Chapter 118

Luo Huaizheng would certainly not let Li Qingyao treat him to a meal. He had already booked a private room in the hotel. The environment was elegant and quiet, perfect for confidential talks.

After entering the private room, Luo Huaizheng asked the waiter to serve a pot of tea first and order dishes later, and told the waiter not to disturb them. The room became quiet again. The night view outside the window was bright, and the lights inside were dim. Li Qingyao watched Luo Huaizheng pouring tea with a pot, and he couldn't figure out what had happened that made him come all the way here.

There were some things that Luo Huaizheng wanted to say to Li Qingyao a long time ago. However, firstly, the police were too busy during this period, and he couldn't find a suitable opportunity. He also discussed this matter with Ma Junhong. After consideration, he also advised Luo Huaizheng to tell him later - "Your case is now under re-investigation. Since Xiang Siling's confession is the key, don't make trouble for the time being. It would be bad if it affects the progress on your side. It shouldn't delay the police if you tell them a few days earlier or later."

Second, those words were just his subjective guesses. Would others believe them? Luo Huaizheng was used to facing others as a labor camp inmate. He would be nervous if he had to speak to the police rashly and report without any evidence. But because he had more contact with the criminal police Chen Pu and Li Qingyao during this period, he became confident that they would take his opinions seriously.

So Luo Huaizheng looked at Li Qingyao and asked directly: "Can I ask, how is your investigation of the murderer of Luo Hongmin going? Have you caught him?"

Li Qingyao replied: "We haven't caught him yet, so I can't tell you the details. Why are you asking this?"

Luo Huaizheng frowned slightly.

He took off his windbreaker and hung it up as soon as he entered the room, wearing only a dark gray shirt and trousers, without a tie. He sat very straight, put his hands on his legs and talked to her, looking broad-shouldered and thin, with long legs.

He looked at her with his deep eyes: "I think Xiang Siling is the real murderer who killed Luo Hongmin."

Li Qingyao lowered his eyes and drank tea, and was quiet for a while.

Although she and Chen Pu always believed that Xiang Siling was the number one suspect in the murder of Luo Hongmin, the police were looking for Lu Xing and Li Meiling, both internally and externally. Many clues were investigated by her and Chen Pu privately. Even the people in other teams in the bureau did not know about it.

But Luo Huaizheng, an outsider, was certain that Ding Siling was the murderer.

Li Qingyao put down the teacup, propped up his chin with one hand, and said half jokingly and half angrily: "It seems that you have gained a lot from accompanying Xiang Siling during this period."

Luo Huaizheng knew she was joking as soon as he heard it. Not only did he not feel offended, but he felt relaxed and happy. Because it meant that Li Qingyao had regained some of her former sharpness and humor in front of him.

He smiled and said, "She knew I approached her with a purpose, and I did not hide my intention. But I felt that there was something wrong with her emotions and psychology."

"How to say?"

"In the beginning, on the day you found Luo Hongmin's body in the villa, do you know why I accompanied her to the scene?"

"Didn't she force you to agree in front of the people from both companies?"

"That's only one aspect. At that time, she also said something."

"What?"

"She said: Luo Huaizheng, you should go and see it."

Li Qingyao was stunned.

In an instant, she thought of many things - the girl Xiang Siling became Luo Hongmin's concubine, which was the root of everything, and of course the source of Xiang Wei's case; the current police investigation results showed that the mastermind behind the scenes was able to bribe those people and work together to send Luo Huaizheng to prison to take the blame, which was not something Li Meiling could do, and the identity of that person was about to be revealed...

If Xiang Siling was not the murderer of Luo Hongmin, she would not have seen the body at that time. But she told Luo Huaizheng that he should go and see it.

What are you looking at? Are you looking at the death of the culprit who murdered Luo Huaizheng?

Li Qingyao wanted to ask Luo Huaizheng why he didn't say it at the time, but she swallowed the words when they came to her lips. The atmosphere between her and Luo Huaizheng at the time was too stiff and awkward. And theoretically speaking, Luo Huaizheng and Xiang Siling's family had a grudge, and there were even people in the police who suspected that Luo Huaizheng was one of the suspects. How could he say it at the time?

When Luo Huaizheng saw Li Qingyao's thoughtful expression, he knew that his words were valuable to her. This made him feel secretly satisfied, but he was afraid that he would have to surprise her once more.

"There was another time." Luo Huaizheng said, "I lost my temper that day and yelled at her, saying that she didn't understand how it felt to kill someone. She probably felt guilty, and she said that we would be free soon and she would let me know the truth of seven years ago."

Li Qingyao really doesn't know how to evaluate Xiang Siling.

She said: "So, from that time on, she had made up her mind to tell the truth." Then there were a series of scenes such as the psychiatrist school burying evidence. "But that day, she also said something." Luo Huaizheng's eyebrows were solemn and his tone was very heavy. "I didn't understand what she meant at the time, but later I thought about it and felt that it was wrong."

That day, by the swimming pool, after Xiang Siling finished speaking those words, Luo Huaizheng fell silent. He couldn't say thank you to her, and he was afraid that her so-called telling the truth was just another teasing. He turned around with red eyes and wanted to leave, but Xiang Siling muttered to herself again, saying:
[I know how that feels, but I'm totally different from you, and I'm doing great right now.]

At that time, Luo Huaizheng thought she meant that she was very sad after knowing that he had killed someone, but she was different, she was living a good life. Because Xiang Siling had boasted to him many times before about how happy she was and how she was loved by her stepfather and biological father, Luo Huaizheng understood it naturally.

Until these days, Luo Huaizheng followed the second team and learned more or less about Xiang Siling. When he carefully recalled the scene of their conversation that day, he realized that Xiang Siling might have said something else.

Because before that, he said to her:
[You have no idea that after killing someone with your own hands, you will not be able to sleep all night long, and even if you fall asleep, it will be full of nightmares.]

[It’s been seven years, and I still dream about that evening… I don’t want to suffer this for the rest of my life.]

Her response: "I know how that feels, but I'm totally different from you. I'm doing great now."

Li Qingyao looked at Luo Huaizheng with a complicated expression.

She and Chen Pu investigated Xiang Siling openly and secretly, and fought back and forth so many times. They caught so many suspicions on her, but she managed to do it, and no evidence that could convict her fell into the hands of the police. Almost everyone around her was used by her as her shield.

Xiang Siling repeatedly said things that would bring trouble to herself in front of Luo Huaizheng. Perhaps she looked down on Luo Huaizheng, thinking that he didn't know the inside story and couldn't hear her; or perhaps she was showing her true feelings and lost her sense of proportion. But so far, she had only made such a mistake in front of Luo Huaizheng.

Making a mistake means a possible breakthrough.

Li Qingyao looked at Luo Huaizheng, who was two feet away from him across the table.

Facing her, Luo Huaizheng was able to relax, and his lines were no longer as tense as they were a few days ago. When he first entered the box, he was still sitting upright, but now, his body was slightly tilted, his two long legs were stretched out relaxedly, one arm casually resting on his legs, the other hand gently resting on the back of the chair, with one fist against his chin. It was not difficult for Li Qingyao to imagine that he would also be this handsome and suave in the company, at the conference table, in the territory he was familiar with and good at.

He came to tell her these words today, which did not benefit him in the slightest, but was purely to help the police. She really did not have the heart to make more requests of him. But she could not help but feel uneasy because of the possibility of finding a breakthrough in the case.

However, Luo Huaizheng seemed to guess what she was thinking and what was troubling her. He smiled and said, "If you agree, I can go find Xiang Siling again to test her and see if I can get anything out of her."

Li Qingyao shook his head, "If you don't want to see her, then don't. Solving the case is our duty, but nothing is beyond your obligation."

Luo Huaizheng's heart softened, and he said more gently: "It doesn't matter. You have helped me so much and carried such great pressure to overturn the case. If I can help you a little, I will be very happy. I want to go."

Li Qingyao smiled and said, "Well, do your best and don't force yourself. I'll report this matter when I get back. Once the leader agrees, I'll try to apply for a bug and a micro camera for you. I'll also definitely deploy police force to protect your safety."

"Okay, I'll wait for your news."

Luo Huaizheng lowered his head to drink tea. Li Qingyao stared at his white, slender fingers and his calm face. He sighed and said, "Luo Huaizheng, don't be so nice all the time in the future. I'm afraid you'll suffer again."

Luo Huaizheng felt a surge of moisture in his heart, as if the tide was receding. A voice in his heart said: Then can you please take care of me like you did before?

But he couldn't say this anyway, so he just put down his teacup, smiled and said, "I'm not a young boy anymore, and I've lived a stable life all these years. I know my limits, don't worry."

"You'd better do this." Her tone was a little fierce.

Luo Huaizheng was silent for a moment, then said calmly, "Are you hungry? I'll ask someone to order some food."

"it is good."

Luo Huaizheng pressed the service bell on the table, thought for a moment, and then said, "Actually, I have a feeling that Xiang Siling's previous entanglement with me and her willingness to tell the truth was not because of love. She doesn't like me."

Li Qingyao also had doubts about this. She knew that Xiang Siling had a crush on Luo Huaizheng seven years ago, and afterward, Xiang Siling might have felt that she owed Luo Huaizheng something and felt deeply guilty. But after so many years, Xiang Siling had gone through so much, and she still loved Luo Huaizheng to death, which was indeed a bit like a fairy tale.

Luo Huaizheng said calmly: "I think she sees me as a symbol, a kind of sustenance or something like that. Oftentimes, she acts a little neurotic and cold in front of me. It's like she wants to find something she has lost in me to balance the madness she suppresses in her heart."

See you tomorrow~