The Art of Teasing - Chapter 133
Chapter 133
Just when she thought she was about to die, she was hauled out again. She couldn't control the violent coughing. Her lungs hurt as if they were densely packed with needles. The moment she managed to cough her breath back into rhythm, she was shoved back underwater—no warning, just plunged in and choking on water again.
Over and over. Again and again and again.
Wen Zhengyu couldn't stop trembling. Her head was heavy and throbbing with a dull ache. From her nasal passages to her lungs, her entire chest cavity burned with pain. The sensation was like being trapped in a nightmare, hovering at the edge of life and death—unable to die, unable to wake.
The water was taken away. Her head lolled helplessly against the table. As she coughed, water gushed from her nose and mouth.
The officer asked her again: "How much did you bribe? What other dealings did you have with Lu Zhenghai? What is your relationship with him?"
Wen Zhengyu didn't want to say a single word.
She was seized by the hair again, her head forced up. The blinding light bore down on her. She couldn't open her eyes, couldn't make out the person. Even with her eyes shut, she could feel the piercing glare.
The sound of a door opening. Then someone approached and turned off the light. The officer was pulled outside. The door closed again.
A long while passed. A female officer came in, perhaps in her thirties, with a very gentle manner. She asked, "Are you all right?"
Wen Zhengyu said quietly, "It hurts."
The female officer asked, "When they arrested you, did they show you the detention warrant?"
Wen Zhengyu said, "I didn't see one." Speaking hurt her throat. A fit of coughing followed, but she didn't even have the strength to cough properly.
The female officer quickly rubbed her back to soothe her.
In that instant, it reminded her of her grandmother and Ye Ling.
Wen Zhengyu said, "I need to use the restroom."
The female officer said, "I'll help you."
She had no strength to stand. She relied entirely on the female officer to support her to the restroom. As she went in, the female officer said to her, "Don't do anything foolish." Then lowering her voice, she added, "Your family will be here soon."
Wen Zhengyu nodded slightly, bracing herself to enter the restroom. The female officer stood beside her, watching. She looked at the female officer.
The female officer said, "I have to keep an eye on you. It's protocol. To make sure nothing happens to you."
Wen Zhengyu said, "Turn around."
The female officer turned her back.
Only then did Wen Zhengyu use the restroom. She went to the sink to wash her hands and then saw herself in the mirror—her face pale, her expression haggard, her hair a complete mess. Many wet strands were clumped together. She looked exactly like a water ghost just fished out of the river.
The female officer pulled out tissues for her to dry her hands, then helped wipe her face and tidy her hair before escorting her back to the interrogation room.
She went and poured her a cup of hot water, sitting beside her to keep her company. She couldn't bear it. "A young girl like you, suffering this kind of ordeal."
Wen Zhengyu's hands were still cuffed. Even gripping the cup, her hands trembled.
The female officer said, "I heard your case has caused quite a stir."
Wen Zhengyu shook her head and continued clutching the cup to warm her hands.
The female officer looked at her and sighed. "You must be hungry. I'll order some takeout for you. What do you want to eat?"
Wen Zhengyu looked at her with some confusion, not understanding why the treatment had changed so drastically.
The female officer seemed to read her puzzlement and said, "You're in detention and under interrogation, but that doesn't mean we can let you go hungry. If there's some misunderstanding here, clearing it up will resolve everything. That temper of Xiao Shen, ah... he just got called in by the leadership to write a self-criticism. I heard disciplinary action is coming." She asked again, "What do you want to eat? Tell me. I'll buy it for you."
Wen Zhengyu had no appetite. She shook her head but still offered a word of thanks.
The female officer said, "I can see you won't be getting out right away. You'll probably be transferred to the holding cell soon. Is there anything you need your family to bring? I'll call them for you and have them send things over."
Wen Zhengyu shook her head.
The female officer was very surprised. "You don't want to contact them? They'll be worried. You seem like a proper young lady from a wealthy family—there's no way you can use the things in the holding cell. It would be better to have them send some bedding and daily necessities."
Wen Zhengyu said, "The elders at home are old. They can't handle the shock. They don't know I came here today. I don't want them to know I was arrested. Ye..." She remembered her phone had been confiscated. They would certainly check it. They would know anyway. So she said, "Ye Ling knows I came here. If she can't reach me, she'll look for me." She thanked the female officer again.
The female officer asked, "Can they find this place? Your bodyguards are all being detained right now."
Wen Zhengyu said, "She can."
The female officer said, "Drink the water."
Wen Zhengyu shook her head. She had already been force-fed so much water. Her throat still hurt. She didn't want to drink a single drop.
The female officer sat for a while, letting her rest properly. When she got up to leave, she took the cup from her hand and said, "I can't leave this glass cup with you."
As the female officer reached the door, Wen Zhengyu called out, "Big sister."
The female officer turned back.
Wen Zhengyu said, "I never do anything illegal."
The female officer said, "I can see that. If you haven't done anything, just explain it clearly and it'll be fine. We'll verify everything." She pulled the door shut and left.
Wen Zhengyu sat there listlessly. Later, exhaustion overtook her. She rested her head on the table and fell asleep.
Sleeping like this was deeply uncomfortable, but she was so tired and worn out. Her head was heavy and muddled. Her dreams were chaotic, as if many people were walking back and forth around her. She thought someone had come for her and lifted her head, only to find she was still in the interrogation room.
The air conditioning in the interrogation room was running at full blast. It wasn't cold.
The door opened again. The female officer came in wearing casual clothes and said, "I'm off duty now. Is there anything you'd like to eat?"
Wen Zhengyu shook her head.
The female officer said, "Going so long without eating or drinking—how can that be okay?"
Wen Zhengyu shook her head again. No appetite.
The female officer said, "Suit yourself then." She added in a low murmur, as if to herself, "So long and still no sign of your family."
Not long after the female officer left, just as she was about to fall asleep again, another officer came in. This officer was much more amiable. He said, "We received a report and conducted an investigation to collect evidence. It has been confirmed that the item really was a gift from you. That's why we summoned you. If you think there's some misunderstanding here, we hope you can clarify it as soon as possible. We also hope you won't make things difficult for us."
"If you don't clear things up, we'll have no choice but to wait it out with you. We work in shifts. You're the one stuck here alone. If you're gone too long, your family will worry about you."
Wen Zhengyu still said nothing.
The officer continued, "Your situation now is that the evidence is conclusive. If you don't explain and prove your innocence yourself, no one can protect you, and you won't be able to leave."
Wen Zhengyu hesitated for a moment, then said, "I'm not sure if the item in that photo was actually something I gave him. My grandfather and my master both enjoyed socializing. There were many elders who came and went from our home. They were old. Every year, some of those elders would pass away. I was raised by my grandparents. They were the ones who brought me up when I was little and taught me so many things. Later, when I grew up and understood more, I went to visit them every year. It wasn't just Grandpa Lu. There were many elders. Some have already passed. Some are still here. Some moved far away, so every year I can only send things by courier. Before, I relied on my elders for pocket money. When I had more money or came across something suitable that I really liked, I would give something nicer and more expensive. During the hardest times last year, I just sent tea cakes or pastries. Actually, what I gave didn't matter—it was just a small token of thought, to know how they were doing, whether they were still here." As she spoke, tears welled in her eyes. "As long as we kept in touch, if anything happened to them, I would know and could go visit. Grandpa Lu used to be our neighbor. He played Go very well. He often came to my house to play Go with my grandfather and stay for meals. He taught me how to play Go. The things I gave him were always very inexpensive. He wouldn't accept expensive gifts. Just little trinkets worth three or five thousand. Only if he truly adored something would he accept it. The most expensive thing was a decorative piece I bought for over eight hundred thousand. That was because he taught me Go, and my grandfather told me to give it as a formal token of gratitude to a teacher. I lied and told him it was eight thousand. As for Grandpa Lu's son, I only saw him once, when Grandpa Lu was sick. My impression of him wasn't good. I had no dealings with him."
The officer said, "Someone reported that many assets of unknown, enormous origin suddenly appeared under your name, and that many bodyguards suddenly appeared around you."
Wen Zhengyu said, "That's my mother's dowry. My grandmother gave it to me."
The officer asked, "Which assets under your name were given to you by your grandmother?"
Wen Zhengyu said, "Except for Kunlun Art Studio, all other assets were given to me by my grandmother."
The officer said, "What assets? I'm cautioning you: do not conceal anything. Every word you say, we will verify."
Wen Zhengyu hesitated briefly, then listed her asset inventory once more.
The officer stared at her steadily.
Wen Zhengyu looked back at the officer in silence. She hadn't realized before that there was so much.
The officer finished taking the record and asked Wen Zhengyu if she had anything else to say.
Wen Zhengyu shook her head.
The officer had her sign and fingerprint the statement.
Wen Zhengyu reviewed the record to confirm it was accurate, then signed and pressed her fingerprint.
The officer asked, "Do you want something to eat?"
Wen Zhengyu shook her head.
The officer left.
Her entire body was drained of strength. Her head, her throat, her lungs—all hurt. Everything felt wrong. She laid her head on the table and fell asleep again.
She didn't know how long she slept before someone woke her. She was told she could leave. Her phone, identification, and all her belongings were returned to her.
The officer informed her that the officer who had interrogated her earlier was suspected of procedural violations and was now under investigation. If she had any concerns or had suffered any harm, she could apply for an official injury assessment and compensation. The matters she had spoken of would be investigated. If necessary, she would be summoned again.
She had no strength. The officer supported her as she walked out.
She kept her head lowered. Suddenly, she heard the sound of familiar footsteps rushing toward her. When she looked up, Ye Ling was already at her side, holding her tight.
Her tears slid down instantly. Her entire body trembled violently, beyond her control. She knew she would be all right. She wasn't afraid. But she just couldn't stop shaking. She thought maybe it was from not eating—hunger. She steadied herself for a moment and said to Ye Ling, "I'm fine. I just had no appetite to eat in there. Hungry."
Ye Ling held Wen Zhengyu tightly, saying over and over, "It's all right now. It's all right. It's all right."
Wen Zhengyu gave a soft "Mm." Ye Ling wrapped an arm around her and walked her out. At the entrance, she saw Wen Jing and the others standing outside, their faces full of worry as they watched her. She noticed their spirits still seemed decent. It looked as if she alone was the most miserable one. She flashed them a smile.
As soon as Wen Jing saw her emerge, she strode forward in a few steps to support her.
She got into the car. She heard Ye Ling's phone ring. Ye Ling answered and said, "It's all right now. She's been found... Someone reported her... Everything's resolved. She's been released." Then she handed the phone over and said, "It's Grandma."
She took the phone. She heard the old lady's voice. The old lady was frantic with worry.
Wen Zhengyu said weakly, "Hungry. Didn't want to eat their food. Didn't want to drink their water. Hungry and thirsty." When she didn't hear the old lady's voice, she called again, "Grandma."
Ye Ling took the phone back and said she would take Wen Zhengyu to eat first.
The old lady rattled off a long string of instructions. Ye Ling acknowledged every single one before hanging up. She held Wen Zhengyu tightly, gave an address, and told Wen Jing to drive to her residence first.
She arrived at Ye Ling's place. She drank a little congee. After washing up, she collapsed onto the bed and sank into a deep, heavy sleep.
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