Chapter 678: Chun Li

Lin Dongxue said, “Do you remember Chun Qin had a younger sister named Chun Li? We met her once at the police station.”

Chen Shi had almost forgotten about her, so he suggested visiting her.

When they arrived at Chun Li’s place, Chen Shi glanced at her feet. Her shoe size seemed to be 37, which made him secretly excited—they might have found the right person.

Chun Li timidly asked, “Why are you here? Is there any progress in my sister and brother-in-law’s case?”

“Sorry, we’re not here for that. We have other questions,” Lin Dongxue said, glancing at the shoe rack by the door. “Where were you on the night of the 11th?”

“I… I was home alone.”

“What were you doing?”

“Nothing, I was sleeping.”

“Were you sleeping the whole night?”

Chun Li’s eyes showed signs of panic. She asked, “Why are you asking this? Was something special about the 11th? Did something happen?”

Lin Dongxue had Chen Shi pull up the photo of the shoe print on his phone. “Can we check your shoes?”

Chun Li’s eyes widened. “What’s with this footprint?”

“It was found on the night of the 11th, in a place near the town,” Lin Dongxue explained.

Chun Li fell silent. When Lin Dongxue asked again if they could check her shoes, she broke into a sweat and said, “Don’t… don’t check. I admit, I was there that night. I heard something!”

“What did you hear?”

“A man cursing. It sounded like someone attacked him. The other person didn’t speak. I heard two sets of footsteps moving back and forth, right above me.” Chun Li’s recollection was fragmented, which often indicated truth because real-life events are usually fragmented.

“Where were you at the time?” Lin Dongxue asked.

“On the first floor of that villa.”

Chen Shi said, “When we arrived, did you escape through the window?”

“I don’t know. It was too dark. I didn’t notice anyone outside when I ran.”

“When you escaped, was the man upstairs still alive?”

“The sounds were getting quieter…”

Chen Shi thought for a moment. If Chun Li was telling the truth, she left the scene earlier than they thought because Ma Xiang died from a ruptured liver, and it would take some time from the injury to death.

What was the reflection they saw from the window? Was it another person, the so-called “fake thumb”?

No, there were no signs of a fourth person at the scene. Chen Shi had previously determined that the “fake thumb” might not have been there.

Chun Li was actually a witness, which brought up a crucial question. Lin Dongxue asked, “Why were you there?”

Chun Li’s eyes widened, and she stammered, “I was taking a walk…”

“That place is half a kilometer from the town, in the wilderness. That excuse is too flimsy. Tell us the truth,” Lin Dongxue demanded firmly.

“Someone told me about the case and said the person who killed my sister would be there…”

“Were you planning to seek revenge?” Chen Shi asked.

“No, no, no! I don’t have that kind of courage. I just wanted to know who that person was, to see if I recognized them. If I saw their face, I could tell the police and have them arrested,” Chun Li’s eyes darted around.

Chen Shi said, “Young lady, the information about the killer being there was only known to a small group. They aren’t police and have no connection to you. Besides, only we knew. Who told you?”

Realizing she couldn’t hide anymore, Chun Li reluctantly showed Chen Shi and Lin Dongxue a chat group on her phone. “These people, like me, have had relatives abused and killed by that beast. They found me, and we share our pain and information, hoping to catch him sooner… Maybe it seems meaningless to you, but this is all we can do. I think about my sister’s murder every day and want to do something rather than just wait!”

Chen Shi and Lin Dongxue were both shocked, though it wasn’t unheard of for victims’ families to form support groups.

As old wounds reopened, Chun Li began to cry. Lin Dongxue patted her shoulder to comfort her. Chen Shi said, “Even in this small circle, only one person could give you that information.”

“Yes, I know Chang Juan. She’s in the group too.”

“Do you know about the shareholders’ meeting?” Lin Dongxue asked.

“Shareholders’ meeting? What’s that?” Chun Li looked confused.

Lin Dongxue gave a brief explanation. “So, you’re saying Chang Juan privately told you about the possibility of the killer appearing on the 11th, and you went there to keep watch. Why didn’t you call the police?”

“Because Chang Juan wasn’t sure if the killer would come. I went because I was worried about her safety. I was afraid something might happen to her… I met Chang Juan when I was studying in the city, after my sister was killed. I was very depressed, and she comforted me. I was surprised to see her here, but she was always with the police, so I never got a chance to talk to her.”

Chen Shi thought, who would have guessed that Chang Juan had her own friends.

Seeing no further issues, Chen Shi and Lin Dongxue decided to leave. Lin Dongxue said, “Don’t leave town. We might need to find you again soon.”

After they left, Chen Shi pondered, then suddenly said, “No, Chun Li’s reason for not calling the police is weak. I think her real purpose was revenge! When we arrived at the scene, Chang Juan was continuously stabbing the corpse. We were all shocked by that scene. Chang Juan achieved her goal—confusing us. She was protecting someone, and that person is Chun Li!”

“But Ma Xiang wasn’t the killer!”

“Chun Li made a mistake. Ma Xiang had the same characteristic as the killer, the transplanted thumb. The killer’s nickname is ‘fake thumb.’ In that darkness, Chun Li saw this feature and thought Ma Xiang was the one. In her impulsiveness, she killed Ma Xiang. Chang Juan realized it was irreversible and chose to sacrifice herself to protect Chun Li… Let’s go back!”

Chen Shi needed to confirm some details with Chun Li. When they hurried back, they couldn’t get her to open the door. Lin Dongxue was about to call her when Chen Shi said, “No need!”

He was looking outside. From the upper floor, they saw Chun Li with a bulging backpack, quickly leaving toward the town’s bus station.

As Chun Li ran, she kept looking back nervously. Lin Dongxue looked surprised and quickly followed Chen Shi downstairs.

The street was nearly empty. When Chun Li noticed the “pursuers” behind her, she sped up. Her backpack was so full it burst open, spilling clothes everywhere.

After being questioned, Chun Li hastily packed and fled. This action convinced Chen Shi that she might be the one who killed Ma Xiang. He shouted, “Stop!”