Chapter 4: Obsessive Passions

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Wen Ling looked at Lu Chengfeng and explained, “My husband is usually very busy with work and mostly stays at the company. Sometimes when he works late, he stays overnight at the office. It was only after we got married that he started coming home more often.”

“Neither of us likes strangers in the house, so we didn’t want to hire a live-in maid. However, my husband arranges for a cleaning company to come every Monday for a thorough cleaning. Since I moved in, I’ve been doing some simple cleaning myself.”

Lu Chengfeng asked, “So, the last thorough cleaning was on Monday?”

Wen Ling nodded. “Yes. On Thursday, I used the robot vacuum to clean the first-floor living room and my room on the second floor. My husband’s room was not cleaned during that time.”

“Except for him and me, no one has been in his room.”

After a moment of thought, Lu Chengfeng continued, “Where did you have dinner last night? What did you eat? And what time did you return home?”

Wen Ling’s account was the same as what Liu Xun had previously told Shu Yan.

When she finished, Lu Chengfeng asked, “I heard you met at a party just over a month ago? And you got married within a week?”

Wen Ling nodded again. “Yes, we fell in love at first sight.”

Lu Chengfeng said, “Judging by your accent, you’re not a local. Where is your hometown? When did you come to Licheng?”

Wen Ling paused, then asked, “What does that have to do with my husband’s death? You don’t suspect I killed him, do you?”

“Why would I kill him? What benefit would I get from that?”

Liu Xun quickly said, “Miss Wen, please don’t be nervous. Our captain is just asking routine questions.”

Wen Ling seemed reluctant to say more. Biting her lip, she was silent for a moment before replying, “I’m not a local. My hometown is Jiangcheng. I only came to Licheng two months ago. Before that, I lived in Jing City for about eight years.”

Lu Chengfeng pressed on, “What kind of work did you do in Jing City? Why did you come to Licheng? Do you have a job here?”

Liu Xun and the other detectives on the team were sweating nervously. Considering Wen Ling had just lost her husband and was emotionally unstable, they hadn’t yet inquired deeply about her background.

Unexpectedly, Lu Chengfeng showed no sympathy and cut straight to the point with his questioning.

Shu Yan, who had been silent beside them, couldn’t help but glance at Lu Chengfeng, impressed by his commanding presence.

Unlike the others, she had a positive impression of Lu Chengfeng.

This was exactly how a detective captain should behave.

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Liu Xun was capable, but he tended to overuse sympathy, especially around women, which was a major taboo in investigative work.

Sure enough, Wen Ling looked toward Liu Xun again.

Though wearing a mask, Shu Yan noticed Liu Xun’s ears redden.

Lu Chengfeng said coldly, “Miss Wen, you don’t need to look at Captain Liu. Please answer my questions directly.”

Wen Ling had no choice but to tell the truth. “When I was in Jing City, I worked as a hostess at a club. But I only kept company; I never went out with clients. I had a boyfriend for six or seven years.”

Everyone except Lu Chengfeng and Shu Yan showed surprise on their faces.

Wen Ling spoke hesitantly. “Two months ago, my boyfriend suddenly got married—secretly, without telling me. His parents never approved of us. The woman he married was chosen by his parents.”

“I was heartbroken and resigned from my job. I chose to come to Licheng because I love coastal cities and always wanted to live by the sea. I didn’t do much research; I just packed and came.”

Lu Chengfeng asked, “Do you know anyone here? Was it through acquaintances that you attended the party? Or how did you find out about it?”

Wen Ling tightened her grip on her coffee cup and hesitated before continuing, “You’ll find out sooner or later, so there’s no point hiding it. I saved two or three million yuan during my years in Jing City. After coming to Licheng, I didn’t rent an apartment immediately but stayed in hotels.”

“During that time, I felt lost because I didn’t want to do my old job anymore. That job invited misunderstanding and disdain. So, I searched online for local Licheng groups and joined quite a few.”

“Those groups often posted information about parties, inviting unmarried women to attend. Of course, there were standards for participants—they had to be attractive and have health certificates.”

“The party where I met my husband was only the second party I attended. I never expected he would fall for me at first sight. He was the one who approached me, and we got along very well.”

“You got along very well?” Lu Chengfeng raised an eyebrow skeptically. “What did you talk about that night?”

Wen Ling’s face flushed. “I know you probably don’t believe me. My husband had a bit of local fame. People said he was the most handsome CEO in Licheng, and many women coveted him.”

“But he himself felt very lonely.”

“Do you know your husband had a cross-dressing fetish?” Shu Yan interrupted. “The women’s lingerie in his closet—you think he bought those himself? And those magazines, were they his purchases too?”

Wen Ling nodded. “Yes. He had several girlfriends before. When they found out about his interests, they couldn’t accept it and ended the relationship. But I understood and respected him.”

“I believe everyone has the right to their own hobbies. It’s better than him having affairs.”

“So what about last night? Did he often do that?” Lu Chengfeng asked.

Wen Ling nodded again. “Yes. He confessed that when work stress was high, he would relieve it that way. But nothing like this had ever happened before, so I didn’t interfere.”

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At this point, Wen Ling paused, sniffing as she struggled to hold back her emotions.

“I was wrong. I shouldn’t have allowed him to engage in such risky behavior knowingly. I should have stopped him. If I had stopped him, the accident wouldn’t have happened.”

“It’s my fault my husband died. It’s my fault...”

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