My Dearest General: It Has Always Been You

Ruo Tingran frowned uncomfortably. "Mr. Detective, what do you mean by that? Do you suspect that Li Qing's death has something to do with me? That I bullied her to the point of suicide?"

"No, no. I don't mean it like that. Really." Qin Weizhe put on a completely harmless look, sincerity oozing from his eyes. "I am just trying to understand Li Qing's character. So, I hope you will help me. You know, someone can commit suicide due to various reasons such as mental illness like depression or schizophrenic, impulsivity, stress…" He leaned forward and his voice lowered into a whisper. "It can also be social isolation or…there's something she desperately wished to say."

Ruo Tingran's body stiffened.

Qin Weizhe continued casually.. "We have looked through her medical report and everything is normal. From your homeroom teacher, I learned that Li Qing isn't an impulsive girl, nor did she have bad grades. So, we can rule out the possibility of mental illness, impulsivity and stress. Now, the only choice is—"

"Do you know something, Miss Ruo?" He lifted his eyes, the corner of his lips quirked up.

He was obviously smiling but the pressure exuded from his body was so heavy that Ruo Tingran couldn't breathe. Her lips parted to take in gulps of air, sweat dripped down her back. "Last week, because of the forum thread, Li Qing was ostracized by her close friends, Chen Jiaweri and Mo Ling."

"Oh? Care to tell me more?"

Ruo Tingran sighed. "She was originally close to them. But after Shi Nian came, it was like both of them were bewitched. Compared to a friend whom they had known for years, they chose to believe in Shi Nian who's only here for a month!"

"So, she's isolated?"

"Yes, I saw that she's pitiful and…" Ruo Tingran lifted her head to meet Qin Weizhe's smiling eyes but she hurriedly lowered her head again. "Okay, fine! I will tell the truth! Actually, I used to be friends with Li Qing. No, to be exact, it's our parents who were business partners."

Qin Weizhe gestured for her to continue.

Ruo Tingran came from a wealthy and powerful family in the Capital. Her circle of friends was wide but narrow at the same time. She had an extensive network of friends, but in fact, they had known each other since childhood because they were of the same age and generation.

The kids often met in their parents' business parties or birthday banquets. Parents mingled with parents and the children played with fellow children. Ruo Tingran met Li Qing when she was seven.

"At that time, Li Qing's family was quite well known. Her grandfather had a...high rank in the army and my parents held high regard for him. So, I was asked to befriend Li Qing."

Wealthy people's circle was complicated. Even the children were dragged into the muddy water to form networks and political connections. The Li Family was resourceful, but unfortunately, it only stopped up to Grandfather Li's generation.

Li Qing's father was also a businessman but he didn't have the insight and temperament Grandfather Li had, nor was he shrewd like other successful people in the same field. He often invested in failed businesses and the family wealth degenerated bit by bit, just like a rock which was slowly grinded by the violent waves until only a pebble was left.

Along the time, little Ruo Tingran learned that she must befriend those of the powerful. If the children got along fine, then the business deal of their parents would go smoother. Due to the decline of Li Family, Ruo Tingran mingled with another group of friends. She and Li Qing gradually drifted further until the end, Ruo Tingran never saw Li Qing in any business parties anymore.

"I heard his father's company went bankrupt." Ruo Tingran twirled her hair with her fingers and scoffed. "They had to mortgage their family's residence and live in a much simpler house. Do you know what's more painful than being poor, Mr. Detective?"

The poor Qin Weizhe was curious. "What?"

Ruo Tingran chuckled. "It's when you have experienced how it feels to be on the top, when everyone revolve around you, ready to be your beck and call. If you told them to go east, then they wouldn't go west. Then all of a sudden, those people treated you coldly, you couldn't keep up with their conversation anymore and then, when you came to your senses, you have been isolated."

From Ruo Tingran's words, the image of Li Qing whom Detective Qin had never seen before gradually formed into life.

A former phoenix, the child praised to Heaven, suddenly fell from the sky into the mud. She became introverted, reclusive, and closed herself off to the world. In addition, the pressure from her peers made her develop low self esteem.

"So, you took pity on her and asked her to join your group?"

"No." Ruo Tingran replied coldly. "It's her who asked."

"Ah?"

Ruo Tingran heaved a sigh in relief as if she had just dropped off a large burden on her shoulder. "So be it. If Mr. Detective asks from another person in my group, you will know." She rolled up her sleeve a bit to show a sparkling, delicate bracelet. "This is the newest edition of Tiffani's jewelry. Li Qing bought it for me, in exchange, she wanted me to hang out with her again."

Qin Weizhe—upon hearing the price she said—choked on his breath and couldn't recover for a moment.

Holy—that was his whole month's salary plus bonus!!!

Were high school children this scary nowadays?!

"So," Qin Weizhe was suddenly at a loss. "She bribed you?"

"Bribe? How crude." She showed a disdainful look. "It's not bribing, but mutual exchange."

"Okay, okay, mutual exchange." Qin Weizhe didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "So, she gifted you that bracelet and you accepted her into your group?"

"Yes, we hung out together. I brought her when we went to karaoke, facial spa, salon…" She counted one by one, almost making Qin Weizhe's head turn upside down.

"Alright, I know." He furiously scribbled on his notebook and froze. "Wait, you said that her family has gone bankrupt so where did she find that much money?"

Ruo Tingran blinked, apparently she hadn't thought of that either. "How would I know?" She shrugged.

Qin Weizhe recorded it in his notebook as an important lead. "So, when she's in your group, was there any conflict? She used to be isolated by you all so it must not be easy for her to come around again, right?"

Ruo Tingran's lips pursed and the hands atop of her thigh clenched slightly. "The group might not be able to accept her at first, but money makes everything turn, Mr. Detective. Say, if she paid for all of your expenses without caring how expensive it was, would you be happy or not?"

"Wait, she paid for all of your expenses?" Qin Weizhe repeated. "'You' as to you alone, or everyone in your group?"

"…Everyone. She paid for everyone."

"Why didn't you tell me this before?"

Ruo Tingran shrugged. "You didn't ask?"

Qin Weizhe: "…"

He took a deep breath to recover himself. "Okay, last question. If…I say if. If she didn't commit suicide, who did you think was able to kill her?"

Ruo Tingran's expression changed abruptly as she looked up at him, colors drained from her face.

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A/N: sigh, the upper echelon of society is really complicated. That's why it's the best to stay moderate, happy and free just like Mo Ling :))

Jiang Jinyan will come out again after one more chappies and after that imma stuff you with some sweetness haha