Chapter 470: The Truth Revealed

Gathering both families downstairs, the police officers who had been in hiding slowly gathered around as well. Mrs. Song and Mr. Shi appeared somewhat nervous but tried to maintain a calm demeanor. “Why did you call us down here? Can’t we talk inside?” Mrs. Song asked, trying to sound composed.

Chen Shi glanced at everyone and said, “Today, I want to reveal the truth about Song Yuwen’s death. I hope you can spare a few moments.”

Song Yuwen’s mother took out a handkerchief and began to wipe her tears, while her husband patted her arm to comfort her. On the other side, Mrs. Song frowned and then relaxed, a hint of disdain flashing in her eyes. It seemed she didn’t believe Chen Shi could uncover any truth.

“It all started twelve years ago,” Chen Shi began. “When Song Yuwen was 18, he and his cousin Shi Wanqing were drinking together at a vacation villa. They spent the night alone, and something might have happened between them…”

“What!?” Song Yuwen’s father exclaimed, turning to look at Song Yuqiang. “Weren’t you there too?”

Song Yuqiang awkwardly admitted, “I was out all night at an internet café with my cousin.”

“This… this…” The father was clearly struggling to believe it. Meanwhile, Mrs. Song and Mr. Shi remained silent, with Mrs. Song clenching her fists tightly, indicating they knew about this incident.

Chen Shi continued, “It’s been twelve years, so we can’t know for sure whether Song Yuwen forced himself on her or if it was consensual. Regardless, Shi Wanqing was still a minor at the time, making his actions illegal. After they returned, Shi Wanqing became very anxious, possibly showing signs of distress, or maybe it was just her mental state. In any case, the result was that she took her own life.”

“This… This can’t be true!” Song Yuwen’s father cried out. “We knew nothing about this.”

His wife clung to his arm, her expression shocked. On the other hand, Mrs. Song and Mr. Shi were unusually calm, staring at the ground. Lin Dongxue noticed that Mrs. Song’s eyes were moist, indicating she was trying to hide her emotions.

Chen Shi went on, “However, Shi Wanqing’s death was not made public. Her parents secretly cremated her. Perhaps they went through countless arguments, tears, and resentment but ultimately decided not to tell anyone to avoid disrupting the family harmony, especially since Song Yuwen’s family had been providing them with financial support. What started as casual excuses like ‘Shi Wanqing is at school’ during family gatherings gradually became a larger lie. To prevent relatives from finding out she had died, they concocted a story that she had gone to study abroad. They even created a fake phone number from Australia and managed her social media accounts, pretending she was still alive.”

“You successfully fooled everyone. Song Yuwen, feeling guilty, even gave you money to support his cousin’s supposed studies abroad. You saved that money, but your financial struggles eventually revealed the cracks in your story. When your husband fell ill, you had no choice but to use those savings. Whenever you attended family gatherings and pretended everything was fine, it must have stung. When you chatted with Song Yuwen, pretending to be your deceased daughter, it must have been excruciating. All this deception was rooted in your poverty and your fear of damaging familial relationships, especially with those who helped you financially. You spun ten lies to cover one, a hundred lies to cover ten, and ultimately created a ghost—your daughter. Only you knew she was dead. No… with enough lies, perhaps even you started believing she was still alive.”

Mrs. Song’s tears fell as she clenched her fists. The shock she felt was unimaginable. Song Yuwen’s father stared at her, eyes wide, and asked, “Cousin, tell me, is this true? Is Wanqing really…?”

Just as Mrs. Song was about to confess, Song Yuwen’s mother shrieked, “Did you kill my son to avenge your daughter? Are you the murderer? Officers, is that true? Is she the killer?”

Mrs. Song’s moment of vulnerability vanished as she masked her emotions with her usual shrewdness. She said, “This officer is spouting nonsense. My daughter is clearly studying in Australia. She’s even spoken with you all on the phone. Yuqiang, didn’t you talk to her once while I was next to you? How could it be fake? Look, here’s a photo from last year’s New Year’s celebration when she came back home.”

Mrs. Song pulled out her phone, showing not only the group photo she had shown Chen Shi earlier but also pictures of her daughter putting up a blessing character and the family eating together.

Chen Shi sneered, knowing this “evidence” perfectly completed the picture. “Does this blessing character look familiar?” he asked, showing a photo.

“Where did you get… what do you mean?” Mrs. Song stammered.

“You took those photos on the night of July 28. I found the props used in the photo shoot in your trash. Your attempt to cover your tracks only confirmed my theory.”

“You’re lying!” Mrs. Song shouted, spittle flying onto Chen Shi’s face. “This is my daughter. Look, everyone, isn’t it?”

“That’s not your daughter. It’s a girl named Ye Xiaoling, who looks similar in age and build to Shi Wanqing. With basic Photoshop skills, you could swap faces easily. I checked all of Shi Wanqing’s social media photos and found that most of her face images came from the same few photos. Your earlier attempts were flawed, with mismatched skin tones. By the way, this ‘model’ you hired used to work with you at a factory.”

Mrs. Song was at a loss for words, staring at Chen Shi in silence. Song Yuwen’s family looked at her, hoping for the truth but fearing the reality.

This tragedy was the result of lies sown by both families. They could not bear the weight of this truth.

Chen Shi turned to Mrs. Song, “After imitating your daughter for so long, she essentially ‘came back to life’ as your hidden personality. On the night of the murder, you deliberately wore a white, innocent-looking dress. Am I right?”

Mrs. Song’s composure finally broke, and she collapsed in tears, unable to deny the truth any longer.