Chapter 26: Judgment
You Ruxu looked at Chen Xiang: “Deceased?”
Chen Xiang said, “Yes, two months ago.”
She muttered, “She used to work at the same factory as Chen Mo, also at the fireworks factory.”
You Ruxu nodded: “Which department was she in?”
“I’ll ask.” Chen Xiang typed rapidly. Soon, Team 3 sent over the information about the ex-girlfriend. Actually, Team 3 had investigated her at the beginning, after all, no one would be foolish enough to ignore such good material. Later, they found out she was deceased, and that they had broken up over two years ago. Furthermore, Chen Mo’s parents strongly resisted any mention of the ex-girlfriend, presumably because the breakup hadn’t been amicable. In the previous interview, Chen Mo’s mother even said that Chen Mo had never been in a relationship, that he hadn’t.
She was almost in denial. Everyone was afraid of upsetting her, so even though some marketing accounts had mentioned the ex-girlfriend, the news was quickly suppressed.
That’s why it hadn’t been widely reported.
Now, hearing that You Ruxu needed the information, they were somewhat surprised.
Chen Xiang received the information and said, “She met Chen Mo at the factory. They went to university in the same city, but weren’t classmates. Maybe that’s why they had things in common. She was in the R&D department.”
“They didn’t date for long, maybe just over six months, then they broke up. Her family strongly opposed the relationship.”
Even now, they couldn’t bear to mention the ex-girlfriend. One could only imagine how much they disliked her.
You Ruxu nodded. Dated for over six months, broke up two years ago, deceased two months ago. Even if she investigated, there probably wouldn’t be any leads. She looked out the window. Sunlight streamed into the car, bringing some warmth.
Chen Xiang said, “I also found her Weibo account.”
She pulled it up and followed it.
Because of Chen Mo’s case, some people had found their way to her Weibo, but her last update was two years ago, clearly abandoned for a long time, so very few people visited. However, she had quite a few likes. You Ruxu glanced at the screen. The ex-girlfriend’s Weibo was mostly filled with everyday moments.
[Feeling good, going out with him today.]
[Rainy day, a little annoying.]
[He’s so good, I like him so much.]
It seemed more like a channel for expressing her feelings, full of affection for someone. You Ruxu scrolled down.
[Going to his house, sigh——]
One word, expressing countless struggles.
There wasn’t any useful information. You Ruxu asked, “What about her family?”
“There’s no one left.” Chen Xiang said, “Her family was from a small town. She went back after quitting her job. She died in a car accident two months ago.”
Team 3 really had dug deep. They heard that her body had been in the morgue for several days, and finally, the villagers pooled money for her funeral. Chen Xiang said, “I don’t think Chen Mo even knew about his ex-girlfriend.”
You Ruxu asked, “Why do you say that?”
“Think about it, Teacher You,” Chen Xiang said, “if he knew, he would definitely have gone back for the funeral, after all, they were in a relationship.”
You Ruxu wanted to say not necessarily, but considering that Chen Mo hadn’t dated anyone else afterwards, he clearly still had feelings for his ex-girlfriend. Then he probably didn’t know, otherwise, even if he didn’t arrange the funeral, he would definitely have attended.
Lost in thought, her finger unconsciously swiped across the screen, stopping on a post: [Might have a family soon, feeling blessed.]
It was posted before she went to Chen Mo’s house. Presumably, Chen Mo had proposed, and they decided to get married. The more she read, the more uneasy she felt. You Ruxu closed her phone and heard Chen Xiang say, “Team 3 is here.”
A black van with the TV station’s logo pulled up in front. The people inside got out and stood downstairs. You Ruxu opened the car door and walked out. Someone recognized her, “Teacher You?”
You Ruxu and the other two teams always conducted their interviews separately, never crossing paths. So, seeing her, the members of Team 3 hesitated, wanting to go upstairs but unsure. You Ruxu said, “I’m not interviewing Chen Mo’s parents, I just want to go up and take a look.”
Her expression was calm, her smiling eyes making it difficult to refuse, at least for the person facing her. He looked at another reporter.
The reporter from Team 3 was older than You Ruxu. Seeing this, he said, “No photos, no questions.”
You Ruxu smiled: “Okay.”
Her smile was like the morning mist evaporating, leaving behind a delicate, refreshing fragrance, and the air of intellectual elegance she exuded, something intangible yet undeniably present.
Chen Xiang saw several colleagues blushing, stealing glances at You Ruxu. She leaned in and whispered, “Teacher You, you’re amazing.”
You Ruxu looked at her and smiled.
Chen Xiang took a deep breath and patted her face. She couldn’t blame her colleagues for being captivated. Even she, spending every day with You Ruxu, couldn’t resist her smile. You Ruxu followed the colleagues from Team 3 upstairs.
Chen Mo’s home was on the eighth floor of an old residential building. Although there was an elevator, it was also very old, creaking and groaning as it moved. Chen Xiang was uneasy, “I’m afraid it’ll fall.”
You Ruxu said, “It won’t.”
Chen Xiang breathed a sigh of relief. They reached Chen Mo’s floor. There were three apartments. The door of one was plastered with small advertisements, covered in a thick layer of dust, clearly unoccupied for a long time. The doorway of another was clean and tidy, with only a shoe rack outside.
Chen Mo’s family lived in the third apartment, at the very end. She had heard this unit was the smallest and cheapest. Two screws were missing from the shoe rack by the door, half of it collapsed, two or three pairs of shoes scattered outside. You Ruxu heard her colleague knock on the door and looked up. A voice came from inside after a moment.
A man’s voice: “Who is it?”
He didn’t open the door. Presumably, many people had come looking for them recently, so he didn’t open the door directly.
The colleague from Team 3 said, “Hello, uncle, we’re from the Jindu TV evening news team, we contacted you yesterday.”
The person inside opened the door after hearing this.
You Ruxu followed them inside.
It wasn’t a big apartment, perhaps seventy square meters, two bedrooms and a living room. The entrance was a small foyer. The TV station colleagues were hesitating whether to take off their shoes when they heard Chen Mo’s mother say, “Come in.”
Her voice was weak, and she looked much older than when You Ruxu had first seen her at the company entrance. Her hair was grayer, her eyes dull, red, and swollen. She said, “Sit down.”
You Ruxu watched as her colleagues set up the cameras and talked to Chen Mo’s parents. She looked around the apartment. One room was the master bedroom, where the parents lived. The other was a smaller bedroom and study, presumably Chen Mo’s room.
As expected, her colleagues asked, “Auntie, is this Chen Mo’s room?”
Chen Mo’s mother’s eyes reddened again. She turned her head, her movements slow, and said, “Yes, this is Chen Mo’s room.”
Chen Mo’s room was quite tidy. A bookshelf, a desk, a computer. The computer screen was off, but the main unit was on, a green light blinking. Her colleagues asked, “Auntie, was this Chen Mo’s computer?”
“Yes, it was his.” Chen Mo’s mother said, “We don’t understand computers, Chen Mo was the one who used it.”
It was because they didn’t understand how to use it that they didn’t even know how to turn it off, so it remained on.
Besides that, there wasn’t anything special. A wardrobe, a bedside table, a bed, neatly made by his parents. A pair of slippers were placed by the bed, as if someone was resting there and might get up at any moment.
This was their wishful thinking.
The filming crew recorded all of this. They had interviewed the parents before, but they hadn’t been allowed into Chen Mo’s room. His parents hadn’t agreed, saying Chen Mo would be back, that he didn’t like people entering his room, that he would be unhappy.
Back then, Chen Mo’s parents had just received the tragic news and couldn’t accept it, hence their distraught state.
Now, they were much better.
You Ruxu also saw a package next to the computer, unopened, the packaging intact. She looked at Chen Mo’s parents, lowered her head, and left the room with her colleagues. The interview continued in the living room. Chen Mo’s mother sat beside the reporter. Chen Mo’s father remained silent, as if he had lost his soul, his eyes downcast, staring at his fingers.
His hands were calloused and thin, the wrinkles on his skin especially pronounced. He kept his head lowered. Chen Mo’s mother didn’t cry much this time, just a numb expression on her face.
The colleagues from Team 3 exchanged glances. The reporter cleared her throat, her voice even gentler, “Auntie, would you mind talking to us about Chen Mo?”
Chen Mo’s mother looked up, paused, then nodded.
You Ruxu looked towards the room, silently sitting on a nearby chair, listening to the reporter’s questions and Chen Mo’s mother’s answers. Time passed unknowingly until Chen Mo’s father stood up.
He went to pour everyone some water.
You Ruxu took a glass with both hands and said, “Thank you, uncle.”
She looked towards the room: “Uncle, Chen Mo’s computer is still on.”
They spoke softly, unlike the loud interview being conducted with cameras rolling. Their hushed voices were barely audible. Chen Mo’s father said, “Oh, how do you turn it off? Is it okay to just unplug it?”
You Ruxu said, “I’ll turn it off for you. Unplugging it might damage the computer.”
Chen Mo’s father wanted to say it didn’t matter, as no one but Chen Mo used the computer anyway.
But then he thought, it was Chen Mo’s.
He said, “Then I’ll trouble you.”
You Ruxu said, “It’s no trouble at all.”
She stood up and went into the room, Chen Mo’s father following her. You Ruxu sat at the computer, turned on the screen. A chat window with a Taobao customer service representative was open.
Chen Mo: [Hello, when will you ship the item?]
Customer Service: [Hello dear, we can ship it tonight.]
Chen Mo: [Okay, could you please include a greeting card with a message?]
Customer Service: [Hello dear, what would you like the message to be?]
Chen Mo: [Write “Happy Birthday.”]
Customer Service: [Okay, and how should we address it?]
Chen Mo: [Goddaughter/Godson, I don’t know yet, it’s for my friend’s child, we don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl yet.]
Customer Service: [Okay, dear.]
You Ruxu looked at it for two minutes. Chen Mo’s father asked, “What’s wrong? Is it difficult to turn off?”
“No.” You Ruxu said, “Uncle, was this package delivered yesterday?”
Chen Mo’s father’s expression changed slightly: “Yes.”
You Ruxu figured this was the package Chen Mo had ordered online.
She looked at Chen Mo’s father and said, “Uncle, can I ask you something?”
Chen Mo’s father said, “What is it?”
“You and Zhang Xiaojie…”
“Why bring him up?!” The man, who had been so quiet and mild-mannered just moments ago, suddenly erupted in anger, “Why bring him up! If it weren’t for Zhang Xiaojie, our Chen Mo wouldn’t be dead!”
You Ruxu didn’t try to calm him, but asked, “Why?”
Chen Mo’s father was like a raging lion: “It’s all Zhang Xiaojie’s fault! It’s all his fault!”
You Ruxu asked, “The police haven’t announced anything yet, how can you be so sure it was Zhang Xiaojie?”
“What do you mean?!” This time, it was Chen Mo’s mother who spoke, “Are you Zhang Xiaojie’s advocate? Can’t you see our Chen Mo is gone? Do you have to keep twisting the knife?!”
The colleagues from Team 3 immediately tried to smooth things over, comforting Chen Mo’s parents while wondering why You Ruxu was being so aggressive. Her interviews were always conducted gently.
Chen Mo’s mother pointed at her nose: “Get out! Get out!”
“All of you, get out! Get out!”
It seemed Zhang Xiaojie’s name was a trigger, instantly enraging Chen Mo’s parents!
You Ruxu continued to press the issue: “Auntie, wasn’t Zhang Xiaojie Chen Mo’s friend?”
“He had no such friend as Zhang Xiaojie!” Chen Mo’s mother’s voice was shrill, “Zhang Xiaojie is a jinx! He killed Chen Mo!”
The colleagues from Team 3 quickly ushered You Ruxu out.
Chen Xiang also followed.
She looked at the commotion inside and the displeased looks from the Team 3 colleagues, shrinking back, “Teacher You, let’s go downstairs.”
You Ruxu nodded.
Seeing them leave, the colleagues from Team 3 breathed a sigh of relief and continued to comfort Chen Mo’s parents.
You Ruxu went downstairs.
Chen Xiang couldn’t help but ask, “Teacher You, what’s wrong with you today?”
You Ruxu said, “I just saw a purchase record on Chen Mo’s computer.”
Chen Xiang said, “What purchase record?”
“A set of baby products.” You Ruxu said, “Bought for Zhang Xiaojie’s child.”
Chen Xiang said, “That’s not strange, Chen Mo and Zhang Xiaojie had a good relationship.”
“Then why do his parents dislike Zhang Xiaojie so much?” You Ruxu asked, “Don’t you find it strange? The police haven’t identified the culprit yet, but they’ve already convicted Zhang Xiaojie.”
Chen Xiang said, “Maybe they need an outlet for their grief?”
And Zhang Xiaojie was this outlet.
You Ruxu said, “Then they should be targeting the company, why Zhang Xiaojie?”
Chen Xiang blurted out, “Because Zhang Xiaojie set off the fireworks…”
She stopped mid-sentence and looked at You Ruxu, covering her mouth, unable to believe what she had just said. It was almost an instinctive reaction, she had blurted out that Zhang Xiaojie was the culprit.
But who said Zhang Xiaojie was the culprit?
Had the police reached a conclusion?
No.
This unconsciously ingrained thought was a little frightening. She had been investigating Zhang Xiaojie every day, and she would blurt out such things, let alone the netizens online who didn’t know the truth.
Chen Xiang suddenly realized, “Teacher You, are Chen Mo’s parents deliberately manipulating public opinion?”
You Ruxu was silent for a moment, hearing her words.
Chen Xiang said, “Some netizens have also raised this point, but Chen Mo’s parents aren’t accepting any financial aid or donations.” So, even she had dismissed the idea. But You Ruxu’s questions just now made her realize something. Perhaps Chen Mo’s parents didn’t want money, they wanted public opinion on their side.
They wanted to reinforce the idea that Zhang Xiaojie was the culprit.
Netizens online were tagging the Jindu police every day, asking for updates on the case, claiming that even a minute’s delay in reporting was a cover-up, protecting the culprit. Public opinion was becoming increasingly extreme. It wasn’t difficult to imagine that today’s interview would push the incident to another climax.
What were Chen Mo’s parents trying to do?
Use public opinion to judge the case?
Sentence Zhang Xiaojie to death?
Thinking about what she had just blurted out, a chill ran down Chen Xiang’s spine!
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