CH 14

Fang Zhi placed the phone on the table and pushed it towards Gu Xizhou. “About the burglary and murder case 819, the male owner has died over three years ago, and no murderer has been found. Gu Ge, is there some sort of connection between the two cases?”

Gu Xizhou didn’t answer him, because his entire heart was busy wondering about the things in his house.

After reporting to the bureau, a police officer brought over a message. Hong Yong’s female neighbour did indeed see Hong Yong sending the deceased downstairs. At that time, she smelled the alcohol on the deceased and felt extremely uncomfortable, so once she went out, she quickly walked away. The bread van driver who sends her to and fro from work could confirm that. 

According to her memory, when she went out, she didn’t see any suspicious people, just that the other party had drunk too much, and walked in an unstable manner. 

After listening to this description, Fang Zhi was silent for a moment.

Everyone in the bureau began to think about how plausible it was that the deceased actually drank too much and drowned. Seeing everyone not talking, Gu Xizhou waved his hand and said: “Investigate further before we decide on anything. Regardless of whether we’re wasting our time right now, it’s best to get to work ba.”

Saying that, Gu Xizhou proceeded to call Fang Zhi. The two of them didn’t go to the scene of case 819 first, but went to the deceased’s house.

As soon as the door opened, there was a rush of heat against his body. Gu Xizhou frowned and told the people in charge of the property to lead the way to the deceased’s floor. 

It was noon, and as they walked along the corridor, they could smell the scent of fried vegetables. Fang Zhi glanced at the time and said: “It’s just nice that it’s lunch time right now. If we visit and interview a few of the neighbours, maybe someone had seen the deceased that day.”

Gu Xizhou agreed. 

The building that the deceased lived in had 18 floors, and the deceased stayed on the third floor. Every floor had five families, and the two people started investigating from the families living next door to the deceased Yang Zhi. The deceased’s neighbour who opened the door was a housewife. After hearing Fang Zhi’s question, she hesitated for a moment. “I think I did see him. When I brought my mother out to take a stroll, we might have bumped into the male owner next door.”

At this moment, an elderly old lady with gray hair came out, sliding to the entrance in a wheelchair. She looked at Gu Xizhou and said, “I also remember seeing the male owner from the neighbouring house, did something happen? Yesterday, I just saw the girl crying incessantly!”

The middle-aged woman also looked at the two curiously, the desire for gossip written all over her face.

Just then, Gu Xizhou said: “Yes, something happened. Right, how long have you been neighbours?”

“About two years? This small district was also built just four years ago.” The middle-aged woman replied immediately, sounding extremely excited.

“What’s their relationship like?

“… This…” The middle-aged woman was a little hesitant. “It shouldn’t be too good. Our balconies are quite close, and that family’s male owner always scolds the woman.”

“Comrade Police, a couple arguing is very common, but the female owner of that house… How do I say it? It’s particularly strange, I always hear the man’s cursing every time, but the female owner has never opened her mouth. Every time, we can hear the man scolding the female owner especially loudly… and the way he scolds is particularly ugly…”

“What do you mean by ugly?” Gu Xizhou asked.

The woman seemed to find difficulty in finding the right words, and finally said after a long while: “Anyways, it’s just scolding that she’s cheap goods, that she’s a slut, things like that… Ai, I can’t say these things, it’s just quite insulting.”

“That woman is also strange. Every time she’s scolded, she cries. Sometimes I hear movement on the other side, and I thought maybe someone did something, but I’ve never seen it. Still, there’s something else that’s weird…”

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“I was actually kind of wondering about it at the time. Afterwards, my husband said that the two of them might not have feelings for each other anymore, and were together just for the child, that’s why they became like this. So, I didn’t take it seriously.”

Fang Zhi and Gu Xizhou glanced at each other and nodded. “Thank you, if you think of anything else, do let us know.”

Gu Xizhou and Fang Zhi interviewed the other neighbours, but most of them simply bought a house in the small district, and didn’t know each other. However, there were a few people who reported that the deceased kept insulting and scolding his wife. After the two left, Gu Xizhou drove directly to the scene of the burglary and murder case 819. The location of the crime was in Hongming District.

The building had one pair of stairs and two flats. Fang Zhi knocked on the door twice, and after a while, the door to the house involved in case 819 opened.

Inside stood a middle-aged woman with a large and round waist, dark skin, and two red spots on her face. When she saw Gu Xizhou and Fang Zhi, she greeted the two with enthusiasm and welcomed them into the house. “Comrade Police, is there a clue to my husband’s killer?”

“Uh… are the wife of the deceased Jia Wen involved in case 819?” Gu Xizhou relied on the news he had seen this morning, and asked a little unsurely. 

“Yes, yes, yes, that’s me!” Wang Xiuqin nodded. 

Gu Xizhou said: “Sorry, this time we’re finding you for something else. Do you remember your neighbours Yang Zhi and Yan Li?”

Wang Xiuqin heard those two names and hesitated for a moment. “I remember. The two of us had a very good relationship in the past, and we often ate together, and played together. Afterwards, when my husband had that incident, they moved away.”

“Did something happen to them?”

Gu Xizhou didn’t answer her question, but proceeded to ask, “Since you were frequently together, then what sort of relationship did they have?”

“Pretty good! Yan Li is very beautiful, and her husband Yang Zhi wasn’t too handsome, so he treated Yan Li particularly well. Even though they’re over forty years old, their relationship is particularly romantic, just like the ones on TV!”

Gu Xizhou then asked: “In that case, do you think their relationship is really that good, or is it faked?”

Wang Xiuqin: “Comrade Police, your question is really too weird. Let me put it this way. One look at the way Yang Zhi looks at Yan Li, and you know he really loves his wife. Even my husband wouldn’t look at me like that!”

Gu Xizhou glanced at her. When she said it like that, Gu Xizhou recalled the surprise and excitement when the woman had opened the door to see them just now. When they entered the house, she immediately asked them about the incident regarding her husband, so she should like her husband very much.

Seeing Gu Xizhou look at her, Wang Xiuqin said a little helplessly: “Actually, I’m very envious of Yan Li. My husband was from the countryside and his family circumstances aren’t too good. My family is local, and has some money. If not for this, he definitely wouldn’t have married me…”

Saying this, Wang Xiuqin’s expression suddenly became tender. Gu Xizhou saw that she had become sad, but he didn’t have the time to comfort her. Since so many people said that the relationship between those two people were very good, then why after Jia Wen’s death, did Yang Zhi suddenly start to inflict domestic violence on Yan Li, and why did Yan Li tolerate it all with a swallow of her breath?

Regardless of whether this case has anything to do with case 819, but the breakdown of the relationship between the two people must definitely be related to the burglary and murder case 819!

Before leaving, Gu Xizhou glanced back at Wang Xiuqin, “Back then, did you suspect that it was an acquaintance who had committed the crime?”

Wang Xiuqin waved her hand. “How could we not, when you police suspected everyone at least once! At that time, I also suspected Yang Zhi and Yan Li. My house did have their fingerprints, but they were left when my husband invited them over to eat just two days ago, so that wasn’t surprising.”

“Was there a witness?” Gu Xizhou asked strangely.

Wang Xiuqin: “No, but my husband sent me a WeChat, and told me.”

Wang Xiuqin and her daughter were out of town on that day, thus escaping danger. Gu Xizhou had etched the news introduction into his memory, and nodded faintly, before asking Wang Xiuqin for her daughter’s phone number.

Wang Xiuqin’s daughter was working, and couldn’t casually leave. Gu Xizhou and Fang Zhi drove to the entrance of her company and acted like they were waiting for a secret signal on the streets. 

Jia Min, 24 years old, a white-collar worker in a foreign company. She was young and pretty, and had a nice body.

Fang Zhi saw Jia Min and felt stunned. “This girl is really the biological daughter of that big sister earlier?”

Gu Xizhou glared at him, and opened the door for Jia Min to sit in the front. “Sorry for bothering you.”

Jia Min made an affirmative noise. “Just now, my mom called and told me on the phone. The uncle and aunt next door had a pretty good relationship. Back then, I was still studying, but because of my family’s relationship with them, we often ate together during the holidays.”

“Anyways, I think they had a good relationship.”

Jia Min opened the door and walked out, but she barely took two steps before suddenly frowning and returning to the car, knocking on the window.

“Miss Jia, did you think of something?”

Jia Min opened her mouth. “I don’t know how to say this, but once on National Day, I went home one day in advance and saw Aunt Yan at my house. My dad came out and said she came over to borrow salt because she had forgotten to buy it.”

“Why do you find this strange?”

Jia Min: “One floor below my house, when you went over today, you must have seen it. Some family opened up a grocery shop downstairs, right? That shop has been open for over three years, and it’s in the same apartment building. How troublesome would it be to take the elevator down to buy some salt? I was a little skeptical at the time, and I even told my mom, hoping that she would pay more attention to my dad.”

“But she didn’t find anything. I also think that maybe it was good that nothing happened. With how much my mom loved my dad, if my dad really cheated, she would be incredibly sad.” Jia Min shook her head. “I’ve asked her to move in with me, but she just refuses to leave… Ai…”

After Gu Xizhou and Fang Zhi sent Jia Min off, they contacted the police officer who had been responsible for case 819 and soon saw all the collected evidence. Yang Zhi and Yan Li were under heavy suspicion, but because of the male owner’s WeChat that proved their invitation over to the house, those fingerprints couldn’t be counted as evidence.

“Call Yan Li to the police bureau.”

As soon as Gu Xizhou said those words, he heard Fang Zhi ask him: “Gu Ge, are you going to bluff her to try and draw out information?”

Gu Xizhou: “En…” Actually, I didn’t even think about doing that… Comrade Xiao Fang, you really are such a clever spirit!

As soon as Yan Li arrived, Gu Xizhou winked at Fang Zhi and let him go ahead. Fang Zhi was eager to try it out, and Gu Xizhou watched him slap the materials down on the table the moment he entered, scaring Yan Li who sat on the opposite side!

“Comrade Police… what happened? I…” Yan Li’s voice was a little nervous.

Fang Zhi detailed the investigation to her in a flat tone: “After police investigation, we’ve discovered that you have often been beaten and abused by your husband in the past three years, but according to our understanding, three years ago, your relationship was very close and harmonious, and was an exemplary couple.”

“And all these changes started right after the death of your neighbour Jia Wen three years ago. We have enough evidence. Do you have anything else you want to say?”

Fang Zhi rapped his knuckles against the table, his voice calm and cold, and exuded an aura of confidence. It really could fool someone.

“This kid is quite capable, following in Leader Gu’s footsteps, this acting is pretty good!”

Yan Li’s psychological defence line was very fragile. It might be due to the unrest in her heart stemming from her torture over Jia Wen’s death, and it might be due to the constant beatings from her own husband, but after hearing Fang Zhi’s words, she quietly burst into tears.

“You already know… yes… it was my husband who murdered him accidentally. I really didn’t intend to do anything with him, when I realised I felt a little ambiguous towards him, I knew I was in the wrong and I couldn’t let my husband down… but I just couldn’t resist…”

“My husband was out on a business trip that day, and his wife and daughter were traveling abroad. He wanted me to go to his house and… But my husband ended up coming back that day, he, he only wanted to give me a surprise, so he came back earlier… Later, he discovered my affair with Jia Wen. It was Jia Wen who acted first. He took the knife, and when they were fighting, an accident occurred…”

“Jia Wen died like that…”

“But why did Jia Wen send that WeChat to Wang Xiuqin?” The policeman outside asked questioningly. This case was quite sensational at the time. There were no fingerprints on the knife, but the deceased’s house had these two people’s fingerprints. It was because of the WeChat message that Yang Zhi and Yan Li’s fingerprints couldn’t be used as evidence.

Xiang Yuan, who had rushed over to join the commotion: “Jia Wen told Wang Xiuqin that it was the pair of husband and wife who had come over to eat, not Yan Li alone. He ended up saying that and also to reassure his wife.”

As Yan Li spit out the details of the case three years ago, the entire police bureau inhaled sharply.

This Jia Wen really dug his own grave. For the sake of spending a night with Yan Li without arousing suspicion, he prepared three copies of everything that night, resulting in the police having to accept Yan Li and Yang Zhi’s excuse that they drank at his house before returning to their house with diminished mental cognition.

That floor was just an old residential area with one pair of stairs, two flats, and no surveillance. There was no suspicion for the crime, and thus the two were so foolishly let go. 

Later, the two of them used the excuse of being afraid to move away, and from then on, lost contact with Wang Xiuqin’s family. The case of 819 then became an unsolved case.

“Notify the person in charge of case 819, and call to notify the relevant family members…” Gu Xizhou glanced at the weak woman who was crying inside the interrogation room.

Quite a few people didn’t expect that such a lucky shot could actually break through a case that had gone unsolved for three years and were clicking their tongues in wonder. Then, Gu Xizhou’s phone suddenly rang. As he picked it up to answer, he said to the colleagues around him: “The murderer who killed the deceased Yang Zhi has surrendered himself…”

soya: i just want to say, this was totally unexpected, and Yang Zhi’s murderer is also totally unexpected