902 Interrogating Xia Yu

After a long time, Xia Ling finally decided on her wedding gown design.

She dragged Li Lei to get it ordered. At the store, she got her measurements noted down and mentioned a few modifications she wanted. The employee served them well and smilingly said, "Miss Ling, you have a good figure and good looks, you'll look nice in any gown. Mr. Li looks handsome in any outfit as well, the both of you are so compatible."

Both of them exchanged glances and smiled.

As they walked out of the store, Li Lei and Xia Ling basked in the European sun hand in hand. It was a peaceful scene on the streets, with children playing with one another and an elderly man stroking a cat. Now that they were overseas, Xia Ling was finally free from the pressure of fans and reporters hounding her wherever she went. This perfect couple got glances every once in a while, but it was nothing compared to the chaos and commotion when they were back in China.

Xia Ling was carefree and relaxed. She took in a breath of fresh air and said, "I wish I could walk on streets like this every day."

Li Lei said, "If you like, we can move here after we get married."

She smiled and shook her head. They had their career and business respectively back there, was it that easy to move away?

"Honestly," Xia Ling looked up at him. "Now that you've taken over the entire business, is it good to be staying in the country so much?" Li Lei's family was involved in dangerous business and it was only safe to keep their headquarters overseas. It didn't seem like an ideal long term plan for Li Lei to constantly hop between the overseas and the local branches.

Li Lei had evidently thought through this as well.

He gently told Xia Ling, "You enjoy singing locally, so I'll stay there and accompany you. There are other trustworthy partners to manage things at the headquarter, you don't have to worry about that. Transportation is so convenient now, I'll just go back for a look each time you have to leave for filming."

She nodded but went on. "I haven't gone there in a while."

Li Lei said, "Aren't we going back this time to get married? The new house on the island is almost completed, we can start living in it once we're there."

Xia Ling said, "I really hope we can settle Xia Yu's issue before the wedding."

Li Lei had something to tell her about this. "Regarding Wang Jingwan's case, the private investigator is more or less done with his part. He's 99% sure that Xia Yu was the murderer, who then made you the scapegoat."

Xia Ling stopped in her tracks.

It really was her!

Although Xia Ling had guessed this long before, learning that it was, in fact, the truth was more hurtful. She could barely believe it as she muttered, "I was so nice to her…"

Li Lei could understand her feelings. Anyone would be in pain if they were so viciously set up by someone they loved and cared for with all their heart. He comforted her. "It's all in the past. Maybe we should thank her instead, for if not for her, there wouldn't be us." If Xia Yu had not set her up, Xiao Ling and Pei Ziheng would not have turned against each other, and she would not have reincarnated to meet and fall in love with him.

But Xia Ling quietly said, "If not for her, I'd be spending the rest of my life blissfully and peacefully with Pei Ziheng."

Her destiny would not have changed, and all the other calamities need not have occurred.

Li Lei looked at her. "Just take it that I'm selfish, but I feel that it was a blessing you reincarnated. There are billions of men in this world, no matter who you fall for, even if not me, I'd give you my blessings. But you can't fall for Pei Ziheng! He might not torture you in the first decade, but what about the next, or the following? Or what if he tortured you over another incident, if not this? How would you know that he wouldn't unleash his inner devil when he encounters something else? How would you know that you'll live blissfully with him for the rest of your life? Don't be naive, Xiao Ling, he's a beast!"

Xia Ling hung her head low and said, "I understand."

She had long understood that everything Pei Ziheng gave her was just a fantasy. But he was her lover, after all… and this fantasy was ruined because of a misunderstanding.

How nice it would be if this case had not existed.

"I'm just a little sentimental now." When she looked up, the disappointment in her eyes had vanished as she smiled at Li Lei. "I feel blessed, too, that the Heavens have allowed me to meet you. It really is my fortune."

Both of them shared a kiss in the afternoon sun, on the streets of Europe.

On the way back, Li Lei described a plan to Xia Ling. "Pei Ziheng has destroyed all the important evidence years back. It'll be hard to charge Xia Yu as guilty unless she confesses to it herself. Xiao Ling, I need you to get those words out of her and make her spill the truth."

Xia Ling nodded. "Alright."

She and Li Lei plotted in detail for a long time and ran through the possible situations she could encounter during the conversation. Only when they had ironed every uncertainty out did she go to meet Xia Yu.

Xia Yu was led out of the prison cell and into the interrogation room.

Xia Ling was in a casual pastel-colored outfit and sipping tea. With the afternoon light shining on the side of her face, she appeared peaceful and happy.

Seeing that Xia Yu was clumsily led into the room, she smiled. "Sit."

She poured another cup of tea and edged it towards Xia Yu.

Xia Yu did not reach out to receive it. She had been tormented rather badly during this period and was now skinnier and more haggard than before. She looked at her sister with threatening eyes, and with a cold voice, she said, "What are you up to this time, why put up such pretense?"

"I'm not putting up a pretense," said Xia Ling with a calm, peaceful smile still on. "I'm just here to tell you that I'm getting married. On that note, I really should be thanking you. If you had not framed me, how would I have died, and subsequently met Li Lei?"

Xia Yu kept her cool. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Drop your act, Xia Yu," said Xia Ling. "We've got it investigated thoroughly. Wang Jingwan was murdered by you, and I was pushed off the stage by someone you'd hired. You're impressive, killing two birds with one stone, getting rid of two love rivals. You even caused the Wang family to go bankrupt."

Xia Yu said, "You think too highly of me, I didn't do any of that." It wasn't so easy getting the truth out of her.

But Xia Ling wasn't worried at all. "Don't you want to drink some tea? The tea leaves were picked from the tree that Li Lei personally grew. He really knows how to enjoy his life, and he's always taking me out to have fun and expand my horizons. When I was with Pei Ziheng, I had to make an appointment with him whenever I wanted to go out. Such a boring person, I really wonder how I tolerated him."

Xia Yu flinched. "You can't say that about Brother Ziheng!"

Xia Ling looked at her. "You really love him a lot, but I don't anymore. I'm more than blissful with Li Lei. The one problem I have is that I want to find out the truth, I don't want to have died without knowing why. Xia Yu, if you tell me about how the crime took place, I'll help you get together with Pei Ziheng. How's that?"