Chapter 26: It Said the Killer Wasn't Him

Jiang Yuan suddenly felt a sting in her nose.

She didn't know Zou Yueming, but hearing that he had no parents and only a cat by his side struck a chord within her.

To Zou Yueming, Xixi was his family.

That was why he would bring Xixi along whenever he went out to see friends.

And to Xixi, he was its only family.

When he was being buried in the earth, Xixi would struggle to dig through the soil to save him, worrying that he would be lonely.

Even after being chased away countless times, it would still sneak back to dig at the dirt.

Because it was worried about its master.

Now that Zou Yueming was dead, only Xixi remained.

Xixi had no family left.

"Miss Jiang." Seeing her lost in thought, Si Heng called her name softly.

Jiang Yuan snapped back to reality, composed her emotions, and said indifferently, "Please continue, Captain Si."

Si Heng: "We checked Zou Yueming's communication records and WeChat chat history, and questioned his colleagues and friends, but we found no suspicious individuals."

"The foot traffic in the park is very high. Investigating who the killer is might be as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack."

Si Heng paused, looking into Jiang Yuan's clear, bright eyes with a solemn expression. "So, we would like to ask for your help, Miss Jiang. The compensation will be according to the standard for criminal investigation consultants."

Although the crime scene being in a park increased the difficulty of the investigation, tracing the truth through various clues was inevitable. It was just that the process would consume a vast amount of time and police resources, which was hard to estimate.

The bureau had held an overnight meeting last night and decided to ask for Jiang Yuan's help, also using this opportunity to see if she truly possessed such a special ability.

Looking into Si Heng's deep eyes, Jiang Yuan spoke calmly, "What do you want me to do?"

Si Heng said softly, "That cat was with Zou Yueming when he went out yesterday. Since it knows he was buried there, it must have witnessed the entire process."

Jiang Yuan lowered her eyes and took a sip of her coffee.

A few seconds later, she lifted her gaze to meet Si Heng's focused stare. "Xixi's owner was chatting with the killer, saying he won the lottery and was going to buy a house."

Si Heng's dark brows furrowed.

Jiang Yuan added, "Xixi only saw what the killer looked like, but it doesn't know who he is."

"I understand." A hint of gratitude appeared in Si Heng's expression. "Miss Jiang, I'll drive you back."

"No need." Jiang Yuan stood up and walked toward the door, but paused and turned around. "By the way..."

Before she could finish, her head suddenly bumped into the man's jaw, and a faint scent of citrus entered her nose.

Jiang Yuan raised her hand to cover her forehead in pain.

Si Heng felt a slight ache in his jaw, but it was nothing to him. At this moment, his entire attention was on the girl in front of him.

Seeing her frown in pain, a wave of inexplicable worry and heartache rose in his chest. "I'm sorry, Miss Jiang. Does it hurt much? Do you need me to take you to the hospital?"

Jiang Yuan had actually been in quite a bit of pain, but his words made her laugh. "It's not that dramatic. Do you think I'm a porcelain doll? That I'll shatter if I bump into something!"

To her surprise, Si Heng commented seriously, "You do look like a porcelain doll."

Jiang Yuan: "..."

"It's swelling." Seeing a small red bump rising on her smooth, fair forehead, Si Heng frowned. "I'll go get an ice pack for you to apply."

"No need, I'm—" Before she could finish, the man had already opened the meeting room door and walked out.

Si Heng soon returned with an ice pack wrapped in a white towel. "Miss Jiang, apply this first."

"Thank you." Jiang Yuan did not refuse his kindness again.

As the coolness seeped into her forehead, she asked, "How long should I keep it on?"

Si Heng: "Fifteen minutes for now."

Jiang Yuan nodded, then remembered what she wanted to say. "Captain Si, I saw someone quite suspicious in the park yesterday."

Si Heng immediately became serious. "What kind of person?"

"I saw a man in his fifties or sixties there yesterday," Jiang Yuan said. "I asked Xixi, and it said the killer wasn't him, but whenever Xixi went to dig, he would often come out to chase it away."

This was vital information.

After asking Jiang Yuan to describe the man's features, Si Heng immediately ordered his subordinates to check the surveillance footage.

Before long, a team member marked the individual matching the description and presented him to Jiang Yuan for confirmation.

***

An old residential building.

A certain apartment on the third floor emitted a damp, musty smell.

Even the sparrows landing on the windowsill seemed to find the smell of the room repulsive.

"This house is so dirty, messy, and stinky!"

"Didn't humans say they love cleanliness the most?"

"This family isn't clean, and this man even killed someone!"

"Murdering his own kind? That's terrifying. Even we birds wouldn't do something so cruel!"

"..."

A man in his early thirties lay on a bed so filthy it looked glazed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

After a while, the man pulled open a cabinet door, grabbed something from inside, and rushed out of the room.

"Where are you going?" a reprimanding voice suddenly rang out.

The man stopped in his tracks and growled in a suppressed voice, "I don't want to live in this broken house anymore! I want to live in a big house, don't you understand?"

"Ali, just endure it a little longer. The time hasn't come yet!"

"Dad! I can't take it! I finally found a chance to strike it rich!"

"If you go out now, you're just asking for death!"

Xu Li kicked the shoe rack in frustration. "Damn it!"

Xu Decai looked at his son, his brow furrowed tightly. "Ali, stay home and don't go out. I'm just going to buy some groceries and I'll be back."

As he reached the door, he turned back and snatched the lottery ticket from his son's hand. "I'll keep this safe for you for now."

Xu Decai stuffed the ticket into his pocket and hurried out.

He didn't go straight to the market; instead, he walked toward Blue Bay Park.

After walking for a while, he turned back. The park was already cordoned off, so there was no need to go.

Xu Decai bought groceries at the market, but as he approached his home, he saw a police car in the distance.

His heart skipped a beat, and he bolted toward another path.

Xu Decai ran until he was panting, unaware that his every move was being monitored.

He arrived at the bottom of his building and looked around. Only after confirming there were no police cars did he breathe a sigh of relief.

But when he reached the third floor, he saw three men standing in front of his door, wearing the sacred uniforms of justice.

Xu Decai's expression changed drastically. The groceries in his hands fell to the floor, and his entire body began to tremble uncontrollably.

"You are Xu Decai, right?" Si Heng spoke indifferently. "Your son, Xu Li, is suspected of involvement in a murder case. Please open the door; we need to take him to the station for questioning."

Fear filled Xu Decai's eyes, but he said, "My son's name isn't Xu Li. You've got the wrong place!"

Inside the house, upon learning the police had arrived, Xu Li hid in his room in terror and pushed a cabinet against the door.

"Is that so?" Si Heng's tone was cold. "Harboring a murderer carries a prison sentence. Do you want to go to jail with your son?"

Xu Decai began to weep hysterically, his face contorted. "My son didn't kill anyone..."

Si Heng: "If he didn't kill anyone, then where did the lottery ticket in your pocket come from?"

Realizing the police had uncovered everything, Xu Decai's face turned ashen, and a surge of intense hatred welled up in his heart.

It was all that woman's fault!

It was all because she went to report it!