The police in the neighboring Yue Prefecture were very efficient. They found Jin Xiaoyong's residence that afternoon and had Xiao Wu and his team take Jin Xiaoyong back to Binzhou.
Jin Xiaoyong thought the police had discovered their ID card swapping scheme and was filled with panic.
After being brought into the interrogation room, he immediately confessed: "Officer, I know I was wrong. I didn't do anything wrong by using my sister's ID card. I just went to the next city to see my girlfriend. That shouldn't constitute a crime, right? Please don't lock me up. I can accept criticism, education, fines, apologies, and writing a self-criticism! I will definitely reflect on my actions and never do it again."
Yu Hanjiang frowned as he looked at the man in front of him.
Jin Xiaoyong is only about 1.7 meters tall, so when Jin Xiaoyue impersonated him, all she needed to wear was a pair of shoes with hidden platform heels. The siblings have the same hairstyle; clearly, Jin Xiaoyue temporarily dyed her hair short blonde to impersonate her brother.
Jin Xiaoyong speaks in a slightly effeminate manner, with a soft voice, which explains why her cross - dressing as a man didn't arouse suspicion from Liang Ting and the Manager.
Yu Hanjiang handed Jin Xiaoyue's ID card to him and whispered, "Tell me in detail why, when you were 18, your parents passed away, and you and your brother were the only ones who went to school."
Although Jin Xiaoyue has already given an explanation for this matter, we still need to find her younger brother to verify it and see if Jin Xiaoyue is lying.
Jin Xiaoyong was taken aback: "Why are you asking about things from so many years ago?"
Yu Hanjiang gave him a cold look: "Answer the questions honestly, don't ask them back."
Jin Xiaoyong was frightened by the officer's sharp gaze and immediately said honestly, "Yes, I begged my sister because I really wanted to learn a skill. Our family's savings were only enough for one person to go to school. My sister was kind-hearted and let me go. She said she could work in a bubble tea shop and earn some money. She could work to save up for tuition while studying, and it would be the same if she repeated a year."
Yu Hanjiang asked in confusion, "Then why didn't she repeat a year the following year?"
Jin Xiaoyong said regretfully, "The policy of our county's high school changed the following year, and they no longer offered separate repeat classes. If we wanted to go to another school, we didn't know anyone or had any connections, so it would be difficult to transfer our student records… Sigh, this matter was delayed like this, and I'm sorry to my sister. So after I started working, I gave her half of the money I earned."
Xiao Lou has heard that the regulations vary from place to place, and some schools do indeed not accept repeat students.
Jin Xiaoyue gave up the opportunity to repeat a year of high school for her younger brother, worked and waited for a year, but missed out on a lifetime. She must have been very sad at the time.
Yu Hanjiang then asked, "Where has your sister been working these past few years?"
Jin Xiaoyong said, "She's had many jobs, such as hotel front desk and company back office, but she hasn't stayed in any of them for more than a year. My sister is too ambitious, and she always looks down on these kinds of jobs."
Yu Hanjiang: "Does she really like singing?"
Jin Xiaoyong nodded: "She has loved singing since she was a child, and everyone says she sings well."
Yu Hanjiang: "Five years ago, she made it to the top ten in a singing competition, but was eliminated in the round of 10 to 6. How was she feeling when she got home? Did she say anything to you?"
Jin Xiaoyong's face showed obvious sadness as he recalled the incident. He lowered his head and said, "My sister locked herself in her room after she got home."
She was crying inside the room and smashed a lot of things. I tried to comfort her for a long time, telling her it was okay and she could register again next year… She broke down and yelled at me, saying there weren't that many next years, and that she had missed the best opportunity because she was thinking of coming back next year. Sigh."
At this point, Jin Xiaoyong's eyes reddened, and her voice choked with emotion: "I know my sister has always blamed me. If I hadn't begged her, she wouldn't have softened and given up the chance to retake the college entrance exam... I regret this too. I should have gone to work so she could retake the exam and go to university first, and then I could have found a way to go to a vocational school... I've held her back..."
Yu Hanjiang paused for a moment, then asked in a low voice, "Didn't she participate in any more talent shows the following year?"
Jin Xiaoyong wiped her face haphazardly, composed herself, and said in a hoarse voice, "She went, but she was eliminated in the Hai Xun stage because she was too nervous that day and forgot the lyrics halfway through her song. The teacher in charge of the Hai Xun stage vetoed her."
Xiao Lou: "..."
Jin Xiaoyue's life is really unlucky; she always seems to mess things up at crucial moments.
Ultimately, it all comes down to mindset.
Yu Hanjiang asked, "What has she been doing during the time she resigned and stayed at home?"
Jin Xiaoyong said, "She hasn't been in a good mood lately and stays cooped up in her room all day. I was worried she'd get sick from being cooped up, so I gave her my computer so she could play games at home and relax."
Yu Hanjiang asked, "What game?"
Jin Xiaoyong said, "I like shooting and gunfight games. That's all the games I've downloaded on my computer. I don't really know if my sister has downloaded any new games."
Xiao Lou: "..."
Shooting games, with their adrenaline-pumping action of blowing people's heads off, are very exciting and popular among boys. However, for Jin Xiaoyue, playing this game was like adding fuel to the fire; her hatred continued to fester, even leading her to contemplate violent murder.
Jin Xiaoyong added, "I told her that even if she doesn't go out to work, I can support her for the rest of her life with the money I earn. If she adjusts her mood, she can come to my hair salon to help out as a beautician. I can introduce her to a teacher, and she can learn from scratch."
Xiao Lou sighed inwardly. This younger brother actually cared deeply for his sister and had been trying to make up for what he had done to her in the past. Unfortunately, his sister was too extreme. If they could let go of the past and start over, their lives were actually slowly getting better.
Yu Hanjiang finally asked the most crucial question: "Was it your sister's suggestion to switch identities with you this time? What were her reasons?"
Jin Xiaoyong said, "My girlfriend's birthday clashed with the concert, and I didn't want to turn down Teacher Liang's invitation. She did Teacher Liang's hair for me. First, it can help me gain fame. I've done Liang Ting's hair, so my business will get better and better in the future. Second, it won't interfere with my date with my girlfriend. Third, I'm worried about her staying at home all day. I'm actually quite happy that she's willing to learn hairdressing. So I made a model of Liang Ting and taught her how to do hair by hand. My sister is very smart and she can learn it in no time."
He paused, then glanced awkwardly at Yu Hanjiang: "Uh, I know exchanging ID cards is illegal, but we didn't mean any harm. It's just that the two of us, siblings, are swapping IDs. I promise I won't do it again!"
Up to now, Jin Xiaoyong is unaware that his sister has committed a crime and believes that the police brought him in for questioning only to exchange his ID card.
Yu Hanjiang frowned and said, "Take us to your residence to search it."
Jin Xiaoyong was stunned: "This...isn't this necessary, officer? I've already made my reasons for exchanging IDs very clear. I'm not lying. Searching my residence like this is illegal, isn't it?"
Yu Hanjiang showed him a stamped piece of paper: "This is a search warrant."
Seeing the other person's puzzled expression, Yu Hanjiang quickly added, " Liang Ting is dead. Your sister is suspected of murder, and we need to conduct a thorough search of her residence."
Jin Xiaoyong's mouth instantly opened wide enough to fit a duck egg.
Yu Hanjiang led his men to the siblings' residence. There was no evidence in Jin Xiaoyue's room, but after turning on the computer, Yu Hanjiang found many keywords related to □□ dosage and Liang Ting in the web search history.
With the evidence irrefutable, all that remained was for Jin Xiaoyue to confess.
Back at the Police Station, Yu Hanjiang and Xiao Lou interrogated Jin Xiaoyue again.
He replayed a variety show from five years ago in front of Jin Xiaoyue, who turned ashen-faced.
Yu Hanjiang said in a deep voice: "In October, you were working at the hotel reception. You saw your glamorous old classmates and a singer who was quite famous at the same time. Compared with them, you felt increasingly unbalanced. During the two weeks you stayed at your brother's house, you were thinking wildly every day and playing games. The more you thought about it, the more you felt that Liang Ting was too hateful. It was Liang Ting who ruined your dreams and future, so you decided to kill her to vent your anger, right?"
Jin Xiaoyue's lips trembled violently. She buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably, as if she were crying or laughing at the same time. After a moment, she suddenly raised her head, her eyes bloodshot, and roared like a wounded beast: "It's all her fault! If she hadn't given me the bad news, I would have been a signed singer with Starlight Entertainment long ago. How could I have fallen to the point of working at a hotel!"
"Heh heh heh, old classmate? You pretend to be friendly on the surface, but you're definitely laughing at me behind my back. And that trashy singer, she clearly doesn't sing as well as me, and she chose a song that everyone's heard so many times, why did she make it to the finals but I can't?!"
"God is so unfair, so unfair to me! If I'm not doing well, Liang Ting shouldn't expect to do well either!"
Yu Hanjiang and Xiao Lou calmly watched the crazed woman in front of them.
Years of unresolved issues have warped her psyche.
There's a saying that goes, "You have to accept the path you chose, even if you have to crawl on your knees."
Keep moving forward. It's true that I was too soft-hearted to help my younger brother back then, and missed the college entrance exam—that's sad and regrettable. But since it's already happened, there's no need to hold a grudge for so many years.
In fact, she had many opportunities to change her fate over the years, but she didn't know how to seize them. Instead, she repeatedly immersed herself in pain and regret. Blinded by hatred and jealousy, the world she saw was always gray, and she couldn't see the warmth around her.
Regret won't change anything; looking forward is the only way out.
If you only cry when you miss the sun, you will also miss the most beautiful stars.