Case Files 013

Zhang Xue went to pour me some water while I walked around her house. I glanced at the wall clock, it was already 9 pm. I couldn't help but wonder what her father did for a living that he was still out so late at night. I also wondered if the other students were as astute as Zhang Xue. The thought of having to go back to the station and admit that I was exposed by a young girl darkened my world.

"Here's the water." Zhang Xue placed the glass on the table and started to clean. However, I could feel that she was watching me from the corner of her eyes as if she had something to tell me. I took slow sips of the water while I watched Zhang Xue. This Zhang Xue was quite hard to read, be it from the book she read or the way she spoke. Lee Zhinan's company worked from 9 to 5 and he took Subway Line 1 home, he would have left his company the same time as Zhang Xue left school. Would they have met on the subway? If they did, would they talk? Was there another reason for her to invite me into her home? I had a feeling that Zhang Xue knew more than she was saying. Even though my mission was exposed, that didn't mean that I wouldn't be able to get her cooperation.

"Why isn't your father home yet? What does he do for a living?" I asked Zhang Xue. Zhang Xue smiled rather sadly before saying, "I don't know when he'll be home but sometimes, I wish that he'll never come home." Before I could ask for elaboration, Zhang Xue stopped her cleaning and then asked, "By the way, what do you think of Lee Taida."

My brows creased. "I know what his history with his father is like so I pity him. He can't escape him because his father is still his legal guardian. Based on your question, it sounds like you know about his family issues as well. Then you must know that he's aiming to kill his father, right?"

Zhang Xue quickly shook her head. "I knew that Lee Taida doesn't have a good relationship with his father because he told us about his childhood before. But I had no idea he stole the cyanide to kill his father. When he admitted that in the classroom, we were all shocked. I also know that Taida is in police custody, I wish to beg you to help him." Zhang Xue's eyes watered and then she suddenly knelt before me. "Taida is a good man. He might not look like it but he is really a kind person." I immediately went to hold Zhang Xue but she pushed my hands away and continued her plea. "Taida never bullies anyone and he adopts many stray cats and dogs outside of school. He would go and feed them every day. How could someone like that be a bad person?" Zhang Xue continued, "Because I come from a single-parent family, people liked to bully me. Without Taida, they would still continue to bully me. Zhao Erming is also a good friend. Zhang Erming has helped me punish the students who once bullied me."

It was not up to me to decide such things but since Lee Taida was a juvenile and Lee Xian was still alive, his punishment shouldn't be severe. Even if I didn't say anything, he would be released soon enough. I told Zhang Xue. "Okay, but please stand up, I promise to help you." Zhang Xue stood up and then sat down beside me. Then she did something that I did not expect again. Zhang Xue removed her t-shirt to expose her fair skin. While I was still in shock, she removed her shorts. I stood up in panic. "What are you doing? Put your clothes back on!"

"I am willing to do anything to repay you." Zhang Xue said plainly. I grabbed her clothes and handed them to her. From the corner of my eyes, I saw that her body was covered in bruises. They were mostly gathered around her inner thighs and lower stomach. They were normally hidden under her clothes. I demanded. "Put your clothes back on, I have something to discuss with you." Zhang Xue nodded, but not before pulling on the edge of my shirt. Seeing that I really had no interest, she slowly put the clothes back on.

"Who taught you these things?" I uttered in a stern voice, "Why would you do something like that?"

"I, I learned it from my father." Zhang Xue lowered her eyes. My heart chilled, by then I could already guess 90 percent of the truth. This girl grew up with her father. Zhang Xue was now 15, a girl in her prime. Zhang Xue lived with her father under the same roof, my heart froze just thinking about it. "Tell me, has your father done…" I didn't have the heart to finish the question. Zhang Xue nodded and then told me her story.

Zhang Xue's mother passed away when she was young. Her only reliance on this world was her father. Before she was 12, her father treated her like a princess. He gave her everything she wanted. Zhang Xue even thought she only needed a father, it was fine that she didn't have a mother. However, everything changed when she was 12. That day, Zhang Xue was at home sleeping. Her father tumbled back drunk. He was accompanied by his company superior. Even at age 12, Zhang Xue was a very understanding girl. She opened the door, brewed some tea to help them with the hangover. The two men sat on the sofa while Zhang Xue went back to her room to sleep.

Around midnight, someone entered her room. Zhang Xue who was only 12 sat up in bed. In the dark, someone crawled into her bed. She wanted to cry for help but a giant palm covered her mouth. Then another hand reached under her clothes. She couldn't scream and she was too weak to fight back. Her assailant was her father's manager. Zhang Xue was so afraid that she didn't know what to do. Then he raped her. Every day after that, Zhang Xue would have nightmares.

When her father walked in, the manager was still snoring in bed. Zhang Xue was so catatonic that she couldn't say a word, she could only cry. When her father saw her torn clothes and the blood on her bed, he knew everything. Zhang Xue said she would never forget that day, the first thing her father did was to charge into the kitchen to grab a knife. He aimed it at the snoring man's neck. Just as he was about to make the cut, Zhang Xue's father suddenly stopped. His manager would never know that he almost died that night. Zhang Xue's father replaced the knife. When he returned, he had exchanged the knife for a camera.

"Climb onto him!" Zhang Xue's father ordered. Zhang Xue didn't move, she was still crying. Then she was snapped into consciousness by a slap to her face. Her father growled in a warning tone, "I told you to climb onto him, do you not hear me?" Afraid of more slaps, Zhang Xue obediently obliged. Her father took down many valuable pictures that night.

The next morning, when the drunk manager woke up, he found himself on an unfamiliar bed. He was naked. Instantly he was covered in cold sweat. Everything that he did yesterday night crashed into his mind. If he was reported to the police, his life would be over. He staggered out from the girl's room. He was greeted by Zhang Xue's father who sat on the couch. Zhang Xue sat dumbly beside her father, she was still naked.

The manager chuckled awkwardly, "Erm, Xiao Zhang, it seems like I had too much to drink yesterday night." Then Zhang Xue's father turned around to smile. "Of course, I understand. I will not tell anyone what happened yesterday night. You were too drunk."

Then Zhang Xue's father had a smooth climb up the corporate daughter. No one knew why. There was a highly competed post at the company, Zhang Xue's father was less experienced and less capable than many of his colleagues but he got the post. His colleagues could only gossip about his connection but only Zhang Xue's father knew the truth, this was blackmail pure and simple.

Zhang Xue never dared to sleep alone after that, she could only fall asleep when she was with her father because whenever she closed her eyes, that night would come back to her. One year later, when Zhang Xue was 13, she slowly walked out from the nightmare but she never knew that a bigger nightmare was awaiting her. That day, her father did the same thing to her. When Zhang Xue woke up from her sleep, she saw her father's eager face and reddened eyes. Her father growled, "You look more and more like your mother. Plus this is not your first time anyway. In that case, why should I wait any longer? Am I right, my good daughter? I'm not wrong, tell me I'm not wrong, my dear daughter." Zhang Xue would never expect that her father would do that to her. From that day onwards, her life was hell. Her father was well-respected at the company but at home, he was like a beast. As Zhang Xue grew older, she started to resist but she only got bruises for reward.

Zhang Xue saw a picture of her mother before, she did look like her. Zhang Xue's father had completely shed his mask. Sometimes, he would invite the manager to come back with him. When Zhang Xue saw the man's salacious eyes on her, she knew what would happen. She became a pawn in her father's game of power. Then more and more higher-ups from his father's company came and Zhang Xue surrendered to her life. She tried to see the bright sides of things. Whenever she opened her legs, she could get expensive presents and gifts from these men. She thought Wu Meng would respond similarly.

Even though she was only 16, her heart was already dead.

"That animal!" When I heard the story, I cursed aloud.