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墨書 Inktalez
Zhou Ruo's parents thought they wouldn't have to come back to the police station with their daughter again, but unexpectedly, just two days later, they found themselves here once more. Zhou Ruo sat silently in a chair behind them as they waited for Officer Zhang and Lin Yuan to arrive. An officer handed them a glass of water.
"Please wait a moment. She just needs to go in for a bit," the officer said.
After hearing this, the couple felt a bit uneasy. Despite their usual reprimands toward their daughter, they were at a loss for what to do if something serious had happened. They had asked Zhou Ruo about it on the way here, but she refused to speak.
"Isn't it just a little girl who committed suicide? There's no way we could be involved," Zhou Ruo's mother reassured herself.
They sat in silence for a while until Lin Yuan finally appeared. The couple recognized him; he was the young man who seemed to have authority over the last captain they encountered.
As Lin Yuan approached, Zhou Ruo slowly stood up from her chair and walked over to him.
"Come with me," he instructed.
Zhou Ruo followed him obediently. After they left, her parents remained outside, still feeling anxious. At that moment, Officer Zhang came over.
"You should come with us as well."
"What could possibly be wrong now?" They followed him, puzzled.
In the conference room, Officer Zhang looked directly at them and got straight to the point: "You must be aware that your daughter has a history of mental illness. Why is your attitude toward her like this?"
"Well, everyone has to live their lives, right? We haven't done anything wrong. Who hasn't gone through this?" Zhou Ruo's father replied defensively.
They still hadn't realized their own issues.
"You've taken her to see doctors before; surely they've advised you to pay more attention to your child's mental health. Given your daughter's condition, it's already quite serious."
During the investigation, they contacted Zhou Ruo's former psychologist, who confirmed that her mental illness was indeed severe. However, it was clear that her parents had not taken this information seriously.
"Well, once we go back, we'll make sure she gets treatment. Does this illness really need to be reported to the police?"
"I need to make this very clear: your daughter is directly connected to Zhong Tiantian's death."
"What?"
Their faces were filled with disbelief, and some even spoke up anxiously.
"You officers can't wrongfully accuse someone. My daughter may not be very talkative, but she would never do something like this. Besides, didn't you say that Zhong Tiantian's death was a suicide? You can't just pin this on our daughter!"
Zhang, the team leader, tapped the table to signal them to calm down.
"The police wouldn't call you in for no reason; if we summoned you, it means we have evidence." He handed his phone to them, displaying a video that had already been edited.
At first, the couple looked a bit confused as they watched the video, but their expressions grew even more bewildered when they saw their daughter appear on the screen.
"This is from a few pharmacies several streets away. If you want to walk there and back, it would take at least an hour," he continued. "I remember you don't have an electric bike at home, so Zhou Ruo must have walked there to buy something."
"So what? Maybe they ran out of medicine at home, and she went out to find some," Zhou Ruo's mother insisted, still believing there must be some misunderstanding.
Zhang then displayed a screenshot and squinted at them.
"I recall that Zhou Ruo's academic performance is quite good, especially in this area. Even if she searched online, she could find some simple recipes for these drugs. With those ingredients, one could make certain hallucinogens."
He paused for effect. "What we commonly refer to as 'knockout drugs,' though the symptoms aren't as severe. They can make someone cautious and dazed, leading to a poor state of mind."
Zhou Ruo herself had no need for such drugs, which meant they weren't intended for her use. When Zhong Tiantian came over, she certainly didn't appear to be in a clear state of mind.
The implication was clear: Zhong Tiantian had ended up like this because her good friend Zhou Ruo had given her some kind of drug.
Zhou Ruo's father stood up in shock. "My daughter would never do such a thing! They are so close; how could anyone suspect her?"
Next, Zhang produced another piece of surveillance footage. Previously, Zhong Tiantian's parents had mentioned seeing their daughter leave with a boy. While there wasn't detailed footage from directly outside their building, nearby shopping centers had captured it.
Though the person didn't look like Zhou Ruo as she usually did, it was undeniably their daughter.
Zhou Ruo's father sank back into his seat. He recognized his own daughter.
"No, this can't be right. Girls argue all the time; this must be a mistake!"
Those videos were also shown to Zhou Ruo by Lin Yuan.
"Don't you have anything to say?"
Zhou Ruo lowered her eyes, resembling the impression Lin Yuan had of her at the beginning.
I'll do what I have to do; I won't resist.
Lin Yuan put away his phone.
You should know what I want to ask; it's not this question.
There must be more than just you involved in Zhong Tiantian's death, right? You let your good friend die like that—don't you feel any regret?
Zhou Ruo remained indifferent.
There's nothing to regret; I did it all by myself.
It seemed she wasn't planning to reveal who was behind it all. Was Lin Yuan's curiosity and jealousy that strong?
Zhong Tiantian shared half of the love she received with you, which should have compensated you to a great extent. Even though you still have psychological issues, it's not her fault.
Zhou Ruo, haven't you figured it out yet?
Officer, what do you want me to tell you?
The previously indifferent Zhou Ruo suddenly smiled at Lin Yuan.
Do you think she saved my life? If I hadn't met Zhong Tiantian back then, I could still lie to myself and believe that not all parents in this world are that bad.
But unfortunately, I saw the truth.
The situation with Yuan Xiao was somewhat similar, making Lin Yuan doubt if parents nowadays were really that incompetent. But when he thought about how he seemed to lack parents himself, he didn't dwell on the issue further.
Then let's leave it at that. I will investigate everyone you've come into contact with. If you can provide us with clear leads, Zhong Tiantian's parents will thank you for it.
Zhou Ruo on the chair smiled again.
They would want to strangle me at that time; how could they possibly thank me?
As Lin Yuan reached the door, Zhou Ruo turned to look at his back.
Not everyone has a heart of a saint; you're no different, Officer.
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