Chapter 13: Best Friends

After Chen Shi finished speaking, Gao Xiaohui was visibly flustered. She stood up and shouted, “You’re slandering me! This is just your baseless speculation. How can you prove anything with just a piece of clothing? Besides, I have an alibi!”

Gao Xiaohui presented a receipt from a dinner gathering and handed it to Chen Shi. Chen Shi casually brushed it aside and said, “Such an alibi holds no legal weight unless someone can verify it. Why don’t you call the people you dined with that day and have them confirm it face to face?”

Gao Xiaohui was desperately searching for a rebuttal, her hands trembling.

“The evidence isn’t just the clothing,” Chen Shi continued. “You probably don’t know this, but Gu Mengxing led a promiscuous lifestyle. Her boyfriend, suspecting her of cheating, installed a tracking app on her phone. You were carrying her phone and were caught by hotel surveillance cameras moving back and forth near the crime scene twice. Additionally, there’s a witness who can confirm this.” Chen Shi pointed to himself. “Me! These pieces of evidence form a chain of proof in court. And regarding the ether, we just need to search this hospital to find the missing ether. Do you have anything to say, Dr. Gao?”

Gao Xiaohui seemed to collapse, sinking back into her chair, her eyes darting around. Lin Dongxue was ready to take out the handcuffs, but Chen Shi gestured for her to wait.

He patiently waited, and suddenly, Gao Xiaohui’s demeanor changed. She gritted her teeth and said, “That bitch deserved to die!” She looked up. “She stole my boyfriend!”

Chen Shi looked intrigued, pulled up a chair, and sat down. “Did you also play that game?”

“I met Shen Jun in the game. We talked about everything. Later, he suggested meeting up. I’d never met an online friend before and was afraid he might be a scammer, so I brought Gu Mengxing along. I regretted that decision so much. When we met, Shen Jun showed up as agreed. Gu Mengxing and I were observing him from a distance. I was pleased and was about to meet him when Gu Mengxing suddenly claimed she had a stomachache and insisted we leave.

“A few days later, I decided to make up for my no-show and arranged another meeting with Shen Jun in the game. But he said we’d just met. That’s when I realized what happened. I confronted Gu Mengxing, who lied at first but eventually admitted the truth. She had liked Shen Jun and pretended to be me to meet him. What’s worse, they even slept together!

“I couldn’t believe my best friend would steal my boyfriend. Actually, I should have seen it coming; she’s the kind of woman who can’t live without men! I wouldn’t want anything someone else had used. I was so mad at myself. After that, I rarely contacted that bitch, but she would often come to me, seemingly on purpose, to boast about how well things were going with them. I kept thinking that someone like her would get what she deserved eventually.

“I thought the matter had passed, but a few months ago, Shen Jun showed up at the hospital with an STD. I couldn’t believe it! I suspected it had to do with that bitch, and sure enough, I found out she was fooling around and had infected Shen Jun. I laughed and cried; Shen Jun was such a good guy, why did he have to fall for her? And she didn’t even appreciate it…”

At this point, Gao Xiaohui covered her face in anguish. Chen Shi said, “So, you decided to kill her?”

“Yes!” Gao Xiaohui said, her face buried in her hands. “The whole thing went just as you deduced. I thought my plan was flawless. How did you know so much?”

“You thought your plan was flawless? It was full of holes!”

“Am I…am I going to get the death penalty? I don’t want to die, please, let me go!” Gao Xiaohui cried.

“That’s not up to me. You knew the consequences when you made this decision. I sympathize with your situation, but I don’t agree with your actions. Murder is the stupidest way to solve a problem.”

Chen Shi stood up and gestured to Lin Dongxue.

Lin Dongxue took a deep breath. She hadn’t expected to catch the real culprit. This was her first time cuffing a murderer, and she was filled with indescribable excitement.

She walked over, ready to handcuff Gao Xiaohui, but Gao Xiaohui suddenly pushed her away with great force, grabbed a syringe from the drawer, and quickly stabbed her own leg.

Chen Shi swiftly intercepted her hand, causing the syringe to fall to the ground, releasing a bitter almond scent into the room.

Chen Shi stared into Gao Xiaohui’s eyes. “Listen, you might not get the death penalty. Fight hard, and you might still see daylight.”

Gao Xiaohui cried out, “Even if I see daylight decades later, I’ll be an old woman by then. My life is ruined, totally ruined! I haven’t even experienced love…”

At this point, Gao Xiaohui broke down in tears. Chen Shi held her and gently patted her shoulder as if to comfort her.

Lin Dongxue was stunned by the scene. It took her a while to realize that Chen Shi was signaling for the handcuffs. He took the handcuffs and cuffed Gao Xiaohui, who surprisingly complied. Chen Shi said, “Everyone must face the consequences of their choices. This was your choice; don’t blame others… Besides, if you really want to kill yourself, there are plenty of opportunities in prison.”

“Hey!” Lin Dongxue exclaimed. How could he say such irresponsible things?

Chen Shi draped a coat over Gao Xiaohui’s hands, preserving a bit of her dignity, and as they prepared to leave, Gao Xiaohui asked, “Who are you really?”

“Just a helpful driver,” Chen Shi replied with a smile.

The three got into the car. Lin Dongxue was nearly overwhelmed with excitement. She wanted to express her gratitude, but it wasn’t appropriate in front of the suspect. At that moment, Lin Qiupu called and said, “Dongxue, where are you? You didn’t clock in this morning. Are you acting on your own again? How many times have I told you, as a police officer…”

“Brother, I caught the suspect!” Lin Dongxue interrupted.

Lin Qiupu was taken aback. First, by her words, and second, by her calling him “brother” during work hours.

“You caught the suspect again?” Lin Qiupu asked.

“This time it’s real. Don’t worry, we have evidence!”

“Where are you?”

“I’ll be back soon. Prepare for the interrogation!”

Lin Qiupu hesitated before hanging up and said, “Don’t mess up.”

After the call, Chen Shi suddenly laughed. Lin Dongxue asked, “What’s so funny?”

“Just thinking about your brother’s expression later, it’s hilarious!” He turned to Gao Xiaohui. “Dr. Gao, before we go to the police station, do you have any last wishes?”

Gao Xiaohui, resigned to her fate, smiled and said, “I want to eat some spicy hotpot from Shouwang Palace.”

“I’m hungry too. Let’s go!” Chen Shi started the car.

“Hey, don’t make decisions on your own!” Lin Dongxue exclaimed anxiously.