Chapter Seventy-Four: The Mystery of the Qipao

Lu Hehuan and Ying Xi were kicked out by Bao Kang, who slammed his office door shut behind them.

“You two, go clean every restroom in the police station!” Bao Kang’s furious roar thundered from inside.

Ying Xi panicked and shouted back, “Chief Bao, we need to investigate the serial murder case!”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Bao Kang yanked open the door again.

Ying Xi flashed a fawning smile at Lu Hehuan. Lu Hehuan approached Bao Kang and said, “Chief Bao, surely solving the case takes precedence.”

Bao Kang’s expression darkened with displeasure. “The cleanliness of the restrooms is just as important. Clean them first, then investigate!”

Lu Hehuan and Ying Xi exchanged helpless glances, then asked in unison, “And what should we use to clean them this time?”

“Your fingers!”

Shocked, both stared miserably at their hands.

By noon, having finished scrubbing the restrooms, Ying Xi and Lu Hehuan arrived at the largest dress shop in Old Zha. An elderly man with glasses stood beside the counter. Lu Hehuan went up to him. “Sir, could you please bring out every style of cheongsam you have? I’d like to see them all.”

The shopkeeper looked at Lu Hehuan with confusion, but Ying Xi quickly produced his credentials. Understanding, the old man nodded and soon returned with a large armful of cheongsams.

Together, Ying Xi and Lu Hehuan rummaged through the garments. Suddenly, Lu Hehuan’s eyes lit up as he pulled out a white cheongsam. “This is it!”

Ying Xi nodded in confirmation. “That’s right!”

Lu Hehuan handed the white cheongsam to the shopkeeper. “Sir, besides your store, where else can someone buy this kind of white cheongsam?”

The shopkeeper glanced at it. “It’s the most common style and fabric. Many other shops sell it.”

Ying Xi thought for a moment and looked at Lu Hehuan. “If this cheongsam is so widely available, it’s not strange that Miss Liu Rushuang had one at home.”

Lu Hehuan lowered his head in silence, his hand pausing on the fabric. “Miss Liu comes from a wealthy family. She always wears the finest. Why would there be such a cheap, ordinary cheongsam in her house?”

Ying Xi absentmindedly stroked his beard. “Lu Hehuan, don’t overthink it. You know what Liu Rushuang is like. She can’t possibly be involved in this case.”

“I’m only concerned with the facts,” Lu Hehuan replied seriously.

Ying Xi shot him a glare and turned away. Lu Hehuan followed.

The sunlight was just right, streaming brilliantly through the window. Bao Kang stretched and stepped out of his office, just in time to see Gordon leave Lu Xiang’s office. Quickly, Bao Kang retreated back inside, hiding in the shadows to observe secretly.

Lu Xiang was seeing Gordon off. “Chief Inspector, rest assured. I’ll make sure Hehuan solves Mary’s case quickly and brings the killer to justice.”

Gordon nodded. “Deputy Chief Lu, I’m counting on you.”

Lu Xiang smiled obsequiously. “Of course.”

Bao Kang took everything in, troubled, and returned to his desk, muttering to himself. “Why did Gordon come straight to Lu Xiang’s office? He bypassed me before, sending Lu Hehuan and Ying Xi to investigate, now he’s gone directly to Lu Xiang. What does he mean by this?”

He frowned, pondering, and suddenly a thought struck him. “Is Gordon deliberately trying to have Lu Xiang replace me?”

Bao Kang stood up, growing more anxious by the moment. “Even though Mary is dead and Gordon can’t marry into the Lu family anymore, my position could still be usurped by Lu Xiang at any time… No, I can’t let Lu Xiang take all the credit. I must find the killer quickly and claim the merit before Gordon!”

He paced his office, rubbing his temples and reviewing the clues. “Who could have killed Mary?” Suddenly, he recalled that Luo Si had found the incriminating cheongsam while stealing from the Liu household, and that room belonged to Liu Rushuang.

With a frown, Bao Kang analyzed aloud, “The cheongsam is the physical evidence. As for motive… Ling Yan, Mary, and Song Xiaowan all played a part in causing Liu Rushuang’s mother’s death!” Realization dawned on him. “So it was all Liu Rushuang’s doing!”

Without delay, Bao Kang flung open his office door and shouted down the corridor, “Baldy, bring the men! We’re going to arrest the murderer!”

Bao Kang led Bao Rong, Baldy, and several officers to Liu Rushuang’s residence.

Bao Rong hesitated, looking at Bao Kang. “Brother, are you sure Liu Rushuang is involved in this case?”

Bao Kang nodded. “Xiao Rong, I know you’re close to her, but this case involves the Chief Inspector’s niece. You must put duty before personal feelings.”

Bao Rong straightened his face. “Whoever’s involved, I’ll stay impartial.”

Bao Kang smiled approvingly. “Good.”

She nodded.

Bao Kang knocked firmly on the door. After a moment, a maid opened it, looking curiously at the group. “May I ask who you’re looking for?”

“Is Liu Rushuang home?” Bao Kang got straight to the point.

The maid hesitated, then nodded. “The second young lady is in her room.”

Bao Kang motioned for them to enter, but the maid quickly blocked his way. “You can’t just barge in—”

Bao Kang’s face turned stern as he flashed his credentials. “I’m Bao Kang, chief of Old Zha Police Station. I suspect your second young lady, Liu Rushuang, is connected to a serial murder case. She must come with us to assist the investigation.” With that, he brushed the maid aside and went in.

At that moment, Liu Rushuang, who had rarely left her room lately, was sitting by her bed when she heard the commotion outside.

“Officers, you can’t just go in—”

“We’re investigating a case. Try stopping us again and you’ll be arrested too—”

Recognizing Bao Kang’s voice, Liu Rushuang rose and went to the door. Before she could open it, Bao Kang had already burst in.

“Chief Bao?” Liu Rushuang exclaimed in surprise.

Bao Kang’s face was grim. “Liu Rushuang, you are suspected of involvement in a serial murder case. Please come with us to the station for questioning.”

Liu Rushuang nodded, bewildered.

The maid looked at Liu Rushuang, aggrieved. “Miss…”

Liu Rushuang waved her off. “You may go.”

The maid obeyed and left.

Bao Kang fixed her with a piercing stare. “Miss Liu, we won’t stand on ceremony.”

She nodded.

Bao Kang signaled to the others. “Search the room.”

Bao Rong entered, nodding to Liu Rushuang. She nodded back.

Baldy, Bao Rong, and the officers began to search.

Liu Rushuang looked at Bao Kang in confusion. “Chief Bao, what case do you think I’m connected to?”

Bao Kang’s gaze was sharp. “When Luo Si was stealing from your house, he happened upon a white cheongsam.”

“A cheongsam?” Liu Rushuang was baffled.

“That cheongsam is identical to those worn by Ling Yan, Mary, and Song Xiaowan at the time of their deaths. I have reason to suspect you are the murderer,” Bao Kang declared.

“What?” Liu Rushuang was stunned, staring at him in disbelief. “You think I killed them? That’s impossible!”

“Possibility or not, the evidence will speak,” Bao Kang sneered.

Just then, Bao Rong approached. “There are bloodstains under the desk.”

Liu Rushuang gasped, “Bloodstains?”

Bao Kang smiled smugly. “What have you to say now?”

Liu Rushuang was at a loss.

At lunchtime, the noodle shop was packed. Ying Xi and Lu Hehuan sat across from each other, with two steaming bowls of scallion oil noodles before them.

Lu Hehuan stared blankly at his noodles. Once, in his youth, he had sat like this with Ling Yan, each with a steaming bowl of scallion oil noodles.

Lu Hehuan looked at Ling Yan with fondness. “Scallion oil noodles, your favorite.”

Ling Yan smiled. “Do you know why I love these noodles?”

He shook his head.

She smiled again, but with a trace of sadness. “Because the noodles and the seasoning are mixed together and can’t be separated. When you eat them, you eat everything in the bowl together. It’s not like soup noodles, where after eating the noodles, you’re left with a bowl of soup, all alone.”

Lu Hehuan playfully tapped her nose. “We’ll be like scallion oil noodles, all mixed together—neither of us will ever be left alone.”

Ling Yan’s lips curled with happiness.

Ying Xi waved his chopsticks before Lu Hehuan’s eyes. “Looking for clues in your noodles?”

Lu Hehuan snapped out of his reverie and shook his head.

“Then what are you daydreaming for?”

Lu Hehuan sighed softly. “Detective Ying, do you know why I like scallion oil noodles?”

Ying Xi ate as he replied carelessly, “Why?”

“Because Ling Yan once said that the noodles and seasoning are mixed together and can’t be separated. When you eat them, you get everything at once. Unlike soup noodles, where after you finish the noodles, you’re left with just the soup, all alone.”

Ying Xi nearly spat out his mouthful of noodles. “Lu Hehuan, it’s just a bowl of noodles. No need to be so sentimental! And anyway, if you drink the soup with the noodles, you won’t be left with anything.”

Lu Hehuan shook his head, sighing. “Talking to you is like playing music to a cow.”

“Exactly, music to a cow,” Ying Xi grinned mischievously.

Lu Hehuan shook his head in exasperation.

Just then, Bai Yulou burst in, flustered. “Something’s wrong, something’s wrong!”

Ying Xi turned to him. “What’s wrong now?”

“Sister Shuang—Sister Shuang, she…” Bai Yulou was out of breath.

Ying Xi rolled his eyes. “Catch your breath and speak.”

Bai Yulou, on the verge of tears, blurted out, “Sister Shuang’s been taken by Bao Kang!”

“What?” Ying Xi was shocked.

Lu Hehuan interjected, “What happened?”

Bai Yulou couldn’t hold back his tears. “I went to see Sister Shuang today. As soon as I reached the gate, I saw Bao Kang and his men handcuff her. He said she’s the serial killer! He’s arresting people just to close the case!”

Lu Hehuan nodded in understanding. “Don’t worry. Detective Ying and I will go back and find out what’s going on.”

“Everyone knows Bao Kang uses force during interrogations. Sister Shuang’s in for it,” Bai Yulou said worriedly.

“Didn’t Liu Shan try to stop him?” Ying Xi asked anxiously.

“Master Liu tried. He even offered a bribe, but Bao Kang said this case involves the Chief Inspector’s niece—he won’t give anyone face.” Bai Yulou started crying again. “Detective Ying, Hehuan, you must save her.”

Lu Hehuan patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry. We’ll find out the truth.”

Ying Xi frowned and signaled to Lu Hehuan. “Let’s go see.”

They left together.

A few rays of sunlight slanted through the interrogation room window, lighting Liu Rushuang’s bewildered face as she sat cuffed to a chair. Bao Kang sat opposite her.

Suddenly, Bao Kang slammed the table. “Liu Rushuang, what else do you have to say?”

Bao Rong entered, looking at Liu Rushuang with sympathy, then at Bao Kang. “Based on the blood types of Liu Rushuang and her parents, the bloodstains in her room should match Liu Sixue’s.”

Bao Kang nodded. “Just as I thought.”

Liu Rushuang shook her head in confusion. “I told you, that cheongsam belongs to my sister. I never even wore it. I don’t know anything about these bloodstains!”

Bao Kang glared at her. “Stop lying! Let me lay out the facts. I investigated—you and your sister have always been at odds, and your mother doted on you. Her death hit you hard. You once swore to avenge her!”

“I did say I’d avenge my mother, but I already have,” Liu Rushuang protested.

Bao Kang’s eyes lit up. “So you admit to killing Liu Sixue, Ling Yan, Mary, and Song Xiaowan?”

She shook her head vigorously. “I didn’t kill them! I only killed that snake and even roasted it to eat!”

Bao Kang’s temper flared. “Lies! No wonder you kept coming to the station. Pretending to pursue Ying Xi, you were really gathering information and creating confusion. You killed Liu Sixue, faked her elopement, then killed Ling Yan, Mary, and Song Xiaowan out of revenge, because you blamed them for your mother’s death!”

Liu Rushuang was at her wit’s end. “Chief Bao, how many times must I say it? I really didn’t kill anyone! Even if, for argument’s sake, I did, you need real evidence to convict me!”

“The white cheongsam and Liu Sixue’s blood in your room are the evidence!” Bao Kang insisted.

At that moment, Lu Hehuan and Ying Xi burst in.

Lu Hehuan glanced at Liu Rushuang, then at Bao Kang. “Chief Bao, Detective Ying and I have investigated. The white cheongsam’s style and fabric are extremely common. It’s not enough to serve as evidence.”

“Brother Ying!” Liu Rushuang called out, as if seeing a savior.

Ying Xi ignored her and supported Lu Hehuan. “That’s right, Chief Bao, Liu Rushuang can’t be the killer—”

Bao Kang cut him off brusquely. “What makes you say she can’t be the killer? Do you have proof she’s not?”

Lu Hehuan and Ying Xi exchanged a look.

Impatient, Bao Kang snapped at them. “Guards! Take Liu Rushuang away!”

Two officers entered to lead her out.

Seeing things turn dire, Ying Xi mustered his courage. “Chief Bao, I think detaining Liu Rushuang now is a bit hasty.”

Bao Kang glared at him. “I don’t need your advice.”

Lu Hehuan started to speak, but Bao Kang pointed at him. “You, shut up!”

“Chief Bao, you’re abusing your power!” Lu Hehuan said seriously.

Bao Kang turned to Bao Rong. “Xiao Rong, tell them why we’re detaining her.”

Bao Rong looked at Lu Hehuan. “We found Liu Sixue’s blood in Liu Rushuang’s room.”

Lu Hehuan and Ying Xi were shocked.

Anxiously, Liu Rushuang protested, “Brother Ying, Lu Hehuan, I don’t know anything about any bloodstains!”

Bao Kang, out of patience, gestured to the officers. “Take her away!”

Two officers led Liu Rushuang out.