Chapter 47: White Mist in the Woods 12
He Yu said, “He… died on his own.”
On Zhuang Ningyu’s phone, they could see a real-time feed of the Iron Pot Pit. The medical examiner was picking up and sorting blackish-yellow skeletal remains, one by one. Based on the shape of the pelvis, it was determined that the deceased was likely male.
He Yu was also watching the broadcast on the screen. When the mud-covered skull was unearthed, she felt extremely sick to her stomach. Nightmare-like memories from years ago flooded back into her mind. After struggling for a long time, she slowly began to speak: “When I was very young, my parents passed away in a sea disaster. My grandmother raised me, but her health wasn’t good either. In my first year of middle school, she didn’t survive her illness. On her deathbed, in front of the village chief, she made a will, saying that whoever raised me and supported me until I got into university would get the old house.”
After some discussion, He Yu became the child of her second uncle and aunt. At least she had a home and was spared from hunger and cold. But it was limited to just that. Her shy and self-conscious personality didn’t endear her to her elders. Her uncle and aunt didn’t plan to give this niece much love; as long as they fed her, they felt they had done right by her older brother.
“Hejia Village is a poor village with no real way to make money. The family had three of their own children to raise, so my second uncle had my second aunt go out to work as a nanny, while he stayed in the village to fish. At first, my second aunt changed jobs frequently. After she got the hang of it, she slowly settled with one family. She was very happy, calling to say the work was easy; she only needed to take care of a little girl to earn over ten thousand yuan.”
“That little girl was Jiajia?”
“Yes,” He Yu nodded. “In my freshman year of university, before the winter break, my second aunt suddenly asked if I was free, saying she had an urgent matter she needed my help with. So, I came to Jincheng for the first time, to Qingquan Mountain, to this small building, and I met Jiajia for the first time. At that time, she was throwing a tantrum, smashing a puzzle on the table, her voice as sharp as a whistle.”
He Yu’s scalp went numb from the noise. He Yuanhua also looked utterly exasperated, saying that this puzzle had been torturing the entire family for a whole week. Jiajia wanted to complete it but didn’t have the ability to. And whenever she failed, she would start wailing at the top of her lungs, crying until she vomited or even fainted. He Yuanhua was at her wit’s end, so she had to call her niece, who was on vacation, to come and help Jiajia with the puzzle.
He Yu only had basic courses that academic year and had already finished her exams, so she didn’t refuse. At first, she thought it was just her second aunt, Jiajia, and herself there. It wasn’t until dinner that she discovered there was also a grandpa. The reason he was nowhere to be seen in the afternoon was that he couldn’t stand the noise and had been staying in his room. The grandpa looked very kind, always smiling, constantly putting food on Jiajia’s plate, and would occasionally chat a bit with He Yu, complimenting her on her beauty.
He Yu knew she wasn’t beautiful and disliked this insincere praise, nor did she like the tone of his voice. So, she remained silent for most of the meal, at most forcing a smile. When her second aunt brought out the dishes and saw her niece acting like a timid quail, not answering when spoken to, she was frustrated but smoothed things over with a smile, repeatedly telling “Teacher Li” not to mind.
After dinner, He Yuanhua said that Room 301 had been tidied up, so He Yu took Jiajia and the puzzle back to the room. The two sat on the floor and started working on the puzzle. With an adult’s company, Jiajia finally quieted down. She stared at He Yu’s hands like a little animal, focused, happy, and curious. After a while, He Yu’s eyes felt tired, so she wanted to take a break. But the moment she put the puzzle down, not even two seconds later, Jiajia started crying hysterically again—she wouldn’t let her stop at all.
He Yu finally understood why her second aunt had asked her to do this “parent-child game” when there was a retired grandpa at home. An ordinary person really couldn’t handle it. However, Jiajia’s own health was poor, and she usually wouldn’t fuss for long before falling asleep. So He Yu had a fair amount of free time and could sometimes even find time to go into the city to have fun.
“After living at Qingquan Mountain for more than half a month, I gradually grew fond of Jiajia. I told her the story of ‘The Wizard of Oz’ many times, and I drew the patterns at the top of the stairs with her. That’s why, when I was faking the drawing of the motorcyclist in the diary, I wasn’t worried that Captain Zhuang would see through it, because I knew Jiajia’s drawing habits. The days at Qingquan Mountain were actually quite good, but for some reason, I just never liked that grandpa.” Although he usually just drank tea or practiced calligraphy, looking quite cultivated and amiable, and always had a smile on his face, He Yu was just afraid of seeing that face. She always felt he was wearing a human-skin mask, fake and eerie.
“What was his name?”
“I don’t know. My second aunt called him Teacher Li, so I did too.”
“What about Jiajia’s parents’ names?”
“I don’t know that either. My second aunt never mentioned them, only saying they were rich people and that I should ask fewer questions to avoid causing trouble for the family. I never intended to provoke anyone, until one day, I saw… I saw the grandpa holding Jiajia and sunbathing. As they were sunbathing, he seemed to slip his hand inside Jiajia’s clothes.”
Hearing this, everyone in the room was shocked. Zhong Mu clenched her fists tightly. Yi Ke frowned slightly and looked at Zhuang Ningyu with confusion, feeling that something was strange, that something wasn’t quite right. Zhuang Ningyu, however, gestured for him to be patient and listen to He Yu continue.
The little girl didn’t know what was happening and was still engrossed in her storybook, merely wriggling her body a couple of times in resistance. The white-haired, elderly man and the beautiful, flower-like child—He Yu already had some terrible answers forming in her mind, but she really didn’t want to believe them. So she deliberately coughed, wanting to test his reaction. But that strange hand didn’t come out. Instead, he intentionally pushed it further in and pulled down the little girl’s sweater a bit, as if it were the most normal interaction between a grandfather and granddaughter.
“Xiao He, good afternoon,” he looked up with a chuckle, then patted Jiajia in his arms. “Baby, say hello to your sister.”
“Jiajia,” He Yu held out her hand. “Come on, let’s go do the puzzle.”
Hearing the word “puzzle,” the little girl dropped her book and happily came over to tug on her sister’s sleeve. He Yu walked quickly, carrying her back to her room. She closed the door and lifted her clothes to check—of course, she couldn’t find anything. A child’s body is very different from an adult’s: small, fragile, thin, and delicate, with no ability to protect itself. He Yu tidied her clothes, but the image from just now was still in her mind. She desperately hoped she was overthinking it, even repeatedly brainwashing herself that she must be, but… what if she wasn’t?
He Yu continued, “I first tried to ask my second aunt in a roundabout way, trying to figure out if the grandpa and Jiajia were actually related by blood. But either she didn’t understand or didn’t want to say, so I didn’t get any answers. Without any proof, I couldn’t just go to the police. If it was a misunderstanding, it would cause my second aunt to lose her job. But I couldn’t just ignore Jiajia; my conscience wouldn’t allow it. So later, I found an opportunity, saying I wanted to take Jiajia to play in the mountains. In reality, I secretly took a bus down the mountain and found a clinic to give her a gynecological examination, to first confirm my suspicions.”
“What were the results?” Zhuang Ningyu asked.
“She was fine. Jiajia had not been sexually assaulted,” He Yu replied. “So I thought, maybe I really had seen wrong.”
“Which clinic?”
“Ankang Clinic, on Huaping Road. I took the 287 bus at the time.”
Yi Ke sent the clinic’s name and the time to the investigation team.
After the examination, the two of them went home together. He Yu had originally planned to observe for a while longer, but just two days later, Jiajia suddenly fell ill and was hospitalized. It was very serious. The nanny took her luggage and went to the hospital to stay with her overnight. He Yu also bought a train ticket for the next day, planning to go back to school to find a winter break job. But that very night, something happened.
“It was past eleven at night. I was sleeping and vaguely felt someone by my bed.”
Zhuang Ningyu guessed, “Was it the grandpa?”
He Yu nodded. “Yes. I was terrified at the time. I shouted at him, but he wouldn’t leave. He kept complimenting me on my beauty, saying he wanted to be friends with me, and even offered me money. Then, he started to get handsy. I screamed for him to get out, but I couldn’t break free at all. His strength was just too great. Later, my mouth was covered. I was already in despair, but at the critical moment, my second aunt came back to get something for Jiajia. She pulled the old pervert away, and they both fell to the ground. My second aunt told me to run out and call the police, so I ran.”
“And then?”
“After I ran out of the small building, I wanted to call 110, but I realized my phone was left in the room. I thought of going to a neighbor’s for help, but it was too dark. In my panic, I accidentally rolled down the mountain. That’s when I broke my leg.”
“Why didn’t you call the police in the end?”
“Because my second aunt found me later. She wouldn’t let me call the police.”
“Did your second aunt kill the grandpa?”
“No, that old pervert died on his own.” He Yu’s attitude was firm. “My second aunt just gave him a pull, and he died. It might have been a cerebral hemorrhage, or maybe a heart attack. In short, he died on his own. No one killed him.”
“What happened after that?”
“After that, I left. My second aunt gave me money and told me to leave quickly, to leave that very night, not to go back to the small building, and to go straight back to school. Actually, my leg was in no condition to walk, but I was so scared. I just used a wooden stick as a crutch and forced myself to move down the mountain. Later, I relied on painkillers to endure the two-day train ride. A few days after I got back to school, I received another call from my second aunt. She said Jiajia didn’t make it and had passed away. I asked her about the body, and she said it had been taken care of, in the Iron Pot Pit. No one would find it there, and she told me not to worry about it.”
“What about your second aunt?”
“She was taken abroad by her employer. I asked her if they were Jiajia’s parents, but she was evasive and wouldn’t say, just telling me not to ask what I shouldn’t. Not long after, she also had a car accident abroad.”
“Why did you think the puzzle was with the body?”
“Because I saw it that night. When that old pervert fell, a metal puzzle piece was stuck in his face.” He Yu’s voice was hoarse. “It’s been ten years. I thought this matter would never be discovered again, but who knew… Actually, when I first entered the rule zone, I still had a sliver of hope that it might not be related to Jiajia. After the old house on Nanping Road appeared, I still deceived myself, hoping that, just as the rules said, as long as I helped Jiajia celebrate her birthday, I could leave safely and easily. Until later, Captain Zhuang said a puzzle piece was missing.”
“So you went to find Boss Zhou?”
“Yes. Boss Zhou and I had actually met once last year, at a charity event at a nursing home. He was the sponsor, and I was a volunteer. He doesn’t remember me, but I knew he was a good person.” He Yu moistened her chapped lips before continuing. “So I privately sought out Boss Zhou, told him what happened back then, and begged him to help me find the puzzle piece. I told Boss Zhou that if he could find it, all of us could get out safely. If not, I would confess everything. I just didn’t want to lose my job, didn’t want to be dragged back into the case. It wasn’t that I wanted to drag everyone down with me.”
Zhong Mu patted her on the shoulder. “Have some water first.”
Zhou Huanchang, who had been silent for a long time, also spoke up to testify, “Xiao He did tell me this, but I didn’t find the puzzle piece in the Iron Pot Pit, nor did I see a body.”
Zhuang Ningyu looked at He Yu. “Is this the whole story?”
He Yu nodded. “Yes, this is the whole story.”
Zhong Mu frowned slightly, wanting to say more, but was stopped by Zhuang Ningyu. He glanced at the time and reminded, “It’s time to prepare dinner. Before we find the puzzle piece, everything remains as usual. Don’t provoke the nanny.”
Everyone dispersed. Zhong Mu went to the kitchen with He Yu. Chu Feifei and Li Hao waited at the door of 202, looking at everyone with hopeful eyes, and timidly proposed, “We are also in the rule zone. Can we share the meeting information?”
“You can, but not now,” Zhuang Ningyu said. “Go back to your room and rest first.”
The young couple held hands and returned to their room with heavy hearts. As they neared the door, they both turned back, only to see the door of 202 mercilessly closing.
Li Hao didn’t give up and turned his gaze to Zhou Huanchang, who was smoking in the corridor.
Boss Zhou indicated, looking at me is useless, everything is up to Captain Zhuang.
Yi Ke asked, “How’s your leg?”
“I’ll change the dressing tonight. It’s just a bit overstrained, not serious.” Zhuang Ningyu leaned on him, limping back to the bed. Just then, a video call came from the investigation team, saying they had found the person in charge of Ankang Clinic.
“There was indeed such a thing back then,” the female doctor on the screen said. “It just so happened that I was the one who received her, so I have an impression. It was around four in the afternoon that day. A little girl, extremely thin, maybe only thirteen or fourteen, brought an even smaller and thinner girl. The two of them hesitated at the clinic door for a long time before coming in. They wouldn’t take off their hats and masks when they came in. I asked several times before the little girl said she suspected her younger sister had been bullied by some bad boys on the street and wanted me to help check. I was shocked when I heard that. I asked her where her parents were, why she didn’t call the police. She said it was just a suspicion, not yet confirmed. So I examined the little girl. Fortunately, the child was fine.”
“Are you sure she was fine?”
“I’m sure. I’m a professional gynecologist. I couldn’t be mistaken about something like this.”
Since she was fine, it seemed there was no need to call the police. So the female doctor just gave them a few words of advice, telling them to be sure to tell their parents and to stay away from bad boys in the future. She also waived the examination fee, and that was the end of it.
After the call ended, Zhuang Ningyu asked, “What do you think?”
“What He Yu just said was half-true, half-false. Or at least, she definitely hid something,” Yi Ke said, covering his knee. “Not to mention anything else, a nanny with no background killed her rich employer, yet no one called the police. In modern society, how could a living person be perfectly disposed of after the body was handled, as if the whole thing never happened?”
“She told a story that was most favorable to herself,” Zhuang Ningyu said thoughtfully. “She distanced herself from the remains as much as possible and let her deceased second aunt take as much of the blame as possible.”
“That’s only human nature,” Yi Ke got up and poured two glasses of water at the table. “If she really was almost assaulted back then, whether the attacker died of a heart attack, was killed by the nanny, was killed by Xiao He, or was killed by both of them together, it’s all better than him succeeding. He Yu was smart enough to give herself an alibi in advance when she confessed this matter, to try and get herself exonerated.”
“He Yu wouldn’t have taken Jiajia to Ankang Clinic for an examination for no reason. Since she went, it means she did suspect at the time that Jiajia had been sexually assaulted.” Zhuang Ningyu took the cup. There was a little honey in the water, giving it a faint sweetness, so he drank it all in one go before continuing. “Actually, if the ‘grandpa’ really was a pedophile, then his attempt to assault He Yu would also make sense. Didn’t the doctor at Ankang Clinic just mistake the eighteen-year-old He Yu for a fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl? She’s been malnourished since she was young, has a baby face, her hair is dry and yellow, she’s thin, likes small animals and bows, speaks little, has a timid personality, no parents, only an aunt with an unclear stance. She is indeed the type of person that criminals would find easiest to target.”
But the biggest point of incongruity now was that Jiajia clearly liked the grandpa very much. Although she had intellectual disabilities, she wasn’t completely incapable of thinking. He Yu had also just said that Jiajia was very resistant to being touched by outsiders. Then how could she, until the eve of her birthday, still be willing to use all sorts of beautiful pictures and colors to represent the grandpa?
“That’s true. He Yu only lived there for a month and was almost assaulted. What’s more, Jiajia had been there for at least two years. Compared to He Yu, she was obviously even less capable of protecting herself. There’s no reason for a criminal to let her go.” Yi Ke sat in a chair, facing Zhuang Ningyu, and thought for a while before speaking. “Unless…”
“Unless there were two grandpas in succession,” Zhuang Ningyu said. “A good grandpa who genuinely doted on Jiajia, and a bad grandpa who only appeared in the small building during the final period.”
