Desperate Pretense At Being Poor

Chapter 30 – Murderer

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The eyes of the two people met.

At this moment, time seemed to pass in slow motion.   Although the distance was only about two to three meters, every step taken seemed extremely long.

Fu Zhihuan’s eyes were like a bottomless abyss.  As he looked in her direction it felt like they were separated by thousands of mountains and rivers.

When he is on duty and off-duty, his whole body from head to toe gave others a feeling of two completely different demeanors.

This morning, he could still look at her with a smile but at this moment, he looks indifferent and cold as if he is looking at a stranger.

Fu Zhihuan’s gaze only rested on Wen Ruan for two to three seconds and then he turned his head away to look straight ahead.

Both of them brushed shoulders as they passed each other.

She lowered her eyes and shifted her body a little to the side to give way.

And just when Fu Zhihuan’s arm brushed her shoulder lightly……..

He lowered his voice and said.  “Wait for me.”

Wen Ruan was slightly startled.

It was like someone who was never concerned about his surroundings had suddenly, become distracted and focused on you.

Although it was just a small detail that was not worth mentioning, it still gave others a misconception.

According to his words, it was as if she was no longer irrelevant to him anymore.

And right at this moment, her phone vibrated……

[Qin Sushan] – [Alarm][Alarm] Sister!  Red Alert!  Reply ASAP!

Wen Ruan very seldom sees Qin Sushan in such a panicked situation.

[Wen Ruan] – What?

[Qin Sushan] – Didn’t you check Moments today?

[Wen Ruan] – No, what’s wrong?

[Qin Sushan] – The Wen Family didn’t hide the fact that you ran away from home because of your resistance to the marriage.  In addition, you appeared on TV so brazenly earlier on and now almost half of those socialites in Tong City know about it.

[Wen Ruan] – Then?

When Wen Ruan ran away from home, she already knew she would not be able to hide the fact, therefore, it was not a matter of concern for her.

[Qin Sushan] – Then after your cousin, Xie Yanchi found out about this, he reacted very intensely and decided to imitate you.  This morning, he stole the family’s money then took the little young model that he has been keeping and ran away from home.  He also purposely posted in Moments to anger his fiancée.

Wen Ruan was silent for a while and then clicked on his cousin’s Moments.

The picture posted in Moments was an airport selfie…….

Xie Yanchi was hugging a young internet celebrity model and arrogantly showed a victory sign in front of the camera.

Wen Ruan felt drained.  “……”

This rotten cousin of hers is a typical playboy.  A little while back, his family had arranged a fiancée who was gentle and beautiful for him and they were well-matched.  The family was hoping he would learn to restrain himself.

Unexpectedly, he did not practice any restraint, and instead, he imitated her, Wen Ruan’s example, and ran away from home.

Two of their mutual friends even left messages in Moments.

[Passerby A] – Young Master Xie, aren’t you afraid that your father will scold you?

[Xie Yanchi] – Not afraid!  I’ve said that if my cousin sister doesn’t return home, I won’t either.   I have to learn from the modern women of this new era!  Resist the family’s arranged marriages!

Wen Ruan:  “……”

F**k, are you using me as a shield to block the muzzle?!

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“”

***☆☆☆***

“Police officer, these are all the letters that Lu Kechen sent me.”

Facing the police, Qin Biyang’s attitude was obviously more uptight than when he was facing Wen Ruan.  He handed over a thick stack of letters with both hands then placed his hands on his lap with his fingers interlaced.

The police officer nodded, took the letters from him, and asked him a few routine questions.

“Do you know this person?”

A police officer pushed over a photo of the deceased.

“His name is Gu Chencheng, 18 years old and he was in the same class as your daughter three years ago.”

The person in the photo looked quite young.  He had a flashy hairstyle of tin-foil perm and his face was full of defiance that was typical of his age.

Gu Chencheng was the deceased who drowned in Dongyang Lake.

Qin Biyang lowered his head to take a look.  The hands resting on his knees suddenly clenched until the joints became slightly white and then loosened again.

He replied.  “Yes…….  After Wan Wan’s accident, I went to the school and found out that it was Gu Chencheng and another boy who took the lead in bullying my daughter.”

“Have you seen him recently?”

“No.  Back then when the case was over, you should be aware that my…….”

When Qin Biyang spoke up to this point, he paused for a moment and then sighed.

“Why should I meet him when my hatred for him is so deep?  And I don’t want to think about the past anymore.  After all, they are dead and can’t be resurrected.”

Fu Zhihuan leaned against the sofa and looked towards the living room not far away.

The emotion in his eyes did not waver but suddenly he frowned slightly and walked to the dining room.

Qin Biyang’s wife and her daughter were standing there.  She seemed to be a little awkward and ill at ease as she stood at the side and looked into the living room.

Upon seeing Fu Zhihuan walking toward her, Mrs.
Qin pursed her lips and subconsciously pulled her daughter behind her with a nervous look.

“Is that the storage cabinet?”

Fu Zhihuan stopped at the threshold between the dining and living room.  Then he turned and focused his gaze on the wooden cabinet top.

There was a row of photos sitting on it and all the photos were of Qin Biyang and his new family taken during these few years.

In every photo, Qin Biyang was grinning and happiness could be seen radiating from his eyes.

Mrs.
Qin nodded hurriedly and said.  “Yes, it is a storage cabinet.  It is usually used for storing old miscellaneous items and is in a mess.”

“Can I open it and have a look?”

“Uh, no problem.”

When Mrs.
Qin saw the group of police officers coming to her house, of course, she was very nervous, so she was particularly cooperative at this moment.

After searching for the keys, she stepped forward and opened the cabinet door.

Fu Zhihuan squatted and carefully looked at the items in the cabinet.

Inside the cabinet were indeed all miscellaneous items.  There were boxes containing tools like screwdrivers, blades, etc., some hoarded soap pieces, mosquito coils and candles, and some small electrical appliances such as non-functioning alarm clocks.

Fu Zhihuan looked all the way down until his eyes rested on a thick photo album at the bottom.

He reached out his hand to pull it out and flipped it……

Inside the album were all the photos of Qin Biyang’s deceased wife and daughter.  There was a family photo of the three of them and there were also portrait photos of his deceased wife and daughter.

The photos were taken over the years and everything was there.

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It could be seen that although Qin Biyang lived in poverty, he loves his family very much.

Fu Zhihuan brushed his thumb lightly over the edge of the album and lifted it to check……

Very clean…….

Everything placed inside the cabinet had dust on them but the album was spotlessly clean.

Fu Zhihuan did not say anything and just closed the album silently.  Then he stood up and asked casually.

“What time does your husband usually come home?”

“He is a plumber and electrician.  Since it is not Summer now, he usually goes out to help others install and repair air conditioners.  He doesn’t make much and basically, he only goes out when he has a job and comes home when he doesn’t.”

“Thank you for your cooperation.”

Fu Zhihuan nodded then turned around and swept a glance towards the door……

With just a glance, he could see Wen Ruan’s white skirt.

Wen Ruan was leaning against the handrail at the top of the stairs and browsing through Weibo on her phone with her head lowered.

But she was not focused at all and was just mechanically swiping upwards on the screen with her thumb.  None of those texts and pictures were absorbed into her mind at all.

She did not know why her thoughts were a little chaotic like thousands of thoughts were knotted up which caused a surge of agitation within her.

She simply closed her eyes and pondered for a while.  Then she opened her eyes, used her thumb to open the dialog box with Professor Su, and seemed to be looking for something.

A few days ago, Professor Su had given Lu Kechen’s contact information to her.

At that time, she was still hesitating whether to take over this troublesome and thankless case, so she did not add Lu Kechen to her contact list.

But at this moment, it was as if she had come to a decision and clicked on it to send out an ‘add friend request’.

“Why are you here?”

Just as she sent out the request to Lu Kechen, Wen Ruan heard a familiar voice, a voice that sounded cold and lazy.

Fu Zhihuan leaned against the door frame and gave her a questioning look.

“This is something that you shouldn’t be curious about.”

“It’s not curiosity, it’s my job.”

Wen Ruan put away her phone then placed her hand on the handrail and straightened up.

“Lu Kechen is my client, so I need to understand the whole story and details of the case.”

“But I remember Lu Kechen requested you to represent him to sue his classmates for blackmail.”

Fu Zhihuan laughed and narrowed his eyes.

“”

“It has nothing to do with this matter, right?”

Wen Ruan did not answer but instead, she asked with a smile.

“So is Prosecutor Fu interrogating me now?  That’s alright but you have to follow the procedures.”

When it comes to handling proper business, she dislikes losing out.

“Let me give you a piece of advice.”

A low chuckle sounded from his chest.  He straightened up and said lightly.

“If you’re taking up this case, then I suggest that you persuade Lu Kechen to surrender as soon as possible.”

Upon hearing this, she lowered her eyes slightly.  Just now she looked sharp and eloquent but now she suddenly restrained herself.

Now almost all the clues are pointing to Lu Kechen.  Although this matter may seem suspicious, he is certainly involved.

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At this moment, a police officer in the house answered a call, then stood up with a serious expression and walked over to Fu Zhihuan’s side to say solemnly…….

“Prosecutor Fu, a newspaper reported the drowning case in Dongyang Lake on Weibo and the news had caused a huge public uproar.”

***☆☆☆***

The one who exposed the case on Weibo was a Weibo authenticated account called ‘Jiang City Newspaper’.

This public account not only briefly summarized the facts of the drowning case in Dongyang Lake but also repeatedly mentioned that the prime suspect was Lu Kechen.

It was not only that…….this Weibo account also mentioned that Lu Kechen was responsible for the case that happened three years ago.  In addition, the suspense stirred up by the writing technique made it a bit like a suspense novel…….

“Three years ago, a girl who was indirectly killed by school bullying happened to drown in Dongyang Lake.  Three years later, the boy who bullied that girl also died in Dongyang Lake.  In these two seemingly accidental cases, Lu Kechen was involved.”

“Is this the retribution or a planned revenge?”

As soon as the report was published, it was quickly and widely shared by the netizens.

The three-year-old case that had gradually been forgotten was brought up once again.  It resulted in a few analyses and the details of the case were dug up and reported.

All kinds of conspiracy theories and reasons were brought up but the conclusion was still the same.  Almost everyone guessed that Lu Kechen was the murderer.

“Was the investigation done thoroughly?  Where did this newspaper get hold of such detailed information?”

“After we inquired, we found out that someone had anonymously sent the article to the mailbox of Jiang City Newspaper this morning.  Although the article’s contents only mentioned the drowning case in Dongyang Lake, the deceased’s identity, and his relationship with Lu Kechen, it is only natural for an astute reporter to be able to create a story with the details given.”

After the case was posted by the media, it was thoroughly stirred up and in just a few hours, it attracted a great deal of attention from the masses.

When the old and dusty case that happened three years ago was once again pulled out, the intricate web of relationships stirred up a huge uproar.

So not long after, the higher-ups immediately issued an order to the Jiang City Police and the Procuratorate.  They were to find out within two weeks whether the case was an accident or a criminal case that required public prosecution.

After the emergency meeting was over, the people left one after another with frowning solemn expressions.

However, Fu Zhihuan did not move.  He leaned against the back of the chair and played with a pen in his right hand.  Both his eyes were closed, his brows were slightly wrinkled and he seemed to be thinking about something.

Several colleagues urged him just as they were leaving.

“Prosecutor Fu, it’s already very late, you should go back.”

Only then did Fu Zhihuan open his eyes and nod.  He straightened his collar then stood up and said.  “Okay.”

A colleague smile and walked side by side with him along the corridor of the procuratorate.

“Don’t worry too much.  As prosecutors, it’s fine as long as we handle the public prosecution well and we shouldn’t concern ourselves with other matters.  After handling so many cases, I can see at a glance that this case has something to do with Lu Kechen.  The investigation will be done sooner or later and it should be left to the investigation agency to deal with it.”

“I understand.”

Fu Zhihuan lowered his eyes and exchanged a few polite words with the colleague.  Then he turned and entered his office.

At this moment, the sky outside the window was completely dark.  A few lights were flickering on top of the tall buildings in the distance and they seemed lonely and deserted.

Fu Zhihuan leaned into the leather office chair, closed his eyes tiredly, and raised his hand to pinch his brow bones.

Indeed…….no matter from which angle one looks at it, Gu Chencheng’s death must have something to do with Lu Kechen.

But when Lu Kechen was planning this, he did not seem to have any intention to clear the suspicion on himself.  Instead, he seemed to want the whole world to know that he is the murderer.

Thinking about this, Fu Zhihuan suddenly frowned and opened his eyes.

He straightened up and picked up the phone on the table to make a call.

“Help me to check on the school bullying case which indirectly caused Qin Wan’s death three years ago and find out who else was involved.”

Outside the window, a bird rested on a branch and as a result, the branches and leaves clashed which caused a round of clattering noise.

Fu Zhihuan put down the phone and the look in his eyes deepened.

Since Lu Kechen didn’t want to cover the fact that he is the murderer, why didn’t he admit his guilt or surrender?

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Or perhaps, it’s because he still has a plan that’s not completed yet…….

Moreover, if his guess is correct, Lu Kechen’s purpose is not only to take revenge…….

He wants this matter to brew and create an uproar to make everyone in the country focus their attention on him.

Lu Kechen wants to put on a dynamic performance in front of these audiences!

***☆☆☆***

After Wen Ruan left Qin Biyang’s house, she went back to the law firm instead of returning to Fu Zhihuan’s apartment.

At this time, the office was empty and no one was around.  It felt like a huge beast was lurking in the huge darkness and it made one feel ill at ease.

Wen Ruan reached out her hand to turn on the lights in the main office.

She came back here solely because it was more conducive for her to think in an office environment.

Fu Zhihuan was right.

If Lu Kechen is really the criminal and he turns himself in at this time and in this current situation then it would be the best way for him to get a reduced sentence.

But……..

Wen Ruan took out her phone and opened WeChat.

Lu Kechen did not accept her friend request.

She lowered her eyes and the emotion in her eyes was veiled.

In fact, as Fu Zhihuan had pointed out, she and Lu Kechen have yet to establish a client and lawyer relationship so Wen Ruan can dissociate herself from this case.

But ever since Wen Ruan saw the photo and heard Qin Biyang’s account, a belief that was in her heart gradually became firm.

When she defended Lu Kechen three years ago, Wen Ruan realized that it was difficult for him to grow into a bully based on his character.

But at that time, he insisted he had done something wrong which made Wen Ruan feel something must have happened that could not be mentioned.

And now, if Lu Kechen is really the murderer, then the secret that was buried three years ago would be completely exposed.

Wen Ruan did not want to give up on Lu Kechen.

Although she had won that lawsuit three years ago, it had also become a knot in her life.

Even though Lu Kechen was acquitted but it can be seen that……..

Since Qin Wan’s death, he felt he had never obtained a pardon……..

“Why are you working so hard?  It’s already so late at night and you’re still in the office.  Is your superior going to give you the Best Employee Award?”

Suddenly, a slightly teasing male voice sounded behind Wen Ruan.

Every word of the male voice was a little teasing and sounded a bit cynical.  Wen Ruan’s back stiffened and she froze on the spot.

She turned her head around.

As expected…….a familiar face.

The man was leaning against the door of the office with a cigarette dangling from his lips.  From head to toe, he was decked in branded attire and had the look of a playboy.

“What’s the matter?  Why do you show a sullen face when you see your cousin elder brother?  Afraid that I’ve come to take you home?”

Xie Yanchi raised his eyebrows and pulled out the cigarette that was dangling from his lips.  He casually flung it into the trash bin next to him then straightened up and walked in.

“Pour me a glass of water.  I’m tired after a whole day of flying.”

He found a comfortable seat and nestled down like a person without bones.

“Oh right, give me some ice.”