It’s Him – Ch27

No Hope

What is it like to have a son who is both impulsive and not very bright?

Qin Li always thought that by middle age, running a physical therapy clinic would make her a more calm and composed person. Sometimes, she even imagined that if the current version of herself encountered the son she had when he was younger, she would be more patient.

At this moment, that fantasy shattered. Not only had she not become more rational, but she also wanted to slap him.

“Why are you looking for her? I’m your mother, how could I harm you? If I wanted to harm you or your father, I wouldn’t have told you about this in the first place.” What had she sacrificed in terms of professional ethics for this?

Zhao Jingzheng still didn’t believe it: “It’s just a scar. Don’t cesarean sections leave scars too?”

“Which cesarean section starts from the chest? Besides, her age matches. Her daughter, an excellent student who is about to take the college entrance exam, still spends every day around you. What does she want?”

The person on the other end went silent.

It was impossible for him to say he had never been narcissistic.

His mother’s words had directly exposed that veil of shame.

“Her grades are good, right? She’s about to enter senior year. Think about it for a second. Under these circumstances, why would she spend every day running around with you, ignoring her own future?”

“If her mother had kidnapped your father and was taking you around to gather the latest news, wouldn’t that make more sense?”

The other side could not provide a more logical reason and could only argue, “You don’t know her. You don’t know she’s not that kind of con artist.”

Qin Li thought to herself that just half a month ago, she still believed her ex-husband was a genuinely honest man. Now, in her heart, she felt like he might be a murderer.

“I’m going to ask her. I don’t believe she’s lying to me.”

Qin Li almost wished she could cut open his brain and see what was going on inside. She didn’t like him, and it wasn’t just her fault.

“What are you going to do by looking for her?”

“Are you going to ask her if she’s involved in your father’s disappearance? Or ask her if her mother was one of the victims?”

“Think about it. What if I’m wrong? You go over there, and then she asks, ‘How did you know there’s a long scar from my mother’s chest to her abdomen?’ What will you say? What if she says her mother doesn’t have such a scar? What will you say then?”

“Think before you act.”

Zhao Jingzheng finally calmed down. He felt like he had been deceived but still wanted to get to the bottom of it.

Qin Li said, “First, check your chat history and see if there are any clues.”

“I’m going to report it to the police,” Qin Li assigned the task.

—

Meanwhile, Li Xun had stabilized Li Yugui. She had put sleeping pills in the milk she poured for her mother.

Her mother’s physical condition was such that she needed a good sleep.

After drinking the milk, Li Yugui fell asleep, and Li Xun was still going over the materials related to Teacher Zhao that she had organized. She looked up to see her thin, frail mother in the light, casting only a shadow. She sat there for a long time, looking like a child who had done something wrong.

When Li Yugui noticed she was looking at her, she whispered, “I won’t drag you down.”

Li Xun handed over a piece of paper and said, “Follow the plan for the rest of it. Don’t improvise.”

“Tell Aunt Zhang too.”

Li Yugui nodded. Li Xun breathed a sigh of relief. This time, she needed to bring everyone together and ensure they all worked towards the same goal.

She didn’t want it to be like before, with everyone working independently.

While thinking about this, her most reliable teammate, Teacher Sun, sent her a folder.

Teacher Sun was truly a dependable ally.

When she was on her own, it was easy to get lost in the past.

Now, in their small teacher-student team, she had changed her identity. No longer just the victim, but also the avenger. She felt like she and Li Xun were part of an avenger alliance.

As a teacher, she felt responsible for contributing more.

Sun Ning had set up a small blackboard in her dormitory, organizing all the information Li Xun had provided. She quickly identified all the suspicious unnatural deaths and marked the teachers and students involved behind each case.

At this point, she realized how strong she had become over the years of persecution. Despite being dragged by the pain, she hadn’t fully immersed herself in it. Instead, she had been keenly aware of something wrong with Teacher Zhao.

That’s why, over the years, she had been following Teacher Zhao and could quickly identify the key players in important cases.

The more she reviewed these materials, the more grateful she felt for herself. She felt full of strength. Now, if Teacher Zhao showed up, she would be ready for a confrontation.

She organized the documents and shared them with Li Xun.

“Next, I need to talk to these teachers.”

Li Xun was pleased. The progress was smooth, and everything was heading in a positive direction.

Because of these matters, she hadn’t had enough rest and was rushing to school early the next morning.

Since she had given her mother the sleeping pills, Li Yugui didn’t wake up, so Li Xun planned to buy breakfast at school and eat it after the morning reading session.

“Li Xun.”

Just as she was about to reach the breakfast shop, someone called her from behind.

It was Zhao Jingzheng.

He had spent the whole night going through their chat records and was feeling worse and worse as he read. He came over early in the morning.

He saw that Li Xun looked pale, with dark circles under her eyes and her hair disheveled. It was clear she hadn’t had a good rest.

What could have caused her to be so distracted and stay up all night?

“You haven’t gone back to school yet? You look unwell, what’s wrong? Still worried about your dad’s situation? I’ll keep an eye out for you here. Call me if anything happens,” Li Xun said.

“Not yet.” Zhao Jingzheng listened to her and felt a surge of anger, but he couldn’t ask directly. His mother had told him not to alarm anyone.

“Thanks for your help these past few days,” he said, deliberately speaking sarcastically, trying to make her feel guilty.

Could Li Xun feel guilty? Of course not.

Li Xun waved her hand, smiling brightly with sincerity and righteousness: “No need to be polite. We’re good friends. Helping each other is what friends do. If I need help, I’ll ask you.”

Zhao Jingzheng could no longer tolerate it. He was afraid that if he stayed even a second longer, he might expose her hypocrisy.

“Go get breakfast. Classes are starting soon.”

Li Xun finally left.

However, Zhao Jingzheng did not leave. He felt exhausted and walked to a nearby shop to sit down.

He needed to calm down.

Everything felt like a tangled mess in his mind.

At that moment, Zhao Jingzheng saw Li Xun, who had been heading back to school, suddenly run out.

Because he was in the nearby shop, she didn’t see him.

Li Xun was running towards her home.

Zhao Jingzheng suddenly realized his mistake. He had let something slip in front of Li Xun earlier.

Li Xun was going back! What could she do there?

Now that she knew the situation, she was probably going back to kill his father and destroy the evidence.

Zhao Jingzheng quickly started running after her.

His mind was filled with fear. If her mother really kidnapped his dad, it meant she truly believed his father was the murderer. As his father’s only son, would he survive if he walked into their trap?

He was running, but also calling his mother, so he couldn’t outrun her.

At that moment, Qin Li was at the police station. After reporting to the police earlier that morning, they told her there were some issues that still needed to be confirmed, so she was asked to come to the station.

She quickly received a call from her son.

“I came to find Li Xun this morning. I didn’t say anything to her, but it seems like she found out.”

Qin Li heard her son breathing heavily.

“What are you running for?”

“I’m going to her house quickly. She probably realized I figured her out, so she’s going back to tell her mom to kill my dad and destroy the evidence.”

Qin Li suppressed her anger in front of the police and said, “Don’t worry about it. I’ll be right there with the police.”

“Did you hear? Don’t worry about it. Stop running and stay where you are!” Her voice grew louder.

The phone on the other end hung up.

Zhao Jingzheng stopped, feeling worse and worse. His mother told him to stop because she thought it was dangerous if he went.

But how could he not care?

It was all his fault. He couldn’t hold back and had to come to school!

He had never realized how sharp Li Xun was!

If his impulsiveness led to his father’s death, he would regret it for the rest of his life.

Zhao Jingzheng started running again.

Qin Li called again, but no one answered.

She turned to look at the police officer.

“Comrade, didn’t you say the evidence wasn’t enough and we needed a search warrant?”

Qin Li, being a businessperson, could remember all her customers’ details and was quick on her feet.

“If my son runs to her house and his life is in danger, can we search?”

She didn’t give them a chance to rebut: “If that doesn’t work, then I’ll report my son for burglary. You can go arrest him.”

—

Meanwhile, the local reporter for the biggest gossip news outlet in Pingcheng had just woken up, disturbed by the ringing of his phone.

Young reporters are always more dedicated, mixing work and life. Most other reporters turn off their phones when they sleep.

“Come quickly! Big news!”

“What big news? I worked on a deadline until 3 AM and just fell asleep. I got your call right after…”

The person on the other end was extremely excited and said, “A student’s parent from Pingcheng High School has kidnapped that teacher who went missing recently, claiming he’s the serial killer from back then, and now they’re in a standoff with the police!”

What?

The reporter immediately jumped out of bed, fully awake.

“Tell me the address! I’ll drive over right now! Can you save me a spot? Are you at the scene? Are there other reporters there?”

“I can’t get in! There are too many people. So many police officers, they’re pushing us out!”

“Also, don’t drive, both roads here are closed. Come on an electric bike.”

“Help me shoot some video, I’ll be there soon!”