Eyes that are the same as those of evil

Chapter 208 The Snail Boy
Was his death a natural one, or was he forced to commit suicide?

Tan Jia's immediate reaction was that someone had killed him to cover it up.

But then I thought about it again and realized that it didn't make sense. Zhou Qi'an had already confessed his biggest secret during the interrogation, and everything that needed to be exposed had been exposed. There was no need to let Zhou Qi'an die so suddenly at this point.

Even if the person is dead, there are still surveillance videos as evidence, which can still convict those people. Killing Zhou Qi'an at this point would be a losing proposition.

Zheng Yan said, "After he finished the interrogation and confessed everything, he committed suicide by running into the wall on his way to the toilet. When he was found, he was still alive and left a message."

"Tell me who wanted to harm him?"

"No. He said that no matter whether he confessed or not, he was definitely not going to live. He didn't want to be tortured and hoped that his death would make those people let go and stop hurting his mother."

Tan Jia remained silent for a few seconds.

Then he asked, "If a criminal suspect commits suicide at the police station, won't you be in trouble?"

"With the body camera footage, we can confirm that his death was not a crime, was not coerced, and was not due to our dereliction of duty. Moreover, if anyone should be punished, it should be the special task force and the investigation team."

"So this case is over?" she asked again.

"Not yet, but we don't need to investigate the people involved. We still need to investigate the corpses in the bamboo forest."

Zheng Yan guessed the call was made during a spare moment. It was close to the time; he needed to return to the team to continue dealing with Zhou Qi'an's death. Taking advantage of the brief moment while fetching water, amidst the pattering sound of the water, he asked:
"Is there anything else you want to ask? The case will be sealed off for us soon."

If she only had time left for one question, then she wanted to ask...

"Did Zhou Qi'an tell me his complete plan targeting me?"

Zheng Yan understood: "I knew you were bothered by things that didn't make sense. It's actually very simple—"

"After framing you, because we started investigating Wen Jinbing's revenge, it alarmed those people who were involved in Wenwu's death. They wanted to resolve the matter quickly, so when they saw you, the murderer who was pushed out, they would give Zhou Qi'an the green light to smoothly determine that you were the murderer."

“But because you have connections with the police, if you are wrongly convicted, we will definitely help you. So what they want is not to find evidence to convict you, but to make you commit suicide to atone for your sins, so that people who do not know the truth will think that you are the murderer.”

"When the time comes, we'll expose your dreams and label you as mentally unstable. Lots of people will believe it. In a few years, you'll even be in textbooks as a real-life example of how sleep deprivation leads to schizophrenia and how a concerned citizen can turn into a murderer."

After listening, Tan Jia readily replied, "Okay, I understand."

"Ok?"

"I had already guessed it pretty accurately before this."

Zheng Yan let out a complex yet relieved sigh and asked, "And then? Nothing else to say?"

The case is closed, the person is dead, what else is there to say?

However, Tan Jia is a kind person who respects the elderly and cares for the young. After thinking for a moment, she said, "When you're less busy and have some free time, I'd like to introduce my new dough sculpture to you."

"...Go to sleep."

-

As July arrives and the heat intensifies, the sun beats down on people and leaves along the roadside, causing them to curl and wilt.

After staying in the hospital for two days, Tan Jia was finally discharged and returned home.

She hadn't been back for a week from the time the case started until it was closed, and she felt a little unfamiliar when she walked in.

“You can stay at my place,” Lin Zhiyue, who was following closely behind, suggested earnestly.

Tan Jia glanced back at him: "You're dreaming."

Everyone has their own territory—a home, a room, a desk, or a drawer. Only in their own domain can they feel the highest level of security.

She walked to the window, pulled the curtains open with a whoosh, and sunlight instantly flooded the room.

The excessive brightness made her squint, then she turned her head and said, "Start cleaning in two minutes. You have one minute to run away." "We can hire a professional cleaner. You still have an injury on your head," Lin Zhiyue said, frowning.

"The one-minute countdown is over, you can't escape now. Go get a towel and work with the robot vacuum cleaner."

Lin Zhiyue's eyes widened slightly, not expecting her to mean that.

But he still obediently became the snail-frog boy.

While cleaning, I passed by the living room sofa and randomly received a kiss.

So he passed by several more times afterward, but Tan Jia, who was making dough figurines, ignored him and said he was being too presumptuous without even looking up.

After the cleaning was completed, Tan Jia inspected the work and generously scratched his chin.

"That's fine. You can go now."

Lin Zhiyue remained silent, staring straight at her without moving.

"What do you want?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "Just say what you want to say."

"I want to stay."

"Then you'd better not say anything."

She had a smile in her eyes, and Lin Zhiyue's usually lazy brain circuits connected exceptionally smoothly at this moment. He reached out and grasped Tan Jia's wrist.

“I can take care of you. I’m already learning to cook,” he said, pursing his lips. “And I haven’t had an attack in a long time.”

“That’s not an illness. Being overly sensitive and not wanting to talk to people aren’t problems, and neither are strange visual cues. They’re a skill.”

After Tan Jia finished speaking, she met his slightly upturned lips.

"...You've even learned to play the victim and be cunning."

Lin Zhiyue stayed.

However, she still ate at the restaurant next door. She let it go, but Lin Zhiyue switched modes so quickly, treating his house like a canteen, and left as soon as he finished eating.

Just as they were leaving after dinner, they ran into Tan Jia's aunt and uncle who had come to visit her, as well as Tan Ming, who kept yawning.

Aunt Tan Xue looked Lin Zhiyue up and down, smiled gently, and then anxiously inquired about Tan Jia's injury.

"I don't know if I should say you've had a lot of bad luck. You got into a car accident on your way back, then you ran into a murder case while you were with your uncle, and now you've encountered something like this... Are you still going to see a psychologist? Have you been doing some dough figurines to help you relax?"

After asking the usual questions, they went a step further and asked some beyond the scope of the question: "Dating is a good way to relieve emotions, but you have to be careful to distinguish, because some guys will only make your problems worse."

Tan Ming asked to join the conversation, and even after being refused, he insisted on saying, "Especially for people who have high psychological and emotional needs, they are more likely to commit crimes if they don't get a response."

"...Brother, he can hear you."

Lin Zhiyue sat on the sofa to the side with his eyes lowered, separated from the family by an invisible dividing line.

Like a lonely island floating alone in the sea.

They look rather pitiful.

But when he stood up, he was a huge, isolated figure, over 1.8 meters tall. When he went to the kitchen to wash the fruit and brought it out, bending down to hand it to Tan Ming and the others, Tan Ming felt as if all the light in his eyes had been blocked.

This kid has learned a thing or two about being a normal person; he even washes fruit for the guests… wait, what guests! The one washing the fruit is the guest!

Tan Jia was oblivious to their exchange; she was lost in thought as she listened to her aunt's words.

Tan Xuehui said to her earnestly, "Go see a psychologist for long-term treatment. I've heard some news about this case. This time you were framed, but what about next time? Can you really be sure you won't be affected by the recurring nightmares and develop mental problems?"

(End of this chapter)