In the living room sat two strangers. As soon as they saw him, they approached and asked, “Are you Mr. Tang En?”
Tang En nodded.
The plainclothes police officer did not beat around the bush and said directly, “Hello, we are from the police department. We are here mainly to ask about what happened this morning between you and Bao Er Niges.”
Tang En’s expression instantly changed.
He had told Ma Qi that he trusted Ma Qi because he was his father, but why were the police asking this?
Tang En shook his head in panic and said, “No, I did not assault Bao Er. It’s not my fault; don’t ask me.” After saying this, he turned to head upstairs.
The plainclothes police officer grew suspicious and immediately blocked him, saying, “Mr. Tang En, this is a routine procedure. Please cooperate with the investigation.”
Because of Tang En’s words, the questioning took a different direction.
“Mr. Tang En, we only have a few questions. Just answer truthfully.”
Ma Qi and Ke Suoni helped persuade Tang En; they didn’t want the child to walk down an irreversible path.
Tang En sat on the sofa, cold sweat dripping from his forehead due to the relentless pain, and said, “Go ahead and ask your questions.”
“Mr. Tang En, where were you between nine and twelve this morning?”
“I was in the thicket by Jialan Lake.”
“Were you alone, or was there someone else with you?”
“Bao Er was there too.”
“What were you two doing there?”
“Because… Bao Er wanted to break up with me.”
“So you reacted angrily and acted out against him?”
Tang En stiffly nodded, “Yes.”
“Did you ever intend to sexually assault Bao Er?”
“… Yes.”
“Did you take any action towards that?”
“… Yes.”
“You harmed Bao Er?”
He silently nodded.
The plainclothes police officer closed his notebook and stood, saying to Ma Qi and Ke Suoni, “Thank you for your cooperation. I believe we need to take Tang En back to the police station; he is suspected of sexual assault, and the victim may have committed suicide as a result. You may want to hire him a good lawyer.”
Meanwhile, the school police had a smooth inquiry, with the principal and academic director along with dozens of school leaders blaming Tang En and Bao Er for their actions, claiming they were disrupting the campus. They asserted that Bao Er surely couldn’t cope with his feelings, leading him to drastic actions. The school’s disciplinary measures against the students were justified according to school regulations.
Just as the two police officers were preparing to leave the school, the undercover agent called the principal’s office, asking them to answer.
The undercover took the receiver from the principal’s phone and said, “Hello, this is…”
“What?!”
“Okay, I understand.”
“Mm, we will gather in the principal’s office.”
The undercover officer put down the receiver and said, “I’m afraid we will have to trouble the principal for a while longer.”
The principal felt uneasy and asked, “But what has changed?”
The undercover officer shook his head and remained silent, waiting for his partner to arrive.
With no other options, the principal called the academic director aside, saying, “Are you sure there were no issues with this morning’s incidents? Was it definitely Tang En and Bao Er involved?”
“Of course. It wasn’t just me; over twenty students witnessed it.”
Reassured, the principal sighed, patting the academic director on the shoulder. “Let’s go in and see what else they need.”
When they entered the principal’s office, they found that Tang En, who had already been expelled from school, was also present. Both of them felt a jolt of surprise, silently praying that nothing worse would happen.
The undercover officer said, “The principal confirmed that Bao Er and Tang En were expelled for their involvement, correct?”
The principal nodded, wiping the sweat that had collected on his forehead. “Yes.”
The undercover officer continued, “However, my colleague learned from Tang En’s home that Tang En said he acted out of anger when Bao Er wanted to break up with him. Thus, we can confirm that Bao Er was coerced into this relationship. Did your school inquire about the victim’s account of events? If so, why was it not discovered that the victim was coerced?”
“This…” The principal’s sweat continued to pour, quickly soaking through his shirt.
The academic director felt a chill run through him, nearly collapsing to the floor.
“It’s over.” The thought echoed in the minds of the school leaders simultaneously.
Due to the loss of lives, the police took this case very seriously. That afternoon, Tang En was arrested for the intentional harm of a female beastman, while the principal and several school leaders faced dismissal and investigation. A new principal was hurriedly assigned before the military arrived.
Shuai Chang heard the news from Yalin and sighed, “Your cousin is a pitiful person. But those who are pitiful often have their faults; if he weren’t so malicious, he wouldn’t have ended up in this situation.”
An Qiluo was somewhat affected and pondered, “Bao Er surely knew that nothing happened between him and Tang En. He didn’t mention anything during his expulsion; why would he commit suicide over this?”
“Did your uncle also commit suicide? He was no good. If he forced Bao Er to marry Tang En, think about what Bao Er would do in a rage.”
“Would he take down my uncle as well?” An Qiluo suddenly realized. “Yes, I’ve heard from my dad and father that my aunt was forced to death by my uncle. Bao Er is only a year younger than me; he must have known about this.”
“Old grudges and new debts, all accounted for.”
An Qiluo sighed, “Bao Er wasn’t innocent; he actively provoked Tang En and didn’t expect that in the end, it would cost him his life.”