You Mingxu inwardly cursed her luck. Just then, Xu Mengshan and the others also rushed out. None of them had expected Su Ziyi to suddenly bolt out the door—after all, they had just brought her in, and with no confirmed suspicion yet, they hadn’t handcuffed her.
At that moment, Su Ziyi’s father cried out, “What’s going on! Weren’t you working for Yin Feng all these years? Didn’t he promise to take good care of you? Where is he now? Did you get dragged into trouble because of him?”
You Mingxu felt like swearing aloud. She exchanged a look with Xu Mengshan, and the two of them stepped forward, each taking one of Su Ziyi’s arms, trying to pull her back inside. But by now, more and more people had gathered in the station to watch the scene. Su Ziyi, as if deeply traumatized, sobbed and clung to the balcony railing, refusing to budge no matter how hard they pulled. She cried out, “Dad, Mom… please go back! I don’t regret it. I don’t regret being with him…”
If they weren’t in a police station, You Mingxu would have kicked her right then and there. She tightened her grip, using all her strength to drag Su Ziyi back into the room. Su Ziyi gasped in surprise but had no choice.
Xu Mengshan exchanged a glance with another colleague and followed them inside, shutting the door firmly.
You Mingxu held Su Ziyi’s arm tightly. Su Ziyi winced in pain, biting her lip with tears in her eyes but saying nothing. You Mingxu whispered coldly into her ear, “For him, you’d even deceive and use your own parents? Are you even human?”
Su Ziyi’s voice was so low only You Mingxu could hear it: “For him, I’d do anything.”
You Mingxu released her grip and shoved her back into the chair.
—
What followed unfolded naturally.
With Li Mingdi’s accusation and the fingerprint and DNA evidence from the scene, Su Ziyi initially remained silent and uncooperative. But after her parents arrived and under repeated police questioning, her psychological defenses crumbled, and she “confessed” to everything.
Her family and the Yin family were neighbors and longtime friends. She had grown up close to both brothers. A few years after Yin Chen’s death, she came to Xiangcheng and stayed by Yin Feng’s side. She was his most trusted confidante and also his woman.
At first, Yin Feng published two books and gained significant fame. But soon after, he began suffering from emotional instability and overwhelming psychological pressure. He could no longer write, and his demeanor grew increasingly gloomy.
Yin Feng met Li Mingdi by chance. They were around the same age, and Li Mingdi also loved writing, possessing many brilliant and astonishing ideas. But by then, Yin Feng was grappling with both psychological issues and creative block.
When discussing this, Su Ziyi’s expression turned ashen. “I urged him to give up. Even if we had less money, it wouldn’t matter. How could someone with an innate psychopathic condition continue as a writer? But he wouldn’t listen.”
Back and forth it went, one weakening as the other grew stronger, until eventually, Yin Feng secretly kidnapped Li Mingdi, imprisoning him in a lightless underground cell, forcing him to write and turning him into his ghostwriter. Yin Feng gained fame and fortune but sank deep into the abyss of crime. Su Ziyi, as the woman who had been by his side the longest, found herself unable to turn back…
Even Xu Mengshan was stunned for a moment after hearing her statement. Su Ziyi’s account was logically coherent, reasonable, and detailed, with every point aligning perfectly with the fingerprint evidence they had discovered in the basement.Xu Mengshan hadn't even dared to tell You Mingxu earlier—the forensics team had found both Yin Feng and Li Mingdi's fingerprints on that pile of so-called "manuscripts." Of course, Xu Mengshan believed it was all fabricated, but this made things quite troublesome.
He sneered coldly at Su Ziyi and said, "You keep claiming to be Yin Feng's person, saying he often took you to the basement. But over the past year, he never mentioned you or looked for you. Everyone who's been with him day in and day out knows this. How do you explain that?"
Su Ziyi paused, unflustered, and replied, "Because he forgot. After returning from Tibet, he forgot about those things and stopped paying attention to me. With Li Mingdi in my hands, I didn't dare tell anyone. I could only keep guarding him, making sure the police wouldn't find out."
Xu Mengshan was taken aback, cursing inwardly: Damn, she's spinning quite the convincing tale.
Then, something else happened.
Since Li Mingdi had been found, his identity needed verification, and his family had to be notified. When his family arrived, his father—a well-known entrepreneur in the province—was among them. The reunion was tearful. Seeing his son's tortured state, Li's father was overwhelmed with grief. Just as Li Mingdi had said, he had been missing for five years. After composing himself, Li's father vowed to pursue the perpetrator. He immediately hired the most famous lawyer in the province, declaring that Yin Feng would rot in prison.
Coupled with Su Ziyi's earlier drama with her parents, those familiar with Yin Feng at the police station remained supportive. Those who didn't know him well, however, began to gossip. Given the strong evidence in this kidnapping case, it was hard for them not to suspect the writer.
You Mingxu watched coldly from the sidelines. Seeing Li Mingdi, still trembling from his long isolation, staying close to his parents, and eventually being taken to the hospital for examination and recovery, she thought of Xing Yanjun.
It wasn't surprising. If the Punisher could brainwash someone like Xing Yanjun, he could do it again. She even wondered if it was precisely because Li Mingdi's temperament closely resembled Yin Feng's that he fell into Yin Chen's hands—to be tormented at will and used as a scapegoat when needed. Even if Li Mingdi had been a normal person initially, five years in darkness would have allowed Yin Chen to mold him into whatever he wanted, making him believe whatever he was told.
But now, Yin Feng's reputation was tarnished, he was under suspicion of a crime, and with Su Ziyi's strong testimony as an accomplice, the situation had escalated far beyond what she had anticipated. It was much more troublesome. If not handled carefully, Yin Feng could indeed be convicted, with no way to clear his name.
You Mingxu thought for a moment and went to find Ding Xiongwei.
Ding Xiongwei was already fully aware of what had happened. He motioned for You Mingxu to sit and poured himself a cup of tea. "At this point," he said, "hand over your gun and credentials. Go home and stay put."
You Mingxu looked up. "You don't suspect Yin Feng too, do you?"
Ding Xiongwei's face was stern. "Do I look stupid? This is such an obvious setup, popping up right when we're dealing with the Punisher—you think I can't see that? But the situation is complicated now. By the rules, you need to step back. It's for the best, to avoid further trouble."
You Mingxu felt deeply uncomfortable and reluctant, but she knew Ding Xiongwei was right. She handed over her things.She said, "Lao Ding, this is the moment of truth. Weren't you always boasting about being the most badass detective of your generation? Don't let others lead you by the nose. If you can't clear the injustice hanging over him, hurry up and find someone more capable."
Ding Xiongwei nearly slammed his teacup down and snapped, "Who needs you to teach me? Get lost, and go keep an eye on Yin Feng. Don't let anyone else find a handle against him. Think I'm useless in my old age? Su Ziyi's accusations may be clear and sound forceful, but she was once Yin Chen's girlfriend, so she's a suspect too. Yin Chen is still the most wanted fugitive—you think I won't use that to counterattack and invalidate her testimony? And as for the kidnapping back then, words alone mean nothing. Under what circumstances was Li Mingdi kidnapped? Was there any surveillance? What was Yin Feng's movements that day? Did he use a car? Does he have an alibi? The moment I find one loophole, the kidnapping charge falls apart. Back when I cracked major cases, you were still suckling milk! Go home and wait!"
Only then did You Mingxu feel reassured, her mood greatly eased. She pulled a pack of cigarettes from her pocket as a tribute to Ding Xiongwei and headed home.
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