Chapter 25: Evidence

~A Good Man Who Loves His Wife~

Mind reading cannot always reveal a person’s true thoughts. Zhao Xiangwan had encountered this before.

If someone has a strong psychological defense and unwavering beliefs, the thoughts she hears are often pre-planned, such as:

I am not wrong; others are!

He is despicable, and despicable people deserve punishment!

These preset voices interfere with her ability to hear their real thoughts.

To break this barrier, the other party must be panicked and confused.

Now, Zhu Feipeng’s gaze unsettled Pan Guoqing, causing him to expose his true thoughts.

Zhu Feipeng asked detailed questions about Pan Guoqing and Qian Zhenye’s time together on the night of the 11th: What did you talk about? Where did you sleep? Who got drunk first? Which room did you sleep in? Did you wake up to use the bathroom?

Pan Guoqing answered sincerely, apologizing when he couldn’t remember details, claiming he was too drunk. His responses matched the previous transcripts exactly, showing he was well-prepared. Losing interest, Zhao Xiangwan stood up and observed Pan Guoqing and Weng Pingfang’s home.

In the old dormitory of the Provincial Construction Machinery Factory, Pan Guoqing, being of low rank, was assigned a small single room of about 20 square meters, divided by a curtain. The front area contained a sofa, coffee table, dining table, and two chairs, serving as both living and dining space. Behind the curtain was the bedroom.

A wedding photo hung on the wall. In it, Weng Pingfang wore rustic pigtails but had a delicate, beautiful face. She looked even more radiant standing beside the unattractive Pan Guoqing.

Noticing Zhao Xiangwan’s gaze, Pan Guoqing attentively explained, “This was taken before we got our marriage certificate. My colleagues envied me, saying I married a beautiful wife. But if Pingfang hadn’t been registered as a rural resident, she would never have married me.”

As he spoke, his expression darkened, and his voice lowered. It was clear that in this marriage between a beautiful wife and an unattractive husband, he felt like the lesser partner.

Zhao Xiangwan cut to the point: “Such a beautiful wife, yet you’re away from home so often—aren’t you worried?”

Pan Guoqing’s face twitched for a moment, and he bit his lower lip. “I… I have no choice. My job requires it. I can’t stay home with her.”

[Bitch! I lived frugally and gave her every penny I earned, yet I still couldn’t win her heart! Good riddance, good riddance!]

Hearing his inner curse, Zhao Xiangwan’s sharp eyes studied him and continued questioning: “Why not change positions? I heard many in your factory moved from sales to administrative jobs.”

“Salesmen get commissions and earn more.”

“How much per year?”

“It depends on sales.”

“What’s the average?”

“Around 10,000.”

“Why do you need so much money?”

“She was unhappy with the dormitory conditions and wanted to buy a house.”

“Have you saved enough?”

“No… I don’t know. I gave all my money to Pingfang.”

“You don’t know how much your family has?”

“I checked the bank yesterday. There wasn’t much.”

“How much?”

“Just over three thousand.”

Zhao Xiangwan fired questions one after another, giving him no time to think, increasing the pressure.

Why was she asking different questions? Why was she so interested in this?

“Weng Pingfang earned her own salary at a coffee shop. You gave her everything you made but have no savings. So where did all your money go?”

Caught off guard, Pan Guoqing hesitated, unable to respond.

[Bitch! I trusted you, but you betrayed me! You spent my money on dressing up, booking hotels, and paying for gigolos. I should have killed you!]

Zhao Xiangwan’s gaze turned cold.

He Mingyu, noticing the silent confrontation, knew Zhao Xiangwan’s abilities. Seeing Pan Guoqing’s inability to answer, she pressed with a stern face, “Pan Guoqing, answer me—where did your money go?”

Frustrated, Pan Guoqing lost control and yanked the curtain aside.

With a “swish,” the couple’s private bedroom was fully revealed.

A bunk bed, enclosed by pink curtains, had soft cherry pink bedding. A small white square table stood near the window, covered with a pink embroidered tablecloth. On the bedside table sat a small milk bottle with a withered rose inside. It was clear that Weng Pingfang valued a refined lifestyle.

Pan Guoqing opened the closet and shouted, “Look! Look at where all my hard-earned money went!”

Inside, expensive clothes and bags hung neatly, their luxurious quality obvious at a glance.

Pan Guoqing grabbed a bag and threw it to the ground. “This bag cost two thousand!” He yanked down a long silk dress. “This dress cost two hundred!”

“Here, one thousand!”

“This coat cost me eight hundred!”

Every piece had been bought with the money he earned, glass after glass of liquor downed in exchange.

Zhao Xiangwan and He Mingyu exchanged glances.

He Mingyu leaned in and whispered, “Only a few of Pan Guoqing’s clothes are in here. She spent all his earnings on herself. No wonder—”

Before he could finish, Zhao Xiangwan cut in.

“A woman who can’t manage a household, only cares about her looks, never considers you, and even uses your money to support her lover… So, you hate her?”

Her words were sharp, stabbing into Pan Guoqing’s heart.

Pan Guoqing froze, gasping, and after a long pause, he replied, “You wanted to know where the money went? Now you know. I used to drive trucks at a construction machinery factory. After we married, Pingfang complained I didn’t earn enough. So, I took a job overseas as a salesman. In three years of marriage, I gave her 40,000 to 50,000 yuan, yet I only have 3,000 yuan in savings. Haha… hehe… haha…”

His laughter turned to tears, his expression almost deranged.

Zhao Xiangwan pressed further. “You hate her, don’t you? You wanted to kill her.”

Kill? Pan Guoqing snapped back to reality.

His trembling hands picked up the fallen clothes, carefully hanging them back up, his face softening.

“She’s beautiful. It’s normal for her to like dressing up. Even though it hurts, what can I do? Whenever I come home and give her money, she’s a little nicer to me. I tell myself I’m just buying her a smile. I don’t hate her. When she’s kind to me, I’d give her my life. And as for her affair, I only found out when the police called me to identify her body. How could I have killed her?”

Zhao Xiangwan saw he had hit his psychological limit. Pushing further now would only make him more guarded.

“Pan Guoqing, the suspect has been found, but he insists he and Weng Pingfang were just lovers and that he didn’t kill her. If you have any evidence or clues, notify the police.”

A strange light flashed in Pan Guoqing’s eyes. “Found him? That’s great! I estimate my commission this year will be 12,000 yuan. When the company issues the year-end bonus, Pingfang and I planned to buy a two-bedroom apartment in the city, have another son, and live as a happy family of three. She was excited and even said she wanted to quit her cafe job. Maybe she wanted to break up with that man, but he refused, so they fought, and he killed her by mistake?”

Good—he was already fabricating a motive for Zhao Qingyun.

Pan Guoqing rambled on, his excitement growing. “A life for a life. That man killed Pingfang. He should pay!”

Zhao Xiangwan interrupted, “Innocent until proven guilty. You understand that, right?”

Pan Guoqing froze. “What?”

“In criminal proceedings, if the crime isn’t clearly proven and the evidence isn’t reliable, prosecution isn’t pursued.”

Pan Guoqing looked uneasy. “What do you mean?”

“Right now, we only know the man had an affair with Pingfang. The murder evidence is lacking. Without enough proof, he won’t face charges.”