How could I possibly be confined in a cage?

Chapter 172 The Death of Eli

Silent all night.

The next morning, after a simple breakfast, Guo Zixing left with his men, leaving only a group of people to protect the Qiao sisters.

After settling the people in, they headed straight for the north city.

This is a slum. The trade roads on both sides are in poor condition, full of potholes and mud. The houses are low, the clothes are tattered, and the road is mostly lined with poor people who stare blankly at Qingru and her group.

She only glanced at Qingru a few times before looking away, unable to bear looking any longer, afraid that she would burst into tears if she looked any longer.

The muddy road was difficult to travel, and despite Guo Zixing's protection, Qingru still felt nauseous and uncomfortable from the jolting.

Upon reaching the alley entrance, Qingru and her group disembarked. Their clean and tidy attire alone made them stand out from the crowd, as if they belonged to a different world.

Just then, a series of cries rang out. Several people were seen supporting a gaunt old man, whose cries were deafening and filled with anguish.

"Li'er, Li'er, why did you leave like this? You've left me, an old man, to bury my young one. Wake up! How am I supposed to live without you?"

Those nearby were struggling to keep up and could only support him to prevent him from slipping.

San'er came last night and has been staying here ever since, but he is powerless to help the old man's cries.

Guo Zixing walked over and patted the old man on the shoulder, saying, "Old man, please accept my condolences."

Seeing that Guo Zixing was dressed in fine clothes and surrounded by so many people, the old man knew that he was the leading official and immediately knelt down before him.

"Your Honor, please do justice for my Li'er! She died unjustly!"

Guo Zixing pulled the old man up, "Old man, let's talk in private for a moment."

There were too many people around to ask questions, and besides, Guo Zixing wanted to see the scene of Ai Li's death with his own eyes.

Ai Li was a star performer at the large dance hall, so she naturally earned a lot of money and was considered quite well-off in this northern part of the city. Therefore, she bought a two-story house in an alley and hired people to take care of the grandfather and grandson.

"Is it just the two of you living here?"

The room was clean and tidy, with bright windows and spotless furniture, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.

"Yes, we're the only ones living in this house." The old man nodded, then began to feel melancholy again.

The old man wiped away his tears. "I only had one son, and he only had one daughter, Li'er. They passed away a long time ago. Li'er was very sensible and started taking care of this old man from a very young age. When she turned fifteen, the dance hall was hiring. She loved to sing and laugh since she was little, and she was also very pretty, so she was chosen right away. But who knew... who knew..."

Guo Zixing comforted her, "Don't be too sad. Miss Ai Li, if she were alive, she wouldn't bear to see you suffering for her."

The old man said angrily, "I know who it is."

Guo Zixing was quite surprised. "You knew?"

The old man stood up shakily and led Guo Zixing and the others into Ai Li's room. "You wait here."

Qingru looked around the room. It was decorated in a simple and warm style, which did not seem like the place for someone who would commit suicide. The flowers on the bedside table were a little wilted.

The photo frame next to it contained a picture of an old man and a young woman. Against a backdrop of green grass and blue sky, the two smiled happily. The young woman, with her sweet smile, was quite different from the large photo hanging in the Jin Anna Ballroom; she possessed a pure and sweet beauty.

That girl was none other than Eli.

Qingru frowned, "What a pity."

The old man rummaged through the wardrobe for a long time before finally pulling out a thin booklet from under the jewelry box.

“Look, the evidence of my granddaughter’s murder is all in here.”

Guo Zixing took the booklet and looked at it. The outer cover was made of kraft paper and was very smooth. From the outside, the paper inside looked very thin, only half a finger thick.

"Old man, do you know something? Don't worry, I will never tell anyone what you said."

The old man chuckled self-deprecatingly, "Am I afraid of these things? I only have a few days left to live, so it doesn't matter to me."

The group returned to the living room, and the old man sat down and began to speak, “My daughter Li’er is a good girl. Although she is a dancer, she is virtuous and never sells her body. She had no other choice. At that time, my body was failing me, and she could only make money through this means.”

The old man pounded his body a few times as he spoke, and no one disturbed him, waiting for him to calm down on his own.

“My daughter Li’er is very studious. She didn’t go to school in her early years, but after she started earning money, she said she wanted to study hard, get a diploma, and find a decent job in the future. Not long after, she found a tutor, but I don’t know what she’s learning. I only know that she comes home very happy every day.”

Li'er only went to the dance hall at night and came home late at night. She didn't get much sleep during the day and had to go to class. She was very tired. No matter how much I felt sorry for her, I had no reason to stop her from going to school. I could only take good care of my health and try not to hold her back. I had already decided that as long as Li'er could find a good home, I would end my life and not be a burden to her.

But little did I know that starting last year, Li'er gradually became preoccupied, and her smile disappeared. When I asked her why, she only said that the market was bad and she wasn't making much money. From then on, she stopped coming home every night. When I asked her why, she only said that traveling back and forth was too exhausting and she wasn't getting enough rest.

I had a bad feeling, so I secretly followed her for a few days and found that she often got into a car after work. I followed her and found that it was the route to the suburban yarn factory.

The next day I asked her, and Li'er threw a huge tantrum, saying that she had grown up and I couldn't control her anymore. She said that she was getting old and couldn't earn money easily anymore, and she didn't entertain clients. If she didn't find a rich man to marry soon, she was afraid she would be destitute for the rest of her life.

I was speechless and could only go with her. Later, Li'er stopped hiding it from me, but she still refused to reveal the man's identity. Only once, when she was drunk, did she let it slip that the man was a high-ranking official in Japan, and that he had a family there. Here, Li'er was the most important person, and all wives were treated equally.

Li'er, of course, didn't believe him, but she said she had already lost her virginity, and whether it was good or bad, it was all his fault. I was furious and went to confront the man, only to be beaten up instead. To protect me, Li'er had a huge argument with the Japanese man, and they never spoke to each other again.

Unfortunately, Li'er couldn't let go of it and always kept her worries in this book. That Japanese man was very stingy. Li'er had been with him for so long, and he had only ever given her food, cloth, and clothes; nothing of value.

A few days ago, Li'er suddenly told me excitedly that the Japanese man had changed his mind and still couldn't let go of Li'er, and had given her some things. From that day on, Li'er began to change, sometimes happy, sometimes sad, and often anxious and having nightmares.

The day before yesterday, after she came back, she first hugged me and cried her heart out, then apologized and packed her things, saying she needed to leave quickly. But someone came looking for her, and then after Li'er came back, she locked herself in her room, refusing to eat, drink, or speak. It wasn't until Manager Qu came that I learned she had hanged herself.

The old man began to sob again, and everyone who heard it felt heartbroken.

Guo Zixing then opened the leather-bound booklet, which detailed when she met Hayakawa Namio, how they fell in love, and how they became engaged. Most importantly, this Ai Li was not a fool; on the contrary, she was very intelligent.

Ever since she learned that Hayakawa Namio had lied to her, her notebook has been filled with all the bad things Hayakawa Namio had done, including which officials and wealthy businessmen he had bribed…

Most importantly, she recorded when Hayakawa brought the opium and how he forced her to mix it into cigars to coax wealthy young men into smoking it. She also meticulously recorded which wealthy young men subsequently sought her out for opium.

Guo Zixing was overjoyed and carefully put the booklet away.

The next step is to investigate the true cause of Eli's death.

Ai Li's body was placed in a side hall, and Guo Zixing led everyone to see it.

San'er stepped forward and reported, "The coroner has examined the body and said the fatal injury was suffocation. However, it wasn't hanging; the victim first took sleeping pills and then was strangled. You see, this deep purple ligature mark is embedded in the back of the neck—a position that suicide would never have been possible."

"Moreover," San'er whispered, "judging from the lividity, the time of death was no more than twenty-four hours ago."

Guo Zixing exclaimed in surprise, "So that means it was very likely yesterday?"

They went to Jin Anna's place yesterday morning, and at noon Manager Qu said that Ai Li had committed suicide by hanging. If Ai Li died before Manager Qu arrived, then it must have been more than 24 hours. But if she died after Manager Qu arrived, then it makes sense.

"Quickly, notify the people guarding the Jin Anna Ballroom to arrest and detain Manager Qu immediately!"