It’s Him – Ch36

Human Nature

As long as Li Xun entered a small team, she would become the leader within a day.

At that time, she was the shortest and smallest among a group of children, yet she had this ability.

She was also an extremely capable leader. She cared about every child and would think of ways to protect them.

Among a group of children who had been abducted or sold, having a leader with brains who could shield them from the harm of the adult world undoubtedly earned her all of their respect and love.

They almost unconditionally listened to her.

There was only one exception.

They were rescued, and Li Xun said to them, “Going back, you might face more complicated situations. An orphanage might be a good choice, as the state will raise us.”

But they still returned to their homes.

They were willing to give their parents another chance.

The day they parted, they cried uncontrollably. It was the last time for their group of adolescents to meet.

The next time they met, it was because one of their group, Shu Mei, had an incident.

Shu Mei was the most honest among them. She would always squint when looking at people. Whatever others said, she would reply, “Yes, yes,” or “Right, right.” Later, they discovered that she had myopia and couldn’t see clearly, so everyone pitched in to buy her glasses.

That day, Shu Mei was so happy.

It was then that Li Xun realized that the happiness of others could also bring her joy.

Then Shu Mei died.

Of the familiar companions from the past, only Li Xun and another girl, who also got into Pingcheng High School, could attend the funeral.

Everyone said it was an accident, that it was dark, the road was slippery, and she accidentally fell into the lake.

It was called a funeral, but it was actually just a simple ceremony at the funeral home.

Others were either staff members or Shu Mei’s relatives. The parents looked very sad, and others were consoling them.

Their sorrow was so obvious, saying things like how the child had just managed to come home and had just gotten into Pingcheng High School, now having to bury their child, things like that.

Li Xun stood at the back, watching everything.

Soon, she noticed a girl in a school uniform sneaking a look inside the door.

The school uniform she was wearing wasn’t from Pingcheng High School but from Bentae High School, a private school.

The girl was very careful, as if afraid of being seen.

Li Xun instinctively felt that something was wrong. The fear and guilt of the girl were so obvious that Li Xun couldn’t help but notice.

Half an hour later, Li Xun knew what had happened.

Shu Mei didn’t die accidentally in the lake.

She was pushed in. That night, she was submerged in the water for half an hour, trying to get up countless times, but someone kept pushing her down.

Li Xun then recalled the people at the funeral. If they had noticed that the child hadn’t come home on time and followed the direction of the school to look for her, would they have found anything?

Li Xun imagined the scene through the girl’s words. A group of people laughing on the shore, taking videos. Through these actions, they were venting their dissatisfaction with life.

“I… I wanted to save her, but I didn’t dare. I was afraid they would push me in too.”

“Did you participate in pushing her head down?”

“No, I… I didn’t dare. I’ve been dreaming about her these past few days. She came to find me and asked why I didn’t save her.”

Li Xun asked again, “Do you have the video they filmed?”

“I don’t have it either… Could you not go after them? If they find out I’m the one who snitched, I’ll be finished.”

Li Xun asked for the names and contact information of the culprits.

“If you don’t want to live your whole life under their shadow, tell me everything you know about them.”

Li Xun’s first plan wasn’t to handle it herself.

There was a video, so let the police handle it. Li Xun had already become socialized and knew that many things needed to be dealt with by the police.

She reported it to the police, but nothing came of it. They had already agreed on their testimonies, and no video was found.

She also sent a message to the culprit’s parents, hoping they would take their child to confess and let the law teach them a lesson, so they wouldn’t continue to be dangerous elements harming society.

Soon, she received a warning from the other side, telling her not to speak nonsense about matters without evidence, and that if she continued spreading rumors, she would be sent to prison.

The process was over.

She didn’t even know if her actions were part of the process or if they gave the other side a chance.

She returned to university, then dropped out and went back to Pingcheng High School.

The video was not exposed by Li Xun; she didn’t even have the video.

Li Xun hadn’t done anything illegal.

She had provided very detailed psychological counseling to the culprit, Luo Li. At this age, a boy’s sense of self and the world were twisted together. When he couldn’t find his identity, he expressed himself by hurting others.

Li Xun helped him rebuild his connection with the world, with things around him, and distinguish the boundary between self and the world.

She acted like an excellent psychologist, helping him clear up old wounds, stabilize his emotions, overcome learning difficulties, and establish a positive cycle that would allow him to achieve something.

During vacations, the two of them would go to the movies, and once, they caught a perverted stalker on the subway and turned him into the police. Later, they often spent weekends capturing people who were harmful to society and gained recognition from others.

Luo Li, after all, was a social animal. He slowly began to realize how good it felt to find a place in society.

He also started to realize his past ignorance and consciously avoided old friends. He made new friends, healthy friendships. His relationship with his parents also improved. Everything was so wonderful.

Li Xun did nothing more. Once certain things started, the outcome was determined.

Li Xun began to wait.

Wait for what?

Wait for the video she wanted but no one gave her.

Wait for the dark side of human nature to take effect.

It didn’t take more than a month.

Luo Li always thought that it was just a mistake from his previous ignorance, and that he had corrected it.

In reality, everything he had done in the past, everyone around him, had been lying in wait.

They were just waiting for an opportunity, and when that opportunity came, those things would come rushing out.

The brother who had the video didn’t say a word to the police, probably thinking that he would never betray his brothers.

But now, he watched as his former brothers, who had once rebelled against their parents and teachers and let loose, suddenly changed. They became role models in the eyes of parents, teachers, and classmates, discussing problems with the top students they had once hated, eating together, playing basketball, and looking just like good students.

The feeling of betrayal and jealousy quickly clouded his mind.

Why? He was clearly a murderer on the inside but pretended to be a good person.

So, everyone saw that video, watched as this popular good student was nothing but a terrifying murderer inside.

For Luo Li, his body had already established a new order. He had fully integrated into society, and he had an outer shell. Suddenly, it was peeled off, and the ugly truth from the past was exposed to everyone’s eyes.

He had adapted to his new identity, but the morality and conscience that had awakened were also on the verge of collapsing.

And now, he had to face the police, the gaze of his new friends, and his parents’ scolding…

Li Xun just watched. She didn’t take advantage of his downfall or do anything extra. She just watched.

Just like she had watched Shu Mei’s black-and-white photo, only at that time, she was thinking—

Someone like Shu Mei, when she grows up and enters society, will become someone who contributes to society.

Li Xun was that kind of person. She only focused on doing her part and didn’t interfere with how things developed.

Many times, the progression of events completely relied on the landmines others had planted.

Everything will eventually lead to a predetermined outcome.

Luo Li’s case was like that.

In her opinion, Zhao Xin’s case was the same. She just pulled Zhao Xin into an environment; she didn’t do anything extra.

At this moment, Zhao Xin was still wondering what Li Xun’s ultimate goal was.

He reviewed the whole situation but couldn’t find any handle on Li Xun.

Dropping out of school? Retaking the college entrance exam? Or indirectly causing the death of that boy? That bully?

In the current public opinion environment, if he posted it online today, tomorrow there would be a crowd praising Li Xun, saying that she might even receive flowers at Pingcheng High School, thanking her for eliminating harm for society.

He began to regret that he had the opportunity to suppress Li Xun back when she was just rescued, by accusing Li Xun and her mother of being accomplices.

At that time, he underestimated Li Xun’s ability and treated her as just a smart high school student.

Back then, he thought of keeping Li Xun outside, while her mother would go to prison. Not only could this torture Li Xun the most, but it could also demonstrate his tolerance.

He hadn’t predicted that after he was released, Sun Ning quickly cut off his influence at school. He had no chance to continue being Li Xun’s homeroom teacher.

Li Xun seemed to have been severely impacted, but all her classmates were protecting her. However, his troubles were truly endless. The only person he could rely on was still a fool.

He didn’t expect that Li Xun was not just an ordinary high school student and that she had likely been acting with her mother in the basement back then.

If Li Yugui really wanted to avenge her child, she could have killed him back then. But they didn’t; they seemed more like they wanted to escalate things. Why escalate?

Why did Li Xun set up such a big trap for him?

Was it really to help Li Yugui find the child’s body?

He couldn’t understand this emotion. The child was already dead, and he knew he couldn’t speak out. If they wanted revenge, they could have killed him directly. Handling the body might be troublesome, but just a little troublesome.

But they didn’t kill him. They let him out and started a round of public opinion attacks on him, making him the murderer in the eyes of the public?

For what?

Through all the phenomena, the essence of the matter was clear: as long as he was the murderer in the eyes of the public, it would provide more evidence for the reincarnation theory.

Their ultimate goal wasn’t him, nor the victim’s body from back then, but the victim’s family— the Jin family.

In the end, Zhao Xin thought it over and leaned towards the idea that it was all for money.

They were escalating things to further prove that reincarnation was real.

The pain in his right hand was unbearable, so he quickly took painkillers and went to sleep.

He only needed to wait now.