Chapter 602: Shifting Shadows of Truth
by xennovel“What the hell is this?”
Looking at Zhang Weiyu’s face twisted in torment, everyone wore expressions of shock.
It felt as if his head were about to split in two.
Something so straightforward had suddenly become unbearably complex.
Who is the pervert, and who is really supposed to be taking care of her?
……
“Please, I beg you, believe me…”
Zhang Weiyu, meeting the skeptical and odd gazes of those around him, clutched his head in agony.
With despair thick in his voice, he pleaded, “Really, I’m telling the truth. I don’t know why Weiwei said that, but I swear I never did those things—snooped under girls’ skirts. I could never stoop so low…”
“And I’ve never even been into the women’s restroom…”
“……”
The onlookers remained silent, their faces growing even more perplexed.
Zhang Weiyu’s demeanor didn’t scream deception.
Even the most skilled pretenders couldn’t mask the truth to this extent.
Yet the bizarre nature of the incident left everyone feeling fragmented and at a loss for words.
Exchanging glances, Little Meng—with a scrap of paper awkwardly lodged in his nostril—compassionately patted Zhang Weiyu’s shoulder.
“Honestly, I believe him on this matter,” he said.
He looked up at Lu Xin and the others, explaining, “He dropped out after just half a year in high school. Back then, they hadn’t even switched to new uniforms—everyone wore pants regardless of gender. Even if he tried peeking, there was nothing to see. And regarding the restroom incident, he even left his camera behind…”
Glancing at Zhang Weiyu’s grimy down jacket, he scoffed, “He probably couldn’t even afford a camera, right?”
The onlookers exchanged looks, gleaning more from Little Meng’s words.
Naturally, Zhang Weiyu’s account earned a bit more trust.
Yet it was evident that Little Meng’s words did little to ease his torment.
Deep down, everyone understood that Zhang Weiyu was begging those present to believe him, but his despair stemmed from Chen Wei.
Rather than seeking the trust of bystanders, he most desperately hoped that Chen Wei would believe him.
Ironically, the one accusing him was none other than Chen Wei.
Someone couldn’t help but glance toward Chen Wei on the other side of the glass wall, their eyes laced with suspicion.
So, is Chen Wei really the one lying?
This little girl didn’t seem like the type to lie at all…
Yet the facts were undeniable: to defend her boyfriend, she painted Chen Wei in the best light while dousing the one who had once cared for her—and even helped pay her tuition—in filth.
Could it be that you truly can’t judge a book by its cover?
……
“Whether you’ve been in the women’s restroom or not isn’t important.”
At that moment, Lu Xin slowly raised his head and, looking at the anguished Zhang Weiyu, said, “The key issue is something else…”
“Are you sure the kind things Chen Wei claims you did were really your doing?”
“Or are you sure that Chen Wei ever truly liked you?”
“……”
“I…”
After a tremendous effort, Zhang Weiyu finally managed, “I…I’m not sure…”
“Because I never really considered these things before…”
“Weiwei—she’s just getting more beautiful, and I started to feel unworthy of her.”
“But I just can’t understand. Not long ago, she was all about graduating and marrying me. So how…”
“How did everything change in the blink of an eye?”
“……”
Silence fell over the cramped room.
Someone almost whispered that people are fickle.
Yet the surreal absurdity of the situation defied even that simple explanation.
“Well, perhaps…”
Lu Xin, after a moment of reflection, found his answer.
He then turned toward the adjacent room where a girl, her eyes clear and resolute, gently shook her head:
“…The issue isn’t with her.”
“……”
Suddenly, all eyes lifted to him. “So what’s the real problem?”
“Isn’t there another aspect?”
Lu Xin stood and declared, “Let’s go check on the other interrogation room.”
……
……
In the other interrogation room, Cao Ye sat across the table, his head bowed.
Since the incident wasn’t too serious, he wasn’t shackled; a glass of water had even been placed before him.
However, after questioning another officer, they learned that despite the lengthy interrogation, Cao Ye had said nothing except to insist that he and Chen Wei were dating. No matter how hard they pressed, he remained stone-faced.
“There’s no point in questioning him further.”
One officer explained to Lu Xin helplessly, “It was just a fling in a hotel—clearly a misunderstanding. He refuses to talk, and we can’t force him; they’re merely high school graduates. We can’t drag them into a dark cell and rough them up, can we?”
“I think the girl has already made herself clear. There’s nothing more to ask.”
“It’s getting late; we should let them go soon.”
“……”
Though some were reluctant, no one could argue.
“He just won’t speak, huh?”
Lu Xin pondered slowly, then added, “May I go in and question him directly?”
The officer hesitated, glanced at CEO Xiao and the others, then leaned in and whispered, “I know you’re from that department—I’ve seen you here dining several times… Although it’s against protocol for outsiders to interrogate, if these two are linked to that sort of business, then you certainly have the right to question them…”
“But if you’re just trying to settle a score for a friend, it’d be best…”
He hesitated, “It’s best not to put us in a difficult position—they’re just kids…”
“Uh…”
Lu Xin paused, then quickly realized.
So he thought I was deliberately trying to make things difficult for them?
Shaking his head, he said, “I’m not out to bully them. I just genuinely think something’s off.”
“Huh?”
The officer, struck by Lu Xin’s earnest tone, couldn’t help but step back and said seriously, “Then I’ll have to report this.”
“Report it, you say…”
Lu Xin pondered a moment and said, “I’ll give you a number; just give them a heads-up, nothing official…”
In truth, an official report wouldn’t be a bad thing.
Little Meng was the poorest in the group; he might not even get paid.
But if it were reported to the Special Cleaning Department as a Special Pollution Incident, the payment would certainly be rewarding.
The key was that Ability Users typically only reported Special Pollution incidents when they had solid evidence.
Otherwise, if it turned out to be a mistake, it would be thoroughly embarrassing.
And now, for the first time, I sensed something was off, yet I couldn’t be certain.
So after some thought, he passed along Han Bing’s phone number, confident that Han Bing would handle it.
“Alright, alright…”
The officer immediately made a call and returned three minutes later, nodding emphatically, “That’s done.”
Seeing that in the meantime he had even donned a bulletproof vest, Lu Xin shook his head in resignation.
“Wearing that doesn’t help.”
After speaking, he stood up and, in full view of everyone, circled a door and headed toward the interrogation room.
……
……
Inside the interrogation room, Cao Ye sat silently, his face pale under the harsh lights.
When he heard Lu Xin enter, he merely cast a cold glance before lowering his head again.
He offered no explanation or answer, as if convinced he would eventually be freed.
Lu Xin sat down and produced a valuable-looking bronze lighter. He slowly lit a cigarette.
Then he sat in silence, smoking and quietly mulling over everything that had happened.
Cao Ye said nothing, and Lu Xin continued his silent contemplation, deeply focused on his cigarette.
After one cigarette finished, he still said nothing.
Two minutes passed after he finished smoking, and he remained silent.
After five minutes, not a word was spoken…
Behind the single-pane glass wall, the room full of onlookers stared in disbelief, exchanging bewildered glances.
Is this what an interrogation is supposed to be?
Or is it a battle of who can keep their cool the longest?
Finally, the long-silent Cao Ye couldn’t hold back any longer, feeling utterly uncomfortable.
He couldn’t help but ask, “Why won’t you say anything?”
Lu Xin hesitated briefly and replied calmly, “I’m trying to get you to reveal the part of the story I want to know…”
Cao Ye shot Lu Xin a long, intense look before lowering his head again, returning to silence.
Frustrated, Lu Xin scratched his ear and quietly explained, “I’m actually quite adept at interrogations. In Qinggang, I’d probably rank in the top five. But my methods tend to be a bit extreme, often leaving irreversible psychological scars. That’s why I hesitated earlier, wondering if there might be a gentler way to get you to open up…”
Cao Ye continued to stay silent, a slight sneer playing at the corner of his mouth.
He was young and admittedly inexperienced, yet his resolve was unwavering.
It seemed he was convinced that if he remained silent, no one could force him to talk.
……
“Looks like you’re not willing to confess on your own…”
Observing Cao Ye’s silence, Lu Xin appeared a bit disheartened, shaking his head and sighing softly, “Then there’s nothing I can do.”
“……”
He paused briefly, which piqued Cao Ye’s curiosity as he lifted his head to look at him.
Their eyes met—a fierce glint flashed in Cao Ye’s eyes as he pursed his lips.
Meanwhile, Lu Xin studied him quietly, his expression gradually softening into a gentle smile.
The fingers holding his cigarette shifted ever so slightly, almost in a delicate, feminine manner.
His gaze lingered on Cao Ye as if he had finally uncovered something.
“Hum…”
Suddenly, the fluorescent lights in the interrogation room began flickering erratically.
Accompanied by a rustle, the curtains in front of the glass wall—though untouched—slowly closed inward, swiftly isolating the room from the curious, wide-eyed onlookers.
Next, the camera in the corner tilted slightly, as though someone had nudged it.
Watching this bizarre sequence of events, Cao Ye grew noticeably nervous and cast a weak, unsteady glance toward Lu Xin.
……
……
Lu Xin sat calmly on his chair and softly crushed the cigarette butt.
Amid all the eerie, inexplicable changes, he remained unruffled, even exuding a graceful calm.
For a moment, Cao Ye felt as if he could sense a woman’s gaze quietly watching him from behind.
“While I hesitated, that was your last chance. Yet you refused…”
Lu Xin looked at him steadily and said, “So…”
A friendly smile gradually spread across his face, as though he were genuinely pleased.
In that instant, Cao Ye’s eyes widened in sheer terror.
He suddenly felt that the small interrogation room had become oppressively crowded.