Chapter 531: The Truth Behind the Emotional Detachment

Chen Shi thought for a while, then turned back towards the community. He took out his lock-picking tools, ready to break into Lin Hui’s house. Lin Dongxue quickly stopped him, “Don’t do anything rash. We’re out of town on this case. Let’s play by the rules.”

“Lin Hui is missing, but these people are still watching her house. There must be clues here.”

“But don’t break in! Let me call her husband and get him to come back.”

Chen Shi put down his tools, contemplating. “We’ll tell him we suspect his house is bugged and need to check it out?”

Lin Dongxue chuckled, “Alright, we’ll go with that excuse. I’ll call him now!”

Li Xiang said he’d come back after work and would call them then. However, Chen Shi insisted on waiting there to prevent Li Xiang from tidying up the house before they arrived. With no solid leads on the case yet, they couldn’t fully trust any related person.

The waiting was naturally dull. Lin Dongxue, accustomed to such waits, took out her phone to read a novel. Chen Shi was lost in thought and suddenly said, “You said that car looked a lot like mine?”

“Huh?” Lin Dongxue looked up from her phone. “You mean the one parked here last night? It should be a friend of Li Xiang’s.”

Chen Shi fell silent, deep in thought.

At six in the evening, Li Xiang returned, carrying a bag of vegetables. Smiling apologetically, he said, “Sorry to keep you waiting. Would you like to join me for dinner?”

“No need. We weren’t planning to bother you, but we noticed suspicious activity in the area this afternoon and thought your house might be bugged. We’d like to check it out,” Chen Shi said.

“What? Bugged? There’s nothing here worth spying on. I just play games and watch movies when I come home… I don’t know who my wife might have provoked.”

Chen Shi’s eyes fell on the bag of vegetables. It was full and looked substantial, but the leaves were a bit wilted, as if hastily grabbed from a supermarket. He asked, “Buying so many vegetables?”

“Stocking up the fridge. Come on in!”

Inside, Li Xiang apologized for the mess and invited them to sit. “The place is a bit messy, make yourselves at home.”

“It’s a spacious place. Do you have a toolbox?” Chen Shi asked.

“I’ll get it for you.”

Li Xiang went into the bedroom and closed the door, seemingly tidying something up. Chen Shi whispered to Lin Dongxue, “Something’s fishy.”

Li Xiang came out, saying, “I remembered wrong. It’s in the other room.”

He retrieved the toolbox, and Chen Shi unscrewed a wall outlet and checked the corners, finding no bugging devices. Then a garbage truck arrived outside. Li Xiang gathered two bags of trash, ready to take them out.

“I’ll do it,” Chen Shi offered.

“No, no, it’s bathroom trash, very dirty. I’ll take care of it myself,” Li Xiang smiled.

“I’ll do it!”

“No, no, you sit.”

“Open it and let me see!” Chen Shi’s expression turned stern.

Li Xiang’s smile faded, “Officer, you don’t suspect me, do you? I was at home when my wife went missing.”

“Let me see.”

Li Xiang reluctantly put the bag down. Chen Shi put on gloves and checked the contents. It was filled with used toilet paper, the smell unforgettable. At the bottom were some used condoms. Li Xiang explained, “A girl I met on WeChat. My wife is never home, and I have needs too! I didn’t want to show you because I have some personal privacy, right?”

“I understand.” When Chen Shi put the condoms back, he palmed one discreetly and then tied the bag, handing it back to Li Xiang. “Alright, go ahead.”

After Li Xiang left, Chen Shi wrapped the condom in his glove, planning to take it for testing.

Five minutes later, Li Xiang returned, asking, “Anything else?”

“I’d like to see your call records.”

Li Xiang handed over his phone, “Go ahead.”

Chen Shi scrolled through it and pointed to a frequently contacted number labeled “Zhang Rui.” He asked, “Is this your childhood friend?”

“Yes, we often eat together.”

“Where does he work?”

“At a parts processing plant.”

“It seems you’re quite close.”

“Yes!” Li Xiang seemed a bit embarrassed.

After a few more irrelevant questions, they prepared to leave. Suddenly, Li Xiang called out, “Officer Chen, did you take one of the condoms?”

Chen Shi turned back.

“Is that necessary? Taking a condom for testing, do you really suspect me?”

“Suspecting everything is part of our job.”

“What can a condom prove? My wife is cheating on me, but I can’t have my own life?”

“Even so, we’ll still have it tested.”

“Don’t bother. I’ll be honest. The condom was used by Zhang Rui and me.”

Lin Dongxue was slightly shocked.

“So, he wasn’t here just to play games with you.”

“No!” Li Xiang admitted, blushing. “I’m gay. So is he. We didn’t grow up together; we met at a bar. My wife and I have a poor relationship. That’s the main reason. I’m not interested in women at all. Seeing those scantily-clad celebrities on TV even disgusts me.”

“Then why did you get married?” Lin Dongxue asked.

“What else could I do? My family kept pressuring me. At my age, not being married would make people gossip, and my parents couldn’t hold their heads high. I know it sounds ridiculous, but it’s a big deal for my family. I didn’t have the courage to come out. My parents would be devastated. I had to marry someone through a matchmaker… Of course, nature is nature. I thought I could ‘change,’ but I couldn’t. The more I suppressed it, the more I wanted it. It’s like if you, Officer Chen, had to be intimate with a man. It would only make you more miserable!”

“Did Lin Hui know?”

“Living under the same roof, even if I didn’t spell it out, she must have figured it out. She cursed me, saying I ruined her youth. I had no choice. Blame this discriminatory society. I told her that if we divorced, the house would be hers, and I’d give her half of this one.”

Chen Shi stepped closer to Li Xiang, saying, “Since you’re being honest, I’ll share some information too. Lin Hui disappeared with a large sum of money.”

“How do you know!?” Li Xiang was startled, then realized his outburst and corrected himself. “I mean, what money? How do you know? Was it her savings or something illegal?”

“We’re still investigating. Do you know anything?”

Li Xiang shook his head, “I’ve deceived her, but I’m not lying to you.”

“Alright, I believe you.” Chen Shi smiled, “By the way, I’d like to see the other apartment you rented out.”

“Now?”

“Now would be best.”