Insights Chapter 114: Acquaintances

Chapter 114: Acquaintances

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

Xie Yuna was called in for questioning. Gu Yanchen arranged a dedicated interrogation room and had Bai Meng bring the girl in. As this case involved privacy invasion, only Gu Yanchen and Bai Meng were present for the interrogation; he didn’t call in any other recorders. Having a female officer present would help the victim relax relatively and might make them more likely to share more information.

It was autumn now, and Xie Yuna wore a hat and a mask, taking them off only after entering. She wore a light coat and a ponytail, with no makeup on her face, revealing good skin. Xie Yuna had graduated just over a year ago, with a delicate appearance and a good figure. She still retained some of the innocence of a college student but also had the competence of a professional woman.

Gu Yanchen saw a similar aura in her as he did in Xia Tian’en and Deng Anlu. She might also be a fish trapped in a fishbowl, or perhaps she once was. Looking around the interrogation room, Xie Yuna smiled and said, “Why do I feel like I’m being treated as a criminal?”

Her tone was playful, but not very friendly. Gu Yanchen explained to her that questioning in an interrogation room was within regulations, and Xie Yuna didn’t say anything more. Bai Meng and Xie Yuna cross-checked information, then asked about the events of that evening.

Xie Yuna lowered her head to recall, “That evening, I lost in a game of Truth or Dare, so I randomly chose a household across from mine, knocked on the door, but no one answered. So, I slipped a note under the door crack and went back after completing the task.”

“Did you go there for any other reason that evening?” Bai Meng asked.

“Of course not,” Xie Yuna said with a smile. “You guys seem very concerned about that evening. It was just a prank, wasn’t it? I didn’t break any laws, did I?”

Bai Meng sensed a hint of resistance in her tone and quickly said, “No, we just followed up on related cases. What made you leave that note?”

“It’s just like I said on the phone earlier,” Xie Yuna replied. “I was living in the same neighborhood at the time, and it was a punishment my friends gave me for losing a game.”

Gu Yanchen, displeased with her repeated lies, looked up and asked, “Which friend was it?”

Xie Yuna hesitated for a moment, then said, “It was…”

She stumbled over her words. She hadn’t even concocted a convincing lie for this. If she randomly named someone, the police could easily verify it, revealing the lie.

Gu Yanchen continued, “A few days before that incident, you quit your job at your previous company. It was also around that time that you moved out of that neighborhood. Did something happen then?”

The timing seemed too coincidental, making it hard not to speculate.

Xie Yuna paused for a moment, her brows furrowing. “That was my personal choice. Everything was voluntary. It has nothing to do with your case. Why do you need to know about my privacy?”

When she needed help, no one asked her about these things. Now that it’s all over, someone was questioning her, and her resistance grew stronger, unlike the guilty response of a criminal being exposed.

Gu Yanchen felt that the girl’s reaction was like poking a sore spot. He realized he shouldn’t have interrogated her in a manner targeted at criminals. He tried to soften his tone and said, “We don’t mean any harm. The police will keep your situation confidential. We just want to verify some information with you and hope you’ll be honest with us.”

Xie Yuna nodded. The questioning continued. “Have you ever rented a room through the Coconut Guest Rental Network?”

Xie Yuna replied, “I usually rent houses. I’ve moved several times, and I’m not sure which agencies I rented from. Maybe I did rent from them. You can check with the agency.”

Gu Yanchen asked again, “Did you ever find any devices like cameras in your room?”

Xie Yuna hesitated for a moment, then shook her head. “No, everything was normal in the house I lived in.”

“Have any young men approached you?”

“I’ve been single all along.”

“Are you afraid of something? Or have you been threatened?”

“No.”

The questioning hit a dead end, and Gu Yanchen frowned. “The police are currently investigating a criminal case. If you know anything, we hope you can assist us.”

He was burning with eagerness to solve the case, but the girl in front of him was very resistant. Gu Yanchen could feel that the girl was defensive. He tried to soften her defenses, hinting that she shouldn’t lie and proposing some of his deductions, hoping for confirmation. But Xie Yuna still wouldn’t cooperate.

Gu Yanchen felt Xie Yuna was being somewhat selfish. If she knew something but refused to tell the police, it would stall the investigation. But on the other hand, as a potential victim, she might have encountered many terrible things, threats, and injuries, causing disappointment. Her lying now might be a form of self-protection. As a man, he couldn’t fully empathize with the girl’s experiences. From this perspective, he couldn’t blame her for being selfish.

The case was still under investigation, and Gu Yanchen couldn’t reveal too much.

After answering some questions, Xie Yuna emphasized, “I have no idea about any case. They have nothing to do with me.”

Bai Meng wanted to persuade her further. “Did you notice any danger or something wrong, which prompted you to leave that note? You didn’t want to scare them but to warn those girls to stay away from that room, right?”

Xie Yuna smiled bitterly. “Officer, you’re overthinking. I can’t control other people.”

Gu Yanchen said, “We just want to help more people… If something happened to you, hiding the truth won’t solve the problem.”

Xie Yuna seemed to be moved for a moment when she heard this, but it was only fleeting. She lowered her head and said, “I’ve explained everything I know. I admit I left that note and knocked on that room’s door, but it was just a prank. I accept criticism, but I really don’t know anything else.” She stood up. “I have to submit an article today and I’m in a hurry. If there’s nothing else, I’ll leave.”

Gu Yanchen felt somewhat helpless. If the person in front of him was a criminal, he had methods to interrogate her. But Xie Yuna was only a person related to the case, and they only had the authority to request her cooperation; they had no power to detain her. If she didn’t want to talk, they didn’t have a good way forward. He asked Bai Meng to try persuading the girl again, then he walked out.

Bai Meng chatted with Xie Yuna for a few moments before coming out and shaking his head at him, “She still refuses to speak. I left our contact information with her, so if she remembers anything or changes her mind, she can contact us anytime.’”

That’s all they could do for now. Gu Yanchen arrived at the observation room; just now Shen Junci had been standing here and, through a layer of one-way glass, had seen everything inside.

“You must have seen it all, she completely refuses to cooperate. I don’t know why she’s so emotional,” Gu Yanchen sighed, “Was I too impatient just now? Was my tone not good?”

Shen Junci shook his head, “You were conducting the interrogation normally.”

In his view, Gu Yanchen’s questioning was polite and normal, considering he was taking care of the girl’s emotions. When they were unsure if she was related to the case, being overly friendly would reduce the police’s authority and hinder the investigation. The reality was that Xie Yuna was unwilling to disclose her experiences, and they couldn’t get her to talk.

“The problem probably lies not with you, but with her. She may have gone through something, and I sense she doesn’t trust the police much,” Shen Junci pondered for a moment before saying, “She needs to meet good people and have a good talk. I have a friend who might be able to help.”

Gu Yanchen asked, “Who?”

He hadn’t heard Shen Junci mention any friends before.

Shen Junci said, “He used to be a police officer too, you should know him.” He paused for a moment and continued, “He’s also investigating the Mansion 13 incident recently.”

The last time he had seen that person was five years ago. On the day before Lin Xianglan’s funeral, that person had come to his school looking for him. They had arranged to meet at a small noodle shop outside the back gate of the school, a place that only sold noodles and was so small that it could only accommodate a few people. As soon as they met, the man handed him a white envelope, which contained funeral money for Lin Xianglan.

He still remembered ordering a bowl of beef noodles for himself. The man said to him, “Lin Luo, I’ve resigned. I know some people at the City Bureau don’t want to see me, so I won’t show up at your father’s memorial service.” 

He took the envelope, thanked him, and then asked, “What will you do in the future?”

The man was no longer a policeman, a result he had never considered before. In his eyes, the man in front of him, along with Gu Yanchen, had been Lin Xianglan’s right-hand men, the sharpest knives in the Penang City Bureau. Especially the man in front of him, before Gu Yanchen came to the City Bureau, Lin Xianglan valued him the most.

Now, shortly after Director Wang took office, he was leaving. The man didn’t explain much to him, saying, “I want to investigate some things, so I might not have time to visit you for a while.” He vaguely understood something from those words and said, “Perhaps we’ll have a chance to meet again in the future.”

Perhaps there was too much vinegar in the noodles; his nose felt a bit sour as he spoke.

The man smiled; he had always been a gentle person, and his smile was charming, “Then we’ll have a chance to meet again.”

After finishing the meal, they walked out and went their separate ways. Silently understanding each other, they both knew that they would strive for the truth. It’s just a pity that in the face of great turmoil, individual efforts always seem insignificant. From then on, through life and death, they were separated for years. When they met again, he had become Shen Junci. And the man was no longer the policeman he once was.

.

Xie Yuna left the City Bureau, finally feeling relieved. She looked up at the bright sun in the sky but felt no warmth or light. If it were a few months ago, she might have just told the police directly. But now, her mood was very complicated.

These two police officers were much nicer than the people she had encountered before, but she still had doubts. What if their kindness was just an act? Perhaps they were just testing her, seeing how much she knew about those things. They said they were investigating a case, but what case could it be? Concealing the truth wouldn’t solve anything, and even if she told everything, it wouldn’t solve anything either. Perhaps no one would believe her, perhaps what she said would be known by those people, perhaps her life would be threatened.

She used to be honest, brave, wanting to protect this world, but she found out that no one could protect her. She was no longer the naive girl; for herself, she had to be a little selfish. Maybe the deceased person was silenced. At the thought of this, she suddenly felt a pang in her heart, remembering that text message. Could something have happened to Yan Chi?

Then she chuckled to herself; wasn’t she victimized enough? She was still thinking about that scammer at this time.

Xie Yuna walked out of the City Bureau, put on a mask and a hat, and covered herself tightly, keeping her head down. But this attire made her stand out; her clothes were loose, but they still couldn’t hide her figure. People occasionally turned to look at her as she walked.

Xie Yuna boarded a bus back home. There weren’t many people on the bus, and there was a seat available. She sat there, lost in thought. When she looked up, she noticed a man staring at her. The man was tall, muscular, with a blue tattoo on his hand, and his eyes were locked onto her. That kind of gaze was too familiar, like seeing a vulnerable prey. Xie Yuna frowned, looked around, but everyone on the bus was quiet, looking at their phones.

Her hands trembled as she took out her phone but didn’t know who to ask for help. There weren’t many people on the bus, and she wasn’t sure if the passengers or the driver would help her. There were only two more stops until she reached her destination. The station was close to her community; once she got off the bus, she should be safe.

In the end, she placed her fingers on the pepper spray in her backpack. She didn’t want to use it unless necessary.

The man slowly approached her, sitting beside her, blocking her on the outside seat, as if greeting an acquaintance, he asked her, “Why aren’t you live streaming anymore?”

Her heart pounded, pretending not to hear, she turned her head away from him. Just as she feared, the bus stopped once, and the auntie sitting near her got off.

The man sat beside her and said, “I’ve been thinking about you every night. After you stopped live streaming, I’ve been looking for you for a long time.”

His words were disgusting, and his hand was already on her thigh.

Xie Yuna felt a little panicked, leaning away from him. The man slowly moved his hand, greedily enjoying her frightened expression. That feeling made Xie Yuna feel nauseous.

The bus finally arrived at the station, and she swiftly stood up, shouting, “Move!”

Then she took out the pepper spray and sprayed it quickly at the man’s face. The man screamed in pain, covering his face. She then ran off the bus at lightning speed. But what Xie Yuna didn’t expect was that her actions seemed to anger the man. The man, with red eyes, actually chased after her, cursing and slapped away the pepper spray she held in her hand.

Before she could even leave the bus stop, the man grabbed her around the waist, forcibly pulling her back. In the struggle, her hat fell off, her hair came loose, and the man tore off her mask.

Xie Yuna screamed, “Pervert, don’t touch me!”

This immediately caught the attention of the people around.

The man, however, fiercely said to the people around, “She’s my girlfriend, mind your own business.”

Xie Yuna shouted, “I don’t even know him!”

The man chuckled, still forcefully holding her hand, “My girlfriend has a red birthmark on her arm.”

To prove his point, he rolled up her sleeve. There was indeed a birthmark on Xie Yuna’s slender and fair arm. Onlookers turned their heads away, some whispered and pointed fingers.

“Must know each other, how else could he describe it so accurately?”

“So, it’s a lovers’ quarrel.”

“The woman must have run out!”

The man pretended, “Even if you’re angry, you can’t run away. Let’s go home and talk! The kid is waiting for you.”

Xie Yuna was on the verge of tears, “I really don’t know him, help me!”

She felt as if she were miles away from her rented community gate, even though it was only a few steps away. She cried and screamed, but no one came to help her. She felt isolated and terrified, her heart ashen.

The man became even more pleased, trying to hail a taxi, “Stop embarrassing yourself here! Come home with me!”

“Help!” Xie Yuna was dragged, screaming her lungs out. The difference in strength was too great; her struggling and biting were futile against the man.

A taxi stopped. The man reached out to grab her, intending to lift her horizontally and force her into the car. Xie Yuna’s heart sank; was she going to be taken away by this man in broad daylight? Most of the men she had encountered before were not as ruthless and terrifying. She could hardly imagine what would happen if she were taken away like this.

Just then, someone suddenly grabbed the man, delivering a powerful kick to his back. The man grimaced, letting go of Xie Yuna. He turned to look at the person behind him. Xie Yuna also looked up. It was a man in his thirties, looking gentle but acting fiercely.

The attacker cursed, “Mind your own damn business.”

The man, however, remained calm and composed. His voice steady, he said, “I’ve called the police. Let her go. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being rude.”

The burly man straightened up, raising his fists.

“I’m hitting my woman, why do you care? Mind your own business!” he retorted.

The man calmly asked, “You said she’s your girlfriend. What’s her name?”

“Uh…” The big guy faltered.

Seeing the situation was not right, the taxi drove off. Someone stepped forward, and others dared to look in that direction. A woman shouted, “Even if she’s your girlfriend, you can’t force her like this.”

“That birthmark on her arm could have been seen somewhere else.”

“Isn’t this kidnapping? It’s broad daylight.”

Xie Yuna cried out, “I really don’t know him!”

The big guy glanced at Xie Yuna and then around at the people. He spat and said, “I’ll come for you later.”

Then he let go of Xie Yuna’s hand and walked away.

Watching the man disappear, Xie Yuna’s pounding heart finally calmed down. Feeling weak all over, she squatted down, sitting on the curb, disregarding her own loss of composure and sobbing uncontrollably. Over the past six months, she had encountered countless setbacks, countless times of being isolated and helpless. The experiences she had been through had worn away her courage. Her sharpness was just a facade, useless against a real assailant.

Seeing that she was unharmed, the crowd gradually dispersed.

The man who had saved her didn’t leave. He helped gather the things she had dropped on the ground. Squatting down, he quietly watched her cry.

When she had calmed down a bit, the man said, “I took his photo and reported it to the police. If you feel unsafe, you should stay with a friend for now.”

Xie Yuna cried and said, “Thank you.” She felt grateful to the man who had rescued her.

After a while, the man bought a pack of tissues and a bottle of mineral water, handing them to her. “Your name is Xie Yuna, right?”

She wiped away her tears with the tissue and asked, “Do you know me?”

The man said, “I know Yan Chi, but I’m not from their company.”

Fortunately, he had received a message from Shen Junci just now and came to find Xie Yuna. He witnessed the scene and rescued her. Was he a friend of Yan Chi? Xie Yuna looked at him and felt that he didn’t seem like a bad person. After experiencing so much, she could now discern a person’s character from their eyes. The man’s gaze was calm and sincere. But she still couldn’t completely let go of her guard and remained silent, bowing her head.

“I’ve heard Yan Chi mention you. You’re a very good girl,” the man continued. “You’ve probably been through some tough times in the past few months. I’m really sorry for everything you’ve been through.”

Hearing these words, Xie Yuna’s tears flowed again. She covered her mouth and cried even harder. Ordinary people might find it hard to empathize with others’ experiences, but the man seemed to possess a kind of empathy that others didn’t. His voice was sincere, and his comforting words touched her heart.

Xie Yuna’s experiences had nothing to do with the man before her, but his apology brought her immense comfort. It had been a long time since she had been treated so gently. No one knew what Xie Yuna had been through in the past six months. People questioned her, doubted her, and some even thought it was her fault. But no one had ever said these words to her. Neither her parents nor her friends, nor the police who should have stepped forward to protect her.

She spent every day and night in disappointment and fear. Until she met this man, who carefully filled the gap in her heart.

“You’re a brave and strong girl. If you’re ready, could you tell me about your experiences? Although it may be uncomfortable for you to talk about what you’ve been through, it would really help the police solve the case,” the man continued.

Xie Yuna asked, “Police case?”

The man replied, “The police will save more girls and prevent such things from happening again.”

Xie Yuna asked, “Are you a policeman?”

She had just come out of the police station. Could it be that the police are really investigating this case? Can they really protect themselves and catch those bad guys?

“I used to be a cop, but not anymore. However, I still have many friends in the force. I assure you, they are all good people and might be able to help you.”

She hesitated, somewhat moved by the man’s words. She had lost faith in the police before, but at this crucial moment, she realized that society still needed people to maintain law and order and catch the bad guys.

The man introduced himself, “My name is Li Zhongnan.”

Through her teary eyes, Xie Yuna looked at the man. She felt as if there was a light emanating from him. She began to believe that justice still existed in this world.