Chapter Thirty: The Source of Hatred

“I think Xu Wenrui’s true nature probably falls far short of the way his parents and relatives describe him, but he’s still a bit better than how Xu Hao, who clearly dislikes him, paints the picture,” Kang Ge analyzed. “After all, when someone likes a person, they tend to see all their traits through rose-colored glasses: speaking bluntly becomes ‘straightforwardness,’ being a little slow on the uptake becomes ‘innate innocence.’ On the other hand, when there’s a grudge, every flaw is magnified—a burp after drinking soda is ‘unbearably crude,’ and even showing your gums when you smile is ‘disgusting.’

“So, Xu Wenrui isn’t exactly the sort of person everyone adores, nor is he as awful as Xu Hao claims. Just look at his roommates: it’s clear they don’t particularly like him, but they also don’t want to cross him. They opt for mutual noninterference, which is nowhere near real hatred.”

Yan Xue held the same view. It’s often said that people don’t get up early unless there’s profit to be made, and the same holds true for evil deeds. Aside from crimes of passion, most risky acts—whether eliminating obstacles or seeking revenge—are only committed when the potential “gains” justify the gamble. Murder carries the greatest risk, so logically, the benefit gained from such an act must be substantial.

Disliking someone is grounds for petty pranks, the sort of thing Xu Hao might do, but not enough to warrant a calculated murder. That would be truly rare.

“As for Xu Wenrui, I get the sense that he tends to overpackage himself. That creates a problem: people who don’t know him well might take his tall tales at face value, while those who see through him might mistake his genuine words for more boasting.” As Yan Xue sifted through possible sources of enmity, the hurried meeting with Zhuang Fukai sprang to mind. “Do you think Xu Wenrui really had a shot at a guaranteed place in grad school?”

“To be honest, I doubt it,” Kang Ge shook his head. “You heard what the counselor said—Xu Wenrui’s grades are nowhere near good enough for a recommendation, not even for passing the standard exams. As for his so-called ‘outstanding performance,’ it’s just a bit of showing off to impress a few groupies. It can’t really be called a talent or specialty that would make the school bend the rules for him.

“If he wanted to ‘take an unconventional path,’ it would require social capital he simply doesn’t have. His parents’ positions and status are clearly insufficient, and he himself lacks the connections. So, all in all, his talk was just empty boasting. And frankly, I’d bet he picked up the idea from Zhuang Fukai.”

“So, he’s not content to be a big shot on campus; he uses Zhuang Fukai’s model-student image to embellish his own, to gild the lily?” Yan Xue found Kang Ge’s guess quite convincing. “Makes sense. His parents have been building up his genius image among family and friends for years—if he didn’t play along, the story would fall apart.”

“That’s why, behind Xu Wenrui’s disguise, apart from his own vanity, his mother is definitely fanning the flames,” Kang Ge sighed. “I think we’ve more or less got a handle on his personality now. The next step is to see, from his perspective, who he might have antagonized.”

“His ex-girlfriend has to be at the top of the list!” Yan Xue chimed in at once—this answer had leaped to mind. After all, in cases like this, exes who parted on bad terms are always high on the list of suspects. But Yan Xue also had her doubts about this ex. “This girl called Bei Bei isn’t quite what I expected.”

“Were you picturing the artsy type?” Kang Ge chuckled. “I thought the same at first. Xu Wenrui loves to show off his talents—he should be popular with the ‘linen dress’ crowd. After all, playing guitar and singing has a strong air of first love.”

“Exactly, but from Gao Yang’s description, she’s more like a porcelain doll—goes in for the cute, childlike look. White cotton dresses and long, straight black hair don’t suit her at all!” Yan Xue spread her hands.

Kang Ge grinned. “No need to worry. Isn’t there still the ‘jack girl’ in between?”

“‘Jack girl?’” Yan Xue was puzzled, not catching his meaning.

“That brief relationship between Xu Wenrui and Bei Bei—after they broke up and before they got back together. Xu Hao mentioned it. That girl had almost no presence; it was as if she existed solely to fill the gap between Xu Wenrui and Bei Bei’s breakup and reconciliation.”

“With that description, I think she’d have plenty of reason to resent Xu Wenrui!” Yan Xue was both amused and exasperated. “Xu Wenrui died of chronic poisoning, accelerated by that ill-fated bowl of alcohol-laced charm water from Duan Yong. Such a deliberate, premeditated murder would require access to Xu Wenrui’s personal belongings.

“He didn’t go home often, and when he did, he never stayed long except for this last time. So really, his schoolmates had the best opportunity to tamper with his things.”

“Exactly. We were lucky to run into Gao Yang and Xu Wenrui’s counselor when we brought Xu Hao back to campus. Otherwise, things would have been tricky! Who’d have thought the team would go to Xu Wenrui’s house for evidence, only for Gao Yang to be sent by his mother to help pack up Xu Wenrui’s things?” Kang Ge raised his eyebrows at Yan Xue. “That childhood friend, who’s lived under Xu Wenrui’s shadow for years, seems to have a strong enough motive to want relief from his death!”

“I thought about that too. We need to confirm with Dr. Zhang and the others how long it would have taken for Xu Wenrui’s poisoning to accumulate, to narrow down the timeframe and check Gao Yang’s movements,” Yan Xue agreed.

“And then there’s Zhuang Fukai—he’s interesting too. According to their roommates, he and Xu Wenrui barely interacted. One was obsessed with his studies, intent on getting into graduate school; the other cared little for academics but threw himself into arts and sports. They were so different, they probably barely crossed paths, much less became enemies.

“When those two guys talked about Xu Wenrui, there was a hint of disdain. But when they mentioned Zhuang Fukai, it was pure indifference. It’s curious—two busy, often-absent roommates, yet people assume they’re sworn enemies. Why?”

“That’s true!” Yan Xue clapped her hands. “When Xu Hao heard about Xu Wenrui’s accident and arranged for us to meet Zhuang Fukai, his attitude was as if he wanted to gossip with someone who shared his dislike for Xu Wenrui. That alone says a lot about their feelings toward him.

“And Zhuang Fukai’s reaction was telling too—he seemed introverted, kept his words measured, and as soon as he learned why he’d been summoned, he left immediately. That speaks volumes about their relationship—if the situation weren’t tense or hostile, he’d at least have stayed to exchange a few perfunctory words.”

“So, should we start with Bei Bei tomorrow, or with Zhuang Fukai? We might be able to expand our knowledge of Xu Wenrui’s social circle through them,” Yan Xue mused.

“I actually see it differently. We’ve already confirmed from Gao Yang that Xu Wenrui and Bei Bei kept breaking up and getting back together. Their entanglement is no mystery—if we find them, we can predict they’ll both try to distance themselves. Nothing unexpected there.

“I’m more curious about that short-lived ex. Was her relationship with Xu Wenrui just a way to pass the time during his single period—a casual fling? Or did he see her as a backup while she saw him as the real thing? That would make all the difference!”

“You make a good point, but that relationship was either extremely low-key or extremely brief. Xu Hao was vague on details, and Gao Yang hadn’t even heard about it. Where are we supposed to find this girl?” Yan Xue frowned.

“I have a suggestion—what about Zhuang Fukai?” Kang Ge’s eyes twinkled mischievously.

“Him? Why?”

“For one, we can see how he reacts when we ask him about Xu Wenrui, to gauge whether there’s any real grudge there. For another, if he can provide any information about that girl, it’ll help us track her down and also reveal just how well he really knew Xu Wenrui.”

“The person who knows you best might be your friend—or your enemy!” Yan Xue’s eyes lit up as she pointed at Kang Ge. “You sly old fox!”