Chapter 113: Love of the Backup

Chen Shi said, “Half a month ago, Kong Tingting went to a bar to drown her sorrows after a breakup. She got extremely drunk, and you took her to a hotel and had sex with her. Then, for some unknown reason, you ‘gifted’ her a burial shroud and a note falsely claiming she had contracted AIDS. Since then, Kong Tingting started to retaliate against society wildly. On Christmas Eve at 3 PM, you found Kong Tingting, killed her, and had sex with her again before she died.”

Han Le, sweating profusely, retorted, “Nonsense! The incident happened at night. I have an alibi… What does 3 PM have to do with me?”

Chen Shi smiled, “You learned this trick from that mystery novel, right? You were meticulous enough to wipe the dust off the electrical box but overlooked the refrigerator. After the power outage, the items inside the fridge would spoil… Also, we have an eyewitness.”

Lin Dongxue added, “According to Locard’s exchange principle, criminals leave evidence at the crime scene and take something from it. We’ve found some burnt remnants at your home, which are being analyzed.”

Chen Shi softly corrected her, “Locard’s exchange principle.” Embarrassed by her mistake, Lin Dongxue gave a sheepish smile.

Han Le raised his voice, “Impossible! Burning is the best way to destroy DNA!”

“Did the book say that? Blind faith in books is worse than no books. Only thorough burning works. Are you still unwilling to talk? Struggling now is meaningless. The evidence we have can send you to court. Confessing now would be a relief for you,” Chen Shi urged.

Han Le was drenched in sweat, his Adam’s apple moving incessantly.

Chen Shi continued, gently, “Keeping such a huge secret and lying to the whole world must be unbearable pressure and anxiety. Confessing would make you feel better. We won’t laugh at you.”

Han Le’s lips trembled, and the guarded expression finally disappeared from his face. He said, “I sent the burial shroud.”

“Why did you do that?” Chen Shi asked.

“I… I’ve liked her for ten years, ten years! I started pursuing her in college. I walked with her, bought her meals, and was always the first to comfort her when she was sad. But she never liked me. Do you know what it’s like to be a backup?

“In sophomore year, she dated an upperclassman who played basketball. I was heartbroken but consoled myself, thinking as long as she was happy, it was okay. Less than a year later, she broke up with him, and I spent an entire night with her. I thought my chance had come, but a few days later, she was with another classmate. My dorm mates mocked me, and I was deeply hurt, but what could I do? Just wait!

“I waited for ten years, watching her change boyfriends one after another. She dated hooligans, rich but ugly men. She never gave me a chance, no matter how well I treated her. All I got was ‘I’m taking a shower,’ ‘I’m eating,’ ‘You’re a good person.’ She even became a streamer and slept with a fan who gave her six rockets… I can’t count how many people she slept with, but it never included me. To me, she was a goddess, but to others, she was no different from a prostitute!

“Give me a cigarette!”

They patiently waited for him to vent. Chen Shi lit a cigarette for him.

Han Le took a deep drag and continued, “Maybe inspired by the news, I came up with a good idea. I wanted her to contract ‘AIDS,’ so when the world abandoned her, I would reach out to her… Of course, that wasn’t important. My deceit was only to win her love.”

Lin Dongxue’s cheeks twitched slightly.

“Finally, my chance came. She broke up again… Again and again. That night, she asked me to keep her company. I knew it would be the same old story—listening to her complaints and then sending her home without anything happening. This time, I didn’t agree. Instead, I secretly followed her. She went to a bar and got drunk, so I took her to a shabby hotel. On that moldy bed, I tasted her beautiful body for the first time. It was amazing…”

“Don’t you have a girlfriend?” Lin Dongxue asked.

“That’s not true love!” Han Le continued. “That night, I did it three times, claiming back what I felt I was owed. Then I placed the prepared props on the bed and quietly left. Sure enough, she acted strangely afterward—no posts on social media, no logging into games. Later, I realized something was wrong. Despite thinking she had AIDS, she started sleeping with men madly. Ironically, she still didn’t consider me!”

“Maybe she didn’t want to infect her friends,” Lin Dongxue suggested.

“Nonsense! I followed her social accounts closely. Her ‘prey’ were all tall and strong, just like her previous boyfriends. For her, I even worked out. Why didn’t she choose me? Are we different species? So, I got angry. My love turned into hatred. If I couldn’t have her, no one else could. I decided to kill her!” Han Le said through gritted teeth.

He threw the cigarette butt away and changed his tone, “I thought my murder plan was perfect. That afternoon, I found her. I didn’t want to talk anymore. I attacked as soon as she opened the door, killing my goddess. It was a mix of pain and pleasure, as if I was personally ending a painful chapter of my life. Then I frantically had sex with her, even after she died, several times. When I calmed down, I realized this was the first time I had spent such intimate and long moments with her. I cried and felt a bit of regret. My emotions were very complicated.

“Unknowingly, I stayed until the evening. Her phone suddenly rang, and I panicked. It turned out she had a date with a man. I texted back, saying I’d be there soon, but he kept calling. I came up with a trick. She had been a streamer, right? You can find her recordings on Bilibili… You can search it.”

Chen Shi pulled out his phone and found the videos. They had little traffic. Han Le said, “I uploaded all these. I’m her most loyal fan. Check the third video around the 40-minute mark.”

Chen Shi skipped to that part. In the livestream, Kong Tingting answered a boyfriend’s call, saying, “Honey, I’m on my way,” followed by a knocking sound. It wasn’t a door knock but a notification sound from the streaming platform when someone entered the room.

Chen Shi finally understood. The mystery that puzzled him for so long was so simple!

“You tricked Wang Shilun with the sound from this video?” Chen Shi asked.

“Exactly. Did I fool you too?” Han Le laughed triumphantly.