The recording wasn’t very long, and it ended quickly.
After listening to it, Zou Shuyang couldn’t help but think, setting aside his personal feelings, that Lin Shaohuai was indeed a clever person.
If you listened closely, every word he said carried a strong element of manipulation.
Jian Mengyan had already poured herself a glass of water and, after collecting her thoughts, gave Zou Shuyang a pale but appropriately timed smile when he looked up. “Who would have thought? Lin Shaohuai was so young yet already so scheming.”
Taking the water cup from her hand, Zou Shuyang asked, “But Hao Yiming wasn’t in your class. How did he get involved with Lin Shaohuai?”
Absentmindedly playing with Zou Shuyang’s large hand, Jian Mengyan thought for a moment before responding, “I think it was because they were neighbors. Lin Shaohuai helped Hao Yiming with something, and that’s how they got closer.”
“Hao Yiming needed help from Lin Shaohuai?”
Jian Mengyan furrowed her brows in thought, and after a long pause, she said, “I think it was for a physics competition. Lin Shaohuai and Hao Yiming wrote each other’s names on the test papers. Hao Yiming ended up getting first place in the grade, and after that, they became good friends.”
Zou Shuyang clicked his tongue. “Cheating, huh.”
Jian Mengyan nodded seriously, “Yeah, and my mom’s business has some connections with Hao Yiming’s father, so I know a bit about their family.”
At this point, Jian Mengyan didn’t continue, but her still-red eyes sparkled as she looked at Zou Shuyang, her whole demeanor practically screaming, Ask me more! I know the inside scoop!
Having already pieced together much of the puzzle from the recording, Zou Shuyang was happy to play along. He gently tugged her hand and pitifully pleaded, “Dear Mengmeng, what’s the story? Please tell me, I’m begging you.”
His voice was full of exaggerated emotion, and combined with his puppy-dog eyes, he truly looked pitiful.
Feeling satisfied, Jian Mengyan finally stopped teasing him. “Hao Yiming’s father is rich. His family is like a soap opera—he’s got plenty of mistresses and even more illegitimate children. One of them is particularly outstanding, so much so that he’s threatening Hao Yiming’s position as the legitimate son. Hao Yiming isn’t exactly a slacker, but he doesn’t have much talent, so his grades are pretty average.”
“So, Hao Yiming bribed Lin Shaohuai to cheat in order to protect his status?”
Jian Mengyan snapped her fingers. “Exactly, but some trouble came afterward.”
Zou Shuyang’s eyes gleamed as he focused on her.
Zou Shuyang really knew how to play along.
“Later, someone found out.” Jian Mengyan said regretfully, “The school organized the physics competition to encourage students to study harder, and they offered a cash prize of 3,000 yuan for first place.”
Zou Shuyang, being a quick thinker, immediately understood what she meant. “Hao Yiming’s grades were usually average, so when he suddenly came in first place, people got suspicious?”
Jian Mengyan nodded. “Eventually, someone reported Hao Yiming to the school administration. Since he didn’t actually earn first place, and he had only done it to impress his father, he didn’t dare ask his dad for help when he got reported.”
“And then?”
Jian Mengyan thought for a moment, then continued, “He couldn’t just sit back and do nothing. The school decided to have him retake the exam, to make it more convincing. So he turned to Jingjing, asking her to tutor him.”
“Wait a minute.” Zou Shuyang interrupted her. “Wasn’t he supposed to be good friends with Lin Shaohuai? Why didn’t he ask Lin Shaohuai for help?”
Jian Mengyan seemed stumped by the question. “Yeah, why didn’t he ask Lin Shaohuai?”
As she fell into deep thought again, Zou Shuyang sighed.
What kind of emotions had Jian Mengyan been feeling as she told him all this?
The more Zou Shuyang thought about it, the more his heart ached. He pulled Jian Mengyan close and gently hugged her. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure Hao Yiming is brought to justice.”
The strength she had been holding onto crumbled in an instant. Jian Mengyan buried her face in Zou Shuyang’s shoulder and finally let out a heart-wrenching cry.
Outside, the nanny, who had just finished tidying up and was about to take a break, froze when she heard the crying. Peeking into the bedroom, she saw Zou Shuyang frantically comforting his girlfriend. Smiling knowingly, she quietly left.
Ah, young love—it really is full of sweet and sour moments.
Zou Shuyang spent a long time comforting Jian Mengyan before she finally stopped crying. He playfully pinched her nose and smiled. “Look at you, crying like a little kitten. So pitiful.”
Jian Mengyan gently swatted his hand away and grabbed a tissue to wipe her nose. “And you’re not grossed out, pinching my nose like that.”
Before Zou Shuyang could respond, Jian Mengyan added, “By the way, there’s something else. The people who were responsible for the teacher’s death—Hao Yiming’s family must have paid them off.”
“I know.” Zou Shuyang sighed. “We’ve visited their families before. They all kept quiet about it, no matter how much we pressed them. Some were so agitated that they even kicked our investigators out, accusing us of disturbing their children’s peace.”
Jian Mengyan nodded.
That was to be expected.
Lin Shaohuai had always been clever, a trait that had been evident even in high school.
“Have you visited Shen Jun’s house?”
Zou Shuyang’s heart skipped a beat. After thinking for a moment, he nodded. “We did, but his mother is disabled. She claimed she didn’t know anything.”
Jian Mengyan shook her head. “You should go again.”
“Why?”
“Shen Jun had a habit of keeping a diary. Being hired to murder his homeroom teacher was a big deal. He would’ve written about it in his diary.” Jian Mengyan tugged on Zou Shuyang’s hand and gently shook it. “And even though Shen Jun’s grades weren’t great, he was smart. He would’ve held onto evidence to blackmail his employer, just in case.”
“So you’re saying he must’ve kept some proof of what happened?”
Jian Mengyan’s words lit up a lightbulb in Zou Shuyang’s mind.
“Go look for it tomorrow morning. It’s getting late now, so I’m going to bed.”
Seeing Zou Shuyang so energized, Jian Mengyan smiled and gently ushered him out.
“But…”
Zou Shuyang wasn’t sure what he wanted to say, but it didn’t matter.
Jian Mengyan firmly but kindly pushed him out of the room, and as she closed the door, she carefully reminded him, “The rain’s heavy tonight. Drive carefully on your way back.”
Everything was almost over.
Zou Shuyang was still looking at her with a pitiful expression.
For a brief moment, Jian Mengyan felt her resolve waver.
But only for a moment.
“Alright, go on. Get some rest so you’ll be in good shape tomorrow.”
Seeing that Zou Shuyang was still reluctant to leave, Jian Mengyan had no choice but to gently tease him. “Didn’t you say you were going to help me get justice for my teacher? If you keep dawdling like this, when are you ever going to catch the killer?”
Alright then.
In the end, Zou Shuyang left with lingering glances, reluctantly stepping into the elevator and bidding her a slightly pouty farewell.
After seeing him off, Jian Mengyan instantly felt drained.
She tiredly made her way to the balcony, standing in front of the large floor-to-ceiling window, watching as Zou Shuyang braved the storm to leave.
When Zou Shuyang finally got into his car, Jian Mengyan waved at him.
Seeing his silly smile as he waved back, Jian Mengyan chuckled softly and muttered, “What a fool.”
A fool.
A complete fool.
Holding her chest, Jian Mengyan took a deep breath and turned around. In an instant, the vulnerability on her face vanished.
After leaving Jian Mengyan’s place, Zou Shuyang couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.
But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t pinpoint what exactly was bothering him.
In the end, he decided to follow Jian Mengyan’s advice and carefully drove home.
The rain was pouring down heavily—so heavy that even if a murder were committed in this weather, no trace would be left behind.
Zou Shuyang was just about to make a call to arrange the visit to Shen Jun’s house for the next day when his phone rang first.
It was a call from Xiao Wang and Lao Li, who had been stationed at the hospital to watch over Lin Shaohuai.
Xiao Wang gave him bad news.
Lin Shaohuai hadn’t made it through the critical period and had died in the hospital.
The doctors had warned that Lin Shaohuai’s condition was precarious, and even a slight complication could lead to his death, but still…
For some reason, Zou Shuyang couldn’t shake a nagging feeling. A faint sense of unease settled in his chest, as if…
Lin Shaohuai’s death wasn’t an accident but something orchestrated.
“Did anyone else visit Lin Shaohuai’s room during this time?”
Xiao Wang shook his head. “No, we were watching closely. No outsiders entered the ICU.”
“Check the surveillance footage. If you find anything suspicious, notify me immediately.”
With that, Zou Shuyang hung up and pulled out the whiteboard again. He stared at the photos and notes on it for a long time.
There were two possible suspects for killing Lin Shaohuai.
Either Hao Yiming, who feared his secrets would be exposed, or the mysterious person seeking revenge for Ding Jing.
Given the urgency of the situation, Hao Yiming, who risked being implicated in murder if Lin Shaohuai woke up, seemed the more desperate.
So if Lin Shaohuai was indeed killed, was the murderer Hao Yiming?
Before he could come to a conclusion, Xiao Wang called again. “Captain Zou, you’re amazing! There really was a fake doctor.”
Lao Li, who had been reviewing the hospital’s surveillance footage, pointed at the screen in astonishment. “Has this guy watched too many movies? Did he really think he could pull this off without getting caught?”
In the footage, a doctor who had been checking patient records left Lin Shaohuai’s room, took a few turns, and ended up in a hallway. He casually shrugged off his white coat, revealing a dirty short-sleeved shirt underneath. He also removed his mask and pulled a worn-out hat from his bag, putting it on his head.
In an instant, the confident doctor had transformed into a weathered, downtrodden middle-aged man.
But…
Lao Li rubbed his chin. “Even the stairwell has surveillance cameras. Does this guy not know how things work?”
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