Chapter 53: The Male Owner Is Dead
— Beep — we’ve arrived at the fourth floor.
The elevator doors slowly opened to the sides. Jiang Yuan followed Meng Xiaokai out of the carriage and stopped at the door of unit 403.
Looking at the familiar door number in front of her, Jiang Yuan’s brow furrowed, and a thought flashed through her mind.
“Boss, Miss Jiang is here,” Meng Xiaokai called out towards the living room.
Jiang Yuan saw the female owner from that day sitting on the sofa, her face buried in her hands, her shoulders trembling as she sobbed.
Si Heng sat on the stool opposite. He lifted his eyelids to look at Jiang Yuan and nodded slightly, “Miss Jiang, Xiaokai will brief you on the case details first.”
“Okay,” Jiang Yuan replied softly.
Meng Xiaokai walked to her side and said in a low voice, “Miss Jiang, a citizen discovered a corpse on Fengluan Mountain. After verification, the deceased’s name is Liao Xingyuan, he is thirty-eight years old this year, and he is the male owner of this house.”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan’s gaze dimmed slightly, thinking of Jin Jin who had been waiting for the male owner to return.
He wouldn’t be able to.
Meng Xiaokai then said, “According to the forensic doctor’s appraisal, the cause of death was a fall from a cliff.”
Most people, upon hearing this, might assume Liao Xingyuan accidentally slipped while mountain climbing or perhaps committed suicide.
Si Heng sensed something amiss from the time of Liao Xingyuan’s death and the flower order receipt in his pocket.
The police visited the flower shop where Liao Xingyuan placed the order and learned from the clerk that Liao Xingyuan had said he would pick up the flowers the next day to visit his mother at the nursing home.
How could someone who planned to visit his mother the next day commit suicide?
They first ruled out the possibility of Liao Xingyuan committing suicide.
As for accidentally slipping—
Liao Xingyuan was wearing professional climbing gear, and his social media posts also showed he was a mountain climbing enthusiast.
Generally speaking, an experienced climber has a lower probability of accidentally slipping.
After hearing Meng Xiaokai’s words, Jiang Yuan’s gaze fell on the female owner again, her eyes suddenly deepening.
At this moment, Mrs. Liao, who had been sobbing softly, choked out, “My husband was a very good person. I never saw him have any conflict with anyone. I really can’t think of anyone he might have offended.”
Jiang Yuan couldn’t help but recall what Jin Jin had said on the way home that day.
She took a few steps forward and said softly, “But Mrs. Liao, as far as I know, your husband’s temper doesn’t seem to be very good.”
Hearing this, Mrs. Liao looked at her with tear-filled eyes, “Who are you, and how do you know my husband?”
Seeing her confused expression, Jiang Yuan explained, “The day before Lunar New Year’s Eve, Jin Jin and I came over. Mrs. Liao, don’t you remember?”
Mrs. Liao frowned and thought for a moment, her expression changing slightly, a hint of unease flashing quickly in her eyes.
Meng Xiaokai asked with confusion, “Miss Jiang, could there be a mistake? Liao Xingyuan had already had an accident the day before Lunar New Year’s Eve.”
“Is that so?” Jiang Yuan frowned, seemingly bewildered. “Then Mrs. Liao, who was the man impersonating your husband that day?”
Hearing these words, Si Heng scrutinized Mrs. Liao, his deep eyes filled with intense scrutiny.
“He wasn’t impersonating!” Mrs. Liao’s eyes flickered, and she lowered her gaze, saying in a low voice, “That was my cousin. You don’t know him, so I didn’t think it was necessary to explain.”
“So that’s how it is,” Jiang Yuan said with a look of realization. “Does your cousin live with you?”
Mrs. Liao quickly replied, “No! He just comes over to visit sometimes!”
Jiang Yuan: “But I saw him wearing pajamas that day.”
Mrs. Liao clasped her hands tightly, her fingernails digging lightly into her flesh. “He, his clothes got dirty that day, so I found him a set to change into and washed them.”
“I see,” Jiang Yuan slightly raised an eyebrow, a hint of a smile playing on her lips.
Even if she hadn’t heard about Mrs. Liao and her cousin from Jin Jin, she wouldn’t have believed this explanation.
Normally, if a male guest dirtied his clothes, even if it was a cousin, he would change into an outer garment to wash, not pajamas. It was too strange.
Si Heng said solemnly, “Mrs. Liao, please give us your cousin’s contact information.”
Mrs. Liao looked at Si Heng and nodded calmly, “Okay.”
Jiang Yuan looked around the room and saw a fish tank placed between the sofa and the balcony’s floor-to-ceiling window. A few small goldfish swam around the coral.
Sensing Jiang Yuan’s gaze, Si Heng got up and walked to her side. “Are you looking at the fish?”
She looked up and met the man’s dark eyes. “Mm.”
“Do you have a way?”
Jiang Yuan nodded slightly. “I’ll try.”
Mrs. Liao saw her walk to the fish tank and gently tap the glass with her knuckles.
Seeing this, Si Heng said indifferently, “Mrs. Liao, you just said you thought Mr. Liao was spending Lunar New Year with his mother at the nursing home, so you didn’t look for him, is that right?”
Mrs. Liao’s attention was diverted. “Yes, he did that in previous years…”
“Xiao Yu, hello.” Jiang Yuan leaned down slightly and greeted the small goldfish through the tank.
Attracted by her gentle call, three small goldfish swayed their tails and swam to the front of the fish tank glass, exchanging bubbles.
“Big sister, second sister, this human is so beautiful.”
“She seems to be talking to us.”
“The house is so lively today, why are so many humans here?”
Hearing their words, Jiang Yuan said in a low voice, “Because the male owner of the house is dead, and human police found out, so they’ve come to investigate.”
The three goldfish sisters were not surprised at all.
The eldest goldfish gurgled, “We already knew the male owner was dead. Humans are so stupid, only discovering it now.”
“So that’s what it is, not fun,” said the second goldfish, then turned and swam back.
Surprise flashed in Jiang Yuan’s eyes. “You knew already?”
The youngest goldfish, with her bulging fish eyes, stared curiously at Jiang Yuan. “Human, you’re so beautiful. You can actually understand us! Can you give me a flying kiss?”
Hearing this, Jiang Yuan smiled, her eyebrows curving. “Yes, but can you answer a few questions for me?”
The youngest goldfish cleverly bargained, “One question for one flying kiss.”
“Okay,” Jiang Yuan readily agreed.
Seeing her chatting with the goldfish by the tank, Mrs. Liao felt a slight sense of relief.
She had been a little scared when this woman first questioned her, but now it seemed there was nothing to worry about.
After talking with the youngest goldfish, Jiang Yuan fulfilled her promise by sending a few flying kisses before returning to Si Heng’s side.
The man glanced at her sideways and asked gently, “Any gains?”
“Yes,” Jiang Yuan nodded, glanced at Mrs. Liao, and her voice grew colder by a few degrees. “I suggest we take her to the police station.”
Si Heng understood and said lightly, “Mrs. Liao, please come with us.”
Hearing that she had to go to the police station, Mrs. Liao’s heart sank, and she panicked slightly, but still forced herself to remain calm. “I’ve said everything I need to say. If you have any more questions, ask them here. I’m not going to the police station. With all that’s happened, I’m really not in the mood to go out.”
Si Heng eyed her, his expression solemn, his deep voice brooking no argument. “Mrs. Liao, please cooperate with the police investigation.”
