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Seeing Xu Man's resolute demeanor, it was hard to believe she was lying. However, none of us had anticipated that Jiang Xiaochun was actually a lesbian. From Jiang Xiaochun's ring, I had inferred that her relationship with Hu Pei was not good, and I suspected she might have someone else on the side.
Moreover, it was evident from Jiang Xiaochun's expression that she wasn't particularly saddened by the deaths of the two individuals. This was hardly the reaction one would expect from someone who had been in a relationship for seven years, especially not from a mother. Now we understood that there were no feelings between Jiang Xiaochun and Hu Pei; their marriage was merely a facade. Hu Xiaoxue was not Jiang Xiaochun's daughter but rather the child of the woman sitting before us—Xu Man.
Xu Man casually crushed her cigarette butt on the tea table and said slowly, "But why are you asking about this? Did their sham marriage get exposed? That shouldn't attract the police."
Seeing Xu Man's expression, I hesitated to tell her about Hu Pei and Hu Xiaoxue's deaths. The woman before me wanted nothing more than for her daughter, Hu Xiaoxue, to grow up healthy. Who could have imagined that Hu Xiaoxue, only seven or eight years old, would be so brutally murdered?
I spoke up, "Well, some things have come to light, but can you be sure that Jiang Xiaochun is a lesbian?"
"I can be sure of that," Xu Man replied as she lit another cigarette. "If it weren't for that incident, we four would probably still be very close friends. But ever since that happened, I've lost the face to meet anyone else. It's interesting though; even though we were the best of friends, each of us is selfish—people are always like that."
I found Xu Man's words somewhat confusing and asked, "Friends? Which four people are you talking about?"
Xu Man looked at me without evasion and said, "We were best friends seven years ago; there are two people you might not know. The four of us were me, Jiang Xiaochun, Lu Zhiqiu, and another named Deng Xuemei."
Xu Man thought there were two people we wouldn't recognize, but how could we not be familiar with them? It turned out these four had been close friends back then, and we knew each one well. Lu Zhiqiu had died seven years ago, while Deng Xuemei's fate remained unknown. Jiang Xiaochun was pretending to be mad, and Xu Man had been acting as an older sister for seven years.
The fate of these four friends had turned out to be increasingly tragic. However, this made things interesting; if they had once been close friends, Xu Man must know many stories from those days. As Lu Zhiqiu's best friend, Xu Man ended up with Lu Zhiqiu's boyfriend Hu Pei—could this confirm the saying about being wary of friends?
I ventured cautiously, "There's something I'm not sure if I should ask: you and Lu Zhiqiu were best friends, and you knew Hu Pei was her boyfriend."
Xu Man waved her hand dismissively. "Seven years have passed; what's done is done. I admit I was wrong back then. Lu Zhiqiu's personality—well, she never got angry with anyone or perhaps didn't know how to express anger. Even though I knew Hu Pei was Lu Zhiqiu's boyfriend, I also knew that even if I took him away from her, she wouldn't react negatively and would still consider me her friend."
Zhao Mingkun sighed helplessly. "Good people always get taken advantage of in this world."
Xu Man lightly flicked off some ash from her cigarette. "Yes, if Lu Zhiqiu had been a bit more assertive, I wouldn't have done what I did. Perhaps it was because I felt secure; I knew Lu Zhiqiu wouldn't mind. People can be quite despicable; I used to think Hu Pei was nothing special until I realized he was Lu Zhiqiu's boyfriend and decided to test the waters."
I shrugged. The human tendency to compare and feel jealousy is always lurking deep within the heart. Often, the closer the friends are, the more dangerous this hidden jealousy becomes. In this world, what can be seen on the surface is something to be grateful for, while the things buried deep inside can send chills down your spine when they surface unexpectedly.
Xu Man might not actually like Hu Pei; she simply wanted to take Lu Zhiqiu's boyfriend away.
I continued, "So, have you succeeded?"
Xu Man shrugged and replied, "If I had succeeded, why wouldn't Hu Pei marry me? I was too naive, thinking too simply about others. Hu Pei believes in keeping the red flag flying at home while letting the colorful flags flutter outside. With such a gentle girl by his side, how could he possibly leave her? But it seems there are things that Lu Zhiqiu cannot accept either; after all, Lu Zhiqiu didn't choose to marry Hu Pei."
I frowned. From Xu Man's words, it seemed she was unaware that Lu Zhiqiu had died seven years ago.
But I didn't point this out. Instead, I asked, "What about the other two, Jiang Xiaochun and Deng Xuemei? Especially Deng Xuemei—what kind of person is she?"
Xu Man looked at me with confusion, seemingly surprised that I knew Deng Xuemei.
After a moment, she said, "Well, Deng Xuemei is the person I dislike the most. Becoming close friends with her was solely for Lu Zhiqiu's sake. You see, Deng Xuemei is incredibly hypocritical. She pretends to be poor in front of Lu Zhiqiu, claiming she has no money at all, yet behind his back, she buys designer clothes and phones. She clearly isn't short on cash; she just wants to appear that way."
This was indeed similar to Song Ying's behavior; it didn't seem like a lie. However, we had visited Old Deng's home and found it truly impoverished—there was nothing there. This situation seemed contradictory. Yet it wasn't impossible; if Deng Xuemei maintained one facade at home and another in front of outsiders, it could certainly happen.
In truth, we all know that when someone lacks something the most, they often desperately pretend to possess it. During middle school, Deng Xuemei was indeed very poor; perhaps she never got the toys she desired or tasted the food she craved or visited the places she longed for.
A life filled with unfulfilled desires twisted Deng Xuemei's psyche. In middle school, she might have been mocked by many friends. She had no new clothes to wear and no toys—she had nothing at all. When she entered university, Deng Xuemei found herself in a place where no one knew her or her family.
Thus, in order not to be ridiculed anymore, Deng Xuemei likely began to pretend to be wealthy. If she didn't want others to laugh at her, the best way was to laugh at them first. So Deng Xuemei started acting like a rich person and began mocking others. This could very well explain how someone from a single family could present two different backgrounds.
Xu Man snorted lightly and continued speaking: "Among us, she's the one I look down on the most. I've been through this several times; Kori Chiu seems oblivious and continues giving Deng Xuemei money every month. And then Deng Xuemei takes that money and goes out to have fun. What can you do? One is willing to give while the other is willing to take."
I nodded and asked further, "So what’s their relationship like? Are they good?"
Xu Man furrowed her brows and said, "Lu Zhiqiu considers all three of us to be her best friends, but Deng Xuemei doesn’t actually see her as a good friend. I remember once when I was at a bar, I happened to run into Deng Xuemei. I was sitting right behind her, but she didn’t notice me."
Xu Man continued, "At that time, I overheard Deng Xuemei talking to someone else about Lu Zhiqiu. I heard Deng Xuemei say that Lu Zhiqiu is just a fool who doesn’t even realize she’s being used by others; she’s the kind of person who would help count the money after being sold out by someone."
At this point, Xu Man became a bit agitated. She stood up and exclaimed, "I was furious when I heard her say that if they were going to eat, they should let Lu Zhiqiu pay. Lu Zhiqiu never knows how to refuse anyone. I was so angry because Lu Zhiqiu has helped her so much, yet she talks badly about Lu Zhiqiu in front of others like that."
"Although," Xu Man suddenly sighed and sat back down, saying, "although I did take Lu Zhiqiu's boyfriend, well, not really take him. At that moment, I couldn’t hold back and confronted Deng Xuemei. She told me that Lu Zhiqiu is nothing special and that I shouldn’t bother myself with it. Even if I told Lu Zhiqiu, she wouldn’t get angry."
Xu Man shook her head helplessly and said, "Deng Xuemei just sees Lu Zhiqiu as a fool; she’s not really a friend to her at all."
Hearing this, I tugged at my hair and began to ponder. If that’s the case, then Deng Xuemei wouldn’t seek revenge for Lu Zhiqiu at all. Logically speaking, since Lu Zhiqiu has been quietly supporting Deng Xuemei all along, one would expect Deng Xuemei to feel grateful. Moreover, with only a few years left in her life, it would make sense for her to act in such a way.
However, from both Song Ying and Xu Man, we received the same answer: Deng Xuemei seems to be viewed as a selfish and hypocritical person in others' eyes. Such a person would likely not give up their life even at the last moment; thus, it’s improbable for her to seek revenge for Lu Zhiqiu. If Deng Xuemei is indeed such a person, how could she possibly take revenge?
Additionally, there were many previous doubts that indicated Deng Xuemei's sudden departure was quite abnormal. From this perspective, the possibility that the murderer is not Deng Xuemei exists. But if it isn’t Deng Xuemei, then who could the murderer be?
Why were those chemicals found in Deng Xuemei's house? Why were those plants and animals discovered in the drawer?
If the murderer had accomplices, then that person must have had a close relationship with her; otherwise, it wouldn’t be possible for them to have placed those items there. Who could that person be?
After a moment of contemplation, I already had someone in mind.
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