Without hearing the man’s response, Zhuang Zi saw Xie Kui at the end of the corridor, finished his call, and beckoned to her. She turned and walked straight towards him.

“Sorry, Miss Zhuang, there’s urgent material that needs immediate organization,” Xie Kui pushed open the door to a reception room. “Please wait here for a moment. Another officer will come to take your statement shortly.”

He poured her a glass of water and quickly left.

Alone in the quiet room, Zhuang Zi looked around casually. The furnishings were simple: a tightly closed small window, gray-white walls, and orange-yellow light illuminating the table and chairs in front of her.

She sat for a while, beginning to wonder if they had forgotten about her since no other officer had arrived.

Just as she hesitated to go out and ask, the door opened again, and two people walked in.

As she looked up, she met a pair of extremely dark and deep eyes.

The man walked straight over and sat down in the chair opposite her.

Zhuang Zi looked at him, only now noticing his distinct facial features.

His skin was a healthy bronze color, slightly lighter than usual. Beneath thick eyebrows were deep, shining eyes, black and bright. A straight nose and thin lips, all perfectly balanced.

In addition to his tall stature and strong build, he exuded a striking presence.

So it wasn’t without reason that the young girl had summoned the courage to strike up a conversation with him earlier.

The officer holding the documents sat down next to him and introduced himself.

Zhuang Zi politely greeted him, “Hello.”

Si Hang glanced at her, nodded, and got straight to the point: “As per protocol, I need to gather some basic personal information from you.”

His tone was calm, but his voice was unusually deep and magnetic. “Name, age, place of work.”

Zhuang Zi answered each question.

“Family members?”

Zhuang Zi hesitated for a moment and asked, “Is this also required?”

He looked at her with his clear black eyes and calmly replied, “Basic family background helps us determine the scope of our investigation into the suspect based on your circumstances.”

Zhuang Zi understood. With her life on the line, helping the police find the person who wanted to harm her was the top priority.

“My mother, Xu Hui, passed away in ’95.”

Si Hang leaned back in his chair, glanced at her, and with a faint expression and a casual gaze on a spot on the table, his voice didn’t reveal any emotion. But between his delicate eyebrows, there was a faint frown.

He continued calmly, “Father?”

Zhuang Zi suddenly looked up at him, lightly pursed her lips, and remained silent.

Si Hang naturally noticed her hesitation. “What is it?”

Zhuang Zi looked at him, remained silent for a moment, and then softly replied with a name, “Zhuang Hong.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Si Hang furrowed his thick brows and stared at her with a cold and sharp gaze, seemingly trying to discern something.

The room suddenly became eerily quiet. The nearby officer looked up curiously at the two, puzzled. “What’s wrong?”

Zhuang Zi stared directly at him. His handsome face was clean and rugged, his jet-black eyes slightly narrowed, their gaze unpredictable.

“Zhuang Hong, former director of Ruihong Group,” he paused, lightly tapping his right index finger on the table, and asked, “Is he your father?”

Zhuang Zi met his gaze calmly and answered, “Yes.”

Si Hang fell silent, his dark eyes fixed sharply on her.

The officer vaguely sensed something and tentatively asked, “Do you know each other?”

…….

When Xie Kui returned from the prosecutor’s office, Zhuang Zi had already finished giving her statement and left.

The officer who had just accompanied Si Hang inside delivered the documents to Xie Kui as instructed by Si Hang: “Captain says he’s not suitable for handling this case anymore. You’ll be in charge from now on.”

Xie Kui was puzzled. “Why?”

“When the statement was over, the Captain told Miss Zhuang that if she had any doubts, he would suspend handling the case,” the officer shrugged. “That’s all I know.”

Xie Kui grew more suspicious. “What’s going on?”

“They seem to know each other,” the officer shook his head. “I’m not sure either. Why don’t you go ask the Captain?”

Know each other?

He glanced towards Si Hang’s office; it was empty now, the door tightly closed. Xie Kui narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, then absentmindedly flipped through Zhuang Zi’s statement.

Forget it. He had to focus on handling the case at hand for now. He decided he’d find a chance to ask later.

Suddenly, his phone rang in his pocket. Checking it, it was none other than Si Hang.

“Boss?”

Without waiting for gossip, Si Hang greeted him, “The forensic report for that female corpse from the other day is out. Come over for a meeting.”

“Got it!”

That case was a major homicide since the beginning of the year, much more serious than Zhuang Zi’s case. Xie Kui reluctantly set aside the statement review and instructed Xiao Meng and another officer to investigate the scene at South Xin Residential Complex where Zhuang Zi lived. Time was of the essence.