Chapter 245: The Forgotten
Lin Dongxue asked, “How did Zhou Xiao find Lao Hei so quickly? He was even more efficient than us.”
Lin Qiupu replied, “Lao Hei’s wanted notice was online, with detailed information about his identity. Also, he’s gay, so it’s easier to get information in the gay community.”
Peng Siyue added, “He didn’t find him immediately. Several men were killed in Long’an City in the past few days, using Zhou Xiao’s methods, but without the disgrace mark. It was later confirmed that these men were all gay.”
Lin Dongxue sighed, “Absolutely heartless!”
Lin Qiupu lamented, “That troublesome guy is back. It looks like we need to open a case. I’ll inform the chief.”
A few days later, Jiang Huai’s body was found in a vegetable garden behind Lao Hei’s temporary residence. Seeing the girl’s body, Lin Dongxue couldn’t help but feel sad.
The newspapers reported the incident, featuring a headline, “Teen Girl Sacrifices Herself to Save Brother,” and a TV program even covered it. The program displayed Jiang Huai’s best photo on a large screen, showing her with braided hair and a bright smile.
On the show, the stepmother tearfully said, “Huaihuai was such an obedient and sensible child. She always gave the best things to her brother. Even though I was her stepmother, how could one not love such a child? I remember once when she had a cold, she asked me to disinfect her room because she didn’t want her grandparents to get sick. She was such a considerate and lovely child. Why did heaven take her away?”
The father said, “Huaihuai was very independent from a young age because we were poor. She often helped with housework and was such a thoughtful child. Although I was busy with work, I always spent time with her and Mingming when I could. Huaihuai’s birthday was July 18th. No matter how busy I was, I would always buy her a birthday gift. She was very talented and loved reading. I bought her the Four Great Classical Novels when she was in elementary school, and she even wrote articles that got published. With the money she earned, she bought her grandfather a massage chair. Look, this is what she wrote in her diary, ‘My Dad.’ Reading these words breaks my heart. I hope no other family experiences this tragedy. Thank you to the police for catching the killer!”
The class teacher said, “Jiang Huai was always a determined and responsible student. She excelled academically and often helped classmates who were struggling. She was known as a talented writer in our class, having published many stories in magazines. Her writing was vivid and engaging. I often praised her work in class meetings, encouraging other students to learn from her.”
The host asked, “Could we read one of Jiang Huai’s stories here?”
The teacher, a bit embarrassed, said, “I didn’t bring her stories today, but I do have an award-winning essay she wrote at school. I can read it… ‘On Integrity. What is integrity? My teacher said…’”
The host interrupted halfway, saying, “Since Jiang Huai’s brother is also a victim in this case, we decided not to invite him to the show to protect his privacy. But from what we’ve heard from her parents and teacher, Jiang Huai was an obedient, sensible, and talented young girl. Her untimely death is a profound loss for all of us…”
At this point, the stepmother and father started wiping their eyes, and the teacher took out a handkerchief.
Lin Dongxue turned off the TV in the meeting room with a snap. The other officers looked puzzled, and Xu Xiaodong asked, “Why did you turn it off?”
“That wasn’t the real Jiang Huai!” Lin Dongxue left the room angrily.
Her anger only subsided a bit when she saw a blog post titled “My Sister is the Coolest.” The post featured Jiang Huai’s unfinished story, detailing the abuse she suffered at the hands of her stepmother. The post quickly gained attention.
However, within two days, the blog and the account disappeared entirely, and people’s attention shifted to other matters.
Lin Dongxue thought, the public would never learn the truth through the media. The living would lie for their own benefit and reputation, but only those who experienced it firsthand would remember the real girl.
As long as there is one person who remembers her, she will never truly disappear.