Chapter Thirty-Five: Deserved

As expected, upon arriving at the stands, although Zhuang Fukai still wore an expression of reluctance, his whole demeanor had relaxed somewhat. It seemed his concerns truly ran deep. Though both Yan Xue and Kang Ge were curious about the reasons behind this, neither betrayed even a hint of it on the surface.

"I don't understand—there are so many people you could question, so why insist on asking me?" Zhuang Fukai stepped onto the stands with obvious unwillingness, speaking before Kang Ge or the others could. "I'm not at all close to Xu Wenrui. I know nothing about his affairs. Even though we share a dormitory, we're no different from strangers. Why put me on the spot? And in this situation, your pressing questions about Xu Wenrui could have a negative impact on me!"

"What situation? What impact could there possibly be?" Yan Xue asked in a tone of feigned confusion.

"How can there be no impact! The man just died, and you're grilling me with questions. What will others think if they find out?" Zhuang Fukai was dissatisfied with Yan Xue’s nonchalance, blurting out his retort. The words had barely left his lips before he seemed to realize something, his expression shifting as he lowered his gaze and turned slightly away. "Anyway, I'm at a crucial stage right now and don't want any interference."

"What’s this about? Look at yourself—a man in his twenties, yet you speak so hesitantly. It's not a good look!" Kang Ge glanced at Zhuang Fukai with a touch of disdain, his tone brash and casual. "Isn’t it just that you already know Xu Wenrui is dead? So what if you do? The words are out—you can't swallow them back now, can you? And you're not the only one who knows; plenty of others are aware as well. So what are you so anxious about? Oh, just because we found you to ask about it means it'll have a negative impact? Come on, as Xu Wenrui's roommate, it's only natural for us to ask you for information. Who would think anything else?

"But look at you, acting as if you're facing a mortal enemy. Is it superstition, or professional bias? Don’t tell me you think dealing with the police is unlucky and it’ll affect your chances in your graduate program interviews?"

"When did I ever say that!" Zhuang Fukai flushed red and snapped back, "I'm relying on my own grades, my own abilities to secure my graduate recommendation—not any underhanded tricks! I’ve always conducted myself with integrity!"

Clearly, to Zhuang Fukai, the matter of his postgraduate recommendation was of utmost importance—not only did he mention it at every turn, but even when challenged, the first thing he clarified was related to it. Not only did he value it, Yan Xue thought silently, but he was also a little proud.

"Who told you about what happened to Xu Wenrui?" Kang Ge grinned, unconcerned by Zhuang Fukai’s irritation, continuing the conversation as if it were a casual chat.

"I just found out—during my lecture earlier," Zhuang Fukai replied hastily. "A few girls behind me were talking about it during the break. And since you had Xu Hao look for me yesterday, I figured out what was going on."

"Xu Wenrui’s death must have hit the girls at your university pretty hard, huh?" Kang Ge sighed. "We’ve heard Xu Wenrui was quite the Prince Charming on campus—a dream guy for many of the younger girls."

"Prince or whatever, I wouldn't know," Zhuang Fukai said stiffly. "I'm from the countryside—what’s the difference between a white horse or a black horse? They all pull carts or plows, just beasts of burden."

Yan Xue studied him, wondering whether he meant these words seriously or if there was a thread of veiled resentment running through them.

"True enough. As a guy, you probably wouldn’t know how popular Xu Wenrui was with the girls," Kang Ge said, making a fist and playfully thumping his palm. "I wonder if his ex-girlfriend knows about this yet. If she does, would she feel sad, or secretly relieved? Exes—one can never quite predict their feelings."

"Don’t assume everyone’s so narrow-minded. Even if she doesn’t love him anymore, she wouldn’t be so petty as to rejoice in his death. She’s not that kind of person," Zhuang Fukai grunted, clearly displeased with Kang Ge’s malicious speculation.

"Oh? From the way you say it, you must be rather familiar with this Bei Bei girl?" Yan Xue seized on the information revealed in his words.

"Me, familiar with a girl like that?" Zhuang Fukai shot Yan Xue a look of pure disdain. "Only a fool would find her so-called innocence and charm appealing. To me, she’s nothing but fake from head to toe—every word a lie."

Kang Ge couldn't help but smile. Moments ago, Zhuang Fukai had insisted he was barely more than strangers with Xu Wenrui, but now he was commenting knowledgeably on the character of his ex-girlfriend.

"Now, isn’t that odd," Kang Ge remarked, noting the change in Zhuang Fukai’s demeanor. "Just now, I mentioned his ex might be glad at his passing, and you made it sound like you held her in high esteem. But then you turn around and disparage her so thoroughly!"

"When did I disparage her! You said I was familiar with that Bei Bei, but I was talking about that girl’s bad character, her pretense and hypocrisy—I didn’t mean Deng Chun!" Zhuang Fukai protested, his tone urgent. "When you said Xu Wenrui’s ex-girlfriend, I assumed you meant Deng Chun. That Bei Bei girl is, at most, his ex-ex-girlfriend!"

"Ah, so it was a misunderstanding! Looks like we were talking past each other," Kang Ge said, feigning sudden realization. "We’d heard that Bei Bei and Xu Wenrui got back together for a while before breaking up again, so I thought she counted as his ex."

"That wasn’t getting back together—that was her playing with Xu Wenrui," Zhuang Fukai snorted. "But he had it coming; that’s the kind of girl he liked. He had girls who cared for him and treated him sincerely, but he took it all for granted, and instead, he let himself be at the beck and call of someone so fake. No one could help him."

After speaking, Zhuang Fukai bit his lip, a look of regret flickering in his eyes, and then he fell silent.

"See? Isn’t it better for us to be honest with each other?" Kang Ge clicked his tongue. "You’re sharing a dorm, seeing each other every day in such a tiny space—you can’t really be strangers. We’re not asking you to take any risks, just to help us understand the situation. There’s no need to be so guarded. Come on, man—are you really so timid about something this minor? If so, I’d have to say I’m disappointed in you."

At these words, Zhuang Fukai flushed again. Clearly, he realized he had contradicted himself. Until now, he had insisted he barely knew Xu Wenrui, hoping to distance himself and avoid providing information, but that excuse was no longer tenable.

"Is there something you’re worried about?" Picking up on Kang Ge’s lead, Yan Xue played the part of someone offering Zhuang Fukai an out. "For example, do you know someone who had a falling out with Xu Wenrui, but you’re afraid that person, being on campus, might threaten your safety? You can rest assured—we’ll keep the source strictly confidential! And if you’re not comfortable talking here, you can pick the location—whatever makes you feel secure."

"I’m not as cowardly as you think!" What was meant as a reassurance seemed instead to provoke Zhuang Fukai, who bristled with indignation. "You people have such prejudices against those of us who study hard! Just because I put most of my energy into my studies, you assume I must be rigid, a block of wood, a timid bookworm, a punching bag! But I’m a normal person too! I have my own life! Not everyone has to be like Xu Wenrui to be considered good or right! Didn’t he waste too much time on activities, spreading himself thin, failing or barely scraping by, having to be called in by the counselor time and again?

"The difference between us is that I don’t have the family background to afford squandering my chances. If I want a good life in the future, I have to work for it—strive for a higher degree, land a good job, earn more, have better prospects! Only then will I have the means and the right to enjoy life, to live freely and brilliantly! What’s wrong with that? Why do you all have such narrow views, judging someone based only on their undergraduate years—as if those who don’t focus are winners, while people like me are just pathetic nerds?!"

He spoke, breathing heavily, chest heaving, nostrils flaring, eyes wide with emotion.

Watching his angry outburst, Yan Xue silently observed this emotional side of the young man, but said nothing to clarify or console him.

It wasn’t the first time she’d encountered someone both sensitive and emotionally volatile. She knew that the more she tried to explain how she meant no offense, the more Zhuang Fukai’s temper would flare.

So the best approach was to continue the conversation, ignoring his sudden irritation.

"Very well. Since you have no concerns, as Xu Wenrui’s roommate, based on what you know, did he show any unusual behavior lately?" she asked calmly.

Zhuang Fukai’s anger seemed to hit a wall of indifference, and he deflated a little. After a brief silence, he nodded. "Yes, recently, he did seem a little off."