Chapter 166: A Remarkable Coincidence
Xu Youyou turned around, squatted down, and stared at the severed finger on the ground, which seemed to belong to the ring finger, as it still wore a diamond ring.
The two police officers’ expressions became extremely serious. “This definitely is a murder case. We must seal off the scene immediately.”
Mrs. Gu, having regained some composure, instinctively said, “No, this is my house! If people find out there was a murder here, the property value will surely drop…”
Xu Youyou nonchalantly said, “Mrs. Gu, are you stopping the police from doing their job because you killed the person? Are you afraid people will find out?”
Mrs. Gu immediately got agitated. “Xu Youyou, stop making baseless accusations! I just bought this house. I don’t even know how long this person has been lying here. What does that have to do with me?”
The officer helplessly looked at Xu Youyou. “Miss Xu, please don’t scare Mrs. Gu.”
He then turned to comfort Mrs. Gu. “Don’t worry, Mrs. Gu. This is something none of us wanted to see. We’ll investigate the truth and will need your cooperation. The scene will be sealed off for now, and it will be reopened once the truth is clarified. This is a legal process and cannot be avoided.”
Even though Mrs. Gu was unwilling, she didn’t dare interfere with law enforcement and could only agree.
Xu Youyou continued, “It seems that the previous owner said they were planning to immigrate abroad.”
The officers immediately became alert, springing into action within the shortest amount of time.
Thanks to Xu Youyou’s reminder, the police quickly shared information, and the previous owner and their lover were caught just before boarding a plane.
The case, though complex, saw both perpetrators arrested. After some effort, the entire case was unraveled.
Xu Youyou finally learned the true details of the case.
The body found in the stairwell was indeed the missing female owner, but she didn’t die from an accidental fall into the sea; she was murdered by her closest relatives.
The female owner, Wu Mingzhu, had parents who divorced when she was one. Her mother remarried quickly and had another daughter named Huang Zhenzhu, two years younger than Wu Mingzhu. The two sisters looked extremely similar.
Although they were half-sisters, their fates were drastically different. Their mother had remarried a wealthy businessman, but soon after, he went bankrupt, and their lives took a sharp downturn.
In contrast, Wu Mingzhu’s father, a university professor, had carefully managed his career and life, steadily improving. He had bought property for his daughter early on.
Wu Mingzhu was pampered by her father, raised like a princess, while her younger sister, Huang Zhenzhu, often endured beatings from their stepfather after the family’s fortune collapsed. Even though Wu Mingzhu often helped her sister, Huang Zhenzhu resented her for being narrow-minded.
Sun Jiaming, who had been Huang Zhenzhu’s boyfriend, had met and fallen in love with Wu Mingzhu under her sister’s manipulative matchmaking, eventually marrying her.
Huang Zhenzhu, a former diving instructor with excellent swimming skills, and Sun Jiaming, who came from a poor family and had worked construction while studying, both sought to gain control over the expensive villa owned by Wu Mingzhu.
Wu Mingzhu was murdered in the villa. Since there were plans to convert the stairwell into an elevator shaft, her husband decided to seal her body inside the wall. He poured cement over it, painted it with whitewash, and covered it with wallpaper, making it unlikely anyone would notice.
As expected, no one found anything unusual in the house during viewings after it was put up for sale. If it hadn’t been for Xu Youyou, who could understand dog language, the matter might have been overlooked.
After committing the murder, Wu Mingzhu’s husband had her sister, Huang Zhenzhu, who looked very similar to Wu Mingzhu, put on makeup to impersonate her. She went fishing in the sea, purposely falling off the boat in front of the camera, making it look like an accident.
The hardest part of this plot wasn’t the murder or the staged fall, but waiting for the female owner’s father to leave the city. The father and daughter had a very close relationship, and he lived in the neighboring complex. Even after Wu Mingzhu married, they would meet almost every day. As long as they met, it was clear whether the person was the real daughter or not.
Moreover, sea fishing was a shared hobby between the father and daughter, and they always went out to sea together.
Xu Youyou soon met the devastated father. At first, she thought he looked familiar, but she couldn’t place where she had seen him.
“Miss Xu, I really don’t know how to thank you. This small token of gratitude, please accept it.” Professor Wu, crying, handed Xu Youyou a check.
The amount on the check was 20 million, exactly the amount that Professor Wu had previously offered as a reward for finding his daughter’s body.
Xu Youyou didn’t want to accept it, but Professor Wu was sincere. When he saw her refusing, he immediately handed the check to Xu Fang, who was standing nearby.
“My dear girl, I always knew she wasn’t that careless. It’s pitiful, such a scared-of-the-dark girl, yet she was sealed in cold cement…” The elderly father said as his tears flowed again.
Xu Youyou felt a lump in her throat, and she couldn’t help but think that this was what it felt like to be completely loved. Even when facing misfortune, there was someone who remembered you, even willing to give up everything to seek justice for you.
“Uncle Wu, what are your plans for the future?” Xu Youyou asked.
Professor Wu replied, “I’ll try to live a few more years. When I get old, whichever student is willing to honor my daughter’s memory each year, I’ll leave my property to him.”
Xu Youyou couldn’t help but feel sad. The old man didn’t worry about his own future, but rather feared his daughter would be forgotten in the afterlife.
“I heard from the police that you’re a university professor. I’m curious, what subject do you teach?” Xu Youyou asked.
Professor Wu casually answered, “I specialize in ancient literature.”
Xu Youyou then asked, “Have you studied Dream of the Red Chamber?”
Professor Wu responded, “My main research focus is Dream of the Red Chamber. Don’t laugh, Miss Xu, but my life has been all about my daughter, Dream of the Red Chamber, and sea fishing.”
Xu Youyou was suddenly struck by a realization. She now understood why Professor Wu looked so familiar. She had read his works and had seen his photo in the preface of a book.
“I once read a book called Appreciating Ancient Poetry from Dream of the Red Chamber,” Xu Youyou said. “Is that one of your works?”
Professor Wu nodded gently, wiping the tears from his face. “Miss Xu also likes Dream of the Red Chamber?”
Xu Youyou replied, “Uncle Wu, I’m planning to remake Dream of the Red Chamber. Once the script is finished, I’d like to invite you to give your feedback.”
Professor Wu froze for a moment, and after a long pause, he said, “My teacher guided the production of the 40-year-old TV series. After that, all the remakes haven’t quite lived up to expectations. I never thought someone like me would have a chance to participate in such an important project.”
The 40-year-old version of Dream of the Red Chamber was a classic in the hearts of many. Xu Youyou hadn’t intended to surpass it. She simply thought that now that she had the full script, it would be a shame if it couldn’t be presented to the public.
