Chapter 12: Publicly Slapping One's Own Face

The atmosphere once again fell into an impasse.

Just as the investigators were at a loss, Lu Chengfeng suddenly turned to look at the man sitting to the right of Mr. Zhang’s father.

“Mr. Zhang Jingrun, do you have anything you want to tell us? Or perhaps something to say to your father?”

The man called Zhang Jingrun immediately became flustered.

He stammered, “I... I have nothing to say. I... I don’t know anything.”

Mrs. Zhang looked at her second son, sensing that something was off.

Zhang Jingrun had stuttered since childhood whenever he was nervous, and he also stuttered when caught doing something wrong.

She asked in surprise, “Jingrun, do you know something? Are you hiding something from us?”

Zhang Jingrun shook his head like a rattle drum. “No, Mom, I’m not.”

Mr. Zhang also found his son’s behavior unusual but didn’t want to lose face in front of the police.

He scolded his wife, “What could he possibly be hiding from us? Don’t you know your own son? Stop changing the subject. Have you forgotten why we came here?”

“Mr. Zhang is right,” Lu Chengfeng took the opportunity to speak.

“As the police, we also want to uncover the truth behind this case. So I’ve been working overtime these past two days to investigate some things.”

“I originally wanted to find time to speak with Mr. Zhang Jingrun privately, but since you’re all here, let’s talk here.”

Mr. Zhang shot a surprised look at Lu Chengfeng. “What does Rui Lin’s death have to do with Jingrun?”

Lu Chengfeng replied, “Whether it’s related or not, Mr. Zhang Jingrun will have to answer. I just want to show you the results of my investigation.”

Mr. Zhang’s face darkened. “Fine, tell us. What else have you found?”

Lu Chengfeng handed a list to Liu Xun, signaling him to pass it to the three Zhang family members.

Lu Chengfeng said, “Mr. Zhang, there was one point in what you said earlier that was partially correct. Those ladies’ lingerie and magazines were indeed not bought by the deceased, nor were they purchased by Mrs. Wen, the deceased’s wife.”

“They were bought by Mr. Zhang Jingrun, sitting right beside you. The list you’re holding is the purchase record, which I have verified. As to whether Mr. Zhang Jingrun was buying on behalf of someone else or gifting the items to the deceased—”

“That’s something Mr. Zhang Jingrun needs to explain.”

Mr. Zhang stared at the list in his hands, his breathing growing rapid and his hand trembling.

Suddenly, he slammed the list down on the conference table and slapped his second son hard across the face.

“You worthless brat! I knew you were the one corrupting your brother! You’ve always liked causing trouble since you were little. It would be one thing if you just messed around outside, but why drag your brother down with you?!” he roared, looking as if he wanted to tear his son apart.

Mrs. Zhang was heartbroken. “Second son, did you really teach your brother those things? Why?”

A bright red handprint appeared on Zhang Jingrun’s face.

His ears buzzed loudly.

After a long moment, he recovered and then gave a strange smile.

The smile made Shu Yan feel chills run down her spine.

“The police officer is right. Dad, Mom, you can’t judge a book by its cover. Just because I’m a bit mischievous and my brother acts more obedient, you’ve always favored him and compared us.”

“But do you know? My brother was actually the most rebellious one in the family. Do you know why he married a woman who used to work in public relations? It was to defy you.”

“Yes, those things were bought by me, but only because my brother was afraid of being discovered and worried it would affect his polished image outside. So he asked me to buy them for him.”

“Every time I bought something, it was sent to my house. After work, he would drive over to pick them up. I warned him many times that this kind of game was dangerous and could even be fatal.”

“But my brother said it was addictive and he couldn’t control himself.”

Lu Chengfeng interrupted, “Did your brother ever tell you when he started playing this game?”

Zhang Jingrun looked at Lu Chengfeng. “It was five years ago, during my sophomore year in college. That winter break, I didn’t want to go home, so I stayed at his place for a while. He used my name and phone number to buy two sets of ladies’ lingerie.”

“I opened the package without knowing and thought the seller had made a mistake. I called the seller, and they confirmed it was correct. That night, when my brother came home from work and asked for the package, I found out.”

“He told me about the game he liked. That was the first time I knew about such a game. Since then, he often asked me to buy those things. What you saw was only part of it; he threw away many other items over time.”

“He’d had several girlfriends before, but they all broke up with him because they couldn’t accept his obsession. The reason he married that woman named Wen was because she didn’t mind his game.”

Lu Chengfeng pondered briefly and asked, “Do you know where your brother was first introduced to this game?”

Zhang Jingrun hesitated and lightly tugged at the corner of his lips. “I don’t know. He rarely talked to me about his affairs.”

Shu Yan felt Zhang Jingrun was lying.

Zhang Ruilin had shared such private matters with his younger brother, indicating the two were quite close.

Shu Yan thought Zhang Jingrun’s eagerness to distance himself was probably because he feared his parents’ blame and didn’t want to get involved.

That was understandable.

Or perhaps he wanted to protect his brother’s privacy.

The man was already dead, and it was an absurd accident. Digging any deeper would be pointless.

Mr. Zhang also understood clearly that they had to stop here.

Pursuing it further would do no good for the image of his eldest son.

When the three left the police station, they walked quickly without once looking back, as if afraid of stirring up further trouble.

Shu Yan knew they would never file a complaint with the provincial authorities.

Zhang Ruilin’s accidental death case was closed.

No one outside would know the true cause of his death; Mr. Zhang had specifically asked them to keep it confidential.

He would inform Zhang Ruilin’s company that his son had committed suicide by hanging due to depression.

They would forgo compensation claims from the company.

After seeing the Zhang family off, Shu Yan suddenly realized she was hungry.

Her unruly stomach growled a few times in front of Lu Chengfeng, drawing his sideways glance.

Shu Yan was about to say she would leave first when Lu Chengfeng asked, “Is there anything good to eat nearby?”

She frowned and looked up at the man, who was a head taller than her, puzzled.

Lu Chengfeng shrugged apologetically. “I didn’t have breakfast today. I was just about to have lunch when those people arrived. At this time, the cafeteria should be closed, right?”

Liu Xun came over with a smile. “Captain Lu, I know a restaurant nearby that serves good beef noodles. I’ll take you there.”

Lu Chengfeng tilted his head toward Liu Xun and asked, “Why did no one investigate the purchase records of the items found in Zhang Ruilin’s wardrobe? I recall that task was assigned to you. Why wasn’t it done?”

Liu Xun panicked.

“...Because the deceased’s wife said those were his things, and they were already there before she moved into the villa. Also, I thought the purchase records were not directly related to the cause of death...”