Chapter 163: Motive and Truth

Xiao Yu wasn’t the type to casually spew profanities, but right now, he really felt like cursing.

“Pull up the surveillance footage.”

After giving the order, Xiao Yu walked into the cold storage. Since they were the first on the scene, and the investigation hadn’t been completed, neither Jia Zhen’s body nor Jia Yanli’s body had been moved.

Inside the cold storage, Jia Yanli’s body had been carelessly tossed onto the floor. This confirmed Xiao Yu’s theory that Jia Zhen had been using his sister’s corpse to achieve some twisted purpose and wasn’t respected at all. Otherwise, what kind of brother would treat his sister’s remains like this?

Activating his Eagle Eye ability, Xiao Yu’s gaze focused on Jia Yanli’s body. He needed to examine it closely because the body was dressed. 

Earlier, it was mentioned how difficult it is to dress a corpse.

Taking the gloves handed to him by the forensic examiner, Xiao Yu decided to perform the autopsy himself. He began by trying to lift the deceased’s right arm. It could bend and move, but Xiao Yu’s expression darkened.

The bones and rigid muscles had been broken. Both the arm bone and shoulder bone were fractured, with clear signs of the body being forcibly bent.

Xiao Yu then examined the left arm, finding it in the same condition—two sections broken.

Why do this? Because dressing a rigid corpse is nearly impossible.

How cruel must one be to treat their own sister’s remains like this?

Xiao Yu started to remove the deceased’s clothing. What was he trying to do? He wanted to check for marks on the body to confirm his earlier suspicions.

As the clothing was removed, Xiao Yu’s face grew even more serious. There were unmistakable strangulation marks on the body’s skin.

These marks were left after death, caused by strong force applied with a rope.

Reflecting on the scene at Che Feiting’s home, where he reported seeing his wife floating outside the bedroom window, it was now clear that Jia Yanli’s body had been hoisted up, suspended outside the window.

It all matched up.

This was how criminal investigations work—it was not enough to just have theories. You had to confirm the sequence of events in order to document the case accurately.

The next step would be a thorough autopsy to determine if Jia Yanli’s death was caused by medication-induced cardiac arrest. This couldn’t be done at the scene—it required transporting the body back to the lab where specialized medical equipment could be used for chemical analysis.

For now, it was enough to confirm that someone manipulated the body to commit a crime.

Xiao Yu stood up, removed his gloves, and scanned the area with a serious expression.

What was he looking for? He wanted to validate a theory.

Did the killer intentionally murder someone to make sure that Jia Yanli’s body was discovered?

But even Xiao Yu wasn’t sure if this theory was correct.

How could it be proven?

It was simple. By confirming whether the killer entered the cold storage before or after the murder and whether they checked on the body.

If you were the killer, and you were there specifically to commit murder, would you bother checking what was in the cold storage? Wouldn’t your first instinct be to flee the scene?

However, if you were there for the body, you’d likely check on it before or after the killing.

In his Eagle Eye vision, Xiao Yu spotted numerous footprints in the cold storage. Frowning, he realized that the crime scene had been compromised.

Some of the footprints likely belonged to the first responders who discovered the body.

Otherwise, why else would we say that a specialized case needed specialized personnel? When outsiders interfere, it easily led to unnecessary complications.

The officers who initially investigated the scene were called back to compare their footprints, and once their prints were excluded, the comparison was complete.

“Jia Zhen’s footprints have also been matched.”

Xiao Yu squinted his eyes, scanning every inch of the scene, and finally, his gaze landed on a particular set of footprints. He smiled.

So, you were after the body.

Why was Xiao Yu so certain that the person was after the body? By examining the footprints, it was clear that they led from the area where Jia Zhen was killed at the entrance of the cold storage, straight into the cold storage itself. The prints even stopped beside the corpse before turning back and leaving the cold storage.

This suggested that the killer had entered the cold storage, checked on Jia Yanli’s body, and then left.

The deduction made sense. The person’s intention was to ensure the body was discovered. The murderer’s motive likely had something to do with making sure the police found the body.

Xiao Yu was stumped. 

Why would the killer do this? What was their motive? Did this person have a connection to Jia Yanli? Could it be that they were simply trying to protect her body from being desecrated, so they resorted to murder?

Shaking his head, Xiao Yu dismissed the idea. That didn’t make any sense. If that were the case, why not just call the police? Why go to the extreme of killing someone?

Unless…

Suddenly, Xiao Yu’s eyes widened. 

Was the killer trying to get the police to discover something on the body?

“Conduct a full autopsy,” Xiao Yu ordered, and Jia Yanli’s body was taken to the forensics department for an autopsy.

Three hours later, the autopsy report came out.

Jia Yanli did not die of natural causes. There were traces of a substance in her system—beta-blockers. It was murder.

Xiao Yu wasn’t surprised; this was something he had already deduced. Even the killer, Gu Xuan, had already been taken into custody.

But now, Xiao Yu was puzzled. Was this what the killer wanted the police to discover? Why?

As his mind raced through the possibilities, several clear lines of thought emerged.

First. If the police discovered something unusual during the autopsy and confirmed it was murder, who would suffer the consequences?

Second. How did the killer know there was something wrong with the body?

Third. If the killer knew there was something wrong with the body and was willing to commit murder to ensure the police found it, what did they stand to gain?

When these three questions merged, a complete theory began to form.

Xiao Yu’s expression became peculiar.

‘Is it you… Gu Xuan’s father? Were you seeking revenge for your wife?’

Was Gu Xuan’s infiltration of Jia Yanli and Che Feiting’s home part of a plan you and your daughter devised?

First, you killed Jia Yanli, then used her death to frame Che Feiting? You wanted them to die in the most tragic and confusing way possible, didn’t you? 

But something went wrong. The body was stolen. Then you went looking for it, found Jia Zhen, and killed him? 

But you didn’t know that Gu Xuan had already been taken into custody by the police. I already uncovered her poisoning plot. You probably don’t even know that your daughter is currently under police custody, do you? 

Was it worth it? Was it worth sacrificing your own daughter, forcing her to become the lover of your enemy, just for revenge?

To the point of killing, just to see your plan through?

Why go to such lengths?

Xiao Yu sneered as he walked out of the cold storage, preparing to make the arrest.