Chapter 168

Fang Rui asked, "What about Li Meijia? You heard Wang Yonghua and Sun Xiaoning plotting to have her murdered through the listening device. Didn't you tell her about this?""Why should I care about her affairs? Initially, I wanted to scam some small money from her because she seemed rich and naive. After switching identities with my brother, I wasn't satisfied with small amounts anymore. I continued dating her using Ding Zhuangzhuang's identity. For someone from the upper class like her, appearing vulnerable was the best way to win her over. I planned to play the long game and catch a big fish - after her divorce, I would marry her and then swindle all her property."

"Actually, you killed for Li Meijia, didn't you? Sun Xiaoning never deceived your brother's feelings; you made it all up. At first, you thought Wang Yonghua only had Sun Xiaoning as a mistress. You seduced Sun Xiaoning and encouraged her to elope with you, actually intending to protect Li Meijia's marriage, right?" Fang Rui speculated.

Ding Zhuangzhuang showed a contemptuous smile. "Ridiculous. I'm not some lovesick fool. Why would I commit a crime for a woman?"

"Because you felt she was the only person who loved you unconditionally."

Ding Zhuangzhuang's eyes gradually reddened, but he held his head high and insisted, "Someone like me stopped expecting love long ago. I killed for myself, to regain my dignity, to have an identity that could stand in the sunlight."

Fang Rui communicated further with the Dongcheng police.

"Yes, Ding Zhuangzhuang's adoptive parents had lost a child who was kidnapped. When they found him, he was already mentally impaired - the traffickers had beaten him until he became mentally disabled."

Zhang was puzzled: "Why did Ding Zhuangzhuang claim he had drugged that child into disability?"

Fang Rui couldn't understand why Ding Zhuangzhuang kept lying.

"He's admitted to his crimes, so why does he keep telling these meaningless lies?"

Mu Mian analyzed, "Could he have pathological lying disorder? When the frontal lobe function is weakened, they can't judge the accuracy of their own words, leading to constant lying, and their lies seem very real. He must be skilled at fraud."

"Yes, he was a fraudster before." Sёarch* The Nôvel(F)ire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Zhang speculated, "Then maybe his brother wasn't actually disabled by his drugs either?"

Fang Rui interrogated Ding Zhuangzhuang again.

"Your adoptive parents' child wasn't disabled by your drugs. Why are you lying?"

Ding Zhuangzhuang paused, then said, "Because I wish I had been the one who disabled him. I hate him; he ruined my life."

"Actually, you didn't trick your brother into drinking fake alcohol either, did you?"

Earlier at the hospital, Mu Mian had examined Chen Yuankun's mouth and found no injuries. If someone had forced him to drink, there would definitely have been wounds in his mouth. The fake alcohol had such a strong taste that no normal person would drink it, let alone that much.

"Officer, I've confessed everything that needs to be confessed. You have the statement you want, and all the evidence is there. I'd like some quiet time now."

Ding Zhuangzhuang fell silent.

Chen Yuankun had indeed suffered psychological abuse from Wang Yonghua and developed severe depression. They exchanged identities to give each other a chance at a different life.

Ding Zhuangzhuang's original plan was to leave his brother's DNA at the scene. After investigation, the police would find that his brother might have been framed, and he, pretending to be Chen Yuankun, would also be a suspect. Since they had switched identities and looked almost identical, it would be impossible to determine who the real killer was, and both would eventually be released without charges.

But his brother was too kind-hearted. He thought Ding Zhuangzhuang had killed for him and was consumed by deep guilt. His brother deliberately drank the fake alcohol, attempting to fake a suicide from guilt and take all the blame, but instead of dying, he became mentally disabled.

There was no need to tell the police this. He wanted his brother to be seen as a pitiful victim, unrelated to the case.

Regarding Chen's father's case, Fang Rui provided relevant evidence, and the prosecutor's office determined that Chen's mother was unlikely to be the perpetrator due to insufficient evidence, so they declined to prosecute.

After Ding Zhuangzhuang was sent to detention, Li Meijia visited him immediately.

"Why did you kill him?" Li Meijia asked in confusion. "I had already told you that Wang Yonghua and I were about to divorce. Why did you still kill him?"

Ding Zhuangzhuang said expressionlessly, "It has nothing to do with you. Don't come anymore. I don't want to see you."

"Ding Zhuangzhuang, we were so close to getting married."

Ding Zhuangzhuang knew clearly that they could never marry. The gap between them was too wide - he was a sinful person who had done many bad things, while Li Meijia could live happily in the sunlight.

But when Li Meijia told him she wanted to marry him, he felt the whole world become warm.

Having that moment of warmth was enough.

Ding Zhuangzhuang said emotionlessly, "I was with you to scam your money. You looked rich and naive, and my specialty was conning women out of their money. I'm a fraud. Everything I told you was a lie. All those tragic experiences that made you sympathize with me were made up to deceive you."

Li Meijia covered her face and burst into tears.

"Go. Make yourself stronger. Don't rely on men - they're all unreliable like me."

Ding Zhuangzhuang's memory returned to two weeks before he killed Wang Yonghua.

He had heard Wang Yonghua telling Sun Xiaoning through the listening device: "Xiaoning, that property agreement was just to pacify that old woman. Don't worry, I'll make her give everything back."

"How will you do that?"

"I'll hire someone to kill her in a car accident! I know someone who can handle this for just a million yuan. That old woman has life insurance with my two children as beneficiaries. When she dies, we'll get a huge payout."

"Isn't that too cruel?"

"If I don't do this, I'll become a pauper."

Ding Zhuangzhuang closed his eyes. He couldn't admit his true motive for killing. He didn't want Li Meijia to have any connection to this case. Someone as wonderful as her should have nothing to do with evil.

Li Meijia left the detention center. The sunlight fell on her face as she looked up at it, murmuring, "I'm finally free!"

The next moment, her expression darkened. She had lost someone who truly loved her.

Chen's mother also visited Ding Zhuangzhuang at the detention center. Looking at the man sitting across from her, she couldn't tell whether he was Chen Yuankun or Ding Zhuangzhuang.

Aliali: 6721e7093a4784313d80c44b

"Son, it's mother's fault. I'm sorry, I let you suffer for so many years..."

Ding Zhuangzhuang interrupted her: "Just take good care of my brother in the hospital. There's a bank card in my brother's drawer, the PIN is his birthday. That money should be enough for you to live out your lives."

"I will."

"Then... goodbye!" Ding Zhuangzhuang realized he had nothing to talk about with his birth mother.

"Child, do you hate your mother?"

Ding Zhuangzhuang held back his tears. When his adoptive parents had thrown him out, he had countless times imagined that if only he could find his birth parents, he could live a happy life.

But in the process of searching for them, he had done countless wrong things just to survive. He had become a person full of sin, so when he finally found his parents, he didn't dare reveal his identity.

Later, he discovered that he had actually been abandoned. He had felt hatred and resentment, but he could only accept fate's mockery once again.

He nodded and said softly, "You had no choice. I don't blame you."

She was just a weak and powerless woman who could neither fight against superstitious feudal beliefs nor resist her husband.