Silent Testimony - Chapter 91

A sliver of the new moon hung in the sky, and the night was hazy. In the sixth-floor bedroom of Yixin Court, a warm yellow wall lamp glowed. Li Hewei leaned against the headboard watching the web drama Wu Xin: The Monster Killer, an open bag of chips nearly empty at her side.

The door pushed open and Cheng Yingqiu entered clutching a pillow. She lifted the covers and lay down beside her. Since Li Hewei had been detained by the police on New Year’s Eve, Cheng Yingqiu had tried to get her released through Qiu Wan’s lawyer friends. However, the serial murder case had a profound impact and high public visibility; the Major Crimes Unit had legally extended the interrogation period, only releasing her the previous night due to insufficient evidence.

Worried that Li Hewei’s anxiety might relapse, Cheng Yingqiu used insomnia as an excuse to stay and chat.

“Sister, still haven’t reached out to her?”

Li Hewei’s gaze remained fixed on the projector screen. “I did.”

“Oh. For how long?”

“Two sentences.” Li Hewei handed her a piece of jerky, a faint smile playing on her lips. “I’m really fine.”

“The innocent have nothing to fear. I believe they can clear my name.” Li Hewei took a sip of milk from her bedside. “I didn’t contact Tao Tao the past few days because I knew she was busy. Losing two close relatives in a row… she must be hurting.”

“She doesn’t suspect you?”

Li Hewei’s smile deepened. “Of course not. It’s a matter of basic trust. She believes in me, and I believe in her.”

Cheng Yingqiu’s eyes crinkled. “Ooh, look at you. Not affected at all—quite a good mood, actually.”

“Mhm. So, can you go back to sleep in your own room tonight?”

“Why?”

“You’re a restless sleeper. You like to grab people’s arms.”

Cheng Yingqiu immediately pouted. “Hmph, you’re rejecting me.” She wrapped her arms around Li Hewei’s left arm and said softly, “I can’t sleep. I miss her.”

“If you miss her, why are you hugging me?”

“You’re a substitute. I’m used to having someone nearby.” Cheng Yingqiu leaned against her shoulder, popping a piece of beef into her mouth with a radiant smile. “Don’t worry, I’m not into incest themes.”

“Go on,” Li Hewei tapped her head. “Stop talking nonsense.”

“I read a lot of Yuri novels. Sister-in-law literature, taboo stuff… the more forbidden, the better.” Cheng Yingqiu suddenly blurted out, “Sister, do you think she’s not interested in me?”

“Why do you say that?” Li Hewei lowered the volume of the drama and lay down to make her comfortable.

Cheng Yingqiu never shied away from sexual topics. She asked, “Has Sister Tao Ling ever ‘flipped’ the script and taken the lead?”

“Occasionally. We just do whatever feels comfortable.”

Cheng Yingqiu’s eyes dimmed. “She hasn’t. Not once.”

“Have you discussed why?”

“No. I was away for two months, and we’ve only been together for about a month total. She’s busy with work; sometimes she comes home so tired she falls asleep as soon as she hits the pillow.”

“You said it yourself—she’s busy. Plus, ‘pillow princesses’ do exist. You two need to communicate.”

“Fine. I’m going to wash up.” Cheng Yingqiu’s moods were a roller coaster—they came and went quickly.

By the time Cheng Yingqiu returned, Li Hewei had finished her own routine and was leaning against a soft pillow, scrolling through the original host’s WeChat and QQ chat logs. Initially, she had avoided digging into the past out of respect for privacy, but now that she was being framed, she hoped to find clues in the details.

“What are you looking at?”

“Chat logs. I can’t participate in the official investigation, but I can provide evidence to the police to defend myself.” Li Hewei frowned at the massive amount of data. “Who was I closest to?”

“I don’t remember exactly. In my memory, it was mostly girls.”

Li Hewei had an idea. “Did I invite friends to my birthdays?”

“Yes.” Cheng Yingqiu hopped off the bed and ran to the study, returning with two photo albums. “Look, Auntie Qiong kept these. There’s one for every year.”

Li Hewei flipped through them. From her first-month celebration to her graduation, every milestone was recorded. In her 8th birthday photo, she was flanked by four other girls. By her second year of middle school, there were six. As time went on, the numbers dwindled. By her senior year of high school, only two remained.

“Do you know them?”

“That’s Sister Meng and Sister Na—Rao Meng and Ni Na.”

Li Hewei searched her WeChat contacts but couldn’t find them. It seemed the original host hadn’t added them when she switched to the app. Checking QQ records confirmed that they had lost touch around 2013.

She kept flipping. At age 24, during her second year of grad school, Li Hewei’s gaze locked onto the third-to-last photo. “Wait… isn’t this Shen Ning, the class monitor, and Liu Datong?”

Cheng Yingqiu recognized them too. “Sister Shen, Brother Yuan, and Brother Datong.”

No wonder all three had been called in for statements. Li Hewei scrolled through a small group chat of the four of them.

June 2015, Zhang Heyuan: [I’m just talking to myself here. I guess staying at school as a lecturer really is the easiest job.] April 2015, Zhang Heyuan: [Old Liu’s birthday this weekend. Out for drinks?] Li Hewei: [Working a case.] Liu Datong: [My mom is having glaucoma surgery, can’t make it.] Shen Ning: [Busy with lesson plans, meetings, lectures.]

They were closest in 2012 and 2013. By 2014, they met only on major holidays. Last year, they had only met briefly before New Year’s Eve in February.

The turning point seemed to be after October 2014. Li Hewei checked private messages. The original host rarely chatted alone with the two men. With Shen Ning, she mostly shared food and fashion. Whenever Shen Ning mentioned her love life, the original host would avoid the topic or brush it off.

After Tao Yang went missing, all three friends helped spread the word. Sept 2013, Zhang Heyuan: [Old Li, what do you see in him? No money, no education, and it’s long distance. Isn’t him going missing the best outcome? Why are you working so hard to find him?] Oct 2013, Liu Datong: [He doesn’t deserve you. Let it go.] Oct 2013, Shen Ning: [Love-brain.]

Li Hewei rubbed her forehead. Cheng Yingqiu giggled beside her. “Sister Shen was right, but I bet you only did it for Sister Tao Ling’s sake.”

“Maybe. I just took the criticism back then.”

Cheng Yingqiu’s phone chimed. She clicked on a message from Tao Ling.

Tao Ling: [I sold the old house. 150,000 yuan in full. The buyer already paid the deposit and even gave me a 2,000 yuan red envelope.] Yingqiu: [Great news! Treat us when you get back!] Tao Ling: [Deal. Goodnight, sister-in-law.]

Tao Ling exited the private chat and opened the autopsy report He Ying had sent to the work group. Tao Yang had also been stabbed 38 times, dying from an aortic rupture.

However, as she studied the photos of the wounds and compared them to her memories of Du Guozhou’s autopsy, she grew suspicious.

Why were the margins of her brother’s wounds so clean and smooth, with no hesitation marks, while Du Guozhou’s wounds were jagged with obvious hesitation marks?