Major Crimes Unit Meeting Room.

The clues, pieced together, formed an answer filled with malice.

“Because the Fu family worships the Night Cold Spirit, they are extremely faithful in marriage. No Fu family member has remained unmarried, nor has any divorced or committed adultery, and they are all buried together after death,” Ji Chenjiao said. “As an attendant who lived in Night Cold Hall, Fu Chunxing would have been required to adhere even more strictly to the rule of marital fidelity. However, when he committed suicide, he was unmarried. In the eyes of the Fu family, he committed a grave taboo.”

Liang Wenxian frowned deeply. “So if a mistake was made, it must be rectified.”

Xi Wan felt a chill run through her body. “They need to find an innocent woman to fill this position?”

Ji Chenjiao: “This person must also be someone Fu Chunxing loved, otherwise it would violate the rules of Night Cold Hall.”

“So… they chose Luo Manchai?”

Based on current clues, the only person Fu Chunxing ever expressed admiration for was Luo Manchai. Even if they never dated, she could count as the person he loved.

“But there’s a problem here,” Ji Chenjiao added. “Fu Chunxing committed suicide. According to the rules, the spouse the Fu family finds for him must also commit suicide. However, Luo Manchai was murdered.”

Xi Wan tapped her forehead. “What went wrong in the process?”

Shen Xi said, “Wait a minute! Luo Manchai was a living person at the peak of her career. How could they make her commit suicide? What if she refused to kill herself?”

Ling Lie, who had been sitting on the windowsill eating sliced fruit, spoke up. “If I were the Fu family, after targeting Luo Manchai, I would attack her weaknesses to force her into suicide. Everyone has weaknesses. With the Fu family’s capabilities, finding out what Luo Manchai feared wouldn’t be hard. Think about it—someone like Sun Jing could drive Mu Ying and Chen Di to their deaths, let alone the Fu family.”

Ling Lie was swinging his legs as he spoke. Ji Chenjiao couldn’t stand it anymore; he pulled him down and pressed him into the seat next to him. Ling Lie was like a restless gopher, popping back up as soon as he was pressed down.

Ji Chenjiao: “Behave yourself.”

Ling Lie, possessing a bit of comedic talent, picked up a piece of A4 paper from the table, rolled it up, bonked himself on the head, and then sat down.

Confirmed gopher.

Shen Xi, who was drinking water: “Pfft—”

This interlude lightened the atmosphere in the meeting room. Although the case was bizarre, after eliminating numerous possibilities, they were getting closer to the truth.

“That analogy isn’t accurate,” Ji Chenjiao said. “Sun Jing could drive Mu Ying and Chen Di to death because they already had severe psychological problems; Sun Jing was the straw that broke the camel’s back. But Luo Manchai was at the peak of her acting career.”

Ling Lie turned serious. “Of course, there’s no perfect analogy, but recall Luo Manchai going out alone at midnight to buy alcohol. Would she have done that if nothing had happened?”

Ji Chenjiao: “Was that the Fu family’s doing?”

Ling Lie: “Very likely.”

Xi Wan said, “Then who intercepted and killed Luo Manchai halfway?”

“I have another question!” Shen Xi said. “Could it be that the Fu family realized they couldn’t force Luo Manchai to commit suicide, so they just killed her?”

Ling Lie: “No. Forcing her to commit suicide might take time, but they would eventually succeed. Killing her directly would ruin the ‘marriage.'”

Shen Xi scratched his head. “But she was killed!”

Ji Chenjiao suddenly said, “Once Luo Manchai died, the ‘marriage’ was void. She was the ‘partner’ the Fu family spent so much effort to find. Could someone have wanted to stop this ‘marriage’?”

Ling Lie: “Right! As long as Luo Manchai is killed, the Fu family would be forced to find a new ‘partner.’ But if Fu Chunxing only loved Luo Manchai, the Fu family couldn’t find anyone else! The attendant violated the agreement with Night Cold Hall. In the eyes of superstitious people, the Fu family would be the ones implicated!”

Ji Chenjiao frowned, rubbing his brow. “The Fu family believes in Night Cold Hall, while another faction believes they can use this to defeat the Fu family. Haven’t dealt with such a complicated case in a long time.”

Liang Wenxian said, “Let me summarize. Luo Manchai’s rise to fame was given by Fu Chunxing, but she didn’t know him. Before Luo Manchai was killed, Fu Chunxing committed suicide. Given the Fu family’s level of superstition, to avoid breaking Night Cold Hall’s rules, they had to make Luo Manchai commit suicide and then ‘marry’ Fu Chunxing. The Fu family’s opponents wanted to strike at the Fu family from a superstitious angle, so they killed Luo Manchai first.”

Investigating the murder of a female celebrity, they inevitably ended up investigating a wealthy family.

“No wonder the Fu family invited financial media to report heavily on Fu Chunxing’s funeral. They wanted to deceive the public and create the illusion that Fu Chunxing had already been given a grand burial,” Liang Wenxian said. “He hasn’t been buried at all!”

“How do we investigate this Fu family?” Shen Xi asked the question hanging over everyone in the major crimes unit.

After a moment of silence, Ji Chenjiao said, “Xi Wan, investigate the situation around the hotel before and after Luo Manchai bought the alcohol again. I suspect she received some external stimulus that we don’t know about yet.”

Xi Wan nodded. “Yes.”

Ji Chenjiao: “With the Fu family’s capabilities, they probably turned Luo Manchai’s life upside down from birth to present to find the thing she found hardest to face or her deepest fear. Our previous investigation focused on the entertainment industry; now we should expand the scope to Luo Manchai’s student days.”

“Also, who might want to prevent the Fu family from achieving their goal? First, competitors. Second, any other thoughts?”

Shen Xi: “People who want to protect women’s rights?”

Liang Wenxian shook his head. “You’re thinking too positively. Forget rural areas, even in many small towns, ‘ghost marriages’ still exist. If it were opposition to such barbaric practices, they probably wouldn’t have found their way to the Fu family.”

Xi Wan nodded. “After all, the Fu family acted covertly. Even we don’t have solid evidence. Groups protecting women’s rights likely wouldn’t discover it either.”

“Narrow the scope further. Among the Fu family’s opponents, look for those who also believe in this messy stuff,” Ling Lie said. “They want to destroy the Fu family’s ‘fortune’ and hinder Zuiting’s business development.”

Ji Chenjiao assigned tasks. Xi Wan and Liang Wenxian stayed in Xiarong City to continue investigating Luo Manchai’s abnormal behavior, while he and Ling Lie headed to Zuiting Group’s headquarters in Ruilan City.

Fu Huizhi was a big shot in Ruilan City, not easily met. Only with the special task force documents Ling Lie had did security let them use the private elevator.

Fu Huizhi’s hair was graying, and he looked more haggard than in the news. His secretary worriedly said that President Fu had been unwell recently and asked them not to ask overly sharp questions.

Perhaps due to being in a high position for too long, even facing the police, Fu Huizhi didn’t drop his arrogant demeanor. He wore an expensive suit, hair combed meticulously, skin sagging with heavy bags under his eyes. This made him look very mean.

He scrutinized the young men before him with displeasure—yes, in his eyes, Ji Chenjiao and Ling Lie were just young men, not police officers upholding justice.

Young men, worthless, whom he could crush with a single finger.

Fu Huizhi sneered, “I’m very busy. I’ll give you five minutes.”

“Five minutes probably isn’t enough,” Ji Chenjiao said calmly, unfazed by the imposing aura. “Mr. Fu, I am Ji Chenjiao from the Major Crimes Unit of the Xiarong City Bureau. We came to Ruilan to investigate the recent Luo Manchai case.”

The wrinkles on Fu Huizhi’s face trembled ever so slightly. His gaze instinctively avoided Ji Chenjiao, only to meet Ling Lie’s eyes directly.

Ling Lie’s cat-like eyes were cold at that moment, carrying a hint of a detached smile. Fu Huizhi was startled and immediately looked away.

“Luo Manchai, that actress? What does that have to do with me?”

Ji Chenjiao: “It has some relation. Luo Manchai became famous because she received an invitation to Mystery Sky two years ago. And the person behind the scenes who handpicked her was your son, Fu Chunxing.”

Fu Huizhi glared fiercely. “What do you mean? Chunxing has passed away. Are you trying to make an issue out of him?”

Ji Chenjiao gazed calmly at Fu Huizhi. This was the pain and anger of a father. But there was more; when hearing his deceased son’s name, Fu Huizhi couldn’t suppress his fear.

What made him afraid? Police knocking on his door? A conspiracy about to be exposed? The inability to meet Night Cold Hall’s demands and the imminent collapse of his faith?

Ji Chenjiao: “Mr. Fu, please calm down. The clues we’ve obtained involve Fu Chunxing and your family. I’m not interrogating you right now, but seeking to understand the situation.”

Fu Huizhi looked ready to throw them out. “I have nothing to say! My son is gone! You are rubbing salt in the wounds of the deceased!”

“My condolences. But for the sake of the truth, I have to do this,” Ji Chenjiao said. “Can you tell us in detail why Fu Chunxing took his own life?”

“Get out!” Fu Huizhi shouted, hurling items from his desk at the two. “Someone! Someone! Get them out of here! I have no obligation to cooperate with you!”

Ji Chenjiao knew they would hit a wall, so when security appeared, he didn’t use his police authority to stay. instead, he simply said, “Luo Manchai wasn’t a suicide. You must be very disappointed, right?”

Fu Huizhi’s face instantly turned pale, his voice hoarse: “Get out!”

After leaving Zuiting Group, Ji Chenjiao and Ling Lie went directly back to their hotel, buying two servings of braised seafood rice on the way.

The room was a standard twin. Ling Lie initially squatted between the two beds by the nightstand to eat but was hauled over to the TV desk by Ji Chenjiao.

Ling Lie: “Failed. What do we do next?”

“Failed just like that?” Ji Chenjiao knew he was joking. “Today was just to test Fu Huizhi’s reaction. At least the direction is correct.”

Ling Lie devoured his meal like a tornado, complained about the lack of meat, and demanded an extra portion of squid tomorrow. “Let’s be simple and crude. Open Fu Chunxing’s coffin. If there are no ashes inside, slap the evidence in front of Fu Huizhi. Since news of his burial was everywhere, finding where he’s buried is easy.”

Ji Chenjiao was speechless. “You’re daydreaming.”

Criminal investigation had many rules and regulations to follow. The public often thought the police had great power, but the opposite was true; most of the time, they wore heavy shackles. Hitting walls everywhere was the norm.

Ling Lie ran over to steal Ji Chenjiao’s squid. “Then what?”

“Fu Chunxing has more relatives than just Fu Huizhi. Fu Huizhi is tight-lipped, but there’s also Fu’s mother, Wang Xiping,” Ji Chenjiao quickly finished the rest of his food. “We’ll start with why Fu Chunxing committed suicide.”

Ling Lie: “Little Ji, why are you eating so fast?”

Ji Chenjiao: “?”

Ling Lie slurped a squid tentacle. “You should analyze it more.”

Ji Chenjiao instantly realized why this guy had been asking so many idiotic questions like his brain short-circuited earlier—he wanted to eat his food!

Ji Chenjiao picked up his bowl and walked away.

Ling Lie shouted grinningly from behind, “Little Ji, eating too much gives you a belly!”

Before sleeping, Ji Chenjiao had a video call with Liang Wenxian to share ideas. “There are three lines to monitor now. First, Wang Xiping; I’ll verify this one tomorrow. Second, Fu Huizhi; if Luo Manchai was indeed murdered, he’ll definitely investigate who did it, and he likely has a shortlist in mind. I want him to guide us. Third is the Fu family’s competitors. This is a bit broad, so first roughly determine who is most likely to want Zuiting dead.”

Ling Lie lay on the bed but didn’t sleep. He listened to everything Ji Chenjiao said. After Ji Chenjiao hung up, he rolled over and looked at Ji Chenjiao with a tilted head. “Is the third one only the Fu family’s competitors?”

Ji Chenjiao’s brain had been spinning fast all day, but at this moment, he suddenly got distracted—he saw Ling Lie sleeping in a messy posture. With that roll, most of his back was exposed, and the quilt was kicked down below his tailbone.

Although Ling Lie wasn’t naked, he was only wearing a thin set of short sleeves and shorts. The hem of the short sleeves was lifted, exposing a stretch of pale skin on his lower back and arms to Ji Chenjiao’s view.

Ji Chenjiao frowned. “Cover yourself properly.”

Ling Lie didn’t move. “No need to be reserved in front of a boyfriend.”

As he said this, Ji Chenjiao was pulling up the quilt, bending over to cover him. He froze, maintaining the bent posture, locking eyes with Ling Lie below. The ceiling light spilled down, casting his shadow over Ling Lie as if he were embracing him.

Ling Lie’s eyes curved, laziness floating between his brows. “What does the boyfriend want to do?”

Ji Chenjiao leaned down, exchanging a deep, long kiss. “Boyfriend wants to kiss you.”

Ling Lie was kissed until his eyes were a bit dazed. “Eh, what was I saying just now?”

Ji Chenjiao: “…”

“Oh, is the third one only the Fu family’s competitors?” Ling Lie sat up. “Human nature can’t stand scrutiny, and neither can family affection. Why can’t the enemy be internal? If Fu Huizhi falls, there are people in the Fu family who would benefit too, right?”

Ji Chenjiao sat on the edge of his own bed, staring at Ling Lie. After a moment, he said, “You’re right.”

Ling Lie smiled. “I excel at prying into human nature from the side of evil.”

In the south of Ruilan City, there was a very artsy district full of auction houses, collection agencies, music bars, and cafes.

This was also a Fu family property, designed and built over a decade ago under the direction of Fu Chunxing’s mother, Wang Xiping. Before marrying Fu Huizhi, she was a teacher at an art college. After marriage, she never participated in Zuiting’s key affairs. This district was like a play-house game Fu Huizhi gave her; she managed it, built dreams in it, and lived quite well.

Of course, this so-called “quite well” was before Fu Chunxing’s accident.

Wang Xiping ran a gallery in the district. Ji Chenjiao entered the gallery. The front hall was a crystal-like glass house, and the lawn outside was planted with various greenery, looking vibrant under the early autumn sun.

Staff immediately came up to ask if he wanted to see paintings or had an appointment with a teacher. Ji Chenjiao showed his ID. “I’d like to chat with Ms. Wang.”

Wang Xiping’s studio was in a two-story villa on the other side of the garden. She was wearing a hand-embroidered qipao, painting on a large canvas. She looked gentle and well-maintained. If one ignored the sorrow inadvertently revealed in her eyes, she could be described as a wealthy wife living a very comfortable life.

Upon learning Ji Chenjiao’s purpose, her expression stiffened slightly, but she didn’t angrily chase him away like Fu Huizhi. It seemed her nature was just this gentle; even great emotional turbulence didn’t show much on her face.

“Chunxing has been gone for half a year.” Wang Xiping rubbed the white porcelain tea bowl with her thumb, sighing faintly. “What are you still investigating?”

Ji Chenjiao said, “Pardon me for asking, but the reason for his suicide was?”

Wang Xiping lowered her head, shaking it after a long while. “He’s already gone. Does it still matter?”

“It matters,” Ji Chenjiao said. “In the process of investigating another case, I gained a superficial understanding of Fu Chunxing’s rich life. He was a very talented and independent photographer. He never relied on his family. Those works praised as masterpieces in the circle relied on his own inspiration and knowledge.”

These words struck straight at a mother’s tender heart. Wang Xiping slowly put down the tea bowl, tears already brimming in her eyes. “He takes after me. Sometimes I think it would have been better if he hadn’t been born into this family. He should have been a free-soaring bird, not imprisoned in a jail of power and money.”

Seeing that Wang Xiping had the urge to confide, Ji Chenjiao continued, “How did you meet President Fu?”

Wang Xiping stood up and walked to the window, looking at the lingering late summer scenery outside. “Does the case you’re investigating involve my husband too?”

Ji Chenjiao didn’t hide it. “You could say that.”

“He is a competent husband and has never done anything to betray our marriage,” Wang Xiping said. “No one in the entire Fu family would betray their marriage. This is determined by their faith.”

Ji Chenjiao: “They?”

Wang Xiping smiled bitterly. “After so many years, I still can’t refer to myself and them as ‘we’.”

Ji Chenjiao: “Because of Night Cold Hall?”

Wang Xiping was somewhat surprised. “It seems you’ve investigated thoroughly. The Fu family has worshipped the Night Cold Spirit for generations. Every descendant’s marriage requires going to Country N to seek the Night Cold Spirit’s decree. My marriage to my husband was also because the Night Cold Spirit picked me.”

“My family was well-off, and my parents were in business, but I pursued an artistic path. My husband promised me he wouldn’t interfere with my career after marriage. When my parents learned it was the Fu family proposing—that Fu family—they didn’t give me any room to consider.”

“So I got married in a daze, had a son in a daze. My husband was as faithful as all Fu family men; I didn’t suffer.”

But Ji Chenjiao clearly saw the regret in Wang Xiping’s eyes. He asked, “Born into such a wealthy family, Fu Chunxing must have had a happy early life, right?”

Wang Xiping hesitated to speak; this was a topic she didn’t want to touch.

Ji Chenjiao knew it was cruel, but he had to ask, “Since he was happy, what pushed him to a dead end?”

Wang Xiping covered her eyes, shaking her head after a long time. “He wasn’t happy, and neither am I.”

“Why?”

“Chunxing never wanted to be an attendant, never wanted to inherit family responsibilities. He just wanted to be a free photographer, but…”

Ji Chenjiao waited patiently.

“Chunxing was best at photographing people. In his early years, he hid it from us and took many brilliant portraits. He had decided to follow the path of portrait photography.”

Ji Chenjiao recalled what Fu Chunxing said in interviews and his later acclaimed works; without exception, they were all landscapes.

“Did the family force him to change paths?”

Wang Xiping nodded. “According to the Fu family’s beliefs, he could not gaze at other women; he had to be loyal to his wife—this is true for all Fu family members, and for him as an attendant, it was even stricter.”

“My husband and other elders in the family ordered him to stop shooting and sent him to Night Cold Hall. He practiced there for a year, and after coming back, he never took a portrait again.”

Wang Xiping’s voice began to tremble. “I didn’t care for him enough. Actually, from the moment he gave up portrait photography, his life started to plummet. None of us caught him. He looked fine, never complained. Couldn’t shoot people, so he shot other things and achieved success.”

Ji Chenjiao: “Then this year…”

Wang Xiping sighed heavily. “He couldn’t hold on anymore. His life, my life, were locked in an invisible cage. He seemed to have endless money, but in reality, he couldn’t even do what he liked. Before ending his life, he already had severe depression and was taking medication, but my husband and I only found out after he was gone.”

Dreams destroyed by family-imposed responsibilities, years of unhappiness and forced smiles, suicide due to depression. While alive, he regarded a female star he had no interaction with as a “goddess,” giving her the biggest turning point in her life without asking for anything in return.

Fu Chunxing’s silhouette became clearer before Ji Chenjiao’s eyes—a lonely, proud, and somewhat paranoid young man. He probably never thought of hurting Luo Manchai, or even possessing her. It was enough for her to shine where he could see, giving him a glimmer of afterglow.

When he helped her back then, did he also see his struggling self in her? He probably never imagined that Luo Manchai might die because of him.

Ji Chenjiao: “Before I came, I learned about Night Cold Hall’s requirements for attendants. Fu Chunxing passed away unmarried. Reasonably speaking, a woman he deeply loved needs to be found for him.”

Wang Xiping’s expression instantly became unnatural, and she looked away. “No, Chunxing didn’t like any girl at all. We, we have already buried him.”

“Is that so?” Ji Chenjiao said. “But that amounts to violating the Night Cold Spirit’s will. If it sends down punishment, the Fu family’s fortune will change because of it. Madam, you are still hiding things.”

Wang Xiping repeatedly stroked the back of her hand. Ji Chenjiao waited a while before finally mentioning Luo Manchai’s name. “In past interviews, Fu Chunxing said the female star he admired most was Luo Manchai. Two years ago, he pulled strings to let Luo Manchai hitch a ride on Mystery Sky. You should have investigated all these things clearly after his death.”

Wang Xiping was like a canary kept in a greenhouse all her life; facing a violent storm, she was too terrified to react. “Luo, Luo Manchai…”

At this moment, hurried footsteps came from downstairs. Fu Huizhi arrived with a group of bodyguards.

The bodyguards quickly surrounded Ji Chenjiao. Fu Huizhi shouted furiously, “Did I not make myself clear yesterday? You dare to come harass my wife today!”

Wang Xiping sat weakly in the armchair, distracted, muttering something indistinguishable.

Ji Chenjiao was about to speak when Ling Lie, who claimed to have no interest in paintings and went to browse the pottery shop next door, suddenly appeared at the door. “Why deceive yourself like this, Mr. Fu? Right now, your goal and ours should be the same, right? The ‘daughter-in-law’ you had in hand was snatched away, and you can’t find anyone to fill the vacancy. You are anxious and angry. Shouldn’t the priority be to catch the person who snatched her? What’s the point of venting your anger on us police?”

Fu Huizhi turned around, his gaze pacing back and forth on Ling Lie. Ji Chenjiao still looked like a cop, but Ling Lie had none of a police officer’s imposing manner. Deep distrust appeared in Fu Huizhi’s eyes. “Our Fu family has nothing to do with Luo Manchai’s death. Please leave!”

Ling Lie suddenly exposed the truth at this moment: “You wanted to form a ‘marriage alliance’ with Luo Manchai.”

The entire room fell silent. Only after a moment did Wang Xiping’s low sobbing break the silence.

“You force me to say it so clearly.” Ling Lie sneered, staring at Fu Huizhi with hawk-like eyes. “You wanted to force Luo Manchai to commit suicide to ‘marry’ Fu Chunxing, but unexpectedly, someone cut in halfway and ended Luo Manchai’s life with a knife. The ‘bride’ is gone. What are you going to do?”

Fu Huizhi’s breathing trembled. After a long while, he dismissed everyone. “What exactly do you want?”