My online dating circle has millions of followers, why would she put a collar on me?

Inside the interrogation room, Jiang Yi sat on a plastic chair, his hands resting on his knees, his head bowed.

The incandescent light overhead emitted a faint buzzing sound, like a tireless fly hovering around his ear.

He had been sitting here for who knows how long.

Maybe an hour, maybe two hours, maybe longer.

Time lost its meaning in this windowless room, leaving only the light, silence, and his own heartbeat.

He tried to calm himself down and go through everything in his mind.

Jiang Miaomiao used his photos to scam people online, defrauding them of nearly three million yuan.

He only found out later, but those photos were his, and the account was registered with his identity information.

Even more fatally, he went to see Su Xiaoyue, hugged her, and said those things to her.

Whatever his reasons, he did those things.

He imagined Xia Anmian's expression when she found out all this.

What kind of expression will appear on that usually calm and composed face?

Disappointed?

anger?

Nausea?

Or is there nothing left, just an empty, unfillable void?

Jiang Yi's fingers clenched tightly on his knees.

He considered betraying Jiang Miaomiao.

This thought had crossed his mind countless times, each time after she did something even more outrageous, but he suppressed it each time.

Do you think anyone will believe that?

These are the words he said to Jiang Miaomiao, and also the words he said to himself.

Gu Qinghan didn't believe it.

Gu Qinghan looked at him as if he were a piece of garbage pulled from a gutter—disgusting, contemptuous, and disdainful.

She said, "Do I look like an idiot to you?" She said, "Your sister is doing online dating for you? Do you think I'm a three-year-old?"

Gu Qinghan didn't believe it.

What about Xia Anmian? Would she believe it?

Jiang Yi closed his eyes.

He recalled Xia Anmian's tone when she said, "Every time you say 'no,' it means you're nervous," with a hint of smugness, as if to say, "See, I know you so well."

He remembered the warmth of her leaning on his shoulder while watching a movie, the touch of her drawing circles on his chest in the budget hotel, and the smile of her turning back to wave at him from the airport gate.

Then he shattered all those images and pieced together another scene in his mind.

Xia Anmian stood in front of him, looking at him expressionlessly, holding her phone in her hand.

Then he asked himself, "Jiang Yi, what else do you have to say?"

What would I say?

Saying, "I didn't receive that money"?

She said, "The account is yours, the photos are yours, you went to the meeting, and you're telling me you didn't receive that money?"

He said, "My sister did it."

She said, "Your sister is doing online dating for you? Do you think I'm a three-year-old?"

Jiang Yi realized that his situation perfectly matched what Gu Qinghan had said.

"Do you think I'm a three-year-old?"

It's not that "they don't believe," it's that "he's not trustworthy."

No matter what he says, whether he's telling the truth or lying, whether he has evidence or not, he's no longer trustworthy.

Because he lied.

He lied to Su Xiaoyue and Xia Anmian.

He lived his life as a lie.

Jiang Yi raised his hand and rubbed his face hard twice.

My skin was as dry as sandpaper, and my eyes felt sore as if they were filled with two hot pebbles.

He hadn't slept for a long time. From the moment Su Xiaoyue was born until now, his nerves had been stretched taut like a string that could snap at any moment.

Footsteps could be heard outside the interrogation room.

The sound of footsteps came from more than one person.

Jiang Yi suddenly raised his head and stared at the tightly closed iron gate.

His heart raced at that moment, not out of fear, but something more complex and indescribable.

Is that Xia Anmian? She's here? So soon?

How should I put it?

Now that things have come to this, all we can do is tell the truth.

I hope Mianmian can believe it~

The iron gate was pushed open.

The door hinges made a dull creaking sound, and cold white light from the corridor flooded in, casting a pale glow on the gray cement floor.

Jiang Yi squinted, adjusting to the sudden light, and looked at the person who walked in through the door.

It's not Xia Anmian.

It was Gu Qinghan.

And Su Xiaoyue.

There was also a young policeman, wearing a rather disheveled police uniform.

His expression was subtle, like someone who had been forced to do something they shouldn't have, but was trying to pretend they didn't see it.

Zhao Hanting.

Jiang Yi remembered the name on his name tag. It was the young policeman who had brought him in earlier.

Then his gaze fell on Su Xiaoyue.

Su Xiaoyue was wearing a beige trench coat over a light blue floral dress, exactly the same one he wore when he picked her up at the airport that afternoon.

Her hair was a little messy, with a few strands sticking to the side of her face. Her eyes were red as if they had been burned, the tip of her nose was also red, and her lips were pressed tightly together, forming a thin line.

She stood at the doorway, looking at Jiang Yi from a distance of three or four meters, without moving.

There was so much in those eyes.

There were tears, there was blood, something that had been shattered and barely pieced together, something that could collapse again at any moment.

But Jiang Yi searched inside for a long time and did not find what he expected to see.

There was no anger.

There is no hatred.

There was no contempt.

She looked calm.

Zhao Hanting stood at the door, cleared his throat, and spoke in a low voice, but it was exceptionally clear in the suffocatingly quiet interrogation room: "Five minutes. Don't cause trouble."

Then he took a step back and stood outside the door, which was not closed, leaving a gap of about ten centimeters.

He blocked the doorway, pretending to eavesdrop.

Gu Qinghan gave Jiang Yi a deep look, then helped Su Xiaoyue to the police officer's position.

Inside the room, Jiang Yi's gaze turned towards them.

Su Xiaoyue and Jiang Yi's eyes met once again.

This time, under the incandescent light, Jiang Yi could see the girl's eyes more clearly.

Su Xiaoyue cried.

She didn't know what to say.

Her body was trembling uncontrollably, and she kept telling herself not to cry.

Don't cry.

However, the thought that the person in front of me had lied to me made me hesitate.

Su Xiaoyue couldn't help herself.

Tears streamed down my face like a burst dam.

Gu Qinghan saw all of this.

She simply couldn't bear to see her best friend cry.

So he patted Su Xiaoyue on the shoulder while questioning Jiang Yi.

"Don't you have anything to say to Xiaoyue?"

Jiang Yi then came to his senses.

He stared blankly at Su Xiaoyue.

It has to be said that no man could resist seeing such a beautiful and delicate young girl crying like this in front of him.

However, the current situation is that Jiang Yi doesn't want to see her at all.

It would have been fine if they hadn't been caught and taken to the police station before, but now that things have been exposed.

All his thoughts were focused on how to explain things to Xia Anmian.

That was his real girlfriend.

As for Su Xiaoyue.

It was all just a performance.

Although this girl suffered a great injustice.

But things had come to this point, and he couldn't even take care of himself, let alone Su Xiaoyue's feelings.

It's better for everyone to talk things out openly.

"Sigh~"

Jiang Yi sighed, looked away from Su Xiaoyue and turned to Gu Qinghan.

"Miss Gu, I've told you everything I can say. I have nothing more to add."

(I've really enjoyed writing this, so I'll post another chapter. Please give me lots of good reviews, please~)