Silent Testimony - Chapter 101

“Old Liu, you tell me—what is wrong with my suggestion?” Captain Jiang sat on the office sofa with a fierce glare, looking at Director Liu, who stood by the window with her back to him.

He Tian had committed suicide out of guilt. His suicide note stated that the driver, Wang, had gotten into an argument with the victim, Chu Xiaoyi, accidentally killed her, and then staged the scene to look like a car accident. He Tian, who responded to the call that day, was blinded by money and agreed to help cover it up.

The forensic doctor, Meng Kuang, confessed that the driver had already bribed the traffic police and that he had met with He Tian personally before accepting 500,000 yuan in cash. Zhao, the court archivist, had done He Tian a favor for a 100,000-yuan bribe by stealing the files.

At this point, the main suspects, He Tian and Wang, were dead. The forensic doctor and the archivist were in custody. All the evidence connected and cross-referenced perfectly, forming a complete chain.

Based on experience, Director Liu knew that under normal circumstances, the case could indeed be closed. However, there were too many coincidences. The content of He Tian’s final phone call remained unknown. If a mastermind had convinced him to take all the blame, the logic would remain smooth and seamless.

But how could they keep investigating? The Provincial Department and the Shujiang Municipal Bureau were applying pressure. They couldn’t extend the investigation timeline indefinitely. With a heavy heart, she replied, “Xiao Li’s caution isn’t wrong, either.”

Captain Jiang bristled. “How many years has she been working? I’ve investigated more cases than she’s eaten grains of rice.”

“You can’t say that. Everyone starts from scratch. Xiao Li is skilled in composite sketching and has assisted the Major Crimes Unit many times. As for experience, it’s built up slowly.” Director Liu turned around and looked at Captain Peng, who was sitting on a single-seater sofa, lost in thought. “Old Peng, what do you think?”

Captain Peng rubbed her face with both hands. “I’ve reported everything to Commissioner Zhang. I’m waiting for her reply.”

“Good. We wait.”

The first domino had fallen. Would the long line behind it trigger a chain reaction and collapse entirely?

In the Technical Group office, Li Hewei sat at her computer, her left hand propping up her head while her right thumb flicked across her phone screen playing Candy Crush to calm her indignation.

“Xiao Li, I heard you openly challenged Captain Jiang’s authority?” He Ying, who had worked with Jiang before, knew how much he valued his pride.

Li Hewei looked up, her tone flat. “Mm. I suppose so. I was just speaking to the facts of the case.”

“Don’t listen to him. Investigate how you need to investigate.” He Ying gave a bright smile. “Xiao Yan loves those duck necks you bought. Send me the link.” Li Hewei had given two bags of duck necks to everyone in the squadron as a reward for working overtime during the Spring Festival.

“Sure.” Li Hewei exited the game, copied the link, and sent it to He Ying via WeChat. As she was typing out flavor recommendations, she saw a notification in the top left corner.

Qiu Wan: 【For the last three days of the holiday, except for those on duty, anyone with work on their hands will work from home.】

【We aren’t investigating?】

【Director Liu didn’t say it explicitly.】

Li Hewei felt as though a giant stone were pressing on her chest. She typed: 【Understood. I’ll follow the arrangement.】

She said she would follow the arrangement, but in reality, she began digging through the files the police had on Ma Peng, the Station Chief of the Puchen Evening News, and Su Lu, the reporter. As Chu Xiaoyi’s assistant, Su Lu must have known the target of her undercover investigation. Why was she avoiding the subject? Li Hewei scrolled through Su Lu’s personal info and found that she had left the Puchen Evening News in August 2014 and was currently the Assistant Station Chief and a senior reporter for the Shujiang Legal Daily.

Over the next three days, Li Hewei tried to contact her, but her emails went unanswered.

The seventh day of the first lunar month was Valentine’s Day. While Qiu Wan was in a meeting, Li Hewei and Tao Ling spent the day with the hospitalized Cheng Yingqiu.

At the bedside, a nurse drew blood for pre-op tests while the attending doctor gave instructions. Once they left, Cheng Yingqiu asked, “Sister, who did you say you were looking for? My classmate works at the Shujiang Legal Daily.”

Li Hewei paused while peeling an apple. “The Assistant Station Chief, Su Lu.”

“Got it. Wait for news.”

Tao Ling vaguely sensed that Li Hewei was secretly investigating the Chu Xiaoyi case. Worried for her safety, she whispered, “Was Su Lu Chu Xiaoyi’s assistant?”

“Yes,” Li Hewei didn’t deny it.

Once her suspicion was confirmed, Tao Ling’s mind became a tangled mess. The chaotic thoughts made her feel lost, as if at any second Li Hewei might be plunged into an unknown danger. Later, when Qiu Wan arrived, Cheng Yingqiu kicked them out under the pretext that they needed “couples’ time” for Valentine’s Day. In the silence of the night, Tao Ling’s heartbeat became clearer, and an inexplicable fear surged within her.

After they had finished their respective nighttime routines, Tao Ling sat on the balcony listening to the rain. Sensing her abnormality, Li Hewei turned her around. Looking into the girl’s shimmering, watery eyes, she asked softly, “What are you thinking about?”

“I’m scared.” Tao Ling knew Li Hewei could leave this novel world and return to her reality at any time. While she felt occasional unease and reluctance, she mostly cherished every second they had together. But now, knowing the danger lurking in the shadows, her fear was unprecedented.

“Tao Tao.” Li Hewei cupped the girl’s face and explained gently, “I know. I will protect myself. But there is definitely something fishy about Chu Xiaoyi’s case. He Tian was only a deputy-level officer in the traffic police before he retired; his reach couldn’t possibly be this long.”

Tao Ling bit her lip. “Mm.”

“I have to find new evidence to overturn the current conclusion.” Li Hewei tapped Tao Ling’s forehead, a smile playing on her lips. “Let’s be happy tonight and not talk about this.” She held out her hands. “Where is the Valentine’s gift someone prepared for me?”

Tao Ling still had a slight frown. “I…” She had indeed prepared a gift, carefully chosen using her first royalties.

“What’s wrong? Then I’ll go first.” Li Hewei opened a nearby drawer and handed her an exquisite box. “Here, my Great Author.”

Tao Ling felt the weight of it and opened it carefully. Inside lay two “Lychee Jelly” stone seals. Li Hewei explained: “One is machine-carved with your name to use when you sign your new books. The other I carved myself with the characters ‘He Wei’ for you to keep.”

In traditional culture, a seal represents trust and commitment; for a couple to exchange them is akin to a promise for the rest of their lives. Tao Ling stared at the seals, her heart melting as tears blurred her vision.

Li Hewei wiped the tears from the girl’s eyes and teased, “So, where’s mine? Don’t tell me there isn’t one.”

Tao Ling sniffled, put the wooden box in the nightstand drawer, and reached for a gift bag by the bed.

“What is it?” Li Hewei asked, playing along.

“I saw your earphones were broken.” Tao Ling knew she loved music, so she had bought her a pair of high-end, custom-molded in-ear monitors. The left one, closer to the heart, was engraved with her name; the right one was engraved with Li Hewei’s.

“Tao Tao.” Li Hewei knew these custom earphones were expensive. Her heart felt as if it were being squeezed—not with annoyance, but with deep affection. She accepted them happily. Looking at the engraved names, she said with surprise, “Are we telepathic?”

“Yes.” Infected by her smile, Tao Ling finally let out a genuine grin.

“Now that the gifts are out of the way, should we get to the main event?” Li Hewei set the earphones aside and gazed comfortably at Tao Ling. She wrapped her arms around the girl’s waist and pulled her close, taking a deep breath of the fragrance at her neck.

“It tickles…”

Li Hewei kissed her shoulder, her collarbone, as if she could never get enough. Finally, she pressed against Tao Ling’s upturned lips, guiding her with extreme tenderness as they shifted positions.

Tao Ling sought out Li Hewei’s kiss. The small stream gradually turned into a surging ocean wave. Her right hand moved slowly down, then further down, while her left hand held Li Hewei’s, feeling the rhythm—sometimes heavy, sometimes light, sometimes fast, sometimes slow—as her body responded.

“Tao Tao…” Li Hewei deeply enjoyed the girl’s occasional initiative. She tilted her head back, offering her neck to Tao Ling’s lips. Her free hand threaded through the girl’s hair, occasionally pressing down with a bit of strength, expressing her need.

When the “little cat” on top of her finally grew tired and slumped into her arms to massage a sore wrist, Li Hewei teased, “Tired already?”

“Three times… usually it isn’t this many,” Tao Ling blurted out. Realizing how bold she sounded, she immediately buried her face in the crook of Li Hewei’s neck.

Li Hewei teased her further. “Three times? I wasn’t counting. I just know someone wouldn’t stop—she was quite relentless.”

“Sister Wei…” Embarrassed, Tao Ling raised a hand to cover Li Hewei’s lips, only for her wrist to be caught.

“Shall I massage it for you?”

Tao Ling’s ears felt like they were bleeding from the heat. She started to stutter, “No, no need.”

Li Hewei let go, and her hand resting on the girl’s waist stopped moving. She said softly, “Are you sleepy? Let’s sleep.”

Tao Ling looked up. Using the warm yellow light of the night lamp, she stared at Li Hewei and said with absolute determination: “In the future, no matter what you go to investigate… can you take me with you?”