Chapter 69: Qiu Ailin’s True Cause Of Death
“Ouch!” Cao Laoting cried out in pain, “My foot!”
Jiang Yuan intentionally ground her foot down harder. Glancing out of the corner of her eye at the hideous expression on the old hag’s face, she slightly curved the corner of her lips and walked directly towards the apartment building.
“Brat, you stepped on me!” Cao Laoting yelled at her back.
Jiang Yuan’s steps didn’t falter; she was calm and composed.
Reaching the third floor, she stood by her front door holding the turtle tank, but her mood suddenly became a bit nervous.
She placed the turtle tank on the shoe cabinet, took out her key to open the door, and discovered the house was quiet, with only three furballs squatting on the sofa.
As soon as they saw her, the three furballs moved simultaneously, jumping up from the sofa and rushing to her side, Xixi.
“Yuan Yuan, the cats want cat treats!”
“Yuan Yuan, I want to go out and play!”
“Yuan Yuan…”
Jiang Yuan agreed to each of them one by one, then asked, “Where’s my mom?”
Lan Mei raised her little paw, “Our mom and sister went to pick up the kids from school.”
“I see.” Jiang Yuan breathed a sigh of relief and looked around the house, her gaze falling on the small coffee table.
That spot would be suitable for Turtle.
She cleared the small coffee table and carried the turtle tank into the house.
“Yuan Yuan, what is this?” Xixi asked curiously.
Lan Mei quickly answered, “I know, it’s an old turtle.”
Xiao Bai asked doubtfully, “Why is Yuan Yuan bringing an old turtle home?”
Upon hearing Lan Mei call it an old turtle, the Red-eared Slider became furious. “You dusty stinky cat, who are you calling an old turtle?”
“Who are you calling dusty?” Lan Mei got angry too, jumped onto the sofa, and prepared to swipe the Red-eared Slider unconscious with her paw.
The Red-eared Slider, relying on its protective shell, taunted, “Aren’t you dusty? Have you never bathed? You really don’t like to be clean!”
“You—that’s making the cat so angry!” Lan Mei’s fur stood on end, her back arched, her gaze ferocious, in a posture ready to attack.
Jiang Yuan never expected to witness a cat and a turtle quarreling in her lifetime.
She found it funny, yet also a bit helpless.
She held Lan Mei, who was about to smash the turtle tank, in her arms. “Turtle is a new member of the family, you are not allowed to quarrel.”
“Yuan Yuan, it actually called me a dusty, unclean stinky cat!” Lan Mei complained pitifully, snuggled in her owner’s arms.
The Red-eared Slider was no pushover and immediately retorted, “Yuan Yuan, it was the first one to call Turtle an old turtle; it was the first one to be impolite.”
“Aren’t you just an old turtle?” the Blue Cat glared at the Red-eared Slider.
The Red-eared Slider sighed, “Family, who understands? Dealing with an unreasonable cat, Turtle is really having a tough time.”
Jiang Yuan acted as a peacemaker in the middle, mediating for a long time before finally getting the turtle and cat to quiet down.
The sound of a key unlocking the door came from the entrance.
Deng Rui and Jiang Die returned after picking up the children.
Deng Rui opened the door and saw Jiang Yuan sitting on the sofa with three furballs nestled beside her. “I bumped into Cao Laoting downstairs just now, and she said you stepped on her foot and demanded our family pay her medical expenses.”
“She’s crazy.” Jiang Yuan showed disdain, “I was just carrying a turtle tank home, and she deliberately stuck her foot out to trip me. As a joke, I stepped right on it.”
Deng Rui also chuckled, “Good job stepping on her.”
Her gaze fell on the turtle tank on the small coffee table, and the smile on her face froze. “You’re planning to keep a turtle at home?”
“Can I?” Jiang Yuan looked at her, her eyes sparkling with expectation.
Deng Rui said annoyedly, “You’ve already brought it home, can I say no?”
Jiang Yuan’s eyes curved, and she smiled, “You really are the gentlest, kindest, and most beautiful mother in the whole world!”
“Stop flattering me!” Deng Rui pretended to be disgusted.
Zhan Zhan and Momo put down their small backpacks and gathered around to look at the turtle, their innocent faces filled with surprise and curiosity.
Suddenly being watched, the Red-eared Slider felt a bit shy and retracted its head into its shell.
Momo exclaimed in surprise, “Brother, the turtle hid in its shell! It’s so fun!”
Zhan Zhan’s lips curved into a smile, “It’s really interesting!”
Seeing this scene, Lan Mei felt even more displeased with the Red-eared Slider.
After all, the two human cubs usually came to play with them as soon as they got home.
Now, it had been snatched away by the old turtle!
Sooner or later, it would knock the old turtle unconscious with one paw!
Late at night, Wutong Apartment.
Dai Ruofei, wearing a black Chanel dress and carrying a black Gucci bag, stepped out of a black Mercedes-Benz, wearing high heels.
She waved to the person inside the car, a sweet smile on her face, “Young Master Zheng, see you next time.”
The black Mercedes-Benz drove away.
Dai Ruofei stood under the dim streetlight, took out a cigarette from her bag, and lit one.
She turned to look at the spot where Qiu Ailin had fallen from the building, her eyes filled with complex emotions.
“Miss Dai.” Someone called her from behind.
Dai Ruofei turned around and saw Si Heng and Meng Xiaokai. Her expression suddenly changed, and her tone revealed resistance, “What are you doing here again?”
Si Heng said lightly, “There are still some questions, and we need Miss Dai to come to the police station.”
“I’m not going.” Dai Ruofei frowned. “I’ve said everything I have to say. Are you never going to stop? Don’t come looking for me anymore!”
Meng Xiaokai said sternly, “We are investigating a case at the police station, so we ask Miss Dai to cooperate.”
Dai Ruofei said angrily, “Qiu Ailin committed suicide by jumping off the building herself, what’s the point of you guys asking over and over?”
Si Heng observed her impatient demeanor and said unhurriedly, “If I’m not mistaken, the outfit Miss Dai is wearing should be Qiu Ailin’s.”
Dai Ruofei’s face changed drastically. “You, what nonsense are you talking about?”
A faint smile played on Si Heng’s lips. “Miss Dai, you acted so sad when giving your statement yesterday, why do you seem like a different person today? Don’t you want to find out the real cause of Qiu Ailin’s death?”
“I, I don’t,” Dai Ruofei’s eyes flickered guiltily. “Didn’t Ailin jump off the building herself? What other real cause of death could there be?”
Si Heng calmly observed her reaction. “Some citizens have provided us with a clue. At the time of the incident yesterday, besides Qiu Ailin, there was another person present in your house.”
Dai Ruofei suddenly looked up at him, her eyes filled with shock.
The reason she was so surprised was not because she heard that another person was present in the house, but because she didn’t expect anyone to have seen it.
“Surprised?” Si Heng looked at her with a half-smile.
Dai Ruofei opened her mouth, and after a long while, she said, “I don’t know anything, don’t ask me anymore!”
After saying that, she turned and ran into Wutong Apartment.
Si Heng stared at her retreating back, his dark eyebrows furrowed.
Meng Xiaokai said in a low voice, “Her reaction makes it obvious that she knows something.”
Dai Ruofei went upstairs and looked down from the balcony. Seeing that Si Heng and Meng Xiaokai were no longer there, she breathed a sigh of relief.
She collapsed on the ground, feeling powerless.
At 4:30 AM, someone who was drowsy suddenly heard a heavy thud.
At 6:30 AM, an old woman selling breakfast pushed her cart to Wutong Apartment and screamed in fright when she saw someone lying in a pool of blood.
