Chapter 209: The Deceased Was a Manipulator

In the interrogation room, a young man sat on the chair.

Yu Shaoyang, male, 27 years old, a resident of Bincheng, and a taxi driver…

“For the past few years, I’ve been having nightmares constantly. Even though I’ve moved to a new place, bought new furniture, and even gotten married and had kids, I still can’t erase the memories of her. As soon as the lights go out at night, her shadow, hidden in the darkness, appears in front of me, haunting my mind. She was everywhere, suffocating me, making me terrified, leaving me restless. Especially recently, when I close my eyes, I see blood dripping from the ceiling, landing on my face, my body, all around me. And then there’s her severed leg, appearing right in front of me. Her severed hand too, right beside me. I can even feel the coldness, see the jagged bones, the flesh torn by a saw, and the red nail polish on her fingers and toes. Then, I see her face. Just like when she was alive, it floats quietly in front of me. Blood still drips from the cut at her neck. I know these are just dreams, but they aren’t just terrifying, they’re so vivid. And these dreams, I’ve been having them over and over. I’m at my breaking point, I can’t take it anymore!”

The suspect looked tormented as if he’d lost his mind. His bloodshot eyes were wide with desperation.

Yes, his eyes were bloodshot. The blood vessels in the whites of his eyes were prominent, covered in a web of red, making his eyes appear completely red.

Watching him, Xiao Yu remained calm.

This kind of phenomenon is easily explained.

Guilt.

It’s like when ordinary people do something shameful, they tend to remember it, unable to forget.

Guilt works the same way.

When someone commits a serious crime, it can weigh heavily on them, impossible to shake off. People are swayed by their conscience, but they can also be consumed by guilt.

In extreme cases, guilt can drive a normal person insane.

“Done telling your ghost story?” Xiao Yu asked coldly. “Now, tell me why you killed your ex-girlfriend?”

“She was a manipulative, two-faced bitch,” Yu Shaoyang’s face twisted with anger, a hint of madness in his eyes. “She always came across as so innocent and harmless, looking all fragile and pitiful. But everything she said was designed to hit you where it hurts while making you think she’s the sweetest thing in the world. And once she got what she wanted, the people she used would be left teary-eyed, thinking she was some kind of angel. Yeah, I’m talking about myself—too dumb, too naive, too stupid!”

Xiao Yu chuckled. Naive? Stupid? Really?

As a man, Xiao Yu knew that no man was that clueless. It was just that some women had exceptionally high emotional intelligence and knew exactly how to exploit a man’s weaknesses to their advantage. When those two things combine, the results could be devastating.

But there was a key characteristic of women like this: they didn’t target men who were broke or completely useless. Think about it.

So, who was Yu Shaoyang?

A taxi driver!

Would a manipulative woman really go after a taxi driver?

Xiao Yu glanced at the information on his tablet.

The supposed victim, Wang Mei, female, 24 (at the time of her disappearance), from Bencheng, unemployed, and a frequent visitor to bars and nightclubs.

According to the police investigation, Wang Mei’s family reported her missing. Before she disappeared, she had been involved with numerous men, maintaining ambiguous relationships.

The key point: despite her behavior, Wang Mei only had one official boyfriend—Yu Shaoyang. 

The two met in college, as they were from the same hometown, and eventually became a couple. They had been together for four years by the time Wang Mei disappeared.

Some women are born to be manipulative, it seems.

The investigation revealed that while in college, Wang Mei had numerous secret affairs with other guys. After graduation, she became even more reckless and blatant about it, frequently visiting bars and nightclubs with different men.

Her hotel stay records showed that she had checked in over 130 times, with more than 20 different men.

As Xiao Yu reviewed the investigation report, his mind buzzed. This Wang Mei was something else.

There’s a saying that fits: “Girl, your bed sees more traffic than a busy highway.”

In other words, from the moment Wang Mei and Yu Shaoyang started dating, he was already being made a fool of, his meadow growing lush and green with each passing day.

But… Xiao Yu smirked.

Once again, men aren’t as stupid as they seem. Even the dumbest guy would catch on after a year or so.

So, why did Yu Shaoyang stay with Wang Mei for four years?

“I loved her, I really did.” Yu Shaoyang’s face was filled with pain. “She was my first woman. We even talked about getting married after college. But… in our first year together, I noticed she had a lot of guys around her. I even secretly checked her messages. I knew she was in contact with many other guys. We fought about it so many times, and she promised she’d cut them off. But four years went by, and not only did she not change, she even…”

“And what?” Xiao Yu narrowed his eyes.

“There was this one time, a friend of mine told me he saw her at a hotel,” Yu Shaoyang’s face twisted with rage. “When I got there and knocked on the door, she wasn’t alone. There were three other guys with her.”

Xiao Yu was stunned. 

But then…

“Why didn’t you break up with her?” Xiao Yu asked coldly.

“I did break up with her, ended things,” Yu Shaoyang’s face was filled with anguish. “But she just wouldn’t let me go. She even came to my house to make a scene. Whenever I tried to date someone else, she’d show up and cause trouble. I couldn’t take it anymore.”

“Wait a second.” Xiao Yu frowned. “Are you saying that after the breakup, she wanted to get back together with you?”

“No, she didn’t want to get back together; she just wanted to cause trouble.” Yu Shaoyang’s face burned with anger. “She just couldn’t stand to see me move on.”

Something didn’t add up. From this point on, the story started to feel off… Xiao Yu’s mind was racing. 

What was wrong here?

Where was the problem?