“Didn’t she have a reason to hang herself?”

When Chen Xiao’s words echoed, everyone in the conference room looked at him in shock.

Chen Xiao didn’t care.

“Put the photos up.”

Chen Xiao felt Xie Wensheng was quite right.

Right now, we absolutely cannot investigate the case from twelve years ago along with this one.

If we do, then our thinking might become like his father Xie Yan’s, always trapped in the vortex of “reasonable suicide” without escape.

But Chen Xiao had a different idea than Xie Wensheng.

No matter whether Lian Yuhong died because of the “Yang Lake Phantom,” suicide, or some other type of homicide.

Right now, that’s all he knows.

What Yang Lake Phantom?

He doesn’t know, pretended not to have heard of it.

Nor will he bother with the “Yang Lake Phantom” case from twelve years ago.

Qin Fei took the cue and pasted shots.

Chen Xiao stood up to inspect those photos.

The photos showed the scene in Lian Yuhong’s bedroom.

Lian Yuhong was wearing pajamas, hanging from a beam in the main hall of the old house.

An overturned stool used for stepping was beneath her.

Footprints from Lian Yuhong were clearly visible on the stool.

As well as the marks left by her kicking over the chair!

Looking at Lian Yuhong’s face, facing the door, her tongue slightly protruded, her face swollen, displaying the red-purple typical of suffocation death.

Because of the weather and wearing loose clothes due to pregnancy, there was a clear view of quite a lot of excretion from incontinence beneath her feet.

Looking at these photos, they indeed matched the signs of death by hanging.

But after viewing them, Chen Xiao didn’t comment on the case, instead asking, “Which hospital is Lian Yuhong’s mother in, is her mind still clear?”

“When we visited, it was clear.”

“I’ll drive over and ask her.”

Qin Fei nodded, and Chen Xiao took the car keys and left the office.

Once he left, Jiao Hu followed suit.

After Jiao Hu was gone, someone in the conference room said:

“What’s he implying? Does he want to investigate only Lian Yuhong’s case, ignoring the one from twelve years ago?”

“Maybe he has his plans; besides, the case is twelve years old, and Director Jiao doesn’t want to restart the investigation, let alone Chen Xiao, who’s here in Shencheng City to gain fame, isn’t he?”

“That’s not fair, perhaps he and Captain Xie had prior discussions.”

“No matter the discussion, he didn’t mention even a word about the Yang Lake Phantom case during the meeting?”

The criminal police in the conference room were puzzled by Chen Xiao’s reaction.

In fact, they could even be described as resentful.

Qin Fei returned to the office, glanced at everyone, and said: “If you have objections to Mr. Chen’s actions, you can ask him face to face; I think he wouldn’t mind explaining to you.”

“Also, I hope you understand that this is just a similar case, and no one can confirm it’s the same as the one twelve years ago!”

With that, Qin Fei didn’t bother about these seemingly unpleased subordinates anymore.

Chen Xiao hadn’t considered much, driving solo to the hospital where he found Lian Yuhong’s mother, Zhang Shurong.

Upon meeting, Chen Xiao showed his credentials as a detective consultant in the criminal investigation team.

When Zhang Shurong realized he represented the police, she silently turned her back on him.

Chen Xiao glanced at her and asked, “How often do you communicate with Lian Yuhong?”

Perhaps Zhang Shurong didn’t expect Chen Xiao to ask this, she paused for a while before saying, “She called me more; short, every three to five days, longer every half month.”

“What about you?”

“I… usually contact her when I need something; usually…”

“You’re probably busy ordinarily, besides Lian Yuhong has grown into an adult, you feel there’s no need to worry, right?”

Chen Xiao sounded as though he was chatting.

But at that moment, Zhang Shurong’s body trembled: “It’s not about not worrying, only until she passed did I realize that I didn’t care for her all these years, I’m unfit to be her mother.”

“Saying this now is meaningless; what I need to confirm is specifically whether she’d commit suicide!”

As Chen Xiao said this, Zhang Shurong became agitated.

“Impossible, she wouldn’t commit suicide! It’s that ghost, it’s back again. Twelve years ago Lian Da ended up hung mysteriously, and now it’s Yuhong! Back then the police left it unresolved; is it going to remain unresolved now?”

As Zhang Shurong spoke, she coughed violently.

Chen Xiao just quietly gave her a look, “No one wishes for it to remain unresolved; if so, I wouldn’t need to come ask you. Is hanged mysteriously how Lian Yuhong ended up?”

Suddenly Zhang Shurong stopped talking, only continuing to sob quietly.

Chen Xiao didn’t want to waste time, especially since the time left for Zhang Shurong wasn’t much.

“Apart from calling every three to five days, did she consult you about her marriage?”

“No, I don’t like Li Xi. Scrawny like a monkey, a grown man looking like a consumptive, what use could he possibly be? But she insisted on being with Li Xi, I had no choice.”

Chen Xiao briefly pondered: “So her marriage was due to her strong insistence, right?”

“I couldn’t dissuade her, what could I do?”

“Judging from your words, you have substantial objections to your prospective son-in-law?”

“I see him as thin and weak, worried he won’t bear the responsibility for the family later. Yuhong’s been independent all her life, afraid once settled down, she’ll be the one managing everything.”

“So besides your daughter’s insistence, what changed your mind afterwards?”

Still facing away from Chen Xiao, Zhang Shurong was.

Yet having ingested paraquat, she completely showcased its unique effects when entering the human body.

That is, until it’s time it takes a life, those who drank it appear completely fine.

Indeed, Zhang Shurong seemed somewhat embarrassed, stammering.

Chen Xiao went to the other side, seeing Zhang Shurong evasively saying, “His family conditions aren’t bad; he gave my son a house and a store.”

“That’s why. But didn’t you fight for anything for Lian Yuhong?”

“Originally I thought of leaving the old house to her since its large area could fetch several houses upon demolition; besides, she’s married, isn’t Li Xi’s property hers?”

Chen Xiao curled his lips, “But that old house rightly belongs to her.”

Zhang Shurong said nothing, and Chen Xiao didn’t want to meddle in these messy affairs.

His questions aimed at uncovering the root conflicts within the case.

Yet from conversations with Zhang Shurong and considering a pregnant woman’s sensitive mental state, he genuinely believes Lian Yuhong had suicidal rationale.

Her father died mysteriously when she was a child, her mother remarried and bore another child soon after.

During many years, evidently Lian Yuhong still harbored deep hope for her mother.

But Zhang Shurong’s behavior was repeatedly harmful to her daughter, Lian Yuhong.

Especially when, pregnant, she needed companionship while Zhang Shurong unhesitatingly abandoned her when her son was ill.

For Lian Yuhong, who always held onto fantasies of maternal love, this undoubtedly served as a tremendous blow!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep