第七章

The next day, Xiaoman submitted her information request to the police. She wanted to view records related to Bai Anning's case. After sending the email, she could only wait.

At that moment, someone knocked on the door downstairs.

Chen Weian called to her, "Xiaoman, someone is looking for you."

Xiaoman went downstairs and saw Shen Rui standing at the door. Doubao rushed over ahead of her, circling around Shen Rui.

Shen Rui patted Doubao, then looked at Xiaoman.

"I came to apologize," he said. "That day at the supermarket, I was too harsh."

Xiaoman also said, "I should apologize too. I just wanted to help you, but I didn't ask if you needed it first."

Shen Rui nodded. The two of them were reconciled.

Xiaoman was about to take Doubao for a walk, so she asked Shen Rui if he wanted to join. Shen Rui agreed.

They walked into the woods opposite Xiaoman's house. Doubao ran ahead. Shen Rui said he had always wanted a dog, but Shen Ran was allergic to dog hair, so they never had one at home.

He was now working at the Dragon Gate Tavern in Ancheng. He said he just wanted to save money and leave Qingshi Town as soon as possible.

Xiaoman asked him what he wanted to do in the future.

Shen Rui said he had wanted to be a lawyer. After what happened to Bai Anning and Shen Ran, he had a terrible time at school, and his grades deteriorated.

As they walked, Xiaoman suddenly realized that this was the woods where the police had found Shen Ran.

She immediately apologized.

Shen Rui said it was okay. There was no place in Qingshi Town that didn't remind him of Shen Ran.

The two were silent for a while.

Later, Shen Rui asked Xiaoman, "You really don't believe Shen Ran killed Bai Anning, do you?"

Xiaoman said she just couldn't believe it. That's why the school project gave her a reason to reinvestigate the case.

Shen Rui said he had tried to investigate three years ago. But no one was willing to talk to him. Fang Na cried and said she couldn't discuss it, He Mingxuan and Jiang Lei didn't reply to messages. Bai Anning's friends hung up as soon as they heard who he was. The Bai family would never see him.

"I'm Shen Ran's brother," Shen Rui said. "For me, I'm too close to this case."

Xiaoman didn't know how to comfort him.

Shen Rui said that now with Xiaoman, things might be different. She had the school project as a reason, and she wasn't a Shen. Maybe someone would be willing to talk to her.

He wanted to hear Xiaoman's thoughts.

Xiaoman said she had several possibilities.

First, Shen Ran might have known something, even helped the killer, but the person who actually killed Bai Anning was not him.

Second, Shen Ran might be completely innocent. There might be other explanations for the phone and bloodstains. His death might have been due to overwhelming pressure.

Third, someone killed Bai Anning, then killed Shen Ran, and made the scene look like a suicide. That way, all the evidence would point to Shen Ran.

Hearing this, Shen Rui stopped.

"You think my brother might have been murdered?" he asked.

Xiaoman said it was just a possibility. She had no evidence.

She then mentioned the last possibility: Bai Anning might not be dead. She might have disappeared herself and made Shen Ran look like the killer.

This idea was bold, and Xiaoman herself knew it was unlikely.

When they walked back to Xiaoman's doorstep, Shen Rui made a request.

He wanted to investigate together with Xiaoman.

"I didn't have a chance before," Shen Rui said. "But you do. Others might talk to you. You might be my only chance."

Xiaoman agreed.

Shen Rui took out an old phone from his pocket.

"This is Shen Ran's phone," he said.

Xiaoman looked at the phone, her heart began to race.

Maybe the real new clue was inside.