Chapter 31: The Mysterious Family Massacre (15)

Wen Huizhi was rescued. The hospital later confirmed that while she was severely traumatized, her physical injuries were not life-threatening. With time and rest, she would recover, though the scars on her body would remain forever.

Once Wen Huizhi had stabilized, Meng Siqi was assigned to take her statement.

However, as soon as Wen Huizhi began recalling that terrifying night, she broke down in tears. They had to postpone the interview.

The next day, Meng Siqi unexpectedly received a message from Wen Huizhi requesting a meeting.

Back at the hospital, Wen Huizhi seemed much calmer. Half-reclining in her bed, she forced herself to hold back her emotions as she recounted the ordeal. By the end, she was sobbing uncontrollably.

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry. It was my fault. I failed them…”

Her voice trembled with guilt. Though broken by tears, she managed to explain everything. Meng Siqi carefully recorded her statement, then stood up and said,

“Rest well, Miss Wen.”

“Officer Meng…” Wen Huizhi’s voice was weak. Her tear-filled eyes met Meng Siqi’s as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

“Is there something else?”

“…Thank you.”

This time, her gratitude came with a genuine, albeit fragile, smile.

Meng Siqi nodded slightly. “You’re welcome. Just focus on recovering.”

Wen Huizhi pressed her lips together, seemingly holding back another wave of tears. She nodded firmly. “I will.”

At the door, Zhao Leiting leaned against the frame with his hands in his pockets, watching them. As Meng Siqi walked out, she turned to him and said,

“Let’s go, Gatekeeper.”

They descended the stairs together.

“I get the feeling Wen Huizhi won’t return to journalism,” Zhao Leiting remarked.

Meng Siqi tilted her head slightly. “Why do you think that?”

“This case left a deep scar on her. She might not be able to handle it anymore.”

Meng Siqi thought for a moment. “She could switch to entertainment reporting. But if she sticks with investigative journalism, she might actually become even better at it.”

“Let’s hope so.”

Zhao Leiting quickened his pace, then gallantly pushed open the exit door for her.

“After you, Officer Meng.”

Meng Siqi rolled her eyes at him with a smirk.

She had mixed emotions about Wen Huizhi. In her view, Wen Huizhi bore some responsibility for what had happened, yet the law could not hold her accountable.

As a police officer, Meng Siqi was bound to protect her. That was her duty, one she could never turn away from. Life often presented choices, but some choices had only one possible answer.

That was the weight of the badge she wore.

As they walked toward the parking lot, Zhao Leiting asked, “You submitted your confirmation letter, right?”

“I turned it in the first chance I got. I’m still waiting for my pay raise.”

“Then you owe me some snacks.”

“Alright, alright, Zhao, the handsome one.”

Two days later, everyone gathered in front of the crime board. Han Changlin stood by the edge of the table with his arms crossed, listening to the final case analysis.

Meng Siqi held her notebook, standing among her colleagues as Tang Xiaochuan summarized the case.

After Xin Tianfei was brought to justice, the Second Unit thoroughly verified the entire chain of evidence. It was now confirmed that Xin Tianfei was responsible for three cases and the deaths of multiple victims.

Xin Tianfei owned another house, inherited from Xin Shu’s grandparents. Inside, the Second Unit discovered crucial evidence of his crimes.

In that house, Xin Tianfei had laid out proof of his murders—including the killings of Wei Xingping’s family, Zhu Gongyou’s family, as well as Qi Xiaowei and Ning Xiangjuan. On a blackboard hanging on the wall, he had drawn various geometric figures with chalk. But instead of using standard mathematical variables like “x, y, z,” he had replaced them with the names of his victims.

According to his colleagues, Xin Tianfei had once been an outstanding teacher at Jinyang No. 2 High School, with a deep obsession with mathematics. The turning point in his life came after the incident involving his daughter. Initially, there were quiet rumors circulating in the school. However, when news reports about the case spread, those suspicions became undeniable facts. Xin Shu became the target of widespread gossip and judgment.

During that period, Xin Shu rarely attended school. She had submitted multiple medical certificates diagnosing her with depression. Xin Tianfei, perhaps wanting to take care of her, voluntarily resigned from his job. Later, news of Xin Shu’s suicide by jumping off a building spread within the school. Yet, her story didn’t end there—it continued to circulate in whispers.

After Xin Shu’s death, Xin Tianfei officially began his revenge plan. His first target was the photojournalist Wei Xingping. All the details were uncovered through the investigation by the Qindong police.

Xin Tianfei lived in Qindong City for a while and got acquainted with Wei Xingping’s wife. One night, using the excuse of delivering fruit, he carried out his crime. After Wei Xingping’s death, he was subjected to the punishment of the “Scissors Hell.” However, his wife was not subjected to any punishment after her death, possibly because Xin Tianfei believed she was innocent.

During his crimes, Xin Tianfei was extremely cautious. When entering the victims’ homes, he would deliberately put on shoe covers and gloves at the door, making them believe he was simply respecting their household cleanliness.

After returning to Jinyang City, he met You Meihua while buying seafood. He claimed to have access to fresh seafood, and over time, they became acquainted. Once again, he used the pretense of delivering fruit to gain entry into the home of Zhu Gongyou and You Meihua, where he committed another crime.

After murdering Zhu Gongyou and You Meihua, he subjected them to the punishments of “Iron Tree Hell” and “Pulling Tongue Hell.” As for their daughter, Zhu Xinting, he initially did not intend to impose a punishment on her. However, he recalled a comment made by Zhu Gongyou and his wife about his daughter’s “tattoos,” which deeply hurt him. As a result, he carved the same pattern—a butterfly spreading its wings and a scorpion curling its tail—onto Zhu Xinting’s thigh using a sharp blade.

He even took repeated photos of Zhu Xinting’s body, seemingly relishing his act of revenge. Once he was done, he realized that the design might reveal his identity, so he cut away the entire section of skin and deep-fried it in oil.

But revenge is never-ending. His thirst for retribution was not satisfied, so he repeated the same pattern as in Wen Huizhi’s reports on his daughter. He mailed the photos of Zhu Xinting to Wen Huizhi, demanding that she publish them.

It is worth mentioning that while he was frying the victim’s skin, Zhu Gongyou might not have been completely dead. He was likely fully conscious of what was happening and tried to crawl toward the kitchen. His movements left a short trail of blood on the ground. Eventually, Xin Tianfei drove an iron nail into his skull, sealing his fate.

After completing these brutal acts, he set his sights on his next victim—Qi Xiaowei. It was possible that he had previously attempted to befriend Qi Xiaowei. However, due to Qi Xiaowei’s introverted and reclusive nature, his efforts were unsuccessful. As a result, he had no choice but to break in through the window and murder the couple while they were having intercourse.

His final target was Wen Huizhi. He may have considered killing her entire family but ultimately decided that such a punishment would be too simple. Instead, he orchestrated the horrifying events specifically targeting her.

From the timeline, it was evident that Xin Tianfei had met Wen Huizhi relatively early on. This suggested that he had initially intended to kill her first. However, perhaps he saw an opportunity to use her for his plans, which is why he chose to act against her last.

On the morning when people coldly watched as his daughter Xin Shu was assaulted, Xin Tianfei might have recognized many individuals he believed had “harassed” her. If he had not been stopped, he might have continued his killing spree.

Yet, he himself admitted that there were kind-hearted people who had called an ambulance for his daughter.

In this world, good and evil coexist. However, after being wronged by evil, Xin Tianfei chose to become a true demon—the embodiment of evil itself.

With the case finally solved, the string of horrifying murders that had once gripped the people of Jinyang City with fear had come to an end.

Han Changlin let out a long breath and said, “Good. We can finally give a proper explanation.”

Perhaps Han Changlin’s words were meant for Director Liu, but Meng Siqi believed he was speaking for the people of Jinyang City.

Clapping his hands together, Han Changlin announced, “The case is closed. This time, everyone played a crucial role. Thank you all for working with me to complete this difficult mission.”

Zhao Leiting immediately responded, “Captain Han, this was our duty.”

Tang Xiaochuan agreed, “That’s right, Captain Han.”

Meng Siqi smiled, and although Feng Shaomin remained silent, he nodded in approval.

“But this time, I want to give special recognition to two individuals,” Han Changlin said with a smile, clearly trying to boost morale.

Everyone could already guess who he was referring to, but Zhao Leiting quickly said, “Captain Han, it can’t be me, right?”

“Why not? You discovered crucial leads. Of course, you deserve to be recognized!”

Zhao Leiting, uncharacteristically shy, replied, “Thank you, Captain Han.”

“You see that? He’s not even happy about it,” Feng Shaomin teased.

“Brother Feng, I’m just excited,” Zhao Leiting explained. “I really am. Captain Han, you rarely praise me.”

“Rarely? I don’t remember that,” Han Changlin said with a smirk.

Zhao Leiting scratched the back of his head with a grin, and the entire team burst into laughter.

In truth, Zhao Leiting felt that something about this case was off. It seemed like Meng Siqi had subtly guided him toward discovering Xin Tianfei’s trail. However, in his excitement at the time, he hadn’t realized it.

He had once privately asked Meng Siqi about it, but she had replied with a completely serious expression, “I didn’t do anything. You found the lead yourself.”

He wasn’t a fool. Deep down, he knew that from now on, as long as Meng Siqi asked for his help, he would go through fire and water for her without hesitation.

“Of course, the other person I want to recognize is…” Han Changlin deliberately paused for suspense.

Meng Siqi felt nervous. Throughout the case, she sometimes felt like she was lagging behind and wasn’t performing at her best.

“…Meng Siqi!” Han Changlin finally said.

Meng Siqi had never expected to be acknowledged by the Second Unit. She assumed Han Changlin was simply encouraging her, so she quickly responded, “Thank you for your encouragement, Captain Han.”

Han Changlin nodded. “You all did an excellent job. And you’re still young. There will be many more opportunities for you to achieve even greater things in the future.” There was a hint of sentimentality in his tone.

“Who else wants to say a few words? Old Feng, your apprentice performed so well. You should say something,” Han Changlin said, turning to Feng Shaomin.

“I have nothing more to add,” Feng Shaomin replied, glancing at Meng Siqi. This time, his gaze was filled with approval.

Meng Siqi felt deeply moved. To her, this team was like her family.

Suddenly, Zhao Leiting spoke up. “Who was it that promised to treat everyone to seafood?”

Tang Xiaochuan laughed. “That would definitely be Captain Han.”

Zhao Leiting continued to coax, “The case is solved, and Meng Siqi has been officially promoted. I might end up eating a lot this time!”

“Oh, so you think I can’t afford it?” Han Changlin joined in with a teasing tone. “Tomorrow, all of you better come with empty stomachs. If anyone doesn’t eat well, I’ll deal with them myself!”

“Alright!” Everyone laughed in high spirits.

After solving the case, the entire second team was in a particularly good mood. Meng Siqi also finally got two days off. However, during these two days, Meng Siqi had her own plans. She wanted to secure her own rental house.

She had saved up a decent amount of money and, now that her position was permanent, her salary was stable. She could comfortably afford rent every month. She walked around the area near the police station, only to find that rental prices were quite high.

Although this wasn’t the city center, it was an important transportation hub with hospitals and essential public service units nearby, making the housing prices comparable to the downtown area.

After some hesitation, she decided to go back and reconsider. That evening, while rummaging through her drawer to count her savings, she came across a letter and a photo.

It was a letter from the original owner of her body, one that had never been sent. The photograph was a picture of her and the elderly couple who had raised her in the countryside. Their skin was weathered, their hair graying, yet their faces were kind, their smiles shy but full of warmth. She could see the love in their expressions.

The original owner had sent a letter back every two months, though she rarely received replies—probably because her adoptive parents were illiterate.

In the letter, the original owner had written that she had started working and would finally be able to repay them. But ever since Meng Siqi arrived in this body, she had been so caught up in work that she had put this matter aside.

One must always remember kindness and gratitude. Without hesitation, she stuffed the money she had saved over the past few months into an envelope.

The next day, she sent the letter back to the rural village where she had been raised for over a decade. She made up her mind to continue doing this regularly.

As for housing, she had looked into the staff dormitories, but there were no vacant rooms available. The company’s welfare housing required years of service, and if she wanted to speed up the process, she would need to get married.

As for renting, she had figured things out—why should she leave the Meng family? She was their biological daughter, and this was her home.

After mailing the letter, she returned home just in time to run into her older brother, Meng Tingzhe, who had also come back for a visit. Their mother, Ye Xiuhui, had instructed her multiple times to stay and have a proper meal with her brother.

She didn’t refuse. Aunt Chang had made some delicious dishes for her, and since she usually didn’t eat at home, it would be rude to turn it down now.

Her plan was simple—just eat without saying much.

However, before she could enjoy much of her meal, Meng Tingzhe started questioning her.

“I heard my little sister got promoted. Not bad. How’s work going lately?”

Meng Siqi continued eating. “It’s alright.”

“You know about the case that was just solved, right?”

“Huh?” Meng Siqi assumed he was talking about a case solved by Lu He and his team.

“The case of the math teacher’s family massacre has been solved. You work at the police station and don’t know about it?”

Meng Siqi nearly slammed her bowl on the table. Wasn’t she the one who helped solve that case?

“What could she possibly know?” Ye Xiuhui sipped her soup. “She just runs errands at work, assists others, serves tea, and pours water. Do you really think she’s out there solving cases? That murderer was terrifying. I heard he had a face full of scars and could scare someone to death with just one look…”

Meng Siqi: “…”

Ye Xiuhui continued, “How could you expect her, a young girl, to investigate cases? She would be scared out of her wits.”

“That makes sense!” Meng Tingzhe laughed. “Little sister, while you’re still young and pretty, you should focus on your future. As your brother, I just want to see you happily married!”

“By the way, how are things with that Jiang…?” Ye Xiuhui started to ask but quickly stopped herself, her gaze shifting uncomfortably.

Meng Tingzhe smirked. “Jiang Sheng, Mom, how did you forget his name already?” He then turned to Meng Siqi, clearly waiting for her response.

Meng Siqi’s patience had improved significantly. Perhaps working on such intense cases had raised her tolerance level. After finishing the delicious food Aunt Chang had prepared, she wiped her mouth and lazily asked, “Oh, were you guys talking to me?”

Ye Xiuhui: “…”

Meng Tingzhe: “…”

Aunt Chang chuckled. “Yes, they were asking about you, Siqi. Here, have some more.”

“Thank you, Aunt Chang, but I’m full. I’m going out for a walk.” She stood up and looked at Meng Tingzhe with a smirk. “Brother, you’re almost thirty and still single. You have delicate features—so much so that I sometimes wonder if you prefer men. Jiang Sheng is rich. Why don’t you consider marrying him and saving up some dowry money for me to buy a house?”

Meng Tingzhe’s face turned ashen, his expression utterly stunned, as if he had just been slapped.

Watching her leave, Ye Xiuhui slammed her chopsticks down in anger. “What nonsense! No sense of decorum at all!”

“Mom, I’m done eating.” Meng Tingzhe’s expression was dark as he abruptly stood up. “I’m leaving.”

“Oh, Tingzhe, you rarely come home for a meal—”

“The supplements I bought for you, remember to take them on time.” He left without looking back.

After her break, Meng Siqi officially returned to work, now stepping into her role as a full-fledged officer.

A female officer walked into the office, holding a folder. As she scanned the document, she asked, “Which one of you is Officer Meng Siqi?”

“That would be me.” Meng Siqi raised her hand and stood up.

“Starting tomorrow, you will be attending a week-long live ammunition shooting training!”

“Understood!” Meng Siqi answered excitedly.