based on clues and partly Shen Wei’s own thoughts.

The moment Shen Wei asked “Why would Fu Shun’an want to harm my brother?”, it seemed he already had the answer in his heart. He sat alone in a daze for a long time. After so many years of hunting the killer, it turned out that he himself had brought misfortune to the Tan family. And for all these years, he had regarded Fu Shun’an as his best friend and Chen Xiangli as his sister-in-law. In their eyes, was he just a ridiculous clown?

He pulled himself together and told all his thoughts to Ji Chenjiao, which became the basis for the police’s current focus on investigating Fu Shun’an and Chen Xiangli.

Before leaving the Municipal Bureau, Ji Chenjiao returned to the temporary office. There was a pile of foxtail grass on Ling Lie’s desk.

Ji Chenjiao: “…”

Ling Lie: “Yo, Xiao Ji, heading out?”

Ji Chenjiao saw that he also looked like he was about to leave the office and asked, “Where are you going?”

Ling Lie: “I want to have a chat with Shen Wei.”

Ji Chenjiao: “Hmm? New clues?”

“My thoughts are still a bit messy right now. I’ll tell you when I get back.”

The two went downstairs together. Ling Lie went to find Shen Wei, who was still at the Municipal Bureau, while Ji Chenjiao set off for Chen Xiangli’s home. She was supposed to be at work today, but the criminal police who had arrived at the Third Hospital earlier reported that Chen Xiangli had come to the hospital but had taken leave for not feeling well and had returned to her rented apartment near the hospital.

Chen Xiangli lived in an old building with no elevator. On her normal income, to live close to work and for cheap, she could only afford this kind of mixed-and-messy building. Fortunately, the apartment was a one-bedroom, one-living room, so she didn’t have to share with anyone. She rarely came back at this time. With her head down and hurried steps, she bumped into a young man with dyed hair. He cursed at her a couple of times, and she apologized repeatedly before rushing upstairs.

Locking the door, she leaned her back against it, panting. After her heartbeat calmed down a little, she looked around the room.

Fortunately, because the conditions here were poor, she had never let Fu Shun’an come over. If there had been any guests here, it was only Shen Wei and Lu Feixiang. When she made soup, she would call them over to have some.

Chen Xiangli took a deep breath and began to tidy the room. In truth, she had nothing much to tidy, but she had to keep herself busy, otherwise, she couldn’t stop her mind from racing.

Suddenly, her peripheral vision caught sight of a Buddhist shrine placed in a corner of the balcony, and goosebumps instantly broke out all over her body.

She walked over timidly, wanting to cover it with a dark bag, but her hands were shaking so violently. A scream brewed in her chest, but only a muffled gasp escaped.

This thing had been brought to her by Shen Wei three months ago. It had scared her badly at the time, but she didn’t dare show it in front of Shen Wei.

That day, she had asked Shen Wei to bring Lu Feixiang over for pickled radish and old duck soup. But Shen Wei came alone. She asked why Xiao Lu hadn’t come, and Shen Wei said Xiao Lu had something to do and had gone back to the medical school.

She saw the bag Shen Wei was carrying but couldn’t see what was inside. When Shen Wei came to her place before, he would also bring some fruits, dried goods, grain, and oil. She didn’t think much of it, but after the meal, Shen Wei took out the shrine, saying he had specially gone to a temple to get it, and it was dedicated to Tan Fabin.

“There’s only this one. I originally wanted to place it in my room, but the monk said that for a married couple, a shrine placed by the spouse is more intimate and proper,” Shen Wei wiped the shrine clean and placed it on a low cabinet against the wall. “Sister, let’s just put it here.”

Chen Xiangli almost blurted out “take it away,” but managed to hold it back and immediately took the bowls and chopsticks to the kitchen. By the time she finished washing the dishes and came out, Shen Wei was already gone. Although she was alone in the room, looking at the brown shrine, she felt the nightmare from seventeen years ago sweeping over her. The person who had died long ago was standing in front of her, looking at her silently and sorrowfully.

She immediately picked up the shrine, wanting to throw it away. But she couldn’t. What would she say if Shen Wei came next time and couldn’t find it? But she also couldn’t possibly let such a thing share a room with her. She saw the balcony outside, which was separated from the living room by a wooden door and window. She immediately tossed the shrine onto the balcony. After that, even hanging clothes out to dry made her heart pound with fear.

At this moment, seeing the shrine again, she trembled and backed away. And just then, a knock suddenly sounded on the door.

Her breath caught. She tiptoed to the door, not daring to make a sound.

Ji Chenjiao: “Chen Xiangli, Ms. Chen, I know you’re in there. We’ve met before. I’m Ji Chenjiao.”

Chen Xiangli pressed her chest tightly. “What… what is it?”

“It’s about the same case. We’ve uncovered some new clues and would like to verify them with you.” Ji Chenjiao emphasized, “Fu Shun’an has already given his statement.”

Hearing Fu Shun’an’s name, Chen Xiangli broke out in an even colder sweat. She had fled back in a panic today precisely because she knew Fu Shun’an had been taken away. She stared at the lock, thinking in terror: What should I do?

Ji Chenjiao: “Chen Xiangli?”

Suppressing the sob rising in her throat, Chen Xiangli opened the door. Ji Chenjiao raised an eyebrow. He had expected Chen Xiangli to be very nervous, but he hadn’t expected her face to be this deathly pale. Had she received some kind of hint before he arrived?

Chen Xiangli let Ji Chenjiao and two other criminal police officers into the room. “Just ask whatever you have to.” She didn’t dare to look anyone in the eye, keeping her head down the whole time, her gaze repeatedly glancing towards the balcony.

Ji Chenjiao gestured with his eyes for an officer to go check the balcony. Chen Xiangli saw this and wanted to stop him, but Ji Chenjiao said, “You’re off today?”

Chen Xiangli was flustered and distracted. “I… I’m not feeling well.”

“Has Fu Shun’an contacted you?”

“No.”

“Mou Dianpei’s case is very likely related to him.”

Only then did Chen Xiangli suddenly raise her head to look at Ji Chenjiao.

“Shen Wei has identified him as having forged the audio recording to incite him to kill Mou Dianpei.” Ji Chenjiao asked, “Did you know about this?”

Chen Xiangli’s mouth hung open. “I, I…”

“Ms. Chen, what exactly is your relationship with Fu Shun’an?”

“Didn’t I say before, we’re just acquaintances.”

“But after this incident, Shen Wei no longer believes that.”

“What? Shen Wei, he…”

Ji Chenjiao said, “After Shen Wei found out the audio was fake, he seems to have deduced that Tan Fabin’s case is related to Fu Shun’an. Fu Shun’an is now inciting him to kill Mou Dianpei, partly to frame Mou Dianpei, and partly to send Shen Wei to prison, preferably for life, so that you two can be together in peace.”

Chen Xiangli collapsed onto a stool, speaking incoherently, “Shen Wei…”

“Of course, Fu Shun’an has not admitted to it. He neither admits to inciting Shen Wei nor to being involved in Tan Fabin’s death.” Ji Chenjiao added, “However, this is a very important lead, and we will definitely pursue it. I came to see you today to confirm with you. You are friends with Fu Shun’an, and more importantly, Tan Fabin’s fiancée. Did you know about the audio recording?”

Chen Xiangli couldn’t speak.

Ji Chenjiao: “The line of thought Shen Wei provided us makes sense. You and Fu Shun’an did have a motive to kill Tan Fabin. Were you already together seventeen years ago?”

Chen Xiangli’s psychological defense was clearly much weaker than Fu Shun’an’s. Faced with Ji Chenjiao’s questioning, she couldn’t hold up and covered her face with her hands. “I don’t know!”

The police officer brought in the shrine. It had been on the balcony for too long and was covered in a thin layer of dust and cobwebs. The shrine clearly bore Tan Fabin’s name, as well as his birth and death dates.

The moment Chen Xiangli saw the shrine, her tears could no longer be stopped. They were tears of fear, not of sorrow or nostalgia.

Ji Chenjiao took the shrine and wiped it clean with a tissue. “Tan Fabin’s shrine, why was it just casually thrown outside?”

Chen Xiangli, as if avoiding a plague, frantically backed away and shook her head. “Put it down! Don’t bring it over here!”

“Ms. Chen, this is Tan Fabin’s shrine. Why are you so afraid of it?”

Chen Xiangli broke down and squatted on the floor, suddenly starting to call out Fu Shun’an’s name. “Shun’an! Shun’an, where are you? Let me see Shun’an!”

Ji Chenjiao squatted down in front of her. “Fu Shun’an? Fine. He’s at the Municipal Bureau. You can come too.”

But Chen Xiangli refused to move, crying and shouting. The police officers were in a difficult position, looking at Ji Chenjiao with a plea for help in their eyes.

Ji Chenjiao adjusted his body camera to ensure every part of the process could be tracked. “Ms. Chen, let’s go to the Municipal Bureau to talk. Both Shen Wei and Fu Shun’an are there.”

Hearing Shen Wei’s name, Chen Xiangli froze. “I’m sorry to him! Can I just admit my mistake?”

Ji Chenjiao: “Let’s talk at the bureau.”

On the way from the old building to the Municipal Bureau, Chen Xiangli trembled continuously. When she got out of the car, Ji Chenjiao felt that the person sitting next to him was ashen-faced, as if she had stopped struggling.

At the same time, in the lounge of the Criminal Investigation Division, Ling Lie was holding slices of watermelon and chatting with Shen Wei.

Ling Lie wasn’t wearing a uniform, nor was he as formal as Ji Chenjiao. He asked about mundane family matters, like what dishes Chen Xiangli used to cook when he and Fu Shun’an went back to Feng’an County, whether Tan Fabin and Chen Xiangli ever argued, and if Fu Shun’an was ever pursued by female classmates at school.

Shen Wei was in a terrible state; the cruel truth he had deduced had nearly crushed him. At first, he just responded to Ling Lie monotonously. When Ling Lie offered him watermelon, he barely touched it. Ling Lie fully embraced the spirit of a “gossip-loving onlooker.” As he asked more questions, Shen Wei’s answers gradually became more detailed.

“This Fu Shun’an has some bad luck. He definitely didn’t expect that the day he went to find you, Lu Feixiang was upstairs. It would have been better if he had just called you out. Why did he have to talk in your shop?”

By now, Shen Wei was much more relaxed. “I had forgotten Xiao Lu was upstairs. If Xiao Lu hadn’t been there, he wouldn’t have been implicated by me.”

Ling Lie then asked how Shen Wei and Lu Feixiang met. Shen Wei said the medical school sent a large number of interns to the Third Hospital every year. Lu Feixiang would have had the chance too, but unfortunately, that incident happened. Lu Feixiang had come to the Third Hospital at the time, watching his other classmates from a distance. He felt the kid had a strange look in his eyes, and after chatting for a while, he learned about his experience.

“I come from the bottom rungs of society myself. I understand the helplessness of students from the bottom better than anyone. He and I both studied medicine. My life is already like this; I don’t want his life to be cut short by dropping out of school.”

Shen Wei suddenly fell silent. After a moment, he shook his head bitterly. “But I still harmed him. If he hadn’t followed me, even if he had given up on medicine, at least he wouldn’t have made a mistake like this.”

Ling Lie tossed the last piece of watermelon rind onto the plate with a thud. Shen Wei’s shoulders flinched ever so slightly.

Ling Lie whistled idly in the hallway, swinging a bag of watermelon rinds in his hand. Huang Yi saw him. “Teacher Ling, I was looking for you everywhere. Where did you go?”

Ling Lie held up the bag. “Went to eat some melon.”

Huang Yi: “…”

Ling Lie: “Looking for me for something?”

Huang Yi said that the division had searched Fu Shun’an’s home and law firm and found the computer used to forge the audio, as well as a large amount of women’s clothing and daily necessities. After checking surveillance, it was confirmed that Chen Xiangli often stayed overnight at Fu Shun’an’s home, and the two had a de facto cohabitation relationship.

Ling Lie was not surprised. “Then Fu Shun’an can’t argue his way out of it anymore, right?”

Fu Shun’an and Chen Xiangli were currently being interrogated separately.

Faced with irrefutable evidence, Fu Shun’an, his face pale, admitted, “Xiangli and I are indeed together, but not since seventeen years ago! We only developed feelings for each other three years ago!”

Chen Xiangli, however, raised a pair of teary eyes. “I killed Tan Fabin. It has nothing to do with Shun’an.”

“I once thought I had met the right person to entrust my life to.” Chen Xiangli’s eyes were dim. She was in her forties, and the toil and irregular hours of her caregiver job made her look older than many women her age—even the expensive women’s skincare products in Fu Shun’an’s home couldn’t reverse her aging. As she spoke, her sagging skin trembled on her face. “Tan Fabin, he was a good boss, a good older brother, but not a good husband.”