Chapter 72

Before observing Yuan Yue's interrogation, Guan Xia first went to give her statement, as she had nearly become one of the victims. Earlier, she had been in a hurry to go to the hospital to treat her injuries, but now that she had time, the statement naturally had to be completed.

The officer taking her statement was a female police officer in uniform with delicate features, though her face bore two large dark circles under her eyes. Wang Yu was also present.

After briefly describing the incident, with Pang Le and Ji An adding supplementary details, the back-and-forth questioning finally concluded. Just as Guan Xia finished signing her name, the female officer hugged the statement folder to her chest and sprinted off as if in a hurry.

Guan Xia, still holding the pen she had used to sign, was momentarily stunned. "What…?"

Wang Yu took the pen from her hand and explained, "The entire Fengshan District police force has been mobilized for the search and rescue operation. The suspect has been caught, but Zhuo Mingyan and Xiang Zhenli are still missing. Even the administrative staff are being deployed in the field now—there’s a lot going on."

Guan Xia was both surprised and unsurprised. "Yuan Yue refuses to confess?"

Wang Yu said, "Not exactly. She admitted to the murder of Zhuo Xuanya without hesitation, even providing many details about the crime. But the moment she’s asked about the whereabouts of Zhuo Mingyan and Xiang Zhenli, she clams up. Oh, and she insists on seeing you."

"Me?" Guan Xia was startled. "Why does she want to see me?"

After a pause, she added, "Though now that I think about it, I also want to see her. I’m very curious—why did she want to kill me?"

"I knew you’d want to meet her," Wang Yu said with a smile. "Captain Xu anticipated it too. But arranging a meeting between a suspect and a victim isn’t something they can decide on their own. The request has been submitted—it’s up to the deputy director in charge of criminal investigations at Fengshan District whether to approve it. Until then, we’ll just have to wait here."

Wang Yu poured them some water as she spoke. Though anxious, Guan Xia had no choice but to sit patiently.

With Wang Yu keeping them company, Guan Xia asked directly, "Did Yuan Yue explain her motive for killing Zhuo Xuanya?"

Wang Yu nodded. "She did. According to her, she believed Zhuo Xuanya didn’t deserve to be the daughter of Zhuo Mingyan and Xiang Zhenli—that she had such wonderful parents but didn’t cherish them, constantly worrying and angering them. Since that was the case, she thought it would be better if Zhuo Xuanya disappeared. She could become the good daughter Zhuo Mingyan and his wife deserved instead."

"What? Not out of jealousy?" Pang Le asked in surprise.

Wang Yu replied, "According to the suspect’s statement, she wasn’t jealous. At first, she only felt envy. But after becoming close friends with Zhuo Xuanya and frequently visiting her home—even spending the New Year there—she felt truly happy. It was like returning to the time before her own mother and stepfather died in the car accident. The home was warm and peaceful, without arguments or fights. The family spoke to her gently and lovingly. She could act spoiled, do whatever she wanted freely, and have someone care about whether she’d lost weight, if she was dressed warmly enough, if her job was too exhausting, or if she had enough money."

Guan Xia understood. "She projected her longing for family onto Zhuo Xuanya’s parents. That’s why, before meeting Zhuo Xuanya, she lived frugally despite having money. But after becoming friends and getting to know her parents, she saw them as replacements for her late mother and stepfather—hence the extravagant gifts."

Pang Le was skeptical. "She never thought of usurping their place?"

Wang Yu said, "According to the suspect, she never intended to take over. At first, she treated Zhuo Xuanya like a younger sister. She was willing to give anything to make Zhuo Xuanya and her parents happy. She loved seeing them smile and enjoyed the warm, harmonious atmosphere of their home—it made all the exhaustion from work worth it."

Guan Xia sighed. "So when Zhuo Xuanya was forced into matchmaking and repeatedly argued with her parents, and Yuan Yue’s attempts to mediate didn’t help, she decided to kill her."

Pang Le remarked, "In the end, Yuan Yue’s mental state wasn’t normal—or she had some hidden psychological trauma. Seeing Zhuo Xuanya argue with her parents must have reminded her of her childhood. But will this affect her sentencing?"

Realizing the implications, Pang Le quickly added the question.

Wang Yu thought for a moment. "Based on the current situation, the suspect has clear self-awareness and cognitive function. But for judicial fairness, she’ll likely undergo a psychiatric evaluation later. Still, in my experience, it probably won’t significantly impact the verdict."

"That’s good," Guan Xia and Pang Le said in relief.

Then Guan Xia thought of Sha Junhao and pressed further, "By the way, how did she arrange the mutual killing with Sha Junhao? Did she explain that?"

Wang Yu shook her head. "She refuses to talk about that too. Every time we ask, she just demands to see you."

After saying this, Wang Yu couldn’t help but look at Guan Xia with curiosity.

Guan Xia was baffled. "Huh? I can understand her wanting to see me about the motive for killing me, but what does this have to do with me?"

Pang Le frowned, equally puzzled. But Ji An, after a few seconds of thought, had an idea. "She might have questions of her own—using these two points as bargaining chips."

Guan Xia suddenly understood. "You’re right. She got away with killing Zhuo Xuanya for nearly two years without suspicion. She must be wondering how we figured it out."

Pang Le chuckled and leaned back in his chair. "In that case, she’s just as anxious as we are. So we don’t have to worry about whether we’ll get to see her. Let’s just wait patiently."

For the rest of the time, no matter how eager they were, they had no choice but to sit idly in the interrogation room, suppressing their impatience. To distract themselves, they chatted about random topics—even discussing post-case celebration plans.

Wang Yu had brought it up, but before she could finish, the interrogation room door suddenly swung open. Xu Nian and the middle-aged officer they’d met that afternoon stood at the entrance, looking at Guan Xia. "The request’s been approved. You can meet the suspect now."

The moment Xu Nian appeared, Guan Xia had already guessed. Before his words fully landed, she practically leaped up from the sofa. "Good. I’ll go now."

Following Xu Nian down a hallway and around a corner, they arrived outside the interrogation room where Yuan Yue was held.

The middle-aged officer accompanied her inside. As soon as Guan Xia sat down at the interrogation table, she looked up to study Yuan Yue, who was handcuffed to the chair opposite her.

Compared to their encounter an hour earlier, Yuan Yue’s expression was much calmer now. But the look she gave Guan Xia still burned with intense hatred—as if Guan Xia had committed some unforgivable crime against her.

Having lived in this world for twenty-five years, this was the first time Guan Xia had faced such a gaze. Her heart pounded for a few seconds before she steadied herself and spoke as calmly as possible.

"Why did you want to kill me?"

Guan Xia initially wanted to ask why Yuan Yue had gone to such lengths to kidnap Zhuo Mingyan and Xiang Zhenli, only to divert her attention from them—or flee the city—and instead take the enormous risk of returning downtown to kill her. But the question felt inappropriate, so she swallowed it back.

When Guan Xia posed her question, Yuan Yue didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she studied her for a moment before curling her lips into a mocking smile. "Clearly, you didn’t know this, but we’ve been following you."

Guan Xia shuddered at the revelation, and the middle-aged detective beside her frowned.

Yuan Yue’s grin widened, her tone turning almost manic. "Oh, wait—not we. It was Sha Junhao who hired people. After his scumbag father Sha Guoliang died, since you and your friend had seen us together, I told him to tail you both for a while. If you showed any signs of going to the police, we’d consider silencing you. But obviously, you didn’t even remember."

Guan Xia struggled to keep her expression neutral as she racked her brain. She recalled that around that time, her latest comic had just wrapped up. With money and free time on her hands—and Pang Le’s enthusiasm—they’d spent nearly every day together, eating, singing, shopping, traveling. She hadn’t noticed anyone following them, and Pang Le hadn’t reacted unusually either.

"But what does that have to do with you wanting to kill me?" Guan Xia pressed. Turning it over in her mind, Yuan Yue seemed to imply that the police cracked the case mainly because of her. But how had Yuan Yue even known?

Guan Xia stared intently at Yuan Yue, waiting for her answer.

Suddenly, Yuan Yue’s expression twisted into fury. She slammed her cuffed hands against the table, glaring at Guan Xia as if she were a sworn enemy. "What does it have to do with you? It’s all because of you! If not for you, I’d still be their obedient daughter. I wouldn’t have ended up like this! You ruined everything! All I wanted was a family, someone to care about me, to love me. Why did you have to destroy it? You deserve to die—even more than Zhuo Xuanya!"

Yuan Yue lunged forward, arms outstretched as if to strangle Guan Xia, but the interrogation chair was bolted to the floor. No matter how violently she thrashed, all she produced was the screech of metal.

Though Guan Xia had braced herself, she still flinched, instinctively shrinking back. The middle-aged detective reacted swiftly, pinning Yuan Yue back into the chair. "Enough!"

Despite his strength, Yuan Yue kept struggling like a madwoman, only calming minutes later when exhaustion finally took over. Yet her eyes still burned with hatred. "You remember me, but I remember you even more. You must be curious, right? Why kill you and not your friend? Because she didn’t have your damn curiosity. That day in the alley, your friend was only focused on the thief. But you—you looked at me, more than once. So when I saw you on the surveillance footage this afternoon, I knew. You did remember me. You went to the police. You ruined my happy life. That’s why I had to kill you. You deserve to die! You deserve it!"

From then on, Yuan Yue seemed to spiral into hysterics, repeating the same phrase over and over: You deserve to die.

Guan Xia tentatively asked how she and Sha Junhao had arranged their murder exchange, but Yuan Yue only kept chanting her mantra.

After a tense standoff lasting over ten minutes, Guan Xia had to end the interrogation as Yuan Yue’s mental state deteriorated further. The detective escorted her out.

The moment the door opened, Pang Le rushed over, scanning her up and down. "Are you okay? Did she scare you?"

She even spun Guan Xia around, scrutinizing her eyes before sighing in relief. "Yuan Yue’s a real psycho. What kind of deranged motive is that? Everything that happened to her was her own fault—how is any of it on you?"

Once Pang Le finally settled, Ji An handed Guan Xia a cup of warm water. "Drink this to calm your nerves. Let’s find somewhere to sit and talk."

Pang Le then remembered Guan Xia’s injury and carefully supported her arm.

Wang Yu, familiar with the precinct, led them to an interview room with a sofa. She pressed a chocolate bar into Guan Xia’s hand. "Something sweet will help."

Though the interrogation had lasted less than twenty minutes, Guan Xia felt as drained as if she’d run a marathon—mentally and physically exhausted, her head pounding.

Mechanically unwrapping the chocolate, she ate it slowly, gradually regaining her composure.

The other three noticed her stabilizing mood. Pang Le quickly shoved more snacks at her. "Eat more."

Guan Xia clenched the beef jerky in her hand, the uneven packaging pressing into her palm, sharpening her focus.

"I’m fine," she said, shaking her head. "At first, I was startled, but mostly, it was just the noise. Yuan Yue kept screaming the same thing—her voice was so shrill. I don’t think I’ll be listening to music for a while."

Seeing Guan Xia could still joke, the others relaxed. Pang Le patted her shoulder. "We heard everything from outside. I already thought Yuan Yue was twisted, but she outdid herself. Not only did she plant all those surveillance cameras, but she also stalked us two years ago just to see if we remembered her? Unless you’re a cop or some high-profile case is plastered everywhere begging for tips, who’d even pay attention? And that’s her reason for trying to kill you? Insane."

Guan Xia agreed. Yuan Yue’s behavior proved her mental instability had started long before—even before she met Zhuo Xuanya. It just hadn’t surfaced until the right trigger.

With that mystery solved, Guan Xia set it aside. What gnawed at her now was something else. "Given Yuan Yue’s state, a proper interrogation won’t happen anytime soon. But we still don’t know where Zhuo Mingyan and his wife are, or how she and Sha Junhao arranged their deal."

"Should we go help search the scene?" Pang Le jumped in, as if she’d been waiting for the suggestion. "Wasn’t that why we left the hotel in the first place?"

She glanced at Guan Xia’s knee, then turned to Ji An. "Ji An, Zhuo Mingyan and Xiang Zhenli disappeared in the old industrial zone, right? Those areas are all concrete roads—could I ride an e-bike or bicycle with Guan Xia to cover more ground?"

Guan Xia, Ji An, and Wang Yu clearly hadn’t expected Pang Le to say that. They froze for a moment, exchanging glances before Ji An finally nodded with a faint smile. "Sure, that’s fine. If you don’t mind, we can do it that way."

"Then isn’t the problem solved?" Pang Le eagerly jumped up from the couch. "Let’s go, hurry up! I’ve never been part of something this big before. Will they even bring out police dogs?"

His eyes sparkled with excitement as he bent down to help Guan Xia up. But before she could stand, his hopes were dashed by a loud bang—Xu Nian pushed the door open, his voice brimming with excitement. "Zhuo Mingyan and Xiang Zhenli have been found."

Everyone instinctively stood up. Wang Yu perked up and pressed, "Where were they found? The old industrial district?"

Xu Nian shook his head. "No, on a provincial highway about six kilometers from the old industrial district. We don’t know yet how they got away, but it’s confirmed they made it to the highway on their own and flagged down a passing car to call the police."

"They walked to the highway on their own?" The group was stunned. "This means Yuan Yue didn’t harm them—at least not like how she went all out on Zhuo Xuanya. Otherwise, two people in their late fifties or early sixties wouldn’t have been able to escape such a vast, maze-like industrial district and walk that far."

"Someone’s already on their way to pick them up," Xu Nian added. "They should be here soon. Oh, and I just got a call from the third division—Sha Junhao’s confession is in."

Good news seemed to be pouring in all at once. Their eyes lit up, and Guan Xia immediately asked, "How did Yuan Yue strike a deal with him?"

This had been a lingering question for everyone, including Guan Xia.

Xu Nian explained, "Yuan Yue forged several high-value traffic accident insurance policies with Zhuo Mingyan and his wife as the insured and Zhuo Xuanya as the beneficiary. She used this to trick Sha Junhao into fabricating a lie. According to his testimony, Yuan Yue told him that Zhuo Xuanya had developed a gambling addiction, draining the family’s savings. Despite repeated warnings, Zhuo Xuanya refused to change. Recently, Yuan Yue claimed she found these insurance policies under Zhuo Xuanya’s bed and suspected she was planning to kill her parents for the payout."

Guan Xia’s mind flooded with disbelief. "And Sha Junhao just believed that? He didn’t verify anything? He killed a stranger over these lies?"

Xu Nian continued, "Sha Junhao said he was skeptical at first and intended to confirm before acting. But while he was still on the fence, Yuan Yue had already killed Sha Guoliang. He was backed into a corner. On top of that, Yuan Yue kept pressuring and threatening him—if he didn’t act soon, she’d turn herself in and name him as the mastermind. If he went to prison, his mother would be left with no one to care for her. Given her fragile mental state, she might attempt suicide again. In a panic, he had no choice but to follow Yuan Yue’s orders."

"No wonder there was a three-month gap between the two cases," Pang Le muttered. But then he frowned. "Wait, how did they even communicate? You must’ve checked Sha Junhao’s devices back then. Frequent contact like that wouldn’t have gone unnoticed."

"Unregistered SIM cards," Ji An interjected. "Even though carriers now require real-name registration, back then, unregistered cards were everywhere—not just at authorized stores but even in newspaper stands. While ordinary people couldn’t easily get them, someone like Sha Junhao, with his shady connections, wouldn’t have had trouble."

Guan Xia still found it absurd. "If Sha Junhao had such a complex network, he wasn’t naive. He even knew how to hire people to tail others. How could he be so easily threatened by Yuan Yue? It’d make more sense if he’d just silenced her."

"Maybe he was blinded by hatred?" Pang Le scratched his head. "Didn’t Sha Junhao want his scumbag father dead for years? When it finally happened, his long-held wish was fulfilled. Maybe in that emotional state, Yuan Yue took advantage?"

Guan Xia wavered between finding Pang Le’s reasoning plausible and feeling it was still unconvincing. Either way, Sha Junhao had talked. Whether it was the truth or not would have to be confirmed once Yuan Yue spoke again.