C8 A Terrifying Man!

In the basement, Lin Xiangyi had an uneasy feeling. She tugged at Lu Wangshu's sleeve and suggested, "Can we go upstairs, please?"

Lu Wangshu, with a hint of reluctance, set aside the folder. He was determined to wrap up Chen Rou's case before tackling the others. The prospect of solving it fueled his eagerness.

Relieved to see Lu Wangshu agree to leave, Lin Xiangyi hastily exited the basement.

Once out, Lu Wangshu lingered in front of the bookshelf, his reluctance evident. Lin Xiangyi couldn't help but feel helpless at his attachment.

"The stuff isn't going anywhere. I knew what you were thinking just by looking at you," Lin Xiangyi remarked.

Lu Wangshu gave an embarrassed smile. "It's getting late. You should head back, or Uncle Lin will start worrying."

"Okay, I'll take my leave then."

After Lin Xiangyi departed, Lu Wangshu finished tidying up and got ready for bed. But as soon as he closed his eyes, he was haunted by visions of a figure in red. His mind drifted back to Chen Rou's case: the chaotic crime scene, the strands of another woman's hair on Zhou Yang's clothing, the doll discarded under the sofa, and the conflicting testimonies of Zhou Yang and Yun. It was all a tangled mess with no clear solution.

Recalling his conversation with Yun in the dimly lit orphanage room, Lu Wangshu felt distinctly uncomfortable. It was as though the girl before him wasn't just a seven-year-old, perhaps her orphan upbringing made her appear too mature for her age.

The following day, Qiao Liang arrived at the Detective Agency with the forensic results, time pressing against them as the deadline set by the chief loomed. Handing over a sheaf of papers to Lu Wangshu in a fluster, Qiao Liang announced, "Chen Rou was three months pregnant."

The news took Lu Wangshu and Lin Xiangyi by surprise. Qiao Liang pressed on, "Guess what we found on the doll hidden under the sofa?"

"What did you find?" Lu Wangshu asked with furrowed brows.

Qiao Liang looked gravely at the two of them. "We discovered a pregnancy test inside the doll."

"Was the pregnancy test determined to be Chen Rou's?" Lu Wangshu inquired urgently.

Qiao Liang nodded silently. Lu Wangshu continued, "Have you looked into the family that adopted Yun?"

"Yes, all the basic information is right here in these documents. And the black hair we found has been confirmed to be hers," Qiao Liang said, gesturing towards the papers on the table.

Lu Wangshu quickly scanned the documents. A chilling thought crossed his mind, prompting him to stand up and start gathering his things. He pointed to a photo of a woman on one of the pages and said, "Let's go find this person."

The woman in the photo was Yun's former adoptive mother, Zhong Qian. They soon arrived at Zhong Qian's residence and knocked. A cautious voice from inside asked, "Who's there?"

"We're police officers working on a case. We need your cooperation," Qiao Liang responded.

The door opened shortly after to reveal a slender woman in her thirties, who looked at them with a mix of confusion and fear. Once Qiao Liang showed his badge, Zhong Qian invited them inside.

Lu Wangshu entered the house slowly, taking in the environment. He inhaled deeply and commented, "Dior's Fragrance? Women who wear such perfume usually have a lot of class."

Zhong Qian, who was fetching water, paused and relaxed a bit at Lu Wangshu's remark. "Thank you," she responded.

Lu Wangshu took a seat on the couch and addressed Zhong Qian directly, "You've met Zhou Yang, haven't you?"

Zhong Qian nodded. "Yes, I sought him out recently because I wanted to discuss the possibility of readopting Yun."

"But you're divorced now, and your current situation doesn't meet the adoption requirements," Lu Wangshu pointed out.

Zhong Qian replied sadly, "That's true. Zhou Yang said the same thing. So I asked if I could at least visit Yun occasionally."

"Are you aware that his wife, Chen Rou, passed away a few days ago?" Lu Wangshu asked.

"I'm aware. I saw the news and was utterly shocked. Poor Yun, sent back to the orphanage again. I've visited her and even called Dean Liu to inquire if an exception could be made so I could adopt Yun once more," Zhong Qian said with a sense of helplessness.

Now that the issues with the hair and perfume have been resolved, and the suspicion of Zhou Yang's infidelity has been dismissed, the question remains: If Zhou Yang is the murderer, what could his motive be?

"May we discuss your ex-husband? He's the one involved in a fight that led to someone's death and is still in prison, correct?" Lu Wangshu asked softly.

Predictably, Zhong Qian showed a strong aversion to the topic of her ex-husband, yet she persisted, "Yes, that's why I divorced him."

"The primary reason for your divorce was domestic violence, wasn't it? His incarceration was just a timely opportunity for you to escape from him," Lu Wangshu stated pointedly.

Zhong Qian remained silent for a while before slowly admitting, "Yes, he would take his frustrations out on me whenever he was upset. I just couldn't endure it any longer."

Lu Wangshu's brow furrowed as he pressed on, "What I need to know is, did he ever hit Yun?"

Zhong Qian's eyes widened as she looked at Qiao Liang, unable to meet Lu Wangshu's gaze. She felt as though he could read her mind, seeing through all her thoughts.

Eventually, Zhong Qian crumbled, confessing in a distraught tone, "He frequently hit Yun and would lock her in the storage room. It was his idea to adopt Yun in the first place. I thought he wanted a child to improve our relationship, but I never imagined he adopted Yun merely as another outlet for his rage. He's an absolute monster!"

Lin Xiangyi's fists tightened upon hearing Zhong Qian's words. She couldn't bear to think of such a sweet and intelligent child like Yun enduring such cruelty. Her maternal instincts made her feel an increasing sorrow for Yun.

Wiping away her tears, Zhong Qian continued her story, "He would confine Yun in a windowless storage room, without food. If I tried to feed her secretly, I'd be met with a brutal beating. Yun was so young and innocent when she first arrived; any small mistake would result in days locked away. As time went on, Yun tried to fight back, to dodge the blows, but that only led to harsher beatings. I've regretted adopting her for so long. Yun grew to be more perceptive and mature, qualities far beyond what should be expected of someone her age."

Aside from Zhong Qian's sobs, the remaining three were so distressed that they fell into a prolonged silence, not wishing to speak.

Eventually, Lu Wangshu broke the silence, "I think we've gathered enough information for now. Let's head back."

After departing from Zhong Qian's home, Lin Xiangyi dabbed at the tears in the corners of her eyes. Lu Wangshu, noticing Lin Xiangyi's tears, felt unsure of how to comfort her and awkwardly patted her shoulder.

Lu Wangshu let out a sigh. Inside Zhong Qian's house, he had felt an oppressive discomfort, but stepping outside, he was relieved to breathe in the fresh air once more.

Turning to Qiao Liang, he shared, "I have a theory, but it needs to be confirmed. If I'm right, we'll catch the perpetrator, but the truth will be hard to bear. If I'm wrong, we'll need several more days to work on this case."

"How will you confirm it?" Qiao Liang inquired.

"We'll visit the orphanage now," Lu Wangshu responded.