Volume One, Chapter 27: The Prime Suspect

The only person who could vouch for my presence at home was Xu Li.

I asked Officer Zhang to hold on for a moment and ran downstairs in my pajamas. Xu Li, dressed in loungewear, was in the kitchen preparing breakfast. She offered a slight smile when she saw me, looking like a virtuous wife and mother at that moment.

"A call from the police."

I handed her my phone. She wiped her hands and took it. After a brief "uh-huh," she said, "I can confirm that Zhou Yan was at home all last night. He is a very obedient boy."

The call ended, and she returned the phone to me. By now, I realized the police visit had nothing to do with Liu Ziwen.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"You might be involved in a criminal case and need an alibi. The police didn't specify the details." Xu Li eyed me with suspicion and asked, "Xiao Yan, you didn't sneak out in the middle of the night, did you?"

"I really didn't."

"Then there's nothing to worry about." Xu Li gave me another motherly smile and urged, "Go wash your face and change your clothes. Breakfast will be ready soon."

In the morning, Xu Li went out after dressing meticulously. She made no secret of the fact that she was going to see Liu Ziwen at the jewelry store to make a clean break with him. She also mentioned attending a class reunion, so she likely wouldn't be back until late.

As long as Xu Li wasn't targeting me, I didn't care what she did. She had betrayed my father, just as my father had betrayed my mother. My father being cheated on felt more like karma.

I thought of my mother and younger sister. I desperately wanted to call them, but I picked up the phone and put it down several times. I had failed my college entrance exams. I didn't know how to explain it; they must be incredibly disappointed in me.

In the evening, I received a call from Yu Qingman, inviting me to sit for a while at the Love Coffee House.

"I don't want to go," I refused.

"Why?" Yu Qingman sighed softly, her tone laced with disappointment.

I was also disappointed in her and said bluntly, "Manman, can you stop playing dumb? Qin Shaohu is constantly blocking my path and beating me up—do you think I dare to go out?"

There was a silence on the other end of the line for at least ten seconds.

"Zhou Yan, I didn't expect you to have such a deep misunderstanding of me. Qin Shaohu is in the hospital. He won't be giving you any more trouble for a while."

Yu Qingman’s words came as a pleasant surprise; I wanted to cheer. I could only offer the curse that Qin Shaohu would stay in the hospital forever and never come out to harm anyone again.

"Can you come out now?" she asked softly.

"Fine, I'll be there on time."

I had agreed as if under a spell; perhaps there was still a shred of fantasy left in my unwilling heart.

At eight o'clock in the evening, I arrived at the Love Coffee House. It was a small shop with few customers, the lighting dim and ambiguous, with soft, lyrical music drifting through the space.

Yu Qingman sat in a corner booth, lost in a daze. When she saw me approaching, she flashed a moving smile without reservation. Tonight, Yu Qingman had returned to her student-style attire: a plain white cotton T-shirt, no jewelry, her straight hair cascading down like a waterfall.

As I sat down, I noticed the tear stains at the corners of her eyes.

"Were you crying?" I asked with concern.

"It's nothing!" Yu Qingman shook her head lightly and called the waiter to order two coffees and some snacks. The total was fifty-six, and I rushed to pay.

"Zhou Yan, didn't you go to work?" Yu Qingman asked. It sounded like she had been to the jewelry store looking for me.

"I... I quit!" I didn't tell the truth; being schemed against and fired wasn't exactly a glorious story.

"That's fine, then prepare for a retake and fight again next year." Yu Qingman encouraged me, then added gloomily, "Without your company, I can only go to that distant place alone."

"Perhaps I can catch up."

"Yes, I am willing to wait for you."

The two coffees were served. I added a sugar cube, but Yu Qingman preferred hers black, saying that one could better appreciate the coffee's unique aroma through the bitterness.

"Zhou Yan, where were you last night?" Yu Qingman stirred her coffee and asked softly.

"Sleeping at home." I felt she was being inexplicable. "Manman, what is actually going on?"

With a soft sigh, Yu Qingman revealed what had happened. At two in the morning, Qin Shaohu had stumbled out of a bar, drunk, and was attacked on his way home. Weapons like wooden clubs or iron pipes were used, striking his skull violently from behind. Qin Shaohu collapsed, unconscious, bleeding profusely. Fortunately, a passing vehicle discovered him and rushed him to the hospital, saving his life, though he would certainly suffer from severe long-term complications.

Qin Shaohu hadn't seen his attacker and couldn't provide any leads. With his son hospitalized, Chief Qin of the local police station was reportedly furious, vowing to find the culprit at any cost.

"I don't know which righteous person took it upon themselves to deal with that bastard." I couldn't help but laugh. Naturally, I felt a sense of schadenfreude, only regretting that Qin Shaohu hadn't been killed.

"Zhou Yan, stop laughing. You are the prime suspect," Yu Qingman chided.

"What does that have to do with me?" I was shocked on the spot and asked incredulously, "How do you know?"

"I heard it," Yu Qingman said, her face calm.

Her father and Chief Qin were old classmates, and the two families were close, so it wasn't hard for her to hear some news. It was likely that Yu Qingman had even gone to the hospital with her family to visit Qin Shaohu. As for me being listed as the prime suspect, it made sense. In the eyes of the police, I was a rival for Yu Qingman's affection and had clashed with Qin Shaohu many times. Just last night, Qin Shaohu had brought men to corner me, an incident Officer Wu had happened to witness.

I understood. The police calling me that morning was because they suspected I was the assailant.

"I didn't go out last night; I was sleeping at home. My stepmother can testify for me," I emphasized again, feeling a sense of relief. If I hadn't handled Xu Li yesterday, she would surely have been vague, allowing the police to take me away.

"Your stepmother lives with you?" Yu Qingman asked.

"How is that possible!" I couldn't help but frown, unable to believe such a disgusting thought had come from her.

"Since you don't live in the same house, her testimony might be invalid," Yu Qingman warned.

"But I really didn't go out." I shrugged and sighed, "I can't fight. I'm always the one getting beaten up, and I'm terrified of it. How could I possibly ambush him on the road?"

"I'm sorry!" Yu Qingman's eyes welled up with tears as she extended a slender hand, placing it over mine. "Zhou Yan, all this trouble started because of me, but I... I don't know how to compensate you."

Choking back a sob, tears finally began to fall. Feeling the warmth of her small hand seeping into my heart, for a moment, I felt so happy that I couldn't bear to blame her anymore.

"Manman, it really doesn't matter. You don't have to worry about it."

"I want to help you." Yu Qingman wiped her tears, her expression firm. "Zhou Yan, if the police come for you again, just tell them you went to a hotel with me last night. I am willing to testify and say you were by my side the whole night."

I froze, struck with disbelief. Yu Qingman, she was actually willing to commit perjury for me!