All the evidence pointed to Ye Huohuo, and for the first time, she felt utterly speechless. She couldn't provide any proof that she couldn't have been the killer at the time.
"Someone deliberately framed me!" she stammered, her mind seemingly incapable of thought. But she hadn't given up. She couldn't give up. There were so many things left undone. She couldn't die here, and she certainly wouldn't let those who wanted to harm her succeed.
Ye Huohuo rubbed her temples to alleviate the headache. "Who claims to have seen me kill? Are they sure they saw me? Did they really get a clear look?"
"We have a witness protection principle. She fears retaliation from you, so we cannot disclose her information for the time being. However, we have verified that she could identify you from numerous photos. Furthermore, she was near the grove at the time, and we have found testimony proving her presence there. She also has no reason to falsely accuse you of murder. With the current evidence, we have formed a closed loop of proof. Even if you don't confess, we can secure a conviction without a confession."
Ye Huohuo licked her dry lips. "I want to see my lawyer!"
Old Zhang and Bai Jingwen exchanged glances, hesitated, and finally nodded. "Alright, we can find you a lawyer."
"I want Li Mochen to be my lawyer!" Ye Huohuo's tone was firm, leaving no room for doubt.
"Him? He hasn't graduated yet!" Bai Jingwen blurted out, but he immediately shut up after receiving a glare from Old Zhang.
Ye Huohuo glanced at him dismissively. "Although Li Mochen hasn't graduated, he has already obtained his lawyer's qualification certificate and has the right to defend me."
"The Li family has the resources to find you a better lawyer. You might consider someone else. After all, this is a murder case, and having an experienced criminal defense lawyer would be beneficial for you," Old Zhang suggested, seemingly acting in Ye Huohuo's best interest.
Ye Huohuo remained unmoved. "No changing!" She knew very well that she needed not just a lawyer, but an accomplice who trusted her completely.
Half an hour later, Ye Huohuo finally met Li Mochen.
Just as she had expected, Li Mochen looked even more anxious than she did. "Sister-in-law, how are you? Are you alright!"
Ye Huohuo's face was pale, her lips devoid of color, and she looked utterly dispirited. She didn't mention feeling like her wounds had reopened, only shook her head. "I'm fine. I really didn't kill anyone. All the evidence points to me now. Someone must be framing me. You..." Perhaps it was seeing a family member, but she choked up mid-sentence. "Can you help me, right!"
This was the first time Li Mochen had seen Ye Huohuo so vulnerable. Even when injured, she always seemed fearless. But now, she was as fragile as a porcelain vase that could shatter at the slightest touch.
"Sister-in-law, don't worry. Elder Brother already knows about this. He asked me to tell you that he believes you are innocent. With him here, he will find evidence of your innocence. You must be strong!"
Ye Huohuo's heart sank. "He... he didn't come?"
Li Mochen was taken aback by the question. "Elder Brother? He didn't come to the police station. I called him to tell him about you, and he asked me to convey that message. He... didn't come..." Li Mochen watched Ye Huohuo's expression grow more dejected and felt like he had said something wrong, but he couldn't pinpoint what it was. His voice trailed off as he spoke, and he didn't dare continue.
"It wasn't him?!" Ye Huohuo blurted out nonsensically.
"What did you say? Not who?" Li Mochen leaned forward, trying to catch Ye Huohuo's words more clearly.
But Ye Huohuo said nothing more. Her expression sharpened, she took a deep breath, and her gaze shifted from initial bewilderment to a burning intensity, a fierce determination ignited.
"Were you at the police station when I was being interrogated?" Ye Huohuo asked.
Li Mochen shook his head. "No, I was with Captain Liu searching the place you were at the day before yesterday for witnesses. Don't let Captain Liu's official demeanor fool you; he doesn't believe you're a killer either, he just doesn't say it."
Ye Huohuo nodded. "Then, if you get a chance later, please check who that person was outside the interrogation room when I was being questioned."
"Is that person related to the case?" Li Mochen didn't understand the significance of Ye Huohuo's fixation on this.
"I'm not sure, it's just a gut feeling that this person is involved in this case." She didn't say that she had initially thought the person was Li Mohan, and it was a lie to say she wasn't disappointed when she learned it wasn't him. But she wasn't the type of girl who would die for love. Without love, she would still live, perhaps even more freely and unburdened, living to accomplish her own goals.
Li Mochen nodded. "I'll investigate. Right now, the most crucial aspects of the case are the eyewitness testimony and physical evidence. Since you are not the killer, this evidence must have been fabricated. I will start my investigation from this evidence. Don't worry, even if there's only a sliver of a chance, I will get to the bottom of this."
"I believe you. But I still don't know who this so-called witness is. They kept it confidential from me just now," Ye Huohuo asked.
Li Mochen instinctively glanced at the surveillance camera in the corner and lowered his voice. "Lan Meng!"
"Who is that? I don't know anyone by that name?" Ye Huohuo was quite surprised. She thought for a long time but couldn't recall knowing anyone named Lan Meng.
"It's normal that you don't remember. She's that female student in the blue dress who was with Bai Wei at Haicheng University that day. Do you recall?" Li Mochen explained.
"That student named Lan Meng? I met her for the first time the day before yesterday. While we had some unpleasantness, it shouldn't be enough for her to frame me." Ye Huohuo clasped her hands tightly. The wound on the back of her hand only broke the skin, but as she exerted force, blood seeped out, covering a large area and looking quite frightening.
"You're injured?" Ye Huohuo had subconsciously used her other hand to shield her injured hand, and Li Mochen only now noticed the new wounds on Ye Huohuo. "Oh no, if Elder Brother finds out, he'll skin me alive. I just promised him you wouldn't get a single hair out of place here."
Li Mochen's face was as sour as a bitter melon, his usually delicate features contorted.
"It's okay, he... won't mind." Ye Huohuo's heart sank slightly, then she shook her head as if to cast off her troubles.
"Sigh, your case is the priority now. Even if he skins me, he'll have to get you out first. Think hard, who could be so calculating to frame you like this?" Li Mochen stared intently into Ye Huohuo's eyes, his gaze eager, as if trying to see into her mind.
A spark of fire flickered in Ye Huohuo's eyes, and a smile curved her lips, but her expression was frosty. "I also want to know who it is. But there are many people who want to harm me. I'm still alive, aren't I? One day, I will find them all and send them all to hell, one by one."
Li Mochen shivered at Ye Huohuo's expression, thinking that while his elder brother's anger was terrifying enough, his sister-in-law was no less so. Truly, they were a match made in heaven.
"You should try to recall who might have framed you during this time. I will continue to investigate related evidence and keep an eye on that Lan Meng. If there's anything else you need me to do, you can request to see me and let me know then." Li Mochen ran a hand through his hair, looking quite agitated.
"Sister-in-law, please take care. I don't know what happened between you and Elder Brother, but in my heart, you are my rightful sister-in-law. Even if not for Elder Brother's sake, I will come whenever you call!"
Li Mochen was the youngest of the four brothers, but he was also the most sincere. Looking at this young man, a warmth flooded Ye Huohuo's heart. "I understand. Don't worry, I'm part of the Li family of Haicheng, after all. I won't be bullied so easily."
As Ye Huohuo could not find any evidence to prove her innocence and the evidence convicting her was substantial, she was temporarily detained in the detention center. She was unaware that a crisis awaited her there.