Guo Yingying described every detail of her life with Guo Tiandi meticulously, with the help of the sign language teacher throughout.
She recalled the short period when she was briefly adopted, mentioning how she had once stolen mooncakes from her foster parents’ house to give to Guo Tiandi. There were two flavors of mooncakes, salty and sweet. It was the first time Guo Tiandi had tasted a salty mooncake, and he found the flavor so novel that he ate several pieces in a row.
Her story abruptly paused as she asked the sign language teacher to bring out the mooncakes as snacks for Meng Jin and the others. These were the same mooncakes that Zhao Yunzhi and Long De had brought last time.
The sign language teacher retrieved the mooncake gift box from the cabinet, and coincidentally, only three pieces were left—just enough for Meng Jin and the others to have one each.
The gift box originally contained six mooncakes, so it was obvious that three had already been eaten.
Zhao Yunzhi, clearly pleased, asked Guo Yingying if she liked them, saying that if she did, he would bring her another box next time.
Since Guo Yingying couldn’t hear, the sign language teacher awkwardly smiled and didn’t translate his words.
Guo Yingying looked at the sign language teacher, waiting for her to translate.
The sign language teacher finally explained that Guo Yingying hadn’t eaten the mooncakes because she hadn’t felt like celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival. Though it’s traditionally a joyous holiday, for her, it only reminded her of being lonely and without family.
The sign language teacher also mentioned that she didn’t like mooncakes, and the three mooncakes had actually been eaten by Guo Tiandi. “Mr. Guo really loved salty mooncakes. He ate two pieces in a row and wanted to eat a third, but when he took a bite and realized it was sweet, he spat it out, saying it was too sickeningly sweet.”
The sign language teacher didn’t translate this playful remark to Guo Yingying.
Meng Jin and the others simply saw this as a small, amusing interlude. In an attempt to cheer Guo Yingying up, Meng Jin, who usually didn’t like sweets, made a point of finishing nearly the entire mooncake, leaving just a small piece that he really couldn’t eat. Seeing that Zhao Yunzhi was still eager for more, he stuffed it into Zhao’s mouth.
Zhao Yunzhi, being a glutton, didn’t mind at all that it was someone else’s leftover, and was about to accept it when Long De swiftly snatched it away from him.
Guo Yingying continued, “My brother said that while salty mooncakes are delicious, his favorite is still the sweet kind, because life is too bitter, and he needs a bit of sweetness.”
When the sign language teacher translated this part, she hadn’t yet realized what was happening, but Meng Jin and the others exchanged looks.
They had confirmed one thing: the current Guo Tiandi wasn’t the real Guo Tiandi.
The real Guo Tiandi loved sweet mooncakes, while the fake one didn’t.
How could they prove that the current Guo Tiandi was an imposter? How could they prove that the real Guo Tiandi was dead? And how could they prove that the current Guo Tiandi was actually Liu Er?
Meng Jin asked Guo Yingying to take them to where Guo Tiandi used to live. Guo Yingying didn’t understand why, but Meng Jin vaguely explained it was for the investigation.
Guo Yingying accompanied them to the old, run-down apartment where she and Guo Tiandi had lived. It was a place Guo Tiandi had worked hard to buy with his savings, and it was the first home they owned together as siblings, making it very precious to them.
At the door, Guo Yingying took out her key, but to her surprise, the lock wouldn’t open.
It seemed the lock had been changed.
Meng Jin had a feeling this might happen. He knocked on the door of the neighboring apartment, and an elderly, hunched woman cautiously opened a small crack.
He asked if Guo Tiandi’s apartment had been renovated.
The old lady, as if finally finding someone to vent to, launched into a complaint, grumbling about how the renovations next door went on day and night, disturbing the neighborhood. She had even called the police, but they didn’t help much. Many residents of the building had moved out, and she, being alone and weak, had gotten no assistance from the property management.
As expected, all traces of the real Guo Tiandi had been completely wiped out.
In the spirit of thorough professionalism, Meng Jin applied for a search warrant and conducted a meticulous investigation of the apartment. However, they found nothing, as expected. The entire place was stripped bare, with nothing but white walls, and all the furniture, appliances, and belongings had been removed. There wasn’t even a single strand of hair left. It was truly a case of a home being emptied.
The real Guo Tiandi’s presence in the world had been erased entirely, and the only trace of him that remained was in Guo Yingying’s memories.
The other possibility was proving that the fake Guo Tiandi was indeed Liu Er.
Meng Jin reported his theory to his superiors, hoping for their approval to search Jennie Yang’s home.
After serious consideration, the superiors rejected Meng Jin’s request. Without evidence proving that the current Guo Tiandi was Liu Er, there was no justification to search the Liu family.
Frustrated, Meng Jin cursed under his breath, saying that if they had evidence, they wouldn’t need to bother with a search.
Long De reminded him, “Jennie Yang definitely knows the truth. Otherwise, there’s no way Liu Er could have pulled this off. Guo Yingying’s suspicions are correct—Jennie Yang tricked the Guo siblings from the start, orchestrating a swap from the very beginning. I’m afraid any traces of Liu Er have already been wiped clean.”
This also explained why Jennie Yang couldn’t acknowledge the child in He Saibing’s womb. Keeping the child would mean keeping the evidence.
All it would take is one paternity test to prove the connection between the child and the fake Guo Tiandi. Once that happens, the fake Guo Tiandi’s identity would be fully exposed.
The most urgent task was to find He Saibing.
Why the murderer had taken He Saibing remained a mystery.
Meng Jin was racking his brain over the issue, but Long De, on the other hand, seemed perfectly at ease. He nudged Meng Jin, “Do you know why I always come out on top?”
Meng Jin felt like someone had just jabbed him in the back, and a wave of humiliation washed over him.
Long De’s question was too subtle. What he really wanted to ask was, “Do you know why you never manage to beat me?”
Meng Jin was curious too. “Why?” he asked humbly, eager to learn.
“Everyone gets the same clues. The key is understanding how they’re connected. Once you grasp those connections, the answer becomes clear.”
Long De explained calmly, without arrogance or humility.
“Most people can only see one or two layers of connections. The top students can see three. But I can see six or seven layers, and I do it fast,” Long De said.
Although he didn’t mean to boast, Meng Jin still wanted to punch him. Some people don’t intend to show off, but as soon as they speak, it feels like they’re flaunting something.
“Yeah, yeah, you’re amazing. Just get to the point, stop beating around the bush. Aren’t you tired of going in circles?” Meng Jin said sarcastically.
Long De wasn’t offended and continued, “All the known conditions of the case are already laid out. If you organize them, the answer will come out.”
He began scribbling on the blackboard, looking every bit like a teacher giving a lecture. He spoke quickly, and Meng Jin barely managed to keep up, while Zhao Yunzhi scratched his head in confusion.
Long De summarized the case as follows:
Liu Er and Jennie Yang had planned this identity swap from the start. Guo Yingying’s eyes were blinded, and her ears deafened because they feared she might see through the fake Guo Tiandi. But they couldn’t kill her because keeping her alive helped Liu Er maintain his disguise. After all, if even his own sister didn’t notice anything, who would question his identity?
At the right moment, the fake Guo Tiandi would flee the country. But unexpectedly, an uninvited guest, He Saibing, appeared, pregnant.
If He Saibing gave birth, Liu Tianshi would surely demand a paternity test. But to do that, they would need a biological sample from Liu Er. Since all traces of Liu Er had been erased from the Liu family, the test wouldn’t be possible.
In that case, they might perform a kinship test to determine if the child was Liu Tianshi’s grandchild.
He Saibing, confident enough to contact Liu Tianshi, must be sure that the child is Liu Er’s.
Once the child was born, the fake Guo Tiandi would be at risk of exposure. So, Jennie Yang either hinted or directly instructed the fake Guo Tiandi to get rid of the unborn child. At the same time, this was also a test of his resolve.
The fake Guo Tiandi, or rather Liu Er, would have to kill his own unborn child. What would he feel? Liu Er had already disappeared from the world, and now, his offspring—his continuation—would soon disappear as well. The huge Fang Zheng Group would no longer have anything to do with him. Judging by the fact that he hadn’t yet acted against He Saibing, he was likely unwilling and hesitant.
At this point, the killer crashed his car, killed Liu Tianshi, and took He Saibing, then dripped Liu Er’s blood behind Liu Tianshi’s ear.
What was the killer’s goal? The obvious answer would be framing. But since He Saibing’s disappearance could easily be linked to someone other than the fake Guo Tiandi, framing didn’t seem to be the killer’s goal.
Why did the killer place the fake Guo Tiandi’s blood behind Liu Tianshi’s ear? What was he trying to achieve?
Zhao Yunzhi asked, “Does the killer know that Guo Tiandi is fake? Does he know that he’s actually Liu Er? This is a key point. If the killer knows, is his goal to reveal Jennie Yang and Liu Er’s crimes to the police?”
Meng Jin thought for a moment, then shook his head. “If the killer’s target was Liu Er, and he kidnapped He Saibing, he must know that the child she’s carrying belongs to Liu Er. In that case, he should’ve killed the child or used the child to threaten Liu Er. But the killer hasn’t done that. So, the killer’s goal might not be Liu Er.”
Long De nodded in agreement. “The killer’s target isn’t Liu Er. He likely doesn’t know that Guo Tiandi is Liu Er. It’s more likely that the killer is connected to Lin Kun’s case from 20 years ago. He killed Liu Tianshi for revenge and placed the fake Guo Tiandi’s blood on Liu Tianshi’s body, but the fake Guo Tiandi wasn’t his real target because the fake Guo Tiandi had nothing to do with Lin Kun’s death. His real target was Jennie Yang.
“The killer must know that Guo Tiandi and Jennie Yang are mother and son—I mean the real Guo Tiandi. He knows that Guo Tiandi is Jennie Yang’s illegitimate child, and he wants to ruin Jennie Yang’s reputation. His goal has been achieved, as Jennie Yang is now caught in a media storm, with her reputation in tatters.
“As for why the killer kidnapped He Saibing—or more accurately, took her and hid her without killing, blackmailing, or threatening her—there’s only one remaining explanation.”
“And what’s that?” Zhao Yunzhi asked, playing along.
Long De gave him a slight smile. “Protection.”
“Protection?” Meng Jin was also surprised by this answer.
“Jennie Yang wants to get rid of the child, but the killer wants to protect it,” Long De said.
Zhao Yunzhi suddenly realized, “The killer is deliberately going against Jennie Yang, trying to frustrate her.”
“That’s not all. The killer likely has another motive,” Long De said, staring intently at the wall of connections, as if pondering the final piece of the puzzle.
