Chapter 26: Jiang Xue Feigns Madness and Folly

Shi Wei patted Qin Yanbin on the shoulder once more.

"Don't worry, with my brother here, Chengfeng will definitely make Jiang Xue face justice. She wants to use feigned madness to escape the consequences? She can dream on!"

Shu Yan unbuckled her seatbelt and stepped out of the car. She had barely stretched her limbs when she saw Lu Chengfeng emerge from the house. Shi Wei quickly opened the car door to step out, and Qin Yanbin followed suit.

Lu Chengfeng walked over to Qin Yanbin, leaned in to whisper a few instructions in his ear, and Qin Yanbin nodded in response, saying, "Understood."

Shi Wei was filled with curiosity, but he dared not ask. He figured he would find out soon enough anyway.

Lu Chengfeng looked toward Shu Yan and gave a slight nod. "Let's go in together."

Shu Yan closed the car door and followed the three men into the courtyard. The condition of the house was worse than she had imagined; the walls were blackened, and the room was cluttered with debris and trash. A musty, foul odor hung in the air.

Lu Chengfeng pointed to the room on the left. "Jiang Xue is in there."

Qin Yanbin paused for a moment before walking toward the room, with Shu Yan following closely behind.

Inside, a woman wearing a black-and-white striped sweater and blue jeans sat on the bed, clutching a quilt. Her long hair was a tangled mess, looking like a bird's nest. As soon as the woman saw them enter, she scrambled into the corner.

She cried out in panic, "Don't come near me! Go away, you devils, get away!"

Liu Xun moved a few steps closer to Shu Yan and lowered his voice. "Director Shu, could you please help check if she is truly insane or just feigning it? I really cannot tell."

"I understand," Shu Yan replied softly.

Lu Chengfeng gave Qin Yanbin a look. Qin Yanbin understood, stepped forward, and stared at Jiang Xue without saying a word. Jiang Xue averted her eyes, ignoring him.

After a while, Qin Yanbin asked, "Jiang Xue, why did you kill Linlin?"

"What Linlin? I don't know any Linlin! I didn't kill anyone, don't frame me!" Jiang Xue shook her head violently.

"Was it because I rejected you?" Qin Yanbin asked again.

Jiang Xue still refused to look at him. "I don't know what you're talking about. Go away, I don't know you."

Qin Yanbin sneered. "You don't know me? Who was it that told me the other night that she liked me? Who said she didn't mind that I had a girlfriend and that she could wait for me to break up with Linlin?"

"Jiang Xue, did you think that if Linlin died, I would accept you?"

Jiang Xue remained silent.

Qin Yanbin continued, "Jiang Xue, do you know what kind of person you are in my eyes?"

Jiang Xue blinked instinctively, seemingly desperate to know the answer. This detail was caught by Shu Yan.

Qin Yanbin leaned in closer. "Jiang Xue, from the first time I met you, I knew you were a hypocrite. You can fool others, but you can't fool me. Don't forget where I came from."

"I have seen plenty of women like you. You were jealous that Linlin came from a better background, jealous that she was prettier than you, jealous that her parents treated her well, jealous that she was a better dancer, and jealous that she was more popular than you."

"When we were filming, you were jealous that she was the female lead and that she had more screen time than you. I’ll tell you something—I cut your scenes on purpose because seeing your hypocritical face made me sick."

Jiang Xue froze, a flash of irritation crossing her eyes, though she quickly masked it.

Qin Yanbin straightened up and loomed over her. "Don't think that feigning insanity will allow you to escape the law. I'm telling you, I, Qin Yanbin, have plenty of ways to seek justice for Linlin. I will never let you go!"

"So I suggest you stop the act, confess, and go quietly with the police. Otherwise, if you fall into my hands, I will make you wish you were dead!"

Jiang Xue gripped the quilt tightly and muttered to herself, "I didn't kill anyone. I don't know any Linlin. Don't frame me."

Just then, the local station chief rushed in, shouting in a panic, "Jiang Xue, your grandmother jumped into the river!"

Jiang Xue started, threw off the quilt, jumped off the bed, and bolted outside. The others followed. The group chased after Jiang Xue for about a kilometer until they reached a small river.

A crowd of villagers had already gathered. A woman around seventy years old was lying on the grass, and a man was performing CPR on her.

Jiang Xue lunged forward, kneeling before the old woman and wailing, "Grandma! Grandma, why did you jump into the river? You can't die, Grandma!"

A woman standing nearby snorted, "Jiang Xue, you have the nerve to cry? Your grandmother was driven to this by you! She raised you through all kinds of hardships, hoping you would bring honor to the family."

"Instead, not only did you fail to bring her honor, but you committed murder. How is she supposed to face anyone now?"

Jiang Xue shook her head repeatedly. "I didn't kill anyone! I didn't! She slipped into the water by accident; it has nothing to do with me! I can't swim, I couldn't save her."

"Jiang Xue, you're lying," Shu Yan stepped forward.

"I am the forensic examiner responsible for Xia Linlin's autopsy. I discovered subcutaneous hemorrhaging on the deceased's scalp, which indicates that she was held underwater until she drowned!"

Jiang Xue was stunned for a moment, completely shocked that the few times she had pressed down would be detected by a forensic expert.

Shu Yan continued, "Why have you stopped feigning madness? Jiang Xue, we see criminals like you all the time. You people are arrogant, thinking everyone else is a fool."

"You knew Xia Linlin couldn't swim and was terrified of the water, so you lured her to the seaside and pushed her in, trying to stage an accidental drowning or a suicide."

"But haven't you heard that cleverness can be the undoing of the clever? Every crime leaves a trace."

As she spoke, Shu Yan stepped forward, grabbed Jiang Xue's right arm, and yanked up her sleeve. Three distinct scratch marks were clearly visible.

Shu Yan raised an eyebrow at Jiang Xue. "These were left by the victim when you were holding her underwater, weren't they?"

"No!" Jiang Xue screamed, trying to pull her arm back, but she couldn't break free. She cursed inwardly, thinking that this policewoman looked soft and delicate, yet she was surprisingly strong.

Shu Yan replied, "If it wasn't, why are you reacting so strongly? I will take the evidence back for testing, and we will have our answer."

At that moment, the old woman began to cough, followed by the expulsion of a large amount of water. The man who had been performing the rescue let out a sigh of relief. He looked at Jiang Xue and said, "Jiang Xue, your grandmother is lucky this time."

The station chief explained to Lu Chengfeng and the others, "This is Dr. Li from our town hospital. He is from this village and was just bringing some food home to his parents."

"He happened to pass by, saw the old woman jump into the river, and stopped to save her. We really owe him a debt of gratitude."

After the old woman recovered, she looked at her granddaughter with a face full of sorrow and indignation.

"Jiang Xue, oh Jiang Xue, you are so foolish. How could you do such a wicked thing? Ever since you were a child, I taught you that one must never harbor the intent to harm others."

"Even though we are poor, we must have integrity. Now that you've done this, how can I face your parents? They will surely blame me for not raising you properly."

Jiang Xue cried, "Grandma, I was wrong, but you didn't have to jump into the river!"