Chapter 60 Handcuff Him Immediately

"Whose child are you carrying?"

Faced with Han Ling's inquiry, Li Hui immediately blurted out, "Zhao Zhiqiang's, what about it?"

Han Ling's eyes turned cold. "That probably isn't right, is it? When we were at the entrance of the precinct a few days ago, I assumed you were vomiting due to extreme grief. At the time, I found it a bit strange, as grief-induced vomiting shouldn't be delayed for that long.

Now it seems it was due to morning sickness.

The child you were carrying... was probably Yang Qi's, wasn't it?"

Whose child it was, only the woman herself knew best.

Li Hui: "!!!"

Tong Feng, standing beside them, abruptly turned his head to look at Han Ling, his expression utterly astonished.

Yang Qi's child?

What on earth?!

"Don't deny it, modern paternity testing technology is extremely mature." Han Ling took out a pair of handcuffs. "Li Hui, we now suspect you of involvement in a homicide case. Please come with us."

Hearing the mention of a paternity test, Li Hui fell silent.

Silence represented tacit consent. Tong Feng's mind was in a bit of a blur as he watched blankly in a daze as Han Ling clicked the handcuffs onto Li Hui's wrists, while the latter offered no resistance whatsoever.

"Keep an eye on her."

Han Ling handed Li Hui over to Tong Feng and turned to leave. He walked over to a trash can, put on a pair of gloves, and retrieved the item Li Hui had just thrown away.

He unfolded it and looked—it was an abortion receipt.

An abortion was a minor procedure; as long as the pregnancy was in its early stages, the patient could leave immediately afterward.

Han Ling dialed Yang Rui's phone. How to handle the evidence was up to the forensic pathologist.

Upon learning the situation, Yang Rui immediately went to consult her mentor, who in turn sought out Jiang Haichuan. After a discussion, the forensic department ultimately decided to come to the hospital themselves to extract the DNA, telling Han Ling he didn't need to bring it back.

"Let's go, we'll wait outside."

They used Li Hui's handbag to cover the handcuffs, flanking her on either side as they prepared to leave. Before departing, Han Ling nodded in the direction of Xu Qinghe not far away.

Xu Qinghe felt a lingering trace of inner confusion, unable to understand why Han Ling had suddenly changed his attitude.

On New Year's Eve, he had looked ready to devour someone.

She was certain that Han Ling had genuinely intended to take action back then, completely devoid of any chivalry.

If she hadn't possessed the means to protect herself, her fate would have been hard to predict.

"Regardless, I still need to thank him today."

Xu Qinghe knew her appearance was exceptional, and an exceptional appearance brought not only convenience but also endless troubles.

Now the vice president had met her "boyfriend," and it wouldn't be long before the entire hospital knew. By then, a great deal of trouble would disappear.

"If only we could take a couple's photo, get a few extra prints to keep in the office and my bag, it would be even more convincing."

...

Li Hui was escorted into the police car.

Twenty minutes later, Yang Rui and her mentor arrived, and the two sides met.

Han Ling handed the hospital receipt to Yang Rui and said, "The time is clearly written; you can go straight to the obstetrics and gynecology department."

"Got it." Yang Rui hoisted her forensic kit, took the receipt, glanced at Li Hui sitting inside the police car, and lowered her voice: "Is it really Yang Qi's?"

Han Ling: "Pretty much ninety-nine percent."

"Well, this case, sigh." Yang Rui departed, the master and apprentice discussing how they truly had their eyes opened today.

Being a police officer, especially a criminal investigator, meant you could encounter anything.

Han Ling drove away. Tong Feng watched Li Hui from the backseat, and neither spoke the entire way.

Tong Feng had many questions, such as why his partner suspected Li Hui in the first place, or how he had gotten to know that female doctor. But now was not the time for idle chatter.

Li Hui's silence was deafening. To this day, he still couldn't bring himself to accept it.

Indeed, criminal investigators faced more than just danger; they faced not only vicious and heinous criminals, but also... jaw-dropping family ethics.

If her boyfriend Zhao Zhiqiang found out, what would he think?

If Yang Qi's parents found out, what would they think? Compared to infidelity and soliciting prostitutes, this matter was enough to ensure Yang Qi's parents could never hold their heads high again for the rest of their lives.

The vehicle arrived at the precinct and parked directly in front of the main building. The two officers stepped out, escorted Li Hui, and prepared to head to the criminal investigation division when a voice called out from behind.

"Han Ling!" Judging by the voice, it was Hu Lihui.

Han Ling turned back and saw Ji Baiwei and Hu Lihui walking over briskly.

"What's the situation?" Ji Baiwei's gaze fell on Li Hui. The latter kept her head down, her hair veering across her face, her hands bound by handcuffs.

How had they gone and dragged the victim's mother back? Could it be...

"Captain Ji." Han Ling walked up to Ji Baiwei, leaned in, and spoke in a low voice, "Li Hui is pregnant. It's Yang Qi's child. The forensic doctor has already gone to the hospital to extract the DNA; I just called Yang Rui."

Hearing this, Ji Baiwei's eyes widened abruptly. Just like Tong Feng's reaction, he stared at Li Hui with a look of utter astonishment.

Behind him, Hu Lihui's expression was equally dramatic.

On one hand, Li Hui was nearly fifty and actually still capable of getting pregnant. On the other hand, the child turned out to be Yang Qi's.

"You... she..." Ji Baiwei didn't know what to say.

At that exact moment, he ought to have been pondering how Li Hui connected to the case and whether she was the reason Yang Qi had lied. But the shock of the improper relationship between mother-in-law and son-in-law temporarily overrode his professional habits as a veteran criminal investigator.

"You're the one who brought her back, go interrogate her." After a moment, Ji Baiwei spoke with a complex expression.

Han Ling said in a low voice, "Captain Ji, Li Hui's car needs to be checked, and the surveillance footage needs to be re-run. The vehicle Yang Qi used to dump the body is likely Li Hui's."

Ji Baiwei nodded slightly. "I'll have Fang Zhou handle that. You go interrogate her first."

Han Ling: "Alright."

After the three of them left, Ji Baiwei and Hu Lihui exchanged glances, each understanding what the other was thinking.

Their precinct's luck these past two years had truly been remarkable. First came Fang Zhou, the record-holder with the highest overall score, and now they had acquired someone rather uncanny in Han Ling.

Moreover, it seemed that Han Ling was even more formidable than Fang Zhou in criminal investigation. Putting aside the levels of professionalism and experience for the moment, at the very least, in the current case, Fang Zhou hadn't noticed any abnormalities.

Interrogation Room.

Li Hui sat in the chair as a suspect, her hands restrained and stripped of freedom, keeping her head down the entire time.

Perhaps out of shame, from the hospital until now, she had not once lifted her head.

If a person's conscience were clear, why fear the gazes of others?

"Are you going to tell it yourself, or should I ask?" Han Ling interlocked his fingers, fixing his gaze on Li Hui.

Seeing that Li Hui remained silent, Han Ling continued, "Then I'll ask. You didn't argue with Hou Jiarou on the second day of the Lunar New Year, or rather, the reason for the argument wasn't Zhao Zhiqiang, was it?"

Li Hui clenched her hands into fists.

Han Ling: "No rush, we have plenty of time. Your act of lying alone is sufficient grounds to place you under criminal detention.

The conditions in the detention center are terrible, and since you no longer have a child, you can no longer change your coercive measures."

According to the detention center regulations, pregnant women are not taken into custody; instead, measures such as bail pending trial or residential surveillance are generally applied.

The law also stipulates that pregnant women are not subject to the death penalty, including death with a reprieved sentence—the maximum penalty is life imprisonment.

In other words, from investigation to custody to trial, a pregnant woman would have a relatively comfortable time. Even if ultimately sentenced to life imprisonment, she would not have to serve time during her pregnancy and lactation periods.

Right now, Li Hui no longer met those conditions.

If Hou Jiarou's death was also linked to Li Hui, there was a possibility she might be sentenced to death. One wondered if she regretted getting rid of the child.

"Silence is useless. I wouldn't advise you to resist the interrogation; it's very grueling. Confess early and find your release."

Han Ling pressed on.

"Even if you don't say anything, we can still investigate. Most importantly... will Yang Qi talk? You'd better hope you didn't make him any promises—I'm referring to the child."

Hearing this, Li Hui finally raised her head. Her made-up face wore a gloomy expression, looking somewhat terrifying.

"Don't look at me like that. You look like a clown," Han Ling said indifferently.

He had seen women a hundred times more vicious than Li Hui; his inner peace remained undisturbed.