Chapter 9

So, it’s not hard to imagine what kind of person Ozawa will become twenty years from now, right? 

Thinking about this, Liu Yue felt a mix of heartache and disgust. 

Her son knew perfectly well the kind of man she despised the most!!! 

Not only did he betray the wonderful Peony, but he also stabbed her, his mother, right in the heart. 

Liu Yue thought that she probably wouldn’t be able to face either of them for a while. 

So she coldly said, “Because your son doesn’t deserve it,” and then turned and went upstairs. 

Li Yuanzhi was furious at his wife’s attitude of siding with outsiders. His hands trembled for a while before he remembered to look for the culprit. 

He pulled out his phone and called his driver, “Lao Xia! Take me to the office!” 

— 

Knowing that his niece would be staying at their house for a few days, 

 Jiang Hongmei started tidying up the room before dawn, while Lu Guoqing took care of catching chickens and ducks for the meal. 

Once everything was prepared, the elderly couple stood with their hands behind their backs, waiting at the roadside. 

A neighbor, unable to keep quiet, muttered enviously, “Even your own kids don’t get this kind of treatment.” The implication was clear—they were accused of currying favor with someone more prestigious. 

The old couple remained unaware of the comment, and even if they had known, they wouldn’t have cared. 

After all, their niece had come to stay with them to recover from a broken engagement. 

The poor child was probably heartbroken and had no energy to argue with anyone. 

It was scorching hot in Haicheng in August. 

Before long, the elderly couple’s backs were drenched with sweat, but they continued to fan themselves and wait. 

“Here it comes, here it comes, it looks like a car is coming,” Lu Guoqing said, tapping his wife with a banana leaf fan. 

Jiang Hongmei, already in her sixties with poor eyesight, pulled out her reading glasses just as several cars sped by in front of them. 

She looked puzzled. “That… that looks like a police car, doesn’t it?” 

Lu Guoqing continued to squint at the road. “It is a police car. That siren is blaring; it’s probably not for us since we haven’t heard anything… Hey, hey, wife, look, it looks like another car is coming.” 

However, before Jiang Hongmei could get a clear view, a pink sports car had already come to a steady stop in front of them. 

The window rolled down, revealing two bright, cheerful faces: 

“Uncle! Aunt!” 

“Grandpa! Grandma! I’m here too!” 

—

Chapter 5 

“…Today we were one person short for mahjong, so I thought since Sanzhu likes to play a couple of rounds, I’d stop by and call him over… but who would have thought… My god, there was blood everywhere! I swear, my legs went weak from the sight… it was just too horrible, so tragic. Four people, all dead, and the youngest girl was only four. Her mom was in her twenties… It’s just so heartbreaking. What kind of grudge could justify this?” The first witness rambled on, clearly shaken, with an expression of fear still etched on their face. 

Wei Ping, 42 years old, of medium height with gentle features, had a way of calming people down. He habitually offered a few comforting words before continuing with his questions, “So there were only four people in this family?” 

“Yes, Sanzhu’s dad passed away from illness the year before last…” 

Meanwhile, Luo Wei, who was usually full of jokes, didn’t need any instructions. He instinctively led the rookie, Yan Hanhai, to start gathering information about the victims’ relationships from the neighbors and village officials. 

As for Wei Shian, he put on shoe covers and gloves and followed the forensic team to examine the scene. When he noticed the middle-aged female forensic pathologist removing her gloves, he walked over. “Dr. Wang, what’s the situation?” 

Wang Nan pushed up her slipping glasses with her arm before placing the equipment back into the autopsy kit. She then responded, “A preliminary examination shows that the fatal injury was to the trachea, which was severed with a single cut. The time of death is estimated to be between 2 and 4 AM, but we’ll need to confirm this back at the lab. Additionally, we’ll need to determine whether the victims were killed in their sleep or drugged beforehand, which requires further testing. Oh, and the male victim—besides the fatal injury to his neck, he had multiple cuts on his body, which seem like…” 

Wei Shian frowned and interjected, “Acts of rage.” 

Wang Nan nodded. “Exactly, I have the same suspicion. Xiao Wei (Wei Shian), you might want to investigate in that direction…” As she spoke, she glanced at the small female corpse that had already been placed in a body bag and sighed, “It’s just too cruel.” She was so young. 

Wei Shian’s expression darkened. “The best we can do now is catch the murderer as soon as possible.” 

Wang Nan replied, “You’re right. I’ll head back to the station now and get you the results as soon as I can.” 

At that moment, Wei Ping approached. “Captain Wei, we got some information.” 

Wei Shian nodded to the forensic doctor. “Thank you, Dr. Wang.” 

“It’s my duty.” 

The two walked to a secluded spot in the backyard. Wei Shian lit a cigarette and began reading through his notebook. As a seasoned detective, he quickly distilled the key information from the pages. 

The family was known to be honest, and the only person they had any conflicts with was Zhao Dashan, a man who co-owned a fish pond with the deceased. 

“…This Zhao Dashan and the deceased, Zhao Sanzhu, are related—they’re cousins. Zhao Dashan has been in and out of jail several times for theft in his younger days. According to neighbors, Zhao Dashan recently sold a batch of fish without permission, making a few thousand yuan. Zhao Sanzhu wanted half of the money, which led to several disputes. Witnesses said their last argument was around 10 AM the day before yesterday, and it almost turned physical.” 

Hearing the implication in his deputy’s tone, Wei Shian firmly stated, “And Zhao Dashan is now missing.” 

Wei Ping confirmed, “Yes, he hasn’t been seen since then. I checked his house with a team, but found nothing. He’s got a bad reputation, lives alone, and split from his parents long ago. The villagers say they haven’t seen him since the argument with Zhao Sanzhu.” 

Wei Shian frowned, about to say something else when his phone rang from his pocket. 

He moved the cigarette to his fingers. “Hello?” 

“Captain Wei, we found footprints in the back hills that match the bloody footprints inside the victims’ house.” 

This was excellent news, and Wei Shian’s expression brightened. He immediately led his team to the location indicated by the forensic investigator… 

— 

While the police were out in the scorching heat, tirelessly tracking down the killer, Lu Jiu was much more comfortable. She was curled up on the living room sofa, enjoying the air conditioning and texting her parents and sister. 

Meanwhile, Lu Xinxin was cuddled up behind her aunt, engrossed in a rented novel. 

They had wanted to help out in the kitchen, but the elders wouldn’t allow it. If they insisted on helping, the old couple would get upset. 

So, the aunt and niece had no choice but to obediently wait to be served. 

Fortunately, the chicken soup and braised duck had been prepared earlier in the morning. All that was left were two vegetable dishes, and the meal would be ready. 

author’s note:

Dear readers, there are parts where you might be confused and a little bit lost. It’s because of the Early age, but as the chapters progress, you will understand because all the story and explanations are in the middle of the chapters keep reading.

thank you for supporting me i will do my best to work hard!