Volume 1, Chapter 135: Seeking the Truth

Xu Fangliang had specifically taken a day off today to accompany his wife to her prenatal checkup. In a few months, he would be a father.

As they reached the bottom of their apartment building, three people suddenly approached them. One of them was, surprisingly, a foreigner.

"Mr. Xu, hello. We are friends of a high school classmate of yours. We would like to ask you some questions regarding her. Would it be possible for you to spare us a moment?"

Xu Fangliang asked with wariness, "Which high school classmate?"

Chi Xingwan replied, "Her surname is Dong."

Xu Fangliang’s body stiffened instantly.

His wife, oblivious, said, "Honey, why don't you go ahead and chat with them? I’ll head upstairs first."

However, Xu Fangliang said, "Wait for me downstairs for a moment. I’ll take my wife home first."

Watching the couple enter the building, Chu Fangfei remarked, "He seems like a man who truly dotes on his wife."

Not long after, Xu Fangliang returned. The four of them walked to a park outside the residential complex. At this hour, the park was nearly empty, making it the perfect place for a conversation.

Chi Xingwan got straight to the point: "Mr. Xu, we are here regarding Dong Xuezhi."

Though he had anticipated it, hearing the name still made Xu Fangliang deeply uncomfortable.

He muttered, "It’s been so many years. Do we really need to dig up the past now?"

"If I am not mistaken, you were the primary suspect after Dong Xuezhi died. Don’t you want to clear your name?" Chi Xingwan asked.

Xu Fangliang’s eyes flickered, and he clasped his hands together tightly.

Chi Xingwan continued, "Or perhaps, don't you want to know the truth? Wasn't she the girl you once loved dearly?"

Xu Fangliang’s defenses crumbled in an instant. He spoke in a hoarse voice, "What else could I do? When the incident first happened, I wanted to find the truth, but everyone said it was my fault. They claimed I killed Xuezhi and then ran away."

"Could you tell us specifically what happened back then?" Chu Fangfei asked softly.

Xu Fangliang looked up at them. "Who are you people? Why are you investigating what happened back then? What is your connection to Xuezhi?"

Chi Xingwan replied, "We are spiritual masters from the Huaguo Spiritual Master Association, commissioned by the school to investigate this matter."

"Spiritual masters? What is that?" Xu Fangliang asked.

As Chi Xingwan was still weighing her words, Chu Fangfei answered, "We are people who can see souls. Dong Xuezhi carries deep grievances since her death and has been unable to enter the underworld for reincarnation. We are here to help her."

Xu Fangliang stared at the three of them for a long time before finally saying, "I don’t know if what you’re saying is true, but as long as you genuinely want to help Xuezhi, I will tell you what happened back then."

His thoughts drifted back to that night six years ago—a memory he had been too afraid to touch for all these years.

"I wasn’t at school that night. I had snuck over the wall to go out. It was almost Xuezhi’s birthday, and I intended to buy her a gift in secret."

"Just after I bought the gift, my roommate called me secretly, saying the school leadership and teachers were looking for me and told me to return immediately. It was only when I returned that I learned something had happened to Xuezhi."

As he spoke, his emotions became agitated once again.

"They said I did it, but it really wasn't me. It didn't matter how I explained it; no one listened. They were convinced it was me. My parents, and even Xuezhi’s parents, didn't believe me. Just because I had poor grades and a bad temper—because I was the 'bad student' in everyone's eyes—no one believed a word I said."

"They were certain it was me who had been with Xuezhi in the sports equipment room, but in reality, Xuezhi and I never crossed that line. The most we ever did was kiss."

"I was furious at the time, not just because I was being suspected, but because I thought Xuezhi had been with someone else behind my back... so I ran away."

He transferred schools, his already poor grades plummeted further, and he eventually only managed to get into a mediocre vocational college.

At first, he had wanted to find the truth, but later he realized he harbored resentment toward Xuezhi. As time passed, especially after meeting his current wife, he slowly let go and stopped thinking about the past.

But it turned out he hadn't completely let go; digging up these memories still caused him pain.

Chi Xingwan asked in a low voice, "After the incident, did she ever come to you? In the form of a dream?"

Xu Fangliang froze, then suddenly buried his face in his hands and sobbed.

"I... I did dream of her back then. She was crying and saying sorry, saying she didn't mean for it to happen, that she was a victim. But I didn't take it seriously. I thought it was just a case of 'what you think about by day, you dream about by night.' I didn't know it was really her coming to find me."

Chu Fangfei felt a lump in her throat, and Michel turned away, wiping tears from his eyes.

Chi Xingwan felt a heavy sadness, not only for the regretful Xu Fangliang but also for Dong Xuezhi, who had nowhere left to turn.

"Did she say anything else in the dream?" Chi Xingwan asked. "We can't find her now, so we have to gather clues from elsewhere."

Xu Fangliang asked, "Are you sure there was something hidden about Xuezhi’s death?"

"I’m not sure," Chi Xingwan said. "But I am sure she harbors deep grievances, and I want to help her resolve them so she can start anew."

Xu Fangliang was silent for a long time. Chi Xingwan didn't rush him, and the three of them sat patiently.

Finally, Xu Fangliang said, "I was such a jerk back then. I actually didn't believe Xuezhi. The doctors said there were no signs of struggle on Xuezhi’s body, and I believed them. I thought Xuezhi had betrayed me."

He looked up at the sky, his eyes brimming with tears. "But there was no autopsy. In reality, it’s possible Xuezhi was drugged. She might have been unconscious when she was assaulted; how could she have resisted? Why couldn't I think of that back then?"

His heart felt heavy and stifled. He wanted to vent, but didn't know how.

After a long while, he recalled something. "In the dream, Xuezhi seemed to say something. She asked about the smell of raw earth."

The smell of raw earth. Chu Fangfei and Michel exchanged glances, both seeing confusion in each other's eyes.

Chi Xingwan, however, looked thoughtful. A flash of insight crossed her mind, and she asked, "The year the incident happened, was there any construction at your school?"

Xu Fangliang recalled for a moment and replied, "I think so. I remember the school was building a laboratory building at the time."

Chi Xingwan turned to Chu Fangfei and said, "Check with the principal."

Chu Fangfei had kept the principal’s contact information. She called immediately and then turned to Chi Xingwan. "The principal has confirmed it. The school was indeed building a laboratory building, and it wasn't far from the sports field."

Xu Fangliang’s eyes widened sharply. "You mean, Xuezhi was..."

"I didn't say that. I am still looking for the truth," Chi Xingwan interrupted.

Michel looked up suddenly, hesitating for a moment before saying, "I remember there is a construction site near the school now. Could Dong Xuezhi have gone there?"

Chi Xingwan stood up. "Let’s go. We’ll go take a look. It’s been six years; she has waited too long. It is time to clear her name."