Chapter 50: Fugitive Girlfriend

In the investigation report provided by Lin Heyu, the information about Zhao Shen’s girlfriend was brief: Qiao Ruofei, female, 26-year-old saleswoman at a cosmetics company. She had lived with Zhao Shen for two years, they had a good relationship, and they planned to get married next year.

Zhao Shen’s parents had met Qiao Ruofei and had a favorable impression of the fair-skinned, big-eyed girl. They had arranged for both sets of parents to meet in the next half year to finalize the marriage. Unexpectedly, a sudden turn of events occurred, and their son became a murderer and went into hiding.

Upon learning that Zhao Yang’s so-called “girlfriend” was Qiao Ruofei, Lin Heyu immediately contacted colleagues on Haijing’s side to investigate when Qiao Ruofei left Haijing. Soon, his colleagues provided a response: After the police investigation concluded, Qiao Ruofei left Haijing City on a business trip, and her destination was Ye Cit. Surprisingly, she ended up in Shengzhou.

“Why did she come to Shengzhou City?” Zou Bin was puzzled. “Is she here to find Zhao Shen?”

He Wei nodded, considering the possibility.

“But Zhao Shen is a fugitive! He’s even killed two people. Wouldn’t she be afraid?”

“If you have the time, you can learn about ‘criminal adoration syndrome.’ It’s often reported abroad. Some serial killers receive love letters in prison, many from women of all walks of life, including intellectuals. If Qiao Ruofei has this psychological inclination and also harbors a desire to rescue, it wouldn’t be strange for her to come to find Zhao Shen.” He Wei looked at Lin Heyu. “What’s your take on this?”

“It’s quite possible, but her relationship with Zhao Yang—” Lin Heyu’s gaze was meaningful, “We can’t rule out the possibility that she’s here for Zhao Yang.”

He Wei said it’s simple; observing for a few more days will reveal the truth. Qiao Ruofei might know where Zhao Shen is, so let’s not tip her off.

Yun Xiaoxiao emerged from the room and shook her head at Wen Huabei. She had carefully observed during the registration, and there were only traces of Qiao Ruofei living in the room. There was no sign of Zhao Shen hiding here.

However, that didn’t mean Zhao Shen wouldn’t contact Qiao Ruofei. It was highly likely that he would come quietly during the night. So, Lin Heyu arranged for Zou Bin and Wen Huabei to keep watch downstairs in the old residential area, closely monitoring Qiao Ruofei’s every move. If they noticed anything suspicious, they were to report it immediately.

At the same time, Zhao Yang’s side was also tailing her. After a few days, the results were disappointing: Zhao Yang had a routine of going back and forth between home, the store, and the old residential area. Qiao Ruofei hardly left her home, and no one else came to visit her except for Zhao Yang.

“Why do you think he comes over every day and stays for a few hours? What’s he doing?” Zou Bin asked while munching on bread. Wen Huabei rubbed his sore neck and asked in return, “Two unmarried people in the same room, what do you think they might be up to?”

“I don’t think we need to doubt it; they definitely have something going on,” Zou Bin said, tapping his chin with his index finger in a classic detective pose. “I suspect Zhao Shen might have been killed, and they teamed up to do it.”

“Is that really necessary? Zhao Shen was a fugitive to begin with. If he’s caught, wouldn’t they just be openly together?” Wen Huabei questioned.

Zou Bin scratched the back of his head, his eyes shifting as he continued, “Zhao Shen might not have trusted them. After he came to Shengzhou, he might have hidden himself. They’re trying to bait him out, make him angry about being cuckolded, and get him to come to them. Then they can send him back behind bars and live together freely.”

“..Wouldn’t that deserve a ‘Good Citizen Award’ for them?” Wen Huabei sighed. “Let’s just focus on our own jobs, keep a close watch, and not pretend to be Sherlock Holmes and Watson here.”

The phone rang, and when Zou Bin answered it, his eyes lit up. He grabbed Wen Huabei and stood up, saying, “Let’s go, Captain Lin wants us to bring this lovey-dovey couple back to the bureau!”

——

During the lunch break, the atmosphere in the Criminal Investigation Division office was quieter. People were drowsy from the heat, and some officers were napping on their desks, while others were on their phones. A head popped in through the door, and someone called out, “Hey! Xia Liang!”

This shout woke up those who were napping, and Xia Liang chuckled as he walked in. One of his arms was in a sling, and in the other hand, he carried a bag of cold drinks. He had come to visit his hardworking colleagues.

Everyone gathered around him, and Chong Zhen walked over, tousling Xia Liang’s short hair. “Kid, how’s your arm? Your recovery speed is slow. It’s been quite a while, why is your arm still in a sling?”

“Xiao Xia, don’t listen to him. A gunshot wound isn’t like a scraped knee. Can it heal in just three to five days?” Hu Songkai rolled his eyes and slung his arm around Xia Liang’s shoulder. “How are you doing at Captain He’s place? Is his standard of living okay? His family’s living conditions are decent, right?”

Xia Liang nodded incessantly. It was simply fantastic there, almost to the point where he had forgotten his own name. He was called “young master” all day long, with meals brought up by servants to his room and daily offerings of chicken, duck, fish, and all kinds of fresh seafood, all prepared by renowned chefs. They were so delicious that he wished he could swallow his own tongue. In the evenings, he received medicinal soups and various supplements, rotated every few days to help heal his wounds. After another month of such care, he might become unable to take care of himself.

“..” Chong Zhen unwrapped an ice cream popsicle and took a big bite. “Such extravagant indulgence!”

“From frugality to extravagance is easy, from extravagance to frugality is hard!” Hu Songkai twisted open a bottle of cola and accidentally sprayed himself.

Two attractive women from the pre-trial team were enthusiastically chatting with Xia Liang, asking about Captain He’s home. They had heard rumors that Chief He’s family background was unusual, but he was so low-key in his demeanor that no one in the department really knew if the rumors were true or not.

Xia Liang casually said, “It’s alright, not too exaggerated. It’s probably a few hundred square meters upstairs and downstairs combined. You can hear echoes when you talk indoors, and there are so many rooms that I often get lost. Remember the mansion case from last month? It’s about half the size of that mansion.”

“..”

Chong Zhen sighed in frustration, “Look at you, so proud and complacent!”

Xia Liang instantly broke the illusion, grabbing onto Chong Zhen’s shoulder and exclaiming, “Oh my, what good karma did I accumulate in my past life? I used to dream about living in a mansion, and now I’m actually living in one! Captain He is truly amazing. I’m starting to believe more and more that his diligent case-solving is purely driven by interest. Our salaries wouldn’t even be enough to hire a servant in his house!”

“Is that for real?! Captain He has the perfect male god image!”

“They always said Captain He lived in the department dorms because of financial difficulties. Now I realize he’s actually experiencing life!”

The group chattered away, and just then, the protagonist of the topic entered and singled out a few people. “Chong Zhen, Da Wei, and Ke Bo come to the interrogation room. Move quickly.”

The selected individuals immediately sprang into action. He Wei spotted Xia Liang amidst the crowd and smiled. “Xiao Xia, why are you here?”

“I’ve been away from the group for too long, feeling a bit nostalgic. I took a break to come see everyone.”

He Wei observed him and nodded. “Not bad; you’ve put on some weight. Are you getting along well with my mom?”

Xia Liang quickly nodded. Auntie was really great, treating him like a son. Even when there were company meetings, she would call to ask if he had eaten and what he wanted to eat, then instruct the chef accordingly. His biological mom wasn’t even this caring.

“That’s good then. My younger brother and I have been away from home a lot, and she’s been lonely for a while.” He Wei patted Xia Liang’s shoulder. “Thank you.”

Xia Liang flashed his two prominent front teeth in a smile. “Auntie really misses you guys and often talks about you. Captain He, next time you come home, don’t rush to leave. It wouldn’t hurt to have dinner before heading back, right?”

He Wei stared at him. “I haven’t been home lately.”

“Oh? But a couple of days ago, someone came to tidy up the clothes..”

“That was probably He Lu, silly kid.” He Wei ruffled his hair. “Alright, I have things to attend to. You should head back early.”

After He Wei left, Xia Liang tilted his head in contemplation. “Huh? Did I see wrong? But I did call him ‘Captain He,’ and he turned around and smiled at me.”

———

When the police knocked on the door of Room 302, Zhao Yang and Qiao Ruofei were flustered. They were disheveled, their clothes were in disarray, and even their belts weren’t fastened. Wen Huabei and Zou Bin exchanged glances: Well, they had arrived just in time for a caught-in-the-act situation, interrupting something.

The two of them were brought in for separate interrogations at the police station. Qiao Ruofei was tight-lipped, sitting behind the interrogation table, cautiously looking at the two police officers in front of her. Especially one of them, who was the “neighborhood committee young lady” who had come a few days ago for family planning registration.

“Name.”

“Q-Qiao, Qiao Ruofei.”

“Age.”

“26.”

“Where is your household registration?”

“In Haijing City.”

“Why did you come to Shengzhou City? Are you here to find Zhao Shen? Where is he?”

Facing the police’s questioning, Qiao Ruofei’s gaze dodged around, and she lowered her head, portraying an image of fragility and helplessness. Cloud Xiaoxiao slammed her pen down. “Speak up!”

Zou Bin was taken aback by her sternness and muttered quietly outside the interrogation room, “She’s surprisingly fierce.”

Qiao Ruofei was startled too, with tears quickly welling up. Choking back her emotions, she said, “I-I’m worried about Zhao Shen..”

According to her statement, Zhao Shen had arranged to contact her once he found a safe place. But he disappeared without a trace. Qiao Ruofei had also tried reaching out to Zhao Yang, who was searching for his cousin. Anxious and concerned, she had come to Shengzhou City alone.

After arriving in Shengzhou City, Zhao Yang had arranged for Qiao Ruofei to stay in his parents’ old house for the time being. He promised to help her find Zhao Shen. Afraid of revealing her whereabouts and being discovered by the police, Qiao Ruofei hardly left the house and even had her meals delivered by Zhao Yang.

“You think he came here on vacation? And you actually came to find him? He’s a fugitive!” Wen Huabei, who was taking notes, felt speechless. Qiao Ruofei shook her head, tears welling up in her large eyes. “No, I don’t think so. I don’t believe he’s a murderer. He might have been framed!”

Wen Huabei walked over, slamming a report in front of her. “This is from April this year, DNA extracted from the s*men of the female victim, Deng Wan. It perfectly matches the DNA from the cigarette butt we found in your rented apartment! We’ve also conducted a paternity test with Zhao Shen’s parents, confirming that it’s his DNA. How can you still believe he didn’t commit murder?”

Qiao Ruofei dared not look at the evidence, her expression full of anguish. “Even if.. even if he killed someone, I still love him.”

“You love him? Then how come you’re with Zhao Yang now?” Cloud Xiaoxiao tapped her pen on the table. “Zhao Shen left not too long ago, and you’ve only been in Shengzhou City for about ten days, right? How did you so quickly end up cohabitating with his cousin? Or is it that you already had something going on between you before?”

“That’s not it; it’s because.. It’s because I’m really worried about Zhao Shen, and he comforted me..” Qiao Ruofei weakly defended.

“If you’ve fallen for someone else, just admit it outright. Don’t come up with such grandiose excuses.”

“I really haven’t!” Qiao Ruofei clenched her hands, her frail body trembling lightly. “I didn’t want to do this. It’s all because of Zhao Yang..”

“He said he would tell me where Zhao Shen is if I obeyed him.”