Reborn as a Fake Heiress Marrying the Tycoon-Chapter 1118: He Is Searching For Something

Chen Xi found the excuse rather flimsy, and immediately threatened, "Still not willing to tell the truth? Don’t blame me when things get ugly." With that, he made to drag Jiang Yao into the car, intending to take him to the police for interrogation.

However, Gu Zi stopped him, her voice calm yet firm. "I don’t think he’s lying. Chen Xi, take him inside. I have many questions that need his answers."

After all, standing outside wasn’t the place for serious conversation.

Chen Xi, though skeptical, followed Gu Zi’s instructions, pushing Jiang Yao inside.

To his surprise, Jiang Yao, though apprehensive, was unusually cooperative. It had been years since anyone had taken him seriously. For the first time in ages, someone believed his words.

As he was ushered into the yard, he finally spoke up, his voice low. "What do you want to know?"

Gu Zi turned to Su Bing, instructing him to take the younger children back to their room. Then, she faced Jiang Yao, her expression unreadable. "You came here to find something. What exactly are you looking for?"

Jiang Yao lowered his head, falling silent for a moment. When he finally raised his eyes, his gaze locked onto Gu Zi’s.

His face flushed crimson. He had never seen a woman so beautiful, and the thought of even thinking such things about her seemed out of reach for someone like him. Yet, there was a strange sense of admiration in his heart. "I’m looking for my wife’s belongings. They’re in your house."

Gu Zi was taken aback by this revelation. She studied him closely, her voice sharp. "I don’t understand. Why would your wife’s things be here? And, correct me if I’m wrong, didn’t you kill her? Why would you want her belongings?"

A wave of disgust washed over her as she thought about a man who could use violence against his wife. No matter what the truth was, Jiang Yao didn’t come across as a good person. But she couldn’t simply let rumors swirl unchecked and ruin this area’s potential for future prosperity. She needed the truth, no matter how unpleasant.

Chen Xi stood behind Jiang Yao, watchful and ready in case the man tried anything foolish. But as Jiang Yao spoke, Chen Xi only grew more incredulous. He was convinced Jiang Yao was fabricating a story to avoid being thrown into prison.

Gu Zi seemed to see right through Chen Xi’s skepticism. With a slight tilt of her head, she addressed him, "If he were truly afraid of jail, he wouldn’t have dared scale my wall the first time. If he had any intention of returning here, it would have been after some time had passed. But look at him now—he’s desperate, searching for something. Jiang Yao, speak up."

Jiang Yao’s eyes widened, his pupils flickering with shock. This woman was uncanny—she had read him like a book. Realizing that there was no point in hiding the truth from such a perceptive individual, he took a deep breath and confessed, his voice raw. "Believe me or not, I didn’t kill my wife."

He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in before continuing, "I admit, I used to hit Li Mei, my wife. I was influenced by old-fashioned views, thinking a woman needed to be taught a lesson to be obedient. Looking back, I realize how foolish I was. The day she died, we had a quarrel. I was almost certain she was seeing another man.

"I hit her. I slapped her a few times, kicked her twice, and the last kick was too hard. It knocked her out cold. I thought she could take it, but when she passed out, I left to drink and didn’t bother checking on her. Later, I heard she woke up and went to see that man. I rushed over, intending to confront both of them, but when I got here, she wasn’t in the house.

"The man told me she had already gone home. He tried to explain that they weren’t having an affair—that she only visited him because he could teach her how to read. I didn’t buy it. I punched him in the face, warning him to stay away from my wife. Then, I rushed home, still furious. But when I got there, I found she was already dead."

Gu Zi listened intently, her expression unreadable. Jiang Yao’s story didn’t seem to fit the profile of a man who would kill his wife in a fit of rage.

In fact, it matched her earlier hypothesis more closely. She had always suspected that Jiang Yao had abused Li Mei, but hadn’t gone so far as to kill her. He seemed like the type of man who would use violence, but never to the point of death—someone who knew just how much force to use to make someone hurt, not die. After all, he had been involved in the underworld and worked for powerful figures. Knowing how to hurt without killing was a skill one had to learn.

But something didn’t add up. The violent outburst that resulted in Li Mei’s death seemed too out of character. And then there was the discrepancy between Jiang Yao’s version of events and what she had heard from other sources. She couldn’t just take his word for it.

So, she asked the question that had been bothering her. "Did you report Li Mei’s death to the police?"