Simulated Crime, This Criminal Doesn’t Seem to Be Acting

“I'm just taking him to have a look, not for a formal mental forensic assessment. You know what to do, right?” Ye Sangsang added.

Faced with the barrage of information from Ye Sangsang, Yang Hao's lips parted slightly. He paused for two seconds before nodding dumbly, “Alright… alright, I’ll make the arrangements!”

Though he said he would contact someone and his hands were moving, he didn’t actually understand anything. What was this about mental perception disorders, schizophrenia? Would these conditions make him admit to being the murderer?

He felt his brain racing, but after all that thinking, he was left with nothing. However, when it came to doing tasks, he was competent. He quickly got in touch with a professional doctor and arranged for a mental evaluation.

But no matter how he looked at it, this person just seemed a bit sluggish in speech and actions. He didn’t seem to be mentally ill!

Ye Sangsang, on the other hand, was pondering what was going on with Zhou Ya.

His symptoms were mild. If one didn’t have knowledge of mental illnesses, they might miss them altogether. Or perhaps if he simply recounted the details of his crime, most people wouldn’t notice anything amiss because the evidence and eyewitness accounts were already there.

After asking him for quite a while, he still didn’t respond to her questions. It seemed this line of inquiry was a dead end.

Ye Sangsang thought for a moment and decided to investigate both cases simultaneously.

She felt that beyond being linked by Zhou Ya, the two cases must have other points of connection.

Yang Hao went off to handle his tasks, while Ye Sangsang approached Zhou Xue. She observed that he seemed indifferent to his brother on the surface but was secretly concerned. He likely had some understanding of his brother’s other aspects.

She sat down opposite Zhou Xue. After a moment’s consideration, she didn’t directly inquire about her intentions but asked about something else. “Mr. Zhou, you’ve been busy handling your brother’s affairs many times. Do you ever feel burdened by him?”

Given that his brother had no children and was emotionally difficult, Zhou Xue had taken care of him for many years. Even the deepest affection would wear thin over time.

“Sometimes I do feel that way, but it’s just a fleeting thought. I only have him as my family now. Who else would take care of him if not me?” Zhou Xue let out a bitter laugh, his expression a mix of emotions—wistful, relieved, and apprehensive.

【Yes, a love-hate relationship.】

【If it were me, I’d probably feel the same. Life often leaves us with no choice.】

【If his brother really died, he’d be the most heartbroken.】

The audience was mainly older, and some had family members like this, so they could empathize with Zhou Xue’s situation.

Ye Sangsang’s expression softened with a touch of consolation. She sighed, “You’re a good brother. Having someone to lean on isn’t a lonely existence.”

“Then, Officer Wang, you must get to the bottom of my brother’s case. My brother isn’t like that,” Zhou Xue hesitated for two seconds before quickly returning to the main topic and asked Ye Sangsang.

Ye Sangsang nodded, “We’ll do our best. By the way, does your brother have any friends or close acquaintances?”

Zhou Xue shook his head firmly, then lowered his eyes and thought for a moment before replying, “No, he doesn’t. He interacts with people just to be acquainted; he doesn’t form deep relationships. You know, he has that… issue. Because of that, his personality is quite gloomy, and he can’t form close bonds with others.”

Ye Sangsang’s eyes flickered as she continued to ask more questions, then said to him, “In this case, since the evidence is overwhelming, I suggest you find a lawyer to consult with us.”

“Alright…” Zhou Xue nodded gravely, stood up as Ye Sangsang rose.

He had only taken a two-hour leave from the publishing house and now had to return to work.

As he was leaving, he asked, “Is there anything needed inside the detention center? What should I prepare?”

“The lawyer will be more experienced and can give you detailed advice,” Ye Sangsang gestured for him to leave, following behind him.

Zhou Xue walked out with a somewhat unsteady gait.

Ye Sangsang saw him out of the criminal investigation squad and handed him her contact number, stating that he could reach out if anything came up.

This was standard procedure for the police. They needed to keep in touch with the defense about the case’s progress or legal consultations.

Zhou Xue accepted the number with both hands and turned to leave.

At that moment, Yang Hao returned, having taken someone for a mental evaluation.

If it were a formal procedure, it would involve many steps, including applying for a mental forensic assessment. The evaluation center would usually take about half a month to deliver a professional assessment, and the process would need oversight.

This kind of evaluation couldn’t yield results quickly, so Ye Sangsang’s intention was simply to take him to the center for an initial assessment. If they could determine whether he had mental issues, it would greatly aid their investigation.

Once their suspicions were confirmed, Ye Sangsang would have to abandon the Zhou Ya lead and focus on other leads.

For instance, the writer’s wife, Yu Qingqing.

And the letter that resembled a manuscript.

Yang Hao soon brought back news. Without a report, the gist was that Zhou Ya probably had both emotional and perceptual disorders as well as mild schizophrenia.

“I didn’t expect you to be right, Sister Lan. The center has a high school classmate of mine, and he said this disorder can cause hallucinations, delusions, and even aggressive behavior. Even in its mild form, it can be quite difficult to handle when it flares up.”

Yang Hao’s mouth kept going, his eyes filled with admiration for Ye Sangsang, thinking she was clairvoyant.

【Hahaha, Yang Hao seems kind of cute.】

【That clear-eyed naivety of a college student, it’s almost spilling out of the screen.】

【Admire her! My Sister Sangsang is the best!】

After listening, Ye Sangsang confirmed her suspicions. She looked at him and said, “What do you think about this case? Based on your thoughts, how should we proceed?”

Yang Hao pursed his lips and thought for a moment before saying, “Sister Lan, if the case wasn’t actually done by Zhou Ya, do you think it’s possible someone knew about his condition and killed someone, deliberately making him bury the body? When things came to light, Zhou Ya might not be able to distinguish reality from his delusions, and when we questioned him, he’d confess… He wouldn’t be able to tell reality from his hallucinations and would be certain he was the killer.”

“Or, Zhou Ya knew he had the illness and took the blame for someone else, hoping we’d close the case and he’d be cleared at the first trial after applying for a mental forensic assessment. That way, both he and the person behind it could escape legal punishment.”

Yang Hao finished confidently, believing his speculation was likely close to the truth.

If Zhou Ya wasn’t the murderer, then the person behind it was likely using one of these two schemes!

“There’s a possibility. Keep going,” Ye Sangsang praised him and signaled for him to continue.

Yang Hao rubbed his chin back and forth. “We should next investigate Zhou Ya’s relationships, or focus on Yu Qingqing, and thoroughly investigate this deceased person’s closest connections.”

【Much better than me. Without knowing about the illness, he still knows to ask around and understand. His logic is also very clear.】

My brain isn’t great; I rely on others to analyze things for me. I originally watched Yang Hao with a beginner's mindset, but it turns out he’s not stupid at all.

【He’s a professional. Even if Yang Hao seems inexperienced, he’s still a police academy graduate.】

The chat was flooded with comments after listening to the discussion. Yang Hao’s speculation made sense to many. His next steps for the investigation were exactly the same as Ye Sangsang’s, who had already started by questioning Zhou Xue.

Yang Hao’s awkwardness in investigating was only relative.

Ye Sangsang nodded with a smile, “Very good, excellent.”

“Hehe, it’s still thanks to Sister Lan’s keen observation, noticing he might have a mental illness, which prevented us from going down the wrong path and having to start over later,” Yang Hao scratched his head, genuinely admiring Ye Sangsang’s sharpness.

Ye Sangsang didn’t say anything. Her expertise in this area mainly came from her experience in mental hospitals, where she had come across many mental illnesses.

With that, it was time for a break. After exhausting herself for eight or nine hours, Ye Sangsang decided to log off.

She bid farewell to the audience and opened her eyes. A fine rain wafted through the window.

Today wasn’t a sunny day but a gentle drizzle. She turned her head and gazed out for a long time. She loved such scenes because they always gave her a sense of vitality.

The nurse brought her medication, which Ye Sangsang quickly took, followed by her breakfast.

Dr. Zhang was relatively gentle, or perhaps he had sensed that Ye Sangsang was unwilling to undergo rehabilitation, so he did not arrange for a physical therapist for her legs.

Maybe he was afraid of stimulating her.

Ye Sangsang had no particular thoughts on the matter; her refusal was not because she was against rehabilitation. She simply wanted to reject him.

She extended her hand and, with practiced ease, maneuvered herself into the wheelchair, then proceeded to go outside to read and enjoy the rain.

The sound of raindrops pattering on the ground was quite pleasing, and Ye Sangsang read half a book while listening to it. After finishing her lunch, she took her usual midday nap and did not log into the virtual game.

Although the virtual game and reality seem identical, reality still held a certain charm.

This day was no different from any other; after all, many things cannot be achieved overnight and require patience.

At eight in the evening, Ye Sangsang put on her device and entered the game.

Ye Sangsang shared her inquiry notes about Zhou Xue with Yang Hao, saying, "Go and retrieve the call records of Zhou Ya's phone number. See if there are any suspicious numbers."

"What about you, Lanjie?" Yang Hao asked.

He wasn't worried that Ye Sangsang might slack off; he simply wanted to know what she was up to, just for clarity.

Ye Sangsang replied, "I'm reading a letter."

The letter, or manuscript, that had been interrupted twice, now demanded her attention. She needed to carve out some time to uncover its true nature.

Apart from the second scenario's name being somewhat nebulous and difficult to interpret, the other scenario names were straightforward, especially the previous one.

The word "Escape" succinctly described what she needed to do.

This current scenario was called "A Letter," and Ye Sangsang wasn't sure if this letter was the same one she had in mind, but it didn't hinder her from reading it.

The reason she was puzzled by the term "letter" was that there was no opening salutation or closing signature.

Even so, it felt like a letter due to its beginning.

The text started with, "Excuse me for disturbing you, Senior Yunxing. I heard that you are currently brainstorming a new book but lacking inspiration. As a long-time reader of yours, I wanted to send you a story that might spark some ideas for your new book."

This format was reminiscent of a manuscript yet also had the feel of an incoming letter.

Ye Sangsang finished the first paragraph and continued reading.

This passage was narrated in the voice of a female reader, recounting an incident from ten years ago.

She said she lived in the countryside of Su City, in a town characterized by cobblestone streets and Huizhou-style architecture—a typical southern Jiangnan water village.

The environment was roughly described, along with the school and her sister's studies, before the narrative shifted to the main topic.

She and her sister were very close. Due to some issues at school, her sister had been feeling down lately. She often took her sister out for walks to pass the rare leisure time, and eventually, they met a young man, a temporary resident from elsewhere.

A young and handsome man with fair skin and an intellectual aura.

Both girls were attending the town's only high school and, after encountering the young man, they began frequenting the local bookstore, hoping to cross paths with him.

The letter delved into describing the young man's distinctiveness compared to the town and his allure, enhanced by his profession as a painter, which made people see him through a romanticized lens.

The sister was almost instantly captivated by his unique charm.

The younger sister didn't show much reaction, but every time the sister suggested going to the bookstore, she would tag along.

The subdued yet fervent secret love of youth was both intense and shy, with each encounter making the girl's heart race.

Even though Ye Sangsang didn't fully grasp the emotions, she still chose to read through this section without skipping.

Over time, the younger sister also began to enjoy accompanying her elder sister.

The feelings of both sisters were becoming increasingly evident.

This atmosphere persisted for nearly half a year.

Even when the girls' parents discovered their interactions with the outsider and scolded them, even slapping them, their feelings did not diminish.

The bond between them, as described in the letter, became increasingly intense.

However, gradually, the sister found out that her younger sister also had feelings for the painter.

In fact, her sister had already given herself to him... and was carrying his child.

From her sister's words, it seemed the painter was planning to take her away.

The sister was both angry and jealous. She told their parents, stirring up a big commotion.

Her sister was dragged by their parents to an out-of-town hospital for an abortion.

Ye Sangsang frowned slightly.

【A melodramatic tale.】

【This actually happened!】

【Silence, I’m having the same expression as Sangsang right now.】

After reporting the matter, the sister went to confront the painter.

Since the incident had unfolded to its conclusion, the painter had remained cowardly and did not step forward.

But what shocked her was that there were other girls in the painter's house.

The sister had initially thought it was only her and her sister, and her rose-tinted glasses shattered instantly.

At first, she had assumed that her sister wanted to take what was hers, and the painter simply preferred her sister.

But now it seemed it was just her wishful thinking.@@novelbin@@

Or perhaps they had both been played.

She listened to the women's cries in the house, then drifted back home in a daze.

Some time later, her sister took her own life.

The painter also left the town one morning, vanishing into the mist.

Ye Sangsang stared at the page for a few seconds, fell silent for half a minute, and continued reading.

【This development is quick.】

【The writing is quite detailed, but it feels ordinary for a writer.】

【My gosh, why did it turn out like this? Suicide isn’t necessary.】

【Not necessarily, it’s normal to be unable to accept it for a while.】

For the audience, especially those over twenty, they had learned to accept that mistakes occurred during adolescence, such as falling in love with someone and being discovered to have had an abortion. Although it was embarrassing for the parents, if they had already taken their daughter for an abortion, years later, the incident would fade.

However, some viewers understood that ten years ago, in 1997, the public mindset wasn't as open. The pressure from her parents and the community's gaze might have been too much to handle, leading to her decision to end her life.

Ye Sangsang put down the first page and, using an evidence bag, began to read the second page of the letter.

The second page expressed the sister's confusion. After the immense anxiety from reporting to their parents and the guilt from her sister's plight, she had regained some clarity.

Before her sister's suicide, she had asked her why she had gotten involved with the painter.

Her sister sat there, apathetic, and did not respond to her question.

She had thought they were in competition, so she turned and left.

That departure marked the permanent separation from her younger sister.

The next time she saw her sister was when townsfolk fished her bloated, pale, and swollen body out of a well.

The sister fell apart, but the first thing that came to her mind was to find the painter, who had not yet left, and confront him.

She wanted to ask why he had remained silent and why he had involved her sister.

She even wondered, why not her? Why couldn't it have been her?

Naive and self-centered, the girl’s thoughts were a mix of innocence and selfishness.

The painter remained silent, and her parents chose not to pursue the matter.

Because they had been compensated with a sum of money, they decided to let the incident go, even without involving the police.

"My heart remains frozen in that moment, but as I grew older, I began to question my sister's death. Certain unusual aspects started to make sense to me."

"For example, my sister wasn't in a mutual relationship with him; she was violated."

"The money wasn't just to appease my parents but also for atonement."

"Because five years later, I met a classmate who had been in the painter's bed. At the time, she was already married and told me that she hadn't been willing to be with the painter. He had seduced her, and she had thought it was just a date, but it turned out to be a nightmare."

"I hated the painter."

Ye Sangsang looked at those words and calmly flipped to the next page.

【The truth is actually like this, terrifying.】

【So the painter used his appearance to entice young girls and violated them.】

【But look at it this way, the sister was actually the lucky one.】

After turning the page, the reader continued reading.

The third page wasn't particularly long. The letter's sister indeed harbored hatred for the painter and loathed her own actions back then, but she couldn't do anything about it.

With the vastness of the world, where could she even find the painter?

It wasn't until she left the town and was sponsored to attend university that she found a glimmer of hope.

Just before her graduation, at a weekend art exhibition she attended with her colleagues, she saw the painter's name again—a name she was all too familiar with.

What disappointed her was that the painter hadn't ended up poor and destitute as she had imagined, despite his misdeeds.

Instead, he achieved success and had a very happy family life.

There was nothing more infuriating than seeing an enemy prosper.

A strong desire for revenge welled up in her heart.

At the same time, she discovered something: the painter also wrote mystery novels and was quite famous.

In one of the painter's books, it seemed that the sister's story was written.

However, he was completely absent from the narrative.

She began to plot her revenge. She disguised herself with another identity to get close to him and made him fall in love with her.

Then, she planned to reveal everything to him on a certain night, in a casual, joking manner.

She recorded his confession and threatened to make it public, eventually watching him choose to commit suicide.

Just like her sister.

But the story didn't end with the protagonist's suicide. Instead, it ended with the painter's wife entering and saying she had something to say.

Earlier, it was merely her imagination.

However, when the letter was connected with what actually happened in reality, everything seemed so mysterious and eerie.

The author was dead.

【Shivers are running down my spine. Was the wife seeking revenge on the author? Did she design the author's suicide? The author who received the letter in real life is dead.】

【Interestingly connected, but was the author's death really a suicide?】

My brain can't handle this anymore, boohoo.

The audience followed Ye Sangsang through the whole process and was completely confused because it was hard not to draw parallels.

Ye Sangsang put down the papers, her expression thoughtful.

Normally, she wouldn't need to read something twice, but seeing this, she read the letter again.

Was the letter truly linked to the author's death?

So, in the letter, the wife who might be the murderer, was she the killer in reality?

Ye Sangsang put the things down. She didn't quite believe in such one-sided claims. This letter could only be used as a reference; she thought it was completely impractical to treat it as the standard answer for investigating.

Especially with this sister and brother, Ye Sangsang felt a contradiction.

Now it seemed, this case wasn't that easy to solve.

Ye Sangsang carefully put away the letter and stood up, deciding to go see the deceased Ye Hua's wife, Yu Qingqing.

But before that, Ye Sangsang needed to confirm the specific cause of death.

This required a professional autopsy to determine if it wasn't due to poisoning or disease.

Don't look at the fact that it has been a long time, it was actually just after work time.

But in this era, overtime has become the norm for criminal police, so no one really pays attention.

Fortunately, the result wasn't much of a disagreement; it was indeed smashed to death, mainly due to the great strength, possibly using a solid, pure copper decorative item, which, with the strength added, smashed the skull and pierced the internal tissue, leading to death due to bleeding without receiving treatment.

Copper is denser than iron, so a copper decorative item of the same size would have much more impact than an iron one.

It was mainly because the forensic examiner detected some residue, or else it wouldn't be certain that the item that hit Ye Hua was a copper decorative item.

Upon getting the result, Ye Sangsang fell into deep thought. Copper is quite expensive; decorative items made of pure copper indicate the person has some strength.

"To kill an adult man with one hit, you need quite a bit of strength," a male voice sounded next to Ye Sangsang.

Ye Sangsang turned to look at the person, it was Wang Lan's boyfriend.

She no longer felt uncomfortable and tried to keep a normal attitude, following up with the speculation: "Yes, at least this one hit, it really shows the strength of the user. It would require at least around thirty kilograms of hand strength to create such a large wound."

That is to say, at least someone who has practiced or has been doing heavy physical work for a long time.

Actually, from this point alone, Zhou Ya fits. He has worked on construction sites and has great hand strength.

He looked again, "You're going to investigate his wife now, right?"

Ye Sangsang looked at him. This person, named Wei Quan, is also an experienced criminal police officer.

She shifted her gaze to his hands, "Are you closing the case?"

Wei Quan nodded, shaking the files in his hand, "This case, still not challenging enough. I prefer the case you're holding, the mystery is strong."

"Investigating a case is investigating a case, which one isn't difficult? If you think it's not challenging enough, you can investigate some old unsolved cases, give yourself some stimulation." Ye Sangsang sincerely suggested.

Wei Quan's eyes showed a smile, then he became serious, "I've heard you discuss, I think this case, the key might be in Ye Hua himself. I feel this person is very complicated."

【Is this a hint?】

【Is Ye Hua a complex person? Feels a bit dangerous.】

【Wei Quan is hinting, right? Asking Ye Sangsang to agree to investigate together.】

Ye Sangsang's gaze fell on Ye Hua's information, nodding to show she understood, then turned and left.

Their interactions seemed to be very business-like. She followed the previous setting, listening then leaving.

Wei Quan helplessly waved at her, "Why does she listen then run off, not paying any attention to her boyfriend's feelings at all!"

Since it was already past work hours, Ye Sangsang could only take the documents home to read, to see where the problem was.

As for going to see Yu Qingqing, Yang Hao called to ask, and she was dealing with some contract issues with her husband and the publishing house.

After all, what he owed couldn't be delivered, so the remaining contracts needed to be handled.

Ye Sangsang understood and could only wait until tomorrow to ask.

After reading, she quickly jumped the timeline and drove to Yu Qingqing and her husband's villa.

The police line was still up, and when they arrived, Yu Qingqing was also there.

One, the police said they needed to protect the scene, and two, the house where someone died made Yu Qingqing a bit scared to live alone, so she moved to another house they owned.

Yu Qingqing took out the key and opened the door.

Ye Sangsang noticed her eyes were a bit swollen, looking like she had cried last night.

After re-examining the scene, Ye Sangsang looked up at the overall structure of the house and some other details.

Crystal lamps hung in every room, the interior truly very exquisite.

She lifted up the carpet, her gaze falling on the small white foam balls, then covered the carpet again.

Yu Qingqing didn't seem afraid of them inspecting and went to the kitchen to boil water and make tea.

"No clues!" Yang Hao looked at Ye Sangsang and said.

Ye Sangsang didn't speak and continued to look at the house.

Zhou Ya's footprints and fingerprints were almost all over the room. He had rummaged through various drawers and the bed, looking for valuable items.

She stood in the middle of the room, thinking about how he climbed the wall, bent down, quietly walked into the room, and pushed open the door to the study.

Looking at the study, he was stunned for a moment, then turned to start searching. He was too scared to go to the living room, so he found money in the study, happily pocketed it, and left.

Throughout the whole process, Ye Hua didn't appear, maybe because there was no light, or he simply ignored Ye Hua's existence.

In this way, a theft was completed. He was excited and took the things back to his old house in the countryside, even extravagantly taking a taxi.

After completing it, he returned to his rented house, filled his stomach, and went to sleep, until the police knocked on his door.

Ye Sangsang's eyes showed confusion; why did he insist on taking everything back to his old house that night, especially when he knew there was a buried body in the old house?

Unless, it was deliberately to have them find the body in the old house...

Thinking of this, Ye Sangsang paused.

At this moment, Yu Qingqing called out, "Please have a cup of tea, take a break."

Both were busy, called out, then responded and came out, sitting on the sofa.

Looking at the delicate porcelain cups in front, Yang Hao's expression was a bit nervous. He carefully picked one up and took a sip, afraid he might accidentally chip such beautiful teacups.

"Feel at ease. I know, this time you're here mainly to ask me questions. As a wife, I have a big suspicion," Yu Qingqing laughed bitterly, then a bit calmly said.

Ye Sangsang took out the letter, sealed in a bag of evidence, from her portable bag: "Who wrote this?"

Yu Qingqing looked at the manuscript without any surprise and directly said, "I wrote it."

Ye Sangsang nodded. This manuscript indeed wasn't written by Ye Hua. She had just seen the other manuscripts and letters from Ye Hua in the study.

Ye Hua's handwriting was quite different from the letters.

Ye Sangsang spread out the three manuscripts, her gaze falling on Yu Qingqing, ready to listen to what she had to say.

Since she had the courage to admit it, she certainly had her reasons.

Yu Qingqing felt her gaze and her expression gradually shifted from sadness to resignation. "Actually, my husband, in terms of writing mystery novels, has been losing his spark. Or rather, since his work 'Past of Yund Capital,' he hasn't been able to write any more mystery novels."

Yang Hao's lips parted slightly as he responded, "But I've done some research, and he published two more novels after 'Past of Yund Capital.'"

"The other two were written by me. I was planning to submit them myself, but he saw them and submitted them to the publisher under his name," Yu Qingqing said, her eyes carrying a trace of melancholy. "At the time, he made sense; under his name, those novels could be published."

Ye Sangsang looked at her. "So that manuscript was part of a new novel."

"Yes, but I didn't want to give it to him. The new novel was my favorite idea, and for it, we had the first big argument since we got married. I never thought he would die just two days later. If I had known, I probably wouldn't have argued so fiercely. If he wanted it, he could have it; money would have been fine for me."

Yu Qingqing lowered her head, her tone filled with regret. She regretted being so adamant and arguing over fame and fortune that paled in comparison to her husband's importance.

[This seems a bit like being love-stricken?]

[Yeah! She would rather give up fame and fortune just to have her husband alive.]

[The manuscript does seem like it was written by a woman. The writing is quite delicate, with a focus on psychological changes.]

The audience seemed to accept this explanation. Ye Sangsang, however, looked at Yu Qingqing and asked, "Is the content of this letter manuscript based on a real incident?"

Yu Qingqing was taken aback. She had expected Ye Sangsang to question the truth of the matter but instead asked about the content. She replied, "No, there was no real incident. The painter who later became a writer was just to fit my husband's identity. In my scenario, he committed suicide due to guilt and threats."

"So, would someone capable of such atrocities feel guilty? Or would they not try to kill their wife and cover up the secret instead?" Ye Sangsang countered directly.

Yu Qingqing smiled, admiring Ye Sangsang's sharpness, and spoke with a touch of appreciation, "Yes, suicide is just a polite way of putting it. The wife had already drugged him before the confrontation. Afterward, he would 'die of guilt.'"

"There’s still a lot of content. This is more like a brief outline that would be expanded into tens of thousands of words," Yu Qingqing thought for a moment before explaining. "Actually, I was in a hurry to get it back yesterday because I was afraid you might misunderstand."

Ye Sangsang nodded with understanding and then asked about something else. "Do you know Zhou Xue?"

Yu Qingqing looked puzzled, as the abrupt change in topic caught her off guard. But she still answered patiently, "Yes, he’s my husband’s editor. He even called a few days ago, urging my husband for the manuscript."

"He’s quite polite. He’s known my husband for a long time. It turns out that my husband had sponsored him through high school and college. Later, by chance, he became an editor and, upon visiting our home, discovered their past connection as sponsor and recipient."

Yang Hao was a bit confused by this revelation. Besides Zhou Ya, did Zhou Xue also have something to do with Ye Hua's death?

Ye Sangsang smiled at Yu Qingqing. "Thanks for the explanation. Can we take a look around the villa?"

"Please, feel free."

Yu Qingqing was very gracious.

Ye Sangsang picked up her cup, took a sip of tea, and then got up to explore the villa.

They still hadn't found the murder weapon, so they needed to search for it.

And so, the two of them began their search.

But they found nothing.

Ye Sangsang decided to go ask Zhou Xue again.

Zhou Ya's call records surfaced, showing calls from three months ago to recently. Besides those from Zhou Ya, the rest were from the local police station.

If Zhou Xue was using Zhou Ya, then Yang Hao's previous speculations could both be realized. Whether it was misleading or later escaping punishment, Zhou Xue had it too easy. A mental evaluation would only involve a word with a lawyer.

When Ye Sangsang left, Yu Qingqing was packing some simple clothes and jewelry in the villa, preparing to leave soon.

She reminded her that she couldn't leave the city for now before Ye Sangsang and Yang Hao left together.

There was so much to gather in the investigation, such as Yu Qingqing and Ye Hua's financial situation.

Wei Quan had said Ye Hua was no ordinary man, but just how extraordinary was he?

Or perhaps, Zhou Ya was the one who committed the murder, but he was manipulated into doing so. What was the ultimate goal of the manipulator, and what was the motive for the murder?

Ye Sangsang felt there were too many factors to consider.

She had a hunch that someone was leading them deeper into this investigation.

When they found Zhou Xue, he wasn't in the office, apparently busy with something.

Ye Sangsang and Yang Hao could only wait.

After ten minutes or so, Zhou Xue returned and saw the two of them.

Zhou Xue apologized, "I went out to see a lawyer during the lunch break."

Ye Sangsang nodded, motioning for them to sit down.

Once seated, Ye Sangsang asked, "Do you know who the other victim in the case besides the female victim was?"

Zhou Xue shook his head.

"Ye Hua," she said.

Zhou Xue's eyes widened, visibly shocked.

He asked several times in disbelief before finally accepting the news, his face quickly contorting with pain.

After a pause, he looked at Ye Sangsang and stated firmly, "It must have been Yu Qingqing. She’s long been dissatisfied with Ye Hua’s extensive financial support to others. A few days ago, they had a huge fight over money. Since Ye Hua couldn't continue writing novels, he found me, his editor, to drink and vent his frustrations."

"It must have been her!"

Both sides pointed the finger at each other, with one obviously lying.

Ye Sangsang gathered some more information and then returned to the team.

Yang Hao also found it difficult to glean any useful information from this chaotic situation. Once in the office, he looked at Ye Sangsang.

Ye Sangsang thought of something. "Check how he sponsored people. Also, look into Zhou Xue’s background to confirm the truth of his story."

Both sides were trying to shift the focus onto the other. She wanted to see who the real culprit was.