Chapter 67: The Final Secret

Clang!

Liu Hong accidentally struck the leg of the iron chair, producing a harsh, grating noise.

Her face darkened instantly, hands clenched into fists, her entire body trembling slightly.

Though she said nothing, her expression alone allowed Yan Zheng and Chen Yu to instantly grasp the situation.

In that moment, only Liu Hong’s stifled sobs and the ticking of the clock on the wall filled the interrogation room.

After a long while, the color slowly returned to Liu Hong’s face.

Yet she shook her head, speaking in a faint voice, “I don’t want to answer that question.”

Yan Zheng frowned, his tone stern. “Ms. Liu Hong, let me remind you, this is not a variety show. We hope you will answer our questions honestly and with the proper attitude. This concerns the progress of the Luo Xiangdong case.”

“Captain Yan,”

Chen Yu interrupted Yan Zheng’s rigid admonition, his voice softening.

“Sister Hong, I know reopening this wound must be very painful for you. But do you trust me?”

Liu Hong’s red lips parted, as if about to speak.

Chen Yu continued gently, “Trust me—Luo Xiangdong’s abnormal behavior is crucial to this case.”

His voice was gentle and soft, as if coaxing a frightened child.

“If you don’t tell us, we may never be able to bring him justice.”

Liu Hong trembled again.

Slowly, she raised her head and looked at Chen Yu.

Those eyes, once bright as spring water, were now brimming with tears and a pain bordering on despair.

“Do you… do you really think it’s that important?”

Her voice was as light as a feather.

Chen Yu nodded. “It’s very important.”

“All right.”

Liu Hong took a deep breath, as though making a monumental decision.

“I’ll tell you.”

She closed her eyes, her voice breaking into fragments.

“My husband… he never once touched me!”

The temperature in the interrogation room seemed to plummet by ten degrees.

Yan Zheng’s face changed abruptly, and though Chen Yu had been prepared for this, hearing Liu Hong admit it herself still left his feelings in turmoil.

Liu Hong continued, a bitter self-mockery in her tone.

“When I first met Xiangdong, I was drawn to his gentle, refined demeanor.”

“He spoke softly, was attentive, and he was so handsome—exactly the image of the perfect husband I’d dreamed of.”

“We quickly fell in love and soon married.”

Originally, I thought everything was perfectly normal, perfectly happy.

She paused, tears beginning to stream down her cheeks.

“But on our wedding night, Xiangdong didn’t share a bed with me.”

“At the time, I was still an innocent girl, knowing nothing; I thought he was just shy and didn’t dwell on it.”

“But in the days that followed, Xiangdong claimed that, because he worked late and didn’t want to disturb me, he’d move upstairs.”

“In other words, not long after our marriage, we began sleeping in separate rooms.”

Liu Hong’s voice trembled more and more, as if recalling deeply painful memories.

“In daily life, Xiangdong was always considerate, and our relationship seemed good.”

“But that goodness felt more like the affection between close girlfriends.”

“He often shared his joys and worries from work with me, and we’d go shopping together.”

“But…”

Her voice faltered, lips trembling.

Chen Yu spoke softly, “Sister Hong, take your time. There’s no rush.”

Liu Hong nodded, working to steady her emotions.

“But when it came to picking out women’s clothes, Xiangdong was more enthusiastic than I was.”

“He knew more about the styles, fabrics, and combinations than I did—as a woman.”

“Sometimes, I even felt he was more like a woman than I was.”

Yan Zheng couldn’t help but interject, “Is that all?”

Liu Hong shook her head, her pain deepening.

“This abnormal life went on for over a year before I couldn’t take it anymore.”

“One night, I quietly went upstairs, intending to talk to Xiangdong about having children.”

“When I reached the door…”

Her voice was wracked with sobs, her body shaking violently.

“I witnessed a scene so shocking I’ll never forget it for as long as I live!”

“Xiangdong was sitting at his desk, looking into the mirror—putting on makeup!”

“Heavily. Women’s makeup!”

The interrogation room fell into a deathly hush.

Yan Zheng’s eyes widened in shock.

As for Chen Yu—he’d half expected it, yet hearing it from Liu Hong’s lips filled him with a profound sorrow.

He recalled the scene he’d reconstructed in Luo Xiangdong’s bedroom.

The man staring obsessively at the wall, the photos that once hung there…

Everything fit together.

Luo Xiangdong’s obsession with staring at Liu Hong’s photograph must have been an obsession born of longing!

Liu Hong was sobbing uncontrollably, her entire body convulsing.

Her grief and indignation were mingled with a deep, abiding terror.

It was a fear that seemed to arise from the depths of her being, a vague and inexpressible sense of threat.

Chen Yu and Yan Zheng exchanged glances, both seeing the same astonishment reflected in the other’s eyes.

They understood that Liu Hong’s account explained a great deal.

Luo Xiangdong’s sexual orientation was more than just a private matter.

It was likely the very key to the entire case.

The serial Ripper murders of fifteen years ago, Luo Xiangdong’s disappearance, and now Zhang Luoluo’s death…

All of the clues seemed to be connected by some gossamer thread.

Chen Yu looked at Liu Hong with a complicated expression, his tone awkward yet full of empathy. “Sister Hong, that’s enough. Let’s stop here for today.”

Liu Hong slowly raised her head to look at Chen Yu.

In her eyes, beyond pain and fear, there was also gratitude—and perhaps even admiration.

“Thank you,” she whispered, then rose slowly and walked toward the door.

When she reached it, she suddenly stopped, turning to look back at Chen Yu.

“Chen Yu, I know you’re a good man.”

“But some things… are truly complicated.”

“Be careful.”

With that, she pushed open the door and left, leaving Chen Yu and Yan Zheng staring at each other in silence.

The interrogation room grew quiet once more.

After a long pause, Yan Zheng pinched the bridge of his nose and said gravely, “Next is Liu Gang. He’s in the room next door. Do you know what you want to ask?”

Chen Yu stood up, a glint in his eyes.

“Yes, I do.”

He strode toward the door.

“Let’s go—let’s solve this mystery!”

Yan Zheng followed, his heart pounding with both anticipation and anxiety.

He knew the coming interrogation would be the turning point of the entire case.

And Chen Yu—this young man—might once again bring him a surprise.

Or perhaps… a shock.