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Chapter 86

Brother  Huang found the landlord's way of speaking amusing, like she was telling a joke, so he casually chatted with her, saying, "How do you know she lives alone?" 

  

This question was a bit rude, and after he said it, he busied himself with items on a nearby shelf. But he noticed the landlord went silent for a while, not saying anything. 

  

Brother  Huang turned to look at her and saw her avoiding eye contact, nervously adjusting her slightly wavy, shoulder-length hair. Surprised, he said, "No way! Are you really dropping by every couple of days to check on her? Didn't you say your relationship was just a cold, money-based transaction?" 

  

The landlord, clearly flustered, jangled her keys loudly and pointed upwards, exclaiming, "Don't go making wild guesses! I didn't do anything strange! I have two other apartments in this complex, and I live just across the street in that building!" 

  

She hesitated, pursed her lips, then continued, "To be honest, I used to be suspicious about her line of work. It's not because I have a dirty mind, but several times when I went out early in the morning to buy groceries, I’d see her coming back from outside the complex. She’d be wearing these tight clothes, looking a bit off, with heavy makeup. Every time she saw someone, she'd wrap her arms around herself like she was afraid people would stare at her. I mean, why would a normal person act so guilty? Wouldn't you find that strange? And on top of that, she had this shady-looking friend. That friend seemed even more suspicious." 

  

She was about to continue describing this friend but suddenly stopped when she noticed Brother  Huang's scrutinizing gaze. Realizing that these two were police officers, she dared not say too much without evidence and quickly cut herself off. 

  

She forcefully suppressed her urge to keep talking, pausing for several seconds before awkwardly returning to the original topic. She said dryly, "I absolutely refuse to rent my apartments to people like her. I'm afraid they'd bring clients over, so I told her I was going to install a security camera in the hallway outside her door." 

  

As soon as she finished, He Chuan Zhou strode up to her, stopping less than half a meter away, staring intensely into her eyes. 

  

The landlord, intimidated by the stare, waved her hands frantically, saying, "I didn’t invade her privacy! She agreed to it herself! She even thought it made her feel safer." 

  

"No, you did well," He Chuan Zhou said. "Do you usually check the footage?" 

  

"I... I get bored, you know, so I occasionally watch it to pass the time." The landlord forced a smile, making a clumsy but earnest analogy. "It's like TikTok, really, once it's there, it’s hard to resist the temptation. It’s not that I have a control freak issue, sometimes I just click on it without thinking." 

  

He Chuan Zhou, uninterested in her rambling, coldly cut her off, "Then do you know the exact time she went missing? Is the surveillance footage still available?" 

  

"She's gone, but I remember the time," the landlord said, tilting her head back in thought. Her speech slowed down compared to earlier. "She would come back almost every day because she didn't have anywhere else to stay in City A. But during that period, there were several days in a row without any news from her, so I checked the surveillance footage. December 4th... yes, it should be that day. That afternoon, she went out. I thought she had gone back to her hometown in the countryside, so I didn't think much of it. Who would've known that she had actually gone missing? Sigh... A young woman out on her own, goes missing, and no one even reports it. By the time you officers came to question me, the surveillance data had already been overwritten. Back then, you weren't asking for such specific details, and it wasn’t even a missing person case you were investigating, so I didn't mention it." 

  

He Chuan Zhou and Brother  Huang exchanged glances, a brief moment of surprise at learning the exact date of her disappearance. But that small relief was quickly overshadowed by layers of new questions. 

  

Brother  Huang asked, "Was she alone when she left that afternoon?" 

  

The landlord nodded. "Yes, she was." 

  

The distant sound of the elevator doors opening and closing echoed down the quiet hallway. The landlord tilted her head in that direction, as if remembering something, and added, "But before that, a friend of hers came to see her. That same friend later paid two months of her rent in advance on her behalf. Otherwise, I would've gone to the police." 

  

He Chuan Zhou's expression shifted slightly, and she asked in a serious tone, "Someone voluntarily paid Zhu Shujun’s rent after she disappeared?" 

  

Brother  Huang pulled up a group photo and held it in front of her. "Is it one of the people in this picture?" 

  

The landlord leaned in close to inspect the screen, straining her eyes so hard that deep wrinkles formed on her face. Still unable to match any of the faces to her memory, she sighed and said, "Sorry, Officer. To me, all these people look the same. And it was so many years ago, that woman wore such heavy makeup that her features were barely recognizable. Even if she were standing in front of me now in different clothes, I probably wouldn't recognize her." 

  

Brother  Huang then asked if she remembered anything about the woman's clothing, but the landlord shook her head regretfully. 

  

He Chuan Zhou initially intended to search the apartment upstairs, to confirm if it was the primary crime scene, but the likelihood seemed low based on current information. 

  

As she walked out of the small storage room, she pulled down the rolling shutter, dusting off her hands, and told Brother  Huang, "Let's wait for updates from Xu Yu's side." 

  

At that moment, Xu Yu and Shao Zhixin had just arrived at the entrance of the complex. After showing their IDs, they were escorted by security to the designated building. 

  

Their first target was Sun Yiyao, the woman in the photo sitting close to Zhu Shujun. According to their records, she was a few years older than Zhu Shujun, having just turned 30 this year. She got married two years ago and had a baby last year. Currently, she was a full-time homemaker. 

  

Before setting out, Xu Yu had called her twice, but there was no answer, so they decided to go directly to her residence. 

  

Shao Zhixin observed the surrounding greenery and amenities, whispering discreetly to Xu Yu as they walked, "Not as luxurious as I imagined. It’s no better than the 6,000 yuan per square meter apartments back in our hometown." 

  

"It's about the same," Shao Zhixin remarked. 

  

The property, located in the city center, had seen a surge in prices over the past two years due to changes in urban planning policies. The newly developed properties in the area were now starting at 60,000 yuan per square meter. 

  

Xu Yu quietly chimed in, "What, were you expecting the place to be gold-plated?" 

  

Shao Zhixin replied, "At these prices, it should be!" 

  

They soon arrived at their destination. Shao Zhixin pointed to the front door, and Xu Yu stepped forward to ring the doorbell. 

  

A young man answered the door. Xu Yu instinctively glanced past him, trying to look inside. 

  

But as soon as she caught sight of the large floor-to-ceiling window behind him, the man shifted his body, leaning against the doorframe to block her view. He asked curtly, "Who are you?" 

  

Xu Yu pulled out her ID and said, "Hello, we're looking for Sun Yiyao. Is she home?" 

  

The man didn't step aside immediately. He scrutinized the ID, then asked, somewhat surprised, "What do you want with her?" 

  

Xu Yu explained, "We're reopening an investigation on an old case. She was a bystander at the time, and we're here to ask a few follow-up questions to a helpful witness." 

  

The man, looking doubtful, turned to call for someone. A moment later, Sun Yiyao, dressed in casual home clothes, came jogging out and gave them a slight nod. 

  

Xu Yu stepped back, signaling for her to come outside. The man began looking around for his outdoor slippers, but Xu Yu quickly intervened, "We have questions that may involve the victim's privacy. Family members should not be present." 

  

The three of them moved into the stairwell. 

  

Standing one step higher, Xu Yu compared the woman's face to the one in the photo, double-checking, "Sun Yiyao?" 

  

The real-life Sun Yiyao had narrower eyes, a sallow complexion, and thinner upper lips, showing the passage of time.  

  

Xu Yu almost didn't recognize her as the same person. 

  

Turning the photo, Xu Yu pointed to Zhu Shujun and asked, "Do you remember her?" 

  

Sun Yiyao only glanced briefly before replying, "Yes, I remember her, but not very well. We just worked in the same place and exchanged a few words." 

  

Xu Yu pressed, "Weren't you two friends?" 

  

Sun Yiyao gave a faint smile, "Not really. She was quite proud, even though she worked in that kind of place. She always thought she was destined for better things and looked down on everyone. But she was pretty, with that good-girl look that many clients liked. The more aloof she was, the more they found her charming." 

  

She shrugged and sighed, "Ah, youth is a wonderful thing." 

  

Taking the photo, she held it between her fingers, flipping it back and forth, and casually asked, "Why are you suddenly asking about her? I haven't seen her in a long time." 

  

Xu Yu then pulled out a photo of Shen Wenzheng and asked, "Do you recognize this person?" 

  

Sun Yiyao stared at it for two seconds, her expression remaining neutral, and said, "I saw him on the news a few days ago. Was he one of her old clients?" 

  

Xu Yu replied, "She disappeared three years ago." 

  

"What?" Sun Yiyao’s surprise seemed genuine. She gaped, not feigning concern, and after a brief moment of astonishment, she calmly said, "I really haven't kept in touch with her. I thought she had made her dreams come true and ran off with a wealthy man." 

  

She handed the photo back to Xu Yu, straightened the collar of her pajamas, and ran her fingers through her hair. 

  

Curious, Xu Yu asked, "So you'd say Zhu Shujun was rather materialistic, right? What did she need all that money for?" 

  

Unfazed, Sun Yiyao replied matter-of-factly, "Isn't everyone the same? The first thing is to buy a house. Everyone wants to buy a home, to have a place to settle down." 

  

Xu Yu glanced around, signaling with her eyes, "Your place here isn’t too bad. Looks like your husband is quite well off." 

  

Sun Yiyao responded dismissively, "It's nothing much. But I hope you won't come looking for me again in the future. In our line of work, there’s no such thing as friendships. I know nothing. You can see for yourself, my husband is quite strict, and I’m worried about him finding out about my past." 

  

Xu Yu assured her, "We'll keep it confidential," while her fingers quickly swiped through the data on her screen. After scrolling to the bottom, she rubbed her forehead, looking troubled, and remarked, "It's strange, really. Zhu Shujun should’ve made quite a bit of money, yet her accounts have very little cash. And from her spending records, her lifestyle was quite modest. Aside from everyday expenses, she barely had any other expenditures. So, where did all that money she withdrew go?" 

  

Xu Yu, her face showing innocent curiosity, asked, "Do you have any idea?" 

  

Shao Zhixin, who had been quietly taking notes, lifted his head, his gaze fixed on Sun Yiyao's face.