"Ah Ci, go upstairs. I will handle this." Meng Qingyan said to Chu Ci.
Despite their history of not getting along, it was clear that Meng Qingyan still wanted to protect Chu Ci. She urged her to go upstairs, but Chu Ci simply turned and walked away.
"Wait a minute," called one of the police officers, halting Chu Ci on the stairs. She paused and looked back at the officer who had spoken to her.
Meng Qingyan frowned, while Chu Muping appeared to be enjoying the situation. Meng Yuxin remained composed.
Hastily, Meng Qingyan said to Chu Ci, "Ah Ci, don't say anything right now. I will hire a lawyer for you. We can discuss everything after the lawyer arrives."
Chu Muping stood by and sarcastically remarked, "How good can a lawyer be? In my opinion, it's better to be honest and straightforward. If you're sincere, you might even ask the judge for a lenient sentence."
At that moment, the young male police officer asked, "Who claimed that Miss Chu Ci is the criminal suspect we are looking for?"
Throughout the conversation, the Chu family was speaking among themselves, and the two policemen had yet to reveal who the suspect was. Weren't they looking for Chu Ci?
"Then why did you call for Chu Ci?" one of the family members asked.
The officer responded, "We asked Miss Chu Ci not to leave because she is an important witness in this case. These badges were sent to Miss Chu Ci by Mr. Yi Xuecheng, but they were stolen along the way. As far as we know, the person who stole the badges is Ms Meng Yuxin."
Meng Qingyan's expression changed dramatically at the police's words, her face turning even paler than when she first heard that Chu Ci was the thief. "What nonsense are you talking about? How could Yuxin be the suspect you are looking for?"
Chu Han also looked at the police in shock.
Chu Ci thought, "She... she didn't steal? Could he have wrongly accused her?"
Chu Muping was also stunned. Was the badge given to Chu Ci by Yi Xuecheng? How could that be? How could a girl from the slums like Chu Ci possibly know a sports star like Yi Xuecheng and receive a unique set of badges from him?
Meng Yuxin was equally dumbfounded. She had originally believed that Chu Ci's badges were obtained through illegal means, assuming that the person who stole Yi Xuecheng's badges was Chu Ci herself. She thought she had simply taken Chu Ci's express delivery by mistake and that there would be no consequences.
The police have stated that the express package was sent by Yi Xuecheng to Chu Ci, and they confirmed that Chu Ci did not commit any theft. She has been wrongly labelled as a thief from the beginning!
One of the police officers responded, "Whether this is a mistake will become clear once Ms. Meng Yuxin returns with us for further investigation. We, as police officers, will not wrongly accuse an innocent person, nor will we allow a guilty person to go free. If Ms. Meng Yuxin truly did not commit this act, we will definitely clear her name."
"That's impossible! You must be mistaken. My Yuxin is a well-behaved and sensible girl. How could she do something so underhanded? If she really wanted that set of badges, I could easily buy them for her. She wouldn't have to resort to such actions!"
Meng Qingyan's reaction was quite intense as she staunchly defended Meng Yuxin. While she had previously voiced her support for Chu Ci when she had doubts about her, her confidence was not as strong at that moment. This was largely because Meng Yuxin had been raised by her since childhood, and she was completely assured of her character. In contrast, although Chu Ci was her child, the lack of contact over the years made it difficult for her to be certain of Chu Ci's personality.
The young male police officer responded, "We operate based on evidence. If no indications were pointing to Ms. Meng Yuxin, we wouldn't have come here without a proper reason. We are simply doing our routine work, so please do not interfere with us."
Meng Yuxin tugged at Meng Qingyan's arm, saying, "Aunt, I didn't do anything." His eyes were red, filled with tears, and he looked both aggrieved and scared—like a frightened little rabbit.
Meng Qingyan quickly comforted him, reassuring him, "Don't be afraid, Yuxin. It's okay. Your aunt is here, and she won't let you suffer any injustice." Meng Yuxin nodded repeatedly, seeking solace in her words.
Meanwhile, a police officer addressed Chu Ci, saying, "Ms. Chu Ci, please come back with us to record your statement." Chu Ci did not object and began to walk down the stairs.
At that moment, Meng Qingyan turned to Chu Ci and said, "Ah Ci, no matter what you know, remember that Yuxin is still your cousin." She urged Chu Ci to clarify the situation and to avoid making any statements that could harm Meng Yuxin.
"I warned her before," Chu Ci replied in a cold tone, showing no signs of being swayed.