Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“Yes, thank goodness I am smart and didn’t go to Nanjiang!” Over the phone, Ran Tao was speaking with great pride.
He then said, “If you want to investigate a case, you have to ask the people who can help you find the necessary details! So, I asked my friend, who told me that Qiao Ruxue and her family now live in Jinhai. So, I went there directly. And… Guess what? We were all wrong!”
Ran Tao said excitedly, “Qiao Ruxue is doing very well now! She married a pharmaceutical tycoon and is now a rich housewife. Oh, she also changed her name. Now, she is Qiao Jingqi!”
After hearing this news, Zhao Yu asked in a hurried and serious manner, “Ran Tao, can you confirm her identity? Is she really the Qiao Ruxue we’re looking for?”
“Of course!” Ran Tao said with great certainty. “Master, believe me. I have just talked to her personally! Since her history is pretty dark, she didn’t want to talk about it at first. But, of course that wouldn’t stop me! So, I finally persuaded her to speak with me by using my charm!”
“Ok, so tell us what she said!” Zhao Yu urged.
Ran Tao immediately began sharing about their conversation, “Well, I threatened her, telling her that, if she didn’t tell me the truth, then I’d tell her husband all about her history!”
“Fu*k!” Zhao Yu murmured mostly to himself. Ran Tao’s shamelessness was somewhat like his own! “Then tell me what happened between her and Guo Yihang?”
“She admitted that, while they were both at that same school, she did have a relationship with Guo Yihang. But, they broke up pretty soon after it began!” Ran Tao said earnestly.
He then added, “In Qiao Ruxue’s words, they were both too good-looking and self-absorbed for it to work. So, within a few months, they had already broken up. Qiao Ruxue also said that, since graduation, they never saw each other again. Therefore, they are not as close as we thought, so Guo Yihang couldn’t have killed those people to avenge Qiao Ruxue!”
“Oh…” After seeing Captain Dou and the others all looking at him, awaiting information, Zhao Yu turned on the speaker so that everyone could listen to the call.
“Even though their relationship was not like what we thought, what we thought about all of the clues that the murderer left was exactly right!” Ran Tao went on to say, “Qiao Ruxue admitted that the director Qian Jin did use her to eventually get the 2.55 million sponsorship. However, in the end, she was replaced because of her sudden allergic reaction. Then, Qiao Ruxue jumped out of the building because she was so ashamed of everything that she had done. She said she just felt so desperate!”
“Hmm…” Ran Tao paused for a moment, then said, “At that time, Qiao Ruxue thought that the allergic reaction was just her bad luck. She never thought it would have anything to do with the makeup artist Qin Hao!”
“Oh?” Zhao Yu asked again, “What about the others? Did you ask about them at all?
“Yes!” Ran Tao answered. “When Qiao Ruxue first starting acting, she participated in several big dramas and believed that she had a bright future ahead. However, during one film, the writer Cai Jinda forced her to do a nude scene in bed!”
Ran Tao’s eyes grew big as he told the story, “Qiao Ruxue refused and got into a quarrel with Cai Jinda. But, as Cai Jinda was a big name at that time, the whole crew had to listen to him. So, Qiao Ruxue eventually compromised and did the scene, even though she thought that it was humiliating.”
He shook his head and sighed. “But, Cai Jinda is just an as*hole, apparently, and he even added several similar scenes to Qiao Ruxue’s part after that! However, what Qiao Ruxue couldn’t bear the most was that Xie Hao, the actor who was acting with her in the film, kept trying to take advantage of her! As such, Qiao Ruxue had a big fight with Qian Hao. But, that only resulted in her getting kicked out of the film cast altogether!”
Ran Tao sighed. “After that, most of the good opportunities for acting never came her way. Her career was getting worse, and finally, she could only get crappy roles in rubbish movies. It was then that she met Kang Leming!”
Ran Tao said, “It was Kang Leming who introduced Qiao Ruxue to Champion Pictures and the director Qian Jin. Qiao Ruxue said that Kang Leming was very good to her at first. Kang Leming told her that Champion Pictures had many big stars and would help her to succeed.”
He shook his head again. “But, when she started working with the company, her situation was even worse than before! Her main work was to accompany the higher-ups to restaurants and to serve all kinds of investors and celebrities. Even though she hated this, for her dream, Qiao Ruxue persevered.”
He sighed again. “When she finally got the role in ‘Crazy Delivery Woman,’ she thought that it might be her great comeback! But, it was a low-budget production, and that’s why she did not hesitate to help the company to procure the 2.55 million in sponsorship funds! She thought that would certainly ensure her the leading role. But, in the end, because of her skin allergy, she lost the opportunity! Feeling desperate, she jumped out of the building.”
After that, Ran Tao added in a low voice, “Unfortunately, this girl still had no idea about the real reason behind her allergic reaction!”
After listening to Ran Tao, Zhao Yu and the others remained quiet. Everyone felt both indignation and sympathy for Qiao Ruxue’s tragic experience.
“But, maybe the good guys have good rewards after all!” Ran Tao continued, “Jumping from the building was not her sad ending! After getting discharged from the hospital, Qiao Ruxue was taken back to her hometown by her parents. However, rumors started to spread, so they moved to Jinhai, where they ran a breakfast stand.”
He concluded his findings, “Surprisingly, although Qiao Ruxue failed to get the role in ‘Crazy Delivery Woman,’ she got the role of Cinderella! Then, a local pharmaceutical tycoon fell in love with her and married her. Ha ha… Isn’t it all like a movie? She finally got her happy ending!”
“Good job. Have you asked Qiao Ruxue about Xu You, Li Qian, and Zhang Yong yet? Do these three people have any connction with Qiao Ruxue?”
“Um… I asked!” Ran Tao said. “Believe me, I am a professional! Qiao Ruxue said that she did not know Li Qian. As for Xu You and Zhang Yong, she knew them, but not very well!”
“Then… What about Guo Yihang?” Zhao Yu asked again.
“Um… Well…” Ran Tao hesitated for a moment, then said, “At the moment, Qiao Ruxue is riding a horse. I can ask her later, though.”
Hearing this, Zhao Yu quickly devised a plan and said, “Ran Tao, when you speak with her later, you will tell Qiao Ruxue about the whole case. Be sure to tell her that all of the people who framed her were killed! Pay careful attention to her reaction, so that you can report back to me.”
“Master…” Ran Tao asked in surprise, “Do you suspect that Qiao Ruxue sent people to do this in order to avenge herself? But… She is doing so well now! Wouldn’t that seem unnecessary?”
“You’re so stupid!” Zhao Yu scolded him. “What I mean to discover by this is whether or not Qiao Ruxue has any loyal fans or secret lovers, as they might have killed for Qiao Ruxue!”
