[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-chasing-the-criminal-case":3,"chapter-chasing-the-criminal-case-chasing-the-criminal-case-chapter-223":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Chasing the Criminal Case",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2328991,4554,"Chapter 223","chasing-the-criminal-case-chapter-223",223,"\u003Cp>\"I really saw Grandma and a man on the rooftop that day!\" Facing Gu Changzheng’s renewed inquiry—this time, an accusation—Xiao Hai, though still a boy, could read the room; he sensed the young police officer’s hostility alongside Gu Changzheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the young officer asked if he was certain he had seen her with someone else on the rooftop the night Lou Zhen fell, Xiao Hai shouted back loudly, as if a quieter voice would fail to prove his truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Gao Ye questioned Xiao Hai, Gu Changzheng watched the boy in silence, seeing his face flushed with grievance and anxiety, as if deeply troubled that the police before him refused to believe him. \"Could this child really be so calculating?\" he thought silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You say you saw them on the rooftop—that’s true—but who was with Lou Zhen? Are you sure you didn’t mistake the person? And the duration they spent there doesn’t match your account, does it?\" Gao Ye continued to stare coldly into Xiao Hai’s eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who was with her? Isn’t it obvious—it’s her lover! Didn’t I already say that?\" Xiao Hai replied, his calm demeanor utterly incongruous with his age.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Ye let out a cold snort from his nostrils: \"Hmph! Let me tell you this—the man who met Lou Zhen on the rooftop that night wasn’t Chen Junyang! It was Zhang Zhiyuan! You’re lying!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Ye’s words caught Xiao Hai off guard. He froze for a moment, his eyes flickering with panic. Gu Changzheng immediately added: \"Xiao Hai, it’s not too late to tell the truth now. I believe you wouldn’t harm an innocent person. We’ve already uncovered the facts—you have no reason to lie for someone else!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Gu Changzheng spoke, Xiao Hai kept his head turned away, avoiding his gaze. After hearing him, he glanced at Gu Changzheng; a flicker of shame crossed his handsome young face. He looked up at Gu Changzheng, only to find the man watching him with gentle eyes. He quickly looked away, unwilling to meet his gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Xiao Hai, speak up—what did you really see that night? Tell us everything,\" Gu Changzheng said softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll say it, and Brother Zhang will go to prison, right?\" Xiao Hai suddenly fixed his eyes on Gu Changzheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Changzheng paused, then said slowly: \"That depends on how serious his offense was. But confessing early and fully might reduce his legal punishment. Telling the truth is helping him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Hai lowered his head, thinking for a moment. \"Actually, the man I saw with Grandma that night was indeed Brother Zhang. But he and Grandma weren’t involved in that way—I just hated seeing her with those men, so I lied.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then what were Zhang Zhiyuan and your grandmother doing on the rooftop?\" Gao Ye asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Hai shot him a glare and turned his head away. Gu Changzheng internally chuckled: This kid holds a grudge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though unwilling to look at Gao Ye, Xiao Hai still answered: \"They argued a few words. Then Brother Zhang pulled out something like a letter from his pocket, showed it to Grandma. She glanced at it, grew even angrier, and tore it into shreds with furious motions. Just as she opened her mouth to curse him, she suddenly staggered like she was drunk, swaying toward the rooftop railing. Then she pushed herself up onto it with both hands. I saw Brother Zhang rush over to grab her—but Grandma had already stood up facing him, swaying... then...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So you mean your grandmother fell on her own? Not pushed by Zhang Zhiyuan?\" Gao Ye asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes!\" Xiao Hai said firmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Xiao Hai,\" Gu Changzheng said coolly, \"why are you so fiercely defending Zhang Zhiyuan? Why hide the truth? The evidence already proves he knew in advance about Lou Zhen’s meeting with Chen Junyang at Tianyang Hotel—and their encounter on the rooftop was premeditated.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To track Lou Zhen’s movements precisely, he installed a camera in Chen Junyang’s room! All this shows he meticulously planned this. Now you tell me Lou Zhen fell on her own? Xiao Hai, why? Why are you lying again and again?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m not lying!\" Xiao Hai suddenly shrieked. \"It’s all your speculation! Produce the evidence!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Changzheng looked at him with an odd expression, raising a hand to stop Gao Ye, who was about to explode: \"Xiao Hai—the Wuyuyu was your package, wasn’t it? You both wanted Lou Zhen dead. Am I wrong?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*Thud!* A heavy thump echoed as Xiao Hai, who had just jumped up in anger, plopped back onto his chair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Ye felt a surge of triumph: Looks like he’s cracking! But in the next breath, Xiao Hai regained his composure. He narrowed his eyes at Gu Changzheng and Gao Ye and said coldly: \"Trying to trick me into confessing? Sorry—I don’t know what Wuyuyu is, and I don’t know what you’re after. All I saw was Grandma falling on her own.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fine. If you say so, then explain this—the forged will. How do you explain it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earlier, Xiao Hai had claimed the will was forged by Chen Junyang. Now he said nothing. Gu Changzheng couldn’t help feeling irritated—was this child truly a habitual liar?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Hai said: \"I was terrified then. Some things are fuzzy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Changzheng suppressed his rising temper and said calmly: \"Alright, we’ll stop here for today. Think carefully. Let’s go.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The last words were clearly addressed to Gao Ye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the way back, Gao Ye noticed Gu Changzheng had closed his eyes, as if asleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Ye couldn’t hold back—he wanted to speak but found no opening. Just as the car neared the bureau, Gu Changzheng suddenly opened his eyes: \"Xiao Gao! Go to Zhang Zhiyuan’s office! Now!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Ye was startled by the sudden command; the car screeched to a halt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Changzheng glanced at him: \"What are you waiting for? Turn around—go to Junhe Hospital, Zhang Zhiyuan’s office!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Ye snapped back to attention, nodded, and the car spun around, speeding toward Junhe Hospital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside Zhang Zhiyuan’s office at the hospital, Gao Ye found an excuse to send the secretary, Xiao Sun, away. Gu Changzheng began carefully examining the roughly fifty-square-meter office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the way back, he had recalled Xiao Hai’s account: Zhang Zhiyuan had handed Lou Zhen a letter; she glanced at it, flew into a rage, and tore it to shreds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But neither he nor Lao Zheng had found a single shred of paper at the rooftop crime scene. Only two possibilities remained: Xiao Hai was still lying—or Zhang Zhiyuan had collected every scrap of the torn letter after the fact.\u003C\u002Fp>",1094,"2026-06-20T19:35:31.675Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","e6d4dac6142a91b4520086e5fa2c51fc88c81e4955e10d208d397727adb2191c","chasing-the-criminal-case-chapter-224","chasing-the-criminal-case-chapter-222",276,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchasing-the-criminal-case-cover.jpg"]