Chapter 60
Chapter 60
“But this isn’t about the money,” Bai Xue, who had been standing off to the side trying to calm Pei Yuming down, finally couldn’t help explaining. “My mother-in-law worked hard for this family her whole life. To make sure her husband and two sons were well fed and cared for, she went for years without buying herself a single expensive piece of clothing. Back when my father-in-law was laid off, for nearly two years, the whole family survived on the odd jobs she took. She lived frugally all her life, and before she passed, she finally managed to save up a little money. Then in the blink of an eye, my father-in-law spent it all on another woman. How can her soul possibly rest in peace?”
As she spoke, Bai Xue grew agitated too. “Dad, have you really forgotten Mom so quickly, after she spent more than half her life by your side? You’ve only known that woman for less than two months. How could you do something like this?”
As another woman, Bai Xue was even more sensitive to this sort of thing. Not only did she easily empathize with her husband, she had even thought further than he had.
After hearing her say all that, the look Pei Yuming gave his father carried even more resentment.
Seeing that he couldn’t persuade them, the officer didn’t dare push any further. After all, this was their family matter. As an outsider, he had only said a few extra words out of kindness, because he couldn’t bear to see an old man suffer. But every family had its own troubles, and the inner workings of someone else’s household were not something an outsider like him could easily understand.
Once the statement was finished, the officer saw the whole family out. Any follow-up lawsuit would have to go through the proper process; it wasn’t something that could be settled overnight. Fortunately, Lu Dong had already helped find a lawyer, so Pei Yuming didn’t have to worry too much about it.
Bai Xue and Su Jin had both driven over. Pei Yuming signaled for his younger brother to take their father and ride in Bai Xue’s car, while he followed Lu Dong into Su Jin’s car.
Pei Yuming sat in the back seat and said nothing from the moment he got in.
While waiting at a red light, Su Jin glanced at her husband in the passenger seat. Lu Dong understood at once. He looked at Pei Yuming through the rearview mirror and said gently, “Lao Pei, don’t get too worked up. Your dad is getting on in years, and he’s easily swayed. Besides, scams these days come in every shape and form. How could he stand up to a con artist’s sweet talk? Luckily, nothing too serious happened this time, and most of the money has been recovered. When you get home, have a proper talk with him. Don’t keep it all bottled up and overthink it by yourself.”
It was hard to stay angry with someone who met him with a smile, especially after that person had just done him a huge favor.
Pei Yuming could only give a bitter smile and sigh. “I just don’t understand. My dad knew that woman for more than two months, and I didn’t know a thing about it.”
“You’ve been busy with work,” Lu Dong said smoothly, giving him an out. “And you’re always working overtime. How could you possibly keep track of everything?”
“Exactly,” Su Jin chimed in. “Besides, Xiao Xue has been looking after him too, and even she didn’t notice. That just shows Uncle was hiding it on purpose.”
That did hit the mark and comfort him somewhat. Pei Yuming finally couldn’t help nodding, but in the end, he still didn’t say anything more. It was his own family business, after all. It didn’t feel right to complain too much to outsiders.
He silently looked at the backs of the two heads in front of him, his heart a tangle of conflicting emotions.
If he weren’t the only one who retained his memories after each Flashback, if Su Jin and Lu Dong knew about all the conflicts that had happened between them, then right now, they probably wouldn’t be sitting in the same car and chatting so calmly.
But why was it that, even though every single one of them had lied to him, when something happened, they were the first to rush over and help him, and afterward, they were also the ones patiently trying to comfort him?
Pei Yuming had never felt so conflicted. On one hand, he hated these people with a passion and, at times, wished he could drag them all down with him. Yet at the same time, he was deeply dependent on them and grateful for their help. He silently glanced at his watch. It was already past seven. In another two minutes, he would be back in the interrogation room again.
At that, he couldn’t help asking, “You…” But he stopped after only two words, as if he had no idea how to put the rest into words.
“Hm? What?” Lu Dong glanced back at him.
“Why are you all so good to me?” In the end, he still didn’t say the second half: When every single one of you has been lying to me…
“Oh, come on.” Lu Dong seemed embarrassed by the sudden question and waved it off again and again. “We’ve known each other for how many years now? More than half our lives have gone by in the blink of an eye. How are we any different from family? Sure, sometimes we trip over our words and rub each other the wrong way, but even real families have times when they fight until the house turns upside down. Besides…”
Pei Yuming didn’t hear what came after. In his ears, it had been replaced by Cao Lei’s concerned urging. “Lao Pei, are you feeling any better?”
He wiped his face and nodded. “Yeah. Much better.”
Seeing how quickly he had recovered, Cao Lei asked one more question. “Did you… go back again?”
Pei Yuming did not hide it. “Yeah.”
Since he was no longer avoiding the issue, Cao Lei went straight to the point. “Has the matter with your daughter been resolved?”
Although Pei Yuming had not told him what exactly had happened to his daughter earlier, Cao Lei trusted that his instinctive reaction would not lie. Whatever he was unwilling to talk about had to be related to his daughter.
Pei Yuming paused, but in the end, he shook his head. “No.”
“What happened to her? What was it?” Cao Lei pressed while the opening was there.
That hard-to-speak expression appeared on Pei Yuming’s face again. Cao Lei narrowed his eyes and said in a low voice, “Lao Pei, don’t you want to find the killer as soon as possible? Hesitating like this is wasting time. You know the police will uncover everything sooner or later. It’s only a matter of time. Hiding things only slows down the process of them being found out. Some things have to be faced eventually. If this is something that hurts too much for you, tell me, and I’ll face it with you. I’ve always thought of us as cooperating, not as enemies. What do you think?”
“Yes,” Pei Yuming said, glancing at Cao Lei, a little embarrassed. “I… I just couldn’t accept it all at once, so I didn’t tell you.”
“What could be harder to accept than seven people being poisoned to death at the same dinner table?” When it came to the case, Cao Lei’s gaze sharpened without him realizing it.
Pei Yuming flinched under that look. Only then did he hesitate and say, “It’s… Su Jin. She said Xiaobei… Xiaobei might not be my biological daughter…”
Cao Lei was somewhat dumbfounded, but his strong mental fortitude barely allowed him to keep a normal expression.
After a long while, he ventured a guess. “Su Jin said Lu Zixuan is your son, and Pei Xiaobei isn’t your daughter. Could she be… Lu Dong’s…”
Before he could finish, Pei Yuming abruptly lifted his head and cut him off. “Impossible!”
Cao Lei nodded awkwardly. “Yes, of course I also hope that’s not the case. But have you confirmed it? Is there any evidence?”
Pei Yuming’s cheeks tightened, and his breathing clearly quickened. Cao Lei’s guess had obviously angered him, but in the end, he still controlled himself and shook his head. “No. I haven’t had time to run the comparison yet. Then something else came up this time.”
“Oh?” Cao Lei leaned closer with interest. “What happened? Tell me.”
Pei Yuming then honestly recounted how his father had been scammed.
He described even the amount the police had recovered and the entire fraud process in great detail. He even gave a fairly accurate description of the two main culprits’ appearances.
Cao Lei glanced at the surveillance camera, the corner of his mouth twitching as he asked, “Have you dealt with this fraud ring before? Have you seen them?”