Inquiry
Like right now.
Ji Jingxing felt a bit worried. Throughout the process of taking Xiaowei for treatment, she had been in contact with many psychologists and had also self-studied this area extensively.
She could tell that Song Yuhang’s current state was actually very poor.
She hesitated before speaking, “Yuhang, have you ever thought about meeting new people?”
Song Yuhang shook her head, “No.”
“Well… how about going on a trip to change your mood?”
Song Yuhang smiled slightly.
“Busy, no time.”
Ji Jingxing gritted her teeth and decided to lay it all out.
“Don’t you think your current state is very dangerous? How about this, I’ll arrange for you to meet a friend this weekend? Listen to their advice, maybe it will help you in your current situation.”
Even though she spoke in a veiled manner, Song Yuhang still understood. Her eyes darted towards her, then shook her head.
“No, sister-in-law, I don’t want to meet anyone, except for you guys.”
With that, she picked up her bag and headed towards the door.
“Mom, I’m going back now. Goodbye, sister-in-law, goodbye Xiaowei.”
Mother Song came out of the kitchen, “Don’t leave so soon, stay a little longer, okay?”
Before she could finish her sentence, she had already slammed the door shut with a loud “bang”.
Mother Song and Ji Jingxing exchanged a glance, sighing deeply.
“Sigh, who knows when these days will ever end. If only I had known… I wouldn’t have stopped her back then.”
Ji Jingxing walked over and held her hand, comforting her.
“Mom, take care of yourself. Look at me, I’ve been through so much, and everything will get better.”
“You still have Xiaowei, I still have hope, but Yuhang really has nothing left.” Mother Song choked up, and Ji Jingxing hugged her, gently patting her back.
“It’s okay, Mom. Look, Yuhang finally came, and you’re already crying like this. Next time, she might not dare to come.”
……
Song Yuhang left her home without a destination in mind, aimlessly driving around the streets. Unconsciously, she found herself standing in front of the Huange Nightclub.
The windshield wipers scraped against the glass, and she peered through the mist to see a few familiar cars parked outside the nightclub.
As she opened the car door, she confirmed the familiarity of the people there.
Xue Rui and two other plainclothes police officers, probably here to inquire about the Wang Qiang case.
After some consideration, Song Yuhang pushed open the car door and stepped out.
“Xue Rui,” she called out his name from a distance.
Xue Rui turned around, his eyes lighting up.
“Captain Song, what are you doing here? Oh, it’s raining so heavily. Did you forget your umbrella?”
He asked, and then turned to ask a colleague for an umbrella to offer her.
Song Yuhang politely declined, “Just passing by. Are you here to investigate a case?”
Xue Rui nodded, looking somewhat troubled, scratching his head.
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“It’s still the same case of the murder and burning, no leads.”
A faint smile appeared on Song Yuhang’s lips.
“How ironic, I also find this case intriguing. Should we work together on this?”
Xue Rui was delighted to have someone to bounce ideas off.
“Let’s go, what are we waiting for? Let’s go inside.”
“Who are you? Show your membership card.”
“Police, investigating a case. Get your boss out here,” Xue Rui stated, directly flashing his credentials.
At the door, someone had already reported the situation to Pei Jinhong.
She was drinking with a client, leaning slightly on the sofa, with a well-behaved young girl kneeling at her feet massaging her legs. The man beside her had his arm around her shoulder, appearing drunk.
“Who? She’s not available!”
As soon as the words were spoken, Xue Rui and his team barged in. The waiters naturally couldn’t stop them, nor did they have a reason to.
Stopping them would only show guilt.
Song Yuhang immediately noticed her lounging on the leather sofa, being attended to by the young and beautiful girl, with a man hugging her waist affectionately. It was all too glaring.
Pei Jinhong, being a seasoned professional in sensual situations, remained unfazed by the scene before her. Not only did she stand her ground, but she also fed a grape into the man’s mouth.
Her delicate fingertips caressed his lips gently back and forth, causing those watching to blush and feel their hearts race.
Xue Rui cleared his throat, but before he could speak, the person beside him coldly stated,
“The police are here to inquire, so bystanders should step aside.”
Lin Yan withdrew her hand impatiently, still wearing her black veil hat, which added a touch of mystery and allure.
“Oh, such authority,” she remarked. “Last time, you accused us of concealing drugs. What’s the charge this time?”
The events at the Huange Nightclub from last time were still vivid in her memory.
Song Yuhang pressed her lips together tightly, choosing not to speak.
Seeing her reaction, Xue Rui continued.
“It’s related to a murder case, so it’s best for everyone else to step aside.”
Liu Zhi whispered to Pei Jinhong as he poured her a drink.
“Sister Hong, should we…”
Lin Yan tapped her finger lightly on the rim of the glass.
“No need. Just do as I say and avoid any unnecessary complications.”
With Liu Zhi blocking most of the view, their conversation and movements were kept discreet.
Song Yuhang furrowed her brow, “Can’t we just have an open conversation about this?”
“Well, look at you.” Lin Yan cheekily wiped a hand across Liu Zhi’s smooth, toned chest, not quite finished enjoying the moment before retracting her hand.
“Do we need to discuss bedroom talk openly here as well?”
The people in the room let out a mixture of subdued chuckles.
Song Yuhang’s complexion darkened even more.
Lin Yan finally sat up straight, “Alright, everyone, leave for now. We’ll play another day.”
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The man reluctantly got up, wanting to kiss her again. Lin Yan plucked a grape from the fruit bowl on the table and placed it in his mouth, her eyes seductive.
“Wait for me tonight.”
“Of course, my darling.”
For some reason, despite the rainy weather, the air conditioning was turned up high. Xue Rui stood next to Song Yuhang and shivered uncontrollably.
As everyone filed out of the room, he rubbed his nose, sat face-to-face, and began working.
Song Yuhang stood three steps away from him, positioned in the shadow of the sofa behind him, directly facing Lin Yan.
Lin Yan was well aware that she was being observed, but upon seeing Xue Rui and the plainclothes officers, she felt a sense of reassurance.
If they truly suspected her, she would have been sitting in the interrogation room at the police station by now, rather than them coming to see her in person.
The difference between ‘inquiry’ and ‘interrogating’ is substantial.
While Liu Zhi may not have been completely meticulous, the burning of the body had destroyed most of the evidence.
They couldn’t find a breakthrough, and the alibi of not being present can always be fabricated.
Lin Yan’s background as a forensic scientist made her adept at handling police questioning, ensuring that no detail was overlooked.
“That night, I was singing at the Huangju KTV. I stayed there until nearly dawn. Don’t believe me? Check the surveillance footage. It’s not like I have the ability to bribe every business in Jiangcheng City.”
Lin Yan stated with a hint of disdain, followed by a mocking smile.
Song Yuhang listened in, feeling almost compelled to applaud her.
Xue Rui awkwardly set down his pen, having already conducted an investigation before coming. Everything she mentioned matched up with the store surveillance footage.
He glanced back at Song Yuhang.
“Captain Song, is there anything else to add?”
Song Yuhang shook her head, her sharp gaze still fixed on her, a slight smile on her lips.
“I must say, Miss Pei, your eloquence and ability to think on your feet are truly outstanding.”
Lin Yan swirled the liquid in her highball glass, her black dress slightly askew, revealing a bare shoulder. Her loose high heels dangled from her ankles.
It added a certain allure to her snow-white ankles, which were just as captivating as she was.
Song Yuhang kept her eyes on her, only listening to what she had to say.
“Your praise is too kind. Since you’re already here, and everyone made the effort to come, would you like to try some of our drinks and moisten your throats?”
She suggested, setting down her glass and preparing to pour wine into another empty glass.
The person behind the sofa stirred.
Song Yuhang lifted the glass of red wine she hadn’t finished and took a sip, the faint lipstick mark on the rim disappearing.
The smile at the corner of Lin Yan’s lips gradually cooled.
Song Yuhang raised her eyes to look at her, a smile hiding a sharp edge.
“Miss Pei, do you know what it means to be too smart for your own good?”
In her mind, achieving such precision in handling a murder case without a single slip meant that only someone whom she had crossed paths with before, the owner of another ring on her hand, could have done it.
Lin Yan’s heart skipped a beat, her smile fading as she slightly lowered her eyes, feigning a look of shock.
“I don’t understand what Officer Song is saying.”
Xue Rui watched from the side, sensing a strange atmosphere between the two. Song Yuhang’s behavior was unusual, especially drinking from a glass previously used by a suspected criminal during working hours, a thought he would never have entertained before.
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Xue Rui licked his lips, casting a careful glance at Pei Jinhong. The room was dimly lit, and she wore a black veil hat, making her face difficult to see clearly. However, the exposed half of her chin seemed familiar to him.
Before he could ponder further, Song Yuhang stood up.
“Let’s go.”
Xue Rui and the others quickly followed suit.
“Aren’t we going to continue questioning?”
“We’re done.”
There was no point in continuing; if Lin Yan wanted to distance herself completely from the case, she could certainly achieve it.
If it wasn’t Lin Yan, then it was…
Someone else was pulling the strings behind her.
Song Yuhang’s gaze turned cold, pausing in her steps.
“Thank you for today.”
Xue Rui scratched his head. “It’s nothing. We didn’t get any answers anyway.”
After bidding farewell, they each got into their respective cars and drove off in different directions.