Chapter 35: Masks of the Mind

Xiao Yu remained calm.

Across from him, He Xia’s expression shifted continuously.

It was obvious to the naked eye that these changes were not mere expressions.

The elders always said, ‘The face is born of the heart’ – and they weren’t kidding.

A person’s demeanor can only change so much; their true nature doesn’t vary significantly.

If even their inner self changes, it can only mean that their very character is shifting.

Transforming from one personality to another!

It was clear that two distinct personas were playing across He Xia’s face.

Sometimes shocked and angry, other times cold and venomous like a snake – the contrast was unmistakable.

Xiao Yu showed no surprise, nor did he seem uncomfortable.

In a past life, he had indeed cracked a case involving a murder committed by someone with multiple personalities.

Is multiple personality disorder really that rare?

Not at all.

According to authoritative surveys, about 2% of the global population suffers from dissociative identity disorder, with women being more commonly affected.

This means that in every hundred people, at least two might likely have the condition.

What a terrifying rate of incidence!

Moreover, this condition is not as simple as just having multiple personalities.

It can be classified into dual, triple, or even N-personality cases.

The root causes are often linked to childhood trauma, the development of defensive mechanisms during growth, adverse environments, dissociative tendencies, and lack of external support.

Such traumas usually occur before the age of five, compelling the patient to adopt fragmented and split defense mechanisms by retaining only the best parts of themselves…

Coincidentally, a police investigation into He Xia’s medical history revealed the following.

At age four, He Xia was diagnosed with a mental illness, but his records did not mention personality splitting – only a general mental condition, which was marked as cured.

As Xiao Yu asked, “Is it true that your mental illness has been cured?”

“I don’t know why, as a child, you weren’t diagnosed with multiple personality disorder, but your medical history is right there,” he continued.

Xiao Yu stared at the perpetually shifting He Xia and said in a cold tone, “When I first read the case files, you described episodes of fainting and memory lapses. I initially suspected it was due to medication-induced stupor. Now it seems clear – the memory lapses were caused by another personality taking control of your body. Can you honestly say this isn’t the first time you’ve experienced such lapses?”

“…”

He Xia’s expression shifted even more drastically as he gritted his teeth in silence.

“May I surmise that your ex-girlfriend wasn’t just the love interest of one personality, but of both?”

Xiao Yu’s face grew complicated. “According to police investigations, your ex-girlfriend got involved with your best friend, got married, and even had a child. For a normal breakup, one wouldn’t harbor such bitter resentment – no one would go to such extremes. This can only mean that your other personality is not only incredibly smart but also perverse and deeply twisted, right?”

He Xia gritted his teeth even tighter, his cold expression intensifying.

Those eyes flickered with an almost crazy, venomous gleam.

“So, this isn’t just about your breakup with your ex—it’s equally about the other personality.”

Xiao Yu sneered. “If I’m not mistaken, the other personality must have reawakened after a period of dormancy. Finding out that not only did your ex leave you, but she also married your best friend and had a child, that betrayal must have been unbearable. During that time, that personality controlled your body, orchestrating the murder case. Twisted as it is, it not only targeted your ex but also her husband and child, isn’t that right?”

Suddenly.

“Continue.”

He Xia’s voice turned eerily cold.

His expression completely transformed – calm yet chilling, insane yet menacing. Bloodshot eyes reddened, exuding a ferocious terror.

“But you’re no fool. You’re extremely clever and don’t want your body to end up dead or you behind bars. Then you came up with a plan,” Xiao Yu mocked.

“Not only could you carry out such monstrous acts yourself, but you could also evade all charges.”

He Xia sneered, “Is that all?”

“Of course not,” Xiao Yu replied.

“The victim’s entire family of three was actually killed 33 hours earlier, wasn’t it?”

Xiao Yu stated coolly, “On the day before that time period, neighbors reported hearing strange noises from the victim’s home – everyone thought it was just renovations.”

“Fragmenting the body served two purposes: an act of vengeance and to obfuscate the time of death. Without a complete body or with only partial remains, even a forensic expert could only estimate the approximate time of death.”

“After you eliminated the victim’s family, you used the victim’s phone to send a text to yourself. Otherwise, no one familiar with the victim would be able to mimic her tone so perfectly.”

“After sending the message and leaving behind evidence at the scene, you quietly returned home and handed control back to your original personality.”

“Then, when your original personality awoke and saw that text, you took over again to trigger a memory lapse…”

At this point, Xiao Yu glared coldly at He Xia.

“You did it on purpose, didn’t you?”