“If we speculate like this, then this swim ring shouldn’t be an ordinary one. It has to be at least a bit larger than the common ones to support a body weighing two hundred pounds.”

Thinking of this, Wang Yue immediately called the criminal police at the scene.

Li Meng was still examining the deceased’s laptop, hoping to find some useful clues from it.

“Over three thousand group photos, and some personal portraits, but not a shadow of a third person!”

Li Meng’s eyes were bloodshot as he diligently searched for evidence.

“These photos were taken since Ye Nian was 10 years old. From the closeness in the posed photos, we can deduce that at first, there was still some distance between the two. At least from 2010 to 2011, they looked more like an elder and a junior. The photos mostly show Wang Zhongming taking 10-year-old Ye Nian to various places, including amusement parks, zoos, department stores, and Thailand…”

In the photos, Ye Nian smiled happily, mischievously playing on Wang Zhongming’s back. It was clear that Ye Nian was a lively girl when she was young.

But starting from the second half of 2011, Ye Nian in the photos began to lose her smile, her expression became serious, and any smile seemed forced.

By this time, Ye Nian had started to develop, shedding some of her innocence, appearing much quieter, almost like a different person.

“We found out that in the second half of 2011, Ye Nian’s parents had a car accident and both died despite rescue efforts. Ye Nian’s reaction is quite normal,” Li Meng said.

Mo Lin asked, “What was the relationship between Wang Zhongming and Ye Nian’s parents?”

“Good friends. Ye Nian’s father and Wang Zhongming were high school classmates, and they were always very close. They even bought houses next to each other. Wang Zhongming divorced fifteen years ago and has been living alone since. Ye Nian’s parents worked at the same company and sometimes went on business trips together. Not wanting to leave Ye Nian alone at home, they often asked Wang Zhongming to look after her. Over time, they developed a deep bond. After Ye Nian’s parents died, Wang Zhongming became her guardian.”

“Their relationship is unusual!” Li Meng continued, “Starting from 2016, the style of their photos changed. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what changed, but it felt like Wang Zhongming’s gaze towards Ye Nian changed.”

Li Meng casually opened a photo from 2016, showing Ye Nian’s 15th birthday. The lights were off, and it was pitch black around, but it was clear the photo was taken at home. Two number candles, 1 and 5, were on the birthday cake. Ye Nian was making a wish, her eyes closed, and a slight smile on her lips.

Wang Zhongming stood behind Ye Nian. At 35, he looked only twenty-eight or twenty-nine, well-maintained, with neatly combed hair and a fit body, quite handsome. His hands rested on Ye Nian’s shoulders, fingers gently squeezing as he smiled with her.

His eyes held a kind of tender affection. The Ye Nian in front of him seemed well cared for, wearing a blue mesh princess dress and silver-white princess shoes, looking quite expensive. Her aura was unusual, like someone who had learned dance, with a youthful face radiating happiness and features gradually maturing into a true beauty.

From 2019, Ye Nian’s dressing style changed significantly. She shifted from a good girl image to wearing sexy camisoles, tight-fitting dresses that highlighted her figure, and backless dresses cut down to the waist…

At this time, Ye Nian was only 19, but she exuded a strong feminine charm. It was also evident that Wang Zhongming’s photography skills had improved significantly. During this period, their joint photos decreased, with more solo shots of Ye Nian. Her legs were long, and her S-shaped curve was captivating.

Beautiful, intellectual, sexy… these words perfectly described Ye Nian.

However, behind the camera, Wang Zhongming was troubled by his increasing weight. He no longer took photos with the youthful Ye Nian, hiding behind the camera as a middle-aged man, quietly documenting the transformation of a beautiful woman.

“Where are the most recent photos?” Mo Lin suddenly asked.

Li Meng reopened a folder, showing photos copied from the camera’s memory card.

The thumbnails lined up, each with dim lighting, clearly taken in a closed room or at night.

Every photo had the same background on a bed, with the camera almost never moving!

The photos were all of Ye Nian sleeping, with a wedding photo of the two hanging on the background wall. The photo showed the sexy and charming Ye Nian with the bloated and overweight Wang Zhongming behind her, looking extremely mismatched.

“Why would Wang Zhongming secretly photograph Ye Nian at night?”

“Possessiveness,” Mo Lin said. “He already considered Ye Nian his personal possession.”

At this moment, a scene appeared in Mo Lin’s mind: a young and beautiful wife sleeping soundly, while her middle-aged, overweight, balding husband watched her under a dim light at night.

One was slowly withering, while the other was just beginning to bloom…

This disparity led Wang Zhongming into a long-term fear. His inner world was misunderstood, and with increasing work pressure, he began losing hair in clumps.

These things silently tormented him, and he couldn’t find a solution, only watching his body change day by day. Everything around him spiraled into a vicious cycle, trapping him in it.

Obesity, heart disease, aging—these made him gradually lose confidence in himself. Every night when everything quieted down, he stared at his sleeping wife, imagining the day she might suddenly leave him. Possessiveness drove him to get up from bed and press the camera shutter.

He could only find solace in the frozen images…

However, this mindset gradually developed into a pathology. He became paranoid, repeatedly confirming any male who had contact with his wife, only feeling at ease after ruling out any possibility of an affair.

Mo Lin scrolled through the photos, checking the dates, and found that Wang Zhongming secretly photographed Ye Nian every night after she fell asleep, even if several consecutive shots were from the same angle and pose, he never tired of it.

“He probably did more than just take photos,” Mo Lin moved the mouse to the bottom. “He likely installed cameras in the room.”

A security-conscious Wang Zhongming wouldn’t leave Ye Nian alone at home. Even at work, he constantly monitored Ye Nian’s movements, who she met, what she said, all within his control. He wouldn’t even let his guard down with the delivery guy.

“Installing cameras in his own home?” Li Meng scratched his head. “I’ll go check his house right away!”

“Pay special attention to the area around the front door,” Mo Lin said.

“Got it!”

Li Meng hurriedly left with his car keys, and Wang Yue was also busy, answering one call after another from the scene.

Mo Lin pushed open the interrogation room door, pulled out a chair, and sat across from Ye Nian. He casually glanced at the beautiful woman sitting opposite him. She had her head down, her black straight hair falling to her waist. Even after being in the police station for so long, her hair remained neat and smooth.

But her mental state wasn’t good, lacking the vitality a 21-year-old should have, her eyes filled with a numb lifelessness.

Her vacant gaze was fixed on the interrogation room table, completely immersed in her own world, seemingly deep in thought, yet perhaps thinking of nothing, just quietly dazing.

Mo Lin sat down and slowly spoke, “What kind of person do you think Wang Zhongming is?”

Upon hearing this, the woman slowly raised her head, her eyes vacant as she looked at Mo Lin. “He’s very smart and cunning, knows all my preferences, and can guess what I’m thinking.”

It was clear that Ye Nian was a self-centered person, even her evaluation of others revolved around herself.

“Have you ever thought about escaping his control?”

Ye Nian was taken aback. “I have.”

“Since when?”

“I don’t remember, a long time ago.”

“Then why did you marry him?”

Ye Nian sighed. “Because I owe him… if I leave him, I’d be an ungrateful person.”

“Is this a thought he imposed on you?”

“When I was 16, he started planning our wedding. I promised to marry him. Before marriage, he was always good to me, willing to share half of his assets with me. Marrying him was my own choice.”

“But after marriage, he changed. He wouldn’t let me talk to other guys. I wanted my own social circle, but it wasn’t allowed. I could only stay at home, only going out when he was around!”

Ye Nian grew increasingly angry, but she quickly realized she had said too much and lowered her head again, keeping some distance from Mo Lin.

“Did you ever resist?”

“I did, but it was useless.”

Her long eyes narrowed slightly. “Did he ever hit you?”

At this question, Ye Nian’s eyes flickered. “No, he didn’t.”

Mo Lin tried to find signs of domestic violence on her, but there were no obvious marks.

However, Wang Zhongming must have taken measures, as Ye Nian’s reaction to this question was so strong.

“Don’t you think there’s a big loophole in your story?” Mo Lin leaned forward, speaking slowly, “Wang Zhongming had dinner an hour before his death. There was no need to go to Gangfu Seafood for another meal, and… Wang Zhongming wouldn’t let you out of his sight…”

“As far as I know, reservations at Gangfu Seafood need to be made three days in advance. Knowing he was going to eat there, how could Wang Zhongming have dined elsewhere first and gotten drunk… I think the person you were meeting at Gangfu Seafood wasn’t Wang Zhongming at all!”

His long eyes fixed on Ye Nian, trying to find any clues on her face.

Ye Nian bit her lip, starting to pick at her nails, seemingly thinking of a countermeasure…

Author’s Note: Old me is here~ Thanks to the little angels who voted or watered me with nutrient solution between 2021-04-07 23:53:46 and 2021-04-08 14:06:05~

Thanks to the little angel who threw a grenade: Xiaoxiao 1;

Thank you all for your support, I will continue to work hard!