Chapter 514: 514 Alibi

514 Alibi

"The expenses at the resort are very high. The resort is designed with the sea on three sides and is a five-star resort. There are no standard rooms in the resort. Other than the pricier villas, the main building houses sea-view suites. It's now the National Day Holiday peak season; it costs more than four thousand five hundred for a night's stay, and you need to pay another three hundred yuan to enter the hot springs. Excluding meals, the accommodation and hot springs have exceeded Xiong Shishi's monthly salary. Most people won't spend a month's salary just to stay a night in this high-end hotel without food or drink. Her family's financial situation can't afford such spending," stated Zhang Shanfei.

"I enquired at her workplace. There were rumors that she had a vague relationship with Shi Chenzhong, the sales department manager. The rumors were there but no one really talked about it. The employees in the sales department typically earn much more. The sales commissions are the envy of the other departments. The sales manager's yearly base salary is two-hundred-thousand. Moreover, there are sales commissions. Each large contract basically comes with hundreds of thousands in commissions. The lesser ones also carry around forty to fifty-thousand in sales commissions. Xiong Shishi, being in the logistics department, often works closely with the sales department. One thing led to another and the two got together. Shi Chenzhong is forty-five years old and has a family. Therefore, if the relationship between Xiong Shishi and Shi Chenzhong's is true, then she's his lover," said Zhang Shanfei.

"If their relationship is known throughout the company, then it wouldn't be surprising if Xiong Shishi could stay and spend at the resort," Zhang Shanfei continued.

"Could Xiong Shishi have come to meet Shi Chenzhong? It's unlikely that Xiong Shishi came alone during the National Day holidays. She would've checked in beforehand, then Shi Chenzhong would've come to meet her later," guessed Feng Songwei.

"Chengwei, find out where Shi Chenzhong is. Songwei, talk to Shi Chenzhong's wife and see if she knows anything. Shanfei, find Xiong Shishi's husband," ordered Yang Shaoqun.

Zou Chengwei agreed as he ran to get his car keys and jacket. He then left together with Feng Songwei and Zhang Shanfei.

At noon, Xiao Yiqing, Qi Youning, and Cheng Xicheng came over with the three men from their families and invited Qi Youxuan and Wei Muran to lunch.

Cheng Xicheng ordered a table-full of seafood and said while munching on a crab, "Muran, how come you're solving crime even though you're on vacation?"

"It's a bad habit..." replied an abashed Wei Muran.

"Mumu, let's discuss something. Don't do this during our honeymoon. Give me a chance to spend time with you, just the two of us!" Qi Youxuan hugged her as he rested his head on her shoulder.

Wei Muran was dumbfounded.

She was too embarrassed to rebuke him. They have not even gotten Wei Ziqi's blessing but were already thinking about the honeymoon. Is that not too optimistic?

After lunch, Wei Muran and Qi Youxuan hurried to the police station.

Not long after they arrived, Zou Chengwei, Feng Songwei, and Zhang Shanfei also returned.

Zou Chengwei brought Shi Chenzhong back with him and prepared to take him to the interrogation room. "I found him outside the resort. The resort was sealed off. The people inside can't leave and the people outside can't enter. He was wandering outside."

Zou Chengwei said sarcastically, "It's quite infatuating."

Yang Shaoqun took Zou Chengwei to the interrogation room. Wei Muran, Qi Youxuan and the others were in the next room, observing through the mirror.

Shi Chenzhong was not like Wei Muran imagined. Even if he was not handsome, she imagined he would at least be a presentable middle-aged man.

Shi Chen's looks were nothing to shout about. Although only forty-five years old, he looked like a little old man. He was thin and short. Wei Muran estimated that he was slightly above one-hundred-and-sixty centimeters tall. Thin and lean, yet very astute. Wearing a pair of gold-framed glasses, the wrinkles on his face were very obvious.

At the age of forty-five, he looked more like a man in his fifties.

Wei Muran thought that it was probably related to his job. Being in the international trade business and working with companies from Europe and the United States, it was necessary to accommodate the time zone differences. He would often have to get up in the middle of the night to discuss business matters, check emails, etc. Having insufficient rest and still having to go drinking during the day would affect one's body and would result in looking much older than one's actual age.

"Officer, why am I here?" asked Shi Chenzhong nervously.

"Why were you wandering outside the resort today?" asked Zou Chengwei.

"Why does it matter to you if I'm taking a stroll there?" Shi Chenzhong looked surprised.

Zou Chengwei slammed the desk fiercely and hissed, "Stop beating around the bush like you do in your business meetings! Just answer the question!"

Shi Chenzhong was taken aback and said, "I had an appointment to meet someone at the resort but when I arrived, I found that the resort was sealed off and I couldn't enter. I had to wait outside because of that."

"Who were you meeting?" Zou Chengwei asked.

Shi Chenzhong frowned. "This is a personal matter, officer. Why did you bring me here?"

"Tell us! You're here to assist in a case, stop with the nonsense!" said Zou Chengwei impolitely.

"Did you plan to meet with Xiong Shishi?" asked Yang Shaoqun coldly.

Shi Chenzhong's expression finally changed. He saw that Yang Shaoqun was so sure of it, he could not deny it. "Yes, I planned to meet her this afternoon. When I arrived, I found that I couldn't enter the resort, so I called her but there was no answer."

"You should know why the resort is sealed off," said Yang Shaoqun.

Shi Chengzong nodded.

He got to know from the crowd that someone had died inside and felt uneasy. Even if he had not seen it personally, he felt something amiss.

"The deceased is Xiong Shishi. Based on our investigations, you're her lover," said Yang Shaoqun.

Shi Chenzhong's expression changed drastically and his face turned pale. "How...how could she... How did she die?"

"The cause of death was asphyxiation. The body was found at the bottom of the hot spring pool," said Zou Chengwei. "When did you agree to meet Xiong Shishi?"

Shi Chenzhong was still reeling from the revelation. His mind was blank and could only speak truthfully, "We just talked on the phone last night. As it was the November holidays, I planned to spend two nights here with her. She checked in first last night because I was going to take my wife and son back to my parents' house for lunch today. I told Shishi that I would come here after lunch. I told my wife that I was entertaining a client these two days. I sent my wife and son home after lunch and hurried over. I didn't expect..."

Shi Chenzhong's face was pale. "Everything was fine. I just spoke to her on the phone last night. Why did she die? Why did she die?!"

"Where were you between last night and one o'clock this afternoon?" asked Zou Chengwei coldly.

Shi Chenzhong did not give him a good impression. He was not honest when speaking and his words had a deceitful undertone. He had a wife and child but is still messing around at this age.

"As I won't be home for the next two days, my wife might get suspicious, so I went home right after work yesterday. We then went back to my parents' house for lunch. I was with my wife and son all the while," answered the subconscious Shi Chenzhong, still considerably shocked.

The statements of people close to someone sometimes could not be trusted, such as Shi Chenzhong's wife and child, as well as his parents. They might lie to cover for him.

"Besides them, is there anyone else that can vouch for you?" asked Zou Chengwei directly in an unfriendly tone that Shi Chenzhong could sense it, even in the state he was in.

"Officer, am I a suspect?" Shi Chenzhong's face was taut and said warily, "You've got to be kidding me. Why would I kill Xiong Shishi! I haven't yet lived my life to the fullest! I have a wife and child. I make good money. I have a great life ahead of me. Moreover, Xiong Shishi is sensible, all she wants is money. As long as she gets her money, she won't tell my wife and make trouble. I have the money. Why would I trouble myself with this?"

"This is just your side of the story. We'll investigate the state of your relationship with Xiong Shishi," sneered Zou Chengwei.

"It's better you investigate Xiong Shishi's husband, Liu Mingyue. He's more suspicious than me!" said Shi Chenzhong anxiously.

"How so?" Yang Shaoqun asked.

"He knew about Xiong Shishi and I. Even when Xiong Shishi seduced me. She told him about it. He knew," scoffed Shi Chenzhong.

On the other side of the mirror, Wei Muran was shocked and glanced at Qi Youquan.

"It's unsurprising. Based on Xiong Shishi and her husband's income, after rent and loan repayments, it'd be hard to sustain the standard of living in T City. Xiong Shishi is a typical person who isn't satisfied with her current situation and admires a life of luxury, but her current position doesn't allow for it. If she just had more money, she'd want to enter high society. Three-thousand-five-hundred yuan is barely enough for one person, let alone two people. They don't even have a car. So factoring in transportation, food, electricity, water, and other expenses, there won't be any left for savings. They may still need financial support from their parents," said Qi Youxuan calmly.

"Xiong Shishi is already thirty-two years old but still dared not have a child. When she gets pregnant, it'd be considered late in life. I doubt they wouldn't be anxious about their situation. Living such a difficult life long term would smother all feelings. They just had enough. Liu Mingyue sacrificed his wife for material possessions. Xiong Shishi also sacrificed herself for material possessions, not afraid of being found out by Liu Mingyue. For the two of them to make such a choice, although not entirely natural, it isn't beyond expectations."

Wei Muran's jaw gaped open for a long time then said, "How would you know about the trifles of life?"

Although she chose the busy and dangerous profession of a police officer, Wei Ziqi raised her like a princess at home. She had never experienced hardships in life apart from work.

It was embarrassing to say that although her work was very down-to-earth, she did not really know much about life. Those things that Qi Youxuan mentioned, she never had to worry about. She did not know what it meant to be poor nor did she know how much it cost for transportation, food, electricity, and water. Wei Ziqi and Wei Ran took care of it for her.

Even cooking can only be regarded as a mere interest and not something to truly worry about. Occasionally cooking for special occasions already made Wei Ziqi and Wei Muche extremely happy.

Growing up, she was never exposed to these.

She thought Qi Youxuan was the same. The Qi family did not need him to worry about these matters.

"When I studied psychology, I have to study all kinds of personalities as well as the environmental factors, etc. that led to the creation of certain personalities. These little details of life are essential," said Qi Youxuan, smiling.

Wei Muran felt very ashamed after hearing that and whispered, "It seems like I don't know anything."

Qi Youxuan smiled and pinched her nose gently. "You needn't know. Before marrying me, you were the princess of the Wei family. After you marry me, you'll be the queen of our family. You needn't worry about any of these at any point in your life."

Wei Muran blushed. There were others in the room, strangers nonetheless, and the T City police officers. She secretly pinched Qi Youxuan—this was not the appropriate time to be mushy.

They then heard Shi Chenzhong say, "Xiong Shishi doesn't want to live a hard life and Liu Mingyue also had enough. Liu Mingyue acquiesced to her seducing me. I bought her gifts, brought her to high-end establishments. Her clothes, make-up, shoes, and bags—I bought all of them. I took her for meals every day, which is equivalent to feeding Liu Mingyue's wife for him. The allowance I gave her, she spent it on her household expenses and improved their lives. I'm financially supporting their family, and in return, Xiong Shishi became my lover. She wouldn't want to be my legitimate wife and wouldn't make trouble for my family. We both get what we want. Even if it's more money they want, I'm willing to fork out as long as it saves me the trouble."

Shi Chenzhong's lips curled. "Don't assume that Liu Mingyue is indifferent even though he knew about us, even if he took the initiative to make room for us. Sometimes when I call Xiong Shishi, even when she's at home, she answers my calls in front of Liu Mingyue. Liu Mingyue doesn't seem to care, but a man can't stand being cuckolded, especially right to his face. He can push his wife away for money, but it doesn't mean he accepts it. I know he must hate it. We're both men. I know what he must be thinking. He's incompetent but hates Xiong Shishi and me."

"Truth be told, I quite enjoy this feeling of toying with the wife in front of her husband. I sometimes visit her at their rented one-bedroom house and do it with her on their bed. When they move into their new house, I'm thinking of paying it a visit as well. The feeling when the husband is helpless to do anything although he knows fully well what's going on—there's a very special sense of satisfaction." Shi Chenzhong smiled proudly.

Zou Chengwei almost could not hold himself back from punching him. Such a despicable man.

"What a twisted mentality." Wei Muran frowned, clearly disgusted by Shi Chenzhong. "Liu Mingyue is also a piece of work. He doesn't have the talent and doesn't want to work hard, but pimped out his wife for money. Still, it does take more than one to tango. Nothing more can be said about these three."

Qi Youxuan patted her head gently like a puppy.

He does not tease her and be clingy while at work but rather acted like a big brother to appease her.

"Shi Chenzhong didn't have much success in his career when he was younger. Only rather recently did his career rapidly take off, which caused his ego to be inflated that he grew proud and arrogant. He wanted everyone to know that he's rich and capable. Merely earning a little bit more money made him feel particularly rich, even not minding to fund his mistress's husband and enjoy others' envy. As evident from his words, he doesn't have much experience. He's only slightly better off compared to previously, but he thinks he's high-end."

"He's accustomed to bowing his head to others when doing business. In order to successfully negotiate a business deal, he's willing to stoop as low as he can go. Thus, outside of work, he wants others to be beneath his feet. Faced with someone inferior, his pride and ego are exacerbated. While bowing down to others when doing business, others will bow down to him in other aspects of his life," said Qi Youxuan plainly.

"How can you tell that he only has gotten better off recently?" Zhang Shanfei finally asked after holding back a while. He had been standing there silently like a dim lamp.

Qi Youxuan spun his head around with a surprised expression on his face, realizing only now that there were still others in the room.

Zhang Shanfei was quite dejected. Was his existence so insignificant?

Feng Songwei also felt unpleasant. She was quite attractive and well known at their precinct. When they were in need of a face for any promotional campaigns, she was the go-to person. Her presence was also completely oblivious.

From the very start, other than being focused on the interrogation room, Qi Youxuan stole little strokes at Wei Muran's hair, patted her shoulders and touched her waist when she did not notice. These little antics caused Wei Muran to blush crimson but she was hesitant to call him out in public.

Not wanting to be ignored like this, Feng Songwei took a few steps forward and stood next to Zhang Shanfei. "Yeah, how do you know this?"

Qi Youxuan's face had 'oh, you're here too' written all over it. Feng Songwei instantly did not want to continue.

Zhang Shanfei's whole face expressed a thirst for enlightenment. Qi Youxuan curled his lips and said, "If he was well to do all along, would he be looking like a withered old man at the age of forty-five?"

Zhang Shanfei was dumbfounded.

"That's it?" Zhang Shanfei blinked. He thought that this was a rather unscientific assumption. Was Qi Youxuan really an expert?

Wei Muran understood Qi Youxuan, he was too lazy to explain in detail, thus merely explained the simplest reasoning.

"I want to know too," she said, tugging at Qi Youxuan's sleeve.

Presented with Wei Muran's query, Qi Youxuan was much more patient. He pointed to Shi Chenzhong through the mirror and said, "Although Shi Chenzhong was reluctant to answer the questions, he wasn't lying. In the beginning, his feet and legs were splayed out. He sat relaxed until he heard that the deceased was Xiong Shishi, when he was surprised and anxious. His legs were close together, and his toes dug into the ground, his heels slightly raised pointing toward your colleagues and not toward the doorway. He was really anxious as his body leaned forward."

"When mentioning his relationship with Xiong Shishi, his pupils were looking straight at your colleagues and didn't flutter. He didn't think about what he said. He was still in shock, so what he said hadn't gone through his thoughts, just subconsciously saying what he knows and what came to mind. He mentioned giving Xiong Shishi money and taking Xiong Shishi to high-end establishments. That's not something a person who's been wealthy all his life would say. Don't ask me why I know this—I just do. A person who's always been wealthy will think that the places where they frequent are normal and won't think of it as high-end. He wouldn't have it at the tip of his tongue. When Shi Chenzhong mentioned it, he was very proud of it. These behaviors are only displayed by someone who just recently came into wealth."

"Because he has been oppressed for a long time, he found a sense of belonging in receiving Liu Mingyue's jealousy and hate and oppressing Liu Mingyue and Xiong Shishi. His suit is Armani, and there's a very prominent letter H logo in the middle of his belt. His shoes are LV. When he entered, the toe of his shoe touched Zou Chengwei's heel. After he sat down, he rubbed the tip of the shoe with his hand, cherishing it. The cost of the shoes still caused him heartache."

"He may just be a clean-freak," countered Zhang Shanfei.

"A clean-freak would carry around handkerchiefs, paper towels, wet wipes, hand sanitizers, and the likes, but not him. Would a clean-freak prefer to get his hands dirty to keep his shoes clean? He wiped his shoes with his bare hands. His shoe wasn't even dirty, it wasn't stepped on by Zou Chengwei, yet he still felt it was dirty and rubbed it anxiously, indicating that he cares about these things which he thinks are expensive. The gifts he bought for Xiong Shishi, he remembers every one clearly."

"After he sat down, he dashingly and deliberately set the keys of his newly purchased Land Rover on the desk. The car keys are new as there's little trace of wear and tear. He changed his car not too long ago. You can find out if his previous car was an economical model, approximately a hundred thousand, Japanese or South Korean made. As he's making more money now, he replaced it with a Land Rover," added Qi Youxuan.

Without saying another word, Zhang Shanfei picked up the phone. After a while, he glanced back at Qi Youxuan with a surprised expression while still on the phone.

After hanging up, dumbfoundedly he stuttered, "You... How did you know it was a Japanese or South Korean made car?"

He had called Shi Chenzhong's workplace and asked what car he drove before. Shi Chenzhong was not always in a managerial position at the company. He was initially an ordinary employee in the sales department, responsible for the domestic market at first. The domestic market was more tiring than the foreign markets. Although there was no time zone difference, he had to accompany customers for drinks and meals and even to some entertainment outlets. It was also a struggle.

He later found a mentor who was in charge of international trade and slowly worked his way up to a managerial position. Previously for all successful business deals, the commissions went to his mentor. Whatever he earned was up to the mentor's discretion.

If his mentor was generous, his cut would be slightly more. Otherwise, he would have to endure some hard times.

His previous mentor was not entirely inhumane but his cut was really small. Shi Chenzhong could only write it off as tuition fees.

He has a house and a car then. The house was a little two-bedroom house that did not even have a living room. His car was a small KIA he bought on loan when he started doing international trade.

He could make approximately six to seven-thousand yuan a month. About half was used to entertain clients and to buy gifts for his mentor to build a good relationship.

Finally, he managed to reach a managerial position a couple of years ago. He quickly moved to a bigger house and after completely repaying the loan, he purchased a new car and got a mistress.

Upon hearing Zhang Shanfeng's question, Qi Youxuan replied in contempt, "Because Japanese and South Korean cars are affordable."

Zhang Shanfei fell silent once more.

He felt as if his IQ was suddenly in deficit.

"So if you suspect me, your time may be better spent investigating Liu Mingyue. He may no longer be able to bear Xiong Shishi blatantly cuckolding him, and finally snapped and killed her." Shi Chenzhong then continued, "After all, I visit their home very often. Many people in their small neighborhood have seen me. There were a lot of rumors. Neighbors who were more familiar with them knew of Xiong Shishi's relationship with me. Liu Mingyue couldn't even lift his head in that neighborhood. I guess he felt that he'd be moving out soon and wouldn't live there forever, thus not making a fuss and just endured it temporarily. He probably couldn't bear it anymore."

Shi Chenzhong was starting to get anxious. "Don't try to pin what he did on me!"

After the interrogation, as Shi Chenzhong was being led out, he saw a police officer accompanying Liu Mingyue, who was brought in to identify the body.

Liu Mingyue looked ordinary. Wearing a pair of glasses, he looked decent; nothing stood out about him. Shi Chenzhong had always looked down on him. He knowingly allowed his wife to be someone else's lover for money. What a worthless person.

It might be fuelled by Xiong Shishi's death, but when he saw Shi Chenzhong's obvious contempt for himself, Liu Mingyue suddenly lurched forward and grabbed Shi Chenzhong's collar and pinned him to the wall.

"He killed her! Officer, arrest him! He's the one that killed Xiong Shishi, it's him!"

"Nonsense!" Shi Chenzhong was afraid that the police believed him and rambled, "I think you're the one that killed her! Because she was with me, you couldn't bear to be cuckolded and killed her in anger! You can't afford to feed your own wife. Not only did I financially support your wife, but I also supported you as well. A man like you should be too embarrassed to be alive. You couldn't bear it anymore. You're such a useless person but still discontented, you killed Xiong Shishi and framed me instead."

"No!" Liu Mingyue's eyes were bloodshot. "No, Nonsense!"

Liu Mingyue was not articulate. He was a quality inspector and was usually couped up in a lab. It is not like Shi Chenzhong who would meet business clients all day, and whose mind and mouth are more agile.

Noticing that Liu Mingyue was flustered, Shi Chengzhong regained his composure and sneered, "Did I get it right? You claimed that I killed Xiong Shishi. What's my motive? I have money, a family, a successful career, a bright future. I lack nothing. Xiong Shishi's relationship with me is mutually beneficial. I give her money, she makes me happy. She has a family and won't make trouble for mine. We take get we want out of our relationship. She didn't provoke me, so why would I kill her? You, on the other hand, have plenty of motive. Although you acquiesced to her being with me, you were ashamed and hateful. After you killed her, you framed me, killing two birds with one stone!"

"Nonsense! Don't accuse me!" Liu Mingyue thrust Shi Chenzhong's neck harder against the wall.

"Let go, both of you!" Zou Chengwei pulled the two apart and hissed at Shi Chenzhong, "Wow, you're good and you can infer. You should be a detective! We're the ones investigating, you're still a suspect. Don't go accusing others."

"And you!" Zou Chengwei was not very polite to Liu Mingyue as well. He did not have a good impression of this piece of work either. "Do you have proof that Shi Chenzhong did it? Well, hand it over. We'll accept it."

Liu Mingyue blushed and said not a word. Zou Chengwei shoved him forward. "Get moving, we still have some questions for you."

"Hmmph!" Shi Chenzhong sneered at Liu Mingyue and left.

Yang Shaoqun motioned to Zhang Shanfei. "Follow up on Shi Chenzhong's alibi."

After that, he went to interrogate Liu Mingyue with Zou Chengwei.

"Where were you from midnight last night until noon today?" asked Zou Chengwei.

Liu Mingyue was more honest than Shi Chenzhong who kept beating around the bush at first, but he seemed reluctant to speak. His head was lowered with a muddled expression.

"Answer truthfully or you might be charged with obstruction of justice. The penalty is quite severe," emphasized Zou Chengwei.

Liu Mingyue gritted his teeth and finally relented, "Last ... Last night Xiong Shishi told me that she wasn't coming home. I knew she was going to see Shi Chenzhong again. I didn't question her further. I was used to it anyway."

"You knew about Xiong Shishi and Shi Chenzhong?" asked Zou Chengwei, raising his eyebrows.

"Yes." Liu Mingyue gritted his teeth. "I can't give her the life she wants but Shi Chenzhong can. Still, she also complains that Shi Chenzhong is old and still needs me to satisfy her in bed. I'm useless anyway, so I won't stop her if she's willing to use Shi Chenzhong's money to subsidize my family financially. She disappoints me but I won't stand up to her.

We're just two separate people that happen to live together! Aren't open marriages all the rage now? I told myself that since she can't bear to live a hard life, then I'll just treat it as an open marriage and not interfere with one another. We're like friends with benefits that have a marriage certificate. Those women that go looking for one-night stands are not much different. They're with a different partner each day, they might not even be single. Therefore, I've learned to accept it.

Since he started talking about it, Liu Mingyue seemed to open up and did not care about shame anymore. He looked up at Yang Shaoqun and Zou Chengwei. "Shi Chenzhong said that I was jealous and killed Qi Xiong Shishi because she was unfaithful, but it really wasn't." Liu Mingyue chuckled. "Why would I stick my neck out for such a whore? Besides, she made the first move. Even if we were to get a divorce, I'm the victim here. I'll get a bigger share of the assets than her. Why would I kill her? Moreover, I can still spend Shi Chenzhong's money. That's such a good deal, so why can't I live with myself? Killing Xiong Shishi doesn't benefit me at all."

"Shi Chenzhong has been to your neighborhood many times. The people there know him and his relationship with Xiong Shishi." Yang Shaoqun continued, "The people in your neighborhood are laughing at you behind your back."

Liu Mingyue turned pale for a moment but said, "So, you're saying that I couldn't bear the shame and killed her in anger?"

"I seldom go back there anyway. We'll be getting the keys to our new house soon and we'll be moving. I couldn't care less about what they say. Officer, I'm useless, don't make much and can't support my wife financially, but I'm not so stupid as to lose my sanity over something like this," concluded Liu Mingyue.

"He's a little tense, but this is within the acceptable range." Qi Youxuan observed Liu Mingyue through the mirror and said, "He doesn't care for Xiong Shishi, maybe because Xiong Shishi derailed his life. He has no feelings for Xiong Shishi anymore. Therefore, even though Xiong Shishi was murdered, he didn't portray any sadness, only shock. The wedding ring on his left hand had been removed for some time. When he was tangled up with Shi Chenzhong in the corridor earlier, he smelled of women's perfume. However, there are no signs of gifts from a single romantic partner. He doesn't have a steady girlfriend, mostly one-night-stands. The clothes on him were worn yesterday. His jacket is wrinkled and the collar of his shirt is also a little trampled. He wore this outfit yesterday, his necktie still tucked in his trouser pocket. He didn't go home after work and went directly to the nightclub. When he received a phone call from the police today, he was either still in a hotel or at a female companion's place."

"You could deduce that much in such a short time?" Feng Songwei gasped in awe, her black eyes shining. She did not even try to conceal her admiration and worship of Qi Youxuan.

Qi Youxuan only nodded indifferently and took no notice of her. He continued observing the situation in the interrogation room.

"So where exactly were you at the time?" Zou Chengwei then added, "If you don't have an alibi, it doesn't matter what you say."

Liu Mingyue hesitated a moment then said, "I went to the hotel with someone I met in the bar last night. Since Xiong Shishi was unfaithful, why should I be? I went out with my friends after work and went our separate ways after that. My friend saw me leave with a woman. The hotel should also have a record."

After Yang Shaoqun and Zou Chengwei exited, Yang Shaoqun asked Zou Chengwei to check out the hotel Liu Mingyue mentioned.

Zhang Shanfei returned and said, "Shi Chenzhong's wife said that he was with her the whole of last night until noon today. He was grocery shopping with her at the supermarket this morning. According to the time stamp on the supermarket receipt and the surveillance video at the supermarket, it showed that he was there. Moreover, Shi Chenzhong's wife said that at midnight yesterday, their son had food poisoning. Shi Chenzhong drove his son to the hospital for an IV drip. He left the house at two o'clock and returned at four o'clock. This was during the approximate time of death. Shi Chenzhong had an alibi."

After Zhang Shanfei read Liu Mingyue's statement, he said, "Weren't they buying a house? Could Liu Mingyue have killed Xiong Shishi for the house? The house is joint ownership and registered to both their names. Since Xiong Shishi betrayed Liu Mingyue, Liu Mingyue didn't want to share the house and killed her."