Return of the Goddess

Ning Xi kowtowed three times towards the tombstone, then stood up and told Chang Shi Gui, “Let’s go back.”

Chang Shi Gui was silent as he nodded, then bowed three times deeply before the grave and held Ning Xi’s hand, “I’ll accompany you to visit Dad and Mom in future.”

He’s already calling them Dad and Mom? Ning Xi looked at him from askance, but the corners of her lips were still curled up in a smile. “Alright.”

The couple walked down the stairs, and just when they reached the bottom of the mountain, Ning Xi’s phone rang. It was Captain Li of Dongnan Police Department. She turned back to look at her parents’ graves, then answered the call.

“Captain Li.”

Chang Shi Gui walked to the car and helped Ning Xi to open the door. Ning Xi bent down and boarded the car; it wasn’t clear what the other party was saying, but she was frowning.

“Alright,” After ending the call, the smile on Ning Xi’s face faded. She turned to tell Chang Shi Gui, “Shi Gui, I need to go to the police station.”

“I’ll go with you.” Chang Shi Gui closed the door, and even though his tone was gentle, there was a steely resolve in it.

The police officers in Dongnan Police Department were feeling terrible right now, because the new suspect that they captured was extremely uncooperative. Not only was he unyielding, he even touted the police, as though he couldn’t wait for the police to punch him.

Even Officer Liu, the officer with the best temper, couldn’t be bothered with him anymore. He arranged for two officers to watch him, and didn't say anything else.

“Has the victim’s family arrived?” Officer Liu kept the case file properly as he turned to ask Captain Li.

“She should be here soon.” Captain Li appeared fatigued. He drank a sip of strong tea, then looked at his wristwatch, “Once this case is over, we can all have a good rest.”

Officer Liu helped him add water to the tea, then sighed. “Jiang Hongkai’s lips are tighter than we expected.”

“It’s fine even if he refuses to say anything. We have both witnesses and evidence. Even if he doesn’t admit, he will still be punished by the law.” Captain Li sipped his tea once more. Just then, someone informed him that the victim’s family had arrived.

He put down the teacup then said to Officer Liu, “The victim’s family really is quite good.”

She cooperated when needed, and wouldn’t say anything more so that she wouldn’t add on to their problems. Even though she was a popular celebrity, after they opened the case, she had never used her celebrity status to pressure them. When they met, she would always appear cordial, never putting on any airs.

Perhaps it was also because of her behaviour that the police felt that if they didn’t try their best to solve the case, they would let down the victim’s family’s expectations. Moreover, a number of the female officers were her fans, hence everyone were rather enthusiastic during the investigations.

Yet, as the case developed, more people were embroiled into it, and the truth became even bloodier.

Humanity and money, family and benefits, power and truth, and… the harm caused by youthful ignorance. This case was a warning to the people, but at the same time, it brought about irreparable harm to the victim’s family.

Officer Liu shook his head, “The upper ranks have informed me previously that the national station wants to model this case into a programme. It will be broadcast on the legal segment to warn others. This matter… I don’t know how to tell the victim’s family.”

“If the television station wants to make a programme, let them ask. We are not going to be the bad guys.” Captain Li didn’t even want to raise this. “This matter isn’t something that we should interfere in. Don’t go and bother others.”

Officer Liu smiled bitterly and nodded.

This case created an upheaval in the country. There were countless eyes observing them, and now that the truth was out, not only were the officers in the station happy, the upper ranks were also satisfied. The legal segment decided to model this case, firstly to provide warning to others, and secondly, to promote the security services’ passion for their work.

In actual fact, such programmes would provide a positive impact to society and the relevant departments. Yet, for the victims, it was another instance of unravelling their wounds.

When Captain Li and Officer Liu went to the reception room to meet Ning Xi, they didn’t expect that Ning Xi wasn’t alone. Chang Shi Gui, whom they met once at the villa, had accompanied her.

“Miss Ning, Mr. Chang,” Captain Li shook the couple’s hands, “I’m sorry to have to ask you here at this time. However, the suspect has requested to meet you before he’s willing to say anything. I’m really sorry to disturb you.”

“Captain Li is too kind. You are doing this for the case too.” Ning Xi noticed the fatigue on Captain Li’s face, and gave him a grateful smile. “I can meet him.”

Captain Li heaved a sigh of relief. He turned to Chang Shi Gui and hesitated, “Mr. Chang, the suspect said that he wanted to meet Ning Xi alone. You…”

“If Jiang Hongkai refuses to see me, I’ll be cooperative.” Chang Shi Gui looked at Ning Xi, “But I want to be by my fiancée's side as much as possible.”

Captain Li and Officer Liu exchanged a look. Since the other party had said this, it would be unreasonable if they rejected him further.

In the interrogation room, Jiang Hongkai was playing the staring game with the two officers. When he heard the door open from behind him, he didn’t even bother turning around as he said, “There’s no need to ask anything else. I won’t say anything.”

He waited for some time, but didn’t hear a response, hence he turned around, but was so shocked that he almost fell off his seat.

“Chang Shi Gui, why are you here?!” Jiang Hongkai was terrified of him to the bone. Hence, when he saw Chang Shi Gui, he subconsciously shrunk back. However, he reacted quickly; he wasn’t in the Jiang residence now, nor was he outside. He was in the police station.

Chang Shi Gui didn’t bother about him. He simply accompanied Ning Xi into the room and sat across Jiang Hongkai with Ning Xi, creating some distance between Jiang Hongkai and Ning Xi.

“Mr. Jiang, I heard that you wanted to see me?” Ning Xi’s gaze fell upon Jiang Hongkai’s handcuffed wrists. She sneered, “I think that there’s nothing much we have to talk about.”

Jiang Hongkai observed Ning Xi from the corner of his eye, then snorted, “I really didn’t expect a small actress like you could actually do so much.”

“Did Mr. Jiang specially ask me here just to tell me all these?” Ning Xi’s face was impassive. “Since that’s the case, there’s nothing more we have to say.” Between Jiang Hongkai and her, there was actually nothing to discuss. Eight years ago, if he didn’t drink and drive, running down traffic lights haplessly, her father wouldn’t have died. To her, Jiang Hongkai was garbage who did a hit-and-run, then got a scapegoat for his crimes.

In front of a piece of trash, what was there to say?

“Miss Ning doesn’t need to be so overbearing.” Jiang Hongkai seemed to have sat for a long time, hence he fidgeted in his seat. “I know that Miss Ning is going to be the mistress of the Chang family. I asked you here today, not for anything else, but to ask Miss Ning for a favour.”

Miss Ning lowered her eyelids, but didn’t speak further.

Seeing her frigid expression, Jiang Hongkai wasn’t flustered. He said directly, “At this stage, there’s nothing I can do to salvage the situation. I’ve done all sorts of ridiculous things my whole life, and I haven’t done anything good. Yunyun is my only child. I didn’t teach her well, hence she became like that, but any wrong that I did doesn’t have anything to do with her. She’s just a spoiled kid. Miss Ning, please let her off.”

Hearing this, Ning Xi couldn’t hold back her laughter. Whoever said that Jiang Hongkai was brainless? He specially asked her here and said these things in front of the police. Wasn’t he just afraid that she would seek vengeance from Jiang Yun? It seemed as though he wasn’t that hopelessly stupid. Without his protection, Jiang Yun’s uncle, Jiang Yuanpeng, wouldn’t spend too much effort on Jiang Yun. It was clear what would happen to Jiang Yun in future.

“Mr. Jiang might be thinking too much.” Ning Xi suddenly felt that this matter should end here, and there was no point talking about other things. She stood up and said calmly, “What I want is simply to let the criminal be punished. I won’t do other things, nor would I care about how other matters would develop.”

Jiang Hongkai felt somewhat uneasy when he heard this, hence he looked expectantly at Chang Shi Gui. To his astonishment, Chang Shi Gui didn’t even look at him. His attention was solely on Ning Xi. As he thought about his silly daughter who was still crazy over Chang Shi Gui, Jiang Hongkai felt quite upset.

That foolish girl didn’t understand this, but when a man wasn’t interested in a woman, whatever she did would be futile, and in the end, she would irritate the other party instead.

“Actually, I want to ask Mr. Jiang,” Ning Xi looked at Jiang Hongkai, “With bloodstained hands, how are you still able to live with your conscience?”

Jiang Hongkai became silent. He didn’t reply to Ning Xi’s question, nor could he answer her.

Fortunately, Ning Xi didn’t expect any answer from him. She couldn’t even stand that annoying face of Jiang Hongkai’s. She left the interrogation room without looking back, then let out a long breath, as though she had breathed out all the melancholy from her heart.

Chang Shi Gui followed her out. As he watched her, he then squeezed her fingers.

“I’m fine.” Ning Xi smiled at him, then turned around to bid farewell to Captain Li.

Captain Li noticed that her expression had faltered, so he didn’t keep her, and simply got another officer to send them out.

“Officer, I have something else to say.” An hour after Ning Xi left, Jiang Hongkai finally thought it through. He decided to come clean with the police, hoping for leniency.

Now, apart from the case eight years ago where he knocked down Ning Xi’s father, there was another case he was implicated in. That was Chen Zhenzhen’s suicide.

After Zhu Moli was captured by the police, in order to reduce her sentence, she told the police everything, regardless of whether it was real or fake. That included news that Chen Zhenzhen didn’t commit suicide, and was murdered instead.

In reality, Jiang Hongkai didn’t have anything to do with Chen Zhenzhen’s death. He did have some real feelings towards Chen Zhenzhen, otherwise he wouldn’t have withstood so much pressure and still insisted on marrying her.

Hence, when the police told him that Chen Zhenzhen might have been murdered, he didn’t seem to be acting when he appeared doubtful and confused.

Officer Liu was adept at analysing expressions, hence after Jiang Hongkai said everything, he recorded his statement down. As for the rest, they could only report to the upper ranks, and it was out of their hands.