Chapter 26: A Sincere Soul

Listening to Gao Yang’s account, it seemed that Xu Wenrui’s family wasn’t entirely ignorant of his academic abilities. At the very least, they were well aware that getting into K University was a pleasant and unexpected surprise.

“So in reality, when Xu Wenrui’s family boasts about his outstanding character and versatile talents, it’s more a matter of saving face in front of outsiders—especially your parents—driven by vanity?” Yan Xue asked.

“That’s not entirely the case,” Gao Yang didn’t fully deny Yan Xue’s observation. “Xu Wenrui’s mom and my mom are at two extremes. My mom always thinks she holds the lion’s share of intelligence in our family of three, leaving my dad and me with nothing but wooden heads, hopelessly slow to catch on.

“Xu Wenrui’s mom, on the other hand, believes no one in their family is as smart as Xu Wenrui. When his grades were only average in the past, she thought it was because he was too clever and simply not applying himself. She always said, if he actually put in the effort, his grades would soar instantly. Later, when he was accepted to K University, her confidence in her belief only grew, and she became even more proud of him. If it were me, and I’d spent that much time and energy on trivial pursuits, my mom would have given me an earful, never considering it any sort of achievement, let alone bragging about it everywhere.”

There was a hint of resignation in Gao Yang’s expression, mixed with a touch of envy.

“So, Xu Wenrui’s parents are aware that his grades weren’t particularly outstanding before college, but after he started university, they don’t really know how he’s doing academically. It’s not that they’re deliberately embellishing his achievements in front of us?” Yan Xue concluded, based on Gao Yang’s earlier remarks.

“That’s how I see it. Xu Wenrui’s mom cares a lot about things that sound impressive or bring prestige. Plus, after Xu Wenrui left home for boarding school, he rarely told the truth when he came back—maybe two honest words in ten. Everything’s exaggerated. Not only do his parents believe their son can’t possibly be struggling at K University, but even we were convinced he’d have scholarships and postgraduate recommendations at his fingertips. I was just as surprised as you to hear his advisor’s comments today.”

Kang Ge, listening to Yan Xue and Gao Yang’s conversation, was also observing Gao Yang.

Unlike Xu Wenrui, with his wardrobe full of trendy brands, Gao Yang didn’t stand out in looks and dressed as plainly as his personality—so much so that he could disappear into any crowd without a trace.

Nowadays, with improved living standards and abundant material wealth, it’s not just young women who enjoy dressing up; men in their early twenties are equally keen to follow trends and style themselves. From regular outfits and dyed hair to foundation and eyebrow pencils, nothing is considered outlandish for a fashionable young man.

Gao Yang, by contrast, wore his hair parted and a little messy, his eyebrows grew wild and unchecked, his lips were chapped—perhaps from the season—and he wore a windbreaker that would fit right in on a man in his fifties or sixties. His appearance wasn’t just unfashionable—it was downright old-fashioned and unusually plain.

Yet, judging by his own description, his family’s financial situation seemed better than Xu Wenrui’s. This was evident in the way both families dressed the day they appeared together at the police station.

“Do Xu Wenrui’s parents favor him more now because he’s grown up and made them proud, or have they always been this way?” After the conversation about Xu Wenrui’s studies, Kang Ge asked Gao Yang.

“That, I know for sure,” Gao Yang replied, drawing on his lifelong friendship with Xu Wenrui. “My mom told me Xu Wenrui’s dad is the only son in three generations. Xu Wenrui’s mom grew up in a family that strongly preferred sons, so she’s always believed boys are best, that having a son is essential.

“So when Xu Wenrui was born, the whole family—young and old—was as thrilled as if they’d hit a multimillion lottery. From then on, Xu Wenrui was the precious apple of their eye, doted on by everyone in the family.

“I remember back in middle school, there was a sudden craze among students to compare a certain clothing brand. Anyone wearing that brand was considered not only stylish but also from a well-off family.

“One T-shirt from that brand cost over a thousand yuan, and I didn’t think it looked all that special. Other items were even pricier. Some classmates wore them, and others, out of vanity, bought knock-offs.

“I didn’t dare dream of joining in. If I’d tried to compete like that, my mom would’ve skinned me alive. But that New Year, I ran into Xu Wenrui wearing a down jacket from that brand. When my mom heard about it, she checked with Xu Wenrui’s mom and found out the jacket cost over three thousand yuan—about the same as Xu Wenrui’s mom’s monthly salary.”

“Spending a whole month’s salary on a trendy jacket for her son—she really spoiled him!” Kang Ge nodded.

“Exactly. My mom thought Xu Wenrui’s mom went overboard. She didn’t care how others raised their kids, but she couldn’t stand that Xu Wenrui’s family, with limited means, dressed him up like a rich kid.

“Later, Xu Wenrui told me his mom thought it was more economical to spend three thousand on a jacket than over a thousand on a T-shirt. In summer, it’s so hot that if you wear a T-shirt for two or three days without washing it, it’s not a matter of style anymore—it’ll stink. But a winter jacket is different; as long as it doesn’t get too dirty, you can wear it every day. If you don’t swap out your T-shirt for a few days in summer, people will call you unkempt. But wearing the same jacket all winter? No one cares.

“So that jacket became a constant; whoever saw Xu Wenrui would know he had that designer jacket, and they’d think his family must be well-off to afford it.”

“Xu Wenrui’s mother is quite calculating,” Yan Xue said in surprise. She hadn’t expected that buying a name-brand jacket for her son could be turned into such a strategy.

“It’s not really about scheming,” Gao Yang sighed. “The jacket was just too expensive, out of reach for them, so she had to make it worth the money.”

“Some things in life are really amusing,” Kang Ge grinned and joked, “Those with meat to eat worry someone will steal it, so they hide it at the bottom of the bowl and eat in secret. Those without meat fear others will think they can’t afford any, so they hang a strip of pork skin by the door and wipe their mouths with it before going out, so the whole world thinks they’ve just had meat.”

He glanced at Gao Yang with a smile. “You’re the kind who eats meat from the bottom of the bowl, aren’t you? From the way your parents dressed at the police station, your family’s better off than Xu Wenrui’s, but you seem much more low-key.”

Though his words were complimentary, Gao Yang didn’t show the slightest pleasure at being praised. His expression grew complicated, and after a moment’s silence, he said dispiritedly, “It’s not that I want to keep a low profile. My mom always says that no matter how much she and my dad earn, it’s their retirement fund. When they’re gone, whatever’s left will be mine, but until then, I have to rely on myself. Especially now that I’m about to graduate, whatever I achieve is up to me; they won’t be supporting me.”

“There’s nothing wrong with that,” Kang Ge said, noticing Gao Yang’s low spirits. He picked up the teapot and refilled Gao Yang’s cup. “You’re both in your twenties. Strictly speaking, with the deceased involved, I shouldn’t say this, but you’re at the age for settling down. For girls, ability and independence matter most—no one wants to date or marry a grown man who still needs his parents to tighten their belts for him, right?

“But back to the point, Xu Wenrui seemed pretty popular with the ladies. How much do you know about his relationships? We’ve heard a lot of girls at K University liked him, and he’s considered good-looking. Since it’s just us here, why don’t you tell us what you know? Was his love life complicated? We need to establish a direction for our investigation, and understanding the victim’s personal affairs is important.”

“No, no, no!” Gao Yang hurriedly shook his head, emphatically denying Kang Ge’s suspicion. “Xu Wenrui’s love life wasn’t complicated, and he’s not the player you imagine. You might not believe it, but his popularity with women was just a false front.”

“False front?” Yan Xue found the expression intriguing.

“Yeah, the girls who liked him only did so on the surface. He was always in the spotlight, so he seemed popular, but very few actually got close to him. Because… because he was very stingy, calculating about money—even in relationships, he didn’t want to spend much, so he was reluctant to date girls seriously.”

“But he has dated, right? We heard he had a girlfriend,” Kang Ge inquired, a bit vaguely.

Gao Yang answered clearly, “He has. He dated a girl and even introduced her to his parents. But his parents didn’t like her much. Xu Wenrui was unhappy about it—he said he’d marry her no matter what and insisted she was the one. He even gave his parents the cold shoulder for a while, until they eventually had no choice but to accept it.”