Are you trying to betray me

The next case was "simple."

Just investigate Song Yuzhe.

Dig into his social connections, his spending records, everything about him...

Good news came the very next morning.

A suspected sighting of Song Yuzhe was reported in a neighboring city.

By that afternoon, local police had detained him. His identity was confirmed that evening, and he was transported back to Zhonghai.

The case was practically solved.

During the subsequent interrogation, Song Yuzhe didn’t deny anything—he confessed outright.

He even admitted he’d planned to get plastic surgery and assume a new identity.

Luckily, they caught him early; otherwise, he might have truly escaped.

These days, changing one’s identity isn’t as easy as it was twenty years ago, but with enough money, it’s not too difficult.

As Song Yuzhe confessed, the details of the case became clear.

The motive was straightforward.

The three children weren’t his—they were Li Yi’s.

Song Yuzhe had long suspected it but kept deluding himself, clinging to hope.

Eventually, though, the children’s repeated disrespect and lack of filial piety pushed him over the edge.

Adding to it were the scornful looks and mocking remarks from his in-laws, who never thought much of him.

He secretly got a paternity test, confirming the truth.

That was when the seed of hatred took root.

The final trigger came the night before the crime.

His wife claimed she was going out to get her hair done. When she returned, they slept together, but something felt off.

The sensation… it was like going to bed and realizing the sheets were still warm, as if someone had just been there.

The next day, Li Yi visited, bringing gifts for "Big Brother and Sister-in-Law."

The children adored him.

His in-laws welcomed him warmly.

And his wife—the way she looked at him…

That was the last straw. The tragedy unfolded.

It wasn’t entirely impulsive.

Song Yuzhe had fantasized about revenge countless times, playing out different scenarios in his head to vent his rage.

But he’d never dared act—until now, when he couldn’t take it anymore.

After the killings, he set the house on fire.

Then he put on Li Yi’s clothes, pulled on a hat, and drove off in Li Yi’s car.

This misled investigators into thinking Li Yi was the killer.

Everything was a coincidence.

Truthfully, Song Yuzhe wasn’t particularly clever.

He hadn’t considered that forensic analysis might expose the truth.

Burning the bodies served three purposes:

First, it was revenge—pure hatred.

Second, he believed this family shouldn’t exist. He despised everything about it and wanted it erased.

Third, it bought him time. If he could run, he would. If he got caught, so be it.

What he didn’t expect was that, through sheer coincidence, he nearly turned the case into an unsolved mystery.

The whole situation was tragic. Some might argue certain people deserved it—but a crime is still a crime.

And it was clear Song Yuzhe felt liberated.

He wasn’t afraid of death.

He answered every question with a smile, almost disturbingly calm. Then again, his mind had likely been warped long ago.

For him, this might have been the best possible ending.

---

That morning, Cao Cheng woke up at his usual time—10 a.m.

Ugh.

This place was too comfortable. Every morning, he had zero motivation to train.

Ah well. With a system like his, why bother grinding like some common cultivator?

Sleep was better.

By 10 a.m., Third Sister had brewed him a cup of warm milk, while Fourth Sister practiced the piano.

Second Sister, surprisingly, was home.

She sat in the living room, sipping wine.

She had returned last night, taking a full five-day break to make up for her unused annual leave.

Cao Cheng didn’t stand on ceremony either, casually settling onto the sofa with a glass of milk in hand.

Second Sister shot him a glance, but this time, there wasn’t a trace of annoyance in her expression. Instead, her eyes brightened slightly, and she even greeted him, "Up so late?"

Like it’s any of your business?

Still, Cao Cheng glanced at the alcohol in Second Sister’s glass on the coffee table, then at his own milk. This… was a little awkward, wasn’t it?

He offered his glass to her. "Want a sip of milk?"

Second Sister gave him a sidelong look. "That’s for kids."

"..."

Cao Cheng chuckled and smoothly changed the subject. "How’s the case going? Solved it yet?"

Second Sister raised an eyebrow. "Thank you!"

"Oh? You actually know how to say thanks? That’s new."

The sarcasm was unmistakable.

But Second Sister was in a good mood, barely even fazed by it.

Cao Cheng wasn’t worried. With her temper, the moment her mood soured, even the slightest remark would set her off.

For today, he’d let her enjoy herself.

Second Sister couldn’t hold back her curiosity. "How did you even figure it out? Don’t tell me you just glanced at the files and knew—I’m not buying that excuse."

She had gone over the details again and again, but from Cao Cheng’s perspective, there was simply no way he could’ve seen anything conclusive.

Even if his eyesight was sharp enough to read the details on the board, those were just preliminary reports—no follow-up investigations, no confirmed suspects. There was no way he could’ve deduced anything from that.

Cao Cheng grinned. "You didn’t know? I have a nickname in Sanjiang City."

"What nickname?" Second Sister frowned, puzzled.

"They call me 'The Honest and Skillful Little Painter.' I specialize in portraits, especially of the human form."

"So?" she pressed.

"So… would you like me to paint a full-body portrait of you? Something to look back on when you’re old and reminiscing about your youth." Cao Cheng’s expression was nothing short of earnest.

Second Sister stared at him, unblinking.

Until…

He started to squirm.

Cao Cheng cleared his throat and swiftly shifted gears. "Anyway, I could tell from the photos of the three kids that they weren’t biologically related to their supposed father."

"..."

Second Sister’s brows knitted together. She didn’t believe him, but she couldn’t refute it either.

Cao Cheng chuckled. "Everyone’s facial proportions tell a story. Take you four, for example—you’re definitely blood-related to Mother Ren..."

He muttered under his breath, though whether you’re her actual children is another question.

But there’s definitely a blood connection.

Cao Cheng continued, "And that’s not even the wildest part. I know a guy who was blind, but he could hear whether two people were related just by their voices. Shame he ended up getting electrocuted."

"..."

Second Sister’s frown deepened into a full-on scowl. She felt like she was listening to a tall tale.

She knew some veteran detectives had their own unique skills, but there had to be a limit, right?

What is this, superhuman vision and hearing?

But if she called it nonsense, she still couldn’t explain how Cao Cheng had seen through it at a glance.

...

Just then, Fourth Sister finished practicing piano and tiptoed downstairs.

What she saw next nearly made her rub her eyes in disbelief.

They were sitting together, drinking and chatting?

No way.

She must’ve practiced until she was hallucinating.

"What’s going on with them?" Fourth Sister whispered to Third Sister, Ren Yushang.

Third Sister shook her head. "No idea."

Fourth Sister muttered, "This is surreal. A weasel and a chicken becoming friends?"

"..."

Third Sister almost burst out laughing—her threshold for amusement was always low.

She said, "You'd better watch out or they'll hear you. Whether it's the weasel or the chicken, neither is good news, and when they team up to deal with you, don’t expect me to stop them."

Hearing this, Fourth Brother shuddered and eyed her suspiciously. "Are you planning to sell me out?"

Third Sister retorted, "You're overthinking it."

Fourth Brother yelped, "I am not! You're the sneaky one—everyone says I’m scheming, but you’re the real mastermind. If you dare snitch on me, don’t even think about sleeping tonight. I’ll play Flight of the Bumblebee in your room all night long."

"..."