Chapter 18: She Lied

Less than twelve hours had passed since Zhou Yi was reborn back to the year 1997.

Although he had confirmed that this was reality and not a dream, his memory and mind had not yet fully adjusted to certain discrepancies, such as the price levels. Even though this was a life he had once lived, few people could accurately recall the exact prices from over two decades ago in such a short time.

The only thing deeply imprinted in his mind was the pack of Da Qian Men cigarettes he had bought for Wu Yongcheng, costing three yuan and twenty cents.

Upon hearing Zhou Yi’s last words, Wu Yongcheng’s expression instantly grew serious. He knew Zhou Yi had discovered something amiss.

That kid really was extraordinary.

“If I remember correctly, a frontline police officer like you had a basic salary of 280 yuan, with a fixed annual increment based on years of service; plus various allowances, you should be making just over 400 yuan,” Wu Yongcheng said, pointing at Chen Yan. “Xiao Chen has two more years of seniority than you, but since we’re part of the city bureau’s special unit, the major crime squad, the allowances here are the highest in Baicheng. Xiao Chen probably earns over 600 yuan a month.”

Chen Yan nodded. “Six hundred and forty.”

“I’m just a little higher than them,” Wu Yongcheng scratched his head but didn’t mention an exact figure.

However, this wasn’t what Zhou Yi was concerned about. Wu Yongcheng knew it, and Zhou Yi knew it too.

“Zhou Yi, what exactly did you find out? Just say it straight,” Chen Yan couldn’t help but ask.

“Yan, where did you get those files?”

“Got the fax from the hospital security department.”

“Zhang Xinli’s file didn’t have an updated marital status,” Zhou Yi said.

Chen Yan nodded. “Right, I asked when I got it. The hospital updates files once a year.”

“Hm. And the address wasn’t updated either, right?”

“Exactly.”

“So that means Zhang Xinli didn’t move after getting married. They still live at the same place she lived before.”

Chen Yan looked puzzled. “Is… that a problem?”

Wu Yongcheng took a deep drag of his cigarette, frustrated at the lack of insight.

“Normally, after marriage, the wife moves into the husband’s home. But Zhang Xinli said both of them are from out of town. So there’s no tradition of her moving in with him—they just live wherever is more convenient.”

Chen Yan nodded, somewhat understanding.

“In fact, it’s the husband who moved in with the wife, so her address remained unchanged—it’s still the original address.”

“You mean, this house belongs to Zhang Xinli?”

Zhou Yi snapped his fingers.

“Yan, you finally get it. That’s right. The house belongs to Zhang Xinli, so after marriage, the husband moved in.”

“Wait. Why can’t the house just be rented by Zhang Xinli? Maybe she got used to living there and didn’t want to move, and the husband accommodated her by moving in.”

Zhou Yi smirked. “Do you remember what I asked her when I came out of the bathroom?”

“You asked her what brand the toilet was…” Chen Yan started, then suddenly his face lit up. “I get it now. If it were a rented place, she wouldn’t have bought the toilet herself, since that’s a basic fixture of the house. If it were rented, she should have said she didn’t know, because the landlord would have bought it.”

Zhou Yi patted him on the shoulder. “You’re teachable.”

Chen Yan beamed with pride but then felt something was off.

“Also, she lied,” Zhou Yi added.

“Lied?”

“She said she bought the toilet at some roadside shop. But when I checked, it’s an imported big-name brand that you can only get at a specialty store in a mall. No way to find that at a roadside stall.”

Wu Yongcheng chimed in, “Not just the toilet. Many of the furniture and appliances in her home aren’t cheap either.”

“Exactly,” Zhou Yi said. “The furniture, appliances, and the way the place is set up all prove this isn’t a rental.”

“That leads to the biggest problem: with Zhang Xinli’s job, how could she possibly afford such a house?”

This wasn’t just Zhou Yi’s speculation. The case file for the 316 case showed that the hospital colleagues were just one of the routine investigation directions. To facilitate questioning all related hospital staff, the hospital security department had arranged a meeting room specifically for interviews.

So naturally, there was no information like this available back then.

Chen Yan frowned and fell silent, beginning to doubt himself.

He, Wu Yongcheng, and Zhou Yi had all entered Zhang Xinli’s home together. They had heard the same information and seen the same scene.

So how did Zhou Yi immediately notice something unusual? Judging by Wu Yongcheng’s expression, he had noticed it too.

Only Chen Yan hadn’t thought of this layer.

Zhou Yi was younger and a new policeman. Though Chen Yan meant no disrespect, he himself had a higher education, graduating from a reputable university.

Just as Chen Yan was doubting himself, Zhou Yi saw through his thoughts.

“Don’t be discouraged, Yan. Honestly, I only realized this after Wu pointed it out,” Zhou Yi encouraged.

Chen Yan didn’t know that inside this young man’s body lived the mind of a veteran detective, even more experienced than Wu Yongcheng.

Wu Yongcheng was momentarily stunned but quickly caught on.

“Oh right, I did tell Zhou Yi to check out the bathroom in her house.”

Chen Yan wasn’t as fragile as Zhou Yi had thought; he quickly adjusted, smiling. “Zhou Yi, I’ll have to learn more from you in the future.”

Zhou Yi glanced at Wu Yongcheng. “Don’t flatter me. The captain hasn’t agreed to transfer me to the city bureau yet.”

Wu Yongcheng, just finishing his cigarette, coughed twice. “Depends on your performance.”

“By the way, Zhou Yi, can you drive?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Xiao Chen, give Zhou Yi the car keys. He’s coming with me to the power supply station to find Zhang Xinli’s husband.”

“You head back to the bureau immediately and check two things: first, Zhang Xinli’s family situation; second, the status of that house—did Zhang Xinli buy it? If so, what’s the source of funds?”

“The sooner, the better!”

“Got it, master. I’ll get to it right away.”

“Oh, and have Xiao Qiao keep watch. Then have Biaozi lead people to search the entire route from Shangyang Alley to here. If Zhang Xinli really is the culprit, either the murder weapon hasn’t been disposed of yet, or it was discarded last night.”

On the road, Zhou Yi drove toward the district power supply station Zhang Xinli had mentioned.

“Zhou Yi, is there something else you haven’t told us?” Wu Yongcheng pulled out a Da Qian Men cigarette, lit one, and squinted.

“Heh, nothing escapes your eyes, Captain.”

“Go ahead, tell me.”

“It’s not that I was deliberately hiding it—it’s just not a definite discovery, more like some speculation from tiny details that need confirmation.”

“I checked the bathroom in Zhang Xinli’s house and found that the toiletries for the two people were completely separate.”

Wu Yongcheng frowned. “What’s wrong with that?”

“Captain, maybe you got married early and didn’t pay much attention to these things, but nowadays young couples care more about the ceremony. Things like toothbrush cups and towels are usually replaced with new ones after marriage, and they come in matching pairs.”

“But in Zhang Xinli’s house, one set of towels and toothbrush cups was new, while the other was obviously old. Moreover, these items were clearly separated and stored separately.”

“For a newlywed couple fresh from the registry office, that’s really abnormal.”

Zhou Yi’s words piqued Wu Yongcheng’s interest.

“Are you saying Zhang Xinli doesn’t love her new husband?”

Zhou Yi nodded. “She might even harbor strong aversion toward him.”