Silver Snow Line [Criminal Investigation]

Hu Yanping's nail salon has two floors, and the shop is connected to the residential building. She usually lives on the second floor.
There were not many people on the street in the morning, and the shops did not open until after ten o'clock every day. When Xie Qingfei and Xi Ming arrived at the West City Commercial Street, the roller shutter door outside Hu Yanping's shop had not yet opened.

In a McDonald's across the street, Xi Ming was smearing his McFlurry on hash browns out of boredom, and from time to time he would observe Xie Qingfei's expression through the camera on the glass door.
Although he didn't get scolded last night, the experience of plucking hair from a tiger's head for the first time still left him with lingering fears. Especially at this moment when it was just him and Xie Qingfei, he had to talk as little as possible.

Finally, he finished his hash brown sandwich and was about to put it into his mouth when Xie Qingfei's eyes swept over him.

"Master, Master, you want to eat too?" Xi Ming presented it with both hands as if offering a tribute.

"Hu Yanping is downstairs." Xie Qingfei said, then hesitantly glanced at the food in his hand, "Can this be delicious?"
Xi Ming observed her expression and asked cautiously, "You weren't angry yesterday, were you?"
Knowing what he was worried about, Xie Qingfei recalled the scene last night when he and Wei Cheng went to the fire station hand in hand to ask someone to help cut the handcuffs.
Then he said calmly: "There's nothing to be angry about."

There's nothing to be angry about - does that mean that you are not resisting contact with Wei Cheng, or that you have already felt that you will no longer be touched by him under any circumstances?
Xi Ming fell into deep thought.

"I don't know why you broke up in the first place, but I just think it's a pity. I still hope you can continue to be together. There is no absolute answer to emotional matters. If there are any problems, we can solve them together. My brother is not so bad that he doesn't even have a chance to correct himself."

Xie Qingfei said with a smile: "Is there anyone who insults his own brother like you?"
"It's not that your brother is bad, it's just that I'm not suitable for him - maybe my problem is bigger." She said, reaching out to remove the cat hair stuck on Xi Ming's collar, and asked, "Are you really going to keep Deng Deng?"

Xi Ming was sad when talking about this, even though Wei Cheng had already paid Hu Yanping to buy Deng Deng privately: "I would like to, but I always feel that it is no different from being a left-behind child if it follows me. I am not so selfish as to have the heart to let it wait at home day and night just to pet the cat occasionally when I go home. I know I can't take care of it."
Xie Qingfei thought that she and Wei Cheng were also incompatible.
Even if Wei Cheng had no complaints, she would still feel sorry for him as much as Xi Ming felt for Deng Deng.

Xi Ming said: "Master, you should consider adopting Deng Deng. After all, you are not busy with work now, and it can keep you company."
Xie Qingfei remained firm and unwavering: "No."
"Why? You obviously like it."
Xie Qingfei: "Because cats have a short lifespan."
After she finished speaking, she found Xi Ming looking at her in surprise.

"how?"

"My brother said the same thing!" Xi Ming was so excited that he was like a fanatic CP fan who dug out candy from broken glass. He hugged her arm and said, "Last time I asked him to keep Deng Deng, but he said the cat would die and he didn't want to keep it. You two are really in tune with each other! If this isn't true love, then what is it!"
After a brief moment of shock, Xie Qingfei pulled his arm back and warned, "Don't eat anything."

She changed the subject: "How is the situation with Shaohui?"
Hearing her question, Xi Ming had to put aside his passion for the time being, adjusted his thoughts, and said: "The Maoshan Bar has long been noticed by the Municipal Bureau's Anti-Drug Brigade, but they have never caught the perpetrators red-handed, so there is nothing they can do about it except rectifying it. However, this time we have launched an investigation along Xu Siwei's clues, and have confirmed the identities of several sellers who have traded with him. I guess there will be progress soon."
"Who's in charge over there?"
"Captain Pu."
"Oh, that should be soon." Xie Qingfei drank the last few sips of coffee in the cup, "Let's go."
Xi Ming ate his potato pancakes in a few bites and quickly followed.

Hu Yanping was wiping the dust off the manicure table when she heard the sound of wind chimes. She thought it was the customer who had an appointment arriving. She quickly used a shark clip to tie up her loose hair and turned around with a smile on her face.

"You guys again." Seeing who was coming, her good expression immediately faded, and she sat down on the chair in a casual manner, "If you have anything to say, ask quickly, I have guests later."
Xi Ming said: "Do you know everything about Tan Wei?"
"Know what? He kidnapped Xu Maokun's wife and posted the video online? Everyone in the country knows about it." Hu Yanping said indifferently, "I declare in advance that I have no knowledge of all this. He never mentioned Xu Maokun to me."

She looked much more haggard today than the last time they met. She applied a thick layer of foundation, but it still couldn't completely cover the dark circles under her eyes. There were even two strands of white hair mixed in her untied hair. After she finished speaking, she began to organize the nail polish bottles in the cart. Xie Qingfei's eyes swept along the side of her face and caught a trace of fine lines at the end of her eyes.

"Did he say he wanted to marry you?" she asked.

"What?" Hu Yanping was obviously stunned.

"You two have been together for quite a while. It's impossible to say that you have no feelings for each other. Although Tan Weiren is a bit of a nobody, he should be good to you. Otherwise, why would he buy you a house and help you open a store? How many men in this world are willing to spend real money to please a woman? You should know that he is sincere to you."

"...So what? He just wanted to find a bed partner because I'm beautiful." Hu Yanping tightened her jaw muscles and said in an unnatural tone, "I deserve all this. What's the point of talking about feelings? I've already made it very clear what I can tell you. If I don't know, it's useless even if you arrest me."
Xi Ming explained: "We don't want to arrest you, we just want to ask--"
"Everyone comes to ask me! What are you asking? No one can tell me what happened to him, so what can I say?" Hu Yanping broke down and cried, "You said you wanted to marry me? It was all a lie. You didn't even inform me before such a big thing happened. Do you know who you are messing with? If I had known earlier, he..."

Xi Ming: "Tan Wei is dead."

Hu Yanping suddenly raised her head, and after a brief moment of surprise, tears filled her eyes uncontrollably.
"How is it possible, he..."

Her voice broke as she spoke, she covered her mouth and looked at Xie Qingfei for help, hoping that she would change her words and say that it was just a lie. However, Xie Qingfei's expression had already confirmed everything to her.

Hu Yanping shed tears silently.

Xi Ming couldn't help but say, "We have already identified the suspect, but we still lack relevant evidence. If Tan Wei has ever told you anything or given you anything, it may be helpful to our investigation."
"But I really don't know anything. I, I..." Hu Yanping remembered something and took out the tablet and handed it to him. "In addition to the money, he gave me this. The password is six eights."

While Xi Ming was checking, Hu Yanping sobbed and asked Xie Qingfei: "How did he die?"
Xie Qingfei said: "If you want, you can go see him."
After another moment of silence, Hu Yanping asked, "Did he really say that he wanted to marry me?"
Xie Qingfei handed her a tissue and said softly, "I think he really wanted to settle down with you at that time."
Hu Yanping wiped her tears. Her eyeliner was smudged and stuck to her eyes along with the mascara. She smiled a smile that was uglier than crying and nodded repeatedly: "I do. I want to go see him."

"found it."

Xi Ming handed the tablet to Xie Qingfei. There was indeed a video in the recently deleted files. After restoring it and checking the details, it was recorded right after Xu Siwei was redeemed by Fan Qiuye for 2 million. Back to the police station.

Xie Qingfei clicked on the video. The camera was shaking the whole time and was not aimed at anyone or anything. It was obviously a candid shot.
After a while, Tan Wei's voice sounded: "Who are you? What do you want from me?"
"I have a business deal I want to discuss with you," Fan Qiuye's voice was deliberately lowered, but everyone could still hear it, "Don't you have a girlfriend? If you can get things done for me, in addition to the money, I will also send you two to live a good life somewhere else."
Tan Wei sneered at first, then perhaps seeing the other person's face, he asked in surprise: "Why is it you? You are not..."

Fan Qiuye asked him to kill Xu Siruo and pin the blame on Xu Siwei. This was easy to do given that Xu Siwei was a drug addict. He didn't even have to show up to make Xu Siwei think he had killed someone. Moreover, he was Xu Siwei's "uncle". Even if Xu Siwei suspected him afterwards, he would probably not give him up in order to avoid exposing his illegitimate identity.
Fortunes are sought in danger. He already hated the Xu family. He had lived a miserable life for half his life because of Xu Maokun. How guilty could he be for killing his son? Moreover, Fan Qiuye had given him too much.

After considering all this, Tan Wei did not use the two million in the card. He transferred all his savings of thirty thousand, which might be clean, to Hu Yanping. He had to complete the task entrusted by Fan Qiuye first and could not go with her. He also secretly hid the evidence of his transaction with Fan Qiuye in the tablet computer given to Hu Yanping.

The recently deleted files will be kept for a maximum of 31 days. This was the way out that Tan Wei left for himself, but he was confident that he could come back after finishing his work. He didn't expect that he would die at the hands of Fan Qiuye in the end.

Until the end of the video, Xi Ming said: "Because An Qi's accidental death disrupted the original plan, Tan Weicai and Xu Siwei re-faked the scene to frame Xu Siruo. Even this might have been instructed by Fan Qiuye. The car that took him away on the night of the incident was sent by Fan Qiuye? She hates the Xu family too much, what kind of hatred and grudge do they have?"

At this time, Zhao Chongyun passed by holding the cello he brought back from Xu Siwei's home. Xie Qingfei called him and took the cello.

Xi Ming finished his brainstorming and asked curiously, "Master, when you said you can play the cello, is that true or is it just a flute?"
Xie Qingfei raised his eyebrows: "How about I play a song for you?"
After she said this, the colleagues who were originally busy with their own work came over and indicated that they also wanted to listen to Captain Xie play the music.
Zhao Chongyun looked at him with admiration: "Master, you really can do it, when did you learn it?"
"When I was in high school." Xie Qingfei said casually.

She sat down and tuned the instrument first. She had no tools at hand and could not guarantee the accuracy of the pitch. She had not touched the piano for many years, and she was learning it on a whim. She recalled the fingering method, and a stream of music poured out from her fingers.

Xi Ming patted Zhao Chongyun on the shoulder and said, "Look, this is elegant art."
Zhao Chongyun brushed his hand away with disgust.
Xi Ming curled up his fingers awkwardly, a little unhappy: "Why are you so fierce? How did I offend you?"
Zhao Chongyun made an impatient "hush" sound, signaling him to listen to the piano and stop the noise.

Xie Qingfei was playing Bach's BWV1007. He tried to find the rhythm several times before getting into the piece, but he stopped halfway through the piece.
Xi Ming was listening attentively: "What's wrong?"
"The tone is wrong."
Xie Qingfei lifted up the guitar and shook it, then found a blade from the drawer and took a long time to remove the back panel of the guitar.
At the same time, an envelope fell out.

……

The winter sun seems to be warmer than in other seasons, and noon is a good time to bask in the sun.

The private nursing home has a quiet environment. Fan Qiuye sat on the swing in the garden behind the ward and asked the nurse to bring her another blanket.
Xie Qingfei asked politely: "How is your health?"
"It's nothing serious." Fan Qiuye responded politely.
Although she was in her forties, she looked like she was in her early thirties. The slight shock she had suffered was long gone. Her complexion was rosy, and her whole body was light, swaying slightly with the swing.

Xie Qingfei was not surprised by her attitude, and she also sat down on the bench beside her. If she didn't know her motives before, and simply thought that she was going to this point to fight for property, Xie Qingfei probably wouldn't have so much patience to sit down and have a good chat with her.

Xie Qingfei asked: "Are things at home easy to handle?"
Fan Qiuye said: "I don't interfere in business matters and I don't understand them."
Xie Qingfei asked: "Your husband's reputation has been ruined like this, don't you care at all?"
"What can I do even if I care? Can I stop you from talking?" Fan Qiuye sighed softly, "Who knows where this lunatic Tan Wei came from and why he caused so much trouble."
Xie Qingfei's tone, which was originally casual, became businesslike: "Then tell me, how did he cause trouble?"
Fan Qiuye's face was already very ugly. He looked at Xie Qingfei with dissatisfaction when asked this question as if he was being interrogated as a suspect. "Officer, I was acting in self-defense for Tan Wei's death. If you have any questions, please consult my lawyer. I didn't know Tan Wei at all before this. How can I know these circumstances?"

Xie Qingfei smiled and held his chin with his hand: "How did Tan Wei break into your house and kidnap you? You must know, right?"
Fan Qiuye's face turned pale, as if he was irritated by her sometimes friendly and sometimes fierce attitude.
"I don't know what method he used. Since he had been in collusion with Siwei for a long time, he might have learned about the family situation from Siwei. He is a lunatic. He wants to take revenge on Xu Maokun but he doesn't have the ability, so he can only start from his family. I was also implicated." Fan Qiuye said sullenly.
"Strange, how do you know he's in league with Xu Siwei?"
"…I heard him say that when he kidnapped me."
Xie Qingfei nodded in understanding: "Whatever you say is what it is. Do you think that since there is no evidence, the case will be closed if we just put the blame on Tan Wei?"
Fan Qiuye felt it was ridiculous: "What do you mean? Are you doubting me? Tan Wei did die because of my self-defense measures, I admit that, and I am willing to compensate his family, but can you make it clear that I am the victim? I was kidnapped by a strange man for no reason, and this man first caused my stepson to go to jail, and then ruined my husband's reputation. What did I do wrong to be accused by you like this?"

Xie Qingfei said calmly: "Tan Wei is just a street thug. Even if he can break through your security and take you away, how can he hack into Xu's official account? I haven't heard that he is a hidden computer expert."
"This is something that you police officers should investigate. What does it have to do with me?" Fan Qiuye said stiffly, "I'm very tired. Please ask my nurse to come and take me back."

Xie Qingfei stood up and stood next to the swing. Fan Qiuye touched the ground with her toes to stop the slightly shaking swing and looked at her warily.

Xie Qingfei pointed at her clean hands holding the rope of the swing and asked, "Don't you like the manicure you did last time? Why did you remove it?"
Without waiting for her to answer, she continued, "She probably doesn't like it. Hu Yanping's craftsmanship is average, and she can't make very delicate styles. Rich ladies like you should have special technicians to do your nails, and they will definitely not look down on the craftsmanship of small shops. These hands are quite beautiful, and having a manicure would be superfluous, and it would be even more inconvenient to play the violin."

Fan Qiuye touched the nail surface with his fingertips, looked at her deeply, and smiled with his lips pulled.

She frowned and said in a cold tone, "When did you start to doubt me?"

"When Zhu Yichun was in college, her family arranged for her to marry Xu Maokun. At the time, she strongly resisted the marriage on the grounds that she already had a lover. After investigations by both the Xu and Zhu families, they did not find that she had any contact with any man."

Xie Qingfei took out some old photos: "These are the photos left over from the investigation at that time. Coincidentally, although every scene proves that she has no contact with the opposite sex, there is a girl who is always by her side."

Fan Qiuye stared at Zhu Yichun's figure in the old photo, her lips bitten until they turned white.
A yellowed old letter fell on her knees.
Xie Qingfei spoke in a low voice, and read slowly: "'Qiu Ye, I feel like I've met you in person. Are you still blaming me? I failed you back then, and I know I am not qualified to ask for your forgiveness...'"

(End of this chapter)