"What do you mean?"
Qin He pursed her lips. She knew Mingxue's personality too well.
Mingxue wasn't lying. When she usually lied, her eyes would dart around; she wasn't that deep a person.
The investigating officer looked at Qin He.
"Miss, please believe us. We police don't just arrest people without reason. We found a knife at the scene, and your sister's fingerprints are on the hilt. The blood on the knife has been identified as Xiang Mingjun's!"
Qin He was stunned. "How is that possible? Didn't Xiang Mingjun drown?"
The officer sighed helplessly. "Xiang Mingjun was a twenty-year-old young man, and he hadn't been drinking. How could he drown in the Swan Pond, which is only 1.2 meters deep? He was stabbed, fell unconscious, and then thrown into the water!"
"The knife found at the scene matches Xiang Mingjun's wound, and Gu Ranran's skin cells were also found during the trace extraction from the hilt."
The officer looked at Qin He. "Do you understand now?"
"I don't believe it. There must be a conspiracy. My sister is being framed," Qin He said firmly.
The officer seemed a little helpless.
"Since Mingxue has been brought in, and we've investigated her background, both your sister Mingxue and that Gu Ranran are the only daughters of wealthy families. I know you have immense influence, but everyone is equal before the law. Harming someone requires paying a price. With concrete evidence, your few words of defense won't get you anywhere!"
Qin He wanted to say more, but the officer had already stood up and left.
Qin He clenched her fists, forcing herself to calm down!
According to the police, it was indeed strange.
Mingxue had gone to the Swan Pond that evening but left without seeing Xiang Mingjun.
If she had encountered that knife that night, she would have remembered it!
Qin He turned to go back and comfort Mingxue, and the door opposite opened.
Two tall figures also walked in quickly.
Qin He was startled. "Gu Qichen—"
Gu Qichen saw Qin He and walked over quickly.
"How are you?"
"I just went to see Mingxue. Mingxue said she just went there for a walk, didn't see anyone, and left. But the police said they found a knife with Xiang Mingjun's blood on it at the scene! And there were Mingxue's and Ranran's fingerprints and skin cells on the hilt!"
At this point, she couldn't worry about her past with Gu Qichen anymore.
With such a major incident, one more person thinking of a solution meant one more glimmer of hope.
Gu Qichen looked towards the police desk.
"Where is the investigating officer?"
Qin He gave a wry smile. "I might have been too insistent with my questions earlier. The police probably think we're a powerful family and that we're trying to use our influence to bully them."
Gu Qichen frowned and thought for a moment, then turned to Yu Jing. "Did you complete the visitation procedures?"
"They've been completed," Yu Jing replied.
"You're going to see Ranran?" Qin He immediately followed. "I'll go with you."
Gu Qichen nodded and took Qin He's hand.
Qin He was feeling flustered. Normally, she could remain calm in such situations, but she knew clearly that the police's evidence was overwhelming!
Surveillance footage, physical evidence, everything was there!
Cases like this would usually be tried quickly. If her investigation couldn't keep up, Mingxue and Gu Ranran might be convicted!
Qin He followed Gu Qichen to another holding cell.
Looking inside, Gu Ranran was sitting on a chair in the corner, fiddling with her hair. She seemed much calmer than Mingxue.
Gu Qichen's voice was low. "Ranran, come here."
Gu Ranran heard the voice and looked up abruptly.
Seeing Gu Qichen and Qin He beside him, she immediately ran to the cell door.
"Brother, are you here to take me out?" Gu Ranran's voice was cheerful.
Gu Qichen's gaze was deep.
"It seems you don't realize how serious this matter is."
"What's so serious? Mingxue and I didn't do anything. The police will figure it out."
This statement was clearly a bit naive!
Qin He took a deep breath. This further proved their innocence.
Gu Qichen directly relayed what Qin He had told him to Gu Ranran.
He concluded, "Now, the murder weapon, physical evidence, and surveillance footage are all complete. Mingxue is the principal offender. You are an accomplice."
Gu Ranran stood dumbfounded in the room for a few seconds, then her eyes widened.
"Impossible!"
"How could there be a knife? I went to the Swan Pond with Mingxue that night, but I met a friend halfway and didn't go with Mingxue. But Mingxue wasn't carrying a knife when she went."
As Gu Ranran spoke, she saw Gu Qichen's solemn expression and Qin He's tense face, and her own expression began to crumble.
"Brother, someone must be framing me and Mingxue. The police will find out, right?"
"The police are currently investigating."
Qin He comforted her. "So, right now, you are both suspects and suspected accomplices."
"But there's evidence, so where did the evidence come from?"
Gu Ranran felt like she was going crazy.
"Brother, does that mean I can't go out today?!"
Gu Qichen let out a deep sigh.
This time, it really wasn't Gu Ranran causing trouble.
Looking at his sister's expression, he felt a pang of heartache.
"I really can't go out today— Brother, since they've locked us up, can you ask the police to let me and Mingxue be in the same cell? I'll be scared alone at night!"
Qin He sighed softly. Seeing Gu Qichen's tense and silent expression, she stepped forward to comfort Gu Ranran.
"Don't worry, as long as you didn't do anything, we will definitely find a way to prove your innocence!"
Gu Ranran now realized the seriousness of the situation. She bit her lower lip and remained silent.
Qin He thought about it. Such tight evidence, without a single flaw.
What was the other party trying to achieve by targeting Gu Ranran and Mingxue?
She turned to look at Gu Qichen, and her mind went to that group of people.
The group that had been looking for Wan Fang Lun!
Those people had been trying to disrupt the Qin family, and now they had implicated Gu Ranran.
Qin He's heart felt complicated. If it was truly that group, then the two young girls were suffering undeserved misfortune.
After comforting Gu Ranran, Qin He finally managed to explain clearly that the police would absolutely not let her and Mingxue share a cell, because the police were worried about suspects colluding.
Gu Ranran cried out in injustice, but finally, reluctantly, she let them leave.
Gu Qichen and Qin He walked out into the courtyard of the police station. Under the vast starry sky, he took a deep breath.
"Gu Qichen, I suspect this incident might be the work of that group of people who have been investigating me from the shadows. This time, it's very likely I've implicated your sister."
Gu Qichen's gaze was deep. "This isn't your fault."
His voice carried a hint of gentleness.
"If it really is them, I won't let the trail go cold this time."
Gu Qichen's voice was cold and carried a murderous intent.
Gu Qichen looked at Qin He. Her expression was complex and troubled, and she was biting her lip, lost in thought.
He knew Qin He believed she had implicated the Gu family.
But he knew in his heart that he had been hiding in the shadows lately, investigating the people who were investigating Qin He.
It seemed his search had alerted the other party, who framed Mingxue and implicated Gu Ranran to issue him a warning: stop meddling!
Qin He stood with Gu Qichen for a while, then decided to return to the police station.
"I need to go back and see Mingxue."
Gu Qichen's gaze was gentle. "I'll drive you home."
Qin He shook her head. "I came with my mother. We'll go back together later. Thank you."
After seeing Qin He re-enter the police station, Gu Qichen turned his head and looked into the night, his gaze becoming cold and distant.
"Yu Jing, send people to investigate Qing University! Find a way to seal off Qing University. No student is allowed to leave! Conduct a thorough search, and scrutinize everyone's background information!"