Chapter 16: The Subject of Rumors

The situation described by Niu Wenhui was not difficult to verify; after all, if it had truly occurred, many people within the company would certainly be aware of it.

In contrast, what Wang Jun mentioned was far more private. Aside from the three individuals involved, it was likely that no one else could discern the rights and wrongs of the matter. Furthermore, with one of those three—Cong Fangfang—now a cold corpse, the issue had simply become a personal matter between Wang Jun and Niu Wenhui.

Wang Jun explained that initially, he had been reluctant to interfere with his girlfriend’s social life. He believed everyone was entitled to their own circles and freedom, and as a man, he felt that meddling in his girlfriend’s personal space would make him appear petty and embarrassing.

However, Wang Jun eventually noticed that Niu Wenhui had begun to harbor inexplicable suspicions toward him. She frequently checked up on him in ways that would have been unimaginable before. Although the two had maintained a high level of trust—sharing fingerprints for phone access and never avoiding each other’s screens—Wang Jun started to feel something was wrong when Niu Wenhui began logging into his email to sift through records from years ago.

The first conflict erupted after a minor joke. Wang Jun couldn't even remember the exact context; he had playfully called Niu Wenhui a "little silly," a term of endearment that unexpectedly triggered a violent emotional outburst.

At first, Wang Jun assumed Niu Wenhui was having a bad day elsewhere and that his timing was off, causing her to vent her frustrations on him. But as her sense of grievance deepened and her words became increasingly focused on the details of their past long-distance relationship, he realized something was wrong. The stable foundation of trust between them had developed cracks, and Niu Wenhui was doubting him.

Niu Wenhui initially denied it, offering apologies after her outbursts, but as her "investigations" became more frequent and brazen, their arguments intensified.

Once she dropped the facade, Niu Wenhui angrily declared that all men were the same and that no cat could resist fish. She insisted that during their long-distance relationship, it was impossible for Wang Jun not to have had stray thoughts. She claimed the only reason they hadn't broken up was that she was the most attractive option available to him.

Wang Jun was furious. He couldn't understand why, after all these years of keeping his behavior above board, Niu Wenhui would suddenly harbor such absurd suspicions, acting as if she had caught him in the act. During one of their heated arguments, she accidentally revealed the mastermind behind her behavior: Cong Fangfang.

Wang Jun kept his composure, trying to communicate rather than just argue, and eventually coaxed the truth out of her. It turned out that Niu Wenhui had let it slip to Cong Fangfang that Wang Jun had advised her to distance herself from her. From then on, Cong Fangfang had begun sowing discord, playing the role of the "supportive best friend" while seizing every opportunity to cast doubt on Wang Jun’s loyalty.

Once the secret was out, Wang Jun’s anger was uncontrollable. He felt Niu Wenhui shouldn't have listened to an outsider’s gossip to doubt his years of devotion. He began to see Cong Fangfang as a blight that had to be removed from Niu Wenhui’s life, which only led to more fighting.

Under Cong Fangfang’s influence, Niu Wenhui interpreted Wang Jun’s frustration as guilty rage, believing his "fox tail" had finally been exposed. She doubled down on her suspicions, eventually leading to an ultimatum where Wang Jun demanded she choose between him and her best friend. Niu Wenhui chose Cong Fangfang.

Later, after Cong Fangfang left their company and they drifted apart, Niu Wenhui cooled down, eventually leading to their reconciliation. Now that Niu Wenhui refused to speak of it, Wang Jun’s claims remained unverified.

After they exchanged findings, Yan Xue was silent for a moment before saying to Kang Ge, "Do you think it’s possible that Niu Wenhui was also trying to protect Wang Jun? She’s much more naive than he is, but she still has that instinct to defend her boyfriend."

"When she talked about Cong Fangfang’s character, she did argue a bit, and her account of why Cong left wasn't as thorough as Wang Jun’s. But she didn't say a word about how Cong Fangfang stoked the fire between them. Aside from the possibility that she doesn't believe Cong did it on purpose, I think she might have been worried that we would suspect Wang Jun."

"That’s likely," Kang Ge checked the time. "It’s getting late. Tomorrow is Monday; let’s visit Cong Fangfang’s old company and her new workplace to see what others have to say."

Before ending the day, Kang Ge and Yan Xue met with Luo Wei’s team. They had made progress: first, Qi Tianhua’s review of the surveillance footage from Cong Fangfang’s apartment complex confirmed that her male roommate, Wei Guangji, had been where he claimed to be. Second, the trendy hot spring hotel confirmed Cong Fangfang’s stay; she had arrived alone and left alone the next afternoon.

After leaving the hotel, she boarded a taxi. The license plate was visible on camera, but the driver hadn't been reached yet. That would have to wait for the next day.

With the next day’s tasks clear, no one suggested a late-night snack. Everyone was exhausted. Unlike previous times, Kang Ge didn't need to drop Yan Xue off and drive home himself; they walked together to her door.

"Oh, I'm home. Don't bother walking me anymore, go back!" Yan Xue teased as she took out her keys.

Kang Ge nodded seriously. "Fine, don't mention it. I walked you today, you can walk me next time!"

Yan Xue laughed and agreed. They said goodnight and went inside.

The next morning, Yan Xue was woken by her alarm. She checked her phone and saw a message from Kang Ge, telling her to come over once she was up—he was already making breakfast.

She jumped out of bed, checked the time—the message was from half an hour ago—and hurried to get ready. She didn't want to just show up for a ready-made meal.

She was still too late, only arriving in time to help set the milk on the table.

"How are you up so early?" Yan Xue asked, looking at the energetic Kang Ge. It was only 6:40 AM.

"I don't sleep much, I'm used to it," Kang Ge replied casually, piling fried eggs onto her plate. "Eat up, get some protein so you don't starve before noon."

They finished breakfast and headed out. They arrived at the company where Cong Fangfang had worked—and where Niu Wenhui still worked—at 8:45 AM. They hoped to catch the "early birds" before the Monday rush.

The office was mostly empty, save for a woman in her twenties eating bread at her desk.

Seeing the strangers, the girl looked up, puzzled. "Who are you looking for?"

"Doesn't work start at 9:00?" Kang Ge asked.

"We have flexible hours," the girl said, looking at him with confusion. "Unless there's overtime, you can come early and leave early. What are you here for? If you're looking for someone, please wait at the entrance."

Yan Xue stepped forward and showed her badge.

"Oh! I’ve only been here two months, I don't know much about the company. You should wait for a manager," the girl said, looking nervous.

"You misunderstand," Yan Xue said. "We’re not here about financial crimes. We’re asking about Cong Fangfang. She left before you started."

To their surprise, the girl grew excited. "Cong Fangfang? I know who she is! I never met her, but I’ve heard the stories!"

"Is she famous here?" Kang Ge asked kindly.

"Not in the whole company, but definitely in this department," the girl said. She hesitated, suddenly realizing she was gossiping to strangers. "Did she get into trouble?"

"She won't be hurting anyone again," Kang Ge replied vaguely.

"That bad?" The girl’s eyes widened. "When I started, my mentor told me not to be like Cong Fangfang—to be grounded and work hard. Otherwise, you end up leaving in such a disgraceful way, getting your hair pulled in the office! I thought it was an exaggeration, but to think she was that bad, even having the police investigate her... that's legendary!"