A tragic childhood under the shadow of a stepfather, a desolate love that could never be, a clown-masked man in a late-night alley, the crisp moonlight, and the cold blade.
Oh, and the waiter...
"I couldn't figure out why I saw these photos. This question bothered me for a long time, but I finally understood. You and your sister must be twins, right? Everyone says twins are like they were made from the same mold, and now that I see them, it's true. If it weren't for the difference in their ear piercings, I wouldn't be able to tell who is Han Mo and who is Xu Xiaolin." After saying that, Wang Shen smiled at Han Mo.
After hearing Wang Shen's words, Han Mo frowned slightly, but still tried to remain calm and replied, "I don't understand what you mean."
“There’s a line in the Ballad of Mulan that’s quite fitting here: ‘The male rabbit’s feet are twitching, the female rabbit’s eyes are blurred; when two rabbits run side by side, how can one tell which is male and which is female?’ Have you heard this line?” After saying this, Wang Shen paused and observed Han Mo’s expression.
Han Mo did not answer Wang Shen's question, but instead glanced at Wang Shen and frowned again.
Wang Shen hadn't expected Han Mo to give any useful answers. Seeing Han Mo's expression, Wang Shen felt a slight surge of pleasure. Han Mo seemed to be walking step by step into the trap he had woven.
"So, Writer Xu? No, should I call you Writer Han? I'm really confused right now, and I hope you can give me a definite answer." Hearing Wang Shen say this, not only Han Mo, but even Liang Zichen standing to the side looked at Wang Shen in surprise. They hadn't expected Wang Shen to get to the point so quickly and directly.
Han Mo frowned slightly and replied, "I don't understand what you're saying. Of course I'm Xu Xiaolin."
Wang Shen smiled again and replied, "It's alright, let's talk about some interesting things from the past. By the way, back in school, there was a time I skipped class, but I was afraid of being caught by the teacher, so I asked you to lie for me and say that I was sick and went to the infirmary. Do you remember that?"
The people present looked even more puzzled after hearing Wang Shen's words. Wang Shen changed the subject too quickly, and no one knew what he was trying to say.
However, Han Mo was naturally the one listening most attentively. Now, Han Mo faced a difficult choice. She had to determine whether Wang Shen's words were true or false. If she made a wrong judgment, her identity as Xu Xiaolin would be exposed.
Han Mo clenched her fist tightly, then looked at Wang Shen for a moment before replying, "Someone as hardworking and outstanding as you, how could you possibly skip class? I have no recollection of it; you're probably mistaken."
Wang Shen chuckled, his tone becoming more relaxed. "How could I not remember? Later, I was caught skipping class. You said it yourself, everyone sees me as hardworking and excellent. So this was the only time I ever skipped class in my student life. At the time, my homeroom teacher was very shocked and even used me as a negative example in class. Even now, my classmates still tease me about it. If you still don't remember, I have my homeroom teacher's phone number. Why don't I call him now and have him talk to you?"
After listening to Wang Shen's words, Han Mo's tightly furrowed brows showed no sign of easing. Wang Shen was pushing Han Mo step by step towards a precipice. Han Mo's mind was in turmoil, but she knew she absolutely could not let Wang Shen make that call. Han Mo's understanding of Wang Shen was all obtained through Xu Xiaolin's deliberate inquiries. She knew nothing about Xu Xiaolin's homeroom teacher. If Han Mo spoke to Xu Xiaolin's homeroom teacher, she would inevitably expose her weakness.
Thinking of this, Han Mo glanced at Wang Shen and then laughed. "Look at my memory. It really was big news when you skipped class. Maybe I'm getting old, my memory is really not what it used to be.
As soon as Han Mo finished speaking, Wang Shen's smile vanished. His expression turned icy, and after glancing at Han Mo, he said, "There was no such thing as skipping class."
After Wang Shen finished speaking, the entire office seemed to fall into a moment of deathly silence. Han Mo felt as if she had been frozen in place, and was already somewhat powerless to control herself.
Finally, Wang Shen spoke first, breaking the awkward silence. "So, let me call you Han Mo for now." After saying that, Wang Shen frowned and stared at Han Mo.
"I don't understand what you're saying." Han Mo seemed powerless to refute, and could only reply to Wang Shen with such pale words.
"Don't worry, I'll make you understand." After listening to Han Mo's words, Wang Shen nodded.
After a while, Wang Shen shifted his gaze from Han Mo and sighed heavily. Then, Wang Shen said, "Han Mo's life has indeed been filled with too much misfortune. The divorce of her parents during her childhood can be a shadow over any child. And Han Mo was particularly unfortunate. With a stepfather like that, no one could live a normal life..."
Before Wang Shen could finish speaking, Han Mo suddenly interrupted him. Han Mo clenched her fists, stared at the table in front of her, and said coldly, "What exactly are you trying to say?"
Seeing Han Mo's reaction, Wang Shen couldn't help but smile. The fish was taking the bait; all Wang Shen had to do next was add more bait. Looking at Han Mo's expression, Wang Shen completely ignored her so-called "protest." Wang Shen continued, "Being defiled by a beastly stepfather at such a young age would truly leave a permanent psychological scar. But Xu Xiaolin is truly a very self-disciplined person." At this point, Wang Shen sighed deeply again.
Wang Shen's logic shifted so quickly that everyone's minds were racing. Wang Shen then smiled at Han Mo and said, "By the way, it's been so long, and I still haven't explained your sister's autopsy report to you. According to the report, your sister was still a virgin. No, that doesn't match our investigation at all. So what's going on?"
Upon hearing this, Han Mo suddenly looked up at Wang Shen, her eyes filled with surprise. It seemed that Han Mo was also quite surprised by the autopsy results.
Without waiting for Han Mo's reply, Wang Shen continued, "Indeed, in my memory, Xiao Lin was a kind and gentle girl. It's a pity that she met a vicious and heartless older sister."
No sooner had Wang Shen finished speaking than Han Mo suddenly became agitated. She tapped the table with her hand, stood up from her chair, and shouted at Wang Shen, "What do you know!"
Seeing Han Mo's reaction, Wang Shen smiled and asked in return, "What don't I know? Aren't I asking you for advice right now?"
Upon hearing Wang Shen's words, Han Mo seemed to realize her lapse in composure and slowly sat back down in her chair, her expression becoming somewhat wooden.
"Alright, Han Mo, tell us about your case."