Chen Shi asked, "That was how you and Zhang Jinlei became enemies?"

Yue Chao nodded. "It was more than that. He actually got together with Yan Qilin after “fighting for justice" on her behalf. I fucking inadvertently became Yue Lao[1]. Wouldn’t you say that was frustrating? Then the unfortunate thing happened to Yan Qilin and Zhang Jinlei actually came over and tried to settle things with me. He fought with me again. I have been brooding over this matter for a long time. Why did they dump everything on me? Although I have neither learning nor skills, I still have my own principles. I don’t hit women, and I won’t commit crimes.”

Chen Shi said, "But you tried to get your girlfriend to pretend to be Yan Qilin's ghost to scare him. Wasn’t that a bit too much? By the way, it’s been six years, how do you know that Zhang Jinlei would hold a memorial for Yan Qilin every Qixi?"

Yue Chao grew silent again. Chen Shi took out a pack of cigarettes and handed it over. Yue Chao took it and asked, "Brother, do you have a lighter?"

"No."

"You’re so strange. You have cigarettes but not a lighter. Are you joking with me?!"

"I don't smoke. I bought these for you... Okay, let me borrow a lighter for you."

Chen Shi returned with a borrowed lighter. On the way back, he put his phone into the recording mode and put it in his pocket. Yue Chao reached out to take the lighter, but Chen Shi retracted his hand. "Answer the question first."

Yue Chao held the unlit cigarette in his mouth and didn’t speak.

Chen Shi said, "I'm not doubting you. I just want to know the truth. Although it’s been six years, the murderer who killed Yan Qilin is still at large. Don't you want to bring him to justice?"

"Of course I want that. It’s just..."

"Just what?"

"..."

Chen Shi picked up on his nervousness and panic. "Do you and Yan Qilin have a different level of relationship? Seeing how you know about Zhang Jinlei going there to mourn for her every year on Qixi, it indicates that you also went to that place. What do you go there for?"

"I…"

"I’m the only one here, and two policemen are required to take down a testimony. You can tell me without worrying."

"I was very angry for some time just after I was persuaded by the school to drop out. I often went to Yan Qilin to make "trouble" for her. She was a very introverted girl who couldn't handle my harsh words. She would cry from being so frightened. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. After leaving, I was so irritated that I wanted to find her and clarify things with her. Gradually, I... I actually fell in love with her. Fucking hell. I don’t know why either. I always wanted to see, talk to and go home with her."

When he said that, Yue Chao's eyes became a little damp. He took the lighter in Chen Shi's hand, lit the cigarette, and exhaled.

"Once, I followed her home and found out that she was from a single-parent family. Her father was always drinking and playing mahjong. When he saw me going home with her, he questioned her about who I was. The young girl was so weak that she could only cry. At that time, I was eavesdropping outside. It made me so frustrated that I rushed in and scolded her father a little. Then I pulled her away and we stayed out all night. I treated her to some food and tried to counsel her. The more I looked at her pitiful expression, the more I thought she was cute… If Zhang Jinlei hadn’t butted in, maybe we would have been together. So I hated Zhang Jinlei. He had good grades, a good family background, and knew how to play basketball. All the girls in class liked him. Why did he have to take away Yan Qilin? It’s clear that he was against me and he made me grind my teeth in anger!"

"You don’t care about how Yan Qilin caused you to be dismissed?"

Immersed in his memories, Yue Chao smiled. "My grades wouldn’t have qualified me for university anyway. To be honest, the main reason I wasn’t able to accept it was because I couldn’t let go of the resentment. But when I looked into the pitiful eyes of that girl, I was unable to get angry. She was an angel!”

"Then I’m quite puzzled. You liked her but you found someone to act as her ghost. Wouldn’t that tarnish her image in your mind?"

"I don't mean to do that. I had another purpose..."

"Do you suspect Zhang Jinlei?"

Yue Chao raised his eyes and said with admiration, "Brother, how could you tell?"

"I guessed it. Acting as a ghost to scare someone has two purposes. One is revenge, and the other is to force the person to reveal the horse leg[2]."

"Amazing. Amazing. I can tell you’re not an ordinary policeman... Okay, I’m a little suspicious of Zhang Jinlei. After these two got together back then, I often followed them. I felt that Zhang Jinlei wasn’t a good person. He often caused Yan Qilin to cry. The two of them quarreled over trivial matters on several occasions, and Zhang Jinlei would leave by himself, leaving her behind to cry by herself. I was very sad listening to the sound of her crying. I think Zhang Jinlei seems to have a sunny disposition on the outside, but he’s very immature on the inside. He’s an extremely insecure kind of guy. Some people argue every day when they fall in love and some people are very sweet. I am the latter and he is the former. But I don’t understand why Yan Qilin liked him. Was she a masochist? If she had been my girlfriend, I promise that I would have made her laugh every day, taken her out to eat delicious food, and never let her shed a single tear. But she prefers Zhang Jinlei's type... "

"That's the reason you suspect him?"

"Zhang Jinlei's personality isn’t sound. Is that not enough?"

Chen Shi understood that this was only one-sided speculation from Yue Chao. Feelings could blind people's eyes. When he saw Yan Qilin aggrieved, his heart infinitely magnified the pain.

To confirm, Chen Shi asked, "What do they generally quarrel about?"

"Hmm, I can't describe it. It’s just that the guy is a control-freak."

"Understood."

"If you want to re-investigate this case, you must interrogate that guy. Don't be blinded by his infatuated appearance. He must have some dark secrets. I dare to guarantee that! Give me another cigarette.”

Chen Shi gave him another cigarette. After lighting it, Yue Chao asked, "When can you let me go?"

"I’ve already said twenty-four hours."

"God, can you give me my phone back?"

Chen Shi took out his own phone from his pocket. "I can't give you your phone, but you can use mine to make a call."

At this time, Lin Dongxue's name popped up on the phone. Chen Shi pressed to answer. Lin Dongxue informed him, "Old Chen, we found the body."

"Send me the address."

Hanging up the phone, he hurried away. Yue Chao shouted from behind, "Hey, give me the phone to make a call!"

Chen Shi rushed to the scene. It was a paddy field next to a road in the suburbs. In the middle of the green crops was a striking smear of red. The police had cordoned off the surroundings and paid the farmers a sum to compensate for trampling on their crops.

Chen Shi walked closer and saw that the corpse was a girl about 20 years old with a slender figure. She was wearing a red dress, covered with white powder, and a line of numbers was visible on her right arm.

Lin Dongxue said, "Captain Peng said the time of death was around 10:00 last night. This area doesn’t have police patrol nor security cameras. There’s no doubt that the same person did it."

Peng Sijue, who was squatting on the ground, lifted the head of the corpse up for examination. He suddenly found that the back of her head was covered with blood. Her skull had been smashed to pieces by someone...

1. The matchmaking god that intertwines fates with red string.

2. To inadvertently reveal a secret.