They did not notice this previously because they were misled by the reporters’ interview footage.
Huai had initially assumed that the interview footage was shot continuously.
The thought suddenly crossed Ma Liping’s mind when Huai asked whether they had stopped filming in between scenes to add extra footage. She said, “We took a break when Mr. Manoban went to replenish the coffee in the middle of filming. An advertisement was being shown on the live stream at that time…”
Huai managed to confirm this through the website and the broadcasting station. A three-minute advertisement was being shown at that moment indeed.
“In other words, all three of you drank the first batch of coffee together, but Taecyeon drank the second batch by himself once it was refilled?”
“Yes, that’s right!”
Huai’s thoughts had cleared up. Taecyeon's second cup of coffee was the cause of their problems. This meant that the killer had already calculated that he would refill it and have another cup!
“Bring me Mrs. Manoban's statement from her previous interrogation!” Huai ordered.
Chaeyoung knew that Jennie and Tzuyu were close friends. She noticed that Huai’s attention was constantly focused on Tzuyu. She muttered to herself that nothing right was going to come out of this.
Huai watched all of the statements that were related to this case. He clasped his big hands together and quietly said, “I’m going to the crime scene again!”
*
Huai walked around the inside of Peace Mansion.
The crime scene had been sealed since they finished their previous checks.
Xue Meiwei heard that the police had returned. She reluctantly got up and went outside to look.
Within a few days, this elegant and respected woman had now become terribly feeble. She became so skinny that she looked like a completely different person.
Her only remaining servant supported Xue Meiwei as she walked. The woman said in a trembling voice, “Captain Huai, you’ve been busy for so many days. Are there any new developments in the case? The major crimes department won’t be able to rest as long as this case remains unsolved. Jae-wook has already spoken to our local representatives…”
Huai glanced at Xue Meiwei. He realized that this old woman had probably suffered terribly when she lost her son. Although he was usually an unyielding person, he became more compassionate now.
“Don’t worry, Mrs. Manoban. I’ll handle this case properly even if the local representatives aren’t pressuring me. Victims are still citizens regardless of their statuses as wealthy aristocrats or common people. It’s my duty and responsibility to solve these cases.”
Huai spoke gently and behaved humbly. He was respectful towards Xue Meiwei because she was about the same age as his mother.
Frankly, he had initially refused to deal with aristocratic families. As a normal person who was used to the chaos of everyday life, he was not used to these wealthy individuals who looked down upon everything.
Xue Meiwei chuckled dryly. “Thank you for your trouble, Captain Huai! Since you’re here again today, what can I do for you? Please let me know.
Huai asked flatly, “What was Taecyeon and his wife Tzuyu's relationship usually like?”
Xue Meiwei became slightly agitated when Huai asked about Tzuyu. Her eyes shot open while her voice became more high-pitched. “Did Tzuyu do this to my son?”
“No, you’ve got it wrong, Mrs. Manoban. I’m not asking this because I’m suspicious of Tzuyu. This is merely a formality. We have to ask about the people who were related to the victim in close detail. Taecyeon's murder happened in his own home. Everyone here is a suspect, including the servants!”
Xue Meiwei still had some trouble believing Huai once he had finished explaining everything. Among the people in their household, Tzuyu was definitely one of them who hated Taecyeon the most.
She was obviously aware that Taecyeon had abused Tzuyu. The only person whom they were hiding this from was the Old Mistress. The mistreatment was an open secret in Peace Mansion.
Tzuyu might seem like a mild-mannered person, but she was not a complete pushover. She was famous among the female entrepreneurs in Luo Hai for her success in the National Arts Commerce. Why would a woman like her subject herself to such abuse?
“Frankly, my daughter-in-law may seem gentle and faultless, but her relationship with Taecyeon has been fraught with problems, Captain Huai. Taecyeon had a temper, so it was inevitable that they would fight sometimes! Tzuyu is a cunning and calculative woman. You don’t have to show her mercy if you discover that she was involved in this!”
Xue Meiwei seemed to have made the decision to sever her ties with her daughter-in-law.
She had never wanted this woman as her daughter-in-law, so how could she be good enough for her son?
Huai glanced at Xue Meiwei and nodded. “I won’t be lenient no matter who the killer is!”
*
Chaeyoung dropped by in secret with Jennie. The corners of Huai’s lips curled upward into a smirk when he saw Jennie. “Miss Kim, you should really think about changing jobs!”
“You’re too kind, Captain Huai. You’re a criminal police officer despite your background as an elite in the business world. I’m merely an outsider who came to watch the exciting events unfold!”
Jennie knew that Huai was reluctant to involve her. This was the best time for her to be thick-skinned.
“Miss Kim, don’t forget that you could also be a suspect!”
“I haven’t forgotten. I’m following you so that you can interrogate me whenever you like!” Jennie smiled.
Huai did not say anything and focused on Peace Mansion’s west wing instead.
Nothing had changed since the murder happened here, except for the human outline that was drawn with a white color pencil. This was done to mark the original location where the corpse was found.
Tzuyu had moved to Upper Mansion. Although Somi and Tzuyu had never been close, Somi was friendly toward her when she arrived. They acted like a pair of close sisters in front of the Old Mistress. They were even considerate of each other.
Huai circled the hall and inspected it before he went to the dining room and kitchen.
“Miss Kim, does the entire Manoban Family use the same water supply system?”
Huai asked Jennie this when he noticed that there were two water inlets in the kitchen.
“They’re basically the same!” Jennie came over to inspect it as well. She pointed at a slightly larger faucet. “We usually use the bigger tap to wash our ingredients and cutlery.”
There was another water inlet next to it. A slightly smaller faucet was connected to this one. It had a screw-like handle.
Jennie pointed at the smaller faucet, saying, “The Manoban Family imported this water filter from Germany. These filters are installed throughout all the mansions. The filtered water can either be drank cold or hot from here. This handle is used to control the water temperature.”
She knew these things about the house because she usually cooked at home with Ah Fu.
Huai pulled the handle. Cold water came out of the left valve while hot water came out of the right one.
“Can you drink this water directly?” asked Huai.
He knew that certain aristocrats were so spoiled that they never drank the water from local sources. He stayed away from arrogant and picky people like them because he was not used to their behavior.
“Yes, we can drink it directly. This water is sourced from the Hundred Grain Mountain Spring at Autumn View Mountain. It becomes super clean once it passes through the water filter. We usually just drink this water at home instead of getting water from other sources.”
Jennie noticed that Huai’s expression had darkened once she finished speaking. The man seemed lost in his own thoughts. Suddenly, he kneeled down and opened the door of the bottom cabinet. He saw that the pipe’s connector was hidden inside there.
Huai called loudly for the technician, Liu Qi. “Little Liu, remove this connector for me. I want to look inside.”
Jennie and Chaeyoung exchanged glances. They had no clue what Huai was doing.
Liu Qi came over with his specialized tools and removed the pipe efficiently.
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*DO NOT VOTE PLEASE*