Chapter 319: Put Away That Act

Xiao Yu’s expression remained calm as he listened to Niu Xin recount her story. It wasn’t just a story. It was her report of another female inmate’s alleged crime.

He listened carefully, analyzing every detail as she spoke.

By the time Niu Xin finished, the account closely matched the statement recorded in the case file, with no discrepancies.

Through microexpression analysis, Xiao Yu determined that Niu Xin wasn’t lying. This wasn’t a fabricated tale.

“She told you this herself?” Xiao Yu’s eyes fixed on Niu Xin.

“Yes.” Niu Xin nodded. “She said… she wants to die.”

Die?

Xiao Yu sneered inwardly.

It probably wasn’t as simple as just wanting to die. If his guess was right, that female inmate’s true goal was likely to use the police to achieve something else.

***

The sound of chains scraping against the floor pulled Xiao Yu out of his thoughts. He looked up to see another female inmate being escorted into the interrogation room.

Beneath her short black hair was a delicate face. She was tall—around 170 cm—slender, and young. But her face was ice-cold, and so were her eyes. She exuded an aura that felt as frigid as a block of ice.

The moment she entered the interrogation room with her head lowered, a chilling sensation filled the air.

When she sat down in the interrogation chair and finally lifted her head, Xiao Yu saw something in her eyes. A lifeless emptiness.

Feng Xiuyun, female, 27, hometown: Bincheng City, convicted of intentional homicide three years ago and sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Intentional homicide, and only 15 years?

What kind of absurd case was this?

It turned out that Feng Xiuyun’s victim wasn’t just anyone—it was her own elder sister, a comatose patient. Her sister had been a victim herself, involved in an unsolved cold case from five years ago, still open in the city’s records.

The case involved three victims in total, all of whom had been subjected to rape, abuse, and permanent injury.

Two of the victims were relatively fortunate.

Feng Xiuyun’s elder sister, however, became a vegetative patient.

Three years ago, Feng Xiuyun ended her sister’s life with her own hands and turned herself in.

She personally confessed to every detail of the crime and openly admitted her guilt for killing her sister.

Before coming to the detention center, Xiao Yu had already asked the Criminal Investigation Brigade to investigate the case. In doing so, he discovered something peculiar.

In the country, if a terminally ill patient is in a critical condition, their life could be ended humanely—painlessly—with approval from the patient, their family, and a doctor.

This process was legal.

In other words, if a patient had become a vegetative state if their family could not afford the exorbitant costs of medical care, nutrition, and other expenses, or if they simply no longer wish to continue treatment, euthanasia is an option.

This left Xiao Yu puzzled.

If Feng Xiuyun wanted her sister to die, all she had to do was apply for euthanasia. There was no need to resort to murder.

So why did she personally kill her own sister?

And why did she repeatedly ask the judge to sentence her to death?

The judge, however, had to take many factors into account.

Since the deceased was already a vegetative patient, Feng Xiuyun was sentenced to only 15 years in prison.

Xiao Yu didn’t even need to guess. He was sure the judge must have been baffled at the time.

It was just like his own thoughts now: Why would you choose to commit murder yourself? If you wanted your sister to die, wouldn’t euthanasia have sufficed?

It made no sense, like this situation right now: A normal person, mentally sound and intelligent—if they committed a crime, would they then tell others about it?

Not only did Feng Xiuyun tell others, she actually did it herself.

Did that make any sense?

Xiao Yu stared intently at Feng Xiuyun.

Feng Xiuyun stared back at him, just as calm.

The two silently observed each other, neither speaking as time slowly ticked by.

The female guard standing to the side looked bewildered, glancing at one, then the other. Guo Qiang, sitting next to Xiao Yu like a human prop, was equally confused.

‘What’s going on here?’

Three minutes passed.

“What is your goal?” Xiao Yu asked coldly.

“Heh!” Feng Xiuyun sneered. “Finally, a smart one among the useless cops.”

‘Wow, a veteran complainer, starting right off with a blanket insult.’

Xiao Yu’s expression darkened. “Do you think this is funny?”

“Isn’t it?” Feng Xiuyun smirked coldly, her tone laced with disdain.

“You think you’re smart?” Xiao Yu asked evenly.

“My sister’s case has gone unsolved for five years.” Feng Xiuyun glared at him challengingly. Her voice was sharp and biting. “Are you all really useful?”

Xiao Yu fell silent.

There was no way to refute her words.

As a police officer, it didn’t matter if he hadn’t been a cop at the time. It didn’t matter if the world had countless cold cases still waiting to be solved—excuses like those were meaningless. In this line of work, every officer shared the collective honor and disgrace of the profession.

Though Feng Xiuyun was a criminal, she was also, strictly speaking, a family member of a victim.

The fact that the police had failed to solve her sister’s case after five years was undeniable.

And if one had chosen this job, what right one have to complain about her mockery?

“So, since you hold us police in such contempt, and think we’re so useless, you surely don’t need us to do anything for you, do you?” Xiao Yu stood up, his cold gaze fixed on Feng Xiuyun. “You’ll be sent back to prison. If nothing unexpected happens, you’ll serve another twelve years before you’re released.”

When Xiao Yu finished speaking, Feng Xiuyun’s expression abruptly changed.

The mockery and disdain on her face vanished instantly. Even the cold indifference and composure in her eyes disappeared, replaced by anger and a hint of panic.

She blurted out, “Wait!”

“Wait for what?” Xiao Yu sneered. “Not so arrogant anymore?”

This time, it was Feng Xiuyun’s turn to fall silent.

“I’ll give you one last chance.” Xiao Yu spoke slowly, emphasizing each word. “Drop the act. Say everything you want to tell us, clearly and completely. If it’s reasonable, relevant to the case, the police might consider taking action. But if you keep this up, sorry, but I don’t have time to play games with you.”

Feng Xiuyun stared coldly at Xiao Yu. 

After a long pause, she finally said, “The person who hurt my sister back then… has appeared. I need to find him.”

“Hmm?” Xiao Yu’s expression shifted. “How do you know that?”

“Don’t ask me how I know.” Feng Xiuyun’s tone remained icy. “If you want to catch him, let me out of here—”

Before she could finish, Xiao Yu waved toward the female guard standing nearby. “Take her back.”

“You—!”

Feng Xiuyun was furious.

“Remember what I just said?” Xiao Yu’s voice was ice-cold as he stared directly into Feng Xiuyun’s eyes. “Drop the act. You are in no position to negotiate with me. Got it?”

Feng Xiuyun’s expression shifted repeatedly. Finally, she lowered her head.

“I understand.”