Chapter 9

“Did you see it clearly?” Gu Changzheng asked.

“Too fast—I just saw a dark shadow flash by, then vanish from the balcony.”

“Didn’t you chase after him?” Gu Changzheng stared into Shu Jiaqing’s eyes, coldly.

Shu Jiaqing’s gaze instantly shifted away; after a few seconds of hesitation, he said: “No, I didn’t dare. I was afraid he’d recognize me. Besides, that woman was secretly meeting a man at home—he was definitely no ordinary guy. If I’d seen him, wouldn’t that just invite trouble on myself?”

“I thought I saw someone else inside, and all I wanted was to get out of there fast, not to draw trouble to myself—so I just… didn’t think of anything else.”

“Bang!” Gu Changzheng slammed his palm onto the table, pointing a finger at him, too furious to speak. At that moment, Ge Manli had just lost consciousness in the water—if discovered then, she might still have been saved.

Luo Fei understood Gu Changzheng’s feelings: a young life that might have been spared had now become utterly impossible because of this stupid, repulsive man.

He wanted Gu Changzheng to refocus on the case, so he asked Shu Jiaqing: “After you fled the scene, how did you leave Fenglin Garden? Describe it in detail!”

Shu Jiaqing thought hard for a moment, then said: “After I realized others were there, I hurried out through the front door.”

“Just like that?” Gu Changzheng asked suddenly.

“Oh, I took a small bag—I already turned it in.”

“Didn’t take anything else?”

“No. I was panicked then—just grabbed one bag, didn’t dare take anything else.”

“What about the bra?”

“Didn’t take it,” Shu Jiaqing replied without hesitation.

Gu Changzheng looked at him strangely: “Aren’t you afraid the traces on the bra might expose you?”

Shu Jiaqing looked up at the two of them: “I figured I just stole a bag, no big deal. Besides, those two were doing something shameful at home—would she dare report it?”

Luo Fei snapped: “It’s probably not just that, is it?”

Shu Jiaqing shuddered, then grinned foolishly: “Hehe, I thought if that woman wore the bra with my stuff on it… it’d be… hehehehe!”

Sick pervert! Gu Changzheng and Luo Fei silently cursed in their minds!

“After leaving Fenglin Garden, where did you go and what did you do?” Gu Changzheng asked.

“After I got out of the compound, I rode my bike to a spot just past the intersection of Qingjiang Road and Mingjing Alley.”

“Then I wandered around the streets for a few laps, returned to my rented room in Fangying, bought some alcohol and snacks, ate them—then this afternoon, I heard the broadcast saying I was the one who killed her! That’s a frame-up! So I decided to come forward voluntarily—I can’t take the blame for this!”

After hearing Shu Jiaqing’s account, Gu Changzheng realized the evidence only confirmed Shu Jiaqing was present at the scene during the time of Ge Manli’s death—but there was no direct proof he was the killer. And if this man wasn’t lying, then the real murderer must be someone else.

But how much of his story was credible? Was he too stupid—or too clever? As a former re-education-through-labor inmate, he clearly understood law enforcement procedures and sentencing standards. Did he have absolute confidence he could evade legal punishment? Or was he just a mindless petty thief, so foolish he’d perform a series of idiotic moves solely to avoid trouble?

For a moment, Gu Changzheng couldn’t decide. This man was baffling—was he a bottomless deep pool, or just a murky shallow puddle?

With these questions lingering, Gu Changzheng and Luo Fei returned to the crime scene: Unit 301, Building 3, Fenglin Garden.

Shu Jiaqing was captured on camera entering the compound at 3:40 p.m. Building 3 stood about 200 meters west of the main gate. In front of the building was the compound’s landscaped area—a large green zone with several intersecting paths. All the buildings faced north-south, with living rooms and master bedrooms opening onto the landscaped area, facing the main gate. The unit entrance was on the north side, so to enter the apartment from the main gate, one had to pass by this building and circle around to the north.

Building 3 had two units. Following the numbering pattern—left one, right two—Unit 301 was the eastern unit. The bathroom was positioned between the two bedrooms, on the east side. As an end unit, the master bedroom featured a small balcony jutting outward. The balcony and bedroom were separated by a glass sliding door. Clearly, Ge Manli and her husband valued quality of life and preferred a natural, relaxed atmosphere: unlike other households, they left this balcony open, not enclosed. On it sat several expensive potted plants, a wicker chair, and a small table.

According to Shu Jiaqing’s statement, after arriving at Unit 301, he spent about a minute picking the lock. Add the time it took him to walk 200 meters from the gate, climb three flights of stairs, and open the door—minimum four minutes. Once inside, he saw Ge Manli’s underwear discarded outside the bathroom, gave in to his lust, and after finishing, heard the shower gel bottle knocked over. Another five or six minutes passed before he heard movement and tried to flee—only to find the bedroom door beside the bathroom suddenly swinging open…

Gu Changzheng reenacted Shu Jiaqing’s described actions, then examined the footprints on the balcony. Could the murderer have already killed Ge Manli before Shu Jiaqing entered? And because the bathroom door blocked their view, neither man knew the other was there? Why conclude the murder occurred before Shu Jiaqing’s entry? The water splashes around the bathtub and the bruise on Ge Manli’s left elbow indicated she had briefly but violently resisted when suddenly attacked.

Yet according to Shu Jiaqing’s account, the room was silent after he entered. When he made slight noises that alerted the murderer, the killer quickly opened the bathroom window to escape, accidentally knocking over the shower gel bottle on the table, then leaped onto the balcony and fled.

Gu Changzheng laid out his reasoning one by one, when Luo Fei said: “Captain Gu, how did the bedroom door suddenly open by itself? And assuming the murderer hastily jumped from the bathroom window onto the balcony, I have two doubts.”

Gu Changzheng, still closely observing the bedroom balcony, said: “Go on.”

Luo Fei straightened his chest: “First, if the murderer jumped out in a panic, why are there no traces on the bathroom window ledge? Second, this is the third floor—how could an ordinary person jump down unharmed? And even though the compound was quiet in the afternoon, Ge Manli’s balcony faces directly toward the main gate. Someone jumping from here would likely have been seen.”