Actually, Yu Hanjiang had no concrete evidence regarding whether Qiao Xuening used a stunt double in the previous martial arts drama, or whether the person who broke their leg was a stunt double. However, interrogation sometimes requires baiting; you can ask questions first and then judge the truth based on the other person's expression.
However, Qiao Xuening, as expected of someone who has won an Best Actress award, looked at Yu Hanjiang with some surprise after hearing the question and said, " What is Officer Yu talking about? I don't quite understand. Last time when we were filming the martial arts movie 'Reign of Assassins,' I performed all of my own scenes. Many people in the crew can testify to that."
Yu Hanjiang stared into her eyes and asked, "So, you personally went there in the mountains to film the variety show ' The Dark Closes Its Eyes ' in the early hours of the 17th?"
Qiao Xuening smiled and said, "Of course. The directors and guests of the variety show all know what I look like. How could that be faked? I don't have any twin sisters. If you don't believe me, you can check my family's household registration."
The manager next to him hurriedly explained, "Officer, I assure you, Xue Ning did go to film the program herself that day. In fact, Xue Ning has never used a stunt double. The reason for using a stunt double for the dance scene was because I was worried that her leg had not recovered properly, and it was a suggestion I gave her, but she rejected it."
Qiao Xuening added, "Furthermore, using a stunt double requires a contract, and Officer Yu can check my agency's contract records."
She met Yu Hanjiang's gaze and said earnestly, "Becoming an actress has been my dream since I was a child. I take every scene very seriously. When filming, I do everything myself. Even for very difficult scenes, I will learn and improve on my own instead of relying on a stunt double."
The manager nodded and said, "Xue Ning has a very good reputation in the industry, officer. You can ask the directors who have worked with her. Her serious attitude is highly praised by directors in the industry. She has been in the industry for ten years and it has not been easy for her to get to where she is today. To suspect her of using a body double without any evidence is, frankly, a bit insulting."
Yu Hanjiang and Xiao Lou exchanged a glance.
The two of them were speaking in unison, and what they said made it sound quite convincing.
It's hard to tell something's wrong from their behavior.
Yu Hanjiang temporarily skipped the topic and gave Xiao Lou a wink. The latter understood his meaning and immediately smoothed things over, saying, "Miss Qiao, please don't mind. We were just asking routinely because we heard the director mention stunt doubles. We're not trying to convict you."
Qiao Xuening smiled good-naturedly and said, "I understand, and of course I will fully cooperate with the police investigation. However, regarding Xiaoyan, I have already told you what I know last time, and I really don't know anything else."
The manager asked, "Do you have any leads on who killed her?"
Xiao Lou said, "We're investigating."
A hint of regret flashed in Qiao Xuening's eyes: "I hope the case can be solved as soon as possible and justice can be served for Xiaoyan."
Yu Hanjiang opened his phone and pulled up photos of the scene of Lin Yiyan's death. In the photos, Lin Yiyan was lying in a bathtub filled with ice, her body covered in knife cuts.
Upon seeing the photo, Qiao Xuening's pupils constricted, and he exclaimed, his face pale, "Officer, this... how could Xiaoyan have died so tragically?!"
Yu Hanjiang placed the photos of the deceased on his phone in front of her and observed her reaction.
Qiao Xuening's reaction was fairly normal, like an ordinary person would be surprised to see a photo of a dead person. He put away his phone, sat on the sofa next to her, took out a notebook and pen, and asked while taking notes, " What is the connection between Lin Yiyan and ice cubes? Do you know?"
Qiao Xuening was taken aback and said, "Ice? Never heard of it."
Yu Hanjiang frowned slightly: "You really haven't heard of it? Think about it carefully."
Qiao Xuening thought for a moment, then suddenly remembered something, her eyes lit up, and she said, "In the summer, she likes to chill red wine with ice cubes. Drinking chilled red wine is very refreshing. She once told me that chilled red wine has beauty benefits, and drinking a glass every day will improve your skin."
She paused, then said, "Although it's winter now, we have underfloor heating in the house, so the temperature should be above 28 degrees Celsius. She's probably still drinking chilled red wine."
Yu Hanjiang noted this down and then asked, "Could you tell me more about what happened between you and Lin Yiyan during your university years?"
Qiao Xuening said, "She and I were roommates in college. My parents are both office workers and had never acted before. I started learning acting from scratch after I was admitted to Film Academy. Xiaoyan was the same as me. So, we had a lot in common and often went to the library to read books together. We quickly became good friends who could talk about anything."
"During my sophomore year, there was a web series called 'Teenage Heart' that was holding a nationwide audition for the female lead. The investor in that series happened to be Starlight Entertainment, the biggest company in the industry. We went to the audition just to give it a try, and to our surprise, Xiaoyan actually passed."
Yu Hanjiang: "Were you jealous at the time?"
Qiao Xuening paused for a moment, then said frankly, "Of course there's one thing. I'm not any less attractive than her. We're both newcomers, and her acting skills certainly aren't much better than mine. She got selected, and I didn't, so it's only natural to be jealous. However, I quickly let it go. After all, she's my good friend, and if she becomes famous, she can help me out. In the entertainment industry, having more connections is always better than having more enemies."
Yu Hanjiang nodded: "The drama she filmed suddenly became a hit, and she went from being an unknown to a rising star."
Xing, did you two stay in touch during that time?
Qiao Xuening said, "Yes, we've always kept in touch. She didn't ignore me just because she became famous."
Yu Hanjiang continued, "Later, she introduced you to resources, and you gradually became famous. If your ex-boyfriend hadn't exposed your private photos and caused you such a blow, you wouldn't be any less successful than her now, and you wouldn't be acting in these kinds of teen idol dramas at 30, right?"
Qiao Xuening looked slightly embarrassed: "Indeed, what happened back then was a huge blow to me. Xiaoyan kept comforting me. I was in a bad mental state during that time and almost committed suicide due to depression. Fortunately, I had the company of my family and friends, which helped me get out of the shadows." She looked at the Manager and said, "Moreover, I also benefited from the misfortune and met the Manager sister who later helped me a lot."
Yu Hanjiang: "You signed the contract with Manager when you had adjusted your mindset and were making your comeback?"
Qiao Xuening said, "Yes."
Yu Hanjiang: "Where's the former manager?"
Qiao Xuening said, "I got married, had children, and retired from the entertainment industry."
...
The interrogation lasted a long time, with Yu Hanjiang asking her about her entire career from beginning to end. He even inquired in detail about the dramas she had acted in over the years and which celebrities she had worked with.
Qiao Xuening was being questioned for over half an hour, and she was clearly getting impatient; her gaze began to blur as she answered questions.
At this moment, Yu Hanjiang gave Xiao Lou a wink, and Xiao Lou smiled and asked, "Miss Qiao, have you felt any discomfort during the time your fracture has been healing?"
The question suddenly took a turn, and Qiao Xuening was slightly taken aback before saying, "Of course, it was quite painful at first, especially after my leg was immobilized with a cast, making it difficult to walk. Fortunately, I exercise regularly and have a good physical condition, so I recovered very quickly."
Xiao Lou asked, "Did the doctor tell you about the different stages of fracture healing?"
Qiao Xuening smiled apologetically: "I think I mentioned it, but I'm not a medical student so I don't understand it very well and I don't remember it clearly."
Xiao Lou asked, "After the fracture, how many times did you go to the hospital for follow-up examinations?"
Qiao Xuening frowned and thought for a moment, then said, "It seems to be... five or six times."
Xiao Lou, like the most patient doctor in the hospital, continued to look at her gently and asked, "What tests did the doctor do for you during your follow-up appointment? Do you remember?"
Qiao Xuening looked puzzled: "...Why are you asking these questions?"
Xiao Lou explained, "I'm concerned about Ms. Qiao's recovery process because we heard your conversation with the director today. You had to film the difficult dance scenes yourself. If your legs don't fully recover and leave lasting damage, you'll be more likely to develop arthritis, osteoporosis, or other diseases when you get older, making walking very painful."
Qiao Xuening coughed lightly and said, "I don't remember very clearly, but they took X-rays every time. You can check the specific medical records at the hospital. The doctor told me that I'm recovering very well. Of course, he didn't recommend that I dance and told me to do what I can, but I think I can do it. I've been exercising every day since I was discharged, and I've fully recovered now."
Xiao Lou asked, "When you were hospitalized with a fracture, did the doctor tell you to take calcium supplements or drink bone broth?"
Qiao Xuening nodded: "Of course, it can help the fracture heal."
Xiao Lou glanced at her, then asked, "Who took care of you during that time?"
Qiao Xuening said, "My parents, they came to my place to take care of me."
Xiao Lou smiled slightly and said, "Okay, thank you so much, Miss Qiao. We haven't been able to identify the culprit in this case yet, so we need to gather more clues. Thank you for your cooperation."
Yu Hanjiang stood up to leave, but Qiao Xuening stood up and saw them to the door, saying, "It's my pleasure. If you two want to know anything else, you can come back to me. I hope we can solve the case as soon as possible."
Yu Hanjiang said calmly, "Miss Qiao, rest assured, we will catch the murderer as soon as possible."
*
After leaving Qiao Xuening's residence, Yu Hanjiang and Xiao Lou immediately went to the meeting room that Shao Qingge had arranged for everyone on the rooftop.
Lao Mo, Liu Qiao, and the others also found excuses to come to the conference room to wait for the results of Yu Hanjiang and Xiao Lou's interrogation.
Upon seeing the two enter the room, their teammates immediately surrounded them.
Qu Wanyue asked with concern, "How is it? Is Qiao Xuening a prime suspect?"
Xiao Lou's gaze was unwavering: "She's lying."
Yu Hanjiang explained, "Today, Xiao Lou and I interrogated her using the method of fatigue interrogation. We first asked her a lot about her past, her college days, her debut experience, and the TV series she had acted in, to get her into memories and lower her guard. Then, Xiao Lou suddenly asked her some details about her fracture and hospitalization, and her mind couldn't keep up for a moment."
Xiao Lou nodded and said, "That's right, there were several loopholes in her answer regarding the details of the hospitalization."
Yu Hanjiang unfolded the notes he had taken in front of everyone.
Xiao Lou pointed to two lines and said, "First, after a fracture is admitted to the hospital, an X-ray will be taken to check the location and severity of the fracture and determine the treatment plan. The patient can be discharged after the cast is put on to immobilize the fracture. In the early stages, it is necessary to observe the degree of swelling and skin sensation at the fracture site. Usually, after about a week, once the swelling subsides, a follow -up examination at the hospital is required; thereafter, the follow-up examination frequency is once a month."
Xiao Lou paused, then patiently explained, "Because fracture healing is a very slow process, recovery mainly depends on whether callus has formed, so follow-up checkups aren't too frequent. But Qiao Xuening said she went to the hospital for checkups five or six times, and her fracture healed in three months; the most she ever had a checkup was four. Either she's confused, or she doesn't remember correctly."
I hadn't really paid attention to this matter.
Yu Hanjiang asked, "Is there anything else?"
Xiao Lou smiled and said, "Bone broth."
His teammates looked puzzled.
Xiao Lou said, "The question I asked her was actually a trap. She subconsciously said that the doctor told her to drink bone broth to promote bone healing, but that's not actually the case. When a patient has a fracture, the fracture ends will actively release calcium ions, which will increase serum calcium and increase the burden on the kidneys. Theoretically, there is no need to supplement calcium. Moreover, the most crucial point is that bone broth only replenishes fat and does not replenish calcium ions at all."
Everyone: "......"
Liu Qiao was also a medical student, but she hadn't learned these things yet. Hearing Xiao Lou's words, she looked at him with admiration and said, "So, Professor Xiao deliberately set a trap for her? He asked her if the doctor had told her to drink bone broth. A normal person's subconscious reaction is to drink bone broth after a fracture, but doctors wouldn't recommend that. So, she fell into Professor Xiao's linguistic trap."
Long Sen awkwardly touched his nose: "Doesn't bone broth provide calcium? This is the first time I've heard of that..."
Xiao Lou said, "Bones do contain a lot of calcium, but this is bioavailable calcium, not free calcium. Even if you stew it for a whole day, it won't separate from the bones, let alone be directly absorbed by the body. So, the idea that drinking bone broth can supplement calcium and make you taller is a misconception. Because bones contain a lot of fat, drinking bone broth will not make you taller, it will only make you fat."
Ye Qi couldn't help but complain, "When I was little, my parents often made me drink bone broth, saying that 'like cures like' would promote bone development and make me grow taller. Luckily, I didn't drink too much, otherwise, I might be fat now..."
Long Sen chuckled dryly, "I also drank bone broth when I was a kid, but my height is probably due to genetics!"
His teammates all sighed and facepalmed. If Xiao Lou hadn't thought of that, everyone would have instinctively assumed that after a fracture, they should make bone broth, right?
Clearly, Qiao Xuening felt the same way.
Xiao Lou concluded, "My and Captain Yu's speculation is probably correct—the person who broke the bone wasn't Qiao Xuening at all. She hadn't been to the hospital, so her answers were full of holes when asked about these details."
Yu Hanjiang nodded and said, "She should have a body double who looks very much like her. The drama she is currently filming is called ' Twin Flowers.' In fact, this was a clue from the very beginning."
Everyone suddenly realized what was going on.
The common thread between the Liang Ting case and the Lin Yiyan case is—disguise and substitution.
This is the true core of Hearts 9 Escape Room.
Jin Xiaoyue has a younger brother, and she killed Liang Ting while getting his hair done in his place. If Qiao Xuening also had a body double, then her fracture recovery issue could be reasonably explained, and her alibi would be easily forged.
She became the prime suspect in the case; otherwise... why would she keep the fact that she had a body double a secret?
******