Chapter 721: Nobility and Arrogance!

Cao Xiuyuan was taken aback.

Clearly, he hadn’t expected Chen Xiao to ask him such a question.

"Marriage, there’s nothing special about it, right?"

"Have you ever met Director Ye’s wife?" Chen Xiao asked again.

Cao Xiuyuan shook his head directly: "No, when we came to Xiaozhuang South Town to handle a case, we weren’t interested in the wife of a police station director."

After explaining, Cao Xiuyuan continued to ask, "But what’s wrong with his wife?"

Chen Xiao pointed to his head and said, "This, is not very healthy."

Cao Xiuyuan looked surprised: "How could that be? Although Director Ye’s position isn’t high, he is a notable figure in a small town, and his police job is a secure one, which should be desirable in a marriage."

"Yes, and Director Ye didn’t marry until he was thirty and then had Ye Jun. Though at his age back then, being thirty was considered an old bachelor, making it hard to find a good marriage, his job added to his appeal. It wasn’t uncommon for men to be seven or eight years older than their wives, sometimes even more than ten years."

"I always felt their union was strange."

Chen Xiao expressed his feelings.

Cao Xiuyuan thought for a moment and nodded: "It does seem unusual; should I go over and ask?"

As he spoke, Cao Xiuyuan’s gaze also fell on Ye Changhuai.

Chen Xiao instinctively wanted to oppose, feeling he should investigate such questions himself.

But then, Chen Xiao reconsidered: "Just ask directly."

Cao Xiuyuan nodded, and he and Chen Xiao walked straight up to Ye Changhuai.

Seeing them, Ye Changhuai also showed a smile on his face:

"Captain Cao, Advisor Chen, thank you for your hard work."

"It’s our job, no need to thank us, just sorry for disrupting your work at the station."

Ye Changhuai shook his head: "We’re a police station, it’s our duty to cooperate with your work, but can I take my child away later? Kids are not used to such situations, and he has his studies to complete."

"Of course, once we’ve completed the process, he can leave." Cao Xiuyuan said, then led the conversation to the main topic:

"Oh right, Director Ye, how did you meet your wife?"

Ye Changhuai looked surprised, and Chen Xiao added, "I went to your home with Captain Qin before."

"I see, then you must know my wife isn’t quite normal, right?" Ye Changhuai said with a laugh, unrestrained.

Cao Xiuyuan nodded: "Yes, we don’t mean to imply anything about your wife, just curious how you, as a police officer, met her?"

"Her problems were actually caused by me." Ye Changhuai didn’t beat around the bush, directly telling Chen Xiao and Cao Xiuyuan the answer.

Though the answer was somewhat vague, Ye Changhuai paused and explained in detail:

"I married late, and before meeting Luo Mei, I thought I’d never marry again. Of course, this relates to my past experiences. In my youth, I had met a woman I thought I could love for life, but reality hit me hard."

"Since then, I no longer believed in that so-called love. Until the year I turned thirty, during a fight with some bandits, a woman bravely rushed out to save me. From that day on, I felt a sense of responsibility, determined to care for and protect her no matter what."

"Yes, that day she was struck hard by the bandits while saving me. She was in a coma for a long time, and when she woke up, she became the way you see her now."

After listening to Ye Changhuai’s story, both Chen Xiao and Cao Xiuyuan fell silent.

After a while, Chen Xiao finally asked, "You knew each other before that, right?"

"Yes, we had some interactions. Whenever she saw me, she would smile brightly. I didn’t know she liked me back then, and when I finally realized it, she had already forgotten how to smile at me because she saved me."

At this point, tears welled up in Ye Changhuai’s eyes, shimmering.

After taking a deep breath, he smiled awkwardly at Chen Xiao and Cao Xiuyuan.

Chen Xiao nodded with a smile: "Sorry, Director Ye, we shouldn’t have brought this up."

"It’s fine; you’re all excellent detectives, and I’m also a police officer. So, feel free to ask me anything."

Ye Changhuai’s words made Chen Xiao and Cao Xiuyuan reluctant to ask further questions.

Besides, the key explanation from Ye Changhuai had indeed dispelled the doubts in Chen Xiao’s mind.

A life together doesn’t always require mutual affection.

A sense of responsibility is also an important factor for a lasting relationship.

Ye Changhuai might not have absolute deep love for Luo Mei, but what Luo Mei did for him instilled a strong sense of responsibility he couldn’t shake off.

Additionally, during that era, it was nearly impossible for a mentally unstable girl to find a husband like Ye Changhuai.

After some more pleasantries, Ye Changhuai returned to his office.

Cao Xiuyuan also didn’t chat much more with Chen Xiao, as he had already delayed awhile, he personally went to fetch documents for Chen Xiao.

However, no sooner had Cao Xiuyuan left than several people entered the police station.

Among them was a woman whom Chen Xiao instantly recognized as Yuan Keyu’s wife, Zeng Lingqiu.

What surprised Chen Xiao a bit was that in the photos, Zeng Lingqiu appeared just decent looking, but seeing her in person now, he felt an overwhelming sense of nobility.

Seeing her approach, Chen Xiao instinctively stepped forward, extending his hand:

"Hello Ms. Zeng, I am Chen Xiao, the criminal investigation advisor for the task force."

Chen Xiao’s intention was to introduce himself, making it easier to lead them to the conference room for discussion.

But to his surprise, Zeng Lingqiu merely glanced at him disdainfully, muttering "advisor" before directly walking past him.

Chen Xiao watched with disbelief as Zeng Lingqiu walked away, then chuckled and shook his head.

It seemed that Madam Yuan not only exuded nobility, but her arrogance was also quite strong.

Chen Xiao didn’t take it to heart.

He thought, perhaps to Zeng Lingqiu, a criminal investigation advisor in the task force wasn’t worth wasting time talking to.

Soon, Zeng Lingqiu met Sun Zhou, and together they headed to the conference room.

Seeing them go in, Chen Xiao picked up the documents handed over by Cao Xiuyuan at the doorway and said:

"You guys talk to Ms. Zeng; I’ll first look at the alibi provided by Ye Jun."

"Alright."

Cao Xiuyuan replied, then took a seat at the conference table.

Following his line of sight into the conference room, Chen Xiao saw Zeng Lingqiu warmly greeting Guo Zhengchang.

Without observing further, Chen Xiao found a place to sit down and quietly analyzed Ye Jun’s alibi!