6. Eccentric woman

  Perhaps her existence really proved the saying, "Beauty is beauty, but without a soul." When she spoke, her slightly hoarse voice and the air of superiority that came from being wealthy made all my previous good impressions of her drop several notches. She was very surprised by my visit, and after I explained my purpose, she hesitated for a moment before letting me into the courtyard.

  "Are you a friend of Yinyue's? I've heard her mention you before. You and she aren't the same kind of person, are you? Alright, go ahead and ask whatever you want." Ye Qing didn't wait for me to open my mouth, her words just kept flowing nonstop as she continued: "Sigh... actually, ever since that thing happened, my days have been tough. Originally I wouldn't be afraid to say it out loud... our family's old Li has a mistress, and several years ago he didn't even try to hide it from me anymore, only considering the child's face. But who would have thought that it could actually lead to a murder case? It's just our bad luck. I'm already pitiful enough, a woman stuck at home every day, unable to go out and work, unable to earn money to support myself, so I can only be a bird in a cage, dressing up beautifully every day just so he won't get tired of me and abandon us mother and daughter..."

  She's a lonely woman, probably hasn't found someone to talk to in a long time, so even though I'm a stranger, she won't stop talking. Taking advantage of her chatter, I carefully examined the villa located in the suburbs: I heard it was bought by Li Cheng several years ago, a standalone European-style building with a large independent garden in front. I noticed a man wearing a sun hat trimming flowers in the garden. When I walked into the yard, he seemed to glance at me, and when I responded to his presence, he was intently working.

  It seems that Ye Qing's days are quite leisurely, and Li Cheng hasn't treated her unfairly. After I entered the spacious living room, Ye Qing suddenly stared at me with an inexplicable gaze. Before I could speak, her voice was gentle but with a hint of disdain: "You shouldn't be meddling in this matter. Didn't we say that Shao Yin got involved in that case, and now there's no evidence? You're also someone who works, what if you get dragged down? Do you think it's worth it? In this day and age, finding a stable job isn't easy. I'm saying these words not because I look down on people like you who earn a salary, but because I feel that you and Shao Yin are different, so I'm speaking from the heart. Harsh words may be hard to hear, think carefully, why bother meddling in such trivial matters?"

  Is this what they mean by a sudden change of heart? It took me a while to come back to my senses, with my longer reflex arc. Is this a trivial matter? A case that involves human life and death is merely a trivial matter in her mouth?

  Before I could say anything, a smile appeared on her face again: "I knew you were smart, and I hope you won't get involved in these completely unnecessary disputes. Think about it, who doesn't want to live a peaceful life? Moreover, who died? It was just some unknown woman. The farther away we stay from this, the better. Girls should always be self-loving, if she hadn't gotten entangled with Li Cheng, she wouldn't have died such a miserable death. And it's also our family's bad luck... how..."

  "Shouldn't you blame your husband the most?" I said coldly, no wonder Shao Yin didn't like Ye Qing, such a woman with a changeable temperament and who is very self-righteous, anyone would not like her.

  "What's wrong with him? Are you blaming him for being rich? Are you jealous of our family's wealth? Tsk, tsk, tsk, no wonder you're in the same league as Shao Yin. I thought you were someone special. You won't be... trying to climb up our family's social ladder by taking advantage of this case, will you? Have women nowadays become so shameless that they take pride in stealing other people's husbands? Looking at how decent you appear..." Ye Qing let out a cold snort, her emotions somewhat out of control.

  "I came here just to clarify the truth, nothing more. Don't forget, we're currently investigating a murder case, and before it's cleared up, you and your husband are both important suspects, so you'd better control your emotions!" I said coldly. It seems this woman isn't as pitiful as I imagined, but her mood is somewhat unstable, making me feel like she's a bit neurotic.

  "What did you say? You mean I'm also a suspect?" Ye Qing's face twisted, her mouth twitching as she sneered: "You... are indeed the same kind of person as that little tramp Shao Yin. Do you think these few words can trap me? I advise you to save your energy. Don't think I'm easily intimidated. Isn't it just about wanting money? Honestly, this trick won't work on me. That little tramp Shao Yin, how much money did she take from my husband? Does she think I really don't know? She's still thinking of getting rid of me so she can marry into the Li family? Give up that idea! Hmph, being lowly is just being lowly, I'll just treat her like a mistress my husband kept. If she knows what's good for her, she shouldn't come out and provoke me again..."

  I really wanted to pinch her chin, but who made me investigate the case? Pinched my fingers and took a deep breath, and said reluctantly: "Oh? Is that so? What you said is indeed reasonable. But flies don't bite uncracked eggs, shouldn't you also take good care of your cheap husband? And I want to remind you that now it's not just Shao Yin, you and your husband are both suspects. If I changed into a police uniform and came to ask you questions, do you think I would still be so polite?"

  Ye Qing's mouth twitched a few more times, and soon she showed her usual eight-sidedness. A stiff face actually had a hint of a smile, and she said repeatedly: "Ah, look at me, I'm so confused. Who let me get into such a situation? As long as you mention Shao Yin, I'll be confused. Okay, okay, please come in quickly, sit down quickly. What did you ask just now? Let's start again?"

  Her transformation left me stunned for a moment. Before I could speak, she let out another sigh: "There's this one song, don't know if you've heard it. It's called 'Why Do Women Make Life Difficult for Other Women.' In the past, women always had to consider their reputation when doing things. But now, women can give up anything for money? Don't blame me for being rude, who made me end up with a man like this? I don't need you to tell me, I know my husband is a philanderer, that's why so many women are willing to get involved with him. You must have seen my husband Li Cheng. Look at the way he is, if he didn't have money, who would want to look at him twice? This lifetime... it's just like this, no matter what, I'm his wife, and he has to support me and our child. But how can I swallow this?"