Everyone looked at Ye Xuan with puzzled expressions.
“How did I not notice that?” Lin Chengfeng pressed, confused.
Ye Xuan responded slowly, “Wu Zhen hid it well. When she walked toward Officer Lin, I observed a flicker of pain on her face. At first, I thought it was due to grief causing tension in her facial nerves. But after observing for a while, I noticed her right foot wasn’t as steady as her left when she stepped forward. That’s when I sensed something was off.”
“But even if she sprained her foot, does that really prove anything?” Li Xiaoran asked curiously.
Ye Xuan shook his head. “There’s no reason to hide something like that. But since she sprained her foot and didn’t want the police to notice, it suggests the cause of her injury is related to the deceased. I suspect she lost her balance while pushing the victim, using too much force, and ended up spraining her foot!”
Hearing Ye Xuan’s words, everyone gasped in shock, looking at him with admiration.
For a moment, they seemed to forget that they were the actual detectives.
Then, Zhao Zongfei raised a question: “If that’s true, what was her motive for killing him?”
Ye Xuan lazily stretched. “That’s for you to investigate. Perhaps you should focus on why the couple never had children despite being married for so long. Also, check whether the deceased or his wife had any extramarital affairs.”
Upon hearing this, the detectives all turned their gaze toward Lin Chengfeng.
After all, without the boss’s approval, who would dare agree to Ye Xuan’s (the suspect’s) request?
After a moment, Lin Chengfeng nodded. “Work overtime tonight. We must uncover Wu Zhen’s background.”
“Yes!”
“Yes!”
“Yes!”
Early the next morning.
Police Station, Interrogation Room.
Wu Zhen, facing the stern expressions of Lin Chengfeng and Zhao Zongfei, felt uneasy.
“Officers, how is the investigation into my husband’s death going?”
Lin Chengfeng nodded expressionlessly. “It’s been resolved.”
Wu Zhen frowned, then put on a surprised expression. “That’s great! Who’s the killer?”
Zhao Zongfei grinned, his eyes fixed intently on Wu Zhen, and said in a low voice, “Ms. Wu, where were you at 11 a.m. yesterday, and who can verify it?”
Wu Zhen was momentarily stunned, her palms sweating. “I was working at the noodle shop near the entrance of the residential complex. I already told you. The shop owner can confirm it.”
Zhao Zongfei replied calmly, “But according to the surveillance footage at the entrance of the residential complex, you left the noodle shop at 10:30 and didn’t return until 11:15. How do you explain that?”
A flicker of panic flashed in Wu Zhen’s eyes, but she forced herself to stay calm. “I went to use the restroom. Besides, I didn’t enter the residential complex. If you don’t believe me, check the surveillance footage.”
Then, Wu Zhen shouted angrily, “What’s wrong with you police? Can’t catch the killer, so you’re framing me? I’m the victim’s family!”
Lin Chengfeng raised his hand, signaling Wu Zhen to calm down, and then said slowly, “Our investigation found that your relationship with the deceased was not harmonious. Over the past two years, your neighbors have frequently heard you and your husband arguing, even to the point of causing scenes at the noodle shop.”
Wu Zhen retorted defiantly, “What’s wrong with that? Isn’t it normal for couples to have arguments?”
“But you and the deceased were married for ten years and never had children. How do you explain that?”
“Having children isn’t something I could decide on my own. My husband didn’t want them.”
Lin Chengfeng sneered upon hearing this, his gaze sharp as he stared at Wu Zhen.
“However, we checked at the municipal hospital and found that you and your husband went for a medical examination two years ago. The results showed your husband suffered from azoospermia. It was because of this that the two of you began showing signs of marital discord. How do you explain that?”
Wu Zhen’s expression gradually darkened upon hearing this. The matter seemed to strike a nerve, causing her to clench her fists involuntarily.
“Officer, my husband was infertile, not me. I shouldn’t be the one at fault!”
Lin Chengfeng continued, “I must say, you have quite a talent for gambling, and this time you actually bet correctly. Because the floor was high, the delivery driver indeed didn’t bring the food upstairs. Given your husband’s volatile temper, he would definitely have gone downstairs to confront the delivery driver.”
“And earlier, you said you were going to pack a bowl of noodles for your husband. In reality, you knew your husband didn’t eat noodles. You just wanted to confirm whether he had already ordered delivery, didn’t you? After confirming your husband had placed the order, at 10:30, you left the noodle shop first and arrived ahead of time at the entrance of the 11th-floor fire escape to wait for your husband to come downstairs.”
“Then, taking advantage of your husband rushing downstairs without any precautions, you pushed him down the stairs. It’s clear how desperate your intent to kill Yu Hua was—so desperate that you used excessive force and sprained your own ankle.”
“After pushing the deceased down the stairs, you were worried that staying too long would expose you. So, despite the pain, you immediately ran toward the stairwell of Unit 1, descended from there, and finally escaped back to the noodle shop via the route you had already studied to avoid surveillance cameras.”
Wu Zhen’s eyes visibly filled with panic as she stammered, “Wh-what sprained ankle? I don’tt understand what you’re talking about.”
Lin Chengfeng sneered and pointed at Wu Zhen’s foot. “Is that so? Dare to let the forensic examiner check the injury on your foot?”
Wu Zhen trembled all over, her fists clenched tightly as she roared, “Fine, I did sprain my foot. So what? That doesn’t prove anything!”
Seeing Wu Zhen still stubbornly refusing to admit anything, Lin Chengfeng continued, “Still not going to confess? Then let’s talk about the noodle shop owner.”
Wu Zhen froze for a moment before silently lowering her head.
“The noodle shop owner is named Wu Qiusheng. He’s your childhood friend… and also your lover, isn’t he?”
“A year ago, you quit your job as an accountant at the shoe factory. But just a few days later, the noodle shop at the entrance of the community opened, and you started working there immediately. You told your husband you were fired from the shoe factory, but in reality, you quit because of Wu Qiusheng, didn’t you?”
Wu Zhen didn’t respond. Instead, her eyes reddened as she stared intently at Lin Chengfeng.
“You knew Wu Qiusheng had liked you since childhood, and you knew he had once worked at an elevator factory. So, three months ago, you approached Wu Qiusheng and offered yourself as a condition for him to tamper with the elevator in Building 6, all to prepare for your husband’s murder.”
“Originally, Wu Qiusheng was unwilling, but when he learned about the years of torment and humiliation you endured, he felt deeply distressed. So he made up his mind to help you. Over the past two months, the elevators in Unit 1 and Unit 2 of Building 6 malfunctioned five times—all caused by Wu Qiusheng at your request, right?”
Seeing that Wu Zhen still showed no reaction, Lin Chengfeng continued, “Wu Qiusheng has already been arrested. Should I bring him here to confront you face-to-face?”
Upon hearing this, Wu Zhen let out a long sigh and shook her head with a bitter smile.
“No need. Yu Hua… I did kill him.”