Chapter 35: Probing

For the third time, Lu Yuan found himself at the police station. He felt a sense of irony; it seemed he was becoming a regular. The first time, he had turned himself in; the second, his fingerprints were found on a murder weapon; and this third time, he was here to assist.

He was back in Wen Ke’s office.

"Strictly speaking, sharing this with you isn't exactly by the book, but I believe you can help me," Wen Ke said, placing a stack of files on the desk.

Lu Yuan picked them up and began to read. A flicker of realization crossed his eyes.

"The leaks you saw online are true. The victim killed at the Anshi Villa was named Zhuo Yan, a teacher at Mingzhi Elementary School," Wen Ke explained. "After days of investigation, we found a breakthrough." She pointed to a photo in the file. "Zhuang Dong, Zhuo Yan’s ex-boyfriend. They broke up six months ago, after which Zhuang Dong left S City and had no further contact with her."

Wen Ke kept her summary concise, focusing on the essentials. Lu Yuan listened while quickly leafing through the rest of the file on Zhuang Dong. Once finished, he asked, "What do you need me to do?"

He couldn't quite see how he could be of service.

Wen Ke’s tone turned serious. "Zhuang Dong returned to S City yesterday. During our preliminary questioning, I noticed something off about his mental state."

"Mental issues?" Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow.

"His emotions were consistently unstable during the questioning. Furthermore, he claimed that Zhuo Yan was the one with mental health problems who needed a therapist. However, I later discovered that his own name appeared on the patient registry at Anshi six months ago."

The testimony contradicted the facts. Wen Ke suspected that it was Zhuang Dong who was the one suffering from a mental illness. Her instincts were sharp; if Lu Yuan hadn't spoken with Zhuo Yan himself, he might have known even less than Wen Ke.

Lu Yuan grasped what she wanted. "You want me to provide psychological counseling to Zhuang Dong to see if he's lying or if he has genuinely forgotten the past."

Wen Ke nodded.

Lu Yuan’s mind stirred. He suddenly recalled someone who had sent him a private message online. Could it have been Zhuang Dong?

"I'll do my best," Lu Yuan agreed. He, too, was curious to meet this man.

Wen Ke made a phone call, instructing the officers tracking Zhuang Dong to bring him into the station. Once the business was settled, her tone lightened. "How is the studying coming along?"

"It's alright, though time is tight and there’s a lot to memorize." Despite having a sharp memory, Lu Yuan felt the pressure.

"Just do your best," Wen Ke comforted him. "The competition for that position is fierce, but if you don't pass, I'll help you figure something out."

Lu Yuan rubbed his water glass, feeling touched. He and Wen Ke were merely acquaintances, yet she was looking out for him in such a thoughtful way. He hesitated, wondering whether to mention Tang Wen. Tang Wen’s death was no accident—it was foul play. But Wen Ke was already stretched thin; adding this to her workload would only overwhelm her. After a moment of thought, he decided against it. He would investigate it himself first. Once Wen Ke’s current case concluded, he would find a better time to talk to her about Tang Wen.

An hour later, Zhuang Dong was brought in. Lu Yuan checked his watch: 7:00 PM. He had only three hours left before he needed to be back at his clinic by ten.

In the interrogation room, Lu Yuan and Wen Ke sat side-by-side. This time, Wen Ke acted as the recorder rather than the interviewer.

Lu Yuan didn't rush to speak. He studied Zhuang Dong, who appeared quite young—several years younger than Zhuo Yan. Zhuang Dong was studying him in return. Whether it was his imagination or not, Lu Yuan felt a faint, unsettling sense of excitement in Zhuang Dong’s gaze.

"Mr. Zhuang, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Lu Yuan, a psychologist," Lu Yuan said with a smile.

Zhuang Dong glanced at Wen Ke before turning his focus back to Lu Yuan. "I’ve already told them everything I know. What else is there to ask?"

Lu Yuan stayed silent, letting Wen Ke take the lead.

"Mr. Zhuang, please don't misunderstand," Wen Ke interjected. "We have no further questions regarding your involvement. We’ve brought in a psychologist to help us better understand Zhuo Yan’s mental state before her death, which will help us identify the most likely culprit."

Lu Yuan’s eyes narrowed. Only he knew that Zhuang Dong was the killer. What surprised him, however, was Zhuang Dong’s calm demeanor; he seemed completely unfazed by the oppressive atmosphere of the police station.

Zhuang Dong looked at Lu Yuan. "Go ahead, Dr. Lu."

The stage was set. Lu Yuan stood up and walked over to Zhuang Dong. "How was your relationship with Zhuo Yan?"

"It was great. We were nearly engaged," Zhuang Dong replied.

Lu Yuan caught a faint, foul odor emanating from Zhuang Dong—a scent he recognized all too well. It was the smell of corpse decay, the same stench that radiated from Anshi in the world of the Twisted Dream.

Lu Yuan’s eyes flickered, but he remained composed. "Six months ago, you and Zhuo Yan both began taking frequent leave. Was that for medical treatment?"

Zhuang Dong gave an affirmative answer. "Yes. Zhuo Yan was very ill at the time; she always felt like there was another person living inside her body. I was worried, so I took her to see a psychologist."

Lu Yuan nodded. "Would you mind telling me which hospital and which doctor you saw?"

Zhuang Dong was silent for a moment. "The Neuro-Medical Institute, Dr. Anshi."

Wen Ke’s pen stopped moving. If Zhuang Dong had accompanied Zhuo Yan to see the therapist, then his name appearing on the registry made sense. The patient registry could include the names of both patients and their accompanying family members.

Lu Yuan chuckled abruptly and patted Zhuang Dong on the shoulder. "As far as I know, booking an appointment with Dr. Anshi requires months of waiting, and the fees are quite exorbitant." He leaned in. "You must have loved Zhuo Yan very much, Mr. Zhuang, to spend so much on her treatment."

Zhuang Dong’s expression darkened for a split second. He understood the subtext of Lu Yuan’s words and played along. "I borrowed money from everywhere just to pay for her treatment. What does this have to do with her condition? What exactly are you trying to ask?"

Zhuang Dong appeared impatient, his emotions fraying.

Lu Yuan pulled the conversation back. "As a psychologist, I’ve developed a habit of using small talk to break the ice before we begin. Forgive my professional quirks. Now, let’s get to the matter at hand. Could you describe, in as much detail as possible, the symptoms Zhuo Yan exhibited during her most severe episode?"