Chapter 491: A Troubled Student

Chen Shi and Lin Dongxue observed from outside. Lin Dongxue remarked, “I never expected such a major breakthrough this year. If this case gets solved, I’ll have to visit a temple and offer incense.”

Chen Shi replied, “Do you think Yue Chao brought that girl to the scene to kill her in the same way? But did he have a weapon on him?”

Xu Xiaodong said, “We didn’t find any on him or in his car. Our colleagues are searching the scene; maybe he ditched it somewhere.”

“Who’s the girl?” Chen Shi asked.

“Yue Chao says she’s his girlfriend, but she’s too drunk to be questioned.”

Chen Shi whispered to Xu Xiaodong with a smile, “She’s quite pretty!” Lin Dongxue jabbed him and scolded, “Can you be serious?”

In the interrogation room, Yue Chao was still stalling. Lin Qiupu said, “You can waste my time all you want. This is my job, and I can stay here as long as needed.”

Yue Chao looked defiant, “You need to guarantee this won’t go on my record!”

“You’re worried about your record?” Lin Qiupu opened a file in his hand, “Let’s look at your past. Fights in high school got you disciplinary action, nearly jailed for brawls while in a theater group, and you’ve switched jobs multiple times, never holding one for more than a year.”

Yue Chao backed down, saying, “You think I’m the killer, don’t you?”

“That depends on the evidence and your testimony.”

“Fine, I’ll be honest. A month ago, we had a high school reunion. We talked about Yan Qilin’s murder. I heard Zhang Jinlei goes to that place every Qixi to pay respects. I’ve had issues with Zhang Jinlei, so I wanted to mess with him. I planned to take my girlfriend there, dress her in a red dress to scare him.”

“How do you explain the bag of salt?”

“I planned to sprinkle the salt to lure him over and have my girlfriend jump out to scare him. It’s a theater trick I learned.”

“And the girl is your girlfriend?”

“Yes.”

“She’s that drunk, and you still planned to scare someone? Does your story hold up?”

“Why would I lie? Ask her when she sobers up. Do you think I could be a killer?”

“We’ll wait until she’s sober then.”

Lin Qiupu ordered an officer to detain Yue Chao. Chen Shi understood their strategy—if Yue Chao stayed overnight and there were no new bodies found the next day, he might indeed be the suspect.

For now, there was no conclusion, and it was getting late. Chen Shi told Lin Dongxue, “I’m heading back. Need a ride?”

Having been busy with the case and lacking proper rest, Chen Shi slept in the next morning, only getting up at eight. He and Tao Yueyue leisurely had breakfast before heading to the station.

The station was calm, with no news of new bodies found. Yue Chao was still in detention, and the girl, once sober, confirmed Yue Chao’s story. However, the police remained skeptical, considering he might have intended to kill her. The two had only known each other for about a month.

From prior knowledge, they knew Yue Chao was a playboy with a history of fleeting relationships.

Chen Shi doubted Yue Chao was the killer. Yue Chao seemed too restless and impulsive, not the type to commit a crime consistently over six years. And what would his motive be?

Chen Shi went to find Lin Dongxue. The office staff said she and Officer Li had gone to the scene where Yue Chao was arrested.

Chen Shi headed to the detention room. Seeing someone approaching, Yue Chao, who was lying down, immediately sat up and pleaded, “I’m not a bad person. Can you let me go? At least give me my phone back. I’ll lose two days’ pay if I don’t show up to work.”

“Talking to me won’t help. Don’t worry, if we don’t find evidence within twenty-four hours, we’ll release you.”

“Twenty-four hours? I don’t have that much free time to waste here!”

“Then why did you have time to scare Zhang Jinlei last night? By the way, I’m curious, why did you drop out back then?”

Yue Chao fell silent, finally muttering, “Personal reasons.”

“Can’t you tell me?”

“I’ve been questioned for six years about that case! Police couldn’t catch the real killer, so they keep bothering me. I know I’ve had some issues in the past, but you can’t label me the killer just because of that. Can’t you find the real culprit and stop using me as a scapegoat?”

“Your imagination is quite vivid. We just need to clear things up. So, why did you drop out?”

Yue Chao licked his lips, remaining silent.

Chen Shi observed his expression and said, “If I’m not mistaken, your dropout had something to do with Yan Qilin. That’s why you’re afraid to say it.”

“She ruined me!”

“Oh?”

“I had terrible grades, no hope for college. I was just goofing around. One time I got caught smoking in the bathroom by the class advisor. He slapped me without a word. I was young and impulsive, so…”

“You hit back?”

“No, I knew better than that. I just made some threats about getting my buddies to deal with him. Coincidentally, a few days later, he got mugged on his way home. His phone and wallet were taken. I swear I had nothing to do with it, but he blamed me. The school set up a mini-court with the dean, vice principal, and head of security grilling me. I denied involvement, but they didn’t believe me. My mom pleaded with the advisor, but it only made things worse. They found a witness who claimed to see me following the advisor that night. They gave me an ultimatum to drop out, so I did, reluctantly. In hindsight, they had no proof and just wanted me out.”

“The witness was Yan Qilin?”

Yue Chao nodded, “I’ve resented that ever since. I kept going back to the school to find out who the witness was. Eventually, I learned it was Yan Qilin. I hardly ever spoke to her, so I didn’t get why she’d do that to me. I confronted her after school one day, asking which eye of hers saw me do it. It was late, and she got scared, started yelling. I grabbed her arm, and then Zhang Jinlei showed up and fought me. Later, Zhang Jinlei spread rumors that I tried to molest Yan Qilin. I was just seeking answers. I know I was a troublemaker, but they can’t pin everything on me.”

Yue Chao covered his face, seemingly overwhelmed with frustration.