Ye Huohuo placed Nie Ming in the empty seat between herself and Li Mochen, then spoke, "Mochen, we haven't had much contact these past few days, but I believe you know what has been happening with the Li family."
Li Mochen nodded, "My elder brother and third brother have told everything to me and second brother. I didn't expect you all to go through so much."
"Good, since you know, I won't repeat it. It's now largely certain that a certain force is targeting your Li family from the shadows. These people are meticulous and use metaphysics to harm others without a trace, making it difficult to find the mastermind.
However, I now have a lead, and following this lead might help us find clues to the person behind it all. But I'll need your help. I wonder if you're willing."
"Sister-in-law, what are you saying? You're helping our Li family. Although I'm not as capable as my three brothers and can't yet stand on my own, if there's anything I can do for the Li family, I won't hesitate."
"Good. I know you've been dealing with the police a lot. I need your help to check some information with them."
Li Mochen's surging ambition was immediately doused, "Huh? Just... just that? You could ask my elder brothers to do that too, why me?"
Ye Huohuo chuckled lightly, "Firstly, I don't want your elder brother to know I'm investigating this matter. Secondly, what I need to check might not be easy to find; with shallow connections, it might truly be impossible to locate."
"What do you want to check?" This piqued Li Mochen's curiosity.
Ye Huohuo's gaze drifted out the window, as if observing the street scene, or perhaps lost in thought, or even reminiscing. After a long pause, she finally came back to herself.
She took an item from her bag and handed it to Li Mochen.
Li Mochen received it with a heart full of questions. It was a trophy with a bronze base, covered in a plastic bag. It felt quite heavy in his hand. He carefully examined the inscription.
"Qingshan Children's Welfare Institute Calligraphy Competition First Prize? What... what does this mean?" He felt completely bewildered.
Ye Huohuo took the small trophy back, her fingers tracing the words through the plastic bag. "I ran away from that orphanage when I was a child. I lived there for over a year."
"What? So this trophy is yours from when you were a child?" Li Mochen had only heard a general account from Li Mohan and the others; many details were unclear. He was unaware that Lihua had been killed with this trophy.
Ye Huohuo shook her head and briefly recounted the story of the trophy and Lihua.
"This, this is actually a murder weapon?" Li Mochen looked incredulous. "You're not going to ask me to send it to the police for analysis, are you? But at most, they can only find the killer's fingerprints on it. If the killer has no prior record, it's hard to identify him through fingerprints."
"No, this will eventually be handed over to the police, but it's not time yet." Ye Huohuo leaned towards him, her eyes narrowing slightly. "What I want you to help me with isn't this, but these words on it."
Li Mochen looked at the inscription and suddenly understood. "Elder brother mentioned that the deceased was an orphan. This trophy is from an orphanage. The fact that it's displayed in their home suggests this trophy belonged to the deceased, Lihua.
You want to trace Lihua's information through the Qingshan Orphanage, and then find the killer through her?"
Ye Huohuo nodded in approval. "A promising pupil, with time, your future is limitless."
Li Mochen looked at Ye Huohuo's somewhat pedantic demeanor and shook his head with a wry smile. "Sister-in-law, you seem to be two years younger than me, yet you speak like I'm your junior!"
Ye Huohuo raised an eyebrow, a smug smile appearing. "They say an elder sister-in-law is like a mother. It's not an exaggeration to consider me your elder!"
"Hmph, elder brother said your marriage is only for a year. You won't be my sister-in-law then, and you're already acting like a senior." Li Mochen, provoked by Ye Huohuo, spoke carelessly, blurting out what he shouldn't have.
Ye Huohuo's smile froze for a moment, but she quickly covered it up. "What's wrong with a year? I'm still your sister-in-law now, and you have to listen to me!"
Li Mochen regretted his words as soon as they were out. He quickly glanced at Ye Huohuo from the corner of his eye. Although she was still smiling brightly, he could detect a hint of bitterness hidden behind her smile.
"Sister-in-law, I... I didn't mean it like that. I... I just... I was wrong! Actually, I can see that elder brother likes you very much. After all these years, I've never seen him pay so much attention to any other girl.
I believe your marriage is more than just a year..."
Ye Huohuo waved her hand, interrupting him, signaling that she didn't mind. She slightly raised her eyes to look at Li Mochen. "Let's not talk about that. There's something I actually want to ask you."
"Sister-in-law, please ask. I'll tell you everything I know, without reservation." Li Mochen, having spoken out of turn, now wanted to do his best to make amends.
"Yesterday, at my engagement party, why was your elder brother late?" Ye Huohuo asked seemingly casually, her gaze also inadvertently sweeping over Li Mochen.
Li Mochen became uneasy upon hearing her question. He tried to smile, but it looked more like a grimace than a smile.
Among the four Li brothers, he was the most straightforward. Initially, Li Mohan didn't fully support him becoming a lawyer, believing his personality wasn't suited for it. Furthermore, apart from Li Mohan, no one else had joined Li's corporation, and he wanted Li Mochen to help in the company.
However, Li Mochen possessed the unique stubbornness of the Li family. He had worked hard to get into the most challenging department at Haicheng University, the Law and Politics program. He had also excelled in his studies, making it difficult for Li Mohan to object further, so he let him have his way.
With years of practice, Li Mochen was increasingly showing potential as a lawyer, possessing a calm mind and strong analytical skills. Most importantly, he had a heart that upheld justice. He had also gradually learned to be more tactful, gaining some proficiency in adapting his speech to different people, even if not yet masterful.
Yet, at heart, he was still an honest person, unlike Li Moyan, who could spin a lie effortlessly. Being questioned by Ye Huohuo made him feel like he was sitting on pins and needles.
It was as if nails were embedded in the car seat, making him unable to sit or lean comfortably.
"Is it something difficult to speak about?"
Seeing his reaction, Ye Huohuo's suspicion grew stronger. "How about this, if you find it hard to say, I'll guess, and you just need to nod or shake your head."
"Sister-in-law, you..." Li Mochen was about to refuse outright, but seeing Ye Huohuo's expectant gaze, he nodded.
"Alright, then I'll guess!" Ye Huohuo stared at Li Mochen's expression. "Did Li Mohan receive some news yesterday?"
Li Mochen looked surprised, thought for a moment, and then nodded.
Ye Huohuo continued to ask, "Was this news related to a woman?"
Li Mochen opened his mouth but said nothing, then nodded again.
Ye Huohuo took a deep breath. "Was it news about Mei Yingxue?"
"How...?" Li Mochen blurted out, then suddenly realized he had spoken out of turn. He quickly shut his mouth and said no more.
Ye Huohuo nodded. "I know. Is there news that she might still be alive?"
"Sister-in-law, it's not really confirmed news. It's just that someone was selling a pair of diamond earrings on the black market. Those earrings were a birthday gift from Big Brother to Sister Mei. Big Brother went to confirm if those were the earrings he gave her. That's why he... came back late for yesterday's engagement banquet!" Li Mochen knew he couldn't remain silent any longer, or the misunderstanding would deepen.
Ye Huohuo's gaze lowered, her emotions unreadable. After a while, she said, "She might still be alive, right?"
Li Mochen bit his lip, thinking to himself how unfortunate his fate was. Why was he asked such a difficult question? Why not Second Brother or Third Brother? After much thought, it was more taxing than his thesis defense.
"It's not certain. Over the years, there have been some uncertain leads that turned out to be disappointments after verification. We don't dare to hold out too much hope anymore. While these earrings are real, they only prove that Sister Mei might have reached the shore. But whether she's alive or dead is still unconfirmed.
Moreover, if Sister Mei has been alive all these years, she would have returned to find us or we would have found her. It's been ten years. In fact, Big Brother knows deep down that the hope of her being alive is very slim.
It's just that Big Brother is very loyal and values relationships deeply. He wants to see the person alive or their body. He's overly cautious. Sister-in-law, you... please don't take it to heart! I apologize to you on behalf of Big Brother!"
Ye Huohuo's little finger twitched involuntarily. Her heart stirred. Could that Mei Yingxue really still be alive?