Chapter 101

Ling Yue chewed the fragrant, crispy pancake, lifted her eyes, and met Lin Shaoze's gaze. She: "……"

Her mouth was full of food, Ling Yue swiftly turned around, finished the last bite, then turned her head to look over, hands hanging at her sides, and asked him: "When did you get here?"

Lin Shaoze said bluntly: "Just arrived."

Cheng Ziming, holding snacks and walking over, frowned in confusion, lowered his head to glance at the empty box in his hand. Just arrived? He'd already polished off a whole box of spicy sour noodles—this counts as just arrived?

In the midst of hesitation, Cheng Ziming suddenly felt a chill down his back, unexpectedly meeting the captain's icy gaze, and immediately nodded like a chick pecking at grain: "Yes yes yes! Right right right! We just got here!"

Ling Yue looked at his box with only soup left, knowing that to explain is to cover up, and to cover up is to admit the fact, right?

She shook her head: "Guess whether I believe you or not?"

After saying that, Ling Yue shifted the topic, no longer dwelling on these, and asked: "Shall we go in first?"

Lin Shaoze nodded: "Go in and tell me what you know."

Ling Yue nodded; the middle school campus gatekeeper had originally wanted to stop them, but once Cheng Ziming pulled out his police badge, he immediately stood down, though he wondered, "Did something else happen at the school?"

On the way, Ling Yue told him what she knew, only then realizing that even before this, Xin Xin's family, including the police department, had actually had no idea she was dating a boyfriend.

Therefore, in their previous investigation, they had never discovered this.

Lin Shaoze furrowed his brows: "A boyfriend who studies well?"

He said thoughtfully: "According to the records at the time, Xin Xin had poor relationships at school; initially it was because she was aloof, but later everyone said she was the girlfriend of a big-time thug off campus, and no one dared provoke her."

Ling Yue looked at him in surprise; this was completely different from what the sparrow had said.

Lin Shaoze added: "But later, because of the rumors, the police also went to gather evidence; that little thug really had harassed Xin Xin, but it was purely harassment—unknown who saw it, and someone with an agenda used it to develop those rumors."

"As for eloping, that's even more a rumor."

Ling Yue continued: "So what hasn't been investigated yet is only Xin Xin's mysterious boyfriend. She herself is a top student, and the boyfriend she likes is also a top student; we can look among the best male students of that cohort."

Lin Shaoze smirked slightly: "Right. Also, look into what happened to Xin Xin before—see if there were any conflicts of interest."

Ling Yue looked at him: "For example, the recommended university slot."

For some reason, she suddenly recalled the senior Zhou mentioned by that student earlier; he seemed to be in the same class as Xin Xin, and after Xin Xin disappeared, he was the one who got the recommended university spot.

Ling Yue immediately brought it up; the three grew solemn, and as they walked, a sudden cheer came from ahead, a red building with a round dome came into view—probably the school auditorium.

Ling Yue: "Maybe it's his lecture."

The three entered and sat in the back row; Ling Yue caught a beam of light on stage shining on a handsome young man's face, unexpectedly refined and elegant, full of scholarly air.

She unconsciously glanced at Lin Shaoze beside her—complete opposites, one sharp as a blade, the other warm and smooth like jade.

The male student spoke at length about his past efforts, his voice echoing throughout the auditorium.

Female students in the front row covered their faces and exclaimed: "Wow, Senior Zhou is both handsome and smart."

The girl beside her pushed up her glasses: "I wonder if Senior Zhou will share his study methods."

The girl gazed skyward, speechless: "This is the downside of having a top-student friend—you can talk about anything and it ends up about studying."

At that moment, the entire venue fell silent.

Everyone looked at the questioning student, whose blazing eyes fixed on the youth on stage: "May I ask, Senior, how did you get into university with such outstanding grades?"

A silence fell.

Someone said, "He never even took the college entrance exam; he got into university via recommendation!"

Many students froze; it was obvious the news hadn't spread before, so when they heard that, the previously silent students turned toward the youth on stage, and low murmurs rose.

"With a recommended slot to Jing Shi University, what could he possibly lecture us seniors about?"

"Could it be about how he earned his recommendation?"

"Or is it not that he was lucky, but that the senior female student disappeared earlier, letting him take her place?"

At that moment, under the lights, Senior Zhou's smile was a bit stiff; he gripped the microphone tightly, and Ling Yue, with keen eyesight, saw his knuckles whiten.

Zhou Jiyu: "I really did get into Jing Shi University via recommendation, but do you really think getting a recommendation is that simple?"

"Before university, I entered various competitions, and my academic performance always ranked at the top; as for those who say I was lucky to get the recommendation, isn't luck part of ability? If I lacked sufficient strength, how could I have that luck and receive the admission notice from Jing Shi University?"

After his speech, it seemed quite reasonable.

"I stand here to tell all the nameless students: study hard, your grades will never let you down, and opportunities only go to those who are prepared."

As his words ended, loud applause broke out.

A male teacher started clapping first, noticing his colleagues' doubtful looks; he forced himself to clap, then looked at his peers and said: "That was so well said—why aren't you clapping?"

The teachers: "……"

Those who knew their relationship sighed; no wonder he's the other's prized disciple, looking after him so well.

Next, all the teachers clapped, the applause slowly spreading through the auditorium, thunderous.

Amid the cheers, Ling Yue noticed that as the main speaker stepped off stage, the corner of his mouth pulled down, and a chill inexplicably rose.

Ling Yue withdrew her gaze, seeing several people walking toward them; the president, belly protruding, obviously having gotten the news, smiled and said: "Good day, Officer—what brings you here today?"

Lin Shaoze got straight to the point: "Three years ago, the female student disappearance case—do you still remember? Her name was Xin Xin."

The president startled, a chill inexplicably rising; the disappearance case, he was all too familiar with it.

Ling Yue scanned the crowd, then her gaze lingered on a middle-aged male teacher who unnaturally lowered his head, as if trying to avoid or out of fear, making Ling Yue instinctively alert.

At that moment, footsteps approached; Zhou Jiyu came walking with a smile, seeing this unfamiliar group, he glanced over and asked: "Who are you?"

Cheng Ziming grinned and extended his hand: "Hello, top student of Jing Shi University; we're police, here to investigate a disappearance case."

The latter's expression showed surprise; in fact, his hand hidden in his sleeve was clenched tight, and he even volunteered: "Is it my classmate Xin Xin? Has there been any progress on her case?"

He looked over happily, and Ling Yue spoke: "We've found her……" She paused, her gaze sweeping over their faces, her eyes meaningful as she continued: "Just now I was joking, but we really have found new leads."

Ling Yue blurted: "We found Xin Xin's hidden notebook, which records that in high school she had a boyfriend who excelled both in character and academics—not some rumored thug."

Upon hearing that, everyone was stunned.

Ling Yue noticed that the so-called Senior Zhou's face was unexpectedly calm, while the others broke into embarrassed laughter: "Oh, that's how it is."

The president generously said: "Since there's progress, our school will certainly cooperate fully! All teachers will also cooperate fully!"

However, this matter has already passed three years; we can't contact those classmates from back then, so we can only rely on you.

The three nodded, in a harmonious atmosphere, came to the office, and first found the homeroom teacher of Professor Shen Xinxin from before; quite a coincidence, it was the middle-aged man who had first applauded earlier. He was somewhat reserved, plainly talking about old, stale matters.

Ling Yue didn't know; could Lin Shaoze not know either? These are all recorded in the case files.

Using their police authority, they retrieved the list of the top fifty senior high students from that year; first place was Shen Xinxin, along with a photo of her.

The girl in red clothing on a blue background was poised and graceful, very beautiful.

She was only eighteen, an age that should have been the best of her life.

Now, no one knows where she went, whether she is alive or dead; there has been no word.

The silent sparrow couple on Ling Yue's shoulder stretched their necks to look: 'This is Xinxin, our best friend.'

Second place was the senior who had just spoken, Zhou Jiyao: tall, handsome, but his eyes revealed impatience, an arrogant and unruly aura, completely opposite to how he seemed just moments before.

"This is our school's second‑ranked student, Zhou Jiyao." The homeroom teacher smiled: "That's the male student you just saw; he returned to his alma mater today mainly because our principal invited him, and we couldn't refuse."

"Young Master Zhou, Zhou Jiyao has excellent grades and strong ability; among the many students I've taught, he stands out most in personal ability. He could be recommended to Jing Shi University, which is completely deserved."

Ling Yue smiled slightly, looking at the homeroom teacher: 'His grades are so good; I don't know what awards he might have won at Jing Shi University.'

Now it was the homeroom teacher's turn to hem and haw, his face unnaturally shifting the topic to Shen Xinxin; he burst into a brilliant smile, his face almost bunching into a chrysanthemum, but when she looked closely, she would see that the smile stayed on his face, not reaching his eyes.

The homeroom teacher's true feelings in his eyes were actually disgust and panic, as if he had once experienced something that made him extremely furious.

A glint of light flashed in Ling Yue's eyes; the thin mist that had lingered in her heart suddenly dispersed a bit.

Not only Ling Yue, but the other two also felt something odd; they strolled around the campus, and Ling Yue looked at the flower bed in front of the teaching building, where a cluster of roses in full bloom shone a deep red like blood.

She suddenly spoke: 'Do you think the homeroom teacher is showing a bit of favoritism?'

Cheng Ziming: 'More than favoritism—look how he went on and on about Zhou Jiyao earlier, then when he mentioned Shen Xinxin he couldn't continue, as if being first in that year made her just a dispensable sidekick.'

Ling Yue: 'I heard students discussing this at the crepe stall—this time Zhou Jiyao isn't just giving a lecture; he also plans to donate a teaching building to the school.'

"Wow, what a wealthy, arrogant young master!"

So Ling Yue guessed the homeroom teacher was trying to curry favor with him. Teaching is a respected profession; there are good teachers, but there are also bad ones—just as a big forest holds all kinds of birds.

But she couldn't figure out what caused the girl's disappearance—was it really the recommendation? A male student with excellent grades could also get in through the college entrance exam based on his own scores.

"Ling Yue." The usually silent Lin Shaoze suddenly spoke: "The key is to find Shen Xinxin's boyfriend."

"Did you just test him a little? Did you see anything?"

Ling Yue: 'And you?'

Probably only Cheng Ziming didn't understand what they were saying; then he heard Ling Yue propose: 'Why don'twe all say who we think Shen Xinxin's boyfriend is?'

Cheng Ziming opened his mouth but hadn't spoken yet when he heard them say in unison: 'Zhou Jiyao!'

Cheng Ziming's expression at that moment was probably like the sparrow on Ling Yue's shoulder: 'Zhou Jiyao?'

"Why would it be him?"

Ling Yue: 'Why not him? He's good‑looking and has excellent grades; just judging by appearance, it's indeed easy to like him.'

"What matters now is finding evidence whether Zhou Jiyao is Shen Xinxin's boyfriend." Ling Yue paused: "I think regular methods might not work."

Her gaze fell on the sparrow couple: 'In this campus, besides you, is there any animal that has lived here since three years ago? One that loves gossip and is great at gathering information?'

The sparrow couple froze, then realized: 'Yes!'

Moments later, the sparrows led Ling Yue to a rubbish heap; before she got close she smelled a pungent odor, and not knowing what the sparrows had done, shortly afterward a dull‑looking big gray rat appeared before everyone.

The sparrow Que Que said: 'This is the school's big fat rat; it's lived here a long time, with a huge clan of rat children and grandchildren, far more numerous than we sparrows!'

The plump big gray rat, upon seeing humans, almost couldn't help but turn and run: 'You… what do you want to do?'

Ling Yue thought, then announced the name of Xunbao Shu Duo Duo; instantly the big gray rat flung itself to the ground: 'Sir, sir, spare my life! I have eyes but fail to see Mount Tai; you are a friend of Duo Duo's great‑great‑grandfather—ask anything, and if I know it I will tell you everything!'

"Oh, I'll immediately summon my descendants!"

This enthusiastic attitude astonished Ling Yue; she had only been testing, realizing she had completely underestimated Duo Duo—who let that lazy bum lie around sleeping all day at home.

It truly lived up to its words—lying low by day, active at night, quietly doing big deeds.

With the big gray rat's cooperation, Ling Yue saved much effort; when she asked about Shen Xinxin, the first‑place senior high student from Jing Shi No. 1 High three years ago, the rat immediately said: 'I know, I know—I was bored before and even sneaked over to see her, almost not making it back!'

"She had a guy beside her who kicked me straight in the foot, nearly killing me!"

Ling Yue: 'A male?'

The big gray rat: 'Yeah, yeah, you know humans don't much like us rats; I followed her all the way to the small grove, saw a man walk by, and then… they… kissed.'

The curious bachelor rat still wanted to look, but upon getting close his large size gave him away, and he nearly got kicked into a rat pancake QAQ.

Ling Yue: '……'

It really is a bit miserable, yet also oddly funny—after all, it was the one who first spied on the couple.

She gave a light cough and asked: 'Then do you know who Shen Xinxin's boyfriend is?'

"Of course I know!" the big gray rat patted its fat belly and said: 'I heard her, when she saw me she wildly shouted, "Jiyao, big rat!"'

"Her boyfriend is Zhou Jiyao, that bad student!"

The big gray rat sighed: 'Truly, morals decline and hearts are not ancient; that bad student can even get a genius‑girlfriend—he's awful, smoking, fighting, drinking, he does it all!'

Those remarks went off topic, but from the big gray rat we confirmed the other party was Shen Xinxin's boyfriend; Ling Yue was already convinced, yet animal testimony can't serve as evidence—without proof, even investigating police couldn't simply search Zhou Jiyao.

Then the big gray rat suddenly said: 'Evidence? Yes!'

"Shen Xinxin has a diary placed inside a time capsule, buried underground at this school—and I watched them bury it."

The sparrow Hui Hui couldn't stay seated, looking at it in surprise: 'How come I didn't know?'

The big gray rat: 'Of course you don't know—back then you went far away, Shen Xinxin and her boyfriend had a falling out, couldn't find you, so taking advantage of darkness they buried the time capsule under the big tree where you nest; I saw it when I dug my hole.'

Ling Yue translated her conversation with the big gray rat, looked at the two, her face somewhat strange; even she hadn't expected there really to be a diary.

Cheng Ziming was the most excited: 'Captain, Miss Ling, what are we waiting for? Let's hurry and dig up the evidence!'

Guided by the sparrow couple, Ling Yue and the others quickly arrived at the base of the tree.

Cheng Ziming immediately borrowed a shovel, saying he'd handle this work; suddenly his hand felt something hard—a rust‑stained iron box was pried out of the soil.

After opening it, there were gifts sealed in a plastic bag, as well as a thick notebook.

Inside, the writing was done with a black ballpoint pen; after several years, the paper had oxidized and turned yellow, but the handwriting remained clearly visible.

The girl's thoughts were revealed little by little between the lines.

Her meeting with Zhou Jiyao began with a hero saving the beauty.

That was when Shen Xinxin was returning home for vacation; on the road, she encountered a somewhat slick little hooligan, whom Zhou Jiyao, who happened to be passing by, saw, and the hooligan got a bloody nose; Shen Xinxin took him to the hospital, and after a while, the two became acquainted.

Of course, she dared not let her mother know; later they secretly talked about dating, only daring to meet furtively in a small grove.

Ling Yue flipped through quickly; the diary contained many sweet episodes, but until the last few pages, the beautiful handwriting suddenly became messy, indicating the owner's conflicted and complicated psychological struggle.

October 21, Friday, sunny.

Today was the first day of exams; as the study committee member, I went to the office to help Teacher Lai fetch the class test papers.

I saw Zhou Jiyao and the class teacher.

He lied to me! How could they do that! So disgusting!

October 23, Monday, overcast.

How could I have been with him? I regret it; I want to break up with him—no, I want to spill all the disgusting things he's done! I want to tell everyone!

October 24, Tuesday, overcast.

I told everyone.

How could there be such a shameless bastard!!!

Ling Yue turned past it; it was already the last page, the blank back of the diary covered in a large area of deep ink impressions—one can imagine how much force was used when writing.

Ling Yue furrowed her brows; to make the little girl this angry must be a major matter.

But what could they possibly do?

Zhou Jiyao and the class teacher.

Ling Yue had a vague premonition that only a key problem was missing, yet she just couldn't connect the dots.

She was so angry she wanted to hit her own head; Lin Shaoze opposite seemed to notice, suddenly speaking, pointing at his temples: "If you can't control your emotions, you can rub your temples; don't push yourself."

He looked at her, his voice low, yet inexplicably calming: "This case has been three years; the initial evidence, washed away by time, will only dwindle further."

"Dwindling further?"

Ling Yue's eyes flickered; instantly enlightened: "I've thought of a place where any trace that once existed will never disappear."

Lin Shaoze clenched his jaw, staring at her: "You mean the internet?"

"In the internet age, anything that has ever existed online will be preserved."

Ling Yue spread her hands: "Since the real-world investigation yields nothing, let's go online."

According to Ling Yue's knowledge, every school will have its own forum, or a tieba.

"If a scandal involving the school's top two students suddenly erupted, it would surely spark student discussion; imagine, in the midst of boring studies, a piece of gossip pops up—who wouldn't want to grab the first-hand melon? Perhaps—"

Ling Yue pondered for a moment: "It's possible that Shen Xinxin would personally get involved. Because the last page of her diary says: she told everyone. That proves she definitely spoke about it somewhere or on some occasion.":,.,