Clues

"Did Xu Jing say anything to you before she disappeared? Like who she was going to see or where she was going?"

The officer's question made the woman furrow her brow slightly, as if deep in thought.

Seeing her reaction, the officers immediately realized that she was probably trying to recall the events of the past, but the passage of time had made it difficult for her to remember.

They quickly reassured her, "Don't be nervous, take your time. Just tell us if you remember anything."

"Okay... okay," she replied, her eyes darting around.

After about half a minute, she shook her head, "I can't remember."

"Not even a little?"

"No, I'm sorry. It's been too long, I really can't remember anything."

Hearing this, Li Yunfei couldn't help but click his tongue in disappointment. He had hoped Xu Jing's best friend could provide some useful information, but instead, she couldn't remember anything due to the time that had passed.

"Alright then, but if you think of anything else, be sure to contact us immediately," Li Yunfei reminded her before they left.

With only three days left to solve the case as mandated by their superiors, they had to make every second count. Since Xu Jing's best friend couldn't remember anything, they couldn't waste any more time with her and had to find other leads.

"Okay, I'll contact you if I remember anything."

"Mhm," Li Yunfei then turned to the other officers, "Let's go, we need to ask around some more."

As Xu Mo walked away with the officers, he suddenly turned back and stared at the woman, asking, "Did Xu Jing's disappearance have anything to do with you?"

At this, the officers who were about to leave immediately turned their heads, looking at Xu Mo and then at the woman.

The woman's expression was visibly unnatural as she quickly shook her head, "No, no! How could her disappearance have anything to do with me?"

Xu Mo had already suspected something was off about the woman, and after asking, he was even more convinced of his suspicions.

This woman was definitely hiding something! Her nervousness immediately raised the officers' suspicions. Xu Jing's disappearance must have had something to do with her, and some officers even speculated that her death might be connected to the woman as well.

With so many officers staring at her with such suspicion, the woman became even more flustered.

The incident from back then had little to do with her!

Glancing around, the woman bit her lip, as if making a firm decision.

"Xu Jing's disappearance really has nothing to do with me, but I do know something about it that others don't. Why don't you all come inside, we can talk more comfortably."

The officers exchanged glances and eventually nodded, following the woman into her house.

"Please sit, I'll boil some water and make tea for you."

"No need, just tell us directly."

Compared to tea, the officers were more eager to find out what the woman knew that no one else did.

Under the officers' watchful eyes, the woman began to speak slowly.

"In fact... I still remember the situation clearly. I just didn't dare to say it out loud. Xu Jing was my best friend, how could I not remember such a big incident?"

"Ten years ago, after Xu Jing and I dropped out of high school, we started working at a restaurant to make money. It was summer vacation then. She met a college student while working at the restaurant. That student was also from Green Vine City, but he was studying at a university in the neighboring city. I remember he was attending Police University."

"After the college student went back to school, they often chatted on their phones, and gradually developed feelings. Eventually, Xu Jing decided to go to the neighboring city to find him, rent a place, and work while accompanying him through college. She only told me about this, and didn't dare to tell her parents, fearing they would scold her."

"Oh, and it was the college student who suggested she come to the neighboring city."

"At the time, she even asked me if she should go. I was envious of her, I wanted a love like that too, so I encouraged her. Who knew that she never came back after going, and we lost contact. It was then that I realized something might have happened to her."

"Later, her parents, unable to contact her for a long time, reported her missing. They thought she had just run away from home... At that time, only I knew the truth, but I didn't dare to say anything. I was afraid her parents would blame me, and even more afraid of taking responsibility, so I just kept it to myself."

The woman's words matched the officers' previous speculations.

The situation was indeed as they had guessed: the murderer of Xu Jing was indeed her boyfriend, and this murderer was a student at Police University.

The officers could understand why the woman had been too scared to tell them or Xu Jing's family about the truth of her disappearance at the time.

It was normal to be afraid and not speak up in that situation, as Xu Jing's parents would certainly have blamed her, perhaps even held a grudge against her.

"Xu Jing's boyfriend was also from Green Vine City... Did you ever meet him?" Xu Mo asked.

"Yes, Xu Jing, her boyfriend, and I once had dinner together."

"What did he look like?"

The woman shook her head, "I can't remember, it's been too long."

"Do you know his name?"

After thinking for a moment, the woman slowly shook her head again, "No, I only remember his name had three characters, and one of them was 'Bing'."

"Bing? Like 'soldier's Bing'?"

"Yes, Xu Jing always called him 'our little Bing brother' in front of me."

"What year was he in college at the time?"

"I don't know, I only know he was studying at Police University in the neighboring city, and was a college student."

The woman continued, "That's all I know. I've told you everything I know about the situation, officers. Xu Jing's disappearance really had nothing to do with me, I only knew the reason she left Green Vine City."

When the officers first approached her, she had said nothing, still afraid that if others found out, she would be scolded. Now, she was revealing everything to dispel the officers' suspicions.

Telling the truth about the past wouldn't bring her any trouble, as Xu Jing's parents had left Green Vine City. No one would blame her now, but if she didn't speak up, the officers would certainly suspect that Xu Jing's disappearance was directly related to her. She didn't want to be wrongly accused.

Although the woman only knew these details, she had already helped the officers narrow down the suspect pool significantly.

The suspect was a student at Police University, which the officers had already deduced.

But there were some specific details they hadn't known before, such as the suspect being from Green Vine City, and his name having three characters, one of which was 'Bing'.

All these clues combined could reduce the suspect pool to a handful of individuals!