Chapter 27: Sensing Something Amiss

No matter what, Zhong Xiao decided to pin the crime first and deal with the rest later.

Two police officers stepped forward and inspected the contents of the wooden cabinet beside the bed.

They asked Zhong Xiao, "Can you confirm that all these are the Zhong family's property?"

Zhong Xiao nodded immediately, her gaze falling on Qin Dezheng. Qin Dezheng understood, and promptly took out a red brocade soft leather booklet from his pouch, opened it, and handed it to the officers.

"All these were part of the dowry prepared for the Zhong family’s daughter’s wedding. Every piece of gold has a backup and an inscription. Please check if the necklace has the Zhong character engraved on it."

The officers randomly selected a few pieces of jewelry.

Indeed, each item bore the traditional "Zhong" character carved within. Even the rings had it engraved on the inner band.

That was enough to prove that everything in the cabinet belonged to the Zhong family.

The officers turned with solemn expressions to Du Ying’er.

"Why are these items here with you? When did you take them?"

Du Ying’er panicked, "I didn’t, I didn’t take them..." Suddenly, as if struck by a thought, she turned frantically to Du Huacheng, whose face was dark.

"Father, I didn't steal anything from the family. I don’t even know when these items were placed in my bedside cabinet!"

Zhong Xiao stepped forward and seized her wrist.

"You don’t know? Then you’ll find out at the police station!"

Du Ying’er dared not go to the station. Everywhere, people were being made examples of. Though she had no blood relation to the Zhong family, outsiders saw her as the second young lady of the Zhong household. If she got detained, especially with the current strict reckoning...

She had secretly hidden the Zhong family’s gold, which amounted to theft.

She could be sent to labor reform in moments.

And now, she hadn’t recovered from her postpartum month, her body still fragile.

If she were locked up and discovered to be unmarried but pregnant...

Her reputation would be ruined.

She might even be sent straight to a pig cage for punishment.

Her life would be crippled, if not ended.

Thinking of this, Du Ying’er shivered all over.

She shook her head desperately.

"I won’t go... I won’t go to labor reform, I won’t go to prison..." Terrified, she began to ramble, "These things aren’t mine, I didn’t steal them... Everything I have was given by my mother, I don’t know anything..."

Yang Yuehe, standing at the door, was deathly pale.

She seemed to sense what was coming.

Zhong Xiao seized the opportunity, "So these items were placed in your bedside cabinet by Yang Yuehe?"

Du Ying’er knew well that Zhong Xiao’s question was a trap.

But she had no choice.

She must not admit any connection to these items!

Du Ying’er nodded and shook her head in confusion. "I don’t know... I don’t know, but it wasn’t me..."

Zhong Xiao said, "Now that the evidence is clear, if you don’t say who took them, you’ll be detained. Isn’t that right, officers?"

Though the police couldn’t confirm Du Ying’er had stolen the items, the evidence was compelling.

They had to take her away for investigation.

But as they approached, Du Ying’er’s face drained of color, and she pushed herself backward, hiding behind Du Huacheng.

"It wasn’t me! My mother put them there, it was all my mother!"

Du Huacheng’s gaze, cold as a snake, fell on Yang Yuehe, who trembled and stared at Du Ying’er.

"Du Ying’er! I am your mother! What nonsense are you spouting!"

Du Ying’er cried out, "If not for you, how would these things end up in my room? I’ve never even seen them; you manage everything at home! If not you, who else?"

Her eyes reddened.

Her heart bled; she wasn’t trying to frame her mother, but she absolutely could not be taken away now, not even the slightest mishap.

She realized she had fallen into Zhong Xiao’s trap.

Zhong Xiao, with her power, could summon Qin Dezheng to testify for her; all the house and land deeds belonged to her.

Du Ying’er knew that if she were taken away, Zhong Xiao would have ways to send her to the wastelands of Beidahuang.

If she went there, the hope of returning was gone forever.

Du Ying’er steeled herself and said to Yang Yuehe, "Mother, just admit it. These things have nothing to do with me. If you don’t... then let the police take the whole family! Not just me—Changlin and Changgong too! We’ll all sit in the cell together! Let’s go to Beidahuang together!"

Yang Yuehe’s words stuck in her throat.

She wasn’t alone.

She had Du Changlin and Du Changgong.

She realized Du Ying’er was threatening her, threatening her with a secret that must never be spoken.

Her gaze grew sharp, cutting like a knife as she stared at Du Ying’er.

Du Ying’er avoided Yang Yuehe’s eyes.

After Yang Yuehe was taken away by the police, Du Ying’er and Du Huacheng stood at the doorway, both with the same expression as they looked at Zhong Xiao.

Fearful, anxious.

Even a hint of pleading.

But Zhong Xiao knew it was only a façade.

If she showed even a shred of mercy now, they would immediately turn into vengeful ghosts, tormenting her to the point of wishing for death.

But suddenly, Zhong Xiao noticed something unusual about the father and daughter.

All her life, Zhong Xiao had often heard people say that she looked nothing like Du Huacheng.

Zhong Xiao was a classic beauty in the Chinese style.

Oval face, delicate brows, fine distant mountain eyebrows.

Her eyes slightly upturned, full of expression.

Perfect double eyelids, long, thick, and curled lashes.

A high, refined nose bridge, a pert little nose tip, lips like pink cherries, tender and full.

A gently pointed chin—a quintessential Chinese beauty.

The eldest daughter of the Zhong family in Yuecheng, her beauty was legendary, her smile enchanting.

It was no exaggeration.

But Du Huacheng, with his small eyes, inverted triangle face, high cheekbones, thin lips, and dark skin, was her opposite in every way.

One was strikingly beautiful, the other, strikingly ugly.

Whenever people mentioned this, Du Huacheng would laugh and say Zhong Xiao took after her mother.

Now, Zhong Xiao knew she wasn’t Du Huacheng’s biological daughter, and everything made sense.

Yet, at this moment, she realized that Du Ying’er, standing beside Du Huacheng, seemed to share no resemblance to him either.

Yang Yuehe had a round face, Du Huacheng a square one, but Du Ying’er had a distinctly narrow face.

Just in terms of face shape, they were vastly different.

On top of that, Du Huacheng had single eyelids, Yang Yuehe had slender phoenix eyes—

Du Ying’er, however, had double eyelids.

Two single-eyelid parents producing a double-eyelid daughter?

A suspicion flickered through Zhong Xiao’s mind.

But now was not the time to dwell on it.

The urgent matter was to drive this father and daughter out of the Zhong family.

As for this clue, she would investigate it thoroughly later.

Without waiting for Du Huacheng to speak, Zhong Xiao slammed the suitcase beside her hard onto the floor.

The loud crash of metal on wood made Du Huacheng’s scalp tingle.

Zhong Xiao’s voice was icy, "What, do you need me to call someone to escort you out? The severance letter is in hand, the notice published in the newspaper. Do you still dare to linger in the Zhong house?"

"I can charge you with unlawful trespassing. Even if I beat you to death here, no one would dare hold me accountable!"

"Get out—now!"