Chapter 215: No Being Naughty

It was 7 p.m.

At Bencheng City Airport’s arrival gate, Xiao Yu stood amidst the bustling crowd, his gaze scanning the people exiting. Until his eyes locked onto a man.

In his thirties, with a rosy complexion, thick eyebrows, and a square face. He wore a black T-shirt and jeans, stood about 180 cm tall, and was carrying a suitcase.

“Hello.” As the man walked out of the gate, Xiao Yu stepped in front of him. “Deng Hua?”

“Hmm?” The man seemed confused and nodded, “Who are you?”

“Police,” Xiao Yu flashed his badge.

“…”

Deng Hua’s sharp eyes flickered, and his expression became even more puzzled.

“There’s a case that requires your cooperation for investigation,” Xiao Yu said politely, noting the man’s reaction.

People’s instinctive reactions, especially when they were caught off guard, usually reflected their true feelings. Most likely, Deng Hua had nothing to do with this case.

Xiao Yu wasn’t the type to throw his authority around when dealing with regular people.

In the police car parked outside the airport, as they began driving, Xiao Yu smiled and asked, “You own a villa at XX District, XX Street in the city, correct?”

“Yes,” Deng Hua nodded, then shook his head. “Well, I sold it about ten years ago.”

“Sold it?” 

Xiao Yu’s previously calm breathing halted for a moment.

“Yeah, it must have been nine or ten years ago,” Deng Hua recalled. “A realtor approached me back then, asking if I was interested in selling the villa. The offer was good, so I decided to sell.”

“The process?” 

Xiao Yu squinted, staring directly at Deng Hua’s face.

“The realtor handled everything.”

For something as significant as selling a house, Deng Hua clearly remembered the details. “It was a straightforward deal. Money on one side, a contract on the other. I handed over the property documents to the realtor, and they said they’d handle the paperwork later. I got the money, so I didn’t think much of it. Eventually, the realtor contacted me, said the sale was complete, and I handed over the keys.”

Internally surprised, Xiao Yu kept his composure and asked, “After that, did you ever check your property records to confirm?”

“Why would I?” Deng Hua looked puzzled. “I hardly ever live in the country, and I’d been wanting to sell that house for ages. Is there something wrong with the property under my name?”

Something wrong?

Xiao Yu’s gaze on Deng Hua became more and more strange.

If Deng Hua wasn’t lying, something bizarre had happened. The ownership of the villa had never been transferred. The property was still in Deng Hua’s name.

So, this raised another question.

The property had been sold through a real estate agent, and Deng Hua had even received the payment. But who would be crazy enough to buy a house and never transfer the title, leaving the property under the original owner’s name?

Well, apparently, someone had just done that.

If we rule out the possibility that Deng Hua is involved in the case, then there are only two possibilities left.

First, the real estate agent might be shady. 

Second, the buyer could have something suspicious going on.

Ten years ago, housing prices were on the rise, and Deng Hua’s villa was worth more than five million yuan. Who would spend five million on a house and not transfer the ownership?

It was not that Xiao Yu was overthinking, but what would someone gain by spending five million on a villa and leaving the title unchanged for ten years?

“One last question,” Xiao Yu stared at Deng Hua, speaking each word carefully, “Did you install any surveillance cameras in the villa?”

“Surveillance cameras?” Deng Hua blinked in confusion and shook his head. “Never installed any.”

Not just him—most people wouldn’t put that many cameras in their own house.

“Thanks for your cooperation,” Xiao Yu smiled, nodding as he dropped Deng Hua off at a nearby Holiday Inn.

But once he was back in the car, his expression shifted. His face turned cold, and he looked on the verge of losing control.

The property transaction happened ten years ago. Since Deng Hua hadn’t completed the transfer, it was likely they wouldn’t be able to trace any useful information.

Xiao Yu could roughly piece it together. That real estate agent was probably a fraud.

And the buyer? 

They had clearly made some modifications to the villa’s interior—adding surveillance cameras, installing those strange pipes—it was all for something.

Xiao Yu muttered to himself, “Could it be that the person bought the villa just to commit murder? Why kill Wang Mei? Why frame Yu Shaoyang? And why take the body?”

After all, dealing with a body was no easy task. Swapping it with a dog’s corpse? That meant they had to get rid of the real body, right?

“I can’t figure it out.” Xiao Yu’s expression darkened as the puzzle became more complicated.

The case was slowly becoming clear. Yu Shaoyang was just an unfortunate pawn, no longer a suspect for now. The real killer was still out there.

The case wasn’t just complicated. It was turning into a tangled mess.

Were the clues leading nowhere?

Xiao Yu turned to look at Guo Qiang, who was sitting in the driver’s seat. 

“Investigate how the villa ended up in Wang Mei’s hands seven years ago.”

“Got it!” Guo Qiang nodded. “Chief, it’s late. You should head home and rest.”

Xiao Yu’s wife being pregnant had already spread throughout the police department. Right now, it was clear that he needed to spend quality time with her.

“Yeah,” he agreed, appreciating his subordinate’s understanding, and without hesitation, he headed home.

***

When he walked through the front door, he was greeted by the sight of Mu Qingwu, dressed in a loose and modest set of pajamas, sitting in the living room watching TV.

Cartoons?

Xiao Yu stood there, confused for a moment. The powerful CEO was watching cartoons?

And not just any cartoons, but those overly childish ones—like Piggy’s Apartment.

“You’re back?” Mu Qingwu stood up excitedly. Even her movements had slowed down, as she made her way over to him.

“Are you sick, sis?” Xiao Yu looked puzzled and reached out to feel her forehead. “Something’s definitely off with this whole vibe.”

“What vibe could I possibly have?” Mu Qingwu smiled gently, wrapping her arms around his waist. “Mother-in-law and my mother said I should walk slower from now on, take it easy. They also said I should speak softly, so the baby picks up on good habits. Oh, and they told me to watch more cartoons—apparently, the baby will love it.”

Xiao Yu, “…”

Did mom and mother-in-law have a talk with her? Was she complaining to me right now?

“You have to listen to the elders,” Mu Qingwu blinked at him. “Do you think it’s my fault?”

“Hah!” Xiao Yu hugged her close. “Of course, it’s not your fault, sis.”

“So, it’s mom and mother-in-law’s fault, then?” Mu Qingwu’s lips curved into a playful smile.

“Uh!” Xiao Yu quickly shook his head. “It’s definitely not their fault either.”

“Is that so?” Mu Qingwu chuckled. “Well, if it’s not our fault, then it must be your fault, little brother!”

‘Wait… what?’ Xiao Yu felt frustrated. ‘How did this suddenly become my fault?’

Slowly, he knelt down on one knee and pressed his ear to her stomach.

“Silly!” Mu Qingwu gently stroked his hair. “It’s only been a month, you won’t be able to hear anything yet.”

“I don’t care, I still want to listen,” Xiao Yu grinned. After all, his child was in there.

“With the baby around,” Mu Qingwu playfully pinched his cheek, “you’re not allowed to be naughty.”

“Not allowed to be naughty?” Xiao Yu stood up and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Well, how about just a little kiss?”

And with that, the couple’s lips met in a tender kiss.