Chapter 166

Chapter 166

Qiu Ziyu frowned. “That’s not what I asked. I asked where you think Wen Tangtang went.”

“Huh? Oh. That.”

Nan Mu laughed awkwardly. Guilty consciences really did make people slip up.

“Yes, that. What do you think?”

“Wen Tangtang is a living, breathing person. She couldn’t vanish into thin air, and she has no money but still needs food. So your theory isn’t unreasonable.” Nan Mu followed Qiu Ziyu’s reasoning. “If someone met her there, they would probably have brought a vehicle to reduce her chances of being spotted.”

“If a vehicle was involved, we’re in trouble.” Qiu Ziyu’s expression grew more serious as he listened.

The police investigation had focused on Xiangsheng Gardens because Wen Tangtang could not use public transportation under her own identity. But if she had access to a private vehicle, it would be like a fish entering the sea. Her possible destinations would spread across the entirety of City A.

“Fuck!” Qiu Ziyu swore at the thought of that terrifyingly broad search area. “Harboring a fugitive and helping one escape is a serious crime! Everyone closest to Wen Tangtang is already dead. Who would have the guts to help her at a time like this? Who could possibly have rescued her?”

Nan Mu shook his head. The question had stumped him too.

Wen Tangtang had always maintained a wide social circle, but helping her escape now meant openly defying the law and risking criminal charges…

He truly could not imagine who would do it. No matter how many friends Wen Tangtang had, this went far beyond what an ordinary friend would risk. Aside from Wen Xin and Wen Miao, Nan Mu could not think of a third person willing to go this far for her.

Seeing Nan Mu’s brow knit tightly, Qiu Ziyu gave his shoulder a sympathetic pat. “Forget it. Don’t force yourself if you can’t think of anyone. You haven’t been in contact with her for ten years, right? Maybe the person helping her is a friend she met later. It’s only natural that you wouldn’t know.”

But if they did not know who had helped Wen Tangtang, finding her would be like searching for a needle in an ocean-virtually impossible.

An indescribable weariness rose from Nan Mu’s heart, leaving him emotionally drained.

Irritated, he asked, “I remember you saying the police investigated Wen Tangtang’s relationships. Wasn’t there a single suspicious person among them?”

“Why are you always questioning the police’s abilities? Is it me you don’t trust, or the police as a whole?” Qiu Ziyu grumbled in protest. “We checked everyone we could and found no suspicious candidates. Xiangsheng Gardens is an old residential complex. The people Wen Tangtang normally dealt with were either from her laboratory or major figures in academia. Not one of them lived in an old complex like that. Besides, while they were acquainted with Wen Tangtang, most of those relationships involved colleagues or academic exchanges. Who would risk their career to harbor her while knowing she had committed a crime?”

“Of course,” Qiu Ziyu added, “that was based on our previous theory. We thought Wen Tangtang was hiding in Xiangsheng Gardens, so all our analysis revolved around the complex. But if our new theory is right-if an accomplice picked her up there-then they may only have agreed to meet at that location. An old complex with poor surveillance could have been nothing more than a transfer point they chose to make their escape.”
If so, the situation was even more complicated. Once they drove away from Xiangsheng Gardens, they could have gone almost anywhere. City A was enormous. Who could know how long they had driven or where they had stopped?

“Even if the person helping Wen Tangtang doesn’t live in Xiangsheng Gardens, they must live or work nearby. Otherwise, they couldn’t have known the exact state of the surveillance inside the complex.”

But even this realization did nothing to identify Wen Tangtang’s accomplice.

Frustrated, Nan Mu punched the wall.

Qiu Ziyu patted his shoulder consolingly. “Don’t blame yourself. Who could have expected her to escape from the hospital? As if escaping wasn’t enough, she even managed to find someone to help her. You have to admit she’s capable.”

Qiu Ziyu clicked his tongue and nudged Nan Mu’s arm with his elbow. “Seriously, though, this friend of hers has courage. They knew she’d killed someone and was wanted by the police. Not only did they refuse to report her, but they helped her escape. Most people wouldn’t have the nerve to do that.”

The more Qiu Ziyu talked, the more invested he became in the gossip. “Wen Tangtang is an orphan with no relatives. What do you think her relationship is with this accomplice? True love?”

“No, that can’t be right. Wen Tangtang is Wen Xin’s girlfriend.”

“If it isn’t love, then what’s in it for the accomplice? Harboring a fugitive carries prison time. And Wen Tangtang is wanted for murder, which makes this an aggravated offense. The sentence would be at least three years and no more than ten. Why would anyone take such a huge risk to help her? Did Wen Tangtang save their life or something?”

Nan Mu, who had been leaning against the wall listening to Qiu Ziyu ramble, suddenly went still.

He seized Qiu Ziyu’s wrist, his voice taut. “What did you just say?”

“Huh?” Qiu Ziyu turned in confusion and found Nan Mu staring at him with dark, intense eyes. “N-Nothing. I was just talking about the prison sentence…”

“No. The last thing you said.”

“What did I say? Oh. Did Wen Tangtang save their life?”

Nan Mu’s heart began pounding like a war drum. “Yes. A life-saving debt.”

“Huh?”

Qiu Ziyu stared blankly, then rubbed his nose.

He had only said it offhand. Why was Nan Mu taking it seriously?

Seeing Nan Mu beside himself with excitement, Qiu Ziyu could not resist dampening his enthusiasm. “How can you be sure that’s what it is? Do you know something?”

Nan Mu nodded emphatically.

He did.

Wen Tangtang really had saved someone’s life.

“Who did Wen Tangtang save?” Qiu Ziyu asked curiously.

“Cheng Jiamin.”