Chapter 118: The Strange Fragrance

Ye Zehong sent the preliminary investigation findings from his subordinates to Lu Yao’s phone.

Lu Yao scanned the information quickly, finding nothing particularly unusual. Sun Ying came from a remote village and dropped out of school before finishing middle school to work in the capital. Because she was underage, she couldn't find a legitimate job and had to work as a waitress in nightclubs. After serving tables for a few years, she transitioned into a hostess. Her monthly income grew from just over a thousand yuan to more than ten thousand, and eventually to over a hundred thousand. As her income rose, she began to curate her image, using the money earned from hosting and the connections she had built to start her own business, eventually becoming a shareholder in a new media company.

The company was performing well with rapid growth, and having hitched her wagon to the Ye family’s fortune, she had been living quite comfortably over the past few years.

Ye Zehong gazed at her profile with deep, thoughtful eyes. "At first glance, this information seems fine. But there are certainly points of suspicion."

Lu Yao looked up to meet his gaze, only then realizing he had been staring at her, and her cheeks flushed slightly. After a pause, she asked, "What do you mean?"

"First, the Ye Group generally chooses to collaborate only with companies that possess significant strength; we rarely engage with small firms that are still in the funding stages," Ye Zehong said, pausing briefly to gather his thoughts. "The data shows that Sun Ying’s company only began to thrive after it started cooperating with the Ye Group. From this, we can conclude that she has connections with someone inside the group."

Hearing this, it suddenly clicked for Lu Yao. Her lips curled upward, and she smiled. "As long as we follow this trail, we will surely find the mole. It is highly likely that this person is the mastermind behind Sun Ying’s framing of the Third Young Master."

"No need to look any further. It was Ye Hua who strongly recommended Sun Ying in the first place," Ye Zehong said with a faint smile.

"To think that Ye Hua would smear her own brother—she really is a demon." Lu Yao’s eyes darkened, a trace of hatred flickering across her face.

Ye Zehong gently patted the top of Lu Yao’s head, saying softly, "You go inside and see the Third Young Master first. See if he can think of anything that might help clear his name."

"Alright, but you..." Lu Yao looked back at him, feeling an inexplicable flutter in her heart.

"I’ll be right here waiting for you," Ye Zehong said, offering her a gentle smile. "Our third brother is counting on you."

*Our third brother?* The word "our" stirred something deep within Lu Yao, causing her heart to skip a beat.

***

Inside the interrogation room, Ye Zemao sat with his hands cuffed to a stainless steel chair, looking somewhat deflated.

When he saw Lu Yao, he sighed and said, "Lu Yao, do you look down on me?"

Lu Yao placed her notebook on the table, turned on her phone’s recording function, and shook her head gently. "Third Young Master, you are overthinking it. I do not look down on you, nor am I in any position to do so. I agreed to help you because I believe in your character. I hope you can talk more about the circumstances when you first interacted with Sun Ying. Please describe them in as much detail as possible."

Ye Zemao let out a long, heavy sigh, his eyes weary. "Can you give me a cigarette?"

The officer hesitated for a moment before lighting one for him. Ye Zemao took a deep drag, then exhaled the smoke slowly. Watching the smoke swirl in the light, he recalled the scene and began to describe it to Lu Yao piece by piece.

Halfway through, Lu Yao asked, "Before the banquet, did you know Sun Ying?"

"No," Ye Zemao answered decisively.

Lu Yao continued, "When you were interacting with her, did you notice anything different about her compared to others?"

"I don't think so," Ye Zemao replied, pondering for a moment before dismissively adding, "Though, she did have a strange scent about her—one that made me feel inexplicably feverish."