Yu Hanjiang retrieved the detailed information of the five members of the girl group again.
Ye Lan is the most educated member of the girl group. She comes from a scholarly family; both her parents are university professors. She excelled in her studies from a young age and even skipped a grade in middle school due to her outstanding grades. She was admitted to a key university at the age of 17 and graduated with a master's degree at the age of 23.
Logically speaking, girls from such well-behaved families rarely venture into the entertainment industry.
Her debut story is simple. Because she loved singing since she was a child and had won awards in singing competitions, she signed up for a talent show when she was 22 years old and studying for her master's degree. Unexpectedly, she made it all the way to the finals.
Her gentle voice and refreshing demeanor captivated many fans, ultimately leading her to sign with Starlight Entertainment Company after placing third in the competition. She applied for and defended her thesis ahead of schedule, earning her master's degree, and then became a member of 505 Girl Group.
During one of 505 Girl Group's exclusive interviews, the reporter went to her home to interview her parents.
Yu Hanjiang pulled up the interview video and watched it with Xiao Lou. Her parents were both university professors, and like Xiao Lou's parents, they were gentle and kind, which made Xiao Lou feel very close to them. Her study had a whole cabinet of books. According to her father, Ye Lan loved reading from a young age, and she had read all the books in that cabinet.
This is precisely why fans like Ye Lan even more, considering her an entertainer.
She is a rare literary goddess in the entertainment circle who exudes elegance from her extensive knowledge, and is more than twice as good as some celebrities who can't even read all the characters and haven't read many books.
After reading the interview, Xiao Lou asked doubtfully, "Girls from families like this should be very well-mannered. She wouldn't kill someone, would she?"
Yu Hanjiang said, "Based on Sister Chen's testimony, Ye Lan is not the murderer; there are indeed suspicious points about her."
Xiao Lou thought about it carefully: "That makes sense. Sister Chen only heard Liu Xi's footsteps as she left and the sound of Liu Xi returning to hand over tissues. During this time, Ye Lan didn't go out. She must have stayed in the bathroom the whole time, so she didn't have the time to commit the crime."
Yu Hanjiang opened Ye Lan's resume in her file and pointed to one line: "Look here."
After looking closely, Xiao Lou was suddenly taken aback: "No. 17 Middle School? Isn't that the school Lin Yiyan attended?"
Professor Xiao's memory is indeed impressive. Lin Yiyan attended No. 17 Middle School, and the school information is on her resume. Yu Hanjiang has handled many cases and subconsciously remembers these key points, but he didn't expect Xiao Lou to remember them so clearly.
Yu Hanjiang looked at Xiao Lou with appreciation and said, "No. 17 Middle School is a bit special. It is divided into a 'junior high school' and a'senior high school'. The two campuses are connected and share teaching facilities such as the library and gymnasium. According to their ages, Lin Yiyan is 30 years old this year and Ye Lan is 25 years old. Ye Lan skipped a grade in junior high school. That is to say, when Lin Yiyan was in her second year of senior high school, Ye Lan should have been in her second year of junior high school. They just happened to be in the same school."
Xiao Lou: "......"
Captain Yu has a keen eye; he managed to connect the two cases through such a small detail!
Yu Hanjiang said, "What's even more coincidental is that I just checked some information on the official website of No. 17 Middle School. The year Lin Yiyan was in her second year of high school should have been the 50th anniversary of the founding of No. 17 Middle School. Xie Yuan also started doing charity work in that year and established the 'Yuanhang Charity Foundation' to donate to some schools."
Xiao Lou's eyes lit up: "Could it be that Xie Yuan just happened to donate to their alma mater?"
Yu Hanjiang said, "It's very likely that's the case. Lin Yiyan was originally a well-behaved student who buried herself in her studies with the goal of getting into a top university. But her diary suddenly changed, and she became a little fangirl of Xie Yuan. There must be some reason behind this."
Yu Hanjiang opened some reports about the school's anniversary celebration that year.
Thirteen years ago, Lin Yiyan was a senior in high school and Ye Lan was a junior in middle school. The 17th Middle School celebrated its 50th anniversary.
Too much time has passed, and there are very few related news reports. I can't find out if Xie Yuan is from our school's anniversary celebration.
Xie Yuan's "Yuanhang Charity Foundation" was established exactly thirteen years ago. At that time, Xie Yuan was the most popular male actor in the entertainment industry. He was highly praised for leading charity work, donating millions of yuan at one time to support outstanding students from impoverished families to attend university. No. 17 Middle School was also within the scope of his donations. It is very likely that Lin Yiyan noticed Xie Yuan because of this and fell for the heartthrob.
Could Ye Lan also be a fan of Xie Yuan? Or does she know some secrets?
Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang exchanged a glance, about to speak, when someone rushed in.
The man, dressed in a black wool coat, a light gray cashmere scarf, a matching hat, and large sunglasses, pushed open the door to Yu Hanjiang's office, panting, and asked in a hoarse voice, " Is Officer Yu here?"
"That's me." Yu Hanjiang looked up at him. "You are…Mr. Xie?"
"Hmm." Xie Yuan took off his sunglasses, scarf, and mask. His face was deathly pale, and his eyes were bloodshot as he looked at Yu Hanjiang. He asked in a trembling voice, "Where...where is my wife?"
Xiao Lou stood up and said, "Mr. Xie, please come with me. Ms. Liang Ting's body is temporarily placed in our Forensic Doctor Center."
Xie Yuan followed Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang to the Forensic Identification Center next door.
Xiao Lou pulled open the freezer in the morgue, and the moment Xie Yuan saw Liang Ting's face, his legs went weak, and he knelt down in front of Liang Ting, his face full of disbelief: "Tingting... how could this happen..."
He tightly grasped his wife's already cold hand, pressed it against his face, and broke down in tears.
The man's cries echoed in the quiet morgue, a heart-wrenching scream. Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang exchanged a glance and left the morgue temporarily, giving him some time to calm down.
About ten minutes later, Xie Yuan came out with bloodshot eyes. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, saying, "What happened? My wife didn't have any heart problems or anything like that, how could she suddenly die?"
Xiao Lou explained, "Someone poisoned her thermos; she was murdered."
"Murder?" Xie Yuan's eyes widened instantly upon hearing this. The veins on the back of his hand bulged as he slammed his fist against the wall, roaring hoarsely like a wounded beast, "Who killed her? My wife had no grudge against anyone, how could she be poisoned and murdered?! Officers, you must catch this beast!"
Yu Hanjiang looked at him calmly, and after a moment, interrupted him, saying, "Mr. Xie, do you know Ye Lan?"
Xie Yuan was slightly taken aback: "I don't know him."
Yu Hanjiang continued, " What about Lin Yiyan?"
Xie Yuan took a deep breath and tried to remain calm as he said, " Regarding Lin Yiyan, as you asked me before, I already told you. I only met her once at the company's annual party. She said I was her idol, and she politely toasted me and asked if I could add her on WeChat. Out of politeness, I added her as a friend, but we haven't chatted privately."
Yu Hanjiang raised an eyebrow: "Is that all?"
Xie Yuan angrily retorted, "What do you mean?"
My wife is dead, her body is lying in Morgue, and instead of investigating her killer, you're asking me, Lin Yiyan, who has no connection to this?! Is Lin Yiyan the killer?!
Yu Hanjiang said in a deep voice, " Lin Yiyan is also dead."
Xie Yuan: "...What?!"
He was clearly shocked by the news, his face filled with horror.
Yu Hanjiang said, "You are the key to connecting the two cases. Lin Yiyan admires you very much. She entered the entertainment industry because of you. Our investigation of you is routine procedure. Mr. Xie, I know that Liang Ting's death has been a great blow to you. Please calm down and come with me to the interrogation room to cooperate with the investigation. I still have many questions to ask you."
Xie Yuan's face turned pale and then red. He had just learned of Liang Ting's death, and now Lin Yiyan was also dead... He grabbed his hair and pounded his head in pain before following Yu Hanjiang to the interrogation room.
Yu Hanjiang started asking thirteen years ago: "Tell me in detail about the establishment of the foundation."
Xie Yuan said with a stern face, "The Yuanhang Charity Foundation was indeed established thirteen years ago. At that time, I won several awards and my annual income was quite considerable, more than I could spend myself. So I thought I would do some charity to help those students from poor families. It is normal for celebrities to do charity. If you suspect me of money laundering, you can check the detailed accounts of my foundation. Every donation has a clear record."
Yu Hanjiang asked, "Have you ever donated money to No. 17 Middle School?"
Xie Yuan thought for a moment and nodded, saying, "I studied at No. 17 Middle School for a year during my middle school years, so I'm a related alumnus. It happened to be the school's 50th anniversary at the time, and I donated money to the school to build a library. I also gave the school committee several million yuan for scholarships, which were specifically awarded to students from poor families who had excellent grades."
Yu Hanjiang asked, "Did you attend the school anniversary celebration?"
Xie Yuan said, "Yes, but I participated in secret. Publicizing charity work can make people feel vain. I just wanted to donate quietly and said a few words at the school anniversary ceremony, without letting the media and the school report on it too much."
This is also why Yu Hanjiang couldn't find any related news records. Regardless of Xie Yuan's character, he can be considered a role model in the entertainment industry when it comes to doing charity.
Yu Hanjiang continued, "On the day of the school anniversary, did the school send any student representatives to give you flowers or anything?"
Xie Yuan said, "I think a girl gave me flowers, but it's been so long I don't remember."
Yu Hanjiang and Xiao Lou exchanged a glance.
This girl is very likely Lin Yiyan.
Having had close contact with the big star, Lin Yiyan probably became infatuated with Xie Yuan from that day on. She wrote "my idol" and "my husband" in her diary every day. In order to get closer to Xie Yuan, she even took the entrance exam for art school in her senior year of high school, went to Film Academy, and became a popular star in the entertainment industry. Ye Lan was in the second year of junior high school at the time, so she must have also attended the school anniversary celebration and knew about Lin Yiyan going on stage to give flowers to Xie Yuan.
Xiao Lou looked at Xie Yuan and asked softly, "Do you love your wife?"
Xie Yuan's lips twitched suddenly: "Of course! I've been with Tingting for ten years, and we have two lovely children. How could I not love her?"
Yu Hanjiang cut to the chase: "Do you have any romantic relationship with Ye Lan and Lin Yiyan? Please answer truthfully."
Xie Yuan's fist, resting on the table, was bulging with veins. He seemed to be caught in a dilemma, his eyes filled with struggle.
Yu Hanjiang said, "You know Liang Ting is the mother of your two children. She just died like that. How are you going to explain this to your two children when they grow up?"
Xie Yuan: "..."
These words were like a sharp knife, piercing straight into Xie Yuan's heart.
Perhaps thinking of his two young children at home, Xie Yuan's mental defenses finally crumbled. He clutched his head tightly with both hands and said painfully, " Lin Yiyan and I... only had one one-night stand. At the company's annual party, she toasted me, and I got a little drunk. Lin Yiyan offered to take me home, but she drove to her private villa instead."
Yu Hanjiang asked: " Moon Lake Villa Estate?"
Xie Yuan nodded, recalling the events of that night, his head almost drooping to his chest: " Lin Yiyan said she'd liked me for over ten years, that I was her dream, her eternal idol... At the time, I was probably bewitched. Seeing her say those things to me with such adoration, I couldn't control myself and... "
Yu Hanjiang frowned and asked, "Just a one-night stand? Did you keep in touch with her afterward?"
Xie Yuan hurriedly shook his head: "No! I regretted it as soon as I sobered up. Lin Yiyan also said to pretend nothing happened. I deleted her contact information. You can check my phone if you don't believe me. I haven't contacted her since. I'm afraid Liang Ting will find out about this and divorce me. She has severe mysophobia. If she finds out that I had a one-night stand with someone else, she'll probably kill me with a knife."
Yu Hanjiang and Xiao Lou exchanged a glance.
Liang Ting has severe mysophobia... Could it be that she killed Lin Yiyan after finding out that her husband had a one-night stand with her?
Yu Hanjiang immediately asked, "Where were you on the 16th and 17th of this month? Where is Liang Ting?"
Xie Yuan said, "My daughter is sick and hospitalized. Liang Ting is staying with her at the hospital."
Yu Hanjiang: "Full-time care?"
Xie Yuan said, "She keeps me company during the day, and I keep her company at night."
Yu Hanjiang: "So, you don't know where she went last night?"
Xie Yuan said, "She should have gone home to rest."
Yu Hanjiang: "You can't be sure, can you?"
Xie Yuan fell silent. Clearly, Liang Ting hadn't...
He wasn't 100% sure if he went home.
Yu Hanjiang then asked, " What about Ye Lan? Do you have a relationship with her privately?"
Xie Yuan gritted his teeth and said, "No, I really don't know Ye Lan well, but Lin Yiyan should know her. That time I was with Lin Yiyan at Moon Lake Villa... After getting up in the morning, I hurriedly left the villa, and I bumped into Ye Lan at the entrance of the community. She looked at me in shock, then pretended not to see me and turned away."
Yu Hanjiang raised an eyebrow and said, "So, Ye Lan knows about your affair with Lin Yiyan?"
Xie Yuan nodded with a grim expression: "She bumped into me at the intersection, right next to Lin Yiyan's villa. Anyone with a brain knows what happened. I was afraid Ye Lan would tell, but I didn't want to confront her directly, so I pretended nothing had happened. Afterwards, I chatted with Lin Yiyan for a bit, telling her I was drunk last night and acted impulsively, and that we should let it go and not contact each other again. Lin Yiyan agreed to this arrangement, and then we deleted each other on WeChat."
Xiao Lou frowned, seemingly lost in thought.
If Xie Yuan's testimony wasn't concealed, then what exactly is the relationship between Lin Yiyan and Ye Lan? Ye Lan bumped into Xie Yuan at the villa's entrance and learned that Xie Yuan and Lin Yiyan had a one-night stand. Will she tell someone else this shocking news? For example... tell Liang Ting?
Could Lin Yiyan's death be related to Liang Ting or Ye Lan?
The two cases became connected, the clues increased, but the situation became even more complicated.
Xiao Lou felt like her head was about to explode.
After Yu Hanjiang finished questioning Xie Yuan, he saw Xiao Lou pressing his temples with a headache, so he gently patted his shoulder and comforted him, "Don't worry, things are almost sorted out. We'll interrogate a few more people tomorrow— Ye Lan isn't the murderer, but she must know a lot of secrets."