novelraw Chapter 300: If He Was To Know
Chapter 300: If He Was To Know
She spread her arms slightly, almost welcoming the moment, visibly relieved that someone had finally asked her directly.
"Where would you like to begin?"
The detective’s smile deepened, slow and deliberate. He drew his pen closer to his notebook, the soft click echoing in the quiet room as he began. "Was Jiang MengYao a close grandson to the madam?"
"Close?" AiLin echoed thoughtfully before closing her eyes for a brief moment. "That’s difficult to say." She opened them again, her gaze steady. "As you know, my grandmother carried a rather cold presence. She kept her distance from every member of the family. Jiang MengYao was simply clever enough to tiptoe around her moods. He was always careful, afraid of displeasing her, especially because he knew she could strike his name off the inheritance at any time."
"So," the detective continued, pen tapping lightly, "he was desperate for the inheritance?"
AiLin hummed softly. "I wouldn’t call it desperation. It was his sole purpose in life. If something like that were taken away from him..." Her lips curved faintly. "What do you think he would feel?"
"Rage," the detective answered smoothly. "Then what would you say about Miss NianNian? Was she desperate as well?"
"She always believed she would receive a share of it," AiLin replied calmly.
"But she didn’t," he pressed.
AiLin shrugged lightly. "She screamed at me tonight. Looked like she genuinely wanted to kill me." Her eyes hardened just slightly. "Who is to say what she would be capable of doing to her own grandmother?"
The detective paused, studying her carefully. "However," he said at last, "I’ve heard that you harbor resentment toward the Jiang family as well. Perhaps not toward the madam herself, but hatred can twist one’s actions. Isn’t it possible that you killed her, and pinned the blame on them, simply out of spite?"
AiLin lifted her chin and let out a brief scoff, one that turned into a soft, humorless laugh. "I do hate them," she admitted plainly. "Deeply." Her gaze sharpened as it met his. "But detective, I’m not stupid. This kind of revenge is messy, obvious, and meaningless. It’s never something I would do."
"Revenge," repeated the man. "What revenge would you say is a completely perfect revenge?
She smiled while tapping her finger on the table nearby, "When I expose their ugliest nature."
"Do you know that your father, Mr Jiang had been in coma for the past few weeks?"
The sudden change in topic made AiLin aware.
She nodded her head briefly, "I’ve heard."
"It was an accident."
She tapped her finger and shrugged, "I have cut contacts with the Jiangs for a long while. If you are questioning whether I have a hand in it, I don’t. I’m sure if you do a brief check on what I have done for the past few weeks leading to his accident, you will also know for sure that I have nothing to do with it."
"I wasn’t asking because I doubt you, miss AiLin," he smiled, "It’s the opposite. I asked because I wanted to know. You said that you grasp more of what had happened in that family than I ever could try to find out. So I was curious... do you might know a reason why Mrs Jiang or Jiang NianNian could hold a grudge towards Mr Jiang? Rumors I have heard Mr Jiang is quite deeply in love with Mrs Jiang."
"They were in love, but only Mr Jiang was in love with her. Mrs Jiang has only been interested in his wealth. Ah, well I don’t really know what makes them have a fight to the point that you would imply that she would be violent towards mr Jiang but I have heard some rumors.." she went quiet and shook her head, "No, it can’t be. I don’t even want to entertain the idea."
"You seem to have an idea," FanXin questioned.
"It’s not an idea," she sighed, "More of a specualtion I have heard and something that didn’t add up when I was still living with them."
"And what may that be?"
Seeing how FanXin had fallen to her trap, she softly smiled, "Jiang NianNian return to the family by saying that she’s related by blood and how her DNA matches Mrs Jiang... but when they were going to test her with Mr Jiang, she refused, saying that should be enough evidence."
"You’re saying that Ms. NianNian isn’t a child of Mr Jiang?"
"How can I ever confirm that fact? It’s only a speculation, rumors that my aunts used to say in front of me, something about how Mrs Jiang wouldn’t have married Mr Jiang by his looks. Mrs Jiang is quite disliked in this house, you see, and so there are many rumors which you would do well to try and find out on your own. The result would be surprising." AiLin showed him a smile. "Besides, Detective, I’m going to be married soon. I don’t have time for this kind of... mess."
"But you want revenge," he reminded and she stood up from the chair, still smiling.
"My revenge is done. I didn’t expect what they have done today but by now, they have no more space to run, everything about them has been revealed and they’re only going to get worse from here on forwards. If I am a reporter, I would rack a whole lot of cash in the coming weeks."
"Before you go," FanXin didn’t hold her back and watched as her hands hovered over the door knob. "Have you ever considered killing them?"
AiLin grabbed the door knob.
She knew this question could derive many answers from her and that answer could come out either terribly from her yet she didn’t want to lie either.
The grasp on the door knob tighten but her voice was as calm as snowflakes, "I have always wanted to kill them. When I was locked inside the prison, when I found out that I was never guilty for it in the first place. I have always known that their death would delight me."
But she turned and looked at him, "Because I was planning to follow them to die after my revenge has completed. But now... I have reason to live on. I don’t want to stay here anymore, stuck in my past. My revenge has been completed and I don’t need to shed blood for it."