Back Then, I Adored You

……

After returning from Hangzhou, Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi’ai began to make preparations for their wedding, beginning with Old Master Gu hiring a feng shui master to choose an auspicious date for luck.

The wedding date was set for January 18th but, just two days prior, a major incident occurred.

Zhou Jing died. It was not a rumor nor was it fake news. She was truly dead, as of January 16th at 3:47 p.m.

Her body had been found by the police at 8:30 p.m., when they had broken into her house. Upon sending her to the hospital, they had estimated she had been dead for more than four hours. Based on the preliminary evaluations of the autopsy, she had died of arsenic poisoning.

Zhou Jing did not consume arsenic by accident nor did she commit suicide. She was murdered. Without any need for an investigation, the police knew who the murderer was, as she had turned herself in. Liang Doukou had murdered Zhou Jing.

While news about Liang Doukou had not appeared on the internet since her last scandal, she had managed to maintain a modicum of respect as a once highly popular actress. Now that she was a murderess—and the victim was her own manager—when the news leaked onto the internet, an uproar was let loose. The “National Goddess” who had disappeared and was almost forgotten was brought to the front of the storm once again. There were those who made conjectures, those who were melancholic, and those who were doubtful. The entire media industry was in a state of confusion and chaos.

……

Since Liang Doukou had arrived at the police station, she had only made three statements. The first thing she said was “I am here to turn myself in.” The second thing she said, after providing Zhou Jing’s address, was more detailed. “The owner at that address, Zhou Jing, is dead.” She finally stated, “I killed her.”

From the beginning, the people in the police station had been somewhat doubtful of her words but, because Liang Doukou had turned herself in, investigators were immediately sent to the reported crime scene. When they found her admission of guilt to be true, everyone in the police station was completely astounded. The same astonishment was true among the netizens, as well.

It was common knowledge that Liang Doukou’s meteoric rise to fame had always been because of Zhou Jing’s excellent management and backing. Throughout their years working together, wherever Liang Doukou appeared, Zhou Jing would be there, as well. They were as close as sisters.

What no one could understand was how these two women had a falling out that would end their relationship in such a horrific way. It was an easy case to close, but there was still a need for the recorded testimony.

Two young policewomen were assigned to interrogate Liang Doukou. One of them was a die-hard fan of Liang Doukou. When she entered the room and saw that her previous beloved and glamorous idol had been reduced to a messily dressed and sallow-faced woman with disheveled hair, she was momentarily shocked. She stared at Liang Doukou for a long time and still could not manage to associate her with the brilliant and glamorous star of her memory.

Although the two policewomen interrogated Liang Doukou for more than an hour, beyond acknowledging that she had poisoned Zhou Jing, Liang Doukou did not say another word.

“Why did you kill Zhou Jing? Weren’t you on good terms with her? What was your motive to kill? What caused the conflict? How did you commit the crime?…”

Liang Doukou had no answers at all.

At the end of the interrogation, the two policewomen had stressed themselves trying to get a single piece of information out of Liang Doukou. Before they left, the policewoman who was once a fan of Liang Doukou, asked, “If it were not for Zhou Jing, you would not have made it big. Don’t you feel that your actions were reprehensible, and don’t you feel remorseful?”