Damn it!
Upon hearing that name, Qiao Hongye nearly lost control of his expression.
But he knew if he couldn’t control himself, he’d be finished. He desperately pinched his hand under the table.
After a few seconds, he finally calmed down and shook his head.
“I don’t know him, though I might have heard of him. After all, the two brigades are quite close.”
He pretended to think carefully before saying this – the most natural reaction for an ordinary person.
But no matter how he pretended, he couldn’t deceive Si Konghuai’s eyes.
Si Konghuai had interrogated countless stubborn people like Qiao Hongye. Even spies with tighter lips than him had been broken by Si Konghuai to extract information.
Let alone someone like Qiao Hongye – he easily shattered Qiao Hongye’s defenses.
“Don’t know him? You’re nervous.”
“When you heard the name Liu Mazi, your eyes darted upward twice, you took a subtle deep breath, and your hands clenched together under the table.”
Si Konghuai also brought his left hand up from under the table, revealing a mirror in his hand.
It turned out he had been prepared all along – through the mirror’s reflection, he had seen Qiao Hongye’s hidden tension!
Qiao Hongye’s face changed dramatically. His hands instinctively clenched into fists again. Then remembering what Si Konghuai had said, he immediately relaxed them.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about…”
“Liu Mazi said he gave you 20 yuan. Over the past five years, he called you and wrote you letters. I have evidence for all of this. If you don’t know him, why would he contact you?”
“Liu Mazi has already confessed. I advise you to come clean quickly and not test my patience.”
Si Konghuai curled his lips coldly, crossing his arms as he looked down on Qiao Hongye, already treating him like a prisoner.
“I don’t know, I don’t know him. He must have mistaken me for someone else. I never received any letters from him.”
Qiao Hongye denied everything three times, still refusing to admit it.
He remained stubborn, but back then, Liu Mazi, afraid Qiao Hongye would go back on his word, had specifically written a receipt with Qiao Hongye’s red thumbprint on it.
Si Konghuai directly threw the receipt in front of Qiao Hongye for him to see for himself.
“Fake! How is this possible! This definitely isn’t my thumbprint!”
Qiao Hongye looked agitated.
He had indeed written the receipt and pressed his thumbprint, but he knew this would leave evidence against him. He was also afraid Liu Mazi might use it to blackmail him later.
So he had followed Liu Mazi home, secretly watched where he hid the receipt, then found an opportunity to sneak in, steal the receipt, and tear it up.
How could this receipt appear now? It must be fake!
“This thumbprint matches yours exactly. It can’t be fake.”
“Denial is useless in the face of evidence.”
Si Konghuai said coldly, then proceeded to put the receipt away. This was evidence – he couldn’t afford to lose it.
Si Konghuai’s expression didn’t seem like he was joking, which threw Qiao Hongye into confusion. When he had stolen the receipt back then, he hadn’t examined it carefully – just glanced at it briefly.
Could it be that Liu Mazi had discovered his intention, deliberately let him see where the receipt was hidden, then after he left, secretly replaced it with a fake receipt?
No, that was impossible. How could Liu Mazi have such brains? Being outsmarted by Xia Mingyu was one thing, but how could he be fooled by a single man!
Qiao Hongye was provoked again. His mind grew heated, and he lost control of his tongue once more.
“Let me see—this fingerprint must be fake! I used my index finger to press the print back then! I demand another comparison!”
“I clearly tore it—”
Halfway through his sentence, Qiao Hongye abruptly stopped.
Regret washed over his expression. Why had he spoken without thinking again? Qiao Hongye was precisely the type of person who couldn’t keep his mouth shut, prone to causing trouble, yet just self-aware enough to realize it in time.
“Tore what?”
Si Konghuai curled his lips slightly, watching him with an ambiguous, half-smiling expression.
Was there any need for further interrogation?
Si Konghuai stood up directly.
“What are you doing? Where are you going? Are you going to convict me now?”
“I didn’t admit to anything! I just misspoke! I—”
Qiao Hongye scrambled to defend himself in a panic, but Si Konghuai had heard enough.
On the other side, Xia Mingyu had composed herself. She first put away the money—she hadn’t yet decided whether to return it to Si Konghuai in the end.
However, letting Tuan Tuan hold onto such a large sum of money was far too worrisome. If it were lost, that would be disastrous.
Even though she had taken the money, Xia Mingyu still felt the need to remind Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan.
“Don’t let him know that I already know about your conversation with him.”
“Just continue treating him as Uncle, like before.”
“Okay, Mom! We promise not to say anything we shouldn’t!”
Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan immediately covered their little mouths, nodding obediently in agreement.
But their promises were made quickly, and their loyalty to their mother’s secret was just as quickly broken.
Unaware of this, Xia Mingyu nodded in satisfaction, gently stroking her sons’ soft cheeks. She thought to herself how sensible Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan were—they always listened to her. Surely, there would be no issues.
Having temporarily resolved the parent-child relationship concerns, Xia Mingyu’s thoughts turned anxiously to the interrogation room.
She wondered how Si Konghuai’s interrogation was going. She hoped Qiao Hongye would be convicted!
If someone like him didn’t face legal consequences, she would be deeply resentful!
Xia Mingyu pressed her lips tightly together, the hatred in her eyes so intense it seemed almost tangible.
Fortunately, Si Konghuai brought good news.
“Don’t worry—Qiao Hongye has confessed. He attempted fraudulent marriage, conspired with the bachelor Liu Mazi to assault you, and abducted Tuan Tuan with the intent to give him to his superior.”
“Count by count, crime by crime—he won’t escape any of them. His mother, Li Zhaodi, is an accomplice as well.”
Si Konghuai reassured her, his voice deep and magnetic. Especially when announcing Qiao Hongye’s comeuppance, his tone sounded even more pleasing.
Xia Mingyu’s eyes brightened. She couldn’t help but fix her gaze on Si Konghuai. Though she pressed her lips together, her smile spilled out uncontrollably.
“Thank you!”
“What will happen to Qiao Hongye next? How long will his sentence be? What about Li Zhaodi?”
“Can I divorce him now?”
Xia Mingyu couldn’t resist asking a few more questions, her voice clear and melodious like a lark’s song.
Seeing Xia Mingyu so happy, Si Konghuai found himself unconsciously curling his lips into a slight smile as well.
“Sentencing isn’t within my authority, but I’ll push for a severe punishment.”
“He’ll be sentenced to at least five years. As for the military—his status will be stripped. You don’t have to worry about being unable to divorce him. He never even filed a marriage report back then; he just held a wedding banquet with you locally.”
“You don’t need military approval to divorce. You can simply separate.”
After speaking, Si Konghuai deliberately paused to observe Xia Mingyu’s expression. Seeing that she only looked happy without any trace of sadness or distress, he continued.
“Qiao Hongye has done such terrible things to you, even deceiving you into caring for his paralyzed mother for so long. Compensation for your efforts, emotional distress, nutritional expenses, and more should all be paid to you.”
“I will ensure all his assets are confiscated and given to you as compensation.”
“As an accomplice, Li Zhaodi will need to serve at least a year in prison. From now on, you are free. You no longer have to consider the feelings of that mother and son or endure their bullying.”
Si Konghuai solemnly declared, congratulating Xia Mingyu on regaining her freedom and her new life!
Xia Mingyu had already seen through the true nature of Qiao Hongye and his mother. No matter what they did, she would no longer be surprised.
So when she heard that Qiao Hongye had never even filed a marriage report, she wasn’t angry or upset. Instead, she felt relieved, as it saved her a lot of trouble.
From now on, she was truly free. She was just herself, the mother of Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan!
Even on her own, she could live a good life with her two children!
Xia Mingyu felt like setting off fireworks in her heart, and a bright, radiant smile spread across her face.
She was so overjoyed that she got a little carried away and blurted out, “Let’s go to the state-run restaurant for dinner tonight to celebrate!”
Xia Mingyu’s intention was to treat them, to thank Si Konghuai and Zhao Jianguo for their help and to celebrate her new life. But as soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted it.
Never mind whether she had the money—just the thought of having a meal with Si Konghuai made her uncomfortable!
“I…” Xia Mingyu’s smile faded slightly as she was about to say something, but Si Konghuai seized the opportunity to agree, leaving her no chance to take it back.
“Okay.”
“I’ll accompany you tonight.”