He Chuan Zhou picked up a bun and handed it over, her voice low and a bit hoarse, asking, "Do you want one?"
Yuan Ling Yun didn't move, just glanced up at her suspiciously.
"Go ahead, eat it. It's so late, and the police aren't that heartless. Why starve yourself?" He Chuan Zhou
switched to another one. "Or do you prefer vegetarian?"
Yuan Ling Yun usually didn't eat at night. But with He Chuan Zhou’s hand hovering in front of her, she for
some reason took the bun.
He Chuan Zhou walked around to the back of the table, glanced at her reflection in the computer screen, and
pressed down her hair by her ear. "I just took a nap, so my hair's a mess. Don't mind it. Whenever there's a
murder case, we hardly get any sleep."
Yuan Ling Yun took a small bite of the bun.
The food had just been reheated, and steam rose from it. It was so hot that she couldn't taste anything at
first.
Once Brother Huang left, the interrogation room suddenly felt cold and quiet, with only the sound of her
blowing on the bun and chewing.
He Chuan Zhou lazily sat in a chair, found a comfortable position, and started playing on her phone,
seemingly indifferent to the fact that a suspect was sitting across from her.
Xu Yu, meanwhile, was leaning to one side, yawning from exhaustion.
Yuan Ling Yun ate slowly, but even after she dragged out the meal, the two across from her showed no signs
of starting the interrogation.
Xu Yu was reviewing the previous interrogation records.
After a while, He Chuan Zhou stretched her wrists and asked, "Did she say anything?"
Xu Yu responded with mild disappointment, "She didn't say a word."
He Chuan Zhou nodded. She'd listened to the first part and had a general idea.
With most young people, a tougher attitude works well. With Brother Huang's authoritative presence,
explaining the pros and cons, and a bit of intimidation, the suspect usually breaks down.
Unfortunately, Yuan Ling Yun wasn't one of them.
She was young, introverted, well-educated, and law-abiding—seemingly the easiest type to handle. But
somehow, He Chuan Zhou felt she was like a heap of dead ashes that couldn't ignite. There was a pervasive
sense of apathy and resignation.
He Chuan Zhou’s eyes remained on her screen. After checking the chat records in the group, she switched to
the main interface.
A notification showed an unread message from Zhou Tuo Xing asking, "Off work yet?"
He Chuan Zhou tapped the screen, replied with "Working late," and then glanced at Yuan Ling Yun, speaking in
a casual but not unfriendly tone, "I thought you and Liu Guang Yu were close, but when you heard he killed
someone for you, you didn't seem moved. Is there some misunderstanding between you two? He seems to care
about you."
Yuan Ling Yun found the question odd. No police officer, regardless of their style, should say this during
an interrogation, "Shouldn't you and the killer understand each other better?"
She didn't respond because she genuinely didn't know how to.
He Chuan Zhou didn't mind her silence and smiled politely, as if really just passing the time. "You can rest
for a bit; I'm waiting for someone."
Yuan Ling Yun asked, "Who are you waiting for?"
He Chuan Zhou showed her phone screen, displaying a photo of the public security bureau's gate with the
gatekeeper making a peace sign and smiling.
Yuan Ling Yun didn't understand. "What does this mean?"
"Your bookstore's public account," He Chuan Zhou explained. "I had your employee post this picture. It's
also on other social media accounts."
Yuan Ling Yun scoffed, "What's the point? Letting everyone know I've been arrested?"
He Chuan Zhou maintained a calm demeanor. "Don't worry. People who see it will just think you were passing
by and took a photo. They won't know anything else."
Yuan Ling Yun's throat tightened, her voice strained from dryness. "You think Liu Guang Yu will see this and
turn himself in for me? That's even more ridiculous. He doesn't necessarily follow my account, and even if
he sees it, he wouldn't come to surrender."
He Chuan Zhou was unfazed. "Xu Yu, get Ms. Yuan a glass of water. The night is still young; we have plenty
of time."
Someone brought in a disposable cup of water. Yuan Ling Yun moved slowly but drank quickly.
This March was especially cold. The icy water traveled down her throat, giving her the sensation of being
drenched from the inside out.
Yuan Ling Yun felt her emotions were buried under layers of stones, perfectly calm, maintaining rational
thoughts with every idea.
From an outsider's perspective, she thought the police officers' actions were somewhat clownish.
"I don't have that kind of hope. I suggest you don't waste your time waiting. Instead of watching me, go out
and find him."
"How about we make a bet? Let's see if Liu Guang Yu shows up," He Chuan Zhou finally made direct eye
contact, a playful smile on her face, speaking with casual defiance, "You have nothing to lose if he doesn't
come. What do you say?"
Yuan Ling Yun asked, "Bet on what?"
"Nothing serious, just killing time." He Chuan Zhou gave her a quirky look. "Friend, this is an
interrogation room."
He Chuan Zhou didn't care about continuing the topic. If Yuan Ling Yun didn't respond, she'd go back to her
own business.
One could play with a phone; the other could only sit. It was harder for the latter.
Xu Yu didn't dare to slack off openly. She cupped her face in her hands, staring absently in Yuan Ling Yun's
direction, her gaze unfocused.
He Chuan Zhou occasionally chatted with her: "I see from your profile you're only 22. Do you play games?
Young people usually have lively social lives, right? Clubbing, traveling, gaming?"
"How much does your provincial team pay? How much bonus do you get for winning a match?"
"When did you start running? How long do you train each day? Do you keep in touch with your former teammates
after retiring?"
"Do you have a boyfriend? You're pretty, independent, and studying at A University. You must have many
admirers."
Yuan Ling Yun's expression grew darker, her gaze icy as she looked at He Chuan Zhou.
Each question sounded like concern but was actually piercing, like needles in her wounds.
Though not sharp, every word carried a deep resentment.
"Wow, it's past 11? Time flies." He Chuan Zhou glanced at the clock, disappointed. "I thought Liu Guang Yu
would come before midnight. Let's extend the bet to 2 AM."
"He won't come," Yuan Ling Yun said coldly. "Do you know why he last came to see me?"
He Chuan Zhou put down her phone, leaning forward, smiling warmly. "I'd love to hear your story."
Yuan Ling Yun said, "Turn off the recording."
He Chuan Zhou signaled Xu Yu, who hesitantly turned off the equipment. He Chuan Zhou gestured for her to
continue.
Yuan Ling Yun was lost in thought for a moment.
To her, it was probably a chaotic period, with various bad things mixed together, making it hard to
distinguish the source of her overwhelming negative emotions.
After three, maybe five minutes, when Xu Yu thought she was playing games, Yuan Ling Yun licked her lips and
started the story: "Last month, the day before the Lantern Festival, he came to see me. It had been almost
thirteen years since I last saw him. But I recognized him immediately."
That evening, at dusk, the sun had set leaving only a final golden line on the horizon, but the clouds were
still tinged with orange and red, painting the sky in a hue that felt almost sentimental.
Yuan Ling Yun stepped out of the elevator to see a man wearing a hat sitting on the steps across from her.
As she glanced at him, he looked up. She caught his face in the elevator's light and froze on the spot.
Internally, Yuan Ling Yun felt a surge of joy but didn't know how to express it. She had never experienced
the delight of unexpectedly meeting someone.
Maybe it was because the cold made her face stiff; she opened the door expressionlessly and let Liu Guang Yu
into the apartment in silence.
After closing the door behind them, Yuan Ling Yun stood at the entrance for a moment, then slowly asked,
"Would you like something to drink?"
Liu Guang Yu walked into the living room, ran his hand over the leather of the sofa, and turned to her with
a strange, mocking look.
Yuan Ling Yun didn't see his face clearly because the hat's shadow covered it. She poured some milk from the
fridge, heated it, and brought it over. She also took out some snacks from the pantry and placed them on the
table.
Liu Guang Yu's hands were chapped and swollen from frostbite, lying flat on his knees. He asked, "How have
you been?"
Yuan Ling Yun looked at his fingers and his worn-out pants, silently guessing at his life, and replied
woodenly, "Not bad."
She opened her mouth, wanting to ask about his situation, but Liu Guang Yu let out a strange laugh and said,
"It should be fine, indeed."
Yuan Ling Yun nodded, not realizing the sarcasm in his words, until she heard him ask, "Will you sleep with
any man?"
At first, Yuan Ling Yun didn't understand. When she grasped the meaning, it felt like all her senses were
instantly drained, plunging her into an indescribable void.
It was as if her soul had left her body, trapped in an absurd, nightmarish scenario, while her body fell
endlessly into a bottomless pit.
Liu Guang Yu's voice, however, echoed clearly in her ears, repeating and recombining those words.
Desperately, she searched for any possible explanation that might vindicate him, trying to find ambiguity in
his words. Her lips trembled, exhaling warm breaths. Before she could recover from the suffocating feeling,
Liu Guang Yu struck again.
"How much does he pay you for a night? Considering his age, it must be a lot. Did he buy this apartment for
you? Doesn't it disgust you?"
Yuan Ling Yun couldn't recall what she was thinking at that moment or if she was capable of thought. She
just muttered, "I rented it myself."
Liu Guang Yu said, "Give me your phone."
Her fingers trembled, her vision blurred no matter how much she blinked.
She was panicked, confused, caught in a bizarre space. So when Liu Guang Yu asked for her password, she told
him.
Then she heard him snort, "Seems you aren't very capable. What if I go to that old man for more money? After
all, I’ve got photos of you two."
He waved his phone. "I'll take this as interest. Since you make money so easily, I'll come back next time."
Whatever.
Yuan Ling Yun thought furiously and viciously, it wouldn’t matter if all of you died.
Then came the overwhelming sadness that had been delayed, now surging like a tidal wave, drowning her
completely.
It wouldn’t matter if I died.
When Liu Guang Yu left, Yuan Ling Yun stood at the door, calling out brokenly, "Brother."
Liu Guang Yu slowly turned back, meeting her eyes across the dim hallway.
The shadowed face made Yuan Ling Yun feel a humble illusion, hoping he would regret his harshness, show her
some familial pity.
But as the elevator doors opened, he quickly turned back, pulled down his hat, and left without a glance.
Yuan Ling Yun smiled bitterly, "The biggest disaster in my life wasn't spending over a decade training in
sports with a resolve to die, running countless tracks, only to retire abruptly due to injury. Nor was it
meeting Tao Xian Yong and subsequently falling into degradation..."
It was encountering the vile Liu Guang Yu at her lowest point.