Chapter 26 (1/2)
Published
at 27th of July 2019 04:50:00 PM
Chapter 26
I love Chapter 26 of The Youthful You Who Was So Beautiful, because, for the first time in a long time, our two youths finally get to meet each other again, no matter how fleeting their ‘meeting’ is . This chapter also really struck a chord in me – how our two youths, having been bonded by their love and their trust in each other, to be so strong, so resilient, and so unyielding to everyone else outside their little circle .
When the bell which signaled the end of the final graduation exam rang out, the students collectively heaved a huge sigh of relief, and immediately proceeded to pepper their schedules with all sorts of activities, ranging from karaoke, to playing computer games, to playing pool .
Just as Chen Nian was about the exit the school compound, she caught a glimpse of a tall, slender male donning a white t-s.h.i.+rt standing just right across the road .
Without a moment’s hesitation, Chen Nian flew down the steps leading towards the exit of the school compound, frantically shoving the numerous students enjoying a quiet and thankful reunion with their parents along the exterior of the school compound out of her way, and recklessly navigated the stream of traffic which separated her from the tall, slender male . Upon reaching the tall, slender male, she grabbed hold of the hem of his t-s.h.i.+rt and gave it a quick tug .
The tall and slender male turned back to look at her . It wasn’t him .
Just then, the tall and slender male lifted his head slightly, and directed his gaze towards the person who had appeared behind Chen Nian . Chen Nian let the hem of the white t-s.h.i.+rt fall from her sweaty grip, and slowly turned back .
It was Zheng Yi, along with numerous other police officers dressed in casual attire . Parked right next to them was a police car .
Chen Nian sat herself down in the police car . She had left one prison cell, only to enter another prison cell .
“Who is he?” Senior Yang indicated at the tall, slender male who Chen Nian had ran towards moments earlier .
“I mistook him for somebody else . ” Chen Nian’s face had resumed its signature blank, calm and collected expression .
“Who did you think it was?”
“A cla.s.smate of mine . ”
“Does your cla.s.smate resemble Bei Ye?”
“Everybody resembles each other to a certain extent . ” A frosty expression settled over Chen Nian’s face . Outside the police car, innumerable students milled about in their school uniforms .
In the interrogation room, Chen Nian and the officers stared at each other in muted silence .
As Chen Nian had continually refused to provide the police officers with the contact details of her family members, and had exhibited extreme revulsion towards her form teacher and other teachers in school, Zheng Yi did not notify the school about Chen Nian’s second round of interrogation, and had instead invited the female lawyer who had been present for Chen Nian’s previous round of interrogation .
Zheng Yi started, “Do you know why we called you in today?”
“I don’t know . ” Chen Nian shook her head resolutely, the ends of her ponytail brus.h.i.+ng lightly against the collar of her school uniform .
Senior Yang exchanged glances with Zheng Yi, his stern gaze warning Zheng Yi not to believe the words uttered by Chen Nian, but to proceed with the questioning as planned .
However, just as Zheng Yi opened his mouth to continue with the interrogation, the sharp, horrendous images from the video they had watched hours earlier flashed across his mind – the beating; the stripping; it was as though Chen Nian was just a piece of meat for all to share . Zheng Yi shut his eyes tightly, a sense of acute helplessness engulfing him from within . For a long time, Zheng Yi simply sat across Chen Nian, unable to bring himself to utter another word .
Senior Yang shot a quick glance at Zheng Yi before continuing the interrogation . “We have recently discovered a video recording, which showed the entire ordeal Wei Cai and her friends put you through the day before Wei Cai went missing . ”
Across the table, Chen Nian remained as still as a log .
“I’m sure you knew that there were a few perpetrators who were photographing and recording the entire bullying incident, so why did you tell us previously that you don’t remember what Wei Cai and her group of friends did to you?” Senior Yang persisted, “I’m going to ask you once more – did you really forget what Wei Cai and her friends put you through?”
Chen Nian turned quietly towards Senior Yang, her sharp, judgmental gaze seemingly piercing through his entire being . “Do you wish for me to retain such memories?”
Senior Yang was at a momentary loss of words before recovering, “Why did you choose to hide the incident from us?”
Chen Nian didn’t respond to Senior Yang’s question, and simply countered with another question, “Would you like to hear me describe the incident in small, excruciating detail? Each and every single physical and verbal abuse I suffered at their hands? How strong or weak the guys were? The order of the persons who bullied me?”
Deathly silence .
The pale, white skin of the youthful girl seated in front of them seemed to glow in the dark room, the black pupils of her eyes akin to the dark night .
Her white school uniform was wrinkle free and unblemished, and was akin to the full moon – clean, pure and icy .
But Zheng Yi knew that the Chen Nian seated in front of him was no longer the youthful Chen Nian of the past .
Senior Yang finally responded, “The perpetrators who appeared in the video – no matter male or female, we will ensure that each and every single one of them is arrested and punished appropriately . ”
Chen Nian remain unmoved . Chen Nian stared silently at the police officers seated across her, just as they stared at her quietly and wordlessly . The futile words offered by Senior Yang offered little to no comfort, and was utterly meaningless to her .
But the interrogation had to continue . “Why didn’t you report the incident to the police?”
“Maybe I didn’t want those videos to become evidence, to be repeatedly a.n.a.lysed and surveyed by police officers such as yourselves . Or maybe…” Chen Nian raised her eyes and looked at each of them straight in the eyes, “I didn’t want to be the subject of the pitiful and sorrowful gazes which each of you are giving me right now . ”
Xiao Yao lowered her eyes without a moment’s hesitation .
“Or maybe…” Chen Nian continued, “I felt that, even if I were to turn to the police, there was nothing the police could do to protect me . ”
Zheng Yi felt as though he had been on the receiving end of a good, hard slap . Hu Xiao Die, Zeng Hao… He had been responsible for Chen Nian’s safety and protection in the cases involving Hu Xiao Die and Zeng Hao, but he had failed her on both counts – utterly and miserably .
“In any event, in your eyes, I am nothing but an object, a mere piece of evidence . You don’t view me as a normal human being . ” Chen Nian gently stroked the bright red string tied around her pale wrist .
“That’s not……” But what else was there to say?
Senior Yang interrupted, “It’s different this time round . The offences which Wei Cai and her group of friends committed against you – these offences are punishable by law, and may even result in incarceration for them . ”
“Oh? Is that so?” Chen Nian responded flippantly . It was as though Chen Nian couldn’t care less about what happened to the perpetrators who had inflicted such horrible pain on her .
“Having gone through such horrible pain and suffering, do you harbour any hatred for Wei Cai?”
“I don’t know . ”
“Why would you say that you don’t know?’
“It seems to be unnecessary and pointless to hate a person who is already dead . ”
Chen Nian’s response was similar to the response she had previously given when asked about her feelings towards Wei Cai .
n.o.body knew whether Chen Nian’s calmness and peacefulness was a result of her forcing herself to forget the horrific incident that had happened to her, or whether Wei Cai’s disappearance had truly helped in Chen Nian’s release of all the negative emotions she had previously harboured against Wei Cai .
“Do you know Bei Ye?”
“No . ”
“Why did Bei Ye choose to protect you?”
“I don’t know . ” Chen Nian replied in a clipped, icy tone .
“In order to ensure that you had sufficient time to sit for your graduation exams, Bei Ye offered to provide us with more d.a.m.ning evidence which we have yet to uncover . What do you think is a reasonable explanation for Bei Ye’s behaviour?”
“I don’t know . ”
Chen Nian’s default response to nearly all the questions which had been flung at her by the police officers was simply “I don’t know . ”
Even when confronted with questions such as “Do you think Bei Ye harbours romantic feelings for you? Romantic feelings so strong, to the extent where he would commit a crime on your behalf?”
Chen Nian simply responded with her standard reply, “I don’t know . ”
Senior Yang probed, “You claim to be unaware, but we find this extremely hard to believe . ”
Chen Nian countered without skipping a beat, “Why are you questioning me about something Bei Ye did? Why would I have any understanding, or awareness, of Bei Ye’s train of thought?”
The police officers had no reb.u.t.tal to Chen Nian’s counter .
Bei Ye’s interrogation room . The police officers here were similarly rebuffed, making little to no progress .
“Why did you murder Wei Cai?”
“Because Wei Cai tore off my mouth mask and identified me . ”
“Did you kill Wei Cai out of vengeance, due to the harm and the suffering which she had inflicted on Chen Nian?”
“No . ”
“Was Chen Nian the one who injured Wei Cai?”
“No . ”
“Do you harbour romantic feelings for Chen Nian?”
“I don’t have any romantic feelings for her . ”
“You offered to provide us with d.a.m.ning evidence – evidence which we have yet to uncover, just so that Chen Nian had sufficient time to sit for her graduation examinations . Can you explain the rationale and your motives for undertaking such a course of action?”
“I’m bored . The thought happened to cross my mind all of a sudden, so I simply acted on it . ”
“Bored? Simply acting on a sudden thought that crossed your mind?”
“Look – ever since I was born, I have been someone who acted rashly and spontaneously . I have no ambition, no goal, no pursuits in life – and so, I have no sense of restraint, and I simply act in accordance with how I feel at any particular point in time, be it raping or murdering somebody . It’s that simple – there is no specific, convoluted reason why I offered you what I did, I just wanted to do it, so I did . ”
“So your sudden good treatment of Chen Nian – it’s something you wanted to do at the spur of the moment, so you did it?”