Chapter 4

Zhen Ai sat in the interrogation room, being questioned, while Yan Su, Owen, and several other officers stood outside the glass window watching.

The one asking the questions was Jasmine. As soon as she opened her mouth, Zhen Ai asked, "Can we speak in Chinese?"

Jasmine hesitated slightly, thought for a moment, and said, "I'm more comfortable in English."

Zhen Ai nodded, indicating she had no objections.

Jasmine first asked some basic information. She assumed Zhen Ai was an ordinary international student with poor English, so she spoke very slowly, as if talking to an elderly person with hearing difficulties.

Then she got to the main topic: "What is your relationship with Jiang Xin?"

"Roommates."

"Can you describe the scene you saw at the crime scene?"

"When I returned to the dormitory, the door was loose; it opened just by touching the key. She was lying on the floor, covered in blood. I only took a glance and then I couldn't bear to look anymore." Zhen Ai spoke at a measured pace.

"What happened next?"

"I called the police."

The clarity of her response caught Jasmine slightly off guard, and her speaking speed returned to normal: "So you were at the scene the whole time?"

"Yes."

"What were you doing?"

"Standing." Zhen Ai showed no concern for the implications in Jasmine's question.

"Standing?" Jasmine's tone rose in disbelief.

Zhen Ai remained calm: "Yes, standing."

Jasmine inexplicably felt that Zhen Ai's pupils were deep and dark. After a moment of silence, she asked, "Wouldn't a normal person check on their roommate lying in a pool of blood to see if there's still a chance to save them?"

"There were people surrounding the body; I felt it was too crowded." Zhen Ai's pale face was quite serene.

But Jasmine found that statement very strange: "Surrounding… the body?"

"Yes. Mr. Yan Su was examining the scene and the deceased. I didn't need to push in and cause trouble."

"Was S.A. there at the time too?" Jasmine was surprised, her speed quickening. "How could he have come back to the dormitory with you?"

Zhen Ai calmly retorted, "Is this question related to the case?"

Jasmine lowered her eyes, masking a hint of impatience.

Outside the glass window, Yan Su observed Zhen Ai thoughtfully and suddenly asked Owen, "Don't you think she's too calm?"

"What do you mean?"

Yan Su, with his hands in the pockets of his trench coat, looked unusually serene: "When she saw the murder scene, she didn't scream or back away; she didn't show even the slightest hint of fear or the desire to escape—she just stood there with her arms crossed. Just like now, when asked questions, her responses are organized and grammatically correct. Her pace and logic are both fine; she isn't panicking at all."

Owen also looked at Zhen Ai. The girl appeared as she always did, whether quietly accepting examination reports in the lab or going about her daily life. Her eyes were dark like a deep pool, showing no ripples; her cheeks were clean and fair, remaining calm even when she smiled, which lacked genuine warmth.

She actually looked particularly beautiful when she smiled; she should smile more often.

Owen's blue-gray eyes narrowed slightly. "Are you suspicious of her? How far does your suspicion go? Do you think she wrote the password on the paper to draw us to her? That she killed someone and then waited for us to come and prove her innocence? You think she's involved? That's impossible; Ai..."

"Of course, it's impossible." Yan Su actually smiled for a moment.

Owen paused, his expression softening after a while. "Thank you for believing in her!"

"What?" Yan Su glanced at him with a strange look.

Owen explained, "I mean I'm glad you're finally starting to believe in others instead of always relying on cold data and evidence."

"You're looking down on me." Yan Su's expression darkened.

Owen was speechless. "I'm praising you."

"Do you think I would be swayed by something as abstract and emotional as 'belief'?" Yan Su replied indifferently. "I don't believe she killed anyone, because after I sent her out of the scene, I glanced at her belongings."

Owen facepalmed, knowing it was just like him…

"There was only one person's toiletries in the bathroom, and the clothes on Zhen Ai's bed clearly weren't her style; they belonged to the deceased. Since there was nowhere else to put them, they were placed on her bed.

She doesn't live in the dormitory.

Someone with no close contacts wouldn't harbor any hatred.

The printer belongs to the deceased; Zhen Ai has used it, which indicates their relationship isn't bad. Besides, if there were hatred involved, out of competitive psychology, the deceased wouldn't have placed her clothes on Zhen Ai's bed.

The only things in the dormitory that belong to Zhen Ai are the books on the bookshelf. They're categorized by color, arranged by layers, and alphabetically ordered. She has severe OCD. But the crime scene is chaotic, blood smeared everywhere; for her, it must feel like there's no beauty left."

The conclusion is:

"If she were to kill someone, she would do it in a more elegant yet fierce manner." His tone surprisingly contained a hint of faint admiration and acknowledgment.

Owen felt utterly defeated. "Are you praising her?"

"Of course."

Owen rubbed his forehead, realizing this person was hopeless.

"However, there's one question I'm curious about. The government grants some witnesses immunity; if they commit murder, they won't be punished. I believe she might have that." Yan Su stood against the light, his eyes momentarily dark. "If she did kill someone, what would you do?"

Owen immediately countered, "She wouldn't. She has no social circle, and all her energy and attention are focused on her studies. A girl who is this serious and pure wouldn't…"

"Exactly." Yan Su said seriously, "Because she is serious and professional, she would never kill anyone."

Owen was taken aback, letting out a frustrated sigh. He knew Yan Su wasn't targeting Zhen Ai; he was just naturally argumentative about logical matters. "I know this statement is completely disconnected and doesn't make sense logically. But I still believe in her. Moreover, even if what you said were to happen,"

he smiled without a hint of hesitation, "I would still fulfill my duty. No matter the circumstances, regardless of who it is, I would do everything in my power to ensure her safety, even if it cost me my life."

Yan Su was silent, his sharply defined features slightly shifting as his jaw clenched, revealing a line of emotion.

When he was young, switching between China and the U.S. made him withdrawn and socially awkward. He had been taken multiple times by his mother for autism tests. If he had a friend in America, it was only Owen.

Owen was also mixed-race, but he looked more like his Caucasian father. After his mother was murdered, he resolved to become a police officer, and eventually became not just a police officer but the best agent in the team.

From the past to now, his beliefs had always been unwavering.

Yan Su raised his eyes to look at Zhen Ai through the glass window and suddenly wondered what the beliefs of those who constantly had to disguise their identities were.

Jasmine continued to question, "May I ask why you're not at all sad or panicked about your roommate being murdered?"

Zhen Ai inexplicably recalled Yan Su's earlier words and asked in return, "Since you're asking if you can ask, why did you go ahead and ask without my permission? If you were going to ask anyway, why did you bother asking for my consent first?"

Jasmine: …

This back-and-forth felt strangely familiar.

Outside the glass window, Owen looked a bit gray and shot Yan Su a strange glance, but Yan Su remained calm and showed no reaction.

Jasmine's expression stiffened slightly: "That's just a polite expression. Can you now answer my question?" She viewed Zhen Ai's deflection as avoidance.

Zhen Ai replied simply, "People will die sooner or later."

Jasmine: …

What kind of worldview is this?

Do people from developing countries really lack compassion? Jasmine sighed with pity: "Please elaborate on the deceased, Jiang Xin, including her friends and social circle."

"I only know that at the beginning of the semester, she was very lively and participated in many clubs, like rock climbing, wilderness survival, and dancing. She had many friends, especially male friends…"

"Did she have a boyfriend?"

"I don't know."

"Don't know? You were roommates… anything else?"

"A while ago, she said she was dropping many clubs, but later I saw her at school with friends from the password decoding club, wearing matching t-shirts. She always liked to sleep in class. That's all."

Jasmine felt this information was useless and thought Zhen Ai was being evasive. "You seem to remember these trivial details very clearly."

Zhen Ai responded, "Because we only talked a few times."

Jasmine thought she understood: "So your relationship wasn't good?" Obviously, a cheerful and lively roommate wouldn't get along with someone who appeared silent and withdrawn.

Zhen Ai stopped answering, looked at her for a while, and slowly leaned back against the chair. "The rest, you can discuss with my lawyer."

Jasmine was taken aback; this sudden development meant she could no longer ask any questions. Typically, Asians aren't so protective of themselves and would comply with whatever questions were asked. She didn't expect Zhen Ai to suddenly refuse to answer.

Before she could finish speaking, Owen quickly signaled to the lawyer waiting at the door. The lawyer soon brought Zhen Ai out, warning Jasmine ominously: "I can file a complaint for your misleading questions!"

Jasmine's face turned gray, and she remained silent, feeling frustrated at the American judicial system for granting suspects so much freedom.

The lawyer took Zhen Ai to register information with other officers, and Jasmine came out to see Yan Su still standing in the partition. She felt embarrassed and approached him to request his consultation. He was a special advisor for the FBI and CIA, and everyone wanted his expertise to solve the case quickly.

But it was clear Yan Su wasn't interested. Before he could refuse, Owen pulled him aside and said in a low voice, "You have to get involved in this case."

Yan Su quietly regarded him, looking as if to say, "Are you seriously ordering me around?"

"We need to figure out what Jiang Xin's connection to that password is and if there are any other passwords involved." Owen spoke rapidly. "This case might not be related to Ai. Jiang Xin might have meant to harm Ai, resulting in an accident, or someone could have intended to kill Ai but mistakenly killed Jiang Xin. We have to clarify this."

Yan Su had an expression that said, "This small case is something local police can handle without my intervention." "Oh, let me handle a case I could have solved ten years ago. My life is really progressing every day."

Owen corrected him, "Ten years ago, that's really not something a twenty-something should be saying."

Yan Su maintained his blank expression: "Oh, please trust the police."

Owen responded, "I don't trust them."

Yan Su said, "If you don't trust them, then you handle it yourself."

"Independent cases under local jurisdiction, not involving terrorism or public safety, are not for agents to intervene in." His voice was low, his fists clenched in frustration.

Yan Su studied him for a moment before turning to Jasmine: "Fine."

Jasmine was delighted, smiling as she said, "S.A., since you like music, the New York International Music Festival is about to open. I have a friend organizing it; if I can get tickets…"

Yan Su nodded, pulled out a checkbook, and quickly signed, handing it to her: "I'll take four tickets, thank you!" With that, he walked away.

Jasmine stood there, stunned; that wasn't what she meant!

Owen followed Yan Su out, shaking his head. Was there really someone this oblivious?