It’s Him – Ch39

Gather information

Zhao Xin had finally solved two major puzzles that had been troubling him in his heart.

The first was: why did they know there was a corpse down there?

The second was: why did the police admit that the victim was indeed one of the victims of the serial killings from years ago?

Before, it could only be considered as speculation, but now, he was 90% sure.

Zhao Xin’s nerves were on edge. He felt like he had just won a battle.

Li Xun and her team would never have expected him to uncover these things.

Previously, he was at a disadvantage because he knew nothing about his enemies, while his enemies had studied and observed him for a long time, knowing everything about him.

The only person he could see was Li Xun, but Li Xun had been his student before. This sense of superiority based on their relationship had made him underestimate her, and he had been beaten in the process, unable to retaliate in any way.

Now, with this important information in hand, he had the advantage. If he handled things well, he could make a comeback.

More importantly, he was now sure of another thing.

Earlier, he had firmly stated in front of Zhao Jing that Li Xun and her team’s goal was to deceive people for money using stories of past lives. However, deep down, he had also vaguely considered the possibility that all the schemes were set up to find out the location of the victims from the past.

But at this moment, he had completely ruled out that possibility.

Li Xun’s team had a copycat killer, and this copycat killer had killed their own child. How could other victim families possibly cooperate with them?

The only thing left to investigate was the relationship between Li Xun and the copycat killer.

Zhao Xin himself had been ill lately and couldn’t move his hands freely. Naturally, he couldn’t investigate on his own.

But he had a son.

That night, Zhao Jingzheng was called by his father.

He had attended a funeral today, and at the funeral, he had seen Li Xun. People outside were saying that his father was a serial killer, while his father said that Li Xun and her team were frauds who did everything for money.

As for him…

In his mind, his father was a good dad and a good person, while Li Xun was a friendly person who could befriend others. Today, when they met, she greeted him and apologized for the things that happened before.

Actually… when he thought about it carefully, he could understand Li Xun. Back then, she was just trying to protect her mother.

He didn’t know who to believe.

Just then, his mother called him, telling him to go back to school and stop making trouble here.

His mother’s exact words were:

“You’re a student, go back to school and study, don’t get involved in your father’s business.”

He didn’t know.

Now, he really didn’t know what to do.

Zhao Xin said, “Your mother came today. I know you’re a filial child. You must have asked her to come.”

Zhao Jingzheng replied, “My mom still cares about you.”

“I know her personality. Over the years, I haven’t given you a good life as a father, and now I’ve gotten you caught up in all of this. I haven’t been able to sleep well these past few days, just thinking about this.”

Zhao Jingzheng’s nose tingled. This was his father, the one who had protected and cared for him since he was young, the one who took him everywhere during the holidays. Others might not believe him, but as a son, how could he not trust his own father?

“Dad, don’t say that. I know you didn’t do those things.”

Zhao Xin said, “I’ve been thinking these past few days. Maybe I should just confess. I’ll say I really did those things. Then I can go to prison, the case will be closed, and everyone will stop talking about it. You can follow your mother after that.”

Zhao Xin suddenly remembered something: “I almost forgot. You’re already in your twenties. You don’t have to follow anyone anymore. You can live on your own.”

When Zhao Jingzheng heard this, he was even more touched. In his father’s eyes, he was still a child. When they divorced back then, it was his father who wanted him.

“Dad, you don’t have to accept punishment for things you didn’t do. I’m not going back to school. I’ve made up my mind. I want to help you clear your name.”

The scales in his heart had completely tipped toward his father.

Zhao Xin hesitated, “Then you have to be careful. If anything happens, make sure you talk to me.”

He gritted his teeth, his heart already set on taking over the responsibility his father had carried for the family, but this wasn’t something he could just take on. He said, “But I don’t know what to do.”

Zhao Xin said, “Start by investigating this family. They must have a problem. They’re in the spotlight now. If anyone in their neighborhood knows something, they’re bound to be unhappy. You should go to their neighborhood, go to places where people play cards, and eavesdrop. Don’t ask questions, just sit there like a normal person playing games and listen to what they say. Record the conversation and bring it back.”

He made sure to explain every step clearly. His son wasn’t good with words. If he tried to get close and ask, he’d never get anything out of them. Eavesdropping would be a much better strategy.

In Pingcheng, the older people loved to play cards or Mahjong. In a neighborhood, you could see them in pavilions playing Mahjong, under trees playing cards, or next to playgrounds playing cards.

This was the time when they’d gossip and chat about their lives.

Zhao Jingzheng immediately had a direction but also felt a sense of familiarity.

Wasn’t this how Li Xun had directed him before?

He suddenly remembered how Li Xun had used him to get the name of the neighborhood his father had lived in when he was young.

Perhaps back then, Li Xun had wanted the name of the neighborhood for the same reason.

He vaguely felt that both his father and Li Xun had a deep, hidden world, while he… was just a tool.

He felt uncomfortable again.

Guo Ying wasn’t planning to attend the funeral, but since Li Xun was going, she decided to go as well.

It wasn’t a small matter that she came.

She had another identity—she was the reincarnation of the deceased person at the funeral.

This was her public identity. Every time she met with the victim’s family, she would act as the reincarnation.

Li Xun had asked her to do it, so she did. She didn’t ask why. When she went home, sometimes she would even reminisce about the days when she followed Li Xun.

The family’s expressions were quite complex when they saw her. As a polite and intelligent high school student, she addressed them by their “previous life” identity.

Grandpa Tao and Grandma Tao would always give her candies every time they saw her, saying that she used to love them when she was little.

Tao’s dad and Tao’s mom, both middle-aged, would always cry when they saw her, saying they hadn’t taken good care of her in the past.

They also had a son, but Guo Ying had not yet met this “younger brother.”

This was a regular family.

They really believed in the concept of reincarnation and treated her as their child reincarnated.

Guo Ying still felt some guilt, as she was lying to them, but she believed that Li Xun had her reasons for asking her to do this.

After the press conference, Tao’s mom came over to find Guo Ying. Tao’s mom was very considerate. Knowing Guo Ying was a high school senior and didn’t want to be exposed to the public, she simply said, “They’re still busy over there. Since you’re here, I’ve found the things you asked for. They’re at my house. I’ll take you to get them.”

Guo Ying didn’t ask Li Xun. After years of understanding, she immediately agreed.

They took a taxi back.

On the way, Tao’s mom gently asked her, “Do you remember anything from your past life? Do you remember your mother?”

Guo Ying said, “I only remember a little. Most of it is forgotten.”

She said the safer parts: “I remember someone calling me to eat.”

Every mother had surely called their child to eat at some point.

“Do you remember your sister?”

Guo Ying shook her head. “No, I don’t remember.”

Li Xun, who was standing by, didn’t speak.

Tao’s mom continued, “It’s fine if you don’t remember. It’s better that way. Your sister had an accident later.”

Guo Ying asked, “What happened to her?”

“You… after you were gone, we went back home for the New Year, and your sister was taken away at the station.” As she spoke, her eyes reddened.

Guo Ying sighed. In her heart, she felt a bit of blame. They had already lost one child, how could they still be so careless?

But everyone else was crying.

Almost everyone would agree that losing a child was the most heartbreaking thing for a parent. It didn’t feel right to blame them now, so she said, “Sigh. Don’t cry, your sister would be just as upset if she knew.”

She naturally accepted her reincarnation identity.

“This life, I don’t have the fate to have a daughter. I had two daughters, but couldn’t keep either.” She said, holding Guo Ying’s hand. “Now that I see you living well, being so smart and tall, I can rest easy.”

Guo Ying didn’t know how to respond to this.

Tao’s mom wiped away her tears. “Let’s not talk about this anymore. Let’s not discuss those unhappy things. I heard you’re studying at a high school in Pingcheng. Your younger brother is also studying in Pingcheng. He’s at Pingcheng University now. When you have time, you should meet him.”

Li Xun stood quietly beside them, serving as Guo Ying’s quiet, non-talkative friend.

Guo Ying said, “Let me finish my college entrance exam first, and then we can all have a meal together and meet up.”

She thought to herself that she probably wouldn’t make it to that point, and was just casually saying something nice.

They quickly arrived at the neighborhood and went home.

Tao’s mom opened the door. Guo Ying was right behind her and looked up, startled, stepping back.

There was a statue in the foyer, holding a pipa, glaring with angry eyes—it was quite terrifying.

Seeing that she had been startled, Tao’s mom seemed to think of something, quickly covering it with a red cloth, then bowed and muttered, “Don’t grab her, she’s human now, not here for revenge.”

After bowing, she turned to Guo Ying and said, “Don’t be afraid. This is our family’s guardian deity, protecting us and ensuring our safety.”

Guo Ying looked around. This was a small house, probably just over forty square meters, with two rooms and one living room. The living room was only about ten square meters, with no sofa or TV, just an iron-frame bed. The blanket was not folded properly, and the atmosphere was awkward as they faced the guest.

A small, cramped home.

“Come in and sit. I’ll go get your things.”

This home, and Tao’s mom’s awkward wrinkles, told the story of a bitter life.

The walls of the living room were covered with certificates, each one telling the story of the family’s pride.

It seemed that this family had a child with excellent academic performance.