Chapter 494: The Rebellious Teenager

It was hard to tell whether it was Chen Shi’s comforting words or just hearing Yan Qilin’s name that had an effect, but Zhang Jinlei sat in his chair, clutching his head in pain, and seemed to calm down for the moment.

After a minute or so, Zhang Jinlei stood up, opened a drawer, and took out a bottle of pills. He swallowed one with some cold coffee from the table. Chen Shi noticed he was taking Paroxetine, an antidepressant.

With red-rimmed eyes, Zhang Jinlei said, “I’m sorry, I got too emotional. I hope you understand, I have a psychological condition.”

Chen Shi responded, “We understand. We’re sorry for disturbing you. You know that Yan Qilin’s case might be the work of a serial killer. Every Qixi Festival, he kills a girl.”

Zhang Jinlei nodded calmly. “I’ve heard.”

“May I ask where you were last night?”

“Drinking.”

“Which bar?”

“Usually, I go to Queqiao Bar, but it relocated this year, so I went to a new one called… Mars Bar? I don’t usually drink, but on this day, I have to get drunk.”

“Were you there the whole time? Can anyone verify this?”

Zhang Jinlei’s eyes flickered with annoyance. “You can ask at the bar.”

“But someone says you were elsewhere around nine o’clock last night.”

“Who says that?”

“We can’t disclose that. Were you at another location?”

“I was at the bar from eight to midnight, nowhere else. I don’t see why you’re asking this.”

Sensing Zhang Jinlei’s rising irritation, Chen Shi changed the subject. “Your file says your family is well-off, and both your parents work at a bank?”

“My parents do work at a bank. To others, it might seem like we’re well-off, but my childhood was far from happy. My parents constantly fought, and anything could trigger an argument. They’ve been talking about divorce since I was little, but for the sake of appearances, they stayed together in a dead marriage. I was just a tool for my father to show off. From preschool, I was forced into various extracurricular classes. Every test had to be perfect, and even minor competitions like chess, speeches, or mental math, I had to win. Our house is plastered with my awards, my father’s pride and joy. But I hated my family. It caused me immense psychological trauma.

“To outsiders, I was the smart, hardworking student from a good family. But inside, I was deeply scarred, terrified of social interactions, and incredibly insecure. I know you might not understand… but meeting her was the first bright spot in my life. We met by chance when I defended her from a school bully. The next day, she thanked me and offered to buy me a treat. My father forbade early dating and even bribed my teachers to keep tabs on me. If he heard I was getting close to a girl, he’d lecture me harshly… But I agreed to meet her.”

“A rebellious act?”

“Yes, the more they forbade it, the more I wanted to do it! My parents’ strictness made me act out in school, and I dated a few girls in a flirtatious way. I looked down on those naive girls, but she was different. I planned to play with her too, but then I genuinely fell for her. She had something special that drew me in. Seeing her talk to other boys made me crazy, so I’d ignore her to punish her. But her sadness hurt me even more… Looking back, I realize I deeply loved her, though our relationship was tumultuous. I regret not treating her better.

“We had an on-and-off relationship, always caring about each other. All through our senior year, we walked home together but never held hands. After the college entrance exams, she told me she didn’t do well and could only get into a third-tier college or retake the year to be with me. My scores were way above the cutoff for first-tier universities, but I couldn’t wait another year. College meant nothing to me without her. I applied to the same third-tier school. To me, it was a bold move; to my parents, it was self-destructive. My father, who had never hit me, slapped me and threatened to disown me. I ran away. My parents then got teachers, friends, and relatives to persuade me. Eventually, I confessed. I wasn’t trying to rebel; I just wanted them to give up. What happened next was beyond my expectations…”

Chen Shi had read the earlier statements and had a vague idea but still feigned interest.

“My dad finally gave in and asked if attending the same university as her was all I wanted. I said yes. He pulled strings to get her a special admission spot at a university, on the condition that I also attend. It was a compromise. I never wanted to stay under my family’s control, but I agreed for her. She felt guilty but accepted it. I dreamed of a happy college life with her. Then, just as everything seemed perfect, it happened…”

Zhang Jinlei’s eyes filled with tears, and he sobbed.

After he finished crying, Chen Shi asked, “How did you get along with Yue Chao?”

“Yue Chao? That dropout? I hated him. He was a troublemaker, sleazy and arrogant. Worse, he always harassed Yan Qilin, especially when we fought. He’d badmouth me to her, trying to break us up. I warned him to stay away, and we fought over it. When she was murdered, he was the first person I suspected. Who else would do such a thing? But you police cleared him because of his alibi.”

“I want to say, just because he’s awful doesn’t make him the killer.”

Zhang Jinlei looked defiant, reluctant to accept this.