Chapter 8: Misplaced Kindness

Xia Wuyou was shaken to her core by that overwhelming sensation—it was a feeling so powerful that one would risk even their life to reverse what had happened. She thought it necessary to discuss this feeling with Su Tianmu in detail. Perhaps it would prove invaluable to solving the case.

They agreed to meet at a café. Su Tianmu briefly summarized the autopsy report for Xia Wuyou, then listened quietly as she poured out the emotions she had experienced over the past days.

“Though I don’t know the real reason behind this murder, I have a strong sense that it’s connected to the restaurant’s hostess,” Xia Wuyou said, lifting her coffee cup and taking a small sip. A faint trace of cream lingered on her lips.

She wiped her mouth absentmindedly with her hand, not noticing Su Tianmu’s attempt to hand her a napkin.

“What’s more, it might have been the hostess’s fault that triggered all of this,” she added.

Seeing her casual gesture, Su Tianmu awkwardly withdrew his hand, which had been suspended in midair.

“Based on our analysis of the bodies, it’s likely the perpetrator was someone familiar to them. If the hostess is crucial to the case, then the pool of suspects narrows considerably,” Su Tianmu began to analyze.

“The restaurant’s hostess is a full-time housewife; her social circle isn’t large. Most of her interactions are probably with the restaurant staff.”

“Did you find anyone suspicious during your interviews?” Xia Wuyou tilted her head, curiosity lighting up her face.

From the start, Su Tianmu had been drawn to her innocent demeanor. Now, watching her childlike expression, his heart couldn’t help but race.

“Oh!” Su Tianmu, trying to cover his embarrassment, picked up his glass and took two quick gulps of water.

After calming himself, he continued, “There are a few people who seem suspicious, but we can’t find a motive for murder.”

“But if, as you say, the case is linked to the hostess, then I think the front hall manager, Zhang Jun, is the most suspicious,” Su Tianmu said after a pause.

“Zhang Jun?” Xia Wuyou repeated the name.

Suddenly, it was as if a bolt of lightning struck her mind. Xia Wuyou’s head buzzed with a strange sensation.

“What kind of person is he? It feels like something inside me is reacting to that name,” she caught onto the fleeting feeling with acute sensitivity.

“Zhang Jun is in his early thirties, quiet in appearance, and sharp in spirit. Still, aside from a possible connection to the hostess, it’s hard to imagine him as the killer,” Su Tianmu admitted. Objectively, someone who could commit such brutality against two victims didn’t match Zhang Jun’s persona—if anything, it would be one of the chefs.

But facts are facts, and there’s no room for conjecture. What matters most is objective logic.

“One of the waitresses mentioned during interviews that Zhang Jun seemed to harbor feelings for the hostess,” Su Tianmu continued.

“Apparently, all the waitresses like the front hall manager.”

“Could this be a crime of passion?” But all their theories were still mere conjecture. Even if a romantic connection existed, what could drive someone to kill?

An entire family wiped out in an instant—what kind of hatred could justify that? And if Zhang Jun really did have an affair with the hostess, why is she also missing?

These questions left them both deep in thought.

“Or could there be another possibility?” Xia Wuyou suddenly proposed.

“Suppose someone liked Zhang Jun, but discovered his affair with the hostess. So, she decided to eliminate the hostess, but was caught by her family in the act and killed them all,” she speculated, her imagination running wild.

Su Tianmu couldn’t help but laugh at her far-fetched scenario. “Do you think this is a movie? Is the killer Wonder Woman? Killing three people and then walling away two bodies—do you think an ordinary woman could do that?”

He indulged her with rare patience.

“Maybe she had help! Didn’t you say those chefs were strong? Maybe one of them was bribed,” Xia Wuyou persisted.

After an afternoon of discussion at the café, they decided to interrogate Zhang Jun once more.

On the way back to the station, Su Tianmu considered Xia Wuyou’s words. As outlandish as her ideas were, they weren’t impossible. After all, in this world, who hasn’t witnessed madness in the name of love?

Still, it would be best to eliminate Zhang Jun as a suspect before pursuing other leads.

Thanks to Officer Wang’s arrangements, a second interrogation of Zhang Jun was quickly set up.

In the interrogation room, Zhang Jun remained as calm as ever—a calmness that had drawn Su Tianmu’s suspicion from the start.

“You say you became front hall manager because of your education. How did you come to work at the restaurant? What made you choose this profession?” Su Tianmu asked sharply, his eyes intent, as if trying to see through every word.

This was already the second time he’d been questioned, which made Zhang Jun uneasy.

“Officer, do you suspect me? I may have some education, but I don’t think there’s any shame in being a front hall manager,” Zhang Jun replied, somewhat agitated.

“Just answer the question: how did you get the job?” Su Tianmu repeated.

Realizing his agitation, Zhang Jun quickly composed himself. “I told you—my boss and his wife were both good people. I applied, and they hired me because I was a good fit.”

He answered the subsequent questions fluently, revealing nothing suspicious.

However, when Su Tianmu questioned the waitress Lili—a girl rumored to like Zhang Jun—her account differed from his.

She said that when Zhang Jun first applied, the owner was against hiring him, preferring a female manager. But because of his looks and education, the hostess took an immediate liking to him. Ultimately, it was thanks to her strong support that Zhang Jun was hired.

That’s why Zhang Jun was deeply grateful to the hostess and always took special care of her. Their relationship was normal, but that didn’t stop the other waitresses from gossiping behind their backs.