Chapter 298: Hidden Truths

2022-05-20

I had no idea what Jiang Xiaochun’s motives were. Judging from what I’d seen so far, she was definitely hiding something, but she didn’t look like someone who’d lost her mind from fear. If being terrified out of your wits looked this healthy—good complexion, solid physique—maybe I should try it myself.

But seeing the hope written all over Hu Xiaoxue’s mother’s face, I figured it was best not to jump to conclusions yet. If Jiang Xiaochun was working so hard to put on an act, me calling her out might backfire on everyone.

I nodded at Hu Xiaoxue’s mother and said, “Don’t worry. We’re almost done with the investigation. If we catch the killer, you’ll be the first to know.”

Hu Xiaoxue’s mother let out a long sigh and said, “Alright, I’ll be waiting for your news.”

I nodded again.

As I headed out the door, I paused and looked back. “Do you open the window in that room regularly to let in fresh air?”

“Huh?” Hu Xiaoxue’s mother asked. “Which room?”

“Never mind,” I said, shaking my head. “That’s all for now. We might need to contact you again later.”

The older woman who’d come in with us seemed eager to keep chatting with Hu Xiaoxue’s mother, so she didn’t follow us out. It was just me and Zhao Mingkun walking down the hallway. Zhao Mingkun still looked confused, so he asked, “Did you notice something?”

I nodded and said firmly, “From what I’ve seen, Jiang Xiaochun is definitely faking being crazy.”

“Faking?” Zhao Mingkun asked. “How can you tell?”

As we descended the stairs, I explained, “The older woman said Jiang Xiaochun only eats leftovers from others, and only drinks running tap water. On the surface, it sounds like she’s lost her mind—skipping hot, fresh meals for cold leftovers, and only drinking cold water—but if you think about it, there’s a deeper reason behind it.”

“What’s that?” Zhao Mingkun asked.

“She’s afraid of dying,” I replied. “If she’s eating food others have eaten, odds are it’s not poisoned. If she’s drinking from running taps, that’s safe too. She’s not avoiding food or sleep, and she’s healthy—way too healthy for someone truly deranged.”

Zhao Mingkun stroked his chin and said slowly, “Makes sense.”

I continued, “Exactly. And there’s another detail I don’t know if you caught. There was a bookshelf in Hu Xiaoxue’s room—every book neatly arranged except one that was lazily shoved in. With everything that’s happened, the family hasn’t even wanted to tidy up, much less organize the bookshelf, which means it’s always been so orderly. The only messed-up book must’ve been touched recently.”

“So you’re saying Jiang Xiaochun read that book?” Zhao Mingkun asked.

“One more thing,” I said. “When I left, I asked Hu Xiaoxue’s mother if she usually opened the window for ventilation. She didn’t even understand what I meant. So the window wasn’t opened by her, meaning it had to be Jiang Xiaochun.”

I looked at Zhao Mingkun and went on, “Someone alone in a room, reading books, even thinking to crack open a window for fresh air—does that sound like a lunatic to you? She’s bored, looking for something to occupy herself. She’s hiding.”

“If that’s true, then I think I can guess what she’s hiding from,” Zhao Mingkun said. “If she’s lying low to avoid someone, who else but the killer? She figures if she plays crazy, keeps her mouth shut, the killer won’t come after her?”

I snapped my fingers. “And that’s where it gets tricky. Right after Hu Xiaoxue died, Jiang Xiaochun started talking about ghosts. But from what we’ve pieced together, she’s not afraid of ghosts, but of a real, living person. The killer. So how did she know someone wanted her dead in the first place?”

“So she’s hiding something serious?” Zhao Mingkun guessed.

We made it out of the building. I glanced up at the sun and told Zhao Mingkun, “Yeah. There’s definitely something fishy about what happened seven years ago. Jiang Xiaochun and Hu Pei—everything about them is suspicious, and they’re too quick to react. Did you notice what I did earlier?”

Zhao Mingkun nodded. “Of course, you asked for her ring. What’s up with the ring?”

“Hold up a finger,” I told him.

“Huh?” Zhao Mingkun frowned even harder.

“What I mean is, if you constantly take a ring off, you’ll feel it rubbing on your skin. I looked closely at Jiang Xiaochun’s wedding ring. The inside is worn smooth—can’t even see the inscription.”

“But!” I went on, “the outside’s still dirty. So, she doesn’t often touch the outside. Think about it. Why would she keep taking her ring off? Looks like she’s been seeing someone else.”

“What?” Zhao Mingkun didn’t seem convinced.

“Look at her. She doesn’t seem all that sad about her husband, or even her daughter. There’s definitely something off here. Her marriage to Hu Pei was probably more complicated than anyone realizes.”

“So where do we dig next?” Zhao Mingkun asked.

“Let’s have Mary look into it,” I said. “With the right info, Mary can find out a lot. If Jiang Xiaochun has been meeting anyone, Mary will dig it up.”

“Mary, huh.” Zhao Mingkun smiled wryly. “Guess we’re old friends by now.”

Right then, Gu Chen’s call came through, perfect timing.

“Gu Chen?” I answered.

“I’ve got the info on the person you wanted.” Gu Chen didn’t hesitate. “Her name is Deng Xuemei. Female, thirty-two. Still single, left a pharmaceutical company a few months back. She graduated seven years ago from Dongxing University, majoring in bioengineering.”

Hearing that, the pieces finally clicked together for me.

“Keep going,” I said.

Gu Chen continued, “According to Mary’s research, Deng Xuemei’s family had it rough. Her father fell ill when she was in middle school—a rare disease. The family spent everything, but it never got better. Whether it was seven years ago or now, it was basically incurable.”

“Back then, her family did okay. Definitely not rich, but middle-class at least. Once her dad got sick, though, things went downhill fast. Then, one night, her mother left and never came back.”

“So, Deng Xuemei was going to school and taking care of her father. Life got tougher and tougher, but she worked hard and got into a good university. She had no money, and couldn’t get loans, but eventually, someone offered to help.”

I nodded. I could already guess what came next. “I know who it was. A girl named Lyu Zhiqiu, right? She helped out Deng Xuemei?”

Gu Chen paused, then said, “Exactly. A student named Lyu Zhiqiu. According to Mary, before she died, from her first year, Lyu Zhiqiu sent Deng Xuemei one thousand yuan every month—never missing a payment, never asking for anything back.”

“Although, there was one month she missed,” Gu Chen continued. “That was the final year.”

“Yeah. I know.” I nodded.

We knew what happened after that. That month, Lyu Zhiqiu borrowed a lot of money to buy a dog, got tricked in some investment, and ended up with nothing left. So, that month, she really couldn’t give Deng Xuemei any money.

The answer was clear in my mind. A doctor once told me—if you study medicine or biology, chemistry is a core class. And Deng Xuemei majored in bioengineering. If anyone could pull off a murder using a precise dose of chemical poison, it’d be her.

She’d quit her job months earlier—she definitely had enough free time to plan a crime. Motivation? Lyu Zhiqiu helped her for years without asking for anything. If something happened and Deng Xuemei wanted revenge out of gratitude, it makes twisted sense. As for method, she knows how to make deadly poisons. It’s basically routine for her.

In my mind, the real killer could only be her.

“So,” I asked, “have you tracked down where Deng Xuemei is right now?”

Gu Chen said, “Not exactly, but we found her old family home. Her dad died years ago, and we don’t know if she’s still living there. I’ll text you the address. If you can, go check it out?”

“Alright,” I replied. “One more thing.”