Downstairs, two young police officers in uniform were waiting in the living room. One of them addressed Meng Qingyan:
"Hello, Mrs. Chu. We are here to arrest a suspect involved in the theft of a limited edition commemorative badge valued at over 200,000 yuan."
Meng Qingyan replied, "Could you be mistaken, officers? There shouldn't be anyone like that in my family. Anything worth over 200,000 yuan is certainly affordable for someone in the Chu family."
She added that even a bag or necklace from her collection costs more than 200,000 yuan. Despite any ulterior motives her third brother, Chu Muping, and his children might have, Meng Qingyan couldn't believe they would resort to such actions.
The young police officer explained, "Madam, you may not be aware that $200,000 is merely the market estimate. In fact, the stolen badges belonged to star player Yi Xuecheng. They are priceless and one of a kind. Many obsessed fans are willing to pay ten times or even more than the market price for them."
Although Meng Qingyan is not a fan of celebrities, she knows that items belonging to some celebrities can sell for exorbitant prices.
"Even so, my family, the Chus, does not need to resort to stealing to obtain them," Meng Qingyan replied with a smile, maintaining her polite and generous demeanour.
At that moment, Chu Muping, the third son of the Chu family, came over. He and his wife had moved back to the Chu family villa to ensure their presence was felt by Mr Chu, hoping it would influence him to take better care of them when making his will.
Knowing that the police were about to arrive at his door, Chu Muping came downstairs to observe the unfolding scene. He smiled at Meng Qingyan and said, "Second sister-in-law, you don't understand. The Chu family would never engage in such actions. However, some who have recently returned to the family come from mixed backgrounds and have lived in poverty, which might drive them to desperate measures."
He was referring to Chu Ci. It was well-known that the Chu brothers had a strained relationship. With their father seriously ill, the conflict between Chu Yuheng and Chu Muping had intensified. Chu Muping was unhappy about Chu Ci's return because he feared that his brother would claim a larger portion of their father's inheritance. As a result, he sought every opportunity to undermine Chu Ci.
Meng Qingyan suppressed her displeasure and replied, "Third brother, please be careful with your words. If Dad finds out that you are suspecting people in our own home, it will break his heart."
Chu Muping confidently stated, "Sister-in-law, the police are here now. I'm not making random accusations. If they didn't have evidence, would they come to question your daughter? I just want to advise you to be more open-minded. A phoenix egg dropped into a chicken coop will never become a phoenix again."
Seeing Meng Qingyan's grim expression, Meng Yuxin quickly interjected, "Uncle, please don't speak like that. The police are only suspecting my cousin; they haven't convicted her yet. You can't say those things."
Chu Muping sneered, "Let's wait and see. Once the police take her in for questioning, you should prepare to hire a lawyer for her."
Meng Yuxin countered, "Third Uncle, you're mistaken to think that way. My cousin's surname is Chu, just like yours. How can you wish for something bad to happen to your own family?"
Meng Qingyan nodded in agreement with Meng Yuxin, saying, "Yuxin is right."
Chu Ci returned from the kitchen with dessert, and as she walked through the living room, everyone turned to look at her. Glancing at the dessert in her hand, she said, "There's more in the kitchen." In other words, she was indicating that they shouldn't take what she was holding.