Chapter 29 He committed suicide

　　"Xiaoli, he's dead. You shouldn't wear that anymore!"

　　I turned to Xu Xiaoli and asked, "Did Zhou Yong give you the bracelet?"

　　"Who are you?" Xu Xiaoli snapped back, her voice defensive.

　　"He's your savior, Wang Xiaofeng," Xu Xiaoli's mother quickly interjected. "If it weren't for Xiaofeng, who knows how long you would've stayed in that crazy, confused state!"

　　"Wang Xiaofeng..." Xu Xiaoli stared at me, her expression blank. "I don't know you."

　　"That's alright, as long as I know you!" I smiled, trying to lighten the mood. "I'm Zhou Yong's friend!"

　　"Zhou Yong!"

　　The moment his name was mentioned, she recoiled in fear, backing into the corner, huddling against the wall, her voice rising in panic. "Don't kill me! Please, don't kill me!""Xiaofeng, what should we do...?" Xiaoli's mother asked me, worry etched on her face.

　　I picked up a bowl from the table, pulled out a spirit-cleansing talisman, and with a flick of my fingers, it burst into flames. I turned to Xu Xiaoli's mother and said, "Auntie, go fetch some water!"

　　"In this bowl?" she asked, a bit flustered.

　　"Yes, in that bowl."

　　She quickly ran out and returned almost immediately with a bowl of water. "Xiaofeng, I’ve got the water!"

　　I took the bowl, leaped onto the bed, held Xu Xiaoli down, and made her drink it. She passed out within seconds.

　　"Xiaofeng, how is Xiaoli?"

　　"Don't worry, Auntie. She’s just in shock. Let her rest, and she’ll be fine."

　　"Oh, my poor girl!" she sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed, her hand trembling as she stroked Xu Xiaoli's hair lovingly.

　　"Auntie, tell me more about Xiaoli. Maybe I can help."

　　She glanced at her daughter, then back at me, her voice heavy with sadness. "Xiaoli's had a rough life..." She wiped her eyes, trying to hold back the tears. "Her father died when she was little, and we didn’t have much. She dropped out of school before even finishing middle school, helped me in the fields. Then, when she turned sixteen, she said she wanted to go to the city to find work. I couldn’t stop her, so I let her go."

　　"And then?" I pressed gently.

　　"After that, she started coming home dressed in nicer clothes, bringing back all kinds of things. I asked her what she was doing in the city, but she never gave me a clear answer. She only said she found a good job, that her boss was kind to her. I didn’t push too much, as long as she seemed happy.""When did she meet Zhou Yong?"

　　"About a year ago," her mother replied. "She told me she got together with her boss. Then, about six months later, she said she was getting married. But before long, she got mixed up in some murder case, went completely mad, and the police had to bring her home."

　　I could tell she was telling the truth, but there were still too many questions I needed answers to. What exactly was the "good job" Xu Xiaoli had? Who was her boss? Was the bracelet a gift from him? If he was her fiancé, why would he want to hurt her? And if it wasn't him, then who was the mysterious "he" she kept mentioning?

　　It was all a tangled mess—Bagua stone carvings, Zhou Yong, Xu Xiaoli, her boss, and that stranger Zhou Hu had mentioned. There was definitely something hidden beneath the surface.

　　"Xiaofeng, it’s getting late," Xiaoli’s mother interrupted my thoughts. "Why don’t you stay here tonight? There’s a bed in the room next door. It might not be much, but it’s better than sleeping outside."

　　"Alright, Auntie, thank you," I said, grateful for her kindness.

　　"No need to thank me," she replied, then went off to get things ready.

　　I glanced at Xu Xiaoli, thinking that spending the night here was actually a good idea. When she woke up tomorrow, I’d be able to talk to her directly.

　　After Auntie finished cleaning up, I went to the back room, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t sleep. My mind kept racing. I went over everything again and again, and one thing was clear—Xu Xiaoli was the key to unraveling this mystery.From the way Xu Xiaoli reacted today, something must have happened before Zhou Yong died. It felt like he was trying to kill her.

　　I still wasn’t sure. I wouldn’t know the full story until Xu Xiaoli woke up.

　　It wasn’t just about this incident either—there was also that mysterious man. Who was he, and what was his connection to Xu Xiaoli? There’s no way he could’ve been her brother.

　　I looked out the window at the bright moon hanging in the night sky and let out a deep sigh. The more I investigated, the more complicated this whole thing became.

　　Since I couldn’t sleep anyway, I sat up in bed and began to meditate. Before I knew it, it was past three in the morning.

　　I was still meditating, but I could feel someone approaching me. A dark figure slowly moved through the room, stopping right next to my bed. It just stood there, unmoving.

　　I opened my eyes and looked over. The moonlight streamed in through the window, falling across Xu Xiaoli's face. Her delicate features were illuminated in a ghostly pale light. Her hair was a mess, and only half of her face was visible. Her right eye was fixed on me, staring intently.

　　"What’s the matter? Still thinking of killing me?" I asked coldly.

　　Xu Xiaoli shook her head and forced a bitter smile. "No, Feng... I wouldn’t dare."

　　"Come on, spill it. What do you know?"

　　She hesitated for a moment, then finally said, "It was Zhang Ming who told me to get close to Zhou Yong!"

　　"Zhang Ming? Who’s that?"

　　"My boss... and also..."

　　"And also *what*?" I pressed, my voice firm, pushing her to continue.

　　"And also..."

　　Seeing her reluctance, I started to piece it together. "You’ve got feelings for him, don’t you?"

　　"Yeah," Xu Xiaoli replied softly, after a slight pause.

　　"So, the person you told your mother you were going to marry—is that Zhang Ming?"

　　"No," she shook her head, "I told her it was Zhou Yong. By then, I was already with him, but... I never wanted to marry him. I didn’t like him," she confessed after a brief hesitation.

　　"Why did Zhang Ming want you to get close to Zhou Yong?"

　　"He didn’t explain. He just said Zhou Yong had ruined something for him, and he wanted revenge."

　　"So you listened to him and got close to Zhou Yong?"

　　"Yeah."

　　"And then? Did you kill Zhou Yong?"

　　"No!" she cried, her voice rising. "I didn’t kill him! He killed himself!" Xu Xiaoli clutched her left arm with her right hand, still trembling.

　　"That day, we were just watching TV at home. He said he felt dizzy and wanted to wash his face. But when he came back, he was... he was like a man possessed! He grabbed my neck and wouldn’t let go, kept shouting that he was going to kill me!"

　　"Why would he want to kill you?" I repeated, my voice calm but demanding, needing answers.

　　Xu Xiaoli shook her head. “I don’t know.”

　　“And then what?” I continued asking.

　　“I managed to break free from him, and we started fighting. He accidentally shoved me, and I blacked out. When I came to, he... he had already hanged himself in the living room!” As Xu Xiaoli spoke, she covered her face with both hands, crying in fear.

　　“So that’s what happened...” I muttered softly. After a moment, I asked again, “Who gave you that bracelet, Zhou Yong or Zhang Ming?”

　　“Zhang Ming. Why, Feng, is there something wrong with the bracelet?”

　　“Nothing.” I paused, thinking it over. If Xu Xiaoli’s story was true, then she had been used by Zhang Ming, and that bracelet was the key proof.

　　“One last question: What’s the deal with the Bagua Stone carving in Huayuan Complex? Do you know anything about it?”

　　“The Bagua Stone carving?” Xu Xiaoli looked puzzled, then thought for a moment before answering, “Are you talking about the Bagua stone plate by the river in Huayuan Complex?”

　　“Yes, that’s the one. What do you know about it?”

　　She shook her head. “I don’t know. I never really paid attention to it, but it’s been there for a while. When Zhou Yong and I went to check out the place, that big stone was already there.”

　　I let out a long sigh, wondering if the Bagua Stone carving was just an unnecessary detail, unrelated to the murder case.

　　“Feng, you have to believe me. I didn’t kill him. He really killed himself!”

　　I looked out the window and said, “I understand.”