Chapter 219

“I’m also confused—why would Lou Zhen choose death, and by jumping from a building, of all ugly ways?” Chen Junyang looked up at Gu Changzheng, seemingly having forgotten he himself was still a suspect!

Gu Changzheng stared at him silently. How had this man changed so drastically in just one night? Could Lou Zhen’s death truly be unrelated to him?

“How did you meet Lou Zhen? Why did you...”

“Hah! You’re puzzled why I’d pick an older woman as my mistress, right?” Chen Junyang said casually.

Gu Changzheng nodded.

“This might have something to do with my past.” Chen Junyang knew he had to reveal every fact—if he wanted the cop to spot the flaw in the frame-up, which was his only chance at self-rescue. Hadn’t the cop said there was a witness? That witness was either a lie invented to trick him, or the killer blow in the plot to destroy him.

“Six months ago, I came to Zizhen on business. By chance, at a gathering with friends, I met Lou Zhen. Though she was clearly much older than me, she had a certain feminine allure that was deeply attractive—maybe she was just my type. Perhaps I was too empty inside back then; after seeing her, I always felt her gaze on me was different, almost seductive enough to steal my soul!”

“At the gathering, she deliberately brushed against me—every touch made my heart race! I even felt I couldn’t hold back—I wanted to pull her into my arms...”

“Wait a minute—do you remember who invited you to that gathering?” Gu Changzheng interrupted.

Chen Junyang shot him a slightly annoyed glance, perhaps irritated by the interruption of his sweet memory. He rolled his eyes as if recalling: “Hmm—a local friend from Zizhen, in medical equipment. Why? Do you need his contact info?”

He said it deliberately—but Gu Changzheng smiled and replied, “Yes! That’s exactly what I wanted!”

Chen Junyang gave a name and phone number. Luo Fei quickly wrote it down, glanced at Gu Changzheng, who nodded. Luo Fei rose and left the interrogation room. Only a few minutes passed before he returned. Gu Changzheng gestured for Chen Junyang to continue.

“After the gathering ended that night, we checked into a hotel together. After a night of passion, I realized I’d struck gold!”

Luo Fei frowned slightly, clearly disdainful. Chen Junyang paid no attention to his expression and went on: “After that, we kept this arrangement. Because of work, I often came to Zizhen. To avoid the Qiao family checking up on me, I got a fake ID under another name—so hotel records wouldn’t trace back to me!”

“Who do you think would check on you? Why?” Gu Changzheng asked.

Chen Junyang’s lips curled slightly: “The Qiao family—specifically, Qiao Sanli, the nephew of Old Man Qiao.”

“Oh? Why’s that?”

“Hmph!” Chen Junyang snorted, clearly pleased the cop was finally following his line of thought. “Old Man Qiao has only one daughter, Qiao Li—no sons. Who will inherit such a vast fortune? Qiao Li’s choice is critical!”

“The Qiao family needs someone capable, professionally skilled, but with no entrenched power base. I’m perfect for the role! Otherwise, how else would I have gotten involved with that woman from the Qiao family?” Chen Junyang said without disguise.

Gu Changzheng had seen Qiao Li’s face when he took Chen Junyang in. Compared to Lou Zhen, her only advantage was her family background. Now, Chen Junyang’s sudden shift likely came from realizing the truth: he had no future with the Qiao family. Since that was over, there was no need to pretend anymore—he had fully let himself go.

“But Old Man Qiao has no sons—his brothers do have sons. Though not major shareholders, they’re still Qiao family. So power struggles are natural. Qiao Sanli is the one who most opposes my engagement to Qiao Li!”

“So you think Qiao Sanli framed you?”

“Hmph! Who else gains the most from my downfall?”

“But if you can’t become the Qiao family’s son-in-law, Old Man Qiao can just find another one for Qiao Li. Qiao Sanli still gets nothing,” Gu Changzheng countered.

“Hmph! You don’t understand. Only if I become the Qiao family’s son-in-law can Old Man Qiao maintain stable control over everything. It’s not that simple!” Chen Junyang spoke with false profundity.

Gu Changzheng smiled faintly. “So you still have a chance to turn things around?”

Chen Junyang’s face twisted with disgust. “No chance! The first rule Qiao Li and her old man set for me was: never touch any woman besides their daughter! They care more about face than anything else—I’m done. But I won’t die like this, falsely accused and forgotten!”

“That still doesn’t prove Qiao Sanli framed you. As long as Qiao Li is alive, even if no one as suitable as you exists now, they can keep looking. Eventually, they’ll find someone—so Qiao Sanli still gets nothing.”

“You don’t know—before I even got involved with Qiao Li, Qiao Sanli had already been arranging dates for her. Everyone knew his goal! Now that I’m in trouble and Old Man Qiao’s health is failing, the factory urgently needs someone capable. Who knows? That old man might be swayed by Qiao Sanli!”

Gu Changzheng listened patiently. Then Luo Fei whispered something in his ear. Gu Changzheng nodded slightly. Luo Fei glanced at Chen Junyang and left the interrogation room again.

This time, he didn’t go far. At the door, an officer held an evidence bag, which he handed to Luo Fei before turning away.

Luo Fei pulled out a single A4 sheet and handed it to Gu Changzheng. Gu Changzheng glanced down—and his pupils contracted, a flash of shock crossing his face. He studied it again. It was a list—compiled from the contact details Chen Junyang had given, identifying everyone present at that gathering six months ago.

The police hadn’t expected much—after half a year, most people couldn’t recall who they’d eaten with on a specific day. But fate was strange: that night, besides Chen Junyang, two others had made such a deep impression on their host that even now, half a year later, he remembered them vividly.