Love Me If You Dare

Chapter 38

In the vicinity of the 79th Secondary school, there are a lot of old deserted textile factories. After the SOE reforms in the early 21st century, most small scale textile factories faced bankruptcy and closed down. Many of the laid off workers set up street stalls in the Fragrant Hill district to makes ends meet. And many of their children studies in the 79th Secondary School.

Ruan Ming Huai's best friend, Huo Xiao Lu is one of them.

Jian Yao and Bo Jinyan observe as an officer takes her testimony.

It's late in the night and it's dark outside. The school is well lit, but there is a sense of emptiness in the place. They have set up a temporary office in one of the classrooms. A girl is grieving the loss of a good friend.

"Did she tell you whether she was meeting someone afterwards?" Asks the officer.

Huo Xiao Lu is weeping: "No." She shakes her head.

She is an ordinary girl with average looks. A small face with some freckles around the nose. But her eyes look clear and sharp. She is wearing a simple T Shirt and jeans.

"Does she have a boyfriend?" Asks the officer.

She shakes her head again: "Of course not."

"Can you please repeat what happened that night?. Include every detail." Bo Jinyan says suddenly.

Huo Xiao Lu looks at this man who has been quietly sitting throughout the interview. She nods.

"Around 8pm. Huai Huai collected all the money. We left the classroom together. I don't recall seeing anyone along the way. The third graders are on holiday. Other students are revising for exams in their own classrooms." She clears her throat and continues: "We arrived at the administration office. The door is open but there's no one inside. We waited outside for a while. A few teachers walked past us. We were chatting. We didn't pay too much attention.

The officer interrupts: "We have confirmed that with the CCTV footages."

Huo Xiao Lu continues: "Around 8:30pm, my stomach started to hurt. I usually get cramps on the first day of my period. So I returned to the dormitory to rest."

"Was there anyone in the dorm?" asks the officer.

"No. My roommates were studying in their classrooms." answers Huo Xiao Lu.

"Then? What did you do in the dormitory?" Bo Jinyan asks.

Huo Xiao Lu answers: "Well, I went to the.... toilet. Then I noticed my clothes were stained, so I washed them. Then I made myself a cup of tea, lied on bed to read. After a while, I went to bed."

The officer asks one final question: "Does she have an entanglement with any of the boys? Perhaps a crush, or someone is chasing after her?"

Huo Xiao Lu: "Well... there is this boy..."

———————

The second person they interviewed is another good friend of Ruan Ming Huai. Her name is Qi Xiao Ran.

Like Ruan Ming Huai, her family lives in the area so she does not need to stay in the school dormitories. She starts crying when asked about what happened that night.

"If I knew something would happen to her, I wouldn't have left her alone." She sobs. "I left school immediately after the classes. She looked fine on the day. Why would anyone kill her?"

Bo Jinyan asks: "What did you do after school?"

Qi Xiao Ran pauses for a while. Then she answers: "I was with my boyfriend. I didn't go home until 10pm. Mr. Officer, is it possible not to tell my parents about this?"