Chapter 63: The Secret Interrogation (Part Three)

The experienced policewoman raised another question: "So, Hu Wenyi knew you were coming to find him, and he had even prepared a marriage certificate and expensive gifts, intending to reconcile with you? Had you met before?"

Xiaoxue shook her head. "To find him, I disguised myself as one of the students shortlisted for the audition. How could he have known in advance? If he had, he would have surely hidden from me. I wanted to make sure he had nowhere to run..."

"I heard you were looking for him to take revenge?" the policewoman asked, staring into her eyes. She had already grasped the general situation from the phone call earlier.

To her surprise, Xiaoxue answered candidly, "That's right. He turned me into something neither human nor ghost. Naturally, I couldn't let him off. If possible, I would rather perish with him."

The policewoman's eyes brightened. "How did you plan to perish with him?"

"Don't let his usual sharp, fox-like demeanor fool you; he goes weak at the knees the moment he sees a pretty girl. He makes a habit of interviewing girls in his office to make it easier to molest them. At those times, he surely drops his guard, so I brought a knife with me when I went in," Xiaoxue said with lingering resentment.

Even the policewoman was taken aback. "You intended to kill him?" She hadn't expected Xiaoxue to be so blatant, and the police hadn't found any knife on her.

"I had that thought," Xiaoxue said, sounding remarkably calm.

The policewoman asked, "Just a thought? Where is the knife now?"

"It was just an ordinary fruit knife. I put it back in the kitchen after I returned home," Xiaoxue said dismissively, as if the matter were of no consequence.

"Where do you live? Please give me the specific address."

"I just rented a place in the Spring Flower Road area. It's not easy to find. If you want to go, I can lead the way." The place she described was an urban village.

The policewoman pondered for a while before asking, "Did a fake marriage certificate really make you give up your attempt to kill him? That seems a bit hard to believe."

Xiaoxue replied bitterly, "The depth of love is equal to the depth of hate. When I saw him pull out that marriage certificate, I truly thought he had turned over a new leaf. Naturally, I couldn't bring myself to be cruel." She spoke as if she hadn't been planning a murder, but rather having a momentary lapse of judgment.

The policewoman said helplessly, "Do you know that murder is a serious crime?"

"I know, but killing him would be ridding the world of a pest. I’ve already died once in spirit, so I'm not afraid to die with him," Xiaoxue said, the words spilling out instinctively.

The policewoman nodded, considering her phrasing. For a woman who seemed to have given up on life, specific interrogation techniques were needed.

"So, you didn't actually kill him," the policewoman confirmed.

Xiaoxue nodded. "I didn't succeed this time. I was deceived."

The policewoman almost blurted out, "Do you realize that is attempted murder?" but she held back; it was clear this girl was entirely ignorant of the law.

"Do you know when Hu Wenyi went missing? Tell me the exact time."

Xiaoxue thought for a moment. "After I came out, several other girls went in for interviews. I don't know when he disappeared. When I suddenly got that marriage certificate, my mind went blank. I have no idea what time it was."

"I suspect he might be hiding..." she added casually.

The policewoman caught this instantly. "You say he's hiding—what evidence do you have for that?"

"None, it's just a guess," Xiaoxue said, shaking her head quickly. "He did this often. When I was with him, he frequently went missing, sometimes disappearing for ten days or half a month. I know now that most of the time, he was off with other women..."

The policewoman asked, "So, you know he has other hideouts? Can you provide some specific addresses?"

Xiaoxue shook her head again. "I was young and naive then; I never even thought in that direction, nor could I have investigated anything. I just waited every day, sometimes crying by myself."

"In that case, when you heard the news of Hu Wenyi's disappearance, you also assumed he had just gone off to find other girls?"

"Yes," Xiaoxue nodded. "But I heard the police were looking for him this time, so I'm not so sure. Nothing like this had ever happened before. Never mind the police—even the company never bothered with his private life."

The policewoman nodded; generally speaking, these statements held some credibility.

Suddenly, an idea struck her. She asked casually, "By yourself, it's clear you couldn't have killed Hu Wenyi. Did you have an accomplice? Or, was someone behind the scenes guiding you, giving you ideas?"

"An accomplice?..." Xiaoxue fell silent.

Her expression fluctuated, lost in thought. After a long pause, she said, "I don't know anyone in this city. I truly went alone. I was prepared to die, intending to perish with him. Even if I couldn't kill him, I wasn't going to let him have an easy time."

(In the monitoring room, Chen Tianyu felt his eyelid twitch. He couldn't help but think of someone. Could it be that the Divine Eagle Cloud Assembly had also taken action? Xiaoxue's sudden appearance was already abnormal. Was he the one who instigated her to commit such a suicidal act? Given his style, it couldn't be ruled out; everyone was a potential pawn for him. And the only ones capable of uncovering Xiaoxue's past would be the Divine Eagle Detective Agency.)

The policewoman didn't press further; it had indeed been a whim.

She wrote a few lines, organized her materials, and it appeared the interrogation was coming to an end.

Xiaoxue watched her movements and asked timidly, "Officer... will I be able to leave in a while?"

"No, we still need your continued cooperation with the investigation." The policewoman looked up for a moment before returning to her work. This was a suspect brought in on an arrest warrant; there was no way she could be released so easily.

When she finished, the policewoman added, "If there is anything you missed or anything that comes to mind, tell us at any time. Remember, only by telling the truth can you successfully leave here. Do you understand?"

"Un... understand," Xiaoxue said tremblingly. "Everything I said is the truth."

The policewoman stood up. "I hope so."

"We will verify every word you say, including all the evidence you provide. Of course, you still have the chance to say more. Speaking now counts as a confession; if we uncover issues later, the penalty will be doubled." The policewoman felt a trace of sympathy for this unfortunate girl.

Most importantly, the policewoman was a local who had worked at the station for years. She had heard many sordid rumors and anecdotes about this "playboy" Hu Wenyi.

Xiaoxue thought seriously for a moment, then suddenly said, "Among the keys you confiscated earlier, one belongs to the apartment where Hu Wenyi and I once lived. I lived there until recently; when I decided to have a final showdown with him, I moved out to rent a place. If you find it suspicious, you can go take a look."

"Hmm, what is the specific address?" The policewoman hadn't expected such an unexpected gain; this would save a lot of trouble.

Xiaoxue did not hesitate again. "Room 1801, Building 3, Bihu Residential Complex, East Third Road."