n

n

nTranslator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

nThe atmosphere in the visitation room seemed to have become rather stifling.

nHuang He scratched his head in an awkward manner. He was still the same and was wearing his simple and honest smile.

n“Indeed. We’re all under the police force, everyone has been taking good care of me.”

nEveryone knew that he was being wronged in this case. Thus, he would not be treated badly while staying in the detention center. The prison officers were also police officers; they were considered to be in the same profession, and were therefore able to feel and understand his difficulties and grievances. Due to that, they would naturally help him out whenever they could.

nHuang He’s life there was not miserable.

nIt was his heart that was miserable.

nSensing Xiang Wan’s unforgiving attitude, he had no time to talk to Bai Muchuan for now.

n“Teacher Xiang, I-I didn’t expect to see you. I-I don’t know… don’t know what to say. Is she, is she…”

n“Yuanyuan’s fine.” Xiang Wan’s lips curled up. She walked up to him, looked at his embarrassed face and clasped both of her hands together on the table. “Of course, she would occasionally mention you.”

nHuang He fell silent.

n“Honestly, have you ever thought that leaving without saying goodbye would have hurt her?”

nMen, no matter how upright, are selfish when it comes to matters of the heart.

nThis was Xiang Wan’s conclusion. Even if she had a good impression of Huang He, she did not want to gloss over his deeds.

n“From my understanding of her, the blow of you breaking up and betraying her is far greater than knowing you being held in the detention center…”

n“I didn’t betray…” Huang He opened his mouth to say something but stopped as if something got stuck. Sigh! “Take it that I’ve let her down.”

n“Of course there’s betrayal, you’ve betrayed your love. You’ve said so many nice things to her, but these can’t just be spoken and left as that. Detective Huang, promises are not made to woo girls but to realize it.”

nPromises are not made to woo girls but to realize it.

nHuang He wished he could explain that things between Fang Yuanyuan and himself. It was not what Xiang Wan had said.

nHer words, however, had removed the layer of candy-coat and slapped the naked truth right in front of his face.

n“I… I’ve let her down.”

n“See,” said Xiang Wan with slight mockery, “saying sorry doesn’t help at all. Yet men always like to use it to absolve their responsibilities. Actually, the motive of saying sorry is not meant to make up to someone who’s been hurt. It’s meant to soothe your guilty conscience and make yourself feel better.”

n“…”

nHuang He looked at her.

nBai Muchuan was looking at her as well.

nXiang Wan gave a sneer as though she had taken on a certain role and pretended to talk like a man, “See, I’ve said sorry to her anyway. I’ve expressed my apologies so my heart is calm. As for what will happen to the one whom I’m sorry to, I have no choice since I’ve already done my best. If she’s heartbroken, distressed, and in agony, that’s because she’s too petty and is unable to break out of it…”

n“…”

nHuang He was unable to say anything; he just wore an expression full of shame.

nBai Muchuan knocked on the table to motion for her to look at him.

n“How many boyfriends did you have? So experienced?”

n“Hurhur.” Xiang Wan wore a serious expression. “I have never eaten ‘pork meat’, but surely all of us have seen how pigs walk, right? 1 ”

n“…”

nWho’s the pig?

nHuang He was very embarrassed. He even lowered his head.

nBeing a man, Bai Muchuan could comparatively understand Huang He’s difficulties better than Xiang Wan.

nHence, he tried to stop Xiang Wan in risk of incurring her wrath. “We’re here today because we’ve got important business!”

nAlright, work is important so feelings are not important?

nShe pouted at his calm face for a moment, then put on a smile.

n“Fine, in the eyes of men, maybe letting a girl down is really nothing serious.”

n“Teacher Xiang, it’s not that…” Huang He anxiously wanted to explain. “I’m just, I’m just…”

nJust what? He couldn’t continue.

n“Actually, I shouldn’t interfere in the matters between the two of you.” Xiang Wan smiled somewhat helplessly. “I’m just standing up for Fang Yuanyuan. My apologies, let’s leave it at that. There are certain things in life if you don’t treasure it when you can, when you want to cherish it later, you may not get the chance again.”

nThe moment she finished talking, she spread out her hands toward Bai Muchuan. “I’m sorry to talk more than I should. Now it’s your turn! I’ll shut up!”

nEarlier on when she “lectured” Huang He, Bai Muchuan had said nothing.

nHe gazed at her for a moment and turned to Huang He.

n“I’m here today mainly to find out and verify with you the situation that night!”

nThe situation that night? Huang He was slightly puzzled.

n“Captain Bai, I’ve actually given my statement numerous times. You can look at my statement where I’ve provided all the details that I know of back in the office…”

n“I’ve already seen it.” When Bai Muchuan was serious, he exuded the forceful aura and charisma of a born leader. He was the type of person who could easily guide or make others follow his lead. When he went back to wearing a poker face, Huang He’s nerves were immediately tense, completely led by Bai Muchuan subconsciously.

n“When Sun Shangli jumped out of the window, was the window open or closed?”

nHuang He was stunned for a while. “It was open, but the curtains were closed.”

n“That means you did not see the action of her opening the windows.”

n“Yes,” replied Huang He. “Hence, I think this is a case of premeditated suicide and the one who planned everything was Sun Shangli herself.”

n“Not necessarily!” Bai Muchuan’s eyes seemed to emit a cold, dark aura. “Do not underestimate people’s desire to survive. No one would want to die unless it was the only way out.”

n“But… this is obviously suicide, I’m sure of it.”

n“Hm? Tell me about it.”

n“Captain Bai, when I barged into the room, she was startled for a while. We had a very brief moment of eye contact. I could feel that her eyes were clear. She was not in a tranced state of someone drunk or had taken drugs. The next moment, she pulled open the curtains and stood on the window sill. There was no panic of fleeing the scene. She just looked outside with a smile, stretched out her arms, and jumped off the building.”

n“Was she looking at the goddess statue?” Xiang Wan chimed in.

nHuang He turned to look at her. “I’m not sure, but it should be in that direction. We already did a calculation of the distance. If she had fallen naturally, she would not have landed on the goddess statue. She needed to make a leaping action so as to achieve that result.”

n“This means that she had deliberately wanted to land on the goddess statue.” Xiang Wan pondered for a moment and made her analysis before Bai Muchuan. “Last night when I stood by the window on the fifth floor, I can see the face of the goddess statue. I have a feeling that Sun Shangli must have seen it as well, and had certainly thought a lot while looking at it.”

n“?” Huang He had a confused expression.

n“Sun Shangli had started off as a celebrity with a dancer background in the showbiz industry,” said Xiang Wan, “that goddess statue also happens to be a dancing goddess statue with a beautiful dance movement… Is this really a coincidence?”

n“Tsk!” Huang He gasped. “I really hadn’t thought of all these…”

nIn some ways, women’s minds were more emotional and perceptive. It was easier for them to notice such subtle details and connections.

nHuang He gave her a look of approval, and his gaze landed on Bai Muchuan who was still silent.

n“Captain Bai, are there any new discoveries in this case?”

nIf it was just a simple case of suicide, Bai Muchuan would not have come back personally.

nWhen Bai Muchuan’s solemn gaze landed on Huang He, the latter started to feel that things were not that simple.

n“This is not a coincidence!” Bai Muchuan responded to Xiang Wan’s earlier words. Next, he shared the findings of what they found last night at the wall and gave a simple description of the horrifying test results.

n“According to the information we have just gotten this morning, the developer of the construction of ‘The Palace’ is Huo Shan, the ex-husband of Sun Shangli.”

n