Chapter 741: The Diary

April 9th, Police Investigation

On April 9th, the police came to investigate Xiao Si’s home. His “home” was rather unusual—an abandoned excavator in front of an unfinished building. He had removed the driver’s seat to make a tiny bedroom, less than two square meters, where he placed a bed and a small table for his laptop. He had also installed a lock on the door.

Due to the cramped space, only Lin Dongxue could search inside. The area around the excavator, which could be considered his “yard,” contained an old sofa, a metal barrel, and some salvaged furniture.

In the metal barrel, the police found a lot of ashes, identified as burnt wigs, women’s clothing, and other items, likely used as props to lure Zhang Xiao. There were also ashes of papers, possibly photographs, and Chen Shi discovered a small unburnt piece of printed paper with a number on it.

Connection to Zhang Xiao

Further investigation revealed that Zhang Xiao had designed a recruitment poster for the PUA Association in mid-March and had been carrying it. Chen Shi speculated that this paper was accidentally left at Duan Lin’s home and picked up by Xiao Si, who used his hacking skills to track them down.

Discovery of the Diary

“Look at this!” Lin Dongxue exclaimed, emerging from the excavator with a notebook. It was a diary, written by Duan Lin. The diary contained many trivial entries, and Lin Dongxue read a few excerpts aloud:

Diary Excerpts

“…Today I got paid and treated myself to some Yangzhou fried rice. A boy followed me, making me nervous. He looked like he hadn’t eaten in a while, staring at my food. On impulse, I handed him my rice, and he squatted by the road, eating it with his hands. It was heart-wrenching. After he finished, he left without a word. It felt like feeding a stray dog.

“The boy appeared again today, waiting on my way home from work. I told him I had no food for him, but he ran up and shoved a handful of crumpled bills into my hand before running off.

“I saw him again, and strangely, I was looking forward to it. He squatted there as if waiting for me. I smiled at him, and he stood up and followed me home. I made him instant noodles. We didn’t talk much, but it wasn’t awkward. He ate like he was starving, and after finishing, he washed his bowl. Then I heard the stove, and he clumsily tried to cook for me, even breaking an egg. It made me laugh.

“He started coming over regularly. After a bath, he looked much cleaner and was quite handsome, though his eyes were like a child’s. One night, I even held him while sleeping. Nothing happened between us; we weren’t that kind of relationship. He called me ‘sister’ in his sleep, and I answered. It was comforting to have someone to hold in this cold city. It was raining outside…

“I named him Xiao Si. He was like a little animal, always happy when I came home, hugging me and sniffing me. Taking care of him was fun, but I didn’t have much money. I told him he needed to find a job. He was upset and ignored me all night. Lazybones.

“With my persuasion, Xiao Si finally took a job at a studio. I didn’t know he could paint. He bought me a gift with his first earnings, and I was so happy I kissed him.

“My dad found out about Xiao Si. He saw our relationship as improper—‘You’re living with a man without being married!’ He threatened to come to the city to intervene. I couldn’t explain that we weren’t in a romantic relationship. To them, a man and woman together must mean something’s going on. It was exhausting. I told Xiao Si, and he agreed to move out but would visit regularly.

“Dear diary, I have a boyfriend! Haha, I can’t believe I’m not single anymore! He’s amazing, just back from studying in the US, with parents who are prosecutors. He’s so cultured. On our first date, he was a perfect gentleman. I knew he was the one I’d been waiting for. I haven’t told Xiao Si, maybe because I’m afraid he’d be jealous. I’ll wait until it’s official.

“He ran into some trouble and needed money, so I gave him my salary for the month. I trust him.

“We had a bad date. He said it was all my fault for bringing up a certain topic. I was so sad and cried all night. He’s so excellent, and I feel unworthy. No, I need to be better and not disappoint him!

“He started ignoring me. Does he have another woman? Or doesn’t want me anymore? My heart is breaking. I reached out and gave him my first time. I don’t regret it because I love him more than anything.

“I am a lowly, despicable, worthless woman. He’s right; my life is a mess. I can’t do anything right. I don’t deserve his love. I can’t choose who to live for, but I can choose who to die for, to always have a place in his heart.”

Reflection

The diary outlined Duan Lin’s journey from meeting Xiao Si to falling for Zhang Xiao and being manipulated by him, leading to her self-destruction. After reading, everyone was silent, feeling a deep sadness.

PUA tactics like push-pull, devaluation, and psychological control exploit women’s fear of loss over the desire for gain. Love should be joyous, but for these women, it’s far from it. PUA experts don’t even pursue sex actively, waiting for women to offer it. They’re like a flowery swamp, trapping their victims. Duan Lin, inexperienced and naive, was easy prey.

However, PUAs target women like Duan Lin—those with limited insight, poor judgment, and little dating experience, with no friends to advise them. Truly exceptional women are avoided because the PUA’s lies and tricks would be quickly exposed.

Xu Xiaodong sighed, “Why didn’t she confide in Xiao Si when she was suffering? This whole tragedy could have been avoided.”

Lin Dongxue replied, “Women often only focus on one person at a time. In the latter part of her diary, she didn’t mention Xiao Si at all; she was entirely fixated on her ‘Prince Charming.’”

Lin Qiupu said, “We have enough evidence. It’s time to interrogate Xiao Si.”