"What you consulted about was how to convict Qin Guan."
"Because," Old He said seriously, looking at Xu Ruyi, "you were certain your parents didn't die because of him in the sense of delayed rescue or accidental death. None of that. Your parents were completely murdered by him. Premeditated. Deliberate. Both killed."
It felt like a heavy punch slamming into her heart.
Xu Ruyi didn't move, but her hands gripped the straps of her handbag fiercely. Her gaze was calm on the lake surface, but the light in her eyes was icy and agonized. Her tightly clenched jaw formed distinct, angular bulges of endurance on her pale cheeks.
Old He's nose suddenly stung.
Her look reminded him so much of his wife—no, legally speaking, his ex-wife now. But in Old He's heart, she would always be his wife. After the incident with her sister, she was crushed by immense grief, but quickly stood up. That frail woman became the pillar of the family, silently caring for her parents and child, bearing the weight of that household.
Only in front of him would she grit her teeth like this, clench her fists, her eyes burning with pain and hatred, telling him: "No matter what, Zhisheng, promise me, no matter what, you must make that beast pay for Xiaoyu with his life!"
But he hadn't done it.
Insufficient evidence.
A few simple words that carved an uncrossable chasm between him and that beast, forcing him to watch helplessly as the other man walked free.
That was probably how Xu Ruyi felt back then.
Old He looked at her slightly trembling shoulders—they say don't let personal feelings interfere with a case, but at this moment, he understood this young woman better than anyone.
Knowing in your heart that your parents were killed by your husband, yet being told by professionals that you'd definitely lose the case, that you couldn't win no matter what, that you couldn't convict him—what did that taste like?
Watching the murderer of your dearest loved ones live freely—that taste was torment, torture, a knife twisted in your heart day and night.
Just like him.
Old He sighed, looking out at the calm river. He pushed aside the churning pain in his heart and calmly pieced the case together again.
"Your mother suddenly fell ill. Neither you nor your father suspected Qin Guan back then, so your relationship remained sweet for those two years. But after your father accidentally discovered Qin Guan's affair with Qi Min, he looked back at your mother's death and sensed something wrong."
"A perfectly fine person, recovering well after surgery, suddenly dying of a cerebral hemorrhage—and right in front of Qin Guan."
"You stopped believing Qin Guan's story. So you started investigating. Investigating where your mother went that day, who she contacted, what she did, what she saw."
Old He pulled a photo from his bag. "This is you, three months ago, inquiring at the Yaduo Hotel about whether Qin Guan stayed there two years ago. The hotel surveillance caught you."
Xu Ruyi still didn't move.
She held her head high, gritted her teeth, looking at nothing, staring blankly ahead—across the river was where her grandparents' home used to be. Bulldozers had long erased its original form, but that home remained in her heart.
Her dearest parents, who cherished her—doing anything for them was worth it.
Even if the truth was laid bare, there was nothing to fear.
"Of course, you didn't find Qin Guan at the hotel. He's a lawyer. He deals with cases, clients, evidence, details. How could he be so stupid as to book a room under his own ID, leaving evidence of his affair?"
"Yes, you eventually did find Qin Guan's booking record. Not under his name. But you found another name."
He Junjun.
Old He pulled out another photo—a picture of He Junjun.
"You found this woman. I was curious, so I found her too. Yesterday, I went to her city."
From He Junjun, Old He learned about Shi Jie—a client and "good friend" of Qin Guan's from a previous case. This guy had a rap sheet, was currently serving time. Old He worked tirelessly, digging up all of Shi Jie's cases.
"The kid's a thug. Started offending before twenty—fraud, causing trouble, you name it. The case Qin Guan handled for him was rape."
Of course, Shi Jie won. Evidence showed the victim had a messy private life, a history of charging for dates with men, and had even actively seduced Shi Jie.
"Anyway, whatever method Qin Guan used, he won the case. Shi Jie then introduced He Junjun to Qin Guan, and she became his mistress."
"And on the day your mother had the sudden cerebral hemorrhage, He Junjun and Qin Guan were having their affair at the Yaduo Hotel. To be precise, they were caught red-handed by your mother."
Old He looked at Xu Ruyi's rigid back. "He Junjun admitted it. She told me. When Qin Guan opened the door, your mother was standing right there. Your mother was so angry... she was trembling with rage."
Xu Ruyi still didn't move. Her heart felt as if scalded by boiling water, painfully curling in on itself.
Her breathing almost stopped.
In her midnight dreams, she had seen her mother countless times—crying, anxious, furious. How could her mother not be furious? Her most beloved treasure, her only precious daughter, entrusted to such a shameless bastard!
"He Junjun later found out about your mother's death. She's actually always felt guilty about it. Even though Qin Guan told her your mother died of illness, she still felt responsible. That's why she eventually broke things off with Qin Guan." Old He turned his head slightly, looking at Xu Ruyi. "You must know this, after all... you've met He Junjun."
Yes, Xu Ruyi had sought out He Junjun. Investigating her mother's death inevitably led to her.
She discovered that this woman was completely different from Qi Min. She had initially approached Qin Guan with Shi Jie's money, but later genuinely fell in love with him. It wasn't until being caught in the act and learning her lover's mother-in-law had died from the shock that she felt too ashamed to continue.
"Of course, that you found He Junjun... that's just my speculation," Old He added with a bitter smile. "Because... He Junjun has never met you. Not once."