Chapter 12: Plagued by Doubts

One to two thousand skill points.
Chen Yu felt a surge of warmth in his chest; the reward for this side quest was no small matter.
Luo Xiangdong’s case was already shrouded in mystery, and now an old case from fifteen years ago had surfaced.
Several monumental doubts swirled rapidly in his mind.
First, when Liu Hong saw her own courtyard gate half-open, the terror that welled up from deep within her was unmistakably genuine.
It wasn’t the helplessness or annoyance of facing her brother’s demand for money, but true, unadulterated fear.
What was she afraid of?
Second, Liu Hong possessed assets worth billions; a mere ten million detective fee was but a drop in the ocean for her.
Why, then, did she seem so financially constrained?
She even appeared more troubled than an ordinary wage-earner.
Third, if Luo Xiangdong was merely “missing” in Liu Hong’s understanding, why would she spare no expense to hire a renowned detective to find her husband?
Eleven years, just waiting in vain?
It defied logic.
“Heh, please, both of you, let’s calm down,” Chen Yu said with a smile, breaking the tense atmosphere in the living room.
He turned to Liu Hong, his voice especially gentle, tinged with just the right amount of sympathy, “Oh, Sister Hong, hearing you talk about it, you’ve spent so much for your brother over the years… it truly makes one’s heart ache!”
“You really are a remarkable sister!”
Liu Hong’s taut nerves seemed to relax ever so slightly at his words.
Chen Yu shifted his tone, continuing as if casually, “If your brother hadn’t gotten himself into this mess, and you’d spent even a portion of that money to hire a detective to look for your husband Mr. Luo, perhaps by now…”
He deliberately left his sentence unfinished, inviting speculation.
Liu Hong’s expression abruptly froze upon hearing the latter half.
That subtle stiffness did not escape Chen Yu’s keen observation.
He sneered inwardly, though his face remained warm and sincere as he turned to Liu Gang, “And Brother Liu Gang, you shouldn’t waste your own money on pointless efforts anymore.”
“See, now there’s a show called ‘Old Cases Reopened’.”
“There are so many brilliant deduction experts there—you can just contact the production team and ask them to make a special episode for you, help you investigate your sister-in-law’s old case.”
“Your decades-old case is exactly their cup of tea!”
This move not only appeared considerate of Liu Gang, but cleverly handed the ball to the program team and allowed Chen Yu to observe both Liu Gang and Liu Hong’s reactions.
He paused, his gaze returning to Liu Hong, his smile more genuine than ever, “Today, these contestants came here all fired up to collect clues.”
“I am different.”
“I’m purely here because Sister Hong, you’ve had it so hard all these years, and I felt compelled to come by and offer my concern.”
“Sister Hong, if you ever have any difficulties, even something as trivial as changing a lightbulb or fixing a pipe, don’t hesitate to call me.”
“I’ll be there whenever you need!”
Bare-chested and muscular, sporting the same center-parted hairstyle as Luo Xiangdong, Chen Yu’s eyes shone with the earnest enthusiasm unique to young people.
Liu Hong gazed at him deeply, her expression complicated.
For an instant, her eyes seemed unfocused, as if the bitterness accumulated over years was about to spill forth.
She opened her mouth, her throat working.

But in the end, all those words dissolved into a single sigh, and she closed herself up again.
Just then, footsteps echoed from the stairwell.
Three contestants, dressed in COS-style detective costumes, descended in unison from upstairs.
The Pipe and Bubble Girl both wore frowns, clearly having found little and feeling discouraged.
Only the last to descend, Forrell, bore an unmistakable excitement on his face.
Chen Yu’s gaze sharpened, instantly locking onto the item in Forrell’s hand.
It was a notebook, its edges yellowed with age.
Luo Xiangdong’s notebook?
The trio reached the ground floor and each took a seat.
Forrell cleared his throat, lifted the notebook, and announced loudly, “This is Mr. Luo Xiangdong’s personal diary.”
“Since the city’s investigation squad didn’t take it as key evidence for storage, it suggests that, in their view, perhaps it wasn’t all that important!”
Chen Yu shot him a sideways glance, annoyed.
What was this guy implying?
Was he planning to publicly criticize the investigation squad’s negligence?
Taking advantage of Captain Yan’s absence—he was bold indeed.
Sure enough, Forrell smirked and continued, “I’ve already reviewed the diary in detail upstairs.”
“Most of it records Mr. Luo’s daily work at the research institute and his scientific reflections.”
“But there’s also a large amount of heartfelt writing about his wife, Ms. Liu Hong!”
“Many passages describe their married life in detail: where they traveled together, the delicious meals his wife prepared after work, and other warm domestic moments.”
Forrell’s voice echoed through the living room.
“Such content may not be direct evidence in the traditional, rigid investigative framework.”
“But it certainly proves one thing—Mr. Luo Xiangdong and Ms. Liu Hong truly had a deep bond!”
No sooner had he finished than the livestream chat exploded with comments.
“Wow, Forrell is directly calling out the investigation squad?”
“Where’s Captain Yan? Someone get him to respond! How could such critical evidence not be stored? Is this how our city’s squad investigates cases?”
Forrell clearly relished the attention, scanning the crowd and the cameras with satisfaction before continuing, “Today is only the first day of the investigation.”
“We are still in the initial phase of collecting clues and haven’t yet accessed the evidence stored by the investigation squad.”
“But even so, we’ve already uncovered flaws in their work!”
“I believe the truth of this case will soon be revealed!”
Forrell’s words were forceful, instantly igniting his fanbase; the density of comments soared in the livestream.
Chen Yu’s gaze remained fixed on the yellowed diary in Forrell’s hand.
His heart felt like it was being scratched by a cat’s claws.
If only he could touch it—
Even for a fleeting moment!
His “Recall” skill would surely sense something extraordinary from it!
He also wanted to seize the chaos to search upstairs, perhaps triggering more “Recall” events.

But just now, with Liu Hong and Liu Gang present, it wasn’t wise to act rashly.
Now, although these three cosplay oddballs looked bizarre, their minds were sharp; using his abilities in front of them was too risky.
“Forrell, brother,” Chen Yu put on an innocuous smile, testing, “could you let me have a look at that notebook?”
“Hmph, absolutely not!”
Forrell sneered, refusing without hesitation.
He tucked the diary close to his chest, his gaze arrogant. “We’re competitors now.”
“According to the program rules, I have the right not to share clues I’ve discovered with other contestants!”
He glanced at Chen Yu, his tone admonishing, “Kid, solving cases is a serious and complex matter.”
“It’s not something you can luck into by escaping from a locked room.”
“Nor is it possible to simply lounge in the living room, eating watermelon and chatting casually to uncover the real culprit!”
Damn, this guy!
If he doesn’t want to share, fine—but does he have to jab at me as well?
Chen Yu rolled his eyes internally, grumbling to himself.
Forrell seemed completely immersed in his role as “chief detective,” looking around before finally fixing his gaze on Liu Hong and issuing his interim verdict, “In my opinion, Ms. Liu Hong can temporarily be excluded as a major suspect.”
“Once we visit the city investigation squad and examine all the evidence and clues they’ve collected, we can further determine who is most likely the real murderer.”
The other two contestants, though silent, wore expressions of fatigue and tacit agreement, clearly accepting Forrell’s judgment.
After all, they had spent the entire afternoon rummaging upstairs, only to find old slippers, empty bottles, and other household trash.
If there was anything noteworthy, it was that Luo Xiangdong’s personal items upstairs were unusually sparse.
Then again, it was likely that all valuable items had long been taken by the squad as evidence.
At this moment, the host Lin Bing, who had remained in the director’s van, entered gracefully.
She quickly scanned the faces in the living room, checked her watch, and smiled, “Alright, everyone, today’s live investigation segment is about to wrap up.”
“Thank you all for your outstanding performance, and thanks to Ms. Liu Hong and Mr. Liu Gang for their cooperation.”
Everyone began to rise and prepare to leave.
Before departing, Chen Yu made a point of finding Lin Bing.
“Sister Bing, could you lend me a phone for a bit?”
Lin Bing was momentarily surprised, but readily agreed, “The team has new phones, I’ll get one for you from the van!”
Chen Yu thanked her with a smile, then quickly approached Liu Hong.
“Sister Hong, let’s exchange contact information! If you recall any clues about Mr. Luo, or… anything else, you can reach out to me anytime.”
Liu Hong took the pen and paper Chen Yu handed her, hesitated for a moment, then quietly wrote down a number.
Chen Yu nodded, saying nothing more.
His gaze, however, lingered on the second floor of the villa, staring intently.
There, perhaps, was the true place where secrets were hidden.