HH Chapter 16

Li Xiaoyan glanced at the fruit knife lying on the table. Her drooping eyelids twitched slightly, and she shifted her gaze away, mumbling something indistinctly.

Cheng Ye wanted to ask her something, but just as he was about to speak, he noticed that Pei Qinghuai, sitting beside him, was the calmest of them all. So, he sniffed, leaned back in his chair, and waited.

After a few minutes, Li Xiaoyan unclasped her tightly intertwined hands and collapsed into her chair as if relieved, looking at the people in front of her.

“I’ll confess…” Li Xiaoyan began in a trembling voice. “I’m turning myself in.” She clenched her hands again, staring at the fruit knife on the table. “I killed Tian Mingwei. I killed him.”

Cheng Ye’s eyebrows twitched as he observed Li Xiaoyan’s movements. She shrugged and spoke, “He had been harassing me for years. I was almost driven insane! I couldn’t take it anymore!”

Li Xiaoyan’s voice grew agitated, her eyes bloodshot as she stared ahead.

Cheng Ye handed his pen to Pei Qinghuai and signaled him before asking, “Describe the entire process of the murder and the disposal of the body. Leave nothing out.”

Pei Qinghuai glanced at Li Xiaoyan and began taking notes.

Li Xiaoyan sighed, “I fled to many places over the years, trying to live peacefully. When I finally returned, that bastard found me again. He took all the money I had saved, leaving me with nothing… He hit me when I didn’t give him money.”

“Why didn’t you report to the police?” Pei Qinghuai asked, looking up.

Li Xiaoyan lowered her head again, “I was scared…”

Cheng Ye tapped the table, signaling Li Xiaoyan to lift her head. “If you knew Tian Mingwei was in Beilin, why did you come back?”

Tears welled in Li Xiaoyan’s eyes as she twisted the fabric of her clothes. “I wanted to see my daughter,” she said cautiously, her voice barely audible.

Cheng Ye frowned as if deep in thought. “Continue,” he said.

Li Xiaoyan bit her lip and continued, “I couldn’t take the beatings anymore…” She lifted her shirt to show her injuries to Cheng Ye and the others. “So I acted. I lured him to the back mountain by promising him money. When I came to my senses, he was already dead.”

Li Xiaoyan’s body trembled. She tried to speak, but no words came out. After a few seconds, Cheng Ye, feeling he had asked enough, signaled for Chen Xiaonuan to take her away. Back in the break room, Cheng Ye and Pei Qinghuai exchanged glances and spoke simultaneously.

“She’s lying.”

“Li Xiaoyan’s story doesn’t add up.”

Cheng Ye’s eyes lit up. He pulled a chair to sit across from Pei Qinghuai. “She confessed too quickly the moment she saw the fruit knife. I hadn’t even mentioned how Tian Mingwei died.”

Pei Qinghuai capped his pen and looked at Cheng Ye. “What is she hiding?”

“Isn’t Tian Yunxin’s suspicion being cleared a bit too cleanly?” Cheng Ye’s voice grew deeper.

“Shall we visit the school tomorrow?” Pei Qinghuai asked.

Cheng Ye replied, “Sure.” Then, he glanced at the notebook Pei Qinghuai had placed down. “Did you finish the notes?”

Pei Qinghuai got up and headed out. “Yes.”

Cheng Ye was puzzled. Did he write that fast? He grabbed the notebook, and on the beige paper, five bold words were neatly written: “She’s lying.”

Next to it, circled, were the words “Tian Yunxin.” Cheng Ye’s temples throbbed. He looked towards the door that had just closed.

Cheng Ye snapped the notebook shut and left the break room. After looking around, he stopped Fang Yuan, who was passing by. “Where’s Pei Qinghuai?”

“He left for the day,” Fang Yuan blinked. “Captain Cheng, it’s late. You should go home and rest. You haven’t slept in days.”

Cheng Ye put his hands on his hips, his face darkening. He muttered, “I shouldn’t have let him stay with the team for so long.”

“Captain Cheng, don’t be angry,” Fang Yuan teased with a smile. “Getting upset isn’t good for your health.”

Cheng Ye gritted his teeth. “Are you saying your job is too easy?”

“No! Of course not!” Fang Yuan immediately smiled in agreement and quickly walked away. “Get some rest, Captain Cheng! I won’t disturb you further.”

Cheng Ye stood there, frustrated. He rubbed his face and headed downstairs. As soon as he got in his car, he saw Pei Qinghuai standing alone by the roadside. It was already past 1 a.m.

Seeing Pei Qinghuai, Cheng Ye’s face lit up with a mischievous smile. He drove up to him. “Professor Pei, waiting for a ride?”

Pei Qinghuai nodded. “Yes.”

Cheng Ye feigned helplessness. “It’s already past 1 a.m. and raining heavily. It’s hard to get a ride.”

Pei Qinghuai glanced around the quiet surroundings. “Captain Cheng, you really hold grudges.”

Cheng Ye laughed. “I’m not one to hold back.” He waved and said, “Take your time. I’ll be going.”

The roar of the engine was exceptionally loud in the rainy night, and within seconds, the taillights disappeared. Pei Qinghuai didn’t react, just looked at his watch, his expression darkening.

A few seconds later, the rain intensified, drumming on his umbrella. After a few more minutes, bright headlights illuminated the road. Pei Qinghuai stepped forward to see what car it was. Recognizing it, he smiled slightly.

The window rolled down, and Cheng Ye’s face showed a hint of embarrassment. “Get in. The rain’s getting worse. You won’t find a ride. If you stand here all night, Director Zhang will scold me tomorrow.”

Pei Qinghuai said nothing, closed his umbrella, and got into the car. Once the car started moving, he spoke lightly, “Our precinct is right behind me.”

Cheng Ye, feeling slighted, gripped the steering wheel tighter. He forced a smile. “Where do you live?”

“Hua Yuan Community,” Pei Qinghuai replied.

“The one in the east?”

“Why?”

Cheng Ye chuckled. “Nothing. Just a coincidence. I live there too.”

“Hmm…” Pei Qinghuai responded nonchalantly.

Driving, Cheng Ye glanced at Pei Qinghuai, who had fallen asleep against the window. He took the opportunity to study him and muttered softly, “How can a cop be so unguarded?”

“Captain Cheng…” Pei Qinghuai’s voice broke the silence, freezing time for a few seconds. “I’m just resting my eyes. I can hear you.”

Cheng Ye’s mouth twitched. Just as he was about to explain, Pei Qinghuai spoke again, “Why would I need to be so alert in a police car?”