Silver Snow Line [Criminal Investigation]

Wang Shuang's home is in a high-end residential area in Tianning District. Security is strict and entry is only possible by swiping a card.

He was not surprised by the arrival of these people. He greeted them politely and then went to pour tea.
I had only seen photos before, but when I saw him in person, I realized that Wang Shuang was more handsome and elegant in person. He looked like he was in his early thirties, about 1.8 meters tall, and in good shape. He was neatly dressed even at home. His hair was probably just washed, with slightly damp ends, and softly resting on his forehead, making him look much younger. However, the death of his wife still dealt him a heavy blow, and the dejection in his eyes was very obvious.

"The house is a bit messy, but I'm not in the mood to clean it right now. Please forgive me, officers." Wang Shuang came over with a cup in his hand, his tone was listless, and the smile on his face was also very forced. He saw that Xie Qingfei was the one who had the final say among the three, so he sat facing her.

"How did you get the wound on your hand?" Xie Qingfei pointed at the band-aid on the back of his right hand.
Wang Shuang stretched out his hand and looked at it, then said, "I was distracted while cutting vegetables last night and accidentally cut my hand."
"Do you cook often?"
"Well, Yanyan is not in good health, so I am doing all the housework."
Zhao Chongyun couldn't help but ask, "Were you still in the mood to cook last night?"
"I went to my parents-in-law's house last night. I can't let the old people serve me." Wang Shuang looked at him and explained kindly, "Besides, not only am I living alone now, but I also carry with me all the memories and love that Yanyan left me. She wouldn't want to see me in a depressed state."

Xie Qingfei said, "I heard from Zhang Yuheng that you two have a very good relationship. At first, her parents did not agree with your marriage. It's rare that you let bygones be bygones. You have also contributed a lot to this family over the years."
"When Yanyan and I first got together, we were penniless. It's normal for my father-in-law and mother-in-law to look down on me. Who doesn't want their daughter to marry into a good family? I can completely understand this and of course I won't care about it. Besides, I don't have any parents or relatives myself. Yanyan's relatives are my relatives, and I should be filial to them." After Wang Shuang finished speaking, he mocked, "It's just... they don't treat us as human beings."

Xie Qingfei: "Why do you say that?"
Wang Shuang stared at her and said indifferently, "The police should know about our situation. Aren't you curious why Yanyan hasn't married yet at the age of 35, but her parents haven't urged her to get married?"
Xi Ming guessed, "Because...she won't marry anyone but you, and her family can't persuade her?"
"In a family like that, can she still have the final say on whether to marry or not?" Wang Shuang laughed a little, then calmed down and said, "Yanyan has been working in her father's factory. She is very smart and capable. It can be said that without her, the Zhang family would not have the current conditions. With such a cash cow, and using the status of a family member to lock her in, not only do we not need to pay her too much, but we don't have to worry about her changing jobs. If it were me, I'm afraid I wouldn't be willing to let her marry someone else and live a life of slavery at home. The reason why I can marry her is not only because I have money, but more because I am alone and don't have another set of parents to support, so the money can't flow into the hands of outsiders."

Xie Qingfei slightly widened his eyes, shook his head slightly, and sighed: "To be honest, I am quite surprised by what you said. Zhang Yuheng spoke highly of you and said that you were especially good to his parents. I didn't know that you had resentment in your heart."

"After all, she is Yanyan's relative. I don't want to embarrass her because of my attitude," Wang Shuang's eyes flashed, "but she is gone now. And Yuheng...
"Yuheng has been used to asking his sister for things since he was a child. He still asks for things from her when he grows up. As a man, I actually look down on him. I have been with Yanyan for so many years, and I can't remember how much money I have given him. I also heard about what happened this morning. I really didn't expect that he would do this behind our backs. He is really crazy."

Xi Ming said: "You gave him money when he asked you for it. Did you ever think of refusing?"
Wang Shuang said the same thing: "I don't want to embarrass Yanyan."
Xi Ming sighed and said, "You are my true love. Other men would not even have time to run away if they met the 'Fu Di Mo'."
"Comrade police officer, I hope you can be a little more respectful." Wang Shuang was very dissatisfied with the address he gave her. "Yan Yan is just...she doesn't know how to resist. She is a very filial person. Her parents asked her to treat her brother well, and she can't refuse. I don't care about these things. I am happy when she is happy."

There was a photo on the coffee table. In the photo, both of them looked young. Zhang Yan wore a light yellow floral dress and smiled brightly. She hugged Wang Shuang's neck from behind, while he held her arm to prevent her from falling. There was more indulgence in his eyes. Both of them smiled happily in front of the camera.

"When was this taken? It's so beautiful." Xie Qingfei asked.
Wang Shuang said: "It was the year we first met."
Xie Qingfei picked up the photo frame and looked at it for a while before putting it back on the table. He turned it a little to the side so that Zhang Yan's smile was facing the direction of Wang Shuang who was sitting in front of him.
Wang Shuang couldn't help but look at the photo, with a trance in his eyes.

Xie Qingfei continued: "When you went to the hospital yesterday, did you notice anything wrong with her?"
Wang Shuang said: "I prepared the meal and sent it to her at noon. She was in a good mood and we chatted as usual. There was nothing special."
Before Xie Qingfei could speak, Zhao Chongyun asked, "Did she tell him that Zhang Yuheng asked her for money again? Or did you tell her that you gave Zhang Yuheng 20 yuan? Did the two of you quarrel over this?"
Xie Qingfei frowned slightly, but didn't say much.
Seeing this, Xi Ming scolded Zhao Chongyun in a low voice: "Why are you butting in when the adults are talking?"
Zhao Chongyun ignored it.
"No, we didn't talk about it." Wang Shuang looked at the young policeman who asked the question and continued, "Even if we talked about it, we wouldn't quarrel. It's not a big deal."
Zhao Chongyun asked again, "Why did you leave yesterday without waiting for Zhang Yan to finish her meal? What urgent matter required you to rush?"
"In a hurry?" Wang Shuang looked at him puzzledly and said, "I did receive a call from work and had to go back to the factory. It's not like I won't come back. Who would have known that Yanyan would have an accident in such a short time."
He regretted, "If I had known Yanyan would get into trouble, I shouldn't have left. No job is more important than her."
Zhao Chongyun wanted to continue, but Xie Qingfei coughed lightly. He looked at her, and when he met her gaze, he shuddered and frowned slightly.

Xie Qingfei picked up the teacup and took a sip. When he put it down, his wrist trembled slightly and a few drops of tea spilled out of the cup, accidentally splashing onto the photo.
"Sorry." She quickly took out a tissue to wipe it, and this time put down the photo frame, facing Wang Shuang with the entire photo facing her.
Xi Ming followed suit and asked, "How did you and Zhang Yan know each other?"
Wang Shuang was once again attracted by the photo. He stared at his deceased wife's face for a long time, and a soft look appeared between his brows. He said, "That happened many years ago, but I have never forgotten that day."

At that time, Wang Shuang was a staff member of a charity organization, responsible for transporting supplies to the donation destination, while Zhang Yan often donated to the organization through various online and offline channels. The two actually had no intersection.
Doing charity is a good thing. The reason why this organization has received long-term donations from Zhang Yan is that it is a public welfare project launched to help girls.

As a result, that year, a netizen broke the news that a XXX charity organization only provided assistance to girls who had dropped out of school in poor mountainous areas, and the majority of the recipients were boys. They raised funds in the name of helping girls, but in the end the money was not spent on girls. This behavior of selling dog meat under the guise of sheep meat caused great dissatisfaction among all donors. Once this news broke, volunteers went to the area for an on-site investigation and found that not only the money, but also the sanitary napkins and clothing supplies for girls were eventually distributed to boys, which was really absurd and outrageous.
Afterwards, the head of the organization was still trying to make excuses, and some people also echoed him, saying that as long as it can help people, why bother about gender?
But the donors didn't think so. Their purpose was to help girls, and the money and materials were for girls. If they were told in advance that there were boys among the recipients, they would not donate at all. After that, other organizations were also affected, and their credibility was greatly reduced. Everyone doubted whether the so-called special funds for special purposes were really implemented.

Like everyone else, Zhang Yan contacted the organization she had donated to after the incident and asked to personally follow the team to the mountains to see where her money was spent.
It was at this time that Wang Shuang met Zhang Yan.

"I grew up in an orphanage and received help from many caring people in society. I am always grateful to those who are willing to do charity. Yanyan is really kind-hearted. The first time I saw her, I felt that she was like an angel.

"Later, when we got to know each other better, I realized that the reason she was so dedicated to helping those girls was because her own childhood experiences made her unable to bear to see girls suffer. The situation of girls in poor areas is often more difficult than that of girls in cities. The families of the latter favor boys over girls, so at least they will not go hungry, but the former may really have to give up even their food rations to their brothers, not to mention other things. Yanyan hopes to give more girls the opportunity to go to school and go to college, so that they can regain the right to decide their own lives, and she is willing to pay any price for this." Wang Shuang's words were full of praise, "Yanyan has not received much favoritism, but she still has a heart willing to love. How can I not like her?"

Xi Ming asked: "And then you two got together?"
Wang Shuang looked at his wife's bright smile in the photo and his expression softened: "She gave me direction in life. For our future, I made up my mind to start a business. Without her, I wouldn't be who I am today."
Xie Qingfei asked: "You said before that she is smart and capable, so does she also help you in your career?"
Wang Shuang said without hesitation: "Of course."
Xie Qingfei said: "Well, she is indeed an excellent woman. She supported the Zhang family and made you successful. How could such a capable person be willing to be a full-time wife after getting married?"
Wang Shuang's expression was blank for a few seconds, and then his eyebrows showed his dissatisfaction of being offended, but he remained calm and said, "Yan Yan's health has been poor since marriage. She often falls ill. I don't want her to work too hard, so I let her rest at home."

Xie Qingfei: "Really? What disease did she have?"

"Yan Yan has severe depression. She thought she could hide it from me all these years, but I actually knew it a long time ago." Wang Shuang seemed to see through her temptation and explained the truth without concealing it, but then he said, "She also has heart problems, her stomach is often uncomfortable, and she suddenly has difficulty breathing when she sleeps at night... I took her to the hospital, but those quack doctors couldn't find out what was wrong with her, and in the end they just told her to get more rest. I consulted some psychologists privately and learned that these might also be due to her depression. Later... we lost our first child, and she was hit hard, and was no longer suitable for work." Xie Qingfei looked at his expression and didn't find any signs of lying, but he always felt it was a little strange.
As for whether Zhang Yan is a person with strong working ability, it can be seen from the fact that her self-media accounts that she created casually have become famous. As for her physical condition, Zhang Yuheng also said something similar to Wang Shuang. People have limited ways to understand Zhang Yan. At least so far, these two people cannot be fully trusted, so they can only listen to Wei Cheng.
But Wei Cheng never mentioned that Zhang Yan had any discomfort other than psychological.

While recording, Xi Ming asked, "I heard that she had a miscarriage because she fell down the stairs?"
Wang Shuang felt very guilty when he mentioned this: "Yes, it's all my fault. If I had been more careful when taking care of her, maybe it wouldn't have happened..."
"About when did it happen?"
"When we first got married."
"Oh, about two years ago."
Xi Ming and Wang Shuang confirmed the time.

There were several books on the coffee table that were popular science readings on pregnancy. Xie Qingfei glanced at them casually and found that they had obvious signs of being flipped through.
Wang Shuang responded to Xi Ming verbally, but his eyes did not move away from her. Noticing her pause, he explained, "Yan Yan and I bought these together. After all, we have never been parents, so we are afraid that we will not do well."
Xie Qingfei looked around the house and had to say that it was decorated very cozy, and it was obviously designed by the hostess. The TV background wall was made into a bookshelf style, with many children's picture books and medical science books. There were photos of the two of them on the tabletops as far as the eye could see, and the sharp corners of the tabletops were wrapped with sponges.
She also saw the silver medal commemorating 10 fans that the platform gave to "The Swallow Who Wants Freedom". It was probably very popular with the owner, and there was Zhang Yan's name signed in gold marker in the upper left corner.

Wang Shuang explained: "This is Yanyan's own account. I'm happy that she can find something to do to kill time at home."
"It's good to earn some pocket money, especially for a full-time wife like her who can't go out to work." Xie Qingfei asked casually, "You pay for the family's monthly expenses alone. Do you give her money besides that?"
"Of course," Wang Shuang said, "I give her 2 yuan in pocket money every month so that she can buy clothes and jewelry for herself, although she basically spends all this money on her family."

"Can we go see your bedroom?"
"of course can."
Wang Shuang took the initiative to lead the way and showed the master bedroom to the three people.

The master bedroom is connected to the bathroom and cloakroom. The bedroom is tidy and there is nothing on the bedside table except a book. The bathroom is also clean. There are some men's products on the sink, from razors, soaps, hair sprays to smart appliances, which reveal that the owner is a sophisticated person. The cloakroom is full, almost all of which are Zhang Yan's clothes. A dressing table is placed in a brightly lit area, with various skin care products and perfumes scattered around. Zhang Yan probably stays here often. There is also a computer device on the table, with paper and pen stacked on it, scribbling editing ideas and storyboards.

"Are you the one who cleans the bathroom in the hospital?"
Xie Qingfei's sudden words made Wang Shuang slightly stunned.
He quickly said, "It's me, what's wrong?"
"Nothing. I see that you are used to arranging things neatly, but Zhang Yan is different from you."
"She is just like that. Normally I would help her clean up, but my mood last night..." Wang Shuang said with a wry smile.
Xie Qingfei and Xi Ming exchanged glances, and Xi Ming walked over to pull Wang Shuang to ask him about Zhang Yan's video account. Xie Qingfei walked around the cloakroom and returned to the bedroom. The book on the bedside table was "The Complete First Edition of Grimm's Fairy Tales". The cover and paper had been read and worn. There was a bookmark on one of the pages. When I opened it, I saw traces of pen marks in the content.

"When the kind-hearted elf extended his hand as usual, the three brothers chopped off the elf's hand with the elf's knife. The elf's bloody severed hand retracted. The elf was convinced that his lover had betrayed him, and he never appeared again."

"By the way, do you smoke?"

Xi Ming's voice was heard not far away, and footsteps were approaching. Xie Qingfei closed the book and put it back in its place, looking in the direction of the person coming.
Wang Shuang shook his head decisively: "I have chronic bronchitis, and it's winter now, so smoking is a taboo for me."
Xi Ming said "Oh" and didn't say anything more.
Unexpectedly, Wang Shuang asked another question: "Why do you ask this?"
Xie Qingfei glanced at him and said, "It is not convenient to disclose it at the moment."
Wang Shuang was anxious: "Is it related to the murderer who killed Yanyan?"
"I told you, it's not convenient to reveal it right now." Xie Qingfei used a somewhat impolite tone for the first time since he entered the room. He then looked at him and said, "In fact, these are the only people who entered and left Zhang Yan's ward during the relevant time period. You know it very well. Who do you think is the most likely murderer?"

The two of them stood in silence for a few seconds, and Wang Shuang forced a cold smile: "You suspect Zhang Yuheng, right? Just say it directly, there is nothing I can't accept. I am actually not surprised that the murderer is him."
"Ah?" Xi Ming scratched his head, "Did he tell you anything?"
"He asked me for money again yesterday morning. I couldn't help scolding him and accidentally mentioned that Yanyan listed him as the insurance beneficiary. What wouldn't he do for money?" Wang Shuang's eyes gradually turned red. "This beast only has money in his eyes. He also gambles! Can gambling bring good things? Not to mention Yanyan, even his parents will be dragged to death sooner or later!"
Xie Qingfei: "Zhang Yan made him the sole beneficiary of her insurance, do you have any objection?"
Wang Shuang: "Not only Yanyan, my father-in-law and mother-in-law also bought insurance for Yanyan, and the beneficiary was Zhang Yuheng."
He didn't answer the question at all.

Seeing this, Xie Qingfei stopped asking questions and prepared to leave with Xi Ming and Zhao Chongyun.
Wang Shuang sent the three of them to the door again. When passing the entrance, Xie Qingfei saw the men's coat hanging on the vertical clothes hanger and came closer to take a few more glances.
Wang Shuang asked, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Xie Qingfei shook his head, "Then we'll leave first. We're very sorry about Zhang Yan's incident and we will find the murderer as soon as possible."
Wang Shuang seemed very grateful: "Thank you."

"By the way," Xie Qingfei paused for a moment, looked at him and said, "There is one more thing I need to tell you. In fact, the baby in Zhang Yan's belly was found to have miscarried during the last prenatal check-up. I don't know if this will make you feel better, but anyway, Zhang Yan's fall from the building is not a one-person death."
As soon as the words fell, Wang Shuang froze visibly for a few seconds, looking at her in disbelief: "Wha...what?"
Xie Qingfei glanced at his expression calmly and repeated, "Zhang Yan was pregnant with a dead fetus before she fell from the building. It was just an accident, and the doctor didn't have time to inform her and your family."
Wang Shuang immediately took two steps back, and with trembling hands he leaned on the shoe counter, struggling to digest the news.
Xi Ming said: "The dead cannot be resurrected, so don't be too sad about the child."
Wang Shuang frowned painfully and said solemnly: "I know. In fact, I, I have been mentally prepared for a long time. After all, I have been...I know."

Back in the car, Xie Qingfei asked, "Tell me what you found."
Xi Ming said simply and clearly: "I don't think his feelings for Zhang Yan are fake."
Zhao Chongyun had been as quiet as a chicken ever since Xie Qingfei's warning look, but he still nodded in agreement.
"But the look in his eyes at the end was... so scary." Xi Ming recalled the look of despair and regret on Xie Qingfei's face after he told Wang Shuang the poor eight-month-old fetus had died. "Since he said he was mentally prepared, why was he so surprised at first? It was as if he hadn't expected the baby to be lost."

Xie Qingfei also noticed Wang Shuang's loss of control and tapped his knee lightly with his fingers.

Zhao Chongyun glanced at Xie Qingfei cautiously and said, "Actually, I think there's something quite strange."
Xie Qingfei raised his chin: "Speak."
"He has a lot of medical books at home, not just maternal and child health books, but other kinds of books as well. Although some people just like to collect books, I have never seen anyone who likes to buy medical textbooks, and he is not in this business."
Xi Ming guessed, "There's a saying that goes 'long illness makes a doctor'. People who have patients at home will learn more about this. Maybe it's to take better care of Zhang Yan?"
After saying this, he also felt strange: "The hospital couldn't find any problem with Zhang Yan, and Zhang Yuheng also said that Zhang Yan was fine. It would probably be useless for him, an outsider, to memorize the entire Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine."

"In fact, we are just missing the most crucial evidence," Zhao Chongyun said, "Ah, I actually forgot to ask him about the memory card in his camera. Dazui didn't find the memory card in the hospital. It must have been thrown away somewhere else or taken away by the murderer. I should have searched his house earlier."
As he spoke, his eyes fell on Xie Qingfei and his tone was exaggerated, as if he was blaming Xie Qingfei for interrupting his question.
"What right do we have to search his house?" Xie Qingfei didn't take his temper seriously and said calmly, "Besides, the memory card isn't there."
Zhao Chongyun frowned: "How do you know?"
Xie Qingfei said: "I just smelled a little bit of women's perfume on the coat at the door, and this smell is different from the perfume on Zhang Yan's dressing table."
Both were surprised by this sudden new clue: "Are you sure?"

Xie Qingfei said, "I'm sure, because the perfume Zhang Yan uses is the same one my cousin usually wears. I've been smelling it every day these days and it's very familiar to me. His coat is stained with another scent, which should be the scent often used by young girls in their twenties. It can't be stained unless you are very close. The smell is strongest on the shoulders of the coat, which means that the girl is about the same height as me. If he didn't throw away the memory card, he would not hide it at home. He must have given it to the person he trusts the most at the moment."

(End of this chapter)