"What happened after that?" Qiao Xi stared fixedly at him.
"He Weinian's cousin confessed to the crime and was executed. He Weinian naturally got the inheritance and even announced in public that he would donate his wife's inheritance."
Qiao Xi could not help but sneer. "Who is he kidding?! The He family has been dedicated to charity for so many years, but that money has never left the He family. It's just a formality."
"The murderer was found, so no one suspects He Weinian anymore. After all, he lost his loving wife and children. He even fainted from crying at the funeral. He cut off all ties with his relatives to seek justice for his wife. Most importantly, he donated his inheritance. On the surface, he indeed has no reason to kill his wife and children."
"In that case, those orphans must have found out the truth. He Weinian was afraid that this matter would be leaked, so he had no choice but to get rid of everyone who might know the truth."
Qiao Xi seemed to have held her breath in her heart. Every inch of skin on her body emitted a wisp of coldness. She finally understood why Cheng Juan hated He Weinian. Those dozen or so orphans…
With He Weinian's character, it was impossible for him to leave any evidence behind. Hence, those orphans were probably killed. Cheng Juan had probably found out something, which was why he suddenly returned to Li City.
A trace of coldness suffused Qiao Xi's entire body. "Then do Madam He and He Tingchen know what He Weinian did?"
Although there was no evidence, Qiao Xi was already sure that He Weinian had caused the deaths of his in-laws, wife, and children. If Madam He knew this, she probably wouldn't have dared to marry him.
If Madam He really did not know about it, then He Weinian was really too scary. He had too many masks. Not only could he pretend to be kind, but he could also pretend to be innocent. Even his wife, who had been living with him for decades, could not see through him.
Gu Zheng said softly, "I'm not too sure if Madam He and the son of the He family know, but I think He Wenyin knows about this."
Qiao Xi's eyes instantly widened. In that case, He Wenyin was wholeheartedly going against the He family because she had long known the ugly side of the He family under their masks.
"Cheng Juan's companions…" Qiao Xi's nose suddenly soured.
"Fifteen."
A cold voice sounded. Cheng Juan stood behind them. His tone was slightly cold, and his eyes were deep with a trace of sorrow and hatred. He took a deep breath. "Including me, there were a total of 16 of us. At that time, the dean of the orphanage brought the 16 of us everywhere to seek funding. At that time, the orphanage was too poor, and we didn't even have any appropriate clothes to wear. I was the youngest among them, so there were many things I couldn't remember. However, when I was four years old, many of my friends were picked up one after another. At that time, the dean said that they would have a better life. A philanthropist was willing to sponsor them to complete their studies. They would be able to go to school as long as they were at a suitable age."
A trace of viciousness flashed past Cheng Juan's eyes. "At that time, the dean thought that I wasn't old enough, so he didn't let me go. That philanthropist gathered 15 people together and took a photo. He even specially published it in the newspapers to publicize how kind and loving he was. He was willing to generously sponsor these poor orphans."
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Qiao Xi continued, "After that, you realized that those companions who left were taken away because they discovered He Weinian's secret. What awaited them wasn't a good life but…"
Cheng Juan gritted his teeth and suppressed the sorrow in his heart. "Yes, they never contacted the dean after they left the orphanage. They did occasionally send a few letters saying that they were doing well. But I haven't seen them since.
"When I grew up and recalled what happened back then, I always felt that something was wrong. I never thought that this matter was related to that philanthropist. After that, I excitedly found He Weinian and discovered a shocking secret."
A layer of grayness covered his eyes. The person he once treated as a god was the murderer who harmed more than ten of his companions. Of course, he could not accept it.
"You found out that the disappearance of those companions is related to He Weinian?" Qiao Xi asked.
"Yes, I've never stopped investigating all these years, but He Weinian is really too cunning. He doesn't seem to have left many clues."
Cheng Juan's voice gradually became weak. He wanted to continue, but suddenly, a gentle voice came from behind. "Juan, it's great that you're here!"
Hearing this voice, a trace of hatred flashed past Cheng Juan's eyes before disappearing. He turned around and smiled gently. "Mr. He."